Last Call at the Local

In Ruiz’s (Luck and Last Resorts) latest contemporary romance, a chance encounter between two seemingly polar opposites grows into much more. After nearly all of her belongings are stolen, including her beloved guitar, wandering musician Raine finds solace—and a temporary job—in a near-empty pub in Cobh, Ireland. After frankly telling a handsome, tattooed stranger how she thinks the pub could be improved, she’s embarrassed to find out he’s the owner. But Jack likes Raine’s ideas and offers the beautiful redhead a job as the pub’s entertainment coordinator. Gary Furlong and Karissa Vacker, the latter of whom narrated previous Ruiz audiobooks, showcase their talents with expert performances in this slow-burn romance, drawing listeners further into Raine and Jack’s lives, as told in both protagonists’ points of view. Furlong and Vacker imbue their expressive performances with their characters’ essence, capturing the intricacies of their personalities. Secondary characters are equally brought to life.