Graeme Simsion

A socially awkward genetics professor who has never been on a second date sets out to find the perfect wife, but instead finds Rosie Jarman, a fiercely independent barmaid who is on a quest to find her biological father.

A Novel

The Rosie Project

Becky

Started wonderfully, but at some point i felt i wanted it to end, or go somewhere. 

diya

Don Tillman, professor of genetics, has never been on a second date. He is a man who can count all his friends on the fingers of one hand, whose lifelong difficulty with social rituals has convinced him that he is simply not wired for romance. So when an acquaintance informs him that he would make a "wonderful" husband, his first reaction is shock. Yet he must concede to the statistical probability that there is someone for everyone, and he embarks upon The Wife Project. In the orderly, evidence-based manner with which he approaches all things, Don sets out to find the perfect partner. He sets up a project designed to find him the perfect wife, starting with a questionnaire that has to be adjusted a little as he goes along. She will be punctual and logical, most definitely not a barmaid, a smoker, a drinker, or a late-arriver. Then he meets Rosie Jarman, who is everything he's not looking for in a wife. Rosie is all these things. She is also beguiling, fiery, intelligent, and on a quest of her own. She is looking for her biological father, a search that a certain DNA expert might be able to help her with. Don's Wife Project takes a back burner to the Father Project and an unlikely relationship blooms, forcing the scientifically minded geneticist to confront the spontaneous whirlwind that is Rosie, and the realization that love is not always what looks good on paper.

One of my favorite books of all time!!! A must read!

Monicap

THIS IS JUST THE BEST. HONESTLY, AWESOME.

Graeme C. Simsion

"The Wife Project is complete, and Don and Rosie are happily married and living in New York. But they're about to face a new challenge because--surprise--Rosie is pregnant. Don sets about learning the protocols of becoming a father, but his unusual research style gets him into trouble with the law. Fortunately his best friend Gene is on hand to offer advice: he's left Claudia and moved in with Don and Rosie. As Don tries to schedule time for pregnancy research, getting Gene and Claudia to reconcile, servicing the industrial refrigeration unit that occupies half his apartment, helping Dave the Baseball Fan save his business, and staying on the right side of Lydia the social worker, he almost misses the biggest problem of all: he might lose Rosie when she needs him the most"--

The Rosie effect

repeating patterns

I was definitely more annoyed with this book than I was with the first one, but I also had a far greater emotional investment in this book.

repeating patterns

'I hate you, Rosie, I hate you, Rosie, I hate you, Rosie' is what I was saying OUT LOUD while I was finishing the book in the break room at work.

repeating patterns

"Humans should be permanently under development."

After seeing reviews for this one online, A Friend kindly gifted me this one for Christmas and I decided that it was the perfect book to start whilst on Holiday & I went in a little blind to this one but still really enjoyed the reading experience. 

Don Tillman is a genetics professor in his late 30s who sets out to find a spouse by devising an elaborate questionnaire. Don is very fussy and regimented in his life, and allusions are made to him having Asperger's. Don thinks he can weed out any unsuitable partners and find someone well-matched for him. Meanwhile, he bumps into a woman named Rosie, who Don agrees is totally unsuitable, but he likes spending time with her anyway.

Simsion has done a great job at adding a lot of humour to the characters within this one and it very much reads like a Romantic Comedy but beyond that the wiring is clever and really engaging. Don makes social gaffes, but what I liked is how practical and resilient he was in such situations. He recognised his gifts, such as being smart, dedicated and having an excellent memory, and he used those talents to help him navigate this new world involving Rosie.

I’m looking forward to continuing on with this series! 

Ian Brakspear

After seeing reviews for this one online, A Friend kindly gifted me this one for Christmas and I decided that it was the perfect book to start whilst on Holiday & I went in a little blind to this one but still really enjoyed the reading experience. 

Don Tillman is a genetics professor in his late 30s who sets out to find a spouse by devising an elaborate questionnaire. Don is very fussy and regimented in his life, and allusions are made to him having Asperger's. Don thinks he can weed out any unsuitable partners and find someone well-matched for him. Meanwhile, he bumps into a woman named Rosie, who Don agrees is totally unsuitable, but he likes spending time with her anyway.

