I can't believe I am going to say this but- I think I loved this even more than Red, White, & Royal Blue?! I don't know how to begin to describe this book. "All the feelings" is accurate but doesn't even begin to shed light on how beautiful and heartbreaking and hopeful and funny this was. Absolutely Amazing.

Thank you, NetGalley for a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

McQuiston has done it again. I'm pretty sure they've sold their soul to write the perfect romcoms.
The thing about "One Last Stop" and what makes it so perfect is that it's easy to forget none of it's real. Every part of it - from the Q, to August and Jane, Billy's, to Niko and Myla - is so vivid and it's impossible not to fall in love with it all.

Also, there's no better way to read this book than by listening to it on audio during your morning commute. Note: this may leave you distracted for the rest of the day.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4008298519

I really enjoyed the setting of the book and the accepting heartwarming community that was built. I unfortunately did not love one of the main characters - I felt that she was to0 much of a caricature of a tough punk rock lesbian instead of feeling like a fully fleshed out character. I also didn't love the whole stuck on a subway time warp aspect. I really did like the side stories about gentrification and finding family of your own. A little bit of a disappointment as I absolutely loved Red White and Royal.

All I know of New York City, I learned from Rent. If you love books with a diverse cast of lovably kooky characters - this is the romance for you. If you like found families, this is the book for you. And if you like a little magical realism to spice up your story, THIS IS THE BOOK FOR YOU.

If you know Casey McQuiston because you loved “Red, White, and Royal Blue,” but are wondering, “Is this going to be as good? I’ve heard mixed reviews.” I will tell you that this book, both plot-wise and character-wise, are very different from RWaRB. The entirety of this book feels like that trip Alex and Henry and their friends snuck off on in the middle of RWaRB.

I absolutely fell in love with all of these characters. The romance was *chef’s kiss*. I binge listened to the audiobook in about two days - I’m not sure how healthy that is but it was very fun. The narrator is FANTASTIC! Thank you @netgalley and @macmillan.audio for my Advanced Listener Copy - you made my day!

Thank you to NetGalley for an audiobook to listen to and review.

I have heard a lot of good things about Casey McQuiston's first novel so was pretty happy to give this one a try. First, the narrator is great. Second - the story is a combination of all of my favourite things - love, time travel (sort of), subways in New York, and a delightful cast of quirky characters. It was such a fun read and will be a great summer read!

A huge thank you to NetGalley, Kate McQuiston, Natalie Naudus, and MacMillan Publishing for an ARC of the audiobook in return for an honest review!

August Landry isn't what you'd call a believer. From a childhood spent steeped in missing persons files to an adulthood where she dodges anything past her exam booklets for college, August depends only on herself and on her fish shaped knife she keeps in her bag. That is, until she meets Jane.

Like a knight in leather armor, Jane swoops in to save the day. August keeps finding her on the Q train and keeps finding herself staring at the attractive woman. There are romances with worse starts, right? That is, until she finds out that Jane is locked into the Q train and displaced in time from the 70's.

This might be trickier than August thought...

I had high expectations for McQuiston's sophomore book, and she did not disappoint at all. All the things I adored about Red, White, and Royal Blue were present in this book. Her whip-snap wit, the flow of the writing, and the level of detail are all there in spades.

I know the romance was beautiful in her first book, but the romance between August and Jane is devastating. Like the most perfect punch in the gut ever. It is soft and sweet and swift, but so slow and yearning. The romance builds between in the span of train car rides and exchanged sweets, the merging of lives slowly but surely.

What really did it for me with this book was the found family aspect. There is so much to be said for a found family in literature. We all have those friends who become family, some way or another. However, the organic, beautiful structure to August, Niko, Myla, and Wes's friendship is a delight. They are honest and supportive and wonderfully nuanced.

20/10 would recommend to those who love introverts, Veronica Mars lite, queer romances, a smidge of scifi in their plots, and Red White and Royal Blue.

This is not your traditional rom-com. It is fun and quirky - very unique romance. I loved the fun group of characters August meets in New York and her perspective on the city. This is a non-traditional romance with a very unique story. There is a little bit of magic and a lot of character. The audio version was excellent!

Authors, particularly those whose debut novels made a splash, face a career-defining dilemma with their sophomore novels. I impatiently started this book, hungry not only for story, but also for an answer to how Casey McQuiston would evolve as a writer. Would she give us Red, White, and Royal Blue redux, or would she offer something different, which doesn't necessarily equal good?

