After a young space mogul has left her sister high and dry, galactic con artist Ruth Johnson masquerades as a debutante in order to get her revenge. Although she dupes most people on New Monte, a playground planet for socialites, the aloof and flirty Sol Yuki-Mendez is hot on her trail.

Overall, I think this book had some clever and humorous plot ideas, and there were moments where the authors unique voice came through. I think it would be enjoyable for people who liked authors such as Becky Chambers—the setting in this book is pretty similar to her Wayfarers setting. The originality of some of the world building (oh my god, the kosher duck subplot) was really fresh.

However, there were some places where the book faltered a little bit. There were a few characters who didn’t feel very fleshed out, especially the Yuki Mendez siblings Sol and Esteban. It was hard for me to believe that Esteban was really so clueless and gullible to fall for Ruth’s ploy. There were also times when the futuristic roaring twenties vibe the book was going for felt a little forced.

I give it a solid 3.75 stars and I am curious to see how this writer develops.

This was a great time if you're looking for a charming sapphic, con artist spacy odyssey. (and to be clear, I am always looking for that).

The world took me a long time to adapt to, as did the actual writing. I couldn't get into the flow until about 50% of the way through. Sol and Evelyn flirting was by far the best part of the whole story and I enjoyed every second of it.

I think a lot of my problems with this story are a "it's just me" issue and I think more avid sci-fi lovers would find their footing easier than I did. The characters and plot had me reeling and I am looking forward to seeing what Rebecca Fraimow puts out next.

For the most part, I really enjoyed this! It was a fun blend of a cat-and-mouse-ish romance, examinations of class and wealth, and the bonds between siblings. There were a lot of sci-fi words and terminology thrown around that weren't always fully explained, but it was still pretty easy to get into the world and its characters. The author did a great job of making these sometimes strange space colonies feel vibrant; it was really easy to picture these places in my head.

I will say that I think the pacing was a little slow at times when it didn't need to be. And I wish that there were a few more moments between Ruth and Jules, even if it was just via flashback.

But other than that, this was definitely fun and the romance was pretty cute. Definitely recommend if you like sci-fi and sapphic romance.

This book is an absolute delight. From the characters, the world-building, the twists and turns of the plot - you can tell the author had a lot of fun writing this book. The result is a queer space opera romp filled with glitz, glamour and a big dose of scheming.

I adored Ruthi as a protagonist and narrator. She’s smart, witty and self-deprecating, and always two or three steps ahead in every game she’s playing. The chemistry between Ruthi and Sol was developed so perfectly - first as a cat and mouse game where Ruthi meets her match in Sol, before it develops into much higher stakes. I also adored the depiction of Sol as the rich, charming cad, always with a beautiful woman on her arm.

One of my favourite touches was the phrases developed for this new futuristic world: “in for a pace, in for a parsec” made me snort. Overall a unique and hugely fun read!

Loved it, I put this as a five star read for me and check out my official review from Goodreads below

I was convinced that this must have been a second in a series - even when I was a third of the way through - but it turns out that the author has just set up a truly impressive amount of backstory for this one to happen. I mean, I know most good stories have their backstory, but this one REALLY felt like I was being given the "in case you don't remember what happened in the last book" spiel.

Ruth is a con artist. Her latest con is playing Evelyn Ojukwu, shy and slightly naive debutant, with the aim of catching the eye - and hopefully a promise of marriage - from the incredibly wealthy Esteban. But she has no intention of marrying him: instead, it's all about the money... and here's where the backstory comes in: because Esteban done Ruth's sister wrong, and this is a revenge game. The fact that Esteban has an awfully attractive, Don Juan-esque, half-sister is a complicating factor that Ruth hadn't expected.

The book is set an unspecified long time in the future; humanity has spread to many different planets and systems (it took me until maybe halfway through to realise that this book was actually set on a satellite of Pluto). The details of how all of that side works are fuzzy and irrelevant. The distances involved, though, are a significant factor - there's no super-fast communication between planets, for instance, and the lag is a critical one for both personal and business reasons, which Fraimow uses well.

