One Last Stop

Casey McQuiston

Jun 2021 · Sold by St. Martin's Griffin

About this ebook

*INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER*
*INSTANT USA TODAY BESTSELLER*
*INSTANT #1 INDIE BESTSELLER*

From the New York Times bestselling author of Red, White & Royal Blue comes a new romantic comedy that will stop readers in their tracks...

For cynical twenty-three-year-old August, moving to New York City is supposed to prove her right: that things like magic and cinematic love stories don’t exist, and the only smart way to go through life is alone. She can’t imagine how waiting tables at a 24-hour pancake diner and moving in with too many weird roommates could possibly change that. And there’s certainly no chance of her subway commute being anything more than a daily trudge through boredom and electrical failures.

But then, there’s this gorgeous girl on the train.

Jane. Dazzling, charming, mysterious, impossible Jane. Jane with her rough edges and swoopy hair and soft smile, showing up in a leather jacket to save August’s day when she needed it most. August’s subway crush becomes the best part of her day, but pretty soon, she discovers there’s one big problem: Jane doesn’t just look like an old school punk rocker. She’s literally displaced in time from the 1970s, and August is going to have to use everything she tried to leave in her own past to help her. Maybe it’s time to start believing in some things, after all.

Casey McQuiston’s One Last Stop is a magical, sexy, big-hearted romance where the impossible becomes possible as August does everything in her power to save the girl lost in time.

"A dazzling romance, filled with plenty of humor and heart." - Time Magazine, "The 21 Most Anticipated Books of 2021"

"Dreamy, other worldly, smart, swoony, thoughtful, hilarious - all in all, exactly what you'd expect from Casey McQuiston!" - Jasmine Guillory, New York Times bestselling author of The Proposal and Party for Two

Ratings and reviews

Let's begin with the author's own description of this novel (lifted from the novel's Acknowledgments: "a lesbian, time-travel, subway rom com." It's an excellent summary and describes a book that is unlike any other you've read. I gave it four stars on Goodreads, which is probably a bit of a gift. 23-year old August Landry has just transferred colleges, moved away from her smothering single mom, and moved to New York City to find her own life. A self-identified bisexual, she lands an apartment in Brooklyn with a supportive group of roommates, and a job waiting tables at a neighborhood pancake house. Then, one day, while riding the subway, spilled coffee leads August to meet a mid-twenties Asian woman, who is destined to transform August's life. This novel offers readers many things. It's a novel about accepting love, even when it requires sacrifice. A chance to get to know a variety of gender non-conforming people, all of whom provide each other with family, love and acceptance. And it's about August trusting others to help her solve a strange puzzle about time and space. Like Casey McQuiston's previous book, RED, WHITE & ROYAL BLUE, nearly all the characters in ONE LAST STOP speak with the voices of smart Millennials, while displaying a tolerance and loyalty those of us in other generations might well envy. There's plenty of banter and humor. So much so that, for me, it prevented the characters from developing any distinct personalities. They all sound the same. Also, I admit stories about time travelers are not my favorites -- so that aspect of this book was a bit over-the top for me. I suspect others will react much more favorably and playfully to it than I did. Still, I recommend the book overall. It turns out to be quite a lively snapshot of contemporary New York City.

One Last Stop was an interesting concept and one that I have definitely not read before. I devoured McQuiston's Red, White and Royal Blue when it released and while this one didn't draw me in quite the way that one did, it was well written. August has just moved to New York City to attend college. As she's getting settled in, she finds a home with a random group of people, Myla, Wes and Niko, who become her found family. She's got a Nancy Drew like streak in her that she learned from her Mom throughout her life. She meets Jane on the Q train during her commute to school and she realizes that Jane is literally displaced in time from the 1970's. It becomes the focus of August and her friends to free Jane from the train, whatever that means either going back in time or staying in the present. While I didn't love the time travel part of the story, I loved the variety of characters, their varying backgrounds and all of the different quirks. While this wasn't exactly what I was expecting, I'll definitely look for whatever Casey McQuiston releases next.

Waitress August is working her way through college, living in a tiny apartment with three roommates. During her morning commute to school, she meets a captivating young woman on the subway. They strike up a friendship, and August soon realizes Jane isn't what she appears to be. Can Jane escape the time slip she seems to be caught in—and can August bear to let go of the woman who's won her heart? This book is about as different from RED, WHITE, AND ROYAL BLUE as it can be. It's an emotional and intricately woven story with unique and interesting characters. If you like magical realism and a joyous celebration of diversity, this book is for you. Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.

About the author

CASEY MCQUISTON is a #1 New York Times bestselling author of romantic comedies, including One Last Stop, I Kissed Shara Wheeler, and Red, White & Royal Blue, whose writing has appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, and Bon Appetit. Born and raised in southern Louisiana, Casey now lives in New York City with a poodle mix named Pepper.