The Second Child cover art

The Second Child

 Preview
Get this deal Try Premium Plus free
Offer ends 29 January 2026 at 11:59PM GMT.
Prime members: New to Audible? Get 2 free audiobooks during trial.
Just £0.99/mo for your first 3 months of Audible.
1 bestseller or new release per month—yours to keep.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, podcasts, and Originals.
Auto-renews at £8.99/mo after 3 months. Cancel monthly.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection - including bestsellers and new releases.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, celeb exclusives, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
£8.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically.

The Second Child

By: Caroline Bond
Narrated by: Antonia Beamish
Get this deal Try Premium Plus free

£8.99/mo after 3 months. Cancel monthly. Offer ends 29 January 2026 at 11:59PM GMT.

£8.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically. See here for eligibility.

Buy Now for £13.99

Buy Now for £13.99

LIMITED TIME OFFER | £0.99/mo for the first 3 months

Premium Plus auto-renews at £8.99/mo after 3 months. Terms apply.

About this listen

 Why do you love your child? Is it because they're a straight A student, a talented footballer? Or is it simply because they're yours? Sarah and Phil love both their children, James and Lauren. The couple have the same hopes and aspirations as any parent. But their expectations are shattered when they discover that their perfect baby daughter has been born with a flaw; a tiny, but life-changing glitch that is destined to shape her future, and theirs, irrevocably. Over time the family adapt and even thrive. Then one day a blood test casts doubt on the very basis of their family. Lauren is not Phil's child. Suddenly, their precious family is on the brink of destruction. But the truth they face is far more complex and challenging than simple infidelity. It tests their capacity to love, each other and their children, and it raises the question of what makes – and what breaks – a family.©2018 Caroline Bond (P)2018 Bolinda Publishing Family Life Fiction Genre Fiction Medical Women's Fiction Thought-Provoking

Listeners also enjoyed...

 Another Woman’s Child cover art
The Secret Child cover art
The Forgotten Sister cover art
My Husband's Wife cover art
The Mother I Could Have Been cover art
One Split Second cover art
A Mother's Story cover art
After the Lie cover art
Other People's Marriages cover art
The Woman I Was Before cover art
Perfect Daughter cover art
The Silent Wife cover art
The Other Son cover art
Three-and-a-Half Heartbeats cover art
Another Love cover art
Tiny Acts of Love cover art

Critic reviews

'Caroline Bond takes a complex situation and has written a thoughtful, wrenching and, at times, tear-jerking novel.' (Elizabeth Buchan)
'I stayed up long into the night to finish The Second Child ... a carefully crafted and utterly compelling tale of lost opportunity and impossible choices.' (Amanda Brooke, internationally bestselling author)
'I was so invested in every word of this novel. An unthinkable situation, but highly believable, this story is spellbinding, real, and brilliantly written. I felt for every character. It mines the depth of every possible human emotion. Caroline Bond will go far. ' (Carol Mason)
All stars
Most relevant
Great book really enjoyed it , very well written. Likeable characters, would recommend this book . Good ending

Fantastic

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Well written, well read and kept your attention through the whole book. Not predictable, tough and a good insight to human nature.

Brilliant

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
An enjoyable story. Slightly slow and ponderously told. Lets you into the life of a family with complex problems leaves you annoyingly on a cliff edge at the end.

Good story. Slightly slow

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
I wanted to hear how the next bit went , felt short changed sadly I got it but disappointing end

Very abrupt ending

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
I enjoyed this book with its highs and lows of feelings amongst the characters in a complex family story. I guessed the twist at the end, but I do feel that such a situation is highly improbable - still, it was a good story. There is a line in the book that I re-wound to hear again because I wasn't sure I heard it correctly.... a character described as "black-faced teenager?" Emm... I would love to know what one of those is!!!

Easy, enjoyable listen while walking but....

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
See more reviews