A grandmother and granddaughter swap lives in The Switch, a charming, romantic novel by Beth O’Leary, who has been hailed as “the new Jojo Moyes” (Cosmopolitan UK)… When overachiever Leena Cotton is ordered to take a two-month sabbatical after blowing a big presentation at work, she escapes to her grandmother Eileen’s house for some long-overdue rest. Eileen is newly single and about to turn … Eileen is newly single and about to turn eighty. She’d like a second chance at love, but her tiny Yorkshire village doesn’t offer many eligible gentlemen.
So they decide to try a two-month swap.
Eileen will live in London and look for love. She’ll take Leena’s flat, and learn all about casual dating, swiping right, and city neighbors. Meanwhile Leena will look after everything in rural Yorkshire: Eileen’s sweet cottage and garden, her idyllic, quiet village, and her little neighborhood projects.
But stepping into one another’s shoes proves more difficult than either of them expected. Will swapping lives help Eileen and Leena find themselves…and maybe even find true love? In Beth O’Leary’s The Switch, it’s never too late to change everything….or to find yourself.
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I listened to this audiobook and the narrators were as fantastic as the story!
The Switch follows the story of twenty-something Leena who swaps lives with her newly single, seventy-nine-year-old grandmother Eileen. After loving Beth’s debut novel The Flatshare, my expectations were high and this book didn’t disappoint. It was heartwarming, life-affirming and uplifting. Highly recommend!
Oh I loved this!! I loved both Leena and Eileen’s stories and the entire cast of characters. So well developed and relatable! I was completely hooked on both stories!
At first I didn’t think I would enjoy this book. I am so glad I decided to go ahead and read it. I loved it! It was interesting to see them switch lives for two months. I would definitely recommend this book.
This book had a fun storyline. Two women – a grandmother and her granddaughter switch living situations as a way to shake up their lives a bit. Which the do in spades! It was wonderful to see them step into other than typical age-related roles – and to see the understanding that grew from that.
I was given this advanced listener copy of the audiobook by @netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!
Narration – Both of the narrators’ voice acting fit the characters perfectly, and did an excellent job of conveying the personalities of each woman. The flow of the audiobook was easy enough to follow as I worked around the house, but still detailed enough to keep me interested. There were a couple parts that I had to pause and rewind to really listen to the words of a passage, or to the narrator’s tone of voice.
Y’all!! I LOVED this book! Overall, I give it five stars and look forward to reading this one again in the future!
I really liked how well developed the rural townspeople and the other secondary characters were. Several of their characteristics or actions reminded me of people I know in real life, making it even easier to relate to them after a time. By the time I finished the book, it was like saying goodbye to old friends. I didn’t want it to end
You’ll Love The Switch If – You enjoy happy endings, liked the movie The Holiday, dream of life in modern England
My Main Takeaway – It’s okay if you change over time. You may develop into someone you wouldn’t have recognized even just a few months ago. Everyone deserves the space to explore who they are and hopefully laugh at the stumblings along the way. It was about self-discovery and I am so happy that I read it.
Fun Fact – I started this book and immediately felt like I had to call my Grandma
Cute story about a young woman struggling with her sister’s death who decides to switch places with her grandmother who is also ready for a change. Leena moves to her grandmother’s house in a small village and Eileen moves to Leena’s flat in London. Both agree to take on each other’s projects.
It is a transformative time for both of them, and allows them to see people in a different light. Sweet story with its share of quirky characters.
#TheSwitch #BethOLeary
I listened to this audio book every day when I went walking and it really made me want to get out everyday so that I could get back to this book. I loved it! This is the first book that I have read by this author and I was drawn into the story from the beginning. I could feel the emotions of the characters, and loved Leena and her grandmother Eileen. They are both wonderful main characters and had their own personalities that added to the story. I also liked the supporting characters, especially Arnold. The way that the story is written, I felt like I was seeing everything and I was carried along as the story progressed rooting for them all. I loved the ending and can’t wait to go back and read the other book that this author has written. She will definitely be on my must read list going forward!
I received a complimentary copy of this audio book from the publisher through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
What a great book!
The Switch by Beth O’Leary immediately set itself apart from all the other books in the genre and I wasn’t sure at first if I approved. I mean, really, what did I care about the POV of a 75-year-old woman!? I’m properly ashamed of that viewpoint now, because clearly I can only wish that I will be as awesome as Eileen Cotton when I’m 75!
I loved so many pieces of this book but was really hooked by both Eileen and her granddaughter Leena’s stories running parallel to each other in a perfect balance of quirky and emotional depth.
I listened to the audio version of this book. The narrators, Alison Steadman and Daisy Edgar-James were amazing. The Switch was a delightful journey into the lives of a woman and her grandmother as viewed from the other as they switch houses, towns, friends and lives for a time. Can you imagine taking on your grandmother’s life and being responsible for things like getting all of her elderly friends to Bingo? Or going to meetings where you are admonished for sitting in the wrong seat?
What about going from that kind of community to one where none of the neighbors know each other or EVER interact? Or going from that small community to the confusion of London when you’re in your 70’s?
I loved the journey that this book took me on. O’Leary wrote characters that were memorable and entertaining.
I was given a copy of this audio book via NetGalley. All thoughts are my own.
I really enjoyed this story. It was a sweet RomCom although more women’s lit than romance. Some really entertaining characters that I loved getting to meet.
“These people, there’s such fierceness to them, such a lovingness. I thought their lives were small and silly but I was wrong. They’re some of the biggest people I know.”
I now want a bracelet that says “WWECD” What Would Eileen Cotton Do!!!
