Atmosphere

by Taylor Jenkins Reid, Kristen DiMercurio (Narrator), Julia Whelan (Narrator)

9 hours, 52 minutes

From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo and Daisy Jones & The Six comes an epic new novel set against the backdrop of the 1980s Space Shuttle program about the extraordinary lengths we go to live and love beyond our limits.

Joan Goodwin has been obsessed with the stars for as long as she can remember. Thoughtful and reserved, Joan is content with her life as a professor of physics and astronomy at Rice University and as aunt to her precocious niece, Frances. That is, until she comes across an advertisement seeking the first women scientists to join NASA’s Space Shuttle program. Suddenly, Joan burns to be one of the few people to go to space.

Selected from a pool of thousands of applicants in the summer of 1980, Joan begins training at Houston’s Johnson Space Center, alongside an exceptional group of fellow candidates: Top Gun pilot Hank Redmond and scientist John Griffin, who are kind and easy-going even when the stakes are highest; mission specialist Lydia Danes, who has worked too hard to play nice; warm-hearted Donna Fitzgerald, who is navigating her own secrets; and Vanessa Ford, the magnetic and mysterious aeronautical engineer, who can fix any engine and fly any plane.

As the new astronauts become unlikely friends and prepare for their first flights, Joan finds a passion and a love she never imagined. In this new light, Joan begins to question everything she thinks she knows about her place in the observable universe.

Then, in December of 1984, on mission STS-LR9, everything changes in an instant.

Fast-paced, thrilling, and emotional, Atmosphere is Taylor Jenkins Reid at her best: transporting readers to iconic times and places, with complex protagonists, telling a passionate and soaring story about the transformative power of love, this time among the stars.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Romance, Audiobook, Book Club, LGBT, Historical

10 pages, Audiobook

First published June 3, 2025

About the author

Taylor Jenkins Reid is the New York Times bestselling author of Carrie Soto Is Back, Malibu Rising, Daisy Jones & The Six, and The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, as well as four other novels. Her newest novel, Atmosphere, is out now. She lives in Los Angeles.

Reviews

[Maddy ✨ ~The Verse Vixen {AFK brb} · Rating 4 out of 5]

"A Cosmic Symphony of Grit, Grief, and Glory"

―Siri, cue “Fly Me to the Moon” by Frank Sinatra☄️

Some stories don’t blaze in; they drift in like stardust — quiet, steady, unforgettable. Atmosphere is one of those. Set against the backdrop of NASA and the unreachable stars, this novel isn’t just about space — it’s about the women who dared to dream beyond the limits they were given. It’s about love that doesn’t look the way we expect, about sacrifice that no one claps for, and about the quiet, stubborn courage it takes to exist fully in a world that keeps trying to shrink you. Taylor Jenkins Reid gives us a story that feels both vast and intimate — like looking up at the sky and somehow finding yourself in it.

A sweeping, intimate novel about ambition, sacrifice, queer love, and the quiet courage it takes to reach for the stars—even when the world tries to keep you grounded.

Let’s get one thing out of the way:
This isn’t just a story about space.
This is a story about gravity—the kind that tethers you to Earth and the kind that tethers you to people.

📡 And sometimes, both feel like they're pulling you apart at once.

The first 40-50%? Honestly ,felt like scrolling through my old physics notes and def. -I was nodding along like - Radiation? Been there. Orbit mechanics? Done that.Gravity? Knew it. Constellations? Done that. Radiation shielding? Please, I’m a physics girlie — this was General Knowledge 101 for me.but also kinda good flashbacks🤍


-BUT THEN… oh.
The second half showed up like an emotional comet outta nowhere. Boom. Existential dread. Poop logistics. Uterus debates. Capitalism in orbit.
And suddenly I was wide awake, scribbling notes, questioning billionaires, rethinking reproduction ethics in off-Earth colonies and whispering:
“Wait… I love this??”
Suddenly, I was engaged. Alarmed. Emotionally invested.
Screaming “THIS IS WHY STEM NEEDS ETHICS AND WOMEN.”

This was also my first ever Taylor Jenkins Reid novel. And my first ff(sapphic) nonfiction-adjacent adventure.
Who knew space could be so gay and so grounded at the same time?

This story is so layered. We get tense, high-stakes space missions. We get grueling astronaut training. But we also get single motherhood, quiet heartbreak, complicated sisters, makeshift families, hidden romances, and all the little ways women are told to be smaller, quieter, more palatable. And still—they fight. Joan and Vanessa both carry so much: ambition, love, grief, duty. And they carry it so well.

“Bravery is being unafraid of something other people are afraid of. Courage is being afraid, but strong enough to do it anyway.”and "You make my life worth something"

📌Character Development→
"Astronauts, Anchors & All the Spaces Between"

“Joan Goodwin. Astronomer. CAPCOM. Sister. Mother figure. Lover. Astronaut.”– The backbone of Mission Control and a reluctant heroine...
These titles orbit her like moons, and she wears them all with a quiet, undramatic elegance that knocks you flat. She isn’t loud, but my God, she is seismic.

I have never rooted harder for someone to scream in public.

“We were told the sky was the limit. This book reminded me the real limit is fear—and she broke past it.”

I read this as someone who’s wrestled equations into submission, fought vectors at 2 a.m., and found poetry in orbital mechanics. And let me tell you—Joan is one of us. She's the girl who whispered to the cosmos and had it whisper back. Who chose velocity over vanity, who fell in love with motion and meaning alike.

NASA here isn’t romanticized. It’s brutal. It’s sexist. It’s a labyrinth of code-switching and silence. And yet Joan walks it—not unscarred, but unbroken. She calculates her way through pain, navigates grief like it’s a launch window, and proves that intellect and tenderness can coexist at Mach 25.

