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4.0 AVERAGE
4.0 AVERAGE
This was such a gem of a book!!!!!! Loved how cozy it was, loved the storyline, and how it ended and gave them time, LOVED the thoughtful representation. Even the dedication was so heartfelt: you deserve every good thing, even when you’re having dark thoughts. You deserve to be happy, even when you aren’t well. And love — you deserve that too.
This was a fun, steamy rom-com story that gives you a great insight to characters that deal with OCD and ADHD. It doesn’t go really in depth and a few story items could be flushed out, but overall it was a fun read.
It was enlightening for me having a daughter with adhd to get a look into the mind of someone who struggles with it and how they feel when people judge them based on quirks they cannot change. It’s not for a lack of wanting to, the brain just does not simply rewire itself to become “normal.” Having people in their lives who understand how they are wired is so helpful.
The writer gives a great insight into how readers can help those around them that may struggle with OCD, or have a similar ADHD brain that is perfectly fine and just needs reassurance and understanding they aren’t terrible for working differently. It helped me give more grace instead of judgement when my daughter just doesn’t work the same way I think she would.
It was enlightening for me having a daughter with adhd to get a look into the mind of someone who struggles with it and how they feel when people judge them based on quirks they cannot change. It’s not for a lack of wanting to, the brain just does not simply rewire itself to become “normal.” Having people in their lives who understand how they are wired is so helpful.
The writer gives a great insight into how readers can help those around them that may struggle with OCD, or have a similar ADHD brain that is perfectly fine and just needs reassurance and understanding they aren’t terrible for working differently. It helped me give more grace instead of judgement when my daughter just doesn’t work the same way I think she would.
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
(4.5) It's characters like this (women who have ADHD) that help people like me (women who have spent a majority of their adulthood thinking they are broken) find answers and comfort in who they are.
As a woman in her late-twenties just learning about her ADHD and finally understanding why and how my brain works, these characters are VITAL. I wouldn't have ever thought to look into ADHD if it hadn't been for books like this, and it has genuinely changed my life. So, this book gets a whole lot of extra love for that alone.
Not only was this a sweet love story, but the conversations around neurodiversity and mental health were so beautiful.
I loved the sense of family and belonging that these characters found with each other. Their love was genuine, swoony, and sexy
As a woman in her late-twenties just learning about her ADHD and finally understanding why and how my brain works, these characters are VITAL. I wouldn't have ever thought to look into ADHD if it hadn't been for books like this, and it has genuinely changed my life. So, this book gets a whole lot of extra love for that alone.
Not only was this a sweet love story, but the conversations around neurodiversity and mental health were so beautiful.
I loved the sense of family and belonging that these characters found with each other. Their love was genuine, swoony, and sexy
4.5⭐️’s!!!
This is my first book by this author but I will definitely be reading her other works now! This was such a great read from start to finish. I was immediately grabbed by this work because of the ADHD representation and subsequent OCD representation. As someone with ADHD, it can be hard to find authors who accurately depict what it truly is like living day-to-day with ADHD. I can report that Sarah did an amazing job on both accounts of ADHD and OCD!
Raine is winding down her European musical adventures after landing in Cove, Ireland because someone stole her instruments. Feeling hopeless and unsure how she can avoid heading back home to Boston, she ambles into a local pub and strikes up a conversation with a handsome tattooed Irishman named Jack. After flirting, talking nonsense, and giving him her opinion on how to make the bar better, Jack offers her a job, because he is actually the owner! Raine begins working for the Pub as an event coordinator as she lives rent free above the pub in Jack's apartment while Jack stays with his brother Oliver and his wife Nina's guest bedroom. (Turns out these two have their own book and I need to read it asap!)
Raine and Jack agree to 12 weeks for the job and Raine begins making small changes like making a social media page, updating the decor, and getting local talent into the pub to bring customers. She does all this with the mindset of saving enough money to buy new instruments to replace the ones that were stolen. Little does she know that Jack is looking for her instruments to give back to her. CUE THE CUTENESS OVERLOAD.
