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.
Release Date: Jan 2, 2024
Heat Level: Sensual
Publisher: Penguin Group
Imprint: Berkley
Price: $10.99
Raine suffers from ADHD and decides to go backpacking through Europe playing her guitar. This is the perfect distraction from her life, but things are not as smooth as she had hoped. When she lands in Ireland, she doesn’t have any of her belongings and is a bit lost. She finds herself venting to a perfect stranger at a pub who offers her a solution.
Jack is the owner of the pub, and has his own set of issues. He is left to run his family’s business but his OCD and anxieties are getting in the way of accomplishing that goal. Raine is full of ideas and charm so he decides to help her out by hiring her. She needs a place to stay and a bit of cash and he could use the help. It is not like she will be there long. Or will she?
This is a bit of a mixed bag for me. I enjoyed it at times but then again, I kind of felt bored by the whole storyline. This should have ticked my boxes but somewhere along the way, I found myself just not caring as much as I had hoped to. Jack and Raine are both good characters and they do fit each other well they just lacked the excitement that I needed for this to be a perfect romance.
The realistic way that the author wrote the main characters and their issues should be applauded. She really got into details of how someone with ADHD and OCD would behave. Jack and Raine actually have a very healthy relationship. They took time with each other to fully understand what the other would need. However, the passion and excitement did not rev up at any point. The slow burn was a bit too slow for my taste.
The scenery and cozy vibes the author paints of Ireland make the perfect backdrop to the story. I think that is became too much of a focus just as ADHD and OCD took over. It kind of spiked a bit of tension in me as I just wanted them to fall in love and be done with it.
Overall, I would still recommend this book for fans who need a quiet, low-angst contemporary romance.
~ Samantha
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