RATING: 4.25/5 STARS

Sarah Grunder-Ruiz does not miss!! LAST CALL AT THE LOCAL is a beautiful addition to her contemporary romances. Wanderlust-driven Raine and steadfast Jack made a lovely couple. They had stunning chemistry from the start and their growth, both as individuals and in their relationship, was so well-written! The OCD representation in Jack’s character was incredibly thoughtful. I hadn’t read a book that explained obsessions/compulsions in this level of depth - I think it was an accurate depiction of the different forms OCD can take. I predict Jack’s POV will resonate with many readers. I can’t wait to get a physical copy of this novel for my collection. It’s a gem!

I’ve had the pleasure of reading all of Sarah Grunder Ruiz’s books pre-publication day, along with participating in an author chat and interacting with her on Instagram. She is a woman who always keeps it real and is not afraid to speak her truth about her ADHD. All that to say, she put so much of herself into this book and really seems to have taken to heart the phrase “write what you know”. It felt very personal.

This was a fitting conclusion to the Love, Lists, and Fancy Shop series and was a lot of fun to read, even if the open door scenes did make me blush.

If you’ve ever felt like you are too much, this is the book for you.

Rating:
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.25

Read if you like:
Ireland settings
Neurodivergent characters
Love interests who are readers
Open door romance

Thank you Berkley for the digital ARC through NetGalley.

Thank you netgally and Berkley romance for the gifted alc in exchange for honest review. I really love the authors writing style and how she crafts her stories. I loved the ocd rep and that it was set elsewhere then USA. I will absolutely need a copy for my forever shelf. Tha kful to #joyfulchaosbookclub for arranging widgets for us.

Sarah Gründer Ruiz has a really special voice. I will definitely continue to read what she puts out, but I will say this was not my favorite of hers. I am missing the characters being on a yacht!

I am so happy to be back in the world of Sarah Grunder Ruiz's books! I absolutely loved her first two and Last Call at the Local is a highly anticipated read of mine. While this book is the third in the series, it can be read as a standalone.

We find ourselves a few years after Luck & Last Resorts dropped us off in the beautiful Cobhn, Ireland. Raine is down on her luck. A traveling musician, Raine turns up at The Local after all her belongings are stolen. Jack offers her a 12 week stint trying to turn the bar around. While the pair try to fight their attraction from day one, living and working in close proximity prove to be harder to resist as Raine's time in Ireland progresses.

Raine and Jack were adorable and awkward together. They compliment each other and help each other see the good in themselves, which is exactly what they both need. They speak the same language and have a common understanding that makes them good for each other. And I loved the Ireland setting! I've been low key obsessed with the Titanic for years, so I loved them going to the museum.

Last Call at the Local is heavier than the previous books. It delves deep into ADHD and OCD. Both topics were handled with care. This book is low angst and drama with no typical third act breakup.

I read the entirety of Last Call at the Local while flying from Germany to England. Not only was it incredibly hard to put down, but it also made the flights a lot of fun. I’m a huge fan of Sarah Grunder Ruiz’s books and this one *might* be my favorite yet. Having recently visited Ireland, I loved how the setting and pub life was described. Jack’s vocabulary, full of Irish slang, was life giving and made it a fun read. His character was so complex, and I think the author did a great job of researching OCD and representing his version in a respectful and sensitive way. While I enjoyed Raine’s character, Jack and his cat Sebastian stole my heart. Great book, really recommend it.

Thank you Berkley for this eARC and below is my review!

"Last Call at the Local" by Sarah Grunder Ruiz is a touching story that beautifully intertwines themes of love, personal growth, and embracing imperfections. In this casual and easy-to-read review, I want to share my thoughts on this captivating novel.

The story revolves around Raine Hart, a spirited musician with ADHD who has chosen a nomadic life, leaving behind the constraints of Boston for the freedom of traveling through Europe. Raine's life takes an unexpected turn when a mishap in Ireland leaves her unable to perform, forcing her to confront the reality of giving up her wanderlust.

On the other hand, Jack Dunne, the inheritor of the Local, a beloved family pub, is grappling with the burden of running the business and battling the intrusive thoughts stemming from his OCD. Jack's desire to transform the pub and make it his own is hindered by his internal struggles.

Their paths cross in a chance encounter when Raine accidentally insults Jack and the pub. Instead of taking offense, Jack is captivated by Raine's vision for the pub's potential and offers her a job to bring her ideas to life. Thus, a unique and compelling partnership begins to take shape.

As Raine and Jack work together, not only does their vision for the pub start to materialize, but so do their feelings for each other. However, their opposite lifestyles pose a significant challenge to their budding romance. The story beautifully explores their internal struggles and external differences, making it clear that reinvention is not only needed for the pub but also for themselves.

