The Honourable Lucas Kincaid

Miss Fleming #3

by Emma Melbourne

Her guardian's a gentleman. She wishes he wasn't.

Felicity Taylor and her guardian, Lucas Kincaid, don’t see eye to eye on many things, but they both agree her twenty-first birthday can’t come soon enough. Felicity is an heiress, but she’ll lose her fortune if she marries without Kincaid’s consent. Unless, of course, she waits until she comes of age, when she’ll be able to marry without his permission. And since Felicity hates to ask Kincaid for anything, she’s chosen to wait until she's twenty-one to make her society debut.

Being Felicity's guardian hasn't been easy, but Kincaid's last duty shouldn't be hard; he needs to find Felicity a chaperone for the Season. He thinks he’s found the perfect candidate in his own future wife, Miss Jane Harris. But unfortunately, the worthy Miss Harris does not approve of Felicity. And Felicity certainly doesn't approve of Miss Harris . . .

The Honourable Lucas Kincaid is a sweet Regency romantic comedy. This is book 3 in the Miss Fleming series, but can be read as a standalone.
Heat level: Closed door (kisses only).

Genres: Romance, Regency, Historical Romance, Fiction, Audiobook, Historical Fiction, Historical

338 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 25, 2024

About the author

Emma Melbourne writes romance with strong heroes, stronger heroines, and happy endings. She is an avid reader and a huge fan of Georgette Heyer. She lives in Toronto with her family.

MISS FLEMING FALLS IN LOVE is Emma's first novel. The sequel, THE MYSTERIOUS MR. OLIVER, was released Sept 2 2023.

The third book in the Miss Fleming series, THE HONOURABLE MR. KINCAID, will be released in 2024.

Visit her website, emmamelbourne.com, and sign up for the mailing list to be notified of new releases.

EmmaMelbourneWrites@gmail.com.

Reviews

[Jan Phillips]

Boring, predictable, unsatisfying. The little bit of romance included in the story comes at the very end. It would have been much more entertaining if it had been doled out throughout the story. Most head scratching was the hero’s idea to marry someone else for life just to gain a chaperone now for the woman he wanted. The thing that kept me reading was the desire to get the HEA, which included a few pages at the end of the main two characters telling each other I loved you way back when. Why wasn’t that described way back when then??

[Katie]

I finished, so it gets a 2, but man was this a slog. I didn’t like the main characters, I didn’t like the plot- the only bright spot is Adrian- I would love a book with him as an MC. Really disappointed that this wasn’t nearly as good as book one.

[Anne-Mammy]

I had great hopes for this book as I started reading it. The premise, an honourable man and his spirited ward, who were bound to fall for each other was interesting and the dialogue sparkled ; it was witty and lively. Both main characters were engaging, but as the story developed, the secondary characters did not have much depth and while it was entertaining to see Felicity manipulate them , it became a bit tedious . When finally the dreaded abduction to Gretna Green trope appeared not once but 3 times, I was rather losing patience. So only 4 stars for me. I liked the other 2 books in this series and I will certainly read more by this author but this novel left me rather disappointed.

[Strangecrabbe]

It pains me to admit after loving the first book in the series so much, but this was just awful. I found it boring and completely predictable. The last several pages of the book were almost unbearable. I’ve never considered a DNF at 92% before. Just page after page of Felicity and Kincaid recounting the entire story I had just read! The story should’ve ended at the final carriage scene before the long winded walk down memory lane. I think this is where I will part ways with this author. I already felt the second book in the series wasn’t as good as the first, but unfortunately, this book is even worse.

[Sharon heward]

Overly contrived and disappointing

The first two Miss Flemming books were great, but this book had a very convoluted plot. It was hard to believe the main characters could be as 'blind' as they were portrayed to be. Sadly disappointing.

[Nora .]

The book is draining, the conversation moves repeatedly in circles, too long with few events, no actual “romantic” interactions, simple minded and annoying heroine. Shame since the book had potentials.

[Rebecca Lange]

Delightful story…

I absolutely loved this book. It was amusing and made me smile and chuckle. Felicity was such a funny spitfire and it I am glad it ended the way it did. I wished there would have been more kissing, but it was so enjoyable that I can forgive the missing sizzling moments. This was such a fun read.

[Lavins]

3 stars

Not as good as the previous ones, a bit on the annoying side, repetitive and dull.

[Kathy]

Make that more like 2.5 stars since I somehow managed to finish reading the book, but it was not a satisfying read.

[Michaela Tye]

4.5 stars. Love me an humorous regency lady who speaks her mind. Much better than the description would lead you to believe.

