I adored Casey McQuiston's "Red White and Royal Blue" so much, and was thrilled to read her new book. While I did enjoy it, it didn't quite capture the magic of her debut novel.

August is a 23 year old new arrival to NYC, and she wastes no time finding an apartment complete with eccentric roommates, and a job at a 24 hour diner. And then she meets Jane on the subway, and promptly falls in love/list with her.

Except Jane isn't who she says it is. She is quite literally from a different time, and stuck on the subway with no idea how she got there. It's up to August and friends to figure it out before they lose Jane forever.

I wasn't expecting the supernatural twist to this book, and I did enjoy it once I wrapped my head around that.

Ok so when I read Red, White, and Royal Blue I became a huge fan. When I saw that One Last Stop was being released I knew I had to read it! I was so excited to be approved for this and it did not let me down. McQuiston has a talent for making you feel deep emotions for the characters and at the same time laugh out loud and want the characters to get it on! So good and I can't wait to see what is next!

One Last Stop is one of the best books I have read in a long time.

When August relocates to NYC from Louisiana to attend college, her life changes drastically. She moves in with three roommates that could not be more unlike her, gets a job at a beloved greasy spoon, and falls in love on and with the Q train. August is taken with Jane the first time they meet - August covered in coffee and Jane looking like a punk rocker right out of the 70s.

Like August was taken with Jane, I was taken with this book from the first page. I loved August in all her closed-off, anxious glory. I loved the way she described New York City and the Q train. How much she was in love with all of the eccentricities that made them what they were. I've never wanted to visit a city more or ride a train through its entire line. One Last Stop will make you fall in love with the city, with trains, with drag queens and queer psychics, tall, beautiful punk rock girls on the subway. With everything that August falls in love with. You are in it with her from start to finish. There is so much feeling in every word, every page, so much emotion.

I absolutely loved nearly every single thing about this book and will highly recommend it to every single person that I know. It's a beautiful, heart-wrenching romance with perfect light science-fiction moments and, most of all, a love story to the queer community.

One Last Stop, Casey McQuiston’s sophomore novel, lives up to the hype of Red, White & Royal Blue. Instead of first sons and princes, McQuiston has spun a love story of two young women, August and Jane, who meet on the subway — and keep meeting there as they come to discover that Jane is somehow displaced in time and is stuck riding the subway in 2021 instead of back in the ‘70s where she belongs.

One Last Stop is full of quirky, interesting characters, the sort of people you would love to sit down and have a cup of coffee with. The found family trope runs rampant through this novel, taking the reader along as August, who has grown up mostly on her own with a mother distracted by a tragedy in past, learns to let down her guard and let some of the fabulous queer folk around her in.

The romance between August and Jane is electric, full of the banter we have come to expect from McQuiston. This beautiful novel includes other classic McQuiston moves, including a healthy serving of queer history and some truly steamy scenes between the main characters (be prepared for some semi-public sexy times!).

As much as it's obviously a love story between August and Jane, One Last Stop is also a love story to New York City — reading this book will make you nostalgic for the city even if you’ve only ever been a tourist there — and maybe even if you’ve never been there at all.

Fans of Red, White & Royal Blue and those discovering McQuiston for the first time will be equally thrilled with this sweet, often poignant exploration of time, love, and the New York City subway.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Griffin for the advance review copy!

In short: a cute, funny, queer AF rom-com with a slight fantasy twist! But in reality, it really was so much more! One Last Stop was such a great time! It features a found family of misfits, a diverse cast of queers, an engaging mystery plot, and a swoony love interest!
I was a little nervous picking this one up, because these sort of “figuring out what happened in the past” mysteries aren’t normally my thing... but I loved Red White and Royal Blue enough that realistically, I’ll probably read anything the author writes! And I’m so glad I read this one!! It totally lived up to my hopeful expectations. It was equal parts soft and lovely, while still being a wild ride (was that a “riding the subway” pun? eh maybe 🤷🏻) filled with important conversations and topics and representation! I can’t wait to see what Casey writes next!

(PS. Casey, if you’re reading this ... I am sure I won’t be the first, or the last, to say this ... but ... I need a Wes spinoff like I need air in my lungs!)

This book was adorable and NOTHING like what I thought (in a great way)! Not only was it a cute rom com with so many laugh out loud moments, but it was also a mystery that was so fun to try to figure out. There were so many aspects of this book that I loved. One, the amazing, genuine friendships between August and her roommates. She was brand new to the city and they were so sweet and welcoming. You could really see how they became closer as the story went on and that they were forcing August to slowly come out of her shell until she could really be herself. Two, the relationship between August and Jane was the cutest thing to read. As the reader, you can tell right away that they have a great connection, and it was so fun to explore that even with the added obstacles tied up in the plot. Three, the mysterious background of Jane AND August's uncle. We know from the beginning that August's uncle disappeared years ago and the big question mark around his disappearance has consumed her mother her entire life. Then, we meet Jane who has a similar story of being lost from where she came from, the mystery does the same thing to August, who becomes obsessed with figuring out what happened to Jane. I was such a huge fan of Red, White, and Royal Blue so I jumped at the chance to read this follow up by McQuiston. It did not disappoint! 4.5 stars

