The audiobook version was read really fast - even though it wasn't sped up on the settings (and there was no option to slow it down either!) I didn't eally enjoy it for that reason.

This. Book. Was. Awesome! If I could have given it more than 5 stars I would have done so.

Beth O'Leary's second novel is as wonderful as her first one. It was delightful, engaging, laugh-out-loud funny, totally heartwarming, romantic, clever, and very, very satisfying. As you'll have read in the synopsis, a grandmother and her granddaughter switch places for two months. O'Leary uses the two-voice approach again which I really enjoyed. It was entertaining to read the "city mouse, country mouse" experiences as well as the different perspectives of a young woman and an elderly woman.

The two actresses who read the characters were perfect for the characters and the overall production was well done. Only one minor slip in the whole thing... one character was supposed to be on the phone during a conversation but one of her replies didn't sound like she was on the phone. Not a big deal and it was only a little blip.

A smattering of profanity throughout the story but, I'm thankful to say, not every other word. Some sexual situations but no graphic descriptions.

I am very grateful to NetGalley for sending this free ARC audiobook to me. However, it didn't impact my review as I already was planning on reading it, having loved "The Flatshare". In fact, about 70% through the audiobook, I pre-ordered the Kindle version!

This was such a wholesome book!

Following a grandmother and granddaughter who need a break from their lives and switch places. Eileen living in Londen and trying out online dating, while Leena stays in her grandmother's house in a village with a long list of errands and activities around the village.

I loved Eileen and Leena's relationship, but there were a lot of other wonderful friendships. I laughed out loud a few times but this book is also about grief and moving on after a big loss, but it was balanced really well.

The ending was not a surprising one, but I didn't mind at all, loved following the characters to get there.

I listened to this on audio, Eileen and Leena each narrated by a diffrent narrator, which I really enjoyed. Both really match with the characters and just took you along with the story. I really think a narrator can make you like a book even more, and that was definitely the case with this audiobook. The epilogue even made me tear up, because of the way it was narrated, really impressed.

Highly reccomend this, especially on audio.

The Switch appears to be, on its surface, a fun romantic comedy about a granddaughter swapping places with her grandmother when she needs a break from her busy life. Think "The Holiday" or nearly every Hallmark channel movie. And it is... but it is also so much more than the surface would reveal. This book stole my heart. Beth O'Leary presents us with a cast of characters that I found reminiscent of Fredik Backman's novels. These characters were endearing and nuanced; especially excellent were the two central women of the book - Leena the granddaughter, Eileen the grandmother, as well as Leena's mother, Mary Ann. O'Leary's handling of grief and loss was very well done especially in a story that could easily have gotten saccharine. Again, I found myself drawing comparisons between this and "Britt-Marie Was Here" and other Backman works. Instead of being overly sentimental this book handled real life emotions and problems like they were just that, real. That doesn't mean there isn't some utterly charming small town silliness and old lady fun!

I listened to the audiobook of this title and the narration by Alison Steadman and Daisy Edgar-Jones was spot on!

One caveat: Based on the synopsis, I did go into this expecting more of a rom-com with lots of sassy old lady one-liners and a swoony romance with the younger protagonist. There are plenty of sassy one-liners, but there is not as much romance and when there is it almost sneaks up on you. I ended up quite happy with the way it turned out, but be aware that the synopsis is a smidgen misleading.

Overall, this was a charming read that I would enjoy returning to at some point and I expect to see a film adaptation at some point too! I received this audiobook from Netgalley and Macmillian Audio in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the alc of this book. The US publication date for The Switch is 18 Aug 2020.

I absolutely loved everything about The Switch by Beth O'Leary. The book is a dual narrative, switching back and forth viewpoints between a granddaughter, Leena, and her grandmother, Eileen. Leena and Eileen are both coming to grips with the death of a family member as well as other life changes. They decide to switch locations for two months to get a break from their everyday lives..

I loved getting to know these two wonderful women - their thoughts, emotions and how they handle people in their lives. Leena, an overachiever, overcome with her grief and panic attacks. Eileen, a feisty grandmother, as organized as her granddaughter and with a can do attitude that is just infectious. (I adored Eileen!).

The book is a PG romance. There is talk of sexy times but it is all fade to black. At its heart though, this one is really a character study of two women learning to get some spark back into their lives after hitting rough patches.

Pacing wise - I think this one moves at a quicker pace than The Flatshare. Just more going on in general with the dual viewpoints and two people living out their lives in different locations. This one also has some wonderful supporting characters in it.

If you love character driven novels, this one is a must read. Seriously - just go preorder now.

NARRATION - The book read by British actors Alison Steadman and Daisy Edgar-Jones, star of Hulu's Normal People. I loved the dual narration. Both woman do a wonderful job of bringing their characters to life.

This was a delightful story told from the points of view of a grandmother and her grandmother. I found myself wondering how my grandmother and I would've handled a switch. This book was full of colorful characters that were very entertaining - I found myself trying to carve out more time for this book. I listened to the audio book of The Switch and enjoyed the narrators very much.

Through the narrations of Leena and Eileen, we discover grief, loss, love, and family and the importance of self-discovery.

