I really enjoyed this fresh F/F romance with a weird scfi/fantasy type twist?! It was a fun read, but it did not live up entirely to my expectations for some reason I can't quite explain. Although I did enjoy this one more than her previous book, Red, White & Royal blue (mostly because I read it during election time which was a hot mess). I would definitely recommend this book to customers looking for a more engaging romantic read!

This book is hot and sexy. A virgin from New Orleans falls for a stranger on the subway and the sparks fly! August wanted to be alone amongst all the people in the big city, reinventing herself and trying another new college, but that’s not what happened. She wound up with these awesome roommates who become like family. Their neighbor is a drag queen and they’re all big into the scene and it is really cool to see her open up and enjoy parties. One of the roommates is trans but it was only mentioned in passing, which is cool, but he’s also psychic, so that’s kinda weird. Another is a super smart engineer-turned-artist who I wish was my best friend. Then there’s the night shift guy with low self-esteem who’s in love with the drag queen. Everything circles around: not only with her friends, but with her life. She finds out the skills she’s been hoping to shed are what make her special and might even save her subway girl.

Big thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

I was so thrilled when I recevied this ARC from NetGalley. Red, White and Royal Blue was one of my favorite books in 2019. I couldn't put it down and the relationship in that book was perfectly crafted and executed. Even though I had nothing in common with the characters I loved them and rooted for them.
One Last Stop is somewhat similar. There are very complex characters from so many diverse communities. You will absolutely root for the main characters to find a happy ending, even if you arent sure what that happy ending is. I was quite confused when I started this book. The fantasy aspect of it was confusing to me but towards the middle of the book all became clear and I fully understood the road block to this otherwise perfect relationship.
What I loved most about this book was the idea that you can find a family outside of your blood family, that loves you and helps to nurture you to become the best version of yourself. August finds love in so many ways in this book and while I wasnt sure about where this character was headed, I really enjoyed reading this book.

Red, White, & Royal Blue is one of my very favorite books of all time, so I was afraid this one wouldn't live up to it. And it didn't. But it's also a VERY, VERY different book. This one has sci-fi/paranormal vibes that have no presence at all in her debut, and are completely at odds with the rest of the very contemporary book, but it still works?

Very cute book that is easy and quick to read. Perfect to read on the beach or anywhere you need a fun quick page turning book!
Thank you to netgalley for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

I was a little worried for this book following up on the massive success of Red, White, and Royal Blue (primarily because wlw romances are not as popular as mlm romances in general, but also because sophomore novels can be tricky to stick the landing), but my worries are assuaged now that I've read it. Casey McQuiston did it again: bringing me a charming cast of characters who actually sound and make jokes like current twenty-somethings, all while giving me the romance butterflies in my stomach. I think this one is slightly less explicit than Red, White, and Royal Blue, but I would still only suggest it to 18+ readers. The B plot mystery with August's mom also kept drawing me back in as much as the romance between our two protagonists. This book was a home run all around.

This book wasn’t what I was expecting… But that is probably because I didn’t read the full description and was thoroughly confused when August was trying to discover if Jane was dead or not. Whoops.

The story centers on August, who moves to New York to get a break from her mom and figure out what is she supposed to be doing with her life. Within the first couple of days, she has found friendship in her quirky roommates and has developed a crush on “Subway Girl,” the cute girl who always seems to be riding the same train. Like, always...

August wasn’t my favorite protagonist, but I did enjoy her. I liked the backstory of her being somewhat of a child spy and how far she is willing to go to help her friends and loved ones. I wish she had a little bit more sass or something to her—she just felt a bit bland at times. Jane, her love interest, was definitely her opposite in that regard! She is extremely confident, charismatic, and magnetic. I could definitely feel their connection.

The storyline is a little drawn out, in my opinion. The book is over 400 pages and with the main problems being Jane trying to remember her memories, it was rather slow. I kept waiting for something to happen and take a turn. However, the word “warmth” does come to mind when I think of this story. It’s not fast-paced and isn’t the steamiest—instead, it’s a good slow burn. It’s comforting, it’s nice, it leaves you feeling content. If I knew it would be this type of story in advance, I probably would have loved it more.

I absolutely adored Red, White, & Royal Blue, and this one just doesn’t live up to it (that is a hard level to reach twice!). I am most definitely a Casey McQuiston fan, though, so I will continue to look out for more of her books!

Thanks to the publisher for this ARC!

Thank you so much, NetGalley, St Martin's Press and St Martin's Griffin, for the chance to read one of my most anticipated reads of 2021! I loved Red, White & Royal Blue so much and I couldn't wait to read this book!

