I have to admit, I was not expecting this book when I read the first chapter. It was nothing like Red, White, and Royal Blue and not that it was a bad thing, just unexpected. I love magical realism, and add to that a lost in time/Back to the Future element, and I was sold. August is so broken and vulnerable the reader can't help but root for her. Jane is, well, Jane. Fabulous, strong, and just the type of person who could travel through decades and still be the coolest girl around.

This was solidly in the Rom-Com category, but it had a lot of meat, just like Red, White, and Royal blue. The characters are strong, the friends are fantastic, and you feel like you are in the book. I never doubted that I would love the sophomore book by McQuiston, but I was so happy that she included many elements that make a perfect read for me.

Wow what an amazing book. I am normally not one who gravitates towards books with this much mystery but I found myself hooked from the beginning. August the protagonist is relatable and I found myself rooting for her in so many ways throughout the story. Having ridden the subway in New York many, many times I found myself relating to the many people who are on the subway. I adored this story of Jane and August and found the ending perfect. I give this book 5/5 stars thank you netgalley and publisher for the early read.

Red, White, and Royal Blue, the authors previous book, is one of my favourite books, so I was sooooo excited to read this one and I was not disappointed. This one follows August, who has spent her life with just her mom, trying to solve the mystery of her missing uncle. She has few friends and romance was not even a thought in her brain. She decides to move to NYC for school and move in with Niko (a trans psychic and bartender), Myla ( a queer engineer and artist), and Wes (a queer tattoo artist and previous trust fund kid) and she also meets Jane on the Q train and finds out that Jane has been displaced from the 70s and has forgotten everything about her life. While trying to send Jane back to her time, August learns about friends, family, and experiences a romance she never thought was possible,

This book leans very heavily on magical realism and, while I enjoyed it, I can see some people maybe not enjoying the book because of it. But if it is your jam, you will also enjoy the many amazing themes present in this book! There is some great discussion about family, both blood relations and chosen, what it means be friends with people, finding/discovering yourself, and of course, the idea of love and what that means. This book is also incredibly diverse in all the best ways. There were no token characters and every persons identity was essential to their character and the story. The plot of the story was also very quick and sweet. It had a good mix of magical realism and romance and I thought the author worked both together very well.

The characters though were really the stars of this book. As August goes on her character development journey, all these characters were there to support her in any way that they could. They were all supportive, and August formed a familial bond within the confines of her NYC apartment. Each character also got backstory, which I really appreciated, no matter how "minor" they seemed. Our whole cast was well fleshed out and I really loved each of them.

This book, overall, was a fun romance story about finding your place in life and I would highly recommend it!

I feel bad just admitting that I haven't read Red, White & Royal Blue. Yes, I read LGBTQ fiction, and I don't live under a rock, and I did see that title everywhere two years ago. I'm just not that into new adult fiction.
So, six out of five stars. One Last Stop is the best new adult I've ever read.
August is flawed, but extremely likable. She is entirely fleshed out and not just a walking ball of angst, as NA characters sometimes are. She still has a couple of the main NA struggles, namely finding her place in society, and in her social circles, but she's down to earth about it. Jane is a little mysterious right to the end, because of the circumstances and because we never hear from her perspective, but she's still a very solid character.
Speaking of Jane, ahhh a Cantonese lesbian! Never seen that represented in LGBTQ fiction before! I'm sure there are others out there, but I'm betting this would be the book with the biggest reach out of them. I was pretty impressed at Jane's background, because the author doesn't just leave her ethnicity as a piece of trivia, and it was perfect.
I don't think the plot ever slowed down too much for me. There was always enough to drive the story forwards, even when there was downtime between mystery-solving and big revelations. I loved how it all fit together, though there was one plot hole that I didn't notice until another reader pointed it out. I also thought the ending was a little unlikely: August and Jane used the exact same words? The book involves time travel and psychic powers, so I guess it's funny that this is where I stopped suspending disbelief.
There was just so much to like here, and the love story has this vivid, monumental feeling throughout. I sat for a few minutes after finishing the book just thinking about every emotion it put me through. It was so easy to fall into this world, not the least because there's an incredible cast of side characters. Surely it's impossible not to connect to this book on a meaningful level, because I don't think you need to believe in August, or August and Jane, in order to believe in everything August stands for.

