More historical fiction to fill my reading heart with joy! But be warned there's a hefty amount of romance and melodrama, too (which I did not mind one bit). 

I so enjoyed Rosalind -- her independence and career focus during a time when it was less than popular. I loved the friction between Weaver and Charlie and the layers of nuance in Rosalind's decision about which man she would choose. (Even though I felt pretty strongly who about I'd choose if I were her, without question.)

The descriptions were so vivid; I could picture myself throughout 1950s Chicago: in Rosalind's apartment, in the department store, the streets, Charlie's basement apartment....

This book was a delightful escape and a wonderful blend of romance, espionage, science, and historical fiction.

Atomic Love follows Rosalind Porter, a scientist on the Manhattan Project, as she navigates work and life post-war. This was an easy read. I finished it over a few days. I wish that it had dived more into Rosalind's work but it stayed more firmly in the post-war timeframe. It also had the potential to be a super gritty spy thriller, but ended up a little lighter in tone and story. If you are looking for a lite historical romance, then this book is for you. Overall, I did enjoy it.

I was so excited about this book but ended up finding the narration not to my liking. Definitely the best part was the strong heroine.

Rosalind (Roz) Porter is a scientist who was involved in the Manhattan Project.  Now in Chicago in 1950, she is working in Marshall Field’s behind the jewelry counter.  Her guilt over her role in developing the atomic bomb that killed tens of thousands of people, and the sudden inexplicable end to her love affair with Thomas Weaver, a fellow scientist, were her emotional undoing that led to the loss of her job at the lab.

Now she is avoiding Weaver’s recent attempts to reconnect with her, but Charlie Szydlo, an FBI agent, steps in and pushes her to accept Weaver back into her life.  The FBI is looking for information that will tie Weaver to a Soviet spy ring and implicate him in passing classified secrets.  Roz agrees to meet Weaver and, despite hurts of the past, they resume their steamy affair.  But along with her task of drawing secrets from him, she wants answers – why did he suddenly drop her and marry someone else?  Rosalind struggles with her loyalty to Weaver and her responsibility to Szydlo.  Agent Szydlo is dealing with the scars from WWII, both physical and emotional, and Roz is there to help him heal.

The character of Roz is inconsistent.  She wavers between a strong, independent woman as a female physicist and a typical woman of the 1950s, ready to bend and please her man while falling into his arms when she meets danger. This book is equal parts romance and spy novel.  The romance overshadows the more important issue of Rosalind’s struggle with her role in the building of the atomic bomb and the gray areas of right or wrong in using it to end the war, but the spy narrative keeps the pages turning.

--Historical Novels Review, August 2020

I usually do not enjoy romance books, but I had high hopes for the science and spy part of the book. Everything just seemed a bit too predicatable and the romance was in my opinion a bit over the top. Charlie was too insecure for a FBI agent, Weaver was too needy, and Rosalind kept making bad decisions. But if romance is your thing, you will probably enjoy this book.

This novel combines a bit of mystery, a bit of romance and a bit of history. Rosalind Porter worked on the Manhattan Project in Chicago in 1950. Rosalind is smart ("What man wanted to be with a bookish girl?") and was overlooked and discounted as
a woman in her field. She had an affair with her colleague Thomas Weaver. At first when she started working for him, she didn't like him. (a standard trope where they dislike each other at first then fall in love) I couldn't understand the attraction: "Hazel eyes of constantly changing color, impressive brown hair, a dimpled Cary Grant chin. He was the cartoon of a good-looking man. He knew it, and this was the thing she disliked most about him. His swagger. His certainty. She was aware from the start the man was a flirt, and not just with her." Five years later, she's heartbroken about the end of that affair and feels guilty about the atomic bomb. The FBI wants her to spy on Weaver-- "Though she never asked for this assignment--spying on Weaver--the man still intrigues her as much as he repels her. Is it possible he's done awful things, is capable of future choices that could affect all the people passing them on the street? Everyone on the planet?" And interesting premise but I'd have preferred more focus on the science then on the romance and spies. I think I'd have liked to read about the Manhattan Project instead of its aftermath. So it dragged at times for me and I skimmed a bit.

Historical Fiction is one of my favorite genres, and I was so excited to read Atomic Love!

