Listen free for 30 days

Listen with offer

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.
£7.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically. See here for eligibility.
The Rachel Incident cover art

The Rachel Incident

By: Caroline O'Donoghue
Narrated by: Clara Harte
Try for £0.00

£7.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically. See here for eligibility.

Buy Now for £13.00

Buy Now for £13.00

Pay using card ending in
By completing your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and authorise Audible to charge your designated card or any other card on file. Please see our Privacy Notice, Cookies Notice and Interest-based Ads Notice.

Listeners also enjoyed...

Outback cover art
Watermelon cover art
The Snow Killer cover art
Your Place or Mine? cover art
My Perfect Daughter cover art
What If? cover art
The Village Shop for Lonely Hearts cover art
Dear Lily cover art
Broadland cover art
Hunted cover art
Murder in Tuscany cover art
Surfside Sisters cover art
The Single Mums’ Mansion cover art
The Book-Lovers' Retreat cover art
This Is Not About You cover art
Integrity cover art

Summary

The international bestseller: a hilarious, heartfelt story of all-consuming and unexpected love.

'If you've ever been young, you will love The Rachel Incident like I did' - GABRIELLE ZEVIN

'Funny, nostalgic, sexy' - MONICA HEISEY

'Hilarious, wise and wonderfully written' - GRAHAM NORTON

What is the Rachel incident? When Rachel falls in love with her married professor, Dr. Byrne, her best friend James helps her devise a plan to seduce him. But as the plot becomes increasingly complicated, their friendship is tested by impossible choices and a lie that can't be taken back. Chaotic and brilliantly funny, The Rachel Incident perfectly captures the turmoil of young love.

'Sharply witty, warm-hearted and wise.' - GUARDIAN, BEST SUMMER READS

'Deeply relatable and extremely funny.' - OBSERVER

'A headlong read about being young and hopelessly in lust.' - SUNDAY TIMES

'Easily 13/10 . . . Funny, lovely, romantic' - MARIAN KEYES

'A book full of love, and it is extremely easy to love reading it.' – VOGUE

©2023 Caroline O'Donoghue (P)2023 W. F. Howes Ltd
  • Unabridged Audiobook
  • Categories: LGBTQ+

Critic reviews

If you've ever been young, you will love The Rachel Incident like I did'—GABRIELLE ZEVIN

'Easily 13/10 ... Funny, lovely, romantic, drenched in nostalgia.'—MARIAN KEYES

'A headlong read about being young and hopelessly in lust.'—SUNDAY TIMES, BEST SUMMER READS

What listeners say about The Rachel Incident

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    221
  • 4 Stars
    59
  • 3 Stars
    14
  • 2 Stars
    7
  • 1 Stars
    2
Performance
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    212
  • 4 Stars
    48
  • 3 Stars
    17
  • 2 Stars
    6
  • 1 Stars
    3
Story
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    208
  • 4 Stars
    55
  • 3 Stars
    14
  • 2 Stars
    7
  • 1 Stars
    2

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Loved it

I enjoyed it from start to finish, but particularly the ending is rewarding and delicious

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Brilliant story, characters and narration

What a find. Absolutely loved the central character, the relationships were beautifully drawn and the depiction of the late noughties hilariously accurate. Such fantastic narration too.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

SO GOOD

Funny, moving, addictive, brilliant! CO’D’s best book yet - can’t recommend enough. Deeply satisfying plot, the time jumps/reminiscence structure executed perfectly- captures so much of that late teens early 20s period

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Really recommend

Interesting storylines and believable, complex and realistically flawed characters. Gripped me from the start, would recommend!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

The relationships in this are golden

It made me laugh out loud and also feel deep connection to the characters- a great listen!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Satisfying

Really enjoyed it early on, then it felt like it was starting to lose pace and one point I wondered where it was going or if there was any real momentum to the story at all, but it picked up again and I found the ending more satisfying than I had imagined that I could. Narration was spot on. Overall would recommend.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

amazing

couldnt stop listening . really good story and good twists . loved it ..

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Great

Gripping, funny, rude, I couldn’t stop listening - a bit like Contemporary maeve binchy if you liked that as a teen you will love this as an adult

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Absolutely incredible, new favourite

Very-well written and beautiful storytelling. I was absorbed the whole time and couldn’t wait to keep listening. Fully recommend

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Inhaled it. Addictive story. Fantastic performance

First Caroline O’Donoghue book I’ve read but won’t be the last. So so good. Already a big fan of her podcasts and simply adored this.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

4 people found this helpful