Professor Don Tillman is a brilliant academic. He lives in a world ruled by logic. His people skills, however, are rather poor. In order to find a wife, he comes up with a questionnaire for women to answer. It’s succinct, quickly weeding out the candidates who do not match his requirements. One day, his friend offers to set him up with someone. When Don meets Rosie, he immediately determines that she doesn’t measure up. Poor math skills. Vegetarian. Can’t cook. Doesn’t exercise. A smoker. But Rosie has a problem that Don finds intriguing. She is trying to find her biological father. As a result, he puts his “wife project” on hold, and instead, Don begins his “father project,” and as a consequence, his once orderly world begins to shatter.
This is a light, amusing, and easy-to-read story for fans of unconventional romances. While it can be appreciated on its own, The Rosie Project is the first in a series. For fans of audiobooks, the narrator for this one has a bold, appealing accent that really underlines the novel's Australian setting.