August is having a bad day.

She's running late to her job and, to make matters worse, she has already spilled coffee on her work shirt. A kind stranger offers her a scarf to cover the stain, which August gratefully accepts. That's Jane, who August figures she'll never see again.

But, wouldn't you know it, the next time August is on that subway route -- between two specific stops -- she sees Jane again. The two strike up a friendship, but not without complication. It turns out Jane isn't able to commit to a relationship outside the confines of that subway ride.

Is it a fear of getting hurt? Does she not share this same-sex attraction that August feels? Well, the answer is the twist to "One Last Stop," a book that asks you to lean into its quirky premise.

It was a cute story and the characters, both main and secondary, were enjoyable, so I was willing to suspend some disbelief for service to the story. If you liked "Red, White and Royal Blue," I'm sure that you're going to like this second effort from Casey McQuiston.

My absolute favorite read this year so far and out of 60 that says alot! This is the cutest, most diverse love story I've read in a long time and it...It just sticks with you. This book is one you won't forget for a long time.

So many mutuals loved this book, but it just was not my favorite read.

The novel starts out promising and I honestly loved the first quarter of the book. The main character is August, a young woman who has just moved to NYC. Right off the bat, she moves into an apartment with quirky roommates and we are introduced to a diverse set of characters. I think McQuiston really captures NYC living for the young, hopeful, and lost... for white women.

August is becoming more comfortable with her new home when she has a meet-cute on the Q train. What you would think would only be a once-in-a-lifetime encounter in a town of 8.4 million, happens again when August continues to take the Q train in order to meet this person again. So who is this person?

Enter Jane, a Chinese American babe. What follows is an adventure of love transcending time– literally.

Highlights:
There were several things that I thought McQuiston did well!

-We end up getting a small window of lqbtqia history in the 70s from Jane. I found the subplot of her experiences protesting, learning about the various women she dated across the country, and her roommate in NYC was really unique and fit well into progressing the plot.
-The roommates. They were a riot and I am always just smitten with found families.
-Jane as a love interest. I would have loved this novel as a teen/young adult. She’s so assured of herself and I think she brings August out of her shell in the best way. The bisexual and lesbian relationship cannot be understated– it really was amazing to read this representation.

Dimmers:
-This story drags. I was surprised that it doesn’t wrap up after the climax, but instead continues on for longer than I personally think it needed to. At the same time, I understood that we needed to get to see August and Jane be a couple outside the Q train.
-I enjoyed almost all the sex scenes, but like some other reviewers, the public transit sex was a little cringe– mainly through a post-pandemic lens. (Note: I say post-pandemic from an American perspective, but understand that the COVID-19 pandemic is still ongoing and I am fortunate to be vaccinated).
-Micro-aggressions regarding Jane’s race rubbed me the wrong especially with the uptick in anti-Asian hate crimes in the US.

Having loved Red, White, and Royal Blue I was anxious to get my hands on Casey McQuiston’s new book. I love her writing style and her ability to create interesting and relatable characters. This book did not disappoint in that aspect. The diverse and interesting characters, both main and side, made the novel enjoyable. I found myself gravitating toward the supporting characters more than I did the main character, August. August Landry is in her early twenties and has moved to New York to finish college, running away from her life and mother back in New Orleans. Despite being closed-off and cynical, she manages to find roommates and friends who accept her and her five boxes of belongings. This fish out of water takes her time warming up to her new surroundings, that is until she meets Jane. Jane is interesting and mysterious and August is convinced she has found the love of her life. The problem is Jane only exists on the Q train, having gotten stuck during a time slip in the 1970s. Once August realizes this, she spirals down a path trying to unravel the mystery that is Jane. This science-fictional element was an unexpected and interesting aspect to this novel. I was expecting a romance, however, I was surprised at the twist surrounding Jane’s past. I was also surprised at how much the Q Train line became such a character in the novel. It almost seemed to come to life in a way that I wasn’t expecting. Though this book started out slowly, it picked up speed three-fourths of the way through just like the Q Train. This may be a turnoff for readers who like fast-paced novels, such as myself. However, if you stick it out, the story does pick up and Casey finds her groove, making the ending of the novel heartwarming and special.
This book has the ability to appeal to several types of readers. Those who like intricately plotted stories will fall in love with One Last Stop to which the plot is the forefront of the novel. This book would also appeal to readers who enjoy LGBTQIA diverse characters. Casey does a great job in this novel of creating characters that represent a plethora of identities, backgrounds, and personalities. These characters also appeal to readers who like witty or offbeat banter and interactions. With that being said, this novel would also appeal to readers who identify or can relate to the concept of a chosen family. This really grabbed me while reading the novel, the idea that family doesn’t have to be blood to be real.
I am so grateful to Netgalley and McMillian audio for allowing me to listen to this novel. The audiobook narrator wasn’t my favorite, but sped up the novel seemed to go by faster.