Simsion has done a great job at adding a lot of humour to the characters within this one and it very much reads like a Romantic Comedy but beyond that the wiring is clever and really engaging. Don makes social gaffes, but what I liked is how practical and resilient he was in such situations. He recognised his gifts, such as being smart, dedicated and having an excellent memory, and he used those talents to help him navigate this new world involving Rosie.

I’m looking forward to continuing on with this series! 

Don Tillman, a socially awkward genetics professor who has never been on a second date sets out to find the perfect wife, but instead finds Rosie Jarman, a fiercely independent barmaid who is on a quest to find her biological father.

The Rosie project

★★★★★
4.50 STARS 

I have not watched any full episode of any season of The Big Bang Theory, but I did watched a few series clips every now and then and I can honestly see Don Tillman as Sheldon Cooper, considering the level of intelligence and weirdness. It was not very common for me to root for a male protagonist with the same personality and perspective as Don, but surprisingly, I enjoyed reading his thoughts so much. I loved his voice in the story and how he conveyed his words with such eccentric behavior. His behavior and mentality is so intelligently hilarious. Being socially inept, I can highly empathize with him and found myself agreeing with a few of his concerns. I relate just enough with a few of the context of the story and I was really immersed reading this that I had forgetten how the word construction made me kind of stupid as if reading a very complex research paper, a very fictional research paper at that matter. 

I would totally pick up the next concluding book as soon as I can. I highly recommend reading this book.

Allison Dempsey

This book was just so, so weird and I have no clue what to make of it.

Een extreem intelligente man met Asperger, die genetica onderwijst aan de universiteit, gaat op zoek naar de perfecte partner.

Ciel Zero

[ BOOK IG: @clumsyciel ] 

overall rating: 4/5 ⭐️
time taken to read: ~3 days
number of notes: 20

" 'Do you find me attractive?' ...
She was testing to see if I saw her as an object or as a person. Obviously the correct answer was the latter.
'I haven't really noticed,' I told the most beautiful woman in the world." (page 171)

TRP features its protagonist, Don Tillman, a genetics professor in his search for a partner. Don struggles with women and has never been on a second date. after deciding that science is the only reliable way for him to find a partner, he launches The Wife Project - a questionnaire with 24 questions that determine whether the interviewee is a suitable match for him. 

Rosie Jarman, the 'world's most incompatible woman' comes stumbling into Don's life, causing his ordered and organised life into chaos. what is this odd sensation that Don is feeling?

all in all, TRP was an amazing, brilliant and hilarious book. i laughed a lot and fell in love with Don. Don is such an eccentric character! he is incredibly similar to Sheldon Cooper from The Big Bang Theory, whereby both characters are scientists and prefer to live life according to rules that they implement for themselves.

i wish i could give Don a big hug. he's such a precious character and deserves all the love in the world.
especially at the part when he tries to change himself to make himself more 'suitable' for Rosie, my heart broke.

Don, you're perfect the way you are. especially with your uniqueness. it makes you, who you are. those who love you will accept you, no matter who you are. 

i do wish that Rosie's character was more in-depth. this book focuses more on Rosie's troubles with finding her biological father rather than her character. at times, Rosie came off rather, 'bitchy' per se. however, i do know that there are two more instalments to 'The Rosie' books, so perhaps more development for her will be in there. 

this book is like a coming-of-age romance book, but for late bloomers. incredibly humorous, scientific and with a touch of sadness. if this sounds right up your alley, go for it! you won't regret it 💚

Laura Mauler

The journey can still be fun even if you already know the destination.

Ivy Vatsala

The book is well written with really good character development, not just for the protagonist but the other supporting characters as well. It’s funny and heartwarming with a very satisfying story resolution.

Pick this up if you’re looking for a smart and sweet romance.

Aine Meehan

This book was one of the best I've read in some years. It was funny, romantic and interesting. If I was to call it a "light" read it would probably do it a disservice in terms of people stereotyping it, but for me it was an easy read, probably because it was so good. It was sweet and funny.

