Thanks to NetGalley and DAW for a DRC of this title.

Sexy, propulsive, and— above-all— fun, I am having such a good time with this series. How to Steal the Galaxy is another fantastic read for fans of fun, chemistry-filled SciFi, and I can’t wait to read the final novella. Would definitely recommend for fans of Jessie Mihalik and Constance Fay!

Thank you to NetGalley and DAW for the opportunity to read How to Steal a Galaxy by Beth Revis in exchange for my honest review.

How to Steal the Galaxy picks up where Full Speed to a Crash Landing left off, continuing Ada's whirlwind life as a morally ambiguous operative caught between rebel causes, personal gain, and a complex relationship with Rian, her intended target.

To be fair and honest, I did not read the first novella, so I came into this one blind and I felt lost quite a bit.

Ada is a fascinating character, and her morally grey nature is something that I just love. She’s a master manipulator, constantly double-crossing and scheming her way to what she wants. Which keeps the reader on edge. You’re never sure whether to root for her or be wary of her motives.

Let’s talk about Rian. Her chemistry with Rian (the love interest) adds to the tension, but I wanted so much more. Both Ada and Rian seem to be constantly outsmarting each other, and there’s an undeniable pull between them that makes their interactions engaging.

The premise of the undercover mission at a charity gala, with Rian unknowingly walking into Ada’s trap, creates a cat-and-mouse dynamic that’s thrilling.

Where I struggled is that coming in blind, the lack of context and background information was frustrating. The novella doesn’t spend much time revisiting key events or fleshing out the universe, which made me feel lost and unsure of what’s important. Ada’s character, in particular, needs a little more which we probably get in book one - why she is considered such a “badass” and what drives her confidence is unclear.

Most of the story takes place over the course of a single night at the gala. While this creates an intense, real-time feel, it also limits the development of the plot. It almost feels like an extended scene rather than a complete novella. The action and twists are there, but they don’t hit as hard without more build-up or a greater sense of time passing.

While Ada and Rian’s chemistry is palpable, it would have been great to see their relationship develop beyond brief moments of connection. The sparks are there, but we’re left wanting much more.

How to Steal the Galaxy is a fun, fast-paced read with strong characters and plenty of tension, that I would recommend to some sci-fi readers with the note that it’s fun and not a fully worked-out novel. Ada’s morally grey nature and her dynamic with Rian are the highlights and I could see many readers grabbing up book 3 to see what happens next. If you enjoy quick, tense stories with smart@$$ characters this novella is one for you, but start at the beginning!

A couple months after the first novella ended, Ada finds Rian at a fancy charity gala about Earth-saving nanobot technology. The chaos continues from here with a new heist. Rian is even more of a golden retriever in this one, it’s cute. I love reading his documents at the end, they are a fun way to get his POV about the events. The social commentary is more prominent but not over the top or distracting, so it’s still a fun and light read. We also get to learn a bit more about world and Ada in this one.

There’s sass, mystery, heisty goodness, and a villain! I think this is a good setup to the final book in the trilogy, and I look forward to reading it!

Such a great read! Highly recommend this one.

Many thanks to the author, the publisher, and Netgalley for my ARC. All opinions are my own.

I love Ada!!!! I love Rian!!!! I LOVED THE TWIST!!! I never saw it coming. I truly was trying to figure things out, but had NO CLUE! Beth Revis does it again, and I CANNOT WAIT FOR BOOK THREE!!!!!!!

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of How to Steal a Galaxy. I enjoyed this more than the first one, I felt there was action from the get go and it was nice to see the banter return between Ada and Rian. Plus a touch of steam this time, however I would have liked to see a bit more between them! Ada was throwing all the sass in this book like the first and I really liked her as a character a lot more in this second installment. As always she does what she wants and this ended with a nice little cliffhanger.

4 Stars!

A necessary pit stop before the finale!

Last we saw Ada and Rian, Ada had made off with important technology designed to restore Earth to its former pollution-free glory. Thing is, Ada, and the mysterious group who hired her, knows that this tech comes with a very steep price that’s hidden under benevolence and conservation, and those providing said tech have a more sinister agenda based solely on diabolical greed.

To stop such “progress” Ada’s been hired again to steal another very important item at a fancy schmancy charity event hosted by the corrupt mogul himself. Thing is, Rian, the man she kinda sorta betrayed in Full Speed to a Crash Landing, has been tasked as head of security, and he knows Ada’s coming.

Not as flashy or fast paced as the first installment, I still enjoyed Ada and Rian’s banter and push/pull. As much as their superficial occupations clash, fundamentally they’re on the same page. They both want to save Earth, but that doesn’t mean they’ll make it easy for the other, and it certainly doesn’t mean that time and space apart has cooled their curiosity nor their attraction.

