This is such a delightful story about a grandmother and granddaughter switching lives for two months. Leena is an overachiever at work, when she has a mini-breakdown at work she is given two months of mandatory time off. She goes to visit her grandmother Eileen, and they decide that Leena will stay in Eileen’s house and Eileen will live in London in Leena’s flat.

This story develops into a charming and heartfelt story. We know Leena has lost her beloved sister Carla and she has struggled with this for the last year. She has not visited her home, struggles to talk her mother. Taking this time to slow down might just be the best thing for her.

Eileen goes to London and starts an adventure of online dating, starts a social club and becomes friends with an unexpected circle of people. She is just so endearing, I just loved her so much.

This book delves into some tougher topics especially in regards to the death of Carla, but O’Leary writes this in a way that is not overwhelming at all. She fits everything perfectly like a puzzle.

This was my first book by O’Leary while I do have The Flarshare on my shelf since it came out (I think I will have to bump this up on my TBR). I was lucky enough to get an audio copy and surprise Leena is narrated by Daisy Edgar-Jones of Hulu’s Normal People. The audio is stellar for this story, and I would not pass it up if you have the chance listen to it.

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for an Advanced Listening Copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Listening to this book was like watching a chick flick in my head. The very best kind, that focus on female relationships, growth, and development. Watching Eileen and Lena go through the adjustments of switching homes for two months was hilarious. And then I got really emotional as the story went on. Eileen reminded me so much of my Nana, ready to offer advice, believing that people sometimes need a push to help themselves, and positive that nothing can't be fixed with a good sit down. Some of it was predictable, in the way all chick flicks are, but the ending left me feeling happy, so I stand by my five-star rating.

What a charming book! I thought that this was wonderful on audio - I love when there are multiple narrators for each perspective in the book. I definitely agree that this is perfect for fans of The Holiday.

The Switch is a fun rom-com about an English grandmother, Eileen Cotton, and her namesake granddaughter, Leena Cotton (get it?!) who switch lives for two months. I listened to the audio book which was narrated by Daisy Edgar-Jones (from Hulu's Normal People) and Alison Steadman (an Olivier Award winner!) and it was terrific,

Still reeling from the death of her younger sister, Leena is given a two month sabbatical from her work in London. Meanwhile, her grandmother is newly single and looking for a second-chance at love but there aren't many options for the 80-year-old in her small Yorkshire village so Leena comes up with the plan for them to swap homes and responsibilities for the duration of her leave. Eileen moves into Leena's London flat and learns how to use online dating apps and bonds with her flatmates while Leena retreats to her grandmother's cottage, taking over her grandmother's role in the neighborhood watch and helping the other seniors navigate life. You probably won't be surprised that both women end up finding themselves and true love during this experiment and the journey they go on of grieving, growing and learning is quite heartwarming. I laughed, I teared up and I loved every second of listening to this delightful book!

Thank you to NetGalley, Macmillan Audio, Flatiron Books and the author for an advanced listening copy to review.

I absolutely adored The Flatshare when I read it last year, and Beth O'Leary shot to the top of my "to buy next" list so I could explore what else she has to offer. I nabbed this one when I saw it up on Netgalley as an audiobook, and I think I definitely made the right choice.

I had a hard time connecting with either of the characters in The Switch, and I think the main reason for this was because a) Eileen is really old and we had absolutely nothing in common and b) Leena was just a bit dull, really. It's a shame, because I thought O'Leary wrote some amazing characters in The Flatshare, but I don't think she pulled the same thing off here.

Don't get me wrong, it was a unique experience reading about a 79 year old. I don't read books about older characters that often, and it was something that I wanted to try to explore. I think if I hadn't been listening to the audiobook, I would have had an even harder time getting into the book than I did, so I'm pleased with my choice here.

That said, I didn't hate the book, and the narartor made it a fun read that I enjoyed listening to. I just didn't connect with it the same way I connected with The Flatshare. I'm going to be checking out more from Beth O'Leary in the future, but maybe I need to stick to her more serious stuff!

Where Can I Get a Cool English Granny?