August is twenty-three years old, cynical and she doesn't believe in magic or cinematic love stories, but in facts and that she will be okay if she's on her own, alone. Moving to New York City, moving in with three peculiar roomates and waiting tables at a 24-hour pancake diner won't change anything. So taking the subway. Or at least so, she thinks. Meeting Jane, charming, peculiar, weird, with a rock punk style and a cute smile changes everything, above all since August discovers Janes is displaced in time from 1970s and she doesn't know how or how to get off the train. August is determined to help Jane get back to her time, understand what happened and how to change. Even though falling in love isn't exactly in her plans.

A queer found family, a girl lost in time and another who start believing in magic and destiny and love again, One last stop is a moving, funny, dreamy, thoughtful and beautiful story and I loved every single page!
It's like a warm hug, a fuzzy and comforting blanket, a magical story that makes you believe in impossible things and bonds and love.
The story is filled with complex and skillfully written characters, so well rounded it's like you're there with them, following in the subway, eating pancakes, laughing with them, finding clues, falling in love, doing seances and so much more!
August is a wonderful main character, smart, funny, weighed down by her past, with a complicated relationship with her mother and with herself, finding difficult to find a place to call home. Reading how she starts to think of her house as home, as her roomates as friends and New York City and Billy's as a permanent place is moving and beautiful.
I love how analythical and smart she is, so involved in her files and researches, even though she's researching something so impossible and peculiar.

Myla, Niko, Wes and Isaiah are amazing characters and I fell in love with them, with their games, jokes, fears and adventures. A wonderful and protective queer found family and I loved everything about them, how they are so skillfully written and intricate, how, even though they are so different from one other, psychic Niko, witty Myla, moody Wes, funny Isaiah, their bond is strong and impossible to break and how they include August right away in their family.
Jane, the impossible girl, the misplaced girl, is a captivating mystery and the way August decides to help her, solving her case and her situation was hilarious, moving and romantic.

This romance is peculiar, magical, full of funny, intriguing, mysterious, steamy moments and the story is captivating and I devoured this book, because it reinforced my belief in magic and destiny. It's a dreamy book and I laughed so much, I swooned and I loved everything and every single character.

One Last Stop was absolutely magical. I literally could not stop reading it. I was already a big fan of Casey McQuiston's writing, but this book blew me out of the water.

The book follows August, a young woman who transferred to a school in New York City, who is going through the struggles of finding an apartment, a job and new friends. She starts seeing this same woman named Jane on the subway and develops a huge crush, but when she tries to ask Jane out she must decline because Jane has been riding that same subway since the 1970s and she's been stuck there without aging and cannot leave.

The book is about solving the mystery of Jane, and about falling in love with a person and a city and with the groups of people around you. It's about finding a family when your own blood family has continued to disappoint you.

The time travel aspect of the book comes off very realistically and I would recommend this book to people who don't generally go for science fiction or fantasy. I will say that one strange thing about the book is that it continually refers to it being 2020, but clearly the book was written before the pandemic hit. That is sadly a product of our current situation, but obviously not the fault of the author.

Did I actually love this even more then Red White and Royal Blue?!?! I expected loves me characters from Casey but August and Jane were perfection. It was hilarious laugh out loud funny and super heartwarming. I loved every freaking second of it! Casey’s writing always manages to keep me reading. It’s a book you can’t put down with loves me characters, super strong plot, and it’s HOT!!!

Family can serve as a catalyst for change or can keep you from settling down. Family can be born into or can be chosen. This book covers all of it with tenderness and toughness. A story of love caught out of time that ultimately brings all the pieces and hearts together - this was a sexy, sweet, tender, delicious book.

I absolutely loved this book, which is no surprise because I also loved Red, White & Royal Blue. Casey McQuiston has such a fun, lively, entertaining voice and the world she created in One Last Stop felt unique and welcoming. McQuiston is great at writing interesting characters - Jane, August, Wes, Niko, Myla - but this time she also really nailed the mystery component. I was always trying to solve the problem (#nospoilers) while deeply enjoying the unexpected twists and turns.

