AUDIOBOOK REVIEW of THE SWITCH BY BETH O'LEARY

The Switch is such a sweet, wholesome read about the struggles of grief and loss. It’s relatable in that everyone, no matter what age or stage of life, goes through grief and loss. Whether it be death or divorce, it hurts and it affects every part of your world.

Leena, a workaholic living in avoidance of her pain and loss, has a panic attack at work and is forced to take a two month sabbatical. Eileen, Leena’s grandmother, is recently divorced, lonely and in search of new love or at least a little excitement in her life. Both being in a bit of a rut and disappointed with circumstances, they decide to trade lives for the two months.

It was touching to follow the fulfilling journey of Leena and Eileen as they took on new challenges, met new people, had new experiences, confronted pain and loss, and ultimately found forgiveness, acceptance and love.

If you’re looking for a ‘pick me up’ story about women, young and old alike, this book is just for you.

Thank you Netgalley, Macmillan Audio, and author, Beth O'Leary, for an audiobook copy of The Switch, Narrated by Alison Steadman and Daisy Edgar-Jones, in exchange for an honest review. All opinions herein are my own.

RECENTLY PUBLISHED DATE: August 18, 2020

I thought this was a cute book about the need for everyone, young and old, to find themselves and their support systems in family and friends. The book started out slow as it built the foundation for two stories and I found the narration slow, but once I adjusted the narration speed, it was great! The storyline was sweet even if it was a bit predictable at times.

This was my first ever audiobook and I can say I will definitely be listening to more! This was a great story. I laughed and I cried. The narration was perfect as well. I highly recommend both the book and the audiobook!

A twenty-something year-old woman and her grandma in her seventies switch places and lives. Leena has a high-stress job and is forced to take a sabbatical, so she goes to Yorkshire. Eileen is looking for love again, but her tiny village is short on single older men. What happens when they switch houses is about letting go of the past, enjoying the present, and embracing the future. Charming and delightful as an audiobook!

Thanks to NetGalley for the Advanced Listening Copy!!!

4.5 stars
This was just such a cute book. It was heartbreaking and heartwarming, adorable and funny.
I loved both Leena and Eileen. They were 100% grandmother and granddaughter. Leena getting back to her roots after Carla's death was equal parts sad and uplifting and hopeful. Her getting to know all her grandmother's friends was so much fun. I had a blast reading about an older generation. Eileen finding love on an online dating site was a hoot. It was so great that she wanted to put herself out there and actually "date" a few men.
It actually took me a little while to get into the book, but I ended up so completely invested in both storylines and the ending was wonderful. The entire book is basically focused on Carla's death, but it isn't directly alluded too all that much which I liked. I thought it was dealt with so well and in such a believable way. Leena, her mom and Eileen all dealt with it differently, which is absolutely true. They each pushed people away or held on too tightly and didn't know how to heal.
Even though the underlying theme was sad, the overall effect was just a feel good, heartwarming book and I really enjoyed listening to it.

Thank you NetGalley, Flatiron Books and Beth O’Leary for the advance readers copy of The Switch. No spoilers below.

I throughly enjoyed this book. If you are looking for a light joyful quick read, pick up this book. The basis of the story is a grandmother and granddaughter recovering from the death of a granddaughter/sister decide to switch living places for two months. During those months they both rediscover themselves.

Have you ever wanted to just switch lives with someone? How about switching with your grandma? Think its going to be all tea times and reading? Leena Cotton did. She thought living her grandma Eileen's life would be a breeze..
What about Eileen? Could she really live the busy city life that Leena does?

The Switch was by far the best audio book I have read yet. The narrators for Leena and Eileen were spot on and gave me the perfect mental picture of the women. Their performance were full of emotion that you could hear in their voices, making it more real and believable. It was like listening to a movie, and I got to pick the actors in my mind.

I'm not a reader that picks actors that should play the characters, if the book ever makes it to screen. I like making my own mental picture. BUT with this book I did choose a cast. I can see Diane Keeton as Eileen. I feel she could completely take on the roll of the spitfire grandma who meddles! For Leena I kept picturing Emma Watson. She's adorable, but can be serious, which is exactly who Leena is. Oh and I chose Jack Nickelson for Arnold, because he is grouchy and hilarious. This book better become a movie.

