This was a cute book about self-discovery in the midst of life changes. I like how the story was about a grandmother and granddaughter switching places vs strangers. It was cute and I really enjoyed the side characters. I think they added a great element to the story itself.

A charming story about a stressed out profession in London who switches places with her grandmother who lives in a village. Both have adventures. There is healing between daughter and mother who've been estranged since the death of their sister/daughter. So much to love in this book including lots of quirky characters.

The Switch was the perfect kind of book for a rainy day. It was very cozy. I loved the characters and the small town setting. I loved the writing. I think what I loved most was how this book made me feel. It’s about second chances, and it never being to late to change your life.

The Switch is one of my favorite books that I read this year. I highly recommended it.

I really enjoyed this story and was happy with the interaction between the grandmother and granddaughter, even though they were in separate towns the whole time. I loved how each community made the visitor feel welcomed, and the main characters changed for the better by the end of the story. I would recommend this to friends, and I look forward to reading The Flatshare.

I don't know why I waited so long to listen/read this book! Funny, witty, and entertaining! I was fortunate enough to have an ebook as well as the audiobook, and I have to admit that I preferred the audiobook - the narrators really gave life to the story that I was unable to do with reading.

This was a different sort of love story - a love between friends with a little romance thrown in maybe...

Either way, I genuinely enjoyed it and can't wait to read more by this author.

Thank you Netgalley and Libro for allowing me to read this and give my opinion.

Thanks to Libro.fm and Macmillan audio for the free audiobook and Flatiron Books for the e-galley. All opinions are my own.
This book was delightful. I love the idea of Lena and her grandma switching places. I think this would be so much fun. Each woman has an adventure in the new to to them city, but they also are forced to take the time to work on issues that have been previously bothering them.
I liked how the author explored grief in this book. Each character had been impacted deeply by it, yet they acted in completely different ways due to the grief trauma. There are also mom-daughter issues present within both generations. They were explored thoughtfully and with depth.
This book is also fun. The characters are unique and quirky. The love interests are charming. The friendships genuine. If you're looking for a feel good book with depth and emotions - pick this one up.
The narrators of the book were perfection. I loved each characters narrator and felt that they added so much aliveness to the characters.

Loved, loved, loved the fact that this book gave an 80+ year old woman a story of her own that didn't relegate her to a stereotype like "meddling grandmother" or "dotty, sex-crazed loony" or even "Alzheimer's-ridden object of pity." I wish the resolution to the "switch" hadn't been quite as predictable [(of course both Eileen and Leena will end up living in the country, away from Big Bad London) (hide spoiler)] but all in all it was a strong sophomore effort after The Flatshare.

TW for death of family member from cancer, as the journey from acute grief towards healing is just as important to the plot as the romance.

A sweet & endearing read — I was hoping I would love this as much as I loved The Flatshare , but this one didn’t quite do it for me. I loved the premise and characters so much, but wish it was a bit less predictable.

The Switch by Beth O’Leary
4.5/5

This novel was like a cozy hug, and just what I needed. I really enjoyed the premise of the novel, and in execution it turned out to be just what I had hoped.

Leena is forced to take a two-month sabbatical after a work presentation goes awry. Her grandmother, Eileen is recently single and navigating the dating world again. The two decide to switch places, Leena goes to live in her grandmother’s tiny Yorkshire village and Eileen goes to live in her granddaughter’s London flat.

I personally liked Eileen’s story line more than Leena’s. While they both go on a bit of a journey of self-discovery, Eileen seemed to be more fun and adventurous, even at age 80! Overall, I think that this was a great, cute, cozy novel of self-discovery and family, which I highly recommend.

A huge thank you to NetGalley and Flatiron Books for the e-book, which I won in their Mother’s Day giveaway!

CW: sibling death (discussed, aftermath)

The Switch is quite possibly one of my top reads of 2020! I completely loved this book. While the plot is nothing new, I honestly felt like I hadn't read anything else like it. The Switch is hugely charming and funny in every way. I read the ebook and now I want to search out the audio to have the opportunity to read it all over again!

I can't wait to see what Beth O'Leary publishes next. She's absolutely on my "must-read" list now!

A grandmother and her namesake granddaughter exchange places for a six week break from their lives. Chaos and romance ensue. This was a lighthearted, if predicable read. I found myself enjoying the characters and rooting for each of them as they unraveled their problems and created new ones. This wasn’t a plot driven book, so it took me awhile to read it, but overall it was a solid read. 3.5 stars. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an early release copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Switching lives is a fiction trope that’s always fun and entertaining, and that’s true for the new novel by Beth O’Leary.

In The Switch, a grandmother and granddaughter decide to switch lives for two months, each being stuck in a frustrating rut. For Eileen, she’s 79 years old, her lackluster husband has just left her for another woman, and she already knows all the single men her age in her little village. She’s ready to get back out and start dating, but the pickings are slim.

Meanwhile, Leena is afraid that she’s torpedoed her career after suffering a major panic attack in the middle of a client pitch. Her boss (kindly, I thought) insists that Leena take a 2-month paid holiday to rest and recenter herself.

