I adored this book! It was witty, heartfelt and charming. I have already recommended it to a number of my friends. The narrator only added to an already wonderful story. I can't wait to read more by this author.

Such a fun book! I loved the idea that they switched lives and what they both learned from their new situations!

Thank you to the publishers and netgalley for allowing me to review a copy of this audiobook. What a lovely book this was! I thought it was extremely clever having the main characters swap lives, as that is not a type of story I've read before between different generations. I really loved how it showed a lot of wonderful friendships between those of different generations, as well as tackling how lonely/isolating it can be for the elderly. I thought this one was extremely well written, as well as well read. I know I can count on a quality book when reading something by Beth O'Leary. Looking forward to seeing what she comes up with next!

I enjoyed this & the story was interesting enough to keep me going but I also feel like there were too many side characters, which is normally something I enjoy but in this case it took my focus away from the two main characters. The audio was easy to listen to and an all round good experience.

The story itself was good. I thought it was interesting and captivating.
But I had to give up on the audio and switch to ebook cause I kinda disliked the voicing of this audio

“It’s never too late to live a life you deserve.”

A contemporary romance for romance lovers and non-romance readers!

This is not one of those light and fluffy rom-coms (though there is both humor and romance). This story also deals with real life issues such as anxiety, grief and mental illness.

Overachiever Leena Cotton is forced to take a 2 month sabbatical from her job in London, after blowing a big presentation at work. Meanwhile, romance and adventure is the goal for 79 year old Eileen, who is attempting to get back into dating after her husband leaves her.
The family is still experiencing a great deal of grief after Leena’s sister passed away nearly two years prior. Granddaughter and grandmother decide to swap lives and live in each other’s homes for two months.

A note on my perspective as the reader/reviewer:
I read this book from the perspective of someone who has had cancer and experiences survivors guilt, lost loved ones to cancer, and has battled depression and anxiety for a majority of my life.

With that being said, I feel that Beth O’Leary approaches these subjects with respect and did not find the representation problematic. She did not romanticize death from cancer or mental illness — something I dislike immensely.

Instead, she used the conflict between Leena and her mother to subtly highlight how there is no “one size fits all” way to deal with grief or mental illness. While I wish the characters sought more professional help in dealing with their pain, it felt very honest to the reality of these subjects. Many people (like Leena) do not realize the extent of how their mental state effects their lives.

This story is incredibly character driven, Eileen is now one of my favorite characters, EVER. I laughed, I cried and loved every moment of reading this book.

The only thing I didn’t enjoy about the audiobook was the phone call effect they used whenever talking on the phone. I got used to it after awhile but it sounded scratchy and I didn’t love that.

Definitely recommend if you’re looking for a contemporary with a bit of romance and major focus on family, personal growth and healing.

This was such a fun and heartwarming book. I absolutely loved the audio. Both narrators were great, but the narrator for the grandma was spot on. She reminded me of the way my grandma speaks, but not what my grandma says, so some things caught me off guard and made me laugh. The story line was enjoyable and sweet. I loved all of the characters and found myself cheering for them when they did good things and being upset with them when they couldn’t see what was in front of them! It was the perfect distraction for 2020. I am definitely going to recommend this one to my friends!!

This audiobook was a huge surprise to me. The author was new to me, but the description of the book looked so fun, I had to give it a try. The concept was cute and the author implemented it perfectly, making a seemingly outrageous idea make complete sense. I was prepared for many of the typical genre elements, a little fluff, love, and quirky characters, but I was not expecting the depth of emotion as the true tragedy of these characters was reveled. I hoped I would enjoy listening to this book as another interminable day of working at home passed, and I was only disappointed in the fact that I frequently had to stop working (I know, how horrible) to listen more carefully and allow myself to be fully immersed in the story. I look forward to reading more from this author.

I really enjoyed the understated and unique The Flatshare, so I didn't hesitate to check out the followup. Unfortunately, this one didn't work as well for me. With The Flatshare, the dual perspectives helped shape the story in an interesting, layered way - though the characters are separated (and haven't yet met), we do get to know and understand them better as individuals. It all serves to advance the love story, even if they're not on the page together. That made it a richer, more dynamic experience.

With The Switch, the dual perspectives make the story feel disjointed. Rather than advancing one love story, the separation actually breaks up two. It makes everything feel a little more superficial and underdeveloped. I loved some of the concepts behind the story itself, but found myself disconnecting every time the perspective shifted. It was a lot more boring than The Flatshare.

As to the audiobook - I liked it. I also listened to the audio version of The Flatshare, and it took me (an American with British family members) a long time to get a good grasp on the accents. This one was easier to listen to in that regard, though I'm sure many Americans will still struggle to comprehend parts of it. It also felt a little rough, though I don't know if that was because this is an ARC edition. There were several pauses where the narrator swallowed or took a long breath, and that's all part of the finished product. There were also a couple of glitches in the NetGalley app that effected playback.

