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Lady Eve's Last Con
Hearts will race and anti-grav boots will fly in this scifi rom-com perfect for fans of WINTER'S ORBIT and THE RED SCHOLAR'S WAKE.
Ruth Johnson and her sister Jules have been small-time hustlers on the interstellar cruise lines for years. But then Jules fell in love with one of their targets, Esteban Mendez-Yuki, sole heir to the family insurance fortune. Esteban seemed to love her too, until she told him who she really was, at which point he fled without a word.
Now Ruth is set on disguised as provincial debutante Evelyn Ojukwu and set for the swanky satellite New Monte, she’s going to make Esteban fall in love with her, then break his heart and take half his fortune. At least, that's the plan. But Ruth hadn't accounted for his younger sister, Sol, a brilliant mind in a dashing suit... and much harder to fool.
Sol is hot on Ruth's tail, and as the two women learn each other’s tricks, Ruth must decide between going after the money and going after her heart.
Ruth Johnson and her sister Jules have been small-time hustlers on the interstellar cruise lines for years. But then Jules fell in love with one of their targets, Esteban Mendez-Yuki, sole heir to the family insurance fortune. Esteban seemed to love her too, until she told him who she really was, at which point he fled without a word.
Now Ruth is set on disguised as provincial debutante Evelyn Ojukwu and set for the swanky satellite New Monte, she’s going to make Esteban fall in love with her, then break his heart and take half his fortune. At least, that's the plan. But Ruth hadn't accounted for his younger sister, Sol, a brilliant mind in a dashing suit... and much harder to fool.
Sol is hot on Ruth's tail, and as the two women learn each other’s tricks, Ruth must decide between going after the money and going after her heart.
1 pages, Audio CD
First published June 4, 2024
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July 4, 2024Lesbian Jewish screwball heist romcom in space. You don't get many of those to the pound.
This is a bit of oddball in some ways. It's very much a screwball heist comedy caper in the spirit of old movies, down to bursts of dialogue you could imagine Jane Russell voicing, which does sometimes land slightly oddly in the context of future antigrav and spaceships. The spirit is pitch perfect though: a conwoman with a good heart underneath the hardboiled shell sets her sights on a rich young man and instead falls for his poised rich-girl sister (to whom there is more than meets the eye, natch).
It's a very likeable and engaging slow burn romance, and the heist element is great fun. I felt it could have been a touch pacier: the screwball thing really needs to be all but non-stop breakneck so we don't have the leisure to ask awkward questions about plausibility, ahaha.
Nevertheless, definitely the most enjoyable heist read in a while and a proper romance well balanced with the plot. Recommended.
This is a bit of oddball in some ways. It's very much a screwball heist comedy caper in the spirit of old movies, down to bursts of dialogue you could imagine Jane Russell voicing, which does sometimes land slightly oddly in the context of future antigrav and spaceships. The spirit is pitch perfect though: a conwoman with a good heart underneath the hardboiled shell sets her sights on a rich young man and instead falls for his poised rich-girl sister (to whom there is more than meets the eye, natch).
It's a very likeable and engaging slow burn romance, and the heist element is great fun. I felt it could have been a touch pacier: the screwball thing really needs to be all but non-stop breakneck so we don't have the leisure to ask awkward questions about plausibility, ahaha.
Nevertheless, definitely the most enjoyable heist read in a while and a proper romance well balanced with the plot. Recommended.
March 10, 2024
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!
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!
February 24, 2024
"Lady Eve's Last Con" by Rebecca Fraimow is wonderfully unique, and without a doubt, one of the best books I have read in the genre in a long while. In this fantastical sci-fi/space opera/rom-com tale, we get to follow Ruth Johnson, a small-time con artist and one of those characters you don't want to leave behind when the book ends.
Meet Ruth Johnson, a con artist who speaks Yiddish with her younger sister Jules, and lives on her wits. When her sister falls in love with one of their targets, Esteban Mendez-Yuki, and gets dumped by him for lack of class, Ruth decides to take revenge. Disguised as the provincial debutante Evelyn Ojukw, she plans to make Esteban fall in love with her and take him for all he is worth in the process. However, she didn't bargain for falling for his cool sister Sol, a charming and sharp-witted gal who is proving to be far more interesting than her dull brother, Esteban. The plot thickens when the mafia enters the picture, further complicating an already convoluted con.
I loved everything about this book! Kosher ducks, playful and witty banter, great setting, wonderful world-building, aristocratic society in space, gay romance reminiscent of Jane Austen—what's not to like? I loved the Jewish angel, the Rachel and Lea reference, and the use of Yiddish to hide intentions. The concept of shipping Kosher ducks with consideration to Shabbat made me cackle.
The characters are well-rounded, and the author does a great job of establishing them as people you want to root for. Ruth is smart and feisty, and I just love the way she infiltrated her way into the snobbish society. The observations on class and old wealth were right on point, and playing the provincial debutante was a clever move. I enjoyed the interactions between the characters and the relationship between the sisters. The dialogue is quick-witted and clever, building a strong intimacy between characters. Sol was delightful and a good counter to Ruth. Jules was hardly in the picture, which is a pity. She seems more clear-headed than her sister.
The book was well-written, well-plotted, and kept me interested throughout. The pacing of the plot is perfect; it’s not too fast or too slow, and everything has just the right amount of detail. The author paints beautiful pictures of the settings and scenes. You can see every image as she describes it: the balls, the outings, the zero-G restaurant scene—which was hilarious—and the bike rides. I loved it all!
It's a brilliant book—an adventure, a rom-com, science fiction, and humor all rolled into one. The ending was a bit abrupt, and I would have liked a bit more closure. Hopefully, another book is on the cards. In sum, this is one of those books that are very difficult to put down once you've started. I don't have words adequate enough to express how much I enjoyed this book. If you love flawed characters, refreshing tales, and tongue-in-cheek dialogues, then this is totally for you. Lovers of the genre would be well advised to immerse themselves in this story. Full stars from me!
