Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reid
Genre: Historical Romantic Fiction | Published: 2025
I read Atmosphere on the 3rd of December, and it completely upended my plans for this month’s posts and my end-of-year wrap-up. I’m still riding the high of it and haven’t quite come back down to think more critically. I’m not entirely sure yet whether it truly is my favourite book of the year, but at the moment it certainly feels like it. I’ve already shared my top non-romance reads, and my top romance books are coming soon; you’ll definitely see this one there. This would’ve been my favourite book published in 2025 had I read it any earlier.
I knew I had to review this book simply to share how profoundly it affected me. For the moment, it’s taken the top spot, because I genuinely can’t think of a single title more deserving. I’m nearly in tears just thinking about it. I can’t quite believe my favourite book of the year arrived in December, and funnily enough, I was hesitant to pick it up at all. The premise didn’t especially entice me; I couldn’t give a heck about space, but my friend insisted I read it, so I had to see for myself.
As I mentioned, this will be on my top romance reads (spoiler!) because it is technically a romance. However, as strong as the romantic thread is, I don’t believe it’s the central love story. It’s just one among many. And when Taylor Jenkins Reid said this is a love story, she meant it in every possible sense.
It’s a sweeping, intimate, and emotionally gruelling novel about love, ambition, and sacrifice. It explores womanhood in all its forms — the acceptable, the shameful, the courageous, and the battles women have had to fight, all because they dare to dream.
Synopsis
Joan Goodwin, a reserved physics professor with a lifelong fascination for the stars, answers an advertisement seeking the first women scientists to join NASA’s space shuttle programme. Selected from thousands in 1980, she trains at the Johnson Space Centre alongside an extraordinary group of fellow candidates, forming unlikely bonds and discovering a passion and a love she never expected. As the team prepares for their first missions, Joan begins to reconsider her place in the universe and what she truly wants from her life.
But in December 1984, during mission STS-LR9, everything changes in a single, devastating moment.
Themes and the Idea of “Love”
According to Taylor Jenkins Reid, this is a “love story”, and although it’s marketed as a romance, the love at its core feels far broader. We have 3 love stories here, her romantic one, her relationship with her niece and her passion – space.
Romance
When I think about love in this book, I think of the central romance between two women in the 1980s, fighting the looming threat of misogyny and homophobia in an industry that grants them only the slightest foothold and subjects them to an endless probation period, the weight of all future female astronauts resting on their shoulders.
If I’m honest, the central romance didn’t truly grip me until the final 25% of the book. It’s worth noting, without giving too much away, that the build-up is intentionally gradual, as any relationship considered socially taboo at the time would be. It begins the way the best relationships often do: a deep friendship, a slow dawning of realisation, and then a complete, overwhelming fall. That’s exactly how it felt to read.
The hardest part of their story is, of course, the fact that they can’t be together freely or openly. That tension runs through everything — from Joan’s sister dismissing her life experiences simply because they don’t include a man, to the quiet pain of knowing her most profound relationship must remain hidden.
In falling in love, Joan also discovers herself — who she truly is, something she’s far less certain about at the beginning. Her development is one of my favourite aspects of the book. As she grows more confident and self-assured, it becomes clear how learning one life-altering truth about oneself can cause everything else to shift into place. Her relationship is not just brave; it ends up being quite liberating.
And I want to hold your hand in a quiet corner, and I want to lie in bed and hear your heartbeat through your chest. I want to bring you coffee in bed. And I want to hear you tell me anything you’ve always wanted to tell someone. Because you know that you’ve met someone who desperately wants to listen.”
Family
I also think of Joan’s relationship with her niece, Frances, and the tenderness woven through it. Joan holds a deep understanding of her, along with a commitment to nurturing her growth. There are clear elements of a parental bond and an unconditional love that flourishes despite Frances not being her own child.
How Frances is treated by her family and those around her is one of the most painfully frustrating parts of the story, and, sadly, a reality for far too many children. She was born to a young mother who essentially resents her and sees her only as the thing that halted and altered her life. Watching Frances navigate that environment is heartbreaking.
Joan, being firmly in her corner, always fighting for her, is perhaps the purest expression of love in the entire book. My heart genuinely broke for Frances, especially as her story unfolded and her struggles become more visible, leading to difficult but necessary decisions about her care.
It highlights just how vital a “village” is in a child’s upbringing, and how transformative it can be to have even one person who consistently advocates for you.
“But to love Frances was to be always saying goodbye to the girl Frances used to be and falling in love again with the girl Frances was becoming.”
Dedication
And finally, there is Joan’s devotion to her passion. The way she speaks about space, her grasp of it, her awe for it, is utterly consuming. Her love for the universe feels expansive, grounding, and inseparable from who she is.
There are so many moments where Joan reflects on her place in the universe, and the imagery is absolutely breathtaking. It felt like listening to someone sit across from you and share their entire worldview — and finding yourself utterly convinced by every word.
It’s in these passages that Reid’s writing truly shines. There’s a reason she is the writer, and we are simply fortunate enough to witness her artistry.
