This was so much fun to read/listen to.
I haven’t read a chick lit in a while and this was one of those that grab you from the beginning.
I was transported into it the moment I pressed the play button. It has duel POV and both narrators were amazing.

The story follows Leena and her grandmother Eileen as they try to overcome lose and disappointments, they switch their lives around with Eileen, at 79 going to stay in London and find adventure and Leena staying in a small town trying to calm her life down.

What follows is enlightening, hilarious and healing

I was a bit surprised at how all the young people in London took to Eileen, she was amazing.

I liked it every time they mentioned Agatha Christie, because I was reading a book of hers simultaneously.
Also Jackson can totally be Henry Cavill.

It is a good light fun read.
Will definitely check more from both author and narrators.

I love when an excellent story has equally outstanding narration. The voice actors for Leena and her grandmother Eileen are excellent-adding much depth to their characters. The book deals with grief and how it impacts families, and I also appreciate how this book convincingly talks about romance and sex for an older character and doesn't shy away from it-hooray for age inclusivity!

I loved this quirky comedy novel. The grandmother-granddaughter pair reminded me more of my own grandmother. It was fun to listen!! Definitely read/listen this for a heartfelt light read!

Thank you Macmillan Audio, Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Look, it's 2020. My brain can only handle so much right now. I have been in a reading slump for a few weeks. I just want a warm-hug of a predictable romcom to ease my tired mind. I don't want to redesign the wheel. I want reassurance. I want predictability. I want a fairy tale escape to the Yorkshire dales and the reassurance of a stiff-upper-lipped no-nonsense Gran to tell me it's going to be okay. I want to listen to some CALMING REGIONAL ENGLISH ACCENTS, CONSARN IT. I want the pretty-boy with great hair to learn his lesson and the handsome, crooked-nosed single dad to get a happy ending. I want there to be magic in the city mouse/country mouse granddaughter/grandmother life-swap. I WANT MULTI-GENERATIONAL LOVE STORIES AND LASTING FRIENDSHIPS. I want the book to go exactly the way I think it's going to go. (...There is enough uncertainty in my life right now, thank you very much.)

This book is basically if Jojo Moyes wrote The Holiday (the movie) after binge-watching The Great British Bake-off (love the Grans!), and I. Am. Here for it. (Honestly, I would watch this movie. Can this be a movie?)

The audiobook was well-done, with age-appropriate narrators for the alternating Leena/Eileen chapters. Both narrators captured their characters well--from humor and joy, to mourning and melancholy. The only thing I didn't love was the phone sound effect for the phone calls, which I felt was an unnecessary, distracting layer, especially since there were no other sound-effects.


With thanks to NetGalley and MacMillan Audio for the opportunity to listen to this delightful audiobook ahead of publication!

<i>A huge thanks to NetGalley for providing me with a free eARC audio in exchange for an honest review!</i>

Trigger warnings: <spoiler>Mentions of family member who died of cancer- this is a big part of the story, (background) abusive relationships, cheating</spoiler>

Due to the nature of NetGalley's audiobooks I had a hard time with this at the beginning. Because I couldn't speed it up (it sounds godawful) it felt so incredibly slow, even though the story really wasn't. After the 50% mark I managed to speed it up a bit, and today even more, and I absolutely loved it from there on out! So I really hope NetGalley will get on this because it is really influencing my view of a book.

Having said that, this book was delightful! I personally much preferred Eileen's story than Leena's. I'm 26 and therefore much closer to Leena's age than Eileen's 79, but I just loved Eileen. She is fucking badass and will go for what she wants. She is also a great mother and grandmother. I cannot put into words how much joy she gave me! The same goes for the cast of elderly characters around Leena. It's ironic, given that in real life the elderly often piss me off with their disregard to literally anything or anyone else (this is a generalisation of course but still), but in this book, and in many other books actually!, I loved them. Betsey took me the longest to warm up to, but given her story it makes sense looking back. Arnold is a personal favorite, haha!

