To say I loved this book would be an understatement.

As many people know <i>Red, White and Royal Blue</i> is one of my all time favourite books. So of course, One Last Stop was my most anticipated read of 2021. As someone who loves audiobooks, when I saw that the audiobook was available to listen to on NetGalley, I jumped on the chance to read it.

I had such high expectations going into this book, and Casey McQuiston did not disappoint. This book was absolutely hilarious and beautifully written. This book had me laughing loudly and sobbing at 1 am, which in my mind means I really liked it. I also adored the found family aspect. All of the side characters were well developed and I love them all so much. The bonds shared between the characters was something so special and so real, I almost felt like I was a part of their group. The story itself was incredible. I liked that it had some sci-fi and mystery aspects to it. I wasn't sure how all of it was going to come together, but Casey McQuiston did it seamlessly.

As someone who revolves their entire personality around music, the inclusion of specific songs and conversations about music in books always make me really happy. In <i>One Last Stop</i>, McQuiston includes not only specific songs, like they did in <i>Red, White and Royal Blue</i>, but also conversations about the evolution of different music genres. Personally, I listen to quite a bit of 70's and 80's punk and post-punk, so having these genres included in the book made me very happy!

I also really loved reading about Jane's experiences being punk. The inclusion of many historical events and how they fit into Jane's story was very interesting and well researched. There's often misconceptions surrounding punks, and I think that this did a good job of showing off part of what punk is. I don't often see punks and other alternative people in fiction, so I really this.

This book has become one of my all time favourites, and I cannot wait to get my hands on a physical copy to read it again. I know I'm going to be very annoying about it and make everyone I know read it.

Thank you to Libro FM, Netgalley, and Macmillan Audio for an ALC of this book.
Content Warnings at end of review!

When August moves to New York City for college, she is expecting to skate by under the radar and alone like always, but she's surprised to find herself invested in her new life, her new roommates, and of course the cute girl she met on the subway. Then she realizes something else is going on with Subway Girl, and she puts her sleuthing skills to use.

I loved this book so much! Jane and August were the absolute cutest and I just loved seeing their journey together! The slight mystery/scifi elements added a great touch to this story, and I loved the subtle theme of fate woven throughout.

I think the best part of this book was the adorable Queer Found Family aspect with August and her roommates and co-workers and Jane! It was absolutely so cute and perfect. Everyone was so funny but also really there for each other and I loved that so much. It reminded me of the roommate situations in Honey Girl and I am so here for that!

The writing was spectacular and I was so drawn into the story. I read (listened) to most of this in one sitting and I was super annoyed when I had to pause it because someone was talking to me. I had to know how it ended! This book was great, and I definitely recommend it and the audio!

Pub Date: June 1, 2021

Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia, Grief, and Sexual content
Moderate: Racism, Death, Confinement, and Drug use

One Last Stop is a queer romance with one of the lovers stuck in time on the New York subway. It's the follow up to Red White and Royal Blue, which I, like many, people enjoyed. I wish I could say the same for this one.

I really liked the secondary characters. It was quite a supporting cast and I loved their self awareness, interesting personalities, and loyalty. They were diverse and really well fleshed out. However, I could not stand either of the main characters. They were whiny and short sighted and I really had trouble suspending reality with Jane being stuck in time on the subway. She's not alive but not a ghost. Both the main characters just grated and me and I almost gave up on this book many, many times.

However, the real deal breaker for me with this book were two things: the graphic, very public sex scenes (on the subway! and later in a less public place but very, very thoroughly written) and the extreme amount of cussing. There was cussing on almost every page and it just made it so difficult to read/hear. Some cussing would have been normal to the story but this was just way too much for me and felt completely unnecessary and seemed like it was trying to take the place of good writing. That much cussing, to me, shows a lack of other language that can be used. So, please be aware of these things if you decide to read this book.

I listened to the audiobook and the narrator had a wonderful quality to her voice and read all the characters in smart ways. She is partially why I kept with this book. If only she could have saved it for me.

If you want a queer romance in the vein of The Time Traveler's Wife or Time After Time, this might be for you. However, I would suggest Something to Talk About by Meryl Wilsner as a much better choice for a fun and interesting romance.

Thank you to Netgalley for the advance audio copy of this book.

