I’ve enjoyed every Taylor Jenkins Reid novel, but I LOVED Atmosphere.

Joan Goodwin is a professor of physics and astronomy when she comes across an ad to join NASA’s Space Shuttle program, which she does in 1980. We follow her through her training and meet the other astronaut candidates on their journeys—both personal and professional—for the next four years. This is fascinating and action-packed, and I cried more than once.

NetGalley provided an advance copy of this novel, which RELEASES JUNE 3, 2025.

Fantastic, Taylor Jenkins Reid is a leading voice in literature and once again has not disappointed.

This is another beautiful book by an author that has become an automatic read for me. The first half of the book was a little heavy-loaded with NASA and physics for my liking, but the end had me sobbing as I realized I cared so much for the characters by the end.

I am conflicted on this book. This is only my second Taylor Jenkins Reid book, but it won't deter me from reading more.

I really enjoyed the setting - you can tell that the author took care to research NASA and the astronaut program. However, I thought there were too many characters which kept me from really being invested in the story. The plot takes place in present/past which I didn't enjoy as much as I'd thought I would. The author writes extremely well and this is no exception.

Rated 3.5 stars rounded up to 4 stars. Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the ARC ebook.

It feels like a revelation: TJR has finally produced a work that resonates with me more than Evelyn Hugo. I did not anticipate the romance storyline hitting so hard—nor did I anticipate the crafty way the author invites you to care for each and every character within. The cadence of the chapters, flipping between The Incident and the years that lead up to that life-altering event, is utterly brilliant, and ensured I was unable to put this one down. Atmosphere is a book I'll be thinking about—and rereading—for many years to come.

ALL THE STARS!! Wow, TJR is an amazing writer!! I've loved a lot of her back-list and I'm so glad she's finally back with "Atmosphere" ! (I was not a big fan of "Carrie Soto", so it's been a while for this reader!). As a reader of a certain age, I really loved the 80's nostalgia in this look back at the Space Shuttle program (IYKYK) & I really liked that it focused on women astronauts. I liked the MC, Joan & the other women as well, one of the men was almost a Tom Cruise clone, LOL. I also appreciated that I wasn't lost in science engineering that was way over my head! I found the plot very believable - fast paced & also suspenseful - could not put it down at times. Highly recommend it!! Many, many thanks to Net Galley and the publisher for my advance readers copy - beyond grateful!!!

My thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Random House for letting me read an advanced copy of Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reid! Of the Taylor Jenkins Reid books I've read, this one falls in the middle for me. I really liked that she shifted away from the glamorous, tabloidy celebrity novel to one that is a bit more serious. Like her last several books, this one is historical (1980s) and is the fictionalized story of NASA's first female astronauts.

The book alternates between the present day, where there's a disaster on board the space shuttle, and the past, where the astronauts are going through their training. The sections on the shuttle were fast-paced and thrilling and I kept wishing more of the plot took place there. I liked the other parts too, just thought some of the writing around the love story was a bit cheesy.

I definitely think Taylor Jenkins Reid fans will be happy with this!

Evelyn Hugo meets For All Mankind.

My heart won't be the same after this book. Does real love exist like this?

The passion of work to become an astronaut, and the passion of love that Joan finds... I couldn't put this down, I sobbed. It wrecked me.

Go, read it. Coming in 2025.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy. I apologize for the incoherence of my review, my heart is still recovering. Much like a shuttle crashing back into Earth's atmosphere.

I love Taylor Jenkins Reid and her writing just keeps getting better and better. She’s almost created her very own genre: books that take place in the historical past, but have their own story mostly unrelated to any major known events of that time. In Atmosphere, she has taken what we know of space travel and NASA operations from that time and has given us a heartfelt and poignant story about the people behind the scenes.

Reid has written a story filled with complex characters, all with complicated relationships with their careers and each other. They’re trying to achieve something personally remarkable while also being part of a team that will advance humankind, but all the while they are real people under the surface with feelings and hopes and desires. The push pull of the emotional bonds with the stress and limitations of the science of the times has the reader rooting hard for any positive outcome and deeply worried for the characters throughout the story. Several times I announced to people in the room with me “I’M SO WORRIED FOR THESE PEOPLE!!!!”

The love story is poignant and magical and sad which makes the overall story poignant and magical and sad.

