As a fan of Revis' Across the Universe series, I had high hopes for this novella. Even though it's a fast read and I was interested in the characters and the world they exist in, it's hard to get excited about a book when you know exactly what's going to happen.

How do you know what's going to happen? The main character, Ada, tells you over and over and over and over. She's meant to be presented as an unreliable narrator, I think, but her narration is very reliable. She wink-winks her way into spelling out her plans as clearly as she can without actually saying them out loud. As a character however? Ada is a completely selfish, unreliable person, which makes me less interested in her; I don't like people who use people.

I really liked the crew of the Halifax and was much more interested in and sympathetic toward all of them than I was Ada. And of course, we're meant to like Rian, and I did -I would have liked to hear more of his story, frankly. This novella is the first in a series and feels incomplete. I don't know how quickly Revis will release the next one*, but I wonder if I will still remember any of this story when she does. As always, I would rather a book tell a complete story than string me along for years and years. Full Speed to a Crash Landing is long enough to start a story, but I'm not sure it was long enough to get me invested enough in that beginning to read the next one.

*I just saw the next in this series will be released in December! If the series continues to come out every few months, I admit that my interest in it is already higher because I would have kept reading had the novella not ended, so I look forward to seeing where the story goes.

Full Speed to a Crash Landing is scheduled to publish 8/6/2024. Thanks to DAW, NetGalley and Beth Revis for the advance reader copy.

This was quick and fun - if you’ve been looking for something in the vein of Illuminae Files but for adults, pick this up now! This is fun like YA sci-fi but just a little more mature - a great first step into the adult sci-fi space for crossover readers.

Wow, this was so much fun!!

The story is fast paced and a perfect blend of action, world building and dialogue. Although some of the characters only had a few lines, I still managed to connect to them. I do wish the book was longer but the shortness of it makes it a perfect cure for slumps. Ada is a fun character with a complex background and I loved being inside of her head. I can't wait to learn more about her! There are also a few twists in the story that I thoroughly enjoyed. The writing reminded me of Ali Hazelwood's style — witty, quick and meant to devour in one sitting.

I would have loved to learn more about Rian, as well as get more impactful scenes between him and Ada. And was it really sexy, though? Only slightly. However, I can see that changing in the future books!

I would definitely recommend this! Already can't wait to read the next two books in this novella trilogy!

I’ll keep this review short because I don’t want to spoil anything. I’ll just say that this was a fun novella, and I look forward to reading the rest of the trilogy.

Ada, our main character, is snarky and fun to follow. I smiled and laughed throughout the story. I enjoyed her banter with the crew that rescued her, especially Rian.

This story is mostly told in first person from Ada’s perspective. The last section though is told in government documents with some fun footnotes. I enjoyed both sections.

SCREAM. I absolutely ate this one up, folks. There’s really nothing like a short and exciting book to pull you out of a reading slump, and this one is exactly that. I could have easily devoured this one in one sitting, and a big part of me wanted to do that while another part wanted me to savor every page. Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for the eARC of this book.

Ada Lamarr spends her days scavenging space wrecks, and this book opens with her awaiting a rescue as she sends a desperate distress signal. As she is picked up by a space crew seeking a valuable item from a wreck, she works her way into the mission…with her own motives, of course!

Ada is a delight of a character. I loved watching her weave her way into the crew of the Halifax and how she analyzed each crew member, but especially Rian. It is so great to see two characters dancing around each other in this way, and I loved the delicious little moments of banter. It’s all made even better by the reports and notes that make up the end of the book, and I loved the way that these elements were included!

This book is so interesting to me, because I could see exactly where it was going, but that did not take away from the story at all. The predictability of some of the plot points makes it that enjoyable, and I loved watching how it all unfolded and the way the realizations slowly hit the characters. I would truly read 100 books about these two characters dancing around each other through space for an eternity.

I so so so highly recommend this one and I definitely plan to check out the author’s other work and will be keeping an eye out for other projects for sure!! Absolutely 5⭐️ for me!!

