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Tricking the Scoundrels #1

Whom Shall I Kiss... an Earl, a Marquess, or a Duke?

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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 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.

206 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 25, 2019

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About the author

Laura A. Barnes

41 books316 followers
Laura A. Barnes is a romance author who loves writing emotionally rich love stories filled with unforgettable characters, irresistible passion, and happily-ever-afters. Her books are enjoyed by readers around the world who crave romance with both heart and heat.

A lifelong romance reader herself, Laura draws inspiration from traveling, binge-watching favorite TV shows, and spending time with her family when she’s not writing. She believes every great love story should leave readers smiling, swooning, and eager for the next one.

You can learn more about Laura’s books and join her newsletter at www.lauraabarnes.com.

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5 stars
194 (40%)
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152 (31%)
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89 (18%)
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27 (5%)
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 75 reviews
Profile Image for Jamie Bee.
Author 1 book122 followers
February 20, 2019
Fun Premise Unfortunately Written with a Heavy Hand

In the hands of the right author, this book’s fluffy premise could have been great fun. Sidney, an unmarried Regency lady whose father is a close advisor to the Prince Regent, get an idea for a rather harebrained “research project.” She has seen young ladies she knows ruined the scoundrels of the ton and has decided to expose the worst of the lot by attempting to gather kisses and potentially marriage proposals from some of these men during the season. She wants to expose them to ridicule for what they have done. In Regency novels, such a thing would be absolutely scandalous. A maiden's reputation would be ruined if she was seen kissing a man.

If the story had been done with a light hand, the setup could have led to some very amusing situations. But the author seems to take the concept too seriously, creating a heroine who is herself taking her gambit too seriously. On several levels, it just doesn’t jibe. Sidney is supposedly a bluestocking (wearing glasses and plain clothes normally and engaging in debates with men), but she doesn't come across as very bright in her interactions that we actually see. As you might imagine, she gets caught in her own web.

The book was riddled with a large amount of grammar, punctuation, and usage errors. As is unfortunately all too common these days, the comma was definitely problematic, not showing up between independent clauses in a sentence not, showing up before a character is addressed, not showing up after introductory phrases as well as being inappropriately used (forming the comma-splice version of run-on sentences and being used to separate phrases that shouldn’t be separated). Diction wasn't always correct. For instance, reliable was used instead of responsible when a character stated that he felt obligated to protect the heroine due to family ties. At times, the author appeared to want to mimic the more formal Regency speech patterns, but she didn't quite make the mark because neither did she seem to fully understand both the connotations and denotations of words nor did she have an ear for natural, though formal, speech.
Profile Image for Dianne.
6,817 reviews633 followers
March 8, 2019
Sidney Hartridge never bothered with the social mores of the times. She was a woman with pluck, a keen sense of intelligence and a plan. A few changes in her normally drab, but functional garments, some batting of her eyes and she was ready to take on the rogues and scoundrels of society, all in the name of science, of course! Could she kiss three gentlemen and would they protect her honor? Little did Sidney know, her heart would try to overrule her head or that she could become another scandal for the wagging tons, all because the biggest scoundrel of them all gave her a kiss that she felt down to her toes.

Noah Wildeberg finds himself smitten with the unique Sidney, but when he learns of her little experiment, his heart is in too deep to walk away.

Laura A. Barnes has written a tale of unexpected love that is humorous, engaging and simply fun to read! WHOM SHALL I KISS…AN EARL, A MARQUESS OR A DUKE? is one historical romance that will not only set the Ton on fire, but prove that even “science” is no match for Cupid!

I received a complimentary copy from Laura A. Barnes!

Series: Tricking the Scoundrels - Book 1
Publication Date: February 25, 2019
Publisher: Laura A. Barnes
Genre: Regency Romance
Print Length: 203 pages
Available from: Amazon
For Reviews, Giveaways, Fabulous Book News, follow: http://tometender.blogspot.com
Profile Image for Suzan Lauder.
Author 13 books82 followers
November 29, 2020
First off, this book immediately took me to the end. Why? So the author could get paid for a fully read book on KDP even though the reader read nothing. Well, in my case, I got it as a freebie in a grab bag at a conference. However, this is a blatant ripoff and not just in poor taste, I thought it was illegal. I had to go into my Kindle settings, which list "not read" as the list I choose my books by, and change it to "read" to find it again to read it. If I had any sense I would have been pissed off enough to not read it and saved myself the trouble of the next problem.

