One Last Stop by Casey McQuiston

Oh, man, this is one of those books I just want to muppet flail over.

I greatly enjoyed Casey McQuiston’s debut romance, Red, White & Royal Blue but even in the closing paragraphs of my review for that novel, I was already wistfully looking ahead to this one. Which is thematically fitting, because this lightly sci-fi romance about time dilation gave me all the feels I was looking for with RW&RB. There were still a few things that a really stringent line editor should have caught (e.g. Van Gogh didn’t work in watercolors, the whole deal with the knife) but feelings-wise, this was so thoroughly and utterly believable that it made me want to believe these are real people in New York City living their best lives, I love them all so much!

So August Landry had a mom who raised her to be Veronica Mars, and since all the cool kids know what a shitty time Veronica had in high school, this was not a great thing. Suzette Landry was obsessed with finding her missing brother, to the point where August was treated less as a daughter than an investigative assistant. By the age of 18, August had had enough and took off for college. A lifetime of friendlessness is a hard thing to overcome, tho, and so she drifts from school to school till finally settling in New York City for what she hopes will be her last year before graduating.

Acclimatizing to NYC is made easier by the roommates she manages to land, who even help her get a waitressing job to cover rent. But it’s while running for the Q train that she meets the woman who turns her life upside down, the entirely cool and effortlessly charismatic Jane. The more August gets to know Jane tho, the more she realizes that something is amiss. As the two grow closer, August has to fall back on her old tricks in order to get to the bottom of the mystery and save Jane, even if it means breaking her own heart in the process.

You guys, I loved this book (muppet flail)! It was complex, densely plotted and exquisitely paced, with fully realized, diverse characters who all come together to solve mysteries, bend time and space, and save their favorite local business. It’s a terrific romance, a wonderful mystery, an intriguing sci-fi and just a heart-warming celebration of people coming together and loving and accepting one another and working together for the best possible outcome for all involved. Also, one of the romantic leads is a butch Asian lesbian? Swoon. My favorite adult romance (and my favorite time-travelogue) of the year so far!

One Last Stop by Casey McQuiston was published June 1 2021 and is available from all good booksellers, including