I adored listening to The Switch and fell in love with main characters Lena and her grandmother Eileen! When Lena finds herself given mandatory time off after a debacle at her London office and Eileen realizes there are very few dating prospects in her small Yorkshire village, they agree to switch lives. Full of laughs and endearing moments, these two make a difference in their new communities and learn a lot about themselves in the process. I loved the narrators for both main characters and found the added production in the audiobook really enhanced the experience. I’m so glad I listened to this book!

I enjoyed this 2 POV narration that is spot on. The narrators of the novel are perfect for the two generations of women in the story – their voices sound their age! I could not stop listening as the storytelling just drew me in. I loved The Flatshare and I am enjoying The Switch just as much. Beth O’Leary has done it again in that she has created a relevant story for today’s times that is so different to the other stories out there. I highly recommend this audiobook.

The audio on The Switch was very good (although it was quite slow - I listened to it on 2x because I think 1x would have put me to sleep but that's personal preference and easily adjusted). There are two narrators, one for the younger Leena and the other for grandma Eileen. Both narrators were excellent and depicted their characters well. One of the other cool things about this on audio is when they were describing phone calls, the caller on the other end of the phone sounded farther away, similar to how someone on the phone would sound.

While the audio was excellent, the story did drag a bit. This is a very character-driven story with not a ton of action or plot. Essentially the summary is what happens: Leena and Eileen switch places for two months. Leena is in London and having a panic attack at work and forced into a two month holiday. Eileen had always wanted to live in London and explore the city and the life and the two simply switch. Eileen moves in with Leena's flatmates and Leena moves into Eileen's cottage in a little neighborhood with older people.

The romance in this book is predictable, but that's ok. This book was a cute, feel-good story, but nothing that will stick with me for awhile.

The titled switch in The Switch is between a grandmother and her granddaughter after they both realize they need a shakeup in their lives. Leena Cotton, the granddaughter, has been stressed out with work and the grief over her sister's death. Eileen the grandmother, is newly divorced, almost eighty years old, and wants to see what a new city life might have to offer. The two switch residences and their lives change as they reconnect to who they are and want to be. Beth O'Leary does a great job with character development. She makes the women endearing and relatable. The women have fun new experiences and tasks for them to show their talents. They explore new friendships and goals. All in all the story is light and fun.

*Thank you to Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for providing an audiobook ARC in exchange for an honest review*

This was a really cute and emotional read. I think I had just been hoping for more romance, and instead there was a big focus on grief and loss that I hadn’t been expecting. I’m also not a huge fan of when a main heroine already has a boyfriend and it takes her 80% of the book to realize he’s a douche, and then immediately jump into the arms of another man who had been standing there practically waiting for her to come to her senses.

However, I will say I LOVED the representation of an elderly woman dating and engaging in a sexual fling. About time there was some age representation like that. I just went in expecting this to be more of a fun romp, but it was instead quite hard-hitting, which I’m sure many will love.

This was such a charming book to listen, I'm sad that it's over. The book centers around Leena and her grandmother Eileen, who have both experienced loss and grief recently in their lives. To work through their losses, they decide to switch places for a while, with Leena moving to her grandmother's tiny village to try to repair her relationship with her mother while grieving the loss of her sister, and Eileen moving to the city. While the book has plenty of laugh out loud moments, it also gets to the heart of grief and loss, and the mental trauma both can have on a person.

Audiobook Review:

What a lovely book “The Switch” by Beth O’Leary is. I received this audiobook from @netgalley for my honest review. This story revolves around a Leena and her grandmother Eileen Cotton who decide to switch lives for 2 months.
Leena is forced to take a sabbatical from her job and heads to her grandmother who is looking for adventure in her life and so the adventure begins.
They initially feel out of place but soon learn who they truly are through their adventures. Romance is not far behind but for whom?
I adored Ms. O’Leary’s whimsical writing style. She evokes emotions of love and tears. Her description of how all of her characters allows us a glimpse into how family is not only blood relations but neighbors and friends. I wished I was surrounded by such support. I give this book 5/5. If you want to laugh, cry and feel emotions this book is a must read.

