Thank you @netgalley and @macmillan.audio for my first advanced listening copy of The Switch!⁣
⁣
Eileen is sick of being 79.⁣
Leena's tired of life in her twenties.⁣
Maybe it's time they swapped places...⁣
⁣
This book went down as easily as this beer did! Such a cute, sweet story that is sure to make you smile. There are two narrators, one for Eileen and one for Leena. The phone calls are done in a unique way that I haven't heard in any other audio, too! ⁣
⁣
Have you read or listened to this one? Have you used Netgalley's new audio option? ⁣

The Switch - Beth O’Leary

I was given a copy of this book in exchange for a fair review thanks to MacMillan Audio and Netgalley.

I choose this book as I had a lot of driving to do, and wanted a nice cheerful audiobook to pass the time.

When Leena has a bad experience at work and was told to take two weeks holiday, she travelled up to Yorkshire to see her grandmother. Eileen and Leena ‘swap lives’ for two months - they swap phones, laptops, houses and Leena is even left with Eileen’s list of village activities.

The story is told from the perspective of both characters, but the perspective change is very easy to follow. At first, I didn’t think I would enjoy the book as I didn’t feel I would be able to connect with with Eileen or the elderly residents of Hamleigh-in-Harksdale, but the characters are all just so loveable.

Rating: 4/5
This book is a slow romance that also touches on difficult topics such as cancer, depression and infidelity. It is well worth a read this summer.

This was so freaking cute aaah. I mainly downloaded the audiobook because I have heard only positive things about "The Flatshare" and although I haven't read the author's previous works I had high expectations and I cannot help but say this that FROM HERE ON I WILL READ ANYTHING O'LEARY WRITES.

O'Leary's writing feels like " snuggling inside a warm blanket with a hot cup of cocoa in a rainy winter day" and it not only gives you comfort but makes your heart flutter. I am not a fan of books where romance is the only plot, idk why but it's a thing. And The Switch delivered what I look for in a NA.

I personally share a very special bond with my grandmother and this book just made me reminisce all the fun times we shared in the past. I teared up at a few scenes because Eileen reminded me so much of my Grandma : from her zest for life to her eagerness in helping others, and everything that she did radiates positivity and I couldn't help but in awe of her.

DEFINITELY RECOMMENDED.

This was my first book by author Beth O'Leary, and I loved it! It was the perfect blend of humor, romance, adventure, friendship and family relationships.

Leena Cotton is a workaholic who is having a hard time coping after the death of her sister. She is ordered to take a sabbatical from work when her anxiety almost loses them a big client. Her grandmother, Eileen, is recently single after her husband left her for his dance instructor. Eileen wants to find romance again, but has limited options in her small Yorkshire village. Leena, who lives in London, offers to switch places with her grandmother. It will be a much-needed break for both of them.

Leena thinks it will be easy to take over her grandmother's duties in the village--serving on the Neighborhood Watch Committee, walking a dog for a friend, and planning the May Day celebration. She has also agreed to help look after her mom--Eileen's granddaughter--who is struggling to recover from her daughter's death. However Leena soon realizes that her grandmother actually has very big shoes to fill.

Meanwhile, Eileen gets herself set up on a dating site, makes friends with Leena's roommates, befriends a lonely elderly woman across the hall, and plans to set up the Silver Shoreditch Social Club.

I loved both Leena and Eileen, and enjoyed hearing the story from both points of view. Although there are some difficult topics in the book--cancer, depression, infidelity--there are also many moments of charm and humor. The story is really about the importance of community, family bonds, and overcoming adversity.

Both narrators were excellent. I would highly recommend the audiobook!

I really loved this book reading it through the first time. Mix it with Daisy Edgar-Jones narrating as Leena...and it is absolute perfection. I love her so much! While listening to this on audiobook, I actually caught additional pieces of the story. My favorite characters were still Grandma Eileen’s friends in Yorkshire, and I enjoyed hearing them come to life. I highly recommend listening to this one!⁣ Thank you to Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for this audiobook for my honest review.

I received a complimentary arc of this audiobook from NetGalley and Macmillan Audio in exchange for an unbiased review.

This was an extremely humorous and witty story which I found wonderfully narrated. The voice and inflection of the grandmother Eileen Cotton sounds authentic for a 79 years young woman! I enjoyed this audio version of the book.

