This book is simply everything. It’s romantic and charming and and sexy and full of heart. The characters are rough around the edges and lovable. The story will keep you flipping through chapters until the last page. McQuiston has written another absolutely dazzling romance novel, and I was so grateful to read it.

“There’s a five-foot-tall sculpture of Judy Garland made from bicycle parts and marshmallow Peeps in the corner,” and you are being asked to submit to a vibe check; you are looking for an apartment and your potential new roommate is a...psychic? Maybe? August doesn’t believe in psychics.

That’s really a weird foot to start off on, and the rapid-fire quirky dialogue and fascinating decor choices don’t really let up from there. This is a weird one. It’s hard core a rom com, but it also leans hard into an off-kilter artsy New York aesthetic that really should be overpowering, but manages to fall somewhere closer to overwhelmingly charming—if I was looking for a comparison, I’d say it sets a colorfully weird tone a bit similar to the show Pushing Daisies. I am in love. Sometimes the coincidences of plot were so blatant that my disbelief lost suspension, but it wasn’t really a loss. This story is like candy, it’s sweet and sugary and it will give you what you want and bring together plot lines that have no real business fitting together other than the fact that it is fun to watch them intertwine.

The whole story is something adjacent to magic in a way that you don’t see very often in a modern comedy setting, genre-wise, but it suits so very well. This story holds its magic in parallel to the mundane, every day acts of moving to a new town and falling in love, and it is perfect. The funny thing is, it is at heart a story about a girl unmoored from time, but it is also a story inextricably rooted in the history of moments and movements. August is irreparably marked by the tragedy of being a child in New Orleans in the aftermath of Katrina. Jane may be person out of time, but she is also a punk lesbian who was deeply invested in the activism of the 1970s, who was there for protests for gay rights, for protests against the war in Vietnam, worked to combat anti-Asian racism, and who was there to watch as the creeping beginnings of the as yet unnamed AIDS epidemic began to take the lives of her friends. This story is grounded in the contemporary struggle against gentrification, trying to save Pancake Billy’s From falling to rising rents and trendy restaurants. This story is about moments in time and the people who belong to those moments.

Some character notes:

Jane - look, Jane is great and I mostly love her, but I was ready to go to blows with a fictional woman trapped in perpetuity on a subway train when she started slamming Watership Down (“I feel like I’ve read it a dozen times trying to figure out what people like about it. It’s a depressing book about bunnies. I don’t get it.”) I *love* Watership Down and honestly it would be one of my top five people cos if <i>I</i> had to be trapped with the same book for fifty years. Just saying. Not even in an “oh let’s analyze it for allegories” way, it’s just a great funny story about a society of rabbits who like to tell each other fairytales and I love it. Just saying. But then, I *did* read that scene while wearing a Watership Down shirt, so I am probably biased.

August - Ok, so it might seem unrealistic that she finished her degree and didn’t realize she had enough credits to graduate the next semester...but I totally did that. I maybe sort of on purpose didn’t do the math on my credits and then when I finally did, I realized I had met all the requirements for my English degree the *previous* semester and was six credits away from having enough credits from having my minor become a second major... so like it *is* possible if you are ignoring impending adulthood hard enough. I felt called out. (“I can graduate next semester, if I want.” “Oh, hey, that’s great!” she says. “You’ve been in school forever!” “Yeah, exactly,” August says. “Forever. As in, it’s the only thing I know how to do.” “That’s not true,” Jane says. “You know how to do tons of things.” “I know logistically how to perform some tasks,” August tells her, squeezing her eyes shut.)

Side note: I did have to have a late night giggle-spiral about Horror frogs after August was teasing Wes about them. I now posses some fine cursed frog trivia to spice up conversations.

~ received as an ARC from NetGalley ~
3.5/5 Stars.

I loved, loved, LOVED RWRB, so I was super excited to be approved for this ARC. Like...sapphic love? UGH. LOVE IT. It was beautifully gay with historical elements mixed in. Compared to RWRB, it was subpar. I don't think I'll reread it like I do RWRB, but the characters and the plot are absolutely unique and are a statement to McQuiston's writing style.

