Taylor Jenkins Reid does it again with this book. Atmosphere is a single story told in parallel timelines. One is in the present, during which astronaut Vanessa and CAPCOM (ground communication specialist) Joan seek to get Vanessa safely back to Earth after a disastrous shuttle mission. The remainder and majority of the story tells the history of Vanessa and Joan's relationship, but it also details so much about women's hopes and dreams. Atmosphere particularly shines in its discussion of the trade-offs women have had to make for respect, for families, and for love, particularly when their dreams lie in a male-dominated field.

I simply couldn't put this book down. Plotwise, I was consistently on the edge of my seat. Both the slow tales of Joan and Vanessa's early days at NASA and the fast-paced danger of the present moment kept me constantly rooting for these characters. They were so human, and I so desperately wanted for them to be happy despite all of their flaws. And that certainly made a good book.

Atmosphere is Taylor Jenkins Reid's best book in years - possibly ever. I loved the 1980s setting, all the space stuff, and the relationships she depicted. The ending is one I will not forget in a very long time. Great read!

I wasn't sure I was going to love this book even though I have enjoyed everything Taylor Jenkins Reid has written in the past. The beginning seemed technical and not very engaging. However, once I got into the story, I loved it. I think Reid's strength is making you understand a character's motivation. They make mistakes but you cheer them on. I was practically falling off the chair as I watched not only the love story unfold but the perilous nature of NASA missions. You felt like these astronauts were family and you wanted to see them succeed. I think the book did a great job making the reader understand the secretive nature of LBGTQ relationships and the ways people are made to feel that they can't be their true selves and be seen as professional in their field. Overall, I think this was a book that really blended science, the 80s, a love story and the challenges women faced to be taken seriously, in a way that was captivating.

The very definition of a page-turner: I started reading this in bed one night, and had to force myself to put it down and go to sleep. Picked it up the next morning and spent the day happily devouring the rest. Taylor Jenkins Reid never disappoints - her writing is so compellingly readable, and her characters are so well fleshed-out, it's always a joy to read anything she writes.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC of this title for review. TJR is a first read author for me, and this title sealed her spot in the top! This is a love story, not just between two people but of our desire to achieve the unattainable goals, reaching for the stars. ⭐️ The pacing and tension through the novel was perfect. I felt like I was among them not just reading their story. The expression of love is one I can only wish to have in my lifetime. The cover was perfect as well, placing me immediately into the time period. There was a nod to Sally. This one is not in the prior universes and reads as a standalone, though I do hope we could get a future book from this group. The audio is perfection. I found myself sobbing 😭 at the end. Call my on a pay phone professing your love anytime!

My first TJR books were her early ones: One True Loves and After I Do (both 4 stars), and I was so ready to make her an auto-buy author. Then her writing morphed into something much, much deeper and more heavily researched. She began to really dig into the emotional lives of her characters and the ripple effects of their struggles and inner demons. Daisy Jones and the Six and Carrie Soto is Back were unique, as they each taught the reader about the worlds of her characters (famous rock musicians and tennis stars). And in the books, TJR portrayed even selfish, self-destructive characters in such a skilled a way that you went from frustration with their antics to rooting for them and eventually coming to love/appreciate them.

Atmosphere just didn’t have the same effect on me. I expected to learn a lot about the space program of the 70’s and 80’s and the struggle women experienced as they broke through barriers and began to earn the respect of their male counterparts and higher-ups. I expected to learn a lot about space and about NASA in general. I was looking forward to reading about that. What I got instead was 75% “My sister is a narcissist who neglects her child and, oh my goodness, I’m gay and if anyone finds out I won’t be able to go up into space.” While I truly understand that that was a legitimate experience for many at that time - fear overriding their goals and diminishing their life experiences - that isn’t what I expected the majority of the book to be about. It was less “Joan is an astronaut” and more “Joan is a girlfriend.”

The opening was 100% gripping, and as someone who does NOT enjoy being stressed out by my books, I was actually a little excited to keep going with the tension. But the actual space adventure was like an afterthought for the book and that was disappointing. As for the characters themselves, I found Joan to be sweet and kind and a pushover, until she wasn’t, Vanessa was unlikable, Frances was precious, and I think we can all agree that Barbara was downright awful.

