I really enjoyed this book. The story was great. The characters were very believable and relatable.
It is a great story about families and how they interact with each other. It is about how each family member lives through and heals from a tragic event that they share.
The story ended well. It was not rushed or left open.

The voices for the audiobook were great. I will definitely look out for more books read by both of them.
Already reviewed on Goodreads

A grandmother and her granddaughter switch houses, cell phones, computers, and lives for 2 months. The sassy, funny, strong willed grandmother was my favorite. Loved listening!

My biggest issue with this audiobook is that when the narrator tried to convey Leena's anxiety, crying, fear etc her voice became a whisper that I could barely hear. I had to raise the volume and then lower it when it went back to normal, especially Eileen's sections. The technical issues caused by that voice-acting choice made it very hard to keep track of the plot.

Although I often prefer audiobooks for these genre of books, I think I would have enjoyed it more if I had read it myself.

This was the cutest book!! I loved listening to the whole thing!! I want everyone to read this!! A family is having a hard time after a family member passes away. Grandma and granddaughter decide to switch lives for two months. Cell phones, places, and all!!! What happens, is they help each other to grow together and individually.

This was super cute, but I was expecting a little more romance. I did love both point of views though and that this involved an older and younger character. I loved how they both seemed so real. It was refreshing reading about their story.

I could not get into the audiobook, but I requested an Ebook and I really loved that. I recommend physically reading if you cannot get into the audiobook. It was adorable.

I cannot wait to read more from this author.

The Switch is told in two perspectives - Leena Cotton (29) and Eileen Cotton (79). Leena recently lost her sister and suffered a panic attack at her high-powered job before being put on a forced leave by her boss. Working around the clock to distract her from her loss and strained relationship with her mother has caused major anxiety for Leena and she can’t even focus on the business that she has been wanting to start with her best friend. Meanwhile, Leena’s grandmother Eileen is dealing with the death of her granddaughter and being left by her husband for a dance instructor. Despite Eileen being extremely active within her community, she can’t shake the idea of needing something more - a second chance at love and the sense of adventure she missed out on in her youth. Leena realizes that her grandmother deserves this adventure and will have a much harder time finding someone in her small town than in London. Eileen realizes that Leena needs to slow down and try to patch things up with her mother. Both realize a Switch may be just what they need - for just two months they will temporarily switch houses, friends, and even phones in an attempt to heal.

Opinion - I found the first few chapters slow going but was happy with how absolutely beautiful the story grew to be. I adored Eileen’s chapters and I think it was because of how warm and witty she came across that it actually took a bit for Leena to grow on me. The narration on this book was wonderfully done and very fitting, which only helped me enjoy the book more. The Switch does, of course, deal with love but the true beauty behind it is how well it celebrates life, family, community and healing. The book tackles dealing with loss and what it means to grieve in a multitude of ways (breakups, familial distancing, and death). I hope that you will all enjoy it as much as I did.

Book Review!!

The Switch by Beth O’Leary
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

This was such a sweet and lovable read. I was able to snag this thanks to my partnership with @libro.fm. I have been in a more serious reading mindset of late, and decided to give myself something a wee bit lighter.

The characters in this novel truly made the story. I loved this idea of a young girl switching places with her grandmother. These two women end up growing extravagantly so into brand new people. I loved every aspect of this book, and I felt like I was right there, along for the journey.

The two voices that narrated the audiobook were so incredibly fun! I loved that the accents were true to where the story was taking place, and also that there was a more mature and a younger voice.

I found myself thinking of this novel when I wasn’t listening. I wanted to know what was going to happen next. If you need a pick me up of a read, grab this one to listen to. You won’t be disappointed! (But you will want a cup of tea.)



(Thank you to @libro.fm & @netgalley for the ARC!)
(@fyebooks on Instagram!)

The Switch was fantastic! I had read The Flatshare last year and really enjoyed it. Beth O’Leary has now joined the ranks as an automatic buy author. I listened to the book and found the narration to be perfectly cast with Daisy Edgar-Jones as Lena and Alison Steadman as Eileen. The two women captured their characters brilliantly. The only complaint was the times when characters are having telephone conversations it’s difficult to hear the person on the other end of the line. O’Leary seems to have a gift for capturing real life and balances joy, sadness, mental health, work, family, relationships, and life. Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the opportunity to listen to The Switch.

