Beth O'Leary's latest novel, The Switch, is a honey-sweet romp, telling the tale of grandmother and granddaughter Eileen and Leena, who swap lives for two months. Leena takes a break in a sleepy rural village, indulging in local gossip and village fete planning, while Eileen gets a big London adventure while trying her hand at online dating. The whole is narrated deftly by Alison Steadman, voicing grandma Eileen, and Daisy Edgar-Jones, reading the younger Leena's chapters. Both readers enhance the text, and their voices and narrative choices suit one another as well as the material.

As for that material itself, I found myself in a strange position with The Switch. On the one hand, I had some genuine problems with a story in which bigotry and anti-immigration viewpoints can be tossed off as just a quirky character trait for a village local, and the whole has a decidedly old-fashioned layer (a slow country life is automatically, inherently, superior to city life; everything would be better if we just all knew our neighbors better; who really needs a fancy smartphone?) just beneath the surface that didn't sit well with me. Besides which, every problem had by any character is so easily Fixed once an Eileen Cotton, whether senior or junior, steps in to Save Them, which had me rolling my eyes more than once. But despite these flaws, I was certainly, almost against my will, charmed by the wholesome, bucolic tale, in a way that reminded me of watching Love Actually. That is, I have philosophical issues with it, but somehow it skirts those to get straight to my decidedly unintellectual, sentimental heart.

It isn't quite a romance novel, as the love stories take backseat to the personal development of each protagonist and their relationships with one another, their friends, and Eileen's daughter/Leena's mother between them, but it is romantic - Eileen, recently betrayed by her now ex-husband, is looking for love, while Leena finds herself slowly falling for the local village hunk, despite her boyfriend back in the city. I found Eileen's second chance at love far more convincing than Leena's, simply on the basis of a romantic interest with enough personality to create chemistry; Leena's potential crush has all the character of a large rock. But the book, even Leena's love story specifically, is barely about him, but about what he represents - the idyllic vision of a slow, easy, pastoral life, full of long walks in the Yorkshire countryside's fresh air, home baking, neighbors who pay attention (maybe too much attention) to one another. (So who cares if one of those neighbors is an anti-immigration racist? It's all easy and pleasant in the country, right?)

The Switch is certainly charming; it's cute, it's cozy, the jokes land and the emotional drama cuts deep (content warning for medical issues & family death!). Moreover, the audio is particularly effective, with Steadman and Edgar-Jones's narrations amping up the optimistic, romantic tone. And despite its issues, and its oddly conservative version of an idealized life, I can't resist being charmed.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the advance review copy!

Leena needs a break from life. Eileen, her grandmother is looking for romance. They decide to trade places with each other to be in different cities. Eileen's town will offer Leena some rest and ease while Leena's city offers more single men. Things don't go as smoothly as they each expect. Was it really worth switching lives for?    
    
I really enjoyed this audiobook. The voices were perfect for the characters. It was a fun, easy and humorous listen. Eileen won me over. I want more of her.

From an audio perspective, the narration was particularly well done for Leena. Eileen's was a bit more difficult for more. I could often hear a lot of... I don't know, mouth noises?... It was highly distracting. And some of the voices done were a bit cringe worthy. So it made it a little harder to connect with her story, even though I so appreciated and would have probably enjoyed it more in book form. I enjoyed the premise of the book, the journeys taken, but over all the pacing was a bit off for me too. It felt like slow slow slow character development and then a quick rush to wrap it all up. I'd prefer to have had more of a transition. Still, I'm glad I read/listened to this one.

Thanks so much to the author, NetGalley, Libro.fm, and MacMillan Audio for the complimentary advanced audiobook in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are entirely my own. { partner } All of my reviews can also be found on Instagram @Tackling_TBR and on my blog at tacklingtbr.home.blog

TW : loss of a family member, cancer, grief/mourning, infadelity

This book was so much fun to listen to! Think of The Holiday, but a young woman switching places with her Grandmother. What could possibly go wrong? It turns out, nothing! It's just a good time for everyone. The audiobook itself was immensely enjoyable, as well, since there were two lovely narrators - a young woman playing Leena and an age-appropriate woman playing her Grandmother Eileen. I loved this, because I always find it silly when there are twenty-something year old actors or voice-actors playing roles of grandparents, when there are so many lovely and age-appropriate men and women that could do the roles just as easily! Plus, you can't go wrong with both actress's adorable accents! Everyone loves an English accent, right? It's not just me?

