The Switch by Beth O'Leary
I give this book 4 stars
Eileen is sick of being 79.
Leena's tired of life in her twenties.
Maybe it's time they swapped places...

I absolutely loved The Flatshare so was extremely excited to get a chance to read the authors 2nd book and it certainly lived up to my expectations .
Another superb heartwarming read with characters that you instantly take to and a plot that draws you into their lives.
Told from Eileen (Grandmother) and Leena (Grandaughter) perspectives when they swap places for a couple of months.
Add a dash of humour,a past family loss and community life with new friends/new neighbours who all add something to the storyline and you have a book l would highly recommend .
Thank you to Netgalley and Quercus books for the chance to read and review .

This book has to be one of my most favourite of 202o so far. I was not sure how Beth O'Leary would follow the magnificent story that was The Flatshare. The Switch certainly matches that if not exceeds. I adored both characters of Eileen (Eileen and Leena). There were certainly relatable plot points especially in this modern world. I enjoyed the setting of the rural village alongside the modern busy buzz of London. I raced through this book in one sitting. Absolutely would rate this 5 stars.

I want to begin by saying I got this book for free through Netgalley, but all thoughts are my own. I was completely hooked reading this, as in I read it in a day and it's very rare that I read a full length novel in a day. I really do love Beth O'Leary's writing, and the concept of grandmother and granddaughter switching lives for 2 months really intrigued me. This book is written from the perspective of 79-year-old Eileen Cotton & her granddaughter Leena Cotton and the two perspectives sounded so different, they were just perfectly written and it was so easy to tell who was talking. All the characters were really well-written and provided a lot to the story. There was also such a variety of characters which I found made this more enjoyable. I loved the little bits of romance, I found myself laughing through certain bits of this book. I felt so connected to Eileen and Leena by the end of it and I honestly just didn't want it to end. When I got approved to read this from Netgalley it honestly made my day and I just had to read it instantly. If you've read The Flatshare and enjoyed it then please please please pick this up when it comes out next month. You won't regret it. It has such a sweet writing style, an intriguing and lovely plot. This is a really quick read because it's so addictive and easy to get through. I highly highly recommend this.

I was lucky enough to receive an ARC of this from NetGalley and was super keen to read after enjoying The Flatshare so much. I loved The Switch even more!

The Switch is a lovely, quick read. I really enjoyed all of the characters - particularly Eileen - and genuinely cared about what happened to all of them. I was sad to finish it!

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. Eileen was just left by her husband who decided to live with a younger dance teacher and Leena was forced into some vacation, because she has not been dealing well with work's pressure after her sister's death.

First of all, I have to say I was not a big fan of the author's first book, unlike most people out there. I thought it was ok, but I didn't really enjoy it as I was expecting to. However, when I first read the synopsis of this one, I felt immediately curious to read it, since it reminded me a lot of an awesome rom com "The Holiday", with Cameron Diaz and Kate Winslet, therefore I decided to give the author a second chance and I'm so glad I did it!

My favorite character - hands down - was Eileen. She is so amazing! She has a lot of attitude and she's so funny, and yet there's something really vulnerable about her. Besides, it felt so good to have a 79-year-old woman as a protagonist, since it's not as common as it could be.

Leena was also a good character, but not as good as Eileen - although to be fair it's really hard to compete with her |o| - still I liked the way her grief was developed and her relationship with her mother and friends as well. Plus, the side characters are hilarious and very nice.

There's also some amazing romances in here. There are two tropes which I absolutely adore: enemies to lovers and friends to lovers and they were so well done! Actually, maybe my only problem with the book is that I wished we had even more romance in here.

Overall, it was an amazing read. I highly recommend it if you want a dramatic book, with a lot of humor and romance as well. If you loved her first book, I'm sure you'll love this as well, and if you didn't read her first one, I think it's also a really good way to get to know her work.

I absolutely ADORED this book! Having read The Flatshare I had high expectations, The Switch surpassed them!
Eileen and Leena are wonderfully written characters who essentially switch lives for two months- Eileen moving to London, whilst her granddaughter Leena takes on her many responsibilities in the Yorkshire village. The range of supporting characters is so rich and original with each having their own mini side plot which helps make this such a brilliant read.
At the heart is a family struggling to come to terms with a tragic death. This is dealt with deftly, with understanding, exploring the impacts on the characters, without dwelling on the sorrow and grief.
Grandmother Eileen’s foray into online dating is sweet and humourous. Her zest and enthusiasm for life made me smile and wish she was my granny!
I could go on and on! I can’t wait to buy a copy for my mum and for friends and discuss the characters with them. Will also be a good read for book clubs to suit all ages!
A contender for book of the year already!!

