Feedback on the audiobook quality: The actress reading for the character Eileen has an engaging voice, and I really cared for her and wanted wonderful things to happen for her character; however, the audio technical quality did not find the right way to prevent hearing all the mouth noise of the actress, who seemed to have dry mouth/ thick saliva. This was distracting and off-putting, since I often listen to audiobooks on ear buds. I have never had that experience before with any other audiobook, and I'm sure that many voice actors make mouth noises, but it's imperative for the recording technicians to fix that issue before releasing the final recording.

The Switch by Beth O'Leary is a happy and hopeful story about a grandmother-granddaughter duo who set out to discover themselves. Eileen is just shy of 80, single and sick of her life. Leena, in her twenties, is suddenly put on a two month sabbatical from her job and in desperate need of a change so the two decide to switch lives. This book is the perfect pick-me-up for 2020.

Thank you for an advanced copy of this audiobook.

This was my very first audiobook! I adored the narration - there was so much personality which really added to the story. I have realized though, that audiobooks are not really for me. It was difficult to remain focused and not doze off. I was constantly rewinding the audiobook, hence why it took me so long to get through!
I thought the story was so witty and fun. I was constantly giggling to myself. Leena and Eileen had such a genuine and pure relationship - it was so interesting to see how things unfolded during their “switch”.
I would love to pick up a hard copy of this book so I can re-read it! I feel like I was not able to truly appreciate the story via audiobook.
Overall, I certainly would recommend this book to anyone seeking a lighthearted, fun, easy read!

Leena Cotton has to take a two-month sabbatical from her work, she goes to her grandmother Eileen's house for rest, Eileen is single and wants a second chance at love, before turns 80, so they decided to swap lives, Eileen goes to London looking for love, meanwhile, Leena will be in the rural Yorkshire. This is a super fun, charming story with adorable characters. I liked the audiobook, how the voices of the two are different so each chapter differs who is speaking, which was pretty enjoyable.
This is a super fun and charming story with adorable characters. I loved the audiobook how the voices of the two are different so each chapter differs who is speaking, I really enjoyed this book.

4.5/5 stars

One sentence summary: The Switch is like a Hallmark movie if Hallmark movies were actually good.

Eileen and Leena Cotton are stuck. Leena was forced to take a two-month sabbatical from her high-intensity London-based job after having a panic attack during a big meeting; Eileen is 79-years old, newly single, and bone tired. They are both (struggling to) cope with the recent death of Carla (Leena's sister and Eileen's granddaughter). In a moment of genius, they decide to "switch lives," where Eileen goes to London to live out her big-city dreams and Leena stays in Hamleigh-in-Harksdale taking care of all of her grandmother's daily, small-town tasks.

What a DELIGHTFUL little story!!! I am absolutely blown away by the depth and love woven throughout. I'm not sure what I expected to read, but this exceeded all of my expectations. This book is full of heart and I was completely unprepared for how emotional it made me throughout. Within the first 5 chapters, I was tearing up on my commute to work. Beth O'Leary perfectly encapsulates how grief feels, on multiple spectrums, that it felt like I, too, lost Carla. All of the characters felt so human in a way that I haven't experienced in a while. Not only Eileen and Leena, who I came to absolutely adore, but all of the side characters as well were fully fleshed out and you cared about all of them. From Martha and her baby, to Leticia and all her antiques, and Betsy's frigid exterior. I loved all of the small touches O'Leary added in to create deeper emotional connections with the characters as well - all the side glances and snarky comments.

This was just a joy to read (& listen to - which I'll get to!!). The writing is just captivating - beautiful but also simple to understand. The dialogue is snappy and laugh-out-loud funny. Truly everything I could ever ask for. I want more stories with bad-ass old ladies living their lives. While I really enjoyed Leena's chapters, Eileen really stole the show for me. I would read 10 books in her POV.

The audiobook narrators were also incredible. Alison Steadman was perfect as Eileen and Daisy Edgar-Jones (sporting a British accent vs. the Irish one from Normal People fame) truly depicted the characters how I envisioned. They made a wonderful duo and their voices were just neutral enough that it didn't distract me from the story.

My ONLY complaint is that I think it ended a little too easily - things wrapped up way too cleanly for all of the characters (though given the trauma they've been through, they probably deserve it.) I was just left wanting a little bit more, but otherwise just sublime. Highly recommend!

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the review copy of The Switch in exchange for an honest review

“Check it out Grandma, Four hundred men just waiting to meet you in London.”

Beth O’Leary’s amusing novel, The Switch, is a version of the Country Mouse and The City Mouse, but in this case we have a septuagenarian grandmother and her grief stricken single granddaughter.

Leena, still reeling from the death of her sister from cancer, suffers a full blown anxiety attack while giving a presentation at work. She is ordered to take a two month holiday. Most people would jump at the chance, but the prospect of leaving the crutch of her work routines is daunting. Meanwhile Leena’s grandmother, now on her own since her errant hubbie ran off with his dance instructor, trolls the local dating prospects. Slim pickings.

