Short review: This book is the Donkey to my Shrek.

Long Review: I loved Flatshare, Beth O'Leary's first book, so dang much I was honestly a little afraid of this book. I wasn’t sure if I could overcome my assumption that no book could live up to that one. Scratch that. I was pretty sure no book could live up to it.

I was wrong.

This book is a beautifully written, character driven, masterpiece. I fell in love with every single main and supporting character from Grandma Eileen and granddaughter Leena, to Arnold, Betsy, Jackson, Martha, Fitz and all the others. I loved getting to know them and watch their lives unfold around Eileen and Leena's life "swap."

I savored every minute of the journey as they overcame their struggles, hurt, sorrow, anger, and in the end, followed their hearts and found the true meaning of love, healing, forgiveness, family, and friendship.

Now is the time where I adopt my best Shrek voice and say “That’ll do Donkey...that’ll do.”

Get this book on your must read list. You won't be disappointed. Thank you to Flatiron and NetGalley for a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I adored this book. The premise of this novel is original which is exactly what I needed! Leena and Eileen, grandma and granddaughter duo, have endured some life hardships and together decide to swap lives by moving to each other’s homes, one in the city and the other, the countryside. It’s was a feel good novel, I laughed, I teared up, and when I read the last page, I brought the kindle to my chest and just smiled. Don’t you love when books do that to you? I know I do!

➽ Grand daughter and grandmother switch lives/homes
➽ Small town vs Big city
➽ Online dating
➽ Neighborhood watch


➽ I can't help but just say "awwwww". This was such a sweet story about people reconnecting and forming new friendships.
➽ Eileen was by far my favorite character. She was brave, fun, and entertaining. I loved seeing her venture into online dating AND how she was playing cupid
➽ My favorite scenes were the Neighborhood Watch meetings. I would attend the meetings if I lived in Hamleigh. Definite FOMO.


➽ I could not keep track of all the characters. Leena had her group of friends and Eileen also had her group of friends. It took me 20 chapters to differentiate who is who and what they're known for...
➽ Romance was not the main topic, so of course, I wish there was more romance. I wanted to see more of Jackson and Leena BUT I gotta say, the last 15% of the book got real juicy.
➽ Not much drama and you know, I love me some drama, so there were portions of the book where I lost interest.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC.

THE SWITCH gets ALL THE STARS for finally breaking my ARC rut. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and would recommend it to anyone looking for a funny, lighter read.

At 29, Leena is a focused, career-minded Londoner whose life has gone off the rails a bit since the death of her beloved younger sister. At 79, Eileen is looking at starting over after her husband leaves her for another woman. She lives in a village where everyone knows everyone (and their business). Granddaughter and grandmother decide to swap homes for two months to see if a change in scenery can help them move forward.

Eileen was my favorite character in the book. She's got stellar insight gained from decades of experience, and she uses that insight to help others get what they need (and not necessarily what they think they want). She is devoted to her daughter and granddaughter, and she's the glue that keeps her tiny Yorkshire village together. She's also hilarious. (NOTE: I absolutely LOVE the fact that she took Bee "date-shopping" at the public library!)

Leena is also a compelling character. Having suffered a recent death of a close family member, I empathized with her anger and grief. When that kind of tragedy comes for you, nothing quite makes sense anymore. O'Leary captures that state of confusion very well. Leena has a heart of gold, and takes after her grandmother. She won't leave anyone behind, even her village nemesis. Her willingness to open herself up to a bunch of septuagenarians was heartwarming, and very often laugh-out-loud funny.

There was just so much about this book to love. It is smart and funny. It looks at hard issues in real and true ways. It has a wonderful cast of supporting characters, especially grumpy Arnold and snarky Nicola. I would happily move into Clearwater Cottage for the duration of this pandemic if Eileen would have me. Five standing-ovation stars to THE SWITCH!

