Have you ever known you’d love a book based on the dedication alone?
That was my first impression going into Beth Revis’s 2024 romantic space heist Full Speed to a Crash Landing.
“This book is dedicated to spite, my greatest muse and motivator.”
Apparently, me and Beth share the same muse! The moment I read this dedication I knew we must be kindred spirits. And, reading on, I was not disappointed. Full Speed to a Crash Landing is absolutely overflowing with the witty banter, high-stakes romance, and fast-paced action that I love to find in sci-fi novels.
The Story
Ada is running out of oxygen above a remote crash site when she’s rescued by a state-of-the-art government salvaging ship. The crew–and their leader, a mysterious official named Ryan–distrust Ada’s motives. But when they discover that Ada is the only person with the unique skills necessary to recover the classified object they’re searching for before it’s swallowed by a volcanic rift, they must trust her to lead their mission amid the volatile terrain of a lava-torn protoplanet.
But each person on the mission is hiding their own secret motives, and no one knows how much the other crew members may know about the object they’re searching for, and what its contents mean for the fate of humanity.
What I liked
The banter in this book is has a refreshingly different feel from your typical hostile-but-sexy enemies-to-lovers banter. Ada is hilarious, glib, and endearingly agreeable, yet also devious. Ryan isn’t hostile either. He’s both patient and quick-witted, attempting to worm information out of Ada by wooing her with food and companionship, while at the same time attempting to keep her from worming her way into his heart. It’s like they’re trying to nice each other into submission. And it totally works.
What I Loved
Full Speed to A Crash Landing is as much a spy/heist novel as it is a romance. The characters are falling for each other while also playing a dangerous game of lies and manipulation. As Ryan and Ada are busy manipulating each other, Revis does an amazing job of manipulating the reader experience, letting us in on just enough of the truth to keep us emotionally invested while holding back enough to keep us guessing until the very end.
As the characters began to drop clues about their true motives, I was completely sucked in. I had to keep turning pages to find out who would betray who, and how they’d do it. This was truly a top-notch reading experience.
A note on the romance
Romance readers should note that there’s lots of flirtation and banter but only one kiss.
Also, Ada and Ryan don’t get their happy ending yet in this novel—I’m hopeful though. It’s the first in a finished trilogy, so I’m expecting a fully satisfying romance arc by the end of the third instalment.
Overall Thoughts
Sci-fi readers, heist lovers, and romance readers alike will enjoy this fast-paced, no-spice sci-fi romance novella with a hilariously glib heroine, great banter, and the perfect balance of intrigue and emotion. I highly recommend Full Speed to a Crash Landing to anyone looking for a speedy sci-fi or sci-fi romance read.
I’ll definitely be picking up the next book in the series ASAP!
Have you read the Chaotic Orbits series? I’d love to know your thoughts! LMK in the comments below.
