Last Call for Love is a dual POV romance set on a fictional Irish island where there are more sheep than people. Maeve is a chronic planner from Chicago who unexpectedly inherits a pub on said Irish island from a biological father she’s never met. She is coming off of a devastating breakup with an ex who left her with more than a broken heart to deal with. Briggs is the owner of the other pub on the island and was recently diagnosed with the same heart condition that killed his father. He doesn’t like to get too close to people and is a bit of a tourist attraction in of himself. There is a fun rivalry between their two pubs.

Not going to lie I saw the words “romance,” “Irish,” and “pub” in the description and immediately wanted to read this. I have never been to Ireland (hoping one day!) so I cannot speak to the accuracy of how the setting and people were portrayed but I really enjoyed it. It was a light and fun read that touches on grief which did get me teary eyed at times. There was a great cast of characters.

The romance felt a bit rushed in how it developed but by the end it hooked me. I wish we saw more behind the scenes of running the pub (how bills, rent, etc was paid?) but overall, I had a good time reading this.

It’s a love story but it’s not just about falling in love with a person, it’s about falling in love with a place and finding yourself.

Thanks very much to NetGalley and Skyscape for an ARC in exchange for an honest review

Thanks to NetGalley and Skyscape for an arc of this book which I voluntarily read and reviewed. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Oh, this book. It wasn’t always an “easy” read but I loved it. The main characters are far from perfect but completely lovable. The Romeo and Juliet vibes plus dueling Irish pubs was a blast. The secondary characters were well written and each could have been a main character if the book was ten times as long. The setting was spectacular too. I even laughed out loud several times. I’d leap at the chance to teleport to this tiny island in Ireland. I hope you love this story half as much as I did. (Plus elephants and a shade of purple being the MC favorites? Anyone that knows me is aware of how I might be quite thrilled with these choices!)

Content warnings below.













CW: Death of parent (off page), heart surgery, teenage pregnancy (told in past tense).

3 stars!

Despite a case of insta-love (at least on part of one of the main characters), Briggs and Maeve were definitely cute together. I loved the fun competition storyline of their two taverns and the exploratory island adventures that Maeve embarked upon. The supporting cast was a lot of fun, and the setting could not be beat. Like, I want to get on a plane (and then ferry) and head to Inishglass right now! I also loved all the tavern reviews sprinkled throughout the book – I consider these to be a highlight for sure.

However, there are a few things about the book that didn’t really make sense.
-At the beginning of the book, Briggs and his friend, Hugh, make a lot of crass jokes. They also have a game throughout the book in which they compare women’s chest size to different foods. It gives the “ick” and this just doesn’t fit in with the nice, respectful character the author describes Briggs to be. In fact, it is mentioned numerous times how respectful he is, so this first look at him was misleading, and honestly probably off-putting to some readers.
-There was a weird argument with a friend that came out of nowhere.
-And there was a likeable character’s fall from grace REALLY FAST. I think the author tried to foreshadow this for the character, but did a really poor job of it.

I thought Maeve and Briggs had a fun dynamic…and perhaps we can get another story about Isla, Hugh, or Aoife?


This bit does not impact my rating at all, but I definitely think this book is misclassified. I do not consider it YA. It’s pretty explicit in some parts and heavy on the innuendo throughout the book. While that doesn’t bother me, I imagine it will be a big concern for people looking for a legitimate YA book.

A big thank you to NetGalley and Skyscape for an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

hank you to NetGalley for letting me read an e-ARC of this!
(l3.75 stars)
Last call for love was a really sweet romance book that I overall enjoyed reading! I really liked the premise and the setting (a Gilmore Girls-esque town in Ireland, what more could you want) as well as the side characters. This book was mostly a fun romcom, but it did have an emotional aspect to it which I always appreciate in books- I did feel like the emotional part of the book was "only" extended to Maeve and Briggs's grief, but their love story didn't have that same depth (which I'll get more into later). It was also a pretty fast-paced and sweet book, so if that's what you're looking for definitely consider picking this up!
For my more negative points : The main characters have very stereotypical personalities (the anxious control freak girl and the hot "I don't do commitment" guy), but I managed to overlook that for the most part. What bothered me the most was how Briggs and his best friend Hugh talked/thought about women : they were constantly talking about women's bodies, and Briggs and Maeve's relationship felt a bit too physical and not emotional enough to me at times. (For example, there's a scene where the two main characters see each other for the first time in about a month, after having a fight, and the first thing the mmc thinks about is that he really wants to have sex with her. Like okay, you didn't really have to mention that). There was also a third act breakup and some miscommunication in this book- that annoyed me a bit but it was honestly fine.
I did also enjoy Maeve's story of finding herself and finding people who love her on that island <3 Overall, Last call for love was a really fun read and I would definitely recommend it if you're looking for a new favorite romance/adult fiction book!

