Last Call at the Local

These characters were meant to be from their super adorable meet cute, and I loved their story so much!This is my first read by Sarah Grunder Ruiz, but I can't wait to go back and read the rest. The way she writes dynamic, imperfect characters is truly perfect.From the moment Raine sits down at the Local pub and meets the floofy cat, then Ollie Wollie, then Jack, this cast of characters endears you forever. Then, Jack has to go and be perfectly what Raine needs, and then Raine has to go and be all "I almost went into this kind of medicine when I was studying to be a doctor so I actually legitimately understand your diagnosis" towards Jack, and all is right in the world. Except...Don't we all have fears that keep us from going after the thing we genuinely want the most? It was so refreshing to see these two have their struggles about their own limitations and the ways in which our negative thoughts about ourselves can hold us back from the wonderful things right in front of us. Sometimes we have to be brave and take a step in the opposite direction just to affirm that we want to be going the other way. Both Jack and Raine experience that challenge... together, and then separately. And I just loved that.Other things I loved:- The diversity and inclusive representation of the locals at the Local, including both our main characters- The floofy cat- Raine leaving socks everywhere- The banter and flirtation (especially the text messages, ugh, loved them)- The sticky notes + doodles- Jack's books- The tattoos (his + eventually hers)- Witnessing both the failures and the successes of the main characters- That I both laughed and cried reading this story - it gave me the full spectrum of emotions- Cobh's community that embraced and welcomed Raine for exactly who she was, in the same way they support all of their unique and diverse neighbors and friends- Raine reconnecting with her sister- Walking meetings between co-workersI hope you pick up this series to read, if for no other reason that to gain empathy for others. It's beautiful. Five stars.

Such a tough one to rate, because there were things I loved, things I hated, and things that made this an incredibly unique read. I’m rounding up my rating because of all the good, but just know that there were definitely things that bugged me, lol. Let’s start with the good - the meet cute! From the moment these strangers met, I could feel the instant chemistry and connection. I loved the playful feel and was getting SO many good vibes about the story. Once we started to get to know the characters, I loved the mental health representation, which is what gives this book such a nuanced, one-of-a-kind feel. Our heroine has ADHD and our hero has OCD with dark intrusive thoughts, which was honestly very well done. The audio in particular captures the feeling of being in both characters’ headspace, which was enlightening to say the least. They were able to understand each other in a way that many others were not, and that made their relationship feel even richer. That’s what earns this 4 stars from me, as this was certainly a memorable read with some stellar writing.The story follows Raine, a traveling musician. Raine’s ADHD makes it difficult for her to keep a “regular” job, and traveling constantly is perfect for her personality. After her guitar is stolen, Raine finds herself temporarily grounded in Ireland, where she meets a sexy, tattooed stranger in a pub. Raine and Jack strike up a chemistry-filled conversation that holds the promise of something more… until Jack offers Raine a job. She’ll spend the next several weeks helping to spruce up his pub, and that’ll allow her to earn enough to get back on the road soon. Unfortunately, that means the two are now boss and employee, taking a romantic entanglement off the table. But the more Raine and Jack get to know each other, the closer they get, and that comes with its own set of complications.We talked about what I liked, so now it’s on to the more troublesome elements. I do think the relationship could’ve been developed better, it took a backseat to Jack’s mental health struggles a lot of the time. They were clearly right for each other in some ways and all wrong in others. The representation of OCD was very good, though it was uncomfortable to be in Jack's headspace sometimes - I've never been more concerned about a character starting a relationship. I’m glad there was a focus on therapy and getting Jack into a better place emotionally, even if I didn’t love the time jumps on the way there. I appreciate that it wasn’t glossed over or resolved in a matter of days, though I also don’t love a separation or time jump. I agree with other readers who are concerned about the abruptness of the ending, though I think the resolution suited the characters. So I loved the complexity of the story, the chemistry, and the originality, even if there were things that rubbed me the wrong way. I’m going to be thinking about this one for awhile, so it was absolutely successful as a whole.Audio note: Highly recommended on audio, it definitely enhanced the reading experience. Gary Furlong did an exceptional job with Jack’s Irish accent, but he also voiced the American Raine perfectly. He made Jack’s dark, intrusive thoughts come to life in such a visceral way. Karissa Vacker also did a great job, it just wasn’t as memorable as Furlong’s performance. The runtime (around 8 hours) made it ideal for bingeing, and the story worked well in the format. You could listen to this at the office, there’s only one spicy scene and it wasn’t super descriptive. I’m glad I experienced the book in the format.

Small town Ireland + texts on page + ADHD/OCD rep!When Raine makes a careless mistake leaving her unable to perform as a traveling musician, she stumbles into a small local pub.Jack inherited the family pub, but life with OCD has made co-running the bar a challenge.Jack offers Raine a job.But when they realize they’ve developed feelings for each other while living completely opposite lifestyles, they have to figure out what to do.Read if you love…- dual perspective- workplace romance- texts on page- opposites attract- MMC pub owner- small town- FMC traveling musician / busker- nickname in another language, Irish- the floofiest cat- therapy positiveTHIS FECKING BOOK. (It’ll make sense when you read it).Please drop everything and put this at the top of your TBR. Like right now. You won’t regret it.The ADHD & OCD rep is chef’s kiss perfection.As someone with undiagnosed ADHD & OCD tendencies, I felt so so so so seen and validated.The tropes. Excuse me. They were subtle and so well done.Jack & Raine.One recognizes another.Jack lives with OCD & ADHD. Raine lives with ADHD.The way they understood each other and just accepted the other was just incredible.The nicknames.The side characters.The personal growth.The mental health & therapy rep.And 1000 things I want to scream about but are spoilers.10/10. Perfection. Chef’s kiss.Put this at the top of your TBR!I will now be reading SGR’s backlog!Location: IrelandRepresentation: ADHD; OCDContent warnings: loss of a parent, past