One Last Stop by Casey McQuiston

Ever since she was a small child, August Landry, the main character of One Last Stop, has spent virtually all her free time helping her mother investigate a family member’s unsolved disappearance. As a result, she’s never really had friends before. That all changes when she transfers to a college in New York City, where she has to share an apartment with three roommates who forcibly befriend her and help her find a job waiting tables at a 24-hour diner.

To get to her new job, August has to take the subway. Almost immediately, she notices that no matter what time of day she rides the train, she always sees the same mysterious girl, Jane. Over the course of many train rides, the two of them begin to fall in love, but Jane never wants to meet August anywhere outside the train. Eventually Jane confesses the truth: she’s from the 1970s and has been trapped on the same train line for almost 40 years, with no idea how she got there and very little memory of her pre-train life. With help from her roommates, August uses her finely honed detective skills to help Jane uncover her past, in hopes of figuring out why she’s stuck on the train and how to set her free.

Like McQuiston’s debut novel Red, White, and Royal Blue, One Last Stop features an exceptionally diverse and memorable cast of characters. The author’s witty writing style is a joy to read, and the New York setting is vividly described. If you like laugh-out-loud romantic comedies with a strong, satisfying plot, I highly recommend this book.