Eh. Thats it. Thats all I can say. I didn’t love the book. I didn’t hate the book. It had some cute parts, it had some lame parts. The characters didn’t have a lot of personality to me. It passed the time and was a quick read.
However, I would like to thank NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this in exchange for my honest opinion

Last Call for Love was just ok. I was roped in on NetGalley by the cover and thought "why not" and half way through found I just couldnt get into the character. The trope - left a bar by estranged family member- seemed too familiar. I read it through to the end - on and off during a few different sittings, but it was not a book in which I could be totally immersed. Perhaps this is a story for late teens and early 20 year olds and I am not one of those.

When I first saw this book I wanted to read it because it sounded a good and cute but I've ended up disappointed while reading it in the end I would say it wasn't for me!

The story's about Maeve and Briggs our 2 owners of a rivals pubs on an island in Ireland and to sustain their business they have to continue the family feud they have going on but then there is a call from love :)

The premise was good but the writing wasn't fo me and while I was reading this the story I wasn't very into it and so I lost the excitement I had at the start! Another thing I didn't enjoy was the relationship between the two main characters in my opinion the relationship was more a physical thing

Least but not last I would like to thank to Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Last Call for Love is a cute twist on Romeo and Juliet with a HEA. This is told is third person POV with dual perspective from Maeve and Briggs.

Themes/Tropes: bad boy x clumsy control freak girl, Romeo and Juliet, forbidden love, dual POV, too good to be true, he falls first

Synopsis: Maeve never knew her bio dad. Imagine her surprise when she finds out she has an inheritance. So what’s the catch? She has to go to Ireland to find out what her inheritance is so she can get out of debt and finally close that chapter of her life. Maeve arrives in Ireland and is now the new owner of a famous pub on a remote island. Everyone knows all about her, and she’s launched into the Murphy VS Doherty feud. No one knows how it started, but everyone loves to see what will happen next with it! There’s only one problem: Briggs Murphy. They were never supposed to fall for each other, and Briggs Murphy falls fast.

Likes: the banter, the small town “it takes a village” community, the thoughtfulness of Liam, the reviews from tourists. Normally I don’t like social media or technology bits of our reality, but it was done well. Others mention that it was “too much” in the romance department.. I personally think it’s a lot tamer than most romance novels I read.

Dislikes: the formatting of texting/emailing. It didn’t flow well at times to distinguish whose dialogue was whose. There was a lot of details and events within a two month period. It flowed well, but I can see how it could be information overload for some.

All in all, I liked the book, especially the epilogue. It made for a sappy resolution. This book would be enjoyable for those who love cheesy romances with good banter where he falls fast.

Last Call for Love was cute and appropriately dramatic. I loved the setting, and the descriptions of it. I didn’t love the style of writing, though, and at times, it felt like a chore to keep going— maybe it’s just my taste! Ultimately a sweet story, though.

This is a romance book, featuring an unlikely pairing and opposites attract.
The main characters lacked chemistry so I wasn’t super invested in the story, however, it was a quick read that had some parts that were swoon worthy and funny.
I liked that it had mental health representation which I find refreshing as many books lack in this area.
Overall not a bad book, was easy to read and had some redeeming qualities.

Overall this book was just not it. Between the main characters lacking all chemistry, confusing writing and just the cringy storyline, it is only a 2/5 ⭐ read.

My Grade: D+ I have read other books by this author that I loved, so was really excited to read this. Unfortunately this book disappointed me. I feel the FMC/MMC lacked chemistry and the MMC Briggs wasn't very likable, and with this being a romance novel it just brought down the entire reading experience for me.

Spice Level: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️/5. Pretty spicy, but not overly gross.

The Good:
-I loved the Irish locals! So much character! They were charming and interesting and Maeve's interactions with them were the best parts of the books.
-The idea of the dueling pubs was a great one! I wish there were more shenanigans!
-The 'epilogue' was a good ending and helped.

The Meh:
-The entire relationship of Briggs and Maeve. Besides that I found Briggs to be unlikeable, I just didn't feel the chemistry between the two. There needed to be more banter, more slow burn, just more everything. I wish the first sex scene didn't happen, it took away any angst that was there.
-Another 3rd act breakup that I knew would happen, was hopeful that it would at least make sense, but of course it involved overreacting and Maeve saying nothing.
-Why would Maeve's mother demand her to come home like Maeve was a child, then to act like it was nothing? That was incredibly awkward and didn't make any sense plot wise.

I was given the opportunity to read this as an ARC and y'all this is going to be a book you will want to read this year.

I read quite a lot of books, and this book is in my top 5 read from the books I have read since 2022. I would recommend this to literally anyone because I think there is something for every reader in this book.

