Oh sweet spilled coffee- I loved ONE LAST STOP

What I love about Casey McQuiston is her ability to write characters that feel alive and part of the world. Her stories make me laugh out loud one moment and sigh the next.

It's tender, funny, genuine and thoughtful. It's sexy, magical and romantic. It's glitter, drag queens, subway cars, unsolved mysteries and LOVE. All the elements of love: platonic love, romantic love, love for a found-family, love for NYC and love for self. .

The story felt absolutely grounded yet completely lofty and unexplainable. The characters were well formed yet fluid with "chefs kiss" representation: queer, bi, trans, BIPOC and neurodiverse.

While I feel hard for the lead couple: August and Jane, I was equally smitten with the cast of our queer found-family. I kept wishing I could smoosh myself into a bench at Billy's 24 Hr. Pancake Diner to be part of the crew.

𝐎𝗪𝐍 𝐕𝐎𝐈𝐂𝐄𝐒: ⁣
I try to link up #ownvoices reviews when I find them. I look forward to reading reviews from #ownvoices perspectives. When they start pouring in I'll share to stories.

This was just the story I needed to read in 2020. Granted it doesn't come out for a few months more I am in love with how amazing it was.

August has decided to move to a new city to continue going to school. Upon arriving in NYC she goes to see about a room in an apartment and meets Nikko a psychic who loves her instantly. She meets the other roommates Myla (Nikkos GF) and Wes. She goes about her day going to school and going to her new job as a waitress settling into the new life she has. But then she meets Jane on the subway and instantly has a crush on this impossible girl. As she gets to know Jane better she starts to realize things about her are a little weird. Her outfit never changes, she uses a tape player, she doesn't have a cellphone and doesn't get certain pop culture references. After finding a photo of her from the 70's she realizes that she hasn't aged a day and might actually be stuck from the 1970's.

This is a gorgeous found family story with speculative fiction thrown in the mix. I loved the seamless integration of time travel. It is a great read and is everything I expected from McQuinston. I may even say I liked it more than <i> Red, White and Royal Blue </i>

August is implied to be plus sized and is bisexual. August isn't perfect which is something I like in a main character. But she does have some trauma that isn't fully explored, it is mentioned but it isn't really shown how she worked through it. Just a few chapters later she is talking to her mom and has seemingly forgiven her for her odd upbringing.

Jane is Chinese American and gay. She is displaced from the 1970's, and was an advocate for gay rights in her time. Stuck on the subway she stands up for others on the subway and sprinkled throughout history is her being a good person and helping whoever she can. (Even though she stole a scarf)

The rest of the cast of characters are a range of diversity. These include a jewish gay character, a drag queen, a trans latino character and an asian queer character (based on dating history). I love the amount of diversity and the fact that the love interest was diverse as well. But having all these characters in the background to a white cis character although appreciated opens up the conversation about why August wasn't as diverse as everyone else.

Thank you NetGalley for reaching out to me about this book.
After reading RW&RB by this author, I knew I had to pick up anything and everything they wrote next. City lesbians in a Kate and Leopoldo retelling? Sign me up! I was absolutely obsessed with this book. Casey has such a way with writing characters, I felt like I was actually apart of August’s friend group as I was reading. I wanted to live in this book. I can’t wait until it comes out (no pun intended) so that more people can enjoy this masterpiece. I will definitely be buying myself a physical copy and reading it again this Summer.

4.5 Stars

CWs: Graphic depictions of sex, some instances to homophobia and racism, family estrangement, and allusions to grief and familial loss.

"There aren't perfect moments in life, not really, not when shit has gotten as weird as it can get and you're broke in a mean city and the things that hurt feel so big. But there's the wind flying and the weight of months and a girl hanging out an emergency exit, train roaring all around, tunnel lights flashing, and it feels perfect. It feels insane and impossible and perfect."

Once again, Casey McQuiston has made me feel every single one of my feelings, and I am GRATEFUL.

"One Last Stop" is a joyous, effervescent, incredibly smart, incredibly millennial romantic-comedy. The pitch was "Kate & Leopold" meets quirky queer rom-com, and it is exactly that, but also SO MUCH MORE. Not only is there such an amazing cast of queer characters, phenomenal banter and group dynamics, and a sapphic romance absolutely brimming with yearning and desire, but there's also really strong driving elements of mystery and sci-fi. You get to see August making her way in New York, building up her friend group, and falling in love with this mysterious girl on the subway—and figuring out who Jane really is, where she comes from, and how her existence is even possible is a really central question explored throughout the book.

