Synopsis:

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.

Last Call at the Local, the third installment in the Love, Lists, and Fancy Ships series by Sarah Grunder Ruiz, lives up to the previous installments: Characters who jumped off the page, a memorable setting, and a charming romance that kept me turning pages.

I read the two previous books in the series out of order, reading the second one first when I received it as an ARC, but I adored it. I think it still remains my favorite overall. But I couldn’t wait to go back and pick up the first one. Reading the series out of order didn’t effect my experience at all. While there are overlapping characters, each book can be read as a standalone. In the first book we meet Jo, who is a stewardess on a yacht, although more time is spent off the yacht. The next book focuses on Nina and Ollie, Jo’s fellow employees and friends, and most of this one takes place on the yacht, which I adored. In Last Call, we meet Raine and Jack, and Jack is Ollie’s younger brother. It is almost entirely set in a pub in Ireland, so no yachts in sight, but plenty of charm.

Ruiz does a wonderful job of keeping things light while tackling some very serious subjects. In Last Call, Jack’s intrusive thoughts caused by his OCD, the root of which stems from a difficult childhood, seems to be resurfacing when Raine, who is living with ADHD, shows up at the pub in a bit of a bind. What ensues is an adorable meet-cute and a budding friendship. Plus there is an adorable precocious cat named Sebastian.

The author handled the mental health issues with grace and if you know anyone living with these challenges, you will probably recognize the character traits.