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The Other Son #2

The Other Son (Christmas Bonus): A short-story length sequel for The Other Son

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PLEASE DO NOT READ THIS STORY if you haven’t read The Other Son yet. CONTAINS SPOILERS. This is a mini-sequel to The Other Son, a little bonus (short-story length - 40 printed pages) for all those readers who have been begging to know what happens next.

29 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 10, 2016

504 people are currently reading
113 people want to read

About the author

Nick Alexander

31 books663 followers
My novels:

Where Do We Go From Here (2025)

The Imperfection of Us (2023)

Perfectly Ordinary People (2022)

From Something Old (2021)

The Road to Zoe (2020)

You Then, Me Now (2019)

Things We Never Said (2017)

The Bottle of Tears (2016) (also published as Let the Light Shine).

The Other Son (2015)

The Photographer's Wife (2014)

Two novels featuring Hannah:
- The Half-Life of Hannah.
- Other Halves (Dec 2013)

Two novels featuring CC:
- The Case Of The Missing Boyfriend
- The French House (May 2013)

The Fifty Reasons Series, following the life of lovelorn Mark
- 50 Reasons to Say Goodbye
- Sottopassaggio
- Good Thing, Bad Thing
- Better Than Easy
- Sleight Of Hand

And the standalone novel
- 13:55 Eastern Standard Time

The Case Of The Missing Boyfriend, The French House, and The Half-Life of Hannah have all been huge kindle hits, reaching number #1 in Amazon's kindle chart.

I live in the southern French Alps with three mogs (Mangui, Pastel & Pedro) and a very special ferret.

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5 stars
1,003 (37%)
4 stars
849 (32%)
3 stars
553 (20%)
2 stars
154 (5%)
1 star
81 (3%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 61 reviews
Profile Image for Mark  Porton.
609 reviews820 followers
April 13, 2020
Maybe I expected too much from this short story The Other Son (Christmas Bonus) by Nick Alexander But I found this story a little underwhelming. Yes we learn Alice returns to the UK for a few weeks and stays with Tim, Métis up with her ex Ken, then returns to France to stay with Other Son Matt and his partner Bruno - and she happens to bump into old friend Joe.

The reader is left wondering, but I think most of us probably came to the same conclusion regarding what happens after the final page - BUT it really didn’t have enough for me, and felt it was just a segue to a 2 chapter preview of Nick’s new book at the time (2016) Let the Light Shine.

Either way, I still love this Author, just not this short story.
Profile Image for ❤Marie Gentilcore.
878 reviews41 followers
December 7, 2016
I was searching for a Christmas story and came across this short story. I did not realize when I started it that it is a short sequel to a book called The Other Son by Nick Alexander. It is about a woman named Alice who reconnects with her old friend Jo who she hasn't seen in 30 years. It was an interesting story but it did feel like I joined the party late and it made me want to read the first book. If you have a choice read the first book before this one.
Profile Image for Ivy.
1,219 reviews58 followers
December 30, 2019
I loved "The Other Son" and might have expected too much from this little addition.

After everything that went down, Alice went back home to sort things out, spent some time with Tim and Natalia and is due to come back to France, to spend the holidays with Matt and Bruno.
And Bruno has a specia surprise for his mother-in-law. He has found Jo.

This was probably cute but kind of unnecessary because it's not much of "what happens after" and lacks the depth I appreciated with the original book. Just wasn't my cuppa tea.
Profile Image for  Li'l Owl.
398 reviews276 followers
August 6, 2019
Just lovely! Light and funny! A must for the holidays! You have to read, or listen, in this case, to the first book The Other Son in order to enjoy this one. I highly recommend both! What a wonderful short story for Christmas!Imgen Church does a brilliant narrating this audio book!
Profile Image for Anat.
159 reviews6 followers
June 11, 2021
Pues la historia que acababa aceptablemente en el libro con este bono se ha convertido en algo definitivamente condescendiente y, para mí, le ha quitado muchísimo valor a la original.
102 reviews
August 9, 2022
This is the ending 'the other son' deserved. It's quite short but worth reading, especially if you feel like me, the other son seemed a bit unfinished.
Profile Image for Kath.
3,083 reviews
December 18, 2019
The blurb clearly states that you should not read this until you have read The Other Son. I will reiterate that here, and also advise you also stop reading reviews for this bonus extra if you haven't read the main book as these too may contain spoilers.
Still here... Right. So, you've read The Other Son and, if you're like me, you really want to know what happened next... Especially with Alice and her relationships with both her sons, her husband and her new tolerance/love of cats! We pick up the action coming up to Christmas. Alice has popped back to the UK to sort some stuff out and we glimpse what happens to her there. Back in France and Matt and Bruno are plotting. With Alice due to return to France for the holidays they set wheels in motion for a big surprise for her. But will she be thrilled or mortified? It's make or break time...!
I actually chose to listen to the wonderful Imogen Church narrate this book, perfect length for a bus trip / shopping in town, and I was held rapt by her wonderful interpretation of the characters that I had already connected to when I read the main book. Sometimes my mind wanders off when I listen when out and about but the story really held my attention nicely throughout. Mainly cos after I cottoned on to what was about to happen, I really wanted to know how it would all go. And... well, no spoilers here!
If you loved The Other Son and want to know what happens next as you really weren't ready to let the characters go, then this is a really great follow up. I do wish more authors would do this. And I also hope that Mr Alexander returns to these characters again in the future. Love them all!
Profile Image for Annie.
226 reviews
December 26, 2021
(I listed to the Audible version)
Its a reunion between two old friends and them catching up, the author somehow made a whole short book of what could have been a short chapter.
I feel like we could have read that in less than 15 minutes and not an hour.
I listened to the complete thing since it was only an hour long but honestly it was very boring and repetitive just them talking about the past and catching up.
Also it does feel like you are missing somethin, I didn't know this is a sequel to a previous book until I read the comments here, you don't absolutely need to read the first one to understand this one but there is a feeling of uncompletion
1 review
July 18, 2020
There is a huge mistake in this book.

