Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reid is a historical fiction featuring Joan, an astronomy professor and Vanessa Ford, a student (fellow) at astronaut training at NASA when it allows women for the very first time.
What happens next, let’s find out….
“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.”
Book Review: Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reid
Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reid gave me romance, space, sexism, queerness, heartbreak, and just enough technical jargon to make me feel smart (but also slightly lost, not gonna lie). Joan and Vanessa’s slow-burn tension?
NASA couldn’t have engineered it better. I laughed, I learned, I cried. Could the middle part could be trimmed? Yes. Did one character choice in the climax make me shout “WHY WOULD YOU DO THAT?” Absolutely. But did I care? No, because this book owns my soul now. Should love survive zero gravity? Read and weep. Literally.
Taylor Jenkins Reid gives us all the big themes—ambition vs. love, feminism (in the workplace)—but also these quiet moments which many would not notice like secret smiles in Mission Control, and one absolutely unforgettable kiss. (feels like liftoff)
Similar Read: The Bright Years by Sarah Damoff
| Genre | Historical Fiction |
| Number of Pages | 352 pages |
| My Rating | 4.5⭐⭐️⭐️⭐️ |
| Release Date | June 3, 2025 |
Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reid Summary
It’s 1980, and astronomy professor Joan Goodwin is done with teaching about the stars—she wants to touch them.
When NASA opens its doors to women (finally), she signs up for astronaut training, not quite prepared for the grueling tests, political minefields, or the magnetic pull of fellow candidate Vanessa Ford.
Their relationship simmers in the background while Joan navigates pressure, prejudice, and a lot of tight-lipped astronauts with aviator sunglasses. And Vanessa? She’s everything Joan isn’t—bold & daring. Their connection is slow, tentative, and real. It’s also hard for Joan, who’s spent her life finding herself.
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“You look at the stars to feel small. I look at you and feel infinite.”
The tension builds in a split timeline between their early training and a future shuttle mission in 1984, and when the threads finally converge…
Spoiler warning, friend. Scroll only if you’re ready.
Atmosphere Ending Spoilers:
In the end, Joan survives the Challenger-esque shuttle crisis—but Vanessa doesn’t. The last few chapters are devastatingly nice, as Joan finally sees what is now lost, remembering the love they never got to fully claim in public. Her eulogy? Unforgettable.
Atmosphere doesn’t just break your heart—it expands it. Reid reminds us that some loves are quiet & life-changing… even if they don’t get a happy ending.
Quotes:
“I trained my whole life to leave Earth, but no one warned me what it would mean to leave her behind.”
Final Verdict?
So now what? A full reread? Kinda Yes. So yeah, I’m emotionally ruined. 9/10. Would space-sob again.
- If you are fan of women-in-STEM stories.
- If you are TJR fans — If you loved Daisy Jones or Carrie Soto.
- If you are lovers of space drama & high-stakes action.
- Readers who want their historical fiction with brains and heart.
- If you are Sci-fi skeptic who say they don’t “get” space books.
Books like Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reid:
- The Calculating Stars by Mary Robinette Kowal
- Hidden Figures by Margot Lee Shetterly
- The Emperor of Gladness by Ocean Vuong
About the Author:
Taylor Jenkins Reid is the NY Times bestselling author based out of U.S. Some of her famous works are Malibu Rising, The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo & Carrie Soto Is Back.
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Book Review: Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reid - Spoilers
Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reid is a historical fiction featuring Joan, an astronomy professor and Vanessa Ford, a student (fellow) at astronaut training at NASA when it allows women for the very first time.
URL: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/220817728-atmosphere
Author: Taylor Jenkins Reid
4.5
