I freaking love Sarah Grunder Ruiz. Her books are delightful but deep with emotion and LAST CALL AT THE LOCAL was no exception. Thank you @berkleyromance for the review copy! After Raine is robbed of all her worldly possessions, she finds her herself in a local pub in Cobh, Ireland starting a journey she never expected.

Jack hired her to help revamp his pub into something fun and a place people want to be. She’s hesitant because she knows this is an insane proposition and doesn’t feel qualified, but doesn’t have anything else better to do so she accepts. The banter between Raine and Jack was phenomenal. I loved that each of them had their own personal struggles to either overcome or work through, and I thought that they complemented each other incredibly well in their support and understanding of each other, which neither had found until they found each other.

The setting of Ireland and the small town of Cobh was incredible. It, of course, made me want to book a flight immediately but that will be a surprise to absolutely no one that knows me. The section of text messages was so delightful that I was grinning like an idiot from ear to ear while reading. The setting of a local pub was so cozy and incredibly inviting, I really just wanted to live inside this book.

Grunder Ruiz does such an incredible job of creating characters. You cannot only relate to them but can root for them as well and I am so excited to read everything and anything she writes in the future most specifically a Hockey romance that she’s been teasing.

If you’ve loved her other books, you absolutely need to read this and if you have not read her other books, do so immediately or start with this one, they are all fantastic!

No surprise here, but Sarah Grunder Ruiz absolutely knocked this book out of the park! I have been waiting for Jack and Raine since I first met Jack in Ruiz’s second book, and his story was everything I had hoped for and more.

Ruiz’s depiction of ADHD through Raine made me feel so, so seen, and brought me to tears a few times. Jack’s OCD came as a surprise, but it truly moved me! The way Ruiz has handled different nuerodivergencies with such loving care was beautiful, and so well done.

Ruiz is able to craft such tangible and visceral emotions and characters, and I will be waiting with bated breath for her next book!

Last Call at the Local is the third installment in Sarah Grunder Ruiz’s Love, Lists & Fancy Ships series and it honestly might be my favorite one yet! What I love about this series is that each book makes me feel so much. Whether I’m laughing at some hilarious banter or shedding tears about a sad turn of events, my heart is just always full the entire time I’m reading. Last Call at the Local was no exception to that and I thoroughly enjoyed my reading experience.

Set in Ireland, the story follows Raine, a young American woman who has run into some bad luck that has left her broke and with little more than the clothes on her back. She stops in at a pub called the Local, where she has a very one-sided conversation with the pub’s cat, Sebastian, and meets Jack, who is not only Sebastian’s charming owner but he’s also part owner of the Local. Jack and Raine hit it off immediately and once he hears about the predicament she is in, he offers her a temporary job at the pub to help her get back on her feet. Neither Raine nor Jack realize how life changing this chance encounter and temporary job will turn out to be.

I cannot even express how much I adored both Jack and Raine. They were just so perfect together and it was a joy to watch them interact and explore their growing feelings for one another. I also admired them as individuals though because they’re both facing some mental health challenges. Raine initially comes across as a free spirit, and while she is to a degree, she is also living with ADHD, which makes it hard for her to buckle down and focus. That’s why, when we meet her, she has been working as a traveling musician all over Europe. She figured it was the best of both worlds, a way to make money from her passion for music, but also no set schedule, no boss to answer to, and no family to be disappointed in her. Jack, on the other hand, is dealing with the challenges of living with severe OCD. Ruiz handles the exploration of both ADHD and OCD thoroughly and respectfully, and I felt like I learned so much by having access to Jack’s and Raine’s inner thoughts and experiencing ADHD and OCD from their perspectives.

I loved being back in this world and was absolutely thrilled to bump into Ollie and Nina again and see what they’ve been up to. Everything about this book was just perfect and I can’t recommend it and the whole series highly enough. If you’re looking for a book that will leave you with a full heart and a smile on your face, be sure to check out Last Call at the Local.

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Format: Audio

4.75🌟 - I really really liked it!

Thank you @berkleyromance for the #gifted copy and @prhaudio for the complimentary audiobook #berkleypartner!

