★★★★★ (5/5)

After reading The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo and Daisy Jones & The Six, both five-star reads for me, I was very curious to read Atmosphere. And honestly, it did not disappoint. It may have confirmed that Taylor Jenkins Reid is one of my favourite authors right now.

The story follows Joan Goodwin, who dreams of becoming an astronaut and joins one of the first groups of women accepted into NASA's astronaut program in the 1980s. While chasing that dream, she is also raising her niece, Frances, and trying to understand the complicated feelings that develop when she falls in love with one of her fellow astronaut candidates.

What I loved most about this book was how immersive it felt. You can really feel how much research went into it. I felt like I was there with the characters the whole time, at NASA, during the training. It's one of those books that makes you think, but also makes you feel like you're learning something along the way.

The story explores so many themes, like identity, faith, love, the universe, and the challenges of being a woman in a male-dominated field. At the same time, it tells a beautiful and emotional love story that feels very real and heartfelt. Just like with her other books, I cried my eyes out.

It was emotional, thoughtful, and beautifully written, a story about love, ambition, and the vastness of the universe.