'All of us are programmed- genetically programmed- to keep doing what's worked for us, and to avoid things that didn't."

'The Rosie Effect' is the second book in the Rosie trilogy and sees forty-one-year-old geneticist Don Tillman living in New York with his wife Rosie; he’s a visiting professor at Columbia, and she is working on finishing her medical degree. They have survived ten months and ten days of marriage when Rosie abruptly announces that she’s pregnant, an unexpected development as far as Don is concerned. In the days that follow, Don swaps one apartment for another that serves as a brewery for an aging rock star (who lives, and practices, upstairs), invites his friend Gene to stay with them without first informing Rosie, and been arrested as a suspected paedophile. Don is threatened with prosecution, deportation and professional disgrace but is he really ready to face fatherhood or will he revert to his old ways and risk losing Rosie for ever?

Don has difficulty dealing with Rosie’s pregnancy and he deals with his anxiety by trying to control every facet of the experience. This in turn drives a wedge between himself and Rosie, reinforcing Rosie's own doubts.

Don’s friend Dave and his wife Sonia are also expecting their first child, and their marriage doesn’t appear to be handling the strain all that well either. Gene, Don’s only male friend when he lived in Australia, has been kicked out by his wife after years of infidelity. Don’s new friend and landlord, the beer enthusiast and washed up minor rock star George, seems fairly content in his life, but his one big regret is his estrangement from one of his eldest son.

One of the things I really enjoyed about this book was that Don seemed much more willing to involve himself in others people's lives, with mixed results. Don’s an extremely loyal friend and his friends seem to accept him, quirks and all.

However, one of things I disliked about this book was Rosie's character. Granted this is a POV story told from Don's perspective and for much of the book he is alienated from her. Firstly we seem to learn nothing new about Rosie and whilst she isn't exactly a villain, and I do sympathise with her need to have some say about what is happening to her own body, her impulsiveness and stubbornness culminates in an unwillingness to discuss her issues with Don and to basically stop doing the things that had previously worked for them both as a couple. Despite the fairly predictable ending, Rosie came very close to treating Don as little more than a sperm donor to my way of thinking which was a real shame.

"Rationality was returning to deal with the mess that emotions had created."

Overall I found this a quick and easy read, that if it didn't actually laugh out loud it did make me smile. However, generally I felt that I had learnt nothing new about either of the two main characters meaning that this was simply a continuation of the first book rather than anything new. Consequently I didn't feel that it was quite as good as the first in the series. Onwards to the third. ( )

My partner really liked it. Rare example where we are on opposite sides of a book review. ( )

KIRKUS REVIEWFirst comes love, then comes marriage, then comes�a baby that Don Tillman, lovable genius, has certainly not factored into his current life plan.The Aussie genetics professor who warmed hearts in The Rosie Project (2013) succeeded in snatching ?The World?s Most Beautiful Woman.? But pragmatic Don thinks his situation might be too good to last forever. He?s right. Enter Bud: Baby Under Development. After 10 blissful months of marriage, Rosie announces she?s pregnant, uprooting the carefully balanced life they?ve created in New York. Complicating matters is a secret Don?s keeping from Rosie: A lunch with friends turned disastrous when a new acquaintance, a social worker, diagnosed Don as unfit for fatherhood. This puts Don under a lot of stress, which he tries to combat by learning as much as he can about fetal development. He?s as lovably frustrating as ever, handling this unexpected situation with utmost practicality. Rosie, though, is having none of it. She?s Don?s emotional opposite, dismissing Don?s suggestions and turning fonder of the f-word by the minute. After creating such a successful offbeat relationship in his first book, author Simsion chooses to dismantle it, leaving the quirky lovebirds unable to communicate. Really, it?s Rosie?s fault. She?s become entirely unlikable, failing to see that underneath Don?s unconventional methods is a man who cares. Instead, she finds him ?embarrassing,? and it?s heartbreaking. The impending failure of their relationship feels sudden, most likely due to the book?s many side stories: Gene, Don?s best friend, is in New York after the breakup of his marriage. George, a rock star who lives upstairs, has issues of his own, as does a fellow pregnant couple with financial troubles. While Don tries to solve all these problems¥exercising his winning analytic voice¥his marriage is fading into the background, as is readers? support of the Don-Rosie combo. Simsion tries to swiftly mend what?s been broken, but the happily-ever-after is lacking confidence.Don prides himself on meticulous consideration of all scenarios; not even he could?ve imagined that the sparkle of his love story wouldn?t last.Pub Date: Dec. 30th, 2014ISBN: 978-1-4767-6731-4Page count: 304ppPublisher: Simon & SchusterReview Posted Online: Nov. 5th, 2014Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 15th, 2014

It's been awhile since I read the Rosie Project and I remember enjoying it and thinking it was a cute variation of the typical romance novel. I waited a long time to read this sequel because I wasn't sure I was interested in spending more time with Don & Rosie and it turns out....I wasn't.

I read this book but instead of finding it cute I found it irritating and the final resolution was too fast and too easy and didn't seem earned at all.

Skip it. ( )

it was ok but not as cute as the first one ( )