***I received an ARC from Netgalley and the Publisher in exchange for my honest review.***

***I read this book via Audiobook.***

The Switch is a novel about a Grandmother and her Granddaughter who decide to switch places and stay in each other's homes as a sort of holiday/ vacation. The plot is VERY similar to that of the movie "The Holiday" starring Cameron Diaz and Kate Winslet, and because I kept coming back to that, I found this book slightly boring and overdone. 

Another thing that I did not love about this book was the voice for Irene (the Grandmother). It was difficult to get into her chapters solely because I did not find the reader easy to listen to. 

However, I did enjoy the chapters that involved Lena and thought her way of dealing with a family death was the only piece that made this book decent. Grief is tricky and reading about her reconnecting with her own mother was heartwarming. 

If you love the movie, "The Holiday" you won't be disappointed. However, if you are looking for something a little more unique, you won't find it here.

The Switch is a fun, light-hearted book following Leena's move to Yorkshire during a sabbatical from work, and her grandmothers move to London on the hunt for love.

It's not something I'd want to read all the time, and it's hasn't hugely stuck with me. So if you're after something that's going to make you feel all the emotions or change your life, this isn't it. But it was an enjoyable enough book to listen to over the summer, and if you're after something light it could be perfect for you. 

Daisy Edgar-Jones was a great narrator. But I wasn't as big a fan of Alison Steadman, especially when impressions of other characters came into the mix - I'm afraid there were points when I properly cringed and had to skip through.

Leena Cotton is still grieving the death of her sister when she is ordered to take a two-month break from work. Work has been the only thing keeping her going, so she is at a loss of what to do for two months. Leena's grandmother, Eileen Cotton, has been struggling ever since her husband left her for another woman. They come up with a brilliant plan, they are going to swap lives for two months. Leena is going to leave the city and live in her grandmother's quaint little hamlet for two months. And Eileen is going to stay in Leena's London flat for two months and dip her toe into the senior dating scene. For two months the two Eileen's live a life unlike one they had ever experienced. Will both of them be able to go back to their normal lives after The Switch?

The Switch was another audiobook that I was able to listen to thanks to NetGalley. The book is told in two different voices, Leena's and Eileen's. Two different narrators read the book and it was the narration that made for a truly delightful listening experience. Leena is definitely a stressed-out Type-A kind of person. I am glad that she got the break she needed to grieve and to gain some perspective. Eileen was a fun character because she is in that "no-filter" stage of life.  The Switch doesn't have any shocking reveals, but it is quite a satisfying conclusion. - CLICK HERE FOR SPOILERS. - 

Bottom Line - The Switch is what I would call a "feel-good" novel. The characters are sweet and interesting. The story is engaging and satisfying.  All necessary of a great book. 

Details:
The Switch by Beth O'Leary
On Instagram
Pages: 336
Publisher: Flatiron Books
Publication Date: 8/18/2020
Buy it Here!
Thank you to NetGalley for the book in exchange for an honest review.

The Switch by Beth O’Leary tells a story about Leena and Eileen Cotton, a granddaughter and grandmother in need of change. When Leena is ordered to take a two-month sabbatical after blowing a big presentation at work, she travels to visit her newly single and about to turn eighty grandma. Once Leena learns of Eileen's wish to have a second chance at love, she proposes a solution: a two-month swap that leaves Leena rethinking her current life in a tiny Yorkshire village and Eileen trying herself at online dating while living in London with young and trendy flatmates.

I read The Flatshare earlier this year and absolutely adored Beth O’Leary’s writing style and her unorthodox approach to a love story. That said, I still felt iffy about reading a book with a protagonist four times old as me. You have no idea how happy I am about that sudden change of mind. I’m never ever again allowing myself to be deterred from reading anything written by Beth O’Leary.

“It's easier to be angry than sad.”

Even though the synopsis leads you believe that The Switch is primarily concerned with the love lives of Leena and Eileen it’s so much more. It’s about finding yourself again, about dealing with loss and reconnecting with your family, about friendship and unfair societal relations, about going after things you’re passionate about and standing up for people you care. Simple fact as Leena being workaholic was not tossed around as a trope to advance the plot but had concrete foundation to be explored. Even secondary characters had detailed backgrounds and personal issues to deal with.

