What a delightful book! I fell in love with The Flatshare, so I had high expectations for this one. The Switch did not disappoint. Eileen and Leena are strong women who grow even stronger in the book. They have their faults, but they are so relatable! The audio was very pleasant and easy to follow as well.

I will definitely be recommending this book to anyone who needs a breath of fresh air. Absolutely lovely!

Thank you netgalley for this audiobook! I absolutely loved this audiobook. The Switch follows Eileen, a 79 year old who switches lives with her granddaughter (and namesake) Leena. Leena is living a very busy lifestyle in London with a fast paced job, a loving boyfriend, and wonderful friends. However, after her boss tells her to take a 2 week vacation she finds herself out in the country taking over her grandmothers life! At first I thought this book was going to be a freaky Friday situation, but I loved that it wasn’t! Eileen and Leena both got to experience a life that they currently were not and grow from that experience. They each leave their own mark on the communities they visit! #theswitch #netgalley

The Switch was a delightful, uplifting listen. The narrators were phenomenal and the editing was fantastic. The story itself was a little predictable but if it hadn’t been I would have been disappointed. I’d give it a 3.75 stars!

I rarely ever read feel-good novels about familial ties and actually enjoy reading them but I truly enjoyed this book! It was light and sweet and had just the right dose of grandmother my love tied into it. This book made me miss my grandparents; I wish I had a better relationship with them before they passed.
I don't usually listen to audiobooks but I'm glad I picked this up... This helped pass the time during my commute and the narrators in this specific audiobook did an amazing job!

Loved this book. The audio was great, the voices very well done. I like that even though Lena is suffering from grief she isn't portrayed as being weak or easily intimidated, or wallowing in self pity. I love her grandmother! She's spunky and full of life. The 'switch' is such a fun concept that's very realistic and results in fun escapades. It has sadness without being depressing, romance without being cheesy, and plenty of self growth, healing, and finding family in unexpected places. It's also a great reminder to really live in the place that you live, reach out to those around you, and know your neighbors.

What an absolutely charming book! I loved every moment of this story. I particularly loved Eileen's POV chapters. She is so sweet, nosy, and laugh out loud funny. (Seriously, I was laughing out loud in public while listening and walking my dog every morning.) Beth O'Leary wrote all of the village residents with such humor and the dialogue just perfectly captured their relationships with each other. There are some sad aspects to the storyline, such as the loss of a sibling and a break-up, but it is woven in with the adventures of Leena and Eileen so it is an overall light-hearted, fun read.

The production value of this audiobook was top notch. I enjoy audiobooks that have two narrators, but this production went above and beyond by including a voice filter to make it sound like characters were actually speaking to each other on the phone. Alison Steadman and Daisy Edgar-Jones are amazing voice actors. The emotion and natural pauses in their narration are what tipped this rating up to 5 stars.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for access to the free audiobook in exchange for an honest review!

I’m not that big into audiobooks, but every once in a while I listen to one that I absolutely love and for me that was The Switch. The narrators were amazing and brought so much to the story.

The Switch was the perfect kind of book for a rainy day. It was very cozy. I loved the characters and the small town setting. I loved the writing. I think what I loved most was how this book made me feel. It’s about second chances, and it never being to late to change your life.

The Switch is one of my favorite books that I read this year. I highly recommended it.

Eileen Cotton and her granddaughter, Lena Cotton, decide to switch living spaces for a little while. There are great characters and some really good laughs throughout. I listened to the book on audio though and did not care for the narrators, which sort of ruined the book for me. I don't really care for audiobooks where you hear the narrators take deep breaths all the time (kind of like in the Elton John book). Starred reviews from Booklist and Kirkus. I suspect this one would work better if one read it, instead of listening to it. This was the first audiobook I listened to from Netgalley and I really appreciate that they are providing this option now!

