Love books with two POVs. And I had never read one that involves a grandmom and her grandaughter which was very endearing. I may have a weakness for that trope. Having loved The Flatshare I could not help but want to read more of Beth o Leary's work. And i was not dissapointed. What a wonderfully written book! Laid back and just what I needed although I could have used just one more chapter to get more of a closure of sorts but that did not ruin my experience. I may just be too excited about liking this author so much.

Thank you Netgalley and publishers! By the way, this is the first audiobook I am reviewing and I must say I thoroughly enjoyed the voice narration on top of the storyline.

I'm really enjoying this book but finding that the audio is perhaps not the best format for it. For me. The narrators are fantastic, but it's moving slowly for me on audio. It's such a good slice of life that I think I would prefer to read this in print. I intend to purchase a copy once it releases. Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to try it early on audio!

I love the concept of this book; a grandma and granddaughter switching lives for two months. I think this book had so much potential but unfortunately it fell flat for me. I was bored most of the time. There were a few scenes that were funny and cute, but most of the time I wasn't super engrossed with this audiobook.

I loved that each chapter alternated between the grandma and granddaughter narrating. However, the narrator who played the grandma drove me crazy! It sounded like she had a wad of spit in her mouth and all times and desperately needed to take a break to swallow. As someone who is sensitive to sounds, this made it really hard to listen to. I thought the granddaughter's narration was great though.

The Switch is a charming story about a woman and her Grandmother switching living arrangements for two months, one for the purpose of relaxation and reconnecting with her mother, the other to start dating again. I received an audio book copy through NetGalley for an honest review.
I thoroughly enjoyed the book. The story was sweet and seems like the perfect fit for a Hallmark movie. The two narrators were brilliant, the only downfall here was that there were a lot of swallowing and other noises that came across very loudly that made my skin crawl quite a bit. Because of that I was entirely unable to listen to the audio book with headphones on. This is certainly a speaker only kind of audio book. It did not keep me from finishing it, as I thought that it was a quite interesting story line.

This was super cute! I loved that we saw Eileen’s sexuality and romance play out equally to Lena’s, because I think that’s something that’s not portrayed enough in romance. I enjoyed both of their actions to find themselves and where they belonged, it had me really missing my grandma.

Who can I swap with?! What would I give for a change. Two months. Wearing someone else's shoes. Come on, who's in?!?

I just finished the audio for The Switch by @betholeary I really enjoyed it. Some charming characters. Fun story. Slightly predictable. But a feel good story.

Thank you #netgalley and #macmillanaudio for the advanced copy of this audiobook

I adored this book!

Somehow I always love hearing from two main characters perspectives - in this case a grandmother finding love later in life and her granddaughter finding herself after great loss.

The audio was amazing too!! Do yourself a favor and give this one a listen or read ❤️❤️

I liked this one, but didn't love it by any means. I found the writing went on and on a bit too much and I got quite bored throughout. Having lost both of my grandmothers, I really enjoyed reading about the relationship between a grandmother and granddaughter. It was so bittersweet to me. The story overall, however, just didn't hit the mark as much as I was wanting it to when I picked it up. Still enjoyable though! The audiobook was great, except for one narrator, who you could hear swallowing. It was like mouth sound ASMR noises. It actually made me cringe.

*Thank you to NetGalley & Macmillan Audio for an advanced copy.*

I loved the way this book was written, but loved the way it was told even more on the audio. The chapters were written in different perspectives and each character had such strong, fun personalities. I fell in love with all the characters so quickly & it was such a cute, fun story to listen to! The relationship between granddaughter and grandmother is so beautiful and the grandmother is so comical! Definitely recommend if you’re looking for a fun and easy read or audiobook! The book is about a grandmother and granddaughter who switch places. The grandmother learns to online date and the granddaughter learns to take over all her grandmother’s projects.

