Asperger Syndrome sits high on the autism spectrum scale. Characterized by low social skills and restricted interests, men with this diagnosis are not usually featured as fictional romantic heroes. But something now has changed, as we see in two new novels; The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion, and Someone Else’s Love Story by Joshilyn Jackson. Both of these books involve a mystery that must be solved by DNA analysis and conveniently both men happen to be genetic scientists. But this is where the resemblance ends.
In The Rosie Project, Don Tillman is tired of wasting time on first dates that end in catastrophe. While he knows that he wants to be married, he also wants to be assured a suitable mate, so he narrows his criteria to a 16 page survey that will guarantee perfection. Rosie Jarman, a part-time bartender and doctoral candidate in psychology, is totally not a contender for Tillman’s wife project. But she brings an interesting genetic puzzle for him to unravel-her father could be one of many men in her mother’s life and she wants to know which one he is. Hilarity ensues and sparks fly!
More of a traditional romance, Someone Else’s Love Story begins with a shooting in a convenience store. Shandi Pierce, a single mother, is trapped in the stockroom of a store with her young son, the store clerk and several customers. The gunman botched a robbery and has decided to take hostages at gunpoint to negotiate with the police. One of the customers, a very strong and handsome man, takes over and calms the situation, but is shot in the process. Shandi feels responsible for him and tries to nurse him back to health. She would like a romantic relationship but he can’t seem to get over the loss of his loved ones in a tragic car accident. She also has a mystery that she wants him to unravel-who was the guy at the frat party who fathered her son? Dubbed "Dr. Au-tastic" by his childhood (and only) friend, William Ashe has a hard time making sense of social interaction. However, even he can see that Shandi wants more from him than his scientific opinions. Will they find happiness together or will his past overwhelm their future?
