I loved this book. My initial thought about this book was Eileen and Leena actually switched in every way, but this storyline was SO much better. I loved the characters and their development. The growth and changed each of them develop during the time they are living the other's life is great, and not unbelievable for a grandmother and granddaughter to experience outside of the pages of a book.

Having two narrators made listening and understanding the characters easier. So many times this is not the case, and I really liked the two distinct voices.

Thank you for allowing me to listen to this book. I highly recommend this book and can't wait for Ms. O'Leary's next book.

Leena is your typical workaholic who suffers a panic attack one day, after giving a presentation at work. This leads her into a forced two month break by her boss. Eileen is a 79 year old grandma who’s husband left her for a dance instructor. Leena needs time to relax and recharge, and Eileen wants to find love, which is slim pickings where she lives. So the two of them decide to trade places for two months. Leena will move into her childhood home, and Eileen will move to London. This will give them a chance to find what they both need and want.

This was such an adorable story. Leena and Eileen were such wonderful characters. They felt like someone I would want to be friends with. I loved the dual POV between Leena and Eileen. This book was heartwarming, sad, bittersweet, and absolutely amazing. I did not want it to end. I would highly recommend this book if you’re looking for something sweet and warming!

I love stories where people get an opportunity for a change of scenery and a break from their own life. In this novel, grandmother Eileen, and granddaughter Leena, swap places for 2 months. They each get a view of each others’ lives and get to see their own from a new perspective. Leena gets a opportunity to heal her relationship with her mother and Eileen decides she’s ready to start dating again. As an audiobook this was well-read and entertaining. 5/5 stars.

3.5 stars.

Aww, this was a sweet and cute story about a girl who switched 'lives' (actually just house/apartment and phones) with her grandma for a period of time. Leena (the granddaughter) and Eileen (the grandma) Cotton learnt to adapt to their new environments and found some things about themselves along the journey.

The story pretty much unfolded as you'd expect. Lots of cliches ensued, such as internet dating and city diversity for grandma, ad country living and cooking for granddaughter. It also included the usual city-girls-are-snobs and corporate-work-is-boring-and-evil tropes.

It was heartfelt and definitely entertaining. Yes, I think some of the tropes were overdone, but I still enjoyed the book tremendously. I'd recommend getting your hand on the audiobook as well, because it was narrated by the lovely Alison Steadman and Daisy Edgar-Jones (who starred in 'Normal People').

I also appreciated the resurgence of older (60+ years old) main protagonists like Eileen Cotton. Keep them coming!

This was such a delightful romance. A grandmother and granddaughter swapping lives and discovering new side of themselves. I listened to this with a smile on my face. The narrators were excellent. I highly recommend this charming novel!

This books follows a grandmother and granddaughter as they swap lives for two months. Leena, a business minded woman, who is still struggling after the death of her sister, has blown a big presentation at work and is given two months paid leave to get her life together and to properly grieve. Eileen, whose husband left her, believes it’s finally time to start dating again, but there are no eligible gentlemen her age in her quaint Yorkshire village, so off to London she goes.

I absolutely loved Eileen. She is definitely the best part of this book for me. I never thought I would be so invested in the love life of a 79 year old woman. I loved seeing her learn how to navigate dating in this new age of online dating apps and texting. She is everything I want to be when I get older. She is so witty and numerous times I found myself smiling and laughing while reading her sections in this book. I absolutely love her drive to help the community and make new friends, which leads to some very funny interactions.

Leena fell a little flat for me as a character. I found her a bit annoying and couldn’t really connect with her. I feel her romance plot line was a bit forced, we definitely could have done without it and the book would have still gotten its point across. I did enjoy all her interactions with her grandmother’s friends and nosy neighbors though. It was nice to see Leena grow as a person and I definitely liked her a whole lot more in the second half of the book.

Overall I loved this book and if you are looking for a feel good, funny, enjoyable read then this is for you.

The Switch is a complete joy; charming and heartwarming!

Beth O’Leary has solidified herself as an auto-buy author for me with her beautiful stories full of wit and whimsy and eliciting so much emotion. I went into this book hoping that I’d enjoy it as much as her previous one, The Flatshare, and it hit the mark!

The premise of The Switch is a lot of fun and really refreshing. The story is told in the dual POVs of Leena and Eileen; a hard working, career driven Londoner and her spunky, single, small town grandmother. I absolutely loved both points of view and seeing how each character found more of themselves through their swap.