Leena suggests a house swap, so Eileen travels to London under the assumption that there are more eligible men there swarming the streets, while Leena moves up to Yorkshire to take care of her grandmother’s home and rest in the countryside….



The Switch is a light breezy read, leaning towards chick lit–were it not for the fact that Eileen is in her 70s. Hold on… I take that back, this still seems like chick-lit. Leena is concerned about her career and finding solace after her sister’s death which caused an estrangement with her mother. Eileen, instead of drowning in self-pity at her husband’s desertion, is convinced that there’s still time for romance in her life.

This is not a typical read for me, but I listened to the audio book version. Eileen’s sections were read by Alison Steadman, and she’s an actress I like to watch so I reasoned I’d like to listen to her too. Leena’s sections were read by Daisy-Edgar Jones. I must say that I enjoyed Eileen’s sections far more, as her voice is rich, deep and pleasant to listen to. Leena isn’t as much fun to listen to, or read about. Dating, well the dating antics of others are always fun to watch or read about, and Eileen jumps right into internet dating, dauntlessly. It’s never too late to admit you’re lonely.

Woven with optimism and a zest for life, this is a light read. This would make a good TV series.

I listened to this via audio. The Switch by Beth O'Leary is narrated by Daisy Edgar-Jones and Alison Steadman.

I liked how the audiobook had two different narrators for the two different perspectives!

Leena works a lot and is overworked. Her boss notices and forces her to take a leave of absence to relax. Leena lives in busy London and there's no way she can relax there so she decides to go back to her home town. Leena's grandmother Eileen has just got cheated on and is looking for some fun. Eileen signs up for a dating site and realizes there is nobody in her nearby area, she decides to say at Leena's flat in London where there are lots of people. The two switch places.

This was so much fun, I loved both perspectives so much! They both grew a lot through out the story and learned things about each other. The bond was very cute. The granddaughter and grandma relationship was my favourite and I think that's why I enjoyed it so much!

This was okay. I think I went into this thinking there would be more romance like The Flat Share but that was my own misconception.

“𝙁𝙖𝙢𝙞𝙡𝙮 𝙘𝙖𝙣 𝙗𝙚 𝙨𝙤 𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙥𝙡𝙞𝙘𝙖𝙩𝙚𝙙, 𝙗𝙪𝙩 𝙞𝙛 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙟𝙪𝙨𝙩 𝙥𝙞𝙘𝙠 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙤𝙬𝙣 𝙬𝙖𝙮 𝙤𝙛 𝙙𝙤𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙞𝙩 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙘𝙖𝙣 𝙚𝙣𝙙 𝙪𝙥 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙨𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙥𝙧𝙚𝙩𝙩𝙮 𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙛𝙚𝙘𝙩 𝙖𝙡𝙡 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙖𝙢𝙚.”
-𝘽𝙚𝙩𝙝 𝙊'𝙇𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙮, 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙎𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙘𝙝

Short synopsis:
Eileen is sick of being 79.
Leena’s tired of living in her twenties.
Maybe it’s time they swapped places.

✨✨✨✨
The idea of having a two-month “swap” was interesting. I’m a big city girl and everyone around me knows it.

I was a mess when we stayed in a place without wifi. Although I have my book and downloaded music to accompany me, I still couldn’t enjoy it. It was during a phase when I shared every part of my life to social media—thinking that everyone cared and they have to know everything about me. 🤯

During the last two days of our vacation, I had no choice but to leave my phone in our accommodation because I didn’t wanna risk losing it underwater. 😂 Upon seeing the beautiful scenery, a realization hit me. I needed to correct my habit and learn to appreciate things, including the people around me. 💕 Now I don’t struggle as much and I don’t open my data/wifi whenever I need to take a break.🏝☀️
✨✨✨✨✨✨
When Leena was ordered to take a rest after blowing a presentation at work, she ran to her grandma’s house. And they took the challenge of a “two-month swap”. 👀

Eileen, single and about to turn 80, get to live in London and search for love through online dating, while Leena looks after everything in rural Yorkshire and learns that long-distance relationships are hard. Both of them couldn’t relate to each other’s life at first. They were also struggling with grief.

All in all, I liked the character developments in the book. ❤️ Although it was slow and kinda confusing because of the alternating POV, it’s still a wholesome and cozy read. 💕
✨✨✨✨
QOTD: Can you survive a vacation without wifi? 👀

* I was provided an audiobook arc by NetGalley in exchange for a review*

Let me first start by saying the audiobook would not finish downloading to my dismay so I ended up purchasing an e-book. If that doesn’t say enough about my determination to read this novel, then I’m not sure what will... Now, was it worth the hassle? Absolutely. In a Covid world, this wholesome full of heart book is exactly what we need. It is an endearing and sweet story, Leena and Eileen are both well written and their dynamic is part of the charm of this book. I really enjoyed this novel a lot. I do have to mention I went into this with a Freaky-Friday mindset, but know that it is only a apartment switch and nothing quite as outlandish.

