Ruth Johnson and her younger sister Jules are con artists, and after Jules is abandoned, and pregnant, by a wealthy man, Ruth decides she's getting her revenge. She crafts an identity, Evelyn Ojukwu, a naïve woman from a wealthy family located on Kepler, and targets Esteban Mendez-Yuki, the heir to his family's huge fortune, and jilter of her sister.

Evelyn quickly catches Esteban's eye, but also that of his younger sister, Sol. Sol isn't as taken in as Esteban is, but it's clear that she's attracted to Ruth. At the same time, Ruth discovers that Sol has financial problems with a criminal, and Ruth finds herself not only continuing with her con of Esteban, but also working with Sol and with the criminal to find a way through the tangle, so that Ruth can still get what she wants for Jules and herself.

I found the pacing to be really slow, and sometimes the banter felt a little off. It's a little jarring hearing 1950s-style Hollywood verbal sparring in a far future setting. My attention really flagged in the middle of the book till after about 3/4 through, at which point the story picked up again, but not enough to really make me care about the outcome. Which is clever, and romantic, but I think that if the story had been tightened up, my interest and engagement would have held from beginning to end.

Thank you to Netgalley and to Solaris for this ARC in exchange for my review.

Imagine the vacation ship from Fifth Element (without the alien invasion) with the feel of a classic 30s mystery (a la Agatha Christie) and a sapphic romance cherry top and you have Lady Eve's Last Con. This is a perfect entry point for a mystery reader or a sapphic romance lover looking to explore science fiction. Our main heroine is posing as a rich heiress to get closer to the wealthy playboy who broke her sister's heart. The plan is working beautiful, only she didn't account for his sister. His deeply distracting sister. Who is harboring a secret of her own which could spell deadly consequences for them all

This is deeply engaging yet super approachable so definitely worth picking up!

It took me a minute to get into this book, but once I got going it was such a fun read! I love a good heist, and Ruthi is a tremendously charming "rogue with a heart of gold" protagonist. Neatly sidesteps a lot of the things that can turn me off antagonists-to-lovers romance and the space capitalist worldbuilding was realistic without being grim. I'll be on the lookout for more books by Rebecca Fraimow!

Sadly ,I had to dnf, I couldn't really get into this one as much as I thought I would but I think the writing was very good. I would still recommend this to people I know would love this type of story.

This was such a fun, fresh read. The way it combined genres - adventure, romantic comedy, a bit of science fiction and humor tossed it for good measure - felt new and fun. It's a perfect read for those who like heist books but want something with a new spin and fresh feel.

This book was made for me.. I feel it in my bones. So much fun with that fanfic style edge that made me just keep reading. I will for sure be buying a physical copy

When her sister, Jules, is left let-down and pregnant by a wealthy young man on a space-tourist liner, Ruth Johnson, an experienced con artist, poses as Lady Evelyn Ojukwu to con Esteban Mendez-Yuki out of some of his family fortune in order to give her sister and impending baby some financial security. Arriving on the artificial world of New Monte, Lady Eve sets about wooing Esteban, but she has reckoned without Sol Mendez-Yuki, Esteban’s unconventional half-sister with whom she is developing an interesting relationship. Unfortunately, Sol has borrowed a substantial sum from the shady Alfred Alonzo for a business venture that’s hours away from failing, and Alonzo recognises Lady Eve for who she really is, so things get complicated. Alonzo wants Sol to be in debt over her head, but Ruth is not so sure she’s happy with that idea. Sol is not the spoilt rich kid that she expected a Mendez-Yuki to be. To be honest this book took me a while to chew through, but that says more about my personal circumstances than it does about the book.

The neon gleam of pulp fiction also illuminates Rebecca Fraimow’s LADY EVE’S LAST CON (Solaris, 368 pp., paperback, $16.99), a vivacious heist romance set on a far-future satellite, New Monte. Ruth Johnson’s only loyalty is to her sister — but their usual game of “fleece the wealthy idiot” got upset when Jules fell in love with their latest mark, Esteban, and ended up heartbroken. Now Ruth is determined to make the man pay: She’ll play the well-bred ingénue, get the jerk to propose and skip town with his cash when he learns she’s really an unsuitable nobody.

