4.5, rounded up

this was a really fast read, almost a page turner. I loved it. The ending felt very abrupt, though. An epilogue would've helped me wind down after all that crying lol.

also, I hope Barbara chokes. <333

This was not quite the novel I was expecting, but it was a beautiful love story. The stars and sky are cool, but I am not exactly a galaxy girl which didn't matter a bit to me, because I'm also not a surf girl, and loved Malibu Rising. Not a Hollywood girl, and loved Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo. Not a tennis girl, and still enjoyed Carrie Soto is Back. No matter the topic I am always on board to read Taylor Jenkins Reid.
We know right off that something huge is happening in "current" time, and then we propel back several years to learn how we get to this catastrophic event, and the emotional complexity that is actually taking place. The information on the space side was intense, and sometimes left me in a state of blink...blink....blink, but it's the relationships that Reid is a master of, and this one is definitely another great love story trying to beat the odds. Being next to Joan as she gains confidence in every aspect of her life was fantastic. Her growth was what kept me invested.
On the flip side, it also felt drawn out. I found myself a little bored, which surprised me. I typically tear through TJR novels, but this one didn't offer the same page turning fury I expected. No doubt this novel will average a much better rating than my 3 stars, so don't take my word for it and go grab this one to find out for yourself!

ATMOSPHERE is the latest novel from Taylor Jenkins Reid (Carrie Soto is Back and Daisy and the Six; Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo). Even though ATMOSPHERE received starred reviews from Booklist and Library Journal and was a LibraryReads Hall of Fame selection for June, my book group was more enthusiastic about her earlier works. This latest story is set in the mid-1980's and looks in detail at the second class of astronauts chosen to fly the space shuttles. I thought it would be much more about NASA, but instead, the story really focuses on the personal relationship between two female astronauts (Joan Goodwin and Vanessa Ford) and how in that era they have to hide who they are in order to keep their jobs. There's an exploration of motherhood, too: both for Joan's sister (Barbara) involving her daughter, fifth-grader Frances, plus, another female astronaut, Donna, who's a new mother and struggling with discrimination. The plot actually spans several years from their recruitment and training to class members flying in space. The author flashes forward early in the novel so readers are aware of a dangerous accident on one of those missions and alternates time periods until both stories are resolved. The space rescue is moving and well-written; the rest, perhaps paralleling some of Sally Ride's and her peers' experiences, less so. Taylor Jenkins Reid does provide a list of suggestions for further reading which includes The Six by Loren Grush.

3.5 stars overall

Most of this book was just fine then the last 20% was AMAZING. At times there was a bit too much science info, which makes sense for a book about astronauts, but I didn't like it.

I'm not sure this is the best book of the summer, as it's been marketed but it is very good and kept me interested.

I am not even surprised by how much I fell in love with every single character, they were all so flawed and honest and I really wanted the whole crew to be able to make it back to Earth. The emotional peaks and valleys made sense with the time jumps from a couple years before, to the latest mission Joan is CAPCOM for. All passengers on the final mission were people with their own stories and personal issues and I could not imagine having to be in Vanessa's shoes, trying to bring back her four crew mates back safely while having to secure the whole spacecraft by herself.

One word: Griff. That's it, my heart broke, whyyyyy? Hank, Steve and Lydia and the rest of the gang really bonded over the course of a few years and it was so sweet to see their comfort levels get deeper as their conversations and trials went on.

Joan's character felt a little flat, she was basically perfect but somewhat boring to be a main character. I did love her for wanting to be there for her niece Frances even throughout her practice and work, she still made the time to really be there for her in spite of Barbara. I hope we can get another book about Frances, I found her so charming and empathetic.

Thank you to NetGalley, Taylor Jenkins Reid and Random House Publishing Group for the ARC, all opinions are my own.

I did not think I cared about astronauts, but Taylor Jenkins Reid is the absolute master of getting me interested in a topic I previously knew nothing about (see: tennis and Carrie Soto is Back). This book was a roller coaster of tension and emotion, and I loved every second. My heart was pounding as I turned to that last page! This is the book that has officially shown me that I'll follow TJR anywhere she wants to take me.

Taylor Jenkin's Reid's Atmosphere evokes some serious nostalgic vibes. Initially, I was a little disappointed at the lack of Easter Eggs or character connections to her other more recent novels, but I definitely understand and respect Jenkins Reid's decision to write something fresh and independent from their past books. The "A Love Story" subtitle seemed to put off some other early reviewers, which is surprising to me, because isn't love is a central theme in all of Jenkins Reid other novels? This timeless coming of age novel embraces female empowerment and perfectly captures the spirit, excitement, and fear of young adulthood. Taylor Jenkins Reid is a master at historical fiction.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine | Ballantine Books for the opportunity to read this novel in exchange for my honest opinion.

Is it science fiction or romance? It's both. The novel revolves around the central character, Joan, and her trajectory to become a scientist and astronaut. At the beginning, which turns out to be close to the end, she is working the command center at Johnson Space Center, and directing the actions of her colleagues on a shuttle voyage. Then the story goes back in time as we learn about Joan's family and the process of being accepted into the space program and the dynamics among the space center colleagues. The relationship between Joan and Vanessa, one of the astronauts, develops slowly, but it comes as no surprise to the reader that these two women will become lovers. For science fiction fans, the inside look at the astronaut program and shuttle operations will be fascinating and they may want less romance, while romance fans may wish for less science. Mainly, though, the author has created characters that we care about, and suspense that will keep us turning the page.