Vanessa Ford– A hotshot pilot with fire in her veins and secrets in her heart. Vanessa is bold, brave, and brilliant — a woman of steel, sky, and staggering heart.
She’s the kind of girl who walks like she knows she belongs in the stars — sharp, ambitious, and unapologetically focused. An aeronautical engineer and a pilot, yes, but more than that — a daughter carrying the weight of loss, a woman trying to earn her place in a world that demands twice as much for half the credit.

On the outside, she’s cool, composed, maybe even hard to read. But inside? There’s ache. There's hunger. There's a quiet grief that shapes her drive — like she's always chasing something she can't quite reach. And then there's Joan. Vanessa’s connection with her isn’t just romantic — it’s liberating. It gives her permission to be soft, to feel deeply, without losing her edge.

And her defining moment? When she risks her life for someone else — not for glory, not for praise — but because that’s who she is. That’s what courage looks like when no one’s watching.Vanessa Ford is that rare kind of hero: brave in action, braver in love.

💬Side Characters You’ll Love (and Cry For)

Frances – Joan’s niece, a bright and curious girl raised in the shadow of shuttle launches and star maps. She represents the future—and the emotional center of Joan’s earthbound life.

Barbara Goodwin – Joan’s younger sister, whose choices leave Joan with impossible responsibilities and fierce protective love for Frances.

John Griffin, Lydia Danes, Donna Hsu– Fellow astronauts who form the backbone of the narrative’s emotional stakes. Their friendship with Joan adds warmth, banter, and, eventually, grief.


📌 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗣𝗹𝗼𝘁 :
"Liftoff: The Story That Took Flight"

⟢Now playing across the universe -by The Beatles🪐
-poetic journey through endless cosmic waves...⋆⭒˚.⋆🔭

Mission Control goes silent as Navigator burns. Vanessa is stranded. Griffin is dying. Only Joan Goodwin, the voice at CAPCOM, holds the line between Earth and oblivion.

But this isn’t just a countdown to rescue. No. This is the story of the woman who got left behind—the one who was smart enough to get to space but too queer, too quiet, too principled to be chosen. We go back in time, through dusty days, brutal training camps, and whispered affections between Joan and Vanessa that burn brighter than any thruster.


🗯️ Every flashback hits like a meteorite.

Beneath the endless sky, Joan’s quiet dreams of stars led her from a simple life to the vast unknown of space.

In a world where few women dared, she fought through doubt and challenge, finding strength in her silence and grit.Amid cold metal and harsh gravity, a hidden love blossomed between Joan and Vanessa—a secret as fragile as the cosmos.

When disaster shattered the mission, Joan’s steady voice was the tether holding her friends between life and the void.The story weaves sacrifice and courage, where every choice weighs heavy and every heartbeat counts.

It is a journey through loss and hope, revealing that even in darkness, the human spirit burns bright.
And in the end, under that same endless sky, they find that belonging isn’t about where you land—but who holds your light.


📌Atmosphere & Writing:

Cinematic yet intimate — like watching stars fall in slow motion.
Science meets soul.
Prose is soft, but every few lines? A quiet gut-punch.
Dual timelines ripple like gravity—slow, haunting, beautiful.
Space becomes metaphor: for love, loss, legacy.
A tone of ache and awe — like stargazing with a bruised heart.


📌Personal Reflection

Reading Atmosphere felt like discovering a secret constellation—both deeply familiar and astonishingly new. As a fellow STEM girlie and physics enthusiast, I was drawn to the authentic depiction of NASA’s shuttle program, the science, the precision, and the passion behind every launch. But what truly captivated me was how Taylor Jenkins Reid, my very first TJR experience, wove the harsh realities of space exploration with the tenderness of human connection and queer love. It wasn’t just about rockets and stars; it was about the gravity of feeling excluded, the courage to keep reaching upward despite the weight of prejudice.—and also my first time reading a female x female love story. I’ll admit, I wasn’t sure how I’d feel going in. I’ve never really explored that kind of narrative before, and there were moments where I felt a little out of my comfort zone. But what surprised me was how much the story still resonated. At its heart, Atmosphere isn’t just about love—it’s about dreams, sacrifice, and belonging. It’s about the ache of reaching for something more, whether that’s a place among the stars or a space in someone’s heart.

Coming from a background that often celebrates logic and numbers, I found myself surprised by how much this novel touched my heart. It read like my first fanfic—raw, emotional, full of whispered dreams and stolen moments—yet it carried the polish and power of a literary masterpiece. It reminded me that even in the most technical fields, it’s our stories, our resilience, and our chosen families that keep us grounded.

Some moments completely stole my breath. The shuttle accident. The impossible decisions in orbit. The ten-minute reentry blackout where the world is holding its breath and Joan is just… waiting. Crying. Hoping. That was one of the most emotionally intense scenes I’ve read in a long time. And the aftermath? The way love survives disaster? God, it stays with you.

Atmosphere gave me hope—not just for the future of space exploration but for all women and queer people breaking barriers in STEM. It’s a love letter to the dreamers, the fighters, and the quiet heroes who never give up. And honestly? It made me want to look up at the night sky with new wonder and say, “This is for us.”

This book might not have been my usual kind of read, but it stayed with me in ways I didn’t expect. It’s bold, tender, and deeply human. And that’s what good stories do—they expand your orbit, even just a little.

📌 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝗺𝗲𝘀 𝗧𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗛𝗶𝘁 𝗛𝗮𝗿𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝗧𝗵𝗮𝗻 𝗚-𝗙𝗼𝗿𝗰𝗲

✔ Women in STEM who are brilliant but overlooked
✔ Astronomy as metaphor
✔ Queer love in systems built to erase it
✔ Sacrificing motherhood, softness, self for a seat at the table
✔ The cost of ambition in a patriarchal vacuum
✔ Found family, especially between women
✔ Grief in space—grief with no gravity


📌Storytelling elements:

✦ Dual Timelines
Past and present dance till they collide. Stakes rise. Hearts break. Everything connects.

✦ CAPCOM = Heartline
Joan’s voice? Lifeline. Between Earth and stars, she holds it all—grief, love, control.