I started One Last Stop with no expectations other than for an enjoyable quirky romance read with fantasy and/or paranormal elements, and I was treated to that and so much more! It’s one of the sweetest, quirkiest, humorous, most imaginative, entertaining, and romantic romances I’ve read in a really long time, possibly ever. McQuiston’s description is so vibrant and colorful that it puts you right in each moment, drawing you into the story, making you care about the characters, their lives, and their world so quickly and deeply that while you are anxious to see how things turn out, you are not ready for the novel to end when it inevitably does.

Cynical, distrustful, practical, self-protective, and reserved, August is a bisexual, perpetual college student who is especially gifted at research, investigation, and observation of the world around her. August’s backstory is kind of tragic and sad and has left her unable to believe in things like magic, happily ever after, love stories like in the movies, that she can have good things in life – that she can even have a normal life in which she isn’t alone. Escaping the life forced on her by a mother obsessed with the past, she lives a life of solitude, self-restraint, and reserve. She moves to New York hoping to get lost in the big city, but instead finds herself, home, family, and belonging among bizarre roommates, neighbors, and co-workers with larger-than-life personalities, quirks, and stories of their own, who draw her reluctantly out of her protective shell.

Unexpectedly, she also stumbles upon the potential for love with the girl of her dreams, on the subway one day, developing a friendship with on her daily commute. There’s just one huge problem – her dream girl is from the ‘70s and is trapped in the present. Jane is August’s complete opposite in so many ways. She’s Chinese, gorgeous with an old school punk rocker vibe, friendly, charming, full of mystery, brave, adventurous, open to life, always ready to experience love, hopeful despite her situation and past, and while she doesn’t belong in August’s time, she easily finds a place within August’s family by choice. To August’s surprise all those things she learned, and all those skills honed from her childhood to the present, along with her own innate gifts, used in furtherance of her mom’s obsession that she’s been trying to put behind her can help save Jane. Jane who, along with her new friends, has made her want to start believing in something, again. Things like love, trust, maybe even…magic?

.
One Last Stop’s diverse cast of characters both main and secondary, who are all distinctive and full of personality, are well developed, as are their relationships. August’s and Jane’s interactions are filled with chemistry, emotion, and intimacy and not only develop their characters but also further the story, as do their love scenes. They share some of the sweetest and sexiest moments, kisses, and love scenes I’ve read even though they are not overly detailed. August’s interactions with her roommates, neighbors, and mother are just as well-written. I love how the tone shifts so smoothly from humorous to angsty, back to humorous to dark, to romantic and sexy etc., without any notice and it’s not awkward at all. McQuiston’s prose, storytelling, characters, and story all flow together so seamlessly that regardless of what crazy thing is happening it just feels right.

One Last Stop is a riveting novel about learning to love and accept yourself, using your past to grow without letting it hold you back, and that it’s okay to believe in magic and love and still be practical. Readers looking for an original, off-beat, feel-good, sweet, funny, sexy, and romantic queer romance can’t go wrong with One Last Stop!

An unexpected delight! I didn't realize this would be a time travel romance but it worked so well! Casey McQuiston can obviously do no wrong with her stories and I devoured this one in nearly one sitting! LGBTQ readers are going to love this one!

This is a super fun read. I really enjoyed this one!

Many thanks to the author, the publisher, and Netgalley for my ARC. All opinions are my own.

A warning: this book will make you crave pancakes.

This book will also make you crave other things: from strawberry milkshake pop-tarts to specialty diner specials to owning plants with adorable names and listening to the radio late at night before falling asleep. Improbably, it will make you crave riding the subway (even if you’ve never ridden it). And of course, this book will make you crave New York City. There are few books that fully embody New York City in every page and that are written with love and authenticity like One Last Stop. From the near-magical subway scenes on the Q train, the moments set at a 24 hour pancake house (Pancake Billy’s House of Pancakes) written so well you could smell the batter, and the eclectic, charming cast of characters that all call the city home, somehow, even though Casey McQuiston isn’t a Native New Yorker, she manages to capture things that feel quintessentially New York.


