I immediately requested this book when I saw it because I had loved Red, White & Royal Blue so much. Without knowing much about this book, I was eager to dive in. One Last Stop was so very different from RW&RB, but just as delightful and refreshing.

The characters in this book feel so real, even with these elements of magical realism throughout the novel. Without lengthy introductions or descriptions, the reader gets to know the characters so vividly.

I loved that this book had the element of time travel, it made it so much different from other contemporary style romances.

Not one character in One Last Stop could be categorized as a stereotype, they were so unique and surprising in their own ways. I have a feeling this book is going to be extremely popular when it is released. I can’t wait to hear and read everyone’s excitement about this magical novel.

Another homerun for Casey McQuiston. With how universally loved McQuiston's debut was, there had to have been quite a bit of pressure on this sophomore effort to live up to expectations and, for me as a reader, it absolutely did. It's so entirely different from RED, WHITE & ROYAL BLUE while being equally as captivating. It is also a flex of McQuiston's skill for writing stories about community and about bigger themes than just the romance happening between two people. And it's a story about two women falling in love! How do we not have more stories written for a new adult or adult audience about women falling in love? I'm grateful that McQuiston has proved an example of how it's done well.

Cheers for joyful queer love and community and stories that distract from the reality of 2020; that feel like a movie you grew up loving and already have nostalgia for the moment you finish reading it.

As a high school librarian, I can’t add this to our collection but personally? I loved it. Not quite RW&RB but that book is another level and, coupled with One Last Stop, will make ma a fan for life.

There is a girl on the subway that cannot seem to get off. Moving to New York City to complete college, skeptical August is open to a world of possibilities when she meets Jane. She begins to open herself and experience new opportunities that she has not been able to experience before. For fans of Red, White, and Royal Blue, Casey McQuiston can make the impossible possible in this romance between two different women who are looking for ways to function in the world. Readers will enjoy One Last Stop for its openness to the unexpected and really experience true love.

I love the bisexual main character and that she's not represented as a lesbian even as she's falling for another woman. The diversity in this book was lovely to see especially when it's such a small part of the greater story, in my opinion it was the perfect way to include diversity.
Overall the characters were definitely the best part of this novel, they are absolutely fabulous and feel realistic in the best way possible. Almost every single character felt like a person that I could know in real life while simultaneously wanting them to be my best friend. My favorite character changed a lot in this story because everyone had their moment to shine while helping August.
The magic was the second part of this novel that made it the 5 star that it is. One Last Stop has real magic but also teaches the lesson that magic is in the world and people around you. I saw the magic and beauty in the world around me more clearly as I read this book and that's really one of the best things that I could hope for while reading.

What can I say about this novel in order to convey the depth of my love for it? I don’t know that there are words. Obviously, with Red, White & Royal Blue being the smash hit it was, the expectation for Casey McQuiston’s second novel were beyond high for me—and it surpassed them all.

One Last Stop combines so many of my favourite things to create an amazing novel I’ll be re-reading again and again: a complicated sapphic relationship portrayed with such realism it left me feeling seen, a messy and wonderful protagonist in August (who I will die for, thank you), speculative elements to enhance the contemporary romance plotline, a wonderful queer found family with side characters I would ALSO die for, a swoon worthy love interest, and clear love for the city of New York in which its set.

Seriously. This will be on my auto-recommend list to anyone looking for a romance read, and in my possibly controversial opinion, I liked One Last Stop even more than RW&RB, which is hard to beat. McQuiston has turned me into a lifelong fan and I will be purchasing all their books for as long as they continue to write them.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

I loved this book and would love to say thank you to Netgalley and the people at St.Martin's Press for giving me a chance to read an advance copy of my most anticipated book of 2021. I feel so lucky I got to do that.

One Last Stop is one of the best love stories I have ever read. Not only does Casey McQuiston made me fall in love with August and Jane, they also made me fall for their friends: Myla, Niko, Wes, Isaiah... They made me fall in love with New York. Billy's pancakes. Drag's shows you go see with your besties at night. The subway. The Q train.

I felt pulled in the story as soon I read the first page. I loved August and saw a lot of myself in her. I found her relatable and loved the whole 'detective gilmore girl' thing she and her mom had, although it might nt have been easy growing up.

I don't want to say too much, but if you, whoever you are, are reading this, I want you to know that this is <i>the </i> book. It's worth reading.

WOW. This book is INCREDIBlE! I honestly didn't want it to end but I also wanted to know what happens. Word of advice, go into this book knowing as little as possible. I didn't know anything about it except it was by Casey McQuiston and I adored Red, White and Royal Blue. Going into this story knowing nothing made for the most magical reading experience! I was genuinely shocked and awed with this adorable book. The characters are quirky and charming. The setting was perfect. Honestly might be my new favorite book! Sorry in advance for how much I'm going to be talking about this book for the next few months! Read it! You'll love it!

