The Switch is about a grandmother and granddaughter who need a break from being themselves so they switch lives. Leena lives in the city and overworked. Eileen lives in the country and is in search of an adventure. These characters felt so real, which is something I’ve come to love about Beth O’Leary’s writing. The story is told in alternating chapters from the two MCs POV. The audiobook was fantastic at distinguishing each character. This story focuses on these women and the romance aspect is secondary, which is fine with me. The Switch did a good job of balancing the light-hearted and funny moments with the hard-hitting and sad. I really enjoyed this book and look forward to reading more from this author. TW: panic attack, grief, loss of a loved one, cancer, depression.
*Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for those ARC in exchange for honest review.

I enjoyed this audio book much more than I enjoyed reading it previously - the narrator gave interesting and more intelligent voices to the protagonists than I had visualised from the prose. I connected far more to Leena and her grandmother, Eileen. Leena, who, having been told to take a break from her high powered job in London, asks Eileen to 'swap lives' - Eileen to temporarily live in London whilst Leena takes over her grandmother's life in her Yorkshire village. Both women learn much more about each other and also about themselves.
A good listen with a satisfactory ending.

I had recently read Beth's debut novel, The Flat Share and loved it, so I was anticipating The Switch. I liked the fact that the tone and subject matter was very different. I loved the idea of the granddaughter and grandmother swapping lives. The hero and the anti-hero were very well drawn and I could completely imagine both the village in the Yorkshire Dales and the minutiae of everyday life there and the anonymity of London. I loved the idea of Eileen building a little oasis in Central London and forcing certain Londoners to embrace camaraderie. I enjoyed the various love stories, past and present, and liked that the author introduced some serious themes: scamming the elderly, the difficulties of parenting after divorce, depression, loss and anxiety. Arnold was one of my favourites, but I loved how no-nonsense Eileen was, and I was rooting for Betsy all the way. Glad Lena got the ending she deserved on all fronts of her life. Am eagerly anticipating Miss O'Leary's next release

This book had so many elements in it (grief, finding yourself, romance, humor, etc.) but instead of feeling like a congested mess O’Leary tacked them with grace and wit. Even when it dealt with serious topics the story still managed to feel light - which was exactly what I hoped for when I started this book.
There was never a dull moment while listening to this audiobook because there were so many plot points to pay attention to and the two actresses did a great job voicing the two main characters - Eileen and Leena, Listening to it felt like listening to a play in the best way.
I also really love the sense of community in this book. Everyone in London and Leena’s small hometown made the story feel fleshed out. I really enjoyed reading about how Eileen and Leena took their knowledge from life in a small hometown/big city to their switch and helped improve their new surroundings.
My only critique is that at about 50% through the book some plot points felt too coincidental/unrealistic and a bit rushed - specifically when it came to the romance subplot for both Leena and Eileen.
Overall, I still enjoyed it and will definitely read more from this author.
*This is a review for a book I received through NetGalley*

Beth O’Leary’s The Switch is the perfect amount of quirky, heartwarming, and entertaining. Eileen and Leena are both great, well developed characters! The narration really brought everything to life. Thank you so much for access to this audio!

Thank you to the publisher for the early audiobook.

So, I actually ended up listening to this via ALC from Libro.fm. The quality of sound when I listened via the NetGalley app was not good. It sounded like it didn’t go through the final pass on sound mixing or something.

But onto the story. It was so lovely. Leena and Eileen decide to switch lives for a few months. Leena moves into her grandmother, Eileen’s, house and will look after everyone in the small town. Eileen moves into Leena’s London apartment and to casually date and try on city living.

I loved how this story unfolded. Both Eileen and Leena discover things about themselves and how they’re living their lives. They are also both able to use this time to address their grief.

The cast of characters surrounding Eileen and Leena are fun and such important parts of their lives.

This is such a fun, wholesome story. Definitely recommend it.

While this was a cute little story, it also dealt with real and tough life situations, including death and panic attacks. Each of the characters relationships with each other was believable and complicated in their own way. Ethan reminded me of Warner from Legally Blonde, while Lena and Jackson's relationship reminded me a lot of Anna and Kristoff from Frozen. I loved that it was narrated by two different people; they were each able to capture their character perfectly.

