This is a delightful romance that's both comfy and captivating. Lena and her 79-year-old grandmother swap homes, a move that introduces both of them to new perspectives, adventure and friends. And both find new romance. It's totally delightful, filled with laugh-out-loud humour and dishes up some pure escapism - just perfect. I defy any woman, of any age, not to be besotted with gorgeous Jackson, or his eager hound. The Switch doesn't only revolve around love, romance and relationships however. It delves into handling grief, old age (defying it, in particular) and relationships. The narrators were a joy to listen to!

The narration on this book was great, very engaging, easy to listen too, well paced.

The book itself I enjoyed. It didn't feel wholly original or like a brand new concept, but that familiarity felt warm and cozy. I loved Grandma Eileen and could have listened to a whole book just about her. Leena was less enjoyable. She was gullible to the wrong people, and her "love" story was rushed at the end. Over all, the book was fine! Good, but probably won't remember it in a month.

A lovely story and the perfect thing to read during lockdown/isolation. The characters are so charming and real it’s easy to connect with them and their experiences.

It’s really heart-warming but manages to be heart-wrenching at the same time. Full of joy, pain, humour and life.

I listened to the audiobook read by two narrators for the dual points of view. They did a wonderful job expressing the story really enhancing the reading experience.

Beth O'Leary is an auto-read author for me after two amazing books! The Switch is a really beautiful story about the importance of family and community, dealing with grief, and embracing love of yourself and others. O'Leary writes about weighty life situations in a way that doesn't feel heavy or overbearing; instead, the overall tone is hopeful and heartwarming. The characters in this story are so easy to love and root for, and the audiobook narrators are FANTASTIC. I just kept laughing as I listened.

Another aspect of O'Leary's writing style that I love is how she writes sex scenes. She has truly mastered the art of building tension while keep the scenes "closed door." While there are references to sex, there are no graphic details or descriptions, making this book accessible to more readers.

Thank you to NetGalley, Macmillan Audio, and the author for the advanced listening copy in exchange for an honest review.

Oh my goodness, I absolutely loved The Switch audiobook! Fantastic storyline that had me at hello! I adored Beth O’Leary’s first novel (The Flatshare) and I didn’t think it was possible but I think I loved The Switch even more! Beth has officially become an automatic 1-click author for me! The narration was fabulous and added so much to my listening experience! I highly recommend this gem!

I loved this book. It's sweet and warm and funny and heartwarming!!! This book centers around Leena and her grandmother Eileen and how after Leena is advised to take a work sabbatical, and how Eileen's husband cheats on her and leaves with a much younger woman, Leena and Eileen decide to swap lives. This book is about figuring out who you are and finding yourself in the funniest and weirdest circumstances - including but not limited to catfishing! I loved all the characters for their determination, wit and gumption (gosh I love that word). Although the book was quite predictable, it's exactly what I needed - a really great story which felt like a nice cup of tea. This book is definitely necessary for someone who needs a happy and heartwarming story.

Lena is a workaholic living in London and her grandmother is a recently divorced 79 year old living in a small town spending her days helping others in the community. Lena is forced to take a sabbatical and her grandmother is looking for love. They decide to switch lives for one month.

I enjoyed this cute book that was a chic lit with a little romance. I liked all the sub characters and how the story ended. There were times it dragged in the middle but I didn’t really lose interest.

I listened to this on audio and felt like the voices for the different characters were well done and I liked how it sounded different when they were on the phone.

Thank you to NetGalley, Macmillan audio, and Flat Iron Books for the chance to review this advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Beth O'Leary has written another charming and lovable book. Although I did not enjoy this one as much as her debut, The Flatshare, it was quite an enjoyable read. In this case, I listened to the audiobook also, and I found the narration wonderful.

The premise of the book is that a grandmother (Eileen) and her granddaughter (Leena) decide to trade lives for two months because they are both in need of a change that will hopefully put their lives back on track after the loss of a loved one. The switch turns out to be beneficial to both of them, and they learn new things about themselves and how they view the people in their lives.

I love the character of Eileen, the grandmother. She is so full of life and ready for adventure. She brings a sense of community to her granddaughter's apartment block that was desperately lacking. She is a sweet character whom everyone loves. Leena, the younger character, is less charming than her grandmother, but I liked her too. She has some moments when I found her to be very naive and overly trusting, especially in terms of her boyfriend. However, she learns a lot about herself during the switch, and I like how her character grows.

The small town charm and sense of community that is portrayed in this book is refreshing and very appropriate in our current climate. It made me wish for more of it my own life.

I would definitely recommend this book to other readers. It is sweet and uplifting. Just the kind of read needed when real life is a bit chaotic.

Loved both narrators but found the plot quite dull. I do think readers of very light romantic comedies will enjoy this, but for me it rang like a poor man’s Jenny Colgan. Fine and sweet but not for me.

I really enjoyed the beginning and the end but the drawn-out in-between was a little too tedious.

A lovely premise and Eillen and Leena Cotton are enjoyable characters. The generational insights are funny but I did find the same humour occurring again and again.

Definitely a heartwarming, contemporary read.

I love a dual narrative, when it's done right. This one was done superbly. I fell in love with both Leena and Eileen, and often had trouble deciding which narrative was my favourite. I'm still not sure which. The narrators of both characters brought them to life in such a wonderful way – though it was hard to get Marianne and Pamela Shipman out of my head for a while!

There is so much love and family and community in these pages, it's hard to read it and not feel a little bit warmer. Grandparent/grandchild relationships aren't very often addressed, and this is a fantastic example of such a cherished connection in our lives. Watching Leena's relationship with her mother improve was also wonderful to follow along

I can't wait for Beth's next book. I just know it will be a triumph.

