I was expecting something more I think. The main character was way too quirky for my taste, even when it was highly not needed at the moment. The romance was bland and the characters had zero chemistry. The premise seemed like high stakes but that is not the vibe you get as you keep reading.

4/5 ⭐️

This was such a fun and fast-paced sci-fi novella. I loved how cunning and clever Ada was and her interactions with the other crew members had some great banter. The mystery of the wreck was intriguing and kept me interested to read what would happen next. It ends on a cliff hanger, so I can't wait to read the next book!

Thank you to NetGalley, Beth Revis, and DAW for my early access to this.

This was a fun read! Full Speed to a Crash Landing by Beth Revis is the first in a novella trilogy about a scavenger who finds herself stranded on a remote planet and the government agent who steps in to save her. Ada Lamarr is running out of air and options when a ship with a skeptical crew finally answers her distress call. Now aboard the Roundabout, Ada needs to gain the trust of the crew in order to complete her mission and theirs.

I thoroughly enjoyed every aspect of this story. The majority of the story is narrated from Ada’s point of view. She is self-depricating, bold, confident, and sarcastic in all the best ways. As the reader, we are never fully given access to Ada’s goals and learn what she is thinking as she is thinking it. She can be an unreliable narrator, however that makes the story even more fun. Her attempts to win the crew over are met with reluctant approval and downright hostile glares, but she keeps on. She knows they need her to retrieve what they are looking for whether they trust her or not.

Rian White is the science officer slash know-it-all on the ship. He also happens to be the government official in charge. Ada takes a liking to him immediately. He’s kind, cunning, and about four steps behind our heroine. He enlists her help on their mission, but it is a battle of wits to see who will come out on top.

Overall, I loved Full Speed to a Crash Landing and was sad when it was over. I could have easily read another hundred or more pages of Ada’s antics. If you are a fan of sci-fi, love good banter, or you are looking for a new read, I highly recommend it.

I think the world building was good and left me interested in it. I really liked the crew on the Halifax, their stories seemed very interesting. Unfortunately, I wasn't a big fan of the main character and wasn't very into the plot itself. However, I may give the next book a chance in hopes that we get more backstory and development.

Loved the Banter! I wish this wasn’t a novella, and there was more context to why the MC was doing what she was doing. I really liked the technical documentation at the end, that would have been fun sprinkled throughout. I found myself wanting more.

Beth Revis dialed it up for Full Speed To A Crash Landing!

What a great introduction to this series as we meet feisty and slippery Female Main Character, Ada Lamarr. Despite being stranded due to a hole in her ship, she has a space suit with a Jaxon Jet. A JAXON JET! And she has a mouth on her. I giggled out loud and said oh boy, Beth Revis dropped the F-bomb in a book! (OH my!)

"Some men have the attitude that there are no bras in space. Which is bullshit." ~ Ada Lamarr

Ada is indeed a slippery Charater and a very unreliable narrator. Or is she? She captivates her rescuers or at least some of them - especially Rian White who can't tell whether he should trust her or not. (Or kiss her.) Ada lures him in (and other crew) with her forwardness and confidence and tells them enough of the truth that they trust her. And her Jaxon Jets. Her ability to risk her life to a job done seals the deal. She and Rian play quite the game of cat and mouse but who is the cat and who is the mouse is often up for grabs

I could not put this book down. Read this novella if you love:

>Space Heists
>Feisty FMC
>Worldbuilding
>Plot Twists
>A MMC who hates being double crossed
>Banter
>Excellent supporting cast
>Lentils
>Epistolic Writing at the end

This is the first book in a Trilogy so there is more to come and I am here for it. Here for but waiting impatiently.

Thank you to NetGalley and DAW for a gifted copy of this book in return for an honest review.

"No one ever said space was safe, and then humans go in and make it even less so."

★★★★☆

I never lay my hand on sci-fi before so Full Speed to a Crash Landing is my first ever. To be honest i'm kinda scared i would understand nothing with the future tech or invention related stuff, but i found this one pretty much easy to proceed! The story went smoothly from the moment Ada made an urgent call to Halifax and so on, but i knew there's something more behind it. There are some clue tossed around and puzzle piece that doesn't fit to the story and these are the things make me keep reading, and the twist in the end totally made it worth it!

I love the characters, i love the Halifax crew plus Ada interactions thought they would be some kind of found family but who knows, moreover i love the Ada-Rian dynamic and tension. Ada is the chaotic one while Rian is there to listen and respond whatever she said in a very calm and smooth way (mentioned a lot but i'm not complaining, we all simp for him anyway), somewhat matching her freak.

