‘The Switch’ gave me so many warm and fuzzies it was like a hug from family.. I read Beth O’Leary’s latest novel in a day, helplessly transported between a fictional, rural English hamlet of misfits with hearts too big for so small a town, and a London apartment of hopeless (but actually absolutely bloody perfectly stereotypical) Gen Y-ers. The premise of this book is Freaky Friday-esque, although with a little less fortune cookie and a lot more agency. Leena Cotton is a classic Type-A personality on the brink of success, and if we’re honest, a mini breakdown. Eileen Cotton is Leena’s grandma, seventy-nine years young, recently abandoned by her husband for their dance instructor but with a wicked sense of humour (her cats are called Ant and Dec). When Leena’s boss forces her to take two months off work, Leena trades homes and lives with Eileen, and a fair bit of hilarity ensues. There’s online dating (including the requisite catfishing experience), a romance carried out through dog walks and competition over the annual village fete theme, and neighbourly calamities aplenty. Simultaneously, there is that same careful, nuanced and empathetic handling of enormously challenging subjects like grief and domestic violence that made ‘The Flatshare’ as impactful as it was. The question I know you’re all mentally clamouring at me to ask is: but is ‘The Switch’ as good as ‘The Flatshare’? Like a person talking about their ex-lover to their current paramour, I’m going to say they’re ‘different’. If you were feeling isolated with all that’s going on, this book will be the perfect cure. I can’t be held accountable though if, once this is all over, this book makes you set up a dinner club for silver-haired septegenarians or host a Medieval/Hawaiian themed village fete. I’m down for both if you do. I gave ‘The Switch’ by @betholearyauthor 4 out of 5 pairs of political socks, which say ‘Brexit is bollocks’ around the ankle 🧦 🇬🇧 🧦 🇬🇧 #theswitch

This is a very charming read that i found myself enjoying immensely.
It was a pretty easy and fun read about a flat swap between Eileen and her granddaughter Leena.
there was lots of levity and heartwarming moments, would recommend!

Beth O'Leary follows up her brilliant début, The Flatshare with this smashing novel, The Switch. Eileen Cotton's husband, Wade has recently left her for a dance instructor, and far from pining for him, she is searching for another man. But in the Yorkshire Dales, particularly the tiny village of Hamleigh-in-Harksdale, suitable beaus are scarce, as 79 year old Eileen muses on how she had intended on going to London before her marriage to Wade.

Following a panic attack during a presentation to a client, her granddaughter, workaholic Leena, currently living in Shoreditch, London, is advised to take a holiday, so she visits her Grandma Eileen, in Hamleigh-in-Harksdale. When Leena finds out about her Gran's latest predicament, she makes a suggestion: to swap homes, with Eileen staying in Leena's designer warehouse flat in Shoreditch...

Beth O'Leary's undoubted strength is her remarkable flair in creating characters you cannot help but love. The star of the show here was Eileen, with such a lively and sparkling persona. Her natural ebullience leapt off the page and I was 100% invested in her story.

The Switch was a hilarious but also at times sad, adventure for the both women as they discover who they are and what is missing from their lives. The novel highlights the importance of friendships, family, love, belonging and community spirit and I was immediately and totally immersed in the lives of all the wonderful characters, for the book's entirety. Although the finale was exactly as I would have wished, I was sad when it was over. I think The Switch will capture the hearts and minds of readers everywhere.

I received a complimentary digital copy of this novel at my request from Quercus Books via NetGalley and this review is my unbiased opinion.

Found this story okay but was expecting/wanting something along the lines of one of my favorite movies, 'The Holiday' where the two protagonists swap lives. This was also the case here, but I felt like the story, especially in the middle, dragged along and thus the story was overly long and I just wanted it to get to some sort of conclusion. Was also looking for the humor which was present in The Flatshare here, but I guess this one didn't lend itself well to humor so that was a bit lacking for me, as well. Good story, but I was expecting much more

After loving The Flatshare I had high hopes for Beth O'Leary's second novel however it did not quite hit the mark for me. There were some funny moments in this and many of the peripheral characters were interesting and believable.
My main issue was that the lead characters were not very likeable and I found it hard to sympathise with their struggles and dramas when they seemed self-involved, entitled and hypocritical.
This book also included a number of plot devices that grate on me in romance fiction e.g. deep seated conflicts being resolved in one conversation and every character getting an unrealistic happy ending.
Having said all that it is certainly an easy to read, escapist type book so might appeal to readers looking for something lighter to read. Thank you to Netgalley and Quercus for the ARC.

