When her sister, Jules, is left let-down and pregnant by a wealthy young man on a space-tourist liner, Ruth Johnson, an experienced con artist, poses as Lady Evelyn Ojukwu to con Esteban Mendez-Yuki out of some of his family fortune in order to give her sister and impending baby some financial security. Arriving on the artificial world of New Monte, Lady Eve sets about wooing Esteban, but she has reckoned without Sol Mendez-Yuki, Esteban’s unconventional half-sister with whom she is developing an interesting relationship. Unfortunately, Sol has borrowed a substantial sum from the shady Alfred Alonzo for a business venture that’s hours away from failing, and Alonzo recognises Lady Eve for who she really is, so things get complicated. Alonzo wants Sol to be in debt over her head, but Ruth is not so sure she’s happy with that idea. Sol is not the spoilt rich kid that she expected a Mendez-Yuki to be. To be honest this book took me a while to chew through, but that says more about my personal circumstances than it does about the book.

The neon gleam of pulp fiction also illuminates Rebecca Fraimow’s LADY EVE’S LAST CON (Solaris, 368 pp., paperback, $16.99), a vivacious heist romance set on a far-future satellite, New Monte. Ruth Johnson’s only loyalty is to her sister — but their usual game of “fleece the wealthy idiot” got upset when Jules fell in love with their latest mark, Esteban, and ended up heartbroken. Now Ruth is determined to make the man pay: She’ll play the well-bred ingénue, get the jerk to propose and skip town with his cash when he learns she’s really an unsuitable nobody.

If only Esteban’s sister, Sol, weren’t so perceptive — and attractive. And while Ruth may be a criminal, there are worse people than her spinning plots on New Monte. Ruth and Sol have no reason to trust each other, but that’s what they’re going to have to do if they want to survive.

My favorite thing about heist romances is the way the leads get conned by love while conning other people. So after all Ruth’s theatrics — the forged identity, the fluttering of eyelashes, the delicate debutante titterings — love pulls the rug out from under her. This is a romp that builds to a spectacular ending.

Phenomenally good fun! I've been recommending this book here, there and everywhere since I read it - it's perfect for anyone who enjoys a sci-fi romp. The 1920s vibes are impeccable, and so is the space setting; the characters jump off the page and the adventure is great. This deserves to be a huge hit, and I'll be eagerly looking out for what the author does next!

I never knew where this was going next! An excellent caper with just the right amount of twist to be fun without being annoying.

Completely delightful! High society, galas, cons, revenge, and sizzling romance - in space. Loved the characters and felt myself swooning at the f/f romance. Thoroughly readable, and highly entertaining.

There is a LOT going on here, but my god is it all the best kind of fun. You have a disabled Black Jewish woman with a cane running a marriage con on the shithead billionaire failson who impregnated her sister and then tried to leave her high and dry, but oh shit, she's falling in love with his amazing sister while she's at it. You've got a Great Gatsby type vibe to the space station it's all happening on too, and it was just a hell of an enjoyable read over a very fraught few weeks in the larger world. Definitely keeping an eye on Fraimow for the future.

Lively space adventure and romance rolled into one. Great choice for fans of romantasy looking to try science fiction, or sci fi readers wanting to dip their toes in romance.

Heat Factor: They get up to no good a couple of times

Character Chemistry: The romance wasn’t as engaging as the con/heist energy

Plot: Ruthi Johnson is going to con the man who knocked up her sister and bolted out of all his money, but his sister gets in the way

Overall: Lesbians in space but make it Black Jewish lesbians but make it the roaring twenties but make it a heist. Let’s GO!

Ruthi Johnson’s sister, Jules, upset the apple cart when she told Ruthi that she’d fallen in love and she was going to break up their lifelong sister act to get married and go to college. But when Jules confessed her true identity to the man she fell in love with (Esteban), he left her. Pregnant.

Naturally, Ruthi gets her sister all set up in some luxury prenatal care facility and then bolts to complete a solo mission to take Esteban for all he’s worth. That way, Jules and her baby will get everything they deserve, and the man who tried to avoid his responsibilities will have egg on his face. Revenge is a dish best served hot, after all. Esteban begins to fall into Ruthi’s trap almost immediately, but his step-sister Sol’s suspicions are also aroused almost immediately.

Ruthi’s running a con, trying to keep her sister in check, trying to keep the mob happy, and trying to avoid her attraction to Sol. It’s a lot of balls in the air for a solo con artist, and the tricks come fast and frequently.

As I was reading this book, I couldn’t help thinking that the voice sounded a lot like that of Katharine Hepburn, like in the Philadelphia Story or Bringing Up Baby. What this means for the book is that, even though it’s in a futuristic space environment (which is really well-developed without being over-explained), the old screwball comedy voice shines through perfectly. It’s a delightful twist on a lot of different narrative lines.

I voluntarily read and reviewed a complimentary copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. We disclose this in accordance with 16 CFR §255.

