This was a fun, joyous and playful read that was so unique in its characters and their similarities and differences. I loved Eileen and instantly wanted her to be my grandmother. Much like O'Leary's other book it had a multiple POV which really made for a quick read and you never got bored of any one characters story line.

This book had a very satisfying wrap up and as a reader I was left feeling satisfied. Things didn't wrap up too conveniently but enough that you were happy for all of the characters. Although predictable it was not a story you wanted to stop reading.

If you are looking for a lighthearted story that gives you freaky Friday vibes then you should pick this one up.

I absolutely adored this book! I did listen to the audio and did not read it and would highly recommend the audio to everyone. It's beautifully done and so funny. The characters come alive fully and there is nothing like listening to a love story in a British accent.

This lovely story follows the lives of young Leena and her grandmother, Eileen, as they struggle to deal with a recent tragedy and the tolls of daily life. The two switch places for two months, with Leena taking a much needed break from her busy life in London to stay at her grandmother's home in a small village while Eileen tries out the 70+ dating scene in London.

This book doesn't shy away from tough topics and invites the reader into two characters heads and hearts. It's a wonderful and feel-good novel that incorporates so much wisdom and love into it. This book focuses on kindness and brought so many smiles to my face.

I was in the mood for a gentle read and turned to the Switch. Leena Cotton is ordered to take a two month sabbatical after a poor presentation for work. She visits her energetic 79 year old grandmother who is looking for love in a shallow dating pool. Leena suggests switching places sending her Grandma Eileen to her apartment in London. I thought this would be a fish out of water story but instead I found to women that truly wanted to good for those that crossed their paths. Leena takes joins in dog walking, neighborhood watch and planning the village fete. Eileen takes up dating and befriends the people in Leena's building.

I listened to the audio book and it has two narrators as the story is told in alternating chapters from Eileen and Leena. Both narrators brought their characters to life. I would categorize this as woman fiction with a sprinkling of romance. It is more about the two leads as they decide what makes them happy. It is sweet and kind but that doesn't mean things are always easy. They both are still grieving the loss of Leena's sister. '

I enjoyed the book and recommend it. It was also clean for language and sex. Thank you to NetGalley for the free ARC audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

This was my first listen to a Beth O'Leary novel, and the first of hears that I have picked up. I absolutely loved the story of a grandmother and granddaughter switching places--one always hears a sister vs. sister switch, or a mother vs. daughter switch like in Freaky Friday.

This was a situation that I haven't come across before, and O'Leary weaved the storyline beautifully. I could imagine myself in both London, and the small little town, and all of the quirky old residents.

The only thing that bothered me was the narrator for Eileen's character. There was a lot of, for lack of a better word, smacking going on while the narrator would read. It got to be distracting at times, especially if I was trying to multi-task while listening to the audiobook.

I would love for this to be made into a movie or short series--I think this would transfer wonderfully on-screen!

I cannot wait to pick up this book to have an actual hard copy, as well as pick up O'Leary's first novel, The Flatshare.

The Switch a story of 2 women grand daughter Leena Cotton and grand mother Eileen that have each a boring lives and decided to switch. Elena goes to back to rural Yorkshire a huge difference then London and Eileen goes to London also a drastic change.
Elena is dealing with the lost of her sister and conflict with her mother when Eileen is a bored 79. In London her life changes for the positive.
In the end, Leena and Eileen are happy in their new lives.
Thank you! NetGalley, Macmillan Audio and Beth O’Leary for this free audio in exchange of an honest review.

Leena and her grandmother, Eileen, are both at a crossroads in their lives. After losing Leena's sister to cancer a year before, Leena has been wrestling with crippling grief which causes her firm in London to force a two month paid sabbatical. Eileen's husband ran off four months ago, leaving Eileen perplexed, but not heartbroken. Leena decides that the two should switch places with Leena staying in the country and Eileen staying in Eileen's flat for two months. Leena takes charge of all of Eileen's duties in the village while Eileen searches for love in the city. Told in alternating perspectives, the story follows the two women on their two month long life switch.

I loved this book. I listened to the audio version narrated by Alison Steadman and Daisy Edgar-Jones. I think I loved this book more BECAUSE I listened to it. Both narrators were on point and made the story so much more real. The characters were authentic and well fleshed out. The story line was mostly believable and extremely enjoyable. I didn't want it to end.

I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a light read set in England.

Thanks, NetGalley, for an arc of this book.

