Such a sweet and heart warming read! I loved Lena and all of the characters were actually funny and clever. Would make a great movie!

Thanks to #netgalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. Another delightful read from Beth OLeary. This book focuses on 2 people fed up with their lives, wanting to change their lives up for the better. The difference is, in this book it's a Granddaughter and Grandmother who decide to swap lives and homes for a period of 6 months in the hopes of finding happiness. What a joy to read! Both characters were engaging and the way they ended up fitting so well into each other's lives/circle of friends etc was endearing. A great read for anyone wanting a heartwarming read that will make you smile. #theswitch #betholeary #netgalley #goodreads #litsy #amazonkindle #tea_sipping_bookworm #greatreads #bookqueen #bookstagram

Leena’s sister passed away and she is struggling. Work has put her on a two month sabbatical to take some time away and refocus.

Leena’s grandma, Eileen, is also in disarray. Her husband left her, and now she, too, is struggling with how to put her pieces of a broken life back together!

Why not switch places? Which is exactly what Leena and her grandmother do. They swap houses for two months to get away, to refocus, to reestablish themselves, and find out who they are again.

A cute, but sometime drawn out story or the changes that happen to each woman, and the people that they knew they were always meant to be!

The Switch 👵🏼👩🏽

“What would Eileen Cotton do?”

Thank you to my friends over at @librofm @netgalley #partner for an advanced copy of this absolutely charming audio copy of Beth O’Leary’s latest book! I absolutely loved The Flatshare so I was so excited to get my hands on her latest creation!

Following the lives of a grandmother and her granddaughter, the two switch homes and lives for a couple of weeks to both get a much needed break and to try and repair things in their lives that were broken.
Though The Flatshare was a total swoon worthy romance, The Switch was definitely much more women’s fiction with a side of romance and lust. That being said it was still absolutely enjoyable!
Filled with heartache, self-growth, family connections, and a little bit of romance, this read is a great change up from my normal steamy romance reads!

Star Rating ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
Steam Rating ⭐️⭐️

The Switch by Beth O’Leary
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This audiobook took me a while to get through, not because I didn’t enjoy it, but because I didn’t have very much time by myself to listen to it without a commute! I ended up finishing it earlier this week while I was crafting!
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Leena Cotten hasn’t stopped working over the past year since her sister, Carla, passed away. When she has a panic attack during a presentation at work, he boss gives her 2 months of paid leave so she can focus on herself. She decided to start her 2 months by visiting her grandma, Eileen, in her small hometown. Her grandmother, Eileen, is looking for a second chance at love at 79. Leena and Eileen decide to swap places so Eileen can go to London to look for love and Leena can get some much needed rest in Humley. Both women struggle at first with the change in lifestyle, but they both end up learning important life lessons and finding things that make them happy.
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I definitely enjoyed this book and the adorable relationship between Leena and Eileen. It made me want to call my grandmothers every single time I listened! I also loved Leena’s journey and watching her heal from past trauma. However, I found the ending a little predictable. I also personally wished the reading was done a little differently. There were lots of different characters, but I didn’t feel like there was enough variation in the voices for each character. Take that with a grain of salt though, because that’s definitely the theatre teacher in me being critical of the performance!
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Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
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#QOTD: Have you read or listened to this one? What did you think?

Absolutely adored this book! I related so much to the main character and the relationship between Lena and her Grandma reminded me of mine with my grandma! I love the characters and the whole story. The relationships between all of the characters were incredible and the small town dynamic was incredible!

The Switch was my first Beth O'Leary novel and given its popularity, I was surprised to see it among the "Listen Now" cathegory on Netgalley. How could I resist? I had been wanting to try audiobooks for months, and this book seemed like the perfect way to start this new experience. I would start by saying that I don't know if listening to this book, and not actually reading it might have affected my rating: I managed to listen to the audiobook just at certain moments of the day and sometimes didn't listen to it for days, probably loosing a bit the affection and intimacy this book makes you develop with its characters.