Sweet story about how to repair familial relationships after a death of a beloved. I wish there was more romance (duh) but it was lovely story. I listened to the Audio (thank youuuu NetGalley & MacMillian Audio!), and the narrators were absolutely great. The two voices of Eileen & Leena helped make the story fit with their unique voices. Perfect!

The Cotton family are struggling with the death of their beloved, Carla. Grandmother, Eileen, and granddaughter, Leena, decide to try a 2 month long swap. Eileen will spend the time in London trying online dating, while Leena takes a 2 month leave from her job and stays at Eileen’s Yorkshire cottage. Will this swap help them find peace?

What a lovely story! It was a sweet, funny story. I loved it!

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the opportunity to read and review this audiobook!

The Switch is my first time reading a book written by Beth O’Leary. I picked it assuming a book about an adult granddaughter, Leena, and her grandmother, Eileen, doing a life change would be a fun, light read. I was right and wrong. It was fun. Absolutely as entertaining as I expected. Leena was a young woman like many I know. Stressed out, overworked, boyfriend issues but added to that is a deep grief at her sister’s passing that results in a employer requested 2 month sabbatical. Eileen has lost her husband, not to death but to another woman. So the story had a lot more going on than just a light read.
Leena decides to visit her grandmother and that visit turns into a switch of homes for the two. Leena decides to take care of her grandmother’s house, family and community duties while Eileen goes to Leena’s London home. London has a much wider selection of eligible men. Yes, at 79, Eileen is diving into the London dating scene! You are never too old for love.
Listening to this book had me emotionally everywhere. It tackles some heavy issues but balances them out with love and humor. The ending had me good crying. The narrators, one was Leena the other Eileen, were just what this audiobook deserved. It honestly felt like I was a part of it. A friend listening in, a nosy neighbor eavesdropping. That was me. It is marketed as a romance but it offers so much more. Real happens in this book. It’s messy, it’s painful, the characters aren’t perfect and, it is at times, incredibly hilarious and touching. Eileen is the grandmother everyone wants to have. Honest, caring and at the stage of life where she will do as she pleases. Leena is not as strong. She is still discovering who she is and who she wants to be, in my opinion. The strong bond of love between them will warm anyone’s heart. The supporting cast of characters were just as awesome. This book gave me laugh out loud moments and tears streaming down moments. It left me emotionally satisfied.
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I received an advanced copy for review consideration from MacMillan Audio through NetGalley. This review is voluntary and written based on my experience with this audiobook.

The Switch by Beth O'Leary, narrated by Daisy Edgar-Jones and Alison Steadman, is my second audio book by Macmillan Audio via NetGalley Shelf. My first book was glitchy so I wanted to give this method another try and this time the book worked perfectly. What a joyful treat this one was, very cute and heartwarming, which are things I normally don't get to say because of the type of books that I usually choose. 

Grandmother Eileen switches locations for two months, with her granddaughter, Leena. Leena experienced a panic attack during a very important presentation at work and was forced to take a two month leave of absence. Seventynine year old Eileen is finally ready to jump into dating since her husband left her for a much younger woman.. The thing is, the dating pool in the small community where Eileen resides is much too small for there to be a chance to find anyone to date and Leena needs to get away from the hustle and bustle of her city life or she'll never be able to unwind enough to recover from her anxiety. So they swap homes and start doing their magic in their new locations. The synopsis makes it sound like this swap was hard for both women but I didn't see it that way at all. I feel like it revived them despite the difficulties (or because of them) of learning new things in each life. Both women brought people together and helped people change. But, both women are also still mourning the death of Carla, Leena's sister, and being back in her grandmother's little town, where Carla died, makes Leena face the grief that she had been stuffing down with work and busy-ness. 

This book is full of the people from both women's lives and the author and narrators brought them all to life. I need to read/listen to more books like this one because it certainly put a smile on my face. I also know that I'm beginning to get attached to audio books because of this experience. 