Melissa Palmer

Book #57 Read in 2014
The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion

Don, the main character in this book, was very similar to the character of Sheldon on the TV show "The Big Bang Theory". Don is a geneticist who has some trouble being socially acceptable...he likes to keep a rigid schedule, he does not filter verbally and he is looking for a wife...so he creates "the wife project"....surveying women in his search for the perfect partner. Who he finds is Rosie. She does not fit well into his categories and has a project of her own: "the father project"; Rosie hopes that Don can help DNA test several possible biological fathers for her.

This book had a lot of humor to it and interesting characters. Simsion wrote Don well. The secondary characters were interesting as well. I enjoyed this book.

http://melissasbookpicks.blogspot.com

"The highly anticipated sequel to the New York Times bestselling novel The Rosie Project, starring the same extraordinary couple now living in New York and unexpectedly expecting their first child. Get ready to fall in love all over again. Don Tillman and Rosie Jarman are back. The Wife Project is complete, and Don and Rosie are happily married and living in New York. But they're about to face a new challenge because-- surprise!--Rosie is pregnant. Don sets about learning the protocols of becoming a father, but his unusual research style gets him into trouble with the law. Fortunately his best friend Gene is on hand to offer advice: he's left Claudia and moved in with Don and Rosie. As Don tries to schedule time for pregnancy research, getting Gene and Claudia to reconcile, servicing the industrial refrigeration unit that occupies half his apartment, helping Dave the Baseball Fan save his business, and staying on the right side of Lydia the social worker, he almost misses the biggest problem of all: he might lose Rosie when she needs him the most. Graeme Simsion first introduced these unforgettable characters in The Rosie Project, which NPR called "sparkling entertainment along the lines of Where'd You Go Bernadette and When Harry Met Sally." The SanFrancisco Chronicle said, "sometimes you just need a smart love story that will make anyone, man or woman, laugh out loud." If you were swept away by the book that's captivated a million readers worldwide, you will love The Rosie Effect"--

The Rosie Effect

Book #54 Read in 2015
The Rosie Effect by Graeme Simsion

This is the sequel to The Rosie Project. In this book, Don and Rosie are readying for their impending parenthood. Don, in his own special way, is investigating what it takes to be a father. Somehow, he ends up getting himself in trouble in a variety of ways. Don is a quirky, Sheldon from the Big Bang Theory type of character, and I enjoy him. I'm not a huge fan of Rosie and in this book felt that she wasn't really treating Don that well but overall I root for the couple's happiness. 

http://melissasbookpicks.blogspot.com

Apurv Verma

Patricia Nelson

I loved this book! It was a quick read that both made me think and made me laugh out loud. I feel like it was a timely read too as we just saw a play called The Curious Incident of a Dog at Nighttime with an autistic lead character. Although I have not had direct experience living with this type of person I am struck by how difficult it must be to deal with the constant "overwhelm" and the need for routine makes a lot of sense. The intense honesty of Don's character also sheds light on some of the relationship rules that are taken for granted but may not make sense if we take the time to really think about them. Great book.

Elizabeth Wood

The best way to describe this book is Sheldon Cooper in a rom com. It was funny, the characters were likable, the concept was entertaining, and I liked it.

The hilarious, challenging and inspiring ending to the Rosie trilogy that will have readers cheering for joy.

The Rosie Result

Andrew John Kinney

Not up to the high comedic standard of The Rosie Project. A bit preachy, and just not nearly as funny.

The international bestselling romantic comedy “bursting with warmth, emotional depth, and…humor,” (Entertainment Weekly) featuring the oddly charming, socially challenged genetics professor, Don, as he seeks true love. The art of love is never a science: Meet Don Tillman, a brilliant yet socially inept professor of genetics, who’s decided it’s time he found a wife. In the orderly, evidence-based manner with which Don approaches all things, he designs the Wife Project to find his perfect partner: a sixteen-page, scientifically valid survey to filter out the drinkers, the smokers, the late arrivers. Rosie Jarman possesses all these qualities. Don easily disqualifies her as a candidate for The Wife Project (even if she is “quite intelligent for a barmaid”). But Don is intrigued by Rosie’s own quest to identify her biological father. When an unlikely relationship develops as they collaborate on The Father Project, Don is forced to confront the spontaneous whirlwind that is Rosie―and the realization that, despite your best scientific efforts, you don’t find love, it finds you. Arrestingly endearing and entirely unconventional, Graeme Simsion’s distinctive debut “navigates the choppy waters of adult relationships, both romantic and platonic, with a fresh take (USA TODAY). “Filled with humor and plenty of heart, The Rosie Project is a delightful reminder that all of us, no matter how we’re wired, just want to fit in” (Chicago Tribune).

momo-reads

Sometimes mindless fluff is exactly what you need, and this fits the bill like any Hugh Grant movie.

