It's exciting to get a science fiction story that leans heavily on the romance side of things. And although I did enjoy this book overall, there were some places where the pacing bogged down a bit and when the story didn't seem to be sure if it was a romance or a story of a con artist who just happens to also find herself in a romance.

Strengths:

Interactions between Ruthi and Sol.

Intricacies of Ruthi's con on top of a con--although all the pieces had to fit just right, it never felt like the plot was manipulated to make it happen; instead, I really liked seeing Ruthi keep finding ways to maneuver herself and the situation to end up with a possibility of "success."

And I really loved <spoiler>when Ruthi's sister enters the scene. I almost wish she had been there earlier on because their interaction was a lot of fun. I'd love to read more about the two of them working their cons together. With Sol would be even better.</spoiler>

Weaknesses:

Esteban was so dull. I mean, he's not meant to be exciting, but it made the parts with him feel dry.

The name Sol--both a character and a world (the Sol System, if I remember right). Why chose to use the same name for both? It wasn't really confusing (only one paragraph where they were both used and I had to pause and figure out the difference) but it seems strange when an author can control naming to do this. (I did read an ARC so perhaps this will be changed?)

Although the worldbuilding felt pretty solid and was easy to understand, I never truly figured out the purposes for the breathers. Did they need to be used all the time? (It seems not.) Did they wear them just in case something happened to the atmosphere? It seemed like a great prop use as the wearer could lift it to reveal their face or put it on to hide their face (a bit like a fan could be used in certain periods), but it bothered me that I couldn't figure out exactly how it should be used.

This isn't listed as a series, but the ending was open enough that there is definitely room for more. And I think I'd give it a shot because I can see possibilities of where it might go and I think it would give me the things I really wanted more of in this book.

This was super interesting. I loved the focus on the sisters, and the romance between the leads was filled with whipsmart banter, which I LOVED. Sapphic enemies to lovers is always a win in my books.

There were pacing issues for me, but I found it hard to tell if this an objective issue, or an "I am struggling with sci-fi terminology and words" personal problem, hence why I rounded it to a 4 rather than 3.5.

I found a lot of the worldbuilding very cool, and the visual descriptions were perfectly done, I could picture everything so well, and it combined a lot of really fun elements.

Lady Eve’s Last Con is a fun, lighthearted sapphic romance, between Ruth, a con artist and Sol, the sister of the guy Ruth is out to scam.

I really enjoyed the setting here! It never gets bogged down on hardcore sci-fi details but it still feels well established. It was also a pleasant surprise to see how the logistics of observing the Sabbath would work during space travel be something of a plot point.

I do think this was one of those genre blends were it ends up less than the sum of its parts, though. I wanted more cool heist stuff, but felt like we were spending a lot of time with the budding attraction. But anytime I was like, okay this is a romance, we would go back to the most boring part of the heist! (Pretending to find a very dull man utterly captivating)

This book was so fun! I love a good heist, and the effortless space 20s energy throughout the book was so fun. It's an Ocean’s 8 in space with flapper dresses and sapphics. What more can anyone ask for?

I am obsessed. I am utterly, and completely, enraptured, with this story. It has everything. Hidden Identities. High Tech Ballroom Scenes. Forbidden Romance. I can’t say any more that the pitch doesn’t already sell you on: a sapphic sci-fi romcom about a con artist falling for her target’s sister… need I say more?

I will.

Fraimrow’s novel is a delicious blend of revenge, tension and, most importantly, heart. Our dear Lady Eve (legally Ruth Johnson) is on a mission to scam a young heir for his money as revenge for breaking her sister’s heart and leaving her without a father for her soon-to-be-born child. Unfortunately, her sister’s ex’s sister seems to be onto her... and into her.

Fraimrow’s character work was just amazing. I was immediately invested in Ruth’s story, and the love she felt for her sister was literally pouring from the page. Their relationship was so funny and fun to read about, especially the “Best Sister in The World” thing, which was so sweet. I especially think it was cool to see the way that their relationship was contrasted by the rather quiet, yet still loving nature of the siblingship between Esteban – the target – and his sister, Sol. Their situation is rather complicated due to the implications behind the status of their family, but there is still a kinship there that can’t be destroyed.