Leena Cotton is tired workaholic who hasn’t taken a vacation or day off work in years. When she totally bombs a presentation she fears she’ll be fired. She never expected her boss Rebecca to mandate that she take a 2 month paid leave from work! Leena is flummoxed and overwhelmed as to how she will manage without work.

We learn that she is most likely using work as a coping mechanism for the other personal stressors in her life. Her sister Carla died a year ago from cancer and she had been angry and estranged from her mother since that time. She believes more could’ve been done to save her sister. Fortunately, she does has a close work colleague with whom she had been discussing starting their own consulting firm. Bea is her sounding board and voice of reason while struggling herself to make sense of life as a single mother.

Leena lives in the fast paced city of London with her flat mate: Martha who is very pregnant waiting for her parent to return from her business trip and Fitz who always seems to be between jobs. They encourage her to use the time off to relax and regroup. Her boyfriend Ethan is just as much of a workaholic for the same company. They rarely spend time together mostly on weekends when he isn’t busy on a work project.

Leena calls her grandmother Eileen who lives in the quaint Clearwater cottage in Hendley where she grew up. She decides it’s been long overdue for a visit to her grandmothers house. She is hesitant being close to her mother who her grandmother has been helping out since they lost Carla. While there her grandmother who is recently reinventing her own life since her husband Wade decided to leave to be with a woman half his age. She confesses to a Leena how he had held her back from some dreams she had of experiencing London.

Leena suggests that they switch living arrangements for the 2 months of her leave from work. To keep her busy, Eileen provides Leena with a notebook of all her responsibilities and daily routine which involve helping her neighbors. Leena learns to discover that her grandmother is an extremely active and staunch advocate in her community. It takes her some time and many follies as she maneuvers her way around.

In London, Eileen is thriller and then overwhelmed with the stress and impersonal nature of living in the city. She is initially disheartened to discover mostly young neighbors with no time or fear of interacting. Having 2 cats back at home, Eileen becomes concerned when she finds a cat wondering around the flat. She immediately approached the neighbor with whom she believes the cat belongs.

Eileen is pleasantly surprised when Leticia invites her in for a chat. Her flat is filled with magnificent antiques although the woman looks dreadful. Eileen discovers that Leticia has lived there over 30 years and had never had a neighbor visit. She lives alone and both she and Eileen enjoy some laughs together and agree to visit again.

While Leena is discovering that the older people in her grandmother’s community may be opinionated she develops a soft spot for them. She actually enjoys taking over for her grandmother and her many responsibilities. Such as participating in the neighborhood watch meetings which is mostly a social time for the community.

There are many laugh out loud moments as both Eileen and Leena each try to adapt to their unfamiliar surroundings. Both of them find a purpose and sense of self engrossing themselves in their new communities with desires to improve the lives and join people together.

Along the way each may dabble a bit with romantic situations which are new and unexpected. Eileen especially finds that she can feel free to engage in satisfying relationships after so many years with Wade. She loves discovering the woman within who always wanted to experience life.

Leena learns that family is an important source of support and that reconciling with her mother, Marianne, a healing experience. Learning to accept their differences in their perspective as well as find new ground. Relationships between family and friends are important and should be nurtured and valued.

This is a delightful story of love, self awareness, grieving, family and resilience.

Thank you so much for this ARC!

What a sweet book! I am very new to audio books but absolutely loved the story as told by these two great narrators! While it was a bit predictable (and very The Holiday-ish), it was still endearing and fun to listen along to. I looked forward to getting into my car, the longer the ride, the better!

Also, there is something to be said about life lessons found in books actually spoken out, so much more impactful and feels like you are getting real advice from a friend.

First impression:
With brilliant narration by two of the stars of Normal People, The Switch is an excellent follow up to O’Leary’s debut. The Flatshare was one of my absolute favorite books of 2019. This Switch has a similar tone, style and themes of love and family.

Beth O’Leary has a special talent for infusing quirky, cute plots with deeper themes without weighing her stories down. In The Switch, Leena Cotton proposes trading homes with her grandmother Eileen for two months in the hope that the change of scenery will help them both—Leena is recovering from a disastrous presentation at work, and Eileen is moving on after her ex-husband’s departure.