The modern phrases. I counted more than a dozen, and who knows how many I missed. Things like "a loaded question," "her date," and "prove them legit." Every time I'd read them, they'd jar me out of the Regency story so fast, it hurt. Not only that, but then I'd have to ask "is is just me?" and validate it. Authors, if your reader has any reason to stop and think about anything but your characters' dilemmas during reading, you've f'd up dramatically. And one of the biggest ones is next.

Head hopping. Although this is a sign of weak writing when done in third person limited, sometimes it's clear when authors head-hop as to who is the POV character, so readers can forge ahead. In this book, however, one had to check back to make sure they weren't making a mistake on who was thinking/saying what.

A few areas of missing punctuation and minor grammatical errors were evident, but someone did at least a quick editing pass over this novel. I wish they'd told the author about the above noted higher-level problems, but they were probably just a proofreader. Here's the next lesson. Authors, don't just hire a proofreader! They won't comment on content errors!

If you can get past all the above breaking up your enjoyment of reading, this is a cute little tale. To my limited knowledge, the Regency research is fairly well achieved, with the exception of the multiple buttons on the gown--gowns just weren't made that way. That's a Victorian gown. Regency gowns tended to have hooks or ties, and if buttons, three or four. They only were on the bodice, and it was only about 6-10" long in back, depending on if it was a day dress or an evening dress.

The twists and hints were carefully doled out so the reader could follow the story fairly well even though some aspects remained mysterious for short times. The segue into the next book was smoothly done without feeling like a cliffie, yet it was enticing. The sex scenes were fair--they had their share of vagueness that kept them from being good, though. More of a comment would be a spoiler. The visuals of the story in general were quite good. The use of the senses was expertly done. Other than the noted problem, language was period and balanced so the reader felt part of the scene.

This author can write well most of the time. I expect that with some tightening up of the flaws, you'll see a better book from her soon.

Thank goodness I didn't see the cover to entice me to get this book. It was a freebie with an interesting title. The cover looks too home-made. Another lesson to authors--make sure you have a graphic artist at least help with the placement of text.
20 reviews
April 21, 2020
Amateur writing

This is the first time reading this author and perhaps this is her first book. This is my favorite genre and I was very disappointed. There were inaccuracies with the time period and it was poorly written. I hate to leave a bad review but felt I should express my opinion for other readers who are considering this as a first-time reader of this author. Perhaps start with another book.
Profile Image for Evonne Hutton.
1,342 reviews10 followers
February 27, 2019
Nothing breaks a mood as fast as a Regency buck using the word 'bummer'
A thin story line poorly researched and executed

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Profile Image for Jeanne Johnston.
1,597 reviews15 followers
May 6, 2022
Missed on many levels

Sidney's thesis was lame, the execution not at all well-done, and the engagement night certainly would have been a major scandal but apparently didn't cause a ripple. I don't even get why poor Rory was even included in the "experiment" as his "seduction" was little more than filler. It was all Sheffield and Wilde... and oh yeah, poor Rory. For a long time, I thought he'd pop out as the true love in the end as she realized he was the only genuine connection.

Add in the highly improbable and oddly way-too-long sex scenes (at least there was no silly "painful breach of her maidenly barrier... " 🙄), the unresolved issue of what happened to Sheffield and her friend at the brothel, and all the other silly pretense of Sidney"s great "scientific" mind, and it just rubbed me the wrong way.
Profile Image for Lisa.
531 reviews12 followers
March 13, 2019
As the first book in the series we meet the heroes for the series and what a trio they are. Competitive, arrogant and manipulative with hints of protectiveness, conscience and the desire to be loved, even if they are not aware of it, all come through in the heroes. Each holds a spot in Lady Sidney Hartridge’s life and project.

