Review: Last Call at the Local by Sarah Grunder Ruiz

Last Call at the Local by Sarah Grunder Ruiz
Series: Love, Lists & Fancy Ships, Book 3
Publisher: Berkley
Genre: Contemporary Romance 

ISBN: 9780593549063
Release Date: January 2, 2024
Source: Publisher
Buy it here: Amazon | B&N | Kobo | Audible

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.

Last Call at the Local is a slow-burn romance that is as cozy as a big hug. I absolutely loved Jack and Raine and their love story warmed my heart. Sarah Grunder Ruiz delivered some of the best ADHD rep and hands down the best OCD rep I’ve seen so far in Raine and Jack and it made this story truly special.

Raine Hart is a travelling musician making her way around Europe when she lands in Cobh, Ireland and has her stuff stolen. She ends up at the Local and when she gives her opinion of the rather empty pub to the owner. Instead of telling her to leave, he offers her a job. Like recognizes like, and as a fellow owner of a messy brain Jack Dunne sees possibilities rather than problems with Raine. Jack is a cat dad with an adorable floof named Sebastian and a pub that could use some revitalization. What follows is a sweet, funny, heartwarming story of finding someone who loves you for all that you are and not just when everything in your brain is perfect.

I loved watching Jack and Raine flirt and banter. Even more, I loved the realism that came from how their OCD and ADHD manifested. Grunder Ruiz skillfully weaves the challenges Jack and Raine face while never making them people who identify solely by their neurodivergence. Raine is a brilliant musician who is scared to take that leap into sharing her own music with the world. Jack is a tattoo artist as well as a pub owner, but his relapse has taken that joy from him. They are full and complete people separately but they really come into their own together, each giving the other courage and understanding that helps them grow.

I loved the world Grunder Ruiz creates in the Local. The family and friends of Jack and Raine are a delight and fill out the story perfectly. Jack and Raine are the heart of the book, however, and they charmed the heck out of me. Their chemistry is divine and their love story left me smiling. Raine and Jack aren’t perfect, but they’re the perfect characters to enjoy a truly lovely romance about. I loved Last Call at the Local from beginning to end and I cannot wait to read the rest of Grunder Ruiz’s Love, Lists & Fancy Ships series.



FTC Disclosure: I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.