Light hearted read with serious topics weaved throughout. I loved the grandmother/granddaughter relationship and the experiences they had walking in one another's shoes. The narrators in this audio book were great. A very enjoyable, easy, feel-good read.

This is an adorable book about reconnecting with family and oneself. I loved the grandmother's point of view. The setting is quaint and cozy. I would recommend if you are in the mood for a heartfelt and cozy story.

This was a fun, light-hearted novel, following the stories of Leena and Eileen, granddaughter and grandmother who are both looking for their place in life when unexpected events occur. They decide to switch places, one looking for adventure and one looking for tranquility and both soon find experiences they had never imagined. While a little predictable at times, it was a fun, quick read. I personally love books that take place in England, due to recent travel there, so that helped boost my rating just a tad. ;)

What an adorable book! Just loved it.

We have two very different (maybe not) women, a grandmother, Eileen and her granddaughter, Leena needing a change.

Leena's sister, Carla passed away from cancer a few months back. This has left Leena feeling a terrible loss, her grief is consuming her and she is struggling at work. After having a panic attack during one of her presentations to a big client, her boss tells her to take two months off to relax.

Leena decides to visit the town her grandmother and mother lived in. This is also where Carla spent the last few months of her life. It's hard for Leena to visit her mother's home especially since Leena has not dealt with her grief and she's estranged from her mother.

Eileen is an active 79-year-old woman. She lives in Yorkshire. She is part of the community and helps everyone she can. Her husband walked out on her a few years back and she would like to find some male company. She is thinking of starting dating but she knows the pool of men in her age group is scarce in her town.

Then, Leena has a bright idea. Why don't they swap lives? Eileen should go to London, stay with her roommates and start dating while Leena stays in Yorkshire to help with all the activities her grandmother participates in and also to check on her mother.

Easy peasy, right?

~~

The audio was fantastic. A job well done by both Daisy Edgar-Jones and Alison Steadman as the narrators.

Now in regards to the novel, I can honestly say that I adored these characters. Eileen was superb. Her parts were probably my favorite ones. She was classy, funny, interesting, helpful, a good friend and a great grandmother.

Leena was fun too. In the beginning, she was a mess but once she starts finding out more about herself, the stronger she became. I also love her romance with Jackson and her friendship with Arnold.

Kudos to Beth O'Leary for creating a cute story with memorable characters!

Cliffhanger: No

4/5 Fangs

A complimentary copy was provided by Macmillan Audio via NetGalley Shelf in exchange for an honest review.

‘The Switch’ was one of the best audiobooks I’ve listened to in ages. The two narrators were perfect in reading out the voices of Eileen - a grandmother from a small English country town- and Leena -the granddaughter from London. The story follows both characters as they swap houses for two months and step into very different communities. The fast paced London life of Leena gives a glimpse into strength and creativity that Eileen never knew she had or at least now re-discovers. And Leena’s return to her country town home uncovers blemishes in the fast city future she has mapped out for herself. I felt like I was listening to a type of Bridget Jones diary but with more heart and less smut. Beth O’Leary is able to switch effortless between the two characters from different generations, skillfully using appropriate vocabulary and mannerisms. This audiobook was a relaxing escape and thoroughly enjoyable.

Leena lives a fast paced life in the city while her grandmother, Eileen, lives a more relaxed country life. Or so they think. When the two decide to change lives for a bit, they are surprised by what they learn about each other’s lives.

I loved the mix of characters in both settings and how the two ladies learn to be more accepting and appreciative of each other.

There were some predictable parts, but overall this was a very enjoyable read.

This was my first audiobook with Netgalley and I'm happy that I get to start with this one!

I read Flatshare by Beth O'Leary in just a few hours and immediately went searching for her next book and I was not disappointed! You know I love the feel-good stories to distract from what's going on in the world right now and this was exactly that!

I loved the voice actors in this book and I just really felt like they helped bring the characters to life. I will absolutely be re-reading this book in the form of a hard copy, because that's how much I loved it!

**Thanks to NetGalley & Macmillian Audio for a copy of the audiobook**

The Switch is one of my favorites reads this year. I loved the characters and the storyline so much that I'm still thinking about them and wondering what they are up to!

Leena Cotton is an overworked project manager dealing with the death of her sister. She is suddenly faced with a two month leave from her job and she doesn't quite know what to do with herself. She comes up with the idea to swap lives, homes, schedules and even phones with her grandmother.

The characters are so fleshed out that it doesn't take long to fall in love with each of them and their friends (most of them anyways). This book would make a great movie.

The characters of this book was what hooked me. Grandma eileen was the best. she was very charismatic. The audiobook version was great really swept me into the lives of the characters.

This was my first ever audiobook. I thought the story flowed well and kept me interested. I liked the fact that the two parts were read by different people but felt they could read their own speech in each others chapters. Overall a good book by a good author.