If only Esteban’s sister, Sol, weren’t so perceptive — and attractive. And while Ruth may be a criminal, there are worse people than her spinning plots on New Monte. Ruth and Sol have no reason to trust each other, but that’s what they’re going to have to do if they want to survive.

My favorite thing about heist romances is the way the leads get conned by love while conning other people. So after all Ruth’s theatrics — the forged identity, the fluttering of eyelashes, the delicate debutante titterings — love pulls the rug out from under her. This is a romp that builds to a spectacular ending.

Phenomenally good fun! I've been recommending this book here, there and everywhere since I read it - it's perfect for anyone who enjoys a sci-fi romp. The 1920s vibes are impeccable, and so is the space setting; the characters jump off the page and the adventure is great. This deserves to be a huge hit, and I'll be eagerly looking out for what the author does next!

I never knew where this was going next! An excellent caper with just the right amount of twist to be fun without being annoying.

Completely delightful! High society, galas, cons, revenge, and sizzling romance - in space. Loved the characters and felt myself swooning at the f/f romance. Thoroughly readable, and highly entertaining.

There is a LOT going on here, but my god is it all the best kind of fun. You have a disabled Black Jewish woman with a cane running a marriage con on the shithead billionaire failson who impregnated her sister and then tried to leave her high and dry, but oh shit, she's falling in love with his amazing sister while she's at it. You've got a Great Gatsby type vibe to the space station it's all happening on too, and it was just a hell of an enjoyable read over a very fraught few weeks in the larger world. Definitely keeping an eye on Fraimow for the future.

Lively space adventure and romance rolled into one. Great choice for fans of romantasy looking to try science fiction, or sci fi readers wanting to dip their toes in romance.

Heat Factor: They get up to no good a couple of times

Character Chemistry: The romance wasn’t as engaging as the con/heist energy

Plot: Ruthi Johnson is going to con the man who knocked up her sister and bolted out of all his money, but his sister gets in the way

Overall: Lesbians in space but make it Black Jewish lesbians but make it the roaring twenties but make it a heist. Let’s GO!

Ruthi Johnson’s sister, Jules, upset the apple cart when she told Ruthi that she’d fallen in love and she was going to break up their lifelong sister act to get married and go to college. But when Jules confessed her true identity to the man she fell in love with (Esteban), he left her. Pregnant.

Naturally, Ruthi gets her sister all set up in some luxury prenatal care facility and then bolts to complete a solo mission to take Esteban for all he’s worth. That way, Jules and her baby will get everything they deserve, and the man who tried to avoid his responsibilities will have egg on his face. Revenge is a dish best served hot, after all. Esteban begins to fall into Ruthi’s trap almost immediately, but his step-sister Sol’s suspicions are also aroused almost immediately.

Ruthi’s running a con, trying to keep her sister in check, trying to keep the mob happy, and trying to avoid her attraction to Sol. It’s a lot of balls in the air for a solo con artist, and the tricks come fast and frequently.

As I was reading this book, I couldn’t help thinking that the voice sounded a lot like that of Katharine Hepburn, like in the Philadelphia Story or Bringing Up Baby. What this means for the book is that, even though it’s in a futuristic space environment (which is really well-developed without being over-explained), the old screwball comedy voice shines through perfectly. It’s a delightful twist on a lot of different narrative lines.

I voluntarily read and reviewed a complimentary copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. We disclose this in accordance with 16 CFR §255.

Thank you NetGalley and Solaris for an eARC in exchange for an honest review!

3.75!

I love sci fi but I’m pretty fickle when it comes to romance, but I had a lot of fun with this one! It felt very movie-like and I think the screwball heist comedy aspects were the ones that kept me particularly engaged, though I found that I did like the romance. Also, you know, disaster lesbians are always wonderful. The characters were fun and I loved the 1920s vibes.

I did feel, though, that the pacing suffered in this. There were definitely times when I felt I was much closer to the end than I actually was, and sometimes some scenes felt too long. The plot beats happened at the right time, but I still felt that some parts could have been tightened up so that it maintained a snappy pace. It’s a screwball, after all!

Still, despite my issues with the pacing, it’s fun and delightful, and I can definitely see myself rereading when I want a particular itch scratched.

Lady Eve’s Last Con by Rebecca Fraimow is so fun and charming that you won’t mind when it succeeds in its scheme to steal your heart. In fact, you’ll be glad it does.

