Last Chance To Save The World
Author: Beth Revis
Publisher: Daw
Publication Date: April 8, 2025
Star Rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟(4.9999)
Scoville Spice Scale: 🫑

"It's easier to walk a tightrope when you know there's a safety net beneath your wobbly feet."

So concludes the Chaotic Orbits Trilogy …or does it? If this story is over¹ … well, let's talk about the book.

When we last left them, Ada had kidnapped Rian to get him to help her reprogram the nanobots because our antagonist, Strom Fetor, had messed with the code so that said nanobots would not help Earth but rather harm it and more money would have to be given to Strom and his company to the solve the problem of keeping the nanobot cleaners going and healing the planet. Though Rian wants to arrest Ada for the kidnapping of a government official (Him!), he knows they need to work together to save Earth. There is a heated attraction between Ada and Rian. Rian tries hard to resist Ada's flagrant flaunting in your face sensual banter even though he really wants to give in. This is a part of the book that really tickles me. Rian is so stoic. He could have had a "Gloryous" time with Ada but held back because she kidnapped him to save Earth. He knows she's right. But he can't let himself give it.

The whole caper is done in a series of well timed events and slights of hand (and earrings) that Ada carries out, along with help from her mysterious client who is revealed early on in the book and the identity is gobsmacking. The escape from the clutches of being arrested is another Ada Lamarr triumph.

It is the Epilogue that left me thinking "This story is hardly over, Beth Revis!".

Thank you to the author, #netgalley, and @daw for a gifted copy in exchange for an honest review.

#bethrevis #lastchancetosavetheworld #scifireads #sciencefiction #daw #womenwritingscifi

1) No, I don't really think it is.

i really enjoyed this little quick sci-fi heist story. I love how Beth Revis writes sci-fi and this quick little trilogy was no exception.

I have loved the previous two books in this series and I have been so excited to get the conclusion to the story arc - this book has the perfect blend of action, social and environmental commentary, flirty banter and romantic chemistry. I loved every second of it, and wish there was more.

Thanks to NetGalley, the Publisher and Author for an eARC of this title in exchange for my review.

Last Chance to Save the World by Beth Revis is the third and final book in the Chaotic Orbits series of Romantic Cosy Sci-fi novellas. The story picks up immediately following the conclusion of How to Steal a Galaxy and is as flirtatious and witty as both books one and two.

I will say that there is no happy-ever-after here. The ending is a cliffhanger albeit a realistic, if a bit surprising one, even though it is a last book in a series. Additionally, there is no "will they, won't they" pay off, on page. That just means the reader can make the ultimate conclusions, or,..we may just see more of Ada and Rian yet!

The blurb describes this as the “explosive, satisfying conclusion” to this trilogy, but sadly, I didn’t find it to be either. This third book was a little slower-paced than the others - no worries, there’s still a daring heist, I just found it to be less suspenseful, with less surprising twists involved, which was one of the things that made the previous two books so delightful. The other thing that made the previous installments so compelling was the romance... and I’m sorry to report that if you were hoping for a spicy conclusion to the tension between Ada and Rian, you’re going to be disappointed. And it wasn’t only disappointing for the lack of spice, but more generally for the lack of a definitive end. There was a climax (so to speak) for the plot but not the relationship, though things did heat up, and at the end things were left somewhat up in the air, for both the characters and their romance. I’m still trying to figure out whether the story left off on an open-ended conclusion so that the reader can leave things to their imagination, or so that the author can revisit these characters at a later date. All that being said, it was still pretty good – just not as good as the previous two.

4.5*

Though this is series of three shorter novella-like stories, I think the story within is well done, fun, and quite n adventure. There’s a lot of running about, being sneaky, and trying to thwart crappy people.

Since the novella is fairly short, the pacing is well done and high energy from beginning to end. The dialogue between the characters is tongue-in-cheek, and sarcastic but it lends well to the idea of Rian and Ad having a sort of love/ hate relationship where they are constantly circling each other but not fully coming together as a full-blown lovers’ scenario.

