This is a very very good book. While the first half carefully sets up the emotional stage the second half will rip you apart. This is a love story to dreams and they were all beautiful - we should all reach for the stars no matter what others think,💭

Taylor Jenkins Reid, you just know how to pull me in and absolutely destroy me every time. I think that this one MAY dethrone MALIBU RISING as my favorite of her books (though I have loved all of the ones I've read, to be fair). This one has a lovely romance, a fantastic angle with the growth of NASA during the 80s with their shuttle program, and a tender and poignant story about hope, tragedy, love, and the expanse and unknowingness of space and life. I just adored it.

If TJR writes it, I’m gonna read it. I was thrilled to see she was coming out with another book and that it was about a female astronaut. Gotta say though that it took a bit for the story to really kick in for me. But once it did, I was super invested. I don’t want to say much to give anything away, but the last 30 or so pages had me in a tailspin. Joan, I love you. Vanessa, I adore you.

Thanks as always to NetGalley for the ARC.

This book was a masterpiece in my opinion. I already love TJR and this one did not let me down. Sapphic love story, women in STEM, emotional devastation... what more do you want?

TJR is so good at world building and it was easy to become immersed in Joan's world, The character was so likable and believable and I was rooting for her every step of the way. Vanessa was such a beautiful and spunky counterpart for Joan, pulling her out of her shell and showing her that life on earth can be even better than just having her had in the stars.

I had to force myself to take breaks just to prolong the story.

I'm buying a copy for my mom as soon as it comes out.

I've loved all of Taylor Jenkins Reid's previous books, and was so excited for the opportunity to read "Atmosphere". This might be Taylor's best book yet! Wow! I loved the story and premise and couldn't put it down! The character development was fabulous and this was a 5 star read for me!

I was eager to get my hands on an ARC of this because I love TJR, and her books are always compelling and enjoyable to read. Atmosphere was no different, and after having read this from start to finish in on afternoon, it was easy to give a 5-star rating.
The blurb tells us this book is about Joan Goodwin and her trials and tribulations as part of the NASA Space Shuttle program in the early 1980s, along with both male and female teammates. For me, this book was about space, but it was about people who are united in their love of space exploration and science, while also being a study in love of both the romantic and familial kinds, and how who we love can impact our lives. There isn't all that much discussion of science, as the book definitely focuses more on the characters and their development in various situations. The book is told in dual timelines, as Joan is working as CAPCOM at NASA for a mission in 1984, as well as from 1979/80 as Joan works her way through astronaut training with other men and women. Something goes majorly awry on the 1984 mission, and the book slowly closes the gap between that catastrophe and how Joan ended up in the CAPCOM chair after her training.
I think anyone who has read TJR's previous books will enjoy this one, and it will come as no surprise that she deftly weaves a love story, as well an examination of personal growth throughout the book. From the opening chapter I did understand where the book was going to lead the reader, but I enjoyed every moment of it all the same. My only minor criticism is the rather abrupt conclusion of the book itself.
Thank you to Random House Ballantine and NetGalley for the electronic ARC of this novel for review.

TJR always does a great job researching her books and this one is stellar.

The story jumps back and forth between the date of an incident aboard a spacecraft and scenes from Joan’s personal life that led to her joining NASA and becoming the woman we meet as a Capsule Communicator.

A majority of the past scenes have to do with Joan’s relationship and family and while it is very emotional, important and sincere I had to keep stopping myself trying to skim read the romance and get back to the incredibly interesting and nerve racking incident.

I wish we could have seen more of her working with her fellow astronauts and becoming attached to them. It would have given things that happen more emotional weight. But it was still highly emotional already so maybe the less we know the better..

