I DON'T KNOW. I don't know. This book seems to be packed full of elements that I enjoy but I put this one down so many times and had no desire to pick it back up for long stretches of time. It feels like maybe I wasn't in the right mindset to enjoy this, because I basically had to force myself to finish it. None of the characters really stood out to me and I didn't particularly enjoy the premise of the story. It's well written and has some fun dialogue but otherwise, it didn't connect with me :(

3 sad stars

4.5 stars rounded up.
This book! Ugh, I loved this. After reading Red, White, and Royal Blue, I fell in love with the author's sense of humor and character building. I wanted more and I got more with One Last Stop.

Now, they aren't the same. RW&RB and One Last Stop are vastly different, and when I say I didn't know One Last Stop had a time traveling element to it, I mean I was shocked when I found out. However, I thought it was done well.

The characters made me fall in love with them. They all had vastly different personalities and I LOVE the found family trope more than anything. I connected with August so much, and felt her troubles and anxieties as if they were my own. I fell in love with Jane and her mystery and wanted to know so much more about her. This cast was fantastic and while I want more of them, I like the way their stories wrapped up.

Read this book. The rep, the humor, the modern day references and historical intrigue. It all works so well and I love this book.

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

I received this book for free for an honest review from netgalley #netgalley

Lgbtq writing at its best! I couldn't put this book down. I read it so fast I had to read it again right after. Perfect

When I found out that Casey McQuiston was coming out with another book after reading her fabulous book red, white and Royal Blue I new I had to get my hands on it.

One last stop is about a girl name August who moves to New York for school and meets a mysterious girl name Jane on the Subway. She is there everytime August is on the subway and realizes she wants to know more about this girl.

This book deals with family, lost relatives, friendships, sex, and lots lots more. I gave this book a solid B+

Thank you Netgalley and St Martins Press for a copy of this book for an honest review!

Another amazing love story from Casey McQuiston! I absolutely adored Red, White and Royal Blue so I had very high hopes going into this book. Even though it felt a bit lengthy at times and I missed a bit of the fun banter of R,W&RB I still think this book was just a beautiful. I knocked off a star because the ending felt a little out of place but I'm glad it ended happily.

Okay, so I, like many, many people, LOVED Red, White, and Royal Blue. It was in my best books of last year. I read it twice. It was one of the best romances I've read in recent years. I was anxiously waiting for McQuiston's next book. I was a little disappointed that this new one wasn't going to be a male-male romance simply because I don't really read much female-female romance. However, McQuiston's first book was so good that I didn't care.

I enjoyed this book, but I didn't love it. It is much different than Red, White, and Royal Blue. It's written the way a lot of romance books are at this present moment. The writing is good, enjoyable to read, but I wonder if the prose will feel dated in years to come. I'm not sure how exactly to describe it other than to say I have read quite a few young adult romances in the last few years with a similar writing vibe.

The star of this book is the queer community in New York City. That is what kept me reading. McQuiston's writes Brooklyn in such a way that it feels like another character. Her descriptions are visceral and vivid. As a person who didn't really enjoy NYC when I lived there, this made me wish that I had known the New York that McQuiston is writing about. I enjoyed August as a character and her crew- Niko, Myla, Wed and Isaiah, and the people from Billy's Pancakes. I also liked the person-stuck-in-time on the Q train. Jane is a sexy, strong awesome heroine. At times I was worried that the author was trying to do too many things. There was the fight to save Billy's, August's missing uncle, and strained connection with her mother, as well as the ongoing problem of freeing Jane from the subway. I wasn't sure that all the threads could be pulled together in the end, but surprisingly, they all were wrapped up neatly. So, I enjoyed a lot of things about this book. It just didn't hit the spot like Red, White, and Royal Blue. I will read the next book by this author and I will recommend this book to young, queer people who are struggling to find themselves because I think it will speak to them.

"It's -- we're gonna be fine," August says. "She knows how I feel about her. And--and if it's gonna end like this, there's nothing either of us can do. There's no point ruining whatever time we have left by being sad about it.
Myla sighs. "Sometimes the point is to be sad, August. Sometimes you just have to feel it because it deserves to be felt."

TL;DR: One of my most anticipated books for 2021 and it did not disappoint. This book absolutely emotionally devastated me and had me ugly sobbing at 1:00 in the morning.
It's the perfect Pride book.
It's a love letter to Brooklyn.
It's got the best found family.
Just...read this book.

Vibes: I....don't even know? Heart-warming, feel good fuzzy vibes. Anything else is just too spoilery.