In fact, The Switch's - and the author's I believe, even if this is the first of her books I've read - strong point is certainly its ability in creating a sense of community between the reader and the fictional world presented. We're immediately introduced to Leena, our protagonist, stressed and so focused on work that her boss forces her to take a 2 months vacation, during which she decides to make a switch with her grandma: Leena will live in her cottage in Yorkshire, while seventy-nine Eileen will live in London, looking for adventures. I will be totally honest here and tell you that I didn't immediately like Leena. She was absolutely polluted by the city and snotty and aggressive towards the rural community where her grandmother belonged. But with Eileen it was a different story ... I was in awe of her! Her character is absolutely brilliant and what makes this book just unique! I realize is not often you get a chance to enter a seventy-nine years old's mind and it was an interesting, hilarious, at times shocking, experience. I loved that most of the imporant characters of this book were all elderly, because they give a cozy feeling to this reading that warmed my heart. The bond the reader creates with the Yorkshire community and later with the Shoreditch club Eileen creates, was incredibly deep and made me think more than once about how we do not often see elderly people as actual people. Just like Leena's flatmates, we often don't have a clue about how many gems may hide under old clothes and I was happy when Eileen's determination succeeded in revealing those gems: to see younger and older characters actually bond was the most rewarding thing about this story.
But speaking of Leena, as I said, she and I didn't immediately click, I needed the cleansing powers of the village to act on her before actually caring about her story. It was beautiful to see her transformation and to follow her through her attempt at getting rid of toxic relationships and old grudges. I found her relationship with her mother to be the most important part of her character and it was an emotional experience and a sensitive topic that the author treated perfectly.

For being a romance though, I would have like to have more of a focus on Leena's relationship as I felt like we got much more of Eileen's love life than hers - and although Leena's side was lacking, we got plenty of steam from Eileen, and I can't even start to tell you how odd it is to see that romance does exist even at 79!

Though funny, emotional and unbelievably sweet, I feel like the best I can do for this book is giving it a 3.5 stars. I was expecting much more from this story but I'm not sure that it will be one of those reads that will stick with me. I can't deny the author's incredible ability though, so I'm hoping that the Flatshare will gain me over!

You are going to love Eileen, a 79-year-old grandmother mother, full of life, feisty, friendly, funny, adventurous, who refreshingly speaks the truth.
Leena, Eileen's granddaughter, a workaholic, was forced into an 8-weeks sabbatical by her boss. Not knowing how to handle this, Leena stopped by to visit Eileen. 79-year-old Eileen was starting to put herself out there for any eligible bachelor, but all she'd managed so far was a list of four measly 'Not so Eligible' men. Leena deciding no way her grandmother was going to find a man in the small village she lives in, also wanting a break from the city to spend her forced sabbatical, decided they needed to swap spaces.
This story covered many grounds, love, trust, friendship, overcoming loss & grief, community camaraderie, and so much more.
It was a light and entertaining read. 4 stars.

This book was so cute! If you’ve ever seen the movie The Holiday then this book will remind you a lot of that. Two people looking to make some changes in life and given the opportunity. Lena and Irene were such fun characters to follow with their quirks and struggles. This is a great book to read on a cold or rainy day. Such a cozy romance!

I absolutely adored this book and this was exactly the kind of heartwarming and endearing read as I'd thought it to be! Leena Cotton is in her 20's, tired of her life in the corporate world, and Eileen Cotton is in her late 70's yearning for a tinge of adventure back in her life! It only seemed convenient to take a sabbatical and switch places, Leena to live in rural Yorkshire and Eileen to taste a bit of the London rush. Leena is thoroughly a chaotic mess after her recent blow up at her office during her big presentation which forced her to take on a sabbatical for a period of two months to get herself together. This book maintains a weirdly familiar Gilmore-Girls-small-town vibe to it which I cherished dearly AND has a Luke-like, but less grumpy, character, Jackson, a primary school teacher who's been extremely friendly and helpful to Leena whenever she needs it, just like how Luke is to Lorelie! Meanwhile, Eileen's been having the time of her life, finally dating someone who isn't her worthless husband!

More than finding peace and confiding in each other when life gets hard, this book is about healing; emphasizing how grief can turn people against themselves and each other when that is exactly what'll help them the most. The Cotton women have been grieving the loss of Carla, Leena's sister, and Eileen's granddaughter, and it had started taking a toll on their lives. It was indeed refreshing to see the two headstrong women grow out of their grief and confront their buried feelings. I initially had the impression that this would be more romance centered than on familial relationships but I'm glad it isn't, else this wouldn't hold a special place in my heart as it does now. The audiobook narration was beautifully done and listening to them, especially Eileen calmed my soul!

Thank you netgalley for allowing me access to this! While I’m not always a huge fan of audio books, when I read the synopsis and saw that Daisy Edgar Jones from Normal People was part of it, I knew I needed to listen to it! Let me tell you, this didn’t disappoint. Both narrators did a fabulous job. It was easy to listen to, and I love every minute of this! 5 stars!

Although not a book I would purchase in my professional role, it is one that I will be recommending in my personal life! Thank you so much for allowing me to have access to the digital arc!
Great multigenerational story!

