Part of The Wildes of Lindow Castle series, this can be read as a stand-alone, although I also recommend previous entries, of which I have read some and am continuing to read the rest. Joan and Thaddeus are seemingly opposites, but soon discover that doesn't matter as the attraction between them grows. The theater and Hamlet play a part in the story, and I particularly loved the epilogue! Recommended.

If you like your romance sweet and a little on the dramatic side, this is a great book for you! I'm a huge Eloisa James fan, but not necessarily a Shakespeare fan (gasp!), and yet this romance worked for me. Thaddeus is so easy to love, and it seems our sweet heroine, Joan, is not as confident as we would have believed from previous books in this series. Partnership and trust (and a little help from some adorable animals) save the day for a truly happy ending. 5 stars!

I have enjoyed all the books in this series. This one as well. Joan is such a free spirit and doesn't let anyone hold her back. Thad is a stick in the mud and always trying to control everything. He can't control Joan. Sparks fly!

Not the first book I started in 2021, but the first book I finished. We could all use a cozy, happy story in this first week.

Although part of a long-ish series, this book can be read on it's own. It's sweet, with a strong heroine. The conflict mostly comes from assumptions and posturing between the two leads, but there are some outside stressors that add to the story. After the author's misstep in the last book, this one has sexy, explicit consent all over.

Not necessarily a must-read, but fans of the author will be happy.

Another delightful journey to Lindow Castle and the Wildes. This story had engaging characters, plenty of humor and just the right amount of heat. It can be read as a stand alone but I recommend reading the others in the series because you don't want to miss them!

Readers of this series will love delving in to Joan's story -- romantic, exciting, and enhanced by the rich theatre background and setting. It definitely stands alone, so recommend to new readers who are looking for an absorbing romance series that is all about the members of a particular family. Anyone who enjoys Julia Quinn's Bridgerton series or Mary Balogh's Wescott series will love this.

Lady Joan is a Wilde in name only, at least according to society. Her mother was the notorious second wife of the Duke of Lindow, who ran off with a Prussian aristocrat and left behind a golden-haired baby who looked just like her father. Now grown, Joan longs for a career on the stage. A traveling theater troupe gives her the chance to play the role of a lifetime (in breeches, no less!).

Thaddeus is in search of a very proper wife. His ducal father’s eccentricity is well-known, and he needs to counteract the gossip with his own tame choices. He’s already courted two Wilde sisters, each of whom married someone else for love. And he definitely doesn’t need the notorious Joan, whose very existence is a scandal. No matter how much he might secretly want her. Or how much she seems to enjoy needling him.

Eloisa James specializes in characters who fight the inevitability of falling in love, however much the people around them see the rightness of it. These two are no exception, and it’s a joy to watch them fumble toward each other. There are some hilarious scenes here, many involving Joan’s (male) friend who is reluctantly playing Ophelia to her Hamlet. Another delightful entry in the Wilde saga.

Thanks to Netgalley, the publisher, and the author for the ARC to review. All opinions are my own.

As expected, this book in the Wildes of Lindow Castle series was great. I have thoroughly enjoyed this series and look forward to more book about the other Wilde siblings.

I think if another show similar to Bridgerton on Netflix were to be produced, this would be the series to pick! Quirky, madcap, but very romantic.

I was worried that this book was going to be too similar to Say No To The Duke (#4) in this series. Both Wilde daughters want to be free and wear pants. I get it. I like pants too. But...I was beyond pleasantly surprised that there was not much similar beyond that they both wore pants during the story.

Lady Joan was a delight- the type to make jokes when a man was scaling a wall for her. And Thaddeus was super sexy in all his sternness. Hello broad shoulders and slim waist! I wish Ms. James had brought back up the wounded animals and explained his reason for being so protective over them. I think it could have brought more humanity to Thaddeus other than him just being humanized by his love for Joan. But...I dug him being ultra-protective of her.

I love the Wilde's and this story was another great one! Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC. All opinions are my own and freely given.

This is Thaddeus and Joan’s story. He was looking for a proper wife. Joan was the wildest Wilde. He thought she was too scandalous She wanted to play the part of Hamlet. He was very attracted to her. There are many twists and turns in their relationship. Love conquers all. I can’t wait for the next book in the series.

Loved Joan and Thaddeus" story. I'm glad this was the regency I started with getting back to this genre. It read so fast because it was so wonderful

I absolutely love this series and I could not wait to read this book. It was as wonderful as I thought it would be. Maybe even better than I expected. It is the story featuring Joan Wilde, who is the daughter of the the Duke and his second wife who took off with a Prussian Soldier and who he divorced before he married his Last Duchess. Joan is the girl with blonde hair so while she is loved by her family, society believes she is the daughter of a Prussian rather than the Duke.

In this story, Thaddeus, Viscount Greywick, the future Duke of Eversly is visiting the Wilde's. His mother is friends with Louisa Wilde who is the Duke's sister. The father is not in the picture as soon as T was born he ran off with his mistress and has lived with her for many years and had children with her. Because of his fathers scandal, T feels he needs to marry a highborn daughter without any scandal attached and thats why he has never looked at Joan romantically.

Meanwhile Joan has always wanted to be in the theatre and her father has arranged for her to play Hamlet but she needs some skills and T offers to teach her them and thats when the fun gets started as we and Joan falls hard for T.

This was a really wonderful story. I loved that its patterned after Hamlet and that it is performed in this book not once but twice. I loved how Joan and T form a real frienship that ends up leading to romance and I loved how Joan ends up saving T. The ending was also really wonderful as we get to see their future.

I received a free ARC copy of this book from NETGALLERY prior to release and am voluntarily leaving a review.

Joan’s long-awaited love story does not disappoint as she blunders her way through a cross-dressing Hamlet plot and a bet with a family friend turned rival. The Wilde family is a delight every time they gather and it’s impossible not to adore the raucousness of every dinner scene.

Wilde Child is the sixth book in The Wildes of Lindow Castle series by Eloisa James. This book is Joan’s story.

Lady Joan has dreamed of a life on stage. When a theater troupe performs at Lindow Castle, she decides she doesn’t just want to act in productions staged for her family, she wants to see if she has what it takes to perform in front of a real audience. She comes up with a plan to travel to the next village with the troupe to perform Hamlet, as Hamlet… wearing breeches.

Thaddeus, Viscount Greywick, the future Duke of Eversly, is a paragon of virtue who series readers have met before. He was an erstwhile suitor to Joan’s two older sisters, but never a real contender. He is a longtime friend of the family, who learns of Joan’s performance plan and takes it upon himself to protect her reputation. A reputation that Joan doesn’t really care about. She knows what the “ton” say about her mother and “real” father and knows her future suitors will be limited even with a “good” reputation.

The bargain they agree to is that Thaddeus will serve as her protector/chaperone to the next town’s theater performance to ensure her safety, but she must marry one of the suitors of his choosing when their adventure is through.

While reading Wilde Child you learn a lot about the Shakespeare’s Hamlet. Eloisa James prompts you to reconsider the motives of both Hamlet and Ophelia. And learn more about Thaddeus and Joan in the process.

The character of Thaddeus becomes three dimensional as the story proceeds. We learn his attempt to be perfect is only in the hope of getting his father’s attention, which will never be forthcoming. Thaddeus isn’t unfeeling, he simply feels too much. His tenderness to animals won me over. Fun and forthright Joan is just what he didn’t know he needed.

I enjoyed this book and have read all the books in this series. I would recommend Wilde Child to those who like The Wildes of Lindow Castle series.

Thank you NetGalley and Avon/Harper Voyager for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.