“Full Speed to a Crash Landing” was such a fun journey, and reminded me why I like novellas so much.

The story was fast paced from start to finish and balanced being a great sci-fi heist book with including compelling characters and themes around different approaches to bringing about effective change, all in less than 200 pages.

I loved the depth to the book and how each character’s unique perspective reflected the themes within. I also loved seeing the full scope of the story unravel as all the pieces came together for Ada, who effectively dupes both the readers and Rian while remaining wholly honest in both her narration and dialogue.

While I love the inclusion of the romance sub-plot, for most of the book I didn’t feel the heat from it in the way that I wanted to. I didn’t really think that Rian and Ada had all that much chemistry other than being too attractive people with limited options. However, after the ending of the book I’m hooked. I wonder if this first novella in the planned trilogy will almost act as a prequel to their romance. Reluctant allies to enemies to lovers? Sign me up.

I cannot wait to see what is in store for the rest of this trilogy. (Hi DAW please accept my NetGalley request for the next one, I’m impatient)

4 stars

Thank you NetGalley and DAW for the eARC. All opinions are my own.

This novella. 😍
I read Beth Revis’ Across the Universe series years ago and loved it. So, finding out she wrote another sci-fi series was so exciting.
I knew I needed to read it ASAP, and it did not disappoint.
This was such a fun and fast-paced story, full of action, drama and a little bit of romance.
I absolutely loved Ada as our FMC, she was so fun and resilient.
And I enjoyed her banter with Rian.
I cannot wait to see where this story goes next!

Highly recommend if you are looking for a fun space romp.

This was a quick, fun read full of characters who left me wanting more. I'm excited for the next book in the series.

it's like this book was made for me.

Ada is having a really shitty day. First, a hole blew through the side of her ship. then a really grumpy crew doesn't believe that she needed rescue. the crew is looking for something in a crash site. they don't know she knows and she's not gonna tell them. it'll ruin all her plans.

this high action, space heist was absolutely FUN. There is more quippy lines in here than I know what to do with but it works. the attitudes work. the sleuthing works. the smirks work. the very light romance works. I loved it. and I want more of it.

Full Speed to a Crash Landing, the first in a trilogy of sci-fi novellas by Beth Revis, is a light heist story set on a spaceship and around a far-off planet. Ada Lamarr is a solo scavenger who ends up taking refuge on a larger spaceship with a small crew who are clearly on a mysterious mission. Ada is also clearly up to something from the moment we meet her, which her first-person narration perhaps tell us too obviously. She spends the first novella getting the crew to trust her and “helping” them to her own ends, before the novella ends on a cliffhanger; it’s smart that the publisher will release the second one only a few months later.

This is a breezy and snappy read, fairly fun read for one sitting, which I could often picture as a movie. Ada is a funny but sometimes silly and annoying narrator, and I liked the broad strokes of the crew we were given, but nobody gets any real depth, including Ada’s love interest Rian, who naturally conflicts with Ada’s own plans. Revis sketches some interesting world-building and politics—revolving around what is left of Earth, the people who still live there, and civilization beyond it—which contributes to some of the strongest writing and reflections from Ada. That felt at odds with the general tone of the book, though, so I wished it balanced out or took itself a bit more seriously. That said, it’s a fun start of a series, and I am curious where Ada will go next and hope Revis will flesh out the other characters and world more.

What a quick fun read. Ada was such a character and made me smile the entire book, her personality was refreshing. The book ends on a cliffhanger and I can’t wait to dive into the next to see what happens,

Seems like an unpopular opinion but it didn't work for me. The blurb was intriguing, reviews are fabulous and romance is my favourite genre. That's why I requested this book.

It starts really well. The author has an easy style of writing.

But then it seems to go nowhere.

There are too many dialogues. And honestly I couldn't comprehend the conversation. Maybe because it's too “sci-fi-y”. However, on the other side, it does not make any difference whether it's set in Space or Earth because the writing doesn't create that kind of ambience, at least not in the beginning.

I could have handled that if I could feel the spark between the protagonists, because well it's romance. But there isn't any (at least I didn't feel that) burgeoning romance.

Ada is acting too smart and witty and chatty, and since it is written in the first person, most of the time she sounds like a snob and that seemed annoying to me. And Rian —he has no distinctive personality for a male protagonist who is supposed to be sexy and lives in space. However, it would have been nice, kind of a little breather from Ada’s annoying behaviour, if it was written from the dual point of view.

Overall I am disappointed. This book wasn't for me. However I must admit that I am an impatient reader.

Thank you for the copy. Sorry it didn't work for me.

This was a really fun novella with a space heist, intrigue, and a touch of romantic interest. I loved Ada as a main character even if I feel like I really know so little about her, and I loved how quickly she clocked Rían for being exactly who he was and from where.

Obviously with a novella, you just accept that you won’t have a lot of answers but I felt like the author packed enough into the short space that I got the themes she was going for. Loved the mystery element, very interested to read book 2!

Thank you DAW for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Quite an interesting book! I’m trying to get more into sci-fi and this book was a good way to dip my toes into this genre.