I found this book to be delightful and hilarious. Perfect Rom Com material. Eileen stole the show for me. Her take on the world attitude was awesome. She's a lot like my own grandma, who is extremely active and refuses to age. I love how she wasnt afraid to connect with the younger generation as a friend and equal, not just a little old lady. I want to be Eileen when I grow up.
Leena's character is the perfect example of the overachiever and workaholic youth. Everyone needs a break sometime, to refuel and clean out the crap in our minds. I love that she went to her grandmas instead of flying to a remote island to unwind. All she needed was community and support, and apparently hot chocolate.

The Switch is a book you gift to your best friend, or even your grandma. It was such a nice change and made me smile the whole time.

The premise of The Switch was so fun and unique that I could not wait to read. I am happy to say that the book did not disappoint and the narration was excellent. The Switch is about a grandmother and her granddaughter essentially swapping residences for a couple months because they both need a reset. What ensues is not entirely unpredictable, but it is refreshing and heartwarming. O’Leary handled the issues of grief and isolation expertly, while maintaining a light and easy feel to the story. I am a fan and am eagerly awaiting her next book.

Thank you @netgalley and @macmillan.audio for my free copy of The Switch. This book was so fun and sweet!
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I adored the Flatshare last year and I adored The Switch. This is putting O'Leary in auto buy status for me. I also feel compelled to use the the word 'daft' in conversation after listening to this audiobook. Such a fun word!
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The story centers around country grandmother Eileen and city granddaughter Leena, both of whom are in need of a change. They decide to switch living arrangements - a la The Holiday - and our story unfolds from there. Told from alternating points of view, we follow along with the ups and downs of such a plan. The characters are endearing, especially the older cast. Eileen, full of spunk, was definitely my favorite!
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The audiobook book narration is spot on. For me it added to the charm of the story. I found myself smiling uncontrollably while listening in the car! People driving by must have thought I was being daft!
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Very predictable novel although I enjoyed the book. The narrator for Eileen was very annoying to listen to due to accessory mouth noises (too much spit), which was very distracting. Also felt the parts that showed a telephone conversation between Leena and Eileen were very hard to hear without blasting the volume. Just seems like the audiobook could have been cleaned up before distribution.

This book brought nothing but pure joy from beginning to end! I seriously loved it, it was so precious! It was heartfelt, effortlessly hilarious, and had a cast of wonderful characters that will stay with me for a long time... Especially Eileen, Leena's 79 year old grandma who absolutely rocks!
The book captures rural village life beautifully, along side the hussle and bussle of London. The author tackles unconventional friendships, complicated family dynamics and major life events with care and wit resulting in me cackling like a crazy person every other chapter while simultaneously poking me in the feels, repeatedly.

The Switch has what I'd class as background romance but it isn't really a romance book... It's a book about relationships in all the forms they come. A book about finding yourself, being true to yourself and the bonds you have with other people. (But it does come with a lovely happy ever after, so don't fear!)

I listened to The Switch on audiobook and I don't think I could read it any other way now... The narrators (one for Eileen, one for Leena) did a knockout job of bringing Leena and Eileen to life, not to mention the other characters, and I highly recommend taking it in in this format for an extra helping of wonderful from this wonderfully special book.

Thank you to Net Galley for the opportunity to listen to this audio book. The narrators did a fantastic job. I don’t often do audio books, because I become distracted easily and miss parts of the book. But this one really held my attention. The 2 main characters were delightful, especially the grandma, Eileen. Enjoyed hearing the change in voices from grandmother to granddaughter. Had a little difficulty with the British words but quickly got used to what they meant. The humor was in all the right places. Grandma was especially good at the humorous comments and ways of looking at life. I also thought the author did a great job of bringing in many friends of the granddaughter’s when Grandma moved into her granddaughter’s apartment in London. It was fun to see friendships develop between young and old. Both Eileen and Leena, the granddaughter, had events in their lives that needed healing. The switch in location helped each of them grow and heal. There were no mysteries solved or terrible secrets revealed in the book, just a fun, character driven story of getting through some of the ups and downs of life when you’re in your 20s and when you’re in your 70s.

This was such a cute book! I loved the characters, the plot was fast and engaging, and the different points of view perfectly depicted what each character was experiencing. Thanks to the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for my opinion.

