I listened to audiobook of this book. The narration is beautiful mimicing each character spendidly!! Loved the chemistry between granddaughter and grandmother. The book has lot of humor, love, romance. it's a beautiful escape to the world of love, loss & hope. Absolutely must read. Thank you #netgalley for the copy!!

This was one of my favorite reads of this year. This is a fresh new take on the usual switch stories which makes it something new to behold. The switch between grandmother and granddaughter was amazingly written. This is a book that I would recommend far and wide and has been added to my favorites.

I was reading a physical copy of “The Switch” by Beth O’Leary when I joined NetGalley and discovered the audiobook version under Listen Now. I was approximately half-way through the physical book. The book was very entertaining, but listening to the audiobook really brought it alive. The narrators, Alison Steadman and Daisy Edgar-Jones, sounded just like I imagined them. They were perfect. They also portrayed the other characters so you could distinguish them from each other. I hate when there is not enough distinction between characters. The premise of this book was very cute. Leena Cotton, grieving her sister’s death to cancer to the point of messing up presentations at work, is ordered to take a two-month sabbatical to get herself together. Her grandmother, Eileen Cotton, has been left by her husband and is trying to plan a way to have a second chance at love. The two decide to swap lives: Leena will live in her grandmother’s rural Yorkshire home and take on her community duties and Eileen will go off to London and live in Leena’s flat with her flatmates and try online dating. It sounds unbelievable, but it reads true, in my opinion. The things the two of them get up to are incredibly funny. Of course, there are challenges for both of them. They each learn lots about themselves and others in their lives that they didn’t realize and there’s a lovely message there. The Yorkshire village is full of small-town fun, but putting a grandma smack in the heart of London to find love is hilarious!

I like the alternating perspectives. I don’t connect with either character and find it hard to believe a woman approaching her seventies is as sexually frustrated as Eileen. Pretty slow storyline as both women are unhappy and starting over.

This audiobook was perfectly splendid! The story was a lovely mix of family, love, character growth and brings it all together with a happy ending! I loved the actors that were narrating they did an exceptional job. This was a very lovely book.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy in exchange for my honest review!

This audiobook of The Switch was a delight to listen to. A lighthearted read that I think readers of all ages would enjoy. The narrators were excellent and made the story even more fun to listen to. I would highly recommend.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy in exchange for my honest review!

The Switch is just everything. It’s heartfelt. It’s hilarious. It’s thought provoking. It’s sweet. Beth O’Leary has created a masterpiece in Eileen and Leena. Eileen is sassy and has so much spirit. She’s a wonderful character that shows just because you’re 79, that life can hold a world full of adventures. Leena is an overachiever with a heart of gold that wants to help Improve the lives of those around her. Beth O’Leary fills this novel with colorful side characters that help Eileen and Leena find purpose and adventure. This book is a true gem!

My Goodreads rating: 2 of 5 stars
Personal rating: 4/10 - C

Eileen Cotton and her namesake granddaughter Leena have decided to switch lives for a short period. Eileen has always wanted to experience London but gave it up to raise a family and Leena is on a much needed forced break from work, so has decided to go back to her home town.

In this swap, they both learn much about their own selves lives and the lives of those around them that they would have otherwise taken for granted.

This was a cute story of a grandmother living out dreams of living uninhibited and a young woman finding her happiness and it often reminded me of a Hallmark Movie, which I do enjoy. But these characters and their stories just didn't pull me in, they fell a little flat for me. It was a nice break from my normal, heavier, type reads so I don't regret reading it.

#NetGalley #TheSwitch

This was very different from The Flat Share, which was a chick lit style romance but it was subtle, original and sweet. It seemed to me that this was trying too hard to be funny, the characters were just a little bit too eccentric and zany to be plausible and so for me it came off as silly and fluffy rather than funny I'm afraid.

The other thing that didn't help my enjoyment was the narrator's voice. The narrator doing to the older voice had a kind of nosy mouth, clicking away as she spoke that bugged me once I'd noticed it. And as she narrated half of the book it was hard to ignore.