It just felt messy as I was reading it. There was the overall plot which was fine but there were too many other things going on at the same time for it to be a coherent read. Jane and August are SUPER cute -- and it does have a happy ending -- but for most of the book, I really was like ?!?! too many things going on to fully appreciate it.

Saying that, it is TOTALLY a good read. The 3.5 stars are probably biased because I was expecting RWRB humor and banter and antics, but this truly is her writing style with a completely different style than RWRB.

Definitely recommend for cute, unique, sapphic love with throwbacks to the 70s in it. Also, private investigations?

When I received the ARC for this book, my best friend said I HAVE NEVER BEEN MORE JEALOUS OF ANYONE IN MY LIFE, and it did not disappoint! OLS was an escapist delight. Like McQuiston's first book, which I also loved, this one is hilarious, heartfelt, and full of mischief, with a core cast of flawed and lovable characters banding together to save the places and people they love. It's unclear why anyone is not currently making a gazillion dollars turning these books into movies.

Well THIS was a joy. I didn't expect a time-slip rom com to follow Red, White, and Royal Blue, but I am here for it! The tagline on this book reads, “Sometimes love stops you in your tracks," which I was delighted to discover carries more layers of meaning than I initially imagined. August is a 23-year-old from New Orleans who moves to New York City to go to school. On the first day of school, while riding the Q train, she has a meet cute with a good-looking woman named Jane, whose vintage hip vibe—with her red Cons and black leather jacket—captured August's attention. August is devastated to realize she'll likely never see Jane again. But as it turns out, Jane is ALWAYS on the Q train, and the reader's journey to discover WHY is a huge amount of fun! A warm and endearing story about true love, found family, New York City, and the nature of time.

I promise I am never going to stop screaming about this book. I love Casey McQuiston, they can do absolutely no wrong. Going into this book, I was a little nervous that I wasn't going to love it as much as Red White and Royal Blue, which is a valid fear considering it's been almost two years since I read it and I still think about it at least twice a month. And even for the first third of this book, I wasn't quite as captivated. But DEAR GOD I loved this book. Finishing it felt like the biggest, warmest, gayest hug. The found family vibes were immaculate, the romance was delightful, and I loved all of the side characters. I would absolutely LOVE to see this one become a movie someday, perhaps even more than RW&RB. Casey McQuiston has shot to the top of my auto buy author list. No questions asked.

This was so cute!!! Not quite as cute as McQuiston's first novel, but I had such a good time with these characters.

“One Last Stop” is a story of love. Not only an extraordinary romantic love, but also love for a city and queer community. While the main focus is on August and Jane’s romance, it ties into a larger story of finding yourself, finding a home, finding community, and protecting those once you’ve found them.

There were moments when the supernatural element made me pause, but it was easy to suspend belief and fully be drawn into the story. I read this book in two sittings and days after finishing it I still keep thinking back to moments in the novel. It was refreshing to read a queer story that not only included a beautiful romance, but also queer community. I have already recommended this book to my friends and will continue recommending it as the release day approaches.

A little slow to start and a major plot point requires pretty heavy suspension of belief, but I cried and my heart is so full, so we obviously got there. Casey is a master at depicting relationship development and the messy and real and fun and heart-wrenching parts that go along with it. Add in a truly lovable group of friends and the great city of New York and you have a wonderful sophomore novel and I can’t wait to see what’s next!

When I heard that Casey McQuiston wrote another book (I was OBSESSED with Red, White and Royal Blue), I was thanking the heavens for another book. This book had many good qualities: interesting love story, drag queens, a surprise fantasy element. However, I wasn't as wowed as I was with Casey's other book. I don't know if it was because I had such high expectations or because I keep comparing it to their other book but I was hoping for more. Don't get me wrong, this is still a great book! I gave it a solid 4 stars on Goodreads. I just really loved Red, White and Royal Blue so much. Okay, now that I have that out of the way let us get on to the review of this book alone.

