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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Red, White, and Royal Blue is one of my most favorite books, so I was excited about McQuiston’s next book…. but I’ll admit that I was a bit skeptical when I found out that it was going to be a love story with a subway ghost. To be fair, my curiosity was definitely piqued by this premise, so I went into my reading experience with any open mind.

August has spent her entire life helping her mother with a missing-person cases, and she’s grown rather resentful of this over the years. So, in some ways, it’s ironic that she becomes just as consumed with researching 1970s Brooklyn in her quest to help Jane.

This is a solid rom-com, but there’s a definite mystery element as well. Helping Jane recovery her story becomes a priority, with dual concerns: what happened to lead us to this point, and what’s going to happen next?

We only have August’s perspective in this narrative, and as much as it would have been nice to have Jane’s, it makes sense that we don’t. After all, Jane lives in the moment and doesn’t remember much of anything that happened to her before she ended up on the subway.

The development of the romance is exquisite. It’s certainly unconventional: how do you have a relationship with someone who can’t ever leave the subway? But somehow, they make it work.
I would absolutely recommend One Last Stop. I’m pleased to admit that my concerns were unfounded. This book was amazing and there are so many lovely heartfelt moments. It’s sweet and funny and poignant. I would read a spinoff book featuring any of August’s roommates. This book was so different from RW&RB, but they are both so lovely in their own way, and I’m already looking forward to McQuiston’s next book, no matter what it’s about.

It took me two days to finish just the first twenty percent of this book. It was quite the slow read in the beginning and once you hit twenty percent it’s like wham. The author hits you with this curve ball that is this huge twist in the story and gosh, it got so darn interesting. I had so many questions and just loved it from then on. August and Jane are brilliant, beautiful and just lovable. I adored August’s entire adopted family too and wish I could read each of their stories. This story is for the ages, quite literally too. I absolutely adored it and would highly recommend this book.

I received this ARC from NetGalley and the publisher for an honest review*

My GOODNESS this book was such a delight. As a bonus to the stellar, well developed, exquisitely crafted romance, ONE LAST STOP is a love letter to the NYC Queer community.

This book also took place very close to home for me. Figuratively and literally. And also, I LOVE that Casey McQuiston's two last novels have had bisexual protagonists. It makes me so happy to read just wonderfully written, fully realized bisexual characters.

A big thanks to Casey's publicist, who shared this e-galley with me. I can't wait to put this one on my shelf in print.

I ordered this book for an article for LitHub tentatively titled "Romance Novels for Hot-Everybody Summer." OLS is is one of eight romance novels I recommend for readers looking for books with characters who have agency over their choices and are leading full and complicated lives that aren't defined by their identity markers but enhanced by them. Here's my review of the book:

One Last Stop by queer writer Casey McQuiston features anxious college student and amateur sleuth August Landry who has instant heart-eyes for Jane Su, and while most love seems impossible, imagine having to overcome time and space with a woman displaced on the Q train since the 70s. McQuiston weaves in heart-thumping music, Strawberry Milkshake Pop-Tarts, LGBTQ+ American history from the last 60 years, and a queer ensemble cast who loves fiercely and openly as they celebrate joy and acceptance with their found families.

No link at this time, but I wanted to post feedback before the deadline!

Ultimately, I feel like this book is trying to do too much and does not give enough air to the plot elements to make them feel real. Because the story makes you keep jumping between things without settling on them long enough to get serious (except for a few moments later in the book), I felt like I was more aware of the setting since that was the only consistent thing. Basically, a lot of this book feels convenient and predictable and the way that it romanticizes New York City made me roll my eyes. I am a HUGE fan of the found family trope, but the idea that our character shows up to the city and finds the perfect apartment with a group of queer friends that are all indie movie quirky and yet somehow manage to afford rent just makes me tired. At one point in the book, August is neither going to class nor work for THREE WEEKS and yet there's never any issue. She just ultimately passes her classes and apart from one comment about her bank balance being in the single digits, she can still afford everything. Also, she's accepted back into her job instantly because she's the main character.