I was soooo consumed with this one! The Irish setting!! The OCD/ADHD rep! The pub cat!! The acceptance!! It was just so good.

This is a part of a series but can be read as a standalone! These characters felt so real and this was such a hug of a book. Balanced with raw emotion, genuine connection, and the banter made this a book I consumed in less than 24 hours!

I have loved @sarahgrunderruiz’s books and can’t wait to go back and read the first in the series!

This book picks up where Nina and Ollie’s left off. However, Last Call at the Local can be read as a standalone and has a different feel than the previous two. But no worries to longtime fans- the wanderlust and love of travel still abounds in book three. The representation of ADHD and OCD was handled so well and felt completely relatable. Cat Dad Jack and Hot Mess Raine had chemistry from their first conversation, it was a privilege to experience their love slowly blossom. I saw so much of myself in Raine- it’s okay to have big feelings y’all! The audiobook was narrated by @karissavacker and @garyfurlongvo and they were both FANTASTIC. Their narration made an already great story completely immersive- I truly loved it from start to finish.

4.25 Overall Rating

Well I'm glad I kicked off 2024 with this romance set in Ireland. It was my first book by Sarah and certainly won't be the last. FMC Raine Hart busks for a living and never stays in one place for very long. After having all of her equipment stolen she finds herself at a bar in Cobh Ireland called The Local. While figuring out her next move and really hoping she doesn't have to move home to Boston she meets a handsome local Jack. Neither know what the other struggles with, Raine has ADHD and Jack has OCD. While Raine goes off on a tangent about how she would improve the bar's aesthetic little does she know that Jack is the bar's owner and he hires her on the spot to implement her ideas. Jack's intrusive thoughts bring his past with his dad to the forefront and he doesn't believe he's allowed to find happiness. Raine always feels like a failure or that she's second best to her perfect sister. But they both form a bond with each other and of course they have an instant attraction to one another.

Though there were some parts of the story that seemed a little slow for me I overall appreciated how Raine and Jack designed their own relationship and understood what the other needed even if they weren't very vocal about it. The OCD storyline certainly hit close to home for me and I related to Jack all too well.I love that there wasn't a third act breakup and we saw a small glimpse of their future. I would have liked to have seen what happened with Raine's music career but the ending was still extremely satisfying. These two will stay with me for quite some time.

Book 3 in the Love, Lists and Fancy Ships series was a great addition! You don’t have to read the first two books but go ahead and read them! They are delightful! Interestingly enough there are no ships in this one though, but there is a local bar. We get to know Jack, Ollie’s brother and most of the time is spent at their bar in Ireland. This setting had me desperately wanting to sit at the bar with a cold beer in my hand! One night Jack meets Raine, a musician who thrives on living life as a traveling musician, however she is in a predicament when her guitar is stolen. This unfortunate set of events being them together but the end result is pure love.
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Huge thank you to @berkleypub @berittalksbooks @thephdivabooks @dg_reads @prhaudio and @netgalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book! It was honest and real! We have such a sweet love story. But we also see the underbelly of mental illness and other ailments. The author did so well representing both characters and their struggles SO WELL! Raine and Jack both have their issues. They struggle and, at times, think they are unlovable or not deserving of the love they are given. But both are able to show the other how deserving they are!

This story will stay with me for a long time! It was real, sweet, spicy and so captivating! Really well done!

CW: it is open door and swears throughout.

3.5 rounding up for NetGalley

I really appreciated the characters and the representation of mental health (ADHD and OCD respectfully). I definitely laughed out loud with some of the things that came out of Raine's mouth. Especially the part where she kept telling herself "you don't think" (hello Ms. Impulsive over here!). I believe the author did a great job with that. She clearly did her homework on those two issues. However, the story kind of fell flat with me and it didn't keep my attention. It gave off major instalove vibes (although I thought it was cute how they met at the bar!). I didn't realize this was part of a series, so I'm not sure if that had anything to do with why I found it a bit of a slow burn. Overall wasn't a bad story, just didn't keep me interested like I wanted.

Last Call at the Local by Sarah Grunder Ruiz
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Format: Physical
Length: 368 pages

Thank you to Netgalley, Berkley, and Sarah Grunder Ruiz for a free copy of this book.

