This book was an absolute delight.

After Leena is told to take a two month holiday from work, she makes her way back home to her grandmother, Eileen's house. While there, Leena learns that her grandmother is trying to find love but there are no eligible bachelors in her small village. A plan is devised. They will swap homes and lives for two months. Leena will stay in her grandmother's house and take care of all Eileen's little projects, while Eileen goes to London looking for love.

As we learn, nothing is ever as easy as it sounds. Leena faces multiple issues while trying to step into Eileen's large shoes and Eileen learns that online dating isn't always what it seems.

I loved the character development in this story and watching Leena grow and face emotions she has ignored for a long time. I also enjoyed the dynamic between her and her mother. Eileen was just a force to be reckoned with. I would love to have her spunk now let alone at 80.

The relationships and the problems these women have, along with their friends, are believable from age thirty to age eighty. It also makes me more aware of the elderly and how alone they can be and makes me want to go spend as much time possible with my grandmother. This book had me laughing, a little embarrassed for the characters in a few parts, and crying during others.

Thank you #NetGalley for sending me a copy for an honest review.

Unfortunately this book was a DNF for me. I’ve seen fantastic reviews and I think I will eventually get around to finishing it but it was just too slow for me.

This was such a nice sweet book that I was looking to read after reading horror books and some murder mysteries. I fell in love with both of the characters in this book particularly Eileen. For some reason whilst listening to the audiobook of this I imagined Eileen as my nan who is definitely a free spirit. It was inspirational to read about Eileen moving to london sharing a flat with much younger people, using technology that she may not have used before and then on top of that using dating websites. I found it so uplifting to listen to. It also made me miss my nan (personally) as she lives in Spain so i don’t get to see her as often as I want to.
I didn’t like Lenas character as much however I still loved how she threw herself in the deep end completing the list of tasks that her nan left her. Getting stuck in with the community. I do however now after reading this book wish that I could move to Hamleigh.
When I first read about Beth O’Learys new upcoming book I couldn’t wait to add it to my basket and then I fell lucky to receive an audio review copy! I do feel however that most of the story was told in the blurb and I didn’t love this book as much as the flatshare.

"The Switch" was a delightful audio book to listen to the story of two people named Eileen Cotton. One a grandmother and one a granddaughter who each have had drastic life changes occur. When the book starts, each character is working through the day to day of her life. Then when the opportunity to step into the other Eileen Cotton's life presents itself, they each take a chance...on themselves and on each other.

What ensues is eye-opening and interesting for all three: the two characters in the book, as well as the reader who gets to enjoy the shenanigans of these two women. Told in alternating chapters, Beth O'Leary's story is enchanting and pulls the reader in with the promise of real life and authentic characters who are doing the best they can with challenging circumstances. What's most thoughtful is how the characters come to see themselves for who they are, as well as for who they would like to be. We see them aspire in ways that only good storytelling can do.

This is a love story about families, grandmothers, and fierce young women. It also seems to be a love letter to the Yorkshire Dales. Readers will enjoy the adventures of each woman, as well as how the members of each community came together to support one another.

Great book!

First, I love listening to British voices, so reading the audiobook version of this story was really a treat. The actors are phenomenal. They really drew me into the story.

Second, I enjoyed the "Freaky Friday" concept of two people with totally different lives switching places for a bit. It's much less of a magical way that they switch, of course, but no less magical in terms of how it feels. I found myself smiling throughout, cheering for the meddling grandmother needing an adventure and the grieving granddaughter trying to heal.

Sweet, totally endearing story. Wonderful narration in the audiobook!

#TheSwitch #NetGalley

Leena is overworked Londoner who on the brink of a nervous breakdown returns home and changes lives with her grandmother Eileen.
Eileen goes to London to try the dating scene there and to try out Leena’s life.
Switching lives turns out to be the best decision they’ve ever made.

I really enjoyed this book. The story plot is brilliant and I really like how much good they manage to do in each others lives. It is also interesting to see how they work through the grieve they all have. I mean that is the inner point of this book in my opinion. The different ways people try to get through grieve. The book has both deep and serious and humorous and light tones to it. And all those tones make the book the brilliant piece of literature it is.

The characters are also interesting. I have not read too many books with an older lady as the main character so this was a new experience for me. I quite liked reading the dating adventures of Eileen. I also like Leena a lot, although her plain trust in Ethan frustrated me a bit, especially in the end. And speaking of Ethan, I really disliked him from the start. He just never gave me positive feelings.

All in all I enjoyed this audiobook. It is super cool that there is too different narrators, to give Eileen and Leena their own voices. It gives story more layers and it’s also a lot easier to follow.