I'm itching to read the sequel because the cliffhanger got me so worked up and excited for more. Thank you Netgalley and Beth Ravis for the eARC in exchange for an honest review!

As a big sci-fi fan, I was very excited about this novella.
The world-building was very intriguing and definitely made me want to know more. We only got small glimpses of this imagined future, where humanity is travelling the stars (and leaving all their rubbish behind of course).
One of my favourite parts of the book were the log entries and pieces of correspondence at the end of the book. They revealed a lot about the characters and the world that had been unclear up to that point. I wish these logs had been included in the rest of the book as that would have fit the plot really well.
Unfortunately, I was not a big fan of the main character. I warmed up to her by the end but most of the time I found her too obnoxious, defiant and quirky almost to the point where it felt a little forced.
I definitely will be reading the sequel though. There is still much of the story that has not been told yet.

Full Speed to a Crash Landing is a delightful slice of fun for your reading pile. It is a genre combination I love — romantic comedy + science fiction + action thriller — and Beth Revis’ execution is taut.

What do I mean by ‘taut’? There is not one ounce of fat to be found in this novella. Revis’ characterisation is efficient but extremely effective, and the plotting is clever without complication. So rather than character or plot driven, I would actually say Full Speed to a Crash Landing is ‘banter driven’ fiction. The dialogue between gutsy Ada and the government salvage crew members is far more than entertaining icing. That dialogue, coupled with Ada’s precise and disciplined inner thinking are this novella’s propulsion.

Striking also is how Revis delivers a mystery thriller with light-hearted rom-com moments alongside both gripping life-or-death events and poignant self-reflection.

My only real disappointment was that this pageturner’s 192 pages flew by faster than light-speed, and so I was left wanting more of Ada and Rian. That said, having reached Full Speed to a Crash Landing’s conclusion (do not forget to read the emails at the end, and their footnotes!), I do agree that in this rare story context it makes complete sense for this pair’s intense and highly eventful interactions to be spaced out across a novella trilogy. Ada is definitely the type of character that leaves people scratching their heads in her wake!

Fortunately though, we do not have long to wait for round two between this duo as Chaotic Orbits #2, How to Steal a Galaxy is scheduled for release in December 2024. I’m all in on this series.

Dear Beth Revis,

Full Speed to a Crash Landing is the first in a series of three novellas. Ada Lamarr is a space scavenger – looting ghost ships and crashed ships for anything valuable enough to sell. But maybe there’s more to her than that? We’ll have to see.

As the story begins, Ada is running out of air. Her ship, Glory, has a hole in the hull. She’s sent out a distress signal to a nearby ship, the Halifax, explaining she has no life support or electrics and is on the last available air in her spacesuit. Both Glory and Halifax are in the region because of the crashed ship, the Roundabout, on a nearby planet. The Halifax is suspicious but they cannot ignore a distress signal so eventually (and just in time) they rescue Ada.

In this world there are four “earths”; Sol-Earth (the original, a planet which is largely dead or dying, full of pollution and with small pockets of tourism), Centauri-Earth, Gliese-Earth and Reigel-Earth. One intergalactic government is in charge of all four planets. Largely, the other three planets (if I understood things correctly) provide food and consumer goods to Sol-Earth as there’s not much more than tourism left.

It’s clear that the people on board the Halifax are trying to find something super-secret in the wreckage of the Roundabout. Ada tells them she came across the crash site and did her thing, having found some metal in the cargo hold which she can sell for scrap. It’s very apparent there’s more going on, but exactly what takes the entire novella to be revealed.

On the Halifax, we are introduced to Captain Io, First, Magnusson and Saraswati – the crew and Rian White. Rian is obviously in charge of the mission itself – he’s some kind of unspecified governmental operative-type.

Ada is quick-witted and sassy, provocative and brash. She crash lands into the Halifax’s personnel in many ways and it takes a while before they know exactly what to do with her.

“Hey, I don’t want to get people in trouble.” I hold both my hands up in a show of peace. “If Saraswati can’t talk, let me.”

“You certainly love to do that,” Magnusson grumbles.

I ignore him because I’m the bigger person.