After a breakdown at work, Leena is told to take a 2 month sabbatical to recuperate. Eileen, her grandmother, is looking for love again after her husband has left her for another woman, but finds that her small village has slim pickings with gentlemen suitors.
Leena goes to stay with Eileen and finds that she is looking for love and comes up with the idea that they switch lives for 2 months whilst she’s off work; Eileen can find love in London as Leena refocuses on her life in rural Yorkshire.
Are they able to separate from their lives completely to find what they are looking for or is it all not as easy as it seems?
I loved this book and how wonderful their community is. I want to be a part of it so badly; the fetes, the Easter egg hunt and the neighbourhood watch that doesn't really watch out for the neighbourhood. There are some charming characters and relationships across generations.
I was however slightly concerned by the amount of meddling Eileen did! Although the outcome was mostly good, it seemed to have a positive light on it and I couldn't help but wonder that it wouldn't happen like this in real life as she could potentially get herself hurt. I love the character so much I didn't want anything to happen to her!
The Cotton’s are still reeling from the death of Carla, Leena’s sister and Eileen’s other granddaughter, and Leena is not talking to her mother, Marion so Eileen finds herself in a weird Piggy in the middle situation with her daughter and granddaughter. They are all feeling differently about her death, Leena is not coping well but denying her feelings, and because of this hasn't thought about how it could be affecting her mother. There is a nice touch on depression without it pulling away from the story.
I felt the story was especially strong in the area of the love between this family, even if at times it seemed hard for them. I also fell in love with their friends and how they welcomed Leena and Eileen into their worlds and communities. They both brought joy to their temporary homes and learnt to grow and learn more about themselves as well.
I especially enjoyed the mix of wonderful and eccentric characters. Eileen is just magical and such a delight, anyone would be lucky to have a grandmother like her. Arnold has to be one of my favourites and I love his and Eileen’s silly rivalry and that Leena manages to get more out of the grumpy old man.
The Switch, is an adorable story with strong willed ladies who stole my heart. I laughed and cried and I didn't want the story to end. It is a wonderfully uplifting story and perfect to read in these uncertain times. It is not a genre that I would usually read but I am so glad I did, I would recommend this to everyone!
Thank you NetGalley for a proof copy in exchange for an honest review.

Loved it. I read The Flatshare so I was looking forward to this. I wasn't disappointed. Eileen lives in Yorkshire, she's 79 and is looking for love. Her granddaughter Leena lives in London and is suffering from burnout. She needs a change. The swap lives for 2 months which results in some life changing, often amusing results. The cast of characters made me smile. I loved Eileen and how much she could get away with because she's an old lady. London is not ready for her straight talking and no nonsense approach! I raced through the book and was sad to come to the end, I'll miss Leena and Eileen. The Switch is just a lovely book, full of heart, laughter and the opposite of social distancing. Just the tonic I needed in the current climate.

This is the tale of 2 eileens. This is also the tale of grief and coming to terms with it and what happens if you ignore it.
Lena cotton named after her grandmother Eileen is struggling to cope since the death of her sister Carla. She’s always been successful at her job,she has it all, great job, boyfriend and a swanky apartment she shares with her friends but lately she’s having panic attacks and is close to a breakdown. After nearly costing her company a new contract Lena is made to take 2 months of by her boss.
Heading home to the Yorkshire village where she grew up. Lena decides to visit her grandmother and to tackle her relationship with her mother which has broken down since Carlas death. Lena blames her mother for not helping her persuade her sister to get treatment.
Granny Eileen (the village stalwart) is also grieving and trying to get over the breakup of her marriage, plus run all the village comittees and support daughter Marion. She feels stuck in a rut - so when Lena suggests she try dating again, the pair discover there are more men over 70 available online in London.
Feeling unable to leave all her commitments to go on an adventure, Lena suggests they switch lives for a bit.
Eileen will go to London and stay at Lenas flat and leena will stay in the village and handle all her grans mayday plans and run the neighbour hood watch club plus keep an eye on her mother.
After recently reading Beth O’Leary’s first book the flat share (which I loved) I was very excited to read her new novel.
This novel has a charm of its own and the further into it I read the more I fell in love with its cast of characters.
The modern young friends in London and all the oldies of the village are all wonderful supporting characters.
This story is charming,delightful and funny and I’ve been totally bewitched by both eileens. Would highly recommend.