Getting into the characters, I really loved both of these women. The story is told in alternating chapters between each of their points of view, so we get to see the adventures that each of them go on during their swap, and I loved both of their storylines! Although, I have to say, listening to Eileen while she is on the hunt for a man, online dating, and having sordid sexual affairs, was really fun in my opinion. You don't very often get to hear about women above about 40 falling in love at all, let alone having any sort of sexual relationship, so I thought it was very different and enjoyable as a story here. Both of these women are sassy, and stubborn, and have a matching quick tongue that they are not afraid to use! I must say, though, I think Eileen was my favorite of the characters. I want to be her when I grow up. Seriously, you go Eileen! Although, elderly and eccentric Letitia may be a close second for me!

I will also say that I really loved the more serious, almost underlying, storyline involving both of them as well as Leena's mother/Eileen's daughter Marian mourning the loss of Leena's sister Carla. They all three of them feel the loss in very different ways, and deal with the grief in very different ways as well, and it was really sweet watching how their relationships with each other grew as they learned how they could slowly work through their grief together.

All in all, I really enjoyed this book. And would really recommend the audiobook to those wanting to read it! I would say that this book is perfect for a relaxing Sunday morning with a cup of coffee and a puzzle or a coloring book or something else that may seem equally silly but will be nice and relaxing while you listen!

I am not the biggest audiobook fan so when I saw that this was being narrated by Daisy Edar-Jones and Allison Steadman I knew if anything could convert me it would be this! I was right - I loved this. I am a huge fan of Beth O'Leary and her writing style but it really comes to light when read aloud.

The Switch follows Leena and her grandmother Eileen when they switch lives. Leena moves to the Yorkshire countryside and Eileen moves into Leena's flat in London. It is a really sweet and enjoyable story following their mishaps and adventures. There are also more serious moments but they areperfectly balanced with humour true to O'learys style.

I would highly recommend this!

Leena and her grandmother Eileen are each struggling in their day to day, Leena in desperate need of a break, and Eileen looking for a little more excitement. So they decide to switch places for two months. Leena will stay in Eileen’s small town cottage, and Eileen will stay in Leena’s city apartment. Will they find what they’re looking for?

This story was just delightful. I loved the quirky cast of characters and their antics. The storyline and romances were a little predictable but the journey was still a fun one. The audio was incredible and made the story all the more enjoyable.

The relationship between Leena and Eileen reminded me a lot of my relationship with my own grandma. I talk to her every week; she lives in a small town in a different state, and I was thinking of her the whole time, what it would be like if we switched places.


Thank you Macmillan Audio, NetGalley and Libro.fm for the gifted ALC

AudioBook Review:
Stars: Overall 4 Narration 4 Story 4

Eileen is nearing eighty and finding herself in need of a change after her husband left her for a dance instructor. Leena is her twenty-something granddaughter hit a stumbling block during a presentation at work and has been told to “take a break”. Grandmother’s house is the country is the perfect place to regroup – and her flat in London becomes Eileen’s preferred ‘shake it up’ option for the immediate future.

Eileen is wonderfully drawn and charismatic: even Leena’s friends and flatmates adore her and her ‘been there done that’ sensible advice, given with a dash of ‘take the chances’ attitude keep her far more the star of this story and the one you can’t help but cheer on and appreciate. Everything isn’t always easy for her – but her determination to take life by the horns and make something new and different for the next stage of her life brings her fully into the reader’s imagination.

For me, Leena was far less engaging and far too immature for a grown twenty-something person who needs to get her own stuff together and never learn from her own mistakes (and there were plenty). Her personality and Eileen’s worked well together, but if Leena felt more like Eileen I think the contrast in the two personalities, and my patience with Leena would have been more to my liking.

Narration (and I read the story too) for this book is provided by Alison Steadman and Daisy Edgar-Jones and the duo combined to make for snappy conversation, solid emotional access and a wonderfully clever set of tone and volume changes that affected the listen in all the best ways. There are moments to laugh, to cry, to giggle and sigh here and the story has something for everyone with a message that resonates for all.

