Book Review: A Royal Mile by Samantha Young

A Royal Mile had the best build with the perfect amount of angst, romance, entertaining scenes, and emotion. I adored Lily and Sebastian coming together and their amazing HEA!

A Royal Mile (Return to Dublin Street #2) by Samantha Young

It’s hard to stay in the friend zone when the attraction is this hot…

Going into my senior year of university at war with a member of the British royal family wasn’t in my carefully laid plans. Sebastian Thorne might be the grandson of a princess, but it’ll take more than a royal pardon to get me to forgive him for pretending to be someone he’s not.

But Sebastian is determined to be my friend. Even if it means signing up to a psych experiment just to get me to talk to him. Who knew a sincere apology and him saying my name in that posh English accent would make me weak in the knees?

This year was supposed to be about my dissertation and graduate school. Only, Sebastian has thrown my ordered world off kilter. He makes me bolder, more confident. A braver version of me.

Yet every lingering glance and stolen touch has me realizing one thing…

I’m falling for my best friend.

There’s just one problem. Sebastian has demons, ones that make him determined to keep me in the friend zone no matter the cost.

And even when temptation sends his walls tumbling down, the beauty we’ve found might not survive against the powerful will of outside forces…

People Cover for A Royal Mile

5 out of 5 stars

I loved A Royal Mile! It completely consumed me and made my heart feel full. The emotion, the drama, the angst, and the amazing sexual tension had me rooting for Lily and Sebastian from the start. There was a slow burn that snuck up on me because I was so deeply invested in their story and lives, it was incredibly well done. I couldn’t get enough!

Lily and Sebastian were everything. She’s smart, beautiful, and driven, though a bit insecure, while he’s dealing with some family stress and pain from his past. Their early tension and banter were fantastic, and I loved how Lily stood her ground while Sebastian worked hard to be her friend. I loved watching their friendship grow. I thought there was a wonderful build as their layers were peeled back and secrets were learned. I thought their chemistry was electric, full of a want and need they kept trying to deny. There were a lot of different, nuanced feelings that I loved. When their feelings finally collide, it was epic and perfectly timed. Their overall growth was excellent. I loved seeing Lily’s confidence grow and her choose herself when she needed to. Sebastian's healing from a past trauma was equally well done. I really liked how they championed each other in such a meaningful way.

I adored the cast of characters involved. I enjoyed their friend group immensely and all the different dynamics. I loved Lily’s family and her chosen family. I liked Sebastian’s sister and Lily’s sister, January, as well, she was refreshing. I liked the tie-ins with Beth and Callan’s story from book one, and I’m already excited for Baird’s story in the next book.

This book had it all - angst, drama, humor, romance, and heartfelt emotion. I loved the playful, entertaining moments that were mixed in, making it feel well-rounded and bringing in some levity when needed. It flowed nicely with excellent development. I love getting completely lost in a story and feeling every bit of it. I highly recommend this one!