"Last Call at the Local" delves into themes of self-discovery, acceptance, and the transformative power of love. It reminds us that sometimes, the most meaningful changes happen within ourselves as we learn to let go of our self-imposed limits.

Sarah Grunder Ruiz has crafted a heartfelt and sincere narrative that tugs at your heartstrings. The characters are relatable, and their personal growth throughout the story is both touching and inspiring. As a reader, I couldn't help but root for Raine and Jack and hope for their love to transcend the challenges they face.

"Last Call at the Local" is a beautifully written novel that will resonate with anyone who appreciates stories of redemption, love, and the courage to face one's imperfections. It's a compelling and heartwarming read that I wholeheartedly recommend. Sarah Grunder Ruiz has created a tale that will stay with you long after the last page is turned.

I loved this so much!!!

Jack Dunne has moved into top five book boyfriend territory, y'all. I truly loved him so much. And Raine is such a fun, unique heroine and I enjoyed watching them fall in love so much. Also, I can't not mention Sebastian whom I wanted to snuggle the entire time I was reading!

It was great to see Nina and Ollie again (and little Jack and Josie! their names!) and I enjoyed the other side characters as well. I would love to see more of Clara and Róisín 👀

I tried so hard to read slowly and savor it but making it last a week was the best I could do! Guess I'll just have to read it again when it comes out next year!

Last Call at the Local by Sarah Grunder Ruiz is a heartfelt look at living with invisible disabilities and finding the person who accepts you as you are. Raine and Jack meet by happenstance when Raine founds herself in Cobh, Ireland having her livelihood recently stolen. As a traveling busker she’s certain she’s about to head home to her family who wants her to conform to a certain standard. That is until she meets a floofy black cat and its owner Jack.

This story was like a soothing balm on my heart. I could very much identify with Raine as I looked at my own socks strewn about and the mismatched socks pattern carrying over to my own kids. As an adult with ADHD it’s not always easy to express what we mean, and often we’re misunderstood and develop the pattern of being certain we’ll disappoint others. While my OCD experience is more limited I appreciated that Raine gave Jack space for what he needed. What’s important is that Jack and Raine don’t let their disabilities keep them from seeing each other. They give each other room to be exactly who they are and they love each other for who they are as well. I also appreciated the inclusion of a non-binary character - it was so flawlessly worked in I didn’t realize they were a non-binary character until the third time we see them.

Overall, I hope people set this on their TBR for its January release. It discusses and shows the non-apparent disability experience while offering up a sweet love story that’s easy to want to sink into and stay a while.

Read via NetGalley courtesy of Berkely Publishing

what the romance world needs isn’t more billionaires, cowboys, or superstars but small-town tattoo artists that own a pub and have some mental difficulties. SUCH an amazing, heartwarming book between two sweet souls

This is just so beautiful and heartwarming. Perfect for those of us with messy brains and restless spirits. Thank you NetGalley for the advanced reader's copy of this adorable book in exchange for an honest review!

Whats a girl gotta do to find a tattooed dark haired irishman who owns a pub, speaks Gaelic and comes up with the cutest Gaelic nickname? I suppose the first step is to go to Ireland, which is what our strong but scattered (in a totally relatable way) FMC, Raine, does. She's a former med school student who decided to quit because it was her family's dream for her to be a doctor instead of her own. Good on you Raine. Anyways she's traveling around Europe as a musician preforming for tips on the streets of major cities when someone steals her guitar while in Ireland. Serendipity reacts, and she meets Jack, the aforementioned hot irishman with, as Raine describes it, is a bad boy aesthetic Pinterest board come to life. I don't disagree and I wholeheartedly approve. Jack and his brother Ollie run their family's pub, and Jack recruits Raine to help him revamp it. Cue the Hallmark-esque romance, which is exactly what you think and what you'd hope for and more. Its predictable and so sweet and a shot of serotonin to the brain.

A big aspect of this book is the fact that Raine has ADHD and Jack has OCD. I absolutely loved how well the author wrote about these issues, and how deep she dove into their effects on each character. Being in each character's mind, particularly Jack's, as they mentally parse through the challenges inherent with these issues provides such a deep respect for those of us facing similar challenges. And reading about how Raine and Jack help one another out and accept each other despite hang ups and flare ups is beautiful and heartwarming and gives all the happy and hopeful feelings.

All in all, this was an adorable, endearing, and just happy happy happy book. I loved it. It also has some spice, if you're into that sorta thing (I am, and while this didn't have *a lot,* it had enough for the type of book this is). And the Irish setting (Cobh!!!) and accents and overall just Irish pub vibes are so fun to immerse yourself in. Also, theres a book you can read before this about Jack's brother Ollie and how he ends up with his wife Nina (Luck and Last Resorts!) that you can read first but totally do not need to. Ollie and Nina make a lot of appearances in this book, and I'm def gonna go and read their story now.

