Review: Last Call at the Local by Sarah Grunder Ruiz (Spoiler-Free)

Unfortunately, this was a little too sweet for me.

I absolutely adored Luck & Last Resorts by the same author, but that one was funnier where this one was serious. Not that I can't appreciate a tender moment in a romance but... ew even writing that makes me want to die. I need all genuine love wrapped up in sarcastic retorts. To the author's credit, that's a me problem.

I initially wanted to give this book a try (despite my less than optimal history with romance books) because of the OCD representation. Even though a lot of the story didn't appeal to my taste, this aspect was really solid! It is certainly highly explained to a point that may be frustrating for people with OCD (myself included), but I think that's necessary for readers who are unfamiliar with what it really is. I especially loved how this was handled in the main sex scene (probably because while it is obviously a serious moment, Ruiz made it really funny):

'You haven't given me your enthusiastic consent to let me do unspeakable things to you yet.'

'Oh, you definitely have my enthusiastic consent to do unspeakable things to me.'

She squints at me. 'I don't know... that didn't sound very enthusiastic to me.'

'You want enthusiasm?' I say. 'I'll show you enthusiasm, ciaróg.'

Besides appreciating the OCD rep, I found this charming enough, but not my cup of tea. I did also especially enjoy the text format section in the third act.

While this isn't a favorite of mine, I can totally see it working for avid readers of the genre.

~ Thank you so much to Berkley (Penguin RandomHouse) and NetGalley for an early copy in exchange for an honest review! ~