I really loved Beth O'Leary's previous book The Flatshare so I was excited to get a copy of her latest novel. The Switch is about a woman called Eileen and her granddaughter Leena who are both a bit tired of their lives. Leena is forced to take two months leave from a high pressured job in London and her gran is bored with country life so they swap places for a couple of months. I liked the idea of this book but I found it a little dull and predictable. It's not terrible, but I was really disappointed with it and struggled to get through it.

The Switch is one of those books that feels like a hug. Although it deals with serious issues, the tale of twenty-something London career woman Leena switching places with her Neighbourhood Watch-attending grandmother Eileen Cotton in the Yorkshire Dales is ultimately a deeply heartwarming novel about the importance of family, friends, and community. (It’s funny too – I laughed out loud to myself more than once while I was reading it on a cross-country plane journey.) Coming after her debut novel The Flashare in 2019, The Switch shows that Beth O’ Leary is here to stay, and if you like Jenny Colgan, Jojo Moyes, or Rosie Walsh, you’ll love Beth’s books too.

[Thanks to Quercus Books and NetGalley for the digital review copy.]

The Switch is a lovely uplifting funny, sometimes sad but inspirational story.
Leena is burnt out from working all hours since her sister died, having a panic attack during an important presentation she is give two months off work to recover and rest. Her grandmother Eileen’s husband has up and left after over 40years of marriage. Eileen wants to find a new man, Leena just wants to rest. They decide to swap their lives around, Eileen will go live in Leena’s flat in London and Leena will live in the quiet Yorkshire village to recuperate.
Both initially find the change difficult but slowly both see the advantages and settle and enjoy themselves.
Full of a great cast of characters this is a book that entertains throughly, exploring loss, love and relationships it is simply just wonderful.
My thanks to net galley and publisher for the opportunity to review this book honestly.

Beth O’Leary is so good at writing strong characters and the simplicity of this storyline combined with Leena and Eileen’s strong personalities is another winning combination. The similarities between the two contrasted with the differing ways they approach things makes for a fabulous read, both are very likeable characters and the impact they both have in their ‘switched’ lives so gently written it’s very believable. There’s a lovely host of characters in both the Shoreditch and Hamleigh locations and the way both Leena and Eileen interact with both works so very well. This is a gorgeous warm-hearted read, very relaxing but also incredibly absorbing.

Oh my God I loved this book! I totally and completely fell in love with Leena, Eileen and all the other characters in this story! It was a warm, funny, romantic, uplifting story and I was so sad when I finished the last page. You must read The Switch.

Well, this was just totally charming. Brilliant comfort reading. Absolutely compelling - I raced through it in a day. Ultimately a sweet and uplifting story, but with enough darkness to keep things interesting. Beth is the next Mhairi McFarlane.

Couldn't wait to read this and stayed up all night devouring it - if that's not a resounding thumbs up then I don't know what is.

Beth O'Leary seems to have the knack of transforming a story that could quickly become twee or cliche into something that's relatable and heartwarming - just perfect!

I loved The Flatshare and enjoyed The Switch just as much....we all need an Eileen in our lives......

With Beth O'Leary's The Flatshare one of my books of the year in 2019, I was terrified to read The Switch in case there was a disappointing case of second novel syndrome. I need not have worried because The Switch is even better than The Flatshare. I absolutely adored it. I hadn't even got to page twenty before Beth O'Leary had made me both shed a tear and laugh aloud and the rest of the story just got better and better.

The plot premise is hugely entertaining as Leena and Eileen swap places; with the concept of walking in another's shoes, both literally and metaphorically, affording insight into character, society and life, in a fabulous blend of storytelling. It appealed to me that Leena can have a stimulating life away from London just as much as Eileen can leave her sheltered home village, and explore, in spite of approaching her eighties. There's a perfect balance between the two narratives. It's so wonderful to have an older protagonist in Eileen who isn't seen as a little old lady, but rather as one who has physical and emotional strength and a life to live. Both Leena and Eileen walked straight into my heart from the moment they appeared on the page and stayed there because, despite their age differences, they seemed to represent a kind of Everywoman that any reader could relate to.

I'm not usually a fan of books where there are several minor characters, but in The Switch all the people are so vivid and engaging that this story simply wouldn't have worked without them. They are brilliantly depicted so that each individual is clear and realistic. I might have been ever so slightly in love with one or two of them myself but I don't want to say more for fear of spoiling the story.

The Switch might be defined as light, uplifting, women's fiction, but that doesn't prevent Beth O'Leary weaving in some weighty themes too. There's a sensitive exploration of grief and loss, of love and loyalty, family and friendship written with humour and finesse that gives added depth and makes The Switch even more wonderful to read. The message that we all need human contact underpins the narrative with subtlety whilst being utterly convincing. I thought Beth O'Leary was a genius in illustrating how prickliness and surly behaviour might be masking a vulnerability and need. Her understanding  and depiction of what a thriving community actually is and how we can make a better world for others at the same time as improving our own lives is inspiring and heartwarming.

I think The Switch is pure joy in book form and I loved it. I finished it feeling as if my life had been enhanced by its reading, that I had been brilliantly entertained and that someone had switched on sunshine so that I had been left with a warm glow. Wonderful.

