Full Speed to a Crash Landing is the story of Ada Lamarr, a space salvager, who when we first encounter her, appears to be in over her head. What should have been a simple metal salvaging job has gone wrong, or has it? Thank goodness the spaceship Halifax is there to rescue her.

I immediately loved that the protagonist was named after two brilliant historical figures: Ada Lovelace, the 19th-century writer/mathematician considered by some to be the first computer programmer and Hedy Lamarr, the stunning actress who also invented techniques to prevent the jamming of radio signals during World War II. Ada Lamar seems to be both the beauty and the brains of a one-woman operation, and she is determined to use them in equal measure to get what she wants.

This story was a quick listen; I devoured it in a single day (listening at 2x speed). It was not a stunning work of literary greatness, nor did it have a mind-blowing twist, but it has tension throughout and left me curious about what is going on behind the actions of our characters, especially when it comes to how they fit into the larger world-building (or should I say worlds-building) that is gradually revealed during Ada's time with the crew of the Halifax. I will be looking out for Chaotic Orbits #2, How to Steal a Galaxy when it is released later this year.

I was wary of the romantic element promised by the book blurb. While that thread did not ensnare me (a matter of personal taste), it was not overdone in a way that made it feel excessive or forced. It was about the right level for a classic Carey Grant & Alfred Hitchcock thriller, only gender-swapped and set in space (which is a hell of a pitch now that I've said it). The protagonist's romantic overtures are half tongue-in-cheek and everyone in the scene seems to grok that. It provides some plausible deniability, while also building romantic tension in parallel to the mounting risks associated with Ada and the Halifax's respective missions. I am left wondering if Ada is nearly as clever as she thinks she is. So far it looks like she has pulled off her plan, but how much of that is luck and how much of that is skill?

The environmental portion of the world-building, especially the state of Sol Earth, was presented in a way that tells us something about how humanity got to where they are now without beating the listener over the head with the message of "Humans are bad, corporations are worse, and you are destroying our future". This is a potential future where we have managed to cope with what we have done to our home planet, and it is neither the apocalypse nor is everything hunky-dory.

A second narrator is portraying the target of Ada's romantic overtures, Rian, but his voice is not introduced until the action of this installment is concluded, which means there is no actual dialogue between the two narrators. Additionally, all his narration is delivered via epistolary sources, which gives it a dry/formal tone, reinforcing his straight-laced, all-about-the-mission personality (which ironically is not unlike Ada's single-mindedness, but expressed in a very different way). I liked the "official documents" approach, as it adds to the world-building and reminds us that he is part of a bureaucracy. Additionally, the way the footnotes in this section were handled was clear and effective, which is a low bar, but one that many audiobooks have trouble clearing.

All in all, it is perhaps a little bit pulpy, but I think it is a fun, almost bite-sized treat. Who doesn't want a space heist with a heroine who might have a heart of gold and not just be in it for the money?

Thank you NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for sharing this audiobook for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

Space Travel + Thrilling Heist + Enemy to Lover - Well delivered combo and applauds to accomplish all in a novella.

I hope this is a series and Rian (male protagonist) and I get answers on who exactly is Ada (female protagonist) .

The book starts with Ada shipwrecked on a planet, sending out SOS signals for rescue. Rian and his fleet on the other ship choose to help her looking beyond their suspicions. Ada is a high energy individual and can not help admiring handsome Rian with baritone sexy voice. What follows next is humorous banter, back and forth interrogation and an almost stolen kiss. Rian's crew and self invited Ada are up for a heist in the space and who has been using who is unclear till last chapter.

I enjoyed the humorous banter between both the characters, its refresher compared to other romance novels with same trope, using insulting and back stabbing comments to establish the 'enemy' angle of the relationship. Audio narration is done in two voices and I feel it helps to add the depth in character, especially when Ada imitates Rian's voice.
The setting of spaceship, planet and space walk is established decently well, I understand its difficult to go in details considering limited pages in a novella. The post apocalyptic kind of reference of planet Earth, where people are fascinated to see a 'real' peach, is also thought provoking. In the attempt to create a technological advanced world for our kids, are we taking away simple pleasures of life, like smell of a flower, eye soothing green color of leaves, taste of fresh fruit nectar.

Recommended !!

Not really romantic. Maybe a start of one but I wouldn’t call it that. The sleeping that took place on Ada’s part was amazing. I didn’t think she planned everything she did to steal what she needed. The log part of the book was boring. Wish there was more to the story of what happened besides reading the long of Rian. However, the book did end with a good start to book two.

Ahoy there me mateys!  This is the first novella in a trilogy. It was a short, fluffy read but I enjoyed it.  No major world building or politics here. The reader is dropped into the story where Ada, a salvager, is in her ship with a hole in the side and her spacesuit's air running out.  It was a great set-up.  She is rescued by a governmental ship who is searching for their missing spacecraft which has crashed on a local planet.

