I'll be honest, this wasn't my favorite audiobook.

I didn't really like the narrators, I didn't quite follow the story, and it took me forever to get through.

I'll def read the book to better grasp this story, but unfortunately this audiobook wasn't for me!

I have received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

The Switch reminded me of the movie The Holiday. Ya know, the one with Jack Black. In it, you will meet Leena and Eileen. They are related and very cute. After making a huge mistake at work, she decides it's high time for a vacation. A 2 month long one. Oh lord, that sounds dreamy.

So she decides to switch places with her grandmother Eileen. Not like Freaky Friday, not just like in the movie I mentioned they just switch homes. Eileen is a-okay with this because at almost 80 years old.. she is ready for a second chance at love.

Out of the two, I did love Eileen a bit more. There was just something about her, call it a spark. She was just way too cute and I loved everything about her. Then there's Leena, who was okay, but damnnnn I just wanted her to pick Jackson. In a way, they both needed a second chance at love. Something better than before.

In the end, it was cute and I'm very happy what happened to everyone.

4 stars

Fun fact; somewhere in my stone cold heart, I have a tiny soft spot for grandmas. I don’t know why but I just really enjoy their company. I won’t swoon over babies but whenever I see a nice old grandma I grew ridiculously soft. Let me tell you, grandmas are the best company you could ever have!

Now the reason I’m mentioning that is because I truly adored Eileen (the 79 years old grandma) I adored her character and her charming personality. Her chapters were a delight to read and I truly wished she was real so I could meet her. She was the shining star of this book.

Even though the plot was simple and kinda predictable, the book was still a delightful heartwarming read. I loved listening to this one on audio (so thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan audio for providing the audiobook) it was so well done. The narrators did a splendid job. Overall, this was a really cute book to read.

I think the world sort of needs a book like this right about now. A slow ride, with cute characters and a wholesome premise, but the story itself fell short for me. I feel as if I have seen/read this before, except this time both characters just didn’t really hit the mark for me. I did listen to the audio version, so maybe I would have had different feelings had I read the actual book. I just feel that fictional books miss the mark when it comes to audio.

If you enjoy slow books, with the whole “switching your life” aspect in a sleepy English town-this may be the perfect book for you. I wanted to love it, but just could not.

This book was a perfect summer read and a wonderful follow up to THE FLATSHARE.

The story is told from dual POVs of 79 year old Elaine and her granddaughter Leena in alternating chapters as they switch lives for 2 months. Elaine heads to a shared flat in London while Leena moves to a tiny village in the countryside. They both must learn to live way outside their comfort zone but luckily they each have a wonderful cast of supporting characters to help them along the way.

THE SWITCH is full of heart and humour and also tackles some important subjects in a way that never feels heavy. O’Leary’s writing is totally immersive and highly readable. I didn’t want this one to end.

Thank you to the publisher for the advance listening copy.

The Switch- listened to this as an audiobook, I thought this a lovely easy listen. I enjoyed the stories of both young and old and the relationships between them. #the switch #netgalley

I loved The Flatshare, so I was really excited to listen to the audiobook of The Switch. When I started The Switch, I wasn't sure I would like it--I'm not usually a fan of novels and movies centered around a city girl relocating to the country. However, I really liked it. I enjoyed the close relationship between Lena and Eileen, her grandmother. I really loved how full of life Eileen and the other elderly characters are. I'm looking forward to Beth O'Leary's next book!

I went into this book expecting a light read with some romance and family drama mixed in. There was very little romance and the drama wasn't that dramatic. The book turned out to be rather boring. I kept reading hoping it would get better but it didn't. I would not recommend this book and I'm not sure I would this author's next work.

For the love of quaint English villages, Yorkie accents and old school crisis management.

Meet the ladies!

Leena is a 29 year old overachiever who suffers a panic attack at work ang goes on paid leave for eight whole weeks to pull herself together. Lena had a horrible year after losing her sister to cancer, something that marred her relationship with her mother.

