Atmosphere is Taylor Jenkins Reid at her absolute best. It is rich in historical detail, deeply emotional, and packed with character-driven storytelling long after the final page. From the moment we meet Joan Goodwin, a reserved yet fiercely ambitious scientist, her dream of reaching the stars becomes our own.

The novel brilliantly captures the intensity of NASA’s Space Shuttle program in the 1980s, immersing readers in the rigorous training, high stakes, and camaraderie that formed between astronauts. The supporting cast—particularly the determined Lydia, the charming Hank, and the enigmatic Vanessa—feels fully realized, each carrying their weight in Joan’s story. But it’s Joan’s journey, the way she navigates love, loss, and the vast unknown, makes this book soar.

TJR’s writing is as compelling as ever—sharp, immersive, and emotionally charged. She masterfully balances the technical aspects of spaceflight with deeply human moments, making Atmosphere both thrilling and deeply moving. The book's emotional climax hits hard, and even if you think you know where the story is going, it still takes your breath away.

This novel is about ambition, sacrifice, and the courage to chase the impossible. Whether you’re a fan of space exploration or love a powerful, character-driven story, Atmosphere is an absolute must-read.

TJR at her finest! This book was both edge of your seat suspense and slow burn romance. Had my heart SWELLING with so much emotion!! Loved, loved, loved it!!

A book hasn’t made me cry like this in a long time! At first, I was not loving this one. There is more information that usual in a TJR book. There was so much technical stuff about NASA and space that I felt like it slowed the story down. Then I realized that you need this knowledge for the last half of the book….so stick with it! You will not be disappointed!

Taylor Jenkins Reid weaves the present and flashbacks like no other. "Atmosphere" follows Joan Goodwin on arguably the hardest day of her life. Throughout, Reid provides a look at what it was like for Joan to become an astronaut and to work in mission control at the beginning of the space shuttle era. She balances difficult family life, love, and friendship with the misogyny present as the first women joined the astronauts. You truly feel for Joan, Vanessa, Lydia, and the rest of their class as they train while being constantly monitored.

The last 90 pages were an emotional roller coaster that I could not put down.

Overall not a bad storyline, but it lacked the usual pull that Taylor Jenkins-Reid is able to pull off with her books. Some elements of the plot seemed forced (the ungrateful spoiled sister, taking care of Frances, even the relationship with Vanessa). I guess I was expecting a few more plot twists or surprises that never occurred.

Atmosphere is an 80s space novel, with a lesbian relationship at its core.
I ADORED this.
Hopeful, imaginative, and devastating- honestly, did we expect anything less from Taylor Jenkins Reid?

Astronomy & physics professor, Joan Goodwin, whose immense fascination with stars lands her in the heart of NASA’s Space Shuttle program initiating women to join their team. Hard work, unlikely friendships, and most significantly, an unexpected romance with fellow astronaut Vanessa Ford will challenge everything Joan had thought she once knew about herself and our universe.

Atmosphere really hit it out of the park for me. Reid is well known for her ability to transport readers to another time and place seamlessly. Atmosphere does this and more allowing exploration of our limitations and our ability to love as humans against the vastness of space.

This is not one to miss!

Wow, Taylor Jenkins Reid never disappoints. I loved everything about this novel. The characters, the setting and the plot. The love story was great and she knows how to hit you right in the heart. I loved getting to read about NASA, the female astronauts and how they had to navigate being the first female's in NASA.

Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reid

emotional hopeful inspiring medium-paced
Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
4.5 stars

It is so great to get to read another Taylor Jenkins Reid book!

The characters in this novel are dimensional and real. I was swept away into their world and lives & my heart ached for many of them.

This is such a timely book; dealing with themes of homophobia, misogyny.

Thank you Random House Publishing Group and NetGalley for a digital ARC for this story.
Star rating: 4.5, recommend

I was transported back to NASA in the 80s as they began to admit women into the space program as astronauts. Taylor Jenkins Reid has done a great job with the research to create a story in which the reader feels fully immersed in the processes women went through to claim their roles in space exploration. The main character, Joan, is well developed and her storyline highlights her emotional ride throughout the novel. I particularly found the structure of this story particularly engaging as we start with a major space catastrophe, and then have the background on the characters and events of their lives interspersed throughout the catastrophe. This format kept me glued to the pages waiting to see how everything would play out in the end.

Fans of the author are sure to love this one as well. Thanks so much to NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to read this highly anticipated novel in advance.

Taylor Jenkins Reid has another winner. To be immersed in her story telling has you firmly planted in whatever place and time period she chooses, in this case America in the early 1980s. Is this story about astronauts and space shuttles, yes; but this story more than anything else, is about love.

No one writes an ending quite as well as Taylor Jenkins Reid. Beautiful story of love, friendship and ambition. The overall story was great could of done with less Barbara but any weaknesses in the story were overshadowed by the last couple of chapters - evoking a roller coaster of emotions.

