I was really excited when I found out I was receiving an arc of The Switch and had such high expectations since I absolutely loved The Flatshare but unfortunately, this one wasn't quite for me. There was nothing inherently wrong with it, it just wasn't for me. The Switch tells the story of Leena, overworked and on a 2 month "vacation", switching homes and lives with Eileen, her grandmother whose husband has recently left her and now she's on the hunt for her next adventure.

Just like Eileen's sleepy little town, I found the beginning of this book a little slow and sleepy. It took me a while to get into the story and when I finally did, it only really held half of my attention. I read Leena's parts and enjoyed her character growth throughout the story but I mostly skimmed Eileen's. Eileen's journey into online dating and her integration into Leena's friendship circle just didn't appeal much to me, unfortunately.

Despite certain aspects in the storyline that didn't really appeal, I did enjoy O'Leary's writing style yet again. She writes clearly and concisely so the storyline was very easy to follow along. I also did enjoy Leena's personal growth. When the story began, I didn't understand why she was freaking so much about getting a 2 month paid vacation. Working until 2am most nights and having not taken any annual leave in forever, she clearly deserved to take some time off. Then, overwhelmed, overworked and over-stressed, she freaks out mid-presentation with a client and is subsequently brought into HR. After which, she complains that she would've rather they tried to fire her than give her paid time-off. When this occurred, I knew I was going to struggle somewhat with understanding this character but O'Leary did turn my opinion around. When Leena takes over Eileen's duties around the small country town, I definitely started to understand her motivations and way of thinking, and as the story continues so does her personal development and growth.

Overall, I found this story had its moments. While it wasn't my cup of tea entirely, I did enjoy some aspects of the story and I can definitely see a lot of readers enjoying it. The Switch would greatly appeal to fans of general fiction, small town community living (with senior citizens who like to get in each others' business), and second chances/starting over.

After reading The Flat Share last year, I was super excited to receive an advanced copy of The Switch by Beth O’Leary! Just like with her first novel, The Switch is full of all the feels and leaves you with that warm, satisfied, glowy feeling at the end of a book.

I adored this book and love how Beth creates these strong, female characters for us all to connect with. The premise of the book is a switch; a trading places of a grandmother and granddaughter! One moves to London and the other to rural Yorkshire, each taking on the roles of the other.
Eileen, the grandmother, is such a wonderful character and charms everyone she meets! Leena, has her fair share of ups and downs but has the determination and drive to prove others wrong. I loved how the story focussed on cross generational women, highlighting the need for us to connect with those of varying ages and support each other always.

Such a heartwarming book, I couldn’t put it down and devoured it all; the settings, the plot but most of all the wonderful characters that Beth writes about effortlessly. I found this book very uplifting and proves that life is always for living, no matter what the age!

This is Beth O’Leary’s second book following on from her extremely successful debut novel ‘The Flatshare’ and boy has she exceeded my expectations yet again! ‘The Switch’ tells the story of a grandmother Eileen Cotton (who is sick of being 79 and single) and granddaughter Leena Cotton (who is tired of life in her twenties). After a tragic event, they both decide to switch lives for 2 months – this includes their homes, friends, personal projects and technology (poor Leena and her iPhone!) in hope to find love/happiness in their lives again. I absolutely adored this book and fell in love with both Leena and Eileen - especially the charming and fabulous Eileen who had me laughing out loud throughout this whole book! I loved the heart-warming community spirit throughout the entire book both in London and in Hamleigh-in-Harksdale. Although this was a light read, it did also incorporate some delicate topics such as grief, loneliness, domestic abuse, mental illness and cheating.

The book was beautifully written and I honestly belief ‘The Switch’ will capture the hearts and minds of the nation just like The Flatshare!!

*Many thanks to @netgalley and @quercusbooks for the e-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review* The Switch will be released on 16th April 2020.

Thanks to the publisher and netgalley for an advanced ebook copy before publication.
Rating- 4 stars

I was interested 'The Switch' after reading about the setting and characters of this book. In addition the authors' debut novel 'The Flatshare' was one that I very much devoured during holiday reading last year.

'The Switch' takes a recently divorced rural village community minded grandmother (Eileen Cotton) and makes her a city dweller, taking over the rental, but not the romance of her daughters, daughter (Leena Cotton)- a London apartment sharing corporate working woman with a boyfriend who the reader grows to hate.

I would like to imagine my own grandmother swapping homes and friendships with me in the big city, versus quaint rural village life. Nice to imagine if you are looking to get out of the current circumstances that both women in the story face.