Their adjustments to city life and country life—including adventures in online dating in London (for grandmother Eileen) and joining the neighborhood watch/festival planning committee (for Leena)—are told with humor and heart, especially in the audiobook. The two narrators matched the personalities (and accents!) of the characters perfectly, and they nailed the book’s balance of levity and gravity. The Switch starts with a charming premise and ends up tackling grief, loneliness, and love, without ever losing its charm.

It makes me very sad I did not love this book as much as everyone else did. The Switch is a fun, breezy read, but very predictable from the get-go. It just wasn't what I was anticipating. I definitely will be reading more O'Leary books in the future!

*Thank you to NetGalley for my gifted audio of this book. All opinions are my own.*

This is the first audio book I've read in years, since I used to listen to books on tape while commuting!
So there was some adjustments as I got used to it and it was slightly distracting to begin with. I'm not sure if this would have been my first choice for the story, such a highly anticipated read since I absolutely loved The Flatshare.
But once I settled in, it was mesmerizing! I adored the two narrators and I really escaped into the tale.
When London based, dedicated executive Lena Cotton screws up an important presentation at work, she is instructed to take a two month leave of absence.
She is aghast at having so much time on her hands.
She decides to visit her seventy nine year old grandmother Eileen, who lives in the small rural village of Yorkshire. Finally desiring companionship after a divorce many hears ago, Eileen is looking for love in her community, but there are not many suitable candidates.
Lena suggests a switch, Eileen can stay at her place in London, where there is a larger dating pool of gentlemen her age. And Lena can look after things locally for her grandma.
But things don't quite go as expected.
Charming, touching and enchanting, filled with humor and wit, it still manages to cover the important subjects of aging, loss, grief and domestic violence.
A wonderful follow up to her debut novel.
Thank you MacMillan Audio for the audio book via NetGalley.
4.5 stars, rounded up to 5 stars.

The Switch was an adorable and hopeful tale of two women looking to work through their issues with grief and love. The alterating narratives of Eileen and Leena Cotton pulled listeners right in. The audio is expertly narrated by Alison Steadman and Daisy Edgar-Jones. For fans of Jojo Moyes, Sophie Kinsella and the movie The Holiday. A true delight!

What an unexpecting and amazing book it was. The story was quite unique bridging 3 generations of women highlighting in a clever way aspects of aging people. I loved the way humor and emotion were combined resulting in enjoyable dialogues.

I listened to the audiobook and I strongly believe that the selected voices were really adding to the overall experience of enjoying a great audiobook. The voices were amable and sweet and the British accent was setting it off.

I got excited with this audiobook. I was looking forward to finish off work from the office so that I got to listen to the rest of the story.

I totally recommend this book either in written or auditory form.

"That’s the trouble with dating on the Internet, I suppose. There’s no way for anybody to hear your laugh or see the way your eyes go dreamy when you talk about something you love."

Last minute decision to binge read this as I received an audiobook from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. And boy, my mother keeps on looking at me every time I snicker while I stare at the ceiling with my headphone slapped across my head.

This is my first Beth O'Leary book as I haven't had the time to dive into her well-received debut novel, The Flatshare, but if I will base my judgment solely on this, I can say that I'll probably pick her debut before this year ends.

I think the first thing that made me so invested in this novel is the synopsis that screamed life swap between a small town grandmother (Eileen, 79) who was recently left by her husband, and a workaholic city woman (Leena, twenties) who suffered a burnout/breakdown during one of her presentation. If this doesn't piqued your interest, then this is not your cup of tea.

Also, Beth's writing style is just comforting and the audiobook narrators (with their British accent) definitely delivered the goods in the right spot. I can actually paint the scenes in my head as if I am watching the movie version.

Another great thing about this are the supporting characters - from Bee to Fitz to Martha and Yaz to Arnold to Jackson to Ethan to Ceci to Betsy and the Neighbourhood Watchers - each of them are uniquely developed and showered with creative backstories that's layered within the storyline without overshadowing the main premise that is the life swap between Eileen and Leena.

Romance-wise? Leena's was a bit meh at about 75% of the book until the twist happened while Eileen's definitely had the thunder all along from start to finish.

The attempt to shed light about mental health (Marian and Leena,) sexual orientation (Martha and Yaz,) and women abuse (Betsy and Cliff) were all laid out successfully without a hint of tokenism.

Lastly, this is such a fun romcom adult novel and all the small town antics plus the contrast against the big city camouflage is top notch.

