“We don’t have any good words for talking about death - they’re all too small.”
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What a delightful read this was! As the holidays are upon us, what better time than now to dive into some cute rom coms?
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This one brought together a Hallmark movie worthy love story and mixed it with some feel good family drama.
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The way this book tackles grief and emotions was beautiful and just makes me fall in love with Beth O’Leary’s books even more.
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Be sure to check this one out and if you haven’t read The Flatshare by her, pick that one up as well. You can thank me later 😉
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Many thanks to @netgalley and @macmillan.audio for providing me with an audiobook copy in exchange for an honest review.

I throughly enjoyed reading Beth O’Leary’s The Switch, a warm and delightful book about Leena, who has just been forced to take a two month leave of absence from her job, and Eileen, her grandmother who needs a little change in her life. They both agree to swap lives, with Leena moving to her grandmother's charming Yorkshire village and Eileen taking on the big city of London. Such a cute idea! What I thought would be a breezy and light read turned into much more, with the author tackling subjects such as grief, self-esteem and even domestic abuse. There is a wide cast of characters of all ages which all added lots of flavor to this absolutely charming romance.

And I am thrilled to read that Rachel Brosnahan will star in the making of 'The Switch' for the big screen!

I am looking forward to reading Beth's other book, 'The Flatshare'!

I just love the way Beth O'Leary writes relationships. I fell for her stories in The Flatshare, and was very excited to see that she had another.
The theme of this one, with the back and forth between Lena and Eileen, wrapped around the intertwining grief between the two of them and Marianne, mother to one, daughter to another.
The story has laughter, tears, betrayal, encouragement, acceptance. just beautiful.
thanks Netgalley, for the opportunity.
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I absolutely adored this book. It was so lighthearted and heartwarming, I definitely need to buy a physical copy for my shelf. This book made me cry on several occasions (particularly any part where Leena’s pregnant flat mate was involved because she just spoke my mine right now!) One quote that has stuck with me from right near the start is “the foetal position isn’t quite as static as everyone thinks”. Oh isn’t that true!

Beth O’Leary’s writing is like that of a Richard Curtis film. It makes me feel all warm and fuzzy every time I read something by her. I am already waiting with baited breath for her new book to be released next year.

As I listened to the audiobook, I have to say Alison Steadman and Daisy Edgar-Jones read the story so beautifully (even at double-speed as my copy was nearing its library due date before I found it on Netgalley). For someone who usually only listens to audiobooks in the car, this was one I could not turn off and couldn’t wait until I was next able to listen in peace.

I was excited to get this audiobook because I've had this book and author on my TBR for a while. Honestly, it was a bit of a let down. First, this read more like "chick-lit" than romance, which is fine because I like that genre as well. However, this seemed excessively long for the story that was told, and it lagged a lot for me - to a point that I found myself skipping chapters. I have heard SO many good things about this author that I'll give her another shot and skip the audio to see if I like it better.

Do I think that this is the best romance of 2020? No. Was it good? Kind of. I think that it took too long, and suffered from one perspective being better than the other. And it's not even not being a fan of older romances, because I liked the endgame for Eileen, I just found it gratiuitious.

I keep intending to try a Beth O L':eary novel and this audiobook was a good introduction. It;s quite funny and with Alison Steadman as the voice of the grandma, bery likeable.

I found it a bit predictable but with enough twists to keep it still interesting,. I don't find an 89 year old.s love life so amazing having known people who are now that age but were only in their forties during hte sixties.
It seemed to be finished but carried on a little too long to hammer home the point but it was a nice, escapist chick lit styke book

I listened to the audiobook which is brilliantly narrated by Alison Steadman and Daisy Edgar-Jones. Steadman plays the role of a wee Granny let loose in London to perfection. Beth O'Leary's characters are charming and likeable. The novel explores themes including bereavement and loss, the search for love and finding yourself. A good, fun, feel-good read.