Character MVP: All of them. Casey McQuiston has this way of making characters come alive -- they're all so real, and round (ie: fleshed out, not flat) and dynamic -- and you just care about all of them.
I know August is our MC, and I love her in a very unique way, but I would also go to the ends of the earth for Wes and Isaiah. I just want to wrap them in a little love cocoon and protect them from all harm.

Verdict: Casey McQuiston is an auto-buy author for me. As in, I don't even care what the book is about, I will immediately pre-order it.

I feel in love with Red, White, and Royal Blue and it took me completely by surprise. Same for this book -- although there *was* less of a surprise, but I still fell hard.

I did take a while to read this book -- and that is not any sort of commentary on the story. One, I was teaching summer session and didn't have the time/mental capacity to focus solely on reading.
And, two -- I have a habit of prolonging books I'm really excited about. I did this with Deathly Hallows -- it took me almost 2 weeks to read it -- and I'm currently doing it with Crooked Kingdom and Bloodsworn. There's something about the finality of starting a book...it's an experience you'll never get back -- reading it for the first time -- and once you start it, you know you're on the way to the end. So I put off reading it.

Until this past week, when I ran out of sticky tabs because I was marking so many passages and staying up until 1:00 am sobbing because this book emotionally devastated me. It spoke to me in, I think, a very unique way:

✔︎ -- Pratt.
I know Wes drops out of architecture school, but my parents both went to Pratt and met there and no one really knows of it here in the South? I mean, maybe a few people, but it's a special place and I love the representation.

✔︎ -- Billy's -- and all Brooklyn diners.
This is the big one -- the one that spoke to my heart.

Backstory: My parents are, as alluded to above, from The City. My dad's a Brooklyn boy and my mom's a Queens girl. They grew up in Jane's NYC -- the gritty, tough, rough, dirty NYC of the 1960s and 1970s. It wasn't a place they wanted us to experience and so they moved us "upstate" and then down South. But we would visit, obviously, because my entire family, including my grandparents, were still scattered around the boroughs. I loved The City in a very unique way -- as someone of The City, but not from it. I saw it and lived it through my grandmother's eyes -- definitely a sheltered, rose-tinted view -- it was all bodega fruit stands, Baskin Robbins ice cream, counting city blocks, sticky steam rising from the subway grates, and grilled cheese sandwiches and chocolate milkshakes at the Manhattan Three Decker Diner.

My diner is in Greenpoint, not Flatbush; but they're cousins. Institutions in their neighborhoods, the heart of their communities. My grandmother would let me wear her old dresses and we'd pretend to be old college friends catching up, and we'd invent the most lavish and detailed backstories for our lives, and we hadn't seen each other in years, but we still made time for lunch at "our place." So all of those Billy's moments just spoke to my heart.

✔︎ -- August's Journey.
I'm definitely not a 23-year-old, bisexual, GenZ from Louisiana, but there is something deeply relatable about August's journey. There were 2 main points where I read a passage, stopped, and said out loud, "Damn, Casey McQuiston. I feel attacked by this relatable content..

This is the first:
I know *logistically* how to perform *some tasks.*...I don't know how to have something that I *do,* every day, like as an adult who does a thing. It's nuts that we all start out having these vague ideas of what we like to do, hobbies, interests, and then one day everybody has their *thing,* you know? They used to just be a person, and now they're a--an architect, or a banker, or a lawyer, or -- or, a serial killer who makes jewelry out of human teeth. Like, *things.* That they *do.* That they *are.* What if there's not that *thing* for me, Jane. I mean, what if I've never wanted to be anything other than just an August?"

And then she just anxiety-spirals and honestly? I felt seen. I may be a little further along, but I can remember having a similar spiral in 2012 and being in a similar head-space. Totally different journey, but the end result is kind of the same. (The other relatable moment is when August admits to envisioning the worst-case scenario in her anxiety spirals because "the statistical likelihood of something happening in real life exactly the way I imagined it was so low, if I imagined the worst possible things in vivid detail, I could mathematically reduce the odds of them happening." Like, other people do this too?!?!)