Leena is just exhausting, really. I didn't hate her, I just wanted to yell at her a lot to stop being so childish. It all works out in the end, of course, and I was glad for her, but honestly. How can you still be so naive when you are a workaholic?? I'm sure it's possible, but for me it just felt off. Like O'Leary tried too hard to make her cute/quirky/I don't even know. I did love her friends, who spent time with Eileen. Perfect combo. Fitz, my love!

Basically it all comes down to Eileen. I'm sure the youngsters would have annoyed me without her, but she balances them out and calls them out on their bullshit. Perhaps she is a bit pushy and too meddling, but I can't find it in me to like her less for it.

I know this book is classed as a romance, but honestly it's not. This is a story about finding yourself, about who you really are, and who you can be if you let yourself. I found it really empowering, especially in Eileen's case. It has a romance, and you can spot the endgames from miles away, but the conclusion of them is so incredibly rushed it's disappointing. Would have liked it to be either more fleshed out, or disregarded entirely, ending with two badass women not needing a man to be happy. But alas.

All in all I really enjoyed this book and I cannot wait to finally dive into The Flatshare sometime soon!

In The Switch by Beth O’Leary, readers are thrown into the lives of Eileen and Leena as they try to find happiness in their lives. For Eileen, she is tired of being 79 and living day after day interacting with the same people. For Leena, she is forced into taking time off of work, but she doesn’t know what to do with herself. When Leena goes up to visit her grandmother, Eileen, they decide to help each other get a change of perspective by swapping lives for two months; Eileen goes to London for two months and Leena goes to Yorkshire.

In this heartwarming, witty romance, O’Leary takes readers on a journey as Eileen and Leena take on each other's lives. We see each character grow as they are met with unexpected challenges and opportunities that help them heal from past heartaches. This story hits on topics of grief and self-discovery as the characters try to figure out who they are.

Daisy Edgar-Jones and Alison Steadman do an amazing job at narrating this audiobook, and with their energetic and warm narration, readers are drawn into the story as they take you through the lives of Eileen and Leena. Using two narrators to bring to life O’Leary’s characters was crucial as it helped separate the journeys that Eileen and Leena went on.

O’Leary uses a compelling writing style to draw readers into the lives of Eileen and Leena. By just a few chapters into their stories, you are rooting for them to find happiness and laughing at the mistakes that they make along the way. Told through alternating perspectives, readers get wrapped up in the lives of the narrators as they attempt to find happiness. This story takes place across two locations; the hills of Yorkshire and the bustling city of London.

When Leena Cotton is ordered to take a two-month sabbatical, she escapes to her grandmother Eileen's house for some much needed rest. Eileen is newly single and about to turn eighty. She’s like a second chance at love. So they decide to try a two-Monty swap. Eileen will live in London to look for love while Lena will look after everything in rural Yorkshire. Stepping into each other’s shoes proves more difficult than they expected.

I had the print copy of this book but when I found out there was an audio copy available on net galley I had to snatch it up. I’m a sucker for British accents and I’m slow glad I did. It brought so much more into the story. I love British humor too so I was chuckling the whole way through listening! This is such a cute story and was a much needed escape from some heavy reads lately. Eileen and Lena are such likable characters and it was so fun to see them acclimate to their “new” lives. The relationship they share is so sweet too. The cast of characters in London and Yorkshire are also fun to get to know.

Overall 4 1/2 stars from me. This was a fun escape to listen to on my commutes and walks and am so glad I listened to it on audio. This is an enjoyable book for escape and quick read!

Wow. This light chick lit read was more than meets the eye. It went well beyond a fun, light-hearted summer read. I found the characters endearing! I couldn't put it down!

The main characters are Leena, a 20-something workaholic and her 79-year-old grandmother. Both are working through identity issues and grief of losing Leena's sister to cancer a year ago.

I love stories like this with strong female characters whose identity and growth are NOT dependent on their relationship to a man. I appreciated how they addressed heavier issues of grief and loss. In this way, it reminded me a bit of Abby Jimenez's Happily Ever After Playlist which I also loved! I rarely give this type of book 5 stars but this is one that made me really happy to read!

