It is so difficult for authors to live up to the hype of a great debut, but Casey McQuiston has done it! Their sophomore romance wraps you up in the sway of the New York subway, the comfort of a neighborhood diner, and the magic of a little time travel. With characters as bold and mysterious at the Manhattan Bridge, McQuiston captures both the small and the loud details of the city that never sleeps. From drag shows to tiny apartments, this book pulls you along for the ride, striking an incredible balance of being pulled into the story while also viewing it from the outside, as though you were witnessing the love story unfold from the other side of the train car. McQuiston weaves history into this novel like they weaved politics through Red, White, and Royal Blue, and the result was just as deliciously rich. Readers will also NOT be disappointed in the steamy scenes, which are guaranteed to make you look at subway seats differently after reading! Addressing anxiety, love, family, loneliness, and the occasional existential crisis of having slipped through time, this novel truly does have something for everyone, though LGBTQ+ readers will certainly feel the representation the most. Finding queer family, discovering love despite the odds, is sure to resonate deeply, as it did with me! Overall, a beautiful love story that is sure to become timeless!

EXCELLENT! Casey McQuiston has done it again! The premise is so out there, but she pulls off a beautiful novel full of depth and characters you want to hold close to your heart forever. I loved this book.

This is one of those books that I couldn't wait to review, as it was just so much fun to read and think about long after I had finished. It has so many elements that I love seeing in books and everything was orchestrated perfectly.

While I enjoyed Red, White & Royal Blue, I loved this one twice as much. It is full of quirky characters, drag shows, pancakes, private investigations, psychics, time travel, pop culture, etc. I liked the setting, as well. It really captured the essence of Brooklyn.

This was such a great romantic story and I loved the connection between August and Jane throughout. There were some steamy scenes that took my breath away. The detailed use of description brought the story to life in all it's vividness. The dialogue was witty and moved the story along at a nice pace. I could tell that Casey McQuiston put so much love into this novel as it beams out from the pages. I still can't stop thinking about it.

Movie casting ideas:
August: Nadia Alexander
Jane: Cora Tran (I saw her in The Prom and immediately thought of Jane)
Niko: Ehren Kassam
Myla: Midori Francis
Wes: Miles Heizer
Lucie: Galadriel Stineman
Isaiah: Todrick Hall

Casey McQuiston's character development is unbelievable. She brings the characters to life and makes you feel like they are really your friends. One Last Stop will make you pine and hope, cry and laugh, and fall in love all over again.

Whelp. Guess who just got added to my auto buy authors? That's right folks. This magical creature named Casey McQuiston.

I am not one for romance. Usually, I need a book with more going on, like a heist or a cult or a revolution. Add on to that, I hate time travel AUs. They're not something I usually like.

So why did I pick this book up, you ask? Why I read something created at the base by two things I don't usually like?

Because I loved Red, White, & Royal Blue that much and I trusted McQuiston enough to give them a chance to write something so magical I would forget that I didn't even like the genre.

McQuiston delivers an atmospheric adventure of love on the Q, finding yourself and who you want to be, and an ode to the queer found families that make NYC a place we all want to be. Funny and heartbreaking all at once, this book provides a perfect getaway for people who like and dislike romance alike.

Give it a try. You won't regret it.

Thank you St. Martin's Press & NetGalley for the ARC! I actually, verbally screamed when I received it!

Casey McQuiston is a king and I will preorder everything they ever write immediately for the rest of my life.

I would die for absolutely every single character in this book and also I wish to marry Jane immediately.

Now, something that I'm sure will be a Controversial Statement: I liked this book better than RWRB, which I loved, gave 5 stars to, and have already read multiple times. RWRB was an amazing book. One Last Stop is better (in my opinion). It has the perfect combination of mystery, love, lgbtqia+ history (look up the event that is a plot point in this book - it actually happened! learn history!), and millennial humor. I cared so deeply about August and Jane, but I also cared so deeply about every member of their chaotic found family. There was not a single part of this book that made me go "oh my god just get on with it" and as someone with an attention span that is... not great... that's pretty rare!

2021 is truly the year of the mspec protag and One Last Stop was a great way for me to kick it off. It's what we deserve.