But what made me the most emotional in this book?
BARBARA.
WHO is the villain she based this character off of. I had to take a few breaks when reading to chill out when she’d go on one of her tangents and Joan would just apologize to placate her.
There’s a section in the story where Joan’s recalling hurtful things she and Vanessa have said to each other and one that sticks out to her is Vanessa saying “You’re a doormat to your sister.” I know that hurt because she knows she’s right. Joan’s method of dealing with disrespect seems to just be staring blankly and seething internally. She’s gonna end up with a stomach ulcer and be put on leave from NASA if she doesn’t consistently speak up like she did at one satisfying point.

The ending is bittersweet given everything that happened but Joan’s future looks bright.

Thank you NetGalley and Ballantine Books for the ARC.

Another 5-star read from Taylor Jenkins Reid! This book really made me think about the wonder of humanity. We spend so much time looking at the stars, curious about what is out there when everything that really matters is all around us.

I liked the book overall although the ending was rather abrupt. It touched on subjects I’m sure were relevant for that time period. It kept my interest and would recommend it to others.

Taylor Jenkins Reid creates such incredible, strong female characters — Daisy Jones, Evelyn Hugo, Carrie Soto and now Joan Goodwin, a woman scientist and NASA astronaut in the 1980s.

Subtitled “A Love Story,” this is a complex, thrilling, and emotional tale of the struggles of the first women to enter the astronaut corps in the 1980s, who needed to outshine and outpace their fellow male applicants, and also needed to become a cohesive family with each other as well as an outstanding team under pressure.

Joan is at the center of the story, but it also follows her fellow Group 9 candidates: Top Gun Hank Redmond; fellow scientist John Griffin/Griff; mission specialist Harrison Moreau plus the other women who were among the first: hard-charging invincible Lydia Danes; compassionate Donna Fitzgerald; and stoic engineering genius Vanessa Ford. There’s an obvious competitiveness among this particular group of women. The story takes place mainly between 1980 and a fictional 1984 space mission. Sally Ride gets to be the first woman astronaut (“offscreen” in the book) in 1983 and the real Challenger disaster took place in 1986 (after “Atmosphere” concludes).

The author takes us through all the levels of becoming space worthy, but the main action of an impending disaster, which is revealed early, is a mission gone horribly wrong with characters we’ve gotten to know. Death is imminent and the race to save the crew is harrowing. Through Joan’s eyes, we experience what it meant to be a pioneer and how courage and love shape her character. There are gut-wrenching moments and sure tears for the reader. 5 stars for an incredible story of historical fiction!

By the way, TJR’s novel coincides with the public debut of the National Geographic award winning documentary that screened at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival. “Sally,” about astronaut Sally Ride, will be streaming on June 16 on the NatGeo, Disney and Hulu channels, and it explores Sally’s lifelong relationship with Tam O’Shaughnessy, a real life story that will also have you in tears.

Thank you to Random House/Ballantine Books and NetGalley for an advanced reader copy!

Taylor Jenkins Reid is an automatic read for me so I jumped at the chance for this eARC. “Atmosphere” follows Joan as she discovers herself and love while becoming one of the first female astronauts in the 1980s. This book leans heavy into facts about space, especially at the beginning it took me a while follow along. But I loved the story and structure of the chapters jumping from details of an intense mission in December of 1984 and what lead to that moment in the last 7 years. I surprised that the book also follows another character, but I won’t say much to avoid spoilers. I wasn’t sure how I felt about this one, but in the end I was crying all the same. Reid is great at developing characters you root for and this book was no different.

Thank you to NetGalley for this eARC! I think many will really enjoy this book.

I’m not someone fascinated by the stars and the space race, but I’m all in on a story that features strong women who push the limits. This book is a great addition to the space age genre that will keep you reading past your bedtime.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to read this arc in exchange for an honest review.

Atmosphere, which takes place in the 1980s, is a heartfelt story of love between two female astronauts. It’s also an intriguing look at astronaut training and space shuttle flights. Taylor Jenkins Reid always find interesting topics for her novels and this may be her best one yet.

Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reid is a great book that balances romance with a compelling look at the early years of the space shuttle program. As someone who is about the age of many of the characters depicted in the book, I could definitely relate to the historical details (fashion, music, etc) and the social constraints faced by women and queer people. I thought the structure of the book really worked - I loved knowing the major point of ending drama right away (though not its resolution) and then working back through the relationships and plot points to get back there again at the end of the book. Reid does a nice of integrating information about space into the book, though I thought the philosophizing was on the edge of being "too much" (though it didn't quite go over that cliff). I'll definitely recommend this book both the TJR fans and to those less familiar with her work.

I’ve read all of Taylor Jenkins Reid’s books and am so happy I got a chance to read Atmosphere early. As always, TJR clearly does a lot of research into her characters and their background. I was impressed by the amount of factual space information presented in the book! Props to her because I don’t think a lot of people could have pulled off a story about a female astronaut in the 1980s. If you’re interested in Space, astronauts, female astronauts, and the Space Race, you should definitely check Atmosphere out!

What worked for me: The way the chronological timeline was set up the book, it goes from 12/29/1984 when a Space mission goes horribly wrong, then in chronological timeline backfilling how we got to that Dec. date. Those chapters covering the Dec. date were my favorite and *intense* like they had me holding my breath. I loved them. They were a 5/5 plot point. But the chapters in this book are VERY long, so sometimes it felt like it was taking too long to get back to the present. Our FMC, Joan Goodwin, is a well developed character! Every situation in the book unravels her relationships, many of which are complex. One especially interesting relationship is Joan’s family, her sister Barbara and niece Frances.

What weren’t my fave aspects: Atmosphere felt different than her other historical romances (Daisy Jones, Evelyn Hugo, Carrie Soto, Malibu rising). It was missing cameos from any of those ladies, which I was hoping to see - though I guess that it wouldn’t have made sense in the Space setting. It was a little heavy on some of the technical Space and engineering stuff, which I couldn’t entirely follow. I’m not sure the other astronauts had much side character development as in her other books, other than Vanessa.

Now, one of my biggest issues (which could be considered a spoiler, but if you have read Evelyn Hugo it is not going to surprise you)………….stop reading if you don’t want to know…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. …………………………………………………………………….…………………………………………………………………….
the story seems to set up Joan to be asexual, but it turns out she’s actually gay. She is in a relationship with fellow astronaut Vanessa Ford for most of the series. I absolutely don’t have an issue with gay characters but I do have an issue with using it as a plot twist/surprise. Once I realized that, I immediately found many homophobic reviews of the book, of people who DNF’d because of LGBTQIA characters. Queerness as a plot device is a way of writing that should not be okay in 2025. That was truly the reason I don’t feel like this story ranks as high on my TJR historical romance list.

Currently it sits:
1. Daisy Jones & the Six
2. Malibu Rising
3. Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo
4. Atmosphere
5. Carrie Soto is Back

Thank you to Ballantine/Random House and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

I placed Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reid at the top of my TBR list because the author has consistently delivered 4- to 5-star books for me with her previous titles. I was very pleased to receive an ARC of this novel and decided to wait until I had sufficient time to fully engage with it before starting.

The story follows Joan Goodwin, a talented young astronomer and newly appointed NASA astronaut in the early 1980s. Although she has never been involved in a relationship, her life is busy and fulfilling. In addition to her NASA career, she cares for her niece, Frances, and to some extent, her self-focused sister, Barbara. Joan shares a strong, mother-like bond with Frances often giving her the mom figure that Barbara fails to be. Given the era, the 1980s, the success of female astronauts was significant for opening more opportunities for women, making this a pivotal time for women in America. Among the new astronauts at NASA, she meets Vanessa, an airplane pilot and skilled mechanic. Joan and Vanessa develop a friendship as Joan’s personal life begins to finally take off. Both women are selected for separate space missions, one of which will have a profound impact on everything.