I struggled through this audiobook. The beginning was engaging and interesting but it got a bit “outlander-ish” and I didn’t vibe with that. I had to stop ans read something else three times. I did enjoy August’s friends. They really made this book more fun and interesting. I wish I was more engaged with Jane and August. I did like the ending because they really connected and I thought the narrator’s did a great job. The supernatural aspect threw me off.

One Last Stop was a beautiful story and the audiobook is no exception. The narrative between August and Jane is written with such love and care, you can tell that McQuiston loves them dearly. I adored the dynamic between the housemates of 6F. As a fan of drag culture, I especially loved the drag personas and show scenes.
This was McQuiston’s second book, and although it doesn’t have a hold on my heart like Red White and Royal Blue does, I still enjoyed this story! I thought the sci-fi nature of the story was a fun twist to the romance genre. This was a great summer read/listen!
The one thing that I did not like about this book that has stuck with me is McQuiston’s use of the word “clean” to describe a person without STDs. This term is outdated and offensive and it bothered me that it was included. I waited for August to reply about how that word is offensive but it never came. That is my only gripe with this story!

This is a novel following in the footsteps of McQuiston's Red, White and Royal Blue, so high expectations from everyone. This story is centered around adjacent stories that gradually come together as the protagonist, August, has moved to NYC and is in school, finds a job at a local pancake house and finds a group of folks to share an apartment with. In her commute to work, she takes the Q train back and forth and meets the same girl on the train each time. This is a girl that she is drawn to, as though they instantly have a connection. Over time, she becomes obsessed with her and ends of seeking her out as her crush grows.
The story has all kinds of directions, from LGBTQ characters and relationships to supernatural events to family loss, love and growth. There is a lot for many readers.
Overall, I enjoyed this story and the narrator Natalie Naudus does a great job with the story. I enjoyed her performance.
My only knock was that the story seemed to have some pacing issues. The story felt like it could have been edited down and maybe gone in less directions. But that may have just been personal preference rather than a section that other's would also feel could have been gone. To me, it felt like the book was a forced extra 75-ish pages. Still a good read.
#OneLastStop #Netgalley #MacmillanAudio #NatalieNaudus

4.5 stars from me!

Well, I loved this. It was sweet and quirky and had a ton of music references. Casey McQuiston captured my heart with Red, White & Royal Blue and now she's done it again with One Last Stop. While Red, White and Royal Blue was realistic fiction, One Last Stop has a scifi/fantasy twist, and I LOVED it!

August moves to NYC from New Orleans where she lived with her mom who was always investigating something. Tired of her "girl detective" youth, August hopes for a new life in the big city, but she is cynical. She moves in with an interesting set of roomies in Brooklyn and gets a job at a pancake house. Life is kind of "meh" until she notices a beautiful Asian girl in a leather coat and ripped jeans. they strike up a conversation and August develops a crush on Jane. The best part of August day's is seeing Jane on the Q Train. Eventually, with her investigative skills, August discovers that Jane is actually from the 1970's and stuck in some sort of space-time disturbance which forces her to remain on the train "out of time".

This book was near perfection for me. I listened to the audio version and it was awesome. Offbeat, modern, lovely, fun. This may end up being one of my favorite books of the year. It actually kind of made me miss riding the subway each day. The book also made some great observations about how much life has improved for the LGBTQ+ crowd since the 1970's. Jane came from a time where it was dangerous for her to be out as a lesbian and she is amazed by seeing gay couples on the train holding hands without so much as a reaction from other riders. Jane and August are so sweet together that you just want it to work out. I loved this fantastical love store. I was there for the whole ride, from one end of the Q train line to the other.

What to listen to while reading...
August is a Fever by ella jane
New York by St. Vincent
Traingazing by Sam Willis
In Your Eyes by Peter Gabriel
Let's Dance to Joy Division by The Wombats
It's Tricky by Run DMC
I Want You Back by The Jackson 5
Sweet Jane by The Velvet Underground
You're Still a Mystery by Bleachers
Oh Girl by The Chi-lites
I'm Coming Out by Diana Ross
Love of My Life by Queen
Strawberry Blond by Mitski
Personal Jesus by Depeche Mode
Can I Call You Tonight? by Dayglow
So Hot You're Hurting My Feelings by Caroline Polachek
Brooklyn in Summer by Aloe Blacc

Thank you so much NetGalley for the chance to read this! This book was incredible I feel in love with August and Jane their story was so cute and how hard August worked to help Jane to figure out what happen and where their stories had meet without them even knowing. One of my favorite books this year so far!!!

I enjoyed the book so much I had to read the audio. Of course the audio was just as lovely as the print. CMQ can truly do no wrong, highly recommend OLS!

Unfortunately this book was just not it for me. I had a really hard time being invested and interested in the characters. I wanted to love this so much and I still love the IDEA of it, but it was a miss for me.

I loved this one! I think it’s safe to say that Casey McQuiston is an auto buy author for me. This book filled me with love and happy feelings. The science fiction / time travel part was the only thing that kept it from 5 stars. But otherwise this has such great characters and was written beautifully.