This story of a grand daughter and grand mother switching living arrangements so they both get a change of scenery was really enjoyable. The grand daughter needs a break from her highly stressful job in London. Grand mother is interesting in dating but lives in a small village with an extremely small pool of dating candidates. They do The Switch and the two narrators tell this story so well. The voices are spot on. The fact that they change the sound to make their voices believable as a phone call voice really won me over. If you want a humorous story with great narration, listen to The Switch by Beth O'Leary.

After reading The Flatshare last month, I immediately ordered The Switch! I also saw that @Netgalley had it on audio as a listen now, so of course I downloaded it too!
This was a sweet story of Leena and her grandmother Eileen! They switch lives, one living in London and the other in rural Yorkshire! They are both at crossroads in their lives, and it’s so fun to follow on both of their journeys. They both learned so much about themselves and each other. I listened/read with a smile on my face and with the thought that this would make a great feel good movie!
The audiobook was perfectly narrated, and I enjoyed the little touches of the phone calls and how the narrators added little touches to their voices to show emotion!

This novel about a Grandmother and Granddaughter who swap lives for 8 weeks is the most intimate look at the mother/daughter dynamic that I've ever read. I adored the audiobook, Daisy and Alison do a marvelous job at bringing both the characters to life (even if it was a little peculiar to here Marianne and Pam exist in the same world.. if you know, you know).

I think Beth O'Leary did a wonderful job at writing two female protagonists with such depth and range, which is something that I've struggled with in the past when reading a female/female duel narrative - one character always seems to lack. In fact, all the female characters in this book were unique in their own ways. There was no 'blank wall' character - incredible!

I also appreciated the various topics that this book covers - domestic abuse, grief, depression, loneliness, gay rights, cheating, etc.

This book is definitely worth a read.

The Switch is a "brain candy" read that I enjoyed a great deal. The writing is fun and breezy, but the subject matter touches on real issues. O'Leary shows talent in balancing the the light and the serious to create a winning story. Fans of The Flatshare will very much enjoy The Switch.

This was a non-magical take on switching lives. The two main characters - Eileen and Lina - choose to switch lives by swapping each others homes. Eileen is Lina's grandmother, and she wanted the opportunity to experience living in London (the big city) since she never got to in her youth. Lina needed a change of pace after a rough year and work troubles, so her grandmother's small town was the perfect spot. This audiobook was enjoyable. Lina and Eileen alternate perspectives, and there was a different audiobook narrator for each. I enjoyed Eileen's character, story, and development far more than Lina's. Lina's story fell flat for me as she often seemed to just go through the motions. I did not experience depth with her character. My only issue with the audiobook is that Lina's narrator's pace was quicker than Eileen's. However, this could also be considered a strong character choice as grandmother's often speak slower than younger folks. As a listener, I had to alternate my listening pace so I could catch everything Lina was saying. Overall, I liked this story, but due to half the story line falling flat, it was a solid 3-stars for me. I will read more of O'Leary's work in the future.

This book was so sweet and fun, while also dealing with some tough topics, like grief, infidelity and the often forgotten elderly.
Leena is in her twenties and forced to take a two month sabbatical from work. She is distraught about it because she is a workaholic that has been hiding in her work to avoid dealing with the grief of losing her sister to cancer. Her grandmother Ilene is a 79 year old, vivacious woman who had dreamt of living in London before she got pregnant and stayed in her town. Her husband recently left her for a new woman and she has been struggling.
The two decide to switch lives for two months and what follows is a delightful rom com. Ilene attempts internet dating and tried to build a community in the London flat Leena share with several roommates. Leena takes on all the little things her grandma does to keep her town afloat. I really enjoyed the growth between them both and all the little side characters. I liked that it showed the elderly in a lively way. My grandmother is in her 80s and still things she can take care of everyone and I enjoyed seeing that side of an elderly person portrayed in a novel.
The audiobook was excellent, I liked the use of the two different narrators for them both. Would recommend if you want a fun read with a bit of substance.

The Switch is such a delightful book! Main characters Leena and Eileen both grabbed me by the heart, and I’m still thinking of them a few days after finishing the book. I wasn’t ready to say goodbye!