O'Leary's previous book, The Flatshare, is lovely, but this is even better.
A grandma and a niece swap places, the first to live an adventure in London, the latter to recover from a big mess at work (and her sister's death).
O'Leary is great at dealing with delicate issues - bereavement, depression, loneliness, and indifference - in a lighthearted and tender way, and she creates characters who feel really "normal", like all of us, with weaknesses and flaws, and it's impossible not to love them.
Eileen is fantastic, energetic, with a purpose, generous, considerate and so loving, everyone would love to have her as a grandma, mother, friend, or neighbour. She reminds us of how distant people are nowadays, all thinking only about themselves, ignoring those who live near, especially if they're old, as if they don't have anything to give anymore, closed up in their selfishness and pride. But Eileen is able to open our heart and inspire us to be better people, to appreciate our family, friends, and also others more, to look beyond the surface and live a fuller life.
This is one of those books one will always cherish.

I really enjoyed this audiobook, it's like getting into a warm bath. Both of the actresses are great and the voices really brought the story and characters to life. I think I would have been a bit bored by the book if I'd read it - the story is fairly predictable and a bit twee, but that became charming in the audiobook.
The one duff note for me was Leena's reaction to her gran / boyf towards the end, really made zero sense and additional conflict just for the sake of it.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the free review copy.

(Thanks to Netgalley for the audiobook. All opinions expressed are my own)
I really enjoyed reading THE FLAT SHARE by the author and that is why I was excited to pick up this one as well. I love Beth O'Leary's writing and so of course, I enjoyed reading THE SWITCH as well. However, I do have to say that it is not what I expected. Unlike THE FLAT SHARE, romance does not take a central place in this one. THE SWITCH is more about family and personal growth. And I didn't know it was the kind of book I needed in my life.
I listened to the audiobook version thanks to Netgalley and I really enjoyed it. The actors did amazing jobs with their parts and relayed the feel of the characters very well. I absolutely love Eileen and she is just so so cool! The way both of these two characters branched out and got out of their comfortable box into the unknown was something they would not have ever done. The only reason they did it was because each thought it will help the other.
the other characters were also lovable and although I was super pissed with Betsy's attitude in the beginning I definitely came around soon. The Neighbourhood Watch bunch is a good lot and Arnold is a sweetie. Also, I wish we saw more of Jackson and how he fell for Lena. Of course, that would have given me a lot more romance in my dry life. LOL
Overall, it was a really enjoyable read and I thoroughly enjoyed it!

This was an excellent audio book that kept me fascinated throughout the entire journey. The characters were engaging and believable. Can’t recommend it enough! An excellent narrator made all the difference!

Such a lovely and comforting read. A grandmother (Eileen) and granddaughter (Lena) switch places for a holiday of sorts. They each discover pieces of themselves they had been missing.

My favorite character was definitely Eileen. She was sassy, passionate, and fun. I loved the sense of community she created around her.

The two narrators did a wonderful job. They encapsulated the characters and read with wonderful expression.

This story is about finding yourself, a community, and family. It’s a charming and cozy read.

Thank you for the free audiobook. All opinions are my own.

I absolutely loved the narrators for The Switch. They really brought the story to life. I also liked the way the author dealt with tough subjects, such as grief, abuse and adultery, in a gentle way.

4.5 stars

Absolutely delightful audio book. I liked Leena,the 29 year old granddaughter living in London that is forced to take some time off from her stressful job. I LOVED Eileen, the 79 year old grandmother from a small village outside of the city. Leena and Eileen swap housing for two months and each have their own adventures. I thoroughly enjoyed listening to the book. It was sweet and funny. Both women are kind, caring and enjoy helping others. I wish I had an Eileen in my life, or even better, I hope to be like her down the road. The secondary characters (London roommates and the Villagers) were all lovely and well developed. Great follow up to The Flatshare, which I also highly recommend reading.

Some narrators enhance the books and I think that is the case with The Switch. Daisy Edgar-Jones does a great job with Leena. Alison Steadman is beyond fantastic as Eileen and I could listen to her all day. The book flowed well and was very clear on the transitions.

Thanks to NetGalley and the Macmillan Audio for an advanced audio book in exchange for an honest review.

This was such an utter delight to read! This is my first book by Beth O'Leary. I definitely need to check out her other novel - Flatshare! I found the grandmother and granddaughter, Eileen and Leena, so engaging and memorable. I laughed out loud so many times and marked some of my favorite lines in the novel. Such a well-written and great storyline with wonderful characters! I would highly recommend!

Okay, for a while there the narrator almost sent me into the doldrums after listening to chapter one, the reading was a bit monotone with hardly any differentiation between characters. After the disastrous meeting, things smoothen out and I was able to listen without fighting to identify the characters and their emotional changes. Now, that I have passed that hiccup, I can see Leena had some serious issues to deal with. She almost cost her company a huge contract, she was totally washed out I believe, she couldn’t even remember what the meeting was about at the critical time, she was hyperventilating and couldn’t think straight. I think she was overworked, stressed, and tired lack of sleep does that to a person, but she refused to see it that way. Now, she was forced into taking a two-month sabbatical, after her panic attack in the conference room. She had two months to get herself back into the game and reinforce her self-confidence once again. She also had to see if there was any way to work out the rift between her and her mother. I believe Eileen her grandmother is a wise one in creating an occasion in, which Leena and her mom can reconnect, while she goes on her new adventure, online dating at her age if you could believe it. An enjoyable and entertaining book, with a few foul languages, outside of that, it’s a relaxing and amusing book you can relax in your garden with.