This book has been all over the place. Written by the same author who wrote Red, White & Royal Blue, I knew I just had to read it!
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.
Sometimes love stops you in your tracks...
Woo, that's an understatement for this novel. I have been devouring as much LGBTQ+ romance as I can these days. I loved Red, White & Royal Blue, so I knew I'd be in for a treat with this one.
I love the voice of the protagonist, August. Immediately, you get sucked into New York City as she's trying to find a place to live. Her perspective on the city, as well as glimpses into her history captured me right away. I mean, who hasn't imagined just up and moving to a big city and leaving everything behind?
August finds a room with some pretty amazing people who are so diverse, just thinking about it makes me smile. One Last Stop has gay, bi, and trans representation in the main characters of the story. As August falls into a routine in NYC, you learn more about why she came to the city.
Then she meets Jane on the subway, and her entire world is upended. From the meet cute, all of the way to the end, I was completely smitten with their story. I won't give away the twist--it's much better when you find out on your own--but this is one of the most interesting takes on lovers that can't be together that I've ever seen.
Woven into this Sapphic romance are beautiful, artistically driven characters who couldn't care less about societal norms, a mystery that goes all of the way back to August's home city of New Orleans, and a romance that I won't soon forget.
I will say, this book emotionally destroyed me. For a second, I questioned whether I would get my happily ever after. I thought that McQuiston was going to betray my romance loving heart. I. Cried. So. Hard.
All of that to say... this is one of my top reads for 2021. If you enjoy Sapphic romance, quirky characters, LGBTQ+ representation, run, don't walk, to your nearest indie and buy a copy! I promise, you won't regret it.
Thanks, Abbie