I absolutely loved this book! This was my first audiobook in a while and I really loved both narrators. They really captured the essence of both of the main characters and it made it even more enjoyable. The story takes place in England where Eileen and her granddaughter Leena swap lives for 2 months (major "Holiday" vibes, right?) after both realize they are in need of a change. I fell in love with both of them very quickly and they are both easily relatable. I found myself chuckling at Eileen, then crying with Leena, and then feeling an overwhelming sense of happiness for the two of them. The plot line was very character driven which I had no problem with and I could not put it down. There are also numerous secondary characters who have their own levels of depth which I also appreciated. I felt like I knew all the characters and I grew very fond of them. Overall, the book was witty and entertaining and a definite page turner.

This was my first experience with a novel by author Beth O'Leary. I enjoyed this romance novel with a dash of comedy which was fairy tale-ish. The narration was good and I will be looking for novel by this author in the future. I would definitely recommend this novel to anyone looking for a fun, light read.

I loved this audiobook. The two narrators were perfect for this dual storyline. They brought so much to the story. It was very well done.
It was such a cute tale of a grandmother and granddaughter swapping houses/lives. I really enjoyed it! Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for sending me a copy. All opinions expressed are my own.

I listened to the audio version of this book. The narrators, Alison Steadman and Daisy Edgar-James were amazing. The Switch was a delightful journey into the lives of a woman and her grandmother as viewed from the other as they switch houses, towns, friends and lives for a time. Can you imagine taking on your grandmother's life and being responsible for things like getting all of her elderly friends to Bingo? Or going to meetings where you are admonished for sitting in the wrong seat?
What about going from that kind of community to one where none of the neighbors know each other or EVER interact? Or going from that small community to the confusion of London when you're in your 70's?
I loved the journey that this book took me on. O'Leary wrote characters that were memorable and entertaining.
I was given a copy of this audio book via NetGalley. All thoughts are my own.

Audiobook Review
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️3.5 - 4 stars on Goodreads
Firstly, whoever had the idea to cast Alison Steadman as the voice of Eileen is a genius. She bought so much to the role and personality of Leena's grandmother.

This is a light contemporary novel but with some important messages for the reader, I suspect the book is drawn to a younger audience. The balance and the importance of the lives of younger people mixing with older people and vice versa. It also makes the reader aware that older people have an important part to play in the life of the community around them. It touches on loneliness, neighbours, and how to get involved and be part of a community.

Dealing with love, grief, domestic violence yet the book has a lighthearted and at times funny appeal. Listmakers and project plans, I mean, everyone loves a list.

A most enjoyable book to listen to, it kept me engaged throughout the whole story. In fact, I listened to the book quite quickly as a result and it kept me company whilst I was sewing.

Many thanks to NetGalley and MacMillan Audio for a review copy of this audiobook.

4.1 - great characters, fun story - could definitely visualize some of the characters throughout; not quite as robust as the Flatshare, but still a great read

This book was a treat and the audio format really enhanced the reading experience.

This book is quite a cute read and quickly made it on my list of favorites I’ve read this year. I usually don’t enjoy dual POV books, but it works so well. Lena and Eileen are both really interesting characters navigating the same loss in different ways. The audio format really enhanced my enjoyment of this book since they each had different narrators with distinct voices - it made it easier to follow whose storyline you were on.

I haven’t read any romance books with older characters and in my opinion this was a breath of fresh air. I was cheering on the love story I wanted for Eileen as much as I was the one for Lena. Even the supporting characters have well developed personalities and are quite fun to read. While the plot is a bit predictable, it’s in a way that I think adds to the overall feeling of the book and works here.

Overall the book is a quaint romance and family story that had me invested from beginning to end. I’d read an entire other book of just these characters. I’d absolutely recommend this to closed door romance fans. One of my favorite books of the year!

TW for depression, panic attack on page, and loss of a sibling/ child to cancer.

This was the perfect read for this unsettled time! It's often hard to find a book that makes you feel happy while having enough of a storyline to keep you entertained, and this book fits that goal perfectly.

The story follows a grandmother and granddaughter duo, who are both at a crossroads in their lives. They spontaneously and innocently decide to switch places- the grandmother moving to central London to explore the dating scene. Simultaneously, the granddaughter goes back to her quiet hometown after being overworked turns into a bit of a breakdown.

I loved reading about the growth and discoveries they each made in their "new lives" as well as what they re-discovered about themselves that had been there all along. This is a unique, entertaining, and charming read, and I definitely recommend it!

As far as listening to the audiobook format, the narrators might not work for everyone. I found that one of the narrators was quite hard to hear. Something felt off with their mic, making them seem "far away," which definitely felt distracting for me as the listener. All in all, this book was great, but I would recommend trying out a sample of the audiobook if the narration is a big part of your ability to engage with an audiobook storyline.

Thank you to MacMillan Audio for the gifted copy in exchange for my honest review. As always, all thoughts are my own.