My first book by Casey McQuiston, but it will certainly not be my last!

I had no idea what to expect when I first heard about this book but I knew it was an F/F adult romance that took place in NYC and honestly, that's all I needed to know that I needed this book <i>desperately</i>. I've never read a book that had a time-slip quite like this and I think that the author did such a great job keeping me guessing and engaged as to what would happen to the very end. There were legit moments where I really didn't know how or if they'd be able to get their happy ending and I was *nervous*.

In this book we follow a young woman named August who is kind of mysterious and has just moved to New York. She doesn't know what she she wants to do when she graduates college, and she doesn't have much figured out but she hopes that New York can help her figure it out. One of the best things about this book was the found family that August obtains throughout the book. The cast was sooo diverse and I loved every single one of the characters and how they all loved each other even though they were all so very different.

I also really enjoyed Jane's character, our love interest. She's this huge flirt and was at first glance you think you have her all figured out. But the truth is, Jane doesn't even have herself figured out so as you keep reading you get to learn about her along with the other characters. I did find myself a little irritated by a few things concerning Jane and her romance with August, but to avoid spoilers I won't go into details. As I kept reading I was able to overcome these small things but it's probably part of the reason I can't give this five stars.

Also a times this book did drag a little bit. I can't say why exactly but there were just times where it felt like the book was boggled down by too many words, too many characters and I would find myself wanting to skim to get back to August and Jane. There's never a dull moment but there were times where it just felt like too much was happening on the page and I just needed the story to recenter itself to what I was really there for: August and Jane being cute and in love.

Overall this was a really great read and I can't wait to read more from this author!

I just—
I hope this makes sense.

You know how in epic fantasy movies, there’s a scene where the camera pans out over impossible, beautiful scenery and the music swells and so does your heart? Somehow Casey does this to my brain, but with words. Just, words about romance.

This book was poetry. It was the taste of late-night radio and cheesy 90s romance movies and glitter; the smell of gritty public transportation and 2 am pancakes and falling in love; everything familiar and everything new. It was beautifully impossible, and it was epic.

And my heart swelled.

I thoroughly enjoyed the premise of this book and the bit of science fiction mixed in with the romance and happily ever after storyline. I also liked the main characters, the snippets of LGBTQIA history, and the humor and fun sprinkled throughout. The only drawback for me was that it took a very long time for things to come together and there were some secondary storylines and characters that detracted rather than added to the storyline. But this is one to pick up if, like me, the scene of a cranked up Run DMC song inspiring an impromptu subway train dance party makes you smile.

Along with many other readers, I fell absolutely in love with Casey McQuiston’s debut novel Red, White and Royal Blue, which came out a few years ago. When I first heard about One Last Stop, I was insanely excited. I also had very high expectations, and it certainly did not disappoint.

One Last Stop is a sapphic rom-com that follows our main character, 23-year-old August, as she moves to New York City all by herself. One day while travelling on the subway, she meets a gorgeous girl named Jane. From there, August gets involved in a mystery of sorts surrounding Jane’s life. This story was full of well-rounded and developed characters, entertaining pop culture references, funny banter, and a lovely F/F romance.

One thing that I love about Casey McQuiston’s stories is how lovable and complex every single character is. August was a super relatable and likable protagonist who had a strong voice to lead the book. She embodied the nervousness and excitement of being involved in your first relationship major relationship. Her personality complemented that of her love interests, Jane. Jane was a bright and energetic character, who was liked by everyone around her. Basically, every Sapphics dream. She might be my favourite character in the story, but it’s so hard to choose because I loved everyone so much. When August first goes to New York she moves into an apartment with three other people around her age. The first being, Myla a queer and black engineer, Niko, Myla’s boyfriend who is a Latino, Trans psychic, and Wes who is a Jewish queer tattoo artist. These three were one of the most fun groups of people I’ve got to read about in a contemporary novel. The cast of characters was so diverse and refreshing to read about.