In this story, we’re following Ada after a spaceship wreck and we quickly realise that something is not quite what it seems but I wasn’t expecting the direction that the story took. I enjoyed the interactions between the different characters and the way that narration keeps you slight off-balance and guessing what will happen next.

We have a nice momentum of events especially considering that it’s a novella, but I would have enjoyed a more detailed world building and a more paused interactions. It did leave me wanting more, more beautiful space description and definitely more interaction between the two main characters. I was happy to see that there are more books being published in the future and I’ll definitely be picking up those books in the future.

Some of the quotes that stayed with me:

“Humans do that. They turn the place where they feel safe into a home, and even when they know that home won’t last, they fall in love with it. A little, anyway.”

“It’s so, so hard to live.
And so, so easy to die.”

“It’s beautiful, but it’s also horrific, witnessing the way a world is born, how easy it all falls apart. It will be formed again and again, the surface of this planet, and one day it will be whole and stable and perhaps even full of life. But it mus break first. Again. And again.”

I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

Full Speed to a Crash Landing by Beth Revis is the first in a first person-POV enemies-to-lovers sci-fi romance novella trilogy. When Ada’s small space cruiser crashes and she runs out of oxygen, Rian’s ship brings her on board. Ada suggests helping the crew with their shared mission, to get something off of the crashed ship, the Roundabout, but she has other things in mind besides returning a favor.

Ada is very quickly attracted to Rian but doesn't act on it because of her real goals. A lot of worldbuilding is reflected back onto Rian, such as the possibility of him being from Rigel-Earth, which comes with connotations, or his family growing peaches that used to be more abundant on Sol-Earth, aka our Earth. I found myself rooting for the two, especially after a few rounds of banter.

The sci-fi elements all felt very accessible and served more to enhance and set the story rather than explore any technological advancements. The cli-fi elements in particular were a nice touch, with Yellowstone having erupted and many islands going underwater. It felt realistic to the direction our future might take while also taking into account that Mother Nature sometimes does things her own way and speeding certain things along.

I would recommend this to fans of sci-fi romance, readers who like a softer touch in their sci-fi, and those who want climate change explored in their sci-fi

This book was AMAZING. The pacing kept me reading from start to finish. The characters were endearing even if we only saw little bits of some. But the banter? The banter and snark were TOP NOTCH. I've always loved Beth's work, so it was nice to see little nods to Across the Universe and Star Wars. So glad I have the next book in the series because I NEED MORE!

Full Speed to a Crash Landing is a Sci-Fi Novella from an author I haven’t read in years. Beth’s Across the Universe Series was one of my favourites in the early 2010's. I haven’t read much of her work since so when I saw this on Netgalley I requested it to see if I still vibed with her writing style and I also love a short Sci-Fi read.

In the end I thought this was fine. This is marketed as an adult sexy space romp. It’s not, at least the first book in the trilogy but Beth could be playing the long game here which I can see and respect. Ada is an okay character if a little bland and Rian is again fine. I also found the writing to be a little plain and awkward and found myself rolling my eyes on a few occasions. My biggest pet peeve is if you are going to write a sci-fi but then only have human characters and minimal diversity on all fronts in 2024 it just won’t hit the same.

That being said, I did like where the ending went and I already have the sequel so I hope this is a trilogy that gets better and the romance heats up.

I rated this 2.5/5 Stars but rounded up for this review.

I knew Beth Revis had captured my reader's heart when she wrote The Princess and the Scoundrel, and this title confirms my feeling. With this first volume, she lays the foundation for an exciting and passionate adventure filled with humor, intrigue, and subtlety. Even though we know we shouldn't trust anyone, we eagerly await the moment of revelation and are not disappointed when it comes. For me, this will be one of those rare series that it's impossible to put down until I've read it all.

A fast paced scifi heist novella that will have you craving the next part NOW.

If THIS is what spite produces...we need to give Beth Revis more spite!

I have to admit that I was less prepared for this than I was. The title and description had grabbed me (along with a terrific cover), but I was prepared for one thing and got something else. This was made abundantly clear on the first page, where there is a dedication to the author's greatest motivator: spite. And then an epigraph that wasn't an epigraph. And then a snarky and awesome main character who keeps you guessing right to the end.

Ostensibly, here is the story of Ada Lamarr, space scavenger and her "cooperation" with the crew of another starship sent to reclaim something special from a crashed starship that Ada was already scavenging. There's more to it than that...a lot more...and you should pay close attention to the hints that are present right from the beginning. At first, I was going to dock the book a full star because I felt that the character of Rian, for someone so crucial to this plot and the plot of the series, seemed like a blank slate - I didn't really and truly understand him. But then the final chapters really/truly bring him out. To say more would get into spoiler territory...but the materials at the end give us, at last, a window to him and were what moved this from "fun little romp" into...um...why can't I read the next part like NOW?

In fairness, a lot of this is clearly setup for the next two novellas. I knew that was the case, and yet this is very much a self-contained book. The heist is both simple and not. I could have maybe done with a little more from the side characters, but they're less important in the big scheme of things. Likewise there is a minimum of world building - just enough to set the stage and give you enough information to understand the various motivations. Mostly. Read and find out.