Thank you NetGalley and Solaris for an eARC in exchange for an honest review!

3.75!

I love sci fi but I’m pretty fickle when it comes to romance, but I had a lot of fun with this one! It felt very movie-like and I think the screwball heist comedy aspects were the ones that kept me particularly engaged, though I found that I did like the romance. Also, you know, disaster lesbians are always wonderful. The characters were fun and I loved the 1920s vibes.

I did feel, though, that the pacing suffered in this. There were definitely times when I felt I was much closer to the end than I actually was, and sometimes some scenes felt too long. The plot beats happened at the right time, but I still felt that some parts could have been tightened up so that it maintained a snappy pace. It’s a screwball, after all!

Still, despite my issues with the pacing, it’s fun and delightful, and I can definitely see myself rereading when I want a particular itch scratched.

Lady Eve’s Last Con by Rebecca Fraimow is so fun and charming that you won’t mind when it succeeds in its scheme to steal your heart. In fact, you’ll be glad it does.

This queer sci-fi adventure follows Ruthi Johnson, a talented con artist, as she takes revenge against Esteban Mendez-Yuki, the heir to a wealthy conglomerate, for breaking her younger sister Jules’ heart. Along the way, she has to outsmart Esteban’s older sister, the clever and handsome Sol Mendez-Yuki. The book begins with Ruthi setting into motion the very first step of her revenge con. From there, there’s never a dull moment and with every page I was excited to see how Ruthi’s plan would unfold.

I loved so many parts of this book, but even among them the worldbuilding stood apart for me. I wish I could’ve stayed inside this world long after the last page. I don’t know if the author is planning any other books set in the same universe, but I would immediately read them if there were more books. Even as a person who doesn’t read a ton of sci-fi, Ruthi’s world was easy to understand and imagine, with clear explanations that naturally fit into the story rather than feeling like dry exposition. The writing style helped with that by being smooth, engaging, and humorous. The creativity of Ruthi’s world made me want to read more sci-fi to find worldbuilding just like it.

Another aspect that I loved were the characters. Ruthi is clever, confident, and stubborn, with years of practice at hiding or ignoring her insecurities. Her inner growth throughout the book was a slow but satisfying read as she learns to rely on those around her more. Her relationship with her sister, Jules, and with Sol, Esteban’s older sister, had the strongest development, and were the most interesting to see the changes in. The chemistry and tension between Ruthi and Sol was built up so beautifully that getting to finally see the tension break was a highlight of the book. Besides Ruthi, Jules, and Sol, other characters, regardless of how often they were on the page or not, always felt well-rounded and irreplaceable.

Lady Eve’s Last Con is one of my favorite reads of this year! Readers who enjoyed Winter’s Orbit by Everina Maxwell will also enjoy this book. Big thank you to NetGalley and Solaris for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own. 4.75/5 stars (rounded up to 5 stars for NetGalley).

Thanks to Netgalley and Solaris for the copy in exchange for my review.

The story follows Ruth as she tries to get revenge on the man who broke her sister's heart, with a long con; make him fall in love with her, marry him, then break his heart and take his money.
Ruth's POV as she struggles to keep up the facade of interest with a very boring mediocre man was hilarious.
And the chemistry she has with Col, the sister of her mark, is intimidate and sizzling and just a scooch over the top with Sol's antics, but in a good way.
The story overall is very well done, the world building and characters fleshed out and the plot and sub plots built up. My only grip was the ending left me a bit wanting. I'm not fond of open ended endings, so if this doesn't bother you, then just skip over this.

Ruth Johnson’s sister fell for a mark, and when she opened up to him about really being a con artist, he left her in the dust. Now that she’s pregnant, Ruth is determined to get revenge for Jules. She plans a con that will have him falling for her and her getting his money. What she didn’t plan on was Esteban’s sister, Sol. Sol knows what Ruth is up to, and as they learn each other’s tricks, Ruth will have to decide to go through with her plan or follow her heart.

Smart, hot space lesbians are right up my alley, and I loved both Ruthie and Sol. As an Oceans fan (11-13 AND 8), I love a good con.

A glittering, witty space heist novel featuring a steamy Sapphic romance and a powerful setting with just the right balance of grime and glamour.

Our heroine, a talented con woman, sets out to avenge her sister's honour by bringing down a spoiled aristocrat on a pampered pleasure planet... but accidentally falls for his dashing sister.

Lady Eve’s Last Con is the story of a con woman trying to win the affections of her sister’s ex boyfriend so she can take him for all he’s worth. But what Ruth (currently under cover as Lady Eve) doesn’t expect is said ex’s sly sister, Sol, who clocks the con almost immediately. And instead of putting a direct stop to Ruth’s plan, Sol flirts with Ruth. As she tries to keep her plan on track, Ruth has to navigate high society, figure out who the real bad guys are, and stop herself from falling in love for real.