I have been a book lover for longer than I can remember; I remember sitting and reading with my parents. But I’ve always been a physical book girl, though I now enjoy my Kindle as well. Yet for all my love of fiction and nonfiction, I had never had an interest in audiobooks. I'm a quick reader, especially since nursing school, and as I am very visual, there is just something about seeing the words. But when one of my favorite book review sites started offering audiobooks as well as eBooks, I decided to give them a try. I am so glad I did. This book is actually their first fiction audiobook that I've listened to—ever. The narrators, one for the younger heroine and one for the older one, did such an amazing job that future audiobooks will have a high standard to live up to. I felt like I was listening to an old school radio drama or just closing my eyes and listening to a good movie that also happened to tell you what the characters were thinking. (I wish movies did this more often… LOL!) Both narrators did an amazing job.

But now to the story. This is British chick lit at its best, sometimes laugh-out-loud funny, sometimes serious, sometimes poignant with a large cast of quirky characters--but always a good time and certainly delivering all the feels. We meet young Leena when she is at a very low point, botching what would have been a normally well-done presentation at work. Her company essentially forces her to take a two-month holiday; she has not had a vacation in years. We soon find out that Lena has lost her sister 18 months prior but has just kept working through it, not taking any time to process it or grieve all. She and her mother have become estranged. In talking with her grandmother, they decide to switch places for the two months. Leena is coming back to her home base in the Yorkshire Dales, and her grandmother is going to come to live in Leena's London flat with her flatmates. Grandpa left Grandma some time ago, and Grandma is interested in dating again but her choices are limited in her small Yorkshire town and she figures that London will have more to offer.

They are both fish out of water at first, of course, but what's interesting is how they make their way, coming to appreciate what each place has to offer. Grandma even gets a London boyfriend and gets lucky (offscreen) before Leena does. I loved how sex-positive the book is for older women! By the way, while intimate scenes happen for both women, we don't see any detail and typically only hear about them afterward. Throughout all this time as well, there is an underlying tension between Leena and her mother because of Leena's sister's death from cancer. Grandma feels like she needs to come back several times because of issues with her daughter. There does seem to be a little codependency between Grandma and Mother, and the family has not truly worked through their issues because of the other daughter's death; we do see how this improves through the book; like real life, it isn’t easy or a straight line. I thought it was fun how Grandma Eileen became such fast friends with Leena's flatmates and friends. She became all their adopted grannies. Eileen also makes friends with the elderly ladies in the apartment building and helps them come out of their shells. Eileen even starts a community center in their building; she was very community oriented in her hometown, so it makes sense for her to create a community in London.

Leena, of course, had a boyfriend in London, who now promises to visit weekly while she is in Yorkshire, but he only visits a couple of times and doesn't really fully engage while he's there. Grandma's got a sneaking suspicion about him, but I'll let you read or listen to the book to see how that turns out. I loved the characters in this book, both the three generations of Cotton women and their friends in both places. The author was able to make all these people seem so real, vibrant, and alive and ultimately believable and relatable. They each have their own individual quirks, hopes, and motivations. I particularly loved Jackson, who was so incredibly kind and gentle; does such a guileless, forgiving, good-hearted person exist? All in all, I found this to be a delightful audiobook with great characters and a story that kept me listening into the wee hours of the night. I loved these characters and their world so much that I would love to see a second book that shares how Leena and Eileen's lives continue after what happened in this book.

A fun twist on a romance novel.

This book was so fun to listen to. I am so glad they went with the Northern/Yorkshire accent, it really helped with the immersion. Leena Cotton is an overachiever who reaches her breaking point. After screwing up a major presentation at work, she is sent of a 2 month sabbatical. She decided to visit her grandma in her hometown in Yorkshire. Eileen, newly single at 79 after her husband leaves her for a "younger model" is looking for love, but there is slim pickings in her small rural town.

In a fit of brilliance, they decide to swap lives, Leena will live in her grandmas home and take over her many community projects, Eileen will move into Leena's share flat in London and explore the eligible bachelors available in London's online dating scene. What transpires is a beautiful, funny and warming adventure for them both.

