Overall, I enjoyed this! It’s fun, the main characters are interesting, and of course the interactions between Rian and Ada are top tier. I love a strong FMC who can successfully run laps around the MMC.

While I enjoyed the character work, I struggled a bit with the actual storyline. This felt like more of a set up for book 3 than anything else. It just doesn’t quite stand up as its own story within the series. The pacing was also uneven, causing some scenes to feel repetitive and glossing over major moments in other scenes. This weird pacing made the book feel almost too long (which is odd for a novella).

After stealing the prototype plans for a new government backed space cleaner, Ada Lamarr had no intention of getting back in with the rebel group that hired her. That is, until they hire her for another job: infiltrate an upcoming charity gala. Of course readers are kept in the dark about what it is exactly that Ava will be stealing this time around, but turns out security expert Rian White will be in attendance and he's just looking for a reason to pin a crime on Ava. So he's watching her extra close.

Like the first book. this one was such a quick, fun read. Even though we're more familiar with the characters we still have no idea what Ada's endgame is this time around. Beth Revis did a great job keeping things cloaked in a nice mystery within a relatively confined space. The majority of the story takes place at the gala and keeping all the pieces moving and widening the picture without giving away Ada's game and keeping it interesting is quite the feat.

This one leads nicely into the next book in the trilogy and I cannot wait to see how things wrap up.

Overall, along with the first book, these are easy to pick up and finish in a day. Highly recommended for some great space highjinks.

What a fun romp! I loved the characters AND the plot AND the setting(s). This series is perfect for a quick but very fun time. I'd read many of these!

One could easily start this book right after finishing Full Speed to a Crash Landing, yet it gives enough information in case you are lost or forgot some details about it, giving the necessary context without it being boring. It kind of reminded me of how some tv shows divide their seasons in two parts. I stand by everything I said on that review, so I will try not repeating myself. I do recommend not reading the synopsis before going into it, for it kind of spoils a couple surprises, like Ada's plans.

(Spoiler for book 1 in this paragraph)The twist of Ava betraying the Halifax in book 1 was unexpected, and I wondered how it would affect the story in this one, given that she flew off at the end of the book, and whether we would see her interact with that crew again. Now, we do know who she works for and her intentions, yet we do not know all her plans, which keeps it fun, as her goals get unraveled bit by bit. It was interesting going into the story knowing who she is.

Ada starts off her new mission alone, and though we know Rian would play an important role in the story, which is also hinted in the synopsis, I was rooting for her to get a side-kick or someone to work with. Heists are more fun when they are done in groups, or people are forced to work together in their common goals, and though we meet new characters in this book, I still wonder if we will see these familiar faces, or some from book 1, in the third installment.

The book has been described as Met Gala in Space and I think it is a worthy assessment, for a group of rich people are gathered to place bids on Sol-Earth artifacts (and attend a presentation, but maybe talking about it ruins a couple things). Despite enjoying Ada's time in the Halifax, it was fun to see her in a new environment, one very different from the ship, and that allowed for the mission and the circumstances to veer from those in book 1.

Like I mentioned when I reviewed Full Speed to a Crash Landing, these novellas are perfect for people who do not read much sci-fi, or just want a quick read about a mission, because it makes the genre less intimidating, not only by its lenght, but also because of the writing style. I used the audiobook again for the sequel and whilst for the first book it seemed like a mission report, this time it felt like we were getting in on Ada's plans.

TLDR: I felt pretty unsatisfied at the end of the book and the character voice was not for me.

I really hate to say it but I felt pretty unsatisfied with this book. So many things were teased. Like I have a super secret plan, here’s this thing for the plan. This thing I’m doing isn’t part of the plan. And then in the end you still don’t even understand why anything was done or what the plan is. There was a lot of progress with no pay off so the book feels like a waste of time. I’m assuming there will be answers later in the series but I want something in this book to make me want to read the rest of the series. I didn’t have that. Also the character voice just wasn’t for me. Not that it was bad, it just didn’t jive with me.

Thank you for the opportunity to share my review and for an opportunity to read this arc

I'm really loving this series! Things are always kept interesting and I enjoy being along for the ride.

I didn't care much about the romance in the first book, but as a slow burn lover I'm really enjoying the dynamic between Ada and Rian - it's not slow burn, per se, but the tension between them and their obvious desire for each other that is always thwarted by the things that divide them is just fun.

Ada keeps me chuckling, her personality is magnetic and I love that she's always working her own con in the background. We delved more into worldbuilding in this book, and it was great to get that backstory from both the universe and Ada. I'm looking forward to seeing where it goes next!

Thank you DAW and NetGalley for the ARC!

Rating: 4.25/5

I was so excited to get my hands on the second novella in this space opera trilogy. How to Steal a Galaxy continues on immediately after the events of Full Speed to a Crash Landing with the same cracking pace, witty banter and sparking chemistry.

Ada is such a bolshy, snarky, sneaky and unapologetically independent character, and Rian continues her sensible, cautious and principled match. I love that a strong female character is the catalyst for this sci-fi story.