The problem with the mission to retrieve whatever the thing or things is from the crash site, is that the planet is very newly formed – it is basically lava with a thin crust over the top of it. There’s a lot of geothermal activity and chances are all or part of the Roundabout will be sinking into the lava soonish. Unlike Magnusson or Saraswati, Ada has a special jetpack which can withstand extreme heat and means she’s a chance to retrieve a box teetering on the edge of a lava river. The crew don’t quite trust her but she is also their best hope for success.

And there’s the rub. See, before, when the only thing spurring them to action was my distress signal and their paranoia thinking I was laying a trap rather than dying, they thought the biggest threat to retrieving the box’s contents would be someone like me.

What’s in the box? Why is it important? Who wants it? What is Ada really doing? Most of those questions are eventually answered but there are some that are tantalisingly out of reach and for answering in the next or the last of the trilogy. There is clearly a broader story arc but this novella does have its own and I wouldn’t say it ends on a cliffhanger. Not really. There is a romance developing between Rian and Ada – their chemistry builds over the course of this novella but it’s too soon for a HEA.

The dynamic between Rian and Ada is fun to read. They play a kind of cat and mouse game, each testing the other, trying not to give too much away but at the same time, a mutual respect grows in addition to their chemistry.

Initially, I did have a bit of a disconnect with the first description of Rian in the book:

On the captain’s other side is a man with unkempt hair. Average size, average build. Totally forgettable. Except for the sharpest, clearest hazel eyes I’ve ever seen.

and the way he was described afterwards – sexy, hot – not at all forgettable. (In fact, I first thought Ada’s love interest would be the big muscly specimen initially standing behind the Captain but that turned out to be not the case at all. I’m something of a romance-gosling, looking to imprint on the first hero-looking goose I see.) In hindsight, I think the attraction from Ada to Rian was significantly influenced by his brain. She finds him physically attractive but that’s not the first thing she notices about him and, the more he intrigues and entertains her mind, the more handsome and sexy he becomes to her. (Makes sense.)

I have a feeling that a re-read of Full Speed to a Crash Landing would be worthwhile to pick up on the clues along the way and/or to really understand some of Ada’s more cryptic comments. There’s a whole layer to the story the reader can’t know before they get to the end of it.

Apart from Rian’s mission reports at the end, the story is told from Ada’s perspective. Those mission reports were interesting reading and gave me a lot of insight into the broader picture, a sneak peek of what is to come and more information about Rian’s thoughts.

While the novella does tell a story with a beginning, middle and end, the complete trilogy is likely to influence my overall thinking about this book. For now it’s a high B but, if the series develops as it promises to and sticks the landing, then I foresee bumping the grade up.

Grade: B

Regards,
Kaetrin

PS: Readers should note that after the acknowledgements (at least, in my arc that’s where they were) are the mission report footnotes – these are important: don’t skip them!

I discovered Beth Revis shortly after starting Girl Who Reads when I reviewed her young adult science fiction novel Across the Universe. I loved the entire series but then I started moving away from young adult fiction and didn't keep up with her writing career. But when I saw she had a new story and it was for adults I knew I had to give it a chance.

Full Speed to Crash Landing is a novella that is possibly set in the same universe as Across the Universe but you don't have to have read that series as there are no real connections.

As it is a novella, there isn't a ton of worldbuilding but enough to understand the world Ada lives in. There is more time spent on developing the characters and they are great characters. I don't think I could name a favorite. For a story that is under 200 pages, there is a lot going on. It's not all action, though there is quite a bit of that. It is more mental - trying to figure out everyone's motives and who they really are.

I wanted to just sit and devour this book - but life got in the way. It could easily be read in an afternoon or evening and what a delightful way to spend a few hours. But I'm also glad that I didn't just race through it as I felt a little bummed when I finished it because the adventure was over.

My first thought after finishing it was "I hope this is a start of a new series". So I was super excited when I pulled up the Goodreads' listing and saw in the description that this kicks off a trilogy entitled Chaotic Orbits. The next novella, How to Steal a Galaxy, is due to hit shelves in December (I've already requested my review copy!). I'm not sure 3 books are going to be enough though.

If you are looking for a quick, but highly entertaining read this weekend then this is the book you want to read.

My review will be published at Girl Who Reads on Saturday - https://www.girl-who-reads.com/2024/08/the-perfect-afternoon-read-for-sci-fi.html

Yay, a space adventure novella series, we love to see it! Especially when it has all the stuff this one has: It's fun, witty, full of twists and adventure and fabulous characters... need I go on? I mean probably, otherwise this review will be one sentence, but. Novella reviews have to be shortish, right? Lest I give something away. Ugh fine I'll do more. This book hooked me from the epigraph, which is saying something. I thought about telling you what it said so you could chuckle and realize you need the book, but don't you realize that already anyway? Buy it yourself, see the epigraph that had me cackling from the start!

