Thanks to NetGalley & MacMillan for providing a free digital audiobook in exchange for an honest review.
This book has a sloooow start. The only thing that kept me going for the first several chapters was the enjoyment of listening to the voice actors' voices and accents, which were thoroughly charming for an Anglophile like myself.
Fortunately, once we move beyond the setup of the premise, which is that a workaholic young woman, whose sister has died semi-recently of cancer, has a panic attack in the middle of an important presentation and ends up "switching lives" with her Grandma, who has recently been left by her cheating husband of many decades. Leena, the younger, moves to the Yorkshire Dales and takes on all of her Grandma's responsibilities (dog walking, event planning, neighborhood watch, etc.) while on a paid mini-sabbatical from her job, and Eileen (Grandma) moves to London to have a crack at romance after finding the options in her village to be a little wanting.
The two characters (both named Eileen Cotton, btw) switch off and on for chapter narration, which is cute.
Is the story highly improbable? Of course. Did I guess most of what was going to happen? Well, duh. This trope has been done to death, but I will say that a) I didn't really mind that much seeing the end beaming at me from miles off, and b) the voice acting is good enough that I felt compelled to finish the story. It was very cute and sweet, with a little bit of friskiness for Leena and Grandma tossed in to keep things spicy. Naturally, everyone ends up neatly paired off in the end (only one or two supporting characters don't, but other supporting characters do) a la Mary Higgins Clark. Really, one expects nothing less from a frothy little book like this one. I would listen to (but probably not read) another.

A grandmother and granddaughter swap lives in The Switch, a delightful, romantic novel by Beth O’Leary.
When workaholic Leena Cotton is requested to take a two-month sabbatical after messing up a big presentation at work, she flees to her grandmother Eileen's house for some long-overdue rest.

Eileen is newly single and seventy-nine. She'd like a second chance at love, but her quaint Yorkshire village doesn't offer many eligible men.

So, Leena and Eileen decide to try a two-month switch.

They soon realized stepping into one another's shoes proves more challenging and rewarding than either of them expected. Will Eileen and Leena find themselves...and maybe even find true love?

This was great fun and my first experience reading Beth O’Leary. Her characters are uniquely peculiar, determined and realistically flawed yet they creatively use their strengths to help others.

I adored this book that at times felt like a big hug. What came as a nice surprise was how much I preferred the older characters in this book to the younger ones! I found them charming and very quick-witted! In Beth O'Leary's The Switch, it’s never too late to have the life you want, or that you deserve!

I received the audio book of The Switch by Beth O'Leary as an ARC from Netgalley. I read The Flatshare by Beth O'Leary and really enjoyed it so I was excited to get the audiobook of The Switch. I have a long commute every other week and listen to audiobooks during my commute. I loved The Switch and found it a delightful audiobook. Leena Cotton takes a 2 month sabbatical from work and she and her grandmother, Eileen decide to swap residences. Leena will go to live in her grandmother's home in a Yorkshire village and Eileen will go live in Leena's flat in London. The story alternates chapters between Leena & Eileen and there are different narrators for the two characters. By living each others' lives, Leena and Eileen learn a lot about themselves and changes that they need to make in their own lives. I highly recommend this audiobook. I loved the story and all of the characters. It was a charming book and look forward to more from Beth O'Leary.

I loved The Flatshare so much I was nervous about The Switch but it turns out I was even more bewitched. The Switch have me major Ove vibes which anyone who knows me knows is it's the highest praise. I'll be recommending this book often I know already.

(Minor caveat that there's a bit of language in this one if that's a deal breaker for you.)

I really enjoyed this book! I loved Eileen, the 79 year old grandmother, who has her own adventure and loves and cares for those around her. The story was delightful - funny and warm. Maybe I just don’t know of them, but it is so refreshing to me to read the story of an older woman. I wish older people were celebrated more in literature, and I’m inspired to find more stories like this.

The Switch is a great light read for during pandemic times. There is a strong sense of community and affection for Leena and Eileen.

Thanks to NetGalley and Macmilllan Audio for the audiobook!

Leena lives in London. She is in her 20s and works day and night relentlessly to try to get over the death of her twin sister - until she can't anymore and her body needs a break. To her horror, her company make her take an enforced 2 month Sabbatical.

Eileen is in her late 70s and still lives in the village in Yorkshire where Leena, and her sister, grew up and where her mum still lives. When Leena's sister died, Eileen found herself taking care of Leena's mum, who fell apart, as well as having a hand in running the village. Unfortunately Leena blames her mum in part for not doing enough to save her sister and has stayed well away from the village, her mum, and her grandmother.