I was drawn in right away to the 1950s Chicago backdrop, and I was so fascinated by the development into The Manhattan Project. 

I loved seeing a strong female protagonist featured, and Rosalind Porter was such an inspiring character. Jennie Fields really captured the details surrounding WWII at the heart of this story, and I loved the twists, the romance, and the mystery wrapped into one.

*many thanks to Putnam and Netgalley for the gifted copy. All opinions are my own

I am not a big historical fiction reader, however this boo was so great! With a setting after the war, the atmosphere in this book was so well written. I loved the historical setting, the mystery and intrigue behind the characters and what will happen next. 

Such a phenomenal book, and highly recommend.

I really enjoyed this title more than I expected to! I loved the romance and the science and how it all wrapped up. I would definitely read more by this author going forward.

I never got the chance to read this one before it was archived, but the idea behind it is so promising! I'm truly grateful for the publisher giving me a chance to read it, and will be looking for a physical copy in my local bookstore.

It's 1950, and the war is over, physics-loving Rosalind Porter feels guilty because she was part of the Manhattan Project, where the atomic bombs were created, but that's not all as she is also heartbroken. However, she manages to overcome those two problems until the FBI tells her that she has to get back into a relationship with her ex, Thomas Wheeler, in order to extract information from him, as Wheeler is suspected of having sold crucial information to the Russians. 
That sounds great, doesn't it? Sadly, the book focuses more on Roz's love and moral interest than solving the mystery of whether Wheeler sells the info to Russians. 
The plot at the beginning was engaging but as it continues, it ended up being a story that didn't meet my expectations. I expected a little more drama, and also learn more about the Russians.
What I did like was knowing about Charlie's past in order to connect with him, and also to let us know about the horrible reality of the war. And the romance seemed too insta-love, it lacked development. Anyway, I was disappointed and I don't think I will read another book by the author.

Dnf. Not a huge fan on espionage thrillers. I wanted to try it out but this wasn’t the book for me. If that’s the genre you like, pick this title up.

This one was an interesting read. I quite like the historical romance and the guessing game of the story. I am not sure if that was intended or not but it kept me wondering what will happen next. The characters are well introduced and the world building is vivid. The story moves along at a constant pace which I'm okay with but it could have gone a bit faster at certain chapters. Other than that if you enjoy historical fiction, this one will take you on a ride.

I wanted to like this book I just couldn't get into it, but I'm not blaming the book here sometimes I'm just not in the mood for a book and no matter how either the book or I try it's just not the right time. I would like to come back to this one someday and try again so it's staying on my shelf and when I do read it I will come back and give a better review. For now it's 2 stars because it didn't hook me.

i didn't get this book via netgalley until about 2 months after it published. i read it from BOTM before that. it was good, okay, started off strong but kind of fizzled out for me. unsatisfying finish.

I must preface this review by saying that this book just wasn't for me. That isn't to say that this novel was 'bad' by any means. It just didn't do it for me..

If you enjoy spy novels or historical fiction about WWII, then I would definitely give this one a try. This was just okay for me, but it may be a win for you!

I do not enjoy historical fiction, however when I read the synopsis of this book, I knew I had to read it. This was just as good as I thought it was going to be! I loved the characters and was invested in their love story. Great read!

This novel, set during the Cold War, has something for everyone--mystery, romance, history, suspense, and espionage. The characters were well-developed, and I admired the strength and courage of the female protagonist. I wish I could say that I loved the book, but it was a little slow and lacking in substance for me. However, I'm glad to see that so many others have enjoyed the book.

I really loved this book. It was full of mystery, romance, and suspense. I felt like there were so many characters to love, to hate, just perfect. I think Charlie was my favorite and seemed like a giant teddy bear. 

I have to say this was going to be a five star read for me until I got to the last chapter and maybe I am old fashioned. I just didn't like the ending. I would change this to a 5 star read if there is a sequel.

This book came highly recommended by a friend who enjoys historical fiction so I was excited to give it a try. I did think the story was entertaining, but I didn't find any connection with the characters or the plot. In order for me to enjoy this genre, it really needs to stand out and unfortunately, this one didn't hit the mark. *Advance copy provided by the publisher in exchange for my honest review.