This was so cute and gave me the Sophie Kinsella vibes I was looking for this season. I liked the concept of switching places a lot - I thought this premise was unique and fun. Overall, I would say the book was light but also touches on the impact of loss of a loved one, infidelity, dating after a certain age, and coparenting/step parenting. I really enjoyed all the relationships that developed throughout the story.

Both the narrators were easy to listen to, and it made the audio version very clear as the alternating narrators were easy to follow along with.

I absolutely Loved the audio version of this as well as the story. The voice for Eileen was perfect! I loved How their lives connected and how their switch ended up healing both their own lives, and the people around them. Such a great good-feel book about finding the silver lining. Overcoming grief. And finding yourself.

I absolutely loved this story about a grandmother and granddaughter who swap lives (as in homes and commitments) for two months. It is a story filled with humor, love and great dialogue. The British setting and British phrasing or expressions add to the novel's charm. The grandmother and some of her actions made me laugh out loud. I think this would make a delightful film. This isn't a book that is intellectually stimulating or thought-provoking, but it is completely entertaining and fun. I LOVED it.

Great beach read! Well written and just predictable enough to be easy to read. Sweet story about mother/daughter/grand-daughter relationships and the effects they have on other relationships. The premise of grandma and granddaughter stepping into each other's life is interesting and the characters are quirky and lovable.
#TheSwitch #NetGalley

This is a fun book—at times hilarious, at times emotional. Leena Cotton and her grandmother, Eileen Cotton, exchange their residences for two months. By essentially stepping into each other’s lives, they hang out with people from each other’s life and build new friendships. In the end, they have revelations about their own life, learn to deal with grief, and start afresh. Eileen Cotton’s character as an octogenarian is absolutely badass. Another character that really stood out for me was Eileen Cotton’s neighbor Mr. Arnold, who appears to be a nosy, cranky, old man but undergoes a surprise transformation by the end. The book is filled with several characters who harmoniously bind together. It also focuses on the grief of losing a loved one and the life of our elderly, who can feel stuck and alone in the rush and individuality of city life.
I liked the narration of Eileen’s character more, maybe because I liked that character more overall. I would recommend the audiobook to those who are looking for a light, fresh listen. The run time is 10 hours which can be easily finished in 3-4 days if you listen at 1.75x speed.
Thanks to NetGalley for providing the advance listening copy in exchange for an honest review.

A heartwarming tale of grief loss and love. I loved the story of granny Eileen and Lena, following them through learning to live again. An excellent story which will also make you laugh along the way!

A review copy was generously provided by Macmillan Audio

A few weeks ago, I finally got around to reading The Flatshare by Beth O'Leary. It was one of those books that had a ton of hype in the romance genre - and, for me, it definitely lived up to the hype. Recently, when Netgalley debuted audiobook review copies, I was over the moon - and when I saw that The Switch by Beth O'Leary was a Read Now title, I didn't even hesitate before downloading it.

The Switch is told from two points of view - that of Leena and her grandmother Eileen. They're at two drastically different points in their lives - Leena is burnt out from her demanding city corporate job and Eileen is wondering what life is like outside of her tiny village. When they decide to switch places, the rotating POV really provided great contrast between their situations.

Eileen, as a 79-year-old woman, was dealing with her regrets over the decisions she made throughout her life and the opportunities she had lost. When she launched her two-month stint in London, we got to see her approach the big city with small town naiveté. During her time in London she didn't become a completely different person - she embraced her village experiences and used them to bring people together in London. The best part of her story was that she never fundamentally changed who she was – by the end of the book she was an improved version of Eileen rather than a new person altogether.

