Graeme Simsion's new book, The Rosie Result, is the triumphant final instalment of the internationally bestselling series that began with The Rosie Project.

Title: The Rosie Result (Don Tillman #3) 

Author: Graeme Simsion

Published: April 4th 2019 by Penguin 

Amazon | Amazon UK

Blurb: 'The phone call signalling an escalation in the Hudson Adjustment Problem came at 10:18 a.m. on a Friday morning . . .'

Meet Don Tillman, the genetics professor with a scientific approach to everything. But he's facing a set of human dilemmas tougher than the trickiest of equations.

Right now he is in professional hot water after a lecture goes viral; his wife of 4,380 days, Rosie, is about to lose the research job she loves; and - the most serious problem of all - their eleven-year-old son, Hudson, is struggling at school. He's a smart kid, but socially awkward-not fitting in.

Fortunately, Don's had a lifetime's experience of not fitting in. And he's going to share the solutions with Hudson. He'll need the help of old friends and new, lock horns with the education system, and face some big questions about himself. As well as opening the world's best cocktail bar.

Big-hearted, hilarious and exuberantly life-affirming, The Rosie Result is a story of overcoming life's obstacles with a little love and a lot of overthinking.

Review: it's been a few years since I read The Rosie Project and The Rosie Effect but as soon as I picked The Rosie Result, I felt right at home, surrounded by old friends. I really enjoyed the previous two books and this one is the perfect ending to a highly entertaining, fun and touching series. 

The Rosie Result takes place several years after the last book, and Don and Rosie's son, Hudson, is eleven. At the beginning of the book, they decide to move back to Australia from New York. The main reason is Rosie's new and important new job. But after a few months in Melbourne, nothing is working out as they had planned, so Don needs to take action, can he actually find one solution for all their problems?

I always enjoy reading about Don and how he analyzes his problems to the last detail and tries to find the most logical solution. He shows once again, what a big heart he has and I loved discovering his dad side in this story. He has evolved incredibly as a character since we first met him and I am pretty fond of him and everything he has achieved. Actually, the same goes for Rosie, as she has been a key character in this series. I love how they interact with each other, how they stand together when facing problems, and what a strong and clever woman she is. 

Their son Hudson plays a big role in the book too and I had a great time getting to know him. He really taught Don, Rosie and all of us a few lessons. The story handles complex issues about autism, like what it means to be "labelled" as autistic, how others react to this, and it includes several characters with different views and opinions about this, which I found very interesting. It also touches on other serious issues like the challenges of working mothers and the anti-doctors and anti-vaccination views. A lot of food for thought and a lot to learn. 

The Rosie Result is a joy to read, funny, life-affirming and inspiring. I am going to miss Don Tillman, his family and his friends. 

Rating: 5 stars

I would like to thank the publisher for sending me a copy of this book via NetGalley. This is my honest opinion.

Today's review is for Graeme Simsion's latest book, The Life of Adam Sharp. You probable heard about The Rosie Project a few years ago. I loved that book and its sequel, so I couldn't not pick his new work. Here are my thoughts:

Title: The Best of Adam Sharp

Author: Graeme Simsion

Published: February 9th 2017 by Penguin

Amazon | Amazon UK

Blurb: Can you define your life by a single song?

Adam Sharp - former pianist in a hip Melbourne bar, now a respectable IT consultant in Norwich - can. And it's 'You're Going to Lose that Girl' . . .

On the cusp of fifty and a happy introvert, Adam is content. He's the music expert at his local pub-quiz and he and his partner Claire rumble along. Life may not be rock n' roll, but neither is it easy listening. Yet something has always felt off-key.

And that's his nostalgia for what might have been, his blazing affair - more than twenty years ago, on the other side of the world - with Angelina Brown, a smart and sexy, strong-willed actress who taught him for the first time, as he played piano and she sang, what it meant to find - and then lose - love. How different might his life be if he hadn't let her walk away?

Then, out of nowhere, Angelina gets in touch. Adam has sung about second chances, but does he have the courage to believe in them?

Review: I really enjoyed both The Rosie Project and The Rosie Effect so I was very curious to see what that author would write next. The first I noticed about this story is that it is quite different to his previous books. It is less humorous, drier and less touching. The characters in this one are difficult to like and they usually take quite questionable decisions. It doesn't mean that it is not a good story, but I have to say that I didn't enjoy it as much as I wanted.

First of all we have Adam, almost fifty with quite an easy even if a bit boring life. That is until he gets un email from his first love, Australian actress Angelina Brown. She stole his heart more than 20 years ago and they haven't been in touch since then. During the first part of the book, we get to know what happened back then and also how they interact now via email. There's a certain mystery surrounding their story so I was really curious to find more about them as a couple. This is definitely the part I enjoyed the most.

