A review by ginsbookstuff
A Royal Mile by Samantha Young

emotional funny medium-paced

4.0

 

Slow burn, enemies to friends to lovers 

 

The second book of the next gen series didn’t disappoint. I read this and then downloaded the audio immediately after on release day. 

 

Lily is a psychology student and has a dating / advice podcast with her friends. Sebastian is a student of royal decent (30th in line to the crown) and a regular on the rival podcast. These two start out rocky when his participation in the podcast is revealed. It builds on already existing trust issues. I enjoyed seeing them make their way back to friends. Sebastian was determined to do right, nearly to a fault, by Lily. While Lily is the introverted, studious one with past insecurities, I liked that she put herself first and showed her strength when Sebastian was working through his issues. Sebastian comes across as confident but he’s anything but. He struggles to do anything for himself that would cause joy because he’s punishing himself for his past. It’s riveting as his past comes to life. 

 

Shane East and Zara Hampton-Brown are one of my favorite narrator pairings. They nailed these characters. Zara’s sweet tone is perfect for the shy, introverted Lily. She has the ability to switch to the male POV and other characters seamlessly and believably. Shane is Shane. He has perfected the confident swagger Sebastain shows on the outside but delivers ALL the emotion as he struggles with his past and figures out how to move forward. 

 

I really enjoyed Sebastian and Lily’s journey to a happily ever after. This story continues to give all the banter, angst, humor and heart you expect from this series. I love revisiting characters from the first generations series as well. It’s like coming home again. I look forward to the next in the series