I wasn't sure what to expect with this book and while I was so excited to recieve an ARC of it, I also was nervous to begin. You see, Red, White and Royal Blue was by far one of the best books I've ever read. In fact, since initially reading it in Fall 2019, I've listened to it at least 4 additional times because I love it so much. The writing is beautiful and captivating and I feel myself floating away into Alex and Henry's world every time I listen.

So when I opened One Last Stop, I was immediately reminded of the beauty that is McQuiston's writing. It is absolutely a joy to read and her details are heartfelt. I am pretty sure I would read anything she wrote. The problem I had is that I never really connected with August and Jane. I can't tell you specifically why or what about it I didn't connect with but I couldn't. I just didn't feel the love and it made it a struggle. I did love the complexity of the characters and the diversity of all involved-- I think the problem was that there was nobody I really could "connect" with and it made me struggle. Without spoiling the book, i wish it had ended at about 89%. I think I would have been more satisfied with the ending there then I was with the actual ending.

One of the most brilliant parts of her writing is her writing of transgender and gender non-conforming individuals. The way she identifies that they are transgender is simple and non- dramatic, which I think makes it more powerful. These characters are people and whether they are transgender or not is not as important as who they are--- which i think is brilliant.

Overall, I would definitely recommend someone checking this book out, but meanwhile I might be re-reading Red, White and Royal Blue for the 5th time...

Overall, I think its a beautiful book

This delightful new-adult story will always have a special place in my heart because Casey McQuiston made me fall in love with her entertaining writing style and her vivid descriptions of New York City in all of its quirky and messy glory. I’m a huge fan of stories that feature a variety of characters from the LGBTQIA community and I must say that I was living my best life when I tagged along with August, Niko, Myla, Wes and Annie while they were throwing awesome parties and doing everything in their power to help Jane. Without a doubt, this novel is definitely a literary treat because this author has skillfully blended a budding romance, witty banter and an unbelievable time-slip with a dash of magic thrown in for good measure. Plus, I think this book cover is super cute and I can’t stop smiling every time I look at it!

Wow! Casey McQuiston's second novel is nothing like I expected but was delightful and wonderful. Two 20-something girls meet on the NYC subway, and sparks fly. As protagonist August navigates being an adult on her own, she realizes she actually has a lot of people who love her. This is a delightful story of people choosing their own family and making their way in the world, and has a surprising space-time element. Like McQuiston's first book, One Last Stop will leave you feeling warm and fuzzy and in your feelings in the best way.

Completely swoon worthy queer romance! It's fun with a little bit of a sci-fi twist. I liked how much Casey explored the history of the queer community without it feeling like a lesson. Very much enjoyed!

This was such fun! As with Red, White & Royal Blue, McQuiston delivers a charming, funny, and steamy queer romcom with endearing mains and side characters alike, only this time there are sapphics and sci-fi in the mix. This book packs so much love, queer history, and disaster bi energy into its >400 pages. There's an absolute wealth of thoughtful and varied representation in the characters, including a vocally bisexual protagonist, which my heart will never get enough of.

August is a somewhat prickly lead. She's the largely friendless, restless, minimalist daughter of a single mother hellbent on solving the mystery of her own brother's disappearance nearly fifty years ago. August has grown up isolated from her peers and locked into a walking true crime story. At twenty-three, she's spent the last few years bouncing from city to city, university to university, trying to carve out a life for herself that doesn't revolve around the search for her Uncle Augie.

When she arrives in Brooklyn, August quickly falls in with lovable new roommates, continues working on her degree, and lands a job at a breakfast place, a local institution. Enter Jane, the hot butch girl August meets on the subway, crushes hard on, and incidentally seems to have the exact same commute as her. As they get to know each other better, August's investigative upbringing leads her to think things aren't quite as they seem with Jane and with the help of her roommates, begins to get to the bottom of things.

I will say that there's quite a lot of PDA (not my thing), of-the-moment slang and turns of phrase that might make this hard to read in even a few years, and enough references to make your head spin (including two throwaway mentions of Harry Potter that I thought were in poor taste for a queer book released post-2020), but on the whole McQuiston's charming character work, believable dialogue, emotion and humour alike really shine through and make this book a very solid four star read for me.