Thank you to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for this ARC.

This book is ADORABLE. It’s fun and uplifting the whole way through. That’s not to say it doesn’t cover some serious stuff but it does so with dignity.
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The story is told from two perspectives. The first is 29-year-old professional woman named Leena. She lives and works in London. Leena is floundering at work. Her boss is forcing her to take time off and at first she is very resistant. The other protagonist is her grandmother, Eileen. Eileen is almost 80 and has recently been dumped by her husband. She is also floundering. She wants to start dating but lives in a tiny village in Northern England with few prospects. They decide on a whim to switch places for two months. Leena will take over her grandma’s community work and Eileen will stay at Leena’s London flat and try internet dating. Both of course are fishes out of water and it leads to some entertaining circumstances.
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The thing that has both woman reeling is a death in the family. One year earlier Leena’s sister and Eileen’s only other granddaughter died very young of cancer. The family is shattered and they have to decide to move on. Not just survive but to live fully and find a place for their grief that lets them love the person lost but not lose themselves.
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The book is sunshine and will leave you feeling a little better about the world.

I absolutely adored this book, listening to it on audiobook certainly brought another level of life to it that for a story like this I highly appreciated. The dual narrative that O'Leary brings to her books is exciting and keeps you coming back for me - it really brought this book alive with two interlinking stories happening at the same time.
I loved the characters and found myself highly invested in their lives. There was some beautiful character growth and just the right balance of village gossip and city drama.
I cannot wait to recommend this book to so many of my friends.

This could not possibly be any cuter! I loved Leena and Eileen’s dynamic and while it was a plot that I had seen before, it was still fresh and engaging.

This had a bit of everything. It was heart wrenching, it made me laugh, it was romantic. This truly was everything you could want in a feel good story. It is just fun to read and I never wanted to put it down or set it aside.

I truly think that anyone who likes women’s lit, contemporary fiction or romance would embrace this book and I hope that they would love it just as much as I did. 4.5 stars!

This was a thoroughly enjoyable, absolutely delightful book to devour. It's The Holiday meets Major Pettigrew's Last Stand - a heartwarming tale where the two Eileen Cottons, a grandmother and her granddaughter Leena, are each at their wit's end in their current circumstances and decide to switch places. Eileen is looking for new love after her deadbeat husband left her for a dance instructor and Leena is mourning her younger sister's death which has affected her job performance. With the switch, they are each able to positively affect those around them, adopting new projects and ultimately, healing themselves and their relationships.

O'Leary writes super complex characters and though the plot sounds like something out of a romantic comedy, there is a lot of emotional recovery that happens between and within characters. Though it may feel fluffy at times, there is a lot more character driven plot than your average rom-com. The audiobook is brilliantly narrated by Daisy Edgar-Jones, recently of Normal People fame, and Alison Steadman. Both give heartwarming humanness to their respective characters though, whether it's by the writing or the narration, Steadman's steady, grandmotherly interpretation of Eileen truly makes her the best character in the book. There is something so fulfilling about older adults finding love and discovering themselves again. I was grinning ear to ear while listening to Major Pettigrew's Last Stand and The Switch very much brings the same feeling of indescribable joy to witness the blossoming of older, cantankerous characters into their old selves again. I felt the older cast of characters in The Switch outshine the younger however, I was entertained on both sides. There were some new technical elements in the audiobook (mainly, muffling the phone call voices to make it sound like it's coming out of the phone) which distracted me in a negative way, especially since the phone call was sometimes from the other character/narrator so it was weird to here the Edgar-Jones interpret Steadman's voice etc.

If you want an uplifting book that includes a wide range of emotions and yet ends on a blissfully happy note, this is the perfect book for you! It inspired me to call my grandmother more often and even send her a copy of the book. I immediately need to see this in movie form - someone get on it!

Thank you to NetGalley and Flatiron for a copy of the audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

Listening to both narrators was a pleasure. Their voices were warm and cozy, each time I pressed play the story and narration took me to a comforting place. I truly didn't want the story to end. This was a feel good book with enough twists and turns to keep the reader entertained. Humour and depth made the characters loveable and the reader hoping to hear from them again.

