Atmosphere hits so many buttons: historical fiction, space, romance, women’s equality. And yet, somehow, it never comes across as preachy or trying too hard. I loved this class of astronauts and wanted the world (and stars) for them.

I had a few minor quibbles. I am not sure that the structure of the book worked entirely in its favor. Knowing how certain events turned out prevented me from connecting with some characters in the past as much as I would have liked. Joan occasionally felt too good to exist, and Barbara too one-note villainous. Despite this, somehow, the ending hit hard enough to leave me crying in public. I didn’t want to stop reading, and I’m sad the book is over. I hope we get another book with this cast.

I really enjoyed this book about NASA's 1980s space shuttle program and felt like it truly captured the challenges and triumphs of the program and the people who worked in the field. The main character is complex and likable and the supporting characters are well developed. It's a heartfelt and moving story with plenty of well researched science for those who want to geek out and plenty of emotional depth for readers looking to connect on that level. Highly recommended.

Thanks to Random House/Ballantine for this ARC of 'Atmosphere, A Love Story' by Taylor Jenkins Reid.

As a NASA and space program enthusiast I guess I was swayed by that element of the blurb but it turned out that this was more a love story than a NASA story and I am probably not the target audience.

The NASA bits are well done and the Shuttle scenes are great but they're too few and far between. This is mostly about the relationship between the two main characters - Joan and Vanessa - and Joan's family, especially her niece and her emotionally stunted an immature sister. I'll admit to speed reading a lot of the interstitials between the action on the Shuttle.

As well as quite rightly and effectively visiting how difficult it was and remains for women to thrive in a male-dominated sector, the book serves as a really powerful reminder about how difficult it was to be a gay person in life in general but especially in military or military-adjacent careers and a salutatory warning that the very hard fought gains in LGBTQ+ equality are under attack again.

I'm sure this will be a massive bestseller but it's a romance-driven novel rather than a space-driven one.

Taylor Jenkins Reid knows how to hook you from the start! I hadn't expected a lot of things going into this book, but I wasn't disappointed with what I was met with. While it was entertaining, this book was extremely informative. I loved seeing the research coming to life through Joan. I will in fact be looking at the stars tonight! Joan was such a delicate and intricate character. Her thoughts were so original, but you could see that she was extremely vulnerable as well. She was written to be complex, yet open-faced. As the reader, I loved being in point of view because I could see some parts of myself in her. I can also see other characters such as Carrie Soto and Evelyn Hugo shining through the characters of this book. I like to think that the way they are all so connected was intentional on TJR's part. Other than informing readers about the stars, TJR did not hesitate to inform us about the struggles women faced then in the 1980s and now. She had also addressed a few more underlying issues we are currently facing in our time. I can always appreciate that about her writing. And in true TJR fashion, this book left me wanting more (as in I was bawling my eyes out during the last 15% of this novel), and I can only believe other readers will feel the same as I do.

Thank you NetGalley for allowing me the privilege of reading this book.

I appreciate NetGalley for the chance to read and review Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reid. I have thoroughly enjoyed all of the works by this author, with Carrie Soto is Back being my favorite. This novel tells the story of two women selected by NASA for a potential journey into space. They confront bias and stereotypes to demonstrate their capabilities and endurance required for success in outer space. The narrative centers around Joan, an astronomy professor with a lifelong passion for the stars. One of the fellow astronauts she encounters is Vanessa. Together, they discover more about themselves than they ever anticipated. The conclusion is incredible, so be ready for it!

I loved this book. The characters are well drawn and the reader cares about all of them. When tragedy strikes, it's hard not react as though these are real astronauts. The bittersweet ending is both miraculous and sad, but it's completely in line with the tone of the rest of the book.

An 80s love story set in space - “Atmosphere” is the much anticipated release from superstar Taylor Jenkins Reid.

We follow a group of astronauts on a mission in Dec. of 1984 and things go horribly wrong, creating a life or death situation.

I’ve read nearly all of TJR’s books and some of them remain my very favorite books of all time, but this one felt a little flat to me. It was still entertaining, although I think would have been more compelling with a different ending.

Wow, TJR really took us on a journey with this one! It starts off with such a wild ride and then you go back in time to see how these characters ended up where they are. There was a lot of build up and family dynamics. One thing I really appreciate about this author is her way of creating characters living and experiences relationships during the time period she writes about. There was a lot of space talk in this one so some of that was confusing for me, but I was impressed because I believe this author did so much research to make sure that the details of this were accurate. The ending took me on a wild ride. I was kinda surprised at the very end. But I did like it!

Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reid completely swept me away—this is easily a five-star read and one of my favorites of the year. Set against the meticulously researched backdrop of NASA’s 1980s shuttle program, the novel beautifully balances the awe of space exploration with the intimate, emotional journey of Joan Goodwin as she navigates grief, ambition, and the complexities of love and identity. I adored the nuanced relationships, especially the touching bond between Joan and her niece Frances, and the gradual, heartfelt development of Joan’s romance with Vanessa. Reid’s writing is immersive and powerful, making every character feel real and every moment resonate, from the camaraderie among the female astronauts to the raw exploration of sexism and found family. I received an ebook from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review, and I can’t recommend Atmosphere enough—it’s a moving, uplifting, and quietly thrilling story that lingers long after the final page.