The Switch by Beth O'Leary, narrated by Daisy Edgar-Jones and Alison Steadman, is my first audio book via NetGalley. I've done previous audiobooks, such as the Lord of the Rings, Pride and Prejudice, etc (usually books that I'm more familiar with the events).
I loved both of these narrators as they gave just enough emotion for their respective characters without "over-acting." Both were pleasant and easy to understand which worked well when I had the book playing in the background while working.
I absolutely adore the story of having the grandmother (Eileen) switch houses with her granddaughter (Leena). Eileen is off to live for a few months in the large city (London) while Leena will live in a smaller community up north. (Similar idea to the Holiday where two people want a change so they switch locations to see if they can get out of some kind of slump). As the story moves continuously along, the chapters switch point of view between the two main characters. The two storylines move together to create one complete novel. It's well-written and was very pleasant overall. This was my first novel by Beth O'Leary, but it certainly won' be my last!

This book was so adorable! After Leena is asked to take a leave of absence from work, she decides to escape back home to her grandmother's house. Leena's grandmother Eileen feels the need for a change of pace as her dating life has been non-existent since the split from her husband. Eileen decides to go into the city to stay at Leena’s flat to try her chances at dating.

This book was so much more than a typical flat swap novel. Leena is dealing with heavy feelings of grief over losing her sister to cancer and also trying to work on her strained relationship with her mother. Eileen, what a fun character she was. Can I ask her to be my grandmother? Her portrayal of online dating in this book was just hilarious. Both characters were just so dang lovable.

Big thank you to NetGalley, Macmillan Audio and Beth O’Leary for allowing me to listen to an audio copy of this book!

I will post a review on Goodreads.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an advanced audio copy in exchange for an honest review

The Switch is a book that has tons to offer. Romance, character development, crazy situations, and above all, hilarity. I have to say I laughed out loud several times whilst listening to the audiobook. The unique narratives along with the crazy situations these characters get into create a fast paced, funny and heartfelt story.

O'Leary really shines when it comes to balancing the stories between a sassy 79-year-old and her granddaughter. I was surprised at how much I loved Eileen's chapters. She was sassy, headstrong, naive at times, adorable and just hilarious. I loved watching her growth, and I adored the message that it's never too late to find love, and sometimes you'll find it in the most unexpected of places. Also, her narrator was simply superb.

I enjoyed Lena's story a little less compared to Eileen's, to my shock, but it was still so cute and enjoyable. I loved her relationship with Eileen, and how she forms great relationships with the elderly members in a small town. Also her narrator was fantastic as well.

I really enjoyed how O'Leary handled grief in this novel. It was honest, and real, and heartbreaking. She really demonstrated how impactful the loss of a loved one is, how it haunts you, and you can become randomly reminded of them all the time, and how deep a hole it creates within you. However, she also leaves you with hope and happiness, watching these characters grow and learn from their grief.

Overall, a solid story with fantastic relationships and great messages.

What a fun read! I started this book expecting a modern twist of “Freaky Friday” but it wasn’t that at all. There is no magic life-swapping, just two people who need a break and discover what is most important to them. Leena and Eileen are both relatable characters that would be fun to meet in real life. They are believable in both their regular lives and after they decide to trade residences.

I listened to this as an audiobook, and the two narrators are fabulous. It was easy to distinguish who was talking at all times and they both brought emotion into their roles.

This is a great “feel good” book!

I listened to the audiobook of The Switch courtesy of the publisher and NetGalley. I loved it! Leena works hard in London and has had a meltdown. Her bosses have given her 2 months leave to get herself sorted out and she's frightened that her life is crumbling. Her sister died the year before but Leena's tamped down the grief and keep soldiering on. Leena's family lives in the Yorkshire Dales and she returns there to think.

Meanwhile, Leena's grandmother Eileen doesn't act like an elderly person. She has the stamina, drive, personality of someone in love with life. As Leena comes to the Dales, Eileen is willing to switch places and move to Leena's place in London. Eileen finds herself fascinated with the people she meets and it takes an outsider to see how neighbors can be isolated and lonely. Eileen had been on all sorts of committees and the Neighborhood Watch in their village so it doesn't take much for Eileen to create a community of sorts in Leena's old condominum in Shoreditch. Somehow, neighbors who hadn't known each other are talking and they're creating their own community of sorts.

The Switch delivers humor and fun in a story of kindness and rediscovery. It's the sort of women's fiction that I love and have missed.