✦ Symbolism
Stars, blue, Summer Triangle. Wonder meets warning. Beauty stitched with dread.

✦ Sacrifice & Morality
No easy answers. Just impossible choices and the ache of doing what's right.

✦ Queer Love
Vanessa + Joan = joy and defiance. Love that dares, even in silence.


...Now playing: “Astronomy” by Conan Gray... -coz the cover is giving it!!🌠

👩🏻‍🚀S𝗧𝗘𝗠 𝗚𝗶𝗿𝗹 𝗕𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗻, 𝗘𝗺𝗼 𝗛𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘁

I came for the space tech and engineering drama.
I stayed for the crushing gravitational pull of women loving women under systemic pressure.

Also?? This book said, “Who needs a man when you’ve got trauma, competence, and cosmic sapphic tension?”

Science was done. Feelings were had. Equations? Unequal.
This is not just a love story, it’s an emotional launch sequence:

Countdown: 10, 9, 8...
Panic: Initiated.
Soft pining in zero-G: Engaged.
Emotional damage: Terminal velocity.
Reentry: We cry.
Landing: Staggered. Gutted. Lit up.


My heart? Currently floating somewhere near the International Space Station. I will retrieve it later. Maybe.


📌Highlights I LIVED FOR:

🔖Actual respect for technical language without dumbing it down

🔖Realistic space mission sequences that still feel high-stakes and heart-driven

🔖Women being experts in male-dominated fields and NOT having to apologize for it

🔖Queer longing communicated through data analysis and emergency protocol exchanges...


📍Final equation: Trauma + training + tethered hearts – men + Women -mutual understanding = ✨emotional transcendence✨

📈 Plot trajectory: steady build → soul-scorching payoff
💻 Technicals: flawless
💔 Feelings: fried
🧪 STEM girl seal of approval: ABSOLUTELY

If you’ve ever been the girl solving quantum mechanics by day and writing pining fanfic by night—this book gets you.


📌The poem: I wrote while reflecting on this story tries to capture that blend of cosmic vastness!!

🚀Whispers Beyond the Stars...

In endless void where silence reigns,
A fragile shell defies the chains—
Joan’s steady voice, a beacon bright,
Guides souls through dark, relentless night.
In orbit’s cold and starry sea,
A dance of fate and destiny,
Where science meets the human heart,
And courage plays its quiet part.

Beneath the stars, ambition burns,
With every risk, the cosmos turns.
Sisters, lovers, dreams entwine—
A fragile hope, a sacred sign.
Through pressure, loss, and silent tears,
They forge their paths beyond their
fears,
For in the vast and boundless blue,
They find what’s lost, and start anew.

-maddy🤍


📌Visual Moodboard (imagine this!)

-Deep navy and glittering silver, like the endless night sky

-Soft glows of distant stars and spacecraft panels lit in muted green

-Cozy, worn spacesuits and the quiet hum of mission control

-Warm embraces under cold, infinite skies

📌Final thoughts:📡 Final Transmission...

A story of wonder, survival, and legacy, Everything We’ve Been Given asks: What does it cost to chase the stars?bThis book made me cry like liquid oxygen exposed to vacuum. Cold. Immediate. Absolute.This isn’t just about making it to space. It’s about everything that must be given up to get there...

It is a love letter to women in STEM, to those who hold family and ambition in opposing hands, and to those who’ve loved in silence because the world wasn’t ready.

For every girl who looked up and saw stars—not ceiling tiles. For every woman who whispered "yes" to wonder, even when the world said "no."For every woman who carried both love and ambition like contraband,For every STEM kid who wondered if humanity and science could coexist—
This one’s for you...

I see you. And this book? It saw us too.

📍Read this if you like slow-burns with astronaut suits.

Stay for the trauma bonding, interstellar yearning, and deeply earned kisses.

And if you love stories where women save each other in every way that matters—emotionally, professionally, cosmically—this is your orbit, babe.

4.5/5. My emotional O-rings are BURNT.




------------------
ೃ ⁀➷Pre-view:🎯

🚀 Prepare for lift-off: an astrophysicist’s journey from classroom calm to cosmic chaos. A new frontier. A fearless crew. And a mission that will change everything.

🧲What’s Pulling Me In:

📚 Women in STEM excellence
🧠 Emotionally repressed nerd x dangerously magnetic fly girl
🫀 Slow burn so intense it might combust in microgravity
⚠️ Off-limits attraction — Astronaut Rule #1? Don’t fall for your crew
🔖Heartfelt found family dynamicsFound family of misfit astronauts (read: chaotic squad energy)
🎯 Dreams vs duty—can you touch the stars without letting go of who you are?
🌒 Queer longing through the lens of science and starlight
🔭NASA history meets personal heartbreak (yes, tissues required)
🚀 Space is vast. But love? It’s a whole new universe.
🧪 Science, sisterhood, secrets—and one slow-burn that might just defy gravity.that feels authentic because I’m living it in my lectures
🌌 The vastness of space, the intimacy of love: The observable universe shrinks when feelings get this big.
🧪 History + heart: 1980s NASA, where women broke the sound barrier and the glass ceiling.
💔 One mission. One mistake. Everything changes.
---

💬 Energy Levels:

Joan: “We orbit the same star but never collide.”
Vanessa: “Then let’s change the trajectory.”
Me: 📉📈📉📈📉📉🧍‍♀️


---

👩‍🚀 Found Family Roll Call:

🛩️ Hank Redmond — Top Gun dad energy. Gives ride-or-die big brother vibes.
🧪 John Griffin — chill lab girl who deserves the world.
🔬 Lydia Danes — so competent it hurts. She cuts through BS with her voice alone.
🧡 Donna Fitzgerald — warm, wonderful, hiding secrets, deserves a novel of her own.
🛠️ Vanessa Ford — chaos pilot. Engine queen. The crush you never saw coming but now can’t shake.

They train together. Fight together. Bleed together.
And they belong together.Yesss!!🖐🏻🧘🏻‍♀️🍿


---

🎬 The Vibe?