Taylor Jenkins Reid’s Atmosphere tells the story of Joan Goodwin, a reserved physics professor whose lifelong fascination with the stars leads her to join NASA’s space shuttle program in 1980. As Joan trains with a diverse group of astronaut candidates, she discovers unexpected friendships, love, and a new sense of purpose—until a fateful mission changes everything.

The novel’s premise is compelling, and Joan’s character is well-drawn, but the secondary characters lack depth. I found myself wanting more subplots and complexity to fully connect with them. Despite this, Atmosphere captures the excitement of space exploration and Joan’s personal journey with emotional weight. Taylor Jenkins Reid titles are always a must-buy and this is no exception.

Wow, what an amazing book. I couldn’t put it down. It made me want to read more about astronauts. It was amazing. Highly recommend

The author’s writing has grown, weaving a romance that feels both raw and intimate, filled with moments of passion, heartbreak, and healing. The connection between the protagonists is beautiful, unfolding with a natural grace that makes every glance, every touch, and every whispered word feel profoundly meaningful. A must-read for those who crave romance that is as deep as it is breathtaking.

Thank you to NetGalley for this free copy in exchange for an honest review. This is the third book I have read by this author and I have enjoyed them all. She is a great author. This particular story was intriguing as both a forbidden love story and one with two female protagonist as potential astronauts, something you don't read about very often. And while it was wasn't always easy to understand the technical jargon, the family dynamics are familiar to anyone with a family. I would recommend this book.

Taylor Jenkins Reid is an auto-read author for me, and Atmosphere only solidifies why. Her books are always well-researched, uniquely crafted, and filled with characters that feel incredibly real. I was beyond excited to dive into this one, and while the abundance of astronaut and space-related terminology felt a bit overwhelming at first, I’m so glad I stuck with it. As the characters developed and the dual timelines began to piece together, I was once again in awe of Reid’s storytelling.

Joan Goodwin has always been fascinated by the stars. As a professor of physics and astronomy, she’s settled into a quiet, content life—until she discovers an opportunity to apply for NASA’s space shuttle program. Determined to go to space, she joins an elite training program in 1980, alongside a remarkable group of astronauts who push her in ways she never expected. Through intense preparation, unexpected friendships, and an even more unexpected love, Joan begins to rethink everything she thought she knew about herself.

Then, in December of 1984, one mission changes everything. The last 10% of this book had me completely on edge, fully immersed in the high-stakes final space mission. Atmosphere is fast-paced, thrilling, and deeply emotional—is Reid at her absolute best. She crafts layered and compelling characters, and tells a powerful story of ambition, love, and resilience. I couldn’t put it down, and I can’t stop thinking about it.now, TJR remains a must-read author for me, and I can’t wait to see what she does next.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a free review copy in exchange for my honest thoughts.

I am very interested in space so this book was excellent in my opinion. I’m not sure how much people will enjoy it if they have no interest in the space program. Definitely a different book for TJR, but I thoroughly enjoyed it.

I've loved all TJR's books, but this one didn't give me the same feeling as her others. It felt more informative, but was clearly well-researched.

It's 1980 and Joan Goodwin has gotten her dream by being selected as one of the first female astronauts for NASA, as part of their space shuttle program. With that comes the challenges of being a woman in a male dominated field, not being able to be seen as weak and dealing with varying levels of discrimination. As she works hard to prove herself she also lets her guard down to form relationships with her fellow astronauts, navigating the crazy world they've entered into.

Taylor Jenkins Reid has written an ode to the space program and space travel, but it is secondary to the emotional connections between Joan and the other characters. Reid makes the interesting choice to open up the novel with a catastrophic situation in a 1984 mission; every few chapters jumps ahead to 1984. The emotional impact is strong as often the reader knows a character is at risk or in a dangerous situation before we even know what this character means to Joan. I found it to be more of a gut punch than if the 1984 situation was left to the end of the book.

The love story between Joan and fellow astronaut Vanessa takes more time to develop, though it's obvious at the start that Joan is attracted to her. Being in the 1980's, this means their relationship is secret from pretty much everyone and they risk being fired from NASA if its discovered. The one aspect I would have liked Reid to go deeper on was a wider look at what being in a same-sex relationship would have meant for these two women, how they felt about themselves and if they would seek any community. Instead they were very much astronauts first, without really any friends outside of NASA and their only concern was being found out and losing their jobs.

Overall, Atmosphere is a beautiful story and I was immediately immersed in the 1980's. I loved it and recommend it.

I'm going to go ahead and call it: This will go down at my favorite book in 2025. From the first page, you are thrown into a world that few know little about: space and exploration. And from there the book continues to draw you in with a fantastic plot, extremely likeable characters (minus Barbara), and the very real truth of what it entailed to be a woman trying to make it into space in the 1980s, no less being a LGBTQ+ woman. Reading Joan's struggles, hopes, and fears in terms of her life, her life with Vanessa, and her life with Frances hooks you from the very beginning and doesn't let go until the very end. I would've read 300 more pages about these characters and their stories. And absolute blast to read.