3.5 stars. Three words to describe this story: cute, light and enjoyable. The storyline was somewhat predictable but it was still fun to see how everything unfolded. Eileen is one cool grandma, gotta love her. Narration for the audiobook was great for Eileen and only good enough for Leena. #netgalley #TheSwitch

This is my first audio book. I didn't like the cussing. I liked how Leena and Bea interacted. I liked the dialogue. I was curious to see what would happen to Leena. I loved the characters. I liked that Eileen wanted to get out of her town and date

Thanks to Libro.fm and Macmillan audio for the free audiobook and Flatiron Books for the e-galley. All opinions are my own.
This book was delightful. I love the idea of Lena and her grandma switching places. I think this would be so much fun. Each woman has an adventure in the new to to them city, but they also are forced to take the time to work on issues that have been previously bothering them.
I liked how the author explored grief in this book. Each character had been impacted deeply by it, yet they acted in completely different ways due to the grief trauma. There are also mom-daughter issues present within both generations. They were explored thoughtfully and with depth.
This book is also fun. The characters are unique and quirky. The love interests are charming. The friendships genuine. If you're looking for a feel good book with depth and emotions - pick this one up.
The narrators of the book were perfection. I loved each characters narrator and felt that they added so much aliveness to the characters.

I really enjoyed this fish out of water, grieving the death of a loved one, finding yourself, a little bit of a love story. The audiobook narrated by Daisy Edgar-Jones and Alison Steadman is fantastic. I really loved both narrators and their voices stayed in my head long after I was finished listening. They were the perfect readers for this book. I think both characters Eileen and Lena, journeys of self discovery were very well written and their situations were very relatable in this character driven novel. They felt very authentic to me. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who wanted to start to listen to audiobook fiction. It was my favorite listen so far.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for this ARC.

Thank you to Netgalley & Macmillan Audio for providing me with a copy of The Switch in exchange for an honest review!

The Switch is one of those times where I really wish Goodreads would give me a half-star option. 3-Stars seems too low, however, 4-stars seems too high.

Thoughts on the Audio: YASSSSSSS. Both narrators truly made these characters come to life & I found their voices to be incredibly soothing. 10/10 recommend listening to The Switch.

Thoughts on the Book/Plot/etc.: The Switch was just fine. I loved the idea of having an eldery-protagonist looking for another chance at love. It was absolutely precious & also, in general, both protagonists are amazing & I absolutely love them. I also love all of the relationships (both romantic & platonic) that developed through the course of The Switch.

I think what really brings The Switch down for me is that it felt too long. There were too many times where I felt the plot kinda went stagnant & I couldn't help but wonder what the point was.

In the end, I didn't dislike this book whatsoever & truly do recommend it for lovers of chick-lit & romance.

The Switch is about a career-driven young woman, Leena, who struggles with her sister’s death and is forced on a two-month sabbatical. She and her 79-year-old grandmother Eileen decide to switch apartments, technology, and social circles. Eileen moves to Leena’s London flat, and Leena goes back to Yorkshire to face her past.

This delightful story is made even more so by the narration of Allison Steadman (Granny) and Daisy Edgar-Jones (Leela). The story’s alternative perspectives structure lends itself to this charming younger/older duet who aren’t afraid to experiment with their vocal and inflection ranges. The narrators hilariously imitate the friends in their circles, convincingly describe frustration with the other’s technology, and the sound effects of the telephone exchanges add to the audible experience. Their vocal cadences, however, vary considerably. On the Leela chapters, I listened at 1.25x and on Granny’s 1.5.

While the story is fast-paced, funny, and has several made-for-tv moments, it also addresses important elder issues like sexuality, domestic abuse, mobility constraints, and isolation.

Four and a half stars for this entertaining and thought-provoking story. It was a thoroughly enjoyable listening experience and I’ve put author Beth O’Leary’s debut novel, The Flatshare, on the top of my TBR and have made a mental note to keep an eye out for other books narrated by Steadman and Edgar-Jones. Thank you to NetGalley for advanced access to the audible book in exchange for an honest review.

I received a reviewer copy of the audiobook The Switch by Beth O'Leary from Macmillan Audio from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

What It’s About: Lena is mourning the death of her sister or rather she is working nonstop to avoid getting stuck in grief for her sister. Then one day, it all bubbles it up and she has an anxiety attack in the middle of a critical pitch. Her boss tells her she must take a two month sabbatical. Hopeless and feeling untethered, Lena visits her grandmother in Yorkshire. Her grandmother is newly single after her grandfather left and is looking to find companionship but she knows every single person in her village. The two women decide to swap lives for two months to overcome grief and find love, respectively.

