I really enjoyed this sweet story. Leena is living in London and after having a panic attack while giving a presentation at work, is told to take two months off. Her grandmother is recently single, and looking for love in her quiet village. They decide to switch places. Absolutely adorable and emotional at times, too.

A note about the audiobook narration- I loved that there were two distinct narrators. It matched the feeling of the book, with one older and one younger voice narrating. In this case, I found that the narration added to the reading experience, so I would highly recommend the audio!

Eileen and Leena are grandmother and granddaugher. Eileen lives in the Yorkshire Dales, Leena in London. Eileen has a busy retirement running the local neighbourhood watch which is just an excuse for people to be nosy. Leena has a busy job with a high powered company.
When Leena messes up a presentation at work she is ordered to take a two month sabbatical to recharge her batteries. Meanwhile, Eileen, is looking for love after her feckless husband has left. Both need a change of scenery and what better way to achieve this but to swap lives?
What follows is hilarious, touching and enlightening. Both women are out of their comfort zones and have to learn how the other lives with very funny results.
I read Beth O'Leary's first book, The Flatshare, and really enjoyed it. When I heard that her new book was going to be available as an audiobook narrated by Alison Steadman and Daisy Edgar Jones I knew that I really wanted to listen to it. I wasn't disappointed. The story bowled along with both narrators really enhancing an already brilliant story.
Thanks to Netgalley for the advance copy of the audiobook in return for a fair review.

I had actually read The Switch already in June, but as I really enjoyed my time with both Eileens the first time around and I kept hearing how wonderful the audiobook was, I just couldn't resist trying this format too. I must say that I think I liked my experience with this story even more the second time around! The audiobook version is indeed marvelous and fits the story very well.

I'm still pretty new with the whole audiobook experience, but I have to say The Switch has only reconfirmed that I have to give this format a chance. I think the audio version only enhanced my experience with this story. This book is narrated by Alison Steadman and Daisy Edgar-Jones, and both do a fantastic job giving both Eileens a voice. I especially loved the voice of grandma Eileen, as it fitted the image I had of her in my head perfectly. That said, Lena's voice was very suitable too, and I like how both narrators changed their voice slightly whenever other characters are speaking. The pace and flow of the story was spot on, and the different emotions are well portrayed. If you enjoy audiobooks, I would definitely recommend trying the audio experience of The Switch!

As for the story itself... I know that contemporary romance isn't my typical genre, but there are times when I crave a good contemporary and a select few authors can really make me enjoy the genre. I discovered last year that Beth O'Leary is one of them when I read The Flatshare and even the sexy scenes couldn't put me off the rest of that story. I've been eagerly anticipating The Switch after that, especially when I discovered that it involved an older main characters as well as a life swap element. I must say that I had an excellent time with this story, and she is now officially another of my to-go-to authors when I'm in the mood for the genre.

I think I might have enjoyed The Switch even a tiny bit more than her debut, mostly due to the focus on the relationship between the three generations of Cotton women and both Eileens more specifically. Sure, there were a couple of cliches involved. Sure, I saw the love interests coming from far far away. Sure, the story includes both the love triangle and cheating element I'm not a big fan of at all. But somehow, this just didn't matter all that much, as I was having too much fun getting to know both Eileens and their adventures after the swap. This is both a fun and heartfelt story that will make you forget about your own problems for a little while... It's the perfect escape from reality and the main characters will win over your heart in no time at all. If you enjoy the genre, The Switch is a little gem!

The Switch by Beth O'Leary
I listened to this via Netgalley and their new audiobook option (big thanks!) and absolutely adored it.

Leena is on a two month sabbatical from work, and agrees to swap places with her grandmother, Eileen for the duration. This leaves Leena in rural Yorkshire taking over Eileen's neighbourly duties while Eileen heads off to search for adventure and love in bustling London.

