I've read the book already, so really enjoyed the audiobook version too. Beth O'leary is fast becoming an automatic read for me.

After enjoying Beth O’Leary’s first novel, The Flatshare, and it quickly becoming one of my favourite books of the year, I was excited to read/listen to The Switch.

Although I definitely enjoyed the story and definitely liked the choices of Alison Steadman and Daisy Edgar-Jones to narrate, I didn’t connect with it the same way as The Flatshare but I am not totally sure why.

The Switch is an easy to read/easy to listen book with some endearing and wonderful characters, although somewhat stereotypical at times.

I love that Beth O’Leary does not shy away from difficult topics but is able to write about them sensitively but realistically without skirting around the subject. She did it fantastically in The Flatshare with gaslighting and in The Switch with grief.

I will without a doubt be reading/listening to Beth’s future books.

The Switch was a charming book with a new twist in the women's literature genre. Leena is ordered to take two months leave from work. She visits her grandmother Eileen, and the two hatch a plan to swap homes for the two months. Leena leaves behind her friends and boyfriend in London, and Eileen leaves Yorkshire to hunt for love.

So many books in this genre focus on younger women-usually under 35. It was so refreshing to see an author include an older woman and tell portions of the story from Eileen's perspective. Eileen is an active, vibrant woman in her 70s, whose husband has left her. She does not believe she will find love in her hometown, so moving to London and venturing into internet dating is extremely appealing to her. I found Eileen a delightful character. Her warmness and vitality are palpable. Leena spends time in her grandmother's home following Eileen's schedule. Leena threw herself into her work after the death of her sister, so much of what we see of Leena is a reawakening of sorts-she has to spend time with herself and deal with her emotions. Leena also works on her relationship with her mother while there, as a rift arose after the death of her sister. I felt like there was so much growth in her character throughout the story and I enjoyed the ride.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan audio for providing an advance audiobook.

Lena is a smart up in coming professional woman who has totally lost it. After a devastating pitch to a new client is met with an anxiety attack Lena learns she has to take a sabbatical. So she goes to see her grandmother whom she was named after. In her grandmothers kitchen over tea and her tasks book they come up with the scheme To switch lives

One will to to Lindon and one will stay in the small town and take over her grandmothers What follows is how life goes on after death and grief is done differently by all however in the end you end up being the person you are meant to be.
This is a great book, I did the audio version and the narration was so great filled with the the right voices for each character. Can not recommend enough.

LOVED LOVED LOVEED!!!!! Beth writes so poetically, it flows so well that you really feel the emotions of the characters, and the book is beyond entertaining. I’m SO happy I was able to get this advanced audio to listen to and provide feedback for. I can’t wait for beths next book! She’s become a go to author for me.

I loved the audio for this book! It made for a lovely commute. Beth O’ Leary’s books are just the right amount of cheesy romance without being over the top. This was my first NetGalley audio book, so thank you NetGalley!

Thank you to Netgalley and the author for the review copy via audiobook!

This was such a cute contemporary novel. The author did a great job writing such a cute plot and story. It was so much fun to read their story. I loved reading as Eileen and Leena find their place in the world. This book reminded me of the movie "The Holiday" with Cameron Diaz & Kate Winslet. It did have some emotional spots in the book for me so it drew me in more on those spots. Great job author!

I highly recommend this read!

Cant get enough of British rom-coms, Beth O'Leary does it again. I loved The Flatshare and The Switch is just a brilliant. The narrators of this audiobook truly brought the story to life. Two thumbs up from me. If you're looking for a sweet listen, this is a book for you.

I enjoyed the audio version of this book. The book held my attention andI thought the story was sweet.

I really enjoyed this story. It was a sweet RomCom although more women’s lit than romance. Some really entertaining characters that I loved getting to meet.

“These people, there’s such fierceness to them, such a lovingness. I thought their lives were small and silly but I was wrong. They’re some of the biggest people I know.”

I now want a bracelet that says “WWECD” What Would Eileen Cotton Do!!!
I loved listening to this on audiobook and enjoyed the narration.
-4.5 Stars-
#NetGalley

The Switch was such fun! It was hilarious at times, emotional at others, and overall a great read. Eileen is so feisty, and I hope that I’m just like her when I’m that age. Some of the things that came out of her mouth made my jaw drop. It was glorious.

Though I wasn’t wowed or blown away, The Switch did not disappoint as a comfort read! Even during the more emotional parts, the overall tone was light-hearted. And I can’t get over how much it made me laugh! It was charming and uplifting, and I recommend it to anyone needing a bit of a break from life.

I enjoyed this charming little read! I found it predictable but the thing i loved most was how calming the narrator was. Thank you for this story and for my copy!

For fans of 'The Flatshare', Beth O'Leary's writing will feel familiar. The story is simple, predictable, and calming to listen to. The dual perspectives are distinct, but neither brings anything too exciting to the table (the very opposite of a fast-paced story). Overall, this was not an unpleasant reading experience, but was not one that I'd repeat any time soon.

Leena is a bit of a workaholic. After her sister’s passing, she was so closed to a mental breakdown that was ordered to take 2 months off work.
Eileen just recently divorced and is set on rediscovering life and taking a long due adventure in search of her next big love.
Leena soon ends up in a tiny Yorkshire village dealing with the myriad of responsibilities her grandma took over in town, and Aileen ends up in London trying online dating for the very first time.

The Holiday (movie) done with your grandma. I read the synopsis and I couldn’t stop myself. I normally find old people really cute and I haven’t read that many stories with 80 year olds as protagonists. I was immediately sold!

