Last Call at the Local

By: Sarah Grunder Ruiz

Narrated by: Gary Furlong, Karissa Vacker

Length: 7 hrs and 47 mins

Publisher's summary

Opposites attract when a free-spirited American singer-songwriter with ADHD teams up with a charming Irishman to revitalize his family's pub in the next heartfelt romance from the author of Luck and Last Resorts.

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.

©2023 Sarah Grunder Ruiz (P)2023 Penguin Audio

Critic reviews

"This warm romance sparkles with Irish charm and is filled with delectable banter. The leads are immensely lovable and thoughtfully crafted...Compassionate and completely charming."—Kirkus (starred)

"Last Call at the Local is warm, funny, and big-hearted, and made me want to pack my bags for a trip to Ireland as soon as I finished the last page. It's such a joy to read about two such kind characters—people I'd want to be friends with myself—and so incredibly satisfying to watch them fall in love. It's a cozy hug of a book."—Martha Waters, author of To Swoon and To Spar

"Heart-warming, hilarious and brimming with hope, Last Call at the Local is a deeply poignant romance about learning to love yourself. Sarah Grunder Ruiz writes with a superb lightness of touch but is never afraid to cover darker topics, and her characters are vividly-drawn and lovably messy. This rich and uplifting story, its atmospheric setting and gloriously colourful cast made my heart ache in the best possible way."—Freya Sampson, author of The Lost Ticket

Cute story, narration was good

It was a cute story. Reminded me of a hallmark movie. The narration was good. Was an easy story to follow and a good audiobook.

Ehh

it seemed like the story really dragged on and then the ending came so quickly, suddenly months were flying by. also I liked the readers individually but felt like their pacings were really imbalanced. I wanted to love this book because I loved the other two in the series and I love abroad romances but this one fell flat for me.

The best neurodivergent rep out there

4.5⭐️

Read if you like: neurodiversity rep, stories about starting over, forced proximity, opposites attract, sunshine x grump, Ireland setting

Musician and former Pre-Med student Raine Hart knows what it’s like to live with ADHD. Upending her life to travel abroad, Raine prefers the nomadic life to settling down and ultimately disappointing herself and others. While in Ireland, she meets pub owner Jack Dunne, who suffers from OCD and anxiety. When a shared drink at the pub leads to a new job and living accomodations for Raine, she happily accept. But as their time together draws near, these two will have to figure out if their opposites attract romance can make it long past last call.

AH, this book spoke to me on so many levels. First and foremost, as someone who is neurodivergent myself (Autism), I appreciate this book on a fundamental level. So often, romances novels are about the idealized forms of love and relationships. This story is a romcom yes, but a romcom in the real world, full of angst, struggles, mental health issues and neurodiversity. This is real life love story - well as real as it gets in fiction.

Set in the cutest Irish village, with some of the most wonderful side characters including a floofball named Sebastian “ugly princess,” Last Call at the Local will steal your heart almost from the go. I loved how the author walks the line between insta love and slow burn in a way that allows us to get the best of both worlds. Even the mild open door was done to perfection (not too much, not too little). While this was my first book by Sarah Grunder Ruiz, it certainly will not be my last.

Great story!

I loved the characters and the storyline! Raine and Jack were the best. It left me wanting more!

Magnificence

As soon as Last Call at the Local was released , January 2, 2024 I purchased the book and finished listening in two days. I couldn't stop listening and would listen everywhere. The car and at home. I love the talent of the narrators Karissa Vacker and Gary Furlong who make Sarah's characters come to life. Sarah's writing is brilliantly entertaining and as I listened I wound up finding myself routing for the characters . One needs to listen very closely at times and the story kept me on the edge of my seat. I have listened to Sarah's other two books and they are all unique. Thank you Sarah , Karissa and Gary for the entertainment.

