This is an uplifting story of changing your focus to find your true heart’s desire. It may seem like a simple idea of a life swap for Leena and her Grandmother Eileen, but there is a lot brewing in the background of these two women and the circle of friends that they surround themselves with. It’s whimsical and yet poignant, as long buried emotions are scattered throughout the entertaining escapades.

I had an enjoyable time spending a few hours in the company of these two charming lead characters and I look forward to reading more by O’Leary.

Beth O'Leary's debut, The Flat Share, was one of my favourite books of 2019, and I have been eagerly anticipating her second novel ever since. It did not disappoint!

Eileen Cotton and Leena Cotton are a grandmother/granddaughter pair who decide to switch lives for two months after Leena suggests it when she is forced to take a two month holiday from work. Eileen heads to London to live in Leena's flat and have the experience she missed out on when she was in her 20's, and Leena heads to country Yorkshire to escape the hustle and bustle of the big city.

There are of course a few 'what have I done' moments in this book for both characters, but it was so lovely to see them both grow through experiencing new things. I felt so proud of Eileen for owning London, and equally proud of Leena for diving into village life.

The topics that are central to the dialogue in this book were handled so well and never felt forced or uncomfortable. Eileen and Leena both felt like my friends by the time I was finished reading. If I have taken one thing away from reading this, it's not to underestimate older people!

I would highly recommend this if you enjoy lovely, feelgood stories! By the last page of this, I was literally crying happy tears because I loved it so much!

PS. The only reason i'm not giving this 5 stars is because I still like The Flat Share that bit more, but this is really a 4 1/2 start read for me :)

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this!

A warm, hopeful and such a fun story to read. It was very different, more mainstream than the author's debut which was charmingly quirky.

After reading 'The Flat Share' by Beth O'Leary and absolutely loving it, it is safe to say that I was very excited for this book!.

This story follows Leena, Eileen and Marian. Three women from the Cotton family who are all still coming to terms with the very devastating loss of Leena's sister Carla.
After Leena starts struggling with work, she makes the decision to swap places with her Grandmother Eileen for 2 months, and that is where this book really begins to bloom!

Each of these women have their own difficulties to overcome throughout, and as you follow their story it truly makes you feel as though you know these people.

This is a beautiful, well written book full of love, loss and laughter throughout, and I devoured it in one sitting!.

I could shout about this book all day long, and I would recommend it to everyone!.

Thank you so much for giving me the opportunity to read and review this wonderful book.

Thanks to netgalley for the chance to read this book.

This is me first book by this author and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

When Leena is made to take two months off work following messing up a big presentation she decides to switch lives with her grandmother Eileen. Eileen moves to Leena’s flat in London whilst Leena moves to the rural village where he grandmother and mom live. They both find it hard to adjust at first but eventually get into the swing of things in each other’s lives. Eileen sorts out the community space in the block of flats they Leena lives in and starts a community hub for elderly London residents and she has a relationship with a west end actor. Leena takes over her grandmothers role in the village organising the May Day celebrations.

After reading (and loving) the Flatshare I was so excited to be able to read The Switch! And I was not disappointed. Beth O’Leary is so good in describing 2 totally different lives and at the same time connecting them. I loved how she described Leena and her grandmother Eileen who switched lives for 2 months: Leena to the village Eileen has lived her whole life and Eileen to London, living in the flat Leena shares with her friends. I would recommend this to everyone who likes romance with some depth in it. And can’t wait for her 3rd book!

For this review I feel the need to step outside my ‘Reviewer Box’ and put some context in place.

I am sitting in the middle of the global Coronavirus pandemic (as we all are at this moment), I’m in the UK and the daily death toll has reached 869 and is doubling every 2-3 days. Fear is everywhere, (fear for my unborn grandchild, fear for my 80 year old mother - I am not different in this, we are all united in our fear).

The point to all this is, there is not much that makes me smile right now. This book did, in fact sometimes it made me laugh out loud. It gave me time away from the crisis surrounding us all, I looked forward to submerging myself in Leena and Eileen’s world, spending time with these wonderful characters and getting to know them and their foibles.

I would go so far as to say that right here, right now I NEEDED this book and have been well and truly ‘Eileened’.