While this book was fun and entertaining it also focused a lot on queer history which I found super interesting. Jane, who is a Lesbian from the 70s, talks to August a lot about her experiences as a Chinese and Queer person during that time. I learned about many different events in Queer history that I’d never heard about before, including an arson attack on a Gay bar called the Upstage Lounge in New Orleans. Queer history is subject that isn’t talked about all that often so it was great to see a book that discussed it. It showed the beauty and strength of the Queer community.

Overall, I loved literally everything about this book, and it just felt like a big warm hug. I really believe Casey McQuiston can do no wrong. I cannot wait until June so that I can talk about this with everybody around me.

Review will be posted on Blog (allinwitha.com) and Instagram (allinwitha) on Tuesday, April 6th 2021.

Rating: 3/5
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Adult Fiction, LGBTQ and Science Fiction
Warnings: Discussion of grief of loved one, anxiety, homophobia and racism

Review: August is as cynical as can be and moving to New York City is supposed to prove her right: love doesn't exist and she is destined to be alone. But could all of that change with some unique roommates, a job at a 24-hour pancake house and her subway commute? Enter in Jane, a charming and quite mysterious girl on the Q train. Jane with her rough edges and leather jacket saves August's day when she needs it most. Soon, August's subway crush becomes the best part of her day…then she discovers that Jane displaced in time from the 1970s. Of course, August has to figure out why and how...it might just connect back to her own childhood.

First off, I actually screamed when I got this ARC...Red, White and Royal Blue is one of my favorite fiction books. I was READY for Casey McQuiston's next book but also slightly worried I would not love it as much...and I was right. This was cute and unique story, I loved the time travel add-in. But I was a little disappointed that I didn't love it and I kept thinking it would get better. What I loved about RWARB was the banter and the clear connection between the main characters. This was missing for me for me in Jane and August. I got lost in a lot of context information, not enough plot and then bam we are at the end...cool, which the end by the way was great! It was a solid "okay" book for me. If you are going into this expecting RWARB, this is vastly different book and that's okay! I probably would have had a better appreciation if I weren’t going in thinking about that.

Things I loved: The side characters were gold, queer representation and the New York setting. It was not your typical rom-com book and those are my favorite!

Things I didn't care for: The lack of connection between the characters and overall execution of the plot...it really dragged on and it took me a week to finish it.

One Last Stop is released on June 1st. Thank you NetGalley for providing this ARC for my honest opinion.

One Last Stop is a wonderful follow-up to Red, White, and Royal Blue. The romance between August and Jane is just as supportive, sparky, and heart-warming, and I rooted from them from the first page to the last. One of the most meaningful parts of the story, to me, though, was the exploration of queerness past and present. The juxtaposition of Jane's experience with August's, and their common discovery of community and found family, made me cry more than once. I can't wait to re-read this one.

I admit I did not look very closely at this title when requesting, as this is not a genre I typically read. I would recommend this book if you enjoy this genre.

I freaking loved this book. I always get a little scared with an author's second works, especially if I really liked their first book/album/whathaveyou. This book took those fears away and ripped them into tiny shreds. I loved Red, White & Royal Blue but I freaking adored One Last Stop. Casey McQuiston is an amazing writer, who creates equally amazing characters.

You know when you read a book with romance and that's all you ever really care about. You may even get a little annoyed when some sort of plot tries to develop or the two love interests aren't in the same room. This book doesn't do that. The side characters are beautifully developed and sweet and loving and amazing and I just wanted to wrap them all up in a hug.

The love story is beautiful and the spicy scenes are hot. It's a contemporary rom-dram-com with a splash of sci-fi. It made me cry and laugh, but it just totally warmed my heart. Seriously pick this book up and thank me later.

Thanks to NetGalley for providing an eARC of "One Last Stop"!