Leena's journey was mostly focused on her learning to slow down and stop running from the pain of her past. Her main source of pain was the passing of her sister a few years prior. This was a major albatross around her neck - one that she had to work through during her two-month stint in Eileen's village. While she took time to learn to slow down and unplug from work, she also learned just how hard her grandmother worked to bring the community together. And that right there is the core of this book - Eileen and Leena both had to learn traits and skills from each other in order to become their best selves. Plus, they each had a very cute romance (which didn't hurt).

The Switch was a big departure from The Flatshare - and that fact really helped to cement her in my auto-buy author list. This book was heartwarming and wholesome, never dealing in stereotypes or leaning on common tropes. Also, if you get the chance, listen to this book as an audiobook - the narrators are fantastic and really helped to immerse me in the story quickly. If you haven't already, I highly recommend that you go check out Beth O'Leary's other book, The Flatshare. 5/5

I'll be honest, it's quite often the cover that grabs my attention first when choosing my next listen and The Switch did not disappoint. Having both Daisy Edgar-Jones & Alison Steadman narrating was an absolute joy.
The storyline had me drawn in from the start, it was funny and quirky and thoroughly enjoyable to listen to

This is an audiobook which everyone needs to listen to xx

Phenomenal voice acting by Alison Steadman and Daisy Edgar-Jones in Beth O'Leary's The Switch. An English told version of the American film Freaky Friday, Eileen and Lena need a new change of pace after the devastating family loss of Carla, Leena's sister and Eileen's granddaughter. After a work breakdown puts Leena on a forced Leave of Absence, she heads to the country to live at her grandmother's house while Eileen heads to London to Leena's flat to find love and experience the big city. With wit, humor, family drama and a highly accurate portrayal of the grief journey, I would love to see The Switch on the big screen.

"You were healing, you're still healing, you'll maybe always be healing and that's okay. It'll just be a part of what makes you... you."

And, that epilogue!!!

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to enjoy this audiobook!

I absolutely loved the authors debut The Flatshare. I remember gobbling that book up in a day. While The Switch had the same easy and effortless-to-read writing — I never felt the same enthusiasm while reading this. Maybe it was just me though.


**Thankyou Netgalley for providing me the free audiobook in exchange for a honest review**

The Switch follows the lives of Leena and Eileen, granddaughter and grandmother, as they swap lives for two months. Leena needs to get away from London after bombing a presentation at work while Eileen wants to find love as a newly single woman. Stepping into each other's shoes is more challenging than either imagined. Leena must keep up with all of Eileen's projects in the village and Eileen immediately finds new projects in London. Throw in a little bit of romance, nosy neighbors, and family drama and you end up with a wholesome, charming read.

The story goes back and forth between Leena and Eileen's perspectives. You may think it's a little strange to read about a nearly 80-year-old woman dating, but I fell in love with the elderly characters. They were spunky and witty and made me laugh out loud. O'Leary is a master at writing a character driven novel. There is so much growth in each of the characters - even in the supporting characters. It didn't take me long to become attached to the characters - I was sucked in by chapter 4.

I listened to this on audiobook and between O'Leary's writing and the two British narrators, I absolutely adored it. If you are looking for a heartwarming read, definitely pick this one up!

The Switch is already out in the UK but it will be available on August 18th in the US. I highly recommend it!

Thank you to @netgalley and @macmillian.audio for the advanced copy of the audiobook in exchange for my honest feedback.

This was such a pleasure to read. I personally enjoyed it a lot more than the Flatshare.

Eileen was my favourite to read as she explores dating in the age of tinder. She really shined in this book. The other main character, Leena, I also liked but not as much as Eileen. I really enjoyed seeing her interactions with the folks who lived in rural Yorkshire. I loved seeing Leena growing to love the rural life and Eilleen grow into herself.

The novel doesn't directly focus on the romance which I surprisingly preferred. It rather choose to focus on developing and fleshing out the two main characters. I'm glad the author choose to do this because I think this book shines because of the characters.

I LOVED this book. It was such a fun read, enjoyable, and British chick flick. Beth O'Leary is one of my new favorite authors. Highly recommend on audiobook as the narrators' accents and voices add so much to the story.