Snapshot
Cynical August meets mysterious Jane on the subway train, but their budding romance goes awry when August discovers Jane has been displaced by time.

💖 Rom-com
🏳️‍🌈 LGBTQIA representation
🧑‍🤝‍🧑 Found family
🗽 New York City setting

TW: Drinking, light drug use (weed), semi-public sex, depression, anxiety, memory loss, familial estrangement, familial death, grief, missing persons, homophobic violence and hate speech, police violence, the AIDS crisis, racism, childhood neglect, arson, historic hate crime resulting in loss of life

Thoughts
A heartwarming, character-driven romance focused on found family, positive LGBTQIA representation, and a captivating mystery. The audiobook is phenomenal! It's amazing how one narrator can create different personas and voices for such a large and diverse cast of characters. Unfortunately for me, time travel is my least favorite trope. I thought if anyone could cure my dislike for time travel, it would be Casey McQuiston, but I thought wrong - my hatred for time travel knows no bounds.

Ok. Romantic supernatural stuff can go wrong quickly, but I thought Casey McQuiston did a great job at bringing the two together and actually making the supernatural stuff feel realistic. I found myself following along and believing that it all could happen. That really impressed me.

PROS:
*The supporting cast. Obviously the story is about August and Jane, but I thought the supporting characters were marvelous and I was so pleased about how much they appeared in the book. They were significant and crucial to the storyline and to August and Jane's relationship and I was happy they weren't only mentioned in passing but we the reader actually got to know and appreciate them. Also, there were a lot of them so great job making them all memorable. I thought this was the key to making this story believable.
*The fact that this book had a beginning, middle, and end was amazing. I say amazing because a lot of times after the main climactic scene there is an end. I thought the author gave us a little more by going into what happened after the climactic scene and where is everyone involved now. It was nice to know. Felt like closure.
*Thank you for having strong LGBTQ characters. I love that all the characters already knew who they were and were in a happy place with who they were. It was refreshing and I thought made the story stronger.

CONS:
*I thought the narrator did a wonderful job, especially because she gave everyone a different voice; however, I thought Jane's voice was horrible and didn't match the character described/what I pictured in my head. Because of this, her character fell flat for me and I actually liked her least.
*Could have cut back on August's past/ relationship with her mother. It was significant to the story, but I thought brought up a little too much throughout. Just the explanation in the beginning was enough, in my opinion.

Overall, I think it deserves 4 stars just for the great characters that made an unrealistic story real.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book was not what I was expecting…

Since I had read Red, White and Royally Blue last year, I was expecting a linear romance for this second release from Casey McQuiston, and what I got was a time shifted mystery romance…

First of all my over all feelings on this book made me give it a 4 star rating. I loved the characters, August and Jane were well developed and once the time sift was revealed, I started to really like them. Even better was the cast of side characters. This award of genders, identities and personalities really carried the book. They brought a fun and lightheartedness to an otherwise intense story.

Secondly, if I was rating this book on the romance alone, I would give it a 3 star rating because, while Jane and Autumn and their care for each other and their love is a continuing theme, to me this book didn’t read as a romance. The mystery of August’s missing uncle, to the time shift dilemma, to the rescue mission of the landmark pancake dinner all took precedence over the romance in my opinion.

The narration of this book added to the story greatly, though the excellent voice work provided by narrator Natalie Naudus. I found the voices she used very appealing and a good fit for the different characters. The pacing of the reading was pleasingly done and easy to listen to.

Overall, I enjoyed this audiobook recording, but the time sifting was a hard element for me to get over as a reader.

One Last Stop by Casey McQuiston is scheduled to release June 1st, 2021.

I received a complimentary copy of this audiobook from Macmillan Audio through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

#OneLastStop #CaseyMcQuiston #Audiobook #Netgalley #pinkcowlandreads

If sapphic love and time travel aren't enough to grab your attention, the heart and wit of the story will pull you in.

This was a really fun romcom with an interesting mystery. I was fully not expecting the bit of sci-fi, maybe I didn't read the blurb well enough, but it was so well done it felt completely real. The writing was fantastic and transports you to this different time and place. It's witty and filled with great descriptions. My favourite part was the characters though and the amazing representation - the leads are bisexual and lesbian while the side characters are an array of queer identities.

August and Jane were great and honestly who wouldn't have fallen for Jane on the subway? August's quirky roommates and neighbours were so much fun and were so accepting of everyone. This is a queer found family that makes me so happy.
I loved loved how queer history was covered. There's references to actual events that keeps this story rooted in reality, despite the time travel.