O’Leary’s characters were so relatable, down-to-earth, and filled with personality. I felt like I knew them as friends, and I was rooting for their happiness. Granddaughter Leena and Grandmother Eileen are both attempting to deal with life in the best way they know how after suffering from loss and heartache. But neither of them are living their best lives and both are dreading certain aspects of their future, and they decide a switch is just what they need. Neither of them anticipated the changes that would occur when Eileen moves into Leena’s flat and Leena heads to her grandmother’s cottage.

I was so impressed with Eileen and how she dealt with the changes in her life. She had so much sass and gumption! Her ability to make friends, care for her neighbors and community, and lift up those around her was so inspiring and heart-warming. I want to be Eileen when I grow up!

The cast of secondary characters was also fantastic. O’Leary brought them all to life in a way that never detracted from the main characters, but instead enhanced the entire story.

This book tackles tough subjects such as the death of a loved one, a cheating partner, and feeling alone, in such a heartfelt and meaningful way. While the book hits these serious points, it’s also a light-hearted and uplifting story of hope, family and community, with a little romance thrown in!

I listened to this on audio and narrators Alison Steadman and Daisy Edgar-Jones did SUCH a good job!! I loved the dual narrators and they complemented each other so well.

I need to go read Beth O’Leary’s first book, The Flatshare, now!

Happy Tuesday! This morning I’m finishing up the new book by @betholearyauthor , courtesy of @blackwellbooks for my copy ahead of the US release, and @netgalley for my audiobook! If you liked her last book, then you will love this one too! The premise - a grandmother and granddaughter switch homes and scenes for 2 months to get fresh perspectives on their lives. Like in #theflatshare , the author doesn’t shy away from heavier themes that influence the character’s choices, but overall this is a feel good, lighthearted read. I also appreciated a “mature” heroine as one of our narrators (she’s 79!) and her romantic endeavors, as those are not nearly represented enough in contemporary literature. This book releases in the US on August 18th!

Thanks to @netgalley and @quercusbooks for my free audiobook in change for my honest review (the audio is awesome, with very expressive narrators!)

The Switch is the latest novel by Beth O'Leary, who also wrote Flatshare (which I haven't read yet). This was a cute story set in London and Yorkshire Village. Leena Cotton is a twenty-something living in London and playing the role of overachiever at her job. When her HR department forces her to take a 2 month paid sabbatical, she decides to switch residences with her 79 year old grandmother Elaine. So, Leena moves to her mothers house in a small village and Elaine moves in with Leena's housemates.

Elaine is looking for love with a little help from Leena and her roomies, sets up an online dating profile. Meanwhile, Leena can't simply rest and take it easy so she starts tackling a project list at her grandmother's place. Both Elaine and Leena find unexpected challenges with their switch but they work through them and as a result discover things about themselves and what makes them happy.

This was a cute, laid-back read. I see it tagged as a romance and while there are some relationship side stories, in my opinion, Elaine and Leena are the main focus and their stories of self discovery take the forefront. I enjoyed this one and recommend it to anyone looking to cozy up with a book.

I listened to the audio version and they did a great job with it. There were different narrators for the Elaine and Leena chapters that helped get the personalities of these women across.

Leena Cotton has not dealt well with a family crisis and she ends up having a panic attack during a critical meeting at work. Her boss places her on paid leave to work through the issue and come back as her normal high performing self.

Eileen Cotton, her grandmother, is 79 and is working through her recent divorce. She would like to find love again but her small town does not hold any possibilities.

Eileen and Leena decide to swap locations- Eileen will check out the dating scene in London and work to find a relationship. Leena will take a needed break and cover her grandmothers responsibilities

This is a sweet story of love and the complicated way our lives run. I enjoyed the book and found myself laughing out loud quite a few times!!

An audio version of this was provided to me through NetGalley for an honest review.

This book was perfect! It had a sweet romantic thread that underscored the life rediscovery journies that our coheroines were on. A loving bond between grandma and granddaughter, the loss of a beloved family member, small town quirk, and heart for days this is the feel good book of the fall! A must read for everyone who has been warn down by the anxieties of this year. Truly lovely.