When Grandma Eileen switches lives with Granddaughter Eileen, both of them find and fill the gaps for each other that were left after Carla died. The characters are warm, old people are definitely interesting and capable of much good and much mischief, and the village politics is so well described you feel like one of them. I'd love to visit Eileen Cotton, but I wouldn't let her bake me any brownies. Nice romance to round it all out, very enjoyable read

This was such a lovely read. I was a fan of Beth O’Leary after reading The Flatshare last year so was really pleased to by accepted to read this.
Leena is coming to terms with her sister’s death and decides to use a work sabbatical to switch lives with her Grandma. She moves to Yorkshire and takes on the role of neighbourhood watch chair and May Day event organiser. Meanwhile Eileen, Leena’s Grandma spends a few months in London...something she didn’t get chance to do when she was younger. They both gain plenty from their experiences.
A really uplifting read which I really enjoyed and would definitely recommend.
Thanks Netgalley & Quercus

I won’t lie I massive high hopes for this after the flat share was one of my top 10 books of 2019.

This was definitely a worth adversary.

Eileen is the grandmother that we all want, she’s stubborn, feisty and hilarious and reminds me so much of my own grandmother.

It took me 3 weeks to read this whilst in a massive reading slump but I still really enjoyed this book, it’s heartwarming and captivating.

Dealing with the topic of grief, you feel their grief and pain as they navigate their way through it in different ways.

Reminds me so much of The Holiday and that’s one of my favourite movies.

4⭐️

Firstly, I want to say thank you to Netgalley and Quercus Books for sending me an e-arc of this book. The Switch is on of my most anticipated books of the year, The Flat Share was my favourite of all time last year so this excited me so much!

The Switch did not disappoint. I really did enjoy this book. I was fairly nervous going into this book, after loving The Flat Share so much I was worried that this was going to disappoint me. I'm so so glad that it didn't. 

I would like to say that before you go into this book please be aware of the trigger warnings. 

TW: cancer, death, grief, domestic abuse and adultery.

I'm not going to discuss these at length because none of the above are problematic. I understand that they will effect different people in different ways, and that they need to be handled with care however I can assure you that they are dealt with in such a delicate way. Each and every one of the above topics are dealt with in the sensitive way that they deserve.

I don't really know where to start. I think Beth's ability to create such brilliant, loveable but also relatable characters really helps me to love her books so much. Within a few chapters I have built such a strong emotional connection to them, I just feel like they are part of my life. I can feel everything they are feeling and I share their emotions. I feel like this is a really unique skill to have and one which I wish more authors had. Eileen and Leena, god, where do I start! How amazing are they? I literally love them both so much, especially Eileen. What a wonderful lady. Can I adopt her? Eileen, come and live with me please ... we can kick the husband out, we don't need him! All of the side characters, in the form of Eileen and Leena's friends were also a delight ... even Albert!

The Switch is the kind of book that you will fall head over heels in love with. Once you pick it up you will not want to put it down. It is so uplifting and charming, a book very difficult to review as no words that I can find give my feelings any kind of justice. I loved the humour in this book, I loved the relationships, I loved everything. 

Did I love it just as much as The Flat Share? No, probably not. But it came super close and I couldn't wish for anything more from this book. I really don't know what Beth O'Leary is going to come up with next!

What a lovely uplifting story. I loved the flat share and this one didn’t disappoint. I’m only sorry that the story ended. I’d love to know what happens next, hopefully they will be a sequel

As a fan of 'The Flatshare' I was thrilled to receive an advance review copy of 'The Switch', and it did not disappoint in any way. London-based workaholic high flier Leena Cotton has messed up an important presentation at work and as a consequence been told to take an enforced two-month sabbatical. Instead of flying off round the world to find herself, she heads back to her home village of Hamleigh-in-Harksdale and swaps lives with her formidably fabulous grandmother and namesake, Eileen Cotton who in turn moves to London. They live in each other's homes, socialise with each others friends and even swap mobile phones. There is much humour and wit in the story as recently divorced Eileen Senior embarks on a string of internet dates and Leena forms a will they-won't they relationship with 'distractingly fanciable' local schoolteacher, Jackson, whilst trying to maintain a long-distance relationship with slithery go-getter, Ethan. There is so much to enjoy as the Eileens assume the mantle of each other's lives and begin the process of healing from the death of beloved sister/granddaughter, Carla.

In the acknowledgements, Beth O'Leary writes writes that she wasn't sure she could do this (write a second book) but it is so charmingly written and so self-assured that readers will be left in no doubt that Beth will be delighting us for many more books to come (hopefully).

Thanks NetGalley and the publisher for the digital copy in exchange for an honest review.

Beth O'Leary's second novel has two protagonists: Eileen and Leena, a grandmother and granddaughter, who decided to swap houses since both of them are going through a rough patch.

When I first read the synopsis of this one, I felt immediately curious to read it,

My favorite character - was Eileen. She is so amazing! She has a lot of attitude and she's so funny.

Leena was also a good character, but not as good as Eileen.

There's also some amazing romances in here.. Actually, my only problem with the book was that I wished we had even more romance in here.