I've recently enjoyed some of these fun, summery romances and this one sounded cute, so though it's my first experience with this author, I thought that I would give it a try! The premise is cute - Leena, named for her grandmother, Eileen, is still reeling after the death of her sister. When her consulting firm forces her to take some time off, she soon hatches a plan with her grandmother. Eileen had always wanted to live in London, and so the two swap lives for the duration. Leena agrees to take on her grandmother's responsibilities in her small village and Eileen, newly single, looks forward to meeting eligible London men.

Unfortunately, I just never found myself enjoying this one quite as much as I had hoped to... it moves a bit slowly and the projects that each woman takes on never really captured my interest very much. It's a cute enough story - though I was surprised to find myself enjoying Eileen's half of it more than Leena's - but nothing unpredictable at all ever happens.

The two audio performers do a good job - and I especially enjoyed the voice of Eileen. I am glad that there were two performers, and while I never disliked this one, I just never felt all that driven to keep listening to it at every opportunity.

I listened to the audiobook. Everyone was raving about this book to the point where I thought I was missing out. I liked following Lena and Eileen’s journey as they navigated their way through grief and to their own happy endings, but this book did not pull me in. It was slower paced and I had to convince myself to keep listening. I loved the two different narrators but it did have some issues. I found if I sped up Eileen’s part and listened to Lena’s part at the normal pace it was better. It was kind of annoying to toggle back and forth but I was less impatient during Eileen’s part once I sped it up. The only other problem I had was when I tried to listen in my car. Lena’s s’es were harsh and almost shrill. It hurt my ears to listen to and I just had to quit listening while driving. I was going to give it 3 stars, but deducted 1 for language and a couple scenes that I had no desire to listen to.

I'm going to rate this 4 stars even though I could only get through 1/4 of the book.

Not sure why, but the audio version was not working for me. It sounded muffled, like a robot, and was hard to listen on speed 2 and just way too slow at a slower speed.

I'm not going to give up on this though and will read the physical book because I'm very curious how this turns out. But audiobook was a no for me. Unless I got a bad copy somehow (not sure that's possible, but maybe?) it just didn't work for me.

Can I compare this book to my cat? I want to because both are warm, cuddly, and super adorable.
I decided to read this specifically because I wanted a simple, feel-good story and it was perfect for that.

I really enjoyed Leena's half of the book. She's fun and feisty. And I thought the author did a great job portraying her grief over her sister and anger at her mother in a positive and endearing way. It also gave the book more depth than I was expecting.

I also liked Eileen, and appreciate the qualities her character represented. I did find that 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦𝘴 she was a bit 𝘵𝘰𝘰 𝘮𝘶𝘤𝘩 and that, at times, it bordered on gimmicky.

Also, this was my first time listening to an audiobook! Once I stopped over thinking it I fell completely into the story. It was great! I could listen while doing chores. I listened a little bit at work 🤫, I even listened while reading a different book off my Kindle. Joking about that last one!! My brain hurts just to imagining doing that!!!

Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to read this book.

This was such a charming, heartfilled book that talks about grief, finding yourself and friendship. I absolutely loved the duel perspectives of this audiobook. This book reminded me so much of the movie The Holiday, which is one of my favorite movies ever!

This book is about a twenty-nine year old workaholic named Leena and her seventy-nine year old grandmother switching lives for two weeks after Leena is made to go on a two week sabbatical from her job. Leena is forced back into her home town and her old life after her sister's death. Eileen makes home in Leena's town and quickly learns about online dating and makes friend easily.

My favorite chapters were by far Eileen's chapters. I haven't laughed out loud while reading a book in a really long time. I love that this book focused on Eileen's love life just as much as Leena's love life. It was such a great read about a family that is grieving, but also finding a way to rekindle their love for each other as well. I also loved that this book has two different types of romances: an enemies to lovers and a second-chance romance. Such a good read! Highly recommend!!

Thank you, Libro.fm, NetGalley, and MacMillian Audio for an ALC of this book!