After reading The Flatshare in March of 2020, I was so excited to read The Switch by Beth O’Leary. I love the whimsical nature of her books and the cheery English setting. This novel follows granddaughter Leena and grandmother Eileen Cotton who are both desperately in need of a change, especially after the emotional passing of Leena’s sister Carla who died of cancer. Leena is starting to have troubles at work and is ordered to take a two month sabbatical to relax and reset while Eileen is wanting some excitement in her life and is bored of the men in her village. So the grandmother-granddaughter duo decide to switch roles so that Leena can relax in her grandmothers house and Eileen can look for love in London.

This was such a light-hearted novel that made me think a lot about my relationship with my family and also realize how beneficial a change of scenery can be. Especially this year, I have been very confined to my house and my routine and this book made me realize how much I could benefit from a bit of a break or a change of pace. I really loved both Eileen and Leena and it was really powerful to see how they healed throughout the book. There were also so many different side characters that I really loved and would want to hear more about. I felt like we were really immersed into each characters town and life and I felt like I knew each neighbor well and what was going on with them. I don’t often read books with so many elderly characters and I found them to be some of my favorites and I really appreciated the contrast between Leena’s life as a young adult and Eileen's as a 79 year old and how each character was able to interweave into the others life.

I would highly recommend this book! Thank you to NetGalley for the audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

Leena Cotton is still learning to cope with the death of her sister.  When she has a panic attack during an important presentation, her boss, much to Leena's horror, sends her home for a three-month vacation.  Eileen Cotton, Leena's grandmother, is feeling the need for a change.  What follows is the switch - they exchange keys and phones, move into each other's homes and attempt to walk a mile in one another's shoes.

O'Leary has done it again.  A charming read with lovely characters - Fitz, Leena's roommate, and Letitia, the elderly woman upstairs with whom Eileen forms a close friendship, as well as the members of the Shoreditch Social Club who put Leena's sanity to the test.  The characters are well developed, leaving the reader wishing that they could be part of this lovely circle of friends.

It is a rainy morning in my neck of the woods and I just finished listening to The Switch. The rain has slowed for a bit and the sun is peeping through the clouds. This is a wonderful book, full of sadness, grief, anger, love, hope and the joys of community living where neighbours look out for each other. The ending is just like the sun peeping through the clouds to give you that sunshine of hope that a dreary day may turn into a wonderful bright and sunny day.

The book tells the story of Leena and Eileen, her grandmother, switching roles for two months. Eileen to London, Leena to Yorkshire. Both needed a change, Leena’s sister and Eileen’s granddaughter, Carla passed away from cancer and they were all still struggling to move on, especially, Leena and her mother, Marion. I like the strong relationship between Leena and Eileen and the eventual reconciliation between Leena and Marion. There are lots of funny moments especially with Eileen looking for love and playing match maker.

With audio books, the narrator is the most critical element for me in deciding the purchase. The narration of this book is great. You feel the various emotions. I am not a “softy”, but the Epilogue almost made me cry.

I accidentally clicked listen now on NetGalley. I am glad that I did since I purchased both audio and eBook when the book was released in August but had not had a chance to read\listen. This is a great listening experience especially via airplay to Sonos speakers which enhances the listening experience. I highly recommend this audio books. Enjoy!

This book has left me so perfectly happy that I wish I could just live in its pages and be friends with all the characters for the rest of my days.

Beth O'Leary has flooded her novel with characters that are unique and so lovable that I can barely stand it. Leena is wonderful, filled to the brim with cleverness and strength. Eileen... Well, Eileen was my favorite character by a mile. Witty, hilarious, quite over societal conventions, and ready to take any task by storm. I absolutely adore her. In many ways, she reminds me of my own grandmother, which makes her all the more endearing.

This is so much more than a romance novel or chick-lit. It's about loss and grief, about the power of changing your perspective and getting out of your comfort zone, about friendships and family, and about listening to your heart. It had me laughing out loud (mostly during Eileen's bits), shouting "GET IT GIRL" to precisely nobody, and generally just smiling a lot.

The audio production for this book is also excellent! Both the narrators do an excellent job of bringing Leena and Eileen to life, and they even do special sound editing for phone calls to make them sound more real, which I thought was quite fun.

I loved this book. My initial thought about this book was Eileen and Leena actually switched in every way, but this storyline was SO much better. I loved the characters and their development. The growth and changed each of them develop during the time they are living the other's life is great, and not unbelievable for a grandmother and granddaughter to experience outside of the pages of a book.

Having two narrators made listening and understanding the characters easier. So many times this is not the case, and I really liked the two distinct voices.

Thank you for allowing me to listen to this book. I highly recommend this book and can't wait for Ms. O'Leary's next book.

Leena is your typical workaholic who suffers a panic attack one day, after giving a presentation at work. This leads her into a forced two month break by her boss. Eileen is a 79 year old grandma who’s husband left her for a dance instructor. Leena needs time to relax and recharge, and Eileen wants to find love, which is slim pickings where she lives. So the two of them decide to trade places for two months. Leena will move into her childhood home, and Eileen will move to London. This will give them a chance to find what they both need and want.

