ARC Review: Chaotic Orbits #1

Full Speed to a Crash Landing by Beth Revis

Publication Date: August 6, 2024

Summary from NetGalley:

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…

A phenomenally fun novella that kicks off a trilogy of sexy space heists and romantic tension, Full Speed to a Crash Landing is packed with great characters and full of twists and turns that will keep you guessing until the end.

ARC provided by DAW Books via NetGalley for an honest review.

Confession:

This was such a fun and light read, I just adored it. I loved the characters, the heist, the snappy banter and the start to a romance I can definitely get behind. This is a great start to what I am sure will be a fantastic little trilogy.

The story is told through Ada’s point of view and I just loved her. She is sassy and fun and can really work a room. Her opening scene was a heartstopper and she just kept hurtling through the story without letting up. The heist she planned was so well done that I was just as flabbergasted as the crew of the Halifax was. She was so smooth about it. I also adored how much she loved the food on board the ship. It sounded pretty disgusting to me, but she ate it like it was the best meal she ever had. She was just a great character.

The whole crew of the Halifax were great, and I look forward to maybe getting to know some of them better in the next couple of books. Not sure they will all be back but I certainly hope so. I really liked Rian White, who is the loved interest of Ada. He was a perfect fit for her, even when he was always one step behind her. Can’t wait to see more sparks fly between these two.

Even though this is a novella, there was a lot going on. Not only the heist, but there is something brewing that may not be altogether gosher with the government. I am excited to learn more about that as the story progresses. The pacing was perfect, fast but with some slower scenes to let you catch your breath. There are hints about what Ada is up to if you pay close attention, but I think it might be more fun to just go along for the ride and be as surprised as everyone else.

The next book doesn’t come out until December, but I just might have to read it sooner. There is a bit of a cliffhanger at the end. No announcement as to when the third book is coming out but it can’t come soon enough to satisfy me. If you enjoy fast paced space heist with likable characters and a little steamy side romance, this is a book I highly recommend you get on your radar.