(Thank you to the publisher for the free e-galley). What a fun read! I'm always a sucker for anything set in a British village. This book puts a twist on it by taking the village grandma and putting her in the big city, and placing the unhappy millenial in British village life. Grandma has a sexy adventure in London (who knew that old people could do all that??) and rediscovers her love for the home she left behind. And her granddaughter - still grieving over her sister's death from cancer a few years before, estranged from her mother, and blindly committed to a very undeserving boyfriend - gains clarity about what she really wants from life.

It's a light read with some great thoughts on figuring out what we really want from life.

I really enjoyed the Flatshare and went into this one blind. I didn't love the character of Leena, I will say. She clearly is stressed at work (hence the panic attack) and switches places with her 79-year-old grandmother. She has unresolved issues with her mother and her boyfriend, Ethan, is a tool and is portrayed as such throughout the book. Yet, she doesn't stand up for herself, which in a book that is supposed to have a strong female character, bothered me a bit.

This did remind me a little of The Story of Arthur Truluv, but that may just be because of all of the chapters told by Eileen (the grandma). I did enjoy her chapters and the way she kind of felt she could do what she wanted because she was an old lady. She was spunky and fun and I really liked her.

The story was mostly about getting to know these characters and the supporting cast, which was great. The plot, in terms of romance, was predictable, but that's ok. This was more of a character growth story. It was a little slow at times, and I didn't love it as much as the Flatshare, but it was still good.

4.5 ⭐, rounded up on Goodreads. Thank you so much to Flatiron Books and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review. The Switch will be available 8/18!

This was such a cute book! I went into it expecting more of a romance novel and I got so much more. This is a story about three generations of women finding their way in the world after a tragedy. It was sweet and uplifting and downright heartwarming!

This story focuses on Leena, a twentysomething consultant living in London, and Eileen, her grandmother living in a small village in northern England. Leena has a panic attack in the middle of a very important meeting and is forced to take two months vacation where she and her grandmother decide to switch living arrangements.

This premise was so interesting and I think it was written very well. I loved reading the juxtaposing chapters and the writing between them was very distinct. The cast of supporting characters really helped reflect the setting which I really appreciated! The supporting characters were well-developed and each had very distinct personalities which made the story much more realistic for me.

I know this story focuses on Leena and Eileen, but the relationship between Leena, Eileen, and Marian (Leena's mother, Eileen's daughter) was something to be cherished. It reflected a lot of the complexities of mother/daughter relationships. They fought, they laughed, they cried, and they leaned on each other. The strained relationship Leena had with her mother was very realistic, but I do wish their resolution wasn't so perfect and we had gotten more. Nonetheless, it was empowering and a really great addition to the story that made it truly three-dimensional.

The romance was more secondary which I think I preferred in this story. I loved the representation and focus of 70+ year old dating. It was very refreshing to read and I didn't find it cheesy. Leena’s resolution was very sweet and overall, I loved the representation of unconventional relationships. Eileen using dating websites at over 70 years old, Leena ending up with a guy that as a kid, Bee dating as a single mom. It was realistic and a refreshing spin on traditional contemporary romance tropes.

I only docked half a star because I really hated that the only reason Leena broke up with Ethan was because he was cheating on her. Ethan treated Leena poorly throughout the entire book, used her, ignored her, and didn't even try to understand her. All valid reasons to break up with someone. But she only considered breaking up with him because he was unfaithful. It seemed like an easy way out and it took away from the complexity of the relationship between Ethan and Leena.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book and would recommend it to anyone!

TW: cancer, loss of a family member.

The Switch like The Holiday mixed with It’s Complicated wrapped up in a sweet British hallmark movie? I don’t know but I was into it.

As for our main characters, I found myself looking forward to Eileen’s chapters more. She was so sassy and fun! I don’t think I read enough books with older characters. I loved following her journey through learning technology, dating, and finding herself again.

This book is full of quirky characters, loving friendships, healing relationships, grief, and so much more. I loved every bit of it.