Eileen is the coolest lady ever. She may not fit in London instantly, but she’s an intrepid woman who won’t stop. She loves lists and meddling but only with good intentions! It’s no surprise that just a couple of days in London she’s already trying to fix her flatmates' lives as her secret project, because juggling several men at once it seems to not be enough.

Leena’s breakdown has more depth than it initially appears and moving closer to her mom forces her to deal with unsolved issues and rethink what her life is really about. Both ladies go through introspective journey’s that help them grow, but Leena goes through the biggest change.

That small town has your typical picturesque, close-knit community, where everyone knows everyone else (picture - Stars Hollow from Gilmore Girls) The struggles Leena goes through with her new elderly and not so elderly neighbors are so very amusing. All secondary characters are very diverse, real, well built.

The love interests are not that surprising, maybe Aileen’s has a bit of a fun twist, but you can see signs from the very beginning. But it’s the journey that counts, right?

As a whole, a really heartwarming and enjoyable read, with a really upbeat and fun writing style. I’ll be sure to check out the author’s other works.

Leena lives in London while her Grandmother Eileen lives in Yorkshire and both are still reeling after Leena’s sisters death. Leena screws up a work presentation and is asked to take a leave from work to recover. The two decide to switch locations for Leena’s leave and get a new perspective.

While her sister’s death is always part of the story and somber, it’s a nice story about changing perspectives. With a little bit of romance and some self discovery, even for Elaine at 70, it is an enjoyable story.

And listening to the audiobook, both narrators are superb.

The Switch, a contemporary British work, follows Leena and her grandmother, Eileen, as they swap places for a month. The premise is reminiscent of The Holiday, and was super charming. Leena needs to get away from her stressful work life, and after being put on sabbatical, she agrees to switch locations with her grandmother who is seeking some fresh candidates for dating after ending a lengthy marriage with her husband.

I indulged in the audiobook version of this novel and enjoyed the charm of the separate narrators for the two main characters. Although there are not any huge surprises in the book, it was a light, easy read that is perfect for this time of year.

Thanks to Netgalley, Beth O’Leary and Macmillan Audio for the audiobook.

I loved The Flatshare, I was beyond excited for Th Switch to come out. I really wish I would have read the book instead of doing audio. I think the narrators is what stopped me from giving it a 4 star rating. I like the characters and the plot, but I had so much difficulty getting over the narrators voices, that I truly struggled to enjoy the story.

I absolutely loved listening to this audiobook! I have heard so many good things about Beth O'Leary's work from friends and other reviewers on Bookstagram and Goodreads and <i> The Switch </i> did not disappoint. It was a very easy five star read, as it had just the right about of seriousness to go with the cheesiness of the premise. Leena and her grandmother, Eileen, switch places for about 2 months -- Eileen goes to live Leena's life in London, and Leena moves to her grandmother's small town cottage. They each find a certain type of adventure in their new life.

I found this story to be character driven, but I would also consider the small town (I don’t know how to spell it, as I didn’t physically read this book) its own character. This did not both me at all, as I generally prefer my audiobooks to be more character driven than plot driven. Also, <i> The Switch </i> contained some of my absolute favorite tropes (small town guy/big city girl, anyone?), so if you want a sweet, character driven read or listen this is definitely a book for you.

Content warnings: death in the family, domestic abuse

I will also be posting a review on my Instagram: @lphreads and will update my feedback to include that when I post it.

Eileen lives in Yorkshire, and Leena, her granddaughter, lives in London. Eileen is freshly divorced, and Leena blew it at work on a big project. Escaping from the big city, Leena heads to quiet Yorkshire to visit Eileen, and they commiserate over their separate yet terrible woes. After some chat, they realize that what they really need is a little life swap. Leena will stay in Yorkshire, and Eileen will enjoy London's charms for two months. It seems like the most perfect of plans, and the girls set off to their new lives that may yield life-changing happiness. Of course, even the most perfect of plans comes with a few wrenches, and the two soon find that swapping lives isn't as easy as swiping left (or was that right?). Sometimes what it takes to open our eyes is to view the world through somebody's else's, and often what we really need is closer to home than we imagine.

Life swaps are certainly enjoyable. Who doesn't love The Parent Trap? Of course, in The Switch, magical hijinks aren't quite afoot, and the real magic is the change in perspective once these two ladies step outside their comfort zones. Eileen is a real hoot of a lady, and I hope I keep her same vigor for life when I am as mature as she is! Leena deals with some typical twenty-something problems, though I liked that being away from home forced her to confront them in a way that was unusual for her. I read The Switch in audiobook format, and I really enjoyed the different narrators for Eileen and Leena, and there was obvious effort put into the production. The Switch isn't exactly groundbreaking, but it is a laid-back tale of self-discovery that transcends generations and asks not for these women to be perfect, but allows them to explore, to stretch their expectations and capabilities, and offers them a chance to change their life into something they can live with and love for a long time to come.

❣️Genre❣️Women’s Fiction, Contemporary Romance

❣️Premise❣️ A non-fantastical Freaky Friday-esque novel in which 20-something year old Leena and her namesake 79 year old Eileen switch lives. In the midst of a tragic loss, both Eileens need space from and perspective of their current lifestyles.

❣️Narration❣️ Unfortunately, you can hear the narrator’s saliva when she changes accents and pauses, which is very off-putting to me. I probably would have opted for the physical text over the audio in this case.

❣️Thoughts❣️I absolutely loved the sweet grandmother-granddaughter relationship: too cute for words.

❣️Thoughts❣️If you are having a chick-lit itch, this will definitely scratch it: it is sweet, smart, and witty.