[Nicole]

This was so cute! The banter, the chemistry, and the sheer ridiculousness of it all was just so fun to read. I really liked the dynamic of Felicity scheming throughout the entire book and Lucas just being this stand up guy who was well known for his dependability becoming a one-track dolt because of her. Their interactions made it believable that they'd loved each other for a long time, and I really like the way that their romance was quite understated. Even though I had qualms with the age gap and the fact that Lucas became Felicity's guardian when she was just fourteen, I was able to move past it and enjoy their relationship when I moved the ages around a bit. It was clear from their first scene that they had something between them, and I'm a real sucker for love that's borne from years of leading intertwined lives, so steadily fostered you don't even notice it until you realize that they've already become a piece of you.

The one thing I would say that kept me from really being all over Felicity and Kincaid and this book overall is that there was a lot less pining than I would have liked. I mean, for a guy who chose to marry someone just to give the woman he loves a chaperone to not even have an "Oh Shit" moment when he finds out she's become engaged to someone to save her reputation is just urgh. Like I know Lucas admitted that he didn't care who he married because he knew he wouldn't be with Felicity anyways, but I do wish we had gotten the same reaction he had with Adrian when he found out about Felicity's engagement.

Also, I really loved Adrian! He was like their resident himbo, and I love that he's been mistakenly accused by two guys now of eloping with the women they love. I also really love the scene where Felicity and Adrian banter about getting married, and Lucas is just sputtering in the side. That and when Lucas talked to his friends and said something like they would have been mad too if they thought Adrian had run off with the person they liked, and his friends just looked at each other like this man is so stupid.

[Natalie]

I think I should just reread the first book in this series that I loved so much instead of trying any future books because I keep getting disappointed. It started out promising but then I struggled with Felicity because she could be so engaging and kind but then also so very manipulative. She reminded me of a poorly drawn Sophy. I liked Kincaid but it seemed strange that for someone so intelligent he would make such a dumb decision to provide Felicity with a chaperone. Surely there were so many other solutions. I enjoyed many parts of the book but overall too many machinations and then the last 10% was just too silly for me.

[Jennifer]

This was adorable. I rarely find stories that feature one (or both) of the MCs ignorant of their feelings and actively pursuing a relationship with someone else enjoyable. But this one was. It was lighthearted and funny, and I'm pretty sure it's because there wasn't any navel gazing involved. Both MCs were genuinely likable and if you knew them in real life, they'd be the annoying couple that basically live in each other's pockets and never, ever get tired of one another. They'd also be the couple that has a million shared experiences and inside jokes. But in the HR fictional world, they're just lovely. :)

[christine]

not as good as the other 2 in the series

Although Felicity was an enjoyable character, I felt like the love between them was not well developed. Yes, there’s history and you could feel it from Felicity’s side, but it wasn’t as obvious with Kincaid. Never got any butterflies or felt any of that heartwarming stuff while reading this story.

Still well written, but just not as good as the other 2 before it.

[Sarah P]

An amazing book so good from start to finish! Lucas is the epitome of an honourable man: swoon-worthy, witty, and every inch the classic 19th-century gentleman. His humour and charm make him irresistible, while his integrity sets him apart.

Felicity, on the other hand, is no demure lady of her time. She’s fiery, funny, and refreshingly bold, bringing a spark that lights up every page. Together, Lucas and Felicity are a fantastic pair their banter, passion, and determination make their journey to happily ever after both entertaining and heartfelt.

Emma Melbourne delivers a romance that blends historical charm with modern spirit, proving that love stories set in the past can feel timeless. What a journey, and what a payoff! 🥰 Lucas and Felicity prove that honour and fire make the perfect match. ✨

Loved it!

[Terry Sloan]

Not Quite…

I have recently found this author and this is the 3rd book in this series. I am sad that this one didn’t measure up, for me, to the first two. Felicity was just not my favorite heroine.

[Paula Bothwell]

The Honourable Lucas Kincaid—G/PG
Violence: yes, a kidnapping, a beating (no details)
Language: no
Sex: no
I thought this was not quite as humorous as the first and second in the series, but the romance and action made up for it. This is a great book for family book club as it’s appropriate for all ages. I’m looking forward to more from this author.

[Hannah Degn]

honestly this book was so silly I had a really fun time

and yes, I'm trying to catch up on my goal so leave me alone.

[Thomas Canty]

Really bad

I had read the two first books in this series and really enjoyed them. This book is terrible! I cannot fathom how someone could write the first two books and then write this disaster.

