Narrator Natalie Naudus brings a quiet intensity to this genre-crossing audiobook featuring August, a prickly loner who tries to lose herself in New York City but instead finds purpose, community, and unconventional romance. The latter involves kindhearted, butch Jane, who overrides August’s emotional barriers while facing a more serious hitch: Jane’s from the 1970s, trapped on the Q train in a time slip. It’s a complicated setup, but Naudus’s smooth pacing keeps listeners on board, as do her well-timed snark and tender, unabashed love scenes. Character voices range from broad to subtle, in keeping with the story’s colorful cast and sci-fi twists. Collectively, these elements cohere into an immersive and utterly beguiling performance, the perfect fit for a tale of queer joy, first love, and self-discovery. R.A.H. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2021, Portland, Maine
★ 01/11/2021
McQuiston’s joyful sophomore romp mixes all the elements that made Red, White & Royal Blue so outstanding—quirky characters, coming-of-age confusion, laugh-out-loud narration, and hilarious pop-cultural references (“Bella Swan, eat your horny little Mormon heart out”)—into something totally its own. At 23, August Landry moves to Brooklyn with few belongings but heaps of emotional baggage from a childhood spent helping her conspiracy theorist mother work to track down a long-missing relative. She is, as her new roommate puts it, “a reformed girl detective,” and she’s jaded and bitter enough to earn the title. But before long she finds herself falling for Jane Su, a punk lesbian she sees everyday on her commute. Jane’s circumstances are also far from ordinary: she’s from the 1970s, displaced in time by a mysterious event. Worse, she’s stuck on the bizarrely malfunctioning Q line, doomed to ride the Subway forever in an amnesiac’s fog—unless August can find a way to rescue her. Together with her found family of queer misfits, August sets out to save Jane and find herself. With all the fun and camp of a drag show (of which this novel features more than one) but grounded in the tenderness of first love, this time-slip rom-com is an absolute delight. McQuiston brings the goods. Agent: Sara Megibow, KT Literary. (June)
*NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER*
*USA TODAY BESTSELLER*
*#1 INDIE BESTSELLER*
*A NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW NOTABLE BOOK OF 2021*
*THE TONIGHT SHOW'S FALLON SUMMER READS BOOK CLUB FINALIST*
*ONE OF NPR'S BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR*
*ONE OF TIME'S MUST-READ BOOKS OF 2021*
*ONE OF USA TODAY'S BEST ROM-COMS of 2021*
*INDIGO TOP 10 BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR*
*PUBLISHERS WEEKLY BEST BOOKS OF 2021*
"Part romance, part fantasy, this gorgeous novel is about meeting someone on your daily commute — a girl, it turns out, who has been riding the train since the 1970s, thanks to a magical timeslip. But it’s also about loneliness, and being unmoored from normal time, and missing people you’ve lost, and dealing with generational trauma and fearing an unknowable future." - The New York Times Book Review
"One Last Stop is an earnest reminder that home - whether that means a time, a place, or a person - is worth fighting for." - New York Magazine
"The story of August and Jane's chance meeting is swoony, thoughtful, and one of those big-hearted romances you'll gush about long after finishing." - Hello Sunshine
"This delightful love story is everything you need for a feel-good day of beach reading." - Elle
"Casey McQuiston has done it again." - Hypable
"One Last Stop is an electrifying romance that synapses into the dreamy "Hot Person Summer" kind of story you wish you were a part of. McQuiston is leading the charge for inclusive happy-ever-afters, radiant with joy and toe-curling passion, and bursting with the creative range to make anything from electricity to social activism sound sexy." - NPR
"A dazzling romance, filled with plenty of humor and heart." - Time
"To say that Casey McQuiston's latest novel is so electrifyingly fun and swoon-worthy that you'll miss your subway stop while reading it is probably a little on the nose, but whatever...One Last Stop is a heart-thawing ode to the impossible magic of New York, and will even leave you feeling somehow wistful for the MTA (yes, really)." - Oprahmag.com
“The most buzz-worthy book this season.” - The Young Folks
“Sure to be one of the biggest hits of the summer and beyond.” - Book Reporter
"This one's sexy, swoon-worthy, and just made for summer reading." - Good Housekeeping