This was a sweet book, with a nice premise about two main characters in different parts of their lives, learning to re-prioritize and trying to live and enjoy life after a painful event. Both main characters were largely likable and easy to root for. All in all, I thought it was a solid book. I didn’t love it, but I could certainly see how some others may. It seemed to lull in certain parts. Accordingly, this 3 ⭐️ star book for me. I would definitely read another work by Beth O Leary because I think she’s a good writer, but I just didn’t connect with this novel. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the advanced copy.

I think this author is an auto-buy for me for now on! Quick easy reads and I always love the love stories.

The switch is about Lena who doesn't take a day for herself and burns herself out that her boss sends her on a two month paid break. She ends up going back to her moms and starts to repair her relationships.

I loved this story and recommend it for everyone who loved her first book!

I really enjoyed an earlier book by this author, so I thought I would try the audio version of her latest novel. The Switch involves a granddaughter, still grieving the loss of her sister, swapping houses with her grandmother. The grandmother takes on online dating in London, while her granddaughter takes on planning a May Day celebration in a rural village. The characters were likable and their stories were interesting to follow. The side characters added more color to the story and were run to follow along with.
I enjoyed the narrators in this audio book. As with most audio books I have read, I had to play it at least. 1.5x or 1.75x to hear it at a normal speed.

Beth O’Leary
Macmillan Audio

My first NetGalley audiobook and I absolutely loved it! This book was available through “listen now” on NetGalley and I’m so glad I downloaded it.

The perfect rom-com of a book involving young Leena Cotton and her grandmother Eileen Cotton. Following the death of Leena’s sister and Eileen’s granddaughter, Leena finds herself having a panic attack at work and is asked to take a two-month sabbatical. While at first, it’s hard for her to digest, she and her grandmother decide to switch lives for the two months to disconnect from their worlds. Eileen is hoping to find a companion or love up in London while Leena is hoping to find relaxation and peace down in Yorkshire.

This book was so fun! The narrators were fantastic and really made you feel like you were a part of the story taking place across the pond. Full of gossip, wit, and cheer, this book is the perfect lighthearted read I was looking for right now. Kept me intrigued while also not feeling weighed down by emotion throughout the story. You were constantly rooting for Eileen and Leena on their new journeys.

I give this book 4 out of 5 stars. Not 5 stars because unfortunately there was a bit of irritation with the narrators and lip-smacking while talking (very picky of me but it was evident and for some reason bothered me!) Also not 5 because I was hoping to see a bit more about the development in the relationship between Leena and her mother when she moved back to Yorkshire. It seemed like it was going to be such a big part of the book but it really wasn’t played into as much as the romantic relationships were.

First things first, I can count on two fingers the amount of audio books I have listened to in my lifetime - and this is one of them. Luckily, I have never had that long of a commute and never felt the need for an audio book - or where and when I would listen to one. When I received a copy of this book, I swore I would give it a try ... so ... my review may be biased on my overall feelings of the audio.🎧.
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I absolutely loved this author’s first book, The Flatshare, and I had my fingers crossed that her new book would be equally as good. When Leena is ordered to take a sabbatical from her busy job in London, she decides to switch places with her Grandmother, Eileen, who is living in a small village in the countryside. As Leena adjusts to life in this sleepy village with a lot of unique and fun characters, her Grandmother is living large in London. The switch becomes the key to help them both heal from heartbreak but also to help them realize that love can be found in the strangest of places or right in front of you. 💕.
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The story was cute and endearing - the cast of characters in the village provided some of the best moments. That said, the audio book was a struggle for me - it took over two weeks to finish. I just couldn’t find the best moment to listen. Also, not sure if this was just me - but the voice actor for Eileen just became too much. I became fixated on the sounds of the lips smacking as she changed into different characters. So - the book was cute but the audio almost drove me mad. ⭐️⭐️💫 for the cute read but I may put off another audio for a while after this😳. Thank you to @netgalley and @macmillan.audio for this copy for my honest review. This book is available everywhere starting August 18th.
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This is a cute rom.com. with a grandmother who steals the show. All or the characters were well written. The story was cute. I would recommend

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was the perfect book to listen to as an audio book. I would recommend if you're looking for:

-Dual POV a grand daughter and her grandmother
-British
-Switching lives giving me The Holiday feels
-Grandmother using dating apps and taking a holiday in London
-A small village and a group of elderly people
-Two people learning to move on from deep grief
-Romance and flirting

I don't want to give too much away but I really enjoyed both narrators. Leena and Eileen were two distinct characters one looking for change and one hoping to maintain the status quo to not deal with her feelings. While romance was not the forefront of the story I went back and forth from sadness and laughing. The book is an honest look at grief after time has passed and how people deal with it differently.