This was such a fast and fun ride of a story. This is part one in a trilogy of novellas following Ada Lamarr, a very charming looter of crashed spaceships and Rian White, the handsome government agent who thinks she is up to something. I loved the characters and the banter between Ada and Rian, as well as the way Ada was able to slowly get the crew that rescued her to warm up to her.

I feel like “Don’t be suspicious…” was playing through Ada’s head often during this book as she did things and said that at times could have given her away (if everyone had all of the pieces) but never did. And while this was a fast read, the build between Ada and Rian really does take the full story and its well executed to the point that I was not even sure if there was going to be a con in the end.

I loved how simple the world - or rather - galaxy building was, with explanations of the different Earths and what happened on the original Earth, Earth-Sol, that led to humans exploring and growing in the galaxy. It’s a fun and simple sci-fi read and entry into the Spacemance genre. I cannot wait for How to Steal a Galaxy, book 2 in the series, which releases later this year also!

FIVE STARS

Thank you so much to DAW Books and NetGalley for my #gifted physical and eARC copies. All thoughts are my own.

This was fun, fun, fun. Loved Ada & Rian & the whole Halifax crew. And the plot kept me guessing all the way through. (Don’t skip those footnotes! That last one sent me, Revis.) Awesome first installment in a fast paced sci-fi series I’ll definitely be following.

Our fmc Ada is stranded in space and is rescued by the crew of the Halifax. Once on board she meets Rian and the others, who are there to scavenge the same crashed vessel that she is. But what's really going on, and can they trust each other? It's a novella so it's a quick read. Be aware that it's the start of a series and there is a cliffhanger ending.

So, I have some mixed feelings about this one. Yay for a snarky and smart heroine! There's some zing here and a puzzle to solve, but the story didn't move fast enough for me to engage fully. Which is surprising since it's a novella, and especially surprising since we're thrust right into a life-or-death scene as soon as the story begins. I will say that it picks up towards the end. We only get Ada's POV for the vast majority of the story, which works here because despite the other characters and events it feels more like it's Ada's story than anything else. The romantic angle is a bit dry. and describing it as a romance seems to be a bit of disservice to the book. Maybe that will be a bigger focus in the coming books. I thought the writing was fine and Ada was a refreshing character, but the story didn't fully grab my attention and I don't think this book was for me.

I loved this book! Its short and a fast read, but for a novella, it had so much characterization, plot and action. I really liked Ada as a main character. The side characters were also well developed and felt like real people. And its a space heist. Who can resist a space heist book? Its not even published yet, but I'm already dying for the sequel! I've already recommend it to several people.

This was such a great novella. Ada honestly had me going there for a sec. I feel like I could read about her in a full length novel but alas that's the point of novellas a feel. So gripping and fun in such a short span. Did feel heavy with life euphemisms which I really liked as well. Beth Revis is one of those authors ill have to read the back logs of.

SPACEMANCE LIVES!!!!!!!!

Okay, on a serious note - I LOVED this! I loved the banter, I loved the pieces coming together, I loved Ada!!!!! I cannot wait for the sequel, oh my goodness… I need to know what happens next!

This seems to be the month for 1-2 sitting books, and I'm fully on board for that.

Full Speed to a Crash Landing had me hooked from the dedication and epigraph pages, and even though I KNEW what was going to happen (Ada told us over and over again) I still had a blast getting there. Do not want to wait for How to Steal a Galaxy, but at least December isn't too far away.

I will forever and always be a Beth Revis fan! She is one of my all time autobuy authors. Throughout this entire book I kept telling myself “Trust no one.” But I still found myself rooting for Ada and Rian. There were so many times that I had to stop and ask myself “Why is Ada being so weird?” Or “That’s an odd thing to say.” All in all this book kept me on my toes until the very last page (literally, I kept trying to refresh the page on my kindle, hoping for more). I would recommend this book to my friends and family if they are looking for a slow burn, YA, sci-fi, mystery with a hint of romance.

A fun sexy space adventure short story for grownups by one of my favorite YA authors! I love Beth Revis' work, ever since Across the Universe, and this hearkens back to that one--only a little spicier for adults (and mature teens). I love the main character, she's savvy, funny, and strong. "Oceans 11 in Space" would also be a good tagline for this story about a thief in space. Can't wait to read part two!