“How can you think you’re too much, when I can’t get enough of you?”

Oh my heart, what a way to start off my reading year. I never expected to fall in love with a book so quickly but this book has consumed me. I’m sure everyone is sick of hearing me talk about it but this book deserves all the praise.

For the people who constantly overthink every single human interaction, every mistake they make, this book is for you. I don’t know if I have ever felt so seen while reading a book. The representation in this book is everything.

In this book we follow Raine, she recently quit medical school to travel the world as a solo musician. But while visiting Ireland several of her things are stolen. Raine is convinced she will have to go home now. Until she enters a bar called the Local and meets Jack.

BRB, booking my flight to Ireland. We all deserve a guy like Jack; the way he loved Raine? Don’t even get me started.

Give me a good romance set in the Scottish Highlands or in Ireland and I am soldddddd. Last Call at the Local was no different, and I adored this heartfelt Irish romance.

Raine has always struggled with ADHD. After dropping out of med school she’s diving headfirst into her music and playing around Europe. When her belongings are stolen in a small Irish town, she’s out of choices and is reluctant to head back home. Stumbling upon a small pub called The Local, sparks immediately fly when she meets the owner, Jack Dunne. Dunne in need of an event organizer proposes Raine stay in Cobh until she can replace her belongings and help him turn the pub into a place people want to be. Struggling with his own OCD mental issues, Jack is wary of his instant attraction to Raine. As the two start to work more with each other, it’s obvious that attraction is mutual but they’re life paths don’t mess, and they both have convinced themselves that a long-term relationship will never succeed.

This didn’t seem like a fast read and actually took me longer to read than I thought. The heavy focus on mental health particular OCD and ADHD while interesting could have been more compact and also made this a heavier read than I anticipated. Regardless of that, I do like seeing this representation in books and though Ruiz presented it tactfully.

The relationship between Raine and Jack was wonderful. The development of their relationship felt realistic and filled with witty banter. I felt that both characters show plenty of depth, and I enjoyed seeing a ‘romance relationship’ that was more particular in their approach. The way they supported each other’s mental health journey’s but also pushed each other to be their best self just made the story for me.

Though this is the 3rd book in the Love, Lists, & Fancy Ships series, it was the first of Ruiz’ books I have read. I didn’t actually realize it was part of a series until halfway through. This can 100% be read as a standalone and (per other reviewers) reading them out of order won’t spoil anything.

If you’re looking for a romance to cozy up with the upcoming Winter weather everyone is predicted to get, then this will be a prefect romance to grab! And be sure to snuggle up with your pet, because Floof gives black cats a good name in this one!

Last Call at the Local is out now. Huge thank you to Berkley Press for my copy in exchange for an honest review. If you liked this review, please let me know either by commenting below or by visiting my Instagram @speakingof.books.

Thank you Netgalley for the advanced reading copy! I have read all the books in the Love, List and Fancy Ship series from Runder Guiz, and this book is a great continuation of the series. Raine is an American who dropped out of medical school to pursue her dream of being a musician by traveling around Europe, when she ends up at a pub in Cobh, Ireland. There she meets Jack, and there is an instant connection. But can these two figure out a way to make their connection work through their differences? A large part of this book is that Raine has ADHD and Jack has ADHD and OCD, with a focus mostly on his OCD. The author, in my opinion, does a great job representing ADHD and OCD and writing from a dual point of view. I overall really liked this book, particularly how the ending played out. This is a slow burn story that is very sweet and contains sweet intimacy between the two characters. Though the author was very thoughtful about the mental health representation, sometimes the constant explaining of the inner workings was hard to read, so definitely go in prepared. Overall, I do recommend this book for fans of contemporary romance, Ireland, Runder Guiz, and mental health representation.

Last Call at the Local by Sarah Grunder Ruiz is a delightful book set in Ireland. Raine Hart a traveling busker who finds herself stuck in Cork, sitting at a pub, missing some of her stuff. Jack works at the pub and finds her. This sets both of them off on an adventure.
There is just something magical about a book set in Ireland and this one had that magic. I enjoyed Raine and Jack with their great banter, romance, and understanding friendship. The story shares what it is like to have ADHD and obsessive-compulsive disorder. I learned so much through the characters. The author does an incredible job sharing their thoughts and allowing you to walk in their shoes.

