A review by blahlicia
Last Call at the Local by Sarah Grunder Ruiz

hopeful inspiring lighthearted 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? It's complicated

5.0

This was my first Sarah Grunde Ruiz book and now I’m gonna go back and read Jack’s brother’s book. 

I listened to this one and it was a great choice. Both narrators were fantastic, but Gary Furlong was KILLING IT. Jack has OCD and a lot of his dialogue is his intrusive thoughts and you could just feel Jack’s frustration and anxiety. Both narrators also did a wonderful job flipping back and forth between Irish and American accents. 

The story was very sweet with good ADHD and OCD representation. It manages to be a warm story even while dealing with some more difficult topics dealing with Chile abuse, domestic violence, and mental health. The friendship, affection, and love between Jack and Raine was lovely and I liked how the third act was handled - sometimes it feels like issues in a relationships are shoehorned in just for conflict. This third act gave both characters room to grow and come back together without a random fight. 
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