
Member Reviews

Thank you to Netgalley and MacMillan Audio for an Advanced Listening Copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
This delightful book highlighted the highs and lows of life for both single suburban workaholic Leena and her almost-80 year old grandmother, newly single and living in a small town. In an effort to change things up in their lives and re-discover themselves, Leena and Eileen switch places for two months. While living in each other’s homes and interacting with each other’s friends, both push themselves to try new things and reflect on what is missing (or not working) in their lives.
I enjoyed listening to both narrators and looked forward to finding out what would happen next in both storylines. The conversations were realistic, and the story, even while touching on difficult topics such as grief and infidelity, had humorous dialogue and realistic characters. While I think the story would flow just as well in a physical format, this was definitely a fun story to listen to!
This review will also be posted on instagram.com/the.reading.life.

Beth O'Leary has won my heart with her first two books, The Flatshare and The Switch. I listened to The Switch audiobook, and I loved the story and the readers.
The Switch is the charming story of Leena and her grandmother Eileen who, both needing a temporary change, end up switching houses for a couple months. Eileen moves to London where she shares a flat with Leena's two roommates. Leena moves to her grandmother's cottage out in the country. In the process of stepping into one another's lives, Leena and Eileen discover their real selves again, along with love and new friends. This book is a triumph of strong women, family bonds, and friendships. The characters are lovely and strong, and I wish I had them in my friend group.
The audiobook narration is well-structured as it switches between Leena and Eileen; I was always able to tell which character was telling the story. The readers' voices are easy to listen to, and there are not any sound effects or music added.
Thank you to NetGalley, Ms. O'Leary, Quercus Books, and Macmillan Audio for a copy of this audiobook in exchange for my honest review. It was a privilege to listen to.

I really liked this book a lot, it touched on many real-life experiences from the point of view of both a grandmother, Eileen, and her granddaughter, Leena, named after her - while both dealing with a family tragedy. The book was both funny - mostly with Eileen's experiences, and sad with Leena's experiences. I loved Eileen, such a spunky 79 year old grandmother, looking for love, and living in a small town with the strangest neighbors. Leena's life in London, was very hectic, and the loss of a family member had thrown her for a loop, and she found herself floundering at life. This is what prompted the 'switch' - a break for Leena, and a new lease on life for Eileen. The narrators did a great job at both telling the story, and conveying the emotions in the book. Giving this book 5 stars because of the great storyline, and characters.

This was a LITERAL DELIGHT. I fell in love with both Eileen Cotton's (the granddaughter goes by Leena). The narrators both did a lovely job (and I think I would have enjoyed this more on audio than reading, TBH), so well-done Alison Steadman and Daisy Edgar-Jones!
This book tells the story of two women as they search for change to overcome the grief of a lost family member by switching lives. Eileen (grandmother) goes to the city to search for romance and excitement after her husband of many years leaves her for another woman; while Leena, after a panic attack at work, goes to the country on a forced-sabbatical (she finds love too, don't worry!). The only weak spot for me was the plot involving Leena's boyfriend, which I found a little unbelievable... but I laughed, I cried-- I couldn't ask for more. I loved the Flatshare, and Beth O'Leary has done it again!
Thank you to NetGalley & Macmillan Audio for this opportunity to listen and review!

The Switch is a life swap book, which is something I LOVE. Busy, career-oriented millennial Leena swaps lives with her 79 year old namesake and grandmother, Eileen. So Leena goes back home to the Yorkshire village where her mother and grandmother live, while Eileen lives it up in Leena's apartment in Shoreditch, a trendy East End London neighborhood.
The Swap is also a very touching and nuanced portrayal of how grief and loss can affect a family. (TW for death of a family member, though it occurs in the past).
There was definitely a Hallmark movie aspect to this: busy city girl goes back home to the country and learns to slow down and value what's important. But the book did show that found family is possible in the city.
Romance was really not the main aspect of the story (this is how I also felt about the Flatshare) and therefore I could have done without Leena's mostly absent boyfriend Ethan - I felt he added a sort of melodramatic aspect to the plot that didn't fit for me.
The narrators, Alison Steadman (Gavin's mom in Gavin and Stacey, one of the cutest rom coms ever) and Daisy Edgar-Jones (from Normal People, which I have not yet seen) were phenomenal. They really brought the story to life for me. I HIGHLY recommend the audiobook if that's your thing.

