Lady Eve's Last Con

By: Rebecca Fraimow

Narrated by: Tamika Katon-Donegal

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 revenge: 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 older 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.

©2024 Rebecca Fraimow (P)2024 Recorded Books

A beautiful jaunt with an intriguing world.

Lady Eve's Last Con is special for its themes and characters, primarily by making a 1920s style upper class drama set in a variant of our future as a space faring species. The characters are brilliant, though the narration jumps around at times I felt. most notably, it's a really enjoyable story about a girl falling in love with another girl while trying to con the latter girl's brother. There's nothing better than criminal lesbians.

A very entertaining sapphics in space romcom

I decided to revisit some of the books I enjoyed in print last year so I just listened to “Lady Eve's Last Con” by Rebecca Fraimow. It’s a very entertaining sapphics in space romcom.

“Lady Eve’s Last Con” is about small-time hustler Ruthi Johnson who decides she is going to get revenge on a wealthy businessman for dumping her sister. She then creates an elaborate scheme to have him fall for her so that she can break his heart and steal some of his fortune. Ruthi goes all-in with intentions of conning him and then falls for his suave sister.

The story is set in the future, but has a very old-timey roaring 20s vibe. The backdrop is staged with balls, operas, and glitzy vacation destinations. The story has an almost cozy feel, as the mysteries are slowly unraveled. It has romance, a bit of action, some comic relief, and two likable main characters with interesting dynamics.

Sapphic romcom and a space con! The mob! Hover motorcycles! This audiobook caught me at the perfect time, since I needed a brief respite from the depressing US political news.

I recommend “Lady Eve’s Last Con” if you want to listen to a fun romcom starring two charming women. Tamika Katon-Donegal also did a very good job with the narration.