Eileen, Leena's grandmother, is a 79 year old lady who wants to start over after her husband walked out on her, her granddaughter died, and her daughter's life broke to pieces. Eileen is a force of nature in her home village of Hamley. Funny and fearless.

Leena and Eileen switch places for 8 weeks, prompting Leena to reconnect with her old self before that horrible year and nudging Eileen towards a new adventure of dating and socializing in London.

My favourite parts were those of Eileen. Although she is a granny, she is far more vivacious and hilarious than Leena. My second favourite is Eyleen's neighbours. Leena, however, takes the wooden spoon. She comes across as a cliched type A personality who wants to be always in control and ends up losing it all.

This one was fun to read/listen to. I was hovering between 3 and 4 stars, then finally settled on 3.5 pumped up because the audiobook was actually good. It's my first audiobook by Alison Steadman, but I will be looking out for her narrations from now on. I'm also in the mind of checking Beth O'leary's backlist. I love her sense of humour.

After reading, and loving, The Flatshare, I had high hopes for The Switch. Both the main characters, Eileen and Lena, are lovable and relatable, and I found myself rooting for them throughout the novel. However, the book does drag in the middle, and while I picked up on the chemistry between Eileen and Arnold right away, I had a hard time buying into Lena and Jackson. The chemistry was lacking and underdeveloped. All in all I enjoyed the book, but I enjoyed The Flat share far more.

***Thanks to MacMillan Audio via NetGalley for providing a copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.***

What a delightful read! I loved Beth O'Leary's debut, The Flatshare, and her second novel follows it up very well. It worked wonderfully as an audiobook, with two narrators alternating as the main characters, Leena Cotton and her grandmother, Eileen. Like O'Leary's previous novel, The Switch throws two characters who have seen better days into an unusual circumstance and follows what comes of it. Leena and Eileen decide that their lives both need change, and so they switch - Leena assuming her grandmother's duties on the Neighborhood Watch in her small town, and Eileen moving into to her Millennial granddaughter's flat in a hip neighborhood of London. Of course, hi-jinks ensue, bonds are formed and broken, and they both learn that the change their new environments provide is really change that they had within themselves all along. I loved this read, and it cements Beth O'Leary as an author I'll be anxiously awaiting new novels from in the future!

After reading The Flatshare, I was thrilled to get my hands on Beth O'leary's latest novel. I really enjoyed the voices in the audiobook - good narrators can make or break an audiobook for me, and in this case I think in enhanced the experience (particularly the reading of Eileen's final speech in the book.) I found The Switch to be a very cozy book to read/listen to. Like in the Flatshare, these are real people dealing with real life situations. While there is a romance (several actually!) it's not just fluff. I loved all of the characters, especially the elder Eileen. I would love to know her. In fact, I think I need to move to Yorkshire and find my own assortment of lovely neighbors.

4.5 stars

This book was incredibly cute and funny to listen to. I loved the concept of switching lives, especially with a grandmother and her granddaughter. Because of how far apart Leena and Eileen were in age, the lived almost opposite lives. The switch then obviously presented some initial challenges for them with not only the cities they lived in, but what they each did on a day to day basis. It was hilarious seeing the two navigate the change. But over the two month period, they began to learn more about themselves and ultimately what they really wanted out of their lives. And, they found love along the way, so that never hurts.

Not only did they have this self-discovery, but their relationships with Leena’s mother began to heal. It was beautiful to see them come together again after losing Carla. I think this, as well as all the other supporting characters, added another depth to the story. Each person supported them in their adventure.

Overall, this was a super fun audiobook to listen to because the voice actors did a really great job of bringing Leena and Eileen to life. It made it that much more fun to hear these characters outside of the pages of the book.

4.25 Stars!

This was a really cute read! I was skeptical of the senior citizen romance but it Eileen is sassy and I love her. I am always down for a good life swap story and this really made me want to watch The Holiday. I wasn't as interested in Leena's arc but it wrapped up nicely and I would 100% love to live in Hamleigh. It was full of self discovery, grief, family and humor.