I get that this is romantic comedy logic and so won't bother other people, but I feel like it's indicative of my issues as a whole. Issues come up and then are solved conveniently and without enough effort on August's part. There are occasionally references to effort, but it felt like if the conversation couldn't be distilled down to a few snappy lines of dialogue then it was summarized instead of getting into the messy part. Because you are in August's point of view, you do get more depth there in terms of her insecurities and issues with her mother but even then <spoiler> I feel like she has a comment to recognize that she's doing this investigation the way her mother would and then she just moves on. I get that she's avoiding thinking about it, but also it feels like the book just doesn't have room for it, so ultimately it comes out in a conversation or two where things are neatly wrapped up.

In general, I was more interested in the potential of a lot of the other side characters than August herself, but mainly Jane/Biyu. I think that her life story had a lot there to talk about, but it's again largely summarized from August's POV. Jane is a big example of things being too convenient. Despite being trapped in a subway for forty years, despite everything in her past, you never really get to see her have negative emotions. In the one fight that she and August have, August does mention 'Jane has seemed conveniently chill about this whole thing' and I was felt like FINALLY we were going to have Jane be a whole messy person, but then that fight gets solved pretty instantly without things really feeling like they've changed. And I wasn't a huge fan of the fact that the traumatic events of Jane's past and losing friends in the horrific arson feel, again, more like August because she's focusing on her uncle. The same thing happens when Jane comes to the present - her unhappiness is mentioned but not really gone into. Because you never see these characters deal with serious things, I felt like I was being told they were in love more than experiencing it. </spoiler>

I could go on but yeah, that's basically it: to convenient, too saccharine, trying to do too much. I'm glad we're at a place in publishing where nb writers can just write out their id and have fun with it, but it didn't work for me.

This book is a cast of characters that you will love and hold on to forever. I really enjoy stories about created families (friends and neighbors that form a found family) and the New York City setting really lent itself to this theme.

August is finding her place in New York City with new a apartment, new roommates, a new job, and school. One day on the subway, she meets Jane and is instantly intrigued. Without giving too much away, the story has a time travel element that I was not expecting but really enjoyed. The relationship between August and Jane is so lovely and you will root for them to overcome all obstacles.

Overall this book is a love story about romantic love, love of friends, and love for yourself. I have not read McQuiston’s other popular title, Red, White and Royal Blue but reading One Last Stop has rocketed this title to the top of my reading list.

Thanks to Casey McQuiston, St. Martin’s Press, and NetGalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book demonstrates love in so many different ways, I just want to give it a hug.

I loved August, her quirky roommates/coworkers/neighbors who become her found family, and Jane. August is one smart cookie, determined to help Jane remember her past.

Casey McQuiston’s bright, smart writing is balanced with shadowy mystery in both Jane and August’s story. The chemistry between August and Jane crackles, and the slow burn until they *finally* address their feelings (they aren’t just kissing for research!) is worth it.

Four heart soaring eagles!
🦅🦅🦅🦅

Thanks to @netgalley and the publisher for the ARC!

Can you fall in love with someone that isn't really there?

That is the quandary that August Landry has when she runs, almost literally, into Jane on the Q train. Moving to New York to continue to change her degree and get away from her mother and her mother's obsession about finding her brother August finds herself drawn to someone on the subway in a way that she never wanted to be. Staying away from people keeps you from getting hurt. August initially thinks that Jane has rejected her when she doesn't want to go out for drinks but soon finds out that Jane cannot leave the Q train. She's not from this time and can't move off the line.

That is just the tip of the iceberg for this story that almost immediately sucked me in. There are also a myriad of fun roommates who all bring something new, unexpected, or simply different to the story. None of these characters are necessarily ones you expect to see in a romance novel and they bring so much life to this novel that it has free space in my brain from now on. I am excited to see what McQuiston comes out with next.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the e-arc of One Last Stop by Casey McQuiston.