After a family tragedy a year ago, Leena is having a hard time holding it together in her work and her personal life. When her job asks her to take a leave of absence, she goes to visit her grandmother Eileen, who is newly divorced and also at loose ends. Talking about how they envy each other's lives, the two decide to just...switch for two months. Eileen will move into Leena's London flat with her roommates and try online dating in a bigger market, and Leena will take over her grandmother's house, civic projects, and ancient cell phone in Yorkshire.

This was a charming book. I loved last year's The Flatshare, so I've been eager to see what Beth O'Leary would do next. Like that book, this one was populated by a colorful cast of characters, and was at times hilarious and heartwarming.

Beth O’Leary’s 2019 début The Flatshare was just marvelous - our reviewer gave it an A-, and it was an A for me personally. But the sophomore slump has struck more than one début star, so it was with both hope and nervousness that I volunteered to review The Switch, about a grandmother from the Yorkshire Dales who trades apartments with her London-based granddaughter. The verdict? No slump here - The Switch is a heartfelt and often quite funny story that celebrates changing yourself by changing your point of view, at any age.

There are two Eileen Cottons: Eileen Cotton, of the tiny Yorkshire village of Hamleigh-In-Harkdale, and her namesake granddaughter Leena Cotton, business consultant, of Shoreditch, London. Leena, having lost her younger sister Carla to cancer, is close to a nervous breakdown. Her boss (and we should all have a boss so supportive) gives her two months leave to recharge. Leena goes to visit Eileen, recently separated from her husband and frustrated by the dearth of men in her village. Leena suggests a swap: Eileen will stay in Leena’s London flat and meet men using dating apps, while Leena stays in the village to recuperate - and maybe to find some closure about Carla with her mother Marian.

I’ve come to read ‘flawed’ heroine as a code for someone who strikes me as mean, so it was a relief to read Leena Cotton, who is absolutely flawed, but in a completely relatable way. She is in a fog of grief, and has fallen out with her mother, blaming Marian for Carla not seeking experimental cancer treatment. She is fumbling at work and in her personal life. I just wish the author hadn’t given her quite so much actual physical slapstick fumbling, which generally is a plot device (‘Fall into the hero’s arms!’). This story is above that.

Eileen Cotton is, by contrast, pretty good at just about everything, but has settled into a rut. Hers is less of a journey than Leena’s, but the chance to read a competent, sexual, fully-realized female septuagenarian whose age and desire are never played for laughs is so great that I’ll let slide the fact that she has a little less growing to do.

The book also takes a fair and nuanced look at both of its settings. In London, nobody knows their neighbors, but in Yorkshire, people know less about each other than they think they do. London has opportunities and energy; Yorkshire has traditions and comfort. London and Yorkshire both have jerks, and Yorkshire and London both have love. Both Leena and Eileen are better for having spent time in both places.

The Switch is one of those books that made me bump into things as I refused to put it down while going about my day. I’m thrilled that Beth O’Leary came back so strong in her second book, and I’m more eager than ever to see where she goes next.

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Thanks to NetGalley and Flatiron Books for providing an ARC for me to review.

Beth O'Leary's The Flatshare was one of my favorite reads last year so I had high expectations for The Switch. It didn't disappoint! This was such a great escape to jump into during these difficult times.

Leena is a 29 year old who is struggling with her job and life in London after her sister passes away. While taking a break from work, her and her grandmother, Eileen, decide to switch lives for 2 months. Leena takes over Eileen's responsibilities in a small, tight-knit community while Eileen lives in Leena's flat in London and experiences the excitement she feels she missed out on.

This was a heartwarming read with lots of memorable characters and laugh out loud moments. Difficult topics were woven into the book including domestic abuse, mental illness and grief.

This book felt like a warm hug. A lovely story of a grandmother and granddaughter switching places in order to put themselves and their family back together again. A wonderful story that made me laugh and cry. I look forward to reading more by this author!

