I have never read anything by Sarah Grunder Ruiz, so I wasn't sure what to expect, but I was impressed with the story, the characters, and the writing. Last Call at the Local was so cozy and sweet. I adored our cat-daddy, tattooed, Irish pub owner Jack. People may confuse him for a grump, but once you get to know him you understand why and see that he is such a cinnamon roll at heart. This man had me SWOONING. I think that the author did a great job tackling the topics of ADHD, OCD, and anxiety. She described it in a way that made it easy to understand and empathize. A big message that I took away from this book is that love isn't about having the perfect relationship and the perfect partner, it's about making the decision to love each other despite the imperfections and a willingness to work through differences and to have compassion and make compromises to live harmoniously with the person you love.

Read this if you love: The Bergman Brothers series by Chloe Liese

Thank you Netgalley, Berkley, and Sarah Grunder Ruiz for the eARC.

This book was the perfect way to spend a winter afternoon!
I love stories that feature the reinvention of relationship and journeys of self-discovery and this book was a beautiful explanation of those things.
It's also a story about finding love in unexpected places and working hard at the dark parts of yourself.
Full review to come on Bookbub,

This one felt more insta-love than the other additions and also felt like it had less boats which was a major selling point for this series.

This one is sweet and charming. And even more it is centered around flawed but loveable characters. She has ADHD and he has OCD and they were just the perfect fit together in spite of their self-perceived shortcomings. I liked being in their minds as they overcame their obstacles and supported each other.

Their banter is great and I liked the slow pace as they grew together. Rom coms are my favorite romance type to read, but I like it even more when I they go a little beyond a hallmark movie and have realistic characters. This one definitely achieved that.

In addition to this great couple I rooted for from their moment of their meet cute, the setting of this charming Irish town and pub was a yes for me.

I breezed through this one not wanting it to end in part due to the narration of the audiobook provided by Gary Furlong and Karissa Vacker. She has quickly become one of my favorite female narrators. Her upbeat voice really lulls me into any story and perfectly fit with Raine. And Gary Furlong's accent made Jack ever the more swoon worthy.

Thank you, Netgalley, the author, and Berkley Publishing for the gifted e-book! ❤️ #gifted. My review is comprised of my honest thoughts.

Read this book if you like: Dual POV, opposites attract, mental health representation (ADHD and OCD), Ireland setting

I liked this a lot. The mental health representation was great. I have never seen OCD presented this way and I really appreciated it. The couple was sweet. The setting was dreamy. I highly recommend this!

Another great romance tackling hard issues while also never lacking swoon from Sarah. Loved the Irish pub setting, loved the right-off-the-bat chemistry. Jack’s intrusive thoughts were hard to read at times but I’m glad I could peek into the experience of someone with OCD like that. Sarah’s writing always captivates me and this book felt very believable. I also love the title and cover of this book.

Loved this instant attraction romantic comedy set in Ireland. The main female character is a musician trying to make it and be noticed in the industry by busking her away around. While in Ireland she ends up at a hole in the wall local bar in a small town and stranded when many of her personal belongings are stolen. Soon she has secured a place to stay and a place to work while for a while and it doesn’t hurt that her new boss and neighbor is a super hot, swoony bar owner. The attraction is undeniable and soon she finds herself reluctant to leave Ireland and all the new friends she has made.

I have a thing for Irish men so my opinion is probably heavily biased, but I loved just about everything about this book. An Irishman, a pub, and a cat. Irresistible.

Thank you Berkley for my copy! All thoughts are my own.

When I saw this book’s cover back over the Summer, I immediately filed it under, “That looks cozy and I like the vibe.” It definitely was a cozy read set in Ireland, but it also was so much more in terms of seeing two people struggling with their individual mental health come together. I deal with pretty severe anxiety that has just increased as I’ve gotten older and I found a lot of comfort in Jack’s storyline. It was intense, don’t get me wrong, but there is nothing as validating as hearing someone articulate the thoughts that have been swirling in your brain for a long time.