This novella focuses on Rian and Ada having to work together, possibly begrudgingly, to save the inhabitants of earth from being sabotaged by a defecting nanobots which are being disseminated to clear the water and air of the polluted planet.

I don’t want to give too much more away since there are only about 175 pages. However, I do recommend this book but more importantly, this series. I think if you read all three parts, it would be one really great novel, and I certainly hope we get to go on more adventures with Ada.

I’ve been really enjoying this series of science fiction/romance novellas, so it was with a heavy heart that I picked up this, the final one in the trilogy! But, like the ones that came before, it delivered on every level! And in many ways, this one was even more satisfying than the ones that came before as we finally got to see Ada’s long game come into play. By this point in the series, readers are familiar with not only Ada’s methods, but also the narrative tricks the author uses to emphasize the bewilderment that Rian must feel, tugged along mostly blind in Ada’s chaotic wake. And like in the first two books, it was incredibly gratifying to see everything slot into place, even if it was a bit easier to predict just what Ada was up to.

Instead, many of the new twists and turns and surprises came in the form of deeper reveals into Ada’s history. I don’t want to go into too many details, as many of the late-stage events are tied up in all of this, but I really enjoyed some of the new characters we met, and the ways in which they shone a light on Ada’s life and the shaping of her unique moral compass.

It was also nice getting to spend as much time with Rian and Ada together, more than we’ve seen in the previous books it seems. After now reading the last planned book in this series, I will say that I think these novellas will work better for science fiction/heist readers who also enjoy a dash of romance than for strict romance readers. For some of those readers, they may be a bit disappointed, as the series doesn’t adhere closely to all of the conventions of the romance genre that they might expect. That said, I think the ending for this trilogy was perfect, and really the only thing that made sense for these characters. Anything else would have compromised core portions of their identities in a way that I think would have undercut the excellent work that had gone into creating them.

I also really enjoyed the themes of environmental justice and the ways in which humanity has a tendency to hurt not only the world around us but everyone living in it. There was a short conversation about pigeons that really hit home in a way that was surprising, given that it was a…conversation about pigeons! And throughout, the balance between the exploration of these themes, the fast-moving action of the plot, and the quippy love story was all navigated expertly. I definitely recommend this trilogy to all science fiction/heist readers who are looking for a fun, fast series to consume!

Rating 8: Ada leaves a chaotic wake everywhere she goes, and Rian and the readers are just along for the fun that is the ride!

Link will go live on May 3 on The Library Ladies!

Beth Revis's Last Chance to Save the World is the third installment in the author's Chaotic Orbits novella trilogy. The plot centers on Ada LaMarr, a brilliant and morally complex heroine, and Rian White, her reluctant partner-in-crime with a begrudging respect for her intellect. In this installment, the stakes are higher than ever: Earth faces annihilation from a nanobot swarm capable of reducing the planet to dust if a trillionaire is allowed to launch. Ada and Rian arrive on Earth with little time to spare.

Especially after being summoned by Ada's mysterious mother, Jane LaMarr. Both Ada and Jane know that Rian is going to betray them, but they have a plan. Together, they have to break into a high-security facility and infect the nanobots with a counter-virus before they’re released in order to give Earth a fighting chance. And if Ada happens to notice some great tech lying around in this high-security facility she shouldn’t have access to, and then happens to steal a bunch of it when Rian’s not looking? Well, he knew who she was before he teamed up with her.

And if he wants it back, he’s going to have to catch her first. Ada remains the heart of the story, a character whose cunning and unapologetic pragmatism make her endlessly compelling. She’s a mastermind who thrives on outsmarting her enemies. Rian, meanwhile, serves as the perfect foil: a man torn between duty and his growing admiration (and perhaps more) for Ada. Their dynamic is the trilogy’s emotional core, evolving from adversaries to something akin to a Sherlock-Moriarty partnership with a slow-burn romantic undercurrent.

