*thank you to st. martin's press & netgalley for a copy of this arc <3*

⭐️4.5 ⭐️
Casey McQuiston did a wonderful job of creating an entertaining, witty, and romantic love story once again! 'One Last Stop' has everything I love in a romance book: a found family with members who are all enjoyable but very different, a slightly cheesy meet-cute, and two remarkable main characters whose happiness makes me happy. I originally ranked this a 5⭐️ read, but after re-examining a certain line in the book, bumped it down to 4.5 ⭐️. The main love interest is a Chinese American queer woman from the 70's, which was a time period where being openly gay was definitely not socially or, in some cases, legally acceptable. Our main character is a white woman, and when Jane (love interest) has a homophobic and racist encounter with a man on the train, August (MC) tells her not to worry, and that most people "aren't like that anymore". There was no further discuss after that, and I feel that it is not August or Casey's place as white individuals to speak on the experiences that queer people of color face in modern America. Besides that line, the book was a wonderful read and I am extremely attached to the found family! I recommend this to audiences 17+

This was such an unexpected magical book. I loved that the author incorporated so many different types of queer relationships within the book while also touching on so many important social issues within the queer community. By far one of the best LGBTQIA+ I've ever read. I can't wait to read her other novel and forever look forward to what she published next!

Unlike the rest of the world, I've not yet read Red, White & Royal Blue. I keep meaning to, but... life. I'm going to get to it asap now, but goodness, what if it doesn't compare to this gem? This was SO good. It was enjoyable and cute, sweet and interesting, unique, fast paced, well written, I laughed, I cried, I gasped at the surprises. It was one of those books that are just so dang readable. the characters were great, unique, realistic, well developed. I just... really, really liked this one.

Whoa, this was one wild read on a train! This book caught my attention as I have enjoyed some time travel reads in the past, and it certainly sounded like an engaging and unique plot. And I'm happy to say it didn't disappoint.

I loved following along as Jane's unique situation is discovered- a gay woman who has been "stuck" on the train since the 70s. While the time that has passed feels like a blink to Jane, the decades she's missed leave her charmingly out of touch with today's world.

As our main character, August, both falls for Jane and starts to catch onto her situation, the story gets especially interesting. While I did find the middle of the book a little drawn out, the plot came back in full force and kept me engaged until the end. This was a very unique read and I definitely recommend it!

Thank you to St. Martin's Press for my gifted copy.

I absolutely LOVED this book. Casey McQuiston wrote a cast of characters that is topping my 2021 reading list. This book was a delight to read.

Ok. What the heck happened here.

Super major twist - ghosts?! I tried to get past the ghost aspect but I just couldn’t stay in the story.

Not for me. Bummer

Young adult moves to New York and finds a place and love, with a side of magic, is not exactly new, but McQuiston brings to this much-trod ground a cast of delightful characters and a fresh eye for the familiar sights of New York in a way that delighted me from start to end.

I LOVED Red, White, and Royal Blue, so when I saw this offered at NetGalley my expectations were high. And wow, were they met and exceeded!

August Landry is our central chapter, a newcomer to New York. She finds a job at an all-night pancake diner, and a bunch of roommates who, in lesser hands, might read like checkboxes for All The Diversity, but McQuiston brings them wonderfully to life.

The substrate here is August's daily trip on the Q train, on which she keeps encountering a girl who immediately draws her eye. Jane, it turns out . . .

No, I ought to stop right there. Part of the fun was unraveling the mystery along with August. So I'll close this out by saying that the story is fun, and insightful, and sometimes painful, the characters breathe off the page, and the narrative voice is just as whip-smart and charismatic as in that first book.

Definitely LGBTQ friendly, with a good dash of exuberant sex, for those noting such things.

I absolutely loved this book and could not put it down. The characters were amazing and it made me wish I could be friends with them! The book itself was just magical.

Yes yes yessss, Casey McQuiston has topped their debut book with this display of sapphic PERFECTION. The writing is impeccable, the meet-cute was adorable (and felt like it happened over and over again which I love), and Casey's ability to really flesh out characters until they feel so real it's like you're reading about your friends is just sheer brilliance.

I so so SO appreciate Netgalley and the publisher for the copy of this ebook, and it's one I will certainly be buying a hard copy of ASAP.

