A lovely heartwarming story!

Had me hooked from the beginning. Another great book by Beth O’Leary

I really enjoyed this.

One of my favorite things about this book was that while there were romantic things happening between characters, it didn’t define the characters. They were fully formed on their own, and the story wasn’t just about that. It’s also so rare to see older people portrayed as lively and interesting rather than sweet old people, and I loved it.

I usually prefer a single narrator, but having two really worked for this audiobook. It really helped bring it to life and make the story more real for me.

I would like to thank NetGalley, Macmillan, and Beth O’Leary for a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

If you are a fan of The Flatshare, you will love this novel by Beth O'Leary! I'm not sure what I was expecting but I loved the dynamic between Eileen and Leena - a grandmother/granddaughter duo who swap lives for two months. It has a very "The Holiday" vibe. It was such a relatable story but I will say that I wanted MORE romance. The love stories were sweet but not the main focus. That being said, I do appreciate all the girl power!

I had a lot of problems trying to download the audiobook from the app and in the end it was archived before I could read it, so I did not get a chance to listen to it.

Three generations of a family deal with a tragedy in different ways. Grandmother Eileen and granddaughter Lena decide to swap lives for a couple of months for a different perspective on their lives. I loved the two different narrators for Eileen and Lena. Their styles added immensely to the character development.


This audiobook was an unexpected delight! I wasn't familiar with the author or narrators before this book, but I will definitely search out more from all of them.

This book felt like a warm, cozy blanket.

The whole cast of characters was very endearing, with a small preference for Eileen, everyone's dream grandmother. The writing is light and full of wit. The small English village setting was lovely. Everything about the story felt heartwarming, aside maybe from the heavier topic of Lena's sister death..

Reading the synopsis, I expected that the two main characters would actually switch bodies, in a magical realism sort of way. I was a bit surprised when that didn't happen,

I listened to the audiobook and the narration was just perfect.

Thanks NetGalley for the preview!

First I really loved this book but I struggled with both of the narrators. They were breathy and I did not like their voices.

The story was sweet and innovative! I loved Jackson and hated Ethan so very much and I'm please Leena ended up with Jackson. Samantha is also the most wonderful little character! Eileen was wonderfully spunky and her life in her tiny village is so fascinating. I went into this story thinking that the book would be simple but the tiny details kept me hooked and I could not stop listening to this story!

How do you cope with grief? Work your brains out or talk about it with someone? How do you cope with loneliness? Stay alone or find a change in perspective? This is what the story is about.

'The Switch' revolves around a woman and her grandmother, who switch their lives after the woman, Lena had a mental breakdown at work and the grandmother, Ilene watched her husband walk away from her. But most importantly, both of them process their grief on losing Lena's sister, Clara.

This is a really fun and light read written from two POVs, and the audiobook was narrated by two people, which was amazing altogether.

The main takeaway from the story is that a change in perspective can do you wonders. You have to watch your life as others to understand your own. It also brings forward the huge generation gap, which was funny by itself.

Written with a British undertone and set in London and Yorkshire, this story is really helpful in taking you out of a reading slump.

This is my First Audiobook in netgalley and I loved it. It was so funny and cute. I thought that audios from netgalley would different to listen to. But it was just like listening to one through audible. Now coming to the book, Its a typical switch (as the title states!), but told in a cute, entertaining way. If you want to end this year with a jolly read then pick this book.

In The Switch by Beth O'Leary we follow Leena, a hardworking woman who was just told to take a two month sabbatical after her presentation was a disaster, and Eileen, a 79 year old recently single woman wanting to make new connections. Leena and Eileen decide to switch places; Leena goes to Yorkshire and Eileen goes to London. We follow both characters on their journeys that spark new opportunities and personal growth.

I absolutely love the way Beth O'Leary writes characters; they feel so real and tangible. She has written some of my favorite characters I've read this year between The Flatshare and The Switch. The book touches on a variety of themes and emotions, which made the story so dynamic. I appreciated the discussion of grief and watching the family dynamics change and relationships grow throughout the story.

The audiobook narrators were fantastic! I loved that there was a narrator for each of the main characters. They were so engaging and they really added something special to the characters.

I had such a ball listening to this heartwarming audiobook and I am looking forward to reading Beth O'Leary's next book!

The Switch is a charming story that follows a grandmother and granddaughter as they switch lives. The book is lighthearted but does highlight a few deeper topics (mental health, loss).