The narration by Natalie Naudus was fantastic. She did an amazing job capturing the characters and their personalities.

August has recently moved to NYC, found a place to stay with a group of quirky roommates and neighbors, and it stubborn about not letting any of it get too close to her heart. But then she meets Jane, a gorgeous and captivating girl displaced from the ’70s and trapped on a subway line. August is immediately drawn to the mystery of Jane, which she is desperate to solve, but she begins to fall for her as well.

Everything about One Last Stop made my queer heart so happy. The writing was beautiful and visual, creating scenes that I felt fully absorbed in. The characters were deeply engaging and created one of the most beautiful queer found families I have ever read about. Even the smaller side characters who appeared only briefly felt like full realized people who left me wanting to learn more about them. The plot elements kept me engaged in the story at every turn and were weaved into the characters’ relationships and development so gracefully. The fantasy elements felt so believable and the characters' reactions to them felt realistic as well. Queer history and culture was weaved into the story elegantly, there are many references to real events from the ’70s and beyond. The entire book felt like a love letter to the queer community. On that note, this book had so much representation. The main character is bisexual with a lesbian love interest. The side characters cover a wide range of queer identities (trans, lesbian, gay, pansexual, etc.), and drag culture is prominently featured. The characters are from various cultural backgrounds as well. There are some F/F sex scenes that are so well-written and beautiful. You will fall in love with the characters and stay for the raw and emotional exploration of love, life, and the people we choose to spend it with.

One Last Stop was creative, interesting, and I love McQuiston's writing style.

That being said, this one just took me forever to get through. I made it to 60% before I need to DNF it. I'm not sure if I have to be in the mood to get into this one or if it just isn't for me?

Thank you to the publisher and to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I was not expecting the paranormal aspect in One Last Stop. This sounds like a cute romcom, so I was all in!

Cynical August moves to New York City and starts serving tables at a 24 hour pancake diner. But then she meets a girl on the train - Jane. Except Jane isn’t a normal girl. She’s stuck in time.

This was a cute book and I really liked August and her growth. Especially her contentious relationship with her mother.

I definitely found there were too many characters in this book. Maybe it was because I listened to this as an audiobook that I couldn’t keep track of all the characters.

I also found some scenes were dragged out and could have been shortened a little bit.

All of that said, this was a fun romcom and mystery to solve with August and Jane. I also had a mad craving for pancakes while listening to this!

I enjoyed the narrator Natalie Naudus, who had a great voice and perfect pacing for this book.

I listened to One Last Stop thanks to an ALC from NetGalley and MacMillan Audio.

One Last Stop by Casey McQuiston
4.5 out of 5
Release Date 6/1/21


August Landry is new to New York City, and after countless moves and life changes, has given up on anywhere (or anyone) ever feeling like home. Her mom’s obsession with finding her missing brother has made it impossible to become attached to anything but deep diving through personal records. But when August stumbles upon Jane during her morning commute on the Q train, the one-sided meet cute turns into a chain of events that changes August’s life forever.

I think the one phrase that sums up my time with this book is “pleasantly surprised,” and not because I was surprised to like it, but the plot itself was totally not what I was expecting with this book. For those of you trying to not read any spoilers or synopsis bits (like I was), I’ll just say that I was not expecting the tiniest bit of science fiction in this (but completely required for the main plot). Aside from that, the relationships are of course the best part of this story, and are so well-written that it makes me nostalgic for a life I never even had.

The only reason this book is not getting a full 5 stars is because I just didn’t quite feel the all-encompassing passion that I felt when reading Red, White, & Royal Blue. I can’t quite pinpoint what it was that didn’t push it all the way to a five star, but that doesn’t mean it wasn’t insanely enjoyable - just maybe not quite “un-putdown-able” as RW&RB. Regardless of that - go buy this book! Heartwarming and enjoyable to the end, it’s a perfect weekend rom-com read for the summer.

This book sucked me right in and gripped me, and I found it hard to stop reading because I needed to know what would happen next. There's a bit of unnecessary third act drama, and I couldn't keep Wes and Niko straight in my head for half the time.

I love the casual diversity in this book. As a plus sized cis bi white woman, I can't really speak to how well the rep is written or if there are any problematic issues with it. Nothing jumped out at me as cringey, which I hope is because it's written well and not because my vision is too narrow. I can say that I love the casual descriptors that code August as plus-sized without her weight ever being a problem or her feeling like she needs to lose weight. How refreshing! And then August's roommates and coworkers are just this bright rainbow of wacky diversity, and it's great.