This book deals with ADHD and OCD/anxiety rep, which were my favorite parts of the book. Sadly the romance didn’t quite land for me as it has in other of this author’s books, but I still think it is well worth the read. Especially on audio!

Synopsis:

“Raine Hart is used to the challenges of living with ADHD. It’s why she ditched her life in Boston to busk around Europe as a traveling musician. No boss. No schedule. No one to disappoint but herself. But when a careless mistake in Ireland leaves her unable to perform, she sees no other option but to give up her nomadic life.Since inheriting the Local, Jack Dunne has wanted to make the pub his own. But the baggage of running a family business and the intrusive thoughts that stem from his OCD make changing things a challenge.Over a pint with handsome, tattooed Jack, Raine accidentally insults him and the pub. Instead of taking offense, Jack, impressed by her vision of what the pub could be, offers her a job bringing it to life.But when Raine and Jack develop feelings for one another their opposite lifestyles won’t accommodate, it becomes clear the pub isn’t the only thing that needs reinventing. As the end of their business collaboration draws near, they’ll have to find a way past the limits they’ve placed on themselves or let go of a love that could last a lifetime.” —NetGalley

What I Liked:

The Setting—I love Ireland so much and I thought this was a great peek into “regular” life after the last two books took place on the boat more. Plus the pub was so charming! I just loved it.

The Audio Production—I read this on audiobook and it was so well done! Excellent accent and character work.

The OCD/Anxiety Rep—While I do not have OCD, so I can’t speak to that, I do have severe anxiety and intrusive thoughts so I could so deeply relate to Jack. It was honestly a little intense for me at time because I felt his anxiety so deep but I rarely see those thoughts represented like mine so that was comforting.

What Didn’t Work For Me:

Pacing—I was just kind of lost with the pace of this book and struggled to connect with what I was supposed to care about when it came to the romance.

Chemistry—I didn’t feel it with these characters sadly but I wonder if it was a me problem and being overwhelmed by the anxious thoughts on the page.

Character Authenticity: 3.5/5 Spice Rating: 1/5 Overall Rating: 3.5/5

Content Warnings:

panic attacks/disorder, mental illness, ableism,

Another enjoyable instalment in the Love, Lists and Fancy Ships series.

It was so much fun spending the whole book in Ireland this time and I really enjoyed Raine and Jack’s banter.

The thing I love most about reading SGR’s books is you can tell how much care and research goes into the stories she tells. The way she writes about Raine’s ADHD and Jack’s OCD was done so well.

A really sweet book about a traveling busker with ADHD and a bartender with OCD who slowly fall for each other. I appreciated how Jack's OCD was portrayed. He has a subset called Harm OCD, which is one of the most misunderstood and yet most common subtypes. It's a theme I've dealt with among others and have never seen it portrayed as thoughtfully as it was here--how the intrusive thoughts and compulsions manifest, what ERP treatment is like, all these little details that made Jack feel so real and relatable. I'm glad he found his happiness along with Raine.

Goodness does Sarah know how to bring stories to life! Every single page of this book brought out an array of emotions. This story was heartfelt and deep, but also had so many bright and fun moments as well. I absolutely loved Raine and her full of life energy, and thought that her and Jack are such a great opposites attract couple. I thought the book lent a little much to Jack’s personal story rather than the romance and chemistry between the two, but Sarah still shows the depth of their love for one another so well.

Last Call at the Local comes out 1/2 - definitely one to have on your radar in the new year!

[thank you @berkleyromance and @prhaudio for the advanced copies, all opinions are my own!]

Did I know this was part of a series? No
Did I still enjoy it? Yes!