The reason for my review is simple. The ending. The ending seemed to leave on a cliffhanger, leaving us with wondering if we will see these characters in another series or if we will ever get the final conclusion when it comes to the romance between Ada and Rian.

A fun conclusion to the trilogy, though there is plenty of room for the series to continue with another caper or Rian chasing Ada more. I love how Ada remains two steps ahead at all times and I enjoyed finally getting her backstory & why she is doing the work that she does.

What a stunning novella. Ada continues to be a complete badass. I love her so much! The social commentary in this one is utterly *chef’s kiss*

I enjoyed this one a lot! It was exciting, and it was fast paced, and it was full of humor while still being heartfelt. This is a huge win! Why am I not giving it the full five, you ask?

The synopsis says it is to be a "satisfying conclusion". Reader, it was neither satisfying nor a conclusion.

I know others have said this, but it bears repeating, the story was awesome, but it absolutely felt like a set-up for a future installment. So, I will adjust if needed- if I knew there was to be another book, this would have been a five star read for me. As it stands, I am kind of bummed by the end, but enjoyed the rest!

I love that each of these novellas waste no time in between we start right off from where the last novella ended. Ada has kidnapped Rian and they are on their way to sol earth to reprogram the cleaning nano bots. Ada and Rian continue to come to terms with the fact that they will both betray each other but we finally get a little more back story on Ada. And find out who her client is.
I really wish this wasn’t the conclusion of their story. I enjoyed these characters but still feel like there is more to learn about them.

This is just as fun and silly as the first 2, and I continue to really love Ada & Rian’s dynamic. I think this ending totally makes sense for the series but would love more entry’s following these two!

If you enjoyed the first 2 novellas then I think you will have fun with this one as well.

At some point I definitely want to reread all 3 novellas back to back.

Last Chance to Save the World is the exciting conclusion to the Chaotic Orbits trilogy. While the ending is satisfying, I really don't want it to be the end. If you have read Full Speed to a Crash Landing and How to Steal a Galaxy, you will want to. Don't worry, these novellas are quick reads.

This book picks up just after the end of the book 2. Ada and Rian are heading to Earth in order to reprogram the nanobots before they are released. Though they are on the same team when it comes to the nanobots, they are both running their own side missions behind each other's backs.

I've enjoyed the interactions between these characters since the beginning of the trilogy. Part of me is rooting for them to get together, but the realistic side of my brain knows that it isn't possible. Ada operates outside the law and Rian is a straight-laced government worker. One of them would have to change drastically for them to be together and then they wouldn't be them.

I like that there is just enough advanced technology that it feels realistic but because it is a novella there isn't the space to get into the nitty-gritty of the technology. I appreciate this as I sometimes get lost in the techno-babble of science fiction novels.

I mentioned at the beginning that I wish this wasn't the end of the series. The main mission set up in the first book is brought to a satisfying conclusion in this book. However, there are a few comments made and there is definitely an opening for these characters to cross paths again so I have my fingers crossed that there will be more books.

My review will be published at Girl Who Reads on Sunday - https://www.girl-who-reads.com/2025/04/last-chance-to-save-world-by-beth-revis.html

The trilogy comes to an end with Ada and Rian finally agreeing on what needs to be done. But they still disagree on how to go about doing it and Rian still insists on arresting Ada once it's done. Can they pull off saving the Earth when they're keeping so many secrets from each other?

You can't jump in with this volume. It's not the kind of book where you can get an idea of what's going on and enjoy it because it starts off running as a direct continuation of the last book and you're expected to know what's going on. This continues my gripe about how this should have just been one volume instead of three novellas.
Yet if you read the last books and have a good memory, it's a very enjoyable cat-and-mouse story. We get to see more of their personalities and how they think as they're forced to work together, with Ada always having a bit of a leg up on Rian simply because she's brilliantly devious and always one step ahead. I love how Rian just takes everything at face value even as he's constantly reminding himself that he has to be on his toes to keep up with Ada.
I will say that the romance is left on the back burner and we only get a few bright moments to enjoy it despite the blurb promising weeks trapped in a spaceship with only one bed. What's promised there isn't delivered, but there is some very enjoyable moments between our leads.