* Thank you NetGalley and (publisher) for the opportunity to read this arc. All opinions are my own.
* Review in my blog: https://galibookish.blogspot.com/2024...
Meet Ruth Johnson, a con artist who speaks Yiddish with her younger sister Jules, and lives on her wits. When her sister falls in love with one of their targets, Esteban Mendez-Yuki, and gets dumped by him for lack of class, Ruth decides to take revenge. Disguised as the provincial debutante Evelyn Ojukw, she plans to make Esteban fall in love with her and take him for all he is worth in the process. However, she didn't bargain for falling for his cool sister Sol, a charming and sharp-witted gal who is proving to be far more interesting than her dull brother, Esteban. The plot thickens when the mafia enters the picture, further complicating an already convoluted con.
I loved everything about this book! Kosher ducks, playful and witty banter, great setting, wonderful world-building, aristocratic society in space, gay romance reminiscent of Jane Austen—what's not to like? I loved the Jewish angel, the Rachel and Lea reference, and the use of Yiddish to hide intentions. The concept of shipping Kosher ducks with consideration to Shabbat made me cackle.
The characters are well-rounded, and the author does a great job of establishing them as people you want to root for. Ruth is smart and feisty, and I just love the way she infiltrated her way into the snobbish society. The observations on class and old wealth were right on point, and playing the provincial debutante was a clever move. I enjoyed the interactions between the characters and the relationship between the sisters. The dialogue is quick-witted and clever, building a strong intimacy between characters. Sol was delightful and a good counter to Ruth. Jules was hardly in the picture, which is a pity. She seems more clear-headed than her sister.
The book was well-written, well-plotted, and kept me interested throughout. The pacing of the plot is perfect; it’s not too fast or too slow, and everything has just the right amount of detail. The author paints beautiful pictures of the settings and scenes. You can see every image as she describes it: the balls, the outings, the zero-G restaurant scene—which was hilarious—and the bike rides. I loved it all!
It's a brilliant book—an adventure, a rom-com, science fiction, and humor all rolled into one. The ending was a bit abrupt, and I would have liked a bit more closure. Hopefully, another book is on the cards. In sum, this is one of those books that are very difficult to put down once you've started. I don't have words adequate enough to express how much I enjoyed this book. If you love flawed characters, refreshing tales, and tongue-in-cheek dialogues, then this is totally for you. Lovers of the genre would be well advised to immerse themselves in this story. Full stars from me!
* Thank you NetGalley and (publisher) for the opportunity to read this arc. All opinions are my own.
* Review in my blog: https://galibookish.blogspot.com/2024...
July 25, 2025
The Sting meets Fiddler on the Roof
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, although 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.
Blog review.
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, although 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.
Blog review.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 1, 2023
I love this! It's a stylish, twisty jaunt through a kind-of-dystopian Golden Age, with disaster lesbians. The only sensible person in the entire book doesn't appear until the last chapter! Just a delight.
October 23, 2024
Small time grifter Ruthi Johnson has remade herself as Evelyn Ojukwu and set her sights on the ultra rich Esteban Mendez-Yuki, determined to get a marriage contract out of him—and a good deal of his money—as revenge for breaking her little sister's heart. But when Esteban's sister, Sol—the rake of the piece—enters the picture, things get messy. A Regencyish romance, in space.
A fun idea, but neither the con nor the romance worked for me and it gave me too much time to think about everything else that wasn't working, like the prose. Ruthi's written with a breezy but unearned confidence that had me questioning her skill as a con artist as well as her general understanding of the world. An early example:
"his teeth were the kind of white that made you figure someone had been flossing them for him since the day he was born"
I'm sorry, but teeth don't work like that. So much of the hyperbole hits like this, artificial and try-hard. It's like it was going for a smooth noir thing, but missing badly. Also the gender politics. It's like 2132 or something and we still have debutantes? There's a way to keep the pageantry without buying into the idea of women as property (everyone over a certain age has a social coming out that means they're able to represent their family and conduct business in public, for example), but this book doesn't spend a second deflating the gendered expectations around a word like "deb." It just wants to invoke a tittering group of frivolous young women, and so it does. And then there's the question of why the Mendez-Yuki business couldn't be given to Sol, the one person interested in, and capable of, running it. Because plot reasons, that's why.
The science fiction elements are similarly pasted on, providing a space flavor rather than any kind of cohesive platform for how this world works. What are the breather masks, treated as optional fashion accessories, actually supposed to be for? They're meant to stand in for the paper fans Victorian women used to flirt with, I got that much, but do you literally have to hold them in place like those masquerade masks on a stick? Do you actually need them to breathe? They're mentioned constantly, but their practical purpose remains vague.
In her otherwise positive review, K.J. Charles likens this to a screwball comedy and writes that she "felt it could have been a touch pacier: the screwball thing really needs to be all but non-stop breakneck so we don't have the leisure to ask awkward questions about plausibility, ahaha." And, whoops, haha, here I am, with the awkward questions.
Contains: non-explicit f/f sex, being gay doing crimes.
A fun idea, but neither the con nor the romance worked for me and it gave me too much time to think about everything else that wasn't working, like the prose. Ruthi's written with a breezy but unearned confidence that had me questioning her skill as a con artist as well as her general understanding of the world. An early example:
"his teeth were the kind of white that made you figure someone had been flossing them for him since the day he was born"
I'm sorry, but teeth don't work like that. So much of the hyperbole hits like this, artificial and try-hard. It's like it was going for a smooth noir thing, but missing badly. Also the gender politics. It's like 2132 or something and we still have debutantes? There's a way to keep the pageantry without buying into the idea of women as property (everyone over a certain age has a social coming out that means they're able to represent their family and conduct business in public, for example), but this book doesn't spend a second deflating the gendered expectations around a word like "deb." It just wants to invoke a tittering group of frivolous young women, and so it does. And then there's the question of why the Mendez-Yuki business couldn't be given to Sol, the one person interested in, and capable of, running it. Because plot reasons, that's why.