RATING: 4stars

This is your pretty standard fun and rollicking chick lit, but the audio book narrators elevate it to an emotional and dramatic level that few such novels can attain.

For fans of Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman and Normal People by Sally Rooney, this books will truly melt your heart.
Imagine Freaky Friday without the body switching- Beth O’Leary’s The Switch centers around Leena and Eileen, a granddaughter and grandmother respectively, who completely switch lives for two months. Leena is given a 2 month paid vacation at her job and Eileen, at 79 years old, has been fantasizing about dating again. When Leena ends up suggesting they switch apartments and phones, the novel evolves into a beautiful story where both characters discover things about themselves they never knew existed, but that make them who they really are.
Through alternating perspectives between Leena and Eileen, we get to meet the different characters in each of their lives and they all feel so real with so much personality, the background characters of this book really make the story more engaging and interesting.
I’m a sucker for a good grandma/granddaughter relationship and this 100% delivered.
Highly recommend for any readers who are looking for a dead that will just make them feel good and happy, especially during these times!

I loved this book for many reasons but most of all because the feelings were so real. The ending was kind of cheesy, but sometimes you need cheesy. And at times even the grumpy people were too perfect, but again, sometimes you need a happy place full of happy people. Life is hard and losing someone you love to cancer is the hardest. I really felt that, I lived that, it was awful. So I really connected to the pain and anger expressed by the main character. The audiobook was also very good.

All in all I recommend it for a happy but sad book that has a little bit of romance, a little bit of humor, and a lot of tears (some happy, some sad).

"The Switch" had everything I could have wanted. There was romance, humor, drama, and personal growth. This was an adorable tale about a grandmother, Eileen, and granddaughter, Leena, who swap living spaces for a few weeks.

Leena has to take a mandatory vacation from work. While visiting her grandmother, Eileen, Leena discovers the older woman is seeking romance and her small town options are severely limited. Leena and Eileen have the brilliant idea to switch places. Both women needed a break from their lives to help discover who they are.

Leena stays in Eileen's house in a small, neighborly town. She takes over her grandmother's typical errands and duties, including looking after her estranged mother. While Leena walks dogs and attends community meetings, Eileen is having an adventure of her own.

Eileen stays in Leena's apartment in London with two roommates, a pregnant woman and a younger man. Eileen is educated on internet dating and she begins to chat with a few men. While Eileen is on the lookout for romance, she gets involved in the community. She becomes friends with Leena's roommates and even some neighbors. Eileen is all about helping others and is able to assist with other's issues while diving head first into a community project.

While out of their comfort zones both women learn more about each other and experience personal growth and romantic turmoil.

I’ve had this on my TBR since I read The Flatshare three months ago. Luckily, I found an audio ARC on NetGalley which was impossible to resist.

Ordered to take a two-month sabbatical after blowing a big presentation at work, Leena escapes to her grandmother Eileen's house for some overdue rest. Newly single and pushing eighty, Eileen would like a second chance at love. But her tiny Yorkshire village doesn't offer many eligible gentlemen... So Leena proposes a solution: a two-month swap. Eileen can live in London and look for love, while Leena will stay in Yorkshire and look after Eileen’s sweet cottage and garden; her idyllic, quiet village; and her little neighbourhood projects.

With a rabble of unruly old age pensioners to contend with, as well as the annoyingly perfect, and distractingly handsome, local schoolteacher, Leena learns that switching lives isn't straightforward. Meanwhile, Eileen is a huge hit in London with her new neighbours and is learning all about casual dating and swiping right. But is her perfect match nearer than she first thought?

On the surface, The Switch is about finding yourself and discovering love but as you get involved, you realise it delves deeper: exploring old age and communities among the elderly; dealing with loss and the immeasurable grief that follows, and unlikely friendships.

The juxtaposition of city life with country living and ambitious Londoners with cantankerous Yorkshire residents keeps you guffawing till the end. The characters are so delightful I want to run off to the Yorkshire Dales to befriend them.

Humourous, witty, full of hope and heart, this will wrap you in its warmth making it difficult to let go.

This audio ARC courtesy of Netgalley and Macmillan Audio.

Totally and completely predictable but heartwarming with great strong female characters. Even though you know exactly what is going to happen, I really enjoyed getting to know Eileen and Leena and the supporting cast of characters. Would definitely recommend this light and cute read. Also, wonderful narration.

Thank you @netgalley for the audiobook arc.