Much props for having a main character in her 70s and characters well into their 90s. I've always found myself friends with people older than I and it's so enriching, but I don't often see that reflected in shows and books, so this is great.

Eileen is laugh out loud funny. The book tackles serious topics like loneliness and grief but is so humorous throughout.

The audio version was pretty good too, I'm happy there were two narrators, both in the right age range for the characters. Nothing is more unsettling than a 13-year-old character who sounds like a high schooler/20-year old, or a character in their 80s who is narrated by a 30-year-old.

My only critique on the audiobook is that audible swallowing and mouth sounds could be heard often enough to trip me up a little, if you have that sensitivity too. But the story and narration was so well done that I wasn't wigged out enough to stop listening.

Lots of characters - I could have seen less of them and more in-depth delving into the love interests more, find out what makes them tick. Overall, I recommend "The Switch" because it shines a light on a population we need to see represented more!

Thank you NetGallery for the ARC of this book.
First of all I was really really excited for this audiobook for 2 reasons; the first one cause I recently read the flatshare and loved it and the second one was cause I saw that Daisy Edgar Jones was one of the narrators. So based on those 2 aspects I will review this book.

As a book written by Beth O´Leary, I kind of enjoy half of the book, literally just half. I love the story of Eileen and how her character reminds of in a way to my own grandmother, full of energy and power as the woman of her age. Nevertheless the chapters of Leena were kind of boring and nonsense; I feel like she didn't even know herself. Super slow burn… for real super slow. Definitely Eileen´s chapters saved; the book at least for me.

On the other side the audiobook was amazing. The sound effects, the narrators, the emotions they show were amazing. It was nice in general and especially I found it calming and such a nice thing to listen to during the day.

Thanks to Macmillan Audio for the audiobook!

I really loved "The Flat Share" by Beth O'Leary, so I had high hopes for "The Switch".
The plot reminded me a bit of the movie "The Holiday": two women changing homes and taking some time off. But, in this case, we're talking about a grandma and her granddaughter.

Leena, the granddaughter, lost her sister recently and doesn't get along with their mother. She's been extremely busy, working non-stop, doing everything she can to keep her mind off her feelings. She has a boyfriend, Ethan, but he also works a lot and they only see each other once a week. She has friends, but it's pretty clear how lonely and unhappy she is, even though she doesn't want to admit it.

Eileen, her grandmother, lived her whole life trying to please her husband and living by his rules. Now that he's gone, she wants a new relationship, with someone who actually loves and respects her. At the same time, she's a bit embarrassed, since she considers herself too old and doesn't know where to find a good man. She has no interest in anyone from her small city... But she's feeling so lonely, she's even willing to "grow to love" someone, even if they have absolutely nothing in common. That's her newest project.

When Leena causes some trouble at work due to her exhaustion, her boss demands her to take a two-month license. When she finds out about Eileen's project, it becomes hers too. She wants to help Eileen to find happiness. That's how she comes up with the idea: they're switching homes for 8 weeks. She stays at her grandma's home, dealing with her mother and with all Eileen's chores, completely disconnected from everything work-related, while her grandma goes to her place in London, going out on dates and living the adventure she always wanted when she was younger.

It was a good read, but I think my expectations were too high and that got in my way. The characters are great, each one has a very distinct personality, which made the whole process even more interesting… But some parts were a bit too slow for me.

Alison Steadman and Daisy Edgar-Jones did a really great job as narrators.

One of the most delightful books I've read this year! Leena and Eileen are a hilarious granddaughter-grandmother pairing and I found myself frequently laughing out loud at their wit and shenanigans. Many professional women will feel a camaraderie with Leena and I suspect, like I did, will think how lovely it would be to have a grandmother like Eileen. She's a hoot and still making things happen at 79! Follow their adventures with endearing friends and neighbors as these two switch residences and re-learn who they are. Bravo to the narrators who did a fabulous job bringing this charming novel to life and transporting me to lovely England. To Mrs. O'Leary, could you write a sequel because I'm missing my new friends?

I was thrilled to listen to The Switch after reading O'Leary's first book, The Flatshare, earlier. I am a sucker for all things British, and this contemporary romance worked well for me, especially on audio. The dual narrators (one as Leena, the granddaughter; the other as Eileen, the grandmother) helped visualize the switching chapters and narrators, and emphasized the humor in O'Leary's writing. I might have missed on some of that if I had only been reading in print.

I appreciated the character of Eileen especially- it was refreshing to read an elderly character with a rich, full life who seized the opportunities that came her way.

This was my first audio ARC from NetGalley.

I really loved this audiobook. The characters were fun and believable, (I mean, who would not want a grandma mother like Eileen Cotton) and the story itself was delightful. I also thought that the narrator did a fabulous job!
This is the first book I have read by Beth O'Leary, definitely but not the last. I would very highly recommend this book.

Thank you NetGalley, Beth O'Leary, and Macmillian Audio for the ARC.

I really enjoyed this novel! I found the romance story fun and also enjoyed the switching back and forth between narrators. The concept of the book was unique and fun to read about. Lastly, I appreciated the story of finding yourself as told by two very strong women going through a tough time in their lives. This was a four-star read for me.

I thoroughly enjoyed The Switch by Beth O'Leary. Although I was expecting more of a focus on the love lives of the characters as the summary suggests, the book is much more focused on relationships in all aspects of their lives; Leena's love story almost seems like an afterthought, and Eileen's is more of a tongue-in-cheek reference throughout her story. However, I became attached to Leena, Eileen, and everyone else, and I found myself thinking about each character's struggles in equal measure. I always like finding characters I can root for, and O'Leary provides them in spades here. There were moments that felt contrived for the sake of The Plot, but they were few and far between. Furthermore, the narrators of the audiobook are superb! I want Daisy Edgar-Jones to narrate everything. If you are looking for a book that will make you laugh, cry, and cheer out loud, this is the book for you.