The switch made me laugh, cry and smile as I devoured it. I wanted to be in the flat with Eileen while she embarked on her London adventure and also wanted to hang out with Lena, Jackson, Arnold, Betsey eve the gang up north. Every character was relatable, the story was fresh and human and as a reader I connected it every one of them and their stories! Highly recommend this book!! I want more about them all ASAP please!

I've been waiting for this book since reading (and loving) The Flatshare and it did not disappoint. O'Leary has once again written characters who you can't help fall in love with - I was a touch wary of Eileen simply because I find a lot of later-in-life characters and romances over-the-top, but her character was honestly my favourite of the book.

There's heartbreak, humour, tenderness, just the right amount of cliché and such a gorgeous warmth throughout that this is the perfect book when you want something that feels fresh and uplifting.

I can only imagine what a daunting task it must be writing a second novel when your first one is so well received. The author has set herself a huge task following the success of ‘The Flatshare’ and I almost didn’t want to start ‘The Switch’ for fear it wouldn’t live up to expectations but I needn’t have worried. Despite wanting to savour this read for as long as possible I actually finished it in virtually one sitting so wrapped up I became in the fictional lives of Eileen and Leena.
‘The Switch’ is a charming and funny novel with a wonderful cast of characters and has quite a quirky storyline. Grandmother Eileen lives in the Yorkshire dales in the village of Hamleigh-in-Harksdale whilst her granddaughter Leena is busy forging a career in London but both are struggling to come to terms with the death of beloved Carla. When life doesn’t quite go according to plan for Leena, what better way to deal with life’s curveballs than to swap places with her grandmother for a couple of months so they can both rediscover their true selves.
Eileen is such a fantastic character, brave and adventurous despite her advancing years and most definitely a force to be reckoned with. She loves to meddle!! I loved that someone of vintage years takes such a central role in the narrative, and her switch to London life, flat sharing , is quite inspirational. Forging new friendships with a much younger age group gives her a new lease of life proving you’re never too old to discover new experiences and that both young and old have much to learn from one another. It’s so easy to fall in love with Eileen, she’s such a breath of fresh air and THE coolest grandmother!
I was swept up in the storyline very quickly, immersed in Eileen and Leena’s worlds as if I was living alongside them both. Leena is an interesting character in that she has shut herself off from her grief over her sister’s death and it will take the elderly inhabitants of this Yorkshire village to make her confront her feelings and mend bridges with her mother Marion. She throws herself into village life, surprisingly learning to embrace a different way of life very quickly. I liked Leena, almost as much as her grandmother, even though her driving skills leave much to be desired!
This is a novel bursting with love and warmth and humour and I absolutely adored these elderly characters and their seemingly pointless meetings. Reading these scenes will definitely put a smile on your face and brighten your day with Arnold and Betsy et al providing plenty of giggles along the way. In a time where kindness is so important this novel speaks volumes about family and love and community. Addressing the issue of isolation and loneliness in a lighthearted and heartwarming way really struck a chord with me with Letitia symbolising the way modern day living can be so lonely.
All in all ‘The Switch’ has all the ingredients necessary for a perfect romantic quirky read; larger than life characters, a generous helping of romance, a sprinkling of cheesiness, a large dollop of silliness and a pinch of predictability. Yes, this is unashamedly sentimental in places but I wouldn’t expect anything less. For me, this is comfort reading at its very best enabling you to enter a fictional haven where goodness prevails. A joy to read and highly recommend without hesitation.
MASSIVE thanks go to Beth O’Leary, the publisher and Netgalley for allowing me to read in exchange for an honest review.
I thoroughly enjoyed being ‘Eileened’ and hope this second novel is received as well as her first. Beth O’Leary’s writing career deserves to go from strength to strength and I already eagerly await her next offering!! NO PRESSURE

Wow, this was an absolute treat! I enjoyed O'Leary's first novel but this one is even better. It's not a genre I usually read, but I couldn't resist this big-hearted, charming, touching story of a life swap between grandmother and granddaughter.

Lena Cotton is a high-flyer in London and supposedly living a dream life with her high-powered job, handsome boyfriend and trendy warehouse flat in Shoreditch. When a presentation at work goes wrong and she is told to take a two month sabbatical, she retreats to the Yorkshire village where her mother and grandmother live, each dealing in their own ways with a family tragedy. The grandmother in question, Eileen, is at the centre of village life, always organising and busy but unsuccessfully looking for love. When the two agree to swap lives for the two months of Leena's leave, neither foresee the results of their quirky experiment.

The novel is packed with lucky coincidences and chance events that make everything perfect and neat, but that (which I thought might annoy me) was just lovely. What makes the book, however, is the cast of characters. They are a great and astutely observed bunch of people and they become like friends in a way that reminded me of the eclectic mix of family and friends surrounding Bridget Jones (another book I love). The plot was predictable in places but always charming and touching - it didn't shy away from the subject of grief but without becoming maudlin or mawkish.

I'd highly recommend this to anyone who wants a big slice of comfort reading. Its engaging and humorous, life-affirming and reassuring that it's never too late to find your place in the world.