This is not a romance, but there are two romantic HEAs and I really enjoyed it. In need of a break from their lives, Leena and her grandmother Eileen decide to swap lives for two months. Leena moves to a tiny town and takes on all of Eileen's community responsibilities and nosy neighbors, while Eileen heads to London and makes friends, tries her hand at online dating, and generally shakes things up. The audio narration on this is excellent. The story is told in dual POV and they brought in two narrators, one audibly older than the other, to bring these two women to life. I'm sure I would have enjoyed the book in print, but this is one of those cases where the narrators really elevate the material.

A fun and heartwarming story that I can happily recommend.


Content Warnings: cheating partners (not MCs), references to ageism

Suzanne received a copy of this audiobook from the publisher for review.

Cheesy but enjoyable and not nearly as good as The Flatshare! I appreciated the different love stories, but overall, The Switch didn't wow me. The audio was the way to go though. I adored Eileen's narration and found myself cracking up several times.

This was my first ARC audiobook and I liked how the different voices were used for the two characters. This is definitely more women's fiction than romance but I still enjoyed the story. A lot of the plot points you cider coming a mile away but the characters in this book were so heartwarming that I didn't mind. The growth each went through was lovely to watch develop. The grandma in particular was a great character and really made the book.

I really wanted to love this book since I had heard so much hype about it but unfortunately it missed the mark. I really did enjoy the bits with grandmother and I probably would of loved the book more of it was just her.

Thank you Netgalley for a chance to listen to the audiobook in exchange for my review.

The Switch by Beth O’Leary was just as charming and delightful as The Flatshare. Leena is facing a bit of a crisis and ends up switching homes and lives with her grandmother. It turns out to be quite an adventure for both of them and I was happy to be along for the ride. I really enjoy O’Leary’s storylines and the real, flawed, but endearing characters. Audio is the way to go with Beth O’Leary books because the British accents in the narration make the story!

This was a delight to listen to! I really loved The Flatshare and was sold on this audiobook when I saw it was co-narrated by Daisy Edgar-Jones.

This was a sweet novel with unique characters. I felt it was a breath of fresh air in these uncertain times. I’m not sure I would have loved this book as much as I did if I had just read the book as opposed to listening to it. The two narrators brought not only their own characters but a whole cast of characters to life.

I will definitely recommend this as an audiobook. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my first audiobook to review.

If you have ever read a chick-lit book or watched a movie, you know pretty much right from the start how this will end.

A grandmother from a small English village changes homes and phones with her London-based granddaughter for two months. There are the requisite cranky neighbors, sketchy boyfriend, and hunky but distant men. Nothing new here, but it all worked and came together well. I listened to the audiobook version while working in the yard and it kept my interest enough that I continued indoors until it was finished.

Predictable, but cute.

I don’t even remember requesting this story, but I recently checked my shelf so I had to read it. This story was delightful! The narrators were amazing! It was like a family version of The Holiday. I loved the characters, felt their emotions, and was cheering for both of the MC ‘s to get their HEA in their own way. This was like women’s fiction/family story with romance. (Note: there was only an implied closed door scene). Even though I don’t remember requesting it, I’m glad I got it!

I received an audiobook ARC through Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

4,5/5

Leena Cotton has been going through a difficult time for the last several months, ever since her sister Carla died. She has difficulties managing her high profile consulting job in London. When she has a panic attack during an importing meeting, her boss sends her off on 2 month of obligatory leave. She decides to visit her grandmother Eileen Cotton in Hamley, who is 79, bored and looking for a second chance at love. They decide to switch lives for 2 months in order to get out of their slumps. Leena will look after Eileen’s projects in rural Yorkshire, while Eileen takes on the big city. What follows is an adventure filled with new friendships, love and a lot of valuable lessons.

I really loved this story. It’s told from both Leena’s and Eileen’s point of view, through alternating chapters. These 2 main characters are very well developed and easy to relate to. It doesn’t take long to get invested in them. Beth O’Leary also introduces the reader to a wide array of interesting side characters that are impossible not to love. The book has very nice pacing without any slow parts. Its filled with a lot of heartwarming moments, sad moments, happy moments and never loses its credibility throughout. I loved learning about the Cotton family dynamics and seeing their relationships evolve throughout the story.

The audiobook was narrated by British actresses Alison Steadman (Eileen) and Daisy Edgar-Jones (Leena). Their voices match the characters perfectly, which adds to the story and makes it even more relatable. This really brought the story to life! Eileen reminded me of your typical grandma :-) It also made it very easy to follow the story and to keep the characters apart. The pacing was well adjusted and made the audiobook flow nicely, never a dull moment in sight.

I recommend this (audio)book to everyone who loves heartwarming feel-good novels featuring strong friendships, family dynamics, small town life and cute romances.

I loved The Switch! It’s the perfect mix of charming and serious with really great life reminders sprinkled in. The narrators for the audio book are fantastic! They make me feel like I’m sitting in the living room and hanging out with the characters. I honestly think doing this one as an audiobook is one one the reasons why I’m loving it so much. It makes me think I need to go back and try The Flatshare on audio, too!