This is one of the cutest books I’ve read this year. I am so entranced with Leena and Eileen’s journeys. I really hope there is a sequel, because I’d love to see these stories progress.

Thank you NetGalley for my first audiobook..a few kinks in playing. This is a very charming, feel good book with some powerful messages about death, grieving, forgiveness, moving on and finding happiness..at any age.
When Lena gets an unexpected, and unwanted, forced vacation from work due to personal health concerns (due primarily to the death of her sister) she is forced to deal with her life and it’s issues..which leads to a great idea about switching places/lives with her grandma, who is also dealing with personal issues (her husband cheating and leaving her, the death of her granddaughter and the unraveling of her daughter). They both go on unexpected adventures that end up changing and growing them.
The audiobook is read by British narrators which just adds to the charm of the book!

O'Leary is the absolute queen of chick-lit. Her books are quaint and warm, resonating with emotion and humor.

After adoring The Flatshare, I was eager to pick up The Switch. Following a granddaughter and grandmother who decide to swap lives, The Switch is more concentrated on family than romance. It's a heart-warming and wholesome tale that keeps the reader interested and entertained throughout.

The writing was full of wit and humour, and followed a well-constructed plot line. The characters were all exceptionally three dimensional, and progressed interestingly throughout the story.

I enjoyed reading the book as an audio-book. The narrator, especially Eileen's, did a wonderful job of embodying the characters.
A huge thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for an ARC.

I'm being a little bit generous, but I really enjoyed this book. I went into it not knowing anything so I was pleasantly surprised that the switched involved a woman and her grandmother deciding to exchange homes, phones, etc for 2 months. There were so many cliches, but the story still took some surprising turns. I would definitely recommend for a light read.

I listened to the audiobook, read by British actors Alison Steadman and Daisy Edgar-Jones. They did an excellent job and this is one of the best audiobooks I've ever listened to.

Enjoyable and Entertaining. I listened to the audiobook which was done very well. The narrators did an excellent job making this an entertaining time.
The story is well developed and moves at a nice and steady pace. The characters are super-likable and fun to follow.
I loved the representation of older people in this book, loved them! The plot may be a bit predictable but it is only in that thoroughly pleasing way.

Thank you, Netgalley for sharing the audiobook of The Switch by Beth O’Leary. I read The Flatshare earlier in the year and loved it. I knew when I saw that O’Leary had written another book I had to read it.

The novel is the story of two Eileen’s, 79 year old grandmother, Eileen, and Leena, her overworked and stressed out granddaughter. Told in alternating chapters from their viewpoint, Eileen and Leena decide to “switch” homes when Leena is forced to take a two month sabbatical from her job in order to deal with the suppressed grief from losing her sister. Eileen, was recently left by her husband and wants to try something new and maybe even start dating again.

I loved the storyline and I love how O’Leary in both of her novels weaves in a serious subject matter into her delightful rom-com stories. This one is in dealing with the loss of a loved one.

This is a sweet, refreshing story of two ladies who are looking for a way forward in their lives instead of staying stuck in neutral after tremendous loss. Eileen was funny and a social butterfly. I loved seeing how she interacted with younger Leena’s flat mates and her experience with online dating as an almost 80 year old woman. I also enjoyed how Leena grew close to all of the friends of Eileen working on the Neighborhood watch and the big May Day event and of course her growing relationship with Jackson, a local teacher.

I loved both of them, but Eileen, the grandmother, was my favorite. The minor characters were not would I would call minor. O’Leary seems to be a master at creating characters with personalities you fall in love with no matter the small part they play.

I listened and read this book, so I can say I loved it in print and audio. The narrators were perfect and I would love to listen to more books read by them. I just really loved it all. 💛

5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

#netgalley #theswitch #betholeary

Everyone on Bookstagram has been praising Beth O'Leary for the longest time, so i thought I may as well dive in and read one of her books. The Switch is a glorious take on family, friendship, romance and living a full life. At first it was going to be a 'Freaky Friday' kinda switch, but much preferred what actually happened!

The audiobook quality was amazing, and having Alison Steadman (Gavin and Stacey) and Daisy Edgar-Jones (Normal People) reading as the two protagonists was a stroke of genius - if they adapt this into a TV series then I definitely would like to see them cast!