X Japanese foot-binding torture thing (No! Never!!)

O  Chinese and Taiwan (Chinese district)

The practice possibly originated among upper class court dancers during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period in 10th-century China, then gradually became popular among the elite during the Song dynasty.

In Taiwan, the practice was also discouraged by the ruling Japanese from the beginning of Japanese rule, and from 1911 to 1915 it was gradually made illegal.
                               (From Wiki)
1,099 reviews2 followers
November 19, 2020
Actually in a rare instance my rating is probably a bit too high. I had enjoyed THE OTHER SON and I looked forward to this short sequel. I think it was quite misleading to refer to this as a sequel-short or not. I fully realize it was billed as a short story but it actually was a long chapter that could have easily been attached to the original work. And it basically served as a marketing tool for other works. It is what it is -just be aware.
5 reviews
December 1, 2019
Lovely warm life affirming stuff. All good

Well written. Good follow on from 'The Other Son'. As the title says a lovely,warm, life arriving narrative. Finished the book, and this bonus story, wanting more. Got attached to the characters. Some thought provoking stuff in there too. Read the book and then this, you will not be disappointed.
Profile Image for Masha.
129 reviews4 followers
September 17, 2021
Don't books get proofed any more?

I enjoyed The Other Son so read this straight after.I loved the characters which are all well drawn. However, so may typos and errors. At beginning Bruno walks over to the window to join Bruno! Then we have our dinner instead of lay, then complement instead of compliment. It's sloppy and irritating. Nick Alexander deserves better.
1 review
February 10, 2020
This was a nice little light reading to provide an ending to one of the story lines in "The Other Son". Without giving anything away, it does leave room for more should the author decide to extend the story line at some point in the future.
300 reviews
June 14, 2020
Not so much a short story or sequel as perhaps a couple of bonus chapters to "The Other Son".

On saying that, it was enjoyable and wrapped up a few loose ends for me (although leaving them "loose" in the first place in no way detracted from the original story).
Profile Image for Dorothy Stimpson.
9 reviews
October 13, 2020
A good read it finishes the story nicely

This is a good read making the story complete. Well written just like this authors other books. Would recommend reading but only after reading The Other Som
131 reviews2 followers
August 8, 2022
Christmas

I was given this advanced copy of this book in exchange for a honest review and I'm willingly doing so now. this was a very sweet story it was one where you get an eye opener it was very well written I think its the perfect fast read.
Profile Image for Karla Samman.
332 reviews2 followers
January 9, 2023
¡Un buen pilón!

Ha sido lindo ver cómo continúa la vida de los personajes de "El otro hijo". Siempre hay esperanza y siempre se puede modificar el rumbo en la vida, me quedo con esa maravillosa conclusión.
Profile Image for Liz.
398 reviews7 followers
April 16, 2019
Lovely to catch up with characters from the main book. Especially as it felt like something was missing from the ending of The Other Son.
3 reviews1 follower
November 4, 2019
Fabulous

I really enjoyed these bonus chapters. Any chance of a sequel? I’d love to know what happens to them all.
40 reviews1 follower
November 23, 2019
Short and sweet, the perfect little sequel which answered most of my questions left from the first book!
Profile Image for Casey.
254 reviews
May 3, 2020
This little gem continued the story of The Other Son, and I do hope there are more to follow. I've grown quite fond of the characters.
17 reviews1 follower
July 18, 2020
Terrible

There are so many misspellings and continuity errors that I was incredibly relieved this book was so short. Do not recommend.
13 reviews
August 18, 2020
Enjoyable

A nice ending to tie up loose ends from the previous book. I did wonder what happened and with some happiness it made a good ending.
Profile Image for Vicky.
216 reviews1 follower
October 23, 2020
A little disappointed

I don't feel it really brings anything more to the Other Son and could of been an extra chapter at the end of the book if Nick wanted to include it
Profile Image for Lisa.
246 reviews5 followers
November 15, 2020
Nice short story that lets readers of 'The Other Son' know how things turned out afterwards.
Profile Image for Mary Walsh.
244 reviews7 followers
November 25, 2020
Loose Ends

Glad to have loose ends tied up in this book. Surprised about Joe! A wonderful story. I also enjoyed the new book excerpts at the end and will definitely read them.
Profile Image for Kat.
407 reviews
December 4, 2020
This was free from Audible so I thought I’d give it a shot. I’ve never read the book before this one, but after reading this one I would. This was a cute, short holiday story.
Profile Image for Megan.
210 reviews
December 12, 2020
This was a very sweet finale to the preceding novel, which I loved. Very good story and set of characters--very relatable, honest and sweet.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 61 reviews

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