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Local romance author Sarah Grunder Ruiz gives us the sweet deets on her newest release, Last Call at the Local.
Cuffing season 🤝 romance novels. Now that the holidays—and all the stress that comes with them—are over, it’s prime time to hibernate and escape the cold with a heated romance book.
Enter local luminary Sarah Grunder Ruiz’s third and latest contemporary romance novel, Last Call at the Local, which centers around the passions between a free-spirited American songwriter and a charming OCD Irish pub owner—and is available now. An NC State alum and writing professor, Ruiz originally came to Raleigh from South Florida to pursue the university’s MFA creative writing program. “As someone who writes stories that straddle the line between literary and commercial fiction, that really appealed to me.”
Three books later, her newest Ireland-based read promises to deliver steamy sessions for your daily skimming. Here, we get more hot intel from Raleigh’s Ruiz.
The book’s inspo? The hero of my second novel, Luck & Last Resorts, is Jack’s brother, Ollie. Jack is featured in exactly one scene toward the end, and as soon as I wrote it, I absolutely fell in love with him and decided I wanted to write a book about him.
If the loveable main characters of Last Call at the Local were based in Raleigh, where would they go for a romantic date? Jack and Raine would hit up a few different spots if they were to have a romantic date in Raleigh. Jack is an artist and a big reader, so I can see Raine kicking things off by taking him to wander around the North Carolina Museum of Art and then going to North Hills to browse the shelves at Quail Ridge Books. Raine would be very distracted by all the fun novelty socks and vinyl stickers at Quail Ridge and would definitely buy a few of each. Afterward, they’d go down a few storefronts to Vivace for a romantic meal, and then end the evening with a few pints at Saints & Scholars Pub, where Raine can get her groove on by joining in on an open jam session.
What drew you to write about characters that live and cope with ADHD + OCD? I was diagnosed with ADHD at 28, and it was a very transformative experience for me. When I was working on the initial pitch for the book, I realized the only thing better than having one neurodivergent main character is having two neurodivergent characters, and decided it would be interesting if Jack had OCD. I wanted to give readers a nuanced portrayal of living with these conditions—one that provides hope, joy, love and acceptance, while also being truthful about the challenges of being a neurodivergent person in a world not built for people like you.
Where in Raleigh do you head to work for a change of scenery if you hit writer’s block? I love writing in coffee shops! Luckily, there’s no shortage of wonderful coffee shops in Raleigh. My favorite writing spots in Raleigh are NoRa Cafe, Sola and Deja Brew!
When can we expect a Raleigh-centered book? I definitely anticipate writing a book set in North Carolina at some point because I love writing about places I know well. I’ve been toying with the idea of a hockey book, and as a huge Caniac, I can’t imagine setting it anywhere but Raleigh.
Book rec for our next recharging couch day? Nothing says cozy to me like reading a historical romance novel. I just spent a few days cozied up in front of my fireplace reading The Wallflower Wager by Tessa Dare and thoroughly enjoyed it.
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