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Book: “Last Chance to Save the World” by Beth Revis
Publishing Info: DAW, April 2025
Where Did I Get this Book: Netgalley!
Where Can You Get this Book: WorldCat.org | Amazon | IndieBound
Book Description: After a few weeks trapped on board a spaceship with Ada (and, oh look, there’s only one bed), Rian has to admit that maybe Ada’s rebels have a point. The nanobots poised to be unleashed on Earth are infected with malware that will ultimately leave the residents of Earth in a worse position than they’re in now. But is it too late?
Ada and Rian arrive on Earth with little time to spare. Together, they have to break into a high-security facility and infect the nanobots with a counter-virus before they’re released in order to give Earth a fighting chance. And if Ada happens to notice some great tech laying around in this high-security facility she shouldn’t have access to and then happens to steal a bunch of it when Rian’s not looking? Well, he knew who she was before he teamed up with her. And if he wants it back, he’s going to have to catch her first.
With countless twists and turns, this enemies-to-lovers slow-burn and high-tension romance plays on a Sherlock and Moriarity character dynamic rooted in science fiction with a heavy romance and mystery angle.
Previously Reviewed: “Full Speed to a Crash Landing” and “How to Steal a Galaxy”
Review: I’ve been really enjoying this series of science fiction/romance novellas, so it was with a heavy heart that I picked up this, the final one in the trilogy! But, like the ones that came before, it delivered on every level! And in many ways, this one was even more satisfying than the ones that came before as we finally got to see Ada’s long game come into play. By this point in the series, readers are familiar with not only Ada’s methods, but also the narrative tricks the author uses to emphasize the bewilderment that Rian must feel, tugged along mostly blind in Ada’s chaotic wake. And like in the first two books, it was incredibly gratifying to see everything slot into place, even if it was a bit easier to predict just what Ada was up to.
Instead, many of the new twists and turns and surprises came in the form of deeper reveals into Ada’s history. I don’t want to go into too many details, as many of the late-stage events are tied up in all of this, but I really enjoyed some of the new characters we met, and the ways in which they shone a light on Ada’s life and the shaping of her unique moral compass.
It was also nice getting to spend as much time with Rian and Ada together, more than we’ve seen in the previous books it seems. After now reading the last planned book in this series, I will say that I think these novellas will work better for science fiction/heist readers who also enjoy a dash of romance than for strict romance readers. For some of those readers, they may be a bit disappointed, as the series doesn’t adhere closely to all of the conventions of the romance genre that they might expect. That said, I think the ending for this trilogy was perfect, and really the only thing that made sense for these characters. Anything else would have compromised core portions of their identities in a way that I think would have undercut the excellent work that had gone into creating them.
I also really enjoyed the themes of environmental justice and the ways in which humanity has a tendency to hurt not only the world around us but everyone living in it. There was a short conversation about pigeons that really hit home in a way that was surprising, given that it was a…conversation about pigeons! And throughout, the balance between the exploration of these themes, the fast-moving action of the plot, and the quippy love story was all navigated expertly. I definitely recommend this trilogy to all science fiction/heist readers who are looking for a fun, fast series to consume!
Rating 8: Ada leaves a chaotic wake everywhere she goes, and Rian and the readers are just along for the fun that is the ride!
Reader’s Advisory:
“Last Chance to Save the World” can be found on this Goodreads list: Can’t Wait Books of 2025
The Library Ladies 