The Switch by Beth O’Leary was such a fun book. The two main characters were well developed and had a great deal of depth. Even the secondary characters had depth and great narratives. The writing was engaging and kept me wanting to listen, so much so I found myself sitting in my car after I got home from work. I liked that the audiobook had two different readers to capture the essence of the two main characters.

***** I received an ARC from NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for my honest review. *****

Well narrated by the two readers. A fun captivating story. Great to see the lessons these characters learn through this wild experiment. A nice slip into another more gentle world. I highly recommend this for a light and carefree read.

Leena, her mother, and her grandmother are each trying to recover from losing Leena’s sister to cancer. While her boyfriend has been there for her, she needs something more, something different. After a panic attack at work, she is given two months off. A visit to her grandmother leads to the switch. Grandma Eileen will go to London for an extended visit and adventure, including online dating. Ilene will stay in the village, attend to her grandmother’s responsibilities, and work on her relationship with her mother.

This needs to be a movie! Just the right balance of funny, sweet, sad, and romantic. I appreciate that the ending wasn't rushed. The bit with one of Eileen's online men was wrapped up a bit awkwardly, but the rest was just right.

The audio book narration is wonderful!

I loved this feel good book!
It was a typical "switching places" type format, where the two protagonists switch homes and activities, each bringing conflict & contrast to the other's life, but what saved it from becoming predictable was the heartfelt narrative of Eileen & her granddaughter and namesake, Lena. Each gave a refreshing perspective as they navigated their own personal grief, while taking on each other's responsibilities as they switch houses on a whim. I love it when the characters learn and grow from their experiences.
Great ending, too!

I absolutely loved the premise of this book. Was it more or less the equivalent of reading a hallmark movie? Yep, it was, and you know what I’m here for it. I love Eileen’s spunk and how she was fearless in getting out and making things happen. I think there’s a little bit about my and younger generations that’s perhaps sometimes too accepting of the status quo. (not getting to know neighbors, sticking your neck out for an idea- just the business of modern society etc) If you enjoyed her first book the Flatshare, you’ll enjoy this one. I thought the pacing of this one was a bit better, and I got into the storyline faster.

I was super excited to see NetGalley releasing audiobook ARCs and was thrilled to get this one. The narration was great, however the app at least when I used it was super glitchy and terrible. I’m a ‘fast talking northern’ and can’t stand listening to an audiobook at normal speed. I’m 1.75 or 2.0 always for listening. Well, this one didn’t work. It was digitized and had a truly bizarre echo. The fact that I enjoyed the book despite all this is truly something. I haven’t requested any audio arcs since then, so I have no idea if they’ve fixed this yet ( for reference I finished the book in July this summer)

I recently read another book with the same underlying theme and didn't like it at all, so I was initially a bit hesitant to start listening to The Switch. But hey, this book was such a treat. Eileen, Leena, and their quirky but wonderful group of friends will touch you with their love, humor, and courage to face anything that life throws at them. Highly recommended.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the arc.

Very engaging book! Loved this story of a grandmother and her adult granddaughter who switch houses, friends and lives for two months. Grandma goes to London, granddaughter goes to Yorkshire. The audiobook is wonderful, the voices of both characters are great and the accents are spot on. Charming main characters, several quirky other characters, but all exactly what you find in a Yorkshire village. This book was very enjoyable, I will have to go back and read O'Leary's book The Flat Share. Thank you to the publisher and to Net Galley for a free audio copy in exchange for an honest review.

This book was adorable. It was the perfect cute, cozy story to curl up with on a cold rainy day. As far as romance goes, although there are two active romances plots happening they often don't take the forefront and instead happen more in the background of the story of two women discovering more about themselves, who they are, and who they want to be. I am so grateful for a book like this especially right now, because I've been so stressed and this book really felt like an escape.

When Eileen was younger she turned down a job in London to marry Wade, the love of life and move to Yorkshire. At 79 years of age she now finds herself alone, her husband left her for a younger woman. her days are filled with taking care of her daughter and helping townsfolk,
Leena was told by her boss after completely messing up a huge presentation she needs to take a 2 month sabbatical, after trying to fight it she decides to visit her grandma Eileen.
She comes upon her grandmas journal, and starts to read how much her grandma wishes she could date again and find herself, but not the men in her town. Lenna comes up with a brilliant idea- a 2 month switch!
Each chapter is told in either Leena or Eileen perspective as well as the going on in their lives. Between both Leena and Eileens friends as well as Leena’s mom and sister, The Switch had me laughing as well as feeling emotional. I really enjoyed this book and the narration was great! Thank you Netgalley for a chance to listen to the audio version, I give this book 5 stars.

It’s never too late to change – or at least, that’s the message of Beth O’Leary’s delightful romance about a grandmother and granddaughter who decide to swap lives for two months to escape their present malaise.
With two exceptional narrators, the characters lift off the page with humour, warmth and superb characterisations. British actor Daisy Edgar-Jones is Leena, an overachieving London businesswoman who has begun to falter. After blowing an important presentation, she is forced to take a vacation and reaches out to her almost-80 year old grandmother, Eileen (Alison Steadman), whose life in the quiet Yorkshire countryside is void of romance and adventure.
The duo agree to swap homes and lives, with Eileen fulfilling her dream of city life and Tinder escapades, while Leena takes over her grandmother’s village responsibilities, from dog walking to town committees. Between them, they discover that it is never too late to start afresh and even the most awkward of situations can be overcome.
The Switch is a refreshing and often funny take on the usual body-swap trope, with the central characters swapping lives instead of bodies. The plot, while sometimes predictable, remains highly enjoyable under the deft penmanship of the author. The antics of both protagonists are recognisable but always fun. Of particular note is the author’s comfortable recognition that a person’s sexual drive and longings don’t necessarily diminish with age, just as a younger person’s intimate ambitions aren’t always as robust. There seems to be too little literature on the shelves that recognise the desires of older generations.
Both readers are spot-on with their primary characterisations, but Steadman in particular, is exceptionally good at providing distinctive characterisations to the people Eileen encounters.
The Switch is a story about finding yourself and having the courage to change. It’s a highly enjoyable listen, particularly for those seeking permission to dare something new themselves.