One of the things I appreciated most were the connections each character made with each others’ friends. Watching those friendships grow completely warmed my heart!

The narration for this audiobook is perfection! I felt like the voices of Alison Steadman and Daisy Edgar-Jones were really well-suited for their characters, helping to evoke more emotion as I listened.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed The Switch and highly recommend the audiobook, as well. Beth O’Leary has a gift, and I cannot wait for her next release.

*Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with a free copy of this book. This did not affect my opinion or the content of my review.

A wonderfully narrated story of be careful what you wish for. A young woman and her grandmother, both unhappy in their current lives, are looking for a different kind of excitement to change their lives for the better. Each thinks the other's life is pretty close to perfect, so decide to trade settings and find that one person or thing that will make them happy. The voices matched perfectly the moods and ages of the characters without making them seem unreal. The scenes were realistic when voiced, the characters emotional remarks and reactions perfect.

A really good story told by some first rate narration. Loved this!

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was the first time reviewing an audiobook through NetGalley using the app. The app has a significant flaw in that you need the audio stops at the end of each chapter and you need to return to the app to press play on the next chapter. I listen while I’m driving, so this was especially problematic.

4 stars

This was an interesting premise and I liked the parallels between the two leads and their generational differences. I think I could have listened to both narrators all day. The story took its time and I enjoyed watching the characters grow. I will read more from this author.

This was a book about a Grandmother, Eileen who was the most interesting character to me and her Granddaughter. Both need a change in their lives. So, they decide to Switch residences for a while to see how life will be.

It was a good concept and interesting book, but I did want more from the characters. The author wrote The Flatshare, so expected more from this book. It was good.

I can’t believe I’ve stayed up all night finishing this but it was such a compelling story, I couldn’t put it down.

The premise is refreshing and not something I was expecting to enjoy, I’ll be honest. However, I find that Beth O’Leary can do no wrong in my eyes and I’ll love everything she writes. It’s a heartwarming story about family, both biological and chosen, new beginnings and forgiveness.

I usually write long reviews but I really can’t think of anything I disliked other than Ethan and Ceci because they’re fucking cunts.

If you’ve loved The Flatshare, I’m pretty sure you’ll love O’Leary’s newest novel. I highly recommend it to everyone looking for something different.

The Switch made me seriously want to switch

Sometimes I wish I could switch lives with someone else. The problem, however, is no one wants to switch lives with me.
Perhaps I have shared too much …

Regardless, The Switch, by author Beth O'Leary was just what the doctor ordered to tame my raw nerves after a long day's work.

As a commuter, I listened to the Switch on audio, a treat that utterly enchanted me, leaving me spellbound by the character voices of Allison Steadman and Daisy Edgar Jones.

Published by Macmillan Audio and Flatiron Books, The Switch hit the shelves of booksellers in August 2020.

In this story, three generations of Cotton women face vastly different lives from the ones they lived at the time of 20-something family member Carla's death.

Now estranged from her once-close mother, 30-something Lena tries to bury herself in work to avoid dealing with her deep grief as grandmother, Eileen, picks up the pieces of her daughter's devastating life.

Lena faces her emotional breaking point after having an anxiety attack at a corporate meeting while Eileen reels from the abandonment of her life-long husband, who left in haste and never returned.

Boy, can I relate.

Eileen and Lena, who share a special closeness, decide it's time for a break and the result is shocking.

Hmm.
Secretly, if I wanted to be one of these characters, I'd choose Grandma Eileen. So classic. So reserved. So … shocking.

Set in both London and rural England, The Switch is like most other fish-out-of-water stories that successfully entertained readers and moviegoers through the years.

Lena's textured and trendy friends move this story forward and Eileen's friend set are cliché but truly wonderful.

What do you expect from old people? (Just kidding. I'm old.)

The Switch's characters transform what could have been another formulaic story into a stress-reducing pass time worthy of this commuter's long drive.

Heck, there were a few days I took the long way home to hear a few more chapters.

Though this story is somewhat predictable in its nature, the Eileen storyline is original and often surprisingly fun.

I give The Switch a 9 on my stress-reducing scale.

The Switch is perfect for young and … ah, older women reader's who want to relax with a good read, escape the kids for a 30-minute soak in the hot tub, or hide from their own lifelong husband.

Loved this audio narrator, they brought the book to life! Such a delightful story as well. This was exactly the light content I needed right now and I finished this one in less than 24 hours. I couldn't stop listening!

