What started as a research project soon became a scandal…She wanted to prove a theory. He wanted to play a game. Can their schemes lead them towards a kiss of love?Tired of watching her friends become ruined by the scoundrels of the ton, Sidney Hartridge devises an experiment to reveal their antics. Her plan is to lure three gentlemen to kiss her and see how they would protect her honor. When … they would protect her honor. When her research leads her into her own inappropriate scandal, her father agrees to a wedding offer from one of her subjects. As her fiancé blackmails her into a marriage she doesn’t desire, her research becomes exposed. Can Sidney avoid her own scandal with the one she most desires to kiss?
Noah Wildeburg started this season as any other by flirting with the sweet new debutantes. When he rescues a lady off the dance floor, he is unprepared for the emotions she stirs in his soul. As he pursues her, he realizes he must compete for her hand. As he charms her with tokens of affections and stolen kisses, he discovers she plays her own game. Will Noah win Sidney’s love or is she just another scandal to add to his list?
Whom Shall I Kiss… An Earl, A Marquess, or A Duke? is the first book in Laura A. Barnes new historical romance series. If you like lighthearted drama filled courtships set in Regency England, then you’ll love this new foray into the ton.
Buy Whom Shall I Kiss… An Earl, A Marquess, or A Duke? to read Laura’s new Tricking the Scoundrels series today.
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5 Stars
Whom Shall I Kiss…AN Earl, A Marquess, or A Duke? Is the first book in Tricking the Scoundrels series by Laura A. Barnes. This is the start of a new series, and if this book is anything to go by, the series is set to be great. I have read all of Ms. Barnes books now, and I can honestly say this is one of my top two favourites of all her books. It is a superb historical/Regency Romance with some light-hearted drama, a little angst/push-pull, some humour, chemistry, and plenty of spice. As I have come to expect from Ms. Barnes, the story is well written, easy to read, and very engaging. I found myself invested in the character’s very early on in the story, and was cheering them on from the sidelines the whole way through. The characters were interesting and fully developed, with their own personalities, quirks and flaws- which made the story even more fun to read.
Lady Sidney Hartridge is a scholarly, scientifically minded, practical, determined, and progressive young woman -who is disgusted by the double standards of the times, and sets about to try and put a stop to them by conducting a ‘social experiment’, with herself as the guinea pig. To prove her theory, she targets three gentlemen and begins ‘researching’, with the goal to lure them into kissing her… and so the fun and games begin. But can she avoid a scandal? Will she be able to remain unbiased in her ‘research’? What happens when feeling become involved? All these answers and so much more can be found between the covers of this charming story.
I loved Sidney, not only was she very intelligent and beautiful- but she was also very liberal-minded, pushing the boundaries and the social norms of the times. I loved her friendship with her best friend Sophia (Phee)- they made a great team. I loved Noah, and quite liked Rory too- but the jury is still out when it comes to Alex… I am hoping the next book will allay my fears.
The only thing that I wasn’t a huge fan of in this book, was getting multiple POV’s in one chapter, sometimes two POV’s in one paragraph. But it didn’t detract from my enjoyment of the story, it’s just a personal preference of mine to have separate POV’s per chapter.
A wonderful start to the series and I am really looking forward to exploring the other instalments!
Thank you, Ms. Barnes!
I give Whom Shall I Kiss… An Earl, A Marquess, or A Duke? (Tricking the Scoundrels Book 1) by Laura A. Barnes, 4 stars.
Sidney is her father’s daughter, she would rather be doing research than attending the balls girls of her age and class normally do. She hates the double standard of the men of the ton getting away with things that would ruin a lady if she were to do the same. So she decides to put her research skills to the test. She decides to trade her practical clothing for something much more alluring and act like the giggly girl they expect. She wants to see if her theory is true. But she may have gotten in a little too deep. She has 3 men fighting for her, and things are moving much more quickly than she could have imagined. Will she be able to walk away with her data or will she disgrace herself and her family? Or will she find what she never expected — love?
I enjoyed this historical romance. It is fun to see a strong woman buck a society that was all male. Sidney and Sophia are great characters. I hope to see more of Sophia in future books. But the other secondary characters are great too and I hope we also see more of them. There is so much more to develop in the world. You never know just what Sidney will do next or how her suitors will react. We cannot forget the romantic part of this story too. The men all love at her differently, and she starts seeing things in a different light too.
If you are a fan of historical romance, this fun story is for you.
Whom Shall I Kiss ……. An Earl, A Marquess, or A Duke?
By Laura A Barnes
5 stars
This is one of my favourite books of 2019 so far! I absolutely LOVE historical romance reads, it is by far my favourite genre – I could read them all day every day and this one was just fantastic! I loved everything about this story, the plot, the characters the author beautiful descriptive language – everything just made this story come alive whilst I was reading it.
Sidney was a fantastic female lead, I love when authors write about strong, independent females in this time period – they are so much more exciting to read about. I loved Sidney’s approach to ‘dating’ she certainly had a plan and intended to stick to it!
I can’t wait to read more from this series – I have a feeling it’s going to bout a wonderful collection of characters in my favourite time period!
Whom Shall I Kiss… An Earl, A Marquess, or A Duke? (Tricking the Scoundrels Book 1) by Laura A. Barnes is a wonderful historical romance book. I loved the storyline and the characters and often found myself laughing out loud at some of the thoughts and antics of the characters. It is a story I found myself not wanting to put it down turning page after page. I enjoyed Laura’s writing and the plot was well thought out. The MC is quite charming and is very likable, and I found myself enjoying the trouble she found herself in. I also enjoyed the character of Noah he is swoon worthy scoundrel but a fun character.