One Last Stop was a fun book with a seriously wonderful cast of characters and supernatural elements. I will say - I didn't love August, which did make this a little bit harder to get into, and the book really took its time getting to the figuring stuff out phase, but once the plot picked up and all of the other characters became featured more, I was sucked in. The narrator was great though, her reading of the book helped me get through the beginning.

I will read (and recommend) anything by Casey McQuiston. I love how she writes people and makes them all so unique.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for letting me listen!

I love this book. The characters, the super unique story, and the way the author makes you fall into the world created. A must read full of some fantasy, some romance, it is a wonderful story that I wanted to read all over again as soon as I finished it.

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

Red, White and Royal Blue is an all time favorite of mine, I have been pumped for this book since it was announced.

CW: missing loved one, homophobia, anxiety

I would recommend if you're looking for (SPOILERS)

-friends to lovers
-a time travelling mystery
-sloooow burn
-a glasses wearing, bisexual who reminded me so much of Veronica Mars
-a leather jacket wearing love interest a bit lost in time
-amazing secondary characters
-making out for research

This was a fun read. The narrator for the audiobook was excellent and truly added to the story. I really enjoyed how Casey McQuiston weaved the mystery into this one. I am obsessed with Veronica Mars and loved how much this reminded me of that in the best of ways. August trying to escape her past, but still falling into a mystery. I really enjoyed her as a narrator and found her very relatable, trying to figure out her life, needing a plan.

Jane was gruff and mysterious. At times the relationship between the two of them appeared unbalanced, though a chunk of that is likely due to us only getting August's point of view. Overall I really enjoyed Jane, who definitely enjoys some dirty talk. I felt for her so much, being stuck in time, missing out on life, only really getting to live through August. This one tugs at your heart.

I absolutely adored August's pack of friends she found. They were too funny and brought so much comic relief to this book. The entire ending felt a bit like Avengers Endgame in the best of ways. I would definitely suspend reality a bit in reading this one, but an enjoyable read.

Rating: 4
Steam: 2 (vague terms, ultimately fade to black)

Fans of Red, White & Royal Blue, rejoice — Casey McQuiston has done it again! Her sophomore novel, One Last Stop, has a smaller scope than RWRB, but the same focus on queer history, true love, and quirky found family.

One Last Stop is a love story in more ways than one. It tells the life story of August and Jane, two young women who meet (and keep meeting) on the subway. But it is a love letter to the queer community, to New York City, to people on the margins just trying to find a home to call their own. It’s full of vibrant characters, steamy (semi-public!) sex scenes, and McQuiston’s distinctive style.

For audio readers who enjoy a variety of character voices, Natalie Naudus provides this, from raspy Nika to perky Myla.

Whether you are already a fan or are new to McQuiston’s work, One Last Stop is a truly delightful time travel romcom you won’t want to miss.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the advanced listening copy!

I'm so happy to finally read this! I loved Red, White, and Royal Blue and have been waiting to get my hands on McQuiston's new book. This was so cute and sweet, with a fun twist and plenty of amazing side characters. I enjoyed the story and didn't want to stop listening because I needed to know if Jane would end up in the past, present, or nowhere at all.

August has a lot of layers to her. She was raised by a single mom and learned all kinds of detective skills, like how to track someone down, a bit of profiling, and the occasional lock picking. She can be shy, but also goes for what she wants and makes friends easily. Jane is rough around the edges and has travelled a lot and done a lot of things. I thought the women balanced each other out well and their chemistry was easy to see.

My favorite part of this was the supporting cast. August's roommates are hilarious, there's a transgender psychic, his bubbly girlfriend, and a mysterious night owl who mostly keeps to himself. They also have a well know drag queen across the hall who made me laugh more than once. This story wouldn't be as good without these characters and I'm so glad I got to meet them.

I did feel like this dragged a bit in the middle. Once we found out what happened to Jane, there were some slow parts where not much happened other than the characters going about their lives. I think some of this could have been cut out to keep the plot flowing.

This is definitely an interesting read and the narration for the audiobook was well done. Pick this one up for a fun summer read!

I voluntarily read and reviewed this book. Thank you to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for the copy.

What a bizarre story.
Not in a bad way.
Just in a "Alex, we are not in Red, White, and Royal Blue anymore.

I have a bad habit of not reading about books before I read them. I go through so many stories that I just let them take me somewhere (hopefully) new. Which means, I had no idea what I was in for. Which makes it fun. Especially when you don't realize the romance is between a modern-day girl and a 1970's punk girl who has been stuck on the New York subway for 50 years.