With a new location, a new twist, and learning more about the plan to save earth, this face paced story delivers just enough answers to leave you wanting for more. I loved the reflections on climate and history, and can’t wait for the final instalment in the series.

Thankyou DAW for a copy of this book. Opinions expressed are my own.

I’m thoroughly enjoyed this addition to Beth Revis’ Chaotic Orbits trilogy. One thing I’ve liked about both books is the tight environment, each novella so far mostly taking place in one location. It’s been interesting how Revis is able to build the wider universe while stuck in a ship or at a museum. These are super quick reads and after each one I’m left anxious for the next. Can’t wait to read the third one!

Thank you to NetGalley, DAW, and Beth Revis for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Man, I can't wait for the third book in this trilogy. I love Ada, I love how she torments Rian, and I love their whole dynamic. I want them to steal a million more things and tell space Elon Musk how much they have him even more.

The second book in the Chaotic Orbits series picks up right where we left off and, after a few month-long time jumps, settles into a story told over the course of one night. The heist storyline of How to Steal a Galaxy is fast-paced, continues the overarching arc from the first book, and fleshes out the universe with more snippets of history that give insight into the world. The book shines when it dives deeper into the universe - creating an interesting look at a humanity that has moved into other galaxies, but hasn't developed further in anything except technology. This is a universe where humanity looks almost exactly the same as today (even down to the idioms they use), but with a greater reach among the stars.

Ada remains the star of the show and the book reads as if it's moving at 2x speed in the mind of someone with ADHD. She is an interesting protagonist, though she comes across as an unreliable narrator. She constantly mentions her overarching plan as "dominos" waiting or ready to fall in her favor, but alternatively describes herself as impulsive and chaotic. She's a physical bombshell, but fades into the background. She's a cipher that no one can read, yet at critical moments wears her emotions clearly on her face. The book is so firmly centered in her POV that it becomes difficult as the reader to know what is true about her self-description and what is bravado from someone who clearly has relied on bravado for most of her existence.

The only other character who continues from the first book to the second is Rian White. He is the "good guy" to Ada's "bad guy," a smart man who can never outsmart Ada, and her love interest. Despite being a continuing character, Rian remains extremely one-dimensional in the series. He's there as the only character who could potentially catch Ada in her schemes (though he never truly comes close and always remains at least three steps behind) and as someone who is hopelessly beguiled by her despite being a government agent who knows she's up to something nefarious. The reports and footnotes at the end of the book don't give enough of Rian's perspective to truly flesh him out and the book would be better served by telling the stories from alternating perspectives to give a take of both Ada and the events from Rian's perspective. That approach would also give the cat and mouse nature of their interactions a greater level of intrigue as currently the Ada-only POV relies on her regularly dropping hints that a new part of her plan is falling into place, that she is currently lying about something, or that there is something coming in the future that will change everything.

All in all, this is a quick, enjoyable read. I would love to see more fully fleshed out characters from a wider-array of perspectives. But if you're looking for fast-paced escapism, this is a good series to pick up.

I love a heist and this series scratches that itch with the added benefit of good science fiction world-building and sexy banter between two smart main characters. The conflict is real as is the chemistry. There’s nothing groundbreaking about the story but it’s very well executed and a very fun quick read.

3 1/2 stars.

This is the second book in Beth Revis’ Chaotic Orbits novellas. Knowing that this is releasing so quickly after the first book actually helped me enjoy it as now I’m confident that the next novella will be released in a few months. My concern after the first novella was that when the second was released, I wouldn’t remember anything. Thankfully, that didn’t happen.

It was lovely to spend more time with Rian and Ada. It wasn’t as actiony as the first one but I enjoy the scenario and of course the banter between Rian and Ada. I don’t know if Revis will continue this will-they-won’t-they going for much longer, but their chemistry is wonderful and I’m eager to read the next part of their adventure.

While I’m enjoying the story though, it’s hard to tell if this novella moved the story along at all. I mean, stuff happened, but does any of it impact the greater plot? Maybe. Probably. But I still find myself frustrated that I will be waiting again for the next section. I recommend the series if you like YA sci-fi, but I also recommend you wait until they have all been published so you don’t have to have these breaks in the story.

Thanks to DAW publishing and NetGalley for the advance copy.

This is a sequel that holds up well for the series. It was wonderful to see Ada and Rian in a different setting, and their tension is as good as ever. I love all the plotting and twists and turns that are packed into this story, and I can’t wait to see what happens next.

Note: ARC provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to arc read this novel!

This was a high heat, high stakes, rebel with a cause romance that was extremely entertaining. This reminded me of national treasure and I was not upset about that!

HOW TO STEAL A GALAXY is somehow even better than Ada's first adventure. I love love love Ada, and the way these books are crafted is absolutely brilliant. Ada's narration continues to crack me up, and the way Revis is developing the romance between Ada and Rian is absolutely scrumptious. I cannot wait for the third book!