The audio has narrators for both of the main characters (the story is told in alternating chapters). The book is great narrated because it is heavy on dialog and the narrators did use different voices for different characters (with that said, I could not stand the screechy voice of Latitia).

There are a wide cast of characters and each has its own mini-story line. While there is a lot going on, the quirky and endearing cast of characters instill a sense of community throughout the book.

My one complaint is that this story could have done without the main characters finding their love match (a little hurriedly) at the end. It would have been nice to see the women (both of whom were cheated on) happy and thriving without a partner.

If you are looking for a feel good story with a happy ending, look no further.

This is just what I needed this year and right now as the nights are getting darker and my mood has dropped. This is a beautiful story of intergenerational differences, shared grief and how we can all learn something from each other no matter our age. Sometimes a change of scene is just what you need to help you see things from someone else's perspective.
I am really glad that I went for the audiobook version of this as Alison Steadman and Daisy Edgar-Jones did a brilliant job, helping me to vividly see the characters in my head. I can this being a hit TV mini-series adaptation. It is warm, funny, relatable, a little cheesy and memorable.
If you're looking for something to cosy up to that will equally make you laugh and cry, then this is the book for you.

The premise may be quirky, but the underlying story being told has depth as it tackles confronting issues such as grief and betrayal and most of the family issues we find very difficult to confront with.
It is about understanding what really matters in life, about throwing away the excuses and living for the now, not solely for the future.

This book made me miss my grandma so much I needed to stop reading every once in a while. Also, the stories of the elderlies will break your heart. I loveee this book much as I love the Flatshare.

This is the perfect read for when you need a pick-me-up and need to remember all the things that are good in the world.

Leena Cotton is at a loss when she has a breakdown at a work meeting and is forced to take a 2 month sabbatical. Having recently lost her sister to cancer and become alienated from her mother in the process, she can't fathom what she will do with two months where she can't lose herself in work. Meanwhile, Leena's grandmother, Eileen, has been left by her philandering husband at the age of 79. She'd love to get back out there and meet a new man, but the dating pool in her small Yorkshire village is, well, puddle-sized.

When Leena discovers her grandmother's list of eligible bachelors in the village, all of whom have been found wanting, she decides her grandmother should try online dating. Unfortunately, the online dating landscape has little to offer. That is, unless Eileen goes to London. An idea is born, and suddenly Leena and Eileen are swapping lives. Leena will take over her grandmother's spot on the neighborhood watch committee and handle all of her projects, like planning the May Day festival, while Eileen will try out London life, moving into Leena's flat with Leena's roommates Fitz and Martha.

In alternating point of views, narrated perfectly by Daisy Edgar-Jones and Allison Steadman, the two women navigate the unknown, carving out places for themselves in their new surroundings. Each finds her new life challenging but rewarding, and each brings a little of herself to her new situation and leaves the lives of those around her better for it. Leena finds herself falling for a handsome country schoolteacher while Eileen has a fling with a West End theater actor only to find that maybe she's looking for love in the wrong place after all.

The book is filled with quirky, lovable, believable supporting characters, and the two Cotton women are admirable main characters. While definitely part of the romance genre, The Switch goes deeper to explore the need for genuine human connection among friends and even among strangers while also exploring themes of healing after loss. The Switch is a a lighthearted but by no means fluffy feel-good novel.

Highly recommended, especially on audio!

I absolutely adored this audiobook. To begin, the story itself was so refreshing. I took a lot of gerontology courses when I went to college and it really opened my eyes to the way people, in general, think about and act towards elderly people. I think "The Switch" perfectly captured those thoughts and actions while telling the story form the point of view from an older person and a younger person, so we're able to see both sides. And I liked that romantic aspect of the story focused more on Eileen, Leena's grandmother, rather than the other way around. It's so rare we see romance in popular novels focus on over seventies. I loved it. The story was beyond great.

Moving on to the audiobook itself, my favorite aspect was of course the dual narrators being Alison Steadman, narrating Eileen's chapters, and Daisy Edgar-Jones, narrating Leena's chapters. Alison Steadman brought me to tears on many occasions throughout this book, particularly the ending. I also thoroughly enjoyed her voicing the side characters--sometimes I forgot it was her voicing them! And Daisy Edgar Jones' voice was smooth and I could honestly listen to her talk all day. Her accent is great.

This audiobook really shines with these two ladies narrating for us. It was easy to slip back and forth between both points of view because their voices are so drastically different, and since they're both professional actresses, they were able to convey emotion like I've never experienced while listening to an audiobook. I adored every minute of it.