This was SUCH a fun book. A grandmother and grandaughter swap lives for two months and find themselves in the process. I listened through an audiobook and oh my gosh I highly recommend this format for this book. The two narrators did a fabulous job and had me laughing all the time! Especially the grandmother's point of view. I love that this book depicts older people feeling sexy and engaging in passionate moments. The love stories are subtle but adorable. All the side characters have depth and purpose. Important topics like domestic abuse are brought up and discussed/challenged. So often the older generation can be forgotten in cases like that. It was refreshing to see this author dive into these important topics. Had a wonderful time reading this one, the ending was fabulous!

What a cute light hearted story. Leena Cotton is still reeling from a huge loss in her life. What she really needs is a change. Her grandmother Eileen Cotton is looking for love but the choices in her small town are limited. These two decide to switch lives for a while to get a change of scenery. Eileen moves into Leena’s apartment in London while Leena moves to her grandmother’s cottage in the country.

This story is narrated by two amazing voice actors who brought the story to life. This is a feel good story for all ages. I truly enjoyed this author and this audiobook. I will be looking for more from this author for sure.

Thank you so much netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this book. All opinions are my own.

A huge thank you to Macmillan Audio and Beth O'Leary for sending me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

I absolutely loved the narrators for this audiobook, Alison Steadman and Daisy Edgar-Jones. This was such a cute, fun read, it was quick and was such a pleasure from beginning to end.

I loved the idea of a grandmother and granddaughter switching places for a while, and this played out even better than I could have hoped for. This was such a fun story and I definitely recommend it for those looking for a great, lighthearted read and was perfect during all the craziness right now.

This was the first book I've read from Beth O'Leary, and I will definitely read some more by her.

This book was really interesting. I have never read a book with a grandma’s POV. I enjoyed the grandmas chapters. I did however feel the granddaughters chapters were more predictable. This book was less romance that I thought it was going to be. I would actually categorize it more as Women’s fiction but it was still an enjoyable read

Found I am not a fan of audio books. Unable to finish. I will buy the book and then review for this author.

The audiobook was great and the narrators have done a great job at it and a very thoughtful idea by selecting different narrators for the narration of the main characters the story of the book revolves around, by keeping in mind the age of the characters in the story as well.

Coming to the writing of the book, it was well explanative and was in detail in regards to the the incident. And was a slow read as, the story once about 1/3 felt very flat and was very slow.

Honestly I have not heard a lot of audiobooks, but liked the journey through this book.

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for providing this audiobook ARC.

I read (listened to on audiobook, I think) The Flatshare last year and O'Leary immediately became an author persistently on my radar.

So when I saw that Macmillan was offering an ARC on audiobook, even though I found it several weeks after publication, I was thrilled to try it.

First - the narrators. I don't usually comment on the audiobook narrators (nor even necessarily note when I've consumed a book by audio), but it seems pertinent, when the ARC was provided by audio. Even if I have waited for weeks to months for an audiobook to be released or loaned from the library, if the narrator is awful, it's off my phone. I'll give it 5, 10 minutes tops, so I don't imagine that I would stick with one even if given an ARC. Fortunately the two narrators for this one are fantastic, particularly Alison Steadman as the the grandmother. I thoroughly enjoyed their voices and narration and their performances were certainly an asset to the story.

So... I didn't like this one quite as much as The Flatshare. I'm still giving it 4 stars because it hovers between 3 and 4. There wasn't much about it that I didn't like - it was small things, but enough of them to add up to shuffling a step below The Flatshare. Both of the romantic elements were a bit flat to me, and there was one element in the way the two women switched their lives that I simply could never believe and, as it came up throughout the story, it pulled me out because I kept thinking, "that would never happen!" I know that this is fiction, and a romance, and joyful and lovely and so credibility must be stretched a bit and I was all in, actually, with the exception of this one element, which seemed an oversight and was distracting.