Now, Sol and Eve absolutely killed me. Massacred me. Crushed me. Fraimrow knows how to write banter, and how to write it well. Every interaction between them had me literally screaming, because of the amount of chemistry between them. They played off each other so well, it was insane.

Even in the plot and worldbuilding department, this book did what it needed to do. I was at the edge of my seat trying to discover what was going on the entire time that Ruth was, and I have to admit that that buildup and climax was incredibly satisfying to read about. My greedy self would have liked a little more at the end to see how our characters took everything, but I say this about every 5-star read.

I almost couldn’t believe I was reading this book because of how perfect the premise was, and really look forward to exploring more of Fraimrow’s work. For now, I’ll be buying a copy ASAP and re-reading it over and over. Thank you for coming to my TEDTalk, and to NETGalley as well as Solaris for providing me with an eArc copy in exchange for my honest review.

After a young space mogul has left her sister high and dry, galactic con artist Ruth Johnson masquerades as a debutante in order to get her revenge. Although she dupes most people on New Monte, a playground planet for socialites, the aloof and flirty Sol Yuki-Mendez is hot on her trail.

Overall, I think this book had some clever and humorous plot ideas, and there were moments where the authors unique voice came through. I think it would be enjoyable for people who liked authors such as Becky Chambers—the setting in this book is pretty similar to her Wayfarers setting. The originality of some of the world building (oh my god, the kosher duck subplot) was really fresh.

However, there were some places where the book faltered a little bit. There were a few characters who didn’t feel very fleshed out, especially the Yuki Mendez siblings Sol and Esteban. It was hard for me to believe that Esteban was really so clueless and gullible to fall for Ruth’s ploy. There were also times when the futuristic roaring twenties vibe the book was going for felt a little forced.

I give it a solid 3.75 stars and I am curious to see how this writer develops.

This was a great time if you're looking for a charming sapphic, con artist spacy odyssey. (and to be clear, I am always looking for that).

The world took me a long time to adapt to, as did the actual writing. I couldn't get into the flow until about 50% of the way through. Sol and Evelyn flirting was by far the best part of the whole story and I enjoyed every second of it.

I think a lot of my problems with this story are a "it's just me" issue and I think more avid sci-fi lovers would find their footing easier than I did. The characters and plot had me reeling and I am looking forward to seeing what Rebecca Fraimow puts out next.

For the most part, I really enjoyed this! It was a fun blend of a cat-and-mouse-ish romance, examinations of class and wealth, and the bonds between siblings. There were a lot of sci-fi words and terminology thrown around that weren't always fully explained, but it was still pretty easy to get into the world and its characters. The author did a great job of making these sometimes strange space colonies feel vibrant; it was really easy to picture these places in my head.

I will say that I think the pacing was a little slow at times when it didn't need to be. And I wish that there were a few more moments between Ruth and Jules, even if it was just via flashback.

But other than that, this was definitely fun and the romance was pretty cute. Definitely recommend if you like sci-fi and sapphic romance.

This book is an absolute delight. From the characters, the world-building, the twists and turns of the plot - you can tell the author had a lot of fun writing this book. The result is a queer space opera romp filled with glitz, glamour and a big dose of scheming.

I adored Ruthi as a protagonist and narrator. She’s smart, witty and self-deprecating, and always two or three steps ahead in every game she’s playing. The chemistry between Ruthi and Sol was developed so perfectly - first as a cat and mouse game where Ruthi meets her match in Sol, before it develops into much higher stakes. I also adored the depiction of Sol as the rich, charming cad, always with a beautiful woman on her arm.

One of my favourite touches was the phrases developed for this new futuristic world: “in for a pace, in for a parsec” made me snort. Overall a unique and hugely fun read!

Loved it, I put this as a five star read for me and check out my official review from Goodreads below

I was convinced that this must have been a second in a series - even when I was a third of the way through - but it turns out that the author has just set up a truly impressive amount of backstory for this one to happen. I mean, I know most good stories have their backstory, but this one REALLY felt like I was being given the "in case you don't remember what happened in the last book" spiel.

Ruth is a con artist. Her latest con is playing Evelyn Ojukwu, shy and slightly naive debutant, with the aim of catching the eye - and hopefully a promise of marriage - from the incredibly wealthy Esteban. But she has no intention of marrying him: instead, it's all about the money... and here's where the backstory comes in: because Esteban done Ruth's sister wrong, and this is a revenge game. The fact that Esteban has an awfully attractive, Don Juan-esque, half-sister is a complicating factor that Ruth hadn't expected.