Cinematic. 1980s space program.
Sweaty simulators. Star maps.
Women changing the rules, falling in love, and risking everything.

> It's the kind of book where love feels like physics: predictable in theory—
but in reality? Pure chaos.

---

🛰️ TL;DR:
If you’re a physics nerd like me, if you’ve ever loved space, science, soft longing, and found family—you’ll love Atmosphere..
It’s heartbreak in a vacuum, love under pressure, and a girl who just wanted the stars but found something even bigger: herself.
🎓 As a physics student? I’m about to devour this like it’s my last lab report before launch day.let's go!!🤸🏻‍♀️

[Emmy Rosam · Rating 5 out of 5]

Genuinely, this makes my top 5 books of all time.

[Nilufer Ozmekik · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s nearly impossible to resist devouring anything Taylor Jenkins Reid writes—she has a magic touch for crafting unforgettable, empowering heroines. Whether they’re rock stars, tennis champions, or reclusive movie legends, her women are always unforgettable. In her latest novel, we’re lucky enough to get two inspiring leads: Joan, a warm-hearted, nerdy astronomy professor, and Vanessa, a bold, free-spirited aeronautical mechanic-turned-pilot. These two trailblazers become the first women selected for NASA’s Space Shuttle program in the early 1980s—a time when glass ceilings were thick, and societal norms were even thicker.

Set against the politically charged backdrop of Reagan-era America and the rigid culture of NASA, this novel explores not only their individual dreams but also a blossoming, deeply intimate romance they’re forced to keep hidden. Their story is as much about space exploration as it is about self-discovery, sacrifice, and quiet defiance.

As with any TJR book, I was hooked. But—here’s the twist—I’m not giving this one five stars, and I’ll explain why shortly.

Let’s start with what worked beautifully: The pacing is electric. We’re immediately thrown into the heart-pounding action of the STS-LR9 shuttle mission in December 1984. We meet the ensemble of astronauts—Joan Goodwin at Mission Control, the charismatic Vanessa Ford, easygoing scientist John Griffin, ultra-competitive Lydia Danes, and gruff yet lovable Top Gun pilot Hank Redmond. There’s also Jack Katowski, the grumpy-but-wise boss, and Donna, Hank’s grounded and supportive wife. And then, suddenly, something goes terribly wrong—pulling us straight into a suspenseful unraveling.

From there, we rewind to four years earlier to witness the formation of this team—Joan teaching astronomy at Rice University while raising her precocious niece Frances, and Vanessa, a brilliant engineer with a haunted past. Their connection starts slow but simmers with tension, eventually transforming into a deep, undeniable bond that challenges societal norms and professional expectations alike.

Joan’s personal journey—especially her relationship with Frances—was one of the most heartfelt parts of the novel. Her internal awakening and her growth as both an aunt and a woman in a male-dominated field were beautifully portrayed. Vanessa, with her fiery spirit and fearless voice, offers the perfect counterbalance. Together, they’re an unforgettable duo.

Now, onto the small disappointments that held me back from giving it a perfect score:

Despite the emotional gravity of the opening chapter, I felt disconnected. We were introduced to so many characters at once, and I hadn’t had the time to fully understand or bond with them yet. That shocking beginning might have had more impact placed later in the book, once readers had time to form attachments. It felt rushed and emotionally distant, and as a screenwriter, I know the value of building emotional stakes before the big bang.

Also, the book could have used more room to breathe. I actually wanted more pages. The romance between Joan and Vanessa was poignant, but I found myself equally intrigued by the broader ensemble—especially Lydia, who I love to hate and hate to love. Her complexity made her a standout. I wanted more from her, more from Hank and Donna, and more from the group's training challenges. These were fascinating characters navigating extraordinary pressure, and their shared journey deserved more page time.

And Barbara—Joan’s sister—was a sore point. Her characterization felt exaggerated, almost cartoonishly villainous. I kept wishing for a redemption arc or at least a deeper exploration of her pain and motivations. It felt like a missed opportunity for nuance.

Finally, while the ending was powerful and satisfying, it was a bit predictable. I would have loved just one more twist to truly knock the wind out of me.

That said, this is still an excellent read. It’s thoughtful, gripping, full of heart, and a beautiful tribute to the women who broke boundaries—both in the skies and within themselves. It's not my favorite TJR book, but it’s certainly among her boldest and most emotionally resonant.

Read this for the romance, stay for the rocket science—and let it remind you that love, in any era, always finds a way.

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[Yun · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well, fuck me. This was about the most lackluster astronaut book I've ever read.

You have to understand, I'm a huge space nerd. I've read countless books on NASA, space exploration, astronauts, the shuttle program; you name it, I've read it. In fact, if we were to stack rank random topics, all my top spots would be taken up by everything space. So when I heard one of my favorite authors was writing a book about one of my favorite topics, I about fainted.

But right off the bat, I could tell something was off. We open with the most climactic, pivotal scene of the story. It should've grabbed me with the force of a thousand suns, but it didn't. It somehow was both too detailed and also not enough, throwing what seemed like twenty new characters at me in the span of two pages while lacking the technical details that would've convinced me we really were in the midst of a space mission. It left me feeling more confused than anything else.

Since this is a dual timeline, we then proceed to alternate between this climactic scene and the seven years leading up to it as Joan becomes a full-fledged astronaut. And while I did enjoy Joan's journey of finding herself and growing through her relationships, I can't help but feel that something was lacking here too. There was so little time spent on her actual astronaut training and so much time spent on her personal life, that it felt like I was reading generic women's lit instead of the singular, exciting story I was promised.

I zoned out constantly. There were so many characters (all introduced around the same time and none of whom stood out) that I had trouble keeping everyone straight in my head. And what should've been the exciting, technical, space portions of the book were replaced by seemingly endless discussions about constellations (my love for space does not extend to star configurations, it seems) and pseudo-philosophical chitchats about the meaning of life. I was worn down.