Easy and happy 4 star Irish read! Grab a pint and go read this when it comes out. Slainte! :-)

Honestly, this may be my favorite book Sarah Grunder Ruiz has written so far. Maybe it's that I'm a huge fan and I can see the author reflected in the main character with ADHD. Maybe it's just that it's a fantastically written book. Maybe it's the Irish bartender. Either way, I can't recommend this one highly enough. I received an ARC from netgalley in exchange for an honest review (and I've never been more excited for a book.)

I've made it to 33% but I've fallen asleep four times trying to read it (two nights ago, yesterday afternoon, yesterday night, and again this afternoon). I am giving up. The writing is easy to read, but the story itself is very slice-of-life, although not in an interesting way.

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley for the ARC.

I’m pretty sure having one mc call another mc a non-english based nickname/compliment will make any book 10 times better.

And it did just that.

I actually adore this book so much. Starting with the representation of course, Ruiz did AMAZING at digging deeper and showing other symptoms that may happen to people with OCD & ADHD; straying beyond what society pushes as the stereotypical traits. I love how a big plot point was how the characters’ struggles actually helped them understand and connect deeply,, finding something in each other that they often struggle to find in people.

As for the characters themselves,, I love how this wasn’t just a grumpy x sunshine where the ADHD character is a ball of joy and the OCD character doesn’t interact with anyone. Jack being portrayed as someone who is interactive and someone who is lovable but struggles behind the scenes was so amazing for me. It’s really easy to connect to characters that don’t fall under one social category, and as someone who struggles with mental illness and has mood swings even if I’m normally seen as such an upbeat and social person, it’s really comforting to see parts of myself in novels…and I of course 100% relate to Raine 😭. I love her character and internal conflict that really shows how struggles with ADHD go beyond just speaking fast or doing a lot at once.

I would actually give both of them a kidney so (I ofc don’t need any of those so 🤞🏾).

Sarah Grunder Ruiz's books never let me down. Equal parts romantic and emotional, this was a wonderful addition to her Love, Lists, and Fancy Ships series.

The story follows Raine, a traveling musician with ADHD, who lives for the life on the road- with no boss, no schedule, and no one to disappoint but herself. But after a careless mistake and some bad luck in Ireland, she is left unable to perform and in need of a way to make money if she wants to continue her nomadic lifestyle. Enter Jack Dunne. Having inherited the Local, he wants to make the pub his own and distance it from his bad memories of his father, but the intrusive thoughts from his OCD make implementing those changes a challenge. When she shares a pint with the handsome, tattooed Jack, Raine accidentally insults the pub, unknowing that she is speaking to its owner. Jack, however, is impressed by her vision, and offers her a job to bring those ideas to life. Working together poses more of a challenge than either of them could have anticipated, as their feelings for each other grow, and they have to decide whether they are willing to make a relationship work with their opposing lifestyles.

First things first, I absolutely loved the Ireland setting. I haven't read any books set in Ireland, but it's such a special location for me, and I enjoyed how well Sarah captured the environment and the sense of tight-knit community within Jack's small town. Departing from the yacht setting made it stand on its own from the other books in the series, but never fear, we do get a healthy dose of Ollie and Nina, my absolute favorite couple.

Jack and Raine's relationship absolutely tugged on my heartstrings. I loved how well they understood each other in a way that no one else could, they truly felt like soulmates. One of my favorite parts of their relationship was how it was centered around the idea that you don't need to have it all together in order to be loved. This is established from page zero with the dedication, and there was something that was so comforting about them navigating their relationship while also trying to heal from whatever struggles they've gone through in the past.

I will always recommend this series to people. Yes, it will make you cry, it will break your heart, but it will put it back together stronger again. Sarah is able to create characters that are so nuanced, that have their flaws but also are so easy to fall in love with, all while building a setting that will have you completely immersed and will also make you want to go on a trip as soon as possible. Basically, read this book, read this series, you won't regret it.

This book takes you on a captivating journey through Ireland, immersing you in the charming settings and introducing you to endearing characters dealing with mental health issues. The allure of friends-to-lovers romance adds to the appeal, making it a must-read with its layered storytelling and relatable struggles.

Raine Hart, a free-spirited American musician, sets off on a European adventure to explore and escape the challenges of her ADHD condition. However, her journey starts on a rocky note when her belongings, including her guitar, are stolen. Seeking solace, she finds herself at a pub in a small town in Ireland.

Sparks fly when Raine meets Jack Dunne, the tattooed bartender and owner of the pub, who offers her lodging and a job as an event organizer. As they spend time together, their attraction grows, but both are wary of the limited time they have before Raine returns to the States.