Macmillan
Its also one of the most romantic books I’ve read. But I think that’s a Casey McQuiston specialty. Her bestselling debut, Red, White and Royal Blue set the bar pretty high in terms of contemporary romances and I think she managed to raise it higher with her sophomore novel.

For those of you who aren’t aware of the most buzz-worthy book this season, a little summary: August Landry is a prickly hedgehog of a young woman, who moves to the city hoping to escape from a loneliness she’s felt her whole life. She doesn’t expect to find a home there, but she hopes she finds a reason to stay. Her entire life has been mostly centered around a cold case—before she was born, her mother’s brother disappeared without a trace. August was raised on a steady diet of self-defense, lock picking and investigative tactics. Her mother moved them around so the two never settled anywhere that August felt like home. Twenty-three and aimless, she flees to finish out college in NYC in the hopes of never thinking about the case again. Its there that she meets Niko, a psychic, his brilliant girlfriend, Myla, and their insightful and sensitive roommate Wes. Before long, they’re the found family she didn’t know she needed and her job at their local place, Pancake Billy’s House of Pancakes, offers her stability she desperately needed.

On her way to one of her classes, she has a devastatingly charming meet-cute with a mysterious stranger who offers her a red scarf to cover the spilled coffee all over her. The seconds encounter before she gets off is enough to make an impression and August begins looking for this extremely good-looking, kind woman every time she steps on the Q. It isn’t long before they become friends. Jane is enigmatic and August is drawn to her, the way she carries herself and how she goes out of her way to help other passengers. But it becomes quickly apparent that there’s something odd about Jane’s presence on the subway and the good luck that August has in always being able to meet up with her, isn’t a coincidence. Beyond all reason, Jane is stuck on the train. Every time she gets off she gets zapped back. And she remembers almost nothing about her past or herself.

Despite August’s vow to never get involved with cases again, she uses her past-detective experience to look into Jane’s history. A history that starts decades earlier. Jane has time traveled from the 70s and has gotten stuck in the present. Doomed from the start, August tries to deny her feelings for Jane, knowing that if they crack the case, Jane could return to her own time.

As a Cis White woman I can’t comment directly on whether or not the representation was done well other than to recognize that I enjoyed reading a book that was happily inclusive. It felt very New York, another reason to love this book. That isn’t to say that it doesn’t recognize problems for the Queer community even in a city like New York. It was refreshing to read an author deftly handle both Queer joy and acknowledge past pain—especially in moments that could have ended up a lot worse.

Though sad at times—you can really feel August’s loneliness—the moments where she schemes with her friends and relishes in her found family in her apartment and at the diner, make this book shine. Its easy to believe while reading this book, after the solitude of the pandemic, that with a little luck you can find your people. And that’s really beautiful to read. You will laugh, full on snort and giggle and grin excitedly as you read about Jane and August’s adventures on the Q. Jane—big-hearted, unafraid and fiercely loyal and August—prickly, anxious, afraid to let people in—complement each other so well. Their journey, literally, is one of the best parts of the book, second to the mystery of Jane’s time travel.

I read this book slowly, savoring it and letting it settle like a spectacularly filling pancake breakfast. I was left feeling warm and hopeful for a world where books like this exist—books where people find each other and then find ways to stay together, despite time travel and other improbabilities. Read this book while eating pancakes or your favorite comfort food.

E-ARC graciously provided through NetGalley

Wow. This book was capital-a Amazing.
I fell in LOVE with every character that graced these pages, even August, who I wasn't sure I would like. Her romance with Jane is about as crazy as it gets, you'll never find another couple like them! Maybe I want to be Wes and Myla's best friend and marry Niko... I'll never tell.

"Time-travelling lesbians" is what everyone says when they want to describe this book. It's a LITTLE misleading. One, August is bisexual, as she tells a random, very annoyed man on the subway. Two, only one of them does time-travelling of a sort. It's not like, folding-the-fabric-of-reality time-travelling. No "Dr. Who" shit here.