I wanted to read this purely based on my love of Casey's first book, "Red, White and Royal Blue". I knew that it was about 2 girls finding love on the subway but hadn't read anything else so was shocked and delighted when the 'displaced in time' element came into play. There were mysteries to solve, found families to love, and some very steamy sex scenes. I laughed, I cried, I wished that I could go to one of the drag queen parties. Can't recommend it enough!

This was one of my most anticipated 2021 releases and I'm sad to say I had to add this to the DNF list at 25%. I found the book very slow and I was not getting into the storyline. I will still give any book Casey McQuiston writes a chance though!

~One Last Stop Review~
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5/5
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I might have done a happy dance when i saw i got approved for this on netgalley! This is definitely one of my most anticipated books of the year and I’m so excited to dive in!! I’ve heard nothing but great things so far
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Pros:
+I love books set in new york. It’s where I want to end up one day and I think it’s a city filled with so many stories just waiting to be told
+I absolutely love character driven stories and this is shaping up to be a book filled with a very interesting cast of characters
+August is very relatable and I love how she’s a mini detective with existential dread
+We love a chubby bi main character and multiple diverse and queer side characters. It’s so refreshing and natural and like how every book should be
+I stand by the fact that 2021 is the year for sapphic stories. So many good ones and this one might be at the top of the ones I’ve read so far
+FOUND FAMILY IS MY ABSOLUTE FAVORITE TROPE EVER ILL CRY (yes that is why I reread aftg every three months sue me)
+The concept of a girl stuck on the subway is golden I love it
+As if Annie Depressant and Sara Tonin are not my new favorite drag names
+Once again the voice and humor of the characters are top tier
+STEAM LEVELS OMG
+Definitely made me cry which hurts my feelings but in a good way
+I love the mystery/true crime/mission impossible aspect of this
+Everything about the ending was perfect it wraps everything up but leaves so much possibility for the future and my imagination loves it
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Cons:
-Literally nothing.
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Overall I had such a great time with this book. I was a little nervous it wouldn’t live up to my love for Red White and Royal Blue but it definitely did. Casey McQuiston knows how to tell a good story and I can’t wait for more people to read this one. I know I’m going to buy myself a physical copy of this book and make all of my friends read it!

This took me a while to finish. I can’t figure out what drew me to the end, maybe hope for a good ending is what kept me going, and that was exactly it. The ending didn’t disappoint. Although the story wrapped up nicely, I still felt happiness and warmth for the future August and Jane will have together. I would recommend giving it a try and hold out to the end.

I have to give Casey McQuiston credit - it couldn't have been easy writing a follow up to her debut smash bestseller, Red, White & Royal Blue. In fact, I was a little reluctant to read One Last Stop for fear of disappointment. But McQuiston has avoided the sophomore slump and produced a unique, sparkling love story.

Other than MCs kept apart by significant external factors, the two books are very different, which I also admire (it would have been easier to write "RWRB, The Sequel", or a spinoff featuring a secondary character). August is a smart, prickly, mistrustful bisexual loner whose life starts to improve when she moves into a Brooklyn apartment with a handful of oddball characters who become the family she never knew she wanted. Her new co-workers at a local landmark pancake house also become important to her. But most of all there's Subway Girl, aka Jane, who gives August a scarf to cover up her coffee stain the first time they meet. August is smitten, despite her cold, dead, heart, until subsequent meetings reveal the bizarre truth that Jane is stuck on the subway's Q line and has been since 1977.

There's a lot going on here - Jane doesn't remember anything about her past at first, and even when she does, the two women (and August's faithful new BFFs) have to figure out the how and why of Jane's peculiar time travel situation. August's unusual upbringing makes her the best possible candidate to piece together Jane's history (not to mention the perils of being queer in the 1970s), while her roommates just happen to have talents of their own that provide valuable assistance. I can't say I truly understood the theory, but I didn't think about it too hard because I was too busy enjoying the love story.