The science fiction elements are similarly pasted on, providing a space flavor rather than any kind of cohesive platform for how this world works. What are the breather masks, treated as optional fashion accessories, actually supposed to be for? They're meant to stand in for the paper fans Victorian women used to flirt with, I got that much, but do you literally have to hold them in place like those masquerade masks on a stick? Do you actually need them to breathe? They're mentioned constantly, but their practical purpose remains vague.
In her otherwise positive review, K.J. Charles likens this to a screwball comedy and writes that she "felt it could have been a touch pacier: the screwball thing really needs to be all but non-stop breakneck so we don't have the leisure to ask awkward questions about plausibility, ahaha." And, whoops, haha, here I am, with the awkward questions.
Contains: non-explicit f/f sex, being gay doing crimes.
June 23, 2024
Ruth is a long time con artist, mostly running low stake hustles with her sister, Jules, on interstellar cruise lines. But she has come to this particular space station for revenge. Disguised as the daughter of a wealthy family, she targets Esteban Mendez-Yuki, the heir to one of the biggest companies here. But everything changes when she begins to have feelings for Esteban’s sister, Sol. The story is set far into the future but the sci-fi aspect is super lite.
The writing is good, both main characters are likable, and a con played out in outer space is a fun idea. I also enjoyed some of the smaller details like what life might look like for poor people in an advanced world. But I could not connect with the story. The pace is slow and creates no tension. Usually with heist books or scam stories, I worry about the mc getting caught before accomplishing their goal. But in this story, I wasn’t invested in Ruth or Sol so I didn’t care. The book is getting great reviews so I may be an outlier. I was disappointed in this one but I would still look for future books by this author.
3.75 stars rounded up to 4.
Received an ARC from Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
The writing is good, both main characters are likable, and a con played out in outer space is a fun idea. I also enjoyed some of the smaller details like what life might look like for poor people in an advanced world. But I could not connect with the story. The pace is slow and creates no tension. Usually with heist books or scam stories, I worry about the mc getting caught before accomplishing their goal. But in this story, I wasn’t invested in Ruth or Sol so I didn’t care. The book is getting great reviews so I may be an outlier. I was disappointed in this one but I would still look for future books by this author.
3.75 stars rounded up to 4.
Received an ARC from Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
June 5, 2024
I LOVED THIS BOOK.
I love science fiction, and I love romance, but it's been hard for me to find a science fiction romance that hits the SF and the romance spot for me. The SF in Lady Eve's Last Con, like in many (most?) sci-fi romances, is primarily window dressing. That said, it's gorgeous window dressing: the logic of the universe holds together, there are no weird physics discrepancies, the new cultures of far future humanity make wonderful, messy, glorious sense. The MCs aren't out to save the universe; this is "cozy" worldbuilding.
At its heart, this is a confidence artist romance. Ruthi is in town ("town" = a satellite orbiting Pluto) to infiltrate high society, get a specific scion of corporate nobility to fall for her, and then take him for all he's worth. This isn't just a con, it's a revenge scheme: Esteban, said scion, was originally Ruthi and her sister Jules's mark on a luxury space liner. But Jules actually fell for him, and when he left her, she was left high and dry. So Ruthi not only wants his money, she wants to break his heart the way he broke Jules's. The only thing standing in her way is Esteban's sister, Sol. She not only thinks there's something fishy about "Evelyn Ojukwu," Sol is also inconveniently (for Ruthi's state of mind) hot.
Everything was just perfect about this book. The identity reveal happens at exactly the right spot. The character chemistry is off the charts. Sol and Ruthi's compatibility makes so much sense. Be prepared for a slooooooow burn; the book is on the longer side, but the pacing is so perfect it never feels too long. The book isn't closed door, but it's also not high heat. The sexual tension, though, is really well calibrated (Ruthi's got to make Esteban fall in love with her while also feeling nearly uncontrollable lust for Sol, and Fraimow never lets the reader forget it).
I really hope Fraimow returns to this universe in the future, but regardless of what she writes, I'll be reading it.
This objective review is based on a complimentary copy of the novel.
I love science fiction, and I love romance, but it's been hard for me to find a science fiction romance that hits the SF and the romance spot for me. The SF in Lady Eve's Last Con, like in many (most?) sci-fi romances, is primarily window dressing. That said, it's gorgeous window dressing: the logic of the universe holds together, there are no weird physics discrepancies, the new cultures of far future humanity make wonderful, messy, glorious sense. The MCs aren't out to save the universe; this is "cozy" worldbuilding.
At its heart, this is a confidence artist romance. Ruthi is in town ("town" = a satellite orbiting Pluto) to infiltrate high society, get a specific scion of corporate nobility to fall for her, and then take him for all he's worth. This isn't just a con, it's a revenge scheme: Esteban, said scion, was originally Ruthi and her sister Jules's mark on a luxury space liner. But Jules actually fell for him, and when he left her, she was left high and dry. So Ruthi not only wants his money, she wants to break his heart the way he broke Jules's. The only thing standing in her way is Esteban's sister, Sol. She not only thinks there's something fishy about "Evelyn Ojukwu," Sol is also inconveniently (for Ruthi's state of mind) hot.
Everything was just perfect about this book. The identity reveal happens at exactly the right spot. The character chemistry is off the charts. Sol and Ruthi's compatibility makes so much sense. Be prepared for a slooooooow burn; the book is on the longer side, but the pacing is so perfect it never feels too long. The book isn't closed door, but it's also not high heat. The sexual tension, though, is really well calibrated (Ruthi's got to make Esteban fall in love with her while also feeling nearly uncontrollable lust for Sol, and Fraimow never lets the reader forget it).
I really hope Fraimow returns to this universe in the future, but regardless of what she writes, I'll be reading it.
This objective review is based on a complimentary copy of the novel.
