Taylor Jenkins Reid

A Love Story 

Atmosphere 

larissa campos 

What a gift. To have known Vanessa, and to have loved her.

That her life was complete only if lived next to Vanessa’s. They say love isn’t always enough, but Joan knew, in that moment, that it could have been.

But, for once in this godforsaken day, Vanessa doesn’t feel sad at all. How could she? She had asked the world to please let her earn the love of that gorgeous, brilliant astronomer with that beautiful smile. She had asked the world to let her leave a legacy she could be proud of. She’d been given everything. “Do you know why I kept saying the best song was ‘Space Oddity’?” Vanessa asks. “Because of your favorite part.” “When he says, ‘Tell my wife I love her very much . . .’ ” Vanessa says. “And then he says, ‘She knows,’ ” Joan says. “Yeah,” Vanessa says. “That’s it. That’s the best part of that song. But do you think she knows? Do you really think she knows?” “She knows,” Joan says. “She absolutely knows.” “Okay,” Vanessa says. “I can live with that.”

is possible that Vanessa has asked too much of the world, pushed it too far beyond its limits. But if Joan’s voice is the one with her now, she must have done something right.

Vanessa wishes, so badly, that her mother could see her now. To see and feel how incredible the life is that she has made for herself, and how desperately she wants to live

If character was built through bones breaking and healing, Frances had earned some.

Joan marveled at how easy Barbara’s inner life must be. How entirely undemanding of yourself it was to believe that everything happened to you. And everything was about you. And that your feelings were the only ones that mattered. Worse yet, to afford yourself the role of the victim always—regardless of how grotesquely it required you to twist reality—so that you never had to look in the mirror and admit you were the perpetrator.

If you’re in bed next to me, I will take your hand. If you are not, I will go find you. I will spend the rest of my life, if I get that lucky, seeking you out. Not because I promised you or because you’re there. But because I will want to. I will want to be beside you. Every day. Forever.”

“You can’t miss something you never had.” It had sounded good at the time. It had a finality to it that she had liked. But it wasn’t true, was it?

She wanted what they had. She wanted what Donna and Hank had. And what every marriage in the whole godforsaken country had. The right to exist and to love and be proud and happy. The right to live.

“Plenty of women bring friends to weddings,” Vanessa said. “It’s not like we’re going to slow dance with your head on my shoulder.” Joan did not say anything for a moment. And then: “It’s not fair,” she said, finally. “That part is not fair.” “No, honey,” Vanessa said. “It isn’t.” Later, before they fell asleep, Joan said, “Happiness is so hard to come by. I don’t understand why anyone would begrudge anyone else for managing to find some of it.” “That’s because you’re too good for the world you love so much,” Vanessa said.

Joan felt, so acutely, that the incurable problem with life was that nothing was ever in balance. That she could not have toddler Frances and fifth-grade Frances at the same time. She could not meet adult Frances and have a moment to hold baby Frances all at once. You could not have a little of everything you wanted.

Joan had not ever believed that God sent down two halves of a soul in separate bodies, destined to meet. She did not believe in a God that could. But she did believe in a God that had led them here. That led their lives to intersect. That led Vanessa to need what Joan had to give. That led Joan to have what she needed.

How was it, exactly, that two people could scar each other like that and keep going? In fact, go deeper? How was it that Joan could know that Vanessa did mean some of those things—that Joan could admit to herself in quiet moments that she meant some of what she’d said, too—but somehow the effect was to be tied together even more tightly?

This surrender had not always been easy—it had shocked Joan just how much physical pain there was in loving someone like this.

In all of her time spent watching others, she hadn’t picked up on this part of falling in love, that someone could look at you as if you were the very center of everything.

Ralie Sutton

"Or better yet, we are the universe. I would go so far as to say that as human beings, we are less of a who and more of a when. We are a moment in time when all of our cells have come together in this body.”

She'd been surprised to find that Coors Light was delicious.

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.

Amelia Hruby

Joan beamed and tried to hold back her smile. In all of her time spent watching others, she hadnt picked up on this part of falling in love, that someone could look at you as if you were the very center of everything. And even though you knew better, you'd allow yourself a moment to believe you were worthy of being revolved around, too.