I highly recommend it if you want a dramatic book, with a lot of humor and romance as well.

Oh my word what an absolutely fabulous read this was. I was so excited to read this and yes it was everything I could hope for and more. Just brilliant,

Oh man, what to say about this book. I really enjoyed every minute of it! The world is light and charming and I particularly loved getting Eileen's point of view in this. It really kept the pages moving for me because I couldn't decide who I liked best, Leena or her grandmother, and I wanted to keep reading to get to their next chapters.

This is definitely a light read, but it still touches on deeper topics like grief and it's handled really beautifully. I'm so sad it's over!

This book is the embodiment of wholesomeness!!
The beginning was a little slow for me and i feel like the characters took a while to become solid. They were kind of 2D in the beginning but after the midpoint and onward it was absolutely amazing. I just have to say that i got so attached to all the characters especially the grandma and Jackson and Bee, and just generally most of them are so lovable and you just want to protect them under your wing because they are precious but at the same time they are flawed humans and you accept them as they are. I would say this is a story about rediscovering yourself after the loss of a very close person (not a spoiler) and that's where the wholesomeness comes in because we get so see how the granddaughter and mother and grandmother find a way to be close again after the death of their loved one ripped them apart and we also see the formation of new relationships and friendships and just mmm this book spreads warmth all over you while talking about some difficult topics like grief. The last 150 pages had me squealing from happiness and a little frustration which is what bumped this book from a 3 to a 4 for me. Also if you like small english village vibes then give this a go for sure.

trigger warnings: death of a relative, grief, cheating

So this might just be my perfect book, not only does it have a kick arse old lady Eileen as one of the two main characters, it also has some romance in and even a dog as a side character!!
Eileen and Leena are having a tough time since the death of their relative and so decide to switch lives for two months, now I wondered how this was going to work, but let me tell you Beth O'Leary is a genius when it comes to dual narrative books. Both main characters were so well formed and even the side characters had me falling for them.
It is hard to come back with a second book when the first took the world by storm, but my gosh Beth has done a great job - in fact (don't hate me) I even liked it better than The Flatshare.
Top marks, highly recommend.
My thanks to the Publisher who sent me this copy and made my year.

Another amazing book by Beth O'Leary. This is a fab contemporary about a girl living the hectic life in London who switches lives with her grandmother who lives in small village in the English countryside. It is an addictive and heartwarming read which will keep you turning the pages. I loved Beth O'Leary's first book and this book did not disappoint and suffer from second book syndrome. I can't see to see what Beth O'Leary produces next. Would recommend this to all!

I absolutely loved The Flatshare so I was delighted to get an ARC of this newest offering from Beth O'Leary.
She is an author who comes up with unique premises for her books and that is so refreshing to see.

Somehow O'Leary manages to write books that explore how two characters' relationships develop despite distance between them - i.e. in The Flatshare the two characters had never met but communicated through post-it notes and in this one Leena (granddaughter) and Eileen (Grandmother) undergo some real changes in not only themselves but their relationship with one another despite living in different places.

It also has an impact on the relationship Leena has with her mother (Eileen's daughter). All three women are dealing with the loss of Leena's sister and how each character deals with this bereavement is excellently written and feels so genuine and authentic.

The romantic lives of both Leena and Eileen are explored and I thought it was wonderful that Eileen had a more active dating life than her granddaughter. Thankfully, Leena concentrates on her own wellbeing and that is great to see in books aimed at women - not everything needs to be about the romance!

The book is very funny at parts and O'Leary manages to blend serious issues with really very funny scenes.

Once again, her cast of characters are vivid and so realistic that I had no problems visualising them and believing in them.

I did prefer The Flatshare more but this was a really unique, refreshing and uplifting read.

Thanks to Quercus and Netgalley for this ARC.

I’m not sure if I believe in love at first sight, but I believe in love at first sentence when it comes to books. I was charmed by both characters - the two Eileens - right away. As Beth said, I was well and truly Eileened. Every single character written by Beth is like a best friend and her stories are incredibly warm and cozy. Even the secondary characters, like the neighbours in Hamleigh or Leena’s friends in Shoreditch, are always funny and relatable, with interesting and realistic lives of their own.

The Switch is a story with an incredibly original and wonderful plot. I can’t remember the last time I’ve read about an elderly lady looking for love in busy London, and Eileen was a real character! Her granddaughter, Leena, struggled with things of her own - her high-profile job as a consultant, her relationship and feeling burnt out. I think a lot of us can relate to those issues and as such, it’s easy to truly feel for Leena and be able to step into her shoes. The story gets really hilarious as soon as they swap lives - Leena’s life in rural Yorkshire poses many new obstacles, and Eileen learns to navigate the high life in London, including trying out online dating!

Aside from being an incredibly warm story of trying to find yourself and love over 70, The Switch is also about mother/daughter relationships, friendship, grief and community. All of those are very important aspects of each of our lives and Beth tackles them with the incredible lightness of her writing style, making the reader fall in love with her stories from start to finish.

