This book was such fun! Eileen and Leena were such fun characters and I loved the Yorkshire village setting. The narrators were easy to understand, even at a faster speed. Great listen!

I was given a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the advanced reading copy of The Switch by Beth O’Leary. I can't wait to start this book.

Leena lives in London and after her sister passing from cancer she is struggling to cope with life. Leena is barely speaking with her mother and is putting all her effort into her demanding and fast-paced work environment in order to avoid life. Leena has a long overdue mental breakdown which leads her boss to giving her a two month paid leave of absence.

As this is taking place Eileen, Leena’s grandmother and namesake, is celebrating the four month anniversary of her husband leaving her for a younger woman. Eileen finds she isn’t heartbroken over her husband leaving and she feels like trying her hand at dating again but feels like her dating pool isn’t to her standards.

Eileen and Leena decide to swap homes, lives, and even mobile phones. Leena has agreed to stay at Eileen’s village community home in Hamleigh and keep an eye on her mother and look after Eileen’s various projects. Eileen has agreed to the freedom of staying in London with Leena’s flatmates.

Both women have a drive to fix the world and improve the lives of those around them.

This novel is primarily about two women rediscovering themselves after loss. This story is as much about grief as it is about starting over and building friendships.

Beth O'Leary is hit or miss for me and this was a hit. I really enjoyed the openness about grief and characters of varying ages. Delightful.

I really thought I would love this book, but unfortunately it didn't work for me. I thought that the premise sounded so interesting but unfortunately the execution of the story didn't work for me. I did find the characters enjoyable, but I wasn't personally invested in their relationship. I do plan to read more from this author though because I do enjoy her writing style.

This is a huggable book. I dont know what it is about an elderly character if it reminds us of our grandparents and we seek that nostalgia or if they are just humbled from a longer life but I love it in a story.

This may be my second favourite O’Leary and the audio narration really brought this story to life.

Highly Recommend.

I didn't think I would find this book that interesting when I first read the synopsis. But this was such a pleasant surprise! There was so much heart and adventure in this story! I loved the intergenerational themes of the novel and the characters' willingness to experience new things! The narrators were also fantastic!

I have decided that Beth O'Leary is not really for me. I have tried several of her books and find myself a little bored. This one was no different unfortunately. Although the narrators were great, and I'm sure there is a large audience who will love them, I just do not. 2 1/2 stars rounded up. Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan audio for allowing me to listen in return for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley for this eARC in exchange for my honest review.

4 STARS

I loved this one. The narration was great and this story was a delightful read!

The Switch is a charming, sweet and entertaining read!
I loved the audiobook, the narrators were fantastic and I feel like the embodied their characters perfectly,
if you love Beth's other books, I highly recommend listening to this one!

This was a DNF for me.

I have found overtime that I just don't connect with Beth's writing and her storytelling style.

I didn't mind the narration overall and the set up was cute.

Loved the characters of Eileen and Leena. I liked the premise of the book, it was an uplifting thoughtful read and how relationships through difficult times can have glimmers of hope.

What a cute premise, with Lena and Ellen swapping places. I just didn't connect as much with the characters as I had hoped I would. That's okay thought it was probably me! Loved all of the British content and locales, this is like a warm hug to me!

Leena is at work doing a presentation when she basically has a nervous breakdown. It's brought on by the fact she's been working like a maniac to avoid the grief of having recently lost her sister to cancer.

Her grandmother, Eileen, lives in a tiny hamlet near Marian, Leena's mother. Yes, there are three generations of women in this story, although Marian is a bit of a backseat character.

When Leena is forced to take a couple months off with pay, she and her grandmother switch houses. Eileen moves to Leena's shared apartment in London, where she sets about turning the residents of the building into a real community. She dates a sexy rich guy and has a blast. Leena, meanwhile, heals and learns to navigate the politics of the hamlet and becomes friends with and useful to the members of the community.

It was great to read about an older woman (Eileen is 79) living an empowered life.

Overall, I enjoyed the story, although the romance angle was too contrived, and there wasn't any real heat between the players. I think this book could have done better as straight fiction without the romantic angle, but it was still good.

My very first audio book and I can confidently said I loved it, was a beautiful sweet telling of a love story with a difference. The characters were so well written I felt like I knew them it was like watching a movie in my head. Perfect for any romance lover

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Flatiron Books for this digital audiobook in exchange for my honest feedback. My review is late, only because I though that this would be a fantastical body-swap type of book, and hadn't found myself in the mood to suspend that kind of disbelief. I'm not the type to read jacket copy and like to go into each book a little bit "blind." In this case, I'm sorry that I didn't pick this up sooner- I found it absolutely delightful!

This was not a Freaky Friday type of switch. Lena and Eileen, a granddaughter and her grandmother, are grieving the loss of their granddaughter/ sister, find themselves stuck. They decide to literally swap lives for a bit. They exchange phones, homes, and social circles. This novel was billed as a rom-com, but it was so much more than that. It dealt with topics centering around grief, finding love in your golden years, and overcoming the struggle to find who you truly are in your late 20's.

I would recommend this book to women of all ages who enjoy witty banter, depth, a comeback, and slow build romance. Grab this book and settle in with a cup of tea and enjoy!

The audiobook narrators, Daisy Edgar-Jones and Alison Steadman, did a truly wonderful job- the audio switches between the granddaughter and the grandmother, giving a different voice to each perspective, which I thoroughly enjoyed! If you're unsure whether to grab a paper copy or the audio, I'd recommend the audio here for sure!

The Cotton women are all stuck- especially following the death of the youngest. Lena has not coped with losing her sister and is falling apart at work. When she has a panic attack in the middle of a presentation, she is forced to take two months off. Eileen's world has also drastically changed since the death of her youngest sister. Her husband left her and her daughter is not doing well. Lena and Eileen decide to switch- Eileen will stay in Lena's London flat for two months and Lena will stay at her grandmother's Yorkshire home. The change of scenery helps everyone move forward in their lives.

This is a cute story- I especially liked Eileen's story of finding herself at 80. It shows it is never too late! It was sweet that Lena kind of turned into her grandma a bit, after stepping into her shoes.

While the characters are grieving, this is not a heavy, grief laden book. It is hopeful and the characters all begin coping well.

I received a copy in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you NetGalley

First of all I love The flatshare, it was an amazing romcom and I was so excited for this one but I couldn't connect at all. I try with the ebook and then with the audiobook but I just could't.

I still gonna continue trying with O'Leary and I'm convinced that it was just this book.

3.25 stars. Women’s fiction with a bit of a romantic subplot, not my usual genre. Very well narrated.

Thanks to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for my chance to review.

I tried to listen to this one and I struggled with the audio. I think it just wasn't for me. Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for the review copy.

Every book I’ve read by Beth O’Leary has been a full 5 star but this one was definitely more of a 4 and a half star. It was a beautiful book and I honestly enjoyed it so much, the grandma reminds me so much of Lesley Manville especially her character in the film mrs Harris goes to Paris helping someone find love as well as going off on her own adventure. The only reason it lost half a star was it was very predictable but I honestly didn’t mind much it was an enjoyable read and a concept I definitely want to see more!