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

adventurous emotional informative reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.25

I liked the bar/flat combo as a setting and really loved the neurodivergent rep and the fact that things weren't neatly tied up and "healed" by the end of the book, but... I found Raine incredibly irritating as a protagonist (partially due to the narrator, mostly due to the author's flagrant use and attachment to the word "mess"), the setup so far beyond the usual suspension of disbelief that contemporary romance entails, the lack of lovable side characters disappointing (Nina and Clara's appearances were so meager they barely count), and frankly, minimal character growth. Jack definitely made some progress in the end (hello Tokyo), but Raine felt kind of the same. I enjoyed listening to this through to ~40%, then I just found myself struggling to hold my annoyance at bay and maintain my focus. I'm not sure I'll attempt the other books in this series... 

3.25 out of 5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️
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