The audiobook is narrated by the same people as the previous two, Dara Rosenberg and David Bendena, and they're back with the same excellent energy that makes this series a joy to listen to. Extra kudos to Dara for always managing to inflect just the right amount of tongue-in-cheek energy to Ada.

Very happy thanks to NetGalley, DAW, and Dreamscape Lore for this satisfyingly entertaining read!

- Book 3 in the Chaotic Orbits novella series, you do need to read these in order.
- I will read as many of these books as Beth Revis wants to write - an absolute DELIGHT!

I received an ARC from the publisher via NeyGalley. All opinions are my own.
After the last installment was a bit of a letdown, I still had hope book 3 would bring it back around to what made book one so good. However, I think the series just lost its charm. For one, the cringe humor, especially with use of largely pointless footnotes (which also format badly on ereaders) really took me out. And while the adventure aspect was compelling, the romance really felt underbaked, plus it didn’t fully deliver the promised romance “happy ending” feels, as the ending is rather ambiguous. And upon seeing the complaints from others, I have to concur that the solid ideas might have been better if they had been reworked into a duology of somewhat longer books. However, it’s still pretty fun, and I’d somewhat recommend if you’re in the mood for a sci-fi adventure with a strong romantic arc.

Wow. I know this was always promised as a trilogy but I really need more of Ada and Rian - please?

This was short but still filled with the banter and tension and well layered plot that I loved in books 1 and 2. I have always loved when the turn is revealed (thank Hustle and Leverage and Oceans 11), and there was no shortage of reveals in the action filled conclusion to Rian and Ada's adventure. But aside from the heist there is a more tender thread of heart pulled through in this book which was different, but added to my growing obsession with Ada. I am sure that this is a series I will re-read again and again because there is just nothing else exactly like this. But please - more?

This is a great conclusion to the Chaotic Orbits trilogy!

Just a reminder, this series needs to be read in order. We're back with Ada and Rian as they are trying to pull of a hack of a government-wide system that is on track to destroy earth. Once again Ada has something up her sleeve, but Rain comes with a plan of his own.

First of all, I love how Beth writes this story, giving us just enough information but we know there are things happening in the background just waiting to be revealed.

We get to meet Ada's mom, who is nothing as boring as 'good' or 'evil', and the who have a welcomingly complicated, but ultimately loving, relationship. I need more of these.

What to expect:
🚀 The tension! THE TENSION. It continues, and I love it.
🚀 Misdirects and red herrings
🚀 Complicated mother / daughter relationship
🚀 Will they / won't they romance
🚀 Awesome audiobook

Dara Rosenberg and David Bendena are back and I'm so glad they are. Dara does the character of Ada and her mother perfectly.

This book is best read while training homing pigeons.

I have absolutely adored this novella trilogy, and the final installment was no exception. I would absolutely read more novellas about these characters and this world or even full length novels. The ending of this trilogy left me wanting for more, but not in a way that I think feels inconclusive or necessitates additional books (though boy would I enjoy them).

Ada continues to be one of my favorite characters I've read in awhile. Even three books in, she still surprises me with her ability to tell the story from her POV yet hide her plans from the readers. Her connection with Rian is so fun and I love the interplay between their different perspectives on what it means to make a difference. I loved that this third installment had the most personal look at her life yet, it really brought everything together.

While "Last Chance to Save the World" felt almost a little more focused on the characters than on the task at hand, I have loved the way these novellas incorporated themes of corporate greed, resistance, and privilege into the story in a way that is punchy and doesn't drag the story down. If someone could point me towards more billionaire-ass-kicking sci-fi romance books I'd very much appreciate it. What a fun ride.

It was such a pleasure to be an early reader for this series, and I cannot wait to see what Beth Revis does next.

4 stars

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