Rating: 4.5 stars

Triggers: grief, death of a family member, divorce, domestic abuse, cheating

Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to review this magnificent book. My first audio review.

Credit to Beth O’Leary who has done it again! After loving the flatshare last summer I was delighted to get to review. What a joy from start to finish absolutely charming story about finding yourselves after a death in the family and the grieving process.

This heartwarming tale had utterly joyous parts of life and loved how right now and relatable it is.
The audio had me in happy tears absorbed day and night relating to both POVs. The original Eileen Cotton is a G!

The Switch is exactly what it says on the tin. Adorable old lady swaps life’s with her beautiful trendy 20 something name sake granddaughter meet Eileen/Leena Cotton moving from the dales to the hipster land Shoreditch for a life sabbatical.
I embraced how you got all the neighbours and the village to the flat mates to the dog and the town hall!
Shout out to Betsy the original meddling badass!

For a first audio I LOVED this even if you wanted to punch the BF!
*I can’t wait for her Third Book*

This was a fresh take on the switching places storyline that is overdone RE: to name a few, The Parent Trap, A Christmas Prince, Switched for Christmas.

Eileen and Leena a grandmother, granddaughter duo switch places for two months while Leena is ordered to take a 2-month sabbatical. It seems that Eileen is too old to start over and find love, but she leaves her Yorkshire village for Leean's flat in London. Eileen is about to turn 80 and she is looking to join the dating scene London seemed like a better place to explore that option. While we learn about Eileen's dating adventures that's not the only thing keeping her busy - she notices that her new London neighbors don't know each other and there is a sense of community missing especially for the older crowd. Eileen gets down to business and creates a community space in Leena's building that allows for community to blossom and grow.

Leena is trying her best to fit in a slowdown on her mandated two-month sabbatical. Eileen leaves Leena a to-do list that should keep her busy - organizing an event in town, walking the neighbor's dog, and joining a committee. Leena's relationships with the neighbors start off a little rocky but she learns her grandmother's place in the village and tries her best to step in.

Without any spoilers - of course, there is a little cheeky love story component weaved into this story. This was my first Beth O'Leary book and I am so happy I read this book. O'Leary writes from both Eileen and Leena's perspective. I found a lot of myself in this book that Leena is the more sensible and cautious character while Eileen is full of wit and sass - both of these characters come to life through O'Leary's writing. I really enjoyed how the characters are full of hope and relatable despite the challenges each character faces.

I received this book free from NetGalley in change for an honest review. I am giving this four stars rather than five because I wanted to hear more about a few of the other characters - what happens with Jackson, Arnold and a few other community members? Though Leena's Mom isn't a huge part of the storyline she comes back in the last few pages and I am dying to learn more about her big adventure - maybe another story to come!

The Switch by Beth O’Leary made my commute and runs so much quicker! What I wrote off at first glance seemed like a Freaky-Friday book that had so much depth and warmth. I loved seeing both Lena Cotton the grandmother and granddaughter find themselves and communities in this book. It was a truly well produced audiobook and I loved that there were two talented actresses to give each main character a voice. If you aren’t normally an audiobook person, try this one because it’s brilliant. Though I’m afraid it will spoil others for me because the production value was so high.

I’ve been looking forward to this book since I finished The Flatshare! It was lots of fun, and Eileen was a laugh a minute, but I also shed a few tears throughout too. I love that Beth O’Leary’s books tackle some difficult themes in such a beautiful way. I didn’t enjoy Leena’s story as much as Eileen’s, but it’s such a lovely book and one I highly recommend..