Wow. I cannot put into words how much I loved this book.
Beth O'Leary blew my mind with Flatshare but The Switch was better than I could have ever imagined.

Thank you to Netgalley, the author and publishing company for giving me the audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

Eileen is 79, single and wanted to live the most of her life.
Leena is in her twenties and tired of dedicating everyday to being a workaholic.
So... they switch lives for a few weeks.
Eileen tries online dating, a casual hook up, friends of all shapes, ages and variety.
Leena deals with the loss of her sister, the guilt of blaming her mother, the not so great relationship she has, and trying to fill her grandmothers shoes in the "70s and up" community.
I laughed so much. Eileen receiving dirty pictures and seeing genitals in her tea leaves was priceless.
But I also cried... a lot.
I cried for the healing that Leena went through with her mother, but I also cried because my grandmother was my best friend... and this book just left me missing her and wishing she could have enjoyed her 7os carefree and learning to love life in a new way the way Eileen did.

If you need an appropriate for all and enjoyable read/listen I would highly recommend this book.

I can't wait to listen to it again.

This book was cute! I listened to it to and from Tennessee on a road trip and couldn't pause the book. Thank you for the opportunity to read and review this book!

Beth O'Leary has a way of making her characters feel like your friends and family. They feel REAL with real problems and real emotions. Relatable in so many ways, you instantly feel yourself connecting to them. Also, on top of the great writing style, the narrators were AMAZING in bringing Leena and Eileen to life. I'm a huge fan of audiobooks and this just blew it out of the park.

The audiobook of The Switch was absolutely delightful! Such a fun, lighthearted read that I think a number of age ranges would love. The narrators were so, so talented and made the story even more dynamic. Would highly recommend any chick lit lover read or listen to this!

Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy in exchange for my honest review!

The Switch is set in England and it follows a grandmother and granddaughter who decide to switch places to reset their lives after the granddaughter has a panic attack while giving a big presentation at work and is forced on a paid two month holiday. The grandmother (Eileen) moved to her granddaughter's (Eileen as well, but Lena for short) flat in London and Lena moved to the quaint Yorkshire town where her grandmother and her mother live. Eileen's goal for Lena is to reconnect with her mom after a falling out when Lena's sister died. Lena's goal for Eileen is to find love now that she is newly single. Both women have great experiences in their new cities and learn new things about themselves.

This book is SO CUTE! The narrators for each character were perfect and I love that they were played by two different people. The story is great and kept me interested. It also wasn't too difficult to keep track of all the characters, I think having two narrators helped. It is not a 5 star book for me because at times it felt like there was a lot going on with Eileen trying to find love and start a senior group, and Lena trying to rekindle her relationship with her mom and involved in the all of her grandmother's neighborhood groups. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in a light read!

There’s been a lot of buzz around Beth O’Leary’s books so I was keen to give one a try although a little apprehensive that it would live up to the hype - I was pleasantly surprised to find that it did!

This book follows Leena and her grandmother, Eileen. The family is going through a lot following the recent death of Leena’s sister. Leena has been struggling at work and forced to take a sabbatical and her relationship with her mother has become tense. Eileen is stuck in the middle of her daughter and granddaughter and on top has found herself unexpectedly single. With Leena needing a break from life and Eileen desiring the busyness and dating opportunities of London they decide to switch flats and lives!

The plot is quite straightforward but incredibly heartwarming and sweet. I enjoyed both ladies perspectives and their different takes on each other’s lives. This isn’t a book for someone who wants a lot of action and drama but perfect if you want a slow paced, charming story of family dynamics and community.

I listened to this on audiobook, I really liked the narrator who did a fantastic job of keeping the narrative engaging and distinguishing the characters. The telephone effect was particularly well done!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Such a great story about taking a step back from the lives we know to just reset & see life through a fresh set of eyes! I loved how we were able to see the relationships between each generation of women in this book grow as well as seeing how they grew as individuals. Such a great book and the narration was really done well with this one, it was easy to listen to and to follow & I liked how it had different voices for each character! Overall a fantastic book!

Really enjoyed this book. It was super cute and very funny. I’m looking forward to reading more from this author.

I loved this audiobook so much. This was one of the first audiobooks I've listened to and the storytelling was so well done. The accents added to the whimsy of the story. The Switch is about a granddaughter and grandmother that decide to switch lives. There is romance and family drama and all the good things you want out of a lighthearted story like this one! I loved the quirky characters and the plot! Definitely would recommend.

I had heard about the Switch on Bookstagram and when I was approved to listen to the audiobook I jumped for joy.

When Leena suffers a panic attack at work and blows a big presentation she is made to take a two-month break from work. Her 79-year- old grandmother, meanwhile wants to find love again but won’t have much chance at that in her small Yorkshire village. They decide to switch their homes: Leena is going to live in Yorkshire while Eileen attempts dating in London. Aided by neighbours, friends and new acquaintances the story is one about two strong, independent women making the best of their situation and overcoming problems of their past and finding happiness again.
I loved the two narrators; Daisy Edgar-Jones and Alison Steadman! I also really enjoyed the story and loved that Eileen started her Silver Shoreditch Social Club to fight loneliness of the elderly in a big city like London. It’s a topic society needs to acknowledge and talk about.
As a light read I can wholeheartedly recommend The Switch!