Both Leena and Eileen are dealing with loss and grief, in addition to their career/dating woes. Leena’s younger sister Carla died a year earlier after a battle with cancer. Leena has been quietly falling apart ever since, and Eileen has thrown herself into looking after her daughter Marion, who is fragile and shaky. On top of all this, Leena isn’t speaking to Marion, since she blames her for allowing Carla to stop treatment rather than pursuing an experimental option in America.

Once Leena is forced to take time off, she comes up with the idea of switching places with her grandmother. While there are no eligible men for Eileen where she lives, there are plenty in London, and Leena realizes that the peace of the village might provide her with a fresh start.

Naturally, they’re both fish out of water. Eileen moves in with Leena’s twenty-something flatmates and immediately begins making waves, insisting on getting to know the neighbors, rather than observing the time-honored city dweller tradition of ignoring everyone around you. Eileen does not take no for an answer, and soon has the entire building socializing and coming together for a good cause. Not only that, but her online dating profile leads her to a few good prospects, including a suave, attractive actor who’s clearly just looking for a no-strings lover — something Eileen is all too eager to give a try.

For Leena, small-town life is not as quiet as she’d anticipated. She’s expected to fill Eileen’s role on town committees, to socialize with Eileen’s friends, and to pitch in whenever needed. The town gossip immediate includes Leena and her misadventures, but she’s determined to break through some of the walls that the town’s grumpier residents put up.

Of course, each woman ends up finding love — and I can’t really say it’s where you’d least expect it, because I could see the love stories coming from a mile away. Leena starts off with a serious boyfriend, but it’s easy for the reader to see the couple’s issues, even if Leena doesn’t, and naturally the right guy is right under her nose, once she opens her eyes.

The Switch is a warm book, definitely lightened up by Eileen’s quirkiness and feistiness. I enjoyed Leena’s interactions in the village too. The emotional beats related to Carla’s death and the aftermath of her loss are often powerful, although the plot thread showing Leena and her mother finding their way back together could have benefited from more showing and less telling.

Overall, this is a sweet, lovable book. It’s perky and charming, and even though it’s mostly predictable, I still found it a hug-worthy, engaging read — just the right blend of lightness and real-life emotion to make it a good summer escape.

Leena is forced to take a 2-month sabbatical work after her nth panic attack almost costs them the client, so she visits village where her grandma Aileen and her semi-estranged mother live. While visiting Grandma, the two decide to pull a "The Holiday" and switch homes and lives-- and even mobiles: Leena will stay at Aileen's and do her community work such as the May Day celebration and busybody/neighborhood watch while Aileen will live in Leena's flat with her roommate and have the grand London adventure she dreamed of before she got married. Being in the different environments encourages both Leena and Aileen to do things outside of their normal lives, and they both learn about themselves, do some healing (Leena on grieving her sister's death and Aileen on moving beyond her cheating husband), and make their communities a better place because of their presence.

The Switch isn't nearly as rom-com-like as The Flatshare, but it's still a cute romance. It really reminded me of Evvie Drake Starts Over because they are both very much about healing and have the same tone/energy: calm yet determined to not let life run over them. The Switch drags a bit, but that could have also been because I wasn't in the right state of mind while reading. Aileen is a hoot of a character-- she definitely embraces the "let's be the embarrassing old person" and doesn't care about faux pas that would embarrass Leena or the other Millennials she's hanging out with.

So many thanks to Netgalley and Libro.fm for the chance to read this book early!

The Switch was one of my most anticipated reads for 2020, after finishing The Flatshare earlier this year. I started reading this book on my Kindle, but with lots of life changes and all that's going on in the world, it's been difficult to focus on reading much lately. Thankfully, Libro.fm swooped in with their ALC program, and I was able to get fully invested in this story through the audiobook. I'm so grateful I took the time to continue on with this book because it ended up being the breath of fresh air I needed! This is just proof that sometimes it's the medium or the circumstances affecting our enjoyment of books, and not the books themselves.

This story was downright perfect for me at this moment. It had wholly likeable characters I was constantly rooting for, great settings, and it was simply a lot of fun to listen to. I keep seeing this book classified as a romance on Goodreads, but I certainly wouldn't consider it a Romance novel. This book was more about the women's relationships with themselves and with every other person in their life, rather than their individual romantic relationships. Romance was, of course, added to the story, but I wouldn't classify it as the main subject. I would have welcomed more romance, but the story was great regardless. The Switch would, instead, be better classified as a Women's Fiction novel or Contemporary Fiction.

As always, I appreciate novels with old people and especially loved how the characters were open to friendships with people of all ages. It made for some cute and fun situations! It also featured some heavier subjects, such as grieving the loss of loved ones and the painful changes life throws at us regardless of where we are in our journies. 

All in all, it was a perfect distraction! I highly recommend checking this one out if you haven't already.

The following review appeared on Dear Author on April 19, 2020:

Jennie: I was alerted to the terrific debut The Flatshare by Janine’s review last year, and read it myself earlier this year. Janine gave it an A-, but I liked it so much I gave it a straight A, which is rare for me. When she suggested we review O’Leary’s second book together, I was entirely game.