And while it's great to have a bit of diversity and older characters finding romance , I really, really don't want to read about eighty-year-olds getting it on. Please.

That said, the romance wasn't really the point of this, it was more about finding your true self and learning about who you want to be than romance, that was just a small part of the story. It did make me think about my own grandma and granny who I lost a few years ago now and the influence they had on me and it really made me wish I'd have had longer with them in my life as an adult, so it was a real pity the frothiness overshadowed what could have been a really poignant and thought provoking story in favour of going for the laughs.

I'm sorry I didn't enjoy this more, but the Flat Share was so good, hopefully the next one will be more to my taste.

Complete story.

Thanks to the publishers via netgalley for my arc.

The Switch by Beth O’Leary was such a fun book. The two main characters were well developed and had a great deal of depth. Even the secondary characters had depth and great narratives. The writing was engaging and kept me wanting to listen, so much so I found myself sitting in my car after I got home from work. I liked that the audiobook had two different readers to capture the essence of the two main characters.

***** I received an ARC from NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for my honest review. *****

Well narrated by the two readers. A fun captivating story. Great to see the lessons these characters learn through this wild experiment. A nice slip into another more gentle world. I highly recommend this for a light and carefree read.

Leena, her mother, and her grandmother are each trying to recover from losing Leena’s sister to cancer. While her boyfriend has been there for her, she needs something more, something different. After a panic attack at work, she is given two months off. A visit to her grandmother leads to the switch. Grandma Eileen will go to London for an extended visit and adventure, including online dating. Ilene will stay in the village, attend to her grandmother’s responsibilities, and work on her relationship with her mother.

This needs to be a movie! Just the right balance of funny, sweet, sad, and romantic. I appreciate that the ending wasn't rushed. The bit with one of Eileen's online men was wrapped up a bit awkwardly, but the rest was just right.

The audio book narration is wonderful!

I loved this feel good book!
It was a typical "switching places" type format, where the two protagonists switch homes and activities, each bringing conflict & contrast to the other's life, but what saved it from becoming predictable was the heartfelt narrative of Eileen & her granddaughter and namesake, Lena. Each gave a refreshing perspective as they navigated their own personal grief, while taking on each other's responsibilities as they switch houses on a whim. I love it when the characters learn and grow from their experiences.
Great ending, too!

I absolutely loved the premise of this book. Was it more or less the equivalent of reading a hallmark movie? Yep, it was, and you know what I’m here for it. I love Eileen’s spunk and how she was fearless in getting out and making things happen. I think there’s a little bit about my and younger generations that’s perhaps sometimes too accepting of the status quo. (not getting to know neighbors, sticking your neck out for an idea- just the business of modern society etc) If you enjoyed her first book the Flatshare, you’ll enjoy this one. I thought the pacing of this one was a bit better, and I got into the storyline faster.

I was super excited to see NetGalley releasing audiobook ARCs and was thrilled to get this one. The narration was great, however the app at least when I used it was super glitchy and terrible. I’m a ‘fast talking northern’ and can’t stand listening to an audiobook at normal speed. I’m 1.75 or 2.0 always for listening. Well, this one didn’t work. It was digitized and had a truly bizarre echo. The fact that I enjoyed the book despite all this is truly something. I haven’t requested any audio arcs since then, so I have no idea if they’ve fixed this yet ( for reference I finished the book in July this summer)

I recently read another book with the same underlying theme and didn't like it at all, so I was initially a bit hesitant to start listening to The Switch. But hey, this book was such a treat. Eileen, Leena, and their quirky but wonderful group of friends will touch you with their love, humor, and courage to face anything that life throws at them. Highly recommended.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the arc.

Very engaging book! Loved this story of a grandmother and her adult granddaughter who switch houses, friends and lives for two months. Grandma goes to London, granddaughter goes to Yorkshire. The audiobook is wonderful, the voices of both characters are great and the accents are spot on. Charming main characters, several quirky other characters, but all exactly what you find in a Yorkshire village. This book was very enjoyable, I will have to go back and read O'Leary's book The Flat Share. Thank you to the publisher and to Net Galley for a free audio copy in exchange for an honest review.

