I really liked The Flatshare by Beth O'Leary, so I was very excited to receive an ARC of her next book The Switch. The story is wholesome and sweet and features a cast of likeable and unique secondary characters.

Even with all that, I didn't find myself liking the book as much as I hoped. The plot seemed predictable and slow, and there weren't any surprises in the story or any greater depth to the characters. There was a touch of romance in the story, but most of that came together in the last 20% of the book. Even though I liked the characters, I didn't feel connected to them or invested in what happened. I found myself skimming through parts of the book because of how slow it was.

I would recommend this book to a reader looking for a feel-good fiction story set in a quaint English village filled with quirky characters. If you are looking for a more plot-driven story, it is probably best to skip this.

This book was refreshing. Lots of women’s fiction focuses on the young, but having a young woman interacting with an older population and having an old woman interacting with young Londoners made it feel new.

The romances for each character were included but not the entire focus of the story. These characters have ambitions beyond finding a man, and the ladies are working on themselves as well as their goals and relationships.

When grief overwhelms 29-year-old Leena and she needs a break from her hectic life in London, and her 79-year-old grandmother Eileen wants something more exciting than her current existence in small village Yorkshire, they decide to switch places for two-months time. Leena agrees to take over all the volunteer jobs her grandmother ably does, while Eileen grabs at a chance of later life romance and signs up on a dating site. What could go wrong? Surprisingly, things that are "wrong" seem to have a way of making themselves right with the sheer exuberance and determination of these two women, whose relationship is lovely. The many things I liked about the author's first book, The Flatshare, are in evidence here--a creative plot, well-defined and unusual characters, humor, and loads of entertainment value. The author juggles the emotions and stages of grief with aplomb, and the sense of community that these two women bring to their new locations is especially heart-warming in these divisive times.

Beth O'Leary does a great job writing vulnerable characters. I also liked that she had some older protagonists who got to join in the action and have fun, romance, and real-life experiences.

A warm and enjoyable story about a young professional woman, grieving the death of her sister, and her outgoing grandmother, restless and dealing with a recent divorce, who decide to switch homes for a while. Leena will stay in Eileen's cottage and take on her village responsibilities and Eileen will move to Leena's London flat - and London's dating scene. Fun, heartwarming, with delightful characters.

As the main characters in this book deal with their grief by switching homes, they grow and learn how to move forward while also being the catalyst for change in the lives of the people, and ultimately new friends, they meet. The sense of community that is found in both the big city and small town is endearing. The Switch is a heartwarming book that you will not want to put down as you get invested in the lives of these characters.

With the feels of a typical romance novel, O'Leary pulls the reader in with the humorous undertones of the story line, a grandmother and granddaughter switching lives to take a break from their own crazy lives...what could go wrong?
Yet, while it sounds completely unrealistic to pull off, it just works. The reader falls in love with the grandmother, with her young and carefree persona, but she still has the need to help and fix everyone around her.
And Leena falls right in step in her grandmother's world, volunteering for all the things her grandmother did, and taking over for the May festivals.
Both of these characters are on a journey to find themselves, and it just works.

Leena Cotton has been putting too much pressure on herself to achieve success since her sister's passing. After being given a two month sabbatical, she decides to switch places with her grandmother, who is feeling stuck in her own life. This switch makes Leena deal with her mother who she hasn't spoken to since her sister's death.

This is a lighthearted book with a vast arrange of characters. I didn't love it as much as her previous book but it still had the same heart and thoughtfulness. My problem, and it is a personal problem, is that I work with the elderly. They can be quite irritating. Not all but enough that I couldn't find them endearing and this book really wanted me to find them endearing.

This review is based on a ARC copy received from Netgalley for an honest review.

The Switch was delightful! I enjoyed seeing the ways both Eileen and Leena found to recharge their lives by trading places. I love reading the details of how characters take on a project and succeed.

Perfect read! Sometimes light books are so flat and concocted, but this was absolutely not! It evens poke fun at itself when it gets a little holiday hallmark movie which thrilled me. It absolutely reminded me of a Hallmark movie. I knew everything would turn out okay from the beginning, the characters reminded you of people you see daily, some of the plot turns were predictable but still funny. It was a comfort.

When I read Beth O’Leary’s The Flatshare I fell in love with her writing style and her storytelling ability. I’m glad to see she continues to write feel-good novels with complex characters and satisfying character arcs. I tend to read more bleak genre fiction than fun real-world novels, so discovering a non-epic that I enjoy is a huge deal to me. The Switch further established the fact that I will read anything that O’Leary writes.

The premise of a grandmother and granddaughter who switch lives after huge life upheaval is great fun. While Eileen lives with her granddaughter's flatmates in London, Leena takes part in the small neighborhood watch council alongside the village busybodies. Eileen’s adventures in online dating and Leena’s determination to fill her grandmother’s shoes in the community often create laugh-out-loud scenarios. It was ironic that this book was set in 2020 (I think the year was mentioned once) since the novel is all about reconnecting with humans in person, with an emphasis on community for seniors. It’s either a nice parallel world for us to see while social distancing, or an exercise in the suspension of disbelief--for me it was the latter.

Although this novel is labeled as a romance, I’m not sure that it fits completely into that genre. Romance is a part of the plot, but it’s more focused on Eileen and Leena and the family, friendships, and community surrounding them. Romance is secondary to that. It reminds me of Sense and Sensibility by the way the author makes you think it’s about romance and then replaces it with personal growth and the power of female relationships. Psych! It’s not that it’s a bad thing (on the contrary!) but genre expectations mean that I was disappointed we didn’t get more from the love-interests who were pretty darn cute. Perhaps I’ll be more content when reading it a second time.