It’s a beautiful story I highly recommend to anyone even slightly interested in this genre or synopsis of The Switch.

Thank you NetGalley, Macmillan and Beth O’Leary for an ARC in return for an honest review.

What a fun and quirky book. After the year we have all had with COVID-19, I think this is the feel good book that everyone needs! An utterly delightful read.

I adored this book! It was witty, heartfelt and charming. I have already recommended it to a number of my friends. The narrator only added to an already wonderful story. I can't wait to read more by this author.

Such a fun book! I loved the idea that they switched lives and what they both learned from their new situations!

Thank you to the publishers and netgalley for allowing me to review a copy of this audiobook. What a lovely book this was! I thought it was extremely clever having the main characters swap lives, as that is not a type of story I've read before between different generations. I really loved how it showed a lot of wonderful friendships between those of different generations, as well as tackling how lonely/isolating it can be for the elderly. I thought this one was extremely well written, as well as well read. I know I can count on a quality book when reading something by Beth O'Leary. Looking forward to seeing what she comes up with next!

Leena Cotton is a workaholic living in London. She errs badly in a presentation and is asked to take a two month sabbatical to relieve all work-related stress. She decides to meet her grandmother, Eileen Cotton, in rural Yorkshire. 
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Upon meeting, they decide to switch their places. Leena stays in Yorkshire and has to help with the upcoming May Day celebrations and Eileen goes to London. What transpires at both ends is funny and heart-warming. 
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The writing style is so amazing. Never a dull moment !! The humour cracked me up instantly. The book had multiple references to Agatha Christie which makes it even more special.
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The story was simple yet it was soulful and healing at many levels. I loved how the author has woven the different relationships, family as well as neighbours and friends. 
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The beauty of the book is not just an awesome plot but also interesting sub-plots. Each character is so thoughtfully placed in the story.
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All I can say is, it's a perfect read for this festive season.

I enjoyed this & the story was interesting enough to keep me going but I also feel like there were too many side characters, which is normally something I enjoy but in this case it took my focus away from the two main  characters. The audio was easy to listen to and an all round good experience.

This work was quite a treat. The characters and setting were delightful.  I would definitely recommend this to anyone looking for a light read.

The story itself was good. I thought it was interesting and captivating.
But I had to give up on the audio and switch to ebook cause I kinda disliked the voicing of this audio

“It’s never too late to live a life you deserve.”

A contemporary romance for romance lovers and non-romance readers!

This is not one of those light and fluffy rom-coms (though there is both humor and romance). This story also deals with real life issues such as anxiety, grief and mental illness. 

Overachiever Leena Cotton is forced to take a 2 month sabbatical from her job in London, after blowing a big presentation at work. Meanwhile, romance and adventure is the goal for 79 year old Eileen, who is attempting to get back into dating after her husband leaves her. 
The family is still experiencing a great deal of grief after Leena’s sister passed away nearly two years prior. Granddaughter and grandmother decide to swap lives and live in each other’s homes for two months.

A note on my perspective as the reader/reviewer:
I read this book from the perspective of someone who has had cancer and experiences survivors guilt, lost loved ones to cancer, and has battled depression and anxiety for a majority of my life. 

With that being said, I feel that Beth O’Leary approaches these subjects with respect and did not find the representation problematic. She did not romanticize death from cancer or mental illness — something I dislike immensely. 

Instead, she used the conflict between Leena and her mother to subtly highlight how there is no “one size fits all” way to deal with grief or mental illness. While I wish the characters sought more professional help in dealing with their pain, it felt very honest to the reality of these subjects. Many people (like Leena) do not realize the extent of how their mental state effects their lives. 

This story is incredibly character driven, Eileen is now one of my favorite characters, EVER. I laughed, I cried and loved every moment of reading this book. 

The only thing I didn’t enjoy about the audiobook was the phone call effect they used whenever talking on the phone. I got used to it after awhile but it sounded scratchy and I didn’t love that. 