Alison Steadman and Daisy Edgar-Jones are great narrators but Alison Steadman was absolutely perfect for the role of Eileen.

Thanks so much to Netgalley and the Publisher for the audio arc!

This story started slow for me..... once I got into it I was in love with it. I loved Eileen and Leena. I miss my Grandma so much and this story made me so jealous for the relationship these two have. I laughed out loud and I also cried. I had so many emotions during this book.

I loved the audio of this book. I enjoyed how the phone calls had a different sound to them.

I am so glad I picked this book to listen and review. The accents were great to hear.

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to step out of your life for a while and change places with someone else?

Leena and Eileen do just this, in this sweet and uplifting tale. A swap with a difference as it's grandmother and granddaughter who change places for two months. One is reeling after blowing a big presentation at work, the other is trying to bring her family together, find love and take a break from her own life. What neither Leena nor Eileen appreciate is just how much fun they would have stepping out of their respective comfort zones.

This is a story with heart, which places a spotlight on self discovery, grief and healing, community spirit he the context of the timeless old city versus village life setting. It worked perfectly as an audiobook listen, with different narrators for our two protagonists that brought increased warmth to all the characters, and switched between accents and other characters without interrupting the flow of the story.

I particularly enjoyed the way in which both characters meddle (in a kind-hearted way), in the affairs of others, to spread a little joy but don't notice the meddling that needs to go on in their own lives. It's heartwarming and packs a punch in an unexpected way. I would have liked a bit more on the relationships that emerge but there is still a satisfying conclusion to those story arcs.

Looking forward to more from Beth O'Leary.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio / Flatiron Books for the ARC.

I only read The Flatshare a few months ago, but I liked it so much that I was excited to read this novel as soon as possible, and I thought Beth O’Leary’s writing style was perfect for an audiobook. I listened to The Switch on walks, and found myself extending my route to gear more of the story each time. This story was engaging from the start and well plotted throughout, but it was especially resonant in our current world of anxiety and self isolation. O’Leary writes with candor and insight about grief and loss, giving depth and resonance to a story that could have been cliched and dull in the hands of a less adept writer. This novel, like The Flatshare, is largely character driven, with O’Leary letting readers form their own conclusions about the characters motivations and choices, and the complexity she gives each character elevated this already engaging and charming novel. The narrator was a perfect choice and made listening to this story incredibly enjoyable.

I've seen and read the switching lives trope so many times before so I was expecting just the norm, but this was delightful. I appreciated a 79yo with a sex drive and a 29yo with some depth. This was a good read.

Narration - Both of the narrators' voice acting fit the characters perfectly, and did an excellent job of conveying the personalities of each woman. The flow of the audiobook was easy enough to follow as I worked around the house, but still detailed enough to keep me interested. There were a couple parts that I had to pause and rewind to really listen to the words of a passage, or to the narrator's tone of voice.

Y'all!! I LOVED this book! Overall, I give it five stars and look forward to reading this one again in the future!

I really liked how well developed the rural townspeople and the other secondary characters were. None of the characters felt half-baked. Several of their characteristics or actions reminded me of people I know in real life, making it even easier to empathize with them after a time. By the time I finished the book, it was like saying goodbye to old friends; I didn't want it to end ♥️

You'll Love The Switch If - You enjoy happy endings, liked the movie The Holiday, dream of life in modern England

My Main Takeaway - It's okay if you change over time. You may develop into someone you wouldn't have recognized even just a few months ago. Everyone deserves the space to explore who they are and hopefully laugh at the stumblings along the way. It was about self-discovery and I am so happy that I read it.

Fun Fact - I started this book and immediately felt like I had to call my Grandma ♥️

Cute story overall. I typically enjoy books with multiple perspectives, but this is my first audiobook with this set up and I appreciated that there were two different narrators for Leena and her grandmother, Eileen. The banter between all the characters was quite amusing after the two swapped lives.