Pre-order this immediately. You will not regret it. And then read it immediately, because I need to scream at someone about how much I loved this, but with spoilers.

I also had to get Popeyes two (2) times while reading this. Brace yourselves.

I wish there were more than five stars to give for this book. Here’s what I loved:
A romance that felt like it was reaching into my chest and holding my heart captive.
Characters that felt real and relatable and funny and fully fleshed out.
Queer characters that actually felt like real queer people I know and see every day
A book about New York where I know the author has actually lived in New York and not just visited once.
A main character who had flaws and faults and quirks who I now feel like I’d know if I passed her on the street.
So many feelings!!

10\10 would reread a million times

I LOVED "Red, White & Royal Blue", so much so I was worried about a sophomore effort holding up to my very high expectations. Good news, it did! While I didn't love it as much as RW&RB, "One Last Stop" was so inventive and magical, just what readers need in this ridiculous (and dare I say unprecedented) time to be alive. Seeing the world from Jane's perspective was so charming, and watching August come to terms with the magical realism of her life was lovely.

I'll certainly give this another read when the final version comes out in June.

Do I have LITERALLY 40+ eARCs I have to read? Yes. Have I been eyeing One Last Stop by Casey McQuiston since October and telling myself I need to wait until closer to June because I have (literally) 40+ books I have to review? Yes. Did I finally give in and devour it and I don't feel bad in the slightest? YES.

I'm going to be upfront and say that I have not read Red, White, and Royal Blue...but after how much I loved One Last Stop, McQuiston's writing style, the characterizations, and the pure romance, I am taking it home tonight to read.

One Last Stop follows August--a twenty-three-year-old that just moved to New York in need of a job, a place to live, and purpose. One the way to her first day of classes, she spills coffee all of herself and is saved by Jane Su--a punk mystery woman who has a red scarf to save the day. I loved August and Jane so much. They were both incredibly relatable. Even the aspects that did not compare directly to myself were so easy to fall into.

This book is all I need to see that McQuiston is an absolutely masterful character creator. There are a full cast of characters and they are all completely defined, have formed personalities, are recognizable, unique, and distinct. I loved every single major character in this book--August, Jane, Myla, Niko, Wes, Isaiah, Lucie, Winfield....even the smallest characters on the furthest sidelines have depth. It it really impressive.

The seamless diversity of One Last Stop is also *chef's kiss* brilliant. There are so many identities, sexualities, religions, ethnicities, and experiences between these characters. None of it feels forced though. These characters are just *who* they are and McQuiston paints the beautifully wide range of possibilities so well.

I cannot praise this book enough. I'm positive I'm going to read it again...and soon. Casey McQuiston has made me an ardent fan and I cannot wait to see what else she has up her sleeves.

A great sophomore novel from McQuiston that will have the queers (and everyone else!) swooning for years to come. A little slow and a lot of suspension of disbelief, but I loved this cast of characters. Writing has the modern, pop-culture-y elements that were present in RWRB, which reads to me a bit like fanfiction, somehow? There's something about it that takes me out of the novel, but still a solid 4 stars and I want a movie, please!

Casey McQuiston does it again. One Last Stop follows 20-something August as she meets the love of her life, Jane Su on the subway in New York City. August is cynical and relatable and you can’t help but root for her in this story. I won’t spoil anything, but the plot definitely takes some unexpected turns, but I found that overall I enjoyed the story. If you are into young adult and/or LBGTQ+ romances, then you will enjoy this book. If you liked Casey’s last novel, Red, White, and Royal Blue, then this is definitely for you.

Thanks to Net Galley and St. Martin’s Press for the early copy to review!