But even the lack of an astronaut story aside, this still had the feeling of being aggressively bland while also being overly emotional. Every scene in this book—from the contents of the pivotal scene, to the intercutting of it throughout the book, to Joan's relationships with Vanessa and Frances, to all the meaning of life chats—felt like it was set up for maximum emotional hit, almost superficially so. And while I'm not opposed to being emotionally manipulated, this book did it so openly and so obviously that I can't help but cry foul.

Looking back, I should've known my expectations were too high and I was bound for disappointment. It says right there on the cover that this is "a love story" after all. But the heart wants what it wants, and mine wanted an astronaut story, damn it.

In my defense though, what was I supposed to think? Andy Weir blurbed for this book, for crying out loud! And after Carrie Soto, in which TJR managed to take the complex, technical game of tennis and make it absolutely mesmerizing to us plebs who know nothing about the game, I thought she could write anything. After all, Carrie Soto was amazing because TJR didn't shy away from including all of its technical intricacies, not in spite of it.

So of course I thought lightning would strike twice, and TJR would do so again here. I thought I would get the perfect symbiosis of astronaut and woman, technical and emotional, science and love. But instead, the astronaut part of the story was so watered down that it felt almost like an afterthought and we'd have pretty much the same story if Joan had chosen some other career.

Clearly, I wasn't the right audience for this book. My thoughts are decidedly in the minority, and I'm pretty sure my issues here are exactly why so many other readers loved it. So don't let me dissuade you. But do set your expectations correctly before going in—this is a love story, not an astronaut story.

~~~~~~~~~~~~
See also, my thoughts on:
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo
Carrie Soto Is Back
Daisy Jones & The Six
Malibu Rising
After I Do
~~~~~~~~~~~~

✧ Connect with me ✧ Instagram ✧

[Emily May · Rating 3 out of 5]

One of my most anticipated reads of the year turned out to be underwhelming ☹️

I preordered this book months ago, but it wasn't until my preorder showed up that I saw the book had a subtitle: "A Love Story." Romance isn't really my genre, but I reread the blurb and figured that maybe it was meant symbolically-- like a love for the universe, or for Earth. Something like that.

That's what this sounds like to me:

As the new astronauts prepare for their first flights, Joan finds a passion and a love she never imagined and begins to question everything she believes about her place in the observable universe.

It wasn't. Atmosphere is maybe 20% about a woman in the 1980s space shuttle program and 80% romance.

And you know what? If you're looking for a romance with a bit of a space backdrop, then it's quite good. Very sweet. I liked both characters. Definitely cheesy sometimes, but it's hard to find vegan romance.

The beginning is the most arresting part of the whole book, and it certainly got my attention. Disaster strikes very dramatically, then we jump back in time to learn about the years leading up to this mission.

The middle of the book is where it had lots of ups and downs in terms of keeping my interest. I would become interested, but then it would get repetitive and I would just be reading to make it through that chapter. The subplot with Frances and that POS Barb had me invested-- more so than the love story, if I'm being honest. In fact, I think my interest in how this would resolve is what took the book up to 3 stars. Burning fury always speaks to me more than sweet romance, but, hey, that's enough about my issues.

The ending I won't spoil, but I will say I found it almost annoyingly predictable how everything played out.

So... written well enough, if you enjoy Reid's writing, and with a decent cast of characters. But I wanted more about Joan as one of the first female astronauts at NASA, and less about Joan as a girlfriend. I know we were warned-- it clearly says "A Love Story" on the front page of the book --but reading the blurb once again, I don't really think we were warned enough.

[emilybookedup · Rating 5 out of 5]

OMGGGGGG TJR is just a treasure 🥹🤍🚀📖

this kinda wasn’t what i expected at ALL but of course i’m in awe. the last 20 pages had me so teary eyed!!!! her strong female main characters remain unmatched.

honestly i think my rating is maybe more of a 4.5 vs 5 simply because in my opinion, this doesn’t come close to DAISY JONES & THE SIX or CARRIE SOTO IS BACK which are two of my favorite Taylor Jenkins Reid books but that said, it’s a great novel!

full review to come as i gather my thoughts and emotions. for now, here’s what to expect:

- dual timelines (past and present)
- strong female characters obvi, esp our girl Joan
- family themes and plots
- themes on finding and discovering yourself
- LOTS of astronaut/NASA talk… think: how much tennis talk there was in CARRIE SOTO IS BACK but maybe even more in NASA/space talk
- HEAVY on the character development! but i think that’s true to TJR anyways
- emo emo emo!!!!
- what life was like for women in the 80s… especially in a male dominated field😭
- for me, this was a combo of MALIBU RISING and THE SEVEN HUSBANDS OF EVELYN HUGO and CARRIE SOTO

just know—TJR never disappoints!

thank you so much to Random House for the early copy!! out in June and will be worth the wait!

[jessica yeung · Rating 4 out of 5]

“i was circling two hundred miles above the earth, and all i wanted was to get home and see you. do you understand that i dont care how big or small this world is, that you are the center of mine? do you understand that, to someone, you are everything that matters on this entire planet?”

this is undeniably a love story.

its a love story between a woman and the stars she admires. its a love story regarding a friend that becomes something more. and its a love story about the special care an aunt has for her niece.

its a love story about passions, hidden touches, family bonds, and ultimately life.

its expertly written, emotionally impactful, and captivatingly courageous. its everything that makes TJRs books so remarkable.

↠ 4.5 stars

[emma · Rating 3 out of 5]

"by taylor jenkins reid" is all i need to know.

it's not only why i read this book — it's also why i finished it.

https://emmareadstoomuch.substack.com...

i think space is scary and gross, and science was my least favorite subject in school, so this synopsis never jumped out to me. even when i was reading it, i never particularly wanted to get back to it. but i did enjoy it when i did.

by the end, i cared about the relationships here — joan and vanessa, joan and frances — even when didn't care about the characters. or space.

that's the tjr effect.

bottom line: readable and enjoyable always.