This was such an adorable story. Leena and Eileen were such wonderful characters. They felt like someone I would want to be friends with. I loved the dual POV between Leena and Eileen. This book was heartwarming, sad, bittersweet, and absolutely amazing. I did not want it to end. I would highly recommend this book if you’re looking for something sweet and warming!

I love stories where people get an opportunity for a change of scenery and a break from their own life. In this novel, grandmother Eileen, and granddaughter Leena, swap places for 2 months. They each get a view of each others’ lives and get to see their own from a new perspective. Leena gets a opportunity to heal her relationship with her mother and Eileen decides she’s ready to start dating again. As an audiobook this was well-read and entertaining. 5/5 stars.

3.5 stars.

Aww, this was a sweet and cute story about a girl who switched 'lives' (actually just house/apartment and phones) with her grandma for a period of time. Leena (the granddaughter) and Eileen (the grandma) Cotton learnt to adapt to their new environments and found some things about themselves along the journey.

The story pretty much unfolded as you'd expect. Lots of cliches ensued, such as internet dating and city diversity for grandma, ad country living and cooking for granddaughter. It also included the usual city-girls-are-snobs and corporate-work-is-boring-and-evil tropes.

It was heartfelt and definitely entertaining. Yes, I think some of the tropes were overdone, but I still enjoyed the book tremendously. I'd recommend getting your hand on the audiobook as well, because it was narrated by the lovely Alison Steadman and Daisy Edgar-Jones (who starred in 'Normal People').

I also appreciated the resurgence of older (60+ years old) main protagonists like Eileen Cotton. Keep them coming!

This was such a delightful romance. A grandmother and granddaughter swapping lives and discovering new side of themselves. I listened to this with a smile on my face. The narrators were excellent. I highly recommend this charming novel!

This books follows a grandmother and granddaughter as they swap lives for two months. Leena, a business minded woman, who is still struggling after the death of her sister, has blown a big presentation at work and is given two months paid leave to get her life together and to properly grieve. Eileen, whose husband left her, believes it’s finally time to start dating again, but there are no eligible gentlemen her age in her quaint Yorkshire village, so off to London she goes.

I absolutely loved Eileen. She is definitely the best part of this book for me. I never thought I would be so invested in the love life of a 79 year old woman. I loved seeing her learn how to navigate dating in this new age of online dating apps and texting. She is everything I want to be when I get older. She is so witty and numerous times I found myself smiling and laughing while reading her sections in this book. I absolutely love her drive to help the community and make new friends, which leads to some very funny interactions.

Leena fell a little flat for me as a character. I found her a bit annoying and couldn’t really connect with her. I feel her romance plot line was a bit forced, we definitely could have done without it and the book would have still gotten its point across. I did enjoy all her interactions with her grandmother’s friends and nosy neighbors though. It was nice to see Leena grow as a person and I definitely liked her a whole lot more in the second half of the book.

Overall I loved this book and if you are looking for a feel good, funny, enjoyable read then this is for you.

A wonderfully narrated story of be careful what you wish for. A young woman and her grandmother, both unhappy in their current lives, are looking for a different kind of excitement to change their lives for the better. Each thinks the other's life is pretty close to perfect, so decide to trade settings and find that one person or thing that will make them happy. The voices matched perfectly the moods and ages of the characters without making them seem unreal. The scenes were realistic when voiced, the characters emotional remarks and reactions perfect.

A really good story told by some first rate narration. Loved this!

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was the first time reviewing an audiobook through NetGalley using the app. The app has a significant flaw in that you need the audio stops at the end of each chapter and you need to return to the app to press play on the next chapter. I listen while I’m driving, so this was especially problematic.

4 stars

This was an interesting premise and I liked the parallels between the two leads and their generational differences. I think I could have listened to both narrators all day. The story took its time and I enjoyed watching the characters grow. I will read more from this author.

This was a book about a Grandmother, Eileen who was the most interesting character to me and her Granddaughter. Both need a change in their lives. So, they decide to Switch residences for a while to see how life will be.

It was a good concept and interesting book, but I did want more from the characters. The author wrote The Flatshare, so expected more from this book. It was good.

I can’t believe I’ve stayed up all night finishing this but it was such a compelling story, I couldn’t put it down.

The premise is refreshing and not something I was expecting to enjoy, I’ll be honest. However, I find that Beth O’Leary can do no wrong in my eyes and I’ll love everything she writes. It’s a heartwarming story about family, both biological and chosen, new beginnings and forgiveness.

I usually write long reviews but I really can’t think of anything I disliked other than Ethan and Ceci because they’re fucking cunts.

If you’ve loved The Flatshare, I’m pretty sure you’ll love O’Leary’s newest novel. I highly recommend it to everyone looking for something different.