I am IN LOVE with Jane. *swoon* I love the chemistry between Jane and August, it's GLORIOUS. It's also really cool how they teach each other about the different viewpoints and events and media of their times. This book is like a love song to the 70's, breakfast foods, and found family.

I listened to this on audiobook, narrated by Natalie Naudus, and it was quite an enjoyable ride. Her voice is pleasant and the pacing is good. The only thing that annoyed me is apparently August is southern and the narrator is very NOT, so every time August said "y'all" it had a very jarring effect and pulled me right out of the story. Besides that, though, I loved how she gave everyone their own distinct voice, and I felt like she was really spot on with how I expected Jane to sound.

This book was so much fun and exactly the type of book that I needed to give my brain a little getaway from stresses of the day. A great story, great characters, a fantastically written queer romance, time travel?! Who would t want to read this?! Loves it!!

This is just a feel good, cute book that makes you reflect and love everyone around you just a little bit more.

For starters let me just say that this book was Absolutely Incredible. I listened to it on the train home from New York City and it was such perfect timing. I feel like there isn't enough WLW representation in literature let alone enough Bisexual representation! August was such a wonderful character and I loved how she used the skills from her past to help Jane figure out her story.

Part time travel mystery/part romance novel One Last Stop truly has it all. I am a huge lover of Red, White, and Royal Blue so I was so excited for OLS to come out and it did not disappoint in the slightest. Everyone has heard the legend of the NYC subway system - a liminal space, not the cleanest, and your new best friend is a rat. OLS took that and ran with it, because who hasn't fallen a little bit in love on public transit? (That's like the best part duh).

I would absolutely recommend this to anyone looking for a fun romance set in New York - ESPECIALLY if you love a bit of mystery as well. Oh. And pancakes.

Casey McQuiston has yet to disappoint, her writing style is beautiful and the way she tells stories is just incredible.

I fell in love with Casey McQuiston's storytelling in "Red, White and Royal Blue," and I was super excited to see that they were back with a new story! And though I didn't love this one as much as much, it was still a fun ride that had me desperate to read more and figure out what was going on.

McQuiston once again infuses their story with the perfect amount of humor, and I found myself laughing out loud to some of the quips from the side characters. All of the characters are so well-rounded, especially the side characters! In fact, it's the side characters that I'm going to miss the most. Auggie and Jane's story feels finished, but I wouldn't mind seeing more of Myla, Nico, and Wes! There were some pretty interesting mysteries happening within the plot, and that definitely kept me interested.

However, this was a little more sentimental than I like. And I also think it was a little too long and drawn out. There was a point towards the end that I think would have been perfect to wrap things up, and was surprised to see that there was still more of the book to go. And one plot point and character's background felt too convenient for me, but none of these points are too detrimental.

Thank you to Casey McQuiston, Macmillon Audio, and NetGalley for sending me the eAudiobook ARC in exchange for an honest reivew.

I want to thank NetGalley and the publisher Macmillan Audio for allowing me to receive this Audiobook-ARC in exchange for an honest review!

One Last Stop by Casey McQuiston
One Last Stop is a masterpiece! I can not even begin to express how much I enjoyed this love letter of a book. Its love for New York, queer found families, peoples histories, drag, and so much more! I loved the connections between past and present and how McQuiston intertwined true history into this fictional novel.

I can not wait for more people to read this book!

I had the chance to listen to this audible via NetGalley and I am so glad I did.  I read Red, White, and Royal Blue after hearing such amazing reviews of the book.  Not my typical romance.  I have read a few m/m romances and absolutely was enlightened to see that guess what?  Male/Male romance books are not different from Male/Female romances!  Duh!

One Last Stop is a female/female love story and once again, new to me, and once again - I LOVED it!

Not only was the f/f romance different than my norm but there was a bit of a twist that isn't my typical read. Time travel isn't something I typically read (or believe in) but I think it was such a great part of the story.  Seeing the life that Jane left and seeing the differences in the world 40 years later was eye-opening.

Jane was from the '70s, trapped on the subway.  August was a new New Yorker who stumbled (literally) upon Jane one day and their lives were forever changed.

Each character in this book was fantastic and unique in their own right.  Nico, Myla, Nico, Wes, Isaiah/Annie are August's friends that become a family as the months continue.  Each giving their insight into a world of the LQBTQ+ community that I have never know and I am so unbelievably thankful that I was able to meet them, see their lives, see their struggles, see their happiness.  I think that's one of the many reasons I have enjoyed Casey McQuinston's books - she's introduced me and taught me through her characters.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced audiobook copy of ‘One Last Stop’ by Casey McQuiston. Thoughts and opinions are my own.