What a wonderful book - Eileen Cotton and her granddaughter Leena trade places in this absolutely wonderful and uplifting book. Eileen swaps country for bustling London to follow her teenage dreams while Leena moves to the country to try get away and find herself. Beautiful. I would recommend to anyone

Actual rating: 4.5/5

I really enjoyed The Switch! I thought it was such a great concept and as a big fan of the film 'The Holiday', I really loved this new take on the 'life swap' narrative.

I loved how different yet similar all the Cotton women were and how Eileen and Leena coped in their new environment. I really enjoyed how their relationships grew with the people around them and how they helped Eileen and Leena discover more about themselves and each other. The book moved at a really great pace and the writing was fun and simple. The characters and their development during the story was amazing and I loved how much of an effect Eileen and Leena had on them.

My only qualm with the book was the rather positive view on meddling in someone else's life. I understand that there is a huge difference between not communicating your opinion to someone about a situation they're in and straight-up meddling, but that didn't sit very well with me. Meddling - even on a small level - can get messy fast. My life has been meddled in with some rather terrible ways, so I can't stand by meddling for the sake of meddling or using it as a way of better communicating with someone or making them realise something.

Overall, I did really enjoy The Switch and would definitely recommend it as a fun read.

This book is just lovely. It deals with some hard issues but there is an underlying thread of goodness, community and kind heartedness. I really loved the characters and watching them develop and bloom throughout was great. Ended it with a great big smile on my face. Definitely recommended.

The Switch is a story of two very different women, with two very different lives, but with one common denominator - they share the same name. The first Eileen Cotton (known as Leena) is a 20 year ago, London career woman who is struggling to come to terms with the death of her sister Carla from cancer. The other Eileen Cotton is Leena’s 79 year old grandmother who lives in a small, rural village in Yorkshire. When her husband Wade left her for another woman, she regrets all the adventures she turned down in her youth. And so, here begins the story, the grandmother and granddaughter decide to swap homes and lives for two months to see if they can find themselves again and start to live life again.

This is a story of grief, happiness and unusual, cross generation friendships.

I read, and loved Beth O’Leary’s first book, The Flat Share, but have to share that I enjoyed this one even more!

Sorry to say just 3⭐ from me for this. I so wanted to fall in love with this book in the way I did with The Flatshare however this wasn't in the same league. It was an enjoyable book and I loved that one of the main characters was an older lady but the quirks that made Flatshare so intriguing were missing. I also loved that not everything focused on London (which is not the centre of the universe). I'm still glad I read it but it fell into the charming, light read category for me (not that that's a bad thing).

Simply wonderful, there's no other word for it.

Leena and Eileen need a change so they decide to swap places: Leena heading to her grandmother's Yorkshire home and Eileen to her granddaughter's London flat. It's what they learn along the way that makes this such a heartwarming read. A true tale of love; romantic, platonic, familial. Of finding who you are by living someone else's life.

I adore Beth O'Leary's writing, it grips you and keeps you enthralled until the last sentence. I wanted to savour every page of The Switch, not wanting to ever leave the lives of Leena and Eileen.

An absolute must read.

We are all healing from something we don't talk about. And sometimes we have to put ourselves into a strange situation to reconnect with ourselves and have an adventure that will rejuvenate us for what lies ahead.

Leena Cotton, a meticulous planner, and an overachiever has a panic attack during an office meeting. She hasn't processed the loss of her sister Carla and tries to cope up by immersing herself in work. Eileen Cotton, 79 and moping about the paucity of desirable men in her small village of Hamleigh-in-Harksdale, wants to enjoy her life, experience sex, and companionship, which her estranged husband Wade failed to give her. As they swap their lives, they see the world through a different angle, once that changes them for good.