I am amused by the idea that partner-catching would still be as much of a big deal in this sort of society as it's portrayed to be in Regency England, and that the class issues are just as real. Because that's basically what this is - it's a Regency-like romance, with space travel and artificial gravity. It's fluffy (that's a positive term!) and light-hearted, with the nods to substance that show the author is quite well aware of what they're doing, thank you very much. If you need something enjoyable, with a bit of tension and drama but the comforting knowledge that things will turn out ok, even if it's not clear how, this book is what you need.

Thank you NetGalley and Rebellion Publishing for providing me with this ARC.

What a delight this was!
I was hooked from the first page and loved every second of it. When I wasn't reading it, all I thought about was picking it up again and finishing it.
Everything about this book was perfect for me. The characters were likeable and fleshed out. The flirting and the slow-burn romance was everything I wanted.
The world was super interesting. It wasn't super dense but it was fleshed out enough that it was easy for me to picture everything.
And of course, the plot was a lot of fun. The pacing was well done and kept my interest the whole time.
It's usually hard to pull off this blend of genres, but this perfectly balanced it all in my opinion.
I can't say that I read anything like it before, and I can't wait to yell about it to other people.

THIS BOOK IS SUCH A MASTERPIECE!
From the moment I opened it, I was whisked away on a whirlwind adventure filled with cunning cons, unexpected romance, and a healthy dose of humor. Lady Eve's Last Con is perfect in every way, with well-developed characters, unique, entertaining plot, wonderful world-building, rich and detailed settings, incredible writing style and much more!!

First off, let's talk about Ruth Johnson—what a character! A masterful con artist who navigates the world with wit and charm, she's the kind of protagonist you can't help but root for. And when she sets her sights on revenge after her sister's heartbreak, disguising herself as the elegant debutante Evelyn Ojukwu, you know you're in for a wild ride.

But what truly sets this book apart is its rich tapestry of genres seamlessly woven together. It's part adventure, part rom-com, with a sprinkle of science fiction and a dash of humor thrown in for good measure. You'll find yourself laughing one moment, on the edge of your seat the next, as the plot twists and turns with each passing chapter.

And let's not forget about the incredible world-building and detailed settings that bring this story to life. From the bustling streets of the city to the opulent halls of high society, every scene is painted with such vivid detail that you'll feel like you're right there alongside the characters, experiencing every twist and turn firsthand.

Now, I will admit, the ending did leave me wanting more—I would have loved a bit more closure to tie up loose ends. But hey, maybe that just means there's another thrilling installment in the works!

"Lady Eve's Last Con" is a must-read for anyone who loves flawed yet endearing characters, refreshing storytelling, and witty dialogue that will leave you grinning from ear to ear. Trust me, once you start this book, you won't be able to put it down. It’s a five-star adventure from start to finish!

4.5 stars

I enjoyed every second of this book! The world-building is incredible. The story was super adventurous, charming and funny.

Thank you NetGalley and Rebellion publishing for the ARC. I can't wait to read more Rebecca Fairnow books!

What a delightful, joyous book! I loved every minute I spent reading this.

Ruthi is out to get revenge from the guy who left her sister heartbroken and pregnant, so Ruth's plan is to disguise herself as someone else, make him fall in love with her and then steal his money. And then Ruth meets Sol, Esteban's sister, and ends up falling for her. The plot is ridiculous and entertaining throughout, it's fun from start to finish. The world building is great with such rich settings and the characters are exquisitive. Sol and Ruthi are wonderful and I loved the way their relationship developped.

There's nothing at all I dislike here, it was wonderful. Thank you for the ARC!!

Ruthi Johnson (currently going by Evelyn Ojukwu) is running a con on the awkward heir of a major intergalactic insurance concern to get back at him for jilting her baby sister. But it's hard to focus on breaking Esteban's heart when his wildly dashing half-sister is standing right next to him.