This is the perfect pandemic book because it's about a girl who is stuck in one place, outside of society, feeling like life is passing her by and nothing will change...and how magic (and love) finds a way. Fun fact: I hate taking the subway for the same reason August in this book loves it: You go underground and pop up somewhere new. To me that's disorienting; to August it's magic. So I wasn't exactly sold on the concept of this book when I first heard about it, but it's by Casey McQuiston and how could I not get excited. The bottom line: This isn't as accessible as "Red, White and Royal Blue." The writing is great - even amazing - I just soaked up the sensory details at times. But this book is doing something more niche than political escapism. I liked it. It has all the ingredients to make people squee but it's probably not for everyone. It's about time travel and bring queer in the 70s compared to today and, as mentioned, a lot of magic (which includes subways and being in your early 20s and first love and the ideas that psychics and found families exist). Call it pandemic escapism. Not for the cynical at heart.

I loved this book, thank you for the opportunity to read it! It had great characters and a fun plot. Very enjoyable read!

If you liked Red, White and Royal Blue, you'll probably enjoy this one too, but be aware that it's a very different style than the author's first book. This follows August; she's spent her entire life moving from city to city, never alone but forever lonely. Growing up, it was just her and her mom, who was obsessed with finding August's long-lost uncle and never really made time for August and once August turned 18, she refused to be a willing pawn in her mom's search any longer. Her latest move brings her to New York where she suddenly finds herself with three roommates and a dog, all so curious about her and wanting to be friends, which is a fairly new concept for August.

August takes the train everyday to get to school; on her very first day, she of course spills coffee all over herself. Right when she's ready to throw in the towel on the day, she meets Subway Girl, a random, gorgeous girl on the subway who gives her a scarf, a smile, and some hope. Soon August notices that they ride the train together everyday. Subway Girl's name is Jane, and they talk and flirt and laugh. But August starts to notice something weird about Jane. How is it that she's ALWAYS on the same train as her? And why doesn't she ever answer questions about herself? As it turns out, Jane is stuck in time, stuck on the Q, and August seems to be the only one who can help her fix it. But if they fix it, will Jane stay or will she go back to the 1970s, where she first got stuck? August's heart breaks at the idea of her leaving, but she is nothing if not her mother's daughter and is determined to solve this mystery once and for all.

This features a lovable cast of characters, many LGBTQ+, and explores themes of sexuality, gender and identity as August et al try to find a way to rescue Jane. It feels a tad long at times and there are a few tangents that I felt were unnecessary, but on the whole, I really enjoyed this book. I think the author does a lovely job of writing characters so that you really feel the full depth of their emotions, and also of really developing those characters, especially August, throughout the book. A wonderful 4.5/5 stars for me.

It wasn't quite 5 stars for me, but I did really enjoy this book. I think the problem was that I loved it's predecessor (Red, White, and Royal Blue) so, so much that my expectations for this one were maybe unreasonably high.

That all being said, this book was really good! The characters were all so likable - it was a group of friends that I deeply wished I could be a part of. And the romance was so achingly sweet. I like that the characters were all established in their sexuality, and this wasn't a "discovering who you are" story (which is what I normally read). Don't get me wrong - that's what I normally read because that's what I love to read. This was just a refreshing change of pace from my norm. Instead of focusing on characters struggling to come to terms with their sexuality, this book focused on the romance and friendships of the characters.

And the story was really intriguing! There were paranormal/metaphysical/time-travel elements (I know this has a name but I can't recall it at this moment). The explanations of why this was happening weren't 100% clear to me, but the story was enjoyable enough that I was able to just go with it.

Overall, a solid 4 (maybe 4.5) stars for me on this one. I will definitely be on the lookout for more from this author!

My 2021 has peaked early upon receiving a free eARC of One Last Stop one freezing cold Thursday in February — many thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for providing it! I read the book over a Friday night and Saturday morning, and my heart is so, so full.

I am going to start with a brief comparison to RWRB because that’s what a lot of folks have asked me. RWRB reignited my love of reading, writing, and queer love stories in late 2019 (after grad school sucked the life out of me) and like many others, as a queer woman I was practically vibrating in anticipation of OLS. This book is not the same as RWRB. RWRB came in hot and swept me off my feet into a dazzling world of secret love affairs and hungry romantic emails and transatlantic plane rides just to get laid. In contrast, OLS gave me something to sink into slowly, to savor and yearn for and discover after that its pages now held the shape of my body (thanks Casey for the turn of phrase). The story is slower to start and the romance is slower to burn. For a book about time travel and mystical mysteries and unsolved missing persons cases, it feels almost unbelievably rooted in reality, the mundanity of the day to day and being a 20something trying to figure out who you are and what you want and where you belong in the world.