This was a super-sweet, comforting novel for such a weird, strange, and scary time in this world. It focuses on the two Eileens, a grandmother and a granddaughter and their special bond. Plus, where each woman is at during this crossroads in their life. Both, need a break and plan to swap lives and cities, just like "The Holiday." Before the swap, the book movies very slowly and every action is long and drawn out with each chapter feeling way too long. But soon enough, the pacing quickens and I got wrapped up in the storyline. Eileen's parts read as far more engaging, she's so vibrant and fun, and I loved it. There's not really a conflict for most of the book, things sort of just happened. Leena wasn't exactly my favorite protagonist because she didn't exactly know who she was or saw that anything wrong with her always-working life or cheating boyfriend. Eileen's spirit, free and kind, was much more engaging and interesting. But in the end, it was an adorable, comforting read.

The Switch by Beth O’Leary was exactly what I hoped it would be; fun and light writing with lovable characters and a satisfying ending. Hooked from the first page, I enjoyed it from beginning to end.

I get some Sophie Kinsella vibes with Beth’s writing and I mean that as a compliment, writing heartwarming and humorous novels is much harder than you’d think! The Flatshare was a great book and if you haven’t read that yet, get it now.

Here’s the plot:

When overachiever Leena Cotton is ordered to take a two-month sabbatical after blowing a big presentation at work, she escapes to her grandmother Eileen’s house for some long-overdue rest.

Eileen is newly single and about to turn eighty. She’d like a second chance at love, but her tiny Yorkshire village doesn’t offer many eligible gentlemen.

So they decide to try a two-month swap.

Eileen will live in London and look for love. She’ll take Leena’s flat, and learn all about casual dating, swiping right, and city neighbors. Meanwhile, Leena will look after everything in rural Yorkshire: Eileen’s sweet cottage and garden, her idyllic, quiet village, and her little neighborhood projects.

But stepping into one another’s shoes proves more difficult than either of them expected. Will swapping lives help Eileen and Leena find themselves…and maybe even find true love? In Beth O’Leary’s The Switch, it’s never too late to change everything….or to find yourself.

I need more books like The Switch, it takes your mind off your troubles and puts you right in the middle of a lovely town with quirky characters. The relationship between Leena and Eileen is so sweet.

This comes out on August 18, pre-order here.

A satisfactory, gentle read from Beth O'Leary. I am seeing a trend of mental health issues addressed in lighter fiction (The Switch addresses grief and the death of a sibling/daughter) and this book fits in nicely.

Beth O'Leary really won me over with the Flatshare and I had high, high hopes for the the Switch, her sophomore effort.

This one is a little slower-burn than the first, definitely, and a little "gentler" if that makes sense. Ms. O'Leary's writing style is SO easy to get into; you can sit down to sneak in a chapter and next thing you know it's two hours later, and forget doing the kitchen cleanup and the laundry because there's no way you're not going to miss what happens next.

I have to admit some surprise that the story that interested me most, by far, was Eileen's. I pictured Helen Mirren's character in the movie the Good Liar for Eileen when I was reading. Eileen was such an absolute delight, a real charmer. She stole every scene she was in. I wish everyone had a grandma like her. I wish I did, for sure.

Leena (the granddaughter) was fine but I felt she was a little less relatable. The scene where she lost Jackson's dog and had a, I guess "meltdown" describes it best?, lost me a bit. How freaking irresponsible can you get? In that scene I imagined her as Bridget Jones at her absolute doofiest. Her behavior seemed so far removed from the uber-capable career woman I had thought she was. I mean, I'm glad for her and the way things turned out for her, but Eileen's half of the story was (for me) the more compelling, by far.

I'm sure 70-something romances are a tough sell but frankly I would have enjoyed the book just as much if it focused solely on Eileen. And I have to say, I was more thrilled by all the wonderful friendships (between various characters!) in the book than by the romances. It really was a charming story and by the end I was fully invested in the main characters and pretty much all the secondary characters too.

Overall I think this book was a resounding success if the speed I tore through it is any measure. Beth O'Leary has definitely joined my list of auto-read authors. Thank you to Flatiron and NetGalley for the advanced reader copy; I will be more than happy to recommend it to anyone who is interested in a light-hearted contemporary British rom-com with a twist.

When driven career-girl Leena has an public humiliation at work, she’s directed by her boss to take two months off work to sort herself out. She has a flat in London complete with quirky roommates and a boyfriend, but suddenly all she wants to do is travel back to the small Yorkshire village where she has her roots. Her grandmother, Eileen, is still smarting from her husband leaving her for another woman. As each woman finds herself at a crossroads, they decide to swap lives in The Switch.