What I Loved: Oh my god, I loved this book so much! I loved the idea of these two switching lives. I'm a sucker for stories where younger people interact with senior citizens and join their community. I also love tough older women taking on the world. This book has it all. I was just so happy reading this book this is the up-lit at its best. It put a smile on my face and I loved watching the characters grow and I loved that despite the fact that there are romance plots. It's more about personal growth, grieving, and being part of a community and supported.

What I didn’t like so much: I can't really think of much, sometimes this book felt a bit overfilled with characters.

Audio Specific Review: Daisy Edgar-Jones is a brilliant narrator and she does a phenomenal job here. I loved the narration and found it well done. My only complaint is that I really didn't like the phone calls being staticy.

Who Should Read It: People who love up-lit. People who love books with spunky senior citizens. People who love books with strong elderly characters.

General Summary: Granddaughter and Grandmother swap lives and the result is delightful.

The Switch by Beth O’Leary
4.5/5

This novel was like a cozy hug, and just what I needed. I really enjoyed the premise of the novel, and in execution it turned out to be just what I had hoped.

Leena is forced to take a two-month sabbatical after a work presentation goes awry. Her grandmother, Eileen is recently single and navigating the dating world again. The two decide to switch places, Leena goes to live in her grandmother’s tiny Yorkshire village and Eileen goes to live in her granddaughter’s London flat.

When listening to the audiobook, I mostly listened to 2x speed, but that is normal for me. I thought that the narrator for Leena was wonderful. However, there were times when the narrator for Eileen bothered me a bit - not sure if it was due to bad audio or background noises or what. Overall, I enjoyed listening to the audiobook for this story.

I personally liked Eileen’s story line more than Leena’s. While they both go on a bit of a journey of self-discovery, Eileen seemed to be more fun and adventurous, even at age 80! Overall, I think that this was a great, cute, cozy novel of self-discovery and family, which I highly recommend.

A huge thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the audiobook!

I went into this book not expecting to care for it so much but, I actually loved it!
Workaholic Leena’s job is a mess and she’s just been told she must take a much needed 2 month vacation from work. Her 80 year old Grandma Eileen is newly single and not really sure what to do with herself and her nosey neighbors.
Leena comes up with the idea that they switch places. So Eileen moves to Leena’s flat and Leena moves to Eileen’s place. They even switch phones!
Neither one of them is prepared for what they encounter and are each surprised at how little they know about the real personalities and relationships of the other.
I loved the fact that I could listen to this book on audio. I found the narrators funny and really brought out the characters in a very likable way.

Oh this book is just beautiful. I got an audio book from NetGalley and listened to it in 2 days at work. The narrators are absolutely perfect- (Daisy Edgar Jones from Normal People and Alison Steadman from Gavin and Stacey). Not only do they bring the characters to life but they really give them something more as well. I loved it.
The plot is great- a grandmother and granddaughter swap lives for a couple months. Grandma Eileen moves into Leena's flat in Shoreditch with her flat mates, and Leena moves into her grandma's cottage and takes on her village role. The switch comes after Leena has a breakdown at work and is made to take a 2 month sabbatical, and Eileen is reminiscing on how she'd like to meet someone now that she's a newly single 79 year old. There is also the underlying plot line of the death of Leena's younger sister Carla. She had died of cancer a year earlier and this has obviously rocked the whole family. I think this plot really made the book as it gave a counter to the light-hearted romance.
This book is a well deserved 5*. I'm recommending it to everyone- I think I preferred it to the Flat Share too!
Thanks to NetGalley for an arc of the audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

Oh wow! I just loved this. 4.5 big stars. I enjoyed Beth O leary's other novel The Flatshare. This was just as charming and warm as her other novel I read. Eileen is a newly single almost 80 yr old and Leena is her grandaughter who needs a big break from life. They decide to switch homes for 2 months with Leena in Yorkshire and Eileen in London. It is warm, sweet, and you can't help but fall in love with these characters.

In The Switch by Beth O'Leary, after Leena Cotton has a panic attack during an extremely important presentation and is forced to take a two month-long leave, she leaves London and heads to her grandmother's house in a small Yorkshire village. Once there, she comes up with a wild idea: they switch places. Leena stays in the village for two months and takes over her grandmother's many projects and Eileen (grandma) stays in London for two months to learn how to date again at 79. What ensues is a sweet story about trying new things, rediscovering oneself, and learning how to come to terms with grief and change.

Oh my. I LOVED this book. Seriously. All year, especially since Covid started, I have been trying to find a sweet, fun, rom-com-esque story...and what I have gotten so far are sweet stories that are emotional rollercoasters and so anxiety-inducing that I have to take a nap as soon as I finish the books. Until now. This story was everything I wanted this year. It was fun, funny, sweet, lovely--all of the good adjectives. It also had a lot of heart and there were some serious undertones, like a death from cancer before the story began and closed-door verbal and physical abuse. There was some romance for both ladies, but just enough to not take away from the real joy of the story: the ladies. I really liked Leena and definitely identified with her in certain aspects and I just adored Eileen. I want to be her best friend and I want to be her when I grow up. The relationship between the two is wonderful and I love their growth.