I received an eArc and AudioBook copy of the title from the publisher via NetGalley for purpose of honest review. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own responsibility.

Review first appeared at <a href=” https://wp.me/p3OmRo-aMe /” > <a> I am, Indeed </a>

This was ADORABLE! I loved the story-line; it reminded me a lot of the books that have been pretty popular lately in regards to the older community-- like A Man Called Ove and Britt Marie Was Here from Backman, and The One-in-a-Million Boy from Monica Wood. This one was special, though, because it the relationship between grandmother and mother and daughter was beautiful and palpable in every part of the story. I cannot recommend the audiobook enough! I do not generally like to read fiction on audio, but I enjoyed every part of this. The narration for both of the main characters was lovely and perfect. I leave off a star as it did feel long in places, but I will admit that my opinion might have been different if it were read traditionally.

I loved this book. I first heard of this author on the BritLit podcast last year when the author was talking about her previous book, The Flatshare. I thought that book was so good that I was very pleased to see this audiobook was available from Netgalley.
This is not really a romance, although there is some romance for both Gran and Leena and they both have a happy ending. The premise of the story is that Leena and her Gran do a home switch. As you might expect, there is humor but a main storyline is about grieving after the loss of a close family member. The book made me cry but it also made me laugh out loud and I enjoyed it immensely. The two voice actors were excellent also. This book really was a joy and I’m a bit sad it’s over.
Plus I learned the word “todger” but you’ll have to find out what it means on your own.

I absolutely loved reader The Flatshare earlier this year, so for me this was quite possibly the anticipated book of 2020. It was sweet and charming; Beth O'Leary has a way of writing characters that feel so completely REAL and true to life and I think I can now confidently call her a favorite author. My only real complaint about this one is that I feel like the romantic relationships weren't quite as flushed out as I would have liked them to be, but I also recognize that they were not intended to be the main aspect of the story so it would make sense that they would pale in comparison to the relationships between Eileen and Leena and Marian. I listened to this one as an audiobook and it was well done by the voice actors, however there was a tinny quality that kept me from fully appreciating it (I don't know if that was a NetGalley Audio experience, or simply the recording itself?). Overall, this book was sweet and delightful and was the charming read I needed.

I listened to the audio version of The Switch by Beth O'Leary. It which was narrated by British actors Daisy Edgar Jones and Alison Steadman. They made a great team switching between the voices and it was a very good narration with the variation of younger and older generation voices. I had a couple of glitches in that the next chapter sometimes wouldn't play unless I restarted the app, but believe this was the software in the NetGalley Shelf app and they are currently working on an update. Its the first NetGalley audio book I've listened to and thoroughly enjoyed it. You wouldn't have these issues if you purchase the audio version elsewhere.

The book is about Leena Cotton and her Grandmother Eileen who decide to swap lives for a couple of months after Leena has a panic attack at work and is told to take some time off. she visits her Grandmother and they decide to swap lives, with Leena going to live in her Grandmother's village and Eileen (79) moving to Leena's pad in London. They completely swap lives and phones and involve themselves in each other's worlds and Leena takes over Eileen's projects while Eileen starts her own projects and even starts dating!

Its a great book for both younger and older generation readers and think both will equally enjoy it. I enjoyed this book and will be looking out for others by the same author and even the narrators.

The synopsis sounded interesting and I do like a wide range of types of books. I've already ordered another audio book "The flat Share by Beth O'Leary from Audible and looking forward to reading that too.

Great audio book for a long drives or for long walks or equally for snuggling up with if you're choosing a readable version.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for this ARC.

I know that I can always count on Beth O'Leary for a fun, light and easy breezy romantic comedy. Thank you so much @librofm and @netgalley for my {gifted} copy of #TheSwitch which was absolutely hilarious and charming! This was exceptionally wonderful on audiobook ... I really loved the narrators and the production was flawless.

You'll be able to race through this one ... and while it is meant to be light-hearted, there is a lot of depth to the characters. I think my favorite was Eileen ... I basically want to be her when I grow up (or be her best friend!). Seeing her find lust and love at the tender age of 79 was really sweet. I fought for her and Leena's happiness the entire book. Both women have some difficult situations to overcome, but happiness wins in the end.