𝐑𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠: 3/5⭐️⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣
𝐈 𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐝 𝐢𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮'𝐫𝐞 𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐟𝐨𝐫: LGBTQIA+ relationships, drag queens, a lovable cast of characters, found family
⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣
𝗪𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐈 𝐞𝐧𝐣𝐨𝐲𝐞𝐝: Casey McQuiston didn’t disappoint on the characters and their relationships—both the friendships and romantic ones. This book lived up to the standards that were set by Red, White, & Royal Blue: the writing was witty and smart, the supplemental characters rounded out the story, and the main romantic connection was both adorable and steamy. I loved the overall theme of finding family outside of those who are related to you by blood.
⁣⁣⁣
𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐩𝐚𝐮𝐬𝐞: I’ve been somewhat purposely not calling attention to the fact that I was reading this book because I know my issues with it are very niche and personal, and I don’t wish to discuss them further; but I still wanted to post a review in case there is one other person out there that it helps. The “magical” element was really disappointing for me. At the beginning, I gave it a chance and was interested to know why Jane was eternally bound to the subway line; but as the book progressed and it became clear what it was about, I became weary and uncomfortable. The theme of electricity/electric currents is not something that is lighthearted or playful for me, and for that reason the last third of this book was, at times, something I dreaded continuing. I nearly DNF’d at ~80%, but ultimately decided that knowing the resolution (especially because romance stories are formulaically required to have a happily-ever-after ending) was a better alternative than wondering. If you are also sensitive to this subject matter, I will say that I wish that I had known in advance and avoided the book entirely.

I admit this book wasn't my usual genre but I needed a LGBT book for my book challenge. I wasn't too sure about it at first, but then the quirky characters started to grow on me. The secondary characters really made the story great for me.
When August moves to New York, she's not expecting much. Between a shared apartment with weird roommates, a job at a 24- hour pancake diner, and her subway commute to college she's just getting by. But then she develops a crush on Jane, a fellow commuter who helps her out of an embarrassing situation. As she continues to see Jane and become friends, she finds a photograph from the 70s of Jane, who hasn't aged a day. August and her newfound friends from her apartment building try to figure out why Jane is lost in time.
Thank you to Netgalley and St Martin's for the opportunity to read this advanced reader copy. My review of this book is given voluntarily.

I have to say when I started reading this book, the story that came out was not the story I was expecting at all. The story that I read was so much better than the story I thought it was going to be.

First of all was totally not expecting the paranormal aspect of the story. It left me wondering how is this going to end happily, so of course I had to read until I finished.

Secondly it’s marketed as a romance story, and yes there is a romance between August and Jane, but it takes a backseat, at least for me it did. The real star was all the quirky characters, that became a family, and I absolutely loved it. I need friends like these.

Also the ending makes it seem like this could turn into a series, which I would totally read about August’s new adventures.

A time bending fantasy involving f/f romance between a modern woman and a woman lost in 1973 seemingly doomed to ride the Q train forever. Ingenious handling of subject matter with oddments of friends and roommates. It is a look back in time and progress in the LBGTQ world, from closeted to out and proud. Thought-provoking. 45 years is both a long time and a short hop into the future to a world of difference.

I'm not sure what I was expecting with the 2nd book by Casey McQuiston, but this was not it. I will start out by saying I loved reading Red White & Royal Blue and was eagerly awaiting this book. I loved that it was going to be a Female/Female romantic pairing and was very excited. I think that was where this book started to worry me. It came with a lot of hype, probably too much hype and it was nothing like I expected. First off it was oddly paranormal, but in a way that was difficult for me to fathom and trust. The book took place in our current world, so throwing in a paranormal, wibbly wobbly timey wimey Doctor Who-esq plotline totally threw me. The story seemed very drawn out and too long in many parts I kept wanting to speed it up, color me surprised when the final chapter went through several years in only a few pages. I just felt the overall pacing was wrong for me. Now, I read romance for the HEA, the love and the heat, spice "bedroom" scenes whatever you want to call them. This had so much potential, they weren't fade to black scenes, they were more like... fade to vague. I found myself rereading sentences because I wasn't sure what was going on. I really wish the author had gone for it and written something a little more adult and explicit, this felt like a YA love scene.

The story had some good mystery a twisty storyline and a lot of fun characters. I loved the roommates and Issac/Annie Depressant, the gang at Billy's. I think this book will go over well with romance readers who are new to the genre, like more PG romance and are prepared for the paranormal (I wasn't). For me this book was too much and not enough all a the same time.

I received an ARC from Netgalley and voluntarily give my review.