No matter how easy it was for Joan to lose herself in this new life, she was constantly aware of the cold, hard borders of it. The world would not care for her and Vanessa as they cared for each other. It wouldn’t matter how pure the warmth in her chest felt. It wouldn’t matter that Joan had loved and accepted so many others. There were people—many people—who would never return that kindness. It was too early, in all of this, to know what the future held. But what Joan understood already was that what they had together was a lit candle, and the wind could be fierce.

parece bobo mas poucos livros que eu li descreveram tão bem a sensação de estar apaixonada, na minha humilde opinião 

I want to show you every good thing I’ve ever found,” Joan said.

GOOD MORNING AMERICA BOOK CLUB PICK 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.

 Thrilling . . . heartbreaking . . . uplifting . . . the fast-paced, emotionally charged story of one ambitious young woman, finding both her voice and her passion. Kristin Hannah, author of The Women

 NASA? Space missions? The 80s? This is a collection of all the things I love. Andy Weir, author of Project Hail Mary and The Martian

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 easygoing even when the stakes are highest; mission specialist Lydia Danes, who has worked too hard to play nice; warmhearted 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, it all changes in an instant.

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

A Love Story

Atmosphere

Fuck you Taylor Jenkins Reid. Thank you Taylor Jenkins Reid.

Emma

&  audiobook ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Mar Or

O amor silencioso de Vanessa e Joan ecoa em todas as páginas e continuará ecoando no meu coração, sem sombra de dúvidas. De todos os livros de romance que já li, esse foi o que eu mais quis viver, e o que mais descreveu a sensação de amar outra mulher de maneira tão suave, mas tão dolorida—diante uma sociedade atrasada pra tanto, mesmo que voe até o espaço. 

Esse livro não abriu meus olhos sobre o privilégio de viver no ano que eu vivo e poder ser quem eu sou, essa consciência eu tenho há um tempo, mas me fez ser ainda mais grata por isso. 

Além disso tudo, teve a relação da Frances, sobrinha de Joan... Fico sem palavras para a quantidade de nós na garganta que tive durante o desenrolar da vida dessa garotinha, que é a vida de Joan. A autora fez algo mágico que acho que é muito dela, o focar em várias histórias ao mesmo tempo e dar protagonismo aos sentimentos de maneira completa, sem pontas soltas e sim com vários E Se prontos para serem descobertos. Que leitura mais gostosa.

Que choro mais doído, que sentimento mais intenso. Que sorte e privilégio ter vivido tudo que eu já vivi como algo que foi feito só para mim e para minha insignificância.

O amor silencioso de Vanessa e Joan ecoa em todas as páginas e continuará ecoando no meu coração, sem sombra de dúvidas. De todos os livros de romance que já li, esse foi o que eu mais quis viver, e o que mais descreveu a sensação de amar outra mulher de maneira tão suave, mas tão dolorida—diante uma sociedade atrasada pra tanto, mesmo que voe até o espaço. 

Esse livro não abriu meus olhos sobre o privilégio de viver no ano que eu vivo e poder ser quem eu sou, essa consciência eu tenho há um tempo, mas me fez ser ainda mais grata por isso. 

Além disso tudo, teve a relação da Frances, sobrinha de Joan... Fico sem palavras para a quantidade de nós na garganta que tive durante o desenrolar da vida dessa garotinha, que é a vida de Joan. A autora fez algo mágico que acho que é muito dela, o focar em várias histórias ao mesmo tempo e dar protagonismo aos sentimentos de maneira completa, sem pontas soltas e sim com vários E Se prontos para serem descobertos. Que leitura mais gostosa.

Que choro mais doído, que sentimento mais intenso. Que sorte e privilégio ter vivido tudo que eu já vivi como algo que foi feito só para mim e para minha insignificância.

I'm so sad this is all we get from this book. Like how do you manage to present a wonderful set of characters and just rip them away from me like this... devastating, truly.

lily

I'm so sad this is all we get from this book. Like how do you manage to present a wonderful set of characters and just rip them away from me like this... devastating, truly.

we love LOVE

OMG I AM LITERALLY UNWELL TAYLOR JENKINS REID IS WAYYYY TOO GOOD AT WRITING THIS IS SICKKKKKKKKK MY HEART LITERALLY ALMOST BROKE AT THE END IT WAS SO BEAUTIFUL AAA I FEEL SO AMAZED SO MANY GOOD QUOTES AND NO MICK RIVA THANK GODDDDD AAAA THIS WAS SO GOOD. The characters all had sooooooo much depth to them and their relationships were so complex in nature this book managed to capture the essence of what it means to be human while simultaneously took me to a world that has been my childhood dream to experience. The small struggles that women deal with was portrayed so beautifully in this book. So many good quotes and one liners oh my god I’m so happy to have encountered this book at this partircular time in my life 10/10

Anushree Taparia

yes women in stem!!! i will be sobbing for the next 38 business days about it

This has been one of my most anticipated books of 2025 and knowing that it was from TJR I know that It was going to be an emotional roller coaster of a book and I was not Run. TRJ is literally an Author that just gets it – She really knows how to write a masterpiece.