August is a 23 year old, bisexual, full-time student who wants absolutely nothing to do with mysteries or solving them. She has spent her whole life being her mother's assistant trying to solve the disappearance of her uncle and wants out of the game.
What should find her on the New York Q train than the biggest mystery in the form of Jane, an attractive woman who always happens to be on the Q every time August gets on.
New York was supposed to prove August's cynical side right, not help her find an amazing group of friends in her roommates and neighbors and a woman to fall for on the Q.
I think my favorite part of this book was the found family. August finds herself responding to an ad for an extra room and finds an eclectic mix of roommates (and neighbor) who become so much more to her in the end. They work together to solve the mystery.
The inclusivity of this book was *chef's kiss*. The book truly was magical and such an amazing read. I had not read Red, White and Royal Blue but am thinking I need to remedy that situation ASAP to see what started the Casey McQuiston hype because they most certainly deserve it.

Natalie Naudus was amazing on the narration and I highly recommend the audio to those interested in checking this book out as an audiobook.

August Landry moves to New York a skeptic, a realist who grew up assisting with her lawyer mom's cases. She moves into an apartment with what will become her queer found family, composed of Niko, a trans latino psychic who is in a relationship with Myla, a queer Black engineer, and Wes, the resident shut-in, who is a tattoo artist by trade and also Jewish! Wes also has a dog that they all assume responsibility for and perhaps my favourite part of this novel was August finding her place among this wonderful little queer found family and finally finding a place to call home.

Despite moving in with Niko, a psychic who she is originally skeptic of, August doesn't truly believe in magic until she meets Jane, a butch Asian girl who used to work at the same diner that August works at, and who she crushes on so hard that she plans her commutes around. She quickly discovers that she isn't meeting up with Jane by accident when she finds a photo of Jane at the opening of the restaurant in the '70s. Jane looks exactly the same and has been stuck on that train for over 50 years, and August will do anything to get her out. She won't be selfish and want to keep Jane for herself, right?

The narrator of this audiobook was one of the best I've heard recently. She made the book incredibly intriguing by being able to change her voice for the characters so well that it easily indicated dialogue changes, and her voice was soothing and her storytelling ability made the book incredibly intriguing!

For August Landry, NYC is yet another big city where she can lose herself in the crowd. Avoiding her mother's obsessive, decades-long hobby and trying to keep her head above water are just about the only things she wants on her plate. But then, on a particularly unlucky day, she meets Jane, the girl on the subway who's charming, kindhearted, and not entirely from this time.

"One Last Stop" is the romantic, funny, make-you-smile-and-cry-at-the-same-time sapphic speculative fiction goodness that I've been searching for. It's quintessential romanticized NYC living, with offbeat roommates, less-than-ideal apartments, and eclectic people coming together to form a community. The feeling of there being something more to the present than what can be seen is a constant throughout the book, and that lovely crossover between magic and reality created an amazing ambiance for this romance to develop. I experienced this story as an audiobook and absolutely flew through it.

This book would be perfect for those looking to read a new adult sapphic romance with light sci-fi/speculative fiction themes. Or for the softies who just want a feel-good love story.

This book took my breath away. I loved every moment of it!! Casey McQuiston can do NO WRONG in my book!

Basically, McQuiston is my newest "auto-buy" author. If that fabulous human being writes a book, you can bet your buttons I'll be first in line to get a copy. Saying that, I went into this book totally blind. I wasn't sure what to expect, but it sure as hell wasn't a hottie stuck on the Q train for 50 years 😂

I thought August was a fabulous leading lady. I feel like I am very similar to her, and we could totally be friends. I loved her fierce determination and her ability to investigate.

Jane was so mysterious and cool!! I really fell for her while reading this story. I loved her chill attitude, and I was so excited for her every time she remembered something new.

The secondary characters were quite the bunch. Her roommates were all so unique and special with their own little quirks. I loved the drag queen across the hall and the little family of friends who worked at Billy's.