One aspect that I struggled with is that I didn’t connect with the characters like I did in The Flatshare. I’m not trying to compare the books, simply the feeling I had when reading them which are completely subjective. I’ve been wondering ever since I read the book why the characters don’t feel as real to me and the only answer I have is that this novel follows two almost entirely separate stories, while the previous one followed two people whose lives were intersecting. Perhaps the nature of the story means that there’s not as much time to connect? I don’t know.

I really enjoyed The Switch. It’s a feel good-novel that the majority of readers will be glad they picked up. I didn’t love it as much as I hoped to, but it was really good and I can see myself reading it again. It’s too cute to be just a one-time read.

*Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review

Beth O' Leary's second book has cemented me as a lifelong fan! I will always be reading her latest since her first two books were both charming, funny, and a delight to read.

In the Switch, Eileen and Leena are grandmother and granddaughter on a grand adventure to swap lives for two months. Eileen, 79 and looking to find a new love after her husband of decades ran off with a dance instructor, moves to London to try online dating. Leena, 29 and off a botched work presentation, moves to her grandmother's house in Hamleigh to really make progress on grieving her sister's death. Both women are smart, fiesty, and do-gooders. They each take on many projects and bring the people of their neighborhoods together.

There are great characters, young and old, and so much humor! I found myself giggling and reading passages aloud to my partner. If you like Marian Keyes or Jill Mansell, then you will also love Beth O'Leary. I recommend both her books with gusto!

The Switch is an utterly charming, heartfelt read that would appeal to readers of uplifting fiction. Overworked granddaughter and small-town grandma swap lives with lovely results. Especially enjoyed the inclusion of Eileen, living her best life in London at 79 years of age, very refreshing to see a character portrayed so fully! The supporting characters are wonderfully vivid, too. I found the romance to be a bit more subtle than the author's other book, but the author crafted a deeply satisfying story about the importance of family and living life to the fullest.

I loved loved loved this book! When you imagineswitching places with someone to spice up your life, it is not with your grandmother! The creative way the author alternates chapters being told by each character in first person makes you feel so much a part of their lives. I love how Eileen(aka the grandmother) has not given up on love and craves an adventure late in life. Leena is in a high powered job in London and having panic attacks and is forced to take some time away from work. These two characters not only switch cities, houses, friends, phones-they also grow and enhance the lives of those they are around and realize that they are not so different. and of course-they find love/companionship that takes them both by surprise.

Beth O'Leary's sophomore book is a delight! The alternating perspectives of Leena and her grandmother Eileen were insightful and delightful.

Thanks to NetGalley and Flatiron books for this eARC!

The Eileen Cottons (Eileens Cotton?), one a 79-year-old grandma and one a 29-year-old, granddaughter who goes by Leena decide, just for a little while, to switch lives. Eileen goes to London to online date and have an adventure, and Lettie goes to her grandmother's cottage in her Yorkshire village to "relax" and reset (but actually to attend neighborhood watch meetings with a whole cast of quirky townspeople and run through the Dales). Both women truly find their best lives and work through some of their shared grief. This book is honestly English Gilmore Girls crossed with The Holiday, and WHAT'S NOT TO LIKE?

If you want a book that has humor, a little self-actualization, and characters just trying (for the most part) to be good people, Beth O'Leary's books are FOR YOU! Plus, sometimes when it is summer in Texas, you just need to think of England for a bit. I've truly been Eileened. I know I say this all the time, but Netflix, truly, MAKE THIS A SHOW! I would watch it forever!

I was Eileened, enamored of this grandmother and granddaughter both nameD Eileen, with strong personalities and a sense of right and wrong. Eileen and Leena, her granddaughter, switch places, with 79 year old Eileen moving into Leena’s London flat with two roommates, while Leena commits to fulfilling her grandmother’s commitments in a small North England village. With a full set of interesting and fun supporting characters, including love interests, friends and nosy neighbors, you will love this funny and heartwarming book. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC.

This is adorable. I loved seeing a main character over the age of 70. It just shows that no matter how old you are, everyone has problems. I loved the characters and the small town setting where Leena has switched lives with her grandmother. Minimal romance actually on the page. Very cute!

When you think of books or movies about people who switch lives, they're typically young men or women who happen to be twins, related, or at the very least, could pass for one another. Beth O'Leary literally flips the switch when a grandma and granddaughter swap lives for two months. Grandma, Eileen, moves into Leena's London flat that she shares with several loving roommates who have lots of personality! O"Leary does a great job not only describing the developments and realizations each woman faces in her new life situation, but weaves in an incredible cast of crucial "secondary" characters. Eileen quickly befriends Leena's roommates and they not only embark on several projects together, but also take on online dating as a senior. Meanwhile, Leena has gone off to a small suburb reminiscent of the small towns frequented by Hallmark movies, which has a very low percentage of eligible young bachelors, but has a host of seemingly persnickety older folks. It's charming, has something for everyone, and is extraordinarily well-written. Get ahead of the game and buy/request The Switch ASAP!

I loved this book! This was a great story on the need to deal with grief and how much you can make a change for people. I enjoyed the characters and thought they were well written, I found myself rooting for both Eileen's. I am looking forward to reading other books by this author.