The Switch is the charming multigenerational story of the Cotton family. Leena Cotton and her grandmother, Eileen Cotton, decide to switch places for two months: with Leena leaving London to live in her grandmother’s home located in a small village in the Yorkshire Dales, and Eileen going to live with Leena’s flat mates in London.

Both Cotton ladies represent identity loss. Eileen has woke up from her life of complacency that comes with living through habit, and realised she wants an adventure to find herself. And Leena represents a character who’s lost her way through grief, and has buried herself under work to cope. This made both women relatable in their own right, and it was emotional to see their moments of realisation, their healing processes etc.

I enjoyed this story - it was mostly breezy and easy to read. It was such a cosy book, all the while dealing with serious problems like adultery, bereavement and depression. There were moments where Eileen really made me laugh. She was sassy and unabashedly shameless.

O’Leary captured the small village sentiment well, where everybody knows everybody’s business. There were supporting characters that were all well illustrated as to make them easily memorable, that is to say, as soon as they came into a scene, I wasn’t confused for a moment as to who they were. In fact, the supporting characters were probably my favourite thing about The Switch.

So, at the heart of The Switch is a sense of community and family values, that makes this a kaleidoscope of emotions: hurt, sympathy, elation, warmth and heart.

Leena’s earlier chapters were a little dull in comparison to Eileen’s, but this improved as the read went on. As well, I felt the happily ever after climax and epilogue could have been smoothed out more.

Another thing I have to praise was the clever use of other pieces of work, and the British culture. I LOVED Eileen’s cats names! And I really loved the metaphorical roles Leena gave herself and Arnold.

Truly a heartwarming story about the journey of healing from bereavement and coping with life upheavals. Perfect for fans of Grace & Frankie and The Holiday, or if you’re simply looking for a pick me up read, The Switch won’t disappoint.

Thank you so, so much to Quercus and Netgalley for providing me with an e-ARC, in exchange for this honest review.

I unfortunately just could not get into the storyline of this book. The characters were a bit non-descript for me and the storyline just a bit out there for my liking.

After reading Beth O'Leary's first book, The Flat Share, which was funny, feel good, fresh and totally surprising - I was massively looking forward to her second book, The Switch.

However, The Switch didn't really hit the mark for me. The story of a Grandmother and Grandaughter switching lives (albeit partially), swapping houses and towns was just a bit too ridiculous to believe. I couldn't warm to the main characters and the supporting cast were really clones of those endured in the scores of 70s and 80s British Sit-Coms I've seen over the years.

The funny bits weren't funny and the sad bits weren't sad. Everything was all a bit too predictable and pedestrian. Which is a shame, as O'Leary's first book gave me some genuine laugh out loud moments.

I won't give up on this author, due to the quality of her first book. This book, I won't remember with any great degree of fondness.

2 stars

Thanks to Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for a review.

Thank you very much NetGalley for an advance copy of The Switch in exchange for my honest opinion!

I requested this book straight away after I finished and adored The Flatshare, which has become a new all times favourite!

Well, this one was an extremely cute read too!

I found the idea of switching very unusual and fun from the beginning and I thought that I wish everyone could do something like that every now and then!

Leena and Eileen. Eileen and Leena. Our main characters couldn't be more lovable with each other, they couldn't care more and they really did try hard with this switching houses thing!

I also liked how we were introduced to their personal problems and how that became an important and very interesting part of the story.

The Switch didn't start off as well as they both expected! Things turned out a little bit more complicated but I loved seeing how they both kept going through the struggles they found and turned them into positive stuff.

I loved Leena's relationship with her mum. I thought it was so hard and painful to know the point they were in but I really liked how it developed and everything they achieved throughout the book.

The last third of the book was a wild ride of emotions. I can't remember when was the last time I felt so many things at the same time about a book. Happiness, sadness, anxiety, fear, joy, hope, rage, excitement, etc.

I ended up shedding a tear or two because of how amazing this book was!

Beth O'Leary has definitely become a favourite author and I will 100% read anything she publishes from now on.

Grandmother Eileen and granddaughter Leena switch lives in hope of change, adventure and reconciling. Eileen lives in a small Yorkshire village and is dealing with separating from her cheating husband, and Leena has been asked to take leave from her job in London.

Switching lives at first fills them both with dread and guilt of leaving each other’s friends and responsibilities behind them. After time they both adapt to their new lives and make new friendships and revelations along the way.

As she mastered in her debut The Flatshare, O’Leary brings us fantastic side-splitting humour, sentimental moments, and relatable scenarios of our own. For me O’Leary is my favourite comfort read author besides Austen. I love that I don’t want to put her books down, and yearn for peace and quiet so I can devour them! I can’t wait to read more from this great author.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an ARC of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Thank you to NetGalley and Quercus books for letting me read this.
Beth O'Leary has done it again. It's so wonderful to experience this journey with Eileen and Leena. Both grandmother and granddaughter swap living arrangements temporarily, and what follows, is a well orchestrated series of events full of laughter, tears and love. It's just one of those books that you have to read in order to know how special it is.
This author is fast becoming an instant read for me.
4.5 stars