Again, this served to further lay down the foundation for the end game to come, a race between those who want to save Earth the right way and those that are opportunistic no matter the cost of life as long as it puts more money in their already overflowing coffers. My gut feeling tells me the conclusion will be one intense, conflict ridden, action filled adventure (with a more definitive romance), and I’m all for it when it releases next year!

Thank you to the author and DAW via NetGalley for a copy in exchange for an honest review posted to GoodReads - https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6801631718?book_show_action=false

I love how Ada fools Rian AGAIN, although you'd think he'd have learned to doubt her words a whole lot more in the week or so since he last saw her. I was able to get a library copy of the first book so that I could immediately jump into this one. It was a seamless transition, but I don't think this book was as thrilling as the first. It feels very much like a second book in the sense that the plot expands upon the political and social themes, but it's also setting up for the finale. It's also set on-planet as opposed to open space, so there is (naturally) more of a grounded feel to the action. Looking forward to the conclusion!

very well written. i enjoyed the commentary from Ada. her point of view makes the matter seem way more impactful and interesting. i enjoyed the mystery. i want to know what happens now. what trouble she could get into next? will ada and rian save earth together or will ada go rouge again?

i liked the flirting between ada and rian. the red herring was very clever. there are lots of funny banter moments that made me giggle.

can't wait for the next book in the series!!

Los libros de Beth Revis de la saga Chaotic Orbits son un desengrasante perfecto entre lecturas más sesudas. Aunque How to Steal a Galaxy está muy, pero que muy afectado por el síndrome del segundo libro, su tono irreverente y la rapidez de su trama hace que se lea con una rapidez inusitada y con una sonrisa en la boca.


De nuevo seguimos los pasos de Ada Lamarr, contratada en esta ocasión para robar “algo”, no sabemos exactamente, bajo las mismas narices de Ryan, el agente del Gobierno a quien ya consiguió burlar y atraer al mismo tiempo en Full Speed to a Crash Landing. Toda la novela corta se comprime en apenas unas pocas horas de preparación (o eso creemos) para el timo, tiempo que Revis usa sabiamente para ensalzar aún más la figura de su protagonista y de paso criticar muy duramente a los millonarios “hechos a sí mismos” que parece que van a poblar también nuestro futuro, con planes medioambientales de dudosa procedencia y aún más turbio resultado. Un poco como la ciencia ficción de futuro cercano de The Future de Naomi Alderman, pero menos pegado a la actualidad.

Si bien es cierto que la novela mantiene el ritmo más o menos durante todo su desarrollo, no es menos cierto que en algunos momentos se hace bastante previsible, algo maniquea y menos divertida que la primera, aunque sigo disfrutando enormemente de las notas a pie de página y en general, de la personalidad caleidoscópica de Lamarr.

Creo que en cuanto que esté disponible la tercera parte, la leeré. Sobre todo, para ver en qué queda todo esto pero también para poder valorar la serie como un todo y no solo como la suma de las, por otra parte desiguales, partes.

I enjoyed this book. It seemed a little fast pace and a big rushed but it was still a good read. I dont however really get much of a Sci-fi feel from it. Yes it gives you the description of being on space and having ships. However, for the most part it’s based in one single place in a museum as an exact replica of Greek buildings filled with all the things in our current museums. At least that’s what I got from it for the most part. So again I didn’t really get the Sci-fi feel of it but it was again still a good quick read. It kept my attention throughout the book I just wish it had been a bit longer with more added Sci-fi things.

“Inspiring indecency is something of a specialty of mine.”

What the-

WHAT THE HELL?!

It was just getting good and it ended? IT. ENDED. WHY?!

Okay, I need to calm down.

Calming thoughts…

Book three is so far away. Is book three the last one? I don’t know. Just as I don’t know what’s going to happen next. Because book three is SO FAR AWAY.

I know, I know. This “review” isn’t much of a review.

I love Ada and Rian. Like I’ve said before. So nothing new. There are still a lot of secrets between them. Ada’s mostly. But I feel like Rian has to meet her halfway. Although I do understand if he’s skeptical to trust her. (I would be too, honestly.) These two has a long way to go before I see them sailing into their HEA. Huh, maybe book three isn’t the end of the series?

This book (series?) has a hard time giving anything straight. It’s always going in circles and nothing is ever as it seems. Don’t believe anything that comes out of anyone’s mouths. Especially not Ada’s. (I think I have Rian’s trust issues now.) Ada cares about what happens to Earth and she really wants to fix everything that’s wrong with it. She just has a quite convoluted way of going about it? She doesn’t seem to trust anyone. Not really. Not even Rian. She likes him, yes. But she can’t fully trust him. She’s used to doing things her own way. She’s very independent. She’s smart and she’s #girlboss. I love her sass and I love her confidence.