One Last Stop tells the story of anxious, cynical, precision-note-taking August, who one day meets a girl named Jane on the NY subway and finds her world forever changed. Jane, August learns, is lost in time—somehow stuck in a time loop, forever riding the Q train, and it just so happens that August is the perfect person to help solve the mystery of Jane’s...predicament. The sci-fi spin lends itself to a beautiful, visceral retracing of steps through history—more specifically, that of the queer community in New York.⁣
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@casey.mcquiston paints the city as a glittering time-capsule—a multigenerational kaleidoscope of vibrant inclusivity; community and chosen family; shared struggle and joy. I adored the characters in all their “band of misfits” glory; the themes of family lost and family found. Each of the side characters felt nuanced and so well-developed; authentically woven into the world of the story, rather than existing solely for the benefit of the main character. McQuiston has created a community that feels gritty and heartfelt and true.🌈⁣
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And, of course, I was totally enthralled by the constant pulse of longing and undeniable electricity between August and Jane. I found myself laughing and grinning so many times, and at others👀—let’s just say that this novel got STEAMY.🔥💫 ⁣
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Though this book is first and foremost a romance, it is also part historical fiction; part science-fiction; part fantasy; and part mystery novel, as August gathers clues, trying to piece together Jane’s story. Suffice it to say that, as a fan of ALL of the above genres, I *absolutely* loved it. One Last Stop bends the genre and immerses the reader not only in romance, believable banter, and rich sensory details, but in a mystery to be solved. I didn’t want to put it down.

A great book recommendation for anyone this year. Its an emotional book that really transports you to the subway it's set on. Similar to Red, White and Royal Blue, Casey Mcquinston really grounds her main characters romance In a rich and full world around them. Its weighty and interesting, while still being heart warming.

Perfect for YA and Adult, and would recommend for fans of Casey's first book, Sarah Dessen, or Meg Cabet.

Usually, I give myself a day or so to let a book truly sink in after I finish it before I write a review, but I just can't with this one. To say this book struck straight into my heart would be a little reductive to my current 1am-crying-so-hard-my-entire-shirt-is-soaked-in-tears state, but it's the best way I can describe it.

I cannot think of one single thing about this book that I would change or leave out - my RWRB obsessed self has been waiting on this one ever since Casey started tweeting about it before RWRB even came out, and I can safely say it met every one of my expectations and then some. The plot itself isn't something you would see coming from (or working in) a rom-com, but it's executed so perfectly that it felt oddly normal. There wasn't one character I didn't instantly love, they're all written so vividly that I felt like I knew everyone of them in the way August did. It feels almost reductionist to say that August's character itself was so relatable, but her not knowing who she is, what she wants or where she fits made my heart ache more than once. To get to see this developing over the course of the book alongside her relationships to the other characters was just beautiful. Obviously, I'm totally in love with Jane (as everyone should be), but the way her race and sexuality provided context for who she was instead of being simply who she was was so refreshing and made her one of my favourite love interests of all time. I could write essays upon essays about her, and the love her and August have.

More than all of this, what really struck me about One Last Stop, right from the very first chapter, is the feeling of belonging. This whole book feels like a love letter to the families we create, past, present and future. Drag brunches, the smell of pancakes, frog bones in a sculpture,and one train line connecting it all - it all felt so real, like I was living it myself. It was such a feeling of comfort, like arms reaching out and saying "It's okay to not know. It'll all fall into place one day." This book took all of the things I fear the most and gave them back to me changed, more magical, more manageable. I felt less alone, and I think all the best books make you feel like everything and anything is possible. And you know it's good when the even the sex scenes make you cry.

Casey McQuiston's 'One Last Stop' was one of the most unique books I've ever read. Went into it expecting a well-crafted fun romance with feels (a la 'Red, White & Royal Blue') but it was so much more!! I spent some time trying to figure out how it was going to work out (and IF it was) and it was so compelling that I finished the book in two days. The Brooklyn misfits that drive the story are loveably and unapologetically themselves and after spending time in the book I want to be their neighbor. I think there will be a lot of buzz for this book and it will be in many beach bags this summer.

This was a rather difficult review to write, because in all honesty, as much as I wanted to love this book, I just didn’t. This is by no means a bad book, but there is nothing about it that really stands apart from other romances and it was, in my opinion, very weak compared to her first novel Red, White and Royal Blue. It was just a very perfectly fine book but nothing extraordinary.

With that said, there are some praises I’d like to sing before we get into the parts I didn’t love. This book and the romance were incredibly queer focused and honestly, I thought she nailed it. I was really, really excited to see a queer/bi main character who doesn’t end up with a man like many stories often do, and I love that there was no internal struggle about if she might like women. She was already secure in her queerness and this story was just about finding love. I think this book deals with some heavier topics, but McQuiston does a really nice job of tackling them in a very respectful way – I wouldn’t call it perfect, but it was carefully and considerately done and that deserves props.