Starting in the late 1970s, Joan Goodwin is our Strong female main character. She’s an astronomy professor at Rice University. She’s picked that school so that she can be close to her niece Frances, who’s been a big part of her life since she was born. Joan starts to hear rumours that NASA wants to get women into the space program. It takes a few tries, but she’s finally accepted and wants more than anything to go to space. She trains in Houston with fellow candidates and sees the divide early – between nerds and soldiers.

Joan has a calm, steady demeanour and really enjoys her time in Mission Control. As she continues to train, she’s finally tapped to go up on a mission. While a romance blossoms for her, life with her sister and Frances struggles. She builds strong relationships with her fellow astronauts, but there is also some friction and secrets.

I loved the pacing of this Story; we start off in Chapter one with a literal bang and then return to the past— to how it all begins. Slowly but surely, we are guided through the past and present in a way that helps us to achieve maximum understanding of the characters’ dilemma and the context of their situation. I just could not put this one down at all as I just needed to know and understand what was to come next

Taylor Jenkins Reid is a master at character development and creating richly layered characters that grab your heart and don't let go. This book cracked me open and put me back together with its gravitational pull. You don't want to leave its orbit, and you want to stay with the incredible characters after the last page.

Ian Brakspear

This has been one of my most anticipated books of 2025 and knowing that it was from TJR I know that It was going to be an emotional roller coaster of a book and I was not Run. TRJ is literally an Author that just gets it – She really knows how to write a masterpiece.

 

Starting in the late 1970s, Joan Goodwin is our Strong female main character. She’s an astronomy professor at Rice University. She’s picked that school so that she can be close to her niece Frances, who’s been a big part of her life since she was born. Joan starts to hear rumours that NASA wants to get women into the space program. It takes a few tries, but she’s finally accepted and wants more than anything to go to space. She trains in Houston with fellow candidates and sees the divide early – between nerds and soldiers.

 

Joan has a calm, steady demeanour and really enjoys her time in Mission Control. As she continues to train, she’s finally tapped to go up on a mission. While a romance blossoms for her, life with her sister and Frances struggles. She builds strong relationships with her fellow astronauts, but there is also some friction and secrets.

 

I loved the pacing of this Story; we start off in Chapter one with a literal bang and then return to the past— to how it all begins. Slowly but surely, we are guided through the past and present in a way that helps us to achieve maximum understanding of the characters’ dilemma and the context of their situation. I just could not put this one down at all as I just needed to know and understand what was to come next

 

Taylor Jenkins Reid is a master at character development and creating richly layered characters that grab your heart and don't let go. This book cracked me open and put me back together with its gravitational pull. You don't want to leave its orbit, and you want to stay with the incredible characters after the last page.

Yet another win for me from Taylor Jenkins Reid! I picked this one up on a whim at Target on vacation and fell into the story quick! Her writing just keeps me engaged in the story so well and, even thinking about the book until the next time I can pick it up the again! The way she can bounce between present day and past events flawlessly is one of my favorite things about her books. Highly recommend this one!!

Raquel I.

TJR is back, baby! After not even finishing her last book I had extremely low expectations but this was so good. Amazing character development, world building. Worked great as an audiobook. You 

Coley T

TJR is back, baby! After not even finishing her last book I had extremely low expectations but this was so good. Amazing character development, world building. Worked great as an audiobook. You will emote. 

You can wait and wait and wait for a book to come along, hype up it’s release, start it and it be everything you’d hoped it would be, Atmosphere is one of those books. A love story, a story of the stars, a story of injustices and a not too distant path. This book made me laugh and cry, and then cry some more. Taylor Jenkins Reid has done it again, this is in my top three books of hers for sure. She is a marvel at writing people, her characters jump right off the page and sell you their story so easily. The balance of how the narrative was told in this book totally swept me away and kept me desperate to know what was going to happen, which made me feel all the more invested in the incredibly climatic ending. I loved it, it blew me away. 

Atmosphere A Love Story

Reviews

Highlights