Every once in a while a book comes along that is just the salve you needed. The Switch, by Beth O'Leary, is one such book. As a big fan of O'Leary's book, The Flatshare, I was eager to read The Switch and it did not disappoint.

This story chronicles grandmother (Eileen) and her grown granddaughter (Leena) as they "swap lives"...Eileen to Leena's life in London, and Leena to her grandmother's life in tiny Yorkshire village. The result is a charming and endearing story of two women facing new challenges, new loves, and unlikely friendships.

Unlike The Flatshare, I would say The Switch is less of a romantic comedy, and more of a family story focusing on two strong women gaining their confidence back in different areas. In addition, it touches on grief and how the loss of a family member truly can change the trajectory of a life, especially when no one is really ready to face their true feelings.

If you are looking for an easy and entertaining read/listen, definitely pick up The Switch. The narrator's performance is spot on and adds so much to the story as well!

<i>arc provided by the publisher via netgalley in exchange for an honest review</i>

I’m going to start off this review with saying how much I loved both narrators! They both did such an amazing job and I am so thankful that I was able to listen to this audiobook via netgalley! I highly recommend going the audiobook route with this book!

As for the story, this was another book that I had no idea what it was about beyond knowing my love for Beth O’Leary’s writing. They really know how to write such wonderful characters that feel so so real.

This story was laced with grief, romance and family and I really enjoyed every aspect of it. This had me giggling one moment and crying the next. I also really enjoyed that this story was about our two main characters rediscovering themselves and that romance was not the main focus of this book at all.

I will warn you though that if you’re sensitive to stories about cancer and losing someone to it, I wouldn’t recommend reading this as that is a major point in both character’s lives.

Overall, I really enjoyed my time with this book. The characters had so much dimension and voice and I adored both of them so much. I highly recommend this if you’re looking for a story about family, love and life and how these characters navigate it as they are both in completely different parts of life.

3.5/5 🌟

For the audiobook narration, I did notice some inconsistencies with the phone dialogue. Sometimes the person on the other line had a filter over their voice (as if you were listening to them through a phone), but sometimes they didn't. Other than that, I enjoyed it and didn't have any issues with the narrators.

The main reason why I didn't enjoy this as much as I thought I would is because there was a lot less romance than I expected. I think fans of The Flatshare may be disappointed in this book like I was bc of that fact. The plot was just okay, but I just wanted so much more out of this book. I will say that I enjoyed Eileen's POV quite a bit, but Leena's bored me a lot. I almost DNF'd this several times because of Leena.

**Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for providing an e-arc in exchange for an honest review**

This is a cute British rom-com that is similar to the movie, The Holiday, except the “switch” is between Leena and her grandmother, Eileen. After Leena is forced to take time off from her job in London (side note- the whole time I was just thinking about how it would be a DREAM for someone to force me to take a 2 month holiday from work), she visits her grandmother in her quaint village town. Eileen is looking for love, but there are no eligible men in her town, so the two make a plan to trade places for a couple of months. This love story is very predictable, as one should expect from a cute British rom-com, but it also touches on themes of grief and the impact of grief on family relationships. While I enjoyed this lighthearted, endearing story, I never quite connected with the characters or was completely immersed. The star of this show for me was the narrator of the audiobook who did a fantastic job!

This review is of the audiobook although I'm sure the hard copy is almost as good. I loved Alison Steadman's role but Daisy Edgar-Jones grated on me a bit.
I really enjoyed the author's previous book, The Flatshare. This one, The Switch, was at times highly predictable but offered laughs and even suspense along the way. The essence of the book reminded me of Fried Green Tomatoes types who are "older and have better insurance". A fun book!

The switch is really a fun book to read. I would compare it to a Sophie Kinsella novel. The grandmother is a delight and her antics are quite entertaining.

A good audio book. I enjoyed the narrator and appreciated the English accent as the setting was also in England. If readers liked the authors previous book, they will like this one.