I loved this book. It was enchanting and charming at the same time. How can you not love a spunky grandmother who is e-dating? This book follows two main characters who switch (hence name of the book) their homes for a couple of months. In this switch, both characters learn a lot and there’s a growth from new experiences. The story line was clean cut in that situations were not dragged out. As a reader, you know there’s a problem and there’s a solution and we move on. I don’t like books were there’s a problem and the reader is lead from one solution to another and the plot is twisted just because and you are just worn out. This is not one of those books. Don’t get me wrong. There is tension throughout the book and it is slowly resolved, but I loved how the author resolved this story. Also, it was a great quarantine read. I loved the break from serious books. This book brought a smile to my face and I hope it will you also.

The Switch by Beth O'Leary is so cute, and just the light-hearted book I needed between heavier, social justice related books (my norm these days).⠀
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The plot is nothing majorly new, with a huge nod at "The Holiday." But it was sweet, and tender, and unique in its own charming way. And filled with British humor - of which I'm a BIG fan.

If you're feeling weighed down at times by this world like me, give this one a listen - the narrators are FANTASTIC and really bring the story to life! I'm really loving audiobooks these days!

This audiobook was absolutely delightful. The narrators were such a delight to listen to. The story was endearing, refreshing, and sweet. The characters were likable and I enjoyed every minute. I haven't read Beth O"Leary's The Flatshare but I am adding that to my audio TBR as soon as I can!

This was a fun, light read. I listened to the audio version and the narrators were absolutely delightful. While I didn't get super invested in the story, I loved the narration style. I really enjoyed the characters themselves, since the narration really brought them to life, but the plot was just a little slow for me. This was a good listen if you're looking for a good relaxing read to take your mind off things.

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Current Review

The Switch • Beth O’Leary

⭐️⭐️⭐️👍🏼/⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (4/5)
Thank you @netgalley and @quercus for the free audiobook in exchange for my honest review.
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“When I got here I thought their lives were small and silly. Turns out they’re the biggest people I know.”
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👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼
Thumbs Up:
LOVED IT. This book is so heartwarming in every way. The characters are lovely and the story was unique. It selves into some deep topics in the perfect way while still propelling the narrative forward.
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👎🏻Thumbs Down:
Nothing negative to say!
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🤓For readers WHO:
-are fans of the holiday
-want an uplifting family centered story
-enjoy a sassy grandma heroine 👵🏻
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👉🏼This is what’s WHAT:
Lena and Eileen are still reeling from a family death (Lena’s sister) and decide they need a change. They decide to switch lives and hilarity ensues. As they learn to live different lives surrounded by new people, they rediscover themselves and finally grapple with their grief.
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⏳WHEN I read this book:
I felt uplifted and like I should call my grandma!
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🚨WHERE you should watch out:
-cancer/death/grief
-mentions of abusive relationship
-infidelity in a dating relationship
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📍WHY you should read this one:
If you like a classic romcom or your grandma, READ IT.
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📚HOW I read it:
Audio arc from @netgalley

This book is utterly delightful.⁣
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The Flatshare was one of my ABSOLUTE favorite books of 2019. I completely adored it. So when I learned that Beth O’Leary had a new book coming out, I was thrilled!! The Switch and The Flatshare are *so very* different. The Switch has some romantic elements to it, but I wouldn’t call it a romance, so definitely go into it knowing that ahead of time. However!!! It is so lovely and charming. It’s the book equivalent of a cozy, rainy afternoon doing a puzzle on a screened-in porch. 🥰⁣
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My favorite thing about this book was “the olds.” Eileen’s friends in her small town were so colorful and led such vibrant lives, and their stories were so much fun to read. But even more than that, I loved Eileen. She was the star of the book for me. I absolutely loved her and the growth she experienced throughout the story. It’s never too late to change your life ❤️ Brew yourself a pot of tea, and settle in to this book for a warm and comforting read about family and finding joy in the unlikeliest of places.

The Switch was such a heartwarming, surprisingly hilarious, wonderful story of a granddaughter, Leena, changing homes with grandmother Eileen for two months. Eileen always wanted to live in bustling London, and at almost 80 and single, she wants to do it before it’s too late. Leena, still grieving over the death of her sister, blows an important presentation at work and is forced a sabbatical to get her head back in the game. Think of The Holiday, but with family!

I love these characters. I felt like they were my family, and I was helping them basically get their groove back. I will say I loved Eileen a bit more and loved her quest of online dating. (Y’all, spoiler, she get a 🍆 pic 😂) She was a cheeky lady, and I hope I’m like that when I am 79. (If I make it) As I was driving through the 5th circle of hell aka Midtown Atlanta at 5PM, I was cackling in the HOV lane. I love women that are not afraid to speak their mind, but you can fault because they’re elder. Eileen had so much baggage and got to deal with her anger towards her mother about her sisters death head on. Plus, she has a garbage can of a boyfriend, so that’s always fun.