This romcom was full of fun banter, and great ADHD representation.
Adorable fmc!
Hot tattoed Irish mmc.
Sold sold sold!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

𝙊𝙥𝙥𝙤𝙨𝙞𝙩𝙚𝙨 𝙖𝙩𝙩𝙧𝙖𝙘𝙩 𝙬𝙝𝙚𝙣 𝙖 𝙛𝙧𝙚𝙚-𝙨𝙥𝙞𝙧𝙞𝙩𝙚𝙙 𝘼𝙢𝙚𝙧𝙞𝙘𝙖𝙣 𝙨𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙚𝙧-𝙨𝙤𝙣𝙜𝙬𝙧𝙞𝙩𝙚𝙧 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝘼𝘿𝙃𝘿 𝙩𝙚𝙖𝙢𝙨 𝙪𝙥 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙖 𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙧𝙢𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙄𝙧𝙞𝙨𝙝𝙢𝙖𝙣 𝙩𝙤 𝙧𝙚𝙫𝙞𝙩𝙖𝙡𝙞𝙯𝙚 𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙛𝙖𝙢𝙞𝙡𝙮'𝙨 𝙥𝙪𝙗.

📍 Read if you like:
• Opposites Attract
• Forced Proximity
• Sunshine/Grump
• Neurodiversity Rep
• Ireland

This is the third book in the Love, Lists & Fancy Ships series. They’re interconnected stories and can be read as standalones, they just have reoccurring characters.

I have yet to read the first book in this series, but Luck And Last Resorts was an enjoyable romance. Just like that one, I really enjoyed this book too.

This one is set in an Ireland pub, which is so different than the yacht setting from the previous book. This follows Raine and Jack, I can’t express how much I enjoyed these characters. The neurodiversity is represented so well in this book with Raine having ADHD and Jack having OCD and anxiety. I related so much with Jack in regards to OCD.

The characters were so lovable and fleshed out. There’s angst and mental health issues, which felt so real and relatable. This author has such a great way of expressing a story that feels so authentic and meaningful.

I also loved the side characters in this book, especially Ollie and Nina from the previous book. I wasn’t expecting them to be in this so it was quite a surprise. The chemistry between the two grew throughout the book with struggles and feelings.

With witty banter, dual POV, and neurodiversity rep, I absolutely loved this story and the characters. I’m officially a fan of this author and the writing style. Last Call At The Local was an easy five-star read for me and I would highly recommend giving it a try.

Thank you so much NetGalley and Berkley for the review copy and PRH Audio for the ALC in exchange for my honest review!

•𝗧𝗪/𝗖𝗪: Mental Illness, Ableism, Sexual Content, Child Abuse, Domestic Abuse, Panic Attacks/Disorders

LAST CALL AT THE LOCAL is a cozy, charming tale filled with easy banter, loving relationships, in a beautiful setting in an Irish pub. Loved this story from the start as it stars a beautiful redhead named, Raine Hart, who is a Pre-Med student drop-out. Most importantly, she is a musician. She has ADHD and transformed her life to a nomadic one, traveling where the wind blows her. Her parent's and sister are disappointed, but it's her life. While out busking in Ireland, she is robbed of her possessions. Now what is she going to do?

With the little money she has, she goes into a pub. There she meets, devastatingly handsome pub owner, Jack Dunne, who suffers from OCD and anxiety. They share a drink at the bar. Jack offers her a job and an apartment, as she shares her sad tale and insults his bar. She accepts his offer after much convincing. Jack gives her a chance, on his family run bar, hearing her ideas of how she could bring the pub up to snuff. Sparks fly between them. But, these two lovebirds need to discover if their opposites attract romance can make it or will they be two ships passing in the night?

What a beautiful romance from my favorite author! LAST CALL AT THE LOCAL is definitely a perfect romance story for a blustery cold winter day. I holed up in my fave chair with a drink and read non-stop, because the story is so good! I absolutely love Raine, Jack, and his fluffy cat. They are perfect one another. They cheered each other on, had silly chats, attraction off the charts hot, and more. The side stories with their family and friends was the glue that held the story all together. Ms Ruiz definitely knows her stuff to creating heartfelt stories that give you a warm hug. This is a top ten from me! This story is just like a strawberry margarita, sweet, delicious and refreshing!

