"One last stop" by Casey McQuiston

An audio book.

August (23, a bisexual virgin) moves into a New York flat with artist Myla, her psychic boyfriend Niko, and Wes, nocturnal. A drag-queen lives opposite. August regularly phones her mother who lives far away. Her uncle disappeared years ago. Her mother still wants to find him. She goes to college and has a cafe job. She tries to make living alone look like a choice.

She meets a cute chick, Jane, on the subway. August discovers that Jane used to work in her cafe - 45 years ago. Niko holds a sceance to see if Jane is a ghost. She and Jane work out that Jane hasn't left the train all that time - she can't. August's presence is what's helped Jane clear her hazy memories. They try to work out who she is - she has flashbacks often triggered by their kissing. She recalls her many lovers one by one. The subway line is due to close for 3 months - maintenance. Will Jane disappear to another timeline if August isn't around?

She discovers that Niko is trans. She and Jane have sex on the subway.

Jane's past emerges – there was a plan for her to take over the family oriental restaurant. Jane realises that she’s been attracted to August because she reminds her of a gay friend she had – the missing uncle. He disappeared the same time as Jane did. Jane thinks he might still be alive. They deduce that she’d been electrocuted on the 3rd rail, so maybe another shock will restore her.

August and friends organise a fundraiser for the restaurant. Her mother tells her that her recently dead grandparents have left her money.

August realises that she's fallen in love with Jane as she is, and also with Jane as she's become, learning about who she was.

They hire a disused subway cavern for the fundraising event. 2000 people. It's a cover for their attempt to get to the subway's control room and the power supply. They arrange a surge while Jane touchs the 3rd rail. Will she die? Return to her own time? She turns up 3 months later. To her, it's been seconds. She and August live together. August finds out where Jane's siblings live. Jane agrees to meet them.

The uncle had died. He'd tried to keep in touch.

It's a rom-com with some slow love-making sections, but I thought it was well done overall. Some lively language -

• "no one want to take another run up that name?" (commenting on a silly name)
• "not the bar you want to clear" (when someone's exploits are mentioned)
• “looks like he could jumpstart a jet engine with his heart"
• "mascara raccooning under her eyes"

Other reviews

• Kirkus reviews (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.)
• Kamrun Nesa (Last Stop is by and large a humorous romance, replete with syrupy moments of love and ride-or-die friendships, but the complex themes of familial relationships, gentrification, and identity temper the levity ... It would've been interesting to read Jane's perspective about this evolution, as someone who witnessed the 40+ years' worth of changes, was still fighting for LGBTQ rights when she disappeared)
• Emily Krivograd (The best thing about McQuiston is that she understands tokenism and makes a point to build a story with dynamic characters from a multitude of LGBTQIA+ backgrounds and identities.)