A huge thank you to DJ DeSmyter, Meghan Harrington, and NetGalley for this ARC. I emailed many times and I’m lucky it paid off.

Casey McQuiston’s sophomore novel does a complete 180 from her fluffy, dreamy debut, “Red, White & Royal Blue,” and transports readers to the dirty subways of New York, but manages to keep the same themes of hope, family, and queer love prominent to create a show stopper out of “One Last Stop.”

“One Last Stop” centers around August, a 23-year-old trying to find her place in the world who has just recently moved to New York and finds herself ready to attend college for a third time, working at a 24-hour pancake diner, and taking the Q train regularly. But that’s not all life has in store for August. Enter Jane, a Chinese-American heartstopper who seems to always be on the Q train with August, until she finds out Jane is stuck in time. It’s up to August, with the help of her friends, to find out how to get her subway crush back to the real world before she’s stuck in time, possibly forever.

McQuiston showcases major growth in her writing but maintains the same identity. Her writing remains to be this poetic commentary on the characters, their identities, and the bigger themes the book revolves around. For “One Last Stop,” she manages to capture the desire, want, and need of belonging and a sense of family beautifully and in a number of ways.

These feelings are best captured in the ensemble of characters that accompany August and Jane which include August’s roommates (Niko, Myla, Wes, and Noodles the poodle); Isaiah, the drag queen who lives across the hall; and Lucie, one of August’s coworkers at Pancake Billy’s House of Pancakes. These characters are very diverse and represent many parts of the LGBT+ community which gives readers a multitude of emotions to relate to and stories to find themselves in. In all honesty, these characters make the novel and it wouldn’t be the same without them. Readers are guaranteed to fall in love with them just as much as they will August and Jane.

August and Jane are much more complex than their friends, given that they are the leads of the book, but give themselves away in pieces throughout it. At first, neither come off with much to them, but as they find themselves (August in a more metaphorical way, Jane in a more literal way), they grow into more well rounded, complex characters. August is not perfect by any means and is a great example of a disaster bi (in the nicest way possible), but that’s what makes her such an amazing main character. Jane is the character readers will easily fall for, with her badass attitude that breaks occasionally, showcasing the more emotional and insecure side to her. They complement each other perfectly and their (eventual) relationship creates a timeless love story that’s easy to fall for.

What is perhaps the best part of this book, though, is McQuiston’s ability to encapsulate New York which defines the novel all around. She did this in “Red, White & Royal Blue,” where the settings (Washington D.C. and the U.K.) reflect the feel of the book quite well, with its perfect, storybook tone and ending. The same applies to this book. “One Last Stop” captures the greasy yet magical grind of the trains and everyday life of New Yorkers. August is a messy character, often put in messy settings, which reflect McQuiston’s personal experiences, from what she has spoken on the novel. It creates an experience that feels authentic and real, whether readers have lived in New York their whole life or never been at all.

The only part where “One Last Stop” falls flat is its slow beginning and fast-paced ending. Compared to “Red, White & Royal Blue,” it takes significantly longer for much of anything to happen with August and Jane, as it is a lot of scene-setting and character introduction. On the opposite hand though, the ending feels a little rushed and abrupt. Luckily though, almost all loose ends are tied up and the book ends hopeful for all characters.

The Verdict

“One Last Stop” is another masterpiece by McQuiston and offers fans a new kind of magic for readers to fall in love with. It is a story about what defines family, the numerous forms they come in, and the heart-aching love that comes with finding it. It is a love letter to New York, the magic of the small things in life, and, perhaps the most heartwarming, a love letter to her fans. McQuiston’s sophomore novel showcases her talents as an author and shows she has a bright future in the genre for years to come.

This book has given me the most beautiful book hangover. I will be able to think of nothing else but this book and these characters and this story for the foreseeable future. Every single character is vivid and colourful, and the author weaves in queer culture beautifully. You can tell it is written by a queer author because the representation is there, but that's not the focus. It made me want to live in a New York like this that is so full of life. It deals with aspect of the queer experience and talks about the history there, which feels often ignored. And, of course, the two main characters. Their story is epic, one for the ages. It is the kind of relationship that people wish they had, and yet it feels attainable. I didn't know how it would end, which I loved, but the ending was perfection. This book is another triumph from the author, and I will recommend it to everyone I can.

This book was...odd? I was not expecting all of the supernatural elements, which admittedly threw me off a little. But I love that McQuiston creates these little alternate realities that show the potential for a shinier, better and kinder version of the world.