"One Last Stop is the time-slip sapphic rom-com in book form that mixes real-life queer history with 2020 escapism you'll want to hold onto forever." - Pop Sugar
"A funny, modern, and entertaining novel, One Last Stop will have you rooting for love that makes people feel free to be their truest selves." - Shondaland
"Come for sweet romance, stay for the bridge scene and the breakfast sandwich recipe." - Real Simple
"This time-bending queer romance is as big-hearted as it gets." - Parade
"Queers, complicated family relationships, romance, time travel, and Brooklyn... what’s not to like? From the author of the frothy and yet incredibly compelling Red, White & Royal Blue comes an equally improbable and equally delightful summer romance story that somehow feels timeless." - VICE
"Casey McQuiston doesn’t miss: Those who read and loved Red, White & Royal Blue will also fall for One Last Stop, another rom-com told from the perspective of an enchanting protagonist who has no idea what awaits them. One Last Stop is the perfect summer romance." - Bitch Media
"Overwhelmingly, it's the slow burn discoveries and the risks we see the characters become brave enough to take that make One Last Stop such a moving and transportative read...It's a very particular feeling to be in a room where joy and community and good humor are all palpable. How remarkable then, that One Last Stop takes you to so many such spaces – apartments, drag bars, diners, and so many subway cars, tunnels and bridges – and lets the reader bask in the love that lives, is remembered, and is cultivated there." - Austin Chronicle
"McQuiston makes the confusion and uncertainty of new adulthood exciting and often funny, while also paying respect to the queer activists who came before and the resilience of the queer community. One Last Stop is an exuberant but thoughtful romance sure to delight McQuiston's fans, and anyone who enjoys a good love story." - Shelf Awareness (starred review)
"Bursting with heart, snappy banter and a deep respect for queer history and community, One Last Stop isn’t just another surefire hit for McQuiston. It also might be the best read of the summer." - BookPage (starred review)
"[A] love story on all levels, one that marvels at the magic of human connection and is unabashedly romantic." - Booklist (starred review)
"Both a satisfying romance and a heartwarming, realistic coming-of-age tale, McQuiston’s latest book features finely drawn, fully realized characters, a healthy dose of speculative mystery, and a soupc¸on of true crime. It will appeal to a wide range of readers and is essential for public library collections." - Library Journal (starred review)
"McQuiston’s joyful sophomore romp mixes all the elements that made Red, White & Royal Blue so outstanding—quirky characters, coming-of-age confusion, laugh-out-loud narration, and hilarious pop-cultural references—into something totally its own...With all the fun and camp of a drag show (of which this novel features more than one) but grounded in the tenderness of first love, this time-slip rom-com is an absolute delight." - Publishers Weekly (starred review)
"[A] a moving look at the strength of true love even when faced with seemingly insurmountable obstacles." - Kirkus
"Red, White & Royal Blue was all I could talk about for three blissful months and now I'm downright giddy to start the process all over again with One Last Stop, McQuiston's second novel. It's just as queer, just as romantic, and just as thrilling of a read. I mean, lesbians and time travel. What's not to love?" - Advocate
"McQuiston’s witty writing, hilarious and familiar side characters, and gorgeous slow-burn romance is just *chef’s kiss*. And this city is magical, so it works perfectly." - Tor.com
"Readers who loved Red, White & Royal Blue won’t want to miss Casey McQuiston’s next book: a queer Kate & Leopold retelling about a 23-year-old who discovers that the subway cutie she’s been crushing on is from another time." - Bookish
"McQuiston’s laugh-out-loud sophomore outing features a vibrant New York City backdrop, an endearing queer cast who form a heartwarming found family, and a time-traveling lesbian love interest. The genre mash-up works remarkably well; the hint of magic only enhances the romantic tension. Add in plenty of wit, heartache, and some truly steamy scenes, and the result is rom-com gold." - Publishers Weekly, "Best Books of 2021"
"Bursting with heart, banter and a respect for queer history and community, One Last Stop proves that Casey McQuiston has no intention of resting on her laurels after the unprecedented success of Red, White & Royal Blue." - BookPage, "Best Romances of 2021"