When they finally meet again, the story takes quite an unexpected turn that I am not sure worked that well. They were not their better self when they were together and I found the relationship between Angelina and her current husband plain weird. I then realized that I didn't like Adam and I even liked Angelina less, so I didn't care about what would happen to them next. But I guess, like in life, you cannot like everybody.

All in all, this is quite an interesting story that reflects on what could have been and long lost loves but also on how we don't appreciate what we have until it's too late. I was expecting something a bit more fun but it turned out to have quite a serious tone, which was OK as it was well written and engaging. But it won't be for sure a story that will stay with me. 

Rating: 3 stars

I would like to thank the publisher for sending me a copy of this book via NetGalley. This is my honest opinion.

February is gonna be an amazing bookish month. So many amazing books out this month! It was really difficult to pick my top five new releases this time so I went for a top seven and a little extra treat:

Nicola Brown doesn't like to lose control. Her flat is always meticulously tidy and her weekly meals carefully planned; Nicola keeps her life in order. When her carefree colleague Caroline challenges Nicola to find a date for Valentine's Day, it's a surprise to them both when Nicola agrees.

As Nicola's search for a man begins, she is thrown in at the deep end - sometimes quite literally - of the dating scene. From men more likely to sell their mother than open their wallet, to those who are determined to find a girlfriend who shares their passion for extreme sports, Nicola has to run the full gamut of dodgy dates. But as the deadline looms closer, Nicola realises it isn't so bad to lose control. It turns out that trying to get a love life can be rather a lot of fun...

Why so excited: I have loved all three books by Rosie Blake, so I'm really happy that her debut is finally being published in paperback. I enjoyed this story immensely when it was first published a couple of years ago in ebook format. I hope that many new readers will discover this fun story.

Pre-order now!

The Little Teashop of Broken Hearts by Jennifer Joyce - February 8th

From fairy cakes to first dates!

Maddie Lamington’s dreams are crumbling around her. If she doesn’t come up with a plan to save her little teashop on Sweet Street soon, it might be too late…

So when she sees how the perfect apple crumble brings together her lonely father and faithful customer Birdie, inspiration strikes: she’ll set up a dating night involving all her sweetest bakes.

Luckily, seriously gorgeous Caleb is on hand to help sprinkle a little magic – and a lot of sugar! Could one night of scrumptious first dates fix Maddie’s heartbreak and save her beloved teashop, too?

Why so excited: Jennifer Joyce's stories are always filled with lol moments, sweet treats and the perfect touch of drama, so I cannot wait to discover a new one. Plus, how cute is the title and the cover for this one?

Pre-order now!

A Song for Tomorrow by Alice Peterson - February 9th

Why so excited: I got an early review copy of this amazing story and wow! If you only get one book this month, be sure to pick this one. Read my full review here.

Pre-order now!

My Not So Perfect Life by Sophie Kinsella - February 9th

Katie Brenner has the perfect life: a flat in London, a glamorous job, and a super-cool Instagram feed.

Why so excited: Two words, Sophie and Kinsella. Definitely one of my top and auto-buy authors, every new release from her is a highly anticipated one. Let's see how this new story is! I certainly cannot wait to discover it.

Pre-order now!

The Best of Adam Sharp by Graeme Simsion - February 9th

The heart warming new novel from Graeme Simsion, the international bestselling author of The Rosie Project and The Rosie Effect

Can you define your life by a single song?

Adam Sharp - former pianist in a hip Melbourne bar, now a respectable IT consultant in Norwich - can. And it's 'You're Going to Lose that Girl' . . .

On the cusp of fifty and a happy introvert, Adam is content. He's the music expert at his local pub-quiz and he and his partner Claire rumble along. Life may not be rock n' roll, but neither is it easy listening. Yet something has always felt off-key.

And that's his nostalgia for what might have been, his blazing affair - more than twenty years ago, on the other side of the world - with Angelina Brown, a smart and sexy, strong-willed actress who taught him for the first time, as he played piano and she sang, what it meant to find - and then lose - love. How different might his life be if he hadn't let her walk away?

Then, out of nowhere, Angelina gets in touch. Adam has sung about second chances, but does he have the courage to believe in them?

Why so excited: I absolutely loved The Rosie Project and its sequel The Rosie Effect. Graeme Simsion created such interesting and enjoyable characters, so I'm really looking forward to discover a new story by him.

Pre-order now!

Girl 99 by Andy Jones - February 14th

When Tom’s girlfriend walks out on him the day before Christmas, he feels humiliated but not necessarily heartbroken. Sadie wasn’t, after all, The One. If we’re being precise, she was number eighty-five.

And so, for reasons that are only mostly wrong, Tom embarks on a mission to bring his number of encounters up to a nice neat one hundred.

Over the course of his quest he sleeps with a colleague, a colleague of a friend, a friend of a friend, a friend of a friend’s wife, the estate agent selling his flat and several more besides.