I liked the romance and the lifestyle of the older woman living it up and taking risks in the city.
I liked they travelled by train- very environmentally responsible, although not at all timely.
Some parts were ... predictable, not that I hated it, but I needed to see the truths be slightly more realistic in some ways and fluffier in others.
It's not you, 'The Switch', it's me, I cant give it 5 stars but I don't know in words, why not? It's a feeling, a feeling of a very happy ending, and that occurred, but also an ending that was highly predictable, when I expected more drama and more interactions between the room mates as side characters in the ending..

I believe I have a new all time favorite, guys! This book was such a bit of fresh air. I got emotional too many times but that's not a bad thing. The book is about family, self-love, stepping out of your comfort zone, new adventures, friendship and so much more. Also talks about grief, mental illness, domestic abuse, but don't get overwhelmed because of it. The author do such an amazing jog explaining everything. I had a wonderful time reading it

What do we love? Strong female characters! Romance! Unapologetically being yourself!
And this marvellous novel is giving us all of this X2!!!

Eileen is 79, has recently been left by her Husband and is a real busybody. There is nothing she loves more than having a project. She is still going incredibly strong for her age and has her fingers in so many pie's, a lot of way younger people can only be envious of! Then we have her twenty-something granddaughter Leena. Who is a different kind of power house, but a power house nontheless!

When Leena is told by her company that she has to take her now two month long annual holiday after breaking down in a meeting as a result for her grief for her dead sister. She is absolutely appalled because she has no idea what to do with herself when she cannot work. Until she visits her grandma and an idea forms in her head. They swap places, with Leena looking after Eileens projects in a quaint little northern town and Eileen goes to live in the big city for two months to start dating again. The result may be more than both of them might have bargained for, but some of their respective adventures make them see what they are missing.

This novel has been absolutely delightful and I found myself grinning more than once. I kept rooting for all of the characters, none of them were too small to be well rounded (which I really appreciate in a book) and I felt like I managed to connect both with the nothern and the London "gangs", as it were.

O'Leary puts so much heart in her writing and it comes through very strong, especially when dealing with topics like infidelity or grief. Even though this is a positive and light-hearted novel, it has these serious parts in which you feel for the characters as you would for a friend or family member and that in itself is incredible.

I also loved how absolutely, magnificently relatable this book is. I especially had that moment when Leena is trying to walk Hank the young Labrador who keeps running away from her, jumping at her and being a right handfull despite being the probably most adorable pup on earth. My own Labrador was lying next to me at the time, snoring, and I just couldn't help but laugh out loud at Leena and Hank's antics, thinking back to my own experiences.

For fans of the Flatshare, or people generally looking for a feel good novel, I heartily recommend reading this. I had a brilliant time and cannot wait to see what Beth O'Leary comes up with next. With this one, she might have just made it to the first place of my favourite Rom-Com authors!

Funny, quirky yet emotionally stimulating. Something very reminiscing about this story. Made me realise how fun elderly people can be and made me really miss my grandma. ( she passed away 12 years ago but there isn’t a day that goes by that I haven’t missed her).

This book warmed my heart. It gave me chills and made me giddy. I was laughing, swooning and crying. There is something incredible about the authors writing that has you in its grips, unable to put it down. It’s way past my bed time and every time I tried to get up and I say wait just one more chapter, until I found myself finished and a little sad that the story of the Eileens was over.

When I first started, I thought this can’t be as good as The Flatshare, which I loved! Guess what though? It was just as good and you know what I don’t even know which one I book I like best. The story was light and funny but there was also real life problems that the characters dealt with, it made the book more real and genuine. This book was about healing, discovering new things, finding yourself and forgiveness.

This book helps to bridge a generation gap evident in this days society. It shows that the two generations are actually in need of one another in a form of a natural. This is a brilliant and epic read. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and in fact it was very uplifting in such unprecedented times.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC.

I loved this book. There is something about Beth O'Leary's writing that is incredibly addictive. I always find myself unable to stop reading and it was the same when I read The Flatshare.

Eileen and Leena are both amazing characters and I loved getting to see them explore each others lives and learn more about them in the process. Eileen and Leena's friends were all great characters and I really enjoyed and looked forward to their interactions.

I have been well and truly Eileened.

It is the perfect book to escape with.

I was rather late to the party with The Flatshare by Beth O'Leary and only got around to reading it earlier this year. I absolutely loved it: it's on my Top Reads list for 2020 and Tiffy and Leon are characters who I will always remember. So could her new book The Switch live up to that? Well yes, yes it could and it's also on my Top Reads list for this year!

The Switch is a multi-generational story featuring Leena and her grandma Eileen as well to a lesser extent, Leena's mum (and Eileen's daughter) Marian. The story begins with high achiever Leena having a panic attack during an important presentation at work in London. Her boss insists she has two months off to rest and she goes to stay with her grandma in her tiny Yorkshire village hometown. Leena has been avoiding going home since a family bereavement led to a rift with her mum. Rather surprised to hear that her grandma is seeking love again at the age of 79 but with no suitable men in the village, the two women come to an arrangement to swap houses for two months.

