A fascinating fictionalized account of the life of Charlie Fisk, a gifted mathematician who was drafted into Manhattan Project and ordered against his morals to build the detonator for the atomic bomb. With his musician wife, he spends his postwar life seeking redemption—and they find it together.

This book was so well researched and incredibly detailed. I don’t read about the war from the American side so it was an interesting perspective. So much pressure and so much uncertainty from those inventing the weapons that were used. I loved the realistic story of the romance between the main characters. How they felt and what they went through during this difficult time.

"Whatever you love, no matter how fiercely, you will lose it one day."

Based on the life of the mathematician Charles B. Fisk, this novel takes a walk through the trials and hardships Fisk faced in his journey to the creation of the atomic bomb. There's a lot of extra description and dialogue in this novel. I wasn't fond of Brenda as a young girl. She was rude, selfish and naive . Very self deprecating too. Charlie was depicted as such a stand up gentleman that I couldn't get passed her younger self to appreciate her older self.

The chapters dedicated to Fisk's job were interesting but were hard to get through. I'm not a math lover and a lot of what went into his job details left me wandering elsewhere in my head. I think there is an amazing historical story in this book but some of the execution left more to be desired. My favorite portion was the acknowledgements. I loved the author's thought process in building this story and how the real history wove through the pages. Though not a novel for me, I can see lovers of historical fiction and romance enjoying this unique read.

Thank you to the Book Club Girls for the opportunity to read and review this kindle arc for an honest and unbiased review.

I liked this book and I liked learning about the development of the atomic bomb. I especially liked the parts about Brenda - she had a different war experience than I normally read about. My only complaint was that the book was a little slow, especially the parts about the science/bomb development.

"We were soldering ourselves together. The world went away, and we became a universe of two."

This one took me a while to digest since it touches on some tough topics.

It is loosely based on the real-life Charles "Charlie" Fisk, a brilliant mathmetician, who unknowingly contributed to the making of the first atomic bomb. In the backdrop of this story, WWII is taking place and many lives are lost abroad. The war and the loss of these lives greatly affects the everyday life of those waiting for loved ones to return as well as those who return from active duty. It provides an interesting snapshot into the moral dilemma many face, particularly Charlie, who comes to the realization that his role in the war is far greater than he ever imagined.

At the forefront of this one, is a love story between Charlie and Brenda, an organ player. Throughout the story, there are many moments that these characters experience guilt and redemption. The author brilliantly portrays the multi-faceted nature of these characters that at times makes you happy, frustrated, or even upset at them.

This is certainly one story that will be hard to forget.

Thank you to William Morrow and NetGalley for a copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

A historical fiction book that was well written and engaging. I enjoyed the ride. Both Charlie and Brenda were dynamic and fascinating characters. I found myself rooting for them. A great book I would recommend to anyone that enjoys a good love story, with some suspense thrown in. Thank you for William Moore, Harper Collins Publishing, and NetGalley for my review copy. All opinions are my own.

This my first time reading a book by this author. I really enjoyed this book because I love historical fiction, especially when it is brings people to life and not just the event happening at the time.

Mathematician Charlie Fish is put to work in New Mexico on the Manhattan project. His fiancée, Brenda, travels across the country to live in New Mexico, where they can meet up on weekends and at the odd time. Thinking of the implications of his work, Charlie suffers greatly, unsure if he is able to do his part in building the bomb. Left in the dark about his true work, Brenda encourages him to "man up" and "do his part."

This book was well written, and engaging. I could not put it down. Both Charlie and Brenda were dynamic and interesting characters. I really felt for their plight, and found myself rooting for them. Overall, well worth picking up.

This novel tells the story of Brenda, a young woman in Chicago, who meets and falls in love with a brilliant mathematician Charlie Fish during World War 2. Charlie is working on a secret government project that even he doesn't understand at first. Charlie and Brenda eventually make their way to New Mexico, where Charlie becomes an integral part of the development of the first atomic bomb. Charlie struggles with his part in the utter destruction the bomb results in, and Brenda must figure out how best to support him.

I really ended up enjoying this book. During the first half of the book, I wasn't sure about it because I found Branda to be utterly insipid and selfish. However, I really liked Charlie, and by the end Brenda had grown on me as well. I love historical fiction that teaches me something new, and although I've read a lot of World War 2 novels, this is the first one that focused on the Americans that worked on the development of the atomic bomb. Charlie and the other men's moral struggles as they figured out what they were actually working on were so compelling. It was a beautifully written, emotional story that I would recommend to all of my historical fiction-loving friends.

This was unlike any other book I've read that was set during WWII. It definitely gave a different perspective and will make you think more about the people behind the scenes. So much research was done but was expertly woven into a beautiful story!

Thanks to Net Galley and William Morrow for providing an ARC of this book.

Charlie is just a mathematician who ends up working on the Manhattan Project. His girlfriend Brenda is in the dark about what he’s really doing. Great love story that illuminates the secrets kept during war and what they can do to your conscience. I really liked the love story aspect and the fact that the math and science wasn’t too technical. Highly recommend.

Universe of Two is historical fiction at its best! Stephen Kiernan's novel is based on Charlie Fisk who worked on the atomic bomb at Los Alamos . The story tells of the human aspect behind the development of the bomb as well as the love story between the "hero" and his wife. I t thought the book was a wonderful mixture of history and romance and the effect one's decisions have on one's life. Highly recommend this captivating book. Thanks to NetGalley and The Book Club Girls for the ARC!

excellent story - my first by this author. Not only a story about the development of the atomic bomb at Los Alamos but also a love story. This ARC was made available to me through Book Club Girls and Net Galkey.