Leena has an anxiety attack at work and is given two months paid vacation. Through a short series of events, she and her grandmother, Eileen, decide to switch homes for that time. Leena goes to the country and Eileen to the city. Both learn about themselves and those closest to them.
Opinion
I listened to the audiobook. The narrators, Alison Steadman and Daisy Edgar-Jones, did a superb job. I enjoyed their accents and the special effects such as a tunnel sound effect when they were on the phone.
The story was completely charming. The characters grew into their own strength, offering advice to others all the while improving themselves. In both the city and country, the interactions with family and friends made the story. The interactions showed how similar the two ladies are to each other. Both ladies found what they were looking for but weren’t expecting.
This is a truly lovely story.

Super enjoyed this idea of switching with your grandma your lives in a way. London vs the rural life. Two months in each others places and duties. Loved the duel POV (the narration of this is just wonderful). The chapters switch as well so we get both sides of the story. Loved the grandma in this one soooo much!! Some of the side characters are just super funny. There is drama, family past history, sister death, grief, bad boyfriends, and noisy old neighbors. Happy and sad tears with this one.

I really enjoyed the writing of this one with the story line of these two. Not much steam in this one- the grandma has more :)

Narration is with British actors which just makes this so real and holds your attention.
Overall, 4.5 stars and .5/1 steam

Light hearted read with serious topics weaved throughout. I loved the grandmother/granddaughter relationship and the experiences they had walking in one another's shoes. The narrators in this audio book were great. A very enjoyable, easy, feel-good read.

This is an adorable book about reconnecting with family and oneself. I loved the grandmother's point of view. The setting is quaint and cozy. I would recommend if you are in the mood for a heartfelt and cozy story.

This was a fun, light-hearted novel, following the stories of Leena and Eileen, granddaughter and grandmother who are both looking for their place in life when unexpected events occur. They decide to switch places, one looking for adventure and one looking for tranquility and both soon find experiences they had never imagined. While a little predictable at times, it was a fun, quick read. I personally love books that take place in England, due to recent travel there, so that helped boost my rating just a tad. ;)

What an adorable book! Just loved it.

We have two very different (maybe not) women, a grandmother, Eileen and her granddaughter, Leena needing a change.

Leena's sister, Carla passed away from cancer a few months back. This has left Leena feeling a terrible loss, her grief is consuming her and she is struggling at work. After having a panic attack during one of her presentations to a big client, her boss tells her to take two months off to relax.

Leena decides to visit the town her grandmother and mother lived in. This is also where Carla spent the last few months of her life. It's hard for Leena to visit her mother's home especially since Leena has not dealt with her grief and she's estranged from her mother.

Eileen is an active 79-year-old woman. She lives in Yorkshire. She is part of the community and helps everyone she can. Her husband walked out on her a few years back and she would like to find some male company. She is thinking of starting dating but she knows the pool of men in her age group is scarce in her town.

Then, Leena has a bright idea. Why don't they swap lives? Eileen should go to London, stay with her roommates and start dating while Leena stays in Yorkshire to help with all the activities her grandmother participates in and also to check on her mother.

Easy peasy, right?

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The audio was fantastic. A job well done by both Daisy Edgar-Jones and Alison Steadman as the narrators.

Now in regards to the novel, I can honestly say that I adored these characters. Eileen was superb. Her parts were probably my favorite ones. She was classy, funny, interesting, helpful, a good friend and a great grandmother.

Leena was fun too. In the beginning, she was a mess but once she starts finding out more about herself, the stronger she became. I also love her romance with Jackson and her friendship with Arnold.

Kudos to Beth O'Leary for creating a cute story with memorable characters!

Cliffhanger: No

4/5 Fangs

A complimentary copy was provided by Macmillan Audio via NetGalley Shelf in exchange for an honest review.

‘The Switch’ was one of the best audiobooks I’ve listened to in ages. The two narrators were perfect in reading out the voices of Eileen - a grandmother from a small English country town- and Leena -the granddaughter from London. The story follows both characters as they swap houses for two months and step into very different communities. The fast paced London life of Leena gives a glimpse into strength and creativity that Eileen never knew she had or at least now re-discovers. And Leena’s return to her country town home uncovers blemishes in the fast city future she has mapped out for herself. I felt like I was listening to a type of Bridget Jones diary but with more heart and less smut. Beth O’Leary is able to switch effortless between the two characters from different generations, skillfully using appropriate vocabulary and mannerisms. This audiobook was a relaxing escape and thoroughly enjoyable.