"The Switch" by Beth O'Leary is the perfect, and sweet reminder, of the importance of taking a breaks and going back to your roots.
In the novel, "The Switch", granddaughter and grandmother, who happen to both be named Eileen, lose their beloved family member to cancer. Alongside that, pressures from the outside world, either of which includes jobs, or pressured romantic relationships, force both pf the main characters to stop and realize they need an escape. It is through this realization that both women decide to switch lives, one moving to the countryside while the other moves to the city. Though difficult to adjust at first, it is through this breath of fresh air, that both women see that for years they haven't been putting themselves first.
Filled with funny moments, relatable conversations, and romantic subplots, this book is sure to grab the attention of anyone who wants something light, and easy, to read.
One note: Though I found this story cute, I couldn't get over one of the narrators. It sounded as if they were smacking their lips/ swallowing/ slurping every time they went to speak. It was incredibly distracting.

4.5★s
The Switch is the second novel by British author, Beth O’Leary. The audio version is narrated by Alison Steadman and Daisy Edgar-Jones. A work situation sees workaholic Leena Cotton forced to take an eight-week sabbatical from her high-pressure London job. A visit to her beloved seventy-nine-year-old grandmother, Eileen, recently single, prompts a radical plan: they will do a switch.
Eileen has been listing the pros and cons of the age-appropriate available males in the area, and when Leena sees how poor the choices are in her Yorkshire village of Hamleigh-in-Harksdale, she suggests that Eileen takes her place in the former London printworks flat to enjoy artisanal warehouse living and avail herself of a much wider market of suitable singles.
Meanwhile, as well as looking after Clearwater Cottage, Leena will cover Eileen’s projects in the village: dog-walking for Jackson Greenwood, dealing with nosy, grumpy neighbours, helping with weekly bingo, organising the May Day Festival, attending their (unofficial) Neighbourhood Watch meetings, and checking on her mother (Eileen’s daughter) Marianne.
That last may be a bit of a challenge: Marianne is steadily working her way through a myriad of grief coping strategies following the death of Leena’s younger sister, Carla through cancer. Leena and Marianne haven’t been on the best of terms since that awful loss, Leena finding it hard to forgive her mother’s acquiescence to Carla’s stopping treatment.
Determined to enforce Leena’s break from work, Eileen insists they also swap phones: Leena is left with Eileen’s extremely basic text/call phone with just a few important contacts loaded. While Leena puts her formidable organisational skills to good use in the Yorkshire Dales, Eileen discovers London.
The story is funny and sweet, dealing with work/life balance, friendship and loyalty, grief, loneliness and the sense of community that can be achieved by those who care, whether in a city or a village. There’s some romance, but it’s almost an after-thought; family and community are the central theme.
Eileen is utterly delightful and undeniably the star of the show. She benignly meddles in the lives of Leena’s flatmates, friends and neighbours; she plunges into online dating with great gusto; and she is soon remedying the loneliness of local seniors with her Silver Shoreditch Social Club. Alison Steadman’s narration is absolutely brilliant. A very enjoyable read.
This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by NetGalley and Macmillan Audio.

“The Switch” kicks-off right as workaholic Leena bombs an important client presentation and is forced to take a holiday break from the office. Meanwhile, her grandmother, Eileen, is tired of her day-to-day life in her small Yorkshire village. Realizing what they’re missing out on (relaxation for Leena and a fun life in London for Eileen), our grandmother and granddaughter decide to switch lives for a few weeks.
“The Switch” is a bit like the movie “The Holiday” where two women swap lives for a bit, just to get over their present situations – it’s a much-needed break for both women. And being relatives, Leena and Eileen also do quite a bit of meddling into the other person’s life, as well, as they both think they know what’s best.
As always, Beth O’Leary writes with such charm. It’s funny with so much heart. And it never gets silly which can be a turnoff in these kind of novels.
I listened to “The Switch” as an audiobook and it was so fun. Audiobooks have been my jam since I started working from home this year and this is the coziest listen. I breezed through it, enjoying my time with Leena and Eileen. The relationship between grandmother and granddaughter really shined with the two narrators. They both had a different personality and added such depth.
I think I’m the last person who hasn’t watched “Normal People” yet this summer, but I was really pleasantly surprised to see Daisy Edgar-Jones listed as one of the narrators. She does such a perfect job – exactly how you would think Leena would sound.
O’Leary’s “The Flatshare” was such a joy when I read it last year and “The Switch” has a similar vibe. If you’re looking for a light, charming novel with a lot of heart, “The Switch” is absolutely perfect.