Colleen

3.5 Stars

This review contains some spoilers.

The Rosie Project was our June selection for my bookclub. It was nice to mix things up with something lighter since we've read mostly nonfiction so far this year. This was a book that I've heard about and meant to read eventually, but never quite got around to reading before now.

This is the story of Don Tillman, a genetics professor with undiagnosed Asperger syndrome who decides to take a scientific approach to finding a wife. While he is systematically narrowing down potential life partners, he gets struck by hurricane Rosie who plows into his life and loops him into helping her find her biological father. (view spoiler)[Part of this plot requires a suspension of belief, because the entire situation derives from Rosie's mother assuming that since she and her husband had blue eyes and Rosie had brown eyes that Rosie must have a different father. Never mind the fact that her mother was a medical doctor who even if she didn't pay much attention in class would still have a better understanding of how a Punnett square works and the fact that the gene for brown eyes is the most dominant of all eye colors, and two blue eyed people could easily carry the brown eyed gene. Ignoring all that... (hide spoiler)] The plot was simplistic but humorous. 

Don was a lovable, engaging character. The author did a good job of depicting someone on the autism spectrum without being patronizing or degrading. This was one of the times when a story in first person worked well because it provided a different view than how most people see the world. 

Yes, Don was great. The problem was Rosie. Rosie was a double helping of sterotypical Manic Pixie Dream Girl with a dollop of major daddy issues on top. She was an insubstantial character with no depth who went through the expected tropes of shaking up Don's live, making him appreciate the little things, etc. Wacky, trying too hard, gorgeous, younger by a decade, and of course inescapably drawn to the main character. As much as I was rooting for Don, I never cared for selfish, manic Rosie. She is definitely the reason I cannot rate this book any higher. While I enjoyed many aspects of this book, I doubt I will read the sequel. The book wrapped things up well enough, so it seems like they should have left well-enough alone and not made a sequel. 


RATING FACTORS:
Ease of Reading: 4 Stars
Writing Style: 4 Stars
Characters and Character Development: 3 Stars
Plot Structure and Development: 3 Stars
Level of Captivation: 3 Stars
Originality: 3 Stars

Elaina 

3.5*. This book felt very unique. I thought that the characters were well-developed and I appreciated the narrator's lens through which he saw the world. I think I would recommend this book to readers who are looking for something different than the average meet-cute romance that is featured in so many novels.

Matthew Royal

An enjoyable romantic drama involving a non-neurotypical man, a woman with family baggage, and a slew of colorful characters swabbed for their DNA, sometimes against their will. Not too sciency, but not too inaccurate either.

Gillian Rose

The character of Don is a lot. But I did enjoy the story even though the ending was resolved a little too quickly for my taste but it's basically a romcom. Of course, that was going to happen.

Rowena Wiseman

This book is a romantic comedy about oddball Don, highly intelligent, fit, borderline Asperger's Syndrome, who runs his life to a rigid schedule. He is on the hunt for a wife, and has developed a questionnaire for women so he can grade them on their suitability and compatibility. He calls this The Wife Project. Enter Rosie, a highly unsuitable, incompatible match, who suddenly has Don making alterations to his schedule and, even more amazingly, he begins to experience actual feelings for her.

I couldn’t quite put my finger on it, but there is something likable about this book. Despite the sometimes commonplace writing (‘the most beautiful woman I had ever seen,’ ‘I ate the best food I had ever eaten’), there is a lighthearted tone to the book that is endearing.

not something i would have picked out myself but for a school picked book i surprisingly liked it a lot

The Rosie Project A Novel

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