Thanks to Netgalley for providing an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review and thank-you Ms O’Leary, The Switch is a real joy - highly recommended.

Beth O'Leary proves that her brilliant debut The Flatshire was no fluke with this smashing follow up, the perfect reading material for our anxious and self isolated times. 79 year old Eileen Cotton's husband, Wade has recently left her for a dance instructor, and for the tree climbing Eileen, she is far from addled, she is searching for sex, love and another man. Living in the Yorkshire Dales and the tiny village of Hamleigh-in-Harksdale, there are slim pickings, as Eileen reflects on how she had planned on going to London before pregnancy and marriage. Living in a warehouse flat in Shoreditch, London, over achieving Leena has a panic attack during a presentation to a client, forced into a two month sabbatical by her boss, she visits her grandmother, Eileen, in Yorkshire. Upon learning of her grandmother's dilemma, she suggests they swap lives and switch homes.

The Cotton women are still heavily in the throes of an unbearable loss and grief, one that has resulted in an estrangement with Leena still raging against her mother. Both Eileen and Leena are indomitable organisers, with Leena pitching in with local gossiping Neighbourhood Watch Committee, their activities and May Day celebrations. After an initially disheartening experience in London, Eileen is aided by Leena's friend Bee in compiling a profile for dating apps, and before long she is juggling men like there is no tomorrow. An inveterate meddler in the lives of others, Eileen is a hit with well nigh everyone, particularly Leena's flatmates like Fitz, becoming a veritable whirlwind as she plans and sets up the Silver Shoreditch Social Club after discovering the elderly isolated Letitia. Whilst there are the odd flies in the ointment for both women, such as a scamming attempt, both women have a whale of a time.

O'Leary has a remarkable talent in writing with wit, charm and humour whilst creating the kind of characters you cannot help but adore. The real star of this novel is undoubtedly the unforgettable and strong Eileen, willing to do the right thing by protecting her granddaughter even whilst knowing that will once again bring heartbreak to her. Life will never be the same again for either woman, the new adventures, love and challenges in their lives offer them the opportunity to process and come to terms with their grief whilst allowing them opportunities to evolve their identities to be who they are now. It is worth mentioning whilst so many of us are pushed into enforced isolation at the moment for who knows how long, many of the elderly have loneliness imposed on them at all times by families and communities. Which explains why I found Eileen's recognition of this and her efforts to establish the Silver Shoreditch Social Club so wonderfully amazing. Highly recommended! Many thanks to Quercus for an ARC.

I was looking for an uplifting and happy read and after reading and loving The Flatshare thought The Switch would be just up my street. I was right it did not disappoint. Full of lovable characters all with intriguing stories of their own. Loved this book from start to finish!

Brilliant, so so funny. Leena is mourning her sister and not coping in work, she and her grandmother,Eileen swap lives. Leena has to cope with the elderly residents of the village, whereas Eileen has to get used to living in London with unfriendly neighbours. Well written and hard to put down.

I loved the FlatShare so I had high hopes for this novel. I wasn’t disappointed at all! There’s something familiar and comforting about Beth O Leary’s writing style. I can see this becoming one of my 2020 top 10

Having fallen in love with The Flatshare last year I was very excited to read Beth O’Leary’s new fiction novel The Switch and you’ll be glad to hear readers, I was not disappointed! Beth’s writing style is very witty, she takes small seeming incidental things in everyday life and creates humour from them. The premise of The Switch starts with Leena a 29 year old high flyer in London who is burned out, it’s a year after her sister Carla has died and she needs to take a break, Eileen her 79 year old grandmother has just been left by her husband of over 50 years and she is looking for an adventure so they swap lives. I agree a little unlikely but it does set the scene for some hilarious moments, like when Eileen says her friend has that condition too, veganism! I was in stitches.

The characters are very believable you definitely want Eileen as your grandmother, even though she sticks her nose in everything, Leena is a little less likable at the beginning but she kind of grows on you. There are plenty of relationships going on in this book, they are the web that holds the whole plot together, Leena and her mother have both struggled to come to terms with Carla’s death and this is dealt with sympathetically. Eileen and her new man Tod, as well as all her new friends at Leena’s flat, show age shouldn’t be a barrier to friendship. Leena with her boyfriend and new friends in the country, she relaxes and becomes a nicer person. The plot is neatly laid out with both of the main characters embracing their new lives, plenty of subplots going on that you are bound to find something relating to your own situation and the outcomes are inevitable, this makes it a little bit on the cheesy side for me but I am not normally a reader of romance novels!
Overall, this is a very readable rom-com which I would recommend for anyone who normally reads romantic novels and for those that just want a bit of cheering up! I wouldn’t be surprised if this was used for the basis of a film in the future.