The Switch was a cute book about a grandmother and granddaughter switching places for three weeks after one is put on sabbatical from her job and the other feels in a slump after her husband left her. What occurs from there is so charming and I loved seeing both of these characters become better versions of themselves and leaving the past behind them. The audiobook version was a fun way to indulge in this story for not only the fabulous British voices of the narrators but also for the witty banter you may not have picked up on if you chose to read this as a book. The bond these two characters share reminded me so much of the relationship I have with my maternal grandmother, making it that much more enjoyable! Thank you to Netgalley for allowing me to listen to this audiobook and give my fair review of it.

Having recently read The Flatshare, I immediately downloaded The Switch as an Audiobook.
While the story made me feel all warm and fuzzy inside, I definitely would have enjoyed it more as a traditional book over audiobook. It wasn't a traditional romance, the romantic relationships were just a small part of the overall story but it will certainly hit you in the feelings nevertheless!

From my blog: Always With a Book:
This is the first book I've read/listened to by Beth O'Leary but if all her books are as charming as this one, I will certainly be adding them to my list. As soon as I read the synopsis of this one, I knew I had to read it. I immediately got vibes of The Holiday, which is one of my favorite movies. I could not wait to see how this one played out and I was certainly not disappointed.
I found both Eileen and Leena to be utterly charming and endearing characters. I was equally invested in both stories as we follow them as they decide to switch living accommodations after Leena is forced to take time off and Eileen decides she wants to date again - at the age of eighty. As the two switch abodes, they end up finding way more than they were originally expecting.
I loved that this book was so much more than just a cute romance. Yes, there is some of that here but to me this book was about finding yourself and who you really are. Putting yourself in new surroundings even temporarily really showed how we can find our true happiness. These two characters were both at crossroads in their lives, at very different points in their lives, and yet doing this switch allowed them to find themselves. There is definitely growth in our characters and as this is mostly a character-driven story, you would expect some development to happen.
This is definitely the type of book to lose yourself in and let the craziness of the world disappear for a while. It has all the feels and then some and I certainly ended up laughing and shedding a tear or two. I definitely recommend adding this one to your list - it comes out in August!
Audio thoughts: I thoroughly enjoyed the audio of this book. The two narrators did such a fantastic job with their parts and really made this book come alive. I particularly loved how the phone calls had that echo effect - this is the second time I've heard that on an audio book and it really is such a cool sound effect and makes phone calls stand out from regular conversations. Both narrators did a great job with the pacing and their intonations and added just the right amount of emotion to their voices as needed. This was a great book to listen to and my first Netgalley audio book! Thank you Netgalley for adding audiobooks...I'm absolutely a fan!

This was absolutely delightful! I need this to be a movie!
From the beginning to the end I reveled in this incredibly heart warming story. Deciding to switch lives for two whole months, grandma Eileen and granddaughter Leena learn a lot about themselves.
When Eileen goes to Leena’s flat in London she is looking for love, or at least some fun. She certainly finds it. She makes friends with Leena’s friends and makes plenty of new ones. She is a gem of a woman and I enjoyed so much her chapters. She has this great way of bringing people together. She pulls people in and they are always better afterwards.
Leena gets an involuntary break from work and decides to attempt to mend things with by staying at her grandmother’s house. But, she also has to take over all of Eileen’s duties in the town. That means getting involved in the neighborhood and all the events that take place. I loved Leena because her life is a mess at the start of her stay and she learns SO MUCH about herself during her stay. She is stronger and happier for it.
This wasn’t all happiness and sunshine. I felt so many emotions during this book. Leena and her mother’s relationship needs mending because the two didn’t know how to cope with Leena’s sister’s death. It added a very real, very hard hitting aspect to the overall book. That epilogue had me in tears.
And let me say, I am so glad I had the opportunity to listen to The Switch. The spot on narration of Alison Steadman as Eileen and Daisy Edgar-Jones as Leena completely MADE this book for me. They bring you 100% into the story. It definitely helped paint a picture in my mind as I went along. Like I said before, this needs to become a movie. It was so so wonderful.