On the government side is Rian White, agent in charge.  Ada thinks he is hot.  Too bad he is the enemy.  Though this is a romance novella, this is just the set-up.  Ada and Rian spend time bantering.  Ada is clever, acerbic, and likes to aggravate.  Whether the reader likes her or not is the key to liking this book. The majority is told through Ada's viewpoint with Rian's only coming at the very end.

This is action packed because the government needs something from the crashed ship.  Time is short because the volcanic planet is going to destroy the ship and its contents.  Ada argues her way into the team that goes down to the planet.  Rian doesn't like it but doesn't really have another choice.  There is tension between Ada and the others and also the tension of the mission planetside.  It was very nicely done.

I do have to admit that I was not a fan of the narrators.  The female narrator, who reads the majority of the book, was cartoonish and overdramatic.  The male narrator was kind of bland.  His portion of the novella was written as a series of reports so it could just be the format of his section.

I did however like this enough to want to read the next book in the series though I will skip it in audiobook form.  Arrrr!

This was a fun quick sci-fi romp. Ada Lamarr is a space scavenger in need of rescuing. She joins the crew of her rescuer, the Halifax, to retrieve an important bit of tech from a crashed spaceship. Earth is a dying planet, and while humans have settled on other planets, there are forces that are looking to save Earth. Ada's past and motives are a bit murky and she quickly butts heads with government agent Rian White, who reluctantly allows her to join the crew's salvage. The novella ends on a bit of a cliffhanger, however knowing this is part of a trilogy only makes me look forward to the next adventure. Most of the story is told in first person POV of Ada, with the last bit through mixed media of Rian's POV, with hints of what book 2's setting will be. I would consider this a cozy sci-fi and recommend for people who don't read a lot of sci-fi, or for readers dipping their toes in the genre. The narrators did an admirable job with the material.

I will start by reviewing the end, you know what, I thought I would have a book narrated by two people since we had 2 distinct narrators, and I didn’t have that (but it makes sense) early in the book we had the female narrator making a mock pretend of the male narrator and I must say she was spot on hahah a deep and sexy voice, check!

I really enjoyed Dara Rosenberg narration, she was witty and fun, yeah she really brought Ada to life. Only about 10% of the audio was read by David Bendena, and it was more like a diary of what had happened and how he will act to find Ada again, but that is for me to know and for you to find out.

At fist this book started as if the Martian had a couple more characters and the main character was a woman, then you grab lost in space show and mix it well and sift it until you’re left with doctor smith as our main character, and I swear I imagined her as our main character in all situations even more when she was shoving food down her cake hole hahah. Hey I’ll just say it out loud I didn’t expect what she revealed in the end, well not all, but it was a fun ride.

Its a short read, but it was amusing, funny and we’re left with a very open ending, we still don’t know the full story, the why and for who is still in a very open page, but I definitely know that I want to read or listen to what comes next Ada is funny and really thinks ahead, like a very modern Jane bond! If you don’t like open ended stories, I will advice you to wait until the second book comes out, and then without any doubt, grab a copy and start listening to this one because you’ll want to continue the story! If like me, you’re impatient, well start reading now and then when the second book comes out, you’re ready as one can be!

Thank you Netgalley and Dreamscape Media | Dreamscape Lore, for the free AAC, and this is my honest opinion.

Thanks to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media audiobooks for an advanced readers copy of this book.

This novella reads like a TV pilot. You're introduced to a cast of characters, tension is built, and you're left on a cliffhanger. I enjoyed the voice and patter of our FMC's thoughts and there was definite groundwork laid for what's coming next. You get a bit of humor and a bit of love interest, but no spice. This was a bit out of my usual genre, but I enjoyed it!

📚Trope(s): (Sorta) Dystopian Future Space, Espionage, Deception
What you get: 🚀💥🪐🥘👩🏻‍❤️‍💋‍👨🏻
⭐️Plot: 4/5
🔥Chemistry: 3/5
🌶️Spice: 0.5/5

Sci-fi novellas have really been hitting recently and this was no different. Fast-paced, exciting, and funny, the dialogue and twists in this book were brilliant. Can't recommend it enough!

Short but full of action! I can’t wait to read the rest of the series and see how this all plays out. I loved getting to know Ada, figuring out what her agenda was, and watching her fall for Rian. A lot happens in this short novella and the world that is created is fascinating. Looking forward to more.

I can count with one hand how many sci fi books I have read. I am interested in the genre, but I am always scared of picking sci-fi books because I have this preconception that they are difficult to understand and I end up feeling lost in the world and the plot.

If you are like me, haven't read much sci-fi, want to get into the genre, or you already enjoy sci-fi but need something lighter, I would recommend Full Speed to a Crash Landing. It is sci-fi but since it is a novella it starts right off and it wastes no time, so something is always happening, setting a good pace and making the reader hooked.