Thanks to NETGALLEY for providing a copy in exchange for an honest review.

I’m going to review this as an audiobook as I actually listened to it. Ive only even listened to 2 audiobooks as I prefer to read, but whilst I’m waiting for my glasses it seemed like a good option ☺️

I have to say I loved that this Eileen was read by Alison Steadman. I adore her and her voice was just so perfect for this!

This book Is about a nan who lives in a village in Yorkshire and her grandaughter Leena who lives in London. They decide to swap homes and lives for a couple of months to try to find themselves.

I really enjoyed this... i loved Eileen so much! She is one of those character I wish I could meet 😍 I’ve not read any other books like this and it was just lovely.

4⭐️

[🌟🌟🌟🌟]
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•{Favourite Line}•
"You were healing. You’re still healing. You’ll maybe always be healing. And that’s OK. It’ll just be part of what makes you you."
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TW : Death of family member, Grief, Depression, Anxiety
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This book follows our two main characters : Leena, who is in need for a vacation from her busy life in London, and her grandmother Eileen, who needs the busy to indulge herself while in search of love. It's a really cute story with such importance to relationship among family and discusses grief and cope in a very good way.
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About the Audiobook : I loved the narrators for both the Characters, and the voice variations that was done. It was simple things like, voicemail voice, a sigh while talking, clacking sound while walking and Eileen's sassy comebacks, all the small things made so much difference! Eileen's voice gave me such peace and the book flew by before I could realize it! I think the audiobook experience made me fall in love with the book more!
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About the Book : Okay first, when I read the vblurb , I was skeptical as to how the book would be developed, but I was definitely surprised in a good way! I really loved the dynamics between the two main characters and how they were portrayed. I really loved Eileen and her character so much. She has sass, confidence and brains and took matters into her own hands. Leena was quite reserved at first, but she got inspiration from her grandma and started becoming a better version of herself.
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Second, I absolutely loved the bond between Eileen and Leena! The contrast between Eileen and Leens was so apparent that it gives you so much joy to see them learn about the opposite side and grow. It doesn't focus mainly on the romance aspect, but it's more familial relationship oriented and deals with emotions related to losing a loved one, grief, depression and anxiety. The bond between Leena and her mother was really interesting to read about. I think the mental health representation was done in a believable way and I liked that.
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Coming to the storyline and Character arc, I think Eileen takes the cup for thame arc. I loved seeing her adapt to the new environment and convert every one in the apartment building into a club! Her energy was infections and I enjoyed it so much! I really loved all the side Characters , and they gave the story that needed boost. I didn't care for the romance part, but it was still cute. (I might also think it was unnecessary drama? ) . I absolutely loved that ending chapter so much! It made me so emotional and I kinda low-key loved the three fierce ladies and called them 'The Powerpuff Girls' in my head!
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Overall, I loved the storyline, the Characters, Eileen's sassy attitude, Leena's temper, the story setting, the small town vibes and the side Characters. If it was not for that romance part, I would have given it a 5 star.
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Thank you @netgalley for the audiobook review copy!

This book was an absolute delight.

After Leena is told to take a two month holiday from work, she makes her way back home to her grandmother, Eileen's house. While there, Leena learns that her grandmother is trying to find love but there are no eligible bachelors in her small village. A plan is devised. They will swap homes and lives for two months. Leena will stay in her grandmother's house and take care of all Eileen's little projects, while Eileen goes to London looking for love.

As we learn, nothing is ever as easy as it sounds. Leena faces multiple issues while trying to step into Eileen's large shoes and Eileen learns that online dating isn't always what it seems.

I loved the character development in this story and watching Leena grow and face emotions she has ignored for a long time. I also enjoyed the dynamic between her and her mother. Eileen was just a force to be reckoned with. I would love to have her spunk now let alone at 80.