Beth O’Leary has done it again. Taking a slightly cynical reader who takes a while to ease into a romantic book because she’s not a fan of cheesy love stories, and completely warming their heart by the end! The Switch is fun, and romantic, and keeps family at the heart. The surrounding characters are so well-constructed - they are completely three-dimensional and that’s without mentioning the village itself! What a beautiful, fun, warm book. Now, can we have a sequel?! I am desperate to know what happens next!!!

I liked this one. Like The Flatshare, I do find Beth O'Leary's character arcs so richly drawn and ultimately satisfying. It felt like I really got to know Eileen and Leena, their fears and burdens and grief, and all the characters felt so likeable.

I think I like the Flatshare better, just because I was such a sucker for the central love story, but I think if you like that then you'll get along with this.

Leena had a panic attack in her high powered job and it makes her realise she needs a break! So when she is given two months leave she travels back to the Yorkshire Dales to visit her grandmother, Eileen. Despite a rocky relationship with her mum and the encompassing grief at the death of her sister Leena needs a break. Eileen also needs a break so the two swap homes! Eileen falls into the London scene easily but Leena struggles with the stoic villagers until she wins them over. Will Leena be able to resume her life in London after this?
Wow wow wow! I devoured this and laughed, sniffled and maybe a tear leaked out too! It was just beautiful. Despite my apprehension at wondering if it would be as good as ‘the flat share’, it ticks all the boxes to be one of my favourites books so far!
Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for this arc in exchange for my honest review.

Such an incredibly sweet & funny read! I absolutely loved the family relationships and the friendships between all the different characters.

There is something about Beths writing that is so heartwarming & familiar. I was instantly sucked into the story and I couldn’t put it down!

This book is a perfect light read but with moments of heartbreak and grief.

Beth is definitely an auto buy author for me.

I’ll start this review by saying that I adored The Flatshare – in fact it was one of my top books of last year, so I was a little nervous going in to The Switch. I really wanted to read it, but at the same time I didn’t want to start it in case it couldn’t live up to my expectations. I needn’t have worried, Beth O’Leary has created yet another awesome book, with more characters to fall in love with.

Just like Flatshare this book entices you in with an interesting idea, this time – if a Grandmother and Grandaughter swapped lives for 2 months, what would happen then?
Well I’ll tell you (with no spoilers, I promise), the answer is a whole lot and at the same time not a lot at all. By which I mean, no one saves the world or has a personality change, instead we get to know everyone between the pages, the communities they live in and the small everyday challenges that must be overcome in all our lives. The Switch is a very human story, at it’s heart is the question of who we are and how we find ourselves again once we get lost.

It’s a rare thing in a work of fiction to find an older character who is fully rounded, who still has their own wants and desires but that is exactly what Eileen is, it feels like she could step off the page and straight into bossing you around. I wish Eileen was my Grandma so I could spend time hanging out with her.

Leena was the same, she could be anyone’s friend. She feels absolutely real and not like she was formed in someone’s imagination at all. You felt her pain, cheered on her on and absolutely understood her.

If you were wondering whether or not to give this book a chance the answer is yes you should. By the end of the book I loved the people between it’s pages.

I adored this book. Loved the characterisation - such a strong follow-up after the incredible success of The Flatshare. I couldn’t put it down.

I had very high expectations for this book, considering how much I loved The Flatshare. It turned out I didn't have any need to worry.

I adored this book. I wish I had a grandmother figure like Eileen in my life, and I want to wrap Leena in a hug (or, ironically, cotton).

This book goes into quite a lot of deep topics, such as elderly loneliness, abuse, and anxiety. I cannot recommend it higher.

I'll say this right out of the gate: it's not as good as The Flatshare. That book had hype coming out of its
ears and it was one of my favourite books of 2019. It was a very tought act to follow. And whilst I think
Beth O'Leary has done an excellent job avoiding a sophmore slump, there's something about 'The Switch' that
lacks the charm and uniqueness of her debut novel.

However, it's not bad. In fact, it's rather good. So I'm going to be positive from here on out.

Lovely is the operative word here, because that's the best way to describe this book. It's lovely.

The novel follows grandmother Eileen and granddaughter Leena, both of whom need a break from their ordinary lives. So, they switch places with each other. The city rat goes to a village in Yorkshire and the homebody takes on the bright lights of London. It's a sweet novel with a premise that I do feel as though I've seen before, but O'Leary carries it off with her charming prose and cast of flawed, but interesting characters. The village setting was perhaps the more interesting of the two, with Eileen being the more interesting character, but the relationships work well against each other.

I also appreciated that the finding of a partner took a secondary seat to what the two women actually wanted to do: shake up their lives. They actually change their perspectives and take care of themselves, rather than always relying on other people. It's a nice touch that you don't often see in classic women's fiction.

Ultimately, I did really enjoy this book. Beth O'Leary has cemented herself as an auto-read author for me and whatever she comes out with over the next few years, I know I'm really going to enjoy. Hopefully she keeps capturing the spark and wit that came with 'The Flatshare' and, to a lesser extent, 'The Switch'.