LOVED Eileen's character - she's a sassy, no-nonsense woman, and her dating site journey is endearing and hilarious. Truly enjoyed it from the perspective of an older woman. Listen to this one! Narrator is top notch and gives the characters so much personality that you hate to see the story finish.

Thanks to Netgalley for this free audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

I completely adored The Flatshare and I couldn't wait to get to this one. It totally lived up to my own personal hype.

I really like Leena and her storyline because the quaint village life is the dream, bur Eileen. Oh Eileen is amazing. She is 79 and going to London to meet a man for a casual fling. Idk. I loved it. Seeing this family (Leena, her mom, and Eileen) heal and grow during this swap was so heartwarming. They are all still dealing with the death of Leena's sister and I loved that the author didn't shy away from all the emotions that come from losing a family member.

There is romance in this book, but it is such a small part of the story. It really focuses on Leena becoming herself again and Eileen finding herself after a messy split with her jerk of an ex.

Overall, I loved this. It was emotional and sweet and heartbreaking and inspiring. It was just so good!

As soon as I read that Alison Steadman was going to be reading one of the parts I knew I would love it, as she's one of my favourite actors. I wasn't disappointed, she was superb at bringing to life Eileen aged 79. As was the actor that read the part of Leena. My only slight disappointment is that when they read the parts of the supporting actors, there was obviously a change in the voice. So when I had gotten used to Eileen's Felix, when Leena spoke of him I thought "that's not Felix!".

As Eileen and Leena swap lives they bring so much to the people that surround them. From the lovely Letitia in London who had been so lonely to the grump Ronald who Leena makes not grumpy at all. The book is told from the alternate points of view of Eileen and Leena. With it being an audio book there was no mistaking which character was reading, but also the name was announced at the beginning of each chapter.

Part way through the book Eileen thinks she needs to go back to Yorkshire and I was beside myself, she couldn't go back, I needed to know what was going to become of her projects and new friends. Unfortunately the eight weeks whizzed by and the time for the swap does come to an end.

I loved how Eileen stands no nonsense, and when one of the 30 somethings is about to send email to someone in the same building, Eileen tells him "there will be none of this email nonsense, face to face it is". I could feel the look of shock on his face as he contemplated actually speaking to someone. Meanwhile Leena in Yorkshire is having to win over the villagers and her project manager skills aren't all that much help.

Behind all of this we learn that Leena's sister Carla passed away. Everyone has been dealing with it in different ways, not entirely successfully. This is the deeper side of the book and it was dealt with so sensitively and the emotion in the actor's voices really brought it to life.

Whilst I am not sure I would re read this book I would love to listen to the audio again. I am already missing Eileen and Leena and their friends so much.

Thank you to NetGalley for the audio book in exchange for an honest review!

The Story: I'm not sure what I expected going into The Switch, but I was really excited to finally read (or listen) to it as I have seen it literally everywhere. I really liked that the switch was with her 79 year old grandmother. I think it was really cute and she clearly was the star of the story!

Basically, Leena takes over her grandma's life/duties and goes to village meetings, and deals with the villages and family drama, while Eileen is in the city living a younger life and talking to men and trying a dating website for the first time. I really liked the dating site aspect of it because it was all new to a 79 year old woman! Learning the new norms of the digital dating world from her perspective was funny. And that certainly did not stop her from living and having fun!

I enjoyed the growing romance with Jackson as her actual BF sucked. It was frustrating how she did not see the issues with him. There is also a lot of family drama. Eileen wants Leena to make amends with her mother and for them to work on their relationship. Leena cannot forgive her for something tragic happening in their past.

I'm not sure if it was too hyped, but I wasn't blown away by this. I liked it and thought it as a cute story, and unique switching lives with your 79 year old grandmother but besides that I felt like there wasn't too much going on, even though there was soo much going on in their switched lives (if that makes any sense lol). It might just be me!