This book was adorable. It was the perfect cute, cozy story to curl up with on a cold rainy day. As far as romance goes, although there are two active romances plots happening they often don't take the forefront and instead happen more in the background of the story of two women discovering more about themselves, who they are, and who they want to be. I am so grateful for a book like this especially right now, because I've been so stressed and this book really felt like an escape.

When Eileen was younger she turned down a job in London to marry Wade, the love of life and move to Yorkshire. At 79 years of age she now finds herself alone, her husband left her for a younger woman. her days are filled with taking care of her daughter and helping townsfolk,
Leena was told by her boss after completely messing up a huge presentation she needs to take a 2 month sabbatical, after trying to fight it she decides to visit her grandma Eileen.
She comes upon her grandmas journal, and starts to read how much her grandma wishes she could date again and find herself, but not the men in her town. Lenna comes up with a brilliant idea- a 2 month switch!
Each chapter is told in either Leena or Eileen perspective as well as the going on in their lives. Between both Leena and Eileens friends as well as Leena’s mom and sister, The Switch had me laughing as well as feeling emotional. I really enjoyed this book and the narration was great! Thank you Netgalley for a chance to listen to the audio version, I give this book 5 stars.

It’s never too late to change – or at least, that’s the message of Beth O’Leary’s delightful romance about a grandmother and granddaughter who decide to swap lives for two months to escape their present malaise.
With two exceptional narrators, the characters lift off the page with humour, warmth and superb characterisations. British actor Daisy Edgar-Jones is Leena, an overachieving London businesswoman who has begun to falter. After blowing an important presentation, she is forced to take a vacation and reaches out to her almost-80 year old grandmother, Eileen (Alison Steadman), whose life in the quiet Yorkshire countryside is void of romance and adventure.
The duo agree to swap homes and lives, with Eileen fulfilling her dream of city life and Tinder escapades, while Leena takes over her grandmother’s village responsibilities, from dog walking to town committees. Between them, they discover that it is never too late to start afresh and even the most awkward of situations can be overcome.
The Switch is a refreshing and often funny take on the usual body-swap trope, with the central characters swapping lives instead of bodies. The plot, while sometimes predictable, remains highly enjoyable under the deft penmanship of the author. The antics of both protagonists are recognisable but always fun. Of particular note is the author’s comfortable recognition that a person’s sexual drive and longings don’t necessarily diminish with age, just as a younger person’s intimate ambitions aren’t always as robust. There seems to be too little literature on the shelves that recognise the desires of older generations.
Both readers are spot-on with their primary characterisations, but Steadman in particular, is exceptionally good at providing distinctive characterisations to the people Eileen encounters.
The Switch is a story about finding yourself and having the courage to change. It’s a highly enjoyable listen, particularly for those seeking permission to dare something new themselves.

Wow. I cannot put into words how much I loved this book.
Beth O'Leary blew my mind with Flatshare but The Switch was better than I could have ever imagined.

Thank you to Netgalley, the author and publishing company for giving me the audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

Eileen is 79, single and wanted to live the most of her life.
Leena is in her twenties and tired of dedicating everyday to being a workaholic.
So... they switch lives for a few weeks.
Eileen tries online dating, a casual hook up, friends of all shapes, ages and variety.
Leena deals with the loss of her sister, the guilt of blaming her mother, the not so great relationship she has, and trying to fill her grandmothers shoes in the "70s and up" community.
I laughed so much. Eileen receiving dirty pictures and seeing genitals in her tea leaves was priceless.
But I also cried... a lot.
I cried for the healing that Leena went through with her mother, but I also cried because my grandmother was my best friend... and this book just left me missing her and wishing she could have enjoyed her 7os carefree and learning to love life in a new way the way Eileen did.

If you need an appropriate for all and enjoyable read/listen I would highly recommend this book.

I can't wait to listen to it again.