This--like the ostensible Miss Ojukwu's game--is the kind of project that takes a massive amount of craftsmanship to pull off while seeming light-hearted and casual the entire time. There's an immense satisfaction in watching the various gears line up. If you're thinking of Ruthi's universe as a hand-crafted mechanism, it's one with a surprising heft: early twentieth-century musical comedy IN SPACE needs no extra justification, but I appreciated the depth in Fraimow's imagined cultures. Even the seemingly frothiest fashions are based on assumptions about where money comes from and how it is used, and there are layers and layers beneath questions such as why debutantes wear bubble-dresses (the better to dance in half-gravity!) or when it's gauche to take a radiation pill before eating, to say nothing of the best methods for interstellar transport of kosher duck.

4.5 stars rounded up

Everything of Rebecca Fraimow's that I've had the pleasure to read has worked for me, from short stories to novelette to novella, so I had high expectations going into this one and it did not disappoint.

It's a rollicking good art deco space opera on a lovely intimate scale. A small-time conwoman from a hardscrabble background infiltrates the upper crust of a rich planet for money, revenge, and--most importantly--love of her sister. She's very, very good at what she does, but of course things get complicated when she starts to develop feelings for a very inconvenient person.

This is an established kind of plot that depends entirely on style and characterization to work. Because it's Fraimow, it has both. The worldbuilding is fun and colorful with loads of delightful details, and our main characters are lovable with just enough rough edges to lend some weight to what might have been pure fluff.

There's a ton going on here that I love: identity porn, protective older siblings, hot girls on motorcycles, plotting, disasters in zero-gravity, fashion, kosher ducks, and a compelling central romance.

From here on I'm going to get into some thematic spoilers, so read no further if you want to avoid those.


***spoilers below***

The whole thing works because our lead is the perfect mix of justified and wrong. We get why she's doing what she's doing, we understand how she's justifying it to herself, and we understand how a person with her background and experiences would come to this place. Thankfully, the reasons she's wrong are less "it's bad to con rich people" (is it, though?) and more "sometimes you have to let your little sister grow up." I love a storyline about codependent siblings learning how to be less codependent while still loving each other, and that's what's going on here: Ruthi has spent her whole life protecting her sister, and she was right to do that, but she has to come to terms with the fact that "protecting" and "controlling" often end up being the same thing, and once your sister is an adult, too, you have to relinquish your desire for control.

As for the main romance, I'm a hard sell for romances. I love them when they work for me, but 90% of the time they do nothing for me. This one works: I believe that these two people like and admire each other, that they could make a go of it in the future. Fraimow also understands that nothing is more romantic than actually being able to trust someone, and it takes real skill to make me as a reader believe that Ruthi and Sol *can* trust each other despite the layers of deception. I buy that these are two people from different backgrounds who sense a commonality of soul and really *want* to be honest with each other.

All in all, a very fun time. I can't wait to see what Fraimow publishes next! (No pressure, Becca!)

The Sting meets Fiddler on the Roof

** spoiler alert **

Ruthi Johnson, our first-person narrator, arrives at the wealthy resort New Monte (which seems to be a satellite orbiting the quondam planet Pluto, not that that ever matters) bent on revenge. Esteban Mendez-Yuki, the scion of the obscenely wealthy Mendez-Yuki family and corporation, knocked up Ruthi's kid sister Jules then abandoned her. Ruthi is here for revenge. Since she and Jules are con artists, conning Esteban is the best way she knows of getting vengeance. Also, the money couldn't hurt. Jules is not here with her -- she's back at a nice resort colony making Esteban's baby.

OK, this is obviously a disaster waiting to happen. It's hard to read Ruthi's schemes of revenge and imagine any way this can have a happy ending. While Esteban is kind of feckless and oblivious, he has a half-sister Sol who is both protective of him and frighteningly smart and competent. She is also, as it happens, very attractive to Ruthi. So, Ruthi begins to enact her plan to reel Esteban in and stuff happens to Sol and to Ruthi.