[Jill]

Not for everyone

Very slow slow slow read. Felicity was very childish in how she tried to get Lucas attention. Her theory was any attention he gave her was good even if it took the form of reprimanding. Being that I loved the first two books of the series I kept reading with the hopes that the story would turn around and it just didn’t. You don’t even really see his attraction to her up until the very end. There’s just a vague sense that he kind of likes her and yet she makes him want to pull his hair out.
Clean read

[Christiane Robillard]

Mixed Feelings

I find this book difficult to review. Firstly because for the first half of the book, I would have entitled the review « a book without a story ». Or « The book that wasn’t ». But after a long while, the story came together and became coherent. Unfortunately the main female character did not evoke any sympathy or liking … I found her insincere and cold. I did however very much like the male character. The dialogue was very entertaining. The writing was well done, inasmuch as there did not seem to be any typos nor flagrant grammatical errors. However, very little effort was made to adhere to regency-era expressions and speech. The book read like any modern fiction.

[Jini]

"The Dumb and Dishonourable Lucas Kincaid"

Just like the first novel, the author seems to flounder when it comes to regency mores. She seems to have done an extensive research of Georgette Heyer's works and gets the tone and the whimsical characters mostly right. She also has that delightful dry wit. But my God, she has no respect for social conventions of the ton.

- Are we to believe that a 14-year-old girl was sent to live with a 24-year-old man and a revolving door of governesses? The book mentions that they lived in the summer at her estate and in the season at his London townhouse for the past seven years. Are you kidding me?!!

From the previous two books, I thought a 20-year-old woman had showed up at his doorstep one day NOT that he practically raised her!

If she had to stay with him, the story would have made more sense had a dotty old aunt been taking care of her and had recently passed away which creates the need for a suitable chaperone. Also, she should've been sent to the cousin's place and Lucas should have visited her often. That still gives them plenty of scenes together.

- Nice guys are the worst in their own romances The guy gets engaged to a woman who he has met probably a couple of times in the past four years and then twice again in two days. Dumb*ss He then ditches her on the evening of their engagement party thus humiliating her. When she says everyone looked pityingly at me, this is the next sentence - "How horrifying," Kincaid remarked dryly.

- I can understand somewhat where Felicity was coming from but to cause another woman such embarrassment on her engagement night is unforgivable to me. These two people deserve each other and need to go somewhere far away so as to not cause harm to others in their selfishness. Good riddance to bad rubbish is what I felt as this novel came to an end.

- I must have slept through the part where Jane was already a bluestocking and hence a good match for the other fellow.

All in all this could have been a very funny angst-filled novel had Jane willingly and through the course of the novel fallen for someone else and called the betrothal off at the end while the leads behaved like idiots. Alas!

[Elizabeth S]

Book 3 of a series. The first two were enjoyable, with plenty of humorous dialogue. This one was a miss. Felicity was unlikable, a liar, manipulative, and selfish. Lucas was kind and unselfish, but he was as dull as dishwater.

[Nico]

Nothing farther from Georgette Heyer: badly written, boring, should have ended with the carriage scene

[Kayla]

Synopsis: In Emma Melbourne’s third Regency novel, Lord Langley’s best friend, Lucas Kincaid, is struggling to find a chaperone for his ward’s first season “out.” His relationship with Felicity is complicated because he’s only 9 years older than she is and a trustee for her considerable fortune. He wants to do his best by her, but her strong opinions, intelligence, playfulness, and desire for independence make her hard to manage. She also has some less than savory, fortune-hunting relatives he has to protect her from. In desperation - and maybe with a feeling that he needs to move on with own his life, now that she’s coming of age - he proposes basically to the first eligible female he meets, a Jane Harris. The two of them seem fine with the marriage of convenience, but Felicity can immediately see that love is lacking, and now it’s her turn to want better for Kincaid. In a hilarious series of mishaps and misunderstandings, Felicity attempts to manipulate events to make sure that Lucas - and herself - end up with the right person for each of them.

Quality: Emma Melbourne’s snappy dialogue shines here as in the other books in the series. I always appreciate her ability to portray strong female characters with brains and interests instead of 2D paper cutouts of women. I do get tired of how impossibly gorgeous all the main characters are, though, and how everybody seems to end up rich in the end. These things always play a role in the story, but still, it’s convenient. It’s also convenient to have them act with such 21st-century sensibilities, but as a fluffy Regency romance, I certainly enjoyed it.

Content: There’s some swearing and drinking, and an abductor forces a kiss on Felicity against her will, but it doesn’t get worse than that. She and Lucas get a bit demonstrative at the end, but it doesn’t get explicit. Overall, an appreciably clean read.

Conclusion: To be honest, I still feel bad for Jane. Was she arrogant, or was she insecure? After all, Lucas kind of set her up to feel like she was there to set Felicity straight. She was definitely narrow-minded, but dude, how could he not spare a thought for her when he didn’t show up for their engagement party?! That part felt kind of unnatural to me. If he was really “the honorable” Lucas Kincaid, he would have done his duty by the girl he had committed to, even if the other girl he was committed to made it difficult. He at least would have felt really bad and let Felicity know that she had done something seriously wrong. Otherwise, I thought it was a really fun read, and the idea of a girl conveniently falling in love with the man who knows her and loves her best in the world will always be romantic.