3.5

[Sara Carrolli · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yea y’all were right about this one ☝🏼

I was hesitant at first because I wasn’t really connecting to the story, but once I got to know our main character (and side characters) more, I seriously couldn’t put it down. I loved the romantic exploration & our main character’s relationship with her niece so much BUT THE FORESHADOWING TJR incorporated tore me UP I did not want to get to the end 😭

Incredible incredible incredible story (insane amount of tears were shed) & you must read it if you haven’t already

[Claudia Ramírez Lomelí · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gracias BookUp por la copia avanzada de este libro, que desde ya se vuelve de mis lecturas favoritas del 2025. Decir que no lo podía soltar se queda corto. Taylor Jenkins Reid me sorprende más y más con cada libro que saca.

Además me hizo darme cuenta de lo mucho que amo los libros sobre astronautas y el espacio. He leído muy pocos, pero de esos pocos, TODOS me han encantado. Necesito más.

Lo único que me hubiera gustado más de este libro sería un epílogo. Lo daría todo por un epílogo.

[Sophie Jayne Miller · Rating 5 out of 5]

I saw someone say that this book feels TJR is breaking your heart whilst simultaneously giving you a forehead kiss and I simply couldn't agree with that more. I couldn't put this down and when I did have to I couldn't stop thinking about it, the characters were everything to me and I already miss them SO. MUCH.

[sana · Rating 5 out of 5]

god dammit.

[Raquel · Rating 3 out of 5]

And in this book, we’ll learn that Mick Riva was responsible for the Challenger explosion.

[Michelle’s Library · Rating 5 out of 5]

Probably my favorite after Evelyn Hugo. Picture me on my couch reading the last 9% sobbing.

[Rachel | rachelturnsthepage · Rating 5 out of 5]

review to come once I stop crying long enough to see the screen

[ellen · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5⭐️ I LOVE WOMENNNNNN

taylor jenkins reid simultaneously ripped out my heart and also gave me a forehead kiss, and i’m not complaining

[Sydney Books · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh my god I’m unwell

[chloé ✿ · Rating 3 out of 5]

houston, i’m the problem.

[shanayaa · Rating 5 out of 5]

u know the book is good if it makes u ugly cry at 3 am 🤧✋🏻

[Hannah Elise · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think this just changed my brain chemistry

[Brady Lockerby · Rating 5 out of 5]

done. shattered. obsessed. no notes.

(but if i’m being greedy i would DIEEEE for an epilogue)

[Larissa Cambusano · Rating 5 out of 5]

houston, can confirm this book broke me.

[Alexandra (Lexi) Roselyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ummmmmm I’m sobbing on the kitchen floor over this wtf?! Five stars- new favorite, but like also the ending didn’t have to go that hard I wasn’t BREATHING MY GOD!!!!!

[♥︎ Heather ⚔ (Semi-Hiatus-attempting return) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved it! Full RTC.

The other books on my current reads shelf need to step aside and make room… 🥁 here 👏🏻 I 👏🏻go! 😍

I was just thinking to myself the other day... damn it seems like it's been forever since TJR has dropped a new book.

And here we have it peeps! I can't even wait bc this gorgeous author ALWAYS SERVES! 💘

Anticipated Release- 06/03/2025

[Reading_ Tamishly · Rating 1 out of 5]

She did not have enough coffee while writing this book.

Theme on glamour worked. Theme on sports worked. Theme on romance worked. Theme on music worked. Theme on love triangle worked. Theme on infidelity worked. Theme on loss worked. But this theme went right outta space.


Not even once it felt like I was reading a TJR book. I thought it might get better as it usually does with good books, but my life seemed shorter and shorter as the book got longer and longer.



Am not sorry for the rating and how much I got bored while reading the book (which took place in four different occasions). The dialogues are flat; the characters are flat and nothing much is going on. Everything IS FLAT and the boredom got worse. TJR, you are my favourite but this one is an easy miss.

[Nina (ninjasbooks) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I want to get this review right, to honor the book properly. This is not a book you leave behind. It’s a treasure that will live inside you as long as you live. I can’t remember a love story that has touched me more, shattered my heart and plastered it back together again.

Transcending space and time, perfectly illustrated by a plot about reaching for the stars and pondering big questions. It never felt trite. Instead I encountered again my childhood awe for the unknown, my thirst for knowledge and looking for what makes me happy.

There was also a wonderful sub-plot of the love between Joan and her sister’s child, their story was magical and real.

Lastly, I cried. I cried so much that I needed to take a moment to just breathe. What kind of book is able to do that ? This one.

[Brooke Averick · Rating 3 out of 5]

TJR is one of the best writers of our generation. That ending was a total knockout. But other than that, this just wasn’t my book.

[Sarah Taft · Rating 1 out of 5]

Okay. So. I'd like to start this review by sharing what I feel are two pieces of necessary context:

1.) I like TJR. I think she's a gifted storyteller who is capable of developing complex characters with satisfying arcs set against well-fleshed backdrops. This is the fourth book of hers that I've read (including Daisy Jones, Evelyn Hugo, and Malibu Rising), so I know what she's capable of.
2.) I am both an astrophysicist and a lesbian. Plop me into the 1980s, age me a decade, slightly tweak my research background, and Joan's story could be my own. This gives me a unique positionality with which to approach this book, and ultimately it's this positionality that (at least partially) causes this book to fail so utterly in my eyes.

But I'm getting ahead of myself. It's TJR, so it isn't all bad. I liked Frances and Joan's relationship, and I found their ending to be both sweet and inevitable. Barbara, cunt-mother of the year, is delicious to hate. Lydia is a nicely dynamic side character (even if she is the only one). There is (almost) no misrepresented physics. No gays were buried. And that's… about all the good I have to say. Everything else follows. Minor critiques first, major critiques at the end.