When hardworking Leena Cotton is forced to take a much needed two-month sabbatical by her boss, she travels to her grandmother, Eileen’s tiny village.

Eileen is about to turn 80 and is divorced and single wanting to have a go at love once more. But, having been living in the small Yorkshire village for many many years, the aspects of finding love is almost slim to none.

When both Eileen and Leena decide to swap routines, Eileen goes to London and lives in Leena’s apartment, and Leena takes up all of Eileen’s project in her small Yorkshire village, their lives begin to take a turn. While they both struggled to adapt to living in a different setting, they both discover what it means to be a family and discover the truth about themselves and who they are as individuals.

I gave The Switch three stars through the audiobook and absolutely enjoyed the narration.

I especially enjoyed Leena’s narration, her tone and pace was fantastic and was something I really liked listening to. Her narration was gentle and soft and left me wanting more of this book. The overall narration was fantastic and the overall narration I felt fit perfectly with the story.

The way Leena grew as a character throughout the book was fantastic. We could see the way she went from hardworking, type A businesswoman, to a more carefree - but still equally as hardworking, - woman who is going through grief in her own way. Her self-discovery shined throughout the book and was something I admired about Leena throughout the book and how she as a character really grew throughout the story.

For Eileen, she grew to discover the means of using the internet and technology and controlling social media and being taught what young people do nowadays while living in Leena’s London apartment. Along the way, she discovers how the power of the internet can bring unlikely people into her inbox and I especially enjoyed the way she discovers information at the age of 80 and how she finally realizes things about herself and her family that she didn’t focus on in the past.

Family was a huge aspect of this book especially loss and while reading this I felt that it was well touched upon and thought that it was very important to listen to such a thing and it really grew and became a powerful message throughout the whole book.

I did, however, find that the plot wasn’t as strong as I wished it was. Although there were some aspects that I was being invested in, for the majority of the story I didn’t feel captivated as I hoped I would be. I enjoyed the characters and their development but felt that that was the only interesting part of the story. As an overall book, I think it was a nice read but I wish there was more that had made me more interested in the story.

Thank you again, NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review

This is one of those book that makes you think and are heartwarming and entertaining at the same time.
I think that Beth O'Leary is a talented storyteller and she does a great job at creating enjoyable story full of food for thought.
The story of Leena and Eileen made me smile more than once but there a darker undertone in the description of their trip to face and accept the loss of Carla. The grief is one the main elements in this story and there are moment when the description of the raw sufferance moved me to tears.
Being a consultant I also love the realistic description of the consultancy and laughed as some characters are typical of that environment.
I loved every moment of this story and I think I need to read it again.
The narrators do a great job in making the characters alive and making you feel the emotions of the characters
It is a brilliant story, I loved the narrators and I strongly recommend it.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

This was such a lovely read. It made me laugh and tear up, a sure sign of a good book! I loved both Eileen and Leena right off the bat. They had similarities in personality but were very much their own people. I loved having an older character find a new sense of purpose, adventure, and love. By stepping into her grandmother’s shoes, Leena was also able to gain new perspectives. A heads up that the focus of this one is more on Eileen’s and Leena’s individual journeys as opposed to them finding love. The romantic subplots of each are very light.

That said, I do wish there was a bit more of Leena’s storyline when it came to her love interest, but I also understand it wasn’t the main focus of the book. I just really like romantic storylines so I personally wanted a bit more of Leena and her love interest growing closer during her stay in Hamleigh. But that didn’t stop me from enjoying the book!

I don’t read a lot of books with older protagonists, so this was a nice change of pace. I did enjoy how it alternated with Leena’s POV as it was interesting to see how their perspectives, opinions, and assumptions changed. They each became more open and understanding of the other’s life and I really liked that. The supporting characters were great too! I probably could read a whole book just about Bee or Fitz (who was a fave of mine).

I love how O’Leary’s stories in the end always make me feel like I’ve been wrapped up in a really nice and warm comforting hug. Overall, a heartwarming and lovely escape with fantastic lovable characters. A great summer read!

This book was fantastic! I really enjoyed The Flatshare also written by Beth O’Leary and I was so excited to read this novel!

The Switch is about a grandmother and her granddaughter who have both found themselves in a bit of a rut in their lives and would like to change that. Leena is in her 20s, lives in London and just found herself being forced to take a two month sabbatical from work. Eileen is 79, lives in a tiny Yorkshire village, recently divorced and would like a second chance of love.

They come up with the idea that they should switch living situations to get a change of pace and scenery! Eileen now has to adjust to the hustle and bustle of big city London while tackling the new idea of online dating, while Leena is trying to juggle all the rural activities her grandmother was in charge of- from walking neighbors dogs to helping put on a town festival. How will this switch

The authors writing style is so captivating and the story flows at a great pace! She has the ability to create characters that are realistic feeling, likable and who you really care about what happens to them!

This is a beautiful story about family relationships and dynamics, how we treat and interact with the people around us and how different choices can impact our lives.

This book has such heart, humor and great references (I am completely won over if you reference both Shrek and Harry Potter in a book!).