Yeah so it is very high stakes and features all kinds of stuff I did not see coming. So it's the perfect blend, you see. Action, excitement, laughs, swoons, feels... and in such a tiny, unputdownable, quick-read package. And the best news? The sequel is out in December. Which means no waiting years on end to see what happens next for Ada and company!

Bottom Line: If I haven't convinced you by now, that's kind of on you.

I really enjoyed this novella! It packed a lot into a short amount of pages, including a heist, near-death experiences, and maybe a budding romance. Ada is a lot of fun to follow, she's a smooth talker and several steps ahead of everyone else and I want to know more about her mysterious employer.

I'll be waiting for the next installment!

I voluntarily read and reviewed this book. All opinions are my own. Thank you to DAW and NetGalley for the copy.

Wow, where has Beth Revis been all my reading life? Full Speed to a Crash Landing is my first book by her, and I am completely blown away. It feels like this book was tailor-made for me!

From the very beginning, I was hooked as Ada’s disastrous day unfolds. With her ship in tatters and a skeptical crew that doesn’t believe she needs help, Ada’s plight is both thrilling and relatable. As she navigates the chaos of a secretive salvage mission, the tension is palpable. This high-energy space adventure brims with sharp-witted dialogue, clever twists, and a touch of romance that balances perfectly. I thoroughly enjoyed every page and am already craving more.

Scream it from the rooftops, folks—I devoured this gem in one sitting during my silent book club meeting! There’s nothing quite like a short, thrilling read to reignite your love for a genre, and this book did just that.

Ada, whose name I love and which pays homage to two remarkable women according to the acknowledgments, is a truly captivating character. Watching her skillfully maneuver through her interactions with the Halifax crew, particularly Rian, was a real treat. Their interactions were full of witty exchanges and a tantalizing build-up. The extra touches, like the reports and notes included at the end, added a unique and enjoyable layer to the story.

I usually skim acknowledgments, but I read every word in this one and laughed out loud at Beth Revis’s account of how this book came to be. It’s a must-read, so don’t miss it!

A huge thank you to @rrbooktours, Penguin Random House, and Beth Revis for this incredible ARC. Please, please, please include me on the tour for the next book in this series! 😍😂

I wholeheartedly recommend Full Speed to a Crash Landing and am eager to dive into more of Beth Revis’s work. This one is an easy 5 stars for me!

Book: Full Speed To A Crash Landing
Author: Beth Revis
Publisher: DAW
Publication Date: August 6th, 2024

"The choice is fake. It’s not real. Every action we take, every action we take, ultimately, we never choose to be brave or not. We just choose to survive."

Thoughts:
This novella was such a fun, fast-paced read full of action, planetary exploration, and budding romance. I loved the dry sarcastic humour Ada has in this story; I enjoyed all the laugh-out-loud moments. 
The pacing was perfect with tons of twists and turns all the way until the last page of the book. I am really excited to see how this adventure continues in the next novella, and hopefully more of the budding romance. Their banter and Ada's flirtatious moments were both sweet and funny.

Thank you so much to Beth, DAW, and NetGalley, for the ARC copy of Full Speed To A Crash Landing. I am voluntarily leaving an honest review.

What seems like a long time ago, I read a Young Adult Sci-Fi Across the Universe Trilogy that utterly captivated me. The author created a world, characters, and plot that drew me in and had me in a fever to know what came next at the end of each installment. Here I am again having a similar experience with her new heist-fueled Space Opera.

From the first desperate moments as Ada’s breathing equipment is about to give out, I was hooked. This was a novella-length so Full Speed to a Crash Landing lived up to its title name and rushed forward at a furious pace. It is obvious from the get-go that Ada isn’t exactly what she claims, but the amusing part is that the government ship that comes to her rescue aren’t sold by her explanations. This cat and mouse game goes both ways and there is a fun and flirty tone as Rian and Ada dance around each other.

As the reader, I was complacently certain there is a lot of larceny in Ada and that Rian is a straight arrow type. I was watching for it and still got a fun shocker there before the story abruptly ends at a good spot.