Definitely recommend if you’re looking for a contemporary with a bit of romance and major focus on family, personal growth and healing.

This was such a fun and heartwarming book. I absolutely loved the audio. Both narrators were great, but the narrator for the grandma was spot on. She reminded me of the way my grandma speaks, but not what my grandma says, so some things caught me off guard and made me laugh. The story line was enjoyable and sweet. I loved all of the characters and found myself cheering for them when they did good things and being upset with them when they couldn’t see what was in front of them! It was the perfect distraction for 2020. I am definitely going to recommend this one to my friends!!

This audiobook was a huge surprise to me. The author was new to me, but the description of the book looked so fun, I had to give it a try. The concept was cute and the author implemented it perfectly, making a seemingly outrageous idea make complete sense. I was prepared for many of the typical genre elements, a little fluff, love, and quirky characters, but I was not expecting the depth of emotion as the true tragedy of these characters was reveled. I hoped I would enjoy listening to this book as another interminable day of working at home passed, and I was only disappointed in the fact that I frequently had to stop working (I know, how horrible) to listen more carefully and allow myself to be fully immersed in the story. I look forward to reading more from this author.

This book was my second contact with the author, after reading The Flatshare (which was one of the best readings of the year), so expectations were very high.

But the reading surprised me! While waiting for something similar to the previous novel, I came across a sensitive and delicate story about family, love and losses ... So it was a reading that touched me deeply.

As for the audiobook, I really liked having the voice of Leena and Eileen in different narrators, it makes the experience even more real. I'm in love with this story!

I really enjoyed the understated and unique The Flatshare, so I didn't hesitate to check out the followup. Unfortunately, this one didn't work as well for me. With The Flatshare, the dual perspectives helped shape the story in an interesting, layered way - though the characters are separated (and haven't yet met), we do get to know and understand them better as individuals. It all serves to advance the love story, even if they're not on the page together. That made it a richer, more dynamic experience.

With The Switch, the dual perspectives make the story feel disjointed. Rather than advancing one love story, the separation actually breaks up two. It makes everything feel a little more superficial and underdeveloped. I loved some of the concepts behind the story itself, but found myself disconnecting every time the perspective shifted. It was a lot more boring than The Flatshare.

As to the audiobook - I liked it. I also listened to the audio version of The Flatshare, and it took me (an American with British family members) a long time to get a good grasp on the accents. This one was easier to listen to in that regard, though I'm sure many Americans will still struggle to comprehend parts of it. It also felt a little rough, though I don't know if that was because this is an ARC edition. There were several pauses where the narrator swallowed or took a long breath, and that's all part of the finished product. There were also a couple of glitches in the NetGalley app that effected playback.

I really enjoyed listening to this one as an audiobook - the narrators (Alison Steadman & Daisy Edgar Jones) were fab and really brought the story to life. 

The Switch is a really sweet, uplifting story of women and family, and the bonds they have. It really is a largely female-centric story and this is one of the book’s most endearing features. Men are present and part of the story, but I love how the defining characters are female. I also like how the story is split evenly between grandmother Eileen & grandaughter Leena - they take a chapter each throughout the book which allows the reader to see into their individual minds and their 50ish year age gap. 

It’s not my usual sort of book, but after enjoying The Flatshare I was keen to read this one. It’s the sort of book you can recommend to your besties, your mum, and even your grandma. That’s one of the nicest things about this book - it’s a heart-warning story of three female generations and what comes across more than anything is their unbreakable bond. If you need a pick-me-up plot with very likeable characters, I would highly recommend picking up The Switch.

Totally adored this!! Loved the two love stories roped into one book, especially one character being my age and the other a 70 woman looking for true love again! Definitely recommend

Love, love, loved this one! The granddaughter/grandmother dynamic is one that I always love and here it was executed perfectly! The story itself was cute and sweet and heartfelt and it left me smiling. The narrators were both wonderful and perfect for each part. They had the quality of making me feel like I was listening to an old friend talk. Would highly recommend the audiobook of this one! Can’t wait to read more from this author!