All in all, I loved the writing, but I didn’t love the story.

Thank you to NetGalley and to Ballantine Books for the advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

One of Taylor Jenkins Reid’s best novels by far! This was a gorgeous novel set in the 1980s about a female astronaut navigating taking care of her family, going into space, and her first relationship that just happens to be with a woman. This novel was funny, sad, and everything in between.

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

Alright, this one has absolutely wrecked me in the best possible way, and I'm honestly struggling to find the words to do it justice. No one's better at creating a world & characters you can completely lose yourself in than @tjenkinsreid

I'm typically a crime and thriller girl through & through. But every now & then, a historical fiction novel comes along that just gets me, and this one is definitely a must-read. My heart hasn't been ripped out by a book like this since I dove into the @kristinhannahauthor lineup. Seriously, this book had me ugly crying so hard my dogs were starting to worry 😆

The characters in this story are just so incredibly real that I felt like I was right there with them. Set in the 1980s, it's wild to think about how much has changed in attitudes and culture since then – mostly for the better, thankfully. My heart absolutely ached for these characters, especially the women, who had to fight for everything because it simply wasn't acceptable at the time. I completely fell in love with Joan, who is one tough cookie, and her niece, the wonderful little girl Frances. I'm already Gearing up for Frances's future missions!

As you might guess from the title, there's a lot of space in this book, but that's because it's all about the space program and astronauts. & I was absolutely fascinated. I think it's about time for me to open up that telescope still in the box hanging out in my sons room! Learning about the rigorous training and what it truly takes to get into space, it's safe to say I'll be looking at the night sky with a whole new appreciation now.

Honestly, just dive into this book and enjoy the experience. There's so much to love, and truly, words just don't do it justice. You won't regret it.

This book was so good! I loved Joan as a character, and all of the characters felt so real, like people I could’ve gone to school or worked with. The relationships were so well-written; especially the ones between Joan and Vanessa and Joan and Frances. The ending was so suspenseful; it had me on the edge of my seat and definitely in tears by the end. I enjoyed the gradual reveal of information about Joan and her colleagues throughout the flashbacks in the book that made the ending so powerful. This was definitely one of my favorite TJR books and I will recommend it to all my reader friends!

Taylor Jenkins Reid has done it again! Atmosphere is a stunning, emotionally rich novel that had me completely swept away. From the first page, you're thrown into crisis aboard a NASA spaceship, but at its core, this is an unforgettable love story. Beautifully written and impossible to put down.

I loved it. I absolutely loved it. The first few chapters, I got a bit nervous. It was very scientific, and I was worried I might get confused. But that quickly took a back seat to the rich characters TJR developed. Read this one in one day.

Taylor Jenkins Reid has yet to let me down. Every book of hers that I've read has been phenomenal, and I think it's down to her ability to completely immerse readers into the story AND setting. I always find myself having to remember that the characters aren't real people and the events in the book didn't really happen, and Atmosphere was no different.

OH MY GOSH. Taylor Jenkins Reid is such a talented author. Her historical fiction books read like nonfiction and they always break your heart.
Jean is an example that I think every young woman needs to see. It's okay to be a woman who is scared to do things, but also be good at things, and to work hard, and to be smart, and to be the best woman for a job!! She was such a good mother figure to her niece. Her and Vanessa's relationship was just so good. The last 30 pages rip your heart out, knowing that it could be the last time Joan gets to talk to her significant other, and they can't even be open with how they feel about each other in a totally honest way.
TJR's attention to detail and research was obvious in this book. It is painful to see that LGBTQ+ members did not have support only 40 years ago, but it is also still evident today. Over all, such an incredible read. TJR does such a good job.

THIS. BOOK.
Guys, I rarely cry while reading books. This one had me crying at LEAST three different times. If a story can evoke that kind of emotion out of me, it's an automatic
5 STARS

I loved so, so much about this story!
I loved the NASA setting & how much talk there is about the stars and the universe and what could be out there & just that things are so much bigger than us.

"To look up at the nighttime sky is to become a part of a long line of people throughout human history who looked above at that same set of stars. It is to witness time unfolding."