I completely recommend this book!

The only aspect of the story that kept me from rating this book 5 stars revolves around Leena’s love story. It felt too rushed and I felt there was more buildup around her.

Also, the audio version on netgalley was incredibly tinny sounding. I hope that is not how the finished copy sounded as it did take away from the story at times.

I was completely charmed by this book. Eileen warmed my heart with her perspective on the world and her unrelenting drive to help others and help herself. I related to Lena completely, she's a good person who find herself a bit lost between the demands of young adult life and her personal grief. The narration brought the whole book to life for me. This is a book I would have usually chosen to read, but I am so glad I had the opportunity to experience it in audio. Now I can't imagine it any other way. Eileen's narrator was spot on as an older lady full of life and mischief, she made me laugh throughout. Lena's narrator (Daisy Edgar-Jones from Normal People!) was also fantastic. I loved her subtlety; there were moments I swore I could hear her smile, or be pensive... so good. Five shiny bright stars for this story of love, adventure, grief, family, friendship and opening yourself to all possibilities. I absolutely loved it.

I received an Audio ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I absolutely loved this book. The story was so original, the characters were loveable. I'm so glad I read this book, I flew through it in a day!

I absolutely adored this book. I am usually not a fan of listening to stories of the elderly but Eileen will always and forever hold a very special place in my heart. Lena’s story was just as fantastic. The plot and dialogue felt natural and the setting and descriptions were immaculate. I look forward to picking up more from Beth O’Leary!

Thank you Netgalley & Macmillan Audio for this ARC Audiobook.
This was my first book by Beth O’Leary, I had heard The Flatshare was really good. So I jumped on this opportunity, I went in with preconceived notions that it’ll be something similar to the movie The Holiday with romance being and self discovery. This actually turned out to mostly be about self discovery and recovery. I might have enjoyed this audiobook way more if I wasn’t in the mental and emotional space I am right now. with losing someone very very important to me.
Audiobook review: the phone calls were very disappointing with the crackle and lower volume. They distracted me from the story and feel like I’m listening to a audiobook based in “older times”. Also, another negative for me was there seemed to be a longer then usually pause between chapters. This may be because since this is an ARC and the Netgalley App is new as well. Hopefully, this issue will be resolved with an app update. Thank you again for the ARC Netgalley & Macmillan Audio.

Eileen is close to eighty and newly single after her husband leaves her, she decides that she has every right to love and decides to find an ideal companion.

Meanwhile, Leena, Eileen’s overachieving granddaughter on a two month career sabbatical from London after a suffering from some personal trauma, comes to visit Yorkshire and sensing Eileen’s lack-of-eligible-bachelors-predicament offers to swap places with her for two months.

What ensues is a beautifully endearing story of love and friendships.

The story is wholesome and nourishing food for the soul.
It’s poignant, soulful, endearing and heartwarming and honestly a whole lot of other positive adjectives.

The mood of both tiny Yorkshire and busy London are excellently relayed and so are the strong bonds of friendships.

The story is quite predictable but that does not take anything away from the story itself plus it’s beautifully written and the audio very charmingly narrated!

Loved the total British vibe throughout the book.

I loved it even more than The Flatshare which I positively adored!

Ok I might still pick this up when it comes out, or try to get it from the library, but I couldn't finish the audiobook. The narrator just wasn't working for me. I loved her accent, but the swallowing sounds and other saliva noises were really distracting.
I'm sad the audiobook didn't work out, but the book might still be great! So this isn't a negative review.

his book was exactly what I needed to read during these uncertain times. But I have a feeling I’d love it no matter when I read it. It just made my heart happy. ⠀⠀⠀⠀
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I loved O’Leary’s debut- The Flatshare, for the way her writing balances sweet wit, charm and heart while also delving into more complex issues. Plus- she crafts characters that feel so human- like I could know them outside the pages of a book. While THE SWITCH is contemporary fiction, not romance, it still has all the components I’ve come to love.

This was a very light and wholesome read. I would categorise it as chick-lit but the characters were very well considered and had many different dimensions. I loved the character, Eileen. This book made me laugh and it was also nostalgic. There was something safe about this book, without being predictable. Whilst it’s not something I would use in class, it’s one I’ve already recommended to my friends and also bookstagram.

This book was funny, but will also tug at your heart strings. It's about Eileen, her daughter, Marsha and granddaughter, Leena.
Eileen and Lena decide to switch homes, and phones. Eileen gets into online dating and also tries her hand at matchmaking. Some of the things she gets into, oh my!
Lena is back home with her mother to help her through some hard times and she actually is the one who receives the help.
This is my second read by Beth O'Leary and I really like her writing. Check out "Flatshare" by her too.
I love stories set in London. Listening to the audio can really set the story for you with the narrator's accents. There was a narrator for Eileen and one for Leena. Eileen has an older friend Leticia, and the narrator cracks me up doing the voice for her!
Highly recommended!

This was a cute wholesome book. I listened to the book in one sitting. I enjoyed the Flatshare and knew I had to give this a try. If you are looking for a good lighthearted read this is it.