The book is set an unspecified long time in the future; humanity has spread to many different planets and systems (it took me until maybe halfway through to realise that this book was actually set on a satellite of Pluto). The details of how all of that side works are fuzzy and irrelevant. The distances involved, though, are a significant factor - there's no super-fast communication between planets, for instance, and the lag is a critical one for both personal and business reasons, which Fraimow uses well.

I am amused by the idea that partner-catching would still be as much of a big deal in this sort of society as it's portrayed to be in Regency England, and that the class issues are just as real. Because that's basically what this is - it's a Regency-like romance, with space travel and artificial gravity. It's fluffy (that's a positive term!) and light-hearted, with the nods to substance that show the author is quite well aware of what they're doing, thank you very much. If you need something enjoyable, with a bit of tension and drama but the comforting knowledge that things will turn out ok, even if it's not clear how, this book is what you need.

Thank you NetGalley and Rebellion Publishing for providing me with this ARC.

What a delight this was!
I was hooked from the first page and loved every second of it. When I wasn't reading it, all I thought about was picking it up again and finishing it.
Everything about this book was perfect for me. The characters were likeable and fleshed out. The flirting and the slow-burn romance was everything I wanted.
The world was super interesting. It wasn't super dense but it was fleshed out enough that it was easy for me to picture everything.
And of course, the plot was a lot of fun. The pacing was well done and kept my interest the whole time.
It's usually hard to pull off this blend of genres, but this perfectly balanced it all in my opinion.
I can't say that I read anything like it before, and I can't wait to yell about it to other people.

THIS BOOK IS SUCH A MASTERPIECE!
From the moment I opened it, I was whisked away on a whirlwind adventure filled with cunning cons, unexpected romance, and a healthy dose of humor. Lady Eve's Last Con is perfect in every way, with well-developed characters, unique, entertaining plot, wonderful world-building, rich and detailed settings, incredible writing style and much more!!

First off, let's talk about Ruth Johnson—what a character! A masterful con artist who navigates the world with wit and charm, she's the kind of protagonist you can't help but root for. And when she sets her sights on revenge after her sister's heartbreak, disguising herself as the elegant debutante Evelyn Ojukwu, you know you're in for a wild ride.

But what truly sets this book apart is its rich tapestry of genres seamlessly woven together. It's part adventure, part rom-com, with a sprinkle of science fiction and a dash of humor thrown in for good measure. You'll find yourself laughing one moment, on the edge of your seat the next, as the plot twists and turns with each passing chapter.

And let's not forget about the incredible world-building and detailed settings that bring this story to life. From the bustling streets of the city to the opulent halls of high society, every scene is painted with such vivid detail that you'll feel like you're right there alongside the characters, experiencing every twist and turn firsthand.

Now, I will admit, the ending did leave me wanting more—I would have loved a bit more closure to tie up loose ends. But hey, maybe that just means there's another thrilling installment in the works!

"Lady Eve's Last Con" is a must-read for anyone who loves flawed yet endearing characters, refreshing storytelling, and witty dialogue that will leave you grinning from ear to ear. Trust me, once you start this book, you won't be able to put it down. It’s a five-star adventure from start to finish!

4.5 stars

I enjoyed every second of this book! The world-building is incredible. The story was super adventurous, charming and funny.

Thank you NetGalley and Rebellion publishing for the ARC. I can't wait to read more Rebecca Fairnow books!

What a delightful, joyous book! I loved every minute I spent reading this.

Ruthi is out to get revenge from the guy who left her sister heartbroken and pregnant, so Ruth's plan is to disguise herself as someone else, make him fall in love with her and then steal his money. And then Ruth meets Sol, Esteban's sister, and ends up falling for her. The plot is ridiculous and entertaining throughout, it's fun from start to finish. The world building is great with such rich settings and the characters are exquisitive. Sol and Ruthi are wonderful and I loved the way their relationship developped.

There's nothing at all I dislike here, it was wonderful. Thank you for the ARC!!

Ruthi Johnson (currently going by Evelyn Ojukwu) is running a con on the awkward heir of a major intergalactic insurance concern to get back at him for jilting her baby sister. But it's hard to focus on breaking Esteban's heart when his wildly dashing half-sister is standing right next to him.