So not only do you get this delightful slow burn love story between two useless sapphics, but you really get invested in figuring out the mystery and impossibility that is Jane Su, and every single piece of new information irrevocably colors the buddy relationship between August and Jane. Their dynamic is constantly shifting throughout the book, and that's part of what makes it such an addictive story to read.

It's also a deeply emotional story. It really taps into that experience of being unmoored, unsure, and feeling impossibly small in an ever-expanding world. August is a struggling millennial in every possible sense. She works in food service, she always seems to be a dollar away from her savings account quitting on her altogether, she is finishing college but has no idea what life outside of school looks like (or can look like), and she can only see herself as a drowning, unlovable mess. Her life is an unpredictably freeform disaster where everything that can go wrong will go wrong. Not only that, but she is incredibly lonely, and the fact that everyone else seems to know exactly what they should do and who they should be only makes her feel even more lonely.

And that parallels so nicely with what's happening to Jane, a young queer activist perpetually and impossibly stranded on the Q day after day, being surrounded by people and touching so many people's lives but ultimately remaining faceless to so many—just another body on the daily commute. I think the story is very much about these two lonely people recognizing each other in their loneliness and truly seeing the other person for not only who they are but everything they could be. It's the kind of relationship where the more the characters get to know each other, the more they give to each other, the more real they become, not only to the outside world but to themselves. It's about the kind of love that makes you recognize yourself and brings the world around you into even sharper focus.

When all is said and done, it's a beautiful, hilarious, thoughtful love story that's positively overflowing with life and love (and food). It's about learning to let go, to accept that the things that might hurt you are the things most worth fighting for, and that just because something is impossible doesn't mean it's hopeless. It's about how we are all worthy and deserving of incredible love even when our lives are falling apart or when it seems like nothing will ever make sense again. It's a celebration of the people who see you and sustain you and accept you for exactly who you are.

Honestly, I could go on and on and on, but this was just fantastic. It's a blindingly passionate love letter to New York, to friendship, to queerness, to self-discovery, and to magic that's just impossible enough to be possible. Even though there were some threads of backstory I wanted to see developed a little bit more, I absolutely loved this book. It's a masterful and worthy follow-up to "Red, White & Royal Blue" while being entirely different and joyful in its own way. The early praise is more than earned. You will not want to miss this one.

McQuiston's second novel is a fantastical romance. It's an interesting mashup of movies like "Sliding Doors," "Kate & Leopold," and "Serendipity." Fans of these movies will be intrigued, especially if you appreciate seeing a lesbian couple at the center. Unless you're a fan of the genre, it might be a bit of a hard sell. McQuiston is good at setting up the players and MacGuffin of the story, so we can follow what takes place. Yet, the pace does get slow at times, it's a great conceit looking for a plot.

Fans of her wonderful debut novel, 2019's "Red, White, and Royal Blue" will be surprised at how different the two works are. It's clear McQuiston isn't interested in repeating herself. I look forward to seeing where she goes next.

I am so grateful I was able to read this gem before it’s May pub date because it was BEAUTIFUL. If you read Red, White, and Royal Blue, you’re very much aware of Casey McQuiston’s writing. It’s sharp, witty, humorous, and completely tugs at your heartstrings. McQuiston’s follow up novel is every bit as wonderful as you’re imagining it will be. I laughed. I cried. I desperately miss these characters.

August, a lonely perpetual student, moves to New York with hardly a plan. When taking the Q, there she meets Jane and instantly falls in love. But like, very awkwardly because Jane is way cool and August is well, not. Or at least doesn’t think she is. What starts as a friendship, quickly escalates as it turns out Jane is stuck on the Q - an apparition? A ghost? A time traveler? It’s all a bit weird, but August plans to help her figure out her story.

This book made me want to be 23 and live in a tiny ass NYC apartment with some quirky and completely lovable characters. I want my next door neighbor to be a fabulous drag queen, and I want to work at a house of pancakes. PREORDER THIS NOW.

If you haven't read Casey McQuiston's first book, Red, White & Royal Blue do it. Right now!

I was afraid that her second book, One Last Stop, wouldn't have that same love and soul. It was a needless fear because this book is nothing but love and soul.