July 16, 2024
Extremely entertaining read from beginning to end, with lines like the following:
"It wasn’t so hard to get someone like Esteban to think that you were their romantic ideal; all you had to do was present an attractive outline and leave plenty of space, and they’d fill in the rest all by themselves." (4%)
"I’d given her plenty of time to put me back in my place; she’d be faster on the draw next time around. It’s a bad habit to let yourself get caught tongue-tied. Life’s too short for should-have-saids." (51%)
"I stuck my chin up, and tried to look like a person who was trying to look brave." (91%)
The main outcome of the novel is clear from the beginning, but getting there is a wild ride, and the twists and turns--and the deploying of the right people and moves at the right time--is excellent. Lots of super takedowns of the ultra rich of the spacefaring future.
I was also extremely relieved that the feature of romance novels that I detest (the dark moment, or as we call it in my family, the Hollywood betrayal)
There was one prediction I made that was totally wrong, but I was so wedded to it that I believed it was happening literally until the very end. The story was absolutely fine the way it went--if anything, the way it went allowed for more maturity on the part of one character, but as a consequence I had to completely rethink my approach to another character. Let me explain under a cut for those who've read the book, but the rest of you! Don't spoil yourselves!
"It wasn’t so hard to get someone like Esteban to think that you were their romantic ideal; all you had to do was present an attractive outline and leave plenty of space, and they’d fill in the rest all by themselves." (4%)
"I’d given her plenty of time to put me back in my place; she’d be faster on the draw next time around. It’s a bad habit to let yourself get caught tongue-tied. Life’s too short for should-have-saids." (51%)
"I stuck my chin up, and tried to look like a person who was trying to look brave." (91%)
The main outcome of the novel is clear from the beginning, but getting there is a wild ride, and the twists and turns--and the deploying of the right people and moves at the right time--is excellent. Lots of super takedowns of the ultra rich of the spacefaring future.
I was also extremely relieved that the feature of romance novels that I detest (the dark moment, or as we call it in my family, the Hollywood betrayal)
There was one prediction I made that was totally wrong, but I was so wedded to it that I believed it was happening literally until the very end. The story was absolutely fine the way it went--if anything, the way it went allowed for more maturity on the part of one character, but as a consequence I had to completely rethink my approach to another character. Let me explain under a cut for those who've read the book, but the rest of you! Don't spoil yourselves!
June 24, 2024
Review originally on JamReadst
Lady Eve's Last Con is a romp sci-fi romcom novel, a delicious and fun proposal written by Rebecca Fraimow and published by Solaris. An ambitious con which ends taking more ramifications than it was expected, a candid romance, great worldbuilding and fully fleshed characters are the elements that make of this book a great read.
Ruth and Jules Johnson have been working as small-scope hustlers in an interstellar cruise for years; until Jules fell in love with Esteban Mendez-Yuki, one of their targets and heir to the Mendez-Yuki fortune. While it seemed a mutual relationship, when Jules reveals her identity to Esteban, he fled without more explanations.
Ruth is decided to get vengeance; disguised as Evelyn's Ojukwu, a debutante in the satellite New Monte, she will make Esteban fall in love with her, break his heart, and get the half of his fortune. However, what she didn't take into account was Esteban's sister, Sol, a brilliant and much harder to fool woman.
A con that was not easy to execute at the first time, but which still can become harder as Ruth starts falling in love with Sol, a sentiment that progressively become mutual; cold-hearted Ruth is getting melted by the impulsiveness of Sol. Her mind is still focused on procuring that fortune for her sister, but definitely, we can see how she progressively loses the rationality and the heart starts governing her decisions.
Fraimow expertly blends several genres in this novel, an explosive mix which is super enjoyable to read. From the humour and feelings of the rom-com, to some thriller elements related to a criminal subplot, and all spiced with a dash of sci-fi in the worldbuilding; I found myself laughing out loud, but at the same time super invested in Ruth and Sol, and suffering whenever they were struggling. The pacing is simply excellent, and all the relevant information is eventually revealed, keeping that layer of intrigue that hooks you into the plot.
Lady Eve's Last Con is, simply, an excellent sci-fi romcom, a really fun book which you will love if you are into flawed characters; personally I would love to return to this part of the universe, and maybe continue with the same characters, but it was a really satisfying reading. Read it if you want fun in your romantic sci-fi!
Lady Eve's Last Con is a romp sci-fi romcom novel, a delicious and fun proposal written by Rebecca Fraimow and published by Solaris. An ambitious con which ends taking more ramifications than it was expected, a candid romance, great worldbuilding and fully fleshed characters are the elements that make of this book a great read.
Ruth and Jules Johnson have been working as small-scope hustlers in an interstellar cruise for years; until Jules fell in love with Esteban Mendez-Yuki, one of their targets and heir to the Mendez-Yuki fortune. While it seemed a mutual relationship, when Jules reveals her identity to Esteban, he fled without more explanations.
Ruth is decided to get vengeance; disguised as Evelyn's Ojukwu, a debutante in the satellite New Monte, she will make Esteban fall in love with her, break his heart, and get the half of his fortune. However, what she didn't take into account was Esteban's sister, Sol, a brilliant and much harder to fool woman.
A con that was not easy to execute at the first time, but which still can become harder as Ruth starts falling in love with Sol, a sentiment that progressively become mutual; cold-hearted Ruth is getting melted by the impulsiveness of Sol. Her mind is still focused on procuring that fortune for her sister, but definitely, we can see how she progressively loses the rationality and the heart starts governing her decisions.
Fraimow expertly blends several genres in this novel, an explosive mix which is super enjoyable to read. From the humour and feelings of the rom-com, to some thriller elements related to a criminal subplot, and all spiced with a dash of sci-fi in the worldbuilding; I found myself laughing out loud, but at the same time super invested in Ruth and Sol, and suffering whenever they were struggling. The pacing is simply excellent, and all the relevant information is eventually revealed, keeping that layer of intrigue that hooks you into the plot.
Lady Eve's Last Con is, simply, an excellent sci-fi romcom, a really fun book which you will love if you are into flawed characters; personally I would love to return to this part of the universe, and maybe continue with the same characters, but it was a really satisfying reading. Read it if you want fun in your romantic sci-fi!