I read a digital advance copy from NetGalley in exchange for my review.

This was such a fun sci-fi novella, with a bit of mystery, a healthy dose of adventure, and a touch of romance. I especially loved the banter, and if you pay attention, you’ll notice a few Easter eggs from real-world history and Revis’s earlier works. If anything, I wish the story had been longer, and I’m definitely looking forward to the sequel!

This was a fun, fast-paced space adventure. Ada Lamarr, the witty and daring heroine, immediately draws you in. The chemistry between Ada and Rian White adds a nice touch of romance without overshadowing the action. Revis's world-building is vivid yet concise, making the futuristic setting easy to dive into. Though the ending leaves some questions, it sets up the next book in the trilogy nicely. Overall, it’s an engaging read for sci-fi fans looking for humor, romance, and adventure. Can't wait for the next one!

This is a lively, fun space opera with some interesting worldbuilding and nice plot twists. The opening reminded me a bit of Andy Weir, and the snappy banter of John Scalzi, but the main character is all Ravis's own. The ending is a little obscure, but this is the first book in a trilogy, so maybe my questions will be answered later. Recommended.

"Full Speed to a Crash Landing" by Beth Revis is a fast-paced science fiction adventure that draws readers in from the start. Revis’s storytelling keeps the pages turning, as space looter Ada Lamarr navigates an salvage mission filled with both peril and romance.
At the core of the novel is the captivating push-and-pull between Ada and her love interest and adversary Rian White. Their conflicting goals and undeniable attraction create a compelling dynamic.
Revis’s descriptive yet economical prose paints a vivid picture of the characters' world without getting bogged down in excessive world-building. Readers discover the details of this suture space-faring society, with its conflicts among the different Earths and their political factions, in organic, bite-sized reveals that never feel like info-dumps. The overall mood is one of lighthearted fun, even when Ada is crawling up a rocky slope with a deadly lava river below her. Revis blends the high-stakes thrills of a space-based heist with a dollop of romantic tension.
My only criticism is that the final chapter composed of memos between Rian White and other members of the intergalactic bureaucracy didn’t add anything new. Ada had already explained everything, and the memos seemed unnecessarily redundant.
Fans of plot-driven science fiction laced with action and romance will likely enjoy "Full Speed." Revis has crafted an engaging novel that leaves readers interested in the next installment of this promising new series. This is my first time reading Beth Revis book, but it won’t be the last.

This was short, fun, and delightful. Ada, the main character, is clearly more than she seems and I hope we get the chance to find out what happens to her next.

I've seen this author around the place, but I think this is the first time I've ever picked up a novel by her and gosh I'm glad this is the one I did. It had me guessing till almost right up to the very end of the novella!

Ada is our first person PoV character who we find almost out of oxygen and all but ejected from her ship that has a big gaping hole in it when the rescue comes for her. Her smartassness right out of the gate really makes her approachable even in the midst of her worrying that death is going to come before rescue.

Once on the government salvage ship Roundabout has her on board, it comes up that the reason she was not rescued sooner was that there was an internal struggle about whether she was actually in danger or whether she was a trap.

It's pretty clear from early on that Ada is not merely the space looter that she seems, but she holds everything so close to the chest that one needs to simply keep turning pages in the hopes that more will reveal itself. In the meantime, her attraction to Rian White, the person behind this whole expedition, if not the captain of the ship, increasingly makes it harder for Ada to push through with the plan (what plan? We don't yet know!) that she came on board to achieve.

What is clear throughout is that this planet of Earth is basically collapsing under the weight of strain, pollution, waste, etc, and there seems to be a question from other Earth colonies out there in the various solar systems as to whether it is financially worth it to keep the original Earth from imploding. The other alternative, of course, being that a mass exodus of billions of people to other planets needs to be considered.

Honestly, I didn't know until starting to write up this review that this is the first story in a new trilogy but, honestly, it could have stood up on its own and I would have been happy with it as a standalone. Loved it, but also now really happy we get to see more in this world.