This--like the ostensible Miss Ojukwu's game--is the kind of project that takes a massive amount of craftsmanship to pull off while seeming light-hearted and casual the entire time. There's an immense satisfaction in watching the various gears line up. If you're thinking of Ruthi's universe as a hand-crafted mechanism, it's one with a surprising heft: early twentieth-century musical comedy IN SPACE needs no extra justification, but I appreciated the depth in Fraimow's imagined cultures. Even the seemingly frothiest fashions are based on assumptions about where money comes from and how it is used, and there are layers and layers beneath questions such as why debutantes wear bubble-dresses (the better to dance in half-gravity!) or when it's gauche to take a radiation pill before eating, to say nothing of the best methods for interstellar transport of kosher duck.

4.5 stars rounded up

Everything of Rebecca Fraimow's that I've had the pleasure to read has worked for me, from short stories to novelette to novella, so I had high expectations going into this one and it did not disappoint.

It's a rollicking good art deco space opera on a lovely intimate scale. A small-time conwoman from a hardscrabble background infiltrates the upper crust of a rich planet for money, revenge, and--most importantly--love of her sister. She's very, very good at what she does, but of course things get complicated when she starts to develop feelings for a very inconvenient person.

This is an established kind of plot that depends entirely on style and characterization to work. Because it's Fraimow, it has both. The worldbuilding is fun and colorful with loads of delightful details, and our main characters are lovable with just enough rough edges to lend some weight to what might have been pure fluff.

There's a ton going on here that I love: identity porn, protective older siblings, hot girls on motorcycles, plotting, disasters in zero-gravity, fashion, kosher ducks, and a compelling central romance.

From here on I'm going to get into some thematic spoilers, so read no further if you want to avoid those.


***spoilers below***

The whole thing works because our lead is the perfect mix of justified and wrong. We get why she's doing what she's doing, we understand how she's justifying it to herself, and we understand how a person with her background and experiences would come to this place. Thankfully, the reasons she's wrong are less "it's bad to con rich people" (is it, though?) and more "sometimes you have to let your little sister grow up." I love a storyline about codependent siblings learning how to be less codependent while still loving each other, and that's what's going on here: Ruthi has spent her whole life protecting her sister, and she was right to do that, but she has to come to terms with the fact that "protecting" and "controlling" often end up being the same thing, and once your sister is an adult, too, you have to relinquish your desire for control.

As for the main romance, I'm a hard sell for romances. I love them when they work for me, but 90% of the time they do nothing for me. This one works: I believe that these two people like and admire each other, that they could make a go of it in the future. Fraimow also understands that nothing is more romantic than actually being able to trust someone, and it takes real skill to make me as a reader believe that Ruthi and Sol *can* trust each other despite the layers of deception. I buy that these are two people from different backgrounds who sense a commonality of soul and really *want* to be honest with each other.

All in all, a very fun time. I can't wait to see what Fraimow publishes next! (No pressure, Becca!)

The Sting meets Fiddler on the Roof

** spoiler alert **

Ruthi Johnson, our first-person narrator, arrives at the wealthy resort New Monte (which seems to be a satellite orbiting the quondam planet Pluto, not that that ever matters) bent on revenge. Esteban Mendez-Yuki, the scion of the obscenely wealthy Mendez-Yuki family and corporation, knocked up Ruthi's kid sister Jules then abandoned her. Ruthi is here for revenge. Since she and Jules are con artists, conning Esteban is the best way she knows of getting vengeance. Also, the money couldn't hurt. Jules is not here with her -- she's back at a nice resort colony making Esteban's baby.

OK, this is obviously a disaster waiting to happen. It's hard to read Ruthi's schemes of revenge and imagine any way this can have a happy ending. While Esteban is kind of feckless and oblivious, he has a half-sister Sol who is both protective of him and frighteningly smart and competent. She is also, as it happens, very attractive to Ruthi. So, Ruthi begins to enact her plan to reel Esteban in and stuff happens to Sol and to Ruthi.

At about a third of the way through the book, I began to discern a possibility for pulling off a happy ending. That was, for me, the main interest of the story -- watching Rebecca Fraimow engineer a plausible path. I'm not telling you there IS a happy ending. I'm not telling you there is NOT. But we need that possibility to make the story work -- the is-there-a-path-out-of-this-disaster suspense drove the story -- and it's very well done. There was even a twist near the end that I totally failed to see coming, even though it made perfect sense.