I feel so bad for Rian. I don’t think he’s ready for whatever comes next. I don’t think he knows how to deal with Ada. Much less come to terms with his feelings. He’s very conflicted.

Ada and Rian are giving me a headache and upping my anxiety. I can’t wait for book three!

4 🌕🌕🌕🌕🌑

This second book in the chaotic orbits series was fun. Maybe not as fun as the first, but it still had everything I loved from the first book.

A little less action, but good character development. And just a smidgen of romance. It’s definitely worth a read as a whole.

I was looking forward to this thinking Becky Chambers style. I didn’t quite hit the mark for me. The style wasn’t as intricate, world building nor the character depth present that I enjoy. Thank you to #netgalley and the publisher for an ARC.

Fast-paced sequel to Revis's Full Speed to A Crash-Landing. The mouthy, determined heroine draws us in, and the continuing development of the storyline keeps us going. Very much looking forward to the third in this trilogy.

Once again, I was transported into this world Revis masterfully created and I loved it!

This book gave me everything the first one did, but also more. Thrilling, action packed scenes are what made me read the first book in one sitting, and the romance was a great bonus to the story. In this one, the action is equally as good, with twists and turns you could see coming but don't. What made me love this one slightly more was the romance development. There's more meaning to interactions between Ada and Rian now, making their banter even more enjoyable and swoon worthy. I truly loved being inside Ada's head — she's smart, confident, and always one step ahead of everyone. Rian is a great love interest for her, and I loved reading how smitten he is without even realizing it, trying to fight it, fight her. I'm extremely excited for the third and final part of their story!

If you're looking for a quick read filled with sizzling banter, intergalactic chaos, and well crafted characters — this is the series for you!

I was not expecting this to be as fun as it was. A heist in space with a lot of romcom banter? Sign me up! I was so happy to receive an arc and I have to say I couldn’t stop reading. This is my first Beth Revis book and I definitely don’t think it’ll be the last. Very excited to read the next one after this..

This novella series, truly, makes me remember why I love sci-fi so much. They're fun, fast paced, and filled with tension of all kinds.

While this novella had similar energy to the first, this installment was a little more focused on the political side of sci-fi/space opera than the "spaceship danger heist" part. I thought it was executed just as well, with Ada continuing to keep both readers and characters alike on their toes through her actions and motives.

I will say, my favorite part of the first novella is that Ada manages to dupe both the readers and characters by not ever revealing her true motives/plans, even internally. This is also true of the second novella, however the book itself is kind of spoiled by the description. I wish the description of the book did not reveal what her aim was, and let the reader find out at the same time Rian does.

Overall, I thought this was a great, quick read, and I can't wait to read the third one!

4 stars.

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

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
I was so excited to return to the chaos of Ada and Rian, and the follow up to Full Speed, did not disappoint. This duo still banter like the friends you and the rest of your group have bets on. The heist in this book leaves you as confused as Rian, trying to figure out Ada’s target, guessing until the pieces fall together. We got to find a little bit more out about Ada and her intentions, and enjoy her sassy internal monologue. I find her (and Rian) to be incredibly endearing characters that I just want more of. This novella felt cozy and comforting to me. There’s something to be said about space heists and hot women in fancy clothes: thank you. While I did miss the crew of the Halifax, I truly enjoyed this and I look forward to seeing where the final novella in this trilogy goes.

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

How to Steal a Galaxy by Beth Revis is a first person-POV sci-fi romance continuation of Full Speed to a Crash Landing. Ada accepts an undercover job to attend a gala that Rian is also attending. Rian believes that the items up for auction will attract Ada, but she's looking for something he's not expecting.

The world is fleshed out further in this book, particularly in regards to the wealthy, political protests, and the climate on Sol-Earth aka our Earth. Ada compares Sol-Earth protests to Rigel-Earth’s, calling Sol-Earth’s ‘messy’ and Rigel-Earth's ‘scheduled and performed’ and noted the hollowness in the protestors eyes, as if they are simply going through the motions instead of being passionate about the topic at hand. I don't think I've seen protests used to worldbuild in this way before, but I absolutely believe that there would be a variety of ways protests are handled in the future.

Rian is deeply skeptical of Ada and constantly poking at her every time they are close, but he never really walks away from her. There's an undeniable desire to be close to her on his end and he doesn't like it when she's flirted with right in front of him. What makes this dynamic so good is that he's also got his guard up, asking questions about her actual intentions no matter how much he wants to give in to whatever is between them.

The heist part was like a comedy of errors, everyone is confused as to what Ada is doing so they keep making moves and then confronting her when she doesn't play ball. Ada clearly enjoys being in control and everyone else has to deal with it.

I would recommend this to fans of sci-fi romance and readers looking for a gala heist in space