Of course I adored ‘Red White and Royal Blue’ by Casey McQuiston so you better believe I slammed the request button for ‘One Last Stop.’ I was not disappointed. There were fun characters to root for and love, laugh out loud humor, so many delicious food descriptions and so much heart. Casey McQuiston is definitely an auto-buy author for me.

I felt like I wanted more of an epilogue with what the characters were going to do at the end. I wanted to keep reading and find out what would happen but the story was over. I was also a little put off by the partying and drug use. Overall I did enjoy the story I just wish it hadn’t ended where it did. It felt like there was more of a story to tell and wrap up about what came next.

4/5 stars

What a great story! I thought this was going to be a cute love story between sweet but quirky characters but it ended up being so much more. The "mystery" is presented so well and brings the whole book together. I didn't want to put this book down.

I was really excited to read One Last Stop after having read Red, White & Royal Blue. I liked the idea of the story (it was unlike anything I’ve read before) which is why I chose to read it. While I did enjoy it, I would say this book was only good, not great and took me longer than usual to listen to.

At times it felt hard to follow with all of the characters and their stories. I will say that for as many characters as there were, I felt they were well developed and all had a back story. I loved the diversity in this book. At times there were lulls that made it hard to push through and I think the many storylines, constant back forth between Jane and August, and being stuck on the Q played into this. I liked the subtle sci-fi elements and how real life events were built into the story.

Overall, I give this book 3.5 stars rounded down to 3.

I think my biggest impression of this novel is just how full of love it is. Casey McQuiston poured their heart and soul into this story and it really shows. 💖💖💖💖

Casey McQuiston is just so good at creating a sense of community. Of course the romance is great--Jane is such a charismatic character, it's virtually impossible not to love her as much as August does--but the side characters bring so much life and vitality to this novel. It's testament to how well McQuiston develops them that you become as invested in them as you are in the main characters. Also, where I found Red, White and Royal Blue too plot-heavy for my taste, I thought One Last Stop had just the right amount of plot: just enough to give the story momentum, but not so much that it detracted from the romance.

I loved this a lot, and I'm sure a lot of people will, because it's just really, really good.

Thanks so much to Macmillan Audio for providing me with an audiobook ARC of this in exchange for an honest review!

Casey McQuiston's One Last Stop is a celebration of what it means to be queer.

One Last Stop follows a woman in her mid-twenties who has always been on the run, terrified of what would happen if she were to put down roots. She has spent her life friendless, with very little family, digging through archives with her mother in search of a ghost. After moving to New York City into a tiny apartment with a set of quirky but loveable roommates, August starts to find a routine to her new life, one that involves a daily trip on the Q train. This is where she meets Jane, a short-haired, punk rock, Chinese-American lesbian who looks like she came right out of the 70s. Which, as it turns out, she did. Jane is an impossibility, having been stuck in time and place on the subway for over 40 years, with no memory of who she is, how she got there, or why. Jane and August start trying to figure out the mystery of Jane's very existence, all the while trying desperately not to fall in love.

This is easily one of the gayest books I have ever read, and it was beautiful in every way. Every character plays such an important role in One Last Stop, all coming together to form this gorgeous mosaic of some of the different ways to be queer. August and Jane's experience of joining this family and becoming part of their world is something that I have longed for in my own life, and I'm sure is so relatable to every young queer out there. This book is a beautiful example of how we make our own families within this community, which is my favourite thing about us. This has such a richly diverse cast of characters, all so different but still the same in all the ways that matter. One Last Stop will feel like coming home to all the queer folk who have ever felt lost, alone, or had no one to turn to. It reminded me that, no matter where we go, all of us have a family who are always ready to welcome us home, even if you're a complete stranger. That was the family that August and Jane found in this book, and it was such a beautiful thing to read. As much as I loved the plot of this book, with it's fascinating concept of being stuck in a blip of time and somehow ending up tethered to to a single moment and all the complications that come with that, it was truly the characters that were the heart of this book. I loved reading about Jane's experience of being an LGBTQ+ activist in the 60s and 70s, the mentions of our history, and all the badass heroes that we have to thank for having the freedoms we do today. This is the perfect book to kick off Pride month! I'm so thankful that books like this exist, and even more thankful to all the people that made it happen!