I really enjoyed listening to this one as an audiobook - the narrators (Alison Steadman & Daisy Edgar Jones) were fab and really brought the story to life.

The Switch is a really sweet, uplifting story of women and family, and the bonds they have. It really is a largely female-centric story and this is one of the book’s most endearing features. Men are present and part of the story, but I love how the defining characters are female. I also like how the story is split evenly between grandmother Eileen & grandaughter Leena - they take a chapter each throughout the book which allows the reader to see into their individual minds and their 50ish year age gap.

It’s not my usual sort of book, but after enjoying The Flatshare I was keen to read this one. It’s the sort of book you can recommend to your besties, your mum, and even your grandma. That’s one of the nicest things about this book - it’s a heart-warning story of three female generations and what comes across more than anything is their unbreakable bond. If you need a pick-me-up plot with very likeable characters, I would highly recommend picking up The Switch.

Totally adored this!! Loved the two love stories roped into one book, especially one character being my age and the other a 70 woman looking for true love again! Definitely recommend

Love, love, loved this one! The granddaughter/grandmother dynamic is one that I always love and here it was executed perfectly! The story itself was cute and sweet and heartfelt and it left me smiling. The narrators were both wonderful and perfect for each part. They had the quality of making me feel like I was listening to an old friend talk. Would highly recommend the audiobook of this one! Can’t wait to read more from this author!

A heartwarming story about a grandmother and granddaughter dealing with change and pushing themselves towards growth. I loved the cast of characters that welcomed both characters into their new living situations in London and Yorkshire. A very good portrayal of grief within a family with levity provided by the funny situations the characters get themselves into. Love the audio book version with Daisy Edgar-Jones.

Thank you to the publisher for access.

I don't normally listen to audiobooks but something drew me to this offering from Beth O'Leary. I've seen her books many times on Instagram and have thought they look like my kind of books. I'm glad I chose to listen to The Switch because it was a delightful surprise that I needed.
The format of the book lent itself beautifully to the audiobook format. Both narrators gave each of the characters the gravitas and heart that they deserved. They evoked the emotions of the characters perfectly at each turn.

The story itself is a wonderful reminder that regardless our age, we are al deserving of real and everlasting love. I have no qualms in recommending this audiobook to any and all friends.

What a wonderful gem of a book!!! The audio was fantastic!!! This is cute and heart-warming. The story alternates between Leena and Eileen. I enjoyed both stories equally.

Leena lives in London and has been suffering greatly since the passing of her sister. Her Grandmother, Eileen who lives in a tiny village in Yorkshire has also been feeling down since her husband of over fifty years has recently left her. They decide to switch places for two months. Leena will go off to Yorkshire and live in her Grandma's house and Eileen will go to her flat in London and live with her friends.

This is such a sweet feel-good type of book that I know I would have loved even if I'd read it. The audio was like a bonus for me. I love the writing style. I will definitely pick-up any book written by Beth O'Leary in the future!

I'd like to kindly thank NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for granting me access to this Audiobook. It was a fabulous experience!!!

P.S. I did not realize that Daisy Edgar-Jones from the series, "Normal People" narrated Leena's part. I loved that book and only just recently watched the series and loved her in it. It was a treat to hear her narration.

So let me first start off by saying I am a huge audiobook fan. Lately, I can not get enough of them. However, with this audiobook, it was really hard to get into as it echoed no matter what headphones I listened to this on. I had to keep it on 1.0x while listening. But as for the story itself, It was a cute book about switching up your lifestyle from the same old things every day. This story has all the feels and I am going to read other books by Beth because it was really fun loving and sweet!


Thank you Netgalley and Macmillian Audio for a copy of this audiobook.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

"The Switch" is a story about a girl and her grandma switching places for two months so they can step out of their tedious daily routines and see life with a new perspective. The book was okay, I don't think I was the target audience of the book so I personally didn't enjoy it as much as other people have. I liked the relationships that some characters had and the funny situations they sometimes found themselves in. Other than that, the story was a little slow, so that might be a deal-breaker for some. I still think you should give it a try if you enjoy reading contemporary stories that focus on the characters' lives.

I just loved the audiobook of The Switch
Great story and like her previous novel it’s a best seller.
5 stars

This is the second book by Beth O'Leary that I read. I enjoyed The Flatshare but I really loved The Switch.

I didn’t know what to expect about this book since romance has never been my favorite genre but I really enjoyed this mix of romance and chick-lit.

This is an adorable, sweet, feel-good story, but also it explores themes like depression, illness and grief, so be warned.

Regarding the characters, Eileen was an amazing character and my favorite by far. She is interesting, a good friend, very clever and a great grandmother. She is the kind of person I’d like to talk with in front of a cup of coffee for hours. Leena was fun too but Eileen was so great.

I'll definitely be reading more of O'Leary's future books.

Really tried to get into this one, but it was really slow for the plot to get going. I feel like this is one story wheee the alternating perspectives just didn’t work for me. Ended up being a DNF.