The Cotton women show remarkable strength in the face of loss and have so much love to give that they befriend almost everyone immediately. 'The Switch' is a character-driven story, with very little romance. The focus is on this grieving family of three, and their relationship with the people in their immediate vicinity. Eileen and Leena bring unbridled joy to each one they meet and it rubs off on the reader.
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Eileen, however, won my heart. A woman with enough juice left within her, she goes to London and dates men with a vigor that's missing in most oldies. She (with the help of Leena's friends) brings the otherwise self-indulgent community in London together with remarkable efficiency and forms the Silver Shoreditch Social Club for old folks who are forced to live a lonely life. As O'Leary mentions towards the end, I have truly been Eileened.

'The Switch' is as refreshing as 'The Flatshare'. The character development, the setup, and the plot are charming, the dialogues witty and entertaining. It's just the kind of book you wanna curl up with during this extended period of isolation. Beth O'Leary has a remarkable talent for creating lovable characters and she has proved it again.

I have so much LOVE for this book! After reading The Flat Share last year, The Switch was one of my most anticipated reads for 2020 and I certainly was not disappointed. It is a beautiful story, with lovely characters and settings and I really couldn't get enough.

Now you might think that a swap between a 29 year old and a 79 year old is ridiculous - but you have not met Eileen. She is a newly single women, since he husband walked out on her, and she lives with her cats Ant and Dec (I loved this little detail!!) She wants to find love again but her little village in Yorkshire has slim pickings. meanwhile, her beloved grand daughter Leena is struggling in her high powered, highly stressful job in London. She has messed up royally and been ordered to take a 2 month sabbatical to sort her head out. She head to Yorkshire to visit her grandmother and the pair decide to swap lives for a while. Leena will stay in Yorkshire and look after Eileen's life while Eileen heads to London and moves in with Leena's flat mates and looks for love.

It is a hilarious and at times sad adventure for the both and they really discover who they are and what is missing from their lives. Friendships, family, love and priorities are all important to both women. I was immediately immersed in the lives of these wonder characters and was sad when it was over. I cannot recommend this book more.

I've been Eileened!

Leena falls apart at the most inopportune moment and is given no choice but to take a two month sabbatical from her job; she heads to stay with her grandmother, Eileen, for a few days. Eileen, in turn, is feeling that live is passing her by and would like a bit of excitement and possible romance in her life but there's a lack of eligible men in her small village. So Leena proposes a solution for them both; she can stay in Eileen's cottage whilst Eileen heads off to live in Leena's London flat. However, neither of them really understood what they were letting themselves in for . . .

After reading Beth O'Leary's first novel, The Flatshare, I didn't hesitate to take up the chance to read and review this second one. Entirely different, and so very entertaining! The characters are both warm, endearing and beautifully drawn - and that includes the wider cast, not just the two main ones. I just loved everything about this novel, and I want a wristband (read it, you'll find out what I'm on about)! This is a well thought out and cleverly planned story; there is always something going on to keep the readers focus moving from one character to another with plenty of humour along the way. Yet again, I've had to explain to my OH what I'm giggling and laughing about at the strangest moments. A really fun read, absolutely perfect for these times of isolation, one which will lift every reader's spirits. Worth every one of the five sparkling stars I'm very happy to give it and the highest recommendation to add this one to your list today!

My thanks to the publisher for my copy via NetGalley; this is - as always - my honest, original and unbiased review.

Leena Cotton is horrified to be forced to take a sabbatical after messing up a presentation at work.  She doesn't mess up, it just isn't her!  She uses the time to visit her Grandma, Eileen, who is 79 and recently single.  Eileen is looking for love, but her options in the village of Hamleigh are limited.  Whilst discussing their problems, the two women decide to change places for 2 months.  Eileen will go to London for the adventure she never had when she was younger, and Leena will stay in Hamleigh and look after her Grandma's projects, taking a well earned breakfrom London life.  Both women love the change of lifestyle, but it isn't without problems.  Will they manage the full 2 months? And what will happenwhen it's time to return to their old lives?