Lady Sidney is a fabulous character! She is smart, confident and totally unaware of her appeal. She leaps before she looks, then seems surprised when she lands in a fix. Her family is charming and interesting. She has been afforded liberty and education that is denied a vast majority of her peers. Her father is doting and yet somewhat clueless as a father, but that is part of his charm.

As we travel along with Sidney and her project the heroes and her wonderful best friend, Lady Sophia “Phee” Turlington make our journey fun and keep you wanting to turn the page. The competitive nature of the men and Phee’s protective nature toward Sidney add interesting moments and some giggles. Phee is a force that I can not wait to see unleashed on her hero.

The interactions with Sidney and the Marquess Noah “Wilde” Wildeburg are filled with magnetism. The force drawing them together is palpable and sweet. I appreciated watching Wilde as he came to the realization that Sidney was his one. Seeing him step out of his normal behavior and really work to make a connection was fun.

This is going to be a really great series! I am looking forward to seeing each of our heroes run headlong into their HEA. I will be following this series and Ms Barnes. Thank you for a lovely read.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Profile Image for Mary.
2,753 reviews24 followers
March 2, 2019
This is romantic, amusing, unpredictable and thrilling. Sidney decides that she will conduct an experiment aimed at exposing just how far gentlemen will go, no matter their rank, to ruin a lady for sport. Sophia, her best friend, offers to help Sidney with her research. The first of the 3 men is Lord Sheffield, a duke. Sheffield is a pompous, smug, determined and unscrupulous a** who is only in the game to compete with his friend. The second man is Lord Wildeburg, is the Marquess, and the friend Sheffield is competing against. Wilde is a rake of the worst sort, he uses his charm and good looks to seduce whoever he wants, with no remorse. The third man is Lord Beckwith, an Earl and a friend. Things won't be as easy as Sidney thinks they will be, because the men all react off of each other and each becomes determined to win her, when only one actually wants to marry her. There are games played, reputations disparaged and lies told. The courtships range from sweet to overbearing, and none are dull. I loved this and found it impossible to put down.
I received a copy of this book from Booksprout and am voluntarily reviewing it.
Profile Image for E.A..
952 reviews28 followers
July 8, 2019
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
Profile Image for Becky (romantic_pursuing_feels).
1,298 reviews1,737 followers
August 10, 2019
Sidney, our heroine, begins a research project testing her subjects on whether they will ruin a debutante or protect her honor. She chooses 3 research subjects, a Duke, a marquess and an earl and tries to lure them into a situation where a kiss would be taken. She ends up getting wrapped up in a tangle and trapped in a marriage she doesn't want.

Overall a fun, enjoyable story, definitely different. Loved the main characters storyline and experiences together. Adored that he couldn't resist repeatedly climbing into her window haha.

My complaints are, and this is probably self induced because I haven't been reading synopsis prior to starting a book, that I was pretty confused for the beginning part of the book. I felt conflicted because I didn't know who the hero would be. I did step back and read the book description and that helped. I then became irritated that the book spent so much time on and in the head of one of the not heroes. Perhaps he will be the hero of his own book, that I can understand. I love the time with the hero's head, so that again is a personal feeling. Fun, quick read though overall and loved the intimate scenes.
Profile Image for Angela.
8,598 reviews121 followers
July 23, 2019
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!
Profile Image for Rose Blue.
644 reviews27 followers
April 24, 2019
As reviewed at TRR: https://www.theromancereviews.com/vie...

Sidney Hartridge is an intelligent young lady who often assists her father (an earl and advisor to the Crown) with his research projects. Her conservative dress and unflirtatious behavior have made her something of a wallflower. Sidney notices time and again how easily young ladies in society can be ruined by uncaring rogues who steal kisses, compromise them, then disappear. She decides to conduct her own experiment by kissing three different gentlemen and then “outing” them in a paper she plans to write. By changing to a more provocative style of dress and acting in a bolder manner, Sidney soon has gentlemen flocking around her.