However, despite these positives, I have to admit I really struggled to get into this book. It just moved soooooo much slower than Red, White, and Royal Blue and it took me a really long time to feel invested in any of the characters, especially the main character. If we are being completely honest, the entire time I was reading this I just kept shouting in my head “WHEW CHILE, AUGUST NEEDS SOME THERAPY!” I don’t think I was every truly invested in August or her relationship… however, there is a second relationship in the background of this book and THAT is what had my attention. I think its wonderful to have little back stories going on, but something feels off when your side story is more engaging/interesting than the main one. Last but not least there are some parts of this story that feel WAY to farfetched, and I’m not even talking about the elements of magical realism. Maybe I’m jaded because I’m sick of these ode’s to New York City (you know other cities exist right) but come on – we need to be more realistic about the financial aspects of NYC. Its such a simple thing but it truly ruined a lot of the book for me because I couldn’t stop rolling my eyes.

Despite my complaints I want to reiterate this book was perfectly fine and I’m sure other readers will thoroughly enjoy it. I will still happily recommend it to romance readers, both new to the genre like me, and the dedicated one who could easily school me.

Final rating: 2.5/5 stars

So much more than I expected it to be. Wonderful second novel, different than the first but just as warm and welcoming.

(Camera pans to me, casting aside every other book and ARC I have to read so I can start One Last Stop, a book that's pub date isn’t until June 2021)

I knew when I finished Red, White & Royal Blue that Casey McQuiston had locked me down for life as an avid fan. So when I heard they were coming out with a new book, this time a Sapphic love story with a sci-fi, time travel twist? Located in NYC??? UM, HELLO? A gigantic thank you to St. Martin’s Press for quickly giving me an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest (gushing with love) review.

I immediately saw myself in our main character, August. She’s a 23 year old bi girl who’s been hopping around from city to city, university to university, just trying to find a place that feels like home. She feels lost, a little hopeless and most of all, lonely. It seems like everyone else has their shit together and knows what they want from life. What’s she doing wrong? She takes a leap and moves to NYC for a fresh start, in hopes that things start to fall into place. She moves into an apartment above a Pop-eye’s with some roommates who make her feel welcome right away. And then she meets Jane.

Here are the things I loved most;
- A genuine, hilarious and warm cast of diverse, queer characters. The dynamics and banter between not just August and Jane, but August and her roommates, my god. Watching a character do the things you’re yearning to do in your own life and seeing it play out in a mostly positive way? That’s cathartic. Like I said, I saw myself in August right away, and this book gave me hope and perhaps a dash of the courage I’ll need to follow in her footsteps.
- Jane Su. No, I do not need to elaborate. You’ll see.
- The sci-fi element was so well done and never felt hard to buy into. August and Jane’s relationship was a slow burn, mostly due to the teeny, tiny time travel problem, and I was invested from the start.
- The themes of loneliness and feeling lost. They hit me hard. This quote in particular made me wince, “But, 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’m not going to make a list of things I didn’t like, because there weren’t really any. This book feels like a warm hug. It’s an ode to self discovery, friendship and queerness. And let’s not forget about those pancakes.

I can’t wait for people to read this so I can gush about it with them. Casey has done it again.

The quotes above were taken from an ARC and are subject to change upon publication.

Oh, Casey. You've done it again. This book is an absolute DELIGHT, it's that book I'm going to read on Netgalley and then buy in print and then listen to on audio. I really cannot wait for the audiobook of this because it will force me to slow down and not fly through the pages.

Prickly August is alone in NYC when she stumbles into a roommate situation with a group of lovable folks who make me miss my 20s in Hollywood. Casey does such a wonderful job of capturing the magic of found family and the beautiful way the queer community has of accepting each other, flaws and all. This book, like RWRB, pays homage to queer history, and no one like McQuiston makes me really feel that pride as though it's June and I'm at the parade celebrating.