August moves to New York City looking to prove that there is no such thing as magical, theatrical love stories and being alone is the way to go. She begins her semester, moves in with whimsical roommates and works at a 24-hour pancake house. So far, so good until she rides the subway and sees the most gorgeous woman she has ever seen, Jane. She is immediately crushing, wanting to know more about the mysterious Jane. What August finds out is Jane is misplaced from the 1970’s… literally. August makes it her mission to find out how Jane got stuck on the subway, hoping to take her back to her timeline, but selfishly wants her to stay. Will their love last? 
.  
This book DESTROYED me in the best possible way. The love story between August and Jane is beautiful, so well written, it felt real. Meaning it popped off the page and I could easily visualize the story, which is exactly what I love about reading great books. I was a tad skeptical about the misplaced timeline/stuck on the subway piece, but it was perfectly executed. One Last Stop was steamy, sexy and heartfelt. The hopeless romantic in me was fulfilled, and I don’t think I can recommend a book more. This might be my absolute FAVORITE book of the year so far. 💕🌈 Get your hands on it if you can, you won’t be disappointed!

I read this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
The mundane nature of the same commute can be mind-numbing, but McQuiston gives us a story that electrifies the daily train to work. Even though there are elements of science fiction, the relationship blooming between August and Jane seems real and within reach. The pace and wit of the book is quick, quirky, and queer. A true highlight was the secondary characters in the book. McQuiston is able to elevate the story with the details of all the characters, not just the two at the center. The place of queer characters in all aspects of the story was refreshing. I look forward to reading more from the author in the future.

One Last Stop is a tender, unique, magical look at love. It goes well beyond your regular love story and into a realm of unknown which will keep you riveted until the very last word of the beautiful story.

August has moved many times. She is trying to complete her college education. But as a loner, she never really bonds with anyone or anything so there is never anything to keep her in one place. So when she gets bored, she just ups and finds another college.

Having had a difficult life, her mother lost her brother Augie years ago. They have never been able to find any record of him either alive or dead. August’s whole life has been taken up with files…her mother’s obsession of finding out just what happened to Augie. Needless to say her home life was nothing spectacular.

Now, August finds herself in New York City living with three very quirky roommates whose main goal in life is to get to know her and get her to open up. Not happening. They are able to help her get a job at a 24 hour pancake diner which will help her pay her rent and tuition, but will do nothing for the smell she seems to emit no matter how many showers she takes! Pancakes, syrup and bacon.

So as August gets use to her once again very lonely life, on her first day going to her new college as she is heading towards her train in the subway station she is pushed and coffee is spilt all over her shirt. And this shove will change August’s life forever. An adorable girl sees August in distress and hands her a scarf to cover her stains. She even loves the smell of pancakes and syrup! She thanks her not even knowing her name.

Now smitten, August looks for her mystery hero and finally find her on a train. Her name is Jane. She has everything, beauty, personality and cool clothes. Their relationship begins to grow. But there is one serious problem. Jane is stuck on the train. She does not remember her past but believes it is the 1970’s. And for some reason she cannot leave the train. August promises her that she will find a way to get her home, wherever that may be.

It is then that August opens up to her roommates about what is happening to Jane and thus begins a complex plan to try and help Jane return to her life from year’s ago. Although August knows Jane needs to return to where she belongs, she realizes that she may never again see who she believes is the love of her life. But August loves Jane enough to let her go.

Throughout this journey, August becomes with Jane’s help the person she never knew she could ever become. But with her renewed confidence in life, comes a sadness for her soulmate. Will there plan work? We won’t know until Jane gets off at the last stop.

The Last Stop has heroines and heroes, fairytale and intrigue, laughter and most of all love.

Thank you #NetGalley #Griffin #OneLastStop #CaseyMcQuiston for the advanced copy.

One Last Stop was so good! I loved that this romance had a bit of mystery/time travel and that there was so much humor paired with vulnerable moments. It was so sweet and so sad at times but wow was it a treat!

Overall, I expected more from this book. I felt like the pacing for the novel was off and didn’t really feel as connected to the main character as I should’ve. The side characters were WONDERFUL! I wish there was more of them. I was a bit disappointed with the ending as well. Even so, would still recommend to those who want a fun romance / wlw novel to read this summer.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC.

Don't mind me. I'm just sitting over here shedding some disappointed tears. This book broke my heart, and not in a good way. I wanted it to be amazing, but mostly, I was bored. Sniffle sniffle.

I had to force myself to keep picking up the book for the middle 70%. August felt like a blank wall to me. Only occasionally did she showcase a dry humor or do anything noteworthy. Jane was marginally more interesting, but my interest fizzled when the draw began to feel gimmicky. And Jane and August together...meh. I was bored! Especially when you compare those two to the rest of the cast, who positively shone.

I bumped this from a two to three star rating for Myla, Niko, Wes, Isaiah, Lucie, and Winfield, for Christmas in July, and for the few pages of the "heist" where I laughed out loud several wonderful times.