August is 23, socially awkward, unsure what to do with her life other than not help her mom continue to look for August's uncle who went missing before August was born. She's moved to NYC to finish college and maybe figure out her life.

On the subway, on her way to class, a spilled coffee leads to a chance encounter that totally upends August's life.

One Last Stop is about found family and love in all its shapes, sizes and colors. It's charming, heart-warming, sexy, glittery, magical and utterly satisfying. LGBTQ rep, drag queen fabulosity, time travel, psychic realness, and dogged determination blend into the most satisfying spiciness.

All of the characters are so fully realized that I feel like I know actual people. They're quirky and unusual but it never felt forced or fake.

The author skillfully shows what being queer was like in the 70s and how things have changed but it never felt like a "back in my day" lecture or a history lesson.

Even the more fantastical parts of the story felt thoroughly thought out and plausible.

There's a warm and tender tone to the writing, even when the characters are dealing with hard things like having their heart broken. You can tell the author cares what happens to them which spills over to the reader caring. I never felt emotionally manipulated which can happen in books with Major Feels.

The plot had many strands but they're so skillfully written that I was never confused. No cliffhangers or unresolved issues which yay.

This book was pure delight. Not in a gross, sappy way but in a real way. There's heartache and I cried at times but everything was perfectly written. I want more stars so I can give them all to One Last Stop.

It's weird and wild and wonderfully entertaining.
Parts felt a little long, especially the last chapter (of which most I think is unnecessary), but overall, I think it's better than her previous book.

Amazing! I was really concerned One Last Stop wouldn’t live up to Red, White & Royally Blue, but it was even better. This one was so fun, and certain portions were so steamy! Also, as an Chinese girl from California, I loved to see asians represented as LGBTQ. And it was refreshing to see that no all the parents were judgy, so embraced their children’s choices. Casey McQuiston just keeps getting better with each book, and I can’t wait to read her next novel!

August is a woman without direction, moving to New York City to get lost in it, hoping to find herself as a result. She finds herself living with a merry band of queer 'misfits' as the deal was too good to turn down, enrolled in local college, and with a job waiting tables at a local diner though she's never waited a table a day in her life. On the subway one day, she meets and develops a crush on a woman named Jane, and she soon realizes Jane is not all she appears to be. A romance lost in time, a diner running on its very last legs, and a woman constantly searching for an identity to call her own, One Last Stop is a big-hearted love letter to the ideas of chosen family and the power of the village that is the queer community in the relentlessness that is NYC.

All of this being said, once the cards were being overturned, I do wish that August's journey and eventual discovery of who she believes she is hadn't been rooted so strongly in Jane/Biyu and her relationship there. There was a strong chance to have fun with the 'manic pixie dream girl' idea we all love so much and in that, it mostly set out what may have been intended as large swaths of the book as August using her background in private investigations (don't worry - this is a detail that also plays as a card to turn as the story folds in on itself in a somewhat contrived manner) to actually deconstruct who and what Jane is. But in spending so much time here and without really giving Jane an existence or identity outside of August, I had a difficult time truly caring by the reveal at the end. Myla, Wes, Niko, Isaiah, Lucie, and more - there's a rich tapestry of characters I longed to have spent more time with instead of only learning about them more as it was convenient and necessary for August's story, a story that left me merely lukewarm by the end.

McQuiston's intent is pure and technical skill is on display in full force here - you feel each of these emotions every step of the way, but in focusing the narrative on the parts that she has and putting August at the center of this entire world, there's a missed opportunity here in not refocusing the story on other characters and really putting the beauty of queer love on full display.

i'm going to have to reread to really piece together my thoughts - but I really enjoyed Casey McQuiston's second book - August was charming, and New York City was fun, and the whole apartment gang was a vibe.

but ahem, don't shoot me, i missed the political urgency of RW&RB - so I'm going to have to be in spring happy headspace to read this and very distanced from politics, cause that's why I love RW&RB - no matter how bad a day, I can escape into Alex's life. I don't quite feel *that* way about OLS yet, but maybe one day?

One Last Stop

“You know that feeling? When you wake up in the morning and you have somebody to think about? Somewhere for hope to go? It’s good. Even when it’s bad, it’s good.”

I would like to thank NetGalley and the publishers (Jennifer Mok in particular) for giving me an ARC of this book.