Eileen's husband, always a disappointment, has gone and Eileen has decided that it's time to move on and find a new romance, unfortunately it's very slim pickings in the village and surrounding area. When Leena goes to stay with her Grandmother during her enforced break, she learns of her Grandmother's problems, and suggests they swap homes, and lives for a while, so Eileen can test the singles scene for the over 75s in London and Leena can get away for a while. Eileen hopes this will give Leena and her mother some time to resolve their differences and agrees.

The result is a resounding success both ways, and many things are resolved in both their lives.

I listened to this as an audiobook. Each chapter was voiced alternately by Eileen and Leena, and beautifully read by Alison Steadman and Daisy Edgar-Jones. I really enjoyed this book. I loved getting to know Eileen's friends and neighbours through Leena's eyes, and Leena's friends via 'Eileen'. The various characters really came to life and made you want to pack up and move to a village in the countryside. Definitely worth reading or listening to, depending on your preference.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3572827372

This book is like a warm hug. I LOVED it. I enjoyed all of the characters and I found the voice of the reader to be so calming. I loved all of the twists and turns, and the subtle love stories that were interwoven into a story that was mainly about healing after grief and growing into a new person after the pain. I thought it was so unique that we saw how the death of one family member affected three generations of women. I would highly recommend this book to others.

Leena is living a fast paced life in London and nearly has a nervous breakdown. Her grandma Eileen is living a slower paced life in the country, yearning for a bit of excitement following the end of her marriage. In a new take on the movie The Holiday, the two leading ladies swap lives.

It was so fun to experience Eileen letting loose, I can only hope I have that much spunk as a grandma some day.

This is a fun sweet book, made even better in audio format.

Thank you Netgalley for this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

SADLY DNF"D AT 30%
I went in to this with a whole lot of expectations, it just didn't hold up to The Flat Share.

The feel good audio book I didn’t know I needed!

Eileen and Lena decide to switch locations and perspectives as a way to finally find a new normal after losing Carla, their granddaughter and sister respectively.

It was such a joy to see an older woman embark on dating and sex in a realistic and straightforward way, no jokes about sex drives or blue pills. And I absolutely loved the way Lena connected with her Grandmother’s circle in such an honest way.

This is my second Beth O’Leary audio and I am thoroughly charmed by her writing style and the narrator choices so far. I can’t wait for more!

This was such a wholesome, lovely book !
I found the idea of The Switch really interesting, but I was a bit scared the plot would fall into a cliché love story. Thankfully, it's everything but: yes there's love, but that's not the main subject of the story at all. What Beth O'Leary really focuses on is the switch: as Eileen and Leena discover each other's daily life, we follow their surprise and their adventures. With their endearingly genuine voices, we embark on a dual journey that's full of surprises, laughter and emotion. Along the way, Beth O'Leary manages to shine some light on difficult subjects — grief, guilt, and the letting go.
A note on the audiobook: the narration was really enjoyable. However, I was a bit distracted by some "mouth" noises from time to time…

DNF @ 22%. This audio didn’t suck me in, I found the saliva and swallowing of one narrator to be too distracting and I just wasn’t interested in continuing. I may try a physical copy at a later date.

Life can be truly hard and overwhelming as a twenty-something business woman. What better way to SWITCH things up than swapping lives with your 79 year old grandma? It just so happens that this grandma is newly single, and looking for love. Leena Cotton and her grandma Eileen decide to find themselves by living each other’s lives and neither of them are prepared for the experiences and relationships they are about to go through.

This book warmed my heart!! Beth O’Leary has created the perfect characters. I really loved them all! She does superbly at balancing grief and sadness with humor and romance. I’m a “grandma’s girl” and I could relate to every single bit of their wonderful journey. It filled my heart with love and laughter.

I really enjoyed this audiobook of The Switch! I first started listening to it on a trip to my brother’s wedding out of town. I was eager to see what happened to Leena and Eileen who decided to switch places and responsibilities while Leena was temporarily out of work. The narration was fantastic, especially for the character of the grandmother.

A grandmother and a granddaughter agree to temporarily swap lives following Leena (granddaughter) struggling at work and her manager suggesting that she takes up to 8 weeks off (paid leave). The audiobook switches from Eileen to Leena alternately and describes their adjustment to the area they now find themselves in (e.g. London to the Yorkshire Dales and vice versa). They both experience tests to intimate relationships as well as experience of their own self-awareness. Eileen at 79 takes the plunge joining a dating site hoping to find someone to connect with. The story continues with both describing their journey and concludes with the 2 going back to their normal lives, changed in subtle but encouraging ways.

It was difficult to write this review as I found the book really quite mundane and the only time I had much of a reaction was when Eileen described having sex as a 79 year old. I felt quite green listening to this and didn’t find it necessary. I got through this audiobook quite quickly as I listened to it whilst doing other things to stop myself from drifting off. It may be that had I read this from a physical book I would have found it a more interesting read. It’s a simple book that will appeal to many I’m sure but wasn’t really my thing.