This queer sci-fi adventure follows Ruthi Johnson, a talented con artist, as she takes revenge against Esteban Mendez-Yuki, the heir to a wealthy conglomerate, for breaking her younger sister Jules’ heart. Along the way, she has to outsmart Esteban’s older sister, the clever and handsome Sol Mendez-Yuki. The book begins with Ruthi setting into motion the very first step of her revenge con. From there, there’s never a dull moment and with every page I was excited to see how Ruthi’s plan would unfold.

I loved so many parts of this book, but even among them the worldbuilding stood apart for me. I wish I could’ve stayed inside this world long after the last page. I don’t know if the author is planning any other books set in the same universe, but I would immediately read them if there were more books. Even as a person who doesn’t read a ton of sci-fi, Ruthi’s world was easy to understand and imagine, with clear explanations that naturally fit into the story rather than feeling like dry exposition. The writing style helped with that by being smooth, engaging, and humorous. The creativity of Ruthi’s world made me want to read more sci-fi to find worldbuilding just like it.

Another aspect that I loved were the characters. Ruthi is clever, confident, and stubborn, with years of practice at hiding or ignoring her insecurities. Her inner growth throughout the book was a slow but satisfying read as she learns to rely on those around her more. Her relationship with her sister, Jules, and with Sol, Esteban’s older sister, had the strongest development, and were the most interesting to see the changes in. The chemistry and tension between Ruthi and Sol was built up so beautifully that getting to finally see the tension break was a highlight of the book. Besides Ruthi, Jules, and Sol, other characters, regardless of how often they were on the page or not, always felt well-rounded and irreplaceable.

Lady Eve’s Last Con is one of my favorite reads of this year! Readers who enjoyed Winter’s Orbit by Everina Maxwell will also enjoy this book. Big thank you to NetGalley and Solaris for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own. 4.75/5 stars (rounded up to 5 stars for NetGalley).

Thanks to Netgalley and Solaris for the copy in exchange for my review.

The story follows Ruth as she tries to get revenge on the man who broke her sister's heart, with a long con; make him fall in love with her, marry him, then break his heart and take his money.
Ruth's POV as she struggles to keep up the facade of interest with a very boring mediocre man was hilarious.
And the chemistry she has with Col, the sister of her mark, is intimidate and sizzling and just a scooch over the top with Sol's antics, but in a good way.
The story overall is very well done, the world building and characters fleshed out and the plot and sub plots built up. My only grip was the ending left me a bit wanting. I'm not fond of open ended endings, so if this doesn't bother you, then just skip over this.

Ruth Johnson’s sister fell for a mark, and when she opened up to him about really being a con artist, he left her in the dust. Now that she’s pregnant, Ruth is determined to get revenge for Jules. She plans a con that will have him falling for her and her getting his money. What she didn’t plan on was Esteban’s sister, Sol. Sol knows what Ruth is up to, and as they learn each other’s tricks, Ruth will have to decide to go through with her plan or follow her heart.

Smart, hot space lesbians are right up my alley, and I loved both Ruthie and Sol. As an Oceans fan (11-13 AND 8), I love a good con.

A glittering, witty space heist novel featuring a steamy Sapphic romance and a powerful setting with just the right balance of grime and glamour.

Our heroine, a talented con woman, sets out to avenge her sister's honour by bringing down a spoiled aristocrat on a pampered pleasure planet... but accidentally falls for his dashing sister.

Lady Eve’s Last Con is the story of a con woman trying to win the affections of her sister’s ex boyfriend so she can take him for all he’s worth. But what Ruth (currently under cover as Lady Eve) doesn’t expect is said ex’s sly sister, Sol, who clocks the con almost immediately. And instead of putting a direct stop to Ruth’s plan, Sol flirts with Ruth. As she tries to keep her plan on track, Ruth has to navigate high society, figure out who the real bad guys are, and stop herself from falling in love for real.

I enjoyed Ruth’s drive and creativity, as well as her willingness to adjust her beliefs when presented with new information. I also thought the different sibling relationships shown compared and contrasted with each other in an interesting way. This novel also has a sci-fi setting, but that is very much a background feather of the book (advanced tech and other planets) to the point that I almost forgot to mention this feature at all. Anyone who likes a character driven story with a healthy dose of clever plans, some rich people problems, and a pinch of danger, this one is for you.