I love that this is being done as interrelated novellas. It provides a quick hit and leaves you thirsting for the next part. The chemistry between Ada and just about everyone (but especially Rian) is juicy...and will also leave you wanting the next part. In short...loved this. Looking forward to part 2 later this year! Publishers...more scifi romance! It doesn't have to all be faeries.

Thank you to DAW Books and NetGalley for the ARC.

Fun sci-fi adventure. Starchy nobel hero. Spunky doubl-agent heroine. = Formula for a new author fav! Full Speed to a Crash Landing by Beth Revis is the first in a novella series starring Ada Lammar, a badass salavger - maybe undercover agent- cool girl. I enjoyed the pacing of this novella slowly unfolding the world and conflicts.

I’m feeling such a rush after finishing the most recent book I got my hands on, Full Speed to a Crash Landing by Beth Revis. This is a high rush heist adventure following the amazing space looter Ada Lamarr as she finds herself stranded above a planet full of seismic activity and volcanoes and requiring the help of a government ship led by Rian White. Some amazing sexual tension builds up between the two as they attempt to read into each other’s true goals behind the crashed ship below them and even though we are getting a mostly first person perspective from Ada we still as readers have to find out the answer to some of the mysteries on our own. Beth Revis does a wonderful job of making you as the reader have to use the clues she gives to provide answers on your own, however even after you finish the main chapters make sure you read Rian’s notes and letters at the end to get those last few puzzle pieces. I’m excited to have checked this book out originally only as a Star Wars fan who has enjoyed Beth Revis’ work in that universe only to now have an entire new series of books to check out as this is the start of a new trilogy in Beth Revis’ Chaotic Orbit series. So, if you are a fan of sci-fi, romance, and heists, I definitely recommend this book.

MORE SCI-FI ROMANCE, PLEASE! This a great, fast-paced, romp of a short read. I loved trying to puzzle out just how much Ada knew as we went along, and Ada and Rian's tension left me wanting more - really looking forward to the second novella in this series. I wasn't expecting the humour in this from the description alone, but you're hit with it immediately in the dedication and it just keeps on coming in a delightful way. Both Ada and Rian are characters I wanted to root for, even if they were on opposing sides.

Thank you to NetGalley and DAW for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!

What a fun ride this novella was! Ada may be morally gray, but in the best space-looter-just-trying-to-survive kind of way. The story leads with a rescue, but Ada is anything but a damsel-in-distress, and I loved every minute of her kicking butt in her jetpack. The cat and mouse game between Ada and Rian delivers with some great tension & banter between the two, leading up to the ultimate “gotcha” cliffhanger ending. The post-apocalyptic galaxy Beth Revis creates in a novella is impressive, and I’m eager to return to it and to the characters in the next installment of this series. Also, there’s a delightful Leia reference to whether or not bras are worn in space that you won’t want to miss!

I love a sci-fi romance. It’s not a subgenre you see very often, so I was excited to see this one pop up. You see it mixed with the heist genre even less, so I was really intrigued when I read about this novella. I got started and was really enjoying it, and then I saw that it was the first in a trilogy, and thought, oh good, there’s going to be more! But I forgot about the problem of reading the first in a trilogy right when it comes out (or in my case, slightly before), because then I got to the end. And... I need the next one NOW. Luckily, it’s also on Netgalley, with a publication date of December, so nobody has to wait too terribly long. Hooray!

This is a short, fun, fast-paced read with memorable and interesting characters, moments of humor and emotion, action sequences, and serious romantic tension. The plot, though the book was short, had some twists and turns that I didn’t see coming. My schedule means I can’t get to the next installment right away, and it’s killing me. Highly recommended, though if you’re the type who can’t stand waiting in between books, maybe hold out until all three are published. It looks like it won’t be too long of a wait.

"By definition, for an action to be brave, it has to be a choice, right? You have to see two options, at least, and you have to do the difficult one, the one that scares you, the one you know is right but wish it wasn't. That's what bravery is."

Thank you to NetGalley, Beth Revis and DAW for the E-ARC!

I read Beth Revis' "Across the Universe" trilogy over ten years ago, so when I saw that she was coming out with a new Sci-Fi series, I was really eager to pick it up! Safe to say, it didn't disappoint!

I find myself often very intimidated by books in the Sci-Fi genre, since I feel a lot of the time technical terms will go over my head, but I didn't have that issue at all with this book. Beth Revis does a good job of explaining (but not over-explaining) things to the reader in ways they can understand. Whether that be of the uses of certain devices, different elements of the space ships, or even the world these characters live in. There was never any info-dumping, and yet, I never felt confused. The world was very well laid out and information given to the reader when needed.

Ada was such a fun character to follow! She was extremely flirty, skilled, and cocky about it. Although this novella is short, I felt I really learned a lot about her character and her motivations. The way she interacted with the crew members of the Halifax was entertaining from the first moment they comm'd to each other.

With such a short book, I still found the story very complete. I already have the second books E-ARC waiting for me, and I'm very excited to jump back into this world!