One Last Stop by Casey McQuiston was disappointing, especially considering how much I absolutely adored Red, White, and Royal Blue by this author. I wanted to like this one because I have been starting to read some more sapphic romances. However, my biggest critique is that I just could not fully suspend my disbelief, at least not to the point required by this book. This is usually not a major issue for me because I can generally get behind what an author tries to do with a story's fantastical aspects.

Initially, I was really interested in this book - the premise was unique, and the intrigue and mysteries at the start kept me engaged and listening. I do like how the two big mysteries in the story are kind of interconnected and mirror each other; if you've read this book, you'll know what I'm talking about! I also love the inclusion of drag queens in this book; that was completely unexpected and definitely a fun cameo to feature. There were so many little aspects of the story that worked for me that it made the larger issues all the more frustrating to me. I also do not believe that August did not suspect anything weird about Jane for a while; again, this is where the issue of suspension of disbelief comes in.

Also, the third-act breakup in this one was annoying, and I strongly disliked how it played out. Third-act breakups rarely work for me, if ever, and this one just did not do it for me. I just did not like the reasons behind why Jane and August broke up, it felt really unnecessary to the narrative from my perspective. The ending was also wrapped up almost with a bow, and I also did not like how the ending played out. I knew that this book was a romance, but I could not get behind the happily ever after at the end of the story- again, another instance where I just felt I could not quite suspend my disbelief.

Overall, I liked some aspects of this story, but it just failed to live up to my expectations. It was made all the more disappointing because the last book I read by Casey McQuiston was such a hit. This book was one of my top 25 books to read in 2025, and honestly, I do not think it was worth the hype I put onto it before reading it. The story was fine but was nothing special and I can already feel my memory of the story fading fast. Hopefully, some of the other books in my top 25 anticipated reads of 2025 will end up being ones that I enjoy more than this one.