However, those quibbles were overshadowed by the fun of everything else. Also by the grief. I know two things are somewhat contradictory and that "the grief" may sound like a detriment - Leena fairly recently lost her sister, also Eileen's granddaughter, a thread that links and affects everything throughout the storyline - but this element only enriches the story. I'm perfectly willing to consider a romance (I used to read them almost exclusively in my early 20s) where the drama is centered solely around the two main characters, but I increasingly find myself happier with those that include weightier backstories and timelines for the characters. In fact, this feels more to me like the primarily categorization should be a general fiction, as the romances seemed almost secondary to the other relationships in the book (both familial and friendships).

I thoroughly enjoyed this one, and very much look forward to O'Leary's new one, The Road Trip, in the spring!

Such a delightful lovely read. Highly recommended to someone who wants to have a light hearted read with bouts of laughter. The narrator was awesome. Loved how she materialised the words in her voice and created the magic. Too Good!

Thankyou #NetGalley

The Switch, by Beth O'Leary, was such a fun audiobook to listen to!

I love the premise of the novel... Leena is overworked and forced into a vacation, so she switches towns with her grandmother, Eileen, both women hoping a change of scenery does them some good.

I adore Eileen. She is not at all what you would expect in a grandma, with her fun-loving attitude and her overall charm. Leena? Not so much... Although I am not crazy about her, I do like the way she contrasts her grandmother, further enhancing all the qualities I like in Eileen.

I find the narrator in audiobooks can truly make or break it, and I really enjoyed the narration for this one! Overall, I would certainly recommend this one!

Sadly this was a DNF for me about 1/3 of the way in. I tried multiple times, but couldn’t get into this one. The story revolves around a grandmother (Eileen) and granddaughter (Leena) who are close but lead very different lives. Leena and Eileen are still reeling from a family tragedy the year before and both women are at a turning point in their lives, seeking a fresh start. They decide to switch places for several months, with octogenarian Eileen moving to Leena’s London apartment to have adventures and meet new men; and Leena moving to Eileen’s country home to slow down and find herself again. The narration--although voices were pleasant and perfect for the characters they were playing--was very distracting because of the constant mouth and breathing sounds. Especially for the character playing octogenarian Eileen. The characters and story were sweet, but not enough to keep my attention. I found myself struggling to get through this, but I think many others will enjoy this light-hearted, well-written story.

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for providing this audiobook ARC.

Heartwarming is the only word to describe this book. Even though it isn’t actually a wintry book it really feels like a cozy read I’d recommend for the holiday season. The general premise is that a young woman living in London trades lives with her grandmother living in the countryside because they’re both struggling in different ways and need a change of perspective. As you can imagine, they both learn a lot, so I worried the book would feel sappy, but it has a such smart sense of humor and a wide array of quirky, charming, and hilarious side characters that it balances out nicely. Since I loved The Flatshare, I knew I wanted to check this out, but it really exceeded my expectations. The audiobook was great as well- there are two different narrators for the granddaughter and grandmother, but they were both lovely and added a ton of personality and humor. I’d highly recommend this one!

“I wave to my friends from the train window watching Yorkshire slide away, and as we streak through the fields towards London I feel a sudden flush of life, a quickening, a new kind of hope, like a greyhound just let out of the gate.”

Eileen Cotton is sick of being 79 and single in a small English town. Leena Cotton is overwhelmed by life in London in her 20’s. When a botched presentation at work forces Leena into a 2 month sabbatical, this grandmother and granddaughter duo decide that they are in desperate need of a switch.

I adored the audible of Beth O’Leary’s The Flatshare, so I was very excited to listen to her newest book. Although I didn’t like this one quite as much, The Switch was adorable and made me very nostalgic for my late grandmothers. 🥰 😇

I am an absolute sucker for British rom-coms, and this one did not disappoint. Eileen may be one of the most beloved characters I’ve ever read. I LOVE her. She is what every grandmother should be. She’s loving and wise and protective. She made me tear up and laugh out loud. When Leena had to educate Eileen about the online dating world and being catfished?! Gold. A nearly 80 year old woman putting herself out there in the hopes of finding love (and sex!)?! Get it, Eileen. You go girl. If you have ever loved, or been loved, by an adoring grandmother, this ones for you. 💗💗

Thank you to @netgalley and Macmillan Audio for the complimentary copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.