Overall I liked this book. The idea of switching places is not a new one in stories but the author was able to put a unique spin on it and include additional situations to the story to keep it interesting. The story alternates between the two characters that switch places. Lena, a workaholic had a panic attack at an important work meeting and was forced to take some time off to rest. Elaine, Lena's grandmother, is recently divorced and keeps herself busy in her small community helping others out and with an organization she helped build but she feels a little lonely and is interested in finding a boyfriend. When Lena hears of this she signs her grandmother up for internet dating and realizes there's more potential for her grandmother to find someone in her area of London than in her little village and Lena could likely get the rest that she needs by staying in her grandmother's village. So they switch!

In both respective environments there are a cast of characters that keep the story interesting and help each of the main characters along with what they are trying to achieve. Elaine meets all of Lena's friends and vice versa and it turns out they are even able to help them in ways they could not have predicted. I really thought that each of the prospective love stories would take over but it didn't and I liked that. It kept it real and focused on every piece of their livelihood. Elaine loves her daughter but Lena has had some issues with her mother since her sister passed away and it was nice to see that in the final chapter that they were all able to come together and repair those issues in a realistic and heart warming manner that wasn't too cheesy.

I listened to this as an audiobook and Lena and Elaine both got their own narrator. I wasn't really a fan of Elaine's narrator, I found that she read as if she was acting and it wasn't very realistic but it wasn't bad enough to stop listening. When a character was talking on the phone they would add an effect making it sound like it was a recording which was a neat addition.

This book was SO fun! I didn’t enjoy The Flatshare as much as everyone else so I was a little skeptical going in but I immediately loved the characters in this book. This is largely thanks to the awesome narration — particularly the voice of Eileen. This book reminded me so much of one of my favourite movies, The Holiday! Eileen and her granddaughter switch places, one to a small town and one off to the big city. Eileen trying to navigate the world of online dating at 79 was both inspiring and hilarious. I enjoyed her story more than Leena’s but I still loved the small town setting and her love interest, Jackson. I think I would have liked to see a bit more drama and less of a tidy ending, but this is the perfect book for when you’re just in a feel-good mood.

Audiobook Review-
Overall 3.5*
Performance 3ish*
Story 4*

The Switch was an entertaining story. It was sweet and fun, and at times emotional.
I liked the idea of a granddaughter and her grandmother switching lives for a bit, to get them both out of the funk they seem to have found themselves in.
Leena definitely needed a break from her life and I enjoyed her time in Hamleigh- as she got to know the towns people, reconnect with her mother, and forged friendships with a whole new generation. Grandma's time in London was entertaining. She really took to the whole dating scene and the veritable smorgasbord of eligible men in her age bracket. I thought it was sweet how Leena's friends embraced her, and how she made herself at home for the short time she was there. I really liked the secondary characters, they added a lot of interest and entertainment to The Switch.

While I enjoyed the story, and would recommend reading it, I did not enjoy the audio performance and wouldn't recommend the audiobook. I liked both narrators voices, that wasn't the problem- I think they both did a really nice job with their characters, and even the secondary voices.
I don't know if the quality of the audio will improve by release day, or if this was a finished copy, but I found it hard going, thanks to the "mouth sounds" of the narrator for Grandma. I could not listen to this other than in my car, when I tried it with ear buds it honestly made me cringe. I can't think of another audiobook or narrator I've had this problem with, but it was very distracting and didn't make for an enjoyable listen. I don't know how to describe it exactly, but if you have any auditory sensitivity issues, you may want to steer clear.
Another issue with the audiobook- when Leena or Grandma were speaking to someone on the phone, it was made to sound like the other voice was coming over the phone line, which was fine, but a few times they seemed to have forgotten that's what they were doing because all of a sudden it would just be them speaking, without the tinny sound through the "phone". I would have preferred if they just left that effect out- it would have worked better with a full cast type performance.

I was excited to see NetGalley offering audiobooks as a review option, I've just disappointed this one didn't work out better for me. I know I would have appreciated the story even more if I had just read it- the poor audio experience definitely clouded my enjoyment. This is a book I would recommend reading over the audiobook.