VERY SPOILER HEAVY!

While I gave this book 3.5 stars I did like this book, but there are some things to keep in mind. I think it’s for a very specific audience not because of the female/female relationship but because of the way the story is developed in the beginning. All of the little details of the apartment and Niko and Myla and Wes, the way they talked and acted, and their lives.

The story begins with the main character August Landry moving into a new apartment in New York. August’s new roommates Myla, Niko and Wes have such a good feeling to them. They talk and act like twenty-three year olds do in real life today. Which kind of threw me for a loop if I’m being honest. The characters at first don’t seem to really fit together but as the story develops and August becomes less of a stranger the friendships begin to make a lot more sense.

There’s a lot of cliches in this book, but I mean that’s kind of what I expected. Niko is a psychic and while I found him very strange at the beginning of the book I really started to love him as the story went on and by the end I wished I had my own Niko in my life. Myla is an artist and she’s got some interesting art pieces throughout the apartment. She’s very funny. Wes is not necessarily mysterious but you don’t know that much about him and his relationship with Isaiah across the hall is a nice change of pace.

Now for Jane. Jane is the girl on the train! And as the book goes on you learn that she cannot get off the train and that she is from the 1970’s. She’s loud and confident and has so many layers to her.

It’s really important to mention that August’s mother spent August’s childhood looking for her brother that disappeared and she raised her daughter to be not only very smart but also very cautious and not too trustworthy. The relationship August has with her mother and her past are continually interesting throughout the entire story. You see the way that August was raised actually affects her present, it isn’t just there to further the plot along (and while it DOES do that) you can see her actively make decisions based on how she was raised throughout the entire book.

The plots’ good, background characters are good and pretty well developed, it’s a fun read. But just a warning there are some really raunchy parts so if that’s not your cup of tea you’ll be skipping a little bit of the book.

As for the ending, I absolutely loved it. I really liked how it turned out with Billy’s, with Jane appearing after 3 months and with her seamlessly blending in with August and her roommates.

I still liked her other title Red White & Royal Blue better, it felt more natural and organic, but I had a lot of fun with this one. I think if Jane had been a normal 2000s girl on the train instead of one stick from the 1970s I would have liked it more but it was a fun idea to explore and read about.

(I was given an early eBook version of this story by Netgalley in exchange for honest reviews).

I was so looking forward to this book because I LOVED Red, White & Royal Blue so much! I enjoyed this book very much but it is very different from her first book. It was a bit slow to start but the characters are so endearing you want to live with them!

I am in shock that this sophomore novel lived up to my expectations. How does McQuiston do it?? A romance not only between the leads, but also for/within the queer community. I can't express how grateful I am for this book.

I cannot even begin to express how thoroughly impressed I am by this book or just how much I love the entirety of this story. This felt like a complete and utter love letter to the queer community and I am living for it! This had everything I could have asked for; love, romance, friendship, family, drag queens, snark, mystery, steamy sex, and an epic adventure between friends that left me feeling nostalgic for times gone by and heartbroken that I never quite had an adventure like theirs.

The utter diversity of this book was just beyond amazing. Fat, trans, queer, bisexual, Latinx, Jewish, Black, Chinese. The only group not represented, that I could tell, was the disabled community, but I have to sing high praises for just how inclusive Casey was with her characters. Not only was the representation there but each character had a distinctive personality and a fleshed out storyline arc that was shown on the page. None of it felt forced or shoe horned in either. Each and every bit felt flawless and effortless.

I honestly just can't say how much I loved this book. It was so well written, so well thought out and executed, and I felt such joy at riding along with August as she found a family, opened up, and grew as a person not just individually but within this group and with her partner. I laughed so much reading the snark and humor included. It had just enough modern day vernacular to keep it relevant but not so much that this book will become dated.

I read this thing in less than a day and even though I just finished it, I already want to reread this story. I want to return to the apartment in New York and play a round of Rolly Bangs, ride the Q, eat a stack of pancakes at Billy's, and get a hug from every character there. I just want to be apart of this story forever.

One Last Stop is the book version of Psych mixed with Veronica Mars. This book follows the secretly soft-hearted August as she moves and tries to make a place for herself in New York; we watch as she (against her better judgment) makes friends and connections and gets involved in the mystery surrounding the girl in the subway. I have to thank Casey McQuiston because they never fail to write beautiful, realistic, and compelling love stories. The thing I adore the most about this book is the found family aspects and just how "full" every single character feels. They all have their own fears and things they need to work towards, and I loved watching August build a family. One Last Stop is hilarious and full of pure honesty. This book reminded me that not only is being queer beautiful, but it is something to be embraced. It broke me in the best way possible, and I cannot wait for it to be published so I can talk about it non-stop,

This is not a good book. Everything I loved about Red, White and Royal Blue - witty dialogue that made me laugh out loud, a flawed but fascinating protagonist and a love story to root for - is missing from this book. It’s hard to imagine this is written by the same author. So disappointing.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free copy in exchange for my honest review.