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐜𝐡 by Beth O’Leary. Thanks to @netgalley and @flatironbooks for the e-ARC⭐️⭐️⭐️⁣
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I’m a bit embarrassed because when I read the synopsis about “swapping lives” I was envisioning a Freaky Friday type swap. I soon realized they were only swapping lives in a metaphorical sense, not a physical body sense. It took some adjusting once I figured that out. The idea of a city career woman moving to a small town is a familiar trope. What makes this book unique is her grandmother moving to the city and taking on the life of a twenty/thirty year old: online dating, parties, social butterflying... I really enjoyed that aspect of the book. The romances in the book were predictable, but a slow burn that worked well. I definitely enjoyed the latter half of this book more than the first half. The development and growth of the characters made the story. ⁣
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The Switch is out August 18. ⁣
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I absolutely loved The Flatshare, so I was really pleased to receive a copy of this title to read. It is probably more my fault than the author's, but I just wasn't able to get into this book, and I didn't finish it.

Another lovely story from Beth O'Leary - tackling many of the struggles of modern living like aging, grief, urban vs. rural life, relationships between generations, relationships between family members, etc. Maybe a wee bit on the pat side, but also insightful and soothing.

I loved the Flatshare so I was super excited to read this one! While I did enjoy this one, I didn't love it quite as much. This one is much more about self discovery and family, with romance as a side story. That was fine with me but I felt like this one was missing a little of the quirkiness that I adored from Flatshare. This story is a bit slow, very character driven and has a whole lot of heart. It's a great feel good story with some entertaining moments but overall I just didn't love it as much as I had hoped. I am still looking forward to the authors next book though!

"I’m not sure how you can ever be grateful enough for someone leading you through the darkest time in your life."

The Switch is out in paperback on August 18th! Have y'all read this one yet? I know it is a fan favorite of so many readers who also loved The Flasthare by Beth O'Leary! The Switch definitely gave me some Sophie Kinsella vibes, but with a little less silliness and a little more depth. The story is about a grieving granddaughter and her grandmother switching lives for 2 months. Ultra-focused, career-minded Leena Cotton takes a sabbatical and trades places with her small-town loving grandma, Eileen Cotton. Will Eileen find herself in big city London? Will Leena actually *do* in the tiny Yorkshire village? They have 2 months to find out! Thank you to Flatiron Books for the free copy!

I loved Beth O'Leary's first book, The Flatshare, and was super excited to see her newest offering available on Netgalley. The Switch takes the classic changing lives trope and very gently flips it on its head. Leena, a burnt out young professional in London, is forced to take a sabbatical from work to rest and recharge. Her grandmother Eileen, on the other hand, lives in a tiny Yorkshire village and has recently been left by her husband of many decades. Both are mourning the loss of Leena's sister Clara after a long battle with cancer. The two women have always been close, but decide that the best move for both of them is to switch lives for two months.

It could have been trite, but O'Leary has a talent for writing characters that are both charming and realistic and plots that aren't too over-the-top. I often found myself laughing out loud at Eileen's adventures in London and my heart aching for Leena learning to grieve her sister. O'Leary has once again created an incredibly big-hearted story with memorable characters. I can't wait for more.

If ever there was a perfect book to escape real life and unsettled feelings, The Switch checks all my boxes. ⁠
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✅ laugh out loud moments⁠
✅ supportive friends⁠
✅ personal growth⁠
✅ working thru grief & family discourse⁠
✅ ROMANCE⁠
✅ taking a leap of faith⁠
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What more could I ask for?!

Last summer I fell in love with The Flatshare, it was such a charming read and I listened to it on audio so I was super excited to get my hands on an audio copy of her latest as well. I’m a huge sucker for an accent, I could listen to someone talk with one all day and this was just as wonderful on audio as the last book. I did flip back and forth between the audio and the book so I can safely recommend both versions, basically you cannot go wrong here!