My first NetGalley review! Thank you NetGalley and Beth O'Leary for the opportunity to read and review The Switch as an Advance Read Copy. Publish Date is listed as Aug 18, 2020.

Initially heard about book by listening to first chapter at the conclusion of The Flatshare by Beth O'Leary (which I rated as 5 star on GoodReads and finished July 2020 around 3am).

My initial impressions (first 45 minutes, 7.8% complete)
- chapters seem like they will alternate between Lena and Eileen (Lena's maternal grandmother).
- Lena is on a 2 month sabbatical after having a breakdown during a presentation to a major client. My immediate impression is that want this woman to succeed and I'm pulling for her already. There seems to be some tension with her mother (shocking, right!) Lena contacts her grandmother for a shoulder to cry on and a visit is discussed. Evidently Lena's sister has passed away recently from cancer.
- Eileen's in her 70's and her husband had ditched her (and the cat) for a younger woman. In the first 90 second I didn't connect with Eileen, but I started warming up to her by the end of the chapter.
- Lena's roommates include a woman whose girlfriend is expecting. Initially I was a little put off by the trend to include LGBT content into every book. But .... the author included early in the book and my thoughts quickly turned to something along the lines of "with Granny entering into the picture, this could get interesting and fun. Game on, lets go.".
- my prediction is that i will be rating this book as a 4 or 5.

Completed book August 15. Updated review with final thoughts.

Initially I thought that Beth O’Leary might touch on cancer, LGBT or grieving but the book never “took on” those issues. In hindsight, it would have been too much. There really is a LOT going on with this book. Both Lena/granddaughter and Eileen/grandma have a whole cast of characters and “projects” in the works. This book concentrates on community and working together and mother/daughter/family dynamics.

My favorite character turned out to be Arnold. I thought about reducing rating to a 4, but I keep thinking about the family dynamics and any book that keeps me thinking probably does deserve a 5. This book had me laughing out loud more than most. Very enjoyable.

(I'm so excited to be making my first NetGalley submission! Thank you for this opportunity! I'm still learning, so i hope that i can edit my initial impressions after I hit "Send Review". If not, I'll update in GoodReads.

Let me start off by thanking Netgalley- I received the audio copy of The Switch by Beth O'Leary in exchange for my honest review-so here we go!

I hadn't read the first book by the author "The Flatshare" but had heard great things about the same, hence expectations were high. Add to this, the narration by Alison Steadman. So did it? Let's find out. It's a cute story about Leena, pretty much like the majority of us, going through the pressures of a multinational in London, until she breaks down and is given a 2 months paid break. It's the story of her grandmother, Eileen, whose husband has just walked out on her, who keeps herself occupied in her small Yorkshire town by taking up multiple projects and now wants to jump into the dating game. Small problem though- there aren't many eligible in her age group in and around her. So what happens when Leena and Eileen swap places- can Leena adjust to a slow paced older neighborhood and can Eileen find love in a fast paced London? More importantly, can Leena and her mother find a common ground and can Leena forgive her mother for her sister's death- this and more fun subplot forms the crux of "The Switch".

The things that worked for me were the narrations by Alison Steadman and Daisy Edgar-Jones as Eileen and Leena respectively, especially Alison. She brings the calm needed to be the sensible, organized and adventurous Eileen. As Leena points out, Eileen is "an absolute force of nature" who can bend the world to her needs. And boy, the events, be it the social club creation, courting 3 men who want completely different things from her, assisting in a baby delivery or being emotionally available for her daughter or granddaughter- every one of these are brilliantly brought to life by Alison Steadman. Equally good is Daisy Edgar-Jones, who communicates the hilarious moments of the disastrous dog walks as effortlessly as the heartbreaks and pains of not being able to open up to her mother or the handsome resident teacher Jackson. Look out for the moment of outburst between Leena and her mother- pure magic.

The only disappointment for me were the chapters where Eileen and Leena interact-Unfortunately, we don't get the 2 artists in action together. It definitely would have heightened the drama and maybe would have kept the flow intact. Overall, a high 4 star book with enough fun moments and great narration to keep you engrossed.