“Well, we are the stars”, Joan said. “And the stars are us. Every atom in our bodies was once out there. Was once a part of them. To look at the night sky is to look at pars of who you once were, who you may one day be.”
Writing Style & Plot
The Central Plotline
The main plotline is unquestionably my favourite part of the book. Early on, when the narrative shifts between past and present, I often found myself impatient to return to the central storyline — the one where the stakes are high and every moment feels unpredictable. I won’t spoil that section, because it’s the emotional core of the novel and gains its power from everything surrounding it.
What I particularly loved about the non-linear yet chronologically ordered structure (the past unfolds in sequence, even as we move between timelines) is how each chapter deepens our understanding of Joan and her relationships. With every new detail, the emotional stakes rise, and this emotional tone essentially carries the story.
Characterisation and Narrative Voice
As always, Reid’s narrative voice is remarkably strong, and she has a real gift for crafting complex, formidable women. Joan is the first of her protagonists who doesn’t immediately feel antagonistic. Reid’s characters are often deeply flawed and unlikable; Joan, while certainly imperfect, carries a softness to her, and her strength builds as the story progresses, making her journey all the more compelling.
I also appreciated the dual perspective during the central plotline, which we experience through both Joan and her girlfriend Vanessa. Seeing the same moments through each of their eyes adds depth and emotional texture, allowing us to feel how they each feel about what they are going through.
Pacing and Tension
The pacing is fascinating. The novel opens with an intense, high-stakes moment, only to immediately slow as we move back in time. This push and pull continues throughout the book. Every return to the present brings the tension surging back, while the chapters rooted in the past offer breathing room and deeper insight into Joan’s life.
Though we get moments of reprieve when we head back to the past to understand more about Joan and her life, there is an undercurrent of stress that simmers the whole way through. As we learn more about Joan and grow more attached to her and her circle, the looming mission becomes increasingly charged. This is a testament to Reid’s writing style and her ability to convey such deep emotion in what she writes.
Emotional Impact
Ultimately, the emotional impact of Atmosphere is a testament to Reid’s writing. She conveys feelings with such clarity and depth that every moment carries weight and none of it feels wasted. The structure, the pacing, the character work — everything is carefully configured to build towards a crescendo that feels both inevitable and devastating.
There is one scene that is the culmination of all the emotion built up from having to hide your love and inability to live in your truth, while all that you have worked and laboured for is also at stake. This happens right before the final mission; in fact, we go straight from one emotionally charged moment to another without a second to breathe and the reality of what is happening sets in. This is possibly where I’ll say Reid’s writing is the most impeccable. The last 15% or so of the book absolutely delivers on everything that is expected, and the book had built up from the beginning
Reid was at her most thoughtful, most emotional and most affecting in this book. There is nothing about the story that doesn’t feel purposeful, and even in the moments of emotional vulnerability that feel natural and uncontrolled, it all still feels intentional.
I can’t get over how I felt reading this book at the emotions it brought out of me. I always say that Reid’s characters feel like real people who existed, and I’m reading a biography, and this continues to ring true.
Weaknesses
I’m not sure I have any real weaknesses to point to. The issues I initially had were more or less resolved by the end, and I came to understand why certain choices were made.
I will say it took me a little while to connect with Joan. The early chapters weren’t as captivating, and she felt a bit like that girl you vaguely know but have never really clicked with — just someone who’s there. But as the story unfolds and she slowly reveals herself, the connection builds gradually rather than instantly.
As for the ending, which I won’t spoil, if it had played out even slightly differently, it might have made this an even stronger book for me, even though I appreciate the reasoning behind the choice, and I’m definitely not mad at it.
Another small critique: if you know a lot about space, this might not be the book for you, as I imagine certain elements are quite simplified or even sensationalised. On the other hand, if you truly don’t care about space at all, it might feel like a bit much. It reminded me of Carrie Soto Is Back and how much of the book is dedicated to the intricacies of playing tennis — Atmosphere does something similar with its subject matter.
That said, I know Reid did extensive research at NASA, and I always admire when authors take the reality of their subject seriously. Her commitment to factual grounding and respectful representation is something I hold in very high regard.
Final Thoughts
I definitely think this is my book of the year — I’m still thinking about it constantly and talking about it to anyone who’ll listen. It was such a brilliant reading and listening experience from start to finish, and now I desperately want the physical copy. I was genuinely surprised by how deeply this novel touched my heart. It’s raw and emotional, yet it has the polish and power of a true literary masterpiece.
I’ve adored Taylor Jenkins Reid’s work this year, and Atmosphere has absolutely cemented her as one of my all-time favourites. I’ll be reading everything she writes from here on out.
It’s funny how one book can completely shift your perspective on a reading year. If I’d read this just two days earlier, this month’s wrap-up would look entirely different. I don’t regret giving Bright Years the award for best book published in 2025 — it was the right choice at the time, especially considering how strong the competition has been.
Everything about Atmosphere encompasses the very essence of being in love, a gravitational pull that tethers you to earth yet can pull you apart all at the same time.
“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. And even though you knew better, you’d allow yourself a moment to believe you were worthy of being revolved around, too.”
Taylor Jenkins Reid.
Thank you so much for reading.
Signed,
