Two confessions: I did not read Graeme Simsion’s feted first work, The Rosie Project, and, I thought it was an autobiography, not a novel. After reading The Rosie Effect, I will go back to discover the details of the mysterious coupling of main characters Don Tillman and Rosie Jarman.

At the start of this novel, Don and Rosie are enjoying their first year of marriage. They have a seemingly hectic but satisfying life. Don is a visiting professor at Columbia Medical School, part­time cocktail impresario, and aikido master. Rosie is finishing her PhD thesis, is about to enter the clinical phase of med school, and is also a part­time cocktail whiz.

Enter the main plot twists: Rosie announces she is pregnant (not likely an accident and definitely NOT something she has recently discussed with Don), and Don (without checking with Rosie), invites his philandering, now­separated friend Gene to live with them. Follow­up with a surprise move, a new volunteer job for Don, additional instances of deception, and things start to careen out of control.

Like many pregnant women, Rosie becomes increasingly emotional, extremely tired, and obsessive about certain foods. Meanwhile, Don plans to solve all the challenges of Rosie’s condition, and his friends’ problems, while hiding certain uncomfortable escapades from almost everyone. Don’s foot­in­mouth comments, odd reactions, and purely academic research on the growing baby seem quite humorous to readers. Not surprisingly, Rosie’s reaction is that he will not be a caring father.

Gene also laughed. ‘I think Don is being characteristically methodical. We can’t expect him to take on a new project without research, right, Don?’

Readers will definitely warm to Don Tillman. He knows himself and recognizes his shortcomings (almost always after the fact though):

“I’m extremely experienced at dealing with embarrassment resulting from insensitivity to others. I’m an expert. I recommend an apology and admission that you are a klutz.”

It was, of course, not the fault of the cosmos but of my own limitations. I had simply gotten too many things wrong, and the damage had accumulated.