Leena lives a fast paced life in the city while her grandmother, Eileen, lives a more relaxed country life. Or so they think. When the two decide to change lives for a bit, they are surprised by what they learn about each other’s lives.

I loved the mix of characters in both settings and how the two ladies learn to be more accepting and appreciative of each other.

There were some predictable parts, but overall this was a very enjoyable read.

This was my first audiobook with Netgalley and I'm happy that I get to start with this one!

I read Flatshare by Beth O'Leary in just a few hours and immediately went searching for her next book and I was not disappointed! You know I love the feel-good stories to distract from what's going on in the world right now and this was exactly that!

I loved the voice actors in this book and I just really felt like they helped bring the characters to life. I will absolutely be re-reading this book in the form of a hard copy, because that's how much I loved it!

**Thanks to NetGalley & Macmillian Audio for a copy of the audiobook**

The Switch is one of my favorites reads this year. I loved the characters and the storyline so much that I'm still thinking about them and wondering what they are up to!

Leena Cotton is an overworked project manager dealing with the death of her sister. She is suddenly faced with a two month leave from her job and she doesn't quite know what to do with herself. She comes up with the idea to swap lives, homes, schedules and even phones with her grandmother.

The characters are so fleshed out that it doesn't take long to fall in love with each of them and their friends (most of them anyways). This book would make a great movie.

The characters of this book was what hooked me. Grandma eileen was the best. she was very charismatic. The audiobook version was great really swept me into the lives of the characters.

This was my first ever audiobook. I thought the story flowed well and kept me interested. I liked the fact that the two parts were read by different people but felt they could read their own speech in each others chapters. Overall a good book by a good author.

This is not a romance, but there are two romantic HEAs and I really enjoyed it. In need of a break from their lives, Leena and her grandmother Eileen decide to swap lives for two months. Leena moves to a tiny town and takes on all of Eileen's community responsibilities and nosy neighbors, while Eileen heads to London and makes friends, tries her hand at online dating, and generally shakes things up. The audio narration on this is excellent. The story is told in dual POV and they brought in two narrators, one audibly older than the other, to bring these two women to life. I'm sure I would have enjoyed the book in print, but this is one of those cases where the narrators really elevate the material.

A fun and heartwarming story that I can happily recommend.


Content Warnings: cheating partners (not MCs), references to ageism

Suzanne received a copy of this audiobook from the publisher for review.

Cheesy but enjoyable and not nearly as good as The Flatshare! I appreciated the different love stories, but overall, The Switch didn't wow me. The audio was the way to go though. I adored Eileen's narration and found myself cracking up several times.

This was my first ARC audiobook and I liked how the different voices were used for the two characters. This is definitely more women's fiction than romance but I still enjoyed the story. A lot of the plot points you cider coming a mile away but the characters in this book were so heartwarming that I didn't mind. The growth each went through was lovely to watch develop. The grandma in particular was a great character and really made the book.

I really wanted to love this book since I had heard so much hype about it but unfortunately it missed the mark. I really did enjoy the bits with grandmother and I probably would of loved the book more of it was just her.

Thank you Netgalley for a chance to listen to the audiobook in exchange for my review.

The Switch by Beth O’Leary was just as charming and delightful as The Flatshare. Leena is facing a bit of a crisis and ends up switching homes and lives with her grandmother. It turns out to be quite an adventure for both of them and I was happy to be along for the ride. I really enjoy O’Leary’s storylines and the real, flawed, but endearing characters. Audio is the way to go with Beth O’Leary books because the British accents in the narration make the story!

This was a delight to listen to! I really loved The Flatshare and was sold on this audiobook when I saw it was co-narrated by Daisy Edgar-Jones.

This was a sweet novel with unique characters. I felt it was a breath of fresh air in these uncertain times. I’m not sure I would have loved this book as much as I did if I had just read the book as opposed to listening to it. The two narrators brought not only their own characters but a whole cast of characters to life.

I will definitely recommend this as an audiobook. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my first audiobook to review.

If you have ever read a chick-lit book or watched a movie, you know pretty much right from the start how this will end.

A grandmother from a small English village changes homes and phones with her London-based granddaughter for two months. There are the requisite cranky neighbors, sketchy boyfriend, and hunky but distant men. Nothing new here, but it all worked and came together well. I listened to the audiobook version while working in the yard and it kept my interest enough that I continued indoors until it was finished.

Predictable, but cute.

I don’t even remember requesting this story, but I recently checked my shelf so I had to read it. This story was delightful! The narrators were amazing! It was like a family version of The Holiday. I loved the characters, felt their emotions, and was cheering for both of the MC ‘s to get their HEA in their own way. This was like women’s fiction/family story with romance. (Note: there was only an implied closed door scene). Even though I don’t remember requesting it, I’m glad I got it!

I received an audiobook ARC through Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

4,5/5

Leena Cotton has been going through a difficult time for the last several months, ever since her sister Carla died. She has difficulties managing her high profile consulting job in London. When she has a panic attack during an importing meeting, her boss sends her off on 2 month of obligatory leave. She decides to visit her grandmother Eileen Cotton in Hamley, who is 79, bored and looking for a second chance at love. They decide to switch lives for 2 months in order to get out of their slumps. Leena will look after Eileen’s projects in rural Yorkshire, while Eileen takes on the big city. What follows is an adventure filled with new friendships, love and a lot of valuable lessons.

