I have to admit, I first found this author on Bookstagram. Back when Sarah Grunder Ruiz was coming out with her first novel “Love, Lists, and Fancy Ships” - featuring the story of a romance between crew members on a mega-yacht - she was popping up all over the place. My husband and I have watched “Below Deck” (airs on Bravo in the US) since its first season, and we’ve been fans ever since. “Last Call at the Local” is the third in the series, and I think sadly the last. This one, like her previous two, transports the reader to another place - this time to a wonderful small town in Ireland. Main character Raine is a traveling musician who finds herself in a tough spot, her gear all stolen and money almost gone. Dunn runs his family’s pub in this small town with his brother (the main character from another book in the series), and well romance will ensue. I have really enjoyed the series, and I think this one might be my favorite with it’s mental health struggles representation. I don’t want to say what exactly, it is a bit of a spoiler but felt so well done. Thank you to Berkley Publishers and Netgalley for the advanced e-copy, and in fact I also ordered a paper copy since I just love the series soo much!

Loved all the mental health rep in this! Both are characters are neurodivergent (Raine has ADHD and Jack has OCD/anxiety). Its nice to see leads in romance novels who are neurodivergent and find love! Its real life and doesn't shy away from that.

Raine and Jack had incredible chemistry and their relationship was so refreshing and beautiful.

The writing was wonderful - I loved how the characters interacted with each other. They were so tender and loving with one another and I really loved their love story.

Ugh I just loved these two MCs so much. They’re so imperfectly perfect and perfect for each other. They’re just the biggest sweeties ever. This story really hit close to home for me because Sarah gave voice to a lot of things I’ve experienced in my life but pushed through because that’s just what I’ve been ingrained to do. It was lovely to read about such a supportive group that loved each other for who they all were. I just couldn’t get enough of the chemistry between these two. There’s a lot of heavy content here so I def recommend checking out trigger warnings. I continue to think Sarah’s writing is just getting better and better and I cannot wait to pick up anything else she may put out.

This book was just so cute, and raw, and lovely. The portrayal of mental health felt realistic and this book made me want to book a trip to Europe asap.

I don't think I've ever felt so represented by a FMC with ADHD...although the myriad of socks left everywhere is more my partner than myself-lol More in the free spirit with a big heart who takes on too much and wants to do everything and then gets *slightly* overwhelmed.

I really loved the characters. I got a lot more insight into Jack's particular brand of OCD and love the representation...not to mention the zesty cat! I like this stand alone series so much-it definitely ignites my wanderlust.

With it being a romance, we know there will be a HEA, but the turn/growth these characters take had me really rooting for them.

Thank you to Sarah Grunder Ruiz, Berkley Publishing, and NetGalley for this advanced copy. All thoughts are my own and given freely.

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.