This is a well-written, well-researched book with a moving ending. I enjoyed Brenda's chapters and her love story with Charlie. Both characters came alive through their love and I enjoyed this aspect of the book. The moments where Brenda reflects back on her youth were poignant, a reminder of how fleeting time is, how much we take for granted in our youth, and how much we change over the years.

I had a hard time connecting with Charlie's chapters, especially the parts that described his work. He seemed a bit passive in questioning the project in Los Alamos. It was in the last part of the book, when the true horror of the atomic bomb was unleashed, did he actively confront the role he played.

Thank you very much to NetGalley and to the Book Club Girls for this advanced reader's copy.

I enjoyed this book from start to finish. The beginning pulled me in, and the ending moved me. Brenda sometimes got on my nerves, but I really enjoyed seeing her growth throughout the story, as well as the development of her relationship with Charlie.

Just a word about the description of this book: It sounds as if the story is equally split between Charlies' work and his search for redemption after the war. Actually, the large majority of the story is about his work on the Manhattan Project (and the love story that grows around it), with just a small section dedicated to after the war. I didn't mind, but I mention this in case someone feels misled by the description.

Thank you to NetGalley and The Book Club Girls for the early read.

Thank you NetGalley and Book Club Girls for the advanced copy for my honest review.

I really enjoyed this book! I appreciated the character development throughout the book and how the story unfolds as the characters and their love story matures.

The story is written in third person (Charlie) and first person (Brenda). It begins with their budding romance that began in Brenda's parents organ shop and carries through their own trials as a new couple in the latter parts of World War II. Charlie is an incredibly smart mathematician that was recruited to work on a top secret project. Ultimately, he had no idea the project was involved with the development of the world's first atomic bomb. Brenda assumed his work was involved with submarine warfare. After the atomic bombs were detonated in a trial and then in Japan, the mass destruction weighed heavy on Charlie's heart. The depression took its toll on Charlie, and Brenda knew he was most happy working on her organs. He began building immaculate organs that were installed all over the world. Music brought Brenda and Charlie together and music is was his healing power for the immense guilt he felt after his involvement with the bomb project. The emotions in this book were real. Both characters had good hearts and learned from life experiences, even though some of these experiences were immensely difficult to bear. My favorite line in the book is "Whatever you love, no matter how fiercely, you will lose it one day. That is the only certainty. Therefore be as kind as you can. Don't fear your mistakes, as long as you learn from humility from them. There is not such thing as a perfect pitch".

I can’t get into this story. I’ve tried and tried but keep putting it down. Always enjoy trying new authors but this book isn’t what I expected I guess. Thanks Net Galley but I’m going to have to pass on this one.

Wow! What a story. I thought there was great character development, I feel I knew what I needed to know about the main characters, and I enjoyed watching their relationship develop. Confession time- I rarely read the parts after the story is over- the acknowledgements and such, but for some reason I did after this and I’m not sure if I’m happy or sad that I did. In this case, I am just accepting the story for what it is- a historical fiction novel. Now excuse me while I go back in to the rabbit whole of learning more about Charles...

Thank you Book Club Girls and Net Galley for early access to this book

I'm sorry to say that my first thought when reading the description of Universe of Two was "Not another World War II novel!" I am glad to admit how wrong I was in thinking that! This was a great book that tugged at my heartstrings. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the advance copy.

World War II fiction seems to be quite possibly one of the most cliché genres there is right now. Barely create a plucky heroine, with little to no character development, throw her into a perilous situation in Europe – preferably Francis, followed by England and Germany, and then find out how she survived the war by her female granddaughter retracing her history. The Universe of Two is fantastic precisely because it does none of these things. The story starts with Charlie meeting Brenda in her family’s music store in Chicago while working for the government in what ultimately ends up being work for the atomic bomb. Neither of them are in the trenches. Neither of them is in imminent danger. But they are young and imperfect, exploring their relationship with each other, becoming adults and coming to grips with what exactly it means to live and make choices during war time. Stephan Kiernan’s decision to narrowly focus his story on two characters and the evolution of their relationship as Charlie participates in the Manhattan Project gives the reader a more nuanced opportunity to see what it would have felt like to be experiencing World War II, while weaving in the world away from war with the characters’ connection to music and the organ in particular. A gentle soul in Charlie has to come to grips with being complicit in his role in the Manhattan Project. A selfish young woman in Brenda has to learn how to think of others and give, even if she doesn’t get something in return. If you’re looking for dramatic this may not be the book for you because ironically a story about the atomic bombs is a slow burn. But if you want to read a World War II novel that sticks in your mind and breaks your heart you couldn’t do much better than Universe of Two.

This was a beautiful story! When a fictional book is based on a real person it's sometimes hard for me to focus because I keep wondering how much of it is real and what was made up by the author. That wasn't the case for me with Universe of Two, because it's so sweet and romantic that it really sucks you in. You wouldn't expect a story about Project Y to work well as a love story but I thought it was wonderful. Do yourself a favor and listen to the music mentioned in this book as you read. All of the songs are easily found on YouTube, played on an organ, and you will get the full effect of how meaningful the music is and how well it fits the story. I promise if you read this book you will fall in love with Charlie Fish and gain a new respect for the real-life versions of these characters and what they experienced.