About the Book:
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.
My Review:
“But, you know, that feeling? When you wake up in the morning and you have somebody to think about? Somewhere for hope to go? It’s good. Even when it’s bad, it’s good.”
Such an enchantingly romantic story! With plenty of spice thrown in as well. I am amazed that Casey McQuiston can take a very ordinary occurrence – riding the NYC subway – and turn it into a magical experience filled with endless possibility.
I also loved that this story features an unapologetically queer group of characters living life on their own terms. Although the beginning was a slow build and took its time to get off the ground, the narration by the wonderful Natalie Naudus was enchanting and perfect for this charming rom com. August is a twenty something college student from Louisiana (like the author!) trying to navigate her way in New York City. She becomes enamored with a sexy girl named Jane who seems to be on August’s commute. Every single day. Who is this self-confident girl who seems to be perpetually trapped in the ‘70s?
“I don’t know! It’s ripped jeans and a leather jacket! Every lesbian I’ve ever met has that outfit!”
The book really picks up the pace in the second half. August’s background in solving true crime comes in handy as she dives into the mysterious Jane’s past. I appreciated that this book explored the history of racial and homophobic issues that existed in the ‘70s and what Jane had to deal with. But the romance between the main characters here is the central focus of this book, and although the overall tone of the story is somewhat melancholic, the characters get the beautiful happy ending they deserve.
Highly recommend the audiobook version for Natalie Naudus’s sparkling narration!
“Maybe I don’t know what fills it in yet, but I can look at the space around where I sit in the world, what creates that shape, and I can care about what it’s made of, if it’s good, if it hurts anyone, it makes people happy, if it makes me happy. And that can be enough for now.”
(Thanks to the publisher and Libro.fm for providing an audiobook listening copy in exchange for an honest review.)
