Last Call at the Local by Sarah Grunder Ruiz didn't manage to hold my attention. Sorry! Thank to you NetGalley for the ARC!

Book #3 in the Love, Lists, and Fancy Ships series is another winner! This one definitely feels a little more removed from those characters, as it's set in Ireland, but I loved the different setting to mix it up. Sarah Grunder Ruiz is a spectacular writer and always knows how to write about serious topics without losing the rom-com feel. I also really liked the representation of ADHD and OCD, and how the author showed these are different from how they are stereotyped. While this isn't my favorite in the series, I would still wholeheartedly recommend it!

Sarah Grunder Ruiz has written the most amazing series here and Last Call at the Local is no exception. The characters are brilliant and the exploration of mental health and OCD in this book is phenomenal. As someone who lived with a spouse with OCD this is a real and honest depiction. I love Sarah's prose and the way she can suck the reader into the story.

I really tried to get into this book, but it was a miss for me. I enjoyed the setting but just didn't connect with the characters. Thank you for the opportunity to read this book!

Truly a wonderful story! It is set in a dreamy Irish village. The descriptions are such that it makes me want to visit it. I loved Raine and Jack, they were a great couple. The author did a wonderful with the mental health representation! This was a funny story with also serious moments perfectly blended in, oh and some great steam.

I loved the setting of this one! An Irish pub, the apartment upstairs, a quaint town...yes please! I enjoyed the romance and the characters here, and though I sometimes felt the plot was repetitive with the inner monologues of both protagonists feeling like they were on a loop, I appreciate the way Grunder Ruiz writes her rom-coms as quiter character studies rather than more fast-paced plot-heavy screwballs (which I also love; but it"s nice to have different romances for different moods!) I enjoyed this three-book interconnected series and I'm excited to see what she writes next!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for granting me free access to the advanced digital copy of this book.

Huge fan of this author and this one might be my fave yet!

I loved both Jack and Raine. Their meet cute was hilariously awkward.

I haven’t read many books that revolve around a bar and I found this one so entertaining, it was great to see Raine’s ideas happen.

A business deal initial relationship and some opposites attracts fun made this one so entertaining

Perfect on audio!

Just finished an amazing and heartfelt read set in beautiful Ireland! 🍀✨ Last Call at the Local introduces us to Raine, a struggling musician, and Jack, a local pub owner. The dual POV really lets you dive into Raine's world with ADHD and Jack's life with OCD, making their interactions and understanding of each other so genuine and touching. The chemistry between them is undeniable from the start, but the slow burn as Raine works at the pub makes it all the sweeter. Highly recommend this emotional and fun journey!

This was a fun one. Not my favorite of the 3 books, but I really enjoyed Raine and Jack's story. They had good chemistry and fun banter. It tied really well into book 2. I do think it was missing something for me but I can't place my finger on what it was. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed the book a lot, but something just felt not there for my personal taste. I do love this author though and can't wait to see what else we get!

Not a typical light-hearted rom-com! Book 3 in the Love, Lists and Fancy Ships Series which hasn't disappointed me yet.

I loved the neurodivergent rep in this story about Jack, a pub owner with OCD, and Raine, a traveling busker with ADHD.
The author handled these issues well, and the dual POV helped in understand their internal struggles and insecurities in the face of their challenges. Feeling seen is a big part of their need in finding love, so it was great to see them recognize and accept each other. The other part of the story revolved around their family pressures and expectations. Each are running from something, and trying to find a place to land and be happy.

It gets a little heavy as Jack downslides into his OCD but overall the story has fun banter, and some cute moments with Raine's messy brain overhauling and bringing some life into the family pub, The Local. They're total opposites and I liked how they brought out the best in each other.

Thank you, NetGalley, for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was wonderful, like I knew it would be. I LOVE SARAH GRUNDER RUIZ, these characters and the books.

I loved this book. The author does such a wonderful job representing her characters' OCD and ADHD. It meant a lot to me as a reader. Of course, the characters and the book aren't defined by their diagnoses! This book is romantic and sexy and all the Ireland I needed to get me through the winter.

thank you to netgalley for the advanced reading copy. I really enjoyed this and will be getting copies for my shop.

Although I feel like Sarah Grunder Ruiz has a lot of potential with her writing, I really struggled with this one.

I loved the setting. Having lived and studied in Dublin, being transported back to Ireland in this book was a true delight. I absolutely loved the ADHD and OCD representation in this book. It painted a true intimate portrait of what it's like to struggle with all of these internal struggles on a daily basis. I loved the dual POV and how we got to see both of their individual struggles and how mental health affects people differently even though they have the same diagnosis. The nuance it creates is really helpful for people who can relate to these characters.

However, I just didn't like the set up of this book. I hate how she, an American woman, had this vision of how a Dublin pub should be like. It felt like an outsider/touristy point of view. Having had the lived experience of Irish pubs, this felt very inauthentic.

In the end this was a cute little romance with great rep but lacked the authenticity that I've come to love from Irish romance authors.

The characters were both a tad one-dimensional, but I still enjoyed this story. Although Raine was frustrating, it was great to see her vulnerability. And Jack was pretty dreamy. Planning on reading the rest of this series!

I adored LAST CALL AT THE LOCAL by Sarah Grunder Ruiz! It features neurodivergent protagonists and other characters in the story who were entertaining and fun. I was swept away from the first chapter when the Jack meets Raine. Their chemistry is magnetic. I love the way he flirts with her in the beginning. I was grinning from ear to ear.
Raine’s personality is spontaneous, she has ADHD, and I could totally relate to her. Jack on the other hand battles with OCD, but I learned about other challenges that Jack struggles with that are more mental.
I loved how these two worked to face their challenges and how they finally end together. It was a fun read. I couldn’t put the book down. It’s such a great story that I think it’ll be a book I read again.

Engaging, heart-warming romance between a messy, appealing heroine and an Irish hero to steal your heart. Great cast. Gorgeous setting. I love the way their issues (ADHD and OCD) are very much a part of the story without defining either their characterization or their relationship.

I think I may just have a new favorite book by Sarah Grunder Ruiz! I adored this book and especially the main characters, Raine and Jack. I also loved getting to revisit past characters Nina and Ollie. Their relationship developed in the sweetest way and I love how they both fully accepted the other for who they are. The mental health representation was done really well in this book and weaved so seamlessly into the story. If you love a sweet romance, with an adorable meet-cute, good banter, and in a dreamy location, then I highly suggest checking this one out!

All in all, this was an adorable, endearing, and just happy happy happy book. I loved it. It also has some spice!