The novel has a compelling plot, although Taylor Jenkins Reid's characters, aside from Joan, are not as fully developed as I have come to expect. I didn’t feel as connected to the supporting characters, and the story’s pace was somewhat slower than her previous works. I also found myself wishing for more detailed action scenes aboard the shuttle. Overall, the book was enjoyable, though it is not my favorite of TJR’s novels.

Thanks to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for providing this ARC.

An unforgettable, breath-taking journey—Atmosphere left me awe-struck, heartbroken, and absolutely sobbing.

I was reading in the garden and I had to go inside for the last 10% of this book because I was sobbing so loudly I was worried my neighbour would hear and investigate. TJR just has a way of making me care about anyone and anything she writes. I am genuinely looking up Space Magazine subscriptions.

Taylor Jenkins Reid has done it again. Atmosphere is not just a novel—it’s a launch into the emotional stratosphere. Set against the ambitious and dangerous backdrop of NASA's 1980s Space Shuttle program, this book took my breath away in every possible way. I laughed, I held my breath, and by the final chapters, I was sobbing so hard I had to put the book down just to catch my breath.

Joan Goodwin is one of Reid’s most compelling protagonists to date—quiet, brilliant, and deeply human. Watching her go from a professor grounded in theory to someone willing to risk everything to touch the stars is profoundly moving. Reid captures the wonder of space, the thrill of discovery, and the staggering cost of ambition with poetic precision.

And then there’s the love—unexpected, authentic, and luminous. Without giving too much away, Atmosphere holds one of the most tender, beautifully rendered romances I’ve ever read, tucked inside a story about chasing the impossible. The friendships, the moments of camaraderie and conflict, the gut-wrenching turn in 1984—it all builds to a crescendo of emotion that hit me like a meteor.

Reid is a master of iconic eras, but with Atmosphere, she shoots higher than ever before—right into the cosmos and deep into the human heart. If you thought Daisy Jones and Evelyn Hugo were emotional rollercoasters, prepare yourself. This is her most profound work yet.

Clear your schedule. Bring tissues. And prepare to be changed.

I'm in a phase where I don't really read the synopsis before deciding to read a book. And when the author is TJR, that's all I really need to know anyway. I'm here for (mostly) whatever subject she's writing about: rock 'n' roll, celebrity drama, tennis... whatever it is, by the end of the book she will make me care about it. So imagine my surprise when I start reading her newest and discover it's about space. If there's one thing I can't stand, it's space. But l'm also not a quitter, so l dig in and realize it's not really about space at all. Atmosphere is about relationships: the main character's strained relationship with her sister, treasured relationship with her niece, and hidden relationship with another female in her astronaut group. I'm glad I went in blind because space + sexual awakening is really not a combo I would have been excited about, but dang if TJR didn't make me FEEL for these characters and the bonds they shared. Thanks to NetGalley and Ballantine for the ARC!

TJR is one of those authors that can do no wrong for me in her writing - she writes it, I'll read it (and I'm 99% guaranteed to love it). With each book she writes, TJR gets more creative in her settings - from a Hollywood starlet, to a rock band, a professional tennis player and a family of surfers, I'll be honest, I did not see a female astronaut coming next! As usual, TJR hit it out of the park with this one.

Family dynamics take the forefront in this one but the relationship between Joan and Vanessa shines equally as bright.

Another absolute winner from the Queen - now don't make us wait two years for your next release!

TAYLOR IM SENDING YOU MY THERAPY BILLS!!!!

I loved every second of this book and cried through the entire last 10%. This was such a special story, and in classic TJR fashion I fell madly in love with our main character Joan. I would do anything for her.

TJR’s books are so cemented in their time periods and the characters she crafts are so perfect. You can tell how much research she puts into her work.

I will also say that I’m surprised this wasn’t marketed as a sapphic love story! I found the love story the most compelling part of the book, and although I personally loved the surprise of that, I think some readers may be turned off by it. But they’re WRONG because this book is perfect!!!!