I really enjoyed these sweet characters, funny situations they got into, and while parts were sad, it wasn't overwhelming with emotion. I quickly got sucked into their lives!

I received an advanced copy of The Switch on audiobook from NetGalley in exchange for a review.

Honestly this was probably one of the least exciting audiobooks I have listened to. It was well done and the story was fine but I was never excited to pick up this book to listen. It was relatively feel good but overall I won't remember this book next week.

I thought The Flatshare was a better story, but this was still cute. I listened to the audiobook from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Burned out grandma and granddaughter switch homes for 2 months in order to get a break from their current lives. I really enjoyed how this process helped them to discover themselves and brought their family closer together.

Unfortunately, this didn't make it for me. I think the concept is adorable and I loved the narrators- but I think it's the "time of corona" that made it hard for me to get invested in the drama. I did love seeing an older woman with a robust life on the page- they are so rarely represented, and when they are represented, it's usually as a background. It was also hard for me to listen to them speak about the sister who passed away from cancer- as I find that a personally triggering storyline. Overall, most definitely not a bad book, but one that was not for me at the time.

An adorable "coming of age" story of two women with the same name. Grandma Eileen Cotton and granddaughter Eileen "Leena" Cotton re-discover themselves after they each take a sabbatical from their lives, by switching places! In a cheeky nod to "Freaky Friday" and the like, this book starts with the two women's lives in a rut. Leena has an anxiety attack during an important business meeting while Eileen is reeling from her husband's recently revealed infidelity. The two concoct a plan: Leena will escape to her Grandma's Yorkshire village home while newly single Eileen will have a wild, romantic adventure in London.

What is meant to be time to relax and reflect after Leena is forced to take leave from work, turns into a heartfelt journey of self-discovery and growth as she befriends her new elderly neighbors (and one charming local confidant). Leenamaneuvers her way through rural life with grace and humility, learning that her Grandma has more responsibilities than she realized! It's not all May Day festivals and neighborly chats over tea, however, as Leena learns a long-distance relationship with high-powered co-worker Ethan isn't as romantic as it seems.

Eileen, tired of being 79, embraces the fast-paced city life quickly and charms her way into favor with new flatmates and neighbors. As she navigates online dating and Leena's smartphone (yes, they even switch technology!) she feels more herself than ever. While helping her neighbors come out of their shell and organizing a club for those her age, Eileen forgets to check in with her Grandaughter and gets to know the term "catfish" on a personal level.

While worlds apart, the two have a shared underlying sadness woven throughout their witty, sweet, wholesome, and hilarious new experiences. Leena's sister and Eileen's only other Grandaughter, Carla, has recently passed away. Neither realized the pain they were still carrying from this unimaginable loss, and both find a welcomed sense of healing in their new circumstances.

I fell in love with these ladies instantly and this heartfelt story is just what I needed to cozy into fall. While at times, the narrative feels predictable, I found myself surprised more than once at Eileen's modern view of the world or Leena's take on the crotchety folks next door. Well written, easy to read, and simply sweet. This romantic-and-also-not book is truly about looking out for one another and embracing people for who they are. We all have pasts, some darker than others, and none of that matters when your neighbor needs a friend. The moral of this story? Sometimes a bit of well-meaning meddling is just the thing we need!

This was such a cute story. It's not unfamiliar - 2 people switch lives in hopes of finding what's missing from each of their own lives. Leena is overworking and killing herself slowly. Eileen is tired of being 79 and feeling like she's missing out on things. Leena goes to Eileen's small town, and Eileen goes to London to live it up in the big city. Hilarity ensues. The book is so heartwarming and the life lessons they learn both seem so sincere.

This would have probably been 5 stars for me if I hadn't listened to the audio. Maybe my headphones are too good, but I could hear every swallow, tongue flick, page turn, etc. It drove me insane. The narrators were both fantastic, but I can't stand hearing someone else swallow or make sounds with their mouths.

I unfortunately did not finish this book because I really did not enjoy the narrator. It's nothing against her...I just did not think the voices aligned with the characters and it made me unable to get into the book. I will definitely try this book again, but in a physical format.

I absolutely loved listening to this audiobook! I will miss listening to the alternating characters Eileen and Leena. Eileen is 79 and is seeking a change in her life after her husband left her for another woman. Leena, her granddaughter, lives in London. She is overworked and desperately needs a break. Her boss makes her take a leave of absence after she blew a presentation. Eileen and Leena decide to switch their homes for two months. I liked Eileen the best! She is a hoot!

Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to review this book