Raine and Jack have obvious chemistry but keep a distance from one another as Jack told Raine he will be "the most professional coworker." They work alongside one another, giving back and forth banter and sending adorable cat photos of Jacks cat Sebastian. Their development into mutual feelings was beautiful to watch as they accepted one another's unique habits, or lack there of with their disorders.
Jack suffers from OCD that at times becomes so overwhelming that he cannot function. He tries to hide it, work around it, but is often times fighting internally with himself. I loved that Sarah showed his more violent and scary thoughts through this book to show that it is not always this quirky portrayal of flicking a light switch X amount of times or having things line up in order. It is truly a scary and consuming disorder that Jack fights. He cannot trust himself and gave up his dream of being a tattoo artist because he didn't trust himself to not hurt someone. His struggles are so painfully sad and I loved how Raine allowed him to work through his episodes with compassion and dignity.
The ending was perfection! I wonder if the next book will be about Raines sister Claire!
Thank you Penguin Random House Audio for this ALC in exchange for my honest review.
This is my first book by this author but I will definitely be reading her other works now! This was such a great read from start to finish. I was immediately grabbed by this work because of the ADHD representation and subsequent OCD representation. As someone with ADHD, it can be hard to find authors who accurately depict what it truly is like living day-to-day with ADHD. I can report that Sarah did an amazing job on both accounts of ADHD and OCD!
Raine is winding down her European musical adventures after landing in Cove, Ireland because someone stole her instruments. Feeling hopeless and unsure how she can avoid heading back home to Boston, she ambles into a local pub and strikes up a conversation with a handsome tattooed Irishman named Jack. After flirting, talking nonsense, and giving him her opinion on how to make the bar better, Jack offers her a job, because he is actually the owner! Raine begins working for the Pub as an event coordinator as she lives rent free above the pub in Jack's apartment while Jack stays with his brother Oliver and his wife Nina's guest bedroom. (Turns out these two have their own book and I need to read it asap!)
Raine and Jack agree to 12 weeks for the job and Raine begins making small changes like making a social media page, updating the decor, and getting local talent into the pub to bring customers. She does all this with the mindset of saving enough money to buy new instruments to replace the ones that were stolen. Little does she know that Jack is looking for her instruments to give back to her. CUE THE CUTENESS OVERLOAD.
Raine and Jack have obvious chemistry but keep a distance from one another as Jack told Raine he will be "the most professional coworker." They work alongside one another, giving back and forth banter and sending adorable cat photos of Jacks cat Sebastian. Their development into mutual feelings was beautiful to watch as they accepted one another's unique habits, or lack there of with their disorders.
Jack suffers from OCD that at times becomes so overwhelming that he cannot function. He tries to hide it, work around it, but is often times fighting internally with himself. I loved that Sarah showed his more violent and scary thoughts through this book to show that it is not always this quirky portrayal of flicking a light switch X amount of times or having things line up in order. It is truly a scary and consuming disorder that Jack fights. He cannot trust himself and gave up his dream of being a tattoo artist because he didn't trust himself to not hurt someone. His struggles are so painfully sad and I loved how Raine allowed him to work through his episodes with compassion and dignity.
The ending was perfection! I wonder if the next book will be about Raines sister Claire!
Thank you Penguin Random House Audio for this ALC in exchange for my honest review.
Last Call at the Local by Sarah Grunder Ruiz gave us another powerful novel. This dual POV for Raine and Jack provided many examples of mental health issues and a better understanding for the reader to empathize. I learned so much from these character's experiences. Read this book and the whole series! I loved all the appearances of Nina and Ollie in this book. I listened to the audiobook from PRHA. Both narrators did a great job.
Thank you, Berkley and PRHA for my complimentary copies for my honest review.
Thank you, Berkley and PRHA for my complimentary copies for my honest review.
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This romance had everything: dual perspectives, a hot-tattooed love interest, great ADHD representation, GREAT OCD representation, communication, acknowledgement of people’s dreams, an Irish pub, and a cat!
