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Quick answer: If you loved The Rosie Project, try The Rosie Effect, The Kiss Quotient, Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, The Maid and A Man Called Ove. Each one offers a quirky narrator, a funny romance or a heartfelt story about fitting in.
Graeme Simsion's comic novel follows Don Tillman, a genetics professor who designs a sixteen-page questionnaire to find the perfect wife. Then Rosie, a bartender who fails every question, asks for help finding her biological father. Readers love Don's literal, logical voice and the warmth of the romance. These books share the same humor, unusual heroes and big hearts.
Table of Contents
Quick Picks at a Glance
| Book | Author | Genre | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Rosie Effect | Graeme Simsion | Romantic comedy | readers who want more Don |
| The Kiss Quotient | Helen Hoang | Romance | readers who want an autistic lead |
| Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine | Gail Honeyman | Literary fiction | readers who love an odd, honest narrator |
| The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time | Mark Haddon | Literary mystery | readers who like a logical narrator |
| The Maid | Nita Prose | Cozy mystery | readers who like unusual heroines |
| A Man Called Ove | Fredrik Backman | Literary fiction | readers who like grumpy heroes |
| Where'd You Go, Bernadette | Maria Semple | Comic fiction | readers who love Seattle satire |
| Lessons in Chemistry | Bonnie Garmus | Literary fiction | readers who like science and romance |
| The Love Hypothesis | Ali Hazelwood | Romance | readers who like STEM couples |
| Get a Life, Chloe Brown | Talia Hibbert | Romance | readers who like a list-making heroine |
| The Flatshare | Beth O'Leary | Romance | readers who like unusual setups |
| Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore | Robin Sloan | Comic mystery | readers who like nerdy heroes |
| The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry | Rachel Joyce | Literary fiction | readers who like journeys |
| Anxious People | Fredrik Backman | Literary fiction | readers who like comedy with heart |
| Remarkably Bright Creatures | Shelby Van Pelt | Literary fiction | readers who like found family |
1. The Rosie Effect by Graeme Simsion
Don and Rosie are married and living in New York when a surprise pregnancy sends Don's planning into overdrive.
Best for: readers who want more Don.
2. The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang
Stella, an economist with autism, hires an escort to help her practice relationships. Funny and steamy.
Best for: readers who want an autistic lead.
3. Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman
Eleanor's carefully structured life begins to open up after she helps an elderly man in the street.
Best for: readers who love an odd, honest narrator.
4. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon
Christopher, who loves math and order, investigates the death of a neighbor's dog.
Best for: readers who like a logical narrator.
5. The Maid by Nita Prose
Molly Gray, a hotel maid who sees the world in her own way, becomes a murder suspect.
Best for: readers who like unusual heroines.
6. A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman
A cranky widower is drawn back into life by the neighbors who will not leave him alone.
Best for: readers who like grumpy heroes.
7. Where'd You Go, Bernadette by Maria Semple
A teenager pieces together emails and documents to find her eccentric mother.
Best for: readers who love Seattle satire.
8. Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus
A brilliant chemist falls for a fellow scientist and later becomes a cooking show host.
Best for: readers who like science and romance.
9. The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood
A Ph.D. student fake-dates a stern professor to convince her friend she has moved on.
Best for: readers who like STEM couples.
10. Get a Life, Chloe Brown by Talia Hibbert
A woman with chronic pain makes a list to get a life and hires her grumpy superintendent to help.
Best for: readers who like a list-making heroine.
11. The Flatshare by Beth O'Leary
Two strangers share a flat on different shifts and communicate only through notes.
Best for: readers who like unusual setups.
12. Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore by Robin Sloan
A web designer uncovers a secret society while working nights at a strange bookstore.
Best for: readers who like nerdy heroes.
13. The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry by Rachel Joyce
A retired man walks across England to see an old friend, meeting strangers along the way.
Best for: readers who like journeys.
14. Anxious People by Fredrik Backman
A failed bank robbery turns into a hostage situation full of strangers and secrets.
Best for: readers who like comedy with heart.
15. Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt
A widow at an aquarium befriends a clever octopus who helps her uncover a mystery.
Best for: readers who like found family.
How to Choose
Read The Rosie Effect first if you want more Don and Rosie. For a romance with an autistic heroine, choose The Kiss Quotient. If you loved Don's logical narration, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time and Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine are the best match. For lighter romances with nerdy leads, try The Love Hypothesis or Lessons in Chemistry.
Related: 15 Books Like Project Hail Mary You’ll Love: Science, Space and Survival · Rosie Goodwin Books Printable List
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Don in The Rosie Project autistic?
The book never names it, but Don has many traits associated with autism, and the author has said he had that in mind.
How many books are in the Rosie series?
There are three: The Rosie Project, The Rosie Effect and The Rosie Result.
Is The Rosie Project a romance?
Yes. It is a romantic comedy, but it also explores family, identity and friendship.