As someone who really enjoyed Red, White, and Royal Blue, I was so excited to see that Casey McQuiston had a new book! I was even more excited to receive a digital advanced copy from NetGalley. One Last Stop captured my attention from the very beginning. I quickly became invested in the characters and was anxious to see where the story would lead. I am not normally a fan of books that have an element of supernatural or magic, so I'll admit that I almost abandoned this book when I realized those things came into play. But I'm glad I stuck with it and had the opportunity to experience Jane and August's love story!

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TL;DR: Don’t snooze this beautifully-charming, casually-paced, and wildly-believable story about August and Jane.

I connected with August right away. From the onset, she was skeptical and careful. Having grown up around true crime and police investigations, she had an eye for details and saw connections between them that others don’t. August with all her notebooks and lists was very familiar; as was her meticulous planning and drive for answers.

Jane on the other hand, was everything I wanted to be: dazzling, outgoing and wildly adventurous… someone who can start a dance party in the middle of a stopped subway train car. Someone who is memorable; the book is interspersed with multiple “missed connection” adverts from people who have seen Jane on the Q train.

Their love story is one drenched with mystery and charm. I couldn’t help rooting for them, even though their circumstances were highly impossible and it was hard to see how it could resolve happily.

All that said, the strongest part of this book is probably the diverse and complex cast of side characters: From August’s roommates (Psychic Niko, Engineer-turned-Artist Myla and Nocturnal Wes) to Drag Queen Annie Depressant across the hall, to her co-workers at a quaint old-school pancake house… none are dispensable and every reader will find something to relate to.

This book is Casey’s love letter to NYC. They weaved a gorgeous story through the backdrop of one of the greatest cities in the world, while recognizing its imperfections. They took the crowded subway cars, rats in the tunnels, threats of gentrification… and made them ✨SPARKLE✨ with human emotion.

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Read ONE LAST STOP. Just. Do. It.

🙏🏼 Thanks to St. Martin’s Press for the advance copy and making this girl’s reading dreams come true!

One Last Stop is everything I love wrapped up in one book. It's a love letter to NYC, to the magical ways we run into people, the glitter in the grime, and the sparkling street lights shimmering glow. McQuiston is a master at character detail, development, and relatability. August was almost immediately granted a place in my heart, with her love of fried chicken and her minimalism - which I would not be good at. But then I fell in love, with August, with Jane and the ways she seems out of time and place. The way that it speaks to this almost universal feeling of not belonging.

The characters in One Last Stop wear their hearts and heartbeats on their sleeves. All the stories an encounter on the train could inspire. The magic of the subways and those connections that just happen against all odds. The pieces of sorcery in uneven sidewalks, commutes that serve as dressing rooms, and the thrumming you feel late at night like the pulse of the city. That feeling of being anonymous in one of the most infamous cities in the world.

Casey McQuiston is a poet and when she writes, I feel like I'm in the story. I never want to put her books down and I tend to read them in a day, very close to one sitting. I love this story and how it represents NYC and finding yourself and taking chances. I can't wait for this one to be published because I want to talk to EVERYONE about it.

This book was hilariously refreshing and so cute ! I thought the time loop aspect was recalling creative in a romance book and I loveeddd the sapphic romance 😍 I can’t wait to read more from this author because the writing was great !

An absolutely amazing second book from Casey, wherein we see a main character so opposite Alex (RWRB) enter a whirlwind of a new life in New York City and solve cold cases, make new lifelong friends, and find love against all odds.

I loved this book and the familiar humor and witty writing we grew to love with RWRB, but in comparing the two, I must say that I do prefer their previous work to this book. The science-fiction-y concept of the time travel was a bit too convoluted for my taste and didn’t make sense 100% of the time. Not that it needed to, but that was where my feelings for this book started to dwindle. I also think that this story is very heavy handed in romanticizing New York City, which is going to be a hit for some and a miss for others. I was somewhere in the middle.

All in all though, a really enjoyable read that I would love to revisit, though probably not incredibly soon.

I really did like this book but I do feel as though the marketing is slightly misleading. It's more of a sci-fi romance type book.

I loved this book, the main characters and all the side characters are amazing. I found it very interesting how all of the stories merged, it was very well written.

Just like RWRB, I devoured this one. The premise was so warm, unique and romantic, I absolutely loved it. Will definitely be re reading this one!

One Last Stop - Casey McQuiston

Mag man Bücher mit besonderen Elementen, die sich nicht unbedingt vollständig erklären lassen, dann könnte „One last stop“ für einen eine tolle Leseerfahrung bieten. Ich war von der Geschichte leider zu sehr verwirrt, als dass ich mit ihr Spaß hatte.