That's initially why I wanted to pick this book up. I've always loved star gazing and seeing satellites in the sky. Watching rocket launches. Then when I realized there is romance involved, I was a GONER. SIGN. ME.
UP.

"I would give you anything, if it wasn't going to cost us everything."

This love story is so beautifully written. You could really feel what is at stake here, in a time where you were villainized for loving who you love. What all was put on the line to be with the one person who truly understands & loves you.

"I don't think you had any say over whether or not I loved you. I don't even think I had any say in it. It happened without me even giving myself permission."

Taylor Jenkins Reid's best work yet. Readers will be moved by both the romance and the suspense. To anyone who says all of Reid's books have the same plot, read Atmosphere.

The opening chapter of the book immediately sets up the book’s climax. We witness an emergency on a shuttle mission with being handled by the astronauts in space as well as those at mission control. We are introduced to Joan, the main character at mission control and a group of astronauts on the mission that trained together as a group for the past four years.

From this point in time, the book goes back to 4 year earlier when they all were chosen to be astronaut trainees and the relationships between all of them. We meet Joan’s sister and her niece, Frances, who Joan practically raises due to her sister’s lack of direction and dependability. Joan and Frances’s relationship is definitely a central relationship. Joan and Vanessa, a fellow astronaut form a love connection against all odds.

Character development of Joan, Vanessa, and Frances were very well done. I would have liked to have seen further development of the other supporting characters in the book. After the high impact of the first chapter, the next chapters were slow and didn’t pick up again until the final half of the book.

I enjoyed reading about these brave women as the first astronauts who had to break the glass ceiling for others to follow. Thank you to Random House/Ballantine books for the opportunity to read and give my comments on the book

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this read. All opinions are my own.
This is my first Taylor Jenkins Reid novel, and I truly wonder what's kept me away for so long! I really enjoyed this book. The relationship between Joan and Frances was beautiful and I think so highly of characters who understand the fragile strength of children. Joan and Vanessa's slow developing romance drew me in. I didn't know anything about this book and wondered if it would be a love story between them or just a rich friendship. The setting of their relationship in NASA and the 1980s underscores both how far we've come and how little some things have changed. I don't know if it's a critique, but sometimes I forgot that this wasn't a more modern story. I know there were answering machines, and pop culture references like "The Never Ending Story", but this book didn't seem grounded in the 80s to me. The dialogue was easy, the pacing kept me interested, the side characters were compelling and complex. I wished to keep following their story.

We need astronauts, and people dreaming for the stars - not just literally but figuratively. Taylor Jenkins Reid does it ALL - again.

Perfect book.

Such an emotional book!! I'm not usually a romance reader and especially a space fan, but a huge TJR fan. She sets the stage for the 80's which was part of my growing up years. The struggle and disparity for women was real. A lot of obstacles still make their way to the forefront in our lives, but you applaud the ones who persevere and use the challenge to enhance their stamina. This book is more than that. To say it was an atmospheric love story would be selling it short. I can't even get past the tears to enhance this self discovery and defy the boundaries these women felt.
When Joan, a professor of Physics and astronomy, applied to an ad seeking first women scientists to join NASA's Space Shuttle program. She had no idea the obstacles and progression she would make. A long list of characters, which is usually a downfall of mine, became an important factor as each one plays a huge role. Relationships are prohibited and could cost them everything. When Joan falls in love with a magnetic engineer, Vanessa, which is a great asset to the program, she must work through their passion and pursuits because it was the 80's. There are so many struggles in this book and a finality that I'm still reeling over. I took a chance on TJR's a romance book, but found myself dissecting it like a mystery trying hard to keep my sensitivity abay, but this one will sneak up on you and create a puddle of reasons, wet and dry.
Fabulous job once again from TJR, as she melted each reader's emotions. Kudos to the little niece that melted us with her innocence and sweetness. Joan's care for her was beyond delicate and sincere.
Thank you, thank you and thank you Ballantine Books and NetGalley for this incredible ARC and approving it way beyond the deadline! My only regret is waiting too long to give it a chance.

dare I say this is Taylor Jenkins Reid’s best book yet??? this was incredible! thank you Netgalley, Ballantine Books, and B&N for letting me read this eARC!