I liked our main character August and her defining quirks. She is cynical but not overly so and she is basically a Private Investigator without the title. I am all for someone capable of solving mysteries. When she meets Jane on the train its more mystery that I want her to solve. This is what really kept me going. Especially when an element of fantasy steps into the story. I was not expecting that but it was a nice interesting twist I hadn't considered to be a main plot point that would be throughout the whole book. The diverse characters were plentiful and real feeling and I appreciate that so much. It is easier to find myself in a book like this and honest, real representation is so important.

I felt like there were parts where the story really dragged on. At one point when many memories are being recalled, I had to force myself to keep reading past that because I wasn't as excited to uncover these things as maybe I should have been. Yes, I was learning about a character I cared about but also, it was too much information at once. There were a few more times that this happened in the book but overall I enjoyed the read. I typically enjoy more fast paced books and this was definitely a slow to medium paced book. Maybe even a slow burn romance. There were definitely some very steamy scenes on a subway train that I appreciated.

Would I recommend this book?
- I would recommend this book to select people but I probably won't be shouting it from the rooftops.

I was blown away by One Last Stop. The characters were engaging, realistic, and you couldn't help but root for every single one of them. I loved meeting the entire cast of characters. McQuiston did a fantastic job of revealing information so we learned it alongside August and everyone else. The love story was a breath of fresh air and I loved every last minute of it.

I really enjoyed this story. I choose it for its cover and was not disappointed in the writing. I will definitely be on the lookout for more from this author.

How does one being to start writing a review for her most perfect book ever? It’s hard, let me tell you.

Our story starts with me, finding out that Casey McQuiston’s second book was going to be an f/f romance and I was immediately all over that like things that are all over each other. I added this one to my goodreads long before I read Red, White & Royal Blue because sapphic books are always going to be far more important to me than anything else.

When the advanced copies appeared on Net Galley it was the middle of the night here, and I was asleep, so I missed out completely. I even hit the “wish for it” button, but after a week of seeing people with their copies (both physical and ebook) I wanted my own.

So I emailed the publisher, and the incredibly lovely Jennifer got back to me pretty swiftly and granted me my wish!

I kid you not, nothing else in this universe has made me that happy before. I wanted to drop everything I was doing and just start reading.

It wasn’t too much longer before I was reading the best book ever.

Now this book is perfect for me because, well, it just is.

But the plot is captivating, the story is so incredibly well written, and each of the characters have such amazing personalities that just shone through the page. And I am so in love.

Side note: I would die for Niko, just saying.

But Jane and August stole the show.

My new favourite bookish couple – our leading lady, August Landry, and her literally out-of-time girlfriend, Jane Su.

Their romance was so beautifully written – I fell for Jane just as August did, and I want her in my life for real. The way they came together, the way that August figured out that Jane literally was in the wrong time was so brilliantly done.

The mystery of Jane’s life and piecing it all together was so very satisfying.

And the fact that the plot wasn’t completely centred around that, too, was so wonderful.

I need everyone in the world to stop and love this book the second it comes out because this book? This book? Is everything.

No, I will not accept criticisms at this time, or ever. That’s how good it is.

This book is magic. The way the characters are written is flawless in every way. You’re allowed into the world of not only the main character, but the other characters as well. This story is not just a love story, it’s a story about finding yourself when all you want to do is lose yourself. I am blown away by this book and cannot wait until I can get my hands on a physical copy!

If you’re reading this book expecting the same story arc as Red, White and Royal Blue, you need to get rid of that expectation. Where Alex is bold and outgoing, August is reserved and protective. Personally, while I enjoyed Alex’s character I can connect to August and her emotions on a whole other level. Both books have earned 5 stars but for vastly different reasons

“And so, in her first month in the apartment on the corner of Flatbush and Parkside above the Popeyes, August learns that the Q is a time, a place, and a person.”
— One Last Stop, Casey McQuiston

Rating: 🍀🍀🍀🍀🍀/5

One day, August meets Jane on the Q train and immediately falls for her. But August soon realizes that not everything about Jane is as it appears. Jane is somehow displaced from the 1970s and stuck on the Q train. So August sets out to solve the case of what happened to her and hopefully set her free before it’s too late.