Vieles im Buch erschließt sich einem erst nach und nach und gerade in den ersten Kapiteln, fühlte ich mich ganz schön verloren. Man begegnet einer Vielzahl an außergewöhnlichen Charakteren, die allesamt interessant waren, sich für mich aber nicht sehr natürlich angefühlt haben. Im Gegenteil, beim Lesen konnte ich mir keinen der Charaktere als richtige Person vorstellen.

Im Verlauf des Buches habe ich mich mit der Geschichte ein wenig wohler gefühlt, da ich nach und nach ein paar Sachen verstanden habe. Große Begeisterung ist beim Lesen aber nie aufgekommen. Dazu hatte ich zu sehr mit einigen Elementen in der Geschichte zu kämpfen.

Und da mich auch der Schreibstil nicht so richtig einfangen konnte, hatte ich am Ende ein Leseerlebnis, das zwar interessant war, das ich aber nicht unbedingt als besonders gut beschreiben würde.

Wer mit den besonderen Elementen und den Charakteren mehr anfangen kann, kann sich auf ein außergewöhnliches Buch freuen (unbedingt Leseprobe anschauen!)

- Rezensionsexemplar -

So far, everything I've read in 2021 just hasnt made me fall in love. Even the books I enjoyed and gave five stars didnt make me feel anything. Everything just felt flat and I was begininning to think I just stopped enjoying reading, and was considering deleting this account. But this book brought back that spark for me. Everything about it is just amazing. I loved every character, theres a beautiful queer found family, the romance is spectacular. just. ugh I love this book so much. Just please. go preorder this book right now. I cant wait to get my own copy to hold and annotate.
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Representation: bi, lesbian, wlw, trans ftm side character, chinese american, Black side character, Puerto Rican side character, pan side
Own Voices
CW: past homophobic and racist violence, mentions of death, non graphic nsfw

Casey McQuiston has delivered yet another brilliant, 5-star book with a fun and relatable LGBTQIA+ cast.

I love that most characters, if not all, are part of the LGBTQIA+ community, and that differences are celebrated. August discovers a truly amazing “found family” in her three roommates.

Though there was no time travel involved, August’s love interest, Jane, is displaced from the 1970’s and has been riding the subway every day since that displacement. Jane’s collection of ‘stuff’ stored in her backpack brings a touch of history to this book. Also, Jane is absolutely adorable when trying to figure out how to use a cell phone.

There’s a lot to love here; the found family, the mystery of who Jane is, everyone pitching in to save a beloved neighborhood diner. I can feel the sense of community and belonging just jumping off the pages, it’s quite comforting. Highly recommended LGBTQIA YA Contemporary read.

#NetGalley - I voluntarily read a Review Copy of this book. All opinions stated are solely my own and no one else’s. Read more reviews! http://dreamerjbookreviews.blogspot.com

Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for providing me with an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Wow, what a story. This book was a roller coaster, and I loved every second of it. The dips, the turns, the surprise loops, the beauty of a love story that was never supposed to be.

Very few books have ever made me feel the love through the pages so deeply. I literally wept for the last 15% of the book - happy tears, sad tears, heartbroken tears, elated tears, every single emotion under the sun tears.

I'm not sure there are the right words to recommend this book highly enough. So just read it.

Every single freaking star.

Not having read RED,WHITE AND ROYAL BLUE, but aware of its popularity, I was curious about ONE LAST STOP, which is a book that will please a wide variety of the readers, as it is a love story, a friendship story, a decidedly New York story, an “other voices story”, and a fantasy all rolled into one.
August Landry is a self proclaimed cynic and loner who by 23, has come to expect little in life. She leaves her sheltered life in New Orleans for the Big Apple looking for...something. Anything that will make her feel like she belongs. She finds that through an unconventional circle of roommates at friends who are all also misfits in some way; drag queens, transgendered, disinherited family rejects, and Jane. Jane, the mysterious girl on the Q train with whom August falls instantly and helplessly in love. Soon, August’s life revolves around riding the subway as often as possible to be near Jane. But, why does Jane ALWAYS seem to be on the same train as August? Why is she always wearing the same outfit? As August and her roommates try to unravel the mystery of Jane, August finds her own world opening up in a million ways she never dreamed possible.
ONE LAST STOP is a quick and mostly joyful read about accepting people for who they are. Drag queens and lesbians and transgendered people just are. And there is something really lovely about none of that being the main conflict of the narrative. It’s a book about the family you make more than about the one you are born into. The one that supports you even in the most seemingly outlandish of quests. And, it’s especially about the euphoria of first love being everything you dreamed of and more.
The multitudes of pop culture references make ONE LAST STOP very much a book for now; I don’t think it will be read years from now, but enjoying it in the present is worth your time.

I liked this queer romance. I loved the side characters and leads, however I wish we to know Jane better. I also wish we got to see more after the ending. I felt the uncle's story was compelling and it was a unique twist on a modern romance.