I am planning on purchasing the physical copy of this book because I loved it so much, but if you can, PLEASE listen to the audiobook. Daisy Edgar-Jones as Leena and Alison Steadman as Eileen were perfect. My only complaint is that during "phone calls" in the story, there is some sort of filter to make is sound more like an actual phone call, but it makes those parts hard to hear/understand at points. Otherwise, I highly recommend this story and I can't wait to read more books by O'Leary!

4.5 Stars!
I received the audiobook for review, but didn't care for the narration and read the ebook instead. I'm so happy that I made the switch, because the story was a joy to read. I loved this author's debut (The Flat Share) and was looking forward to her next book, but I wasn't sure the premise of The Switch was appealing to me - a grandmother and twenty-something granddaughter trade homes, friends, locations, and community duties for a few months to help sort out their own lives after the death of a their granddaughter/sister. I wasn't excited for the grandmother's POV, but this author drew me into Eileen's life and the impact she had on those around her. There was light romance for both heroine's and amazingly enough I actually enjoyed Eileen's along with Leena's. In all honesty, I did think that Eileen's was a little progressive for someone her age and generation, but I liked where her romantic search ultimately brought her. In the end, the author succeeded in delivering a second witty, poignant, and all-around entertaining story.

The story was a bit slow for me but a cute heart warming story about friendship if you’re looking for a light hearted read this is it

I liked the narration/voice acting in this story. I thought it was perfect and it could definitely add to the enjoyment of the novel (in general), even if I'm not technically part of the targeted demographic for this title.

While The Switch does not live up to the expectations created by Beth O’Leary’s wonderful debut, The Flatshare, it is an overall sweet, fun tale about family and finding love.

The Switch tells the story of two Eileens — grandmother and granddaughter (who goes by Leena), who are both feeling stuck in their lives. When Leena is placed on paid leave from her high pressure job, the Eileens switch lives for two months, with Eileen the elder going to live in Leena’s London apartment, while Leena takes over her grandmother’s house and responsibilities in her small village. Eileen searches for love while Leena searches for peace following the death of her sister (major, major content warning for medical issues and family death).

The story is a predictable one. There are few, if any, twists or turns, and the characters are not particularly deep or complex. It effectively tugs at the heartstrings and has some genuinely laugh out loud moments. It is a quick, mostly light, sometimes poignant little book.

The best part of the book was the wonderful narrators. Eileen and Leena are read by Alison Steadman and Daisy Edgar-Jones, respectively. Both are fabulous narrators who add an extra layer of depth to the characters and emotions.

The overall message of The Switch, however, is a little tough to swallow at times. Throughout the book, it is made clear that the “big city” is a disconnecting, faceless, bad place, while country life is quaint and charming, full of quirky characters and close-knit community. The book continues this slightly conservative, old fashioned perspective throughout the book, poking fun at the idea of smartphones and calling one of the village elder’s blatant xenophobia and racism quirky rather than abhorrent.

If you are looking for a book that will tell you, in no uncertain terms, that moving to the country and meddling in your neighbors lived is the key to happiness, look no further. For the rest of us, it is still a fun ride, even if you have to roll your eyes through some bits of it.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the ARC!

The Switch is an entertaining, fun story that still makes me smile. I loved Beth O'Leary's previous book, The Flat Share and this one did not disappoint.

I listened to The Switch by Beth O’Leary as an audiobook and I’m so glad that I did! The story is told in alternating perspectives of Leena, a young workaholic, and her grandmother, Eileen. Both of the narrators were exceptional when performing this story! The characters in this story were detailed and relatable. The story was intriguing and easy to listen to. I’d definitely recommend this audiobook!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing this title in exchange for an honest review.

This adorable book was so beyond enjoyable. From the author of #TheFlatshare, O'Leary does it again creating the perfect cast of characters in such an entertaining read! Leena is ordered to take two months off at work. Meanwhile, her grandmother, nearly 80 and freshly single, is looking to spice up her life. Leena and Eileen switch homes and step into each other's lives. This book has a touch of The Holiday and this grandmother, granddaughter relationship is so sweet. Thank you to #NetGalley and #macmillanaudio for an ALC.

This is a gorgeous book were Eileen a Grandma and Leena her Granddaughter find themselves at a crossroads. Eileen wants spark and Leena wants calm. So in a bid to regain their lives they totally swap. Leena heads to the country and joins the neighbourly activities. Eileen heads to the city and joins online dating. What unfolds is a series of events that will leave you laughing and crying. I listened as an audiobook and loved the alternate narration, giving voice to both the distinct characters. I’m now hunting out more books by Beth O’Leary.