“A 23-year-old realises her subway crush is displaced from 1970's Brooklyn, and she must do everything in her power to help her - and try not to fall in love with the girl lost in time - before it's too late…”- Goodreads

After reading Red White and Royal Blue, and being a massive fan of the book and Casey Mcquinston, I was honoured to have been chosen to receive an ARC of One Last Stop. With this book, I was truly hoping to have all the emotions that RWARB stirred in my heart, but unfortunately, for me, it just didn’t hit the mark.

The things I enjoyed were the vibrant, bustling and organic take of New York that we get to witness through Mcquinston’s writing. Many times I felt I was on the subways, walking through the dark alleys or sitting in the room of my small and cosy apartment in the heart of the city of New York. I also liked how there were a few sub plots taking place amongst the central storyline that kept me intrigued to find out what would become of the stories and what connection they possibly had to Jane’s story. August also has a wonderful group of supportive friends, who are there with her through this journey, giving her the confidence and reassurance she needs.

The challenges I faced with this book was the slow start that it had for the first 150 pages or so. It truly starts to pick up in the second half and from there we are going in leaps and bounds as revelations are made. I also struggled connecting with August and found her to be holding up a wall that I couldn’t break through, for the course of the book. This made is difficult to understand Jane and the disconnect led to a story which had its cute moments but not swoon worthy like RWARB.

Having said these things, I do believe that books can speak to you in ways that you least expect and I truly hope that for many of you, this book does the same and you find the same magic in this, that I found in her debut novel, Red, White and Royal Blue. I wish Casey the best for the release of One Last Stop on 6th May, 2021 and I look forward to watching it take over the Bookstagram and Bookish community! Readers are going to love this book and Casey should be extremely proud of herself for this achievement.

This was really quirky and delightful! It's crammed full of eccentric characters and mid-twenties-life-crises and queer found-family and a mystery about a magical girl tethered to a subway in New York City. I absolutely fell in love with the cast (especially Niko and Myla!) and how it effortlessly included trans, bi, POC, and fluid rep. There's of course the famous McQuiston banter too! August is like a lowkey anxious introvert detective at times and an easy character to love.

It leans very heavily into magical realism, so it's pretty different in plot and premise to Red, White & Royal Blue. Think ECCENTRIC and go from there. Also there's such a thing as requiring public consent, aka having sex in public is not okay, and I did feel unhappy with some scenes. Having sex on a subway is also so dirty, for them AND for the next people sitting there. I was also cautious about the tokenisation of POC drag queens (always there to save the day for the white cis girl and be dramatic and make her life more magical?)

This book had a cute romance, and I liked Jane in particular as a character, but the use of August as a cis white avatar through the world of drag queens of color and 1970's Chinese American culture was grating. This book would have been more successful if the author had any connection to either community she writes about.

Everyone - you are not ready for this love letter to New York, queer found family, searching through history, glitter, drag, and spilled coffee speculative fiction masterpiece.

A truly electric love story with a brilliant cast of characters! It's the perfect mix of science fiction, mystery and romance. So much passion! So many shenanigans! One Last Stop is smart, sexy fun, but you'll still need that box of tissues for the tears. My heart!

I was lucky enough not only to get this book early on edelweiss, but through an email from the publishing team for this book. I’m insanely thankful for them for reaching out due to my love of the author’s debut book. This book followed up wonderfully and in no way disappoints. I was asked to be honest in my review and I will be, the issue is it’ll probably end up with me gushing with how much I loved it.
I love Casey’s an amazing author who manages to draw you in no matter what of their books you're reading. As someone who is also nonbinary, I truly appreciate their writing, bringing full queerness out in every stroy and shaping characters of all genders perfectly.
This story follows August as she’s a new arrival of New York City. This story is this wonderful mix of romance and mystery and just a pinch of something that seems supernatural but is actually something closer to science fiction. And I think that’s why it hooks you. We’ve all read books with people who are kept apart for unknowable reasons, but Casey brought this new twist to the story you don’t see often. It’s not simple, not a straightforward thing that needs fixing. Between that sci-fi twist and the twist in the story itself that left me gasping in surprise, this was just such an amazing experience and I won’t be able to stop talking about it any time soon.
As for these amazing characters I loved them all for so many reasons. August reminds me so much of myself, a little too caught up in the mystery surrounding her, a little more a student in everything she does than someone who simply acts. She’s perfectly balanced by free loving Jane who is deep and complicated and a rebel but also someone who’s aching for a fix to her situation, who loves the world and the people she meets but falls so madly for August as August does her. It’s always such a great read when we get a butch lesbian, something that doesn’t happen often in books and media. And I loved her experience with queerness. This book does so well at showing us all that all our experiences are valid. It explains how some of us don’t have nice comings out. Isaiah’s coming out is much like my own, something traumatic and leaving you still feeling burned. Jane’s experience is a truth for a lot of queer people back in the 70s and even now. Instead of having to live with your family not being able to accept you, you take off, find a new family, find happiness where you can. And we see this another character as well, another piece of the mystery from the start that you have a feeling is connected but when you find out the truth it really blows you away.
I loved how diverse this book is, how each character shown through so amazingly. It’s a great example of how to do a book that’s not strictly one thing and balance all the pieces perfectly. I honestly could not get enough of this book and the characters and I’ll honestly ache for them now that I’m finished.