Thank you Berkley for the gifted e-copy.

I have loved the previous two books in this series, and I was SO excited to find out that Jack was getting a book. after the last one ended. Raine and Jack are both perfectly imperfect characters, with both having ADD and Jack having OCD in addition.

Raine is busking her way around the world when her guitar and the rest of her belongings get stolen. She has nowhere to go, and ends up in a bar where she meets Jack. They hit it off, and he hires her to revamp his pub. They're both a mess in their own way, but their chemistry is real and although they intend to stay platonic, they can't deny their attraction.

The banter is great, and they play off each other really well. Looking forward to more from this author, and will be purchasing a physical copy to add to my collection.

3.5 Stars

Raine has been travelling all over Europe, busking for money with dreams of writing and recording her own songs. However, she’s stranded in Cobh, Ireland when her things are stolen. She wanders into a pub and strikes up a conversation with Jack, one of the owners, hitting it off with him immediately and accepts his job offer to help invigorate his pub because she’s out of options.

Raine with ADHD and Jack with OCD paired nicely, given they could understand each other’s struggles. I enjoyed how they clicked, their funny back and forth. Loved Sebastian the black cat! I also liked the setting of an old family-owned Irish pub that needs some freshening up.

Overall, I enjoyed Last Call at the Local. I was thrilled there was no dramatic, third act breakup. I’m not sure how to express why the story didn’t completely bowl me over. I think it boils down to the fact that I never clicked with Raine. Her desire to never completely settle down in one place, just heading out to wherever life would take her just felt off to me. I did want her to find happiness with Jack and I utterly adored him.

Thank you @prhaudio for the audiobook and @berkleyromance for the digital ARC.
Last Call at the Local is book 3 in the Love, Lists, and Fancy Ships series. It can be read as a standalone, but just know that the couple from book 2 are in this one.
I really enjoyed this book that takes place in Ireland. The ADHD & OCD representation are great to see in a contemporary romance. Raine and Jack both have many things to work through in their own lives, but they bring out the best in each other. Jack’s OCD experience is covered thoroughly in this book. I can understand why the author wanted to make sure the reader really grasped the severity of his thoughts, however, this deep exploration of Jack’s thoughts caused there to be a delay in getting to the romance of the story. It took just a little too long to get to the excitement of their feelings for each other finally coming out into the open, although there was cute flirting from the beginning of the book. As a romance reader, I really enjoy when a book has pining and sweet romantic moments together, so I would have liked more of it and sooner. Don’t get me wrong though, it was still a great story that I highly recommend. Like I said, looking at the book as a whole, I understand why the author wanted to be thorough about OCD and ADHD experiences and I respect that and appreciate the honest representation. I really like that Raine and Jack, both strong characters, realized that they wanted to be the best version of themselves before anything else and they both dealt with their decisions on their own. There’s also a sister side story and brother side story that add to each MC’s growth. I mostly listened to this book and loved the narration. I recommend all three books in this series and will continue to look forward to more books by Sarah Grunder Ruiz.

Sarah writes such deep, well thought out romances and this is no exception. I loved the Irish setting and getting to catch up a bit with Ollie and Nina a couple years down the road from Luck and Last Resorts.

Jack and Raine are examples of how perfectly imperfect people can be alone and together. Loved their use of the Irish proverb about beetles recognizing other beetles. The mental health rep is amazing in this one. Raine has ADHD and Jack has OCD and ADHD. I would say it’s so well done that it was slightly triggering for my OCD so take that note with caution if that’s something that triggers you.

Another solid book in Sarah’s universe!

I loved Ruiz's previous books, but sadly, this one fell a little flat for me! I liked the tie to previous characters, but I found Raine and Jack to be a little cliche. I loved Jack's love of cats and books, but the tropes/cliches felt a little too heavy-handed for me in this one.