I loved this book. It’s such a fun, inventive premise, and McQuiston’s voice truly shines on these pages. At first glance, and based on the type of novel Red, White & Royal Blue, you might initially think this is a romance novel. But don’t get it twisted. This is a mystery novel wrapped around a romance and sprinkled with a healthy dose of sci-fi. The romance is the foundation around which everything else is built, but I actually really enjoyed the mystery and watching all of these things come to light that influenced August in ways she never realized.

I loved all of the LGBTQ+ relationships depicted. I freaking adored every single character. They were a hilarious bunch, providing the perfect family for August to surround herself with.

Highly, highly recommend preordering this. It hits shelves on June 1st!

𝕋𝕙𝕒𝕟𝕜 𝕪𝕠𝕦 𝕥𝕠 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕡𝕦𝕓𝕝𝕚𝕤𝕙𝕖𝕣, 𝕒𝕦𝕥𝕙𝕠𝕣, 𝕒𝕟𝕕 ℕ𝕖𝕥𝕘𝕒𝕝𝕝𝕖𝕪 𝕗𝕠𝕣 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝔸ℝℂ 𝕒𝕟𝕕 𝕠𝕡𝕡𝕠𝕣𝕥𝕦𝕟𝕚𝕥𝕪 𝕥𝕠 𝕣𝕖𝕧𝕚𝕖𝕨 𝕥𝕙𝕚𝕤 𝕓𝕠𝕠𝕜 𝕓𝕖𝕗𝕠𝕣𝕖 𝕡𝕦𝕓𝕝𝕚𝕔𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕠𝕟!

I loved "Red, White, and Royal Blue," but I think I love this newest book from McQuiston even more! This story makes you laugh, cry, and leaves you feeling fuzzy with memories of first loves. I was immediately drawn to August, Jane, and their ragtag group of friends. "One Last Stop" is a modern day romance, but wonderfully ties in queer friendship, LGBTQ+ history and activism, and a little bit of sci-fi as well. Charming, smart, funny -- McQuiston does not disappoint.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review. McQuiston takes the reader on a fun ride in this creative novel.. The characters were quirky and likeable and I found myself reading more and more every time I sat down with the book. The story is not predictable and will keep you engaged until the final stop!

Oh my GOSH I loved this so much!! I was so nervous after loving Red White & Royal Blue so much that I wouldn't enjoy this one as much, but I was absolutely blown away, this was so great!!

Following August, a slightly pessimistic young person who has just moved to New York, you see her find a new home and group for herself, and maybe she even meets someone who convinces her that love might actually be real! This was such a brilliant story, I was invested in the characters right from the beginning and really adored their growth throughout the book!

In terms of characters, I can't even begin to decide a favourite! Jane (the love interest) was definitely up there, I just really loved the vibe I got from her, no question she is someone I would want to be friends with! I did like August, of course, but as someone who is a hopeless romantic, I did find it a little harder to relate to her, although it absolutely made sense for her to be the way she was!! I also absolutely adored August's flatmates! Such a varied and awesome group, and the way they just took her in and made her family was adorable (I am a sucker for the found family trope!)

I especially really enjoyed August and Jane's relationship. Everything about it felt so natural and realistic, the way they were first feeling out if the other was interested, the way it developed, I loved it all! Often in books with a central romance I find at least part of it a little tropey (I don't mind this, but it is true) so reading a relationship that elt so truly genuine was great! (Also, those steamy scenes... here for it!!)

The plot of this book was exceedingly clever, and obviously I cannot say too much due to risk of spoilers, but the way that even the smallest little things all tied in and connected was so great! Also, as a SFF lover, the introduction of a small fantastical element is always something I love, but I was so intrigued to see how the time travel element was handled. My most frequent complaint of having something fantastical in a realistic story is when it isn't explained properly and therefore ends up feeling completely out of place! However, Casey McQuiston did a fantastic job, with a very clear and believable explanation of how this time travel anomaly had occurred, which I just truly loved!

My final comment is on the writing, I loved it! I knew from RW&RB that I loved Casey McQuiston's writing style, it is so fun and easy to read, whilst still feeling very substantial and not fluffy, and this absolutely carried through to One Last Stop! The dialogue between characters is totally on point and so fun to read! At this point I can honestly say that I think reading anything Casey McQuiston writes is guaranteed to be a delightful experience!