An absolute delight in every way. I adored this book! Probably the most joyfully, unapologetically queer book I've ever had the pleasure to read. ONE LAST STOP has all the humor, sex, and romance of a rom-com, while also grounding itself in a wonderful cast of characters and powerful emotions. An absolute must read.

I loved everything about this story, but the characters are absolutely the heart of it. Casey McQuiston needs to teach a masterclass on character creation. Every single one of them is so lovable and unique and hilarious. I found myself desperately wanting to be in the room with them, plotting and joking. They love each other fiercely, and it bleeds from the page with every interaction.

Very few authors can manage to write dialogue that sounds so modern and real without sounding like pandering. McQuiston made me laugh out loud regularly, penning exchanges that I could imagine my own friends saying over drinks at a party. It's a true gift and I'm incredibly pleased at how deftly she applies it to her novels.

I have no doubts that this book will go on to be just as beloved as McQuiston's debut novel. She really is a force and a talent in the industry, and we're incredibly lucky to be able to witness it.

<i>Thank you St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for providing me an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.</i>

4.5 stars

<i>One Last Stop</i> is the story of August, a bisexual college student who has transferred from school to school in hopes of finally finding something that feels right. When she moves to New York as another attempt to finish her degree in a place that feels like home, she finds some lovable yet slightly odd roommates, a charming pancake diner, and notably, a drop-dead gorgeous girl on the subway. Speaking of drop-dead...August has the feeling that there might be something up with the ethereal Subway Girl Jane. Is she dead? A ghost? Lost in time? It's a mystery she's set on solving. For research purposes, of course. Totally not because Jane is the most beautiful, intriguing, lovely person that August has ever met. Yeah.

I had high hopes for <i>One Last Stop</i> from the beginning and I can confidently state that those were met. Casey McQuiston has such a distinctly descriptive, emotional, whimsical way of writing. I haven't read a book with such unique characters and vivid descriptions in awhile--who knew someone could make New York sound so charming? I was impressed by the incredible diversity within the cast of characters along with the creative plot elements. McQuiston has truly mastered plotting detailed, layered stories that wrap up so nicely. There are so many subplots to this novel and yet McQuiston is able to make them all connect and make sense.

The relationship between August and Jane was fantastic. McQuiston uses such a great blend of humor, awkward moments, and tenderness to make their relationship feel so genuine and right. The ups and downs August and Jane experienced were equally interesting to read. Their fights seemed emotional and real without feeling toxic or over-the-top just for some extra drama. I also appreciated the even balance between Jane's romantic life, family connections, and friendships.

Overall, <i>One Last Stop</i> is a beautiful sapphic novel with wonderfully diverse characters and an impressively multi-layered plot. I think my only complaint was that there were some parts in the beginning and maybe the middle that felt a bit slow, but other than that, I would highly recommend this novel.

One Last Stop follows a girl named August, who recently moved to New York City. When August falls for a girl named Jane on her subway commute, she realizes that Jane is actually a girl from the 70s who got stuck in time on the Q subway line.

This story was beautiful. It’s queer, it’s got that intense and steamy romance that Casey McQuiston is known for, and it perfectly captures that NYC vibe. There’s drag queens, quirky and unique characters, and it punches you in the heart with feelings. This book was such an incredible read for me.