TW: recounted homophobic violence, mention of racism and antisemitism, off page death

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for providing this advance copy

I read and loved RED, WHITE AND ROYAL BLUE, and immediately dove into my copy of ONE LAST STOP, which did not disappoint. Author Casey McQuiston knows how to deliver a fun, trauma-free, gay romance. Involving a Groundhog Day-like time loop on the subway, I loved the supernatural elements of this novel. McQuiston deftly walks the line between over-the-top fantasy and reality to create a really satisfying mystery-inside-a-romance. I'm so glad to have found this author!

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Griffin for the ARC.

Twenty-three-year-old August has just moved to New York to finish college and finds herself with a new life. August has a new home, new roommates, a new job, a possible new girlfriend, the mysterious Jane, who she meets on the subway. There is only one problem, the more time August spends with Jane, the more she realizes there's something different about Jane which may make it impossible for them to be together.

I wanted to like this book more than I did. McQuiston's first book was an adorable rom-com, and I was expecting her follow-up to be similar, but it didn't live up to my expectations. The premise was original, but the way the story played out felt familiar. August had the potential to be a great main character, but I never felt like I got to know her. Plus, her relationship with Jane went from attraction to love without being developed on the page. The best part of this book was the August roommates. I would happily read an entire book about Niko and Myla or Wes and Isiah. One Last Stop was entertaining and did have some fun moments, but it never lived up to my expectations set by the author's first novel.

WOW. WOW. WOW. This book has it all - queer love, magical realism, mystery, amazing wlw sex scenes, and a heist. I laughed out loud. I cried. This book was an outpouring of love for queerness, chosen family, and New York City.

I really liked the last book I read by this author, Red, White, and Royal Blue. It was a very entertaining and enjoyable read. This current book was even more entertaining.

I loved the NYC setting. Parts of the story took place on a subway and others part in a crowded Brooklyn apartment with four diverse and interesting roommates. There was August who recently moved to NYC to finish her college degree. She was overly cautious and never felt like she belonged anywhere. Niko was a psychic and also trans whose Catholic family supported him being trans but not being a psychic, and in their view, a devil worshiper. His girlfriend Myla was brilliantly creative and an intellectual. Wes came from money but was cut off and disowned when he went against his parents’ career choice to take over the family’s architecture firm. Wes was also in love with their neighbor, Isaiah, an accountant by day and drag queen Annie Depressant by night. Then there was Jane. She was the love interest of August. However, there was one major problem with Jane. She was stuck on the Q train, and has been for about 45 years.

I love how the connections were made between the past and present and how it came together so smoothly. The dialogue was witty and humorous but nicely balanced by their serious realistic conversations such as not fitting in, being disowned by family, money problems, and finding someone to love and then being brave enough to say the words.

I also loved how these characters evolved throughout the story from strangers to a tight knit group of very supportive friends who formed their own family and a place where they all belonged.

This well written rom-com was thoroughly engaging from start to finish.

An ARC was given for an honest review.

I was delighted to receive an ARC copy of "One last Stop", the newest work of Casey McQuiston after Red White & Royal Blue. The anticipation for this novel seems to be huge and the reviews are raving about it. Thank you Netgalley and the publisher St. Martin's Griffin for letting me have a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

What I liked most about the book is the cover and the concepts of inclusion, diversity, and happy mix.
Before I even think about how many stars I rate a book, I can guess myself by considering how long it takes me to read it. And this book, it felt so long and so slow, the first third goes on forever. The book was a granted wish and it felt like I had a moral obligation to finish it in order to write a review. I was also hoping the story would take a turn for the better but it didn't feel like that happen for me. A big disappointment.

This is such a fun, interesting, beautiful, unapologetically queer book! The sci-fi aspect of it was so well done that it didn't seem out of place at all. It was very X-Files meets Veronica Mars, but if everyone in the writer's room was queer. The characters are so well fleshed out and they feel like real friends you might have in your lifetime. I especially love the trope of found family, and I think it was executed flawlessly. The hesitation in the beginning by August to open up to Wes, Myla, and Niko and all of the events that carefully led to her trusting them with everything about her and her life was so enjoyable and rewarding to read. Honestly, if there's one piece of criticism I had it would be that there was a serious lack of Wes/Isaiah moments. However, I will ignore it because this book is pages full of love and acceptance. I just love reading about queer folks living happy lives, not traumatic ones.