She gave us different. I miss Alex and Henry. They are larger-than-life characters on the archetypal quest for identity. I experienced the joys of falling in love with them as they fell in love with each other.

But One Last Stop is a damn good novel. The premise is fantastical and mysterious, but these characters provide a comforting, warm familiarity. McQuiston's technique is stronger; at times, her lyricism is somewhat reminiscent of Fitzgerald. Similarly, New York City is as much a shibboleth in One Last Stop as it is in Gatsby.
In short, Casey McQuiston is not a one-trick pony. She's growing as an artist. She mentioned on Twitter that she has finished her third novel while in quarantine. I look forward to seeing where she'll take herself and us on her next stop.

A punk rock, time travel, lesbian romance! What else could a reader ask for?

August lives a life of caution. She's never found a place where she really belongs, or even people she really belongs with. That all changes when she steps on the Q one morning shortly after moving to New York City and meets Jane.

What follows is both a time travel adventure/mystery, a steamy romance (a few of those subway scenes had me turning the volume down in my car just in case other cars could hear it!) and a found family narrative with so much heart it could fill a whole subway car.

I loved August's roommates, Myla, Nico and Wes. I want to be their friend please! Also, does anyone else want a short stack of pancakes after reading this, or is it just me?

I thought the audiobook version of this book was really well done. The author had a slightly different voice for every character, which I thought was impressive, and each character stood out (but especially Myla and Jane!). Also, I hope I'm spelling character's names correctly, it's one of the issues of only listening to a book instead of reading it.

I would totally recommend this book for any of my friends who love romance novels, but I really read this book for the "time travel" angle, which didn't disappoint. It wasn't super science-y, which I loved because if it's too sci-fi it loses me, but made just enough sense for me not to roll my eyes. It was the perfect balance.

Run, don't walk to your nearest library/bookstore/kindle and read this book!

This book and story was definitely full of many highs, and unfortunately several lows for me. I actually loved the idea of time travel/suspended reality plot line - it was sci fi without being too out there, and rooted enough in reality to seem relatable. One of my difficulties with the book is I couldn't seem to connect with neither Jane, nor August. August's personality seemed to just been consumed by Jane, and Jane was more pieced together by stories of the past than actual personality. And while with the main plot you had to suspend reality - I couldn't get over how unrealistic the "reality" of the story was (August never going to class but graduating, never going to work but having money for life, etc). It also started to get repetitive, mostly with so much of the story hinging on the train. Besides all that, the writing was fabulous, I loved the pop culture references and the audio and narrator were fantastic. I would still absolutely recommend the book!

Lonely and untethered 23yo August moved to NYC with hopes of leaving the past and her obsessive mother behind and building her very own life - and it goes well, she finds friends at work and roommates who actually care.

Then she bumps into Jane on the Q Line and develops a serious crush. And it turns out seeing Jane is quite easy since she is always on the Q line. For a real happy ending the biggest problem will be getting Jane unstuck from the Q Line.

A delightfully frothy, warm, feel-good romance with lesbian, gay, trans and drag representation. While I didn't love the time travel part of the story, I loved the variety of characters, their varying backgrounds and all of the different quirks. While this wasn't exactly what I was expecting, I'll definitely look for whatever Casey McQuiston releases next.

The lovely narration by @natalienaudus is perfect. I received an ALC from @NetGalley and @macmillan.audio in exchange for an honest review !

This book was a delight the first time around, and the audio version? SO EXCELLENT. I cannot recommend either the hard copy or the audio version enough - narrator Natalie Naudus brings such joyous life to August and Jane's journey, it'll make your heart stop. (And then put it back together again.)

Wonderful narration!! Absolutely worth a listen as the narrator adds another layer to the story with her wonderful performance.

ONE LAST STOP –A love letter to New York, a celebration of public space

Why Casey McQuiston’s second novel is pulling in right on time.

There is a joyful claustrophobia chugging through this book—the press of strangers together in rush hour train cars, noisy syrup-sticky diners, crowded apartment kitchens warm with shared stir fry, and clubs, pulsing with frenetic, mosh pit energy, spilled drinks and elbows and communal sweat under dance lights. While Red White and Royal Blue, McQuiston’s monumental debut, welcomed its reader into Kensington and the White House, hushed corners and stolen kisses, One Last Stop throws open the doors of the world and invites us all out.