Last year, we went on holidays to America. Remember holidays? I do. What that means for those of us living in Australia is very, very long flights. On that occasions the flights were delayed for a day, then we flew from Melbourne to Sydney, then to Houston and then finally to New Orleans. What do you need for so many and such long flights? Entertainment! And that was when I read Beth O'Leary's debut novel, The Flatshare. It was a perfect plane book. I laughed, I cried, and it was my only 5/5 read last year. There was therefore never any doubt that i was going read this book when it came out.



When Netgalley announced that they were starting to provide audiobooks for review through their new app, and I saw that this was one of the audiobooks, I jumped at the opportunity to listen to it.



Leena Cotton is the perfect career woman. She is driven, respected, ambitious, with a handsome and loving boyfriend. She has it all! So what if she is having panic attacks before major presentations and her performance is dropping. So what if her relationship with her mother is non existent? So what if she is still struggling to deal with the loss of her beloved sister to cancer the year before. It turns out that those are major issues, so much so that she is ordered to take a two month sabbatical from her job in London.



Leena's 79 year old grandmother Eileen lives in a small village in Yorkshire. She is one of the people who keeps the village going. She's a member of the Neighbourhood Watch, she helps organise the village fete every year, she watches out for those around her. She is, however, lonely, after her husband of many years leaves her. She is ready to get back on the dating scene, but there are slim pickings in the small town. The local doctor....no. Her grumpy next door neighbour Arnold. Absolutely not!



When Leena comes to visit her grandmother, the idea that they should swap lives is born. Leena can take the time to rest and recuperate, and maybe fix her relationship with her mother while Eileen can try life in London for two month and while she is there she might get a second chance at love.



It isn't quite as simple as that. For Leena, life in a small village is very busy. She has to take on the responsibilities that Eileen has left behind, which means committee meetings, organising others, walking the handsome school teacher's boisterous dog. And of course, small villages being as they are, finding herself in the middle of the village gossip circles. Leena doesn't necessarily get off to the best start, especially with Arnold and Eileen's best friend Betsy. And as for a long distance relationship with her equally career driven boyfriend - the plans to have him visit on weekends didn't last very long. There were always excuses as to why he couldn't make the trip up north.



For Eileen living in London is an eye-opening experience. She doesn't understand how her new flatmates live their lives, barely acknowledging the other people who live in the flats, unsuccessfully trying to date with unreal expectations as to what or who they were looking for. It doesn't take Eileen long to start organising the people around her, coming up with the idea to create a safe place for other older people in the local community to meet up as a social club., Once Leena's bestie gives Eileen a lesson in online dating, she is also launched onto the dating scene. But Eileen hasn't yet learnt to look out for the warning signs, given that she accepts everyone at face value.



It is interesting to me that the story that I was most interested in was Eileen's. She is thirty years older than I am and definitely has way more get up and go than I do! She took the opportunities that came her way, getting to know the other occupants in the building far more than Leena and her flatmates ever had. She embraced dating and sex with a joy that was a bit surprising given that she is nearly 80 and soon was helping out her flatmates with their lives as well. But there was always going to be a time when she had to go home. And what then? Is that it for love and adventure for Eileen? And will her desire to protect her daughter and grand daughter at any cost go awry?



Leena was a bit more problematic for me. I got that she was grieving and mentally exhausted. She just didn't seem to have the ability to really see the people around her. Whilst that was initially understandable, it did seem to drag on for a while and there were times that I wanted to just lean into the book and tell her to wake up!



Whereas The Flatshare was a 5 star read for me, this was a good read without being spectacular. Having said that, am I already excited about this author's next book, The Roadtrip, which is due out next year? You bet I am!



I mentioned that I listened to this book. The narrators were Alison Steadman as Eileen and Daisy Edgar-Jones from Normal People as Leena and I did enjoy their performances. However, the Netgalley app itself was a bit glitchy. It kept on stopping every time I got a notification on my phone or when I got to the end of a chapter. I am hopeful that these issues will be resolved as the app gets developed further.



Rating 4/5

This books had me laughing, crying and squealing in delight throughout.

Beth O'Leary has written a marvelous modern romance that reminded me of 'The Holiday' and that dealt with some pretty heavy topics, such as the loss of a loved one.

The descriptions of the grief that the Cottons experienced was so well done that it had me in tears several times.

The narration was also done extremely well and I really enjoyed the two narrators voices and story telling it really made the dual perspective of the book come to life and made the reading experience even better!!

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and I can't wait to read more boos by Beth O'Leary!!