I highly recommend Last Call at the Local by Sarah Grunder Ruiz. .

Last Call at the Local felt like a warm hug. We follow Raine Hart, aspiring singer-song writer, and Jack Dunne local former tattoo artist pub owner in a beautiful story of self acceptance and falling in love with someone who truly sees you. Jack hires Raine on a whim while visiting his small town in Ireland to revamp his Local Pub.

I found this story extremely easy to read and bingable. The pacing of their romance was lovely making their connection feel extremely organic. I absolutely loved being in both Raine and Jack's heads as they navigated struggles with both ADHD and OCD. I felt like the representation was extremely well done and I deeply empathized with both leads as a reader.

I also very much enjoyed the setting here, the small Irish pub seemed to come to life to the reader as the story progressed, just as Raine brought it to life in the plot. Overall, just a very cozy and warm feel.

I wasn't a huge fan of the third-act here. Time jumps can feel a little clunky to me at times, and while I don't think the third act was a total miss, I do wonder if there was ways we could've wrapped this up more cohesively. I also felt like the plot with Raine's sister felt a little random and also wrapped up rather quickly, but I could fore see potentially another book in the works here?

I would recommend this book for anyone looking for a feel good, heartfelt romance! Thank you for the early copy in exchange for an honest review.

4.25 stars

Last Call at the Local focuses on Jack, who inherited his family's pub and is struggling to keep it lively & Raine, a traveling musician who has hit rock bottom. These two meet and immediately have undeniable chemistry and tons of good banter, Jack hires Raine to be an entertainment coordinator to revive his pub.

This book has all of the things that I enjoy in a romance book. the characters both have a ton of depth which adds to the overall energy of the book. it is more than just a sweet rom-com as they both are navigating a new phase of their life and are actively growing into a better version of themselves.

Our male main character, Jack has OCD. I love how Sarah was able to write such an accurate representation of OCD and how it can impact someone's everyday life. I struggle with OCD in my own life, so it was wonderful to experience a romance book that truly dives into the hardships that come with living with OCD. I think Sarah did a phenomenal job with Jack's character outside of just his OCD, as well. He is an extremely loveable and relatable mmc, with so many fun quirks and personality traits that made me enjoy reading about him. I think the beauty in his character is his resilience, as he pushes through the doubt and works on his personal issues. He was such a loving partner to Raine, with many little moments that made their love story special.

Our female main character, Raine has ADHD. I have read a few books with ADHD representation and I always love to see how it sheds light on the stereotypes around having ADHD. I think Raine was a wonderful character through and through, she immediately became a fun and enjoyable fmc to read about. I love how we dive into her relationship with her sister and we see her understand her bond with others after feeling isolated (or different) from others.

These two together are individuals who have gone through hardships and are actively struggling in some portions of their lives but are meant for each other in every way. Very early on into the book, Jack and Raine open up about their OCD and ADHD to each other and the scene is so special. Jack then comments in Irish, 'One beetle recognizes another'. I thought this was absolutely beautiful as the characters truly understand each other and their mental health struggles due to their own.

The book started out a little slow for me, personally, but I do think this book is a mix of development for the characters and a slow-burning romance in many ways. It was so beautiful and I highly recommend checking it out.

What to expect/Read if you love:
- ADHD rep
- OCD rep
- strangers to friends to lovers
- banter
- pet names in another language

& Thank you Berkley for the gifted copy!

This was my first five star read of 2024 and I read it in one sitting! The characters were meant to be with one another and the author makes it so clear from the beginning.☺️

Raine and Jack are the best kind of opposites attract. Raine is full of life without a care in the world and Jack is only full of cares. When a random job proposal is struck between them, they try to keep their relationship strictly platonic. But as they continue to spend more and more time together sprucing up Jack’s pub they realize they’re meant to be with one another.

What I appreciated about this read was the heavy focus on mental health and its importance. Both of our main characters are working through their own diagnoses. Raine has ADHD and is working through not feeling enough, while Jack is struggling with his OCD. This is an integral part of the story and I thought it was really well done.