After having an anxiety attack during a critical work meeting, Leena Cotton is put on a two month work sabbatical that she does not want. When her Grandmother Eileen calls to talk, Leena offers to swap lives with her grandmother. Leena will take over Eileen's 'projects' in rural Yorkshire, and Eileen will move into Leena's flat in London and try online dating. Switching lives seems easy enough, but when things get bumpy it puts Leena and Eileen's relationship to the test and forces them to confront the familial issues they've been pointed avoiding.

I loved the alternating narrators, and the thoughtful social commentary about the intergenerational divide. This book was so good I went and checked out her first book in audio and I'm looking forward to listening to her next book!

Breaking News!! I have a new must-read author!! Beth O’Leary has followed up The Flatshare with a book just a great!
My Interest

I loved just about everything in The Flatshare, so I knew I had to read or listen to this one, too. I’m so glad I did!
The Story

Lena has a great life in London. She has flatmates she loves, a great boyfriend, a career… a career that…well…no spoilers.

Up in Yorkshire, her Granny, Eileen, at 79 is stuck in a rut created by the life she led with the husband who ditched her.

Both need a break from their lives. Oh, and then there’s Lena’s Mum, who is still deep in grief. Yeah. That, too.

Lena and Eileen decide to swap lives. No, not in a weird but funny Freaky Friday sort of way–they really just swap residences. So for two month Lena lives at her Gran’s and takes part in her Gran’s activities and Eileen lives in London with Lena’s 20-something aged flatmates.

The result is amazing!
My Thoughts

This book was so much fun. Never did she play on stereotypes of “old” people which was the best part. 79 year old Eileen goes and does what she would have done in her 20s had she not married. Lena, who has been London- and career-centric for most of her 20s puts her talents to use while walking in her Grandma’s footsteps around her hometown. Both learn more than therapy could ever teach.
4 Full Stars

This will be such a cute movie if done right. But I insist on Julie Walters (of course) for Eileen and, of course, Jeremy Irons for Todd!

I really enjoyed this second novel from Beth O'Leary! I'm not sure it reaches her debut novel The Flatshare, but it comes really close. In this book Leena is required to take a two month sabbatical from her job, because she's a workaholic and her last pitch didn't go so great. She chooses to take that sabbatical at her grandmother, Eileen's house, in Yorkshire village. Eileen on the other hand is ready to break out of this small village and find her someone to date a live her 80 year old life on the edge. They decided to trade places, and Eileen goes to London while Leena stays in Yorkshire. Stepping into each others lives and taking care of the necessities is a lot more challenging than each lady anticipated.

This novel was full of laughs, tears, and romance. Maybe love is where you least expect it. Beth O'Leary has written another really fun novel.

This was my first Audiobook ever, it will not be my last. The narrators were great at doing their character's voices and the side characters'.
The book is about Leena and her grandmother Eileen. It's a dual POV. Leena has been given a mandatory two-month vacation from work because she basically has the coolest boss that can see how hard she is pushing herself, especially after the recent death of her sister, and wants her to take a breather. She decides to switch lives with her grandmother on the pretense that Eileen has always wanted to live in London (where Leena lives) and her grandmother's small town obligations will offer her the vacation she has been mandated.

The characters of this book are likable. Eileen was my favorite, listening to her meddling personality and overall grandma attitude plus her sexy adventures made me laugh and snort through the book. Leena's character wasn't as original, she was likable and interesting but she felt like every other romantic comedy heroine, clumsy, non-self-aware, "messy but in a cute way", that said, the development of her and her mum's relationship was my favorite plot of the book, and her love subplot was the second one.

Speaking of plots, there were so many subplots in this book you'd think they would be superficial but all of them were perfectly tied by the end and they touched on important topics, making the large cast of characters feel well-rounded, life-like.

I'd recommend this book if you liked If Only by Melanie Murphy, contemporary, lighthearted novels, and if you want great British narrators pick up the audiobook.

This story had me wanting to give it 2 starts in the first half. The main characters were sooo annoying! And their “adventures” were a bit too silly (in particular, the grandma’s) but then things started to right themselves and, despite unnecessary plot lines that came from nowhere, the ending was good and solid and even a little cute. And that cozy little town with quirky residents was very well written from the start and what made me continue reading really worked it’s magic on me I guess.
The narrators were not bad but they didn’t stand out as great either.
I’m curious to read The Flatshare to see how it compares to this one.