The story sheds an important light on the elderly and retirement communities. A point was made to show how lonely people can feel in their life yet how much the elderly contribute to the community. It speaks to the importance of community and neighbors and looking out for one another

The Audio: The voices for the audio book were actually good and didn't take away from the story. This is a multi POV read and I liked that you could hear the age difference with the voices.

It's definitely a comfort read and I can see it being one of those movies you don't watch too often but it's a feel good so you keep it on your list.

"The Switch" by Beth O'Leary is a story of a grandmother and granddaughter who "switch" lives. Leena is forced to take a sabbatical from her London job and her grandmother Eileen is looking to date again after a late in life divorce. They decide to switch apartments, friends and other obligations to have the different experiences and have a change of pace.

Both of the main characters are well developed and the narration is excellent by the two narrators Alison Steadman and Daisy Edgar-Jones. The supporting cast of characters are also well developed and are all great additions to the story line. The discoveries about their own lives and what they do to help the people they meet during this time in their lives also adds greatly to the story. I thoroughly enjoyed listening to this and had a hard time putting it down!

Thank you to NetGalley and MacMillan Audio for the opportunity to listen to this ARC. The receipt of this ARC did not influence my review in any way.

4.25

I really enjoyed this audiobook (A big thank you to Netgalley audio and Flatiron Books for the chance to listen early for an honest review!). Eileen and Leena's narrators really showed the heart behind the characters. I felt every emotion they were going through, as well as the side characters. The family dynamics, the romance(s) and the healing the characters go through was truly heart-warming.

DNF

I tried listening to this audiobook and couldn't make it past chapter 1 because the NetGalley app is incredibly glitchy. This app makes it incredibly hard for me to listen to and understand the audiobook. I can't review an audiobook if I have to constantly rewind every 2 minutes or so to make sure that I didn't miss anything. The narrator is great as far as I was able to listen. But the app is not user friendly at all. Either fix the app (I use android) or provide reviewers with a download option so they can listen through another app.

The Switch by Beth O'leary
I loved this book. As a big fan of The Flatshare I was delighted to get my hands on The Switch. I loved the two main characters, especially Eileen.
This book was a breath of fresh air, a lovely light an easy read.
The book does deal with grief and loss, but in a way that felt sensitive and real.
I loved Eileen's attitude that life is for living, and when you want something in life you must go for it. It's also lovely to read a book with an older character.
If you loved the Flatshare, then you should enjoy this book too.
The two narrators for this book are fabulous, I could listen to them all day.

"very thankful to the publisher and Netgalley for the ARC (audiobook) in exchange for an honest review"

I really wanted to like this book, but to be honest I just couldn't connect with the characters, no matter how adorable Grandma Eileen was or Leena's kooky/workaholic personality. I just couldn't.
I had a little problem with the narrators, Leena's spoke too fast or faster than the second narrator.
I'm going to try and read it when the book comes out and I'm in a better mood.
The supporting characters were fun to read / listen to (minus Leena's mom, I didn't like her)

This isn't my usual genre, but I'd heard good things about Beth O'Leary so decided to give it a try, and I loved it! It's the heartwarming story of a grandma and grand daughter who decide to swap lives for a while. So Eileen the grandma goes to live in London and tries internet dating, while her grand daughter, Leena, goes to Yorkshire and joins the Neighbourhood Watch committee!

The book is delightfully charming with plenty of humour and had me smiling most of the time I listened. The book also deals with some serious topics such as domestic abuse, mental illness, loneliness and loss. Both of the main characters were interesting and well written and I loved the two different settings.

I listened to the audio version of this book and Daisy Edgar-Jones who portrayed Leena was excellent, but the real star for me was Alison Steadman. Her portrayal of Eileen was wonderful and really brought the character to life. I also loved the way that the phone conversations were portrayed in the narration.

I'm now going to buy the Audible version of the Flat Share by the same author!