I loved this book! I adored Eileen and Leena, along with the (mostly) delightful supporting cast of characters - I'm really going miss them all! What a wonderfully feel-good read, despite dealing with some serious issues.

Between this and The Flatshare, Beth O'Leary is firmly on my list of auto-buy authors.

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

Thank you so much NetGalley and Quercus Books for allowing me to read an eARC of The Switch. All views and opinion are my own.

I have honestly been putting of reading The Switch because if the insane amount of love I had for The Flat Share. I was so worried that it just wouldn't live up to it but I feel like that's unfair to put on this book because it was never going to be The Flat Share; they are completely different books with such different plots but ultimately the same amazing soul. I adored The Switch. It had me laughing, smiling, and crying my eyes out.

Beth creates amazing characters in Eileen and Leena, but also all of the wider secondary characters. There isn't one character in this book that isn't fully developed; they all have their own quirks and characterisations. This book has such strong and powerful messages about friendship and being there for one another in the darkest of times. I think it also handles grief really well; people go through grief in such different ways and when you lose a loved one it's even harder because those that you need to support you, also need support yourself. I feel like the representation of grief was done so well and my heart went out to Leena, Eileen, and Marian.

This novel is just so utterly charming and uplifting; it is never too late to start your life over, whether your husband leaves you for another woman or you're finally brave enough to stand up and say you deserve more, you always have a second chance. Eileen was just so delightful; her meddling was hilarious and i love that she could just get away with anything as she was an old woman.

Although I knew Leena and Jackson were going to end up together at the end it never felt cliche; I had no idea of the amazing journey they were going to go on and how they would end up together. This is what I love about Beth's writing; she weaves together such amazing stories which should feel predictable but they just never do. She manages to put such soul into her stories and they are so heartwarming that I just absolutely adore everything she writes.

I laughed so many times reading this; I just couldn't help it with all the antics the characters get up to. Honestly one of my favouite characters was Arnold, not quite the grumpy old man we thought he was! I just adored everything about this and Beth O'Leary is most definitely becoming one of my favourite authors. Now... how long do I have to wait for the next one?

Now all I want is to be Eileened.

"These people. There's such a fierceness to them, such a lovingness. When I got here, I thought their lives were small and silly, but I was wrong. They're some of the biggest people I know"

A warm and cosy read, like curling up with a hot water bottle and a blanket. In fact, that's what I did whilst reading this book! A spirited older hero in Eileen Cotton was a real tonic. In fact, many of the strong characters are women, and they all rescue themselves. Refreshing and a lovely read. Very well recommended.
Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book. I very much enjoyed it.

Reviewed on Goodreads.

An absolutely wonderful second book from Beth O’Leary! I’ve been so excited to read this, shirt having read and loved her first book over a year ago. O’Leary hasn’t disappointed with this second story. Her characters a beautifully written, realistic, deep and with plenty of funny insights and moments throughout. Leena and Eileen are both immensely likeable main characters, who you find yourself rooting for throughout. I also like the fact that issues such as the mental health and loneliness of older people was covered and an example of an emotionally abusive relationship covered in a totally different way. I absolutely recommend this book, the storyline is excellent and keeps you riveted throughout.
Thank you so much to netgalley, the publishers and Beth O’Leary for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.

I really loved Beth O'Leary's previous book The Flatshare so I was excited to get a copy of her latest novel. The Switch is about a woman called Eileen and her granddaughter Leena who are both a bit tired of their lives. Leena is forced to take two months leave from a high pressured job in London and her gran is bored with country life so they swap places for a couple of months. I liked the idea of this book but I found it a little dull and predictable. It's not terrible, but I was really disappointed with it and struggled to get through it.

The Switch is one of those books that feels like a hug. Although it deals with serious issues, the tale of twenty-something London career woman Leena switching places with her Neighbourhood Watch-attending grandmother Eileen Cotton in the Yorkshire Dales is ultimately a deeply heartwarming novel about the importance of family, friends, and community. (It’s funny too – I laughed out loud to myself more than once while I was reading it on a cross-country plane journey.) Coming after her debut novel The Flashare in 2019, The Switch shows that Beth O’ Leary is here to stay, and if you like Jenny Colgan, Jojo Moyes, or Rosie Walsh, you’ll love Beth’s books too.

[Thanks to Quercus Books and NetGalley for the digital review copy.]