[Melanie]

This book was okay... I was disappointed after reading the first 2 in the series, which I quite enjoyed.

In this book, the MMC and FMC spend 95% of the book pretending thoroughly that they aren't in love with each other, and are actually engaged to other people. It is an interesting read in seeing this possible side of the dynamics between a guardian and ward, and how it could be complicated to allow themselves to be together. It did give some sense of tension that they aren't able to flirt or be together in any real way for most of the book. However, the lack of any inner or outward flirtation does make it a less enjoyable read in some ways. It would have at least been better if the reader could have seen more of their inner thoughts on the subject. Their feelings are just totally ignored too much for too long. And at the end, things come about too suddenly and awkwardly.

While at times I wish that books in this genre didn't end so abruptly, but had more wrapping up moments where the characters debrief on what happened and what they were thinking at different times, this book had too much of that at the end. 99.99% of the romance is at the very end of the book, and the debriefing at the end bogs things down to the point that you kind of just want the book to end already.

The FMC also comes off very annoying and rude for a lot of the book. It takes time to accept her as a decent heroine. The way she causes so much frustration to the MMC does lend itself to wondering what he would see in her.

I really loved the author's wit and humor in the previous 2 books, so I know there is a lot to like about her style. I wish this book had done it for me, but it just fell short.

[Diana De La Rosa]

I liked it. I did. But there left a lot to be desired.

1. There were only some hints that you knew he loved her until the end. Like oh suddenly it’s okay to ask her to be your wife, 5 mins after you both broke off your engagement? Okay, sure. Like this book had so much more potential for yearning and/or a ‘sudden realization’ of his affection for her. Like it could have been more jealousy and odd behavior and at the end have this ‘wait, I am in love with her. She can’t marry him.’ Or better yearning but not being able to be with her. More defensiveness etc.

2. I did like Felicity’s frankness and lack of decorum. She had a great personality and was fun to read. I do wish there was a little more understanding of why she would do the things she did. Like a view into her plotting. Because sometimes it just came across as her childish behavior.

3. The ending was a little abrupt… again… you break off the engagement… great but then the next morning you run away? Idk I feel like there could have been more frustration and understanding that she was trying to force his hand. And maybe it was understood and the author just wanted the subtly worded story to leave you guessing but at some point there could have been more expression about both their internal battles.

I feel like I wanted more to the story and their struggle with both of their positions. Things were vaguely hinted at but could have gotten deeper. And with the understanding of the deep feelings the humor could have been developed even more.

[Milica]

Strong overtones of Georgette Heyer. I cannot think of a better compliment!

This is a fun, short read. I promise it would be a morning well spent if you reached for this one. The romance is far from explicit and one does need to get to the end of the novel to get the explanation from the wonderfully misguided protagonists. Felicity is definitely more overt in her dealings, but the Honourable Lucas Kincaid is decidedly dim at times. He is definitely not an assertive worldly hero much of Regency romance favors. Early on, he get engaged for the most imprudent of reasons and (as the title sates) remains honourably engaged until released. Thank goodness that Felicity is competent and clever. It just goes to show that a character does not need to be clever to be likable. In fact, he reminds me of Freddie in Cotillion in some respects or Tarval in Danse de la Folie in some others.

[Carôle Ceres]

This is a continuation of the story of Lord Kincaid and his Ward.

I listened to the audiobook version of this title. If you had listened to the preceding story in audible, then be prepared for a complete change in temperament and accent! Lord Kincaid had a light Scottish accent previously and his temperament was inline with that. (Different Narrators).

This rendition of both of them is quite different. The young lady is not quite as arrogant.

That said, it’s a really weird tale. Definitely Not a traditional Regency Romance story and really quite farcical! The sober, caring tones of the preceding books are not in evidence here and credibility is really stretched thin.

It’s not unenjoyable, but it’s probably not a story that one would revisit. It has humorous and laugh out loud moments, but I wouldn’t say that one would miss anything if this particular episode of the series were ignored.

[Laura B]

This is my first book by Emma Melbourne, and will be my last. What a chore! The constant head-hopping was quite ridiculous. Pick a POV! To me, that was lazy writing. In a historical romance novel, I expect 2 POVs, the FMC & MMC, and that’s it or first person of the FMC is somewhat acceptable (depends upon the book). We did not need the villain’s POV when everything was explained. Also, there was a lot of telling instead of showing. Not to mention the scenes were the same over and over again. Yes, Felicity’s mouth is uncontrollable, we get it. There was no budding romance to read, it all happened at the very end. Why read a romance novel if there’s not a developing romance to begin with? The only saving grace was the dialogue was witty at times, but the book was entirely too predictable. Really cannot recommend. 2**