We are immediately introduced to Ada, who is sending a distress signal after her ship has been through a wreck. She will be rescued by the crew of the Halifax and there we will see her try to appeal to the members of the ship and take part in their space heist. It was nice seeing Ada interact with the members of the crew, and her warming up to the ship as well as the members to her. Apart from the obvious elements, it also has some romance and mystery, and I really appreciated the latter. The book truly focuses on that mission, which makes scenes flow one right after the other, leaving you no time to rest, which is great in a book in this genre.

The plot seems basic at first, because it is, which is nice because it is easy to get into and you understand the setting well, but throughout the chapters you can see the plot unravel, discovering the Halifax's mission and little snippets of Ada and Rian, our leads. I really liked Nandina, Magnusson and Saraswati and I hope to see them more in the second and third installments. For it being a novella, they were in it quite a bit, but I want more interactions and to get to know them better.

Having listened to the audiobook was a good touch, because it felt like a mission report, especially when they were actually carrying it out and at the end, when we have some actual reports presented to us.

In the acknowledgements, the author says she sneaked some references and links to Across the Universe, her first and probably most popular work, which I think is so cool and will make so many fans happy. I have not read that trilogy, nor I think it spoils anything out of it, but now that I have seen Beth Revis's style, Across the Universe is back into my radar and I think this was a good introduction to her books.

Ada Lamarr has found herself in a bit of a bind. What should have been a simple looting mission has turned code red when her ship sustained damage and she's running precariously close to losing oxygen. Luckily, she's saved in the nick of time by the crew of the Halifax. Once aboard, it appears that both Ada and the crew of the Halifax - most notably mission leader Rian White - are on the same, albeit mysterious, mission: Salvaging the USG Roundabout after it crashed into a terran-based planet.

Ada and Rian don't necessarily trust each other's motivations, but they acknowledge that in order to complete the mission, they'll have to play nice.

I absolutely loved this short space romp. Beth Revis knows what she's doing 100% with this story. Every detail has its place and purpose nothing is filler and it is all a good time. And I felt like this was helped along immensely by the narrator. This book does have a dual narration and I like the way in which it was applied here. Ada's character is the main narrator however and Dara Rosenberg did a great job embodying Ada, quirkiness and all. There's also this kind of slyness that comes across, but doesn't negate the moments of emotion. I hope we keep the same narrators throughout the series.

Beth Revis definitely drops us in the middle of the story with Ada as our guide out of and around what's happening in the galaxy. She's quite the narrator as well if I do say so myself. A little chaotic, a little all over the place but also endearing and clearly knows what she's doing as she cleverly leads Rian to the same conclusions she's already made.

Speaking of, I liked Rian and Ada's opposition yet still shared interest in the Roundabout. This makes for some great tension between the two which I know will be something explored in the next book.

Really, this story worked so well to get me out of a reading slump. It's a shorter story, I'd say closer to a novella which makes it this perfect morsel to devour in a couple hours. This also makes everything that happens within all the more impressive because it is all so precise. I interested to see what the consequences will be for events that transpired within this story and how it carries over into the next which I can say without a doubt I'm looking forward to reading. Highly recommended if you're looking for a fun, quick sci-fi read.

A big thanks to NetGalley and DAW for providing both an eARC and an advance audio book in exchange for an honest review.

Beth Revis is one of THE best writers of Sci-fy.

Full Speed to a Crash Landing is a science fiction novella with plenty of hijinks and space heists. Ada Lamarr may have gotten to the spaceship wreck first, but looter’s rights won’t get her far when she’s got a hole in the side of her ship and her spacesuit is almost out of air. Fortunately for her, help arrives in the form of a government salvage crew—and while they reluctantly rescue her from certain death, they are not pleased to have an unexpected passenger along on their classified mission. But Ada doesn’t care—all that matters to her is enjoying their fine food and sweet, sweet oxygen—until Rian White, the government agent in charge, starts to suspect that there’s more to Ada than meets the eye. He’s not wrong—but he’s so pretty that Ada is perfectly happy to keep him paying attention to her—at least until she can complete the job she was sent to pull off. But as quick as Ada is, Rian might be quicker—and she may not be entirely sure who’s manipulating who until it’s too late…

I loved Revis' previous books of Across the Universe and A World Without You, and I'm glad she's back to writing science fiction. Even though it is a little shorter than I would have liked. Though I already have approval for book 2, and have it loaded on my Kindle. If you need me. I'll totally not be in bed reading it until 3 am.