Soooo good! TJR knows how to pull you in and keep you hooked. Did I want to be an astronaut when I grew up?!? Absolutely, I did! I learned so much through this book. It spoke to an inner dream of mine. I also loved the realness of the characters and all the emotions that go along with that. I was invested the entire way through. Already know it’s a top favorite for the year. 🤩

An intimate and devastatingly real love story for the ages. Atmosphere took my breath away. This book captures so much love and so much pain. Between mother and daughter, niece and aunt, colleagues, women, astronauts and the stars. Taylor Jenkins Reid does such masterfully painful job of weaving timelines to induce maximum shock and agony in her readers with this one. She really does an incredible job of encompassing all that is good in the world, and taking readers through the visceral experience of feeling what it’s like to lose it all. Atmosphere is for the space lovers, the word lovers, the love lovers, and everybody in between. This book is one that will stick with you for long after you read it, and leave you in absolute SHAMBLES while you’re doing so. It captures the devastation of prejudice and what homophobia and othering our neighbors and colleagues and family can do. “Happiness is so hard to come by. I don’t understand why anyone would begrudge anyone else for managing to find some of it.” Compassionate and powerful reads such as this one are so important in times like the ones that we are living in now, as this finding its way into the right hands has the power to quietly change minds and hearts.

I am amazed at how much research must have gone into the writing of this book. Of course, I’m not an astronaut, so I don’t know whether all the details are correct, but it sure seemed like it. The book starts with a tragic incident, and I was eager to find out how it would be resolved. But in order for that to happen, the story goes through the process of what it takes to become an astronaut, which was fascinating. There is also a love story, which added another layer. Overall, this feels like another hit from Taylor Jenkins Reid.

Another great read by Taylor Jenkins Reid. I’ll admit, I struggled a bit at the beginning with all the space talk, technical jargon, and the long chapters—it made it hard to get into at first. But once the story found its rhythm, it really picked up, and I found myself fully invested.

As always, Reid’s character development is top-notch. She has a real gift for creating layered, emotionally complex characters that stay with you long after the last page.

My biggest complaint is the ending—it felt a bit too abrupt for me. After all the build-up and emotional investment, I was hoping for a little more closure.

Still, a strong and compelling read overall. Fans of Reid’s work and character-driven stories will definitely find a lot to appreciate here.

The way TJR writes such dimensional, deep female characters never fails to disappoint. While I may be completely terrified of space, the writing put me so intimately in Joan's head that I felt like her passion for astronomy was my own. I fell completely in love with every character, even side ones like Lydia, were crafted with such detail that their motivations and actions always felt so true and real to who they are. Joan and Vanessa’s love story wrecked me in the best way possible, and I would read a ten-part series only following their most banal days. Only TJR can make experiencing orbiting the Earth as one of the first women in space and a first kiss between lovers equally thrilling.

It took everything in me to not bawl my eyes out when reading this book. I got very attached to the characters, which I know I shouldn't do but I can't help it.

This book just has so many different facets, but they all fit together so well. The romance, her basically being a mother to her niece, finding your identity, achieving your dreams, and learning about space and astronomy.

The only thing I wanted that wasn't in the book was the epilogue. I want to know what happened to them after the final chapter. I have so many questions I want answers too, but I know I will probably never get them. I feel like she didn't include one on purpose though; maybe that we could come up with our own conclusions on what happened, or because the ending we got would have been enough closure.

This book was just so emotional for me (in a good and bad way) and it really makes you think a lot about space and our place in the galaxy. It makes me want to go look at the stars and find all the constellations.

Taylor Jenkins Reid has done it again! Such masterful writing with beautiful one-liners, complex characters and an enticing, and at times exciting, plot. I particularly loved seeing the romance blossom between Joan and the main love interest, especially considering the context and the time period, I think it was so tender and wonderfully done. I also appreciated Joan's complexities; she also read as neurodivergent which I appreciated as it was written quite naturally and made sense for the character. My only pause in the book was in the first few chapters, with the terminology and spatial explanations of the compartments of the spacecraft, as the knowledge was not yet fully established, and the quick jumps between such specific terms/locations at times became a bit disorienting. Otherwise, easily a new TJR favorite!

Absolutely loved Taylor Jenkins Reid's newest novel. I can absolutely see this becoming a hit movie. The timeline that takes place in space reminds me of an Andy Weir novel - fascinating and fast-paced. The main timeline is a brilliant glimpse at what it was like to be a woman in the 80s. The ending was epically well crafted.

Thank you to Random House Publishing and NetGalley for allowing me to read an advance copy of this novel. My review is voluntary and all opinions are my own.

This book was everything and more. I had high expectations for this book given the author, and still I was blown away. The amount of research this book must have required is astounding and TJR did an excellent job. The exploration of how deep a love can go against the backdrop of what life was like for women in the 80’s in a male dominated field was so well done. I loved the strong female mc, character development, and found family aspect. Thank you Random House for the early copy via Netgalley!

This was incredible. I expected to love it and grew more confident in that feeling after I read the first few pages, but I was not expecting to love it as much as I did.

This story is as thrilling as it is emotional. These characters and their stories were phenomenal and so beautifully written.

The dual timelines alternating between the past and the present made this story so much more emotional in my opinion. We got to see why these characters became so important to each other during the flashbacks to the past.

There is a lot of space talk in this book, but this book is also so much more than space. It’s strong female characters, family struggles, finding and discovering yourself, and love. The emotion and depth in this book hit me so hard in the best way. I was sobbing by the end, and that last paragraph absolutely ruined me.

I wanted to binge this book in one sitting, but I also wanted to savor every second. This isn’t just a love story between two people—it’s a love letter to the universe.

I absolutely loved this book, I type with tears running down my face and up way past my bedtime.

Taylor Jenkins Reid’s beautiful, poetic like prose captured me from the beginning. Then her ability to create a character who is so unlike myself but yet I connected with on such a deep level is truly a talent. And to create a character I loathe with every part of my body. Barbra, I mean you. I want more. I want a sequel. I’m calling it now. Please TJR give us a sequel. This book will tear your heart out and put it back together. This book is a testament to human nature, to what it means to be human, and to what it means to truly love. This is definitely one of my top TJR books and probably my top book of 2025.