I loved the way that both women adapted to their new and very different ways of life. Eileen has the time of her life connecting with various men through a dating app and proves that you are never too old for adventure. I liked the way that she brought her forthright village ways to London and ignored the usual ways of life of her London neighbours who rarely spoke and barely knew each other. Conversely, Leena had to get used to everyone knowing or wanting to know everyone's business and to taking on the many tasks that her grandma carried out in the village.

What was great was that both women got so much more out of their switch experience that they could possibly have expected and also gave much more to their adopted communities than they probably thought they would do. Beth O'Leary just has this talent for creating wonderful characters who you will take to your heart and writes with such warmth and wit. I so enjoyed following Leena and Eileen on their adventures and watching all the women start to heal from the grief which Leena, at least, was trying to bury away. As Eileen says to Leena "...we all got a bit lost this last year, didn't we?"

The Switch is funny, poignant and romantic and is definitely the kind of uplifting read I think we all need right now. Beth O'Leary is such an engaging and talented storyteller and I am looking forward to reading whatever she writes next. The Switch is a reminder to take chances, live life to the full and, to slightly misquote Leena, to be the best person you can be.

I’m flip-flopping between 3.5 or 4 stars for The Switch, a novel that I thoroughly enjoyed but felt could’ve been tightened up in a few small ways. The Switch is O’Leary’s second novel and it’s just as enjoyable as her first, The Flatshare, which I loved. Leena and Eileen are a granddaughter and grandmother duo; Leena a 29-year-old living in London, bogged down by the stresses of her career and coping badly with grief, whilst Eileen is a 79-year-old pensioner up in Hamleigh, recently divorced and seeking romance. I initially worried about switching between such varied characters and definitely thought I’d ‘prefer’ Leena’s chapters, but it completely took me surprise when I utterly fell in love with Eileen, a quick-witted, sharp and brutally honest woman.

When the pair decide to swap places, hilarity and a peek into humanity ensues. Leena, away from her job, struggles to keep on top of Grandma’s busy social schedule, and Eileen pulls up her sleeves ready to take London (and its online dating scene) by storm.

I don’t want to reveal too much of the plot here, but what I will say is that O’Leary’s character development is again second to none. You can really gain a complete 360 perspective of Leena and Eileen, and the wonderful cast of eccentric characters, including Eileen’s grumpy neighbour Arnold. O’Leary brilliantly weaves in social issues including grief, abuse, depression and love without missing a beat. The only things truly lacking for me, therefore nudging my rating down, were that I felt some chapters were indulgently long (in turn making the book itself feel indulgently long) and that I really wanted a bit more from Leena, although I’ll admit I’m not sure what.

All in all, The Switch will be a wonderfully refreshing, comforting and uplifting read for many. In fact, I think I’ll push this one up to a 4-star read!

I was a big lover of the flatshare by Beth O’Leary, and I can happily say I think I enjoyed this one even more!

O’Leary has a lovely style of writing which just gets me so emotionally invested in the characters and the plots she creates. I loved Leena, but the character of Eileen was definitely my favourite and I hope I’m as adventurous as her when I’m approaching 80!

The settings were fantastic, and being a Yorkshire lass from a small village (though not as small Hamleigh) I identified and felt that the depictions were accurate. The secondary characters were well rounded and added to the story.

The only downside is I pretty much guessed how some of the plot points would turn out, however I enjoyed reading so much I didn’t even care. In fact I even cried when I finished the book, and that’s only ever happened once before.

If you enjoyed the flatshare you will love this, but if you also just want to read something that’s feel good in this strange world then this is for you!

Well I've just finished reading this book and I have no words to say how fantastic this book is. I've read the other book Beth realised and that was good but this I can't find the words to express how I feel.

I was very kindly given an e-ARC from Netgalley but this opinion is completely mine. I enjoyed The FlatShare so was looking forward to reading this book, however, it’s a very different kind of story and I think it’s wrong to base your decision whether to read this book based on your opinion of The Flatshare.
The Flatshare was a romance novel focused on two individuals and had more depth than your typical romance novel.
The Switch tackles family dynamics, especially after loss and whilst grieving. Whilst also having elements of humour and romance of course. It’s more PG than The Flatshare but discusses the characters emotions and problems well.
Essentially, we are following Leena and her grandmother Eileen as they swap houses, phones and lives for two months. 79 year old Eileen heading to London and Leena to a quaint little village in Yorkshire. Leena’s mother also plays a part in this book.
I really enjoyed there being older characters represented in this book and enjoyed reading about all of the Neighbourhood Watch group as well as the younger London antics. It was a wholesome, lovely read that would suit readers of most ages.

