This is a really sweet story about a granddaughter and grandmother switching their respective London and rural Yorkshire lives for 2 months. I really enjoyed this. I did think that most of the plot was pretty obvious from the beginning but I really didn't mind. I liked the characters a lot, they were all well-rounded and felt quite real - both Leena's London friends and Eileen's elderly neighbours. Of course there is romance, but there is also a lot else going on and the story doesn't just focus on the romances. I actually might come back to this one for a re-read which is very rare for this type of book for me!

What if you could exchange lives with someone for a few months? Would it solve your problems? Or would they follow you?

While the 'life swap' aspect of this story isn't particularly new it felt quite fresh because of the originality of characters. Leena and Eileen are both funny, interesting and well-drawn and it was enjoyable reading about their respective journey's of self-discovery. Whilst romance was definitely present, it didn't dominate the plot which I appreciated because at it's heart this is a novel about overcoming grief.

An easy read perfect for fans of chic-lit.

This book was everything I have ever needed and more! It was funny, witty and downright mesmerising I loved Eileen with all my heart - she captivated me, I can only hope to be like her at that age! And Leena is wonderful who absolutely does not deserve what Ethan does to her! Everything about this book was absolutely breathtaking, in the best way possible! I loved everything about it, and I'm sure everyone will!

Absolutely devoured this! Told in duel perspective, I loved both characters equally and that is difficult to do. With vibes of The Holiday, when Leena swaps lives with her grandmother for two months, they both get to have an adventure. Heartwarming and emotional, and completely inspirational. The perfect contemporary!

Unfortunately, I have not been able to read and review this book.

After losing and replacing my broken Kindle and getting a new phone I was unable to download the title again for review as it was no longer available on Netgalley.

I’m really sorry about this and hope that it won’t affect you allowing me to read and review your titles in the future.

Thank you so much for giving me this opportunity.
Natalie.

DNF at 35%

Can’t finish this one. It’s not what I expected it would be. Not funny or romantic enough. Though it is a beautiful story of pushing yourself out of your comfort zone....

Beth O’Leary’s Flatshare is a lot better!

I received this book through NetGalley for review consideration.

I loved The Flatshare so couldn't wait to read The Switch.
Beth O'Leary writes with such skill and flair and it's so easy to get swept up in her stories.
Once again Beth O’Leary succeeds in introducing us to characters that we fall in love with. The dynamic relationships between mother, daughter, and grand-daughter and their own way of dealing with loss and love. Expertly woven side characters who add depth and vitality. And that amazing hook.
Brilliant.
Thanks so much to Beth O'Leary and Quercus and Netgalley.

Really loved this audiobook! I travelled through each chapter with the characters ! A beautiful story told in the most wonderful way!

Looks like I've been Eileened! What a book. An easy read that I've been able to pick up and absorb, whilst leaving the world of covid aside for a while. Loved the characters, the story line and if it seemed almost too perfect, well, I'm happy with that. The grief of losing someone close was something I could totally relate to, Finding the positives and taking chances like the two Eileen Cottons did, will be something I'll aspire to solve. Loved it and I'd highly recommend The Switch.

I adored The Flatshare, so I was super keen to read Beth O'Leary's new book and I wasn't disappointed.

A brilliant, heartwarming and empowering tale of facing your fears, standing up for what you believe in and most importantly putting yourself first.

I absolutely loved this book. Beth o’Leary is very quickly becoming one of my favourite authors.

The Switch is primarily a chic lit book however, it has many different layers to it. Whilst it is based around a relationship and a live interest the main storyline focuses on the relationship between a grandmother and granddaughter who swap homes and lives for two months. The story covers areas such as loss, bereavement, love, life, birth and relationships. The characterisation is wonderful and I think everyone would love to have a grandmother like Elaine. A brilliant read.

Ooh this book had such a lot to live up to. I loved Flatshare so much. But once again Beth O’Leary succeeds in introducing the reader to a host of such engaging characters that you just can’t help falling in love with them. Eileen stood out for me. The dynamic between mother, daughter and grand-daughter as they each deal with the loss of Carla, is beautifully explored. Plus there’s a whole host of side characters who just add to the enjoyment (especially Arthur!). The perfect book to curl up on the sofa with as the nights start to draw in.

The Flatshare, the author's debut, was one of my favourite reads last year so I started reading The Switch with really high expectations. But I am happy to report that it surpassed all of them. And all thanks to Eileen. She is almost eighty and ready for love but her rural village doesn't exactly offer that many chances to meet new people so when her granddaughter needs to escape the city for a couple of months she ends up taking her room in a flatshare in London and what a hit she is!

I felt completely in love with Eileen. She was a force of nature, ready to help, ready to listen and also ready to take action. I wish I could be more like Eileen! I had such a blast following her adventures around London that I couldn't stop reading.

But let's not forget Leena, her granddaughter, and the whole cast of characters, both in Yorkshire and London. They were all great and made the story touching and interesting. I loved all the sub-plots and how they all managed to add their own spark to the main plot.

I enjoyed The Switch immensely and I think it was a very special story. It was touching, fun, heart-warming and a joy to read. Definitely one of my favourite reads of the year so far.

From the beginning of this book I felt like I had read it before. It has familiar characters and a familiar storyline. The two Eileens, grandmother and granddaughter, both with their own issues, enter a house swap that becomes a kind of life swap. It sounds familiar because it’s been done before
The resonance of similar books made me constantly aware that this was fiction, so I couldn’t engage with the characters. The Switch is a easy, fluffy novel, but don’t expect anything too exciting.

Being very close to my grandparents I adored this story.
Following a granddaughter and grandmother who try to solve their stagnant lives by switching homes for a month.
You get to see the brilliant growth and realisations of both characters. It was heartwarming and touching, I laughed and cried.
A brilliant read with lots of life lessons.

4 Stars!

This book was such a lovely time. I don't think I have ever read a book that also had a narrator as someone older than middle aged so this was a change for me, but not an unwelcome one.
While I didn't fall in love with this book in the same way that I did The Flatshare, I did still have a fun time reading this.
Experiencing Eileen and Leena's journeys, friendships and romances made this such an easy, summer-type read and I adored their moments of kindness and joy so much!
I do wish this book had been heavier on the romantic aspects of the book, but would likely read this again!

*An e-copy of this book was kindly provided to me by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

I was a massive fan of The Flatshare, in fact it was one of my most favourite books of 2019, and perhaps that was the problem with The Switch, in that my expectations were too high. The characters are lovely and the scenario I thought would be exactly what I love, but somehow it didn't live up to it's full potential for me - it was just nice - a spark that The Flatshare had was missing. I got halfway then didn't pick the book up again for a good few months (hence this late review). There's no doubt the author can write and there was nothing specifically bad about this novel, it's just more personal preference that I think I expected a little more (again, I do think this is because The Flatshare was just perfect in my eyes). I certainly haven't been put off reading more from Beth O'Leary and I look forward to the next.

Removed too early from Net Galley to enable me to read and review, though I found the description really interesting and may well purchase in due course..

Teared me up and made me laugh
Once again, Beth O’Leary did it, this book gave me all the feelings, the goosebumps, I cried and laughed my way throughout it. I simply loved it.

I’m a big fan of Beth O’Leary. I adored her debut The Flatshare, and was delighted that her second book, The Switch, was as equally warm, witty, and full of heart. I loved Beth’s premise of a generational location swap, and her focus on a grandmother and granddaughter relationship was as refreshing as it was heartwarming. Eileen Cotton was such a character. One, as Anstey Harris fabulously described, proves you don’t have to be in your thirties to be Bridget Jones.

A gentle, feel good romcom for 2020.