Highly recommend this to anyone looking for a light romance mixed with mental health representation!

A stellar add-on to this series! Great mental health rep and the chemistry was fantastic. While each character was far from "perfect" they were extremely lovable and I was rooting for them the whole time! Definitely recommend to romance fans.

Last Call at the Local was my first read from Sarah Grunder Ruiz, but it won't be my last! This book is an absolutely beautiful, swoony, and endearing friends-to-lovers romance set in a small town Irish pub.

The book starts with the reader meeting Raine Hart, a traveling musician with ADHD who is currently busking her way around Europe. When her instruments are stolen, she ends up stranded in a small town in Ireland, which is where she meets our MMC, Jack Dunne. Jack is now the inherited owner of his family's pub, The Local. He and Raine strike up a conversation over a pint of beer, where Raine 'insults' the state of the pub. Jack takes this as an opportunity to offer Raine a job helping him renovate the space, and obviously feelings eventually form.

I loved this book. The author does a fantastic job of showing how both character's neurodivergence (Raine with her ADHD and Jack with his OCD) affects their lives in both negative, but also positive ways. The chemistry between the two main characters is perfect. Their relationship grows in a way that feels organic and not too forced or too fast. Additionally, the small town, Irish pub setting is so quaint and charming, and I loved the found family Raine obtains throughout the novel.

All in all, I was completely taken with Last Call At The Local. The story was so sweet, heartwarming, and adorable, it's basically a free dose of serotonin. Highly recommend to all romance lovers!

Read if you like:
- dual POV
- mental health rep
- opposites attract
- friends to lovers
- Irish brogues

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley for providing an advanced reading copy in exchange for an honest review.

This book had some ups and downs. I loved Raine's character and how she navigated living with ADHD. My husband was diagnosed when he was a kid along with Hyperactivity and Dyslexia so I understood her point of view a 100% While reading this book I realized all those little details about my husband that I don't see anymore and I wish I was able to tell Raine (if she was a real person) that there was nothing wrong with her, she was perfect just the way she is.

Then, there's Jack... Oh dear Jack... his story was a little too much for me at some points. The real magnitude of his OCD didn't show up until the second half of the book, and I felt like there were 2 Jacks instead of one. Maybe, that was the idea, and I clearly didn't understand it. This doesn't mean, that I don't think this character wasn't well written, on the contrary, what a great job making us understand how is it living with OCD and how important is to have the support from your family and friends.

I feel this book had a lot of triggers, and I would had love if there was a warning at the beginning of the book. I really liked that there wasn't a usual fight like the majority of rom-coms and the relationship between characters grew along with the story.

Thank you Netgalley and Berkley for the ARC in exchange of my honest opinion.

Unfortunately, this was a little too sweet for me.

I absolutely adored Luck & Last Resorts by the same author, but that one was funnier where this one was serious. Not that I can't appreciate a tender moment in a romance but... ew even writing that makes me want to die. I need all genuine love wrapped up in sarcastic retorts. To the author's credit, that's a me problem.

I initially wanted to give this book a try (despite my less than optimal history with romance books) because of the OCD representation. Even though a lot of the story didn't appeal to my taste, this aspect was really solid! It is certainly highly explained to a point that may be frustrating for people with OCD (myself included), but I think that's necessary for readers who are unfamiliar with what it really is. I especially loved how this was handled in the main sex scene (probably because while it is obviously a serious moment, Ruiz made it really funny):

"'You haven't given me your enthusiastic consent to let me do unspeakable things to you yet.'

'Oh, you definitely have my enthusiastic consent to do unspeakable things to me.'

She squints at me. 'I don't know... that didn't sound very enthusiastic to me.'

'You want enthusiasm?' I say. 'I'll show you enthusiasm, ciaróg.'"

Besides appreciating the OCD rep, I found this charming enough, but not my cup of tea. I did also especially enjoy the text format section in the third act.

While this isn't a favorite of mine, I can totally see it working for avid readers of the genre.

~ Thank you so much to Berkley (Penguin RandomHouse) and NetGalley for an early copy in exchange for an honest review! ~