Having enjoyed Beth O'Leary's first book, The FlatShare, I was looking forward to starting this one and seeing if it measured up.  It definitely did, and if anything I liked The Switch more.

The first few chapters of the book get the scene set pretty quickly.  We get a whirlwind introduction to Leena, Eileen and their family history.  It doesn't take long for us to get to the point where the two women have swapped places, and whilst I thought at first that it seemed rushed it actually works well.  It means that the bulk of the book focuses on the lifestyle swap, rather than setting the scene.

I was a bit unsure if I was going to enjoy this or not because of the undertone of grief that seemed so heavy in those first few chapters.  Once the book gets going this becomes much less of an overriding theme, although it is still present.  On the whole I thought it was addressed well, without making the book too dark and serious.

There's a lot of humour in the book.  I love the various characters we meet throughout the story.  Arnold was one of my favourites, a grumpy old man who maybe isn't ao grumpy after all.  The escapades of both Leena and especially Eileen are great fun to read about, and made me think of some of the things my Nan does.  She's not on the dating scene, but definitely doesn't act like she's eighty!

A lighthearted and heart warming read, this is definitely a good one to pick up if you need something to make you smile.  It was a bit predictable in places but that didn't really impact my enjoyment of the story.  I'll be keeping an eye out for future books by Beth O'Leary

Thanks to NetGalley and Quercus books for an arc in exchange for an honest review

I really enjoyed this book, it was the first Beth O'Leary book I've read having heard good things about The Flat Share.
It took me a couple of attempts to get into the first couple of chapters, but after that I was hooked.
Really loved the characters, everyone should have a Granny Eileen to sort them out, and I want to go and live in a lovely village like this one.
Loved hearing about things from each character's perspective and how they took turns telling the story and about all their adventures.
The story succeeded in having me laugh out loud, and cry my eyes out and I liked how things behind closed doors weren't always as they seemed.
By the end the characters felt like old friends and I wanted to read more about them.
Thanks to the Publisher and Netgalley for the advance copy in return for my honest review.

Warm and funny, The Switch by Beth O’Leary is the kind of uplifting book I think we all need just now. The storyline may feel a little familiar but I loved the sense of community, family, friendship and love that runs throughout.

As a massive fan of O’Leary’s debut, The Flatshare, I was ridiculously excited to get my hands on an advance copy of her new book The Switch. Unfortunately however while I did very much enjoy it, I’m not sure it quite lived up to expectations (although to be fair these were probably unreasonably high).

The story is great, the characters are likeable and it’s warm and funny and incredibly sweet. It’s pretty much a big hug in book form. However while I more or less devoured the whole thing in an afternoon, I feel it’s missing that special something to lift it from a great read to a stand out one and I have a horrible feeling that in a few weeks I’ll have forgotten all about it.

It may be that I’ve been overdosing on romcoms and contemporaries lately (they’re pretty much the only genres I can focus on right now) but I felt The Switch was a little lacking in originality. The story seemed a bit too familiar and I’ve read more than one book where different generations of women discover they have something to learn from each other.

I did love the characters and the way they developed over the course of the story. Also really loved how many older characters had starring roles. Eileen in particular was a joy to read and I thought the author did a wonderful job of portraying an older person whose body may be slowing down but whose determination and passions are as strong as ever. I loved her adventurous spirit but I also loved how she created a community everywhere she went and how protective she is of those she cares about.

Leena took a little longer to grow on me. I could certainly relate to her but I think it’s safe to say she’s a bit of a mess at the start of the story and she’s keeping a lot bottled up inside which makes her come across as uptight. I found her inability to stop and relax frustrating, I mean, who complains about being given a couple of months paid leave (and I don’t mean because you’ve been furloughed and can’t go anywhere or see anyone). She does however develop quite nicely over the course of the story and I grew to really like her.

I also loved the relationships within the novel, the friendships old and new (some of which are unlikely) and also the romance. There are quite a few sparks flying and while it is a little predictable I was happy to go along for the ride.

I maybe would’ve preferred less secondary characters so they could be developed a bit further but each and every one does have a role in the story and they do all feel authentic if a bit eccentric at times.

Overall a great read that’s perfect for a lazy day or when you’re in need of a bit of cheering up.