I much prefer M/M over F/F queer romance (it's personal taste, let's not judge), but August and Jane were completely swoon-worthy. They're both tough chicks on the outside and complete marshmallows on the inside. Jane has a rich sexual history while August has basically none, but she learns quickly what she likes (and even takes notes about it in a delightful nerdy way). The book answers the question "how much sex can you have on a subway train?" (It turns out to be quite a lot; Risky Business, eat your heart out). The angst factor is pretty high - if they figure out how to get Jane "unstuck" in time, she will probably go back to her previous life 50 years ago, so how can they let themselves fall in love? Fortunately there is a deliriously happy ending but it is hard-earned, and there are several goodbye scenes that will tear your heart out.

McQuiston writes with humor, passion and energy. Everything feels urgent, which feels appropriate for a 20-something woman living in New York City. I know a lot of people don't like present tense writing, but it works because August is all about the moment. The secondary characters, most of whom are also queer, are quirky and supportive (I would love a novel about apartment mate Wes, the glum disinherited Jewish tattoo artist and the object of his affection whom he doesn't think he deserves). There may be a few too many subplots crowded into the story; I didn't feel that August's relationship with her mother got the full attention it needed, but they all play a role in getting August and Jane to their HEA.

I'm in awe of McQuiston's creativity and talent. Even if One Last Stop doesn't make as many bestseller/best of the year lists as its predecessor, it's still a damn fine romance and proves that the author is here to stay. Can't wait to see what else she has up her sleeve.

ARC received from Net Galley in exchange for honest review.

Casey McQuiston has a way of telling a story that takes you everywhere the story goes. While this wasn’t a 5-star read for me it was still a good story.
August has just moved to New York to finish a degree that she isn’t even certain about. One January morning she gets on the Q to head to school and meets Jane and instantly there’s a spark.
Jane is always there. Always happy. Always in the same outfit.
August and Jane will take readers on journey no one ever saw coming!
Add in the secondary characters and it’s the best blended family adventure!

Thanks to St Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review. I absolutely loved this quirky cast of misfits who come together as friends turned family. Taking place in modern day New York City, there are elements of fantasy mixed in with this LGBTQ romance. I loved this every bit as much as Red, White and Royal Blue by the same author!

This is it; it’s the queer romcom we’ve been waiting for and the queer romcom we deserve. Not only are the romantic leads beautifully developed, but there is a whole cast of queer characters who you will definitely be glad to get to know. Reading this novel was emotionally fulfilling and validating, as a new adult and a bisexual woman who didn’t come out to myself until last year.

I love this book.

It has been a LONG time since I've fallen for a pair of characters as hard as I fell for August and Jane, or since a book has reduced me to so many tears. I went into this book knowing very little about it on purpose - McQuiston's previous book was a favorite when I read it, and I had high expectations for One Last Stop. Those expectations were met and then exceeded as I flew through the pages. Watching the romantic tension blossom between our main characters was ultimately incredibly rewarding, special, and emotional. It built so slowly that it had anchored in my heart before I even realized how invested I was. These characters are so easy to root for, and easy to love. The ensemble of side characters shines similarly to Red White and Royal Blue - I will say they didn't compel me quite as much at first, but I was sad to say goodbye to them in the end as well. It was refreshing to read a contemporary romance with such a twist as time-travel, and the insertion of newspaper clippings and other media to show Jane's trajectory through time were a beautiful touch to keep us learning pieces of her story. It never felt predictable to me, and I genuinely wasn't sure if my heart would be broken or full when the final climax came around.

While this was not McQuiston's fault in any way, it was definitely weird to read a book set in 2020 without the global pandemic going on. Several large gatherings and mundane occurrences - most notably taking the subway every day - felt a little jarring to read, especially towards the first third of the story. That said, the story felt so anchored in the present day in such beautifully tangible ways that changing it to be pre-pandemic would have felt just as strange, I'm sure. It became a beautiful escapism the more invested and involved I became in how to save Jane from her situation. One Last Stop accidentally became a perfect treatise on loneliness and isolation, a balm for the year, as I watched August and her friends struggle to connect with and keep Jane in their lives, and felt the pain and loneliness of Jane's isolation on the train. The weird timing of this book coming out in 2021 may end up making it the perfect blend of reality and nostalgia for a timeline (timelines?) where the most important thing that happened in 2020 was that Jane and August found each other.