The audiobook of The Switch by Beth O’Leary is dynamically narrated by Alison Steadman and Daisy Edgar-Jones. Both narrators bring emotions and humor to their voices and bring the characters to life. It is an easy listen for a day or two and is simple to navigate throughout the book, but at times their British accents and deep inhales were a distraction.
Audiobook was provided courtesy of the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Rating: 3.5 stars (Rounded up to 4 for Goodreads and Netgalley purposes)
This story centers around Eileen and Leena, a grandmother and granddaughter duo, who decided to swap lives in order to get a change of pace and scenery. Leena has been put on a 2 month paid holiday from work in order to clear her head and leave the pressures of the office. Leena has not been copping well with her sisters sudden death with cancer. Eileen, has fallen into a monotonous everyday routine in the Yorkshire countryside after her husband left her and wants to give the London life a go.
Leena will stay her grandmother's Clearwater Cottage and take on Eileen’s tasks which include attending Neighborhood Watch meetings, transporting Bingo players, and watching over her mother, and most importantly, organizing the village May Day Festival. In comparison, Eileen will stay in Leena’s London share flat, explore the city and take advantage of the wider online dating pool.
I listened to this book via Netgalley audiobook (congrats on the new app!) and it was extremely well done. The voice actors were incredible and really brought Eileen and Leena characters to life in the best way possible. Beth O'Leary has this way of writing the characters as if they are real with real personalities and quirks and the actor's voices just brought another incredible dimension to this. I feel like I really knew them. The bond these women have is undeniable and brings happy tears to my eyes.
Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the free advanced listener copy in exchange for an honest review.

This book was much more of a Women's Fiction book than I was expecting.
I think people who really enjoy Women's Fiction will really like this, however, if you tend to lean more toward Romance than Women's Fiction, you may have the same feelings I had while reading this.
The premise is cute and it's done well, however, I do wish the romance was more prevalent because, well, I'm a romance reader at heart. Because there wasn't a strong enough romance storyline in this to keep my attention, I found myself getting bored as I listened. I even almost DNF'd this a few times.
For fans of the Flat Share, you may still enjoy this book, however, if the thing you liked the most about The Flat Share was the romance, this may not live up to your expectations as it did for me. One of the biggest things I enjoyed about The Flat Share was the romance and while I appreciated all of the other aspects of that book, it was the romance that I liked the most.
As for the audiobook narration. I did notice some inconsistencies with the phone dialog. Sometimes the person on the other line had a filter over their voice (as if you were listening to them through a phone), but sometimes they didn't. I think this may have just been an oversight in the ARC copy I listened to and will likely be corrected in the final edit of the audiobook.
I really liked the narrator Leena, she was fantastic. And while the narrator for Eileen was a great voice actor, I'm very sensitive to mouth noises/sounds, and she had some that began to grate on me as I was listening.
Overall, I thought this book was good, but not great and was slightly disappointed considering my expectations after reading The Flat Share.

Book 157 towards my goal of 280! 4/5 stars for this family story! Reminded me of the movie The Holiday in the best ways! What happens when you find yourself stuck in a rut? You trade places with your grandmother of course! A fun story, great characters, with some heartwarming bits <3 Loved the dual narration!
*I received this book in exchange for honest review, from Netgalley*

The Switch by Beth O'Leary
This story switches POVs from Leena, in her 20s, and her grandmother Eileen, 79. They switch places, Leena stays in Eileen's Yorkshire village and Eileen in Leena's London flat.
I loved this one on audio, such a delight! I adored both narrators, pacing, and laughed several times. I loved the primary characters, but was more invested in Eileen's story and struggles she endured as an older single woman navigating the dating world and big city. The secondary characters were so strong and well developed. I loved both characters and their journeys to self discovery and growth. This story covered depression, grief, anxiety, and family dynamics so well. This was such a sweet, heartwarming book! Thanks so much for my ALC!