Without spoilers, I think I liked the ending on the second to last page more than the ending on the actual last page which felt a little bit made for Hollywood. But overall, it’s an incredible novel and will be an instant best seller, at least in my little bookshop!

This may be one of my all time favorite books!! It was beautiful in every way! I laughed and I cried and I loved every minute! I loved the characters and their stories and it will stay with me for a long time to come. I cannot wait to have the physical copy for myself and to hand sell it to all of our customers. I loved all of the research that went in to writing this book. It was just enough to give me the information I needed and not too much that I felt overwhelmed by it all. The cover is amazing and this book is absolutely perfect in every way!

Atmosphere is exactly the book I've been waiting for from Taylor Jenkins Reid. If you were a kid who loved Apollo 13 and an adult who loved Evelyn Hugo and Daisy Jones, then I promise this is the book for you.

4.5 ⭐ rounded up to 5 for goodreads

I love Taylor Jenkins Reid and one of my faves is Carrie Soto is Back, who would have thought a book about a tennis star would capture my attention the way it did? Atmosphere is a little more Kristin Hannah vibes and I loved the way her characters evolved over the course of the book.

If you like strong female characters and epic love stories that also have emotional depth and character development, this is for you.

If you are looking for a good read to escape into and binge, this is for you.

NASA is finally accepting female astronauts and Jane realizes she's never wanted anything more. As a scientist, she knows more about the stars and space than most people and is thrilled to get accepted into their second class. When Jane arrives, she quickly makes friends with her fellow recruits and settles into a routine. I loved the side characters and the dynamics between the friends.

Put this on your tbr. It isn't my all time favorite from Reid, but I really enjoyed it and was thoroughly engrossed from start to finish.

Thank you to netgalley for an ARC to review.

Taylor Jenkins Reid really said time to make people feel stuff. It's like she knew what we would be expecting with her and decided to just create something so different from her other stuff. Her improvement in writing between this and the last book is incredible, and I didn't think it needed to be improved, but you can tell how much she stretched her writing prowess.

The highlight of this was the story between Frances and Joan, it was so powerful and touching. I would have liked a little more character growth for some of the side characters, it would have made the emotional impact of what happens more impactful.

Taylor Jenkins Reid's "Atmosphere" is a captivating and emotionally resonant novel that tells the story of Joan Goodwin, an astronomer who becomes one of the first women astronauts in the 1980s. Set against the backdrop of the thrilling space race, the novel explores themes of love, ambition, and the enduring power of human connection.

I loved the last four Taylor Jenkins Reid books and was beyond thrilled to see this on several "most anticipated books of 2025 lists." Alas, Atmosphere is definitely the weakest of all of her most recent books. The previous four had fun, glam settings -- the music business, old Hollywood, professional tennis, and Malibu -- whereas this one, set in the 80s at NASA in Texas, just isn't as sexy and fun. Instead of the big ensembles some of her previous books have had, Atmosphere focuses on one main character, and while she's smart and driven, she's not all that fun. Many of the supporting characters are one-dimensional, and while I'm psyched to see more queer representation in love stories, this one felt super predictable and wasn't all that interesting. It does get better as the book goes on, and by the end I was fairly invested, but I don't think I'll revisit this one.

Thank you to netgalley for the ARC

WOW I loved this book. Not only was this book wildly gripping but it was just so so so beautiful. It affected me in ways other books haven't. It just felt so beautiful to read and it really felt like I was a part of it and that really speaks to TJR's writing. It was like I was watching this epic gravity-defying love story through a VR headset. This book is easily one of my favorite books I have ever read. I've also never highlighted more in a book than this one.

This is a well written novel about women in the NASA program in the 1980s. Fans of the author will find much to ponder in this book as well. Thank you to Edelweiss+ and NetGalley for the ARCs.

4.25 stars

Another stunning book by Jenkins Reid. A little slow and a bit overwhelming (a lot of characters) in the beginning, but once it is focused it is a gem of a story.
I have read a book by her that I haven’t liked and I would definitely put this one in the top 3 best by her.

Taylor Jenkins Reid never fails to deliver my favorite novels of this year and her latest is no exception. It was engaging and fascinating from the start and a book I could not put down. The love story, the action and the way the plots moves and grows shows Reid’s amazing writing skills. Loved loved loved and highly recommend!

Thank you to netgalley for the arc in exchange of an honest review.

Another engaging historical fiction title that will be certain to be one of the most popular books of 2025.