Now, I of course got the audiobook because y’all know I love audio. (Shoutout NetGalley and Macmillan Audio). However, if y’all want to read this (WHICH YOU SHOULD CAUSE DUH) I would recommend getting this in print if you are sensitive to noises in narration. One of the narrators had those noises where you could hear the saliva in the mouth after a sentence. It’s hard to describe, so my bad y’all. Any who, it was really distracting and I couldn’t stop hearing it.


So, if you like The Holiday, you love cat videos and people sending you cat videos, and love second chances on love and finding yourself, pick this bad boy up!

A sweet PG story about two generations learning what to do next after tragedy hits. The story of Eileen (79 year-old grandmother) and Leena (29 year-old granddaughter) is told from the alternating points of view of these two characters. Their story addresses many of the ups and downs of real life, including loss, divorce, dating, grief, friendships, and family.

Eileen becomes a temporary grandmother to Leena’s roommates. She befriends some of the elderly in the London area, sees a need for seniors and works to help. At the same time, Leena is the young, energetic personality who joins Eileen’s friends with their project. Both women learn a lot about what they appreciate in life.

The narrators, Alison Steadman and Daisy Edgar-Jones from Hulu’s Normal People do a nice job. There are times when they pulled me out of story, mostly when talking on the phone. That doesn't happen often though. Overall, I enjoyed The Switch on audio. It is a beautiful story that works well in an audio format. I plan to look for more stories from Beth O’Leary in the future.

ARC of audiobook received from Netgalley for an honest review.

I wasn't sure what to expect when I started reading but I actually enjoyed the story. I really liked that there were two narrators so it was easy to distinguish the two points and I really liked both narrators.

It was a really great feel good story and all the characters .were really interesting. While the story dealt with some difficult topics i think they were handled well without getting too heavy.

Overall I enjoyed the book and I recommend the audiobook as the narrators are interesting and keep you engaged with the story.

I recently finished listening to THE SWITCH and it was a pure and utter delight! I’m fact I had to listen to it again , it was so good.
It embraces the notion of family, friends, and belonging. Taking the reader along for a most wonderful adventure. In the heart of the book it shares the heartache of loss and the time and measures it takes to move forward. It also touches on the importance of family and friends.. I loved the audio. Both narrators were amazing. Leena is voiced by Daisy Edgar-Jones and Eileen is narrated by Alison Steadman. Two narrators that I’ll definitely be keeping my ears open for more. I really enjoyed this fresh look on switching lives and look forward to reading more books by this author

The Switch by Beth O’Leary
Leena and her grandma Eileen are looking to switch things up. Leena has been forced to take a two month leave from her high pressure job in London and Eileen, who is newly single at 79, is looking for love. However, there are few options in her tiny village, so they decide to switch places. Leena will stay at her grandmother’s house and run her affairs and Eileen will stay with her granddaughter’s flatmates in London and give online dating a try.

Eileen is a delightful character. To me, she was an adorable combination of Miss Marple and an older Agatha Raisin! She is so much fun!

Leena is still reeling from her sister’s death and is angry at her mother. Being in the same village as her mother forces her to confront these issues.

The book goes back and forth, one chapter from Leena’s point to view and the next from Eileen’s. Both of the narrators for the audiobook were excellent and I didn’t mind switching back and forth to each character’s story.

I really enjoyed O’Leary’s first novel, The Flat Share, but I loved this one even more. It is full of english charm, memorable and likable characters, high jinks, and camaraderie! Thank you to @netgalley and @macmillianaudio for my advanced listener copy.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
This book had heart wrenching themes and beautiful writing. I absolutely adored every moment of it. I plan to continue reading this author and recommending her to anyone looking for a great read.

Leena is forced to take a two-month work sabbatical, and switches lives with her recently divorced 79-year old grandma Eileen. Leena moves to Eileen’s cottage in northern England to get a break from work, while Eileen takes on life in London to look for love.

This story was so cute and followed the personal growth of these two women, each chapter alternating narration between Eileen and Leena. While there was some romance in it for each of them, it was just a piece of their development throughout the story. Grandma Eileen was so witty and charming and I loved her openness to adventure regardless of her age. There were a lot of secondary characters which were sometimes hard to keep straight, but they added another element of fun to the story.

The only part I didn't love on audio was any phone conversations -- they tried to make them sound authentic but resulted in being a bit more muffled than the rest of the book.

If you need a reminder that you can continue to grow regardless of age or life’s challenges and setbacks, pick up The Switch when it publishes August 18.