If you enjoyed her first book, The Flatshare, you'll adore this one. I appreciate Beth's writing so much!

Thank you to Netgalley for the free audiobook in exchange for a review!

This book was adorable, it was so easy to listen to and I loved the narrators’ voices. I loved Eileen’s chapters-she was such a hoot!

The only thing that I had an issue with was the audio itself, it would just cut out after a few chapters which was pretty jarring when I’m invested in the story. If there was a way to smooth it out it would be amazing!

What a sweet novel this was! Grandmother and granddaughter swap places and they both find themselves while living versions of each others respective lives. It was just the book I needed with all the heaviness of the world swirling around right now.

I absolutely loved The Switch by Beth O'Leary! The concept of a young woman and her grandmother switching lives and learning so much about themselves was just wonderful and the chosen readers were perfect for the story.

Lena needs a break from her life after she has a panic attack during a big meeting and is told to take an extended paid vacation. Having nowhere to go, she heads to her grandmother's home in the country. While there, she and her grandmother decide to switch lives and Eileen is off to London to live her granddaughter's life. In the meantime, they are both dealing with the grief of Lena's sister Carla's death of cancer and her mother's difficult mourning. Eileen doesn't know how to take care of her daughter and Lena is still angry with her for not trying all of the therapies that were available to Carla.

As time goes on, both Lena and Eileen's lives are changed by their switch. But at the end, can they go back to their old lives? Thank you to the author, MacMillan Audio and NetGalley for an audio file of this book in exchange for my honest review.

This was a book that surprised me. It wasn’t what I was expecting but ended up thrilling and delighting me. It took a while to get going but I loved the two main characters and it was wonderful to get to know them and see the positive impact they had on people around them whilst suffering themselves following the death of a close family member.

The grandmother and daughter decided to swap lives for two months and it was the best thing they could ever have done. Initially it felt like a romance, but it was more about friendship, dealing with grief and healing. These characters really grew on me as the books progressed meaning that you felt what they were feeling as they hit high and low points.

This worked wonderfully well as an audiobook and I would happily recommend this to anyone. Such a fun and engaging read, whilst also playing with your emotions. Can’t wait to pick up another Beth O’Leary book!

I gave this book 4 1/2 stars overall, and would like to say thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for providing a copy of this book to me for an open and honest review.

Such a cute read!! I haven’t read a the Flatshare yet but now I really want to! I loved this on audio the narrators were wonderful. This book has many themes going on and it made for such an enjoy read. So glad I got picked
To review this. Thank youNb

One of my favorite books in 2020. Before I've started reading this title, i was so anxious. Because, since I've read flatshare, i really wanted to read something new by this author. And The switch is perfect! I loved the narrators, and the themes that the author wanted to share with us. I've just loved this so much! And it is my very first audiobook ever!

For me this audiobook was a prime example of good narration elevating this story. Taken on its own this was a light and enjoyable read providing lots of comfort with few, of any, surprises. A fine read but not the kind of book you rush home to pick up and rejoin the characters you cannot stop thinking about. If I had read a physical copy of this book I might have run the risk of being disappointed after loving the author’s previous book. However, the two fabulous narrators really added zing to the story, bringing characters to life and making me far more involved than I feel I would have been otherwise. I appreciate this even more now that I have started another audiobook and the narrator is putting me sleep every time I press play.

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to @netgalley and @macmillan.audio for the ALC! This book is like a warm hug. I loved it, absolutely loved it. This is the story of Leena and her grandmother Eileen, who are both undergoing a transition period in their lives. On a whim, they decide to switch places, with Leena moving to Yorkshire to stay in her grandmother's tiny village, and Eileen moving to Leena's big city flat in London. This one is the perfect blend of fun with a dash of seriousness. It's poignant and sweet, with a small romance for each lady, but nothing open door, which is exactly how I like it! My favorite sections were the Eileen sections, but I loved the villagers and story that Leena experienced too. Reminiscent of Jenny Colgan and the like, pick this one up if you want to read a story that makes you feel like you've just had a nice warm cup of comforting tea. The narration for each character was perfect and I loved how the audio production treated phone calls, as well. PICK.
Trigger warnings for death of a family member, cancer, and verbally and off-the-page physically abusive relationships