Many people have loved ONE LAST STOP, so you should probably ignore this review. I mean, I'm probably going to ignore it myself. Casey McQuiston broke my heart, but I'm not giving up on her yet.

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!

I went into the book.open minded because I love Red, White and Royal Blue but I really enjoyed this book. It was incredibly well written and the fun banter between the two main characters was perfect. The first half of the book was fast paced and the second half was more of a slow burn.

I requested this book from Netgalley a few months back because I read Red, White, and Royal Blue and really enjoyed it! I also knew this one was going to be a f/f romance which made me even more excited --- and can we talk about that cover!? I mean, stunning.

I had a lot of expectations when it came to reading this book. There was a lot I absolutely ADORED about this book, but there was also a couple of things that irked me in the smallest of ways - so let's get to the pros and cons of the book, shall we?

Con #1:
August as the main character was just okay to me. August is a girl who was basically raised to solve cases - her uncle went missing before she was born and her mom has never let the case go. She actively HATES this throughout the entire book but ends up very quickly being okay with it in the end. I didn't really feel the character development was there for that change to happen. I also found some of her decisions questionable. She ditches everything to help Jane immediately - how does she afford rent with skipping so much work!? Everything worked out a little too well for her.

Pro #1::
The found family aspect of the novel was by far my favorite part. The relationship August develops with her roommates is so heartwarming and cute (and kind of unrealistic based on my past experiences with roommates lol). The Roommates in question? We have Niko, a trans Latino psychic; Myla, a queer Black electric engineer who is also an aspiring artist; and Wes, a queer Jewish tattoo artist who has an "are they or are they not" romance with the drag queen across the hall. They are definitely a unique group of characters but I think they are the best part of the book. They are the reason August becomes more bearable.

Con #2:
The pacing. I had this same issue with RWRB (even though I really enjoyed it). There were just parts of the story that seemed to drag on a little too long. Nothing MAJOR really felt like it happened until I was over halfway done with the story. It picked up much more after that 50% mark, but honestly, I really had to power my way through the beginning of the book.


Pro #2:
The main plot, especially the time travel aspect. I'm not going to lie, I did NOT think that Casey McQuiston could pull off a time travel romance. I knew going in that they were a talented writer (I'm looking at you RWRB), but it seemed like such a crazy plot I didn't know if it would come off as realistic (in the best way time travel can, ya know?).

Con #3:
The romance. It was this weird thing where the relationship seemed to happen SO slowly but also so fast?? I didn't really understand the connection once it happened, but at that point, we were so far into the story that it almost needed to make sense - does that make sense? It ties with my problems with the pacing in the way.

Pro #3:

THE ROMANCE. Can I have this as both a con AND a pro? I sure can. While I felt that Jane and August's relationship didn't make a whole lot of sense, some scenes had me screaming (in a good way). LIKE THAT SUBWAY SCENE!? (ifykyk). By the end of the book, I was hardcore cheering for Jane and August to end up together. I fell in love with these two very quickly.

Pro #4:
Billy's. Maybe I am biased because I know what it's like to work in a restaurant where it feels like the place is home - the coworkers, the regulars, the atmosphere, all of it. Also, I thought the side plot of saving the restaurant was a nice change to the main time travel plot, especially since it ended up tying together perfectly.

Overall, this was a definite thumbs up from me. I listened to part of it on audiobook since I was driving somewhere for 5 hours and I was literally gasping out loud in my car. You know when you're reading a sexy scene in public and you feel like everyone knows? That was me. But in a car.

I ended up giving it ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ out of 5 stars!

This is one of those books that will polarize the romance community. Either you love it, or you DNF'd or the book simply didn't click for you. For me, it clicked perfectly. Sci-fi, romance, found family? Count me in!

The beginning of the book started so bleakly, I almost gave up. However, I am glad I stuck around. I loved the writing style, and how original this story felt. I also loved the representation found in this book. I can't emphasize enough how important it is that publishers start amplifying these voices and giving us the opportunity to read more of these stories.

The romance was swoony and lovely and the secondary characters were quirky and adorable. I am looking forward to more from this author!

I enjoyed this book, even though it was more science fictiony than I usually like. The secondary characters really made this book for me, and I would love to read more about them.

3.5 Okay, so I was 100% on board in the first half and then kinda felt like I fell off the train a little. I liked the relationships but I really really dislike the whole millennial young adult existential crisis bit when it appears in any story. It also tipped into overly sweet and dramatic. Fun banter though in the friend group that I enjoyed!