My review of the novel:
From the beginning of this book I felt like I had read it before. It has familiar characters and a familiar storyline. The two Eileens, grandmother and granddaughter, both with their own issues, enter a house swap that becomes a kind of life swap. It sounds familiar because it’s been done before
The resonance of similar books made me constantly aware that this was fiction, so I couldn’t engage with the characters. The Switch is a easy, fluffy novel, but don’t expect anything too exciting.


The audio version was well narrated , and the readers brought life to the characters.

This book follows Leena Cotton and her grandmother, Eileen, as they switch houses (and essentially lives) for two months when Leena’s job requires her to take a sabbatical. It switches POV between Leena and Eileen in small town England and London. Exploring grief, love, and family relationships, this novel is quick and enjoyable.

While this was definitely a cute novel, I didn’t love it as much as O’Leary’s The Flatshare. The narrators were great, but I think I would have preferred to read this one.

Thanks to Netgalley for my copy.

When overachiever Leena Cotton is ordered to take a two-month sabbatical after blowing a big presentation at work, she escapes to her grandmother Eileen's house for some long-overdue rest.

Eileen is newly single and about to turn eighty. She'd like a second chance at love, but her tiny Yorkshire village doesn't offer many eligible gentlemen.

They decide to trade places and enjoy living each other's lifestyles. This is a fun charming book and the author has found a way to write about such heartbreaking subjects in a sensitive and thoughtful way.

The two narrators Alison Steadman and Daisy Edgar-Jones are perfect for the characters. I have real problems listening to audiobooks but these two did a magnificent job and captured them perfectly.

this was a nice, sweet endearing read. eileen was a joy of a character and i enjoyed her voice a lot!! i do think this was quite slow, but mostly because it was very character driven and not necessarily plot driven; i really do enjoy beth o'leary's writing, and i absolutely LOVED her debut 'the flatshare'. i didn't enjoy this one as much but i don't know if that's because of the story or because i just wasn't in the mood for such a character focused book.

i definitely preferred the older characters to the younger characters, who at times were quite annoying. if this had solely been a book about eileen i would have eaten it up i think!! she was such a badass character. as it is it was marred a bit by leena who i didn't enjoy as much.

whilst this wasn't as much my cup of tea as the flatshare was, i am definitely interested in reading more of beth o'leary's books!

I listened to The Switch on audio. The British narrator made it a really fun audio book. While the book was quite predicatble, it isn't the type of novel one goes into expecting plot twists and craziness. I liked the writing style, and it moved at a quick pace.

A wholesome and heartwarming story about a granddaughter and grandmother duo that swap lives for two months. The audiobook is narrated by Daisy Edgar-Jones and Alison Steadman and full of the main character's friends which put a smile on my face. Thank you to NetGalley and MacMillan Audio for the opportunity to read an advanced copy.

Just finished listening to this gem. Leena goes to visit her grandmother, Eileen, in a tiny Yorkshire village after strongly being encouraged to take a few months off of work. Eileen’s husband just left her and at 79 she’s ready for a second chance at love. That is an opportunity best explored in London so the two decide to switch lives for two months. Eileen is thrown into the world of online dating while Leena takes up her grandma’s busy body role in the small community.
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Charming, funny and a very enjoyable listen. The narrators are so animated and easy to follow as they alternate between Eileen and Leena.

A wonderful story told by two incredible leading ladies. This was made thoroughly enjoyable as being the first audiobook I've listened to, it was really enjoyable to have a different narrator for Lena and Ilene. It made the story much easier to follow and to gather who was who. I would definitely recommend the audiobook and I would so consider reading the book too.

I don't know why I waited so long to listen/read this book! Funny, witty, and entertaining! I was fortunate enough to have an ebook as well as the audiobook, and I have to admit that I preferred the audiobook - the narrators really gave life to the story that I was unable to do with reading.

This was a different sort of love story - a love between friends with a little romance thrown in maybe...

Either way, I genuinely enjoyed it and can't wait to read more by this author.

Thank you Netgalley and Libro for allowing me to read this and give my opinion.

I absolutely adore British romance and this was no exception!
I was so surprised to find that I actually enjoyed reading more about the older people than the younger people. Usually I don't relate much to adults/elderly characters in books but I loved Eileen, the grandmother in this book. I liked all the different plot lines running through the book and listening to all of the events unfold on audio was so fun! I loved the accent and the narrator's voice was so soothing.
This was such a great British romcom filled with love, laughs and lessons.

DNF - i got pretty bored. The story felt a bit flat, especially as I found it hard to relate to the main character who is getting a paid two month vacation.

This author’s books are super cute. I didn’t love this one as much as her debut but I will definitely keep reading her books in the future.