5 star Trifecta series

Star Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Setting: Cobh, Ireland
Format: 🎧
Performance: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Narrator: Karissa Vacker, Gary Furlong
Release Date: January 2, 2024
Length: 7hrs, 47 mins

Last Call at the Local is the third book in the Love, Lists & Fancy Ships Series by Sarah Grunder Ruiz. I loved the first two books in the series so I had high hopes for this book .. I was not disappointed. Having ADHD and being a medical student is not a good combination, at least that is how Raine Hart feels. But music has always been passion, so why not be your own boss with no particular schedule and travel the world as a traveling musician. Raine finds herself in a local pub in the village of Cobh, Ireland, with very little money, her backpack but minus her trusty guitar.

Jack Dunne inherited and now co-owns a local pub called The Local with his brother to Ollie (from Luck and Last Resorts). He has always wanted to make the pub special but between trying to run the business and his severe struggles with OCD, Jack has made little progress.

All this is about to change when he meets up with this little spitfire. Unknown to Raine that Jack is one of the owners .. she has opinions about The Local. In need of money and a place to stay, Raine is offered a job to revamp the pub and find more ways to get more foot traffic into the pub; her only other option is to call her parent to get her home. Will these two be able to complete the task or will they let their hearts rule? Will Jack be able to control his mind when OCD tries to take over?

Sarah Grunder Ruiz wrote this book in the voices of Raine and Jack. This allowed her to write a romcom that dealt with real-life mental issues from each person POV. Getting inside Jack’s head during these severe and paralyzing OCD episodes was an eye opening for me. I especially appreciate the patience each character in helping each other. The book was heartfelt, charming, humorous and emotional giving you a real look at living with ADHD and OCD .. with a little spice thrown in.

This book was narrated by Karissa Vacker and Gary Furlong. Karissa Vacker narrated the first two books so I knew it would be spot on, both narrators brought this story to life.

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Representation and narration!

As a girl with ADHD, this book made me feel so seen! ❤️ Both narrators did a wonderful job.

Fast Ending

It was a great story but the ending was rushed. I had to list to the last couple chapters to be sure I didn't miss something.

The story is amazing and just flows beautifully

I love this book. The main characters are relatable and cute. The drama feels just right and easy going. I appreciate a book that can keep me in a good mood throughout. I will definitely look forward to reading more from this writer.

Charming, Endearing, & Mental Health Romance

"You're a friend until proven otherwise."

Last Call At The Local by romance author Sarah Grinder Ruiz oozes charm with its endearing lead characters Jack and Raine. Though book 3 of the Love, Lists & Fancy Ships series it's easily
a standalone.

Leaving med school and the U. S. to busk around Europe playing guitar, trying to get the courage to sing her original songs, Raine sits in the quiet bar, The Local, contemplating her next move since her guitar and money were stolen a few hours ago.

Enter the handsome and very tattooed Jack, co-owner of the pub who flirts, teases and somehow convinces Raine to help him and his brother Ollie revitalize The Local. She can take the apartment upstairs, that comes with the cuddly cat Sebastian, and help bring music, games and laughter back to the pub and maybe to Jack too.

As Jack and Raine grow close their mental health leaves them so vulnerable. In this first person dual POV this writer brilliantly puts us in their struggling minds. Raine's dealing with her ADHD but she almost sabotages opening night because she can't finish all the ideas she started at once; it nearly destroys any self confidence she has worked to believe in.

Jack's mind is even scarier because he tries to hide his OCD. When he can't he blames himself for the loss of control over his thoughts with such violent tirades at himself that it breaks your heart. "I want a little time to be Jack before I'm Jack with OCD...I just want you to think the best of me."

I learned so much about ADHD and OCD. Mainly that I have no idea what a struggle it is for those who suffer with it. I'll never again make a joke that I'm OCD about something. I fell in love with Jack and Raine. Don't wait for the last call to fall for them too.

I received a free copy of this book from #berkleypublishing via #NetGalley for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.