Read
July 26, 2024Hard to sustain this 1920s-ish tone for a full novel and still keep it light and fun and propulsive throughout. CL Polk’s Even Though I Knew the End tapped out at 136 pages and I think this would have worked better at something like that length. (The Maltese Falcon - a tad over 200.) As it is, I’m loving the idea of this but the more plot elements get introduced (the goods! Sol’s extended family!) the less compelled I feel to keep turning pages.
I also think - the concept of this book at the outset is pretty straightforward: trick the guy who knocked up your sister so you can get your revenge, and financial satisfaction. Fun, entertaining, we’re rooting for the underdog to put these rich assholes in their place, etc. Love it!
Halfway through, I feel like that’s fallen to the wayside in favor of humanizing Sol, presumably so that we can be “okay” with her and Ruthi getting together - which, thinking the audience wants that “redemption” majorly mistakes the appeal of this type of character. And frankly Sol is being humanizing in a boring business- and family finances-focused way that doesn’t really mesh tonally with the original eat-the-rich-but-go-to-their-parties-first concept. This is kind of like if instead of a couple ominous phone calls, The Great Gatsby had a whole subplot about Gatsby’s smuggling, and halfway through the book it turned out he wasn’t running illegal booze - just trading in some other extremely boring, totally legal product. Daisy would have gotten the ick so fast!
Idk it’s not that I’m against this storyline exactly, but I just think you can’t expect me to root for Flapper Fatale/Sexy Scammer/The Talented Ms. Ripley/Bonnie & Nobody… and at the same time expect me to find Sol appealing, and believe Ruthi finds her appealing, specifically because she’s got poor relatives and bad business sense. Like, what?
[Side note - are Ruthi/Sol a Wickham/Lizzy-like pairing? One is a scammer with a hidden past, one is the rich version of poor and has embarrassing relatives and sardonically quirks her eyebrow a lot, they have fun together at parties but are definitely not HEA material… Is that my galaxy brain take on this book?]
I guess what I’m saying is I was rooting for Ruthi, and I was rooting for her to get with Sol as we knew her originally. But for Ruthi to still be into Sol after this backstory “reveal”? I can’t invest in that anymore.
I do honestly feel like most of the issues here could have been avoided if this were a novella. The mysterious goods could have just been a macguffin (a maltese falcon, you could say), we wouldn’t have gotten around to Sol’s whole big family of randos, and we could have cut to the chase on the sister plotline way faster than we are.
(Like I just know the sister is going to show up and get back together with what’s his name at the end, who probably never even heard she was pregnant or something, and I’m sick of waiting for that - there have been what feels like SO many times Ruthi has thought about her sister, and written letters, and sent letters, and not sent letters, and received letters… and yet there has been absolutely no actual plot movement on this topic. Idk I feel like this is the “humanize Ruthi” move, and I just… I think she can have more going on than Fraimow’s given her, which at the moment is just flirty fraud + loyal to family. …But it doesn’t seem like we’re getting more than that, so why not just cut like 70% of this subplot. If this zipped along more we wouldn’t have time to notice that Ruthi is two personality traits in a sci-fi flapper dress!)
Despite my varied complaints I’m not mad at this book at all - this tone/style/setting has a super high degree of difficulty and most authors who attempt it, fail. I don’t at all begrudge that. I respect the effort!
And I will say that the tone is phenomenal. Fraimow has struck just the right balance imo - so fun, so creative, so bouncy. I really do think it’s just the pacing of the plot that is the issue.
Idk, when I decide to stop reading something like this halfway through I sometimes get cold feet about it - like there were a lot of good aspects, maybe if I push through it’ll get good again! But I feel like I’ve been doing that for a while already and it *hasn’t* gotten better, so DNF @ 56%.
I also think - the concept of this book at the outset is pretty straightforward: trick the guy who knocked up your sister so you can get your revenge, and financial satisfaction. Fun, entertaining, we’re rooting for the underdog to put these rich assholes in their place, etc. Love it!
Halfway through, I feel like that’s fallen to the wayside in favor of humanizing Sol, presumably so that we can be “okay” with her and Ruthi getting together - which, thinking the audience wants that “redemption” majorly mistakes the appeal of this type of character. And frankly Sol is being humanizing in a boring business- and family finances-focused way that doesn’t really mesh tonally with the original eat-the-rich-but-go-to-their-parties-first concept. This is kind of like if instead of a couple ominous phone calls, The Great Gatsby had a whole subplot about Gatsby’s smuggling, and halfway through the book it turned out he wasn’t running illegal booze - just trading in some other extremely boring, totally legal product. Daisy would have gotten the ick so fast!
Idk it’s not that I’m against this storyline exactly, but I just think you can’t expect me to root for Flapper Fatale/Sexy Scammer/The Talented Ms. Ripley/Bonnie & Nobody… and at the same time expect me to find Sol appealing, and believe Ruthi finds her appealing, specifically because she’s got poor relatives and bad business sense. Like, what?
[Side note - are Ruthi/Sol a Wickham/Lizzy-like pairing? One is a scammer with a hidden past, one is the rich version of poor and has embarrassing relatives and sardonically quirks her eyebrow a lot, they have fun together at parties but are definitely not HEA material… Is that my galaxy brain take on this book?]
I guess what I’m saying is I was rooting for Ruthi, and I was rooting for her to get with Sol as we knew her originally. But for Ruthi to still be into Sol after this backstory “reveal”? I can’t invest in that anymore.
I do honestly feel like most of the issues here could have been avoided if this were a novella. The mysterious goods could have just been a macguffin (a maltese falcon, you could say), we wouldn’t have gotten around to Sol’s whole big family of randos, and we could have cut to the chase on the sister plotline way faster than we are.