I nearly jumped when I saw the notification that DAW had approved my ARC request for this book! Even with the description alone, I can tell I will have an interesting journey with spaceship and galaxies

In How to Steal a Galaxy, our earth (Sol Earth) is dying, and our FMC, Ada is sort of mercenary code genius. The world building is astonishing. The large portion of the story placed in a charity event, which surprises me. I just wish for the story to expand more because this book felt like a short story rather than a novel.

“Inspiring indecency is something of a specialty of mine” Ada is clever cunning little devil. I love her. Ada knows her way to get things done. Rian’s obviously very grumpy, strict, but adorable. Only for Ada. Ah how I love their banter.

I am really looking forward for the next adventure, go author!!

after-note : OK SO, I just realized what a Novella means, and obviously I’m stupid. Let me rephrase, the story have lots of potential to be a novel with the world building. And a trilogy novella seems a waste of story. I would love this as a one packed novel. I would, in a heartbeat, buy this book. And I would love to be introduced in other characters.

This was an ending book. I enjoy the science fiction and science, fantasy aspect of it. The conflict between the characters was what sucked me in the most. I thought that the author did great character development, world development, overall storyline resolution. I enjoyed the ups and downs in the twist interns, but I found that the sense of family that the characters come to realize with themselves as where I really enjoyed the story going.

This is a great second installment in a fun and feisty sci-fi series. You should definitely pick up this series if you like heist movies, unreliable narrators who definitely aren’t telling you the whole truth, and romantic tension between characters who definitely want each other. It’s also a novella, which means it’s quick to get into the action!

I love the FMC, Ada. She’s hilarious and confident, and not afraid to play around a bit while she works. We also get a but more from the MMC, Rian, who at this point is shadowing Ada, convinced she’s up to no good (she is). Their banter is excellent, and is a great addition to the main storyline.

The main plot is just beginning to unfold, and we get a lot more layers in this installment. The world-building starts to gather speed, and I really loved hearing about some of Ada’s memories on (her very polluted version of) Earth. I love when authors build in information about technology and tech corporations in their worlds, and there’s a lot of it here!

This was such a fun ride, and provided a great heist style installment in this story. I’m almost sad I got to read this early, because now I have to wait so long for the next one! Thanks to NetGalley, DAW, and Beth Revis for the eARC!

How to Steal a Galaxy is the second book of a planned trilogy of science fiction romantic heists. It is a fast paced fun heist that captures the vibes of The Thomas Crown Affair and a hint of Guardians of the Galaxy.
Thank you to NetGalley and DAW for the opportunity to read and review this book which I am giving 4⭐️. I have to say I enjoyed this book much more than the first book in the series. This one focuses more on our two main characters, Ada and Rian, and the chemistry between them as they play a game of chess with each other at a luxurious elite event to announce plans to help save the original Earth.
I will definitely be recommending this book to my followers and have included the link to my TikTok post

How to Steal a Galaxy is the second installment of Revis' action filled Novella series, and this one moved at an even faster pace than the previous book. In fact the majority of the book took place over a period of a few hours. Novella one ended with Ada having to deceive Rian and run away with the plans for the Earth saving Nano-bots, and this story picks up from that ending. We know the reality behind the nano-bots now, how they are less saving and more exploiting, and now Ada has a new task, one that includes her cozying up to Rian again, something she isn't opposed to.

Ada is just as snarky and un-serious in this one. I loved her character in the first novella, but I was always aware that she was keeping something from me, whereas in this book we know her goals, have an idea what she is intending to do, and I think that allowed me to just enjoy her antics a little more. Seeing her and Rian back in action again was something I loved, their interactions are always just on the edge, they constantly seem like they are one look, one touch away from ripping each others clothes off, even when Rian suspects her of being at the Gala to steal something, and that just adds an extra level of enjoyment and tension to the story.

This story moved at a breakneck pace, thanks in large part to Revis' propulsive writing style, but also Ada's character herself. She isn't necessarily one for introspection, one for daydreaming and thinking about the good times... unless those good times include Rian. She's a woman on a mission and this helps propel the story along, meaning even the parts that aren't intrinsic to the overall story, and they are few and far between, never slow it down in anyway. It did get a tad repetitive in parts which annoyed me a little, especially in a novella where there is so little page time, but it only slightly took away from my overall enjoyment.

For a story that never really lets up on the pace, Revis still finds time to show the realities of her world, the depravity. Whether it be scheming billionaires looking at scamming people out of more money, or rebellion groups willing to sacrifice a child for their cause. The world building does take a slight back burner, but Revis still allows us to feel the danger, the need to return Sol Earth (our Earth) to what it was before, and even if we only get crumbs, they are enough for us to want Ada to succeed, adding a stronger emotional tie to the story and characters.

I didn't quite love this one as much as the first, maybe because of the lack of space, of danger, but I enjoyed it all the same and after that amazing ending, I can't wait to get my hands on the third installment.