Leena and her grandmother Eileen decide to switch places for a few months, Leena has been working herself way too hard in London and Eileen wants to start dating again but the pickings in her small village are very slim. I’ve often dreamed about switching places with someone else (right now it’s anyone without tiny kids tbh) so I loved the premise of this one. The story unfolds in alternating chapters from each woman and I was so pleasantly surprised by how much I adored Eileen’s chapters. There was something sweet, vulnerable and endearing about a woman pushing eighty dating in a big city and she completely won me over almost immediately. Leena was a fantastic character as well it’s just that Eileen now holds a special place in my heart. This was such a lovely read, it was heartwarming, funny and so so charming. I can’t recommend it highly enough and know it’ll be one of my favorites this summer.

I really enjoyed this book which after The Flatmate I knew I would. I loved how the characters brought joy into peoples' lives during the switch. I really liked them as people. I will buy this for my library and suggest it to readers!

I have never read a book where I LOVED so many characters until now. ⁣
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The Switch was such a cute story filled with witty banter, excellent humor, such likable people- from the little old ladies, to the grumpy old men, to Leena and her best friend B and flat mate Fitz, to Hank the dog and his person Jackson. ⁣
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She also beautifully discusses loss and grief of a loved one and how it truly effects the whole family and their community. Leena loses her sister Carla and buries herself in work refusing to go home to visit with her Grandma Eileen and her mum.⁣
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When she decides to switch lives with her grandma, Leena goes back to her hometown while her grandma goes and lives in Leena’s flat in London. They both find their true selves again while making new friends and helping the community. It was such a sweet story and reminded me so much of the movie The Holiday in a good way!⁣
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Thank you @netgalley and @flatironbooks for the ARC and audio for my honest review. I truly loved it and would highly recommend it!
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⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⁣⭐️
#bookstagram #books #bookcommunity #TheSwitch #netgalley ⁣
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Leena is burning both ends of the candle and ends up burning out at work. They force her to take a two month vacation just to clear her head and take care of herself for a change. She ends up visiting her grandmother who lives a few hours away in her hometown. Eileen, her grandmother, is a 70 something recently divorced woman who is trying to get herself back into the dating scene.

After a quick visit they decide to switch lives for two months. Leena moves in to her grandmothers house, takes over her duties, and even uses her phone. Eileen goes to the big city of London and lives in her flat and has her phone. What ensues is quite comical...

The novel is fairly predictable, but don't let that deter you. It is still a fabulous story that has you second guessing what you think is only going to happen. My jaw also dropped when I learned about the original meeting of two people at the end!! It was lovely to watch both Eileen and Leena learn about themselves and watch them take care of themselves for a change.

I could not put this down as I kept rooting for Leena and Eileen and always hoped for the best. It just goes to show us that sometimes we need to take a breath and focus on ourselves for a minute, even if we think we're completely fine.

4 stars. The best perk to this one was the epilogue. It was a breath of fresh air to see what transpired from the end to a year later. I couldn't wipe the smile off my face. This is absolutely the book to read if you want to be happy!!

What a beautiful, heartwarming, and yes, sad at times, but ultimately life-affirming book.

Leena and her grandmother Eileen are both handling the death of Carla, Leena's sister/Eileen's granddaughter in their own ways, but both are having their own problems. Eileen is floundering after a divorce and trying to figure out what life has for her at 79. Leena has a panic attack at work and they force her to take two months off to regroup. Leena and Eileen decide to swap homes to work on their respective issues.

I listened to this book on audio and Leena and Eileen are voiced by different narrators. Each of the narrators perfectly embodies the voice and demeanor of their character. I was particularly drawn to Alison Steadman, the narrator for Eileen, as her portrayal is absolutely wonderful.

As Leena, Eileen, and Marian (Leena's mother/Eileen's daughter) work through their grief, the author does an excellent job capturing the different aspects and how it affects people differently. That's not to say that this book is filled with melancholy, because it isn't. It also has romance, loads of humor, and friendship. O'Leary balances the weightier aspects of the tale with lighter, funnier pieces. Whether you listen to the book on audio or read it on the page, this is an absolutely delightful book.