Review: The Rosie Effect

The Rosie Effect

By Graeme Simsion

Published: December 30, 2014

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 San Francisco Chroniclesaid, “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.

My review:

I loved The Rosie Project so I was very happy to hear that there was a sequel and I jumped on the chance to request it for review. The Rosie Effect is not as funny as The Rosie Project but I loved it anyway. I appreciated that it looked at the challenges faced by newlyweds and Don and Rosie in particular as they adjust to being a married couple and then to the idea of becoming parents together. 

I didn't like Rosie as much in this book. I found her behavior towards Don to be frustrating. I think both Don and Rosie need to work on their communication habits. Don has difficulty reading emotional and social cues but Rosie doesn't. It is true that she has some baggage to deal with about her father but she should have cut Don some slack. 

There are some touching moments in this book and there were times when I laughed out loud. I think The Rosie Effect had a slightly darker tone but I liked that it was realistic in terms of the difficulties Don and Rosie have in married life and the transition to becoming parents. Overall I did like The Rosie Effect and I hope there will be a third book!



Note: I received an ARC for review purposes courtesy of the publisher and Edelweiss