Oh, TJR, you’ve done it again! I read this book in less than a week, reading the entire second half in one evening. Atmosphere holds the complexities of love and life in the heart of Joan, its unforgettable main character, and left me in a puddle of all the feelings by the end.

From her relationships with her niece, her colleagues, the love of her life, and even with the universe itself, Joan is a humble, smart, badass woman. One of the early women chosen to join the U.S. space program as an astronaut in the 1980s, her story is both personal and cosmic. The impact of sexism in the workplace was responded to differently by each of the women, offering a picture of how the toxic male culture of the 80s was beginning to change, ever so slightly.

I felt the exquisite beauty of Joan's awakening sexuality (without being graphically sexual) and falling in love juxtaposed with the cruel pain of keeping that part of herself in the closet. I also loved how her faith in God is shaped through humanity’s relationship with something far greater than ourselves.

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

If I could change anything, I would’ve loved even more detail about her experience in space. It felt like there was room for that chapter to be slightly longer. And while it wasn’t a big deal, I did find myself scanning for crossover character appearances like TJR has done in the past. It was a little distracting, but not disappointing - just something I noticed.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨ (4.5 stars)
Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

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

Lady astronauts in love! Joan has always dreamed of space. She becomes an astronomer and is helping her younger sister with Francis, her precocious niece. When her sister calls her to let her know that NASA is recruiting female astronauts, Joan applies until she gets accepted. There she meets Vanessa, a badass civilian pilot. Each of them must discover new things about themselves.

Starting the book with a tragedy in space was an interesting choice, and due to my own time constraints, I kept forgetting about the actual space part because it was chronologically out of order. However, my extreme emotional reaction to the ending of the book, made it clear that I became very attached to all of the characters.

I would have liked a chapter or two after the end of the book to allow the reader to see the aftermath, but leaving it open-ended has given me so much food for thought. I loved the characters and the tone of the whole book. I want to force extremists to read this book to see how love is love is love.

Thank you to Random House Publishing Group, Ballantine Books, and Net Galley for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

My girl TJR did it again! I was a bit turn off by all the nasa talk but after the first few chapters i was hooked. Oh how i cried!

Like Top Gun meets Apollo 13 in the best way, but make it Sapphic with first wave female astronauts in the 1980s.

I'm a long time Taylor Jenkins Reid fan - pre-Evelyn Hugo, IYKYK - so it's completely unsurprising I loved this book. Something about her writing just speaks to to me in a totally seamless, immersive way.

Atmosphere did not disappoint with fierce female leads, a literally out of this world setting, a touching love story, surprisingly deep rumination on the nature of the universe and our place in it, all wrapped up in a heart=pounding, edge of your seat plot - I truly couldn't turn pages fast enough!

For a story that is set in partly in space, this book is remarkably well grounded in humanity. You can see this as an adventure story or as a love story and I think it holds up quite well either way.

The book is just well researched enough to have the sense of truth, but is not so bogged down in the details as to take you out of what is first and foremost a story of people, not science.

I enjoyed this profile of extraordinary people, pioneers in many different ways.

I think this holds up quite well among author Reid’s other books.

Many thanks to Random House and NetGalley for the ARC.

I had to abandon Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reid, despite being a huge fan of her previous work, because it simply didn’t draw me in the way her other novels have. While I’ve always admired her ability to create vivid characters and emotionally compelling stories, this book felt slower-paced and lacked the emotional spark I’ve come to expect from her writing. I found myself waiting for that moment of connection, but it never quite came, and reading began to feel more like a chore than a joy. It was disappointing, especially because I had high hopes going in, but sometimes even a favorite author doesn’t hit the mark for every reader every time.

TJR kicks off this novel by dropping the reader right into an intense, high stakes situation on a space shuttle. At first, it's very chaotic with many characters and challenging to follow the action (likely by design)- but then we are very quickly pulled back in time to meet the characters and learn of the events preceding this crisis. There is a LOT about this book I loved- some great character development, a swiftly moving plot and it is obvious a lot of research went into the writing of this novel. However for a book with such an high emotional impact there were parts when I felt totally disconnected to the storyline. Also- the ending. No spoilers here but... sigh.

I found this book to be stilted and overwrought--the characters were not well fleshed out. The narrative style did create tension and suspense, but tultimately this book was not successful for me.

Thank you netgalley & publisher for gifting me this advanced reader copy

The gasp I let out when I realized the audiobook was done and that was in fact where TJR ended the book 😭
What a whirlwind of emotions. I know everytime I read one of TJR’s books that it’s going to be amazing and this time was no exception.
The love story was so sweet and I was at the edge of my seat the whole book. Learning about the space programs and so much about space was so intriguing and the love story was to die for. Unfortunately I am sobbing while writing this book and i desperately miss the characters already

4.5⭐️ rounded up

Ahhhh TJR has done it again. This love story set at NASA with found family and family drama is just pitch perfect. I loved it SO much—I laughed and cried and can’t stop thinking about it.

I never wanted this book to end. I wanted to simultaneously devour it and also read it slow, knowing I'd never get to read it again for the first time. TJR has an incredible way of researching and discovering topics that I'd not typically dig into, and she has yet to fail me.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.