"One Last Stop made me fall in love with Casey McQuiston’s writing all over again." - NPR, "Books We Love"
"...One Last Stop is just plain fun, and infused with plenty of care, especially when it comes to portraying the queer community that envelops August with love. It’s a book that is guaranteed to make you smile—with a steamy love story to boot." - Time, "The 100 Must-Read Books of 2021"
"A magnificent love song shouted to queer lineage, found family, Brooklyn and one’s early
20s." - The New York Times, "The Best Science Fiction and Fantasy Books of 2021"
“Casey McQuiston writes the stories I grew up dying to read—the ones I’m still dying to read. One Last Stop is passionate, funny, romantic & exactly as queer as I am: VERY. You’ll read this in a single sitting and miss August & Jane when it’s over. Don’t miss this book!” - Cameron Esposito, bestselling author of Save Yourself
"One Last Stop is a simply stunning book. It's tender and honest at every turn. Reading this book healed something in me that I didn't know was hurting, and fed something in me that I didn't know was hungry. It's perfect, perfect, perfect." - Sarah Gailey, Hugo award-winning author of Upright Women Wanted
"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 Wedding Date and Party for Two
"A breathtaking love story, filled with heart, yearning, coming of age, and the most wonderful found family. Honest, often humorous, always relevant, McQuiston's writing reads like poetry. One Last Stop is meant to be savored slowly." - Helen Hoang, USA Today bestselling author of The Kiss Quotient and The Heart Principle
"McQuiston’s One Last Stop is an exquisite sophomore novel exploring love and its power to reach across time and space. This romance proves that an instant electric connection can develop into the most beautiful happily-ever-afters." - Roselle Lim, author of Vanessa Yu's Magical Paris Tea Shop
"If magic and delight had a baby, it would be this book." - Julia Whelan, author of My Oxford Year
"Casey McQuiston once again creates a world you don't want to leave, filled with a vibrant cast of queer characters and a couple you root for from the beginning. Casey's writing is so good it seems only natural to be jealous, but I can't bring myself to be anything but glad readers get to enjoy their work." - Meryl Wilsner, author of Something to Talk About
2021-01-27
A young woman meets the love of her life on the subway, but there’s one problem: Her dream girl is actually a time traveler from the 1970s.
Twenty-three-year-old August Landry arrives in New York with more cynicism than luggage (she can fit everything she owns into five boxes, and she’d love to downsize to four), hoping to blend in and muddle through. She spent most of her childhood helping her amateur sleuth mother attempt to track down August’s missing uncle, and all that detective work didn’t leave a lot of time for things like friendship and fun. But she ends up finding both when she moves into an apartment full of endearing characters—Niko, a trans psychic whose powers are annoyingly strong; his charismatic artist girlfriend, Myla; and their third roommate, a tattoo artist named Wes. And then, on a fateful subway ride, she meets Jane. Jane isn’t like any other girl August has ever met, and eventually, August finds out why—Jane, in her ripped jeans and leather jacket, is actually a time traveler from the 1970s, and she’s stuck on the Q train. As August, who's bisexual, navigates the complexity of opening her heart to her first major crush, she realizes that she might be the only one with the knowledge and skills to help Jane finally break free. McQuiston, author of the beloved Red, White, and Royal Blue(2019), introduces another ensemble full of winning, wacky, impossibly witty characters. Every scene that takes place with August’s chosen family of friends crackles with electricity, warmth, and snappy pop-culture references, whether they’re at a charmingly eccentric 24-hour pancake diner or a drag queen brunch. But there are also serious moments, both in the dramatic yearning of August and Jane’s limited love affair (it can be hard to be romantic when all your dates take place on the subway) and in the exploration of the prejudice and violence Jane and her friends faced as queer people in the 1970s. The story does drag on a bit too long, but readers who persevere through the slower bits will be rewarded with a moving look at the strength of true love even when faced with seemingly insurmountable obstacles.
A sweet, funny, and angst-filled romance with a speculative twist.