This book was so much more than a romance though. It was a million storylines falling into place. This book was romance, mystery, a dash of sci-fi, found family and gay people in Brooklyn all wrapped up into one incredible book.

I think I flew through this book so fast that I didn't retain as much as I would have liked, BUT the bright side to that is this: I can reread it very soon and not be bored, it'll be like I haven't QUITE read it yet. Like I know the basics, but the devil is in the details, my friends, and I haven't got the memory for them the first time around.

That is to say, I'll be back to OLS very soon, and I am already desperate to hear more about Casey McQuiston's book no. 3!!!

*Book Received in Exchange for Honest Opinion/Review*

This book was just one giant LGBTQ+ love fest and I was HERE. FOR. IT. It was a quirky, charismatic read filled with drag shows, bold characters, time travel, eccentric roommates, and a romance that even being trapped on a subway can't stop. But the story is so much more than a mystery and a romance, and here is where the book truly sucked me in and enchanted me.

The beginning of the novel starts off with August as an isolated loner; floating and drifting along in the sea of life with no one to cling to. Over the course of the story, August not only has a journey of self-discovery and finds love in the most unconventional ways but she finds family. She finds friends who tether her, forms bonds, becomes vulnerable, and finds her people in life. This was the true underlying plot and it was beautiful. Found family can be just as important or more important than blood relatives. Watching August trust in Niko's psychic abilities, relate to Wes' self-destructive, isolative tendencies, and accept Myla's mothering was so endearing that my grinchy heart grew three sizes while reading. 

Past that there are so many love stories in the book that I wanted everyone to have their own novel. August tries to unravel the mystery of Jane stuck on the subway, while simultaneously falling in love, we get glimpses of everyone around her finding or thriving with love. Niko and Myla being a steadfast couple, showing that love can last and flourish. While Wes dances around Isaiah and eventually finds it in himself to be vulnerable. Honestly, I was as invested in the Wes/Isaiah romance as I was the August/Jane romance. 

And while August and Jane do have their sizzling moments, I find this story to be more endearing and wholesome than anything else. This book had a captivating, rich plot with a driven, peculiar heroine; what more could I want? As my first F/F romance, I am glad I wait to give this particular V-card to Casey McQuiston. I can't wait to read what she writes next.

One Last Stop is outrageously hilarious, cleverly written, and incredibly romantic. The entire novel is written with such vivid imagery, some of which is so ridiculous that it shouldn’t work–but it somehow does. It feels like every second line of this book is quotable, like the author could take a line at random and plaster it on the cover of the book and sell thousands of copies for that reason alone.

Now that I’m done gushing about the writing style, it’s time to gush about the characters. August is lonely, witty, a little pessimistic, and an extreme minimalist. She’s an introvert, and she’s quite reserved. She spent most of her childhood helping her mother search for her mother’s brother who went missing in the 1970s, and as a result, she’s basically a grown-up child detective. This personality trait comes into play at various times throughout the story–mostly when she’s trying to figure out what exactly is going on with Subway Girl.

August is a reserved person, but when she sees the gorgeous girl on the subway, she suddenly doesn’t want to be that way anymore. Jane is outgoing and optimistic, and she regularly makes friends with complete strangers on the subway. They’re opposites, and in many ways August and Jane complete each other. Jane doesn’t have any memories, but she knows exactly who she is. August has her memories but she doesn’t know who she is. They’re two sides of the same coin, yin and yang, dare I say, soulmates. Sigh.


The entire book is from August’s point of view, and the majority of the character development is on her end. I particularly enjoyed the side plot of her relationship with her mother, though I would have liked for it to have been explored a little further. Her mother is obsessed with finding her missing brother, and as August becomes more and more obsessed with “fixing” Jane’s paranormal problem, she realizes that she has more in common with her mother than she originally thought. Most of the book is about August’s journey as a character. That said, by the end of the book, Jane isn’t the same person she was in the beginning. August has changed her for the better. The plot of the story has quite a few fantastic twists and turns, and it’s far from just your run of the mill paranormal romance.