It's a love story about New York and public transit, chosen families and drag shows, pancakes and cold cases. I could read McQuiston all day. Her representation is fantastic, her writing so damned clever.

Each of the characters' growth arcs was so well done - Jane moving from just this side of a manic pixie dream girl to a fully fleshed character, August navigating the early 20s drift, Wes and Isaiah's relationship, which I stan intensely (am I slanging that right?). Jane and August's historical contexts were such an interesting juxtaposition, highlighting how far rights for the LGBTQIA+ community have come since the 70s. The scenes in which Jane got to experience and enjoy what she had worked so hard to achieve were delightful.

A thousand BFF charms to the roommate crew and their amateur heist, but also a slight caveat - the book is set in 2020 but doesn't address any of... well... this. The ARC doesn't include McQuiston's acknowledgement section, which was fabulous in RW&RB, but knowing that she's previously written an alternate timeline made me curious whether or not this was a conscious choice.

“Subway Girl is a smile lost along the tracks. She showed up, saved the day, and blinked out of existence the second August stepped off at Avenue H.”

Anyone who knows me at all knows that Red, White, and Royal Blue is one of my all-time favorites. I picked it up from the library on a whim, and fell in love. It was one of the most joyful, ecstatic queer romances I’d ever read, and there was zero doubt I would run to anything Casey McQuiston writes.

One Last Stop is a very different story than RWaRB, but at its core, it’s a similar story—about found family, destiny, and the power of love. One Last Stop gives us August Landry, a recent transplant to Brooklyn, in many ways running away from her history. She meets Jane, a butch dream, on the train, and starts to realize at the same time that she’s falling for her that something about Jane just isn’t…right.

This is a very different story from RWaRB, but not in a bad way. I felt like RWaRb grabbed me right away and sent me careening down a steep drop. One Last Stop is a few gentle hills up for a while, but it picks up momentum all the way until the end. The characters here are real, expertly drawn, and you want to root for them. And the central relationship between August and Jane has chemistry that sizzles right off the page. And this, more so, is a fundamentally queer story, that draws in queer past and present, and celebrates and centers the queer experience. And it’s an unabashed love letter to New York which makes you feel really grounded in the place.

What was the same for me as my experience reading RWaRB is how much I wanted to lose myself in Casey’s writing. There were so many passages that I went back and re-read right away, just so I could revel in them. I know that people could want to throw away these stories based on just the descriptions, but the writing reminds you that you’re reading something vastly elevated by a writer who can make you feel, and make you step back and marvel at what they can do.

This is a perfect book not just for RWaRB fans, but for anyone who wants a well-written, queer, complicated, sweet love story, full of flawed, real characters you can fall in love with too.

“She felt like everything. She felt like a long winter, then a nervous spring, then a sticky summer, and then those last four days you never thought you’d get to, the ones that spread themselves out, out, out until they feel like they go on forever. So, August is a person.”

I had very high expectations of this book, having absolutely adored McQuiston's first book, Red White and Royal Blue. One Last Stop was cute, though not as good as its predecessor (which I think I enjoyed for the higher stakes elements of the romance). I did enjoy this book, and I liked the undercurrent about your found family. As for the story, the romance between August and Jane was believable, and I was anxious to see how their story would end. I'll be recommending this to my friends who are looking for a NA or romance novel. Also, like one of the characters in the book, I will definitely be making a cross stitch ASAP that says "Big Dick Energy is Gender Neutral".

However, as a lifelong New Yorker, I had a few silly qualms with the book (perhaps that can be edited before publication?) First, no one moves to New York to attend Brooklyn College - you only go there if you're already living in Brooklyn. Second, as the daughter of a Brooklyn College alumna, no one calls it BC. Any time it is referred to as BC in the book, please change it back to Brooklyn College if this is a change that can be made. Third, one small plot point that I think should have been addressed if the author was trying for consistency with NY history - the characters ride the Q train to 96th street, but at the time that Jane got stuck on the subway, the Q did not go to the Upper East Side. The 2nd Avenue extension only opened a few years ago! This took me out of the story, that there was no acknowledgement that she used to be able to ride the line all the way to Astoria in Queens. Also, parts of the line were definitely shut down for a few weeks after Lower Manhattan lost power after Hurricane Sandy, so I kept wondering what would have happened to Jane during those times, too (I realize this story is fictional and I'm just harping on these details because I am from Brooklyn).