I

Thank you to netgalley.co.uk for giving me a free copy of this audiobook in exchange for giving a fair and honest review. This is also the first audiobook I have received from the site.

Beth O'Leary follows up from her brilliant debut novel with another smash hit. I really enjoyed this. The only small problem that most people may not like about the book is that the entire storyline has pretty much been given away in the book's synopsis, this personally didn't bother me at all. The whole story is engaging and charming, I loved the characters in this book. I thought the writing was brilliantly done. I look forward to more from this author.

3 stars

Leena’s character is the story I preferred following but the fact/discovering that the boyfriend was cheating having happened so late brought the book down for me. I would have preferred the character to have been put on sabbatical and right after/same day found out he was cheating. I wanted it to have been in the points that drove her to visit home again. The reason why this always bothers me is that we knew that the boyfriend at the beginning wasn’t for her. We knew she would fall in love with someone better back home during the switch. It ruins the relationship journey for me. As readers, we know that as this new competitive attraction blossoms and they confide in each other the bond is more than friendship. Typically authors always go so far into this that I always feel that the character and the end game partner may not be cheating physically but the emotional aspect always rubs me the wrong way and I more often than not still classify it as cheating. Like if you are that comfortable, longing, and confiding first in them BREAK UP WITH THE CURRENT PARTNER. This book luckily is one of the few were the bond did not seem to go that far so I was too bothered but still not the pacing format I have ever liked. Furthermore, when authors choose this as the timeline the authors typically have the original relationship break up, and then on the same day, they are together with the new one. That bothers me too. Thankfully the author had this thoughtful, realistic to life that was executed well that stopped that immediate relationship forming that was just very appreciated.

The grandmother, Eileen’s pov in the book is the character where we are getting the sex. It is not graphic, it’s very Pg-13 but it does allude to sex and the gossip of the night after between friends. It was very lovely having an older character who had an emotionally lacking marriage find the fun and benefits of having good sexual contact after (20) years. Yes with my second-hand embarrassment and just thinking of my grandparents it got a little awkward. However, the fact that it made me awkward makes me mad. I think that my first reaction shows that as forms of media; books, shows, movies, etc we need more elderly main characters being adventurous as they get insightful into still having time to live and have new experiences sex included.

This book also started to do the thing where the main characters believe a partner/third party before they believe their beloved family member. It did not last long thankfully but I was really worried about that.

The town is extremely not friendly to Leena when she is trying her best for a foreseeable amount of time. Especially find it weird when she spent years there when the sister was sick. Even if she left for a little bit they should be more friendly.
The small-town neighbors and relationships were well portrayed and humorous but I did feel the actual small-town setting could have used some more love and description.

My second-hand embarrassment was off the rails listening to it from lost the dog, car crashes, and burnt brownies. I know it typically comes across as funny/humorous but I get all awkward reading it.

The competitive attraction between the younger couple was so humorous. Honestly the shining point in this novel for me personally.

The side characters were so lovable and a necessity for this book to be what it is. I love that when the side characters serve a purpose and are well executed in their different personalities and how they help and change the main characters.

This book has a female female relationship (side character), has a conversation with how Leena tries to help her grandmothers best friend get out of a domestically abusive relationship, both main characters have this personality if a problem is just said offhandedly they are going to solve it from matchmaking, potholes, to planning senior group, and town celebrations. Yes, the fixing did tend to be more finding relationships and partners a majority of the time too much but the overall purpose of that proving their mentality for life was understood.

I went through this book on audio and I do think I should have read this physically. It still would have been rated the same but I just was not the biggest fan of the audiobook narration.

For those looking for a fluffy romance no steam. where both a grandmother and grandchild have new experiences, friends, and relationships I think this book could be for you.