I was then less sure when I read the synopsis: Leena Cotton and her grandmother Eileen decide to “switch lives” for two months. Leena will stay in Eileen’s cottage in the small British village of Hamleigh-in-Harksdale, while Eileen will come to London and live in Leena’s posh apartment with her two roommates. The blurb felt high-concept and a bit gimmicky to me. Luckily, I was able to get past my preconceptions, and appreciate what the book had to offer. Janine, what did you think of the set-up?

Janine: The Flatshare was at least as high concept IMO. I did feel less drawn to this premise but I think it’s more because, while equally gimmicky, it was less fresh.

Jennie: Exactly – The Flatshare gimmick was something I’d never seen before. Also, the epistolary aspect of that book was a huge draw for me.

Janine: The Switch was a hybrid of a more traditional romance setup and a pretty typical chick lit setup. I’ve read many a romance where the heroine finds herself and her love in the country after living in the big city. A romantic triangle is a common trope in chick lit—the heroine is stuck on the wrong guy..

This is a partial review. The complete review can be found on Dear Author, here:

https://dearauthor.com/book-reviews/overall-b-reviews/b-plus-reviews/review-the-switch-by-beth-oleary/

3.5* As with The Flatshare (have I mentioned how much I loved The Flatshare?), this book is heart-warming and charming. As seems to be O'Leary's method for the perfect contemporary, there is also an underlying plot that has depth and a gut punch with themes of grief and moving on from an unthinkable loss.

Grandmother Eileen really shines in this book. I want her to be my best friend. She is 79, vivacious and determined. She is newly divorced after a crappy marriage and looking to meet someone new. Online dating ensues, with cheeky messages back and forth. We all know this is where O'Leary excels. Leena is 29 and has been given an unwanted sabbatical from work. They decide to switch cities, homes and even cell phones.

Comical dialogue, perfect side characters, quaint English village. A downside for me was Leena, she was a bit hard to like for me, and I just didn't care for her story like I did Eileen's. The story was also 100% predictable, but we're here for a cute story not a head scratcher, so i'm good with that.

Leena Cotton and her family have experienced a tragic loss. She’s depended on her boyfriend, Ethan, and throwing herself into her job to drown out the pain. But when she flubs up a presentation, her boss gives her an 8-week sabbatical. The required time off devastates Leena. After speaking with her grandmother, Eileen Cotton, she decides that spending a few days with her grandmother and mom in Hamleigh-in-Hardsdale will help her recuperate.

Eileen Cotton’s husband, Wade, walked out of their marriage. Now she is trying to figure out what’s next in her life. She loves projects. So she sets out writing pros and cons for the men in her little town. But once Leena decides to visit and subsequently, they decide to switch places, Eileen becomes her own project.

I liked this story a lot! It just goes to show you that sometimes, new scenery, new people, and new challenges can help heal and change your perspective on life. And sometimes, it shows you who you can truly trust in your life.

Happy Pub Day to The Switch by Beth O’Leary!! ⁣
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⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⁣
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Leena is worn out from her life in the city and her grandma, Eileen, never got her shot at her London dream. After many trials in their lives, the two decide to swap places for a month in search things they believe will make them feel whole again. Stepping into each other’s shoes goes to show them more than they could imagine about the lives they thought they knew so much about. ⁣
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I love the plot of this book. I was in the mood for a light read but not necessarily a romance and this one was a perfect fit. The characters are so quirky and lovable and I felt the author did an amazing job of keeping the characters diverse. Also who doesn’t love a book that deals with the elderly community?! This book is light but definitely has substance sprinkled in and is a great book to read when unwinding from a long day. ⁣
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I have still yet to read the Flat Share by Beth O’Leary, if you have read both which do you prefer? ⁣
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Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!⁣
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What happens when an overworked granddaughter and 79 year old grandmother switch places for 2 months? ⁣
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The grandma creates an online dating profile, and finds delight in flirting and life with an iPhone and new neighbors. ⁣She’s the funniest character.
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The granddaughter who take a mandatory break from work, takes over her grandmothers duties with all the senior citizen projects. She now owns a Nokia phone and realizes her current relationship might need fixing as well. ⁣
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The Switch is funny and charming. These characters are in search of a much needed break and change of pace after tragedy, this book is full of relationships both romantic and familial as well as friendships, new babies and dogs

THE SWITCH is the title of the soon-to-be released novel from Beth O'Leary, an author labeled "the new Jojo Moyes" by Cosmopolitan UK. This light, uplifting story is sure to please the many fans they share. At the center is Leena and her grandmother, Eileen. Leena is burned out and heads to the rural English countryside to gain some perspective. Eileen, on the other hand, is seeking new challenges and the "switch" seems like an ideal plan. Leena takes over her grandmother's responsibilities and learns about dog walking, village committees, and local customs while Eileen meets a new man and then discovers a hidden admirer. There's romance, comedy, and self-reflection all wrapped up in this easy-to-read, summer offering. Escape and enjoy! THE SWITCH received a starred review from Booklist and was a LibraryReads selection for August.