What a sweet story! Beth O'Leary is quickly becoming one of my favourite authors. After truly adoring The Flatshare, I knew I had to request this book. When Leena is required to take a 2 month sabbatical from work and learns that her grandmother Eileen is looking to find love again, they decide to swap lives. They swap apartments, phones and even charity and volunteer duties.I loved the story from start to finish, and will continue reading anything this author writes!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me a much appreciated digital audiobook download, in exchange for an honest review.

I had already read and loved this book. The narration on this is lovely, I liked both narrators and felt that they gave the story an extra level.

I really enjoyed this sweet story. It's told in dual POV by the grandmother and granddaughter and it's lovely to get an older character that feels fully realised and just as important as the younger characters.
Both main characters are narated really well and bring out the humour in the book but it's not just fluffy and the romances almost feel incidental, it's more about both characters finding their way through grief and back to themselves.
Overall, this was adorable but sincere and enjoyable throughout, recommended!

I loved this one!!!
The narrators add Soo much to the story. I could totally relate to Leena and Eileen's one as a friend and the other as a loving grandma.

Also this book made me miss my grandma more than ever.

I loved her personality and I think we could all learn from her.

This is my second book by Beth OLeary

Delightful, funny & heartwarming!

An absolute pleasure to listen to! I loved this uplifting tale so much. The audiobook was absolutely perfect!

I thought the narrators did a great job, their voices clearly reflected women of the ages of the characters. I liked how phone calls sounded different.

I want to be Eileen Cotton when I grow up! I absolutely adored this book!

When I first read the description of this book, I assumed it was going to be another version of The Holiday in book form. While there were similar themes, it was really refreshing to read. I loved the relationship between Leena and Eileen and how they both very easily fit into their "new lives" after switching homes for two months. There is a certain level of suspension of disbelief needed to buy into this story (especially as an American! Would a London company really give someone 2 months paid leave in a situation like this!? I doubt it). Either way, I found this story extremely charming and I would absolutely recommend it to anyone looking for a light, fun read. Everyone could use a story like this right now when so many things in the world are so heavy. An excellent palette cleanser!

Thank you to NetGalley for my copy in exchange for an honest review!

The Switch

I Picked Up This Book Because: I couldn’t wait to try a Netgalley audiobook. Plus it sounded cute.

The Characters:

Leena Cotton:
Eileen Cotton:


The Story:

I loved the story here. Eileen and her granddaughter Leena decide to switch lives after Leena has an unfortunate breakdown due to recent family tragedy. This time away gives them both what they need to heal along with some new friends and some fun. I could rant all day but I’ll just say I loved it. I like the nosy neighbors and the interesting flatmates and the emotional ending.

There was only one thing I didn’t love and this is such a personal pet peeve but I can’t keep it to myself. I’m not sure what kind of microphones they used to record this but they were way too sensitive. I could hear every mouth sound from the narrators. Swallowing, smacking, general mouth wetness, it was DISGUSTING! I got it a lot more from Eileen than Lena but it was still there and by the end of the book I was at my wits end with it. I couldn’t even really enjoy Eileen’s final speech or the epilogue because I just couldn’t take it anymore. So had I known this going in I would have much rather read the book than listen to the audio. I don’t want anyone to think this is a jab against the narrators; they did an excellent job, it's a production issue and it was big enough for me to reduce my rating by half a star because it really did ruin my enjoyment of an otherwise nice story.

The Random Thoughts:


3.5 Stars

”you’re grieving. And maybe you always will be, and that’s okay” ❤️

This was such a heartwarming story!

After experiencing a panic attack during a work meeting, Leena is forced to go on a two month sabbatical. She and her grandmother Eileen (with whom she is incredibly close) decide to switch places. Eileen living the London life and Leena living the countryside life in Yorkshire.

I loved the aspect of rediscovering one’s self and that it was from both an adult’s POV and an elderly person’s POV. Seeing the wisdom and naivety from both in women, in two entirely different walks in life, navigating similar situations such as love, romance and grief was very refreshing and the growth among the characters was wonderful.

I listened to the audio version of this via NetGalley and loved the narration! I’d also listened to the audio version of The Flatshare (also by this author) last summer and wholeheartedly enjoyed it!

So far Beth O’Leary is 2/2 in heartwarming stories - excited for what she has up next!

Thanks to NetGalley & the publisher for providing an ARC of the audio in exchange for an honest review!

Oh how I loved this book. It made me laugh and cry. I wanted grandma Eileen as my grandma she was so cute and endearing. If you haven’t read a book by this author I suggest you change that. Won’t be the last book I read by her. The audio narration was perfect!

Beth O'Leary has come through again with a delightful book. The character of Eileen is particularly charming. The dual settings paired with the dual character storylines really works. Great on audio as well.

What a wonderful novel When I saw this was classified as Women's Fiction, I wasn't sure what to expect. The Switch turned out to be a story of wisdom that can only come with age, grieving after losing a loved one, family being there for each other, unexpected romantic relationships, and wonderful intergenerational friendships. I think this would have been a wonderful book to read a physical copy but I am so glad I heard the audio format. The narrators were wonderful, especially the grandmother. I would have never read her portions of the book hearing the authentic wise and aged voice only grandparents possess. Listening to The Switch really felt like I was being told a true story!