Jane is ridiculously hot and the chemistry between her and August was {jazz hands}. I loved the way body image was handled, and I had a ton of fun trying to unravel the mystery of Jane's presence on that damn subway train! How did she get there? Why is she stuck? McQuiston does such a hell of a job keeping us engaged, and the last third of the book is absolute magic.

I cannot wait for everyone to read this!

*representation and tws/cws are listed at the end of this! thank you to st. martin's press for providing me with an arc in exchange for an honest review. all quotes may change upon publication and all opinions expressed in this review are my own.*

"you're movies and destiny and every stupid, impossible thing, and it's not because of the fucking train, it's because of you."

saying that i had high expectations for one last stop is an understatement. after red, white & royal blue became one of my favorite books back in 2019, anything lower than a full 5 stars on this book would've meant disappointment. and then i finally read this (after begging for an arc and checking my email 20 times a day for a reply) and it somehow...exceeded my expectations. because casey mcquiston is incapable of writing anything less than perfection.

one last stop is about a 23 year old cynical loner/part-time detective named august, who's just trying to find her purpose and live life as unnoticed as possible. but after gaining three roommates who are the opposite of unnoticeable and developing the world's biggest disaster crush on cute subway girl jane su, everything changes - especially when she finds out jane has been stuck in time for 40+ years and can't leave the train. the result is a story that's the perfect balance of hilarious, sweet, and moving. where red, white & royal blue is like an uplifting speech spreading hope to the tired and the lost, one last stop is a private letter from a friend, a little more personal and slightly more subdued but no less reassuring.

i literally can't think of a single main or side character in this book who i dislike. august's roommates, friends, and coworkers, as well as august herself, are all so endearing and realistic it's insane (i'm still waiting for niko and myla to adopt me). but the one character who i'll never shut up about, ever, for the rest of time, is jane. jane is a badass chinese-american punk lesbian with nerves of steel and a heart of gold and i love her so much. she's loyal, brave, and the type of person who would buy you snacks when you're sick and then throw a few punches at a racist in the next minute. i was initially drawn to her because of the lack of queer asian characters in media (and, admittedly, because i think girls with undercuts and piercings are...neat) but i grew to love her for so, so many other reasons: her lingering doubts, her past, her unwavering kindness, the way she shoulders so much loss but still goes forth with a smile. her character is truly one of this book's biggest highlights.

on top of that, mcquiston also does a great job with diversity; there's representation for all sorts of sexualities, races, religions, etc. i love how race, sexuality, and gender identity are important to the characters and yet don't become the focus of their personalities (the scattered mentions of chinese culture, from the tiger balm jane carries to the lunar new year references myla makes, make me so happy). with other authors (who will go unnamed for obvious reasons), this book would feel like a checklist: a token poc to insert here, a minor lgbt character with barely any page time there. this definitely isn't the case with one last stop; every character has their own unique depths and dynamics with their friends, families, and partners. (the romance between august and jane is very, very, very good and not toxic, rushed, or shallow in the slightest. but i'm still jealous of august.)

the thing i have to admire most about one last stop, though, is how comforting it is. aside from maybe alice oseman's work, i've never read anything like mcquiston's writing. this book is the literary equivalent of the goddamn sun. it's a love letter to the queer community that oozes every warm and fuzzy feeling in existence, while still honoring those who fought for us in the past and treating serious topics with the respect they deserve. it's a whole home and found family trapped in a bundle of dead tree with pretty art on the front, and i can't stress this enough - it is so good.

all in all, one last stop is an extraordinary second novel that provides refreshing new plotlines, romances, and characters while keeping the humor, comfort, and meaning that made red, white & royal blue so special. it's completely stunning, and, even days after finishing, i still can't think about anything else. i can't wait for it to be found by the rest of the world. it's a masterpiece.

"i love you. summer never ends."

_

rep: bi mc, chinese-american lesbian li, black sapphic sc, puerto rican-american trans sc, gay jewish sc, black gay sc, black pan sc, czech sc

tws and cws: mentions of grief and death, mentions and depictions of anxiety, mentions of destruction (specifically the impact of hurricane katrina), alcohol and drug consumption, mentions of past homophobia and racism, mentions of past hate crimes (specifically the upstairs lounge fire), very brief mentions of blood and violence