I loved listening to this on audiobook and enjoyed the narration.
-4.5 Stars-
#NetGalley
The feel good audio book I didn’t know I needed!
Eileen and Lena decide to switch locations and perspectives as a way to finally find a new normal after losing Carla, their granddaughter and sister respectively.
It was such a joy to see an older woman embark on dating and sex in a realistic and straightforward way, no jokes about sex drives or blue pills. And I absolutely loved the way Lena connected with her Grandmother’s circle in such an honest way.
This is my second Beth O’Leary audio and I am thoroughly charmed by her writing style and the narrator choices so far. I can’t wait for more!
No, contrary to the official description, Eileen is NOT sick of being 79, she’s just wanting a little adventure and maybe a man. Her granddaughter Leena thinks she herself is all set, except for the intrusive grief/anger of losing her sister, but there’s much more to resolve than that. This is my second O’Leary and another great pleasure to read. This is a village cozy (even the parts set in London, really), but an especially sharp and entertaining one. Great fun, with a lovely heart. Recommended.
Very enjoyable and sweet. Love the characters and the ones met along the way. I like the storyline of two characters views from different generations.
Thank you Netgalley Macmillan Audio and Beth O’Leary for gifting me a copy for this audiobook. This review is my own opinion.
4/5 Stars
1/5 Steam Rating
What do you do when life gets a little bit too much? You trade lives with your Grandmother of course! I love the premise of this story. Leena has been forced to take a two month sabbatical from work and Eileen is newly single at the age of 79yr with no acceptable bachelors in the area. So for two month, they switch cities and find what they’ve been missing.
This is a sweet story about discovering what it really important in life and opening your eyes to what’s around you. I loved the relationship that grandmother & granddaughter had, but of course this wouldn’t be a good family story without some drama sprinkled in.
The only part about this book that threw me off was when it came to Grandma Eileen and her sex life. It’s one of those things that’s uncomfortable to think about, yet you KNOW it’s a normal part of adult life so you appreciate that it’s brought up. Sex is a part of life but don’t worry, it’s very mild.
4.5 Stars!
I received the audiobook for review, but didn’t care for the narration and read the ebook instead. I’m so happy that I made the switch, because the story was a joy to read. I loved this author’s debut (The Flat Share) and was looking forward to her next book, but I wasn’t sure the premise of The Switch was appealing to me – a grandmother and twenty-something granddaughter trade homes, friends, locations, and community duties for a few months to help sort out their own lives after the death of a their granddaughter/sister. I wasn’t excited for the grandmother’s POV, but this author drew me into Eileen’s life and the impact she had on those around her. There was light romance for both heroine’s and amazingly enough I actually enjoyed Eileen’s along with Leena’s. In all honesty, I did think that Eileen’s was a little progressive for someone her age and generation, but I liked where her romantic search ultimately brought her. In the end, the author succeeded in delivering a second witty, poignant, and all-around entertaining story.
Great book
The Switch is a great follow-up to The Flatshare. Sometimes the next book will flounder, but this does not disappoint! I definitely get similar vibes to JoJo Moyes.
Leena has run herself into the ground. When her job forces her to take a two month leave, she visits her grandmother, Eileen. Together, they decide to swap homes and responsibilities.
Leena is relatable and well-intentioned. But Eileen stole the show. This is my second book (the other was Always the Last to Know by Kristan Higgins) this year that the mature woman personified has stolen my heart and captured my attention.
I have the book and was also able to listen to the audio. The narrators exactly exude the characters Beth wrote. Their tone and timing is fabulous. The only thing I don’t love in the narration is how the person on the other side of a phone call sounds like their in a tunnel far away. It makes it a little difficult to understand them clearly.
I look forward to Beth’s next book. She’s definitely an author I’ll be watching for upcoming releases.
Thank you Flatiron Books for the arc and also to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the audio I. All thoughts in this review are my own.
Oh my goodness, The Switch by Beth O’Leary was such a delight to read! I loved the viewpoint switches between Leena and her grandmother Eileen, although I honestly found Eileen to be my favorite POV. I listened to the audiobook and I loved both of the narrators (Alison Steadman & Daisy Edgar-Jones), they really brought the characters and plot to life for me and they were lovely to listen to. I also really liked the audio change for phone calls, although at times it did make the narrators harder to hear and I had to turn up the volume for them.
The Switch has so many elements I enjoy; there was romance, lots of endearing moments, serious subjects handled beautifully, and it was just so funny. I had a smile on my face for much of the book, but the topics that O’Leary tackled were sobering as well. There were so many great little lessons, and this novel is so much more than just a grandmother and granddaughter switching places for a couple of months. I loved how fresh the plot was and it made for a very unique experience.
I highly recommend The Switch for lovers of romcoms and women’s fiction, and I would say you can’t go wrong with either the physical copy or the audio. This book was a real treat and I know I’m not going to be forgetting it anytime soon. This was my first novel by O’Leary, but I officially can’t wait to go back and read The Flatshare now. If you are looking for a quick, sweet novel The Switch is the perfect book to check out!
Thank you to Libro.fm, NetGalley, and the publisher for my advance listening copy. All opinions and thoughts are my own.
Humorous and laugh out loud fun! I loved the narrators voices in this audiobook! In an attempt to change their lives and take a break, Leena switches homes with her grandmother Eileen. They spend a time in different cities with their switch. There is new drama in both of their lives, but they meet new people and experience whole new situations. The characters are absolutely delightful! Throughout the story, Leena and her mother and her grandmother have their own issues with their relationships between them. They have lost their closeness. Can they learn to understand each other and rebuild their relationships?