At about a third of the way through the book, I began to discern a possibility for pulling off a happy ending. That was, for me, the main interest of the story -- watching Rebecca Fraimow engineer a plausible path. I'm not telling you there IS a happy ending. I'm not telling you there is NOT. But we need that possibility to make the story work -- the is-there-a-path-out-of-this-disaster suspense drove the story -- and it's very well done. There was even a twist near the end that I totally failed to see coming, even though it made perfect sense.

When I was in High School, I saw the movie The Sting. In The Sting two small time con artists play a revenge con. It is impossible to watch the film and not come out of the theatre smiling, or even dancing a little with joy. (Well, it may not be literally impossible, but it certainly was not something I could do.) That's what Lady Eve's Last Con felt like. Now, I want to emphasize that aside from the points I've just mentioned, there is no similarity between the plots of The Sting and Lady Eve's Last Con. In particular, I'm not telling you whether or not Ruthi's con succeeds.

One thing that took me entirely by surprise (and the reason I'm marking this review a spoiler) was the Yiddishkeit. Ruthi and Jules grew up culturally Jewish. I seriously doubt that Ruthi keeps shabbat or eats kosher -- but I am quite confident that she would be comfortable doing both if she wanted to. And, although it is not huge, Ruthi's Yiddishkeit even has an essential plot function. There's also an explicit reference to Fiddler on the Roof.

Heist/con stories can be tremendous fun, and this one is. It left me smiling.

I received an advance reader copy of Lady Eve's Last Con from NetGalley and Rebellion. This review expresses my honest opinions. Release date 4-Jun-2024.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was a really fun sci-fi romance with a lot of flair.

The world-building of this book was familiar with some fairly unique elements. It does involve a far future setting where humanity has become a space-faring civilization, but not one completely removed from current-day practices, prejudices and culture. In fact, capitalistic class issues have intensified so much in this future, that among the rich, some practices/culture of the Gilded Age have been reinstated. The aesthetics of that era, combined with science fiction aspects were not only window dressing but were integrated deftly into the plot.

The plot of this book was very charming with its fair share of quirky elements, but also had rather fun twists. You probably don't expect the transport of Kosher ducks and the like to be key to a science fiction book, so prepare to be surprised and amused.

The cast of characters were all flawed but well fleshed out. Ruth is such an entertaining protagonist and her push-and-pull relationship with Sol was just lovely. I really enjoyed the arc of their romance and how it played out. Even people with masks galore sometimes need someone to see them as they truly are. The familial dynamics were also interesting to read and had a lot of depth.

The ending of the book was somewhat open-ended and perhaps a little abrupt. The climax also could have been more heightened than it ended up being. It doesn't quite resolve every issue brought up. I am not sure whether that was to keep it open for a sequel or not, but either way, the book is still quite entertaining as it is.

Overall, Lady Eve's Last Con is a charming read with a lot of heart involving space travel, glitzy balls, daring rescues at the opera, space mobsters, class commentary, complicated cons, and a whole lot more. If stylistic science fiction or romance is your thing, I'd highly recommend picking this up.

Y'all.

Sapphic 1920s in space.

What more do you want?

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for an ARC in exchange for an unbiased review.

Ruth Johnson is on a con for revenge. Esteban Mendez-Yuki broke her little sister's heart, and Ruth will take him for all he has - which, as the heir to the Mendez-Yuki insurance corporation, MYcorp, is quite a lot.

Ruth was not prepared for Esteban's sister, Sol, however, and she brings her own set of troubles.

Featuring gangsters, high society, low gravity, and a wisecracking inner monologue, each time I opened the book I had a little bit of a giggle. Whoever narrates this audiobook has their work cut out for them in order to do it justice.

I wasn't entirely sure how well the tone of the book would hold up - I recently DNF'd something else when the gimmicky inner monologue got too repetitive and annoying. Thankfully, there was enough plot, dialogue, and fascinating futuristic elements that this kept my attention.