(Like I just know the sister is going to show up and get back together with what’s his name at the end, who probably never even heard she was pregnant or something, and I’m sick of waiting for that - there have been what feels like SO many times Ruthi has thought about her sister, and written letters, and sent letters, and not sent letters, and received letters… and yet there has been absolutely no actual plot movement on this topic. Idk I feel like this is the “humanize Ruthi” move, and I just… I think she can have more going on than Fraimow’s given her, which at the moment is just flirty fraud + loyal to family. …But it doesn’t seem like we’re getting more than that, so why not just cut like 70% of this subplot. If this zipped along more we wouldn’t have time to notice that Ruthi is two personality traits in a sci-fi flapper dress!)
Despite my varied complaints I’m not mad at this book at all - this tone/style/setting has a super high degree of difficulty and most authors who attempt it, fail. I don’t at all begrudge that. I respect the effort!
And I will say that the tone is phenomenal. Fraimow has struck just the right balance imo - so fun, so creative, so bouncy. I really do think it’s just the pacing of the plot that is the issue.
Idk, when I decide to stop reading something like this halfway through I sometimes get cold feet about it - like there were a lot of good aspects, maybe if I push through it’ll get good again! But I feel like I’ve been doing that for a while already and it *hasn’t* gotten better, so DNF @ 56%.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 18, 2024
3.5 but like, a very affectionate 3.5
November 12, 2024
Oh, how I wanted to love this book. Jazz Age-themed sapphic romance in space with a heist plot? I MEAN!
Our first-person POV is Lady Evelyn Ojukwu, a wide-eyed ingenue from a wealthy family ... although that is not her real name. She's actually a con artist who's set on avenging her sister, who Sol's brother Esteban got pregnant and then ditched. She's visiting New Monte, a manmade satellite planet that is a playground for the rich, where Esteban and his family live, with the goal of marrying and then ditching him.
The three stars I've given it are for the setting and for the character of Esteban's half-sister Sol, who is a character I haven't read before: a smooth, suit-and-cape-wearing Don Juan of a lesbian who prides herself on being the most chivalrous person to ever do chivalry. She was great.
So, all the pieces were in place for Molly Catnip. But there were a few fundamental pieces that let all this potential down.
1. It felt so LONG. I wasn't sure if it was just my post-election mood, which has left me with the attention span of Dug from Up (SQUIRREL!), but I think it was the fact that not a lot of consequence actually happened, for all the snappy dialogue and interesting backdrops.
2. I didn't feel much chemistry between Lady Eve and Sol, which is a little heartbreaking considering how hot they had the potential to be.
3. The setting was fun, but I needed a little more worldbuilding. Like, everyone carries around "breathers" -- masks -- but doesn't always wear them. So, what are they for? Just in the case of emergency?
4. It was disappointing that in a future far enough away that humans have have colonized other planets and built ultra-complex habitable satellites, "girls" are still referred to as "debs" who have the ultimate goal of marriage, even if they could marry a man OR a woman (I believe there was only one nonbinary character, and they were only given a passing mention). It was giving Regency in Space, and that felt like a wasted opportunity.
5. We got a quick look into the lives of the workers who make all the glitz and glamour of New Monte possible, but the class aspect felt woefully underdeveloped.
6. The resolution of the heist plot felt rushed and infodumpy.
There were lots of lovely aspects to this book, and a few memorable scenes (the beach satellite and our brief glimpse of the inner workings of New Monte), but it left me sighing over what could have been.
Our first-person POV is Lady Evelyn Ojukwu, a wide-eyed ingenue from a wealthy family ... although that is not her real name. She's actually a con artist who's set on avenging her sister, who Sol's brother Esteban got pregnant and then ditched. She's visiting New Monte, a manmade satellite planet that is a playground for the rich, where Esteban and his family live, with the goal of marrying and then ditching him.
The three stars I've given it are for the setting and for the character of Esteban's half-sister Sol, who is a character I haven't read before: a smooth, suit-and-cape-wearing Don Juan of a lesbian who prides herself on being the most chivalrous person to ever do chivalry. She was great.
So, all the pieces were in place for Molly Catnip. But there were a few fundamental pieces that let all this potential down.
1. It felt so LONG. I wasn't sure if it was just my post-election mood, which has left me with the attention span of Dug from Up (SQUIRREL!), but I think it was the fact that not a lot of consequence actually happened, for all the snappy dialogue and interesting backdrops.
2. I didn't feel much chemistry between Lady Eve and Sol, which is a little heartbreaking considering how hot they had the potential to be.
3. The setting was fun, but I needed a little more worldbuilding. Like, everyone carries around "breathers" -- masks -- but doesn't always wear them. So, what are they for? Just in the case of emergency?
4. It was disappointing that in a future far enough away that humans have have colonized other planets and built ultra-complex habitable satellites, "girls" are still referred to as "debs" who have the ultimate goal of marriage, even if they could marry a man OR a woman (I believe there was only one nonbinary character, and they were only given a passing mention). It was giving Regency in Space, and that felt like a wasted opportunity.
5. We got a quick look into the lives of the workers who make all the glitz and glamour of New Monte possible, but the class aspect felt woefully underdeveloped.
6. The resolution of the heist plot felt rushed and infodumpy.
There were lots of lovely aspects to this book, and a few memorable scenes (the beach satellite and our brief glimpse of the inner workings of New Monte), but it left me sighing over what could have been.
February 19, 2024
I cannot say enough about how fun, exciting, sexy and downright GOOD this novel is. With fascinating worldbuilding that blends futuristic technology with 1920s flapper aesthetics, it's sci fi like you've never seen. Also perfect for fans of Becky Chambers. Its main characters are so extra and so gay and so fantastic. Recommend this so highly! It had me delighted from page 1.
January 28, 2025
I wanted to like this a lot more than I did - Jewish lesbian con artist in space! anti-grav opera! hot butch love interest in sharp suits! However, I lost interest in the plot and the heist reveal at the end went completely over my head. I think it needed to be shorter and/or pacier to keep my interest.
February 19, 2025
I just could not get into this novel. It finally picked up 2/3 of the way through, but it was a real struggle up to that point.
March 3, 2024
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!)
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!)