The beginning of each chapter has a little epistolary-style snippet. They almost seem irrelevant at first, but it quickly becomes obvious that they all relate to Jane–and her predicament–in some unique way. The snippets get increasingly clever, and the final one made my heart swell.

This book is beyond fantastic with the worldbuilding. It’s clear that McQuiston either time traveled into the seventies or spent many nights buried in research on the era. Among the numerous things she talks about are the gay rights movement, 70s pop culture and music, and dynamic descriptions of different cities during that time period. Their cultures and customs come into play, and I learned quite a bit. For instance, I didn’t know about the old New Orleans birthday dollar bill tradition. Want to learn more? Read the book to find out! (Or use Google.)

All in all, this book was a jaw dropping follow up to Red, White, and Royal Blue, which in my opinion, surpasses her debut in originality, writing, and lovable characters.

One Last Stop is about twenty-three year old August (bi-sexual), moving to New York for school. She luckily finds an apartment with three new friends, Wes (queer tattoo artist), Myla (queer Black electrical engineer), and Niko (trans psychic). August is taking the subway to school on her first day when she meets "Subway Girl," who gives her a scarf to cover her coffee stain. August cannot stop thinking of Subway Girl but believes she will never see her again. Next train ride? There she is. Every time August rides the Q, she seems to be there. After awhile, we learn she goes by Jane and the story unravels for why Jane is always on the Q.

This book was full of love and friendship between unlikely pairs. I fell in love with everyone and their unique story. This book is so important and I highly recommend it for anyone in need of a little romance.

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin's Griffin, and author Casey McQuiston for this ARC!

*****This review contains spoilers ****

Oh I wanted to love this book! Red, White and Royal Blue was one of my favourite reads. Unfortunately, I can't say that I loved One Last Stop. The first 60% of this book was a real struggle for me, I just couldn't get into the story, this wormhole/time travel(?)/stuck in the in-between was NOT my cup of tea. I did however love the characters and their back stories. I am looking forward to Casey McQuiston's next book though!

This was a very middle of the road book for me. I really loved McQuiston's last book and believed that I would love this similarly. However, this book was not nearly as tightly paced or made as much logical sense as Red, White and Royal Blue. The whole sci-fi element felt underdeveloped and certain characters' motivations were hard to understand. I also felt that the story would have been way more effective had it stayed firmly in a single genre. The August parts seemed like they made a light rom-com while the Jane parts seemed like they belonged in a much more serious novel. I also felt that Jane's trauma went largely unaddressed and her character seemed to lack agency. Overall, it was an interesting enough story, but I felt like it tried to do way too much.

This is such a fun romance! The timeline plot was a bit of a surprise, even with some of it given away by teasers ahead of time, and it had me hooked from the first moment we met Jane. The highlight for me, though, was definitely all of the found family content as August finds her community (Myla SUPREMACY). Her friends and coworkers all felt so real and lovable, I just wanted to wrap myself up in their love and support. I've heard other people criticize the humor as being too "millennial" for them, but I was living for it. McQuiston's writing style and sense of humor made them one of my favorite authors when I first read Red, White, & Royal Blue, and I loved those aspects of One Last Stop as well. It loses a star for me in how it deals with some serious issues, simplifying or glossing over them, but because it's a lighthearted romcom, I still found it a mostly fun, lighthearted read.

I read Casey's novel Red, White & Royal Blue earlier this year, and as soon as I heard about this book, I had high expectations. Casey met every single one of them. This book was dynamic, happy, sad, and just so beautiful.

The characters were all written to perfection. I had such a huge connection to every single one of them, especially Wes, Niko, and Jane. They all fit together so well. Along with this, the relationships were all LITERALLY TO DIE FOR. CASEY DID NOT MISS.

The plot was a HUGE strong point. It was so well thought out, and there were so many amazing plot twists. Half of the time, I was just sitting there with my jaw open. It was so crazy and just so smart.