𝐁𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐛𝐮𝐝𝐝𝐲 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝...

𝐁𝐨𝐨𝐤 - The switch

𝐀𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫 - Beth O'Leary

I saw this audiobook on netgalley and thought it would be a perfect opportunity to do another buddy read. Unfortunately, the netgalley app was playing up and I was unable to listen as an audiobook so I downloaded the ebook for 99p on the kindle app.

The story is told from two point or views, Leena and Eileen Cotton. Eileen is 79 years old and is Leena's grandmother. Leena lives in London with a successful job and boyfriend. Eileen lives in the Yorkshire dales by herself but also looks after her daughter (Leena's mother) who resides close by.

With a bad episode at work, Leena is offered 2 months paid off work.
Eileen and Leena decide to swap lives for two months. Eileen lives to London and Lenna lives in Yorkshire dales.

Eileen hopes to find a companion and is soon signed up to a dating website with the help of her granddaughter.

I will be honest and say this book was a real struggle for me to read and a fight to finish. By the time Nicola had finished I was only about 20/30% through.

I felt like like I had not connected with any of the characters which made me like the story less. I managed to finish to book but I found there wasn't much to the storyline and I was hoping for a bit more.

Gorgeous, gorgeous, gorgeous. I can honestly say I didn’t want this audiobook to end - I wanted to carry on with the journey of Leena and Eileen! I was rooting for them both throughout this book.

Leena, a high flying consultant working in London, feels worlds away her grandmother Eileen, who is tucked up in a cottage in rural Yorkshire. Eileen has very different commitments from Leena, like looking after Leena’s mum, planning the May Day Festival, dog walking, and attending neighbourhood watch meetings.

When Leena is granted 2 months paid leave from work to “rest” after having a panic attack, she has the idea to swap places with her grandmother. So Eileen heads off to the big city, and workaholic Leena to the idyllic Yorkshire hills. They both have a lot of adjustments to make!

This book switches between the perspective of granddaughter and grandmother as they both experience new homes, people and technology too! Alison Steadman and Daisy Edgar-Jones did a wonderful job with this narration and I really felt the personalities of the characters throughout.

Through it all, the reality is that they are both still reeling from the loss of Carla, Leena’s younger sister. This is a journey leading them back to themselves, and also one where they discover more about each other. This book was sweet, sad, heartwarming, and at times I was laughing out loud!

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the opportunity to listen to The Switch by Beth O’Leary.

This was my first audio book and I couldn’t have gone for a better start. I loved the book!
First of all, I loved the characters. I saw a little of me in some of them and the rest of them I could definitely associate with people of childhood environment.
Eileen’s story just warmed my heart so much and made me miss my time with my family. And how can you not love her?! She reminds us, through the book, of the values we sacrificed for the modern world and at the same time how to use them for the better.
In Leena, I can actually see myself. The stress, the worry, the anguish to prove myself, to be accomplished, while somewhere along the road you loose yourself in the process.
I have found this book to be a book of life. It teaches as a lot about love, life, loss, family and personal relationships.
Ohh I’m so glad I read this!

I like Beth O’Leary’s writing style and her characters. Eileen was an especially fun character. I also loved both of the narrators for this audiobook. The Flatshare, by the same author, was a 5-star read for me. This one did not have the same propulsive quality that novel did, but it’s still an entertaining story. I will give anything O’Leary writes a try because her characters are so well-drawn.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the audiobook of The Switch by Beth O’Leary narrated by Alison Steadman and Daisy Edgar-Jones.

I requested a copy of this book after reading Flat Share by the same author, I think she will now be listed as one of my go-to authors from now on, I have already recommended her books to friends as they are humorous, loving and the characters are so well described that you can really imagine how they react to situations.

I really enjoyed listening to this book, I’m usually a bit sceptical when it comes to audiobooks whether I would take it all in and enjoy it as much as I would when reading, but my views are changing because I absorbed every word of it.

I’m quite a sucker for lovable old people and Eileen is definitely one of those! She was, by far, my favourite character in the book. I couldn’t think of anyone better than Alison Steadman to portray Eileen.

Not only are the main characters, Eileen and Leena, both great but the additional ‘oldies’ and the dreamboat that is Jackson were wonderful too.

The book is about Leena and Eileen, Granddaughter and Grandmother who swap lives for two months. Leena moves to Yorkshire to a quaint little village where everybody knows each other’s business and Eileen moved to a ‘cosy’ flat in the heart of London.

Whilst the book is funny, it also has some depth, delving in to grief and emotions of not dealing with death and complicated relationships.

I absolutely loved listening to every second of it, I didn’t even risk giving it a little listen before bed, just in case I nodded off and missed anything.