Some other highlights for me: sex positivity, the queer history, the use of pop culture, August being bisexual (and actually saying the words), Niko being psychic, and Noodles (the dog).

August and Jane found happiness with each other. It occurred over a space of distorted time and a singular place. Casey McQuiston is so gifted in their talents that August and Jane's impossible situation and their stationary location of the subway train made me a little envious. You really root for them, despite everything. They're the impossible that was made possible and it filled me with such joy.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for this digital ARC in exchange for a honest review.

5 stars

This novel is packed with fantastic surprises!

August, the m.c., comes to New York to continue her lifelong goal of living attachment-free, but for readers and every character, it's clear from the start that August's life is taking a turn for the...different. Between August's quirky but loveable roommates, her memorable coworkers, and her general lack of luck and panache, there are many opportunities for August to grow and a whole lot of folks around to watch and facilitate this development. The most essential of these characters, however, is Jane, whom August nicknames "Subway Girl" and meets on a particularly terrible and fortuitous day. August's relationship with her mother, who has been on a lifelong (at least for August's lifespan) quest to find her missing brother, is also essential to understanding some of the idiosyncrasies of August's viewpoints, baggage, and unusual skillsets.

I was a fan of McQuiston coming into this, so I got to request this arc under my most favorite circumstances: by knowing NOTHING about it other than who wrote it. Readers, if you are able to avoid specific plot points, I recommend this. While I normally struggle a bit with genre-related aspects of how this story unfolds, I could not get enough of it here.

This is a thoughtful, charming, and magical romance, and the LGBTQ+ rep is on point. But there are many more layers here than I expected. The messaging around family relationships, not playing it safe in love, and finding yourself - in so many ways - all make this one truly unforgettable. If I had to have a last stop, I wouldn't at all mind arriving at it with these characters.

Lighthearted and fun with a twist that fell a little flat for me (although, I wasn't anticipating it so maybe it threw me for a loop just as I was getting comfortable with the world McQuiston had built) The plot is original with a familiar flair in its subway/train commute, the characters are refreshing and their wants/needs/desires are relatable. It's an absorbing read and paced well!

I loved Red, White, and Royal Blue so much that I was very excited to read this. At first, I wasn't too sure about it because it didn't have the humor of the other book, but then THAT THING kicked in and I was hooked. In the end it was a dizzying, dazzling, heart hurting (in the best way) ride.

August comes to New York to try to find her spark. She's not sure what she wants to do or who she wants to be, but she knows that New York will help her figure it out. She meets a great group of queer-friendly roommates, gets a job at Pancake Billy's House of Pancakes, and she meets Jane. At first, August thinks that she and Jane just have the same schedule, as they see each other on the train everyday. The truth is more complicated: Jane is stuck on the train, and she's from the 1970s. What's a girl to do when she falls in love with someone so unavailable?

As a city girl, I love the randomness of public transport - you never know who you might run into! Seeing August and Jane fall in love in their time on the train was so heartwarming - these two are so drawn to each other despite the odds against them. But make no mistake - this is much more than a romantic comedy - it's also August's coming of age story. I loved seeing her character development and growth to become confident in her skin and her choices.

The supporting cast here is so wonderfully and unabashedly weird with great queer representation - the roommates who play rolling chair games, the drag queen neighbor, August's pancake house coworkers. I loved spending time in this magical world, and I hope you love it too! 4.5 stars.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press for providing an ARC on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Review posted to Goodreads: 4/11/21
Review to be posted to Instagram in advance of pub date 6/1/21

This one was really cute and fun. Not what I was expecting, after reading Red, White, and Royal Blue, but I liked it. McQuiston shows her range with this book. Where Red, White, and Royal Blue was a straight up romance, this book has mystery and a little of the supernatural/sci-fi thrown in.

Definitely recommend for anyone who likes lighthearted, fun romances - especially those with a little twist. Can't wait for McQuiston's next work!