I loved Beth O'Leary's first book, The Flatshare, and was super excited to see her newest offering available on Netgalley. The Switch takes the classic changing lives trope and very gently flips it on its head. Leena, a burnt out young professional in London, is forced to take a sabbatical from work to rest and recharge. Her grandmother Eileen, on the other hand, lives in a tiny Yorkshire village and has recently been left by her husband of many decades. Both are mourning the loss of Leena's sister Clara after a long battle with cancer. The two women have always been close, but decide that the best move for both of them is to switch lives for two months.
It could have been trite, but O'Leary has a talent for writing characters that are both charming and realistic and plots that aren't too over-the-top. I often found myself laughing out loud at Eileen's adventures in London and my heart aching for Leena learning to grieve her sister. O'Leary has once again created an incredibly big-hearted story with memorable characters. I can't wait for more.
The dual narrators worked great with this audiobook! I particularly liked the narrator that read for Eileen; she did lovely work with the different characters.

The Switch was such a delight!
Perspective in this novel switches between Leena (in her twenties) and her grandmother, Eileen (79 years old). The two also "switch" places - Leena goes to stay in Eileen's Yorkshire village, and Eileen, in Leena's London flat.
The Switch was just such a *happy* book. I even laughed to myself a few times - O'Leary snuck a couple little jokes in there!
Heavy topics do feature. Leena's sister died from cancer fairly recently, and the family is still grieving. Leena has anxiety and panic attacks, as well as a strained relationship with her mother. And Eileen has found herself single after her husband of decades cheated.
Overall this one was just so heartfelt. I fell for the entire town, right down to the rascally 8-month-old lab. I think the Switch is on the longer side for contemporary fiction, but I loved these characters so much, I'd read an entire series about them.
I listened to this one and found the audio easy enough to follow (I missed a few words and would have liked to have had the text for reference, but nothing crucial to understanding the story - more like, British references I just didn't quite catch). It's narrated by Alison Steadman and Daisy Edgar-Jones (who some may recognize as Marianne in the recent Normal People adaptation). One unique thing about the audio: The phone calls actually sound like phone calls! The sound quality is a bit reduced so it really does sound like the character is on the phone with someone else. I listen to at least 100 books a year (likely closer to 200), but I don't think I've ever experienced that before.
Overall: Highly recommend, either the text or the audio

3.5 rounded up to 4 stars for The Switch by Beth O’Leary. Thank you to Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for this copy to review! This was a charming little story that starts out when Leena has a meltdown at work. As she is still coping with the death of her sister, her work MAKES her take a two month sabbatical. She calls her grandmother, Eileen, who is trying to find life and love after her husband leaves her for a younger lady. In a moment of genius, they decide to switch homes and take on each other’s cities and responsibilities. In this novel, our characters will find love, themselves, and most importantly, each other. At the heart of this story, is family. It’s generations women lifting each other up. This was a cozy novel and the perfect book to take your mind off the hectic world and remember all of those warm and fuzzy feelings that come about when people that love you are looking out for you. O’Leary writes witty, relatable stories.
One thing she opened my eyes up to was the mistreatment of the elderly. Not in the physically abusive sense, but in the sense that we tend to lump every old person into the same ornery categories. We treat them almost childlike. She made a remark about how when older people try to find love late in life, we almost scoff at them or giggle about it. Our elderly are often forgotten and isolated.
As for the audio, DELIGHTFUL. I would be withholding if I didn’t tell you that I picked up this audio solely because Daisy Edgar-Jones narrated Leena’s portion. Her voice is like velvet. I could listen to her speak all day. After having seen Normal People, I knew that I would enjoy listening simply for the sake of listening. Just lovely. Alison Steadman did a fantastic job for Eileen as well, with her crisp, elegant voice.