In the past year, it’s been impossible not to feel a little disconnected from the flow of time. I move through the same few rooms. I sit at the table, or hover in the window, or collapse on the wrinkled duvet on my bed. I listen to street sounds and try not to doom scroll on Instagram, and time (apparently) passes. The sun moves around, and I stay right here. For those of us (all of us) who have spent the last year in a global pandemic, this book provides a pretty apt point of contact in the bright, electric, “switchblade girl with a cotton candy heart” Jane Su. Jane’s journey home, a trial of monotony and memory and stubbornness, is one that will ignite the hope of anyone trying to see over the top of this moment.

Meanwhile, the book paints a beautiful and poignant picture of found family in Brooklyn. As August grows into herself and gradually fills up all the empty spaces she’s purposefully left in her life, she is welcomed into a queer community that truly loves her. It is this network of relationships, August’s roommates and coworkers and their friends, that is the true heart of this romance.

Plus the love story is subway window-fogging sexy.

ONE LAST STOP comes out June 1 just in time for Pride month

August is a 23-year-old, bisexual woman who has just moved to New York City. She’s super cynical and likes to go through life alone. She doesn’t see how her eccentric roommates and job at a 24-hour pancake diner could change that. Then she meets Jane on her subway commute.

Jane is beautiful and mysterious and has this edgy punk rocker vibe. August is drawn to her and looks forward to her daily commute so she can see her. Then August realizes that Jane isn’t from this time. She’s literally displaced from the 1970’s and can’t get off the train. Maybe it’s time August starts believing in something so she can help Jane.

I really enjoyed this story. It’s a fun LGBTQ+ romance with some magical realism thrown in. Being from NY originally, I really loved the setting. August was written so realistically, and I enjoyed her relationship with Jane.

The best part of the book was all the secondary characters. The roommates and the diner employees were all fantastically written. I loved the scenes that included them. The character development was great for all of the characters.

The one negative I had was that I found the premise a little far fetched and was surprised this book wasn’t classified as magical realism. You really need to have an open mind when going into this one.

I listened to the audiobook and thought the the narrator, Natalie Naudus did an incredible job. You could feel her emotions while listening.

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

3.5 stars! This was a really fun book! The characters were amazing and the cast diversity was so refreshing. I was a little let down by the storyline - it was not my favourite but it was quirky and kept me engaged enough to keep going. I think this will be a hit for a lot of people. It would make a great summer read! The narration of the audiobook was really great. Overall it was enjoyable and I recommend giving it a try!

Thank you to the publisher and @netgalley for providing a free advanced copy of this book & audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

This book wrecked me in so many profound and beautiful ways! The story itself is brimming with mystery, paranormal investigations, and drag shows that have no right to work but mingle almost seamlessly together. Yet, the bonkers plot always comes second to the chaotic cast of characters at the centre of this story. As it should because every character that crosses August’s path is a damn delight!

August is the closed-off, pocket knife-wielding protagonist you can relate to in her ugliest moments. Her roommates are found-family perfection as they push her to live life as loud and as weird as she wants to in their crowded New York apartment. From Nico’s psychic antics to Mia’s blunt honesty to Isaiah’s messy relationship with Wes, there’s always something new to entertain the reader when August leaves the confines of the subway station.

The romance may be complicated but what Jane and August have within the pages of this book is effortless, endearing, and swoon-worthy. They somehow find a way to glamorize a crowded subway car as a hot date spot, making for an adorable string of meet-cutes. The barriers between them make for endless fun as we read about Jane watching Fast and Furious or August falling in love with Seventies punk music. All the while, this book finds ways to weaponizing everything from the smell of pancakes and the most devastating Queen song against us.

This book cultivates a very specific New York ascetic within the confines of subway stations and Billy’s pancake restaurant that will entrance the reader and leave us hungry for more. This intoxicating love story will wrap you up in its warm feelings, energetic characters, and greasy comfort food. And just like August finds her place in the world, you find your own tranquillity within the pages of this blissful book.