Ruth is a fairly well-rounded character, fitting a few stereotypes, but bringing enough self awareness to feel real. Sol occasionally seemed too good to be true, but at the same time Ruth is a very one sided narrator, so some of that can be forgiven. The villains aren't over the top evil, the big revelation midway through about what Sol has is underwhelming in the best way possible, and the wrap up itself could have been a movie.

If I had any complaints it's that I honestly started feeling bad for Esteban - self centered and awkward and socially unaware he may have been, as a scientist I really wanted to know more about his dirt studies. Which isn't a real complaint - had Ruth actually paid attention, she wouldn't be Ruth.

Overall, a 5/5, and I'll be keeping an eye out for more by this author.

Lady Eve's Last Con by Rebecca Fraimow is an absolute scream and I loved every second, I mean, kosher duck smuggling in space?? Glorious!

Rebecca Fraimow writes razor sharp repartee and is an astute architect of world building. Character development is on point and oh my life if I am not left bereft and wanting more! (but with an ambiguous open ending, ,there is oh so much potential for a rollicking series here!)

Oh my crikey, never in my wildest could I have ever imagined something like this and furthermore, something so out of this world! (Literally and figuratively). The thing is, I was thinking, is it a cosy mystery? An adventure? Nono, I can't pigeonhole it as it is a genre buster, straddling (with grace) comedy, sci-fi, contemporary romance, satire and so much more!

Very, very well written, great narrative, excellent dialogue. An utter gem of a book and so much fun!

Thank you to Netgalley,Solaris and the author Rebecca Fraimow for this fascinating ARC. My review is left voluntarily and all opinions are my own

At its heart this was a fun scam/heist in a Jazz Age-in-space setting, with a compelling and engaging central romance. Ruthi was a great narrator, cynical and wisecracking with a marshmallow heart underneath it all, and watching her assessment of - and feelings toward - Sol change over the course of the novel very much kept me reading. The world-building was detailed and fun - the floating opera boxes were a particular favorite - although there were a few things that felt unnecessarily reminiscent of the actual 1920s. (Ruthi's and Jules's motivation for revenge, for example.) The scam plot managed to be complicated without feeling confusing; Fraimow clearly knew what all the threads were doing at any given moment. Over all, very fun and I loved it.

Disclaimer: I received an ARC for free, but this review contains my own, honest assessment of the book.

Perfect. An absolutely perfect book. I can't even remember the last time I read a book with writing this sparkling and spunky. I think I highlighted like 70 passages in Rebecca Fraimow's wacky, whimsical space opera, which I read without putting it down, thank you very much. It had me in its clutches! The world building is wonderful, the mystery is surprising, the queer MCs are *actually* complicated and full of motivations that get peeled back almost the whole entire book, the romance is sapphic and sizzling (and surprisingly sweet), and the dialogue is just... I want to kiss this dialogue on the mouth down by the imaginary ocean. I'm going to force everyone I know to read this book, so just get ready.

"Sol turned to scan the drinking area and left me still standing there, reminding myself over and over that those grey eyes of hers had hooked in a dozen stupider girls, and I didn't have to be one of them just because she gave me a heated look. But I knew I was going to be stupid. There wasn’t anyone there to stop me but myself. And when it came to saving myself from myself, it had already been proven that I just was not reliable."

Thank you to Solaris and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book and provide an honest review.

I don't know what I liked best: the fantastic world building, the charming cast and the sizzling chemistry between romantic interests, or the clever plots--both the ones the con artist heroine enacts and the actual storyline of the book. Also an interesting look at how Judaism might look in an interstellar future, both the ways it might change and the traditions that'll continue on. Not to mention the fantastic sibling dynamics!! This book's going to stay with me for a long time.

A witty, zany, screwball romantic comedy romp across space stations and asteroids that both pays a lovely homage to my favorite-ever rom-com film (The Lady Eve) and transforms that setup into a delicious new romance between two sharp, smart women who can't resist each other. Total fun!