The subjects for Sidney’s experiment are Roderick “Rory” Beckwith, an earl and family friend who often participates alongside Sidney in her father’s research; Noah “Wilde” Wildeburg, a marquess with a rakish reputation; and Alex Langley, a duke who is actively seeking a wife. It’s easy enough for Sidney to catch all three of these men’s attention. Soon enough, her friend Rory is seeing her with new eyes, Alex believes she’ll make the perfect wife for him, and Noah finds himself smitten in spite of not wanting to be.

I admit that the gentleman I first thought would be Sidney’s genuine love turned out not to be. Sidney plays with fire by getting in deeper than she ever expected to, and the battle for her affections turns serious, with impending scandal, a forced engagement, and friend versus friend. WHOM SHALL I KISS actually started off on a lighter note, and I expected an amusing romp. While the book is definitely entertaining, it seemed to somehow take a serious twist, showcasing some of the pitfalls that could happen back in the Regency era. Sidney’s experiment seems to have caused her to fall victim to the very situation she hoped to wallop in her exposé. I totally enjoyed this somewhat unusual book, and I look forward to future offerings from Laura Barnes.
Profile Image for Erin.
716 reviews2 followers
July 24, 2019
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.
Profile Image for Alejandra Guerrero.
1,719 reviews5 followers
October 16, 2025
DNF 41%
I didn't like Sydney. She's supposed to be intelligent but I didn't see that. Instead, all I saw was a Mary Sue who can't do anything wrong and who can turn any gentleman into a slobber with the bat of her eyelashes. I thought, reading the blurb, that this was a comedy, but the tone is too serious for that. It didn't seem like feminist commentary either, the topics were too shallowly addressed. So I was confused by the writing.
I was also confused with all of the head hopping, and the fact that the three men we spend time with are essentially the same guy, the only difference seemed to be who they talked badly about. Their thoughts of Sydney were the same, and I don't understand who the hell is the endgame here. Not that I was rooting for Sydney at all, she's a very shallow and selfish character, who is stringing all three men along for a “research” that wasn't at all thought through. She constantly talks about “gathering data”, but for the life of me I couldn't find what her variables were or how she was measuring them. Poor research on the part of the author, that's what it is. She couldn't be bothered to look up basic information about the scientific method. Which is something that a woman who fancies herself a scientist should know. And then she spent most of the time in the first half with the Duke who isn't the MMC, and that made things make no sense since how can there be any romance if the couple doesn't spend any time together at all? So I decided to stop.
Profile Image for Nanna.
1,229 reviews4 followers
February 21, 2019
This is delightful story of a young Lady Sidney Hartridge. Her father is an advisor to the Crown and has let Sidney help him in his studies of scientific nature and human behavior. Now she had decided
to have her own research on how gentleman of the ton prey on young women, then leave then ruined. She had picked out three man for her experiment. the Earl Roderick Beckwith, who is a childhood friend and works with her father. The Marquess Noah Wildeburg was not one she chose but decided to use as he is known in the ton to be a Hugh rake. And the Duke of Sheffield, who is having her father research property for him and has a number of talks with her. Without really seeing her as anything other then a mousy, plain girl with glassse's.
Her best friend Sophia, helps her along the way trying to keep her out of trouble.
What Sidney fells to think about is how she is going to feel with all three man trying to woo her.
How these three man and her work thru all the twist and turns, will have you laughing out loud, getting mad at some for the underhanded ways, and feeling sorry of others.
Your going to love it. I received and ARC of this story, and read it in one day.
I can't wait for Sophia's story.
Profile Image for Laura Furuta.
2,047 reviews28 followers
July 7, 2019
Whom Shall I Kiss... An Earl, A Marquess, or A Duke? (Tricking the Scoundrels #1)
By: Laura A. Barnes
5 out of 5 stars