Twenty-three-year-old August is ready to escape her past. After spending her life helping her mother investigate the disappearance of August’s uncle, August is now an ace detective—with little to show for it. She’s hoping for a new start in New York City. She soon falls into a community, with her welcoming and quirky new roommates and job at a beloved diner. But it’s the intriguing girl on the subway who really piques her interest. As she and Jane grow closer, August discovers a new mystery to solve: Jane is from the 1970s and forever stuck on the subway. Why, and how can they fix it?

McQuiston—best known for the wildly popular Red, White & Royal Blue—brings us this new LGBTQ romantic comedy, set in a slightly alternate universe and filled with their signature banter and diverse characters. The narration is excellent–I highly recommend this on audio.

I will never stop talking about this book. I will never stop recommending this book. I can not even begin to explain how important this story is to me and how wonderful it is in every single way. Casey McQuiston has a writing style I absolutely adore and always creates characters I would do almost anything for and I will always support them and their books.

Casey McQuiston did it again. I fell in love with Red, White and Royal Blue when I read it and was thrilled to receive an ARC of One Last Stop. McQuiston has the ability to tell a story, create characters you can't help but invest in and weave it all together with the perfect amount of humor.

What I wasn't expecting with this book was the sci-fi time travel aspect. That said, I didn't mind it. I actually found it to be quite clever. August, our main character, has been subjected to her mother's obsessionsher entire life. Her mother's obsession -- finding her long lost brother - - or at least finding out what happened to him.. Trying to solve this mystery has literally been her mother's main focus for all of August's life. In attempt to free herself from her mother's ongoing drama, August moves to New York.. She moves into an apartment with several other people - - which are total strangers to her - - and ends up finding her "family." Then the day arrives when August meets Jane on the subway. Their chemistry is almost instant. Yet, their relationship slowing develops over time with small encounters here and there. All the while, emotions and attraction are building as anticipation ramps up. Not only did I really enjoy seeing the Jane and August's relationship develop, I was also really attached to August's friends as well. The bond they all shared and the way they supported one another was incredibly special and just what August needed.

McQuiston blends the various character's storylines together in a way that shows how their lives are all interconnected Some stories will overlap in ways the reader doesn't expect which only makes the reading experience even richer. When August realizes there's a mystery surrounding Jane and her presence on the Q, the story really takes off. In addition, McQuiston does a great job of bringing the reader's attention to how difficult and dangerous it was for the LGBTQ community in the 1970's. Obviously, these accounts are difficult and painful to read. But they are critical to this storyline in order for the reader to fully appreciate the sacrifices made in the past that lead up to the present day events.

I listened to the audiobook along with reading the ebook. The narration of the audiobook was fabulous. There were numerous characters and the narrator did a wonderful job of giving them each their own distinct voice and personality.

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC. I voluntarily chose to review it and the opinions contained within are my own.

August has always been something of a loner. That changes when she moves to Brooklyn where she quickly forms a bond with her new roommates. August is both hurt and intrigued when she’s turned down for a date by Jane, a beautiful and mysterious woman August meets on the subway. The problem isn’t that Jane’s not interested-it’s that she literally can’t leave the Q train.

I loved so much about this book, beginning with Casey McQuiston’s prose. The way they write just works for me. Additionally, Natalie Naudu’s narration of the audiobook feels spot-on as a match for the writing style.

The world-building is masterful. Brooklyn and the different settings all felt so vivid. The way McQuiston develops Augusts’ roommates and acquaintances makes them jump off the page. They’re such a fun and engaging group of characters. I would genuinely love to hang out with them.

Another thing I really liked was the mixture of genres. Yes, it’s a romance, but it’s also a mystery with time-travel woven in. The love story remains at the heart of the novel even as August works through the threads of several different mysteries.

While I loved many things about this book, I had two major issues with it. One of them is August herself. Some of the things she does just don’t make sense, for example completely dropping her work and school duties in order to figure out what’s going on with Jane when they barely know each other. I find it really difficult to believe that so early on in her job at Pancake Billy’s she’d be allowed to come back after practically falling off the face of the earth.

The other problem was the pacing. It started off fine, and I fell in love with the book immediately. The middle third of the book really dragged for me because it felt repetitive. I found my attention wandering and almost dreaded hitting play. I realize that it takes time to develop a deep and meaningful relationship, but since August and Jane were so limited, many of their encounters were quite similar.

Thank you NetGalley and MacMillan Audio for the chance to listen to and review this book!