Finally, the writing. I was kind of wary on this, as I personally felt that Casey's earlier writing was a bit mediocre, but this was 10 steps up. The writing was beautiful. So many of the quotes in this book just went straight to my heart.

Overall, One Last Stop was a highly anticipated read for me and many others, and I am here to confidently say that it completely lived up to the hype. An absolute gem of a book. Loved it, loved it, loved it.

Summary: girl gets stuck in time loop. girl meets girl. girl falls for girl🥰 girl tries to save girl from time loop
Read If You Like: magic realism, time travel, lgbtq history, witty writing, interconnected plots, unpredictable suspense, sweet love stories

Review:
In a word, this book is IMMACULATE. I was completely hooked on page one!🥲

Casey's writing is unreal - hilarious, relatable, and witty as all hell. I really didn't know how they were going to top RWRB but the slang, the dialogue, damn is it good. It is SO current so it will be interesting to see if the book feels nostalgic or outdated in future reads. I read this with a friend of mine and we were literally reading the book back to each other, line by line, by voice note because every line was PERFECT :')

The love story itself was SO cute, I can't say enough good things about it. The magic, the reliability, the meet-cute of dreams, the absolute rocket of a love interest.. just trust me and read this book for yourself!

Casey somehow managed to write a story that educates on LGBTQ2+ history and struggle/strife but ALSO shows the love, the happy, the good, wonderful parts of a queer experience which is RARE to have both in one book and was beautifully done.

Casey also writes consent so BEAUTIFULLY, in both her books it is the best I've ever read. It is organic and natural and sexy - I can honestly only imagine how different things would be is we had all grown up reading/watching things like that.

My only piece of feedback is that I wish there was MORE! I absolutely cannot wait to see what Casey comes out with next, I am an absolute fan for life.

BUY THIS BOOK Y'ALL YOU WILL WANT TO READ IT OVER AND OVER AGAIN.

TY to Net Galley for the ARC!

Review Link:
https://www.instagram.com/p/CP_F8iLLamK/

Okay, don't attack me, but I didn't really love this one.

I'm an RWRB fan, so I was excited about Casey McQuiston's new book. I absolutely fell in love with the characters, but I really couldn't get into the plot. The sci-fi element seemed out of place in such a contemporary story. Everyone just accepted it? Listen, my friends would've gotten me professional help if I claimed to fall in love with a girl from the 70s stuck on the subway. They definitely wouldn't support me investigating her life or encourage the relationship. BECAUSE THAT'S CRAZY. I just really could not get over it.

I kept reading because I enjoyed the characters, especially the side characters. To be honest, I didn't really care for August and Jane, mostly because the whole thing was so weird. But Wes! Isaiah! Niko and Myla! An incredible cast of characters that made the story worthwhile.

Review copy courtesy of Net Galley.

I was very lucky to receive an epub of this title shortly before publishing. Although the cover looks very YA, I’d call this New Adult or even romance. There is A LOT going on here plotwise - setting aside the major mystery of why mysterious time-traveling Jane is stuck on the Q train - there’s also a twisted, long-standing mystery of protagonist August’s uncle’s cold case and a “let’s save the diner” plot, and most of the characters have backstories and complicated narratives weaving througout, so there’s really a lot to digest. It’s definitely readable, and very diverse-friendly (queer especially), but it just was overwhelming, so just get ready to have a lot to follow and read. The romance was sweet, although I was quite grossed out by all the many public subway scenes.

Thank you to St.Martin's Press for my copy of One Last Stop in exchange for an honest review.

I was really excited for this one, mostly becuase I adored Red, White, and Royal Blue by McQuiston when i read it last year. Time travel romances are usually not my thing, but I was hoping that since I loved the author's previous work, this one would be different. Unfortunately it didn't help. I did find all the characters to be quirky and likeable enough. But I found the pacing to be too slow and the story felt like it was repetitive and not moving forward. I tried to put it down and pick it back up a few times, but gave up less than half way through. I think I have learned that any kind of time travel romace just isn't for me. I have seen so many friends rave and about this book, so I think I am truly in the minority here. I will not be sharing my review any where else besides NetGalley,


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