Leena soon has to come to grips with the many activities her grandmother has left for her. She has to chair the Neighborhood Watch meetings, drive the van to bingo for elderly local residents, plan the May Day Festival, and walk the dog of one of the village residents. It’s a full calendar of events, but organized, take-charge Leena sees no problem in getting it all done.

Eileen, who married young and left behind her dreams of big-city life, also soon finds many projects to keep her busy in London. Number one on her agenda: put a dating profile out there and learn to use it. She gets help with this from Bee, Leena’s best friend. Soon she is arranging dates as well as attempting to get to know all the neighbors in the apartment building. In the big city, where people generally don’t know their neighbors, this takes a bit of determination and dedication.

Complicating matters even further, Leena has still not really had time to process the recent death of her sister Carla. She had a huge disagreement with her mother over Carla’s treatment, and their relationship has been on shaky ground ever since. Since her mother lives in the village, though, unexpected encounters are sure to occur.

Both Eileen and Leena adapt quickly to their changed surroundings. Away from their usual routines, they can take stock and see what they need to change in order to be happy. Not only their lives, but those of the people they interact with, are shaken up and impacted in ways that they didn’t expect. Reading about Eileen’s adventures makes you realize that all that reaching out to those around you can yield unexpected results. Many of the events that eventually play out are not unexpected, but the journey that both women take is enjoyable and heartwarming.

I received a copy of The Switch in exchange for this review.

This lovely fish-out-of-water story finds a septuagenarian grandmother and her twenty-something granddaughter switching places and lives for two months; each woman finds new confidence and new love when placed in an unfamiliar situation. I loved following each of their paths and seeing them come into these new versions of themselves.
I was expecting a bit more romance; this felt more like women's fiction to me (which is fine), but after the unexpected sexiness of The Flatshare, I was expecting a bit more swooniness.

I am in love with Beth O'Leary's writing style!!! If you haven't already, you need to read her books ASAP. The Switch is the most charming book ever with the most witty and fun cast of characters.

When Leena and her grandmother, Eileen, switch places you wonder how each will cope with such new surroundings but I love how they took full advantage of their new roles and helped to build community and make positive changes. This book is full of strong, independent women, making it all the more uplifting.

I will warn anyone, though, that there is an underlying theme of grief and loss of a loved one so if that is a trigger for you, then I may hold off reading this one. I lost my dad over 7 years ago now and I'll admit there were times where I got emotional reading about the grief the characters were experiencing.

Beth O'Leary sheds light on the raw emotions we experience and how we can sometimes lose ourselves in our grief. But sometimes, we can find true selves as well, when we learn to focus on what truly matters in life.

I'll be reading The Flatshare by Beth O'Leary VERY soon :)

Beth O'Leary has done it again! The Switch is just as wonderful as her popular debut novel, The Flatshare.

The house swap premise particularly appealed to me at this moment in time. The problem: 29-year-old Leena needs a break from her stressful, overworked life in London, and her recently single 79-year-old grandma Eileen needs a bigger dating pool than what her rural village can offer. The solution: the two women swap lives for eight weeks. Hilarious hijinks ensue!

The book is told from Leena and Eileen's alternating perspectives, and I loved experiencing their very different adventures and how they each affect (and are affected by) the people they meet during the two-month experiment.

Grab this novel when you need a story that's funny, charming, and optimistic. Yes, there's romance, but The Switch is more a sweet celebration of family and friendship.

Leena is at the breaking point and is forced to take a 2 month sabbitical and ends up swapping lives with her 70-something Grandmother who needs a change and an adventure. The switch is not what either expected. Both end up learning who they really are and what they really want out of life. A story of loss and family and finding your self.

Beth O'Leary's THE FLATSHARE was my favorite book of 2019, so I was absolutely on the edge of my seat waiting for THE SWITCH. I was definitely not disappointed. Eileen and Leena are two of the most engaging heroines I've read in a while, and each of the supporting characters both in London and Hamleigh were absolutely charming. While the plot erred a bit more schmaltzy than THE FLATSHARE, I still absolutely adored it and would highly recommend it for cozy comfort reading.