This book is great! Would definitely recommend. Thanks so much to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

Genre: Romance, Magical Realism Rating: ⭐⭐

Please don’t hate me! I know everyone LOVED Red, White, & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston and there has been so much hype about One Last Stop, but it was definitely not the book for me! Full transparency: I have not read Red, White, & Royal Blue, but I requested this book through NetGalley because of all the excitement around it and because, you guessed it, the cover drew me in. Unfortunately this book fell far short of my expectations.

First off, if you don’t already know, One Last Stop is not simply a romance novel, but also incorporates magical realism. Almost without fail… I absolutely abhor magical realism. Yes, okay, I know it was totally on me to see what the genre of the book was before I picked it up, but what can I say? I am a sucker for a pretty cover! Anyway, as with many magical realism books, this novel felt unrealistic, cheesy, and annoying. Essentially, the main idea driving the plot in the novel is that the protagonist, August, falls in love with a girl, who is literally trapped on the subway… literally.

While the romance was cute at times, it felt weird because the two characters obviously held different levels of power over one another, which made it awkward. I also felt like these issues were never really fully addressed, which again, felt uncomfortable.

Furthermore, I don’t mean to exaggerate, but this book was mind-numbingly slow and felt like it took forever to read. Similarly, a lot of the events throughout the book were a little random and didn’t contribute to the overall stories at times. For instance, August spends the majority of the novel trying to find a way for Jane to get off the subway, but a little more than halfway through the book she seemingly decides that planning a party to save the restaurant that she works at is more important than saving the love of her life!?! A lot of events felt like this throughout the book: unnecessary and confusing.

The one aspect of the novel that I did enjoy was the sense of family that August found in her friends and the diverse representation seen in many of the characters in the book. Many of the side characters were extremely lovable. In fact, I probably would have preferred reading Nikos’ and Myla’s love story as opposed to August’s and Jane’s. Wes was cynical in an endearing way and Isaiah and Annie Depressant gave off a vibe that makes you feel like you want to be their friend.

Overall, I simply think One Last Stop just wasn’t the right book for me. As someone who rarely enjoys magical realism and since the novel was slow, I felt like I had to force myself to read it. That being said, the book was written technically well and I certainly think others will likely enjoy it.

I loved this book, and the sweetness between friends, family, and the very beautiful love story. August and Jane’s chemistry is apparent and the best parts of this book are the small moments between them on the subway, slowly and awkwardly falling in love in New York City. I went to college in New York City, so this story resonated with me of finding your friend group and queer family. I loved all the side characters of this book, and would read a book about all of them: Myla, Niko, Wes, Isiah/Annie Depressant. The only reason I did not give this book 5 stars is that I believe there was too much going on in this book: saving a restaurant, a lot of side character love stories (which could have all been a book on their own!), time traveling, a single mom and daughter, and a lost uncle. Sometimes it got to be too much, and some of the nuance was lost in keeping track of all the things going on in the story. But overall, an amazing book that I will particularly recommend for young people finding their way through big cities, finding their place after graduation, and falling in love for the first time.

When August moves to NYC, she meets a mysterious girl named on the subway. Over the course of her commuting, August falls hard for Jane and discovers that Jane is weirdly stuck on the train. It's up to August and her friends unravel Jane's mystery to save her. Part mystery, part sci-fi, and part romance, August also uncovers answers to her own family mysteries.

This book was just okay for me. I didn't find it to be particularly funny or cute and I didn't connect with the characters that much. August and Jane both annoyed me as main characters. Also I did not enjoy this one as much as I could have because it felt so much longer than it was. The story just dragged on and there were points I got bored and put it down. I know there will be a lot of hype for this book, but I don't think it deserves it.

Thanks to NetGalley and St Martin's Press for my ARC.

So, let me start by saying this is a magical realism book. There is time travel involved. No one told me, and it took me by surprise. It was still good, but I was expecting a romance, which it is, but it includes time travel.

Now that that’s out of the way, I must say that I thoroughly enjoyed this book. August is a great character with plenty of flaws. I loved Jane almost as much as August did. I desperately wanted to know more about her, and I felt completely satisfied by her development. The highlight of the book is the cast of characters that surround August. I loved all of them, and I especially loved their motivations, goals, and specific characteristics that made them unique.

I enjoyed the story, and I look forward to many more books by this author. Thank you, Casey McQuiston, St. Martin’s Press, and NetGalley for the ARC.

I will be highlighting the book on my IG on June 15: @LyatsLibrary

I really wanted to enjoy this one. And Honestly, it could be just me, maybe I wasn't in the mood for a romance but I just felt like I was forcing myself to finish this one and in the end, I bailed. Overall, I feel like the story was good, it just wasn't doing it for me.