📚REVIEW📚 ⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️

This book is Beth O’Leary’s second book following her successful debut ‘The Flatshare’. It tells the story of two Eileen Cottons - one being 79 and sick of being that age, the other her granddaughter in her twenties. When life throws some obstacles in the way the two decide to swap lives for two months and it turns out both have a lot to learn from this experience! Whilst predictable at times it is in a way that you are willing the characters to act, so clever is the writing style. From the beginning to the end this is a story that will make you laugh, smile and cry - I wish I could meet all the characters in real life! In the words of the author, after reading this book I feel I have indeed been well and truly Eileened! A must-read!!

Instagram: @somethingaboutbooks23

This was such a feel good read, I fell in love with the characters instantly! I wasn't surprised with where the book was headed but enjoyed the reading experience. This is the first book I've read by Beth and I'll be heading back to read her other book. Her writing style has a way of wrapping you up in a cosy blanket and introducing you to characters that warm your heart.

One of the my most memorable books last year was The Flatshare by debut author Beth O’leary, it really was a remarkable debut with such skill and an original concept that worked perfectly. I was looking forward to see what this author would have in store for us with book number two and having now read The Switch I can confirm that this is definitely a talented author who just keeps giving!

The Switch follows Eileen and Leena, a Grandmother and Granddaughter who make a drastic decision to swap lives, Eileen is heading of to live the London life as a singleton jumping into the world of online dating whilst Leena is taking over her Grandmothers day to day roles whilst giving her time away from work and to take time to heal after grieving for her sister was masked by just throwing herself into work.

I have recently found it hard to find novels that have a genuine, easy humour weaved into the storyline and this is something that I think we could all do with at the moment to give us pure escapism from what is going on around us so it was a breath of fresh air to find that the wit that this author had in her debut book flows through in this book. It was lovely to find myself chuckling at the small mishaps that happened to the ladies in this book.

It was great to see what both generations managed to bring to the other, Eileen took Leena’s friends under her wing and got them to actually open their eyes and put down the phone and start enjoying life and look at those around them. The younger generation have lost their way and struggle to communicate away from technology and I blind to those living around them. Whereas we see technology is not all bad when Eileen realises that there are ways to meet people whose paths would never usually cross, and at a time when you are lonely or unable to go out it is a wonderful aid to be able to talk online and purchase online too.

As I mentioned there is a touch of humour and also a light enjoyable feel to the storyline but there are a couple of more sensitive topics that are covered in this novel too which the author tackles with such care whilst bringing awareness too and this added more depth and emotion to the storyline. I absolutely love Beth O’Leary’s writing style and she is definitely an author to watch and it is great to see her brining something completely new to our bookshelves as I would not be able to recommend another author similar to her. I am excited to see what this author comes up with for her next release but one thing I can guarantee is that as soon as it is ready to pre-order I will be the fist one there.

Absolutely loved this book. I adored The Flatshare and was so excited when I saw Beth was publishing another book. There's a quiet kind of magic to Beth's writing, before you know it you're cheering on characters as if they were actual friends. The Switch was incredibly heartwarming and uplifting. Eileen completely stole the show and I hope I have half her infectious energy when I'm her age.

A brilliant and life affirming story about a grandmother and her granddaughter that I got totally lost in. The two main characters are very loveable and their relationship made me miss my own grandparents even more. Captivating and well written, a must read.

This was exactly what I needed to read at the moment. A heartwarming, uplifting story.

The Switch is about workaholic Leena Cotton who has a panic attack whilst at work. She has totally burned out and is still grieving the death of her sister. Her boss tells her to have two months paid leave from work to get herself back on her feet.

Her grandma Eileen is fed up and ready to find love. Her husband left her for another woman and Eileen is finding that in her quiet village of Hamleigh in Harksdale there are no available or suitable companions.

Leena suggests to switch locations with Eileen so she gets a slower paced life for a bit while Eileen can stay in her flat in London and try a bit of online dating.

The story had many funny moments and some tearful ones too. Though it does have mainly a light, happy tone it also tackles subjects like domestic abuse, loneliness and grief.

Eileen and Leena are such lovable and relatable characters that you will instantly warm to and I adored Jackson and Arnold most of all.

I think this will be a big hit this year like Beth’s previous book “The Flatshare” which I still have not read yet! I will definitely be reading that very soon.

Many thanks to Netgalley and Quercus Books for the ARC of this book. This book is published on the 16th April.

The Switch is the charming story of Leena and Eileen: granddaughter and grandmother, who decide to switch homes and lives, after Leena is given a 2 month holiday period. Leena goes to live in Yorkshire, taking up all of her grandmother's duties, and Eileen goes to London, living her best life, full of online dating and projects.
This heartwarming novel is the ultimate pick-me-up we all needed! If you loved the movie "The Holiday", and you loved "The Flatshare", you'll definitely love this book!