Overall, this book is quirky, funny, and downright irresistible!! The representation is incredible, the writing is perfect, and if you don't buy this book I'll buy it for you!!!! (Jk I'm poor)

I’m speechless- I knew this would be amazing but I did NOT expect it to go the way it did. Casey McQuiston catered to all of my tastes and needs with this amazing book. The twist? Unexpected, never done before, remarkable. The relationship? I want it. The characters and found family aspect of it? I love them so much.
As much as I love and enjoy YA, as a 25 year-old reader, I often feel the need to read stories with characters around my age, dealing with things I deal with. Everything about One Last Stop was so perfect, it spoke to me, everything about it. I have not much else to say because that’s truly it. It felt like this book was just written for me.
August is our main character- she’s bi and plus- or mid-sized. The comments on her body were never making it seem like being “fat” was her only personality trait but rather just part of who she is and I saw myself in this so much.
The diversity of the other characters in this book is unmatched and it’s written in a way that doesn’t scream “I’m not racist, look there’s a black character in my book!” But rather, Casey McQuiston wrote it so matter-of-factory, so casually that it felt natural.
I cannot wait to re-read this physically and annotate every line that spoke to me.
“Comatose in California is my favorite Lana del Rey album!” (I’m still screaming at this joke it’s amazing)

DNF from a big RWaRB fan.

One Last Stop is a sentimental, sticky sweet instalove found family story with corny scenes like "subway dance parties"- exploring indie queer friendships. The cute adventures of your idealized bff queer friend group where everyone is cool/unique. It's also in third person present tense.

Basically, despite Casey McQuiston's writing being charming as always, this is everything I hate about contemporary work. This book will work for a lot of people. Not me.

The narrator of the audio did a GREAT performance and I thought it was an excellent adaptation. of a book that didn't entertain me much.

What an absolute charmer of a book. I had heard good things about McQuiston's Red, White, and Royal Blue, but the plot of this one sounded like it was more up my alley, so I decided to give it a try. I'm so glad I did. Just about everything - the central romance, the found family, the way New York serves as a backdrop to magic - is delightful, but I also like how McQuiston worked in Augie and Jane's experiences as queer people in the '70s to give the story depth. I was a little surprised that the story went on so long after the time displacement issue was resolved, but it was nice to see the characters settle into their new lives. I will definitely recommend this to friends.

Thank you NetGalley and MacMillan Audio for the audiobook ARC.

One Last Stop is a love story at its core, a heartbreaking love story but still. (Don’t worry HEAs exist here!)

August has spent her adult life moving from place to place and school to school trying to find a place that feels like home. The story starts out with August finding an apartment with 3 roommates above a Popeyes.

This is found family gold. It’s so heartwarming and mushy you just want to !!!!!!!! This books cast is so diverse.


Jane is a gritty Chinese lesbian punk stuck on the Q train in a time slip and can easily be described as “A switchblade girl with a cotton candy heart”
August is bisexual, has anxiety, and carries a knife (what more do you want from a MC)
Myla is a queer black engineer turned artist
Wes is a queer tattoo artist (his story line really resonated with me I was rooting for him the whole book)
Niko is a Latino trans psychic and bartender.

A large part (or what felt like a large important part) really focuses in on the NY drag scene and how queer, specifically queer POC, are really paving the way in present day. Many different races, genders, sexualities, cultures are represented.

I don’t want to give any spoilers as to the plot but the best way I can describe it is horny time travel romantic comedy orbiting around civil rights movements with a splash of sleuthing!

You know that Lady Gaga meme that's like talented, brilliant, incredible, amazing, etc.? That's this book. My notes while reading/listening to it were: gorgeous and messy and chaotic and absolutely brimming with life and love and hope. I'm sure I'll write a more coherent review at some point, but I loved it and you will too.

Thank you to NetGalley and MacMillan Audio for an early ARC of One Last Stop!

Dang guys... I don't even know where to start with this review! This book is quite brilliant, magical, unique, charming, and quirky. It has amazing LGBTQ representation, a found-family element (which I love!!), and a mysterious time travel element. Like holy moly guys... it's just GREAT.

I feel it best to go in blind to this book, so I'm going to keep this review short and sweet. Please read this book!

Rating: 4 stars!

I was really looking forward to this book because I absolutely adore "Red, White & Royal Blue". For me, the book started out a bit slow and was harder for me to get into, but it built as the story continued, (and I honestly did not expect the sci-fi aspect of it). It has good characters, an interesting story, and, if I had read this as a teenage lesbian instead of a 28-year-old gay trans man, I probably would have enjoyed it much more than I already did.

It's clear that McQuiston thoroughly enjoyed writing this book, even more than RWRB, and that it was a true passion project.

Though I enjoyed RWRB more than this one, I did truly enjoy this story. I've also already recommended it to many of the sapphic women in my life and I know they're going to thoroughly enjoy it.