The relationships and the problems these women have, along with their friends, are believable from age thirty to age eighty. It also makes me more aware of the elderly and how alone they can be and makes me want to go spend as much time possible with my grandmother. This book had me laughing, a little embarrassed for the characters in a few parts, and crying during others.

Thank you #NetGalley for sending me a copy for an honest review.

Unfortunately this book was a DNF for me. I’ve seen fantastic reviews and I think I will eventually get around to finishing it but it was just too slow for me.

This was such a nice sweet book that I was looking to read after reading horror books and some murder mysteries. I fell in love with both of the characters in this book particularly Eileen. For some reason whilst listening to the audiobook of this I imagined Eileen as my nan who is definitely a free spirit. It was inspirational to read about Eileen moving to london sharing a flat with much younger people, using technology that she may not have used before and then on top of that using dating websites. I found it so uplifting to listen to. It also made me miss my nan (personally) as she lives in Spain so i don’t get to see her as often as I want to.
I didn’t like Lenas character as much however I still loved how she threw herself in the deep end completing the list of tasks that her nan left her. Getting stuck in with the community. I do however now after reading this book wish that I could move to Hamleigh.
When I first read about Beth O’Learys new upcoming book I couldn’t wait to add it to my basket and then I fell lucky to receive an audio review copy! I do feel however that most of the story was told in the blurb and I didn’t love this book as much as the flatshare.

"The Switch" was a delightful audio book to listen to the story of two people named Eileen Cotton. One a grandmother and one a granddaughter who each have had drastic life changes occur. When the book starts, each character is working through the day to day of her life. Then when the opportunity to step into the other Eileen Cotton's life presents itself, they each take a chance...on themselves and on each other.

What ensues is eye-opening and interesting for all three: the two characters in the book, as well as the reader who gets to enjoy the shenanigans of these two women. Told in alternating chapters, Beth O'Leary's story is enchanting and pulls the reader in with the promise of real life and authentic characters who are doing the best they can with challenging circumstances. What's most thoughtful is how the characters come to see themselves for who they are, as well as for who they would like to be. We see them aspire in ways that only good storytelling can do.

This is a love story about families, grandmothers, and fierce young women. It also seems to be a love letter to the Yorkshire Dales. Readers will enjoy the adventures of each woman, as well as how the members of each community came together to support one another.

Great book!

First, I love listening to British voices, so reading the audiobook version of this story was really a treat. The actors are phenomenal. They really drew me into the story.

Second, I enjoyed the "Freaky Friday" concept of two people with totally different lives switching places for a bit. It's much less of a magical way that they switch, of course, but no less magical in terms of how it feels. I found myself smiling throughout, cheering for the meddling grandmother needing an adventure and the grieving granddaughter trying to heal.

Sweet, totally endearing story. Wonderful narration in the audiobook!

#TheSwitch #NetGalley

Leena is overworked Londoner who on the brink of a nervous breakdown returns home and changes lives with her grandmother Eileen.
Eileen goes to London to try the dating scene there and to try out Leena’s life.
Switching lives turns out to be the best decision they’ve ever made.

I really enjoyed this book. The story plot is brilliant and I really like how much good they manage to do in each others lives. It is also interesting to see how they work through the grieve they all have. I mean that is the inner point of this book in my opinion. The different ways people try to get through grieve. The book has both deep and serious and humorous and light tones to it. And all those tones make the book the brilliant piece of literature it is.

The characters are also interesting. I have not read too many books with an older lady as the main character so this was a new experience for me. I quite liked reading the dating adventures of Eileen. I also like Leena a lot, although her plain trust in Ethan frustrated me a bit, especially in the end. And speaking of Ethan, I really disliked him from the start. He just never gave me positive feelings.

All in all I enjoyed this audiobook. It is super cool that there is too different narrators, to give Eileen and Leena their own voices. It gives story more layers and it’s also a lot easier to follow.

