How Sarah Grunder Ruiz Wrote Her Neurodivergent Romance, Last Call at the Local

I am so excited for this author interview with Sarah Grunder Ruiz to chat about her cozy, sweet neurodivergent romance book, Last Call at the Local! This is another one to add to my books for music lovers list.

It’s no surprise I love a feel-good, funny romance that tackles heavier themes—it’s why I love Emily Henry’s books—and Sarah Grunder Ruiz’s books have all the ingredients I love in a romance:

• Swoon-worthy chemistry
• Heavier, real-life themes to explore
• Funny banter
• Cozy, dreamy setting
• Lovable, quirky characters

I had the pleasure of reading Last Call at the Local before it released (thanks Berkley and @prhaudio for the complimentary book!), and I absolutely loved it.

And since Sarah Grunder Ruiz lives in my neck of the woods in Raleigh, North Carolina—lucky me!—I was thrilled to attend her book release event at my local bookstore, Quail Ridge Books.

Here’s the publisher’s 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.

My Five-Second Review: Last Call at the Local

Last Call at the Local is a warm hug! It will give you all the feels (and make you want to travel to Ireland). I loved the focus on ADHD, OCD, and mental health in general. But enough gushing from me!!! Here’s my author interview with Sarah Grunder Ruiz.

Sarah answers my most pressing questions about her writing process and her newest book, Last Call at the Local.

Author Interview: Sarah Gunder Ruiz, Author of Last Call at the Local

Here’s my icebreaker question . . . what’s your favorite tattoo you’ve ever seen, and did Jack inspire you to get more? 

I get a tattoo for every book I publish, and my Last Call at the Local tattoo is my current fave! I have two beetles and some cherry blossoms under my knee. I actually got a tattoo while I was in Ireland as “book research,” so yes, Jack did inspire me.

Where did you draw your inspiration for the cozy Irish pub? 

Initially, Google. But I did get some inspiration from the pubs I visited in Cobh during my book research trip. My favorite pub was Kelly’s! It was lively and loud and I drew a lot of inspiration from that experience. 

You did such a great job developing your two neurodivergent main characters—without making OCD and ADHD their whole identities. What was this process like? Did you have any specific reservations or fears to overcome? 

I read a lot of texts about both OCD and ADHD, even though I have ADHD. I also listened to podcasts, watched YouTube videos, and chatted with folks who live with both conditions. I was definitely nervous about taking on the POV of an Irish man with OCD who owns a pub, since I don’t have any of those traits in common with Jack!

How did your love of music shape your heroine, Raine? 

A ton! My husband turned my closet into a recording studio for me, and I have always been a very musical person. I’d say that the passages about Raine’s love of music relates more to the way I feel about writing, though. I wanted those passages to speak to any creative person who is putting their own work out into the world.

I loved the sibling relationships and how they grew and evolved—both with Jack and his brother, Ollie, and Raine and her sister, Clara. How did you approach those family dynamics, and how do you think they shaped the book? 

I don’t have a specific thought process in mind when working with family relationships specifically. I work with the individual characters, like I would with any relationship—friends, lovers, family—and ask myself what each person really wants and needs, and how they might communicate that. Family relationships are great fodder for conflict simply due to the closeness and amount of history between the characters.

What do you want readers to know as they start to read Last Call at the Local? 

Jack’s intrusive thoughts can be very disturbing, so I advise readers with OCD or anxiety to take care while reading.

Do you have a favorite character? If so, who is it and why? 

I really love Nina and Ollie, since they’re in all three of my books. But I do think that Jack really steals the show in this one!

What do you love most about the romance genre? Any misconceptions? 

Romance is for all genders and sexualities to enjoy! I love how romance is a safe space for people to explore heavy topics like the ones in Last Call at the Local. The genre allows me to play with these heavy ideas while knowing that everything is going to work out in the end. 

Are you working on anything now? If so, can you tell us anything about it? 

I am trying to draft this hockey romance that everyone wants from me! Go Canes!

Rapid fire questions—just for fun! 

• Jenga or puzzles? Puzzles.
• Spontaneous or planned? Planned.
• Beer or wine? Wine.
• Homebody or travel bug? Homebody. 
• Cats or dogs? Cats.
• Nose in a book or social butterfly? Social butterfly.
• Off the grid or fully connected? Fully connected.

Other Books by Sarah Grunder Ruiz

Sarah Grunder Ruiz’s other books are Love, Lists & Fancy Ships and Luck & Last Resorts. Check out her author page and website to learn more about them.

Buy Last Call at the Local

If you like . . .

• Small town romance (in a beautiful Ireland setting)
• Sibling rivalry
• Workplace romance
• banter and 🌶
• Quirky side characters
• Opposites attract
• Forced proximity
• Neurodiversity representation
• Found family
• Sunshine x sunshine

You’re going to want to check out Last Call at the Local. If you read it, let me know what you think. 😊 I hope you enjoyed this author interview with Sarah Grunder Ruiz.

Thank you so much, Sarah, for taking the time to answer these questions!

You can learn more about Sarah Grunder Ruiz’s books, including Last Call at the Local, on her website. Follow her on Instagram and Goodreads.