Publication date: June 1, 2021
Genres: Contemporary Romance, New Adult, LGBTQ
Format: eARC
Source: St. Martin's Press and Netgalley
4 Stars
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.
In One Last Stop, 23-year-old August works hard at keeping others at arms’ length. Our cynical heroine had just moved to New York City for college when a random ad for a roommate led to a motley crew of new friends and found family. Add in a subway meet-cute with the enigmatic Jane, with whom August is immediately smitten, and you have the makings for a sweet and sexy romance with a splash of mystery and magical realism.
PROS:
·
The secondary characters - The quirky roommates
and friend group almost stole the show. Niko, Myla and Wes; Isaiah, the drag
queen across the hall; the co-workers at Pancake Billy’s House of Pancakes – I loved
them all and they gave the story so much life outside of the subway.
·
Jane – The leather jacket-wearing, punk rocker
from the 70’s had filled her short years with a whole lot of life! I loved the
tales of her exploits and experiences.
·
The banter – I’m a sucker for great banter and I
could have OD’d on all the snappy dialogue and quippy one-liners here. Big
thumbs up.
· The ending – I’m a sucker for a good ending/epilogue and McQuiston delivered just that. Getting a glimpse of after (no spoilers here!) did my heart good and left me with a smile on my face.
CONS:
·
The denouement – It relied heavily on coincidences
and connections that didn’t fully work for me. I got the intended message of
the cynical August opening herself up and believing in something that could not
be seen or explained, but the level of serendipity was a bit much for me.
· The length – At 400+ pages, it felt overly long. There were times when I was certain I must be at least three-quarters through, and I’d find I wasn't quite at the 40% mark.
Overall, One Last Stop was an absolutely charming story, filled with diverse and dynamic characters – and if you can just go with the flow, you’re in for a treat.
The characters sound so amazing! Can't wait to read this one!
ReplyDeleteGreat cast of characters in this one!
DeleteGreat review! I haven't decided if I'm going to pick this one up or not.
ReplyDeleteI didn't enjoy it quite as much as McQuiston's first book, but it was still a fun read.
DeleteOver 400 pages! Wow! I have to say, if a book is that long it has to be fast paced for me and really be doing something with the story. Glad it was more pros than cons.
ReplyDeleteYeah, the pace was definitely slower than I would have liked, but it still had a lot going for it.
DeleteI am not surprised to hear the characters and banter were great, because I thought those were strengths in McQuiston's last book, but I am a little iffy on the magical element. Glad you enjoyed it!
ReplyDeleteI am not a fan of magical realism (at all) and I will say that there came a point that the "magical" element became so confusing to me that I quit trying to understand it. But it didn't stop me from enjoying the story. :)
DeleteThe secondary characters were one of my favorite parts of this book too. August's roommates were fabulous!
ReplyDeleteYes! I just loved the whole supporting cast. :)
DeleteThis one sounds cute! I'm a sucker for great banter too :)
ReplyDeleteI already knew I loved McQuiston's first book, and this was a great follow-up.
DeleteI love the idea of displaced through time! I love some magical realism and good banter too... This book hadn't really been on my radar but it is now!
ReplyDeleteEven though I tend to avoid magical realism like the plague, this one just worked for me. All the other aspects came together so well.
DeleteI love a good banter!!! I hope I'll love it as well Tanya
ReplyDeleteI hope you will, too, Sophie! So many great characters in this one.
DeleteI am a bit worried about the length, but this is one I hope to start soon. I do love a book with great banter.
ReplyDeleteLauren
www.shootingstarsmag.net
That could have just been a me thing... I know others who flew right through it. :)
DeleteI thought her first book was too long so I'm not sure this one will be for me. I do have it on audio so I might give it a try and see if I connect with the narrator because I LOVE banter.
ReplyDeleteKaren @For What It's Worth
Yep, I remember feeling like RW&RB was overly long, too. I guess she's just very wordy. LOL
DeleteI'm glad you enjoyed this, Tanya! 400+ pages is definitely long for a romance book but they seem to be getting longer and longer these days!
ReplyDeleteI think so, too, Nick! And usually I'm like "more pages is more to enjoy!" but sometimes longer isn't better. This one really did feel too long.
DeleteI love great banter and fabulous endings too! Especially the endings, I desperately need those HEAs or HFNs. But for books being longer, I need them to move along at a faster pace at times. Fabulous review!
ReplyDeleteJen @ Star-Crossed Book Blog
Me too, Jen! I demand an HEA from my romance. :)
DeleteThis book definitely sounds fun. But wow.. 400 pages? That is a long one.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad this one has a great banter and you liked it overall. ;)
Yeah, it seemed like it ran too long, but it was still a lot of fun. :)
DeleteI love great banter and a nice ending with epilogue! Yeah, a book that feels too long can be a drag. Especially when you keep checking the percentage count and it feels like you got nowhere. Great to hear you enjoyed the story despite some of the cons. :)
ReplyDeleteI'm such a sucker for great banter. It pulls me in every time.
DeleteI listened to this one which might have helped it not feel overly long. I enjoyed it and thought that the cast of characters really helped to make the book great.
ReplyDeleteYeah, going the audio route might have helped with that. I'm so glad you enjoyed it!
DeleteGreat review. I am excited for this one, after loving Red, White & Royal Blue I was excited to see what was next from Casey McQuiston. I didn't realise the length, but then I feel like RW&RB was longer than most romances so maybe it's just a trend for McQuiston.
ReplyDeleteYep, I agree, Becky. I remember thinking at the time that RW&RB seemed quite long so I guess that's just a thing with McQuiston.
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