Jack, too, battles his own mental health issues, including OCD, which hinders his dream of becoming a tattoo artist and running the bar. His painful past with an abusive father adds to his struggles with self-esteem and confidence.

I love the gradual and reliable development of Raine and Jack's romance, their endearing banters, and the way they support each other through their challenges. This novel is not only a sweet and swoon-worthy romance but also thought-provoking and informative, tugging at your heartstrings throughout.

As with her previous works, Sarah Grunder Ruiz has crafted a wonderful tale that engages the emotions and takes readers on an unforgettable journey. I thoroughly enjoyed this novel and eagerly look forward to more of her stories, whether set on fancy yachts or in pastoral Irish small towns.

A heartfelt thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for providing me with this digital reviewer copy in exchange for my honest thoughts.

I am a HUGE Sarah Gunder Ruiz fan and so I dropped everything to read Last Call at the Local and I loved it.
Sarah has talked about how this book was a little more personal and this book was worth the wait!

Set in an Irish pub in Cobh, Ireland this is a story about Raine, a free-spirited American singer-songwriter with ADHD, and Jack a charming Irishman as they revitalize his family's pub. Raine has just arrived to busk in Cobh and found herself in a situation where she's without her guitar and all her things. She walks inside a pub and meets Jack who hires her to help out at the pub, and sparks start to fly. They both have doubts about starting anything since she'll only be in Cobh for 12 weeks and Jack worries about being in a relationship with his intrusive thoughts associated with his OCD but there is something between them.

SGR's books are always a lot more than a romance with deeper topics, but Jack's OCD and Raine's ADHD are major aspects of this book and it's done SO well. It isn't done as part of a plot point, but more as an extension of the characters and it flows so seamlessly into the book and storylines. The banter and romance between these two was wonderful. I loved how they supported each other, were open and vulnerable and able to share what they needed in a relationship. Their main relationship struggle are their own internal ones and I loved the depth of the characters in this book.

I loved that he calls her ciaróg and she calls him Keurig as a joke. The Irish setting (especially in Cobh) is wonderful, you see lots of Nina & Ollie! and all of the other wonderful characters too. I absolutely loved this book and I would recommend reading both of her other books first.

Definitely read this when it comes out January 2, 2024!

This book was just ok for me. I found myself getting frustrated with the characters which I know was kind of the point since it was exploring their ADD and OCD. It was just ok for me out I did love the Irish setting.

When wandering American musician with ADHD Raine Hart gets her guitar stolen while exploring Europe she ends up in a Irish pub in Cobh where she meets the handsome tattooed bar owner Jack Dunne who not only offers her free lodgings but offers her a job as the new events organizer for his bar! Raine has always felt like she messes up, her ADHD making her life difficult and she just wants to pursue her goal of making it as a musician. Yet the moment she lands in Europe from Boston, her guitar is stolen and so she ends up in a bar reevaluating her life... and then a very handsome and charming tattooed stranger comes sits next to her and next thing she knows she is being offered a job (of which she has no experience) but she can't help but want to make it work. Jack Dunne is owner of the Local, a pub that he wants to make his own. He has crippling OCD and family trauma from an abusive dad that has left him trying to just find a way to live a normal life. Jack was a tattoo artist but gave it up when his OCD got so bad. He's been trying to find ways to make the bar better but with OCD that has him barely even able to visit the bar, it makes it hard. Yet the moment he meets Raine he knows he'll do anything to have her working there. Yet the more time they spend together the harder it becomes to maintain the line between professional coworkers and two people who are perfect for each other. This was such a charming and sweet story and I adored the progression of the relationship between Raine and Jack as they both had a lot of baggage but were working to help each other. This was definitely a great read.

*Thanks Netgalley and Berkley Publishing Group, Berkley for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

Short synopsis: Raine (a traveling performer) ends up taking a 12 week job at a pub in Cobh Ireland after her guitar gets stolen. Making quick friends with the bar owner Jack.

My thoughts: I absolutely adored the first 2 books in this series and when I found out we get more Irish men (Ollie’s brother from Luck and Last Resorts) I couldn’t wait to get my hands on this!

I absolutely adored the mental health rep in this. The adhd and ocd were both so well told, and explained that I could completely understand a sympathize with both Raine and Jack. I love how they pushed each other, but also knew the other persons limits.

I really enjoyed the little glimpses into Ollie and Nina’s life now since Luck and Last resorts and really likes how the author intertwined them in with Ollie and Raine.

The ending was perfection, the banter was cute and adorable and a little bit all over the place but totally fitting for the characters.

Read if you love:
- Love, Lists and Fancy Ships and Luck and Last Resorts (but read those first)
- Irish men
- Mental Health Rep
- Guitars and Pubs
- No 3rd act breakup
- Workplace romance