The story Whom Shall I Kiss... An Earl, A Marquess, or A Duke? (Tricking the Scoundrels #1) by Laura A. Barnes is a wonderful historical romance book. I loved the storyline and the characters. The story pulls you in and I found myself not wanting to put it down until I had finished the last page. I loved reading about the character of Sidney Hartridge. Sidney is a young woman who doesn’t always go by the rules. She wants to prove a theory about the antics of men. What will happen when she begins to have a strong attraction and pull towards one of the men in her project? Read this book to find out. Sidney Hartridge’s character is one that is likable, and I found myself caring about her and wanting her to find happiness. I also enjoyed reading about Noah Wildeburg. He is a man that finds he has an attraction to Sidney. He is known as a scoundrel. Does he have a chance to win her heart? This is a book that has romantic scenes that are swoon-worthy. The author has written a wonderful story with unforgettable characters. I would highly recommend reading this book.
Profile Image for Carrie.
712 reviews14 followers
July 29, 2019
Whom Shall I kiss… An Earl, A Marquess, or A Duke?
By Laura A. Barnes
My rating: 5 out of 5 stars

This was such a cute book! The story could have gone on a little longer for me so that the characters could have more development, but I enjoyed it thoroughly.

Sidney is such an awesome character. I love how she is doing research on men to discover how they act and react to different situations involving a woman they are pursuing. The fact that she is doing this in the time period she lives in, where women are supposed to just stay home and keep their husbands happy, makes her that much more an amazing woman.

At first I was conflicted on who I wanted her to be with but the more and more I saw her interactions with Wilde, the more I wanted her to choose him and fall in love. Wilde as well as Sheffield are both horrible men, but you can see the change in Wilde. Sheffield is just nasty beginning to end. I wish we could have seen more of Rory, one of her best friends.

Overall a fantastic first book. I can’t wait until the second book to see what is in store for Sidney’s best friend Sophia. I feel like there may be something going on with her and Sheffield, and the story there seems to be very interesting. I would love to see more of Rory too.
Profile Image for Lisa.
3,788 reviews21 followers
July 28, 2019
I have really enjoyed reading this story! It’s So So Good! This isn't my first book by this author but I think it’s her best. She really was able to keep my interest through the whole story. Her characters were lively and I really just wanted to know who would Sidney end up with. The shift between each characters storytelling was so seamless! The best I have seen in awhile. I loved reading this from everyone’s POV.

Each of the main characters brought something to the story. The haughtiness, the best friend and the scoundrel all were great. The inquisitiveness of Sidney was perfect for her role as well. Her girl friend was a lovely addition as well. She is stout and ready for anything that Sidney would suggest. I’m sure something happened with Sophie at the brothel and I look forward to finding out in her book. I’m not sure if the male character will be able to be redeemed but I am sure this author will give it a good try.