I enjoyed Ruth’s drive and creativity, as well as her willingness to adjust her beliefs when presented with new information. I also thought the different sibling relationships shown compared and contrasted with each other in an interesting way. This novel also has a sci-fi setting, but that is very much a background feather of the book (advanced tech and other planets) to the point that I almost forgot to mention this feature at all. Anyone who likes a character driven story with a healthy dose of clever plans, some rich people problems, and a pinch of danger, this one is for you.

An intriguing story

Ruth and her sister are con artists. Or were, because Jules falling in love with one of her targets, the heir to a great fortune, things got complicated. Even is Esteban seemed to share her feelings, he ended up leaving her, without a voice. Ruth now has only one goal in mind: revenge. Disguised as a debutante named Evelyn, she plans to make Esteban fall in love with her, then break his heart and take his fortune. Which would have been a perfect plan if it weren't for Esteban's sister, the mesmerizing, brilliant Sol.

I really liked the vibe of this story from the first few pages. It's like Gatsby meets Talented Mr. Ripley but in space, which is quite exciting. However, I had trouble following the story and Ruth's thoughts and plans from time to time, so I spent about half of the book kind of lost and confused. But as soon as the plot thickened and Sol became more important to the story, I got hooked and was quite immersed in the book. Although a bit slow at times, the story was fun to read, with twists and turns, surprises, and plans falling apart. It was exciting to see the feelings develop between Ruth and Sol, making them both question everything and turn their lives around. All in all, it's a very unique and surprising book.

"No offense, but I guess I was a little surprised to find you were as good a con artist as all that."

received an arc of this from netgalley, thank you!

this book is extremely funny and cleverly written, and evelyn/ruthi's inner monologue is possibly the best thing i have ever had the privilege of experiencing. girl's hilarious. the characterisation and voice in this book was amazing, perfect, no notes, etc. i do wish there were less exclamation marks because somehow in books they always come across as insincere to me? but it's really not a problem and who knows if they will be in the final copy anyways.
this book leans into the silliness without being shallow, which was great to read. there were a couple plot points i was a little ??? about though, but nothing major, and they have to do with evelyn/ruthi's sister jules.
the first is: do they not have paternity tests? if esteban and his lawyers didn't believe jules, couldn't they have just done a paternity test? this world has fancy artificial gravity and tourist beach-imitating satellites i am sure they could have figured this out by now. which i understand would mean that none of the book would ever have happened but still, it's a hole i find myself curious about.
the other thing i want to touch on is also about jules' having a baby. in this miraculously advanced fantasy world, why is the best option we've got for making pregnancy safer to yoink the fetus out of a person and put it in a tub? like, can't we have figured out a better way to do this that involves mitigating the risks but still actually carrying that child? idk i just feel weird about the idea of vat-grown children and this might be completely my problem.
but honestly as long as i didn't think about those two things, and this book is so entertaining it was very easy to ignore them, i had a great time with this book! would recommend, tons of fun, fast paced, over all excellent.
also, gotta love the obvious sequel bait, i look forward to reading more books in this universe!

This was a lot of fun. A con (rather than heist) novel, set on a satellite in space, where Ruthi/Evelyn tries to get revenge on Esteban (rich, clueless) who got her sister pregnant while on a interstellar cruise and abandonded her. Ruthi's plan: masquerade as Evelyn Ojukwu, rural-planet debutante, seduce him, get engaged, get him to break the engagement, and accept a hefty payout that will take care of her sister and the baby. And then Sol, Esteban's gloriously suave and sexy half-sister turns up and complicates Ruthi's plan. A lot. Because Ruthi thinks Sol is hot. And Sol is in trouble with the mob.

It just got a *lot* more complicated.

Think of this as a Sapphic version of one of my favorite screwball comedies (The Lady Eve, 1941, written by Preston Sturges and Starring Barbara Stanwyk and Henry Fonda); I assume the reference is intentional.

A fabulous romp that is tied up in the most satisfactory manner. You root for Ruthi and Sol the whole way.

Definitely recommended.

Ruth and Jules are sister con artists on an interstellar cruise, until Jules’s heart blows up their whole business. She falls for their mark, Esteban — and then Esteban dumps her without another word when she tells him the truth. Ruth is out for revenge, planning to make Esteban fall in love with her and then break his heart. But while on board this luxury satellite, she discovers a flaw in her plan: Sol, Esteban’s sister, is suspicious of her — and even worse, Sol looks very good in a suit.

lighthearted and fast-paced with a diverse and interesting cast of characters. The romance was my favourite part of it but i also enjoyed Ruth’s relationship with her sister. Although I wish it was more angsty??? especially when it comes to Jules and Ruth …. I felt like they resolved their “problems” quite fast and more smoothly than i hoped they would ? However, this was a decent read, i would definitely check this author’s future lesbian books.

Thank you to NetGalley and to the publisher Solaris/Rebellion for the digital ARC, it has not affected my honest review.

Although this book sounded like one I would love by 40% I had little attachment to the characters. I loved the idea so much but I didn't feel fully connected to the world either.