Misrepresented physics
I'll start here since it's a small and singular gripe: Joan's research area (solar magnetism) is space physics, not astronomy. While it's true that there's little difference between astronomy and astrophysics, there is a clear distinction between space physics and astrophysics. Space physics focuses on our solar system, specifically on plasma: aurorae, magnetospheres, ionospheres, and the like. Astronomy and astrophysics focus on all else beyond. Joan's academic work ends up being entirely secondary to her astronaut arc, so this may not seem like an error that merits mention, but to somebody in the field, it's a very obvious mistake.

Clumsy genre cross-pollination
The three other TJR books that I've read can be succinctly defined: character-driven narratives detailing the path to fame, how the protagonist(s) evolve(s) while traveling this path, and how their closest relationships (romantic, familial, etc.) are affected. The worlds in which these narratives unfold are salacious and glamorous, those of the Hollywood elite, dripping with money, sex, romance, and drugs.

That's not what this story is. There are parts of it that are more character driven and ring truer to TJR's ordinary form, and those parts at least somewhat work. But the other aspects are a clear departure: part speculative fiction, part historical science fiction, part romance fueled nearly exclusively by the first two. It's clear that TJR has no experience writing science fiction. Her speculative ramblings are juvenile at best and infuriating at worst (see sections on depiction of astrophysicists and religion for more). Without the sex, money, and drug-fueled undertone, the characters and romance fall flat, with far too much time spent on immature speculative flailing.

Vanessa's characterization + nationalistic/military propaganda
When writing a story about astronauts, it's hard to avoid at least something of a military backdrop. Minor references are arguably necessary context and therefore excusable. I get it. What isn't excusable is characterizing your love interest as a hero ready to follow in her father's footsteps and die fighting for her country. That's an intentional and avoidable decision, and it's thinly cloaked nationalistic military propaganda. Full stop. A shockingly tone deaf political choice given how queerness and feminism are central narrative themes, botched though they may be.

Also, why the early reference to heroin use with hardly any follow up? Opioid addiction isn't something minor, it's not something that goes away, and it'd almost certainly be an instant disqualifier from the astronaut selection process, even in the '80s.

Women-in-STEM commentary
I am tired. This commentary is tired. The horse is beat, the cow is dry, the cupboard is bare. Choose your metaphor and it's applicable here. Every instance of feminist commentary has been said a dozen times before, and it's been said a dozen times better. There's no new or unique approach, no ingenious or special message. It's period-piece Ali Hazelwood, and I mean that as an explicit insult. Maybe this is just my response since this is my field, a sort of occupational hazard reaction coupled with the dangers of reading this close to home. I don't know. Maybe others feel differently. But I'm tired. Do better.

Joan's characterization + depiction of astrophysicists
Two things to know about professional astrophysicists. First, and this is a small thing, but most of us don't know constellations, and we rarely, if ever, use them in professional research environments. We know astronomical coordinate systems, but you'd be hard pressed to find one of us who knows more than a handful of constellation names or locations, let alone the mythologies behind each. And second, when applying to graduate school in astrophysics, one is required to write multiple essays, as you might expect. The one piece of advice that all applicants receive from every mentor, graduate student, post-doc, or professor they consult is: do not talk about how your love for astronomy sparked when you were a child looking at the stars. It's a universal experience among astrophysicists, it will not serve to set your application apart, it will not distinguish you or uniquely characterize you or make you memorable in any way.

And yet, both of these things are massive parts of Joan's characterization and her and Vanessa's relationship. Of course Joan loves the stars and pondering the existential. All astronomers do. But loving the stars and pondering the existential are not the only things that define an astrophysicist, nor are they the only things that define a well-fleshed character. It would be like writing a story about a baker and characterizing her exclusively through her love of bread. Or a singer through her love of melody. It's singular, redundant, unoriginal, and disinteresting. You get the idea. And look, I know there's more to Joan than just this, her queer arc is nice and she learns how to lean into community instead of isolation, but when so much of the romance is fueled by her love of the cosmos leading to immature, surface-level metaphysical musings between her and Vanessa, it's hard to find their relationship palatable let alone believable.

It's very clear that TJR knew nothing about astronomy before she started writing this. It's also very clear that she worked with some kind of science consultant during the writing process, and in doing so learned, for the first time, how interesting astronomy and physics are. And so she's taken that newfound interest and funneled it into the voice of her protagonist, thereby causing Joan and her conversations, her ponderings, her scientific ideas, and her inspirations to read like somebody discovering the beauty and power of astronomy and physics for the first time, not like a career astrophysicist. And listen, I'm glad TJR has discovered this joy! Space and science and deep, existential thought should be for everybody! But those elementary thoughts are misplaced here, and as a result Joan is, at best, an unbelievable protagonist, and at worst, an infantilizing and insulting one.

Religion in the face of science and queerness
I almost don't know how to begin to address this in a way that fully captures my ire, so I'll simply start with a few relevant quotes:

"I'm passionate about the Milky Way," Joan said. "And I think God's in it."
"And I think the pursuit of finding one law to explain the universe is, yes, science, but it's also the pursuit of God."
"You are wasted being a scientist. You should be an Evangelical preacher with that kind of face and all this compelling proselytizing."

Punch me in the face and piss on the wound. No, seriously.

There are some scientists who are religious and ascribe to this mentality. Yes, Einstein was one of them. But, especially in conservative and religious circles, he is regularly cherry-picked as an example despite his beliefs not being pervasive among modern astrophysicists. So very few of us are religious; so very few of us believe in God. And if you want to look historically, there are tons of other big names in the field who were vocal, active atheists: Hawking, Feynman, Schroedinger, Chandrasekhar. If you want to write a protagonist whose belief structure is accurately representative of the astrophysics collective, this is not how you do it.

And then, she's a lesbian on top of it. And we all know just how warm and fuzzy the relationship is between the church, its God, and the queer community. Having been raised evangelical, I promise you I know. And having arrived at my atheism as a near direct result of studying astrophysics, and having grown to accept my own queerness in pure spite of my religious upbringing, I really can't imagine a protagonist written in a way that is less authentic and more insulting to my journey than this.