I adored this book, I was nervous after all the hype on bookstagram that it wouldn’t live up to my expectations but to totally did. I loved the small supernatural aspect and found it to have just the right amount of steam.

This book is an absolute joy to read. It made me want to move to Brooklyn, get roommates, and work at a diner. It inspired me to impulse buy a leather jacket from a thrift store. It was a lively, fun read that handled time loops in an emotionally honest way. I wish I had a book like this growing up, showing me that lgbtq lives can have love stories and full lives where their sexuality isn't their whole identity, just part of it. I cannot wait to read everything else Casey McQuiston writes.

One Last Stop was not what I expected it to be!! It started off a little slow and I couldn’t quite tell If this was going to be another romance book, but it is not!!! I really enjoyed the unique storyline and the characters were fun to read about as well. If you’re looking for something a little different with good writing, this is it!! One additional plus, the narrator of the audio was great!!

Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to listen to the title. I defy anyone not to fall in love with August and Jane. Their heart stopping adventure had me cheering them on.

The audiobook is great! I would definitly recommend giving it a listen.
Casey McQuiston is a spectacular author. One Last Stop was no exception. While the plot was quite the roller coaster (and a bit of a confusing one at that), McQuiston's proses and well-devleoped characters never ceased to amaze me. It's honestly hard to believe this is only her second published book!

One Last Stop is a thoroughly entertaining, hilarious, sweet, sexy, queer fantasy romance that is even better on audio. Natalie Naudus narration beautifully differentiates between the characters with intonation, dialects, and inflections, giving each their own voice, bringing Mcquiston’s crazy and quirky characters and creative and captivating story vibrantly to life. In giving voice to the characters, her narration is filled with just the right touches and pitches in all the right places to convey the requisite emotion, catching the highs and lows of August’s and Jane’s journey to love. I was totally drawn into the lives and world of these characters.

One Last Stop is about August, a bisexual, perpetual college student especially gifted at research, investigation, and observation of the world around her. August is practical, self-protective, reserved, cynical, and distrustful. Her tragic backstory has left her unwilling to believe in happily ever after, love stories outside movies, and magic. But most of all she doesn’t believe she can have a normal life where she isn’t alone. Her mother’s obsession with the past has consumed August’s life from a young age. Needing to escape and live her own life, she moved to New York for a fresh start, hoping to get lost in the big city. But unable to escape the habits of a lifetime – she plans to live a life of solitude, self-restraint, and reserve. Instead, she discovers herself, family, belonging, and home among eccentric roommates, co-workers, and neighbors, who with quirks and larger-than-life personalities draw her reluctantly out of her protective shell. She meets the girl of her dreams on her daily subway commute and befriends her. Jane, her dream girl, is trapped in the present but is from the 70’s. All the things she has learned and those skills and her innate gifts that she’s honed all these years are finally useful for something important to her – saving Jane. Jane, who shouldn’t even be here in her life at all, but who, along with her friends, has made her want to believe in, and want to have, things like trust, love, maybe even...magic in her life.

One Last Stop features diverse characters who are distinctive and full of personality. They are well developed, as are their relationships and interactions. Particularly, the interactions between August and Jane are filled with chemistry, emotion, and intimacy, which develops their characters and furthers the story. Their kisses, love scenes, and intimate moments are some of the sweetest and sexiest moments I've read, though not overly detailed. They also excellently contribute to the development of their characters and story. McQuiston’s prose, storytelling, characters, and story all flow together so seamlessly. It’s crazy how the tone shifts so smoothly from mood to mood without notice and it’s not awkward at all, i.e. from humorous to angsty, then back to humorous, or to romantic and sexy, etc. One Last Stop is an enchanting, unforgettable listen that I was so not ready to be over.

Casey McQuiston does it again! I did not read the synopsis of the book beforehand so I was completely thrown off when I found out about Jane being stuck in the 70's! I love how McQuiston writes romances but also talks about issues that are not always talked about. I loved Jane and August's relationship and how they make each other better. I also love that McQuiston writes about the LGBTQ+ community. I listened to this on audiobook, so I feel like I missed some key moments, but overall I really enjoyed One Last Stop.

This was a highly anticipated book for me this year and I wasn't all that impressed. Rather, I was sort of disappointed by this one. I really enjoyed listening to this one on audio, otherwise I may not have finished it if I were reading it on paper.

The things that didn't do it for me:
- A tad too cheesy for my liking, I found the plot to be a bit too far fetched. I couldn't grasp the idea
- August's character - I was NOT a fan. She wasn't all that likeable in the beginning, so once I made my mind up about her, it was very hard for me to be open minded about liking her character development throughout the rest of the book.
- The pacing. The book felt waaaay too long. At times, I found myself zoning out because it kept dragging on and on.
- I wish I learned more about Jane and her integration back into society. How did she cope? How did it go?

I did enjoy: the characters and the theme. I really think all of the other characters had more depth to them than August did.

Overall, three stars. Nothing more. Nothing less.
Thanks Netgalley and Macmillan audio for the ARC on audio.