Sidney is a young socialite who does not play by the rules. She has decided to do an experiment to prove her theory on the goings on of the men of the ton. But what happens when the wheels are turned. Will she lose her chance at love.
It is a heartwarming tale and one who should not be missed. I look forward to Phee’s story
next.
I loved the fact that Sidney has such an analytical mind and is putting it to use in order to expose the men who ruin reputations of women for fun. It was a bit difficult to suspend my disbelief that any of these men would actually face any repercussions at all but you never know, so I kept on reading. With a bit of a scientific mind myself, I honestly think I was more drawn to the parameters and different aspects of Sidney’s research than any other bits of the story. I kept wondering how she was going to make sure all of her information was going to be accurate if she was mostly going off memory. My first thought would be that Sophia would be helping take notes but she immediately struck me as to timid/ sensible to jeopardize her own future for this, and I would not blame her one bit. In comparison to a few other books I have read based around this time period and the life of the ton, Whom Shall I Kiss? is a lovely difference from other heroines who are concerned with family and finding a good match because it’s expected. While they each had their own nuances, I felt I could relate more to Sidney than others. Very excited for the next book.
Laura A Barnes ‘Whom shall I kiss?…an Earl, a Marquess, or a Duke?’ is the perfect read for a lazy summer day. It took a chapter or two to really get into the book, but once I was hooked, I couldn’t put it down. Barnes keeps your attention using multiple well developed character arcs and a quickly moving story. She is descriptive in her writing and you really feel as if you’re part of the story. I was sad when I finished reading and was left wanting the next installment. Well done. 4 stars.
This book was a very enjoyable and entertaining read with the well written storyline and characters that were so well developed that I was totally captivated throughout the entire book!
I’m a self professed lover of regency period fiction and looked forward to reading what sounded to be a clever premise. The book was good, the plot was enjoyable, and the main characters were as I expected them to be. Overall a good book and easy read.
Whom Shall I Kiss… An Earl, A Marquess, or A Duke? (Tricking the Scoundrels Book 1) by Laura A. Barnes was an okay read that has lots of potential.
As a fan of historical fiction in all forms of media, I was excited to get my hands on what looked like a light hearted, fun, spoof type read. It started fine, and I was drawn in pretty easy, but there was inconsistencies in speech, and there were some modern slang tossed in that pulled me out and made me go, wait what.. So with that said, some detail research would have helped with that slip up. Also our MC, as much as I liked her, had moments that fell flat and to me, felt like she missed the mark. There were some other things as well that another go at editing could fix. But I’m not going to dewll on that
Overall this book has an original fresh take on the era that it’s set it. I liked the idea, and in truth the plot was good, the characters interactions were good, fun, and the setting made you feel like a step back in time. Though I had some issues with it, I can see the gem under the roughness, and I have high hopes for the series to come. Like I have said, there was so much potential that this story is worth the read.
So pease take my recommendation and my approval, that you will find yourself caught in the mess that Sidney creates.
Happy Reading
-E.A. Walsh
Whom Shall I Kiss… An Earl, A Marquess, or a Duke by Laura A. Barnes is the first book in the Tricking the Scoundrels series.
For me this genre is the one I tend to lose myself in the most. Because it is so easy to imagine what it would have been like back in this time I feel like I can really emerge myself in what is happening. I didn’t quite get the same feeling with this book. It felt a little like the author were trying too hard a few times and that took away from the characters and the story.
However the overall story was good and well thought through. You could clearly see what the author was going for. The characters were fun and engaging and it was easy to become invested in them. As the first book in the series it is always hard to get straight off the ground as there is so much more of the settings to create. I think this book is a good introduction to the series and I fully believe it is just going to get better and better as the series goes on.
I loved this book, a historical romance story that is engaging, creative and well written. This author continues to impress me with her writing skills. The characters seem to pop off the pages as well as made the story seem real. They are connectable and I related to them with ease. This is about one theory, one plan, three men, scandal like no other plus add some blackmail. What will happen when Sidney’s project is revealed? Will she get to kiss then man she really wants? A must read!
I enjoyed this fun, flirty Regency tale of a bluestocking trying to expose the various rakes who take advantage of young women and ruin their reputations. There are some amusing times, but in the end, the heroine gets caught in her own game and faces scandal, ruin, and perhaps marriage to an unwanted suitor. I liked the plotline and the characters. There were some instances of editing misses and use of non-Regency era language, but overall, this is an enjoyable story.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
The Science of Scoundrels. Can any Heart Survive?
Passions flare as young Sidney Hartridge pits her scientific method against affairs of the heart. Will it be her undoing? Things get very personal, indeed, as she seeks to prove the danger of determined and cold-hearted rogues. But do their hearts truly run cold? Or is there enough heat to set her plans ablaze?
Laura A. Barnes has crafted a period piece that perhaps goes too far. Science is no match for the scoundrels she sets against her heroine. What will remain of her young heart or even her reputation? It is not just the gloves that come off in this rather risqué tale of deceit, deception and raw passion. Puritans be warned.
Oh I loved the plot in this book. I enjoyed the characters they made me laugh and one pushed my button but not to badly. Sidney and Wilde were fun and had their charm. I cant wait to read the next one. Im so glad I found Laura’s books!