One Last Stop is a character driven book with a group of interesting, flamboyant and lively figures at the heart of the story. August, our main character, is someone I could relate to on so many personal levels. Her journey in McQuiston’s book, breaking free from her past, was something so wonderful and liberating to read. She’s such a complex character from the start but the more I read this book, the more I got to know her and the more I wanted to know her. The way she deals with commitment, her sexuality and trust was, at times, difficult for me to read without crying because in some ways, I understood.

When August meets Jane Su on the Q Train, I could feel time standing still. There was this instant connection between them that was irrefutable. The more time they spent together, the more I fell in love with them both. Jane is such an interesting person to read about and, just like August, I fell head over heels for her the instant she stepped onto the page. Her stories and adventures and her life come alive on the page through McQuiston’s effortless and magical prose. I just felt SO MUCH when reading this book. Their romance was hot and exhilarating and this book oozed passion. What was very important to me is how Jane treated August’s relative inexperience with intimacy. It wasn’t seen as something embarrassing but as a completely normal thing for a 23 year old and that was refreshing (because virginity is a construct).

The side characters had so much life and energy. I always find that the side characters in a romance are shoved aside to make room for the love interest. In this book, however, each of the side characters in August’s life are given the chance to be fleshed out and explored in the narrative. I absolutely love the found family trope and I wish I lived in a flat with Niko, Myla, August & Wes with Isaiah around the corner and Jane on the Q Train. They were such a vibrant, queer and diverse group of individuals and I just want to know more about them and live with them.

Casey McQuiston really knocked it out of the park with this book. Her writing is flawless and so full of emotion. I usually laugh once or twice whilst reading and I might cry one time. This book made me laugh out loud so many times and I sobbed 5 times. I SOBBED. Now I can’t even listen to ‘In Your Eyes’ by Peter Gabriel or ‘Love of My Life’ by Queen anymore without getting fucking emotional, lol. There were so many times in the book where I felt like I was right there with the characters, experiencing life with them. The descriptions of the city, of the people, of the places where so vivid and the entire book felt alive. One of my favourite scenes in the book was the Easter Brunch party on the Q Train. Reading that joyous celebration of being together with those you care about was so beautiful.

This book is definitely a celebration of queer identity. On the one hand you’re in the 21st century with August and the gang, where queerness in all its forms is celebrated and accepted. On the other hand, it’s tinged with grief and sadness through Jane’s difficult past and the people she lost in her life just because they were different. Jane’s fiery personality definitely shines through when she talks about her past and what she fought for, tooth and nail. Our main character, August, is a bisexual disaster who falls in love with Jane, our riotous lesbian. August lives with gay and trans roommates and the book is littered with fantastically dressed drag queens with fierce personality. We truly love to see it.

Something to remember when reading this book is that you need to suspend you belief just for a little while so you can be wrapped up in this fantastical journey through time and explore love across decades. Time is just a construct and McQuiston plays with it in such a unique way. The blend of the real and the supernatural felt so organic in this book. At first I was unsure about the whole ‘time traveling lesbian’ storyline but it just makes sense. It gives Casey McQuiston the opportunity to really explore our past and our present.

Overall, I cannot recommend this book enough. It is so full of emotion and is an exploration of love and acceptance. I knew I would love this book. I just didn’t realise how much this book would affect me emotionally. From start to finish, One Last Stop is a fucking masterpiece.

One Last Stop is a fun, sexy ride. I fell in love with Jane and August and all of August’s roommates who become her family. I don’t want to give too much of the story away, so I will just say this is a beautiful tale of feeling lost and being found by loving someone. I loved it.

Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Lovely and dynamic, this book was a surprise from start to finish. While I did love the principal romantic leads, the way that McQuiston builds a world and an ensemble cast is the real star of the show.

At its simplest, this is a book about two women falling in love on a train, but it is also a book about being stuck out of time, about tracking down forty year old mysteries, found families, and heists.

I just finished ugly crying and I’m ready to write this review.

This book made me... feel things? Yes, that’s accurate. The characters were all so effortlessly lovable. The humor was funny, but not in the way where you can tell the author was trying to hard to relate to the “youths”. Casey McQuiston could write a phone book and I would still read it (and probably enjoy it). Also, I feel like Casey went from a liberal to a leftist in between writing Red, White & Royal Blue and One Last Stop, which I honestly love for him.