Everything is going, if not well, then at least according to plan…and then Tom meets Verity. Whether she’s The One remains to be seen, but she’s certainly more than just another number.

Why so excited: St Valentine's Day brings us a real treat, a new story by Andy Jones. It's actually his debut, which has been revised and republished. I haven't read it yet but it's on top of my tbr pile already.

Pre-order now!

Before the Rains by Dinah Jefferies - February 23rd

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created at The Broke and the Bookish. This feature was created because they are particularly fond of lists over there at The Broke and the Bookish. And who doesn't love a good list?

This week’s topic is movie adaptations! I do love a good movie adaption. I've been disappointed more than once with adaptations but when they manage to actually do it as you (kind of) imagined, it's just magical. I put together a list with new releases coming soon but also with some old one I haven't got around to watch yet. 

2) Me Before You (Jojo Moyes). My levels of excitement for this one are almost as high as with the previous one. Especially after reading the sequel (After You) last month. It brought it all back and made me think about Will and Louisa so much!

3) The Rosie Project (Graeme Simsion). There's not even a date for this one but I loved this book a couple of years ago. I'm sure it'll be a fantastic movie and there are rumors that Jennifer Lawrence is gonna be on it.

4) Papertowns (John Green). I loved The Fault In Our Stars, both the book and the movie so I've been meaning to watch this one for a while but I've not got around yet. Have you seen it? Did you like it?

5) Still Alice (Lisa Genova). I actually haven't read the book yet but I've had it for a long time. I really want to pick it and then watch the movie. Plus, Julianne Moore apparently aces it.

6) Pan. It's one of my favourite stories ever and I've watched all the movie adaptations. The new one is just out and I'm planning on going to the cinema really soon.

7) Beauty and the Beast. Another of my favourite stories as a child. And Emma Watson is gonna be Belle, what else can you ask for?

And that's it for today. I'm forgetting something, I'm quite sure. But if you have seen any good adaptations lately, please let me know!

Blurb: Join everyone's favourite unconventional couple Don Tillman and Rosie in the next chapter of their love story.

With the Wife Project complete, Don settles happily into a new job and married life in New York. But it's not long before certain events are taken out of his control and it's time to embark on a new project...

As Don tries to get to grips with the requirements of starting a family, his unusual research style soon gets him into trouble. To make matters more difficult, Don has invited his closest friend to stay with them, but Gene is not exactly a prime example of marital happiness, and as his life with Rosie continues to be unpredictable Don needs to remember that emotional support is just as important as his practical expertis.

*First of all I would like to thank the publishers for sending me a copy  of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.*

Review: I loved The Rosie Project, it had me laughing out loud all the time and I found it a very interesting unique read. So since the moment I finished it, I have been waiting for its sequel. I wanted to be back in Don and Rosie's life and find out how married life was treating them. When I finally got my hands on The Rosie Effect , I was over the moon and just reading the first sentece Orange juice was not schedulled for Fridays. I knew that I was going to love this book too.

For me, in The Rosie Project, Rosie was more the star of the book. It's true that Don was hilarious without even realising it (which I guess it's what we love most about him) but he had quite a boring life and then Rosie arrived and turned his life upside down. They lived so many memorable moments together and we just fell in love with the idea of them being a couple. In this second book though, Rosie takes a more secondary role and our shining star is Don. We get to know him better and how he is coping with his new life without his standardised systems and his projects. Adding his new circle of friends (he has now more friends than ever before) and the fact that they are expecting, Don is a bit lost. He doesn't know how to act, react or behave in all this new social situations and his matter of factly attitude but also naivité take him to the most hilarious surreal situations. 

I think that Don's new friends: Dave and his wife, Sofia, also expecting, and George, the old rock star and new landlord add a new dimension to Don's world. Make him a more social creature, but at the same time add more difficulties to his new life and how he is adjusting to it. 

Before you read The Rosie Effect, I highly recommend to read The Rosie Project (if you haven't read it, I don't know what you are waiting for) because it gives you the key to understand Don and his relationship with Rosie. 

It is true that The Rosie Effect had high expectations to match and some people have not found it as good as the first one but I enjoyed it as much as the first, and this is a lot. It had me laughing out loud and it still has this unique spark that makes it stand out from the rest. Being in Don's mind is fascinating and observing him in social interactions is like watching an experiment. So I highly recommend you both of Don's books. Graeme Simsion is quickly becoming one of my favourite authors and I can't wait to see what he has in store for us in the future. 

Rating:

The first thing that I heard about this book is that Don Tillman, the main character, was like a book version of Sheldon Cooper. And as a big fan of the Big Bang Theory, I couldn't resist. Moreover, after finishing Beyond Grace's Rainbow (review here), that left me crying like a baby, I felt like I needed a fun read. After reading it, I can say that it was the perfect choice. The Rosie Project is hilarious.