Well, as the author predicted in her acknowledgments, I’ve been well and truly Eileened! What a heartwarming and adorable story. I loved every single minute of it. When I finished it a had a huge smile on my face (and a fair amount of tears). Although I had already read it, when given the chance to listen to the audiobook version I couldn't help but take it as I had heard both narrators, Daisy Edgar-Jones and Alison Steadman, did an amazing job, and they certainly did!

After suffering a panick attack at work, Lena and her grandma Eileen decide to swap their houses and lives for a couple of months, so Leena can get much needed rest in the small village where her grandma lives, and Eileen can experience the London scene she could not when she was younger. Meanwhile, they’re both mourning Leena’s sister death, who passed away from cancer a year before.

I found very interesting how the different generations of Cotton women coped with their grief, although I think Leena was not fair with her mum at first. I didn’t like how she directed her anger at her mum, as if she herself was the only one who had lost someone dear to her. All this added a layer of depth to the story that made it much more enjoyable.

I absolutely adored how both Leena and Eileen embraced the swap to their fullest, not being afraid of facing new things. Although I liked them both, my favorite, hands down, was Eileen. After all, she’s a big Agatha Christie fan, how am I not gonna love her? She was lovable, hilarious and I truly hope to reach her years with her stamina. It is so refreshing reading about older characters pursuing love.

I’ve always thought of myself as a big city guy but, after reading this, I wouldn’t mind at all to move to Hamleigh-in-Harksdale. I loved the sense of community and how all the characters were 100% there for their neighbors and friends. I fell in love with all the characters, both in London and the village, minus a couple of exceptions. You know who you are!

Beautiful story about family and friendship, loneliness in the old age and the loss of a loved one, taking a look at the grief and anger that can bring about and showing how everyone needs to heal in a different way and time.

I really liked The Switch! The audio was fantastic and did a great job of transporting me right into the character's lives!

O'Leary has such a wonderful way of writing! Her character's are witty and full of charm and I adore them, especially in The Switch.

I found this book to be incredibly timely as well. Social isolation is a real thing with seniors but I think a lot of us have developed a whole new understanding so I that element really resonated with me.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for a copy of the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I adored this book!
Charming - check
Sweet - check
Feel-good - check
Will definitely read author's other works - check

2020 sucks but this book was a greatly enjoyable interlude.

My thanks to Beth O'Leary, Macmillan Audio, and NetGalley for the aARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

I really wanted to like this, because I loved the first book in this series. Unfortunately, I DNFed it.

I absolutely loved this book. I expected a romance, feel good book. And it was that but also so much more. This delded with grief and some moments had me in tears. I absolutely love the 2 main characters and all of their adventures and experiences. I would truly recommend this book to anyone.

Thank you to NetGalley and MacMillan Audio for an audio advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

I didn't finish this audiobook because the narration just didn't work for me. I'll definitely be picking up a physical copy of this book when it comes out in paperback in January to give it a second chance but I just couldn't get through this book with this narration I just wasn't gripped.

This was such a cute book!

I loved the generational differences between Leena and Eileen! This book gave me major "The Holiday" movie vibes, because these two are grandmother and granddaughter who switch places for a while. As they live each other's lives, they come to better understand one another and learn so much more about themselves in the process. I felt like I was part of the family as I listened to their story!!

The Switch was my first book by Beth O'Leary. I really enjoyed the story of the two main characters, Eileen Cotton and Leena Cotton. This gave an idea of loss and love but the story had lot of other plot lines running through the novel that made the whole storyline of these two women very entertaining, and kept me turning those pages as quickly as I could! These other plot lines also imbued the book with a real sense of community as so many of the side characters were involved in these more minor storylines.

I can highly recommend this as a great audiobook listen. It was quick and interesting and the narration was great.

Thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan audio for providing the audiobook.

This was a lovely book! I enjoyed the dual perspectives and I thought the characters were charming. I loved that Beth O'Leary explored romance with different age groups as well. It was sweet and adorable, and I thought that the juxtaposition of the grandmother and granddaughter was perfect. The story itself was a bit predictable, as many romances are, but that did not detract from my enjoyment of it. I listened to the audiobook version of this and mostly enjoyed it. The only issue I had with it was that occasionally the younger actress's voice was a little harsh with the "s" sounds. I ended up turning it down considerably for a few parts since it made me wince a little when louder (though then it was hard to hear). For the most part though I did like the actresses. They fit the parts well.

Many thanks to NetGalley and to the publisher for the copy to review. All opinions are my own.

Thank you to Netgalley for the opportunity to listen to the audiobook.
I did not read the author's debut The Flatshare, but I've been curious about it, and now I'm quite certain I will read it soon. I really enjoyed the way the book was written and the pacing of the story. I listened to this audiobook in probably two sittings, and couldn't put it down. It was shorter than I had thought but very entertaining.
The idea of switching houses and phones between a grandmother and granddaughter is so interesting. This book is a ride until the end. All characters are relatable and I loved all of them, it's that kind of book that you wish to befriend these characters.
I loved the narrators, it was a fantastic experience, and the accent was perfect. I wouldn't change a thing.
I highly recommend it!