After reading The Flatshare in March of 2020, I was so excited to read The Switch by Beth O’Leary. I love the whimsical nature of her books and the cheery English setting. This novel follows granddaughter Leena and grandmother Eileen Cotton who are both desperately in need of a change, especially after the emotional passing of Leena’s sister Carla who died of cancer. Leena is starting to have troubles at work and is ordered to take a two month sabbatical to relax and reset while Eileen is wanting some excitement in her life and is bored of the men in her village. So the grandmother-granddaughter duo decide to switch roles so that Leena can relax in her grandmothers house and Eileen can look for love in London.

This was such a light-hearted novel that made me think a lot about my relationship with my family and also realize how beneficial a change of scenery can be. Especially this year, I have been very confined to my house and my routine and this book made me realize how much I could benefit from a bit of a break or a change of pace. I really loved both Eileen and Leena and it was really powerful to see how they healed throughout the book. There were also so many different side characters that I really loved and would want to hear more about. I felt like we were really immersed into each characters town and life and I felt like I knew each neighbor well and what was going on with them. I don’t often read books with so many elderly characters and I found them to be some of my favorites and I really appreciated the contrast between Leena’s life as a young adult and Eileen's as a 79 year old and how each character was able to interweave into the others life.

I would highly recommend this book! Thank you to NetGalley for the audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

Leena Cotton is still learning to cope with the death of her sister.  When she has a panic attack during an important presentation, her boss, much to Leena's horror, sends her home for a three-month vacation.  Eileen Cotton, Leena's grandmother, is feeling the need for a change.  What follows is the switch - they exchange keys and phones, move into each other's homes and attempt to walk a mile in one another's shoes.

O'Leary has done it again.  A charming read with lovely characters - Fitz, Leena's roommate, and Letitia, the elderly woman upstairs with whom Eileen forms a close friendship, as well as the members of the Shoreditch Social Club who put Leena's sanity to the test.  The characters are well developed, leaving the reader wishing that they could be part of this lovely circle of friends.

It is a rainy morning in my neck of the woods and I just finished listening to The Switch. The rain has slowed for a bit and the sun is peeping through the clouds. This is a wonderful book, full of sadness, grief, anger, love, hope and the joys of community living where neighbours look out for each other. The ending is just like the sun peeping through the clouds to give you that sunshine of hope that a dreary day may turn into a wonderful bright and sunny day.

The book tells the story of Leena and Eileen, her grandmother, switching roles for two months. Eileen to London, Leena to Yorkshire. Both needed a change, Leena’s sister and Eileen’s granddaughter, Carla passed away from cancer and they were all still struggling to move on, especially, Leena and her mother, Marion. I like the strong relationship between Leena and Eileen and the eventual reconciliation between Leena and Marion. There are lots of funny moments especially with Eileen looking for love and playing match maker.

With audio books, the narrator is the most critical element for me in deciding the purchase. The narration of this book is great. You feel the various emotions. I am not a “softy”, but the Epilogue almost made me cry.

I accidentally clicked listen now on NetGalley. I am glad that I did since I purchased both audio and eBook when the book was released in August but had not had a chance to read\listen. This is a great listening experience especially via airplay to Sonos speakers which enhances the listening experience. I highly recommend this audio books. Enjoy!

This book has left me so perfectly happy that I wish I could just live in its pages and be friends with all the characters for the rest of my days.

Beth O'Leary has flooded her novel with characters that are unique and so lovable that I can barely stand it. Leena is wonderful, filled to the brim with cleverness and strength. Eileen... Well, Eileen was my favorite character by a mile. Witty, hilarious, quite over societal conventions, and ready to take any task by storm. I absolutely adore her. In many ways, she reminds me of my own grandmother, which makes her all the more endearing.

This is so much more than a romance novel or chick-lit. It's about loss and grief, about the power of changing your perspective and getting out of your comfort zone, about friendships and family, and about listening to your heart. It had me laughing out loud (mostly during Eileen's bits), shouting "GET IT GIRL" to precisely nobody, and generally just smiling a lot.

The audio production for this book is also excellent! Both the narrators do an excellent job of bringing Leena and Eileen to life, and they even do special sound editing for phone calls to make them sound more real, which I thought was quite fun.