This book was fun, quick, tore my soul out, made me swoon, and laugh, all at the same time. This book is not super "spicy" so if you are used to reading more smut in books, this will be a breath of fresh air and different for you.

I loved how this author tackled parental death (TW) and the overall mental health representation.

This book does have a "3rd act breakup" and there is some miscommunication, which typically is my least favorite trope...BUT I loved this book so much that I overlooked that.

This book was what I needed to read this year and it will be hard to beat as far as Contemporary Romances go.

5 out of 5 stars
1 out of 5 Spicy Pepper rating
10 out 10 would recommend

i read this arc through netgalley. i really wanted to like this book because the premise sounded adorable, but i found myself just wishing for it to be over. i do not think this should be labeled in the teen section due to it being so explicit. i have nothing against explicit content, but i was not expecting it, or think there's a space for it in YA. there was also a roofie joke about 20% in, which is not something i can get behind joking about so carelessly (almost made me DNF). there was constantly so much going on and switching pov's but staying in third person felt odd. the rivalry never made sense to me so i never understood it being the main point of tourist attraction. so many aspects felt too made-up so it was hard to have any real connection to the story.

positives: i really liked hugh as a character and the epilogue format, but that's honestly about it

Last Call for Love by Rebekah Crane
I recieved an ebook ARC to review and give my honest opionion.

I had hoped I'd enjoy this romance but...God, I hated it.

It's written in essentially what I'd call passive third voice. It kept you onside of the romance, never feeling like you're reading a romance. It was...just words.

I never felt a connection with ANY of the character's, let alone the main one's we're supposed to be invested in.

I DO NOT recommend this book for reading

I will start with I honestly did not finish reading this book. I requested it because it was in one of the genre's that I follow- YA since I am a middle school librarian. This book does not belong in a school library. It is not written for Young Adults. It is adult in its content. So please be aware that this book is about two main characters who are in their mid to late 20s. There are sexual references and innuendos from the very beginning. I stopped reading when I got to the very explicit sex scene.
While there were endearing things about some of the characters, I felt like the overly sexualized banter took away from seeing them as human. It is sad to think that this might be how people think normal conversations should be between two adults. There is so much more to life than lust...
Once again... I do not recommend this for school libraries. I am at a loss as to how it is being labeled YA.

Maeve has never known her biological father, but when he dies, she finds out that he left her an inheritance, a pub located on a remote island in Ireland. When Maeve goes to check out the pub she learns there is a history and an ongoing friendly rivalry between the pub she just inherited and the other local pub on the island. Briggs is the owner of the rival pub and when he meets Maeve he falls for her fast. The more time Maeve and Briggs spend together the more they wonder if the ongoing rivalry will last.

Maeve likes to have everything planned out and be in control of any situation, when she inherits this pub she finds herself in uncertain situations. She is not sure she even wants to keep the pub, she has an initial plan to sell, but the more time she spends on the island and makes friends with the local residents the more she wants to learn about her estranged father and the pub her left her. Meanwhile, Briggs has a health condition that is essentially a broken heart and as a result he has no intention of falling in love and does not want to make a commitment. When Briggs meets Maeve he starts to question his plan.

I enjoyed seeing Maeve and Briggs interactions and liked seeing the rivalry between the pubs play out. The little pranks they played on the pubs was amusing. I also enjoyed the friendships that Maeve made with fellow residents on the island. It was nice to see how much the town embraced Maeve. The relationship between Maeve and Briggs was a bit instalove and moved pretty fast, but it had its cute moments.

This was a cute read, given the length of the book the plot moved pretty quickly, but overall, this was a fun read.

This one worked for me! I was into the story and invested pretty quickly in the characters. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC. I liked the cover and the setting so much.

The book was set in Ireland, need I say more? The main characters own their respective pubs and is each other’s “competitions”. A small town romance about a girl starting anew at a whole new country after getting conned by her long term boyfriend.

I loved the romantic progression of our main characters. The book also focuses on a lot on insightful topics which I found to be refreshing. Overall, last call for love was a wonderful read.

Thank you to NetGalley and skyscape for providing me an arc of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Last Call for Love is a charming romantic story set on a quaint Irish island. I loved the setting the most about this book! The characters and storyline were very intriguing I gotta admit. The story revolves around Briggs, the owner of a renowned pub, and Maeve, the daughter of a deceased rival pub owner. Their meeting and the historical rivalry between their families form the backdrop of the plot. The romance in this book was very cute. Maeve unexpectedly inherits a property and travels to Ireland to sell it, but fate has other plans in store for her.

The book concludes with a satisfying epilogue that answers lingering questions and provides reflection. Highly recommended.

Thank you Netgalley and Skyscape for the arc!