This is a wonderful historical romance where the female lead is looking to change a few things about the women in her period. Does she succeed? I can’t say but it was terribly enjoyable finding out.
1,945 reviews25 followers
July 24, 2019
Whom Shall I Kiss... An Earl, A Marquess, or A Duke? (Tricking the Scoundrels #1) by Laura A. Barnes . This is the story of Lady Sidney Hartridge who is tired of all the scoundrels and their games. She devises her own game of sorts to see if she can prove a point. She lures three gentlemen to kiss her and see how they protect her honor. When her game leads her into hot water her father offers her hand to one of her victims. Enter Noah Wildeburg who started this season as any other with flirting as much as he possibly can with debutantes. He sees Lady Sidney being taken advantage of and he rushes to her rescue. Little does he know he's going to end up having to marry her. Lady Sidney is smart, confidant and unaware of how beautiful she is. Her best friend Lady Sophia "Phee" Turlington tries her best to protect Sidney from herself and the crazy scoundrels after her. As Noah pursues Lady Sidney he finds her charming in mores ways than one. Will Noah win Sidney's love or will it be just another scandal? Read Whom Shall I Kiss to find out!
Profile Image for Lori D.
4,080 reviews131 followers
February 23, 2019
Whom Shall I Kiss? Oh I think all three to see which one is the most sigh worthy! Laura Barnes has created a delightful story that I cannot wait to continue on in this series! The heroine Sidney forms a scandalous plan (although she did not think it all out!) to see if the men of the ton would actually protect her honor if they put her in a compromising situation. Having seen them ruin many a lady, she wants to teach them a lesson! She chooses three gentlemen to lure into kissing her to see what would happened. Oh the mind of a bluestocking that does not think ahead!
Well the best laid plans go astray when all three begin wooing her and she gets caught in her own trap! Who will it be and what will happen!
I laughed and sighed as I turned the pages and just could not wait to see what happened. Really enjoyed this story so much and I know you will too. Cannot wait to read more by this author!!
3,109 reviews34 followers
July 7, 2019
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.
Profile Image for Jenni.
6,498 reviews81 followers
July 23, 2019
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.
Profile Image for Gail.
854 reviews3 followers
January 13, 2020
I thought this was fun to read, but I found the premise of dating men to see their reactions to her a little deceitful, so the idea behind this story made my opinion of the main character a little poor. A young lady who tries to hide her appearance because she wants to be a part of her father's work and not go through the business of finding a husband decides to do some research of her own. She marks three men for an experiment. One of them being a true friend which I felt the most compassion for with her little experiment. She played the part of a beautiful temptress and then wrote down what the men did simply because they found her pretty. She played along until she started having feelings for one of them and then found herself not sure if she should post her findings and teach the men of the ton a good lesson. It was a fun read. One in which, I wanted to know how it turned out.
Profile Image for Judy Munoz.
320 reviews2 followers
February 25, 2019
I voluntarily reviewed an advance reader copy of this book. What a delightful read! I was hooked from the first chapter. All the characters were unique and engaging. Sidney and Sophia are beautiful, smart and independent women and I enjoyed their well-intentioned, but disastrous, little misadventures. And I absolutely drooled over all three gentlemen - Rory (the Earl), Noah (the Marquess) and even Alex (the Duke). This story is a fast paced and entertaining romantic romp, full of steamy romance that made me swoon, humour that made me laugh out loud, heartbreak that made me sigh in frustration and even a little intrigue - with a couple of twists that surprised me. I thoroughly enjoyed this story and I can’t wait for this author’s next instalment in the series. Fantastic historical romance!
Profile Image for Katie.
2,260 reviews15 followers
July 23, 2019
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!
2,083 reviews20 followers
July 24, 2019
5 Star
Whom Shall I Kiss... An Earl, A Marquess, or A Duke? (Tricking the Scoundrels #1) by Laura A. Barnes

Whom Shall I Kiss... An Earl, A Marquess, or A Duke? (Tricking the Scoundrels #1) by Laura A. Barnes is well written Historical Romance. I found myself lost in the pages and unable to put it down once I started reading. I’m a huge fan of not only this Author but Historical Romance and was very excited to see she had a new series. Sidney doesn’t always go by the rules .She wants to prove a theory about the antics of men.What will happen when she finds herself have an attraction towards one of the guys in her project. Noah finds himself attracted to Sydney but he’s known as a Scoundrel. Will he win her heart? Find out what happens next in this must read Book. I can’t wait to read the next Book in this series.
264 reviews4 followers
July 26, 2019
Whom Shall I Kiss…An Earl, A Marquess, or a Duke? (Tricking the Scoundrels Book 1) by author Laura A. Barnes tells the story of Sidney Hartridge, a bluestocking, living in Regency London, after watching her acquaintances get ruined by scoundrels Sidney decides to run a little experiment herself to see whom she can expose to the Ton as a scoundrel. As we all know, in the fictional world, nothing ever goes as planned. She doesn’t count on one of her targets being the man of her dreams.
This was a cute premise for a story, unfortunately the author lost my attention a time or two and while I liked the heroine she was at times, annoying. I enjoyed her best friend Sophia the most and I really want a Sophia of my own. This was an interesting story and I am looking forward to reading Sophia’s book to see who she ends up with.
57 reviews1 follower
September 8, 2022
Interesting concept where a young blue stocking loves research and creates a thesis about rogues of the Peerage. To start her experiment Lady Sydney changes her look from dowdy dresses to beautiful gowns, from a tight bun to a lovely coif, from bespectacled to fresh face and from argumentative to charming. People who have known her for years did not recognize her. Although she thought she could conduct her experiment with academic aloofness, she was wrong. Grab the story to find out why.

The narration was fine; however, I was not fond of the voice of the Marquess. Sounded affected and slightly effeminate. Considering he was supposed to be the sexiest of all men … well? His character was written strong enough to overcome it, but it would have been much more satisfying to hear a voice to match the swagger.
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