Overall I truly did love this book, and am so grateful to have had the opportunity to read it early! Now just to wait the long few months until I can have a physical copy in my hands ready to rereading and annotating all the adorable, snarky, and amazing moments!

Casey McQuiston's distinct writing style shines through in her second novel, making it a fun and enjoyable read. One Last Stop is a beautiful contemporary LGBTQ romance with time travel mixed in. I didn't fall in love with it the way I did with her first novel, Red White and Royal Blue, but the main characters are compelling and the story is unique.

4.5 stars

Thank you to St. Martin’s Griffin (via NetGalley) for the ARC!

Most of the time my reviews are very full of emotions, because that’s just how I am as a reviewer. I don’t talk a lot about structure or plot or character development, but I do talk a lot about how a book makes me feel. I try to look at it with a critical eye as well, but most of the time emotions win out for me. Because for me, how a book makes me feel is the most important part. Because that is what I remember, long after the plot and the specifics of the characters have fallen out of my head. The memory of how I felt while reading the book.

ONE LAST STOP made me cry. A lot. So this review will be no different.

This book is part mystery, part heist, part time-travel romance, part queer history, part journey of self discovery, and all heart. It has Casey McQuiston’s trademark snarky dialogue and loveable side characters as well as the best queer found family I’ve ever seen on the page (I wish they were all real, tbh. I love broody, in-denial Wes so much).

August has just moved to New York in search of a place where she finally fits. She’s a few classes away from finishing college, and just wants to be far enough away from Louisiana to avoid being pulled back into her mother’s all-consuming search for the brother who went missing before August was even born.

Jane is stuck. Literally. She rides the Q train end to end, all day and all night. She can’t get off. And she doesn’t know why. She also doesn’t know how she ended up in 2020 when last she remembers, she was in the 1970’s.

August and Jane meet one day on the Q when August spills coffee all over herself, and the spark between them is instantaneous. The closer they become, the more August wants to figure out the mystery of how and why Jane is stuck on the train. Feelings ensue!!!

No spoilers here, but I cried multiple times during the last couple chapters. For many reasons. Honestly, I went on a roller coaster of emotions throughout this book, but I love Jane and August SO much. Both hiding insecurities under wildly different exteriors, both pretending to have their shit together, both super adorable when they are together. Heart eyes for days.

One of my favorite things about this book is how actual, real-life queer history is folded right into the plot of the book. <spoiler> As August and Jane work together to try to recover more and more of Jane’s memories, she remembers events she went to in the 70’s and protests she was a part of. She remembers the beginnings of the AIDS crisis and not having a name for the terrifying disease that quickly and quietly stole the lives of her friends. She remembers being arrested for wearing men’s jeans and being afraid to hold a woman’s hand in public. She remembers the UpStairs Lounge fire in New Orleans in 1973 and how devastating it was to the queer community there, while it was largely ignored by the rest of the city, and never acknowledged as a targeted attack on queer people. Jane also remembers queer hangouts in New York in the 70’s. Drag balls and lesbian bars and her own found family.</spoiler> McQuiston does such a great job of painting a vivid picture of queer culture in the 70’s around the US. They also make sure to acknowledge our queer forebears and everything they did for us to be able to have the vibrant queer cultures that exist around the country today. And the fact that they weaved it so effortlessly into the plot of a romance novel is definitely noteworthy. So much of queer culture and history is lost because it is not widely taught, and because we lost a huge part of a generation of queer people to the AIDS epidemic, so to see this nod to the importance of queer history in a magical, adventurous love story is something special. I obviously don’t know the author, but I feel like this book had more of McQuiston in it than their debut. It felt more personal to me, and that really came through specifically through the exploration of Jane’s past and its ties to modern queer culture.

I am a big fan of McQuiston’s debut novel, RED, WHITE & ROYAL BLUE, and I really enjoyed this one as well. I think it’s a solid sophomore effort, and I can’t wait to see what’s next! McQuiston is an auto-buy author for me, and I’ve had this book pre-ordered since last year, so I was really pleasantly surprised to get an ARC for it as well. I definitely recommend it for the feels, for the awesome characters, and for the awesome additions of queer history!