5 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
I listened to this and the narrators were wonderful! Great job. They were perfect for this book.
I loved Flat Share but this was even better. I know, I know....How can that be. But it’s true, this author just gets better and better. And I can’t do it justice. This book will have you rethink everything you’re doing in your life. You’ll just take a step back and look at how it’s going. The decisions you’ll make, the people you’re missing, and all the chances that are passing by.
I loved Eileen, she was so precious and fun. I’m going to have to make me a bracelet that says, “What would Eileen Cotton do?” I laughed so much listening to her share her life with me. She found life and friendship no matter what she did. She noticed things no one saw! All the characters were wonderful and important and the author did a great job. I loved all of them.
If you want something really special, like afterwards you’ll be smiling when you think on it, and, and be in the best mood ever, then this is the book! I hope this was helpful. I highly recommend it and hope you love it as much as I did.

Thank you NETGALLEY and the publisher for this ARC audiobook, in exchange for my honest review. ♥️

It isn't you, it's me. There's nothing wrong with this story, but I just could not get into it. It's been a while since I've been really entertained by Women's Fiction, and again: this one failed.
This is the story of two women: Leena and her grandmother, Eileen. They swap cities and immerse into each other's routine when Leena is forced to take a vacation, cause she's a workaholic.
Let's talk about the audiobook first. I'm a fan of Daisy Edgar-Jones because of Normal People, so I really enjoyed listening to her. Eileen's narrator was also great. The only issue I noticed is that Daisy speaks a little faster, but I still managed to listen to both of them on the same speed. They kept my attention and I didn't drift off.
Now, my thoughts on the story itself: I just didn't care. I liked Eileen but just not enough to make this a super enjoyable read. The plot was also quite predictable and the emotional aspect just didn't get to me.
Again, I'd still recommend this to Women's Fiction readers, it just wasn't the book for me.

The Switch was a fun book going back & forth between grandmother and granddaughter. I enjoyed the different narrator's of the book particularly the grandmother. I also loved how the phone calls sounded as such.

Eileen (grandma) is newly single and still helping their entire family grieve over the loss of a granddaughter due to cancer. Leena (granddaughter named after Eileen) has just been ordered to take a sabbatical from work in order to hopefully get her head back in the game. When Leena calls Eileen to tell her about it, she suggests that the two of them switch places since Eileen lived in rural Yorkshire and Leena lived among the hustle & bustle of London. This will hopefully give Leena the peace and quiet she may need and get Eileen out & about after being left at 79 years old. It would also give Leena and her mom a chance to hopefully reconnect after not always getting along especially during her sister's illness. The two also switch cell phones so that Leena is not always connected to the internet and Eileen has to learn to socialize a bit more online.

The two of them learn about each other and themselves all the more through the switch and figure out how to move forward in the future. I enjoyed the relationship between the two and the friendships each of them developed being in new places. I loved The Flatshare and expected this to maybe follow the same lines, but I was not disappointed that it did not.

Thanks to NetGalley for the advance listen.

“The Switch” was an enjoyable read. The premise was familiar, two people switching lives with each other, but had an added twist. It was not two people of the same age but a grandmother and her granddaughter trading small village life and big city London. The book was not as breezy as I expected; the family had suffered a devastating loss and so much of the growth and changes that happened over the course of the book stemmed from the reality of finally dealing with their loss. I was fortunate enough to listen to the audio version of this book. The two readers were very good. I gave this book 3 1/2 stars but am rounding up to 4 due to the delight of the audiobook.

This is a sweet contemporary about a young woman and her grandmother “switching places”. Leena is a big city London girl who has anxiety. She is forced on a 2 month leave from work to de stress. Eileen is an elderly lady in a small town who always dreamt of getting away to the city, but never got the chance.

I enjoyed the concept and dual perspectives. I really like the fact that family is at the forefront of the story.

The reason I am giving this book 2 stars is because whenever I put it down, I never had that urgency to pick it back up again. Also, the narrator for Eileen had a lot of mouth sounds during her narration. I really hate smacking and the sounds of swallowing, so it REALLY took me out of the story.

I received this audio-ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.