March 26, 2024
Lady Eve’s Last Con is a fun, lighthearted sapphic romance, between Ruth, a con artist and Sol, the sister of the guy Ruth is out to scam.
I really enjoyed the setting here! It never gets bogged down on hardcore sci-fi details but it still feels well established. It was also a pleasant surprise to see how the logistics of observing the Sabbath would work during space travel be something of a plot point.
I do think this was one of those genre blends were it ends up less than the sum of its parts, though. I wanted more cool heist stuff, but felt like we were spending a lot of time with the budding attraction. But anytime I was like, okay this is a romance, we would go back to the most boring part of the heist! (Pretending to find a very dull man utterly captivating)
I received an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I really enjoyed the setting here! It never gets bogged down on hardcore sci-fi details but it still feels well established. It was also a pleasant surprise to see how the logistics of observing the Sabbath would work during space travel be something of a plot point.
I do think this was one of those genre blends were it ends up less than the sum of its parts, though. I wanted more cool heist stuff, but felt like we were spending a lot of time with the budding attraction. But anytime I was like, okay this is a romance, we would go back to the most boring part of the heist! (Pretending to find a very dull man utterly captivating)
I received an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
March 17, 2025
lighthearted and fast-paced with a diverse and interesting cast of characters. The romance was my favourite part of it but i also enjoyed Ruth’s relationship with her sister. Although I wish it was more angsty??? especially when it comes to Jules and Ruth …. I felt like they resolved their “problems” quite fast and more smoothly than i hoped they would ? However, this was a decent read, i would definitely check this author’s future books.
June 20, 2024
Older Sister (subtype: small-time con artist)/Older Sister (subtype: dashing, lovable rogue) is the ship I didn't know I was missing in my life. This book SPARKLES with wit and warmth - such a fun, engaging, big-hearted adventure, with two deeply compelling characters at its centre.
July 28, 2024
An absolute delight from start to finish.
July 6, 2025
No è che è brutto, è semplicemente noioso.
Con le premesse della storia si poteva creare un sacco di tensione tra i personaggi, invece è tutto molto calmo, molto semplice. La cosa che ho tollerato di meno è che Sol prenda tutto sommato bene il fatto che Eve stia truffando il fratello (come se non gli fosse già capitato). Va bene il ricatto, ma il modo in cui lo accetta tutto sommato è ridicolo. E' come se chi scrive romance abbia ormai paura di inserire un qualsiasi minimo conflitto interno tra la coppia e il risultato sono queste storie mid.
Con le premesse della storia si poteva creare un sacco di tensione tra i personaggi, invece è tutto molto calmo, molto semplice. La cosa che ho tollerato di meno è che Sol prenda tutto sommato bene il fatto che Eve stia truffando il fratello (come se non gli fosse già capitato). Va bene il ricatto, ma il modo in cui lo accetta tutto sommato è ridicolo. E' come se chi scrive romance abbia ormai paura di inserire un qualsiasi minimo conflitto interno tra la coppia e il risultato sono queste storie mid.
July 19, 2025
A charming and very satisfying sapphic romance, wrapped up in a hard-talking-dame (with a heart of gold under her crunchy emotional armour)-led con-heist. Full of low-gravity glitz and glamour, and plenty of pithy commentary on how the other half lives, with a narrow but deeply explored cast of interesting and faceted characters. I loved the limited exploration of space-based life, and I enjoyed the historical echoes in the voice and setting, and the resonance of themes of family and choice and building a life really worked for me. Basically, I had a wonderful time with this book!
June 26, 2024
A sapphic space sci-fi, with vibes of the roaring 20's and Great Gatsby, Lady Eve's Last Con is all kinds of fun and an utter delight to read. It's witty, cosy and utterly endearing.
If you loved Becky Chambers' Wayfarer series, this is a read I'd highly recommend.
If you loved Becky Chambers' Wayfarer series, this is a read I'd highly recommend.
July 15, 2024
This was a lot of fun. A con (rather than heist) novel, set on a satellite in space, where Ruthi/Evelyn tries to get revenge on Esteban (rich, clueless) who got her sister pregnant while on a interstellar cruise and abandonded her. Ruthi's plan: masquerade as Evelyn Ojukwu, rural-planet debutante, seduce him, get engaged, get him to break the engagement, and accept a hefty payout that will take care of her sister and the baby. And then Sol, Esteban's gloriously suave and sexy half-sister turns up and complicates Ruthi's plan. A lot. Because Ruthi thinks Sol is hot. And Sol is in trouble with the mob.
It just got a *lot* more complicated.
Think of this as a Sapphic version of one of my favorite screwball comedies (The Lady Eve, 1941, written by Preston Sturges and Starring Barbara Stanwyk and Henry Fonda); I assume the reference is intentional.
A fabulous romp that is tied up in the most satisfactory manner. You root for Ruthi and Sol the whole way.
Definitely recommended.
It just got a *lot* more complicated.
Think of this as a Sapphic version of one of my favorite screwball comedies (The Lady Eve, 1941, written by Preston Sturges and Starring Barbara Stanwyk and Henry Fonda); I assume the reference is intentional.
A fabulous romp that is tied up in the most satisfactory manner. You root for Ruthi and Sol the whole way.
Definitely recommended.
September 6, 2024
4.5 stars. So much fun - sapphic romance / heist caper, in space!
June 14, 2024
Genre: sci-fi romance
Ruthi Johnson is a woman on a mission. She and her sister are con artists, and on their last big con on a luxury starliner, Jules falls hard for their target, and unfortunately things go sideways fast. Unfortunately for Estaben Mendez-Yuki, that is. Ruthi plans to con this heir to his family fortune out of as much money as possible. Donning the identity of provincial debutante Evelyn Ojukwu, Ruthi makes a splash in New Monte trying to impress Estaben, and instead catches the eye of his sister Sol, a lady rake with the brains, beauty, and poise to stop hearts, including Ruthi’s.