This first of a trio of novellas is great fun: a space-opera heist with a hint of spice. Expertly narrated by Dara Rosenberg and David Bending, this fast-paced adventure (3.5 hours of listening pleasure) starts with snarky space scavenger Ada awaiting rescue, her beloved ship adrift above a wrecked vessel she'd been salvaging on a protoplanet way out in the Dark. Rian is the governmental agent in charge of retrieving a certain valuable something from that wrecked vessel. He's suspicious of her, but it turns out he needs her particular set of skills to retrieve the valuable object from the perilous wreckage.

What happens next is 100% caper, with plenty of snappy dialogue and budding tension between the two, with the physicality of space (oh, the sensual delight of real food, even lentils! after months of recycled nutrient sludge) never far offstage.

Thanks NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for the chance to listen to this in exchange for my unfettered opinion.

I listened to this in one sitting and couldn't get enough! The suspense was killer, and I could feel the tension between Ada and Rian. Definitely left me wanting more!

An enjoyable, quick read with a twist at the end I did not see coming. I liked the audio narrators for this and will pick up the sequel. 3.5 stars

◇ Synopsis
In this high-octane, sexy space heist novella from New York Times-bestselling author Beth Revis, the first in a trilogy, Ada Lamarr finds herself in dire straits with a damaged ship and nearly depleted air supply. Her rescue by a government salvage crew is less a relief and more a complication, as they're none too pleased to have her along on their secret mission. Despite her predicament, Ada relishes their luxurious food and fresh oxygen, until Rian White, the agent in charge, begins to suspect she’s hiding something. As Ada navigates their tense dynamics and tries to complete her own mission, she discovers that Rian’s charm might be as dangerous as his suspicions, leading to a thrilling game of cat and mouse.
◇ Thoughts
I love space-based sci-fi, especially when it involves thieves or salvagers, so I was thrilled to review this novella and wasn't disappointed. The story features Ada and Rian, who engage in a riveting battle of wits as they try to uncover each other's secrets. Ada is a whirlwind of chaotic energy but proves to be quite analytical and clever. Rian, on the other hand, is a stoic military type, making their interactions especially entertaining. While the novella includes romance, it lacks the spice some readers might expect. It reminded me of a gentler, kinder version of the Murderbot series. I enjoyed the characters, though the ending felt a bit abrupt, and I wished the antagonist had a more developed role. I found myself wanting to shout at one character or another at times, but overall, I'm eagerly anticipating the rest of the series.
Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC of this book!
◇ Publisher
DAW
◇ Audio
Dreamscape Media provided the audio of this novella and was narrated by Dara Rosenberg and David Bendena. They performed very well although I did speed the audio up a nudge.

Sadly this book was just an okay read for me. Due to it being so short it lacked character depth and the story felt rushed. I'm not sure whether I'm invested enough to read the next book in the series.

THIS WAS SO MUCH FUN!!

The main character was hilarious and I loved her dynamic with the side characters, especially between her and Rian. The way she thought/talked about food made me hungry.

This gave me a lot of the same fun adventury scifi vibes as All Systems Red by Martha Wells, but with the addition of a developing romance that I am very excited to follow in the future books.

The audiobook narrators were both fantastic as well, and I really liked the structure of the bulk of the book being in Ada's perspective and then having report logs from Rian after the fact.

Can't wait for the next installments!

So Ada is a salvager who's just come upon a wreck. That's all well and good but she's good a hole in her ship, and she's almost out of air. Enter a government salvage crew. They swoop Ada to safety and basically wine and dine her which she's beyond happy about, but the good-looking man in charge has caught Ada's eye. But she's caught his too for a different reason as he suspects she may not be all that she seems.

I snatched this up because a space heist, what's not to love? Well, for this book it's Dara Rosenberg, who's laying it on extra thick narrating Ada. I don't think I've ever been as annoyed by a character as I have with her. I stuck it out because it was short, and I kept hoping Ada would get better. Spoiler alert, she doesn't.

David Bendena was not one I loved as a narrator, a bit stuffy and boring. But I mean if that was how the character was supposed to be then well done.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for this ALC. This one was definitely not for me.

Genre: sci-fi romance

Ada Lamarr is a space looter, but she’s on her last gasps of oxygen and beaming distress signals to anyone who might save her. Once safely on board her rescuers’ ship, she’ll do anything to ingratiate herself to the crew who saved her, but especially the gorgeous government agent in charge, Rian White.

I had a great time reading Full Speed to a Crash Landing. I'd read a Beth Revis book many years ago and was lukewarm on it, but when @Plottrysts couldn’t stop raving about this one, I listened, and this book paid off. It's a really fun setup novella, building groundwork for a new series. Ada is snarky and unrepentant, making for a very fun POV who hit the spot. I love a heist, I love a romantic arc, and I love when that all clicks in a SF setting.

It translates remarkably well to audio, with Ada’s snark and Rian’s starchiness coming through from Dara Rosenberg and David Bendena.

I enjoyed this ARC so much that I immediately requested the second in the series. There’s just something outstanding about a fun, sexy space heist novella with a tone like this.