Review:

I was FINALLY able to get the NetGalley Shelf App to work on my phone for audiobooks (*facepalms*). I was unable to download audiobooks for the last few months so I missed out a lot of great reads but I'm happy it is working for me now.

I was interested in checking out The Switch because I heard so many good things about O'Leary's first novel, The Flatshare. Plus, the plot of swapping lives has always interested me.

I loved the narration of the audiobook and found myself flying through it. I connected with the plot as it explored grief and how people deal with it in different ways. However, it was the romance plot that I did not care for at all. I would have loved it if the romance was thrown out and it only focused on family and grief.

I would have given the first half/middle 5 stars and the ending 2 stars. I felt that the ending and romance was rushed. And I was left a bit unsatisfied with the end.

I still recommend checking out this contemporary novel. It was a good read and I will be checking out more from this author in the future.

Rating:

3.5 Stars Out of 5 Stars

OMG OMG OMG!!! Am I ever gonna get done with this audiobook eva!! I so enjoyed this novel; I heard it not once but twice! Grandma Eileen is like the best grandma with her joyful energy. The audiobook's voice modifications with each actor really carried it to an entirely unique level. Did I miss holding the book as I was just hearing it? Na! Not at all!

I just cannot criticize this work, like certainly not at all. Though the story-line looks simple and basic, the cast engagement, the conversations, the overall aesthetics make it so fantabulously impressive. I would certainly suggest this book to everyone; you'll feel very light-hearted and grin and giggle at so many situations, you'll overlook all the negativity around you. And like me, you'll feel yourself making this book your forever companion.

Very enjoyable and sweet. Love the characters and the ones met along the way. I like the storyline of two characters views from different generations.

I have been wanting another book from this author ever since I read and loved The Flatshare.
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I found this book to be a charming relaxing read. It felt like a cozy fun loving book I could just snuggle in with when I had a few minutes of time and I found it delightful.
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I loved the importance it presented of family and working through the hard times together. I think most authors try to gloss over the hard things in life for their books to give them this unreal happily ever after feel.
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Instead this book shows you the delights you can find along the way even if your family and life are far from perfect.

4/5 stars
TW: death of a family member, cancer, grief/mourning, infidelity

The Switch follows Leena and her grandmother as they each seek a change of pace, leading them to switch lives. Truth be told, the premise really reminded me of the The Holiday. Anyways, Leena moves into her grandmother’s idyllic country cottage for two months of ‘rest,’ while her grandmother takes up holding in Leena’s London flat to search for love in a bigger pond. It was quite cute and wholesome story, if slightly predictable at times. It was fun to see the different ways Leena and Eileen would chaotically interfere with each other’s lives. Like playing chess with mixed up pieces. Honestly, it’s a shame that Eileen and Jackson weren’t in the same place more often. All their interactions had me cracking up. I also really loved Leena and cranky Arnold’s slowly blooming friendship. Very cute! Oh, and I wouldn’t have minded Jackson’s daughter getting more page time. She was adorable.

*Thank you Net Galley for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review.*

So I got off to a shaky start with The Switch! I honestly was *this* close to dnf’ing over halfway in but I’m so glad I didn’t because the last 30% is where it is at! I didn’t realise this book would be so much about grief and not so much a light rom-com and I think that’s where I struggled but I really liked how the story ended in a really feel-good way 💖 I listened to the audiobook via @netgalley and I have to say that this is the best audiobook I have listened to as far as the actors and sound effects, etc. so if you are going to read this book I would really recommend the audio version! The story follows a grandmother and granddaughter who switch lives for two months and I’m going to buy my grandma a copy, I hope she likes it! 🤞🏼💕
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TW: Grief, cancer, adultery, emotional abuse.

Thank you Netgalley for the advance listener copy of The Switch by Beth O’Leary. This was such a fun, sweet romance. It reminded me of the move The Holiday, with a grandmother and a granddaughter switching houses for two months while the granddaughter is on paid leave from work after she blew a huge presentation.

This story was so sweet. I really enjoyed the grandmother/granddaughter relationship and the romantic relationships. This is a fresh take on the romance genre.

I was a fan of Beth O'Leary after "The Flatshare", which my fellow librarians and I have been recommending like crazy. "The Switch" did not disappoint. I loved both storylines so much, so I didn't mind bouncing back and forth. Not to mention, all of the characters were AMAZING. It's quirky, romantic, and everything I want in a book. Leena and Eileen are dream goals when it comes to grandmother/daughter relationships. I also have zero complaints about the romantic relationships. I laughed, I got teary-eyed, and I was just HAPPY.

I highly recommend the audiobook, the narrators did a fantastic job and I will surely be keeping an eye on them in the future.

*Thanks to the folks at Netgalley for an eARC*