Atomic Love

By: Jennie Fields

Narrated by: Cassandra Campbell

Length: 12 hrs and 6 mins

Publisher's summary

"A novel of science, love, espionage, beautiful writing, and a heroine who carves a strong path in the world of men. As far as I'm concerned there is nothing left to want." (Ann Patchett, author The Dutch House)

"A highly-charged love story that reveals the dangerous energy at the heart of every real connection...Riveting." (Delia Owens, author of Where the Crawdads Sing)

Love. Desire. Betrayal. Her choice could save a nation.

Chicago, 1950. Rosalind Porter has always defied expectations - in her work as a physicist on the Manhattan Project and in her passionate love affair with colleague Thomas Weaver. Five years after the end of both, her guilt over the bomb and her heartbreak over Weaver are intertwined. She desperately misses her work in the lab, yet has almost resigned herself to a more conventional life.

Then Weaver gets back in touch - and so does the FBI. Special Agent Charlie Szydlo wants Roz to spy on Weaver, whom the FBI suspects of passing nuclear secrets to the enemy. Roz helped to develop these secrets and knows better than anyone the devastating power such knowledge holds. But can she spy on a man she still loves, despite her better instincts? At the same time, something about Charlie draws her in. He's a former prisoner of war haunted by his past, just as her past haunts her. 

As Rosalind's feelings for each man deepen, so too does the danger she finds herself in. She will have to choose: the man who taught her how to love . . . or the man her love might save?

©2020 Jennie Fields (P)2020 Penguin Audio

Critic reviews

"A highly-charged love story that reveals the dangerous energy at the heart of every real connection. The power of separation and loss propels Atomic Love into unexpected orbits of intrigue and conspiracy as riveting as the science they study." (Delia Owens, author of Where the Crawdads Sing)

"Atomic Love is a novel of science, love, espionage, beautiful writing, and a heroine who carves a strong path in the world of men. As far as I'm concerned there is nothing left to want." (Ann Patchett, New York Times best-selling author of Bel Canto and Commonwealth)

"Brimming with espionage and passion, Atomic Love shines a light on the private lives of scientists involved with the Manhattan Project and the growing threat of nuclear Russia. Taut, atmospheric, and wholly immersive, Atomic Love is a thrilling read for historical fiction lovers." (Chanel Cleeton, New York Times best-selling author of Next Year in Havana)

Gripping storytelling

Beautifully written and fast paced. I loved the story and time period and excellent characters.

Good story

The story was good perhaps a bit predictable due to the times. The author tended to repeat the protagonist’s inner thoughts too much making me feel a bit like she was rambling on. I love Cassandra Campbell’s narration though! Her differentiation of characters is smooth. Her pause is perfect. Wish the authors note had been at the beginning. I like that this book was created around real life people.

Nothing

Boring and tenacious story and narration. Not worth the time it took to listen to it.

Average romance

This was a so so romance with a twist of science, but it was very transparent and obvious.

I loved everything about this except...

I really enjoyed the story, the pacing, and the narration. Cassandra Cambell really brought every character to life beautifully. The ending of the story felt so flat however. I found myself saying, "Oh, I guess that's the end?" I felt like I didn't have closure with the characters after a story that was almost perfectly wrapped up.

Weak main character

I was expecting a story on a war heroine and what I got was a romance novel. The main character sounded promising as a physicist but she falls into the womanly stereotype of pushing her intelligence aside and falls in love with any man who will talk to her. Meh.

1950s love story

The best part of the book was the few science references and information about the Manhattan Project, but there were only a few. For me, I would have loved to have more of that in the book. Instead it is basically a post WWII love story. There's not much of a mystery and the main character doesn't get to solve anything or make use of her brain. If you like tame romance stories and the 1950's this is for you. If you are hoping for science or mystery or espionage or a strong female lead, you can skip it.

Meh. It was okay, except...

Meh. I considered quitting because it just had me feeling "Meh" all the time, but decided to increase the playing speed on Audible and power through. What can I say? I'm a completer.

Decent story, an excellent premise, good perspective on the Atomic Age - especially life in Chicago. I felt the main character (a female physicist working on the Manhattan Project - how cool!) was the only one with any decent development, and while she explains her life choices well, I had trouble identifying with her.

The competing male leads showed promise, but they weren't fleshed out. The plot moved along well. I felt one particular flashback to a POW camp event was more graphic than it needed to be for backstory. Oh, and a wildly unsatisfying ending.

I just keep saying, "it was okay, except..."

Meh.

Excellent

Romance, historical context, spy intrigue…a lot to pack into one book, mostly successfully. I did find some of the romantic scenes to be a bit over-the-top, and the finale felt a bit flat. Cassandra Campbell did a excellent reading, as always.

Atomic Love

To be sincere, with a title like this, I really expected something more, say, nuclear. However, I also have to say that I was pleasantly surprised.

Set in the 50s, after the war, we follow the only female scientist of the Manhattan Project after she had stopped working with science because of her distress when she realized that the nuclear power that they developed was used to destroy lives instead of to help humanity.

We feel for her and for her lost and found love, while struggling with being a woman in a male dominated society, trying to navigate her own feelings and actions, juggling with what is expected from her and with what she really wants to know.

A very nice story, not based in real facts but with a good historical background, as told by the author at the end of the book.

I liked the book, I just expected it to blow me away and maybe that was my mistake.