I really loved this story. It’s told from both Leena’s and Eileen’s point of view, through alternating chapters. These 2 main characters are very well developed and easy to relate to. It doesn’t take long to get invested in them. Beth O’Leary also introduces the reader to a wide array of interesting side characters that are impossible not to love. The book has very nice pacing without any slow parts. Its filled with a lot of heartwarming moments, sad moments, happy moments and never loses its credibility throughout. I loved learning about the Cotton family dynamics and seeing their relationships evolve throughout the story.

The audiobook was narrated by British actresses Alison Steadman (Eileen) and Daisy Edgar-Jones (Leena). Their voices match the characters perfectly, which adds to the story and makes it even more relatable. This really brought the story to life! Eileen reminded me of your typical grandma :-) It also made it very easy to follow the story and to keep the characters apart. The pacing was well adjusted and made the audiobook flow nicely, never a dull moment in sight.

I recommend this (audio)book to everyone who loves heartwarming feel-good novels featuring strong friendships, family dynamics, small town life and cute romances.

I loved The Switch! It’s the perfect mix of charming and serious with really great life reminders sprinkled in. The narrators for the audio book are fantastic! They make me feel like I’m sitting in the living room and hanging out with the characters. I honestly think doing this one as an audiobook is one one the reasons why I’m loving it so much. It makes me think I need to go back and try The Flatshare on audio, too!

This is just the right book for those looking for a light modern romance. It centres around heavy themes like grief, depression and betrayal, but it actually never delves deep enough into these emotions to make the story heavy or hopeless. It’s perfect for readers looking for a bit of an escape.

I listened to the audiobook version of this book, and enjoyed listening to those great British accents. The narrator who read Eileen’s part was excellent at making all of her characters sound unique and different. However, the narrator who read Leena’s chapters seemed to struggle with keeping voices other than Leena’s consistently varied. For example, I often couldn’t tell the difference between Jackson and Leena. Even the senior characters and Leena’s mom sounded very similar to Leena at times, It wasn’t jarring enough to ruin the story, though. It just made things a little confusing to follow at times.

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan for providing me with a copy of the audiobook version of The Switch by Beth O’Leary.

Thank you so much to the publisher and Netgalley for the audiobook of this novel! This novel discusses heavy topics and themes but it is also hopeful and happy and includes some romance! I fell for O’Leary’s writing in The Flatshare and her writing and characters are just as wonderful in The Switch. I highly recommend it!
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CW: death of a family member in their young 20s from cancer, discussions of cancer treatments, discussions and experiences of grief, panic attack, cheating, strained mother/daughter relationship.
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The Switch features two perspectives. Leena (in her 20s) and her grandmother Eileen ( in her 70s). Leena has thrown herself into her work after her sisters death. After having a panic attack at work she is given a mandatory sabbatical and goes to visit her grandmother in her small Yorkshire village. Eileen is newly single after her husband has left her for another woman. She is wanting to date again but isn’t too thrilled with the prospects in her little village. Leena proposes that they switch houses for the duration of her sabbatical; Leena will live in her grandmother’s house and Eileen will give online dating a go in London living in Leena’s flat with her roommates.
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This novel has themes of living through grief, anger and resentment, repairing relationships and being true to yourself. It centres around family, found family, friendships and finding new adventures! I hope you pick this wonderful book up!
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The audiobook was wonderful! There were different narrators for Leena and Eileen. One really cool aspect of the audiobook is the way they recorded and performed the phone calls! I loved both the audiobook format.

Delightful. This is exactly the kind of book I love: female characters who are strong but flawed and a little broken. The miscommunications and misunderstandings of real life and real relationships. I loved every character. I chuckled with them and hurt with them. I loved the grandmother-granddaughter dynamic, just as much as the mother daughter dynamic. Just the right amounts of smiles and heartbreak to leave the reader always coming back for more.

As for the audio narrators, I thought they were perfect. The right amount of charm and emotion. They really felt like Eileen and Leena.
The quality of the audiobook, though, felt a little lacking. Sometimes the sound was tinney and almost hurt my ears. And I think the audio editing could have been better, filling out some of the excess noises (like narrator swallows...I know that’s only human, but it does almost tear away from being submerged in the story).

I can’t wait to read more from this author and pick up The Flatshare.

This is a super cute story of a grandmother and her granddaughter both needing a change/break from their regular lives. It is a cute story about finding your way and yourself again, after you've suffered great tragedy. It is about finding your voice and realizing that life is always worth living.

It's a well done audio where the narrator did an excellent job portraying each character's voices. It felt incredibly real and was one I don't think I would've read if I hadn't listened to it.

I couldn't quite get into this book. The first impression based on the blurb and cover is much more lighthearted than the actual story felt to me. Leena suffers from serious anxiety after losing her sister and dealing with this grief is front and center of the story and its atmosphere.

The audiobook production was fantastic though and I enjoyed the narration by Daisy Edgar-Jones and Alison Steadman very much. Their voices fit the characters perfectly!