A genre mashup of science fiction, romance, and screwball comedy, Lady Eve’s Last Con is witty and humorous. In her own words, Fraimow is looking for the spaces between the margins of the genres to find the interesting moments, tropes, and plot points recognizable to genre fiction fans but truly unique in execution. There are points of reflection throughout informed by diasporic Jewish identity and religion, queer normativity, and commentary on excess consumerism. For me, successful science fiction is a commentary on society (now and in the future), and Fraimow uses her reflection points to support a wildly funny and unputdownable romantic screwball comedy love story.
One of my favorite things about picking up any romance is the way an author navigates the HEA. The best thing about setting one 200-300 years in the future is that the social rules are different - and so are the people - but human nature doesn’t ever fully change, and Fraimow gives us a sapphic romance that not only suits her characters but feels real and attainable to 21st century readers, too.
Lady Eve is informed by classic works of science fiction, different historical eras - though predominantly 19th and early 20th century because all human trends go through cycles - and the glimpses of worldbuilding are enough to spark the imagination but not bog down the writing. It’s zany and fun, with the appropriate level of conning, grifting, and heisting to keep the plot moving at all times.
I had the pleasure of hearing Rebecca Fraimow speak about this book last night, and it was clear she had a lot of fun writing it, and readers will have a fun time reading it.
Thank you to Solaris and NetGalley for an eARC for review. Lady Eve’s Last Con is out now!
Ruthi Johnson is a woman on a mission. She and her sister are con artists, and on their last big con on a luxury starliner, Jules falls hard for their target, and unfortunately things go sideways fast. Unfortunately for Estaben Mendez-Yuki, that is. Ruthi plans to con this heir to his family fortune out of as much money as possible. Donning the identity of provincial debutante Evelyn Ojukwu, Ruthi makes a splash in New Monte trying to impress Estaben, and instead catches the eye of his sister Sol, a lady rake with the brains, beauty, and poise to stop hearts, including Ruthi’s.
A genre mashup of science fiction, romance, and screwball comedy, Lady Eve’s Last Con is witty and humorous. In her own words, Fraimow is looking for the spaces between the margins of the genres to find the interesting moments, tropes, and plot points recognizable to genre fiction fans but truly unique in execution. There are points of reflection throughout informed by diasporic Jewish identity and religion, queer normativity, and commentary on excess consumerism. For me, successful science fiction is a commentary on society (now and in the future), and Fraimow uses her reflection points to support a wildly funny and unputdownable romantic screwball comedy love story.
One of my favorite things about picking up any romance is the way an author navigates the HEA. The best thing about setting one 200-300 years in the future is that the social rules are different - and so are the people - but human nature doesn’t ever fully change, and Fraimow gives us a sapphic romance that not only suits her characters but feels real and attainable to 21st century readers, too.
Lady Eve is informed by classic works of science fiction, different historical eras - though predominantly 19th and early 20th century because all human trends go through cycles - and the glimpses of worldbuilding are enough to spark the imagination but not bog down the writing. It’s zany and fun, with the appropriate level of conning, grifting, and heisting to keep the plot moving at all times.
I had the pleasure of hearing Rebecca Fraimow speak about this book last night, and it was clear she had a lot of fun writing it, and readers will have a fun time reading it.
Thank you to Solaris and NetGalley for an eARC for review. Lady Eve’s Last Con is out now!
July 25, 2024
he had me between the airlock and the spacewalk.
I have LOVED every instance of rebecca fraimow’s short fiction that I’ve read (exhibits a, b, c, d, e, & f), so I am extremely bummed that this didn’t work for me.
the premise sounded perfect, but in practice “futuristic noir–cum–conwoman heist–cum–screwball comedy but in SPACE” kind of sucked. I guess I never was much of one for screwball comedies, though, so maybe there’s the rub.
the narrative voice was borderline unbearable! at first I thought it was the audiobook narrator, so then I tried it in ebook format, and honestly that wasn’t much better. the endless cutesy need to replace every old-timey YA SEE NOW WELL WHY DON’T I JUST GIVE YOU WHAT FOR! phrase with a sci-fi equivalent...came to grate. it was cute maybe the first two times it happened. well, in for a pace, in for a parsec, I guess, and I guess I’d better cut my losses and run!
not entirely without merit—I liked the throwaway bits about sol’s future!binder and about how “that’s how [coffee]’s supposed to taste” and the line “you’ve been having some pretty filthy ideas about an abstract ideal, then”—but it’s just not enough to sustain a book this long and this slow. I was flooooooored when they started referring to one another as nemeses, even jokingly, lol, like, WHAT. u have not earned that!!! I’m losing my mind!
2.5 stars rounded down. sad about it! better luck next time!
“you’re as stubborn as a bot with bad orders.”
March 1, 2024
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.
"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.
July 16, 2024
As much as I was really hoping to enjoy this story, I could not get into it for the life of me. I've been dying for more queer romantic scifi books but the plot was too slow and the chemistry between the two characters wasn't there.
I also could not wrap my head around the world building since Earth was still a prominent place but space colonies and such were well established, yet society had like time travelled back to the 1920s... I think I just needed some type of date/year to ground me. Like are we centuries in the future, a full thousand years? Idk (probably not the last one lol) but the point is, I just could not figure it out and it bothered me. If I missed anything of that sort, then that's on me.
I did really enjoy the relationship Ruth had with her sister, especially towards the last hundred pages, but that didn't make up for how I felt about the rest of the book.
I'm so happy people are enjoying this story! I'm just sad to say for me, it wasn't what I was looking for.
I also could not wrap my head around the world building since Earth was still a prominent place but space colonies and such were well established, yet society had like time travelled back to the 1920s... I think I just needed some type of date/year to ground me. Like are we centuries in the future, a full thousand years? Idk (probably not the last one lol) but the point is, I just could not figure it out and it bothered me. If I missed anything of that sort, then that's on me.
I did really enjoy the relationship Ruth had with her sister, especially towards the last hundred pages, but that didn't make up for how I felt about the rest of the book.
I'm so happy people are enjoying this story! I'm just sad to say for me, it wasn't what I was looking for.
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