When I was in High School, I saw the movie The Sting. In The Sting two small time con artists play a revenge con. It is impossible to watch the film and not come out of the theatre smiling, or even dancing a little with joy. (Well, it may not be literally impossible, but it certainly was not something I could do.) That's what Lady Eve's Last Con felt like. Now, I want to emphasize that aside from the points I've just mentioned, there is no similarity between the plots of The Sting and Lady Eve's Last Con. In particular, I'm not telling you whether or not Ruthi's con succeeds.

One thing that took me entirely by surprise (and the reason I'm marking this review a spoiler) was the Yiddishkeit. Ruthi and Jules grew up culturally Jewish. I seriously doubt that Ruthi keeps shabbat or eats kosher -- but I am quite confident that she would be comfortable doing both if she wanted to. And, although it is not huge, Ruthi's Yiddishkeit even has an essential plot function. There's also an explicit reference to Fiddler on the Roof.

Heist/con stories can be tremendous fun, and this one is. It left me smiling.

I received an advance reader copy of Lady Eve's Last Con from NetGalley and Rebellion. This review expresses my honest opinions. Release date 4-Jun-2024.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was a really fun sci-fi romance with a lot of flair.

The world-building of this book was familiar with some fairly unique elements. It does involve a far future setting where humanity has become a space-faring civilization, but not one completely removed from current-day practices, prejudices and culture. In fact, capitalistic class issues have intensified so much in this future, that among the rich, some practices/culture of the Gilded Age have been reinstated. The aesthetics of that era, combined with science fiction aspects were not only window dressing but were integrated deftly into the plot.

The plot of this book was very charming with its fair share of quirky elements, but also had rather fun twists. You probably don't expect the transport of Kosher ducks and the like to be key to a science fiction book, so prepare to be surprised and amused.

The cast of characters were all flawed but well fleshed out. Ruth is such an entertaining protagonist and her push-and-pull relationship with Sol was just lovely. I really enjoyed the arc of their romance and how it played out. Even people with masks galore sometimes need someone to see them as they truly are. The familial dynamics were also interesting to read and had a lot of depth.

The ending of the book was somewhat open-ended and perhaps a little abrupt. The climax also could have been more heightened than it ended up being. It doesn't quite resolve every issue brought up. I am not sure whether that was to keep it open for a sequel or not, but either way, the book is still quite entertaining as it is.

Overall, Lady Eve's Last Con is a charming read with a lot of heart involving space travel, glitzy balls, daring rescues at the opera, space mobsters, class commentary, complicated cons, and a whole lot more. If stylistic science fiction or romance is your thing, I'd highly recommend picking this up.

Y'all.

Sapphic 1920s in space.

What more do you want?

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for an ARC in exchange for an unbiased review.

Ruth Johnson is on a con for revenge. Esteban Mendez-Yuki broke her little sister's heart, and Ruth will take him for all he has - which, as the heir to the Mendez-Yuki insurance corporation, MYcorp, is quite a lot.

Ruth was not prepared for Esteban's sister, Sol, however, and she brings her own set of troubles.

Featuring gangsters, high society, low gravity, and a wisecracking inner monologue, each time I opened the book I had a little bit of a giggle. Whoever narrates this audiobook has their work cut out for them in order to do it justice.

I wasn't entirely sure how well the tone of the book would hold up - I recently DNF'd something else when the gimmicky inner monologue got too repetitive and annoying. Thankfully, there was enough plot, dialogue, and fascinating futuristic elements that this kept my attention.

Ruth is a fairly well-rounded character, fitting a few stereotypes, but bringing enough self awareness to feel real. Sol occasionally seemed too good to be true, but at the same time Ruth is a very one sided narrator, so some of that can be forgiven. The villains aren't over the top evil, the big revelation midway through about what Sol has is underwhelming in the best way possible, and the wrap up itself could have been a movie.

If I had any complaints it's that I honestly started feeling bad for Esteban - self centered and awkward and socially unaware he may have been, as a scientist I really wanted to know more about his dirt studies. Which isn't a real complaint - had Ruth actually paid attention, she wouldn't be Ruth.

Overall, a 5/5, and I'll be keeping an eye out for more by this author.