Jane and August’s romance was beautifully built, beautifully explored, and beautifully executed. I ached for their love. Their connection and chemistry are palpable and practically leap off the page, even within the constraint of being literally trapped in a subway car! Casey writes desire with so much tension and heat and believe me when I say that all who enjoy the spicy aspect of romances will be EXTREMELY pleased. I thought it was slightly more explicit than RWRB (the fact of which I loved), and there are wonderful messages about queer sex and virginity that I’m so happy will be reaching a wide audience. The sapphic love scenes we fucking DESERVE! 👏

The queerness of this story is present from start to finish. It feels deeply of and by and for the community, and so many will see themselves represented in different pieces of different characters. It feels like home. Down to the detailed fantasies about your hot butch crush putting together IKEA furniture in your apartment 😂😂😂

I was not expecting the way this story would bring me such an intense and meaningful connection to my queer ancestors, those who marched and bled and fucked in the face of adversity and oppression so that I could be here in my thirties in 2021 with a same gender partner I share a home with, navigating the world in relative safety. I truly felt that connection through time and space. I learned and I grew as a queer person reading this book. And the theme of the connectedness of humanity was extremely comforting at a time when we all feel so separated. This book is a love letter to the LGBTQ+ community in all its amazing facets.

So many wlws are going to fall for Jane so hard and fast I hope we get through it as a collective. August is a wonderfully relatable character, three-dimensional and real, with real fears and real issues and real relationships. I LOVE her.

I keep thinking about the young queer or questioning girls who will get to read this book at this key point in their lives and I feel such absolute contentment. It would have been life changing for me to read as a 20 year old when I was figuring it all out. Now, as an educator who works with college students, I look forward to spreading the word far and wide and seeing firsthand the impact it will have. And I look forward to the slew of fabulous wlw romcoms that will continue after the inevitable success of this one!

I went through all the emotions reading this - it’s got the snappy dialogue and one liners that physically pull a bark of laughter out of your body that you would expect from Casey. It’s got the yearning and sighing and how did Casey invent the concept of romance AGAIN after they already did it with RWRB?! It’s got the heart wrenching moments where your emotions just spill out of you in sobs. And overall, it just feels like warm bath or a long hug after a cold, hard day. This book is all about finding family, finding community, finding love, finding home, and finding yourself, and it’s an incredibly beautiful journey to get there.

It was going to be hard to live up to the absolute joy that was <i>Red, White, and Royal Blue</i> I had huge expectations and anticipation for this book. I was so overjoyed when I got this ARC. This book is full of a lot of things that I’ve come to love with Casey McQuiston- witty conversations, found family friend groups, and lots of adorable romance.

Obviously the characters are going to be a highlight for sure. I loved August and I loved Jane. Their love story was so endearing and beautiful and practically cinematic. I could just picture all the major moments of their romance playing out and I loved all the details. The whole friend group was so fun and I loved all the representation. I absolutely loved the way the book pulled from Queer History. I felt like I learned a lot by being immersed in Jane’s memories and stories. It was cool to see New York City in the past and present come together.

The story was really creative while also being tropey in the best way. I thought it struggled a bit because almost all the book took place on the subway so sometimes I felt frustrated because it felt so limited. The first half is a bit slow and I felt like August’s relationship with her mom felt a little weirdly integrated in the book- like sometimes I’d forget about it and then all of a sudden it was prominent.

I think having such high expectations might have tainted my reading of this book. I would say overall I would give the first half of this book 3 stars, then it picks up so that 50-70% was 4 stars, and then 70-100% of the book was 5 stars. The second half is so good and the end is amazing! So I’m gonna balance it out and give this book 4 stars.

Another winner by McQuiston! “Red White & Royal Blue” was one of my favorite books of 2020, and “One Last Stop” is definitely going to be on my Top Ten List for 2021.

Throw your imagined preconceptions of genre out the window and dive into one of the most clever and gripping stories in contemporary fiction. A special treat for Brooklynites familiar with the subway system, so much of the tale strikes a chord and feels too real. Enthusiastically recommended for all (mature) readers!

Thank you very much to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this title.

I was so excited to read this book, since I’m obsessed with Red, White and Royal Blue by the same author. This book is written beautiful. The author does a fabulous job of vividly describing characters and settings. I loved the unique set of characters of August, Myla, Niko, Wes, Isaiah, and Jane. I was enthralled with the story and August’s journey. However, the story took a turn and the contemporary realistic book turned into a supernatural mystery. This came out of nowhere and I wasn’t sold by this concept. The ending was a little lackluster. Overall, the dialogue is wonderful . But, I couldn’t connect with the supernatural concept and main mystery which didn’t pull me in.