This book went a direction I was not expecting from Casey McQuiston and I. Loved. It. I love August and her relatability. I loved Jane’s development. The side characters were some of my favorites. This book left me eager for more at the end of every chapter.

Upon first glance, I expected this book to be a romance about meeting someone on a subway commute. Definitely NOT meeting someone who is perpetually stuck on the subway without any idea why (but again, I loved the twist). Watching the characters trying to figure out why this person isn’t able to leave the trains while being their fun, quirky selves was excellent.

This book had my bisexuality RAGING. Like, throwing oil onto a fire, RAGING. All of the characters? Beautiful, unique, show-stopping, etc. I loved August as an MC, she had a really fun detective vibe to her on top of the “What do I even do with my life after college?!” crisis that had a “I have moved to a city with no idea what I’m doing.” cherry on top, and I am absolutely living for her. I think many people will be able to relate to her, especially if you have ever been interested in many subjects but just aren’t sure what will make you happiest down the road. Life crisis at 23? I’ll take two, please!

I haven’t ever been to New York, and every time I read about it, I just can’t help but wonder about the supposed magic of it. One Last Stop is a book that showcases the good, the bad, and the subway grime of New York that is so terrible but also, full of opportunity. When August meets her roommates, Nico, Myla, and Wes, I immediately felt kinship with these characters. They have a beautiful friendship full of weird happenings and support, and I love a good story filled with hilarious, easygoing friends, and sweet side romances.

I also enjoyed all of the other characters in this, especially Jane. She is a fantastic, beautiful love interest and the sci-fi twist surprised me, but I thought it was integrated so well that even though I knew this was totally strange and weird, August and her friends really made it just seem like another New York possibility.

This book is unapologetically queer, featuring a cast of LGBTQ+ characters. My bi heart is exploding with how much love I have for the dedication to representation, and humour. One Last Stop is full of pop culture, but also some great one-liners and interactions that left me giggling out loud. It was realistic at times despite the plot, and overall, just such a fun time!!! Pick this up if you want to feel warm.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC!

When I saw that Casey McQuiston was coming out with a new book, I KNEW I needed to read it, and I didn't actually expect to get this arc. I was kind of scared that it would not meet my expectations as RWRB is one of my all time favorite books, but I'm sooooo glad it did not disappoint. I cried twice and broke out laughing a few times, and overall, I just found this to be such a beautiful, heartwarming book.

Full disclaimer, I did not read the book blurb carefully enough before diving straight into this book, so when it jumped into sci-fi territory I was SOOOO confused and I definitely did not see that coming at all. But I think it's super amazing that Casey McQuiston is kind of expanding genres, while still staying true to herself and writing the most beautiful LGBTQ+ books ever.

I love August, I love the way she's written, and the way she thinks and acts. But I ABSOLUTELY STANNNNN Jane. She's written so beautifully, and every aspect of her soul makes me believe in love and sunshine and strawberry milkshakes on a summer day. I also really love seeing an asian character so upfront in a novel, especially in a LGBTQ dynamic. And the way her character and background is developed is so intricate and detailed, and I just absolutely l o v e the representation.

In terms of writing, I found that like RWRB, this book also has a semi-epistolary format? But unlike the letters in RWRB, each chapter starts off with a little snippet from different mediums, and I just found it a super enchanting way to ground the reader and kind of give little pieces of Jane's personality and life, especially since this book has no head-hopping. I also found the use of present tense to be really interesting, but like RWRB, Casey McQuiston can pull it off! It really just pulls you in and makes you feel like you're living the book with them.

I really loved this book, and 10/10 would recommend. As always the dialogue was witty and quippy and fun, and I loved how One Last Stop brought in that element of sci-fi to a beautifully written LGBTQ love story :D.