Fuck you, TJR.

TL;DR
TJR has learned about space for the first time in her life and written an attempted feminist but ultimately tired and derivative story with a protagonist through whom she funnels her toddler-level existential, religious, and scientific diary-like ponderings, topped off with a helping of poorly characterized and deeply tone-deaf lesbianism. Did I get it all? I think so. And with that, I don't have much else to say, aside from the fact that there are so few books about lesbian astrophysicists, and fewer still that reach as broad a readership as TJR's. And this is what we get. Maybe that's on me for reading so close to home. But regardless, more than anything, I'm just fucking angry and fucking sad. El fin.

[s.penkevich [hiatus-will return-miss you all] · Rating 4 out of 5]

To gaze up at the great canvas of cosmic light, to ‘let your soul stand cool and composed before a million universes,’ as Walt Whitman wrote, is a poignant moment that can wash over you with the night breeze and leave you feeling miniscule in the face of such immensity. It can be calming to bathe in its brilliance and marvel at how in all this vastness there is the vastness of love. Though love can mean the whole world, its absence can echo with the enormity of the universe. When the aches of the heart cry out, the works of Taylor Jenkins Reid tend to be a soothing savoir and in Atmosphere we find love writ large across the vast distance of space. An adventurous slow-burn of a novel that sets the heart ablaze like a spacecraft reentering the atmosphere, this is an epic tale of queer love carving its initials into the immortality of history as we follow Joan Goodwin reach for her dreams amongst the stars as one of NASA’s first women scientists aboard the space shuttle program. Deftly maneuvering between timelines and through both the trials and troubles of Joan’s life and the life or death decisions of space flight, Reid engagingly illuminates each emotional moment to tell a story as hopeful as it is heartbreaking. It’s a book you’ll never want to put down. Fighting to flourish in a space unwelcoming to women, and forging an identity and connections in a society where one must hide their “true self”, Atmosphere is about bravely daring to go to places unexplored and champions the resilience of those who boldly leave the Earth behind for something far greater and it is journey to the stars and heart you won’t regret.

‘If we leave the planet, we carry that with us into every room we enter for the rest of our lives.’

‘To look up at the nighttime sky,’ writes Reid, ‘is to become a part of a long line of people throughout human history who looked above at that same set of stars.’ This yearning and wonderment for the stars often feels like something that makes us human, something we share stretching back through all the generations. ‘It is to witness time unfolding.’ Growing up with the spectacle of space travel as a favorite subject, I was thrilled to dive into Reid tackle a historical fiction about NASA in her signature heartrenching tales of love and struggle. As I personally struggle with notions of love and heartache, Atmosphere was like a soothing balm for my soul and it was a pleasure to get lost in Reid’s fine fiction. This book really has a lot to offer and Reid succeeds at balancing all the elements for the most part. Granted there were moments when the romance tends to eat the scenery of the historical aspects however, to her credit, Reid makes them so interesting and engaging you simply don’t want to drift from them. Still, aspects on identity from professional to romantic and familial roles, are well explored and strum all the heartstrings like Bowie on the bridge notes in Space Oddity (which features in the novel and Reid’s accompanying PLAYLIST ). With a rather dynamic cast of characters and a slew of life’s ups and downs for them to trip upon, Atmosphere may certainly be regarded as Reid’s most impressive work to date.

‘Bravery is being unafraid of something other people are afraid of. Courage is being afraid, but strong enough to do it anyway.’

Space is cool and all but, let’s be real, space is also kind of scarry. Like hell yea, strap me in and shoot me off into the stars and all but also like, you know you’re going to be nervous too. How can you not be. Bravery comes swinging on every page of this book and Jane and engineer Vanessa Ford are wonderfully written and empowering portraits of bravery. Reid, who excels at delving into avenues of history with an eye for all the oppressions presented by patriarchy for the women present, does well by exploring the theme of women in an up-hill battle against the barriers of fields dominated by men by situating it in the awe-inspiring atmosphere of the ultimate STEM field: NASA and astronaut training. Which you know you’ve always wanted to try, come on. LETS GO (so scarry). It’s a treacherous landscape of life to traverse, where ‘happiness is so hard to come by’ and we truly feel how ‘being human was such a lonely endeavor,’ but Reid offers the hope of the light of love brightening our horizons and the glorious dawns afforded by bravery in the face of oppression, fears, loss, and even death. This book kicks ass.

‘Just the act of falling in love was to agree to a broken heart.’

Just prior to publication, Taylor Jenkins Reid went on record about her identity during an interview with Time saying ‘it has been hard at times to see people dismiss me as a straight woman, but I also didn’t tell them the whole story.’ Opening up about her sexuality (shoutout to my bisexuals!) became an aspect up the novel, she explained, with being able to present queer love (in spaaaaaaaace) on the page being a laboratory for analyzing herself. The result is nothing short of heartwarming and utterly adorable because I quite love the love story here and I love me some love even if I’ve been really struggling with love and this book was exactly what I needed. Seriously, this is such a feel good book. It’s like injecting the sun into your ass or something without the addictive qualities that come with the usual methods. And the ending. I loved this.

‘You make my life worth something.’

Atmosphere is one hell of an emotional and educational adventure and it is more than worth the price of admission. Plus, you get a cool PLAYLIST that, of course, has some Fleetwood Mac on it because the ache and joy of Daisy Jones & the Sixes plays on. While I may still prefer Daisy to the present novel, this stands strong and proud beside it and will likely garner Reid more attention and new readers. They are the lucky ones getting to experience her books for the first time and I know that was a surprise for me how much I’ve really enjoyed all I’ve read. I will be eagerly awaiting another.

4/5

‘Do you understand that I don’t care how big or small this world is, that you are the center of mine? Do you understand that, to someone, you are everything that matters on this entire planet?’

[Jaime Fok · Rating 5 out of 5]

it’s a story about space, but it’s really a story about love.
my god this book consumed me.