Full Speed to a Crash Landing is not a complete story. It is the first part of a story with the job of introducing Beth Revis’ futuristic sci-fi world, her characters, and a bit about the plot. There is an exciting conflict in the form of the race to get to what’s on the ship before the unstable volcanic eruptions on the planet swallow up the crashed ship and they lose their chance.

The story ends abruptly at a good spot leading to the next segment. That said, the reader doesn’t want to close the book too soon. There are addendums afterward that can’t be missed. The novella is told from Ada’s point of view, but the addendum info is Rian’s side. Oh, and those footnotes throughout? Those lead to little extras worth a glance.

In summary, this did the job of hooking me in and getting me excited for what comes next. Those who love a sassy heroine, a sweet and flirty hero, a twisty heist-adventure in a sci-fi setting, and some intrigue on the side should really give this one a go.

Thank you to NetGalley for giving this ARC, and this doesn’t influence my review.
Tropes: space heist
I actually liked this book (plot-wise), but there was ZERO chemistry with MMC, and I thought it was going to be fun with him suspecting her, but that didn’t live up in my opinion. Loved the plot twist though!

Ada Lamarr is minutes away from dying a lonely death in space when a government ship arrives in the nick of time to rescue her. While Ada's grateful for the assist, her rescuers also pose a problem. She's a salvager, and Agent Rian and the rest of his crew are there to lock down the very wreck she was there to loot. It will take all of her cunning and charm to convince Rian to let her assist with the salvage - especially because Ada needs to find one box in particular before anyone else.

FULL SPEED TO A CRASH LANDING is a fun and flirty space adventure, full of banter and secret agendas. We enter the story in media res, with Ada's ship venting atmosphere and a rescue that barely gets to her in time. But it's soon clear from little asides in Ada's first person narration that Ada is not telling us everything that's going on. Part of the fun is reading between the lines of Ada's running commentary, unpacking what she's really up to as she verbally spars with government agent Rian.

But the banter is the real star here. Sure, there's some dangerous stunts in space and on a volcanic planet that keep the action interesting, but I was here to watch Ada and Rian go toe-to-toe as they each try to dig information out of the other. Ada's energy is chaos incarnate, constantly changing topics and tactics, but she's also CLEVER. She's always got a reason for doing something, even if it seems completely bizarre. Rian, meanwhile, is the immoveable, unflappable force in the face of her unstoppable energy, doing what he can to contain her while also trying to figure out her endgame. The two have great chemistry together, and I was absolutely here for it. (And if you don't like spice, good news: no spice!)

The only downside here is that the story ends a bit abruptly, but this is very intentionally a part one of a three part story. There will be three novellas in total, with the second coming out later in 2024 (heist at a charity gala!) and the third in 2025. Now I had an absolutely delightful time with FULL SPEED on its own, but there's a part of me that wishes I could read all three of these back to back, as I have a sneaking suspicion they'll be more satisfying that way. As it is, I IMMEDIATELY requested an ARC for HOW TO STEAL A GALAXY as soon as I read the last page of FULL SPEED, so this definitely had me wanting more!

If you're looking for a quick and easy sci-fi adventure with a charming chaos rogue, FULL SPEED TO A CRASH LANDING is the way to go.

Full Speed To A Crash Landing is a classic space story in many ways. Earth is close to being destroyed so humans have moved into space. They now live on planets throughout the universe. Humans have taken there problems and fights into space. This is a story about secrets, lies and space drama. The author also introduces some interpersonal relationships that are very interesting.

Ada is a metal scavenger who has found a crashed ship that no other scavenger has found. Her ship suffers a catastrophe and she must call for help. When she is finally picked up by the crew of the Halifax she realizes that they are up to something. Who is in charge? The captain or Rian? What is the secret the crew is keeping? When Ada is drawn into their search for something hidden in the crashed ship she is put in danger. There are twists and turns. There are secrets and lies. The are friendships forming and potential love relationships.

This book has a major cliffhanger. I recommend being prepared for surprises and frustrations if you read this because the author clearly has a long plan. I will definitely read more from this author in the future.

Overall, this was a fun little sci-fi novella, but it left me wanting. I don't mind being dropped directly into a story, especially one that promises excitement and romantic tension. Unfortunately, I really wasn't getting as much of those vibes as I wanted. The first third of the book reads quickly, but nothing really happens. I get that we've got to get a feel for the universe and story, but this is a novella. I don't want to spend such a big chunk of the book waiting for something to happen. Sadly, it didn't work for me.