The Switch is a lovely uplifting funny, sometimes sad but inspirational story.
Leena is burnt out from working all hours since her sister died, having a panic attack during an important presentation she is give two months off work to recover and rest. Her grandmother Eileen’s husband has up and left after over 40years of marriage. Eileen wants to find a new man, Leena just wants to rest. They decide to swap their lives around, Eileen will go live in Leena’s flat in London and Leena will live in the quiet Yorkshire village to recuperate.
Both initially find the change difficult but slowly both see the advantages and settle and enjoy themselves.
Full of a great cast of characters this is a book that entertains throughly, exploring loss, love and relationships it is simply just wonderful.
My thanks to net galley and publisher for the opportunity to review this book honestly.

Beth O’Leary is so good at writing strong characters and the simplicity of this storyline combined with Leena and Eileen’s strong personalities is another winning combination. The similarities between the two contrasted with the differing ways they approach things makes for a fabulous read, both are very likeable characters and the impact they both have in their ‘switched’ lives so gently written it’s very believable. There’s a lovely host of characters in both the Shoreditch and Hamleigh locations and the way both Leena and Eileen interact with both works so very well. This is a gorgeous warm-hearted read, very relaxing but also incredibly absorbing.

Oh my God I loved this book! I totally and completely fell in love with Leena, Eileen and all the other characters in this story! It was a warm, funny, romantic, uplifting story and I was so sad when I finished the last page. You must read The Switch.

Well, this was just totally charming. Brilliant comfort reading. Absolutely compelling - I raced through it in a day. Ultimately a sweet and uplifting story, but with enough darkness to keep things interesting. Beth is the next Mhairi McFarlane.

Couldn't wait to read this and stayed up all night devouring it - if that's not a resounding thumbs up then I don't know what is.

Beth O'Leary seems to have the knack of transforming a story that could quickly become twee or cliche into something that's relatable and heartwarming - just perfect!

I loved The Flatshare and enjoyed The Switch just as much....we all need an Eileen in our lives......

With Beth O'Leary's The Flatshare one of my books of the year in 2019, I was terrified to read The Switch in case there was a disappointing case of second novel syndrome. I need not have worried because The Switch is even better than The Flatshare. I absolutely adored it. I hadn't even got to page twenty before Beth O'Leary had made me both shed a tear and laugh aloud and the rest of the story just got better and better.

The plot premise is hugely entertaining as Leena and Eileen swap places; with the concept of walking in another's shoes, both literally and metaphorically, affording insight into character, society and life, in a fabulous blend of storytelling. It appealed to me that Leena can have a stimulating life away from London just as much as Eileen can leave her sheltered home village, and explore, in spite of approaching her eighties. There's a perfect balance between the two narratives. It's so wonderful to have an older protagonist in Eileen who isn't seen as a little old lady, but rather as one who has physical and emotional strength and a life to live. Both Leena and Eileen walked straight into my heart from the moment they appeared on the page and stayed there because, despite their age differences, they seemed to represent a kind of Everywoman that any reader could relate to.

I'm not usually a fan of books where there are several minor characters, but in The Switch all the people are so vivid and engaging that this story simply wouldn't have worked without them. They are brilliantly depicted so that each individual is clear and realistic. I might have been ever so slightly in love with one or two of them myself but I don't want to say more for fear of spoiling the story.

The Switch might be defined as light, uplifting, women's fiction, but that doesn't prevent Beth O'Leary weaving in some weighty themes too. There's a sensitive exploration of grief and loss, of love and loyalty, family and friendship written with humour and finesse that gives added depth and makes The Switch even more wonderful to read. The message that we all need human contact underpins the narrative with subtlety whilst being utterly convincing. I thought Beth O'Leary was a genius in illustrating how prickliness and surly behaviour might be masking a vulnerability and need. Her understanding  and depiction of what a thriving community actually is and how we can make a better world for others at the same time as improving our own lives is inspiring and heartwarming.

I think The Switch is pure joy in book form and I loved it. I finished it feeling as if my life had been enhanced by its reading, that I had been brilliantly entertained and that someone had switched on sunshine so that I had been left with a warm glow. Wonderful.

The switch made me laugh, cry and smile as I devoured it. I wanted to be in the flat with Eileen while she embarked on her London adventure and also wanted to hang out with Lena, Jackson, Arnold, Betsey eve the gang up north. Every character was relatable, the story was fresh and human and as a reader I connected it every one of them and their stories! Highly recommend this book!! I want more about them all ASAP please!

I've been waiting for this book since reading (and loving) The Flatshare and it did not disappoint. O'Leary has once again written characters who you can't help fall in love with - I was a touch wary of Eileen simply because I find a lot of later-in-life characters and romances over-the-top, but her character was honestly my favourite of the book.

There's heartbreak, humour, tenderness, just the right amount of cliché and such a gorgeous warmth throughout that this is the perfect book when you want something that feels fresh and uplifting.