Thanks to Netgalley and Quercus books who have shared the ARC

"Family can be so complicated, but if you just pick your own way of doing it you can end up with something pretty perfect all the same." Beth O'Leary

Eileen is 79 years old and looking for love in her small Yorkshire village. Leena is in her 20's, working a corporate job and living the fast paced London life. But when Leena is ordered to take a two month sabbatical from work after blowing a big presentation, she escapes to the rural countryside to stay with her grandmother Eileen. Here, they have the idea of switching lives. Eileen moves to hipster Shoreditch and moves in with Leena's flatmates Fitz and Martha, and uses online dating to find love. Meanwhile, Leena moves in to her grandmothers cottage and takes over her various village responsibilities- including chairing the weekly Neighbourhood Watch meetings!

Even though there were many parts of this book that were light hearted and comical, there are deeper underlying themes around grief, depression, infidelity and loneliness amongst the elderly which I felt was compassionately and sensitively explored. Loved every page- 5/5 star.

Thank you for the ARC @netgalley

A lovely read full of optimism and fun characters. The switch pulls together two threads, in such a good way as the flat share. Best read in a evening light and fun

I think O'Leary had big shoes to fill after an amazing debut like The Flatshare (one of my personal favourite romance novels). However, The Switch is a beautiful second novel. It follows two Eileen Cotton - Leena, a 20-something struggling in London after the death of the sister, and Eileen her 79-year-old grandma. The women make a switch, so Leena moves to the Yorkshire Dales while Eileen moves into Leena's Shoreditch apartment. Older women are rarely main protagonists in romance novels, so I found the angle of Eileen looking for love in her later years refreshing. The book is also cleverly told from both perspectives, which I think keeps the story flowing and engaging. With a slew of interesting and complex characters involved, The Switch is a delightful and heartwarming read about the importance of family, friends and community.

Thank you to NetGalley and Quercus Books for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

Oh, I really enjoyed this book, soooo much!
Initially, I wondered if it was going to be a fictional version of from 13 to 30, you know, that film where the girl wishes she was older and somehow ends up in her 30th decade.
But now, this was a book with a much more literal switch!.
Leena Cotton is suffering. She might be on the cusp of having a breakdown. In fact, she kinda does in the middle of an extremely important presentation at her high-flying job.
Being forced into a two month paid break by her boss means she decides to go back home. Leave the bustle of London for her family village in the north, to the home of her grandmother, Eileen Cotton.
Eileen has been struggling in her own way. in her golden years, with no husband any more, she wants options, and there are not many local to her.
What ends up happening is the switching of lifestyles of these two women, in a surprisingly entertaining way.
I loved both Leena and Eileen. I want a grandma like her!
There was excitement, love, conflict, and many cups of tea.
a perfect book!
Many thanks to NetGalley and Quercus for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I loved the concept of this - 79-year-old Eileen swopping life in a Yorkshire village with that of her granddaughter Leena, who's in her twenties and lives in London. It was such an original idea and one which provided almost limitless opportunities for cross-generational and situational humour. Thankfully it was also one that delivered and was as good as the blurb suggested.

It has the predictability and formulaic approach of most romcoms ie resolutely single girl falls for conveniently local, hot, single guy or two people that seemingly can't stand each other fall in love. There's nothing wrong with that, however, because it's something that works and that I love but the generational life swop gave this romcom a fresh, unique spin.

As did the amazing cast of characters. It goes without saying that my favourite was obviously Eileen - a fiercely loyal, kind-hearted and enigmatic pensioner with lots of attitude, a quick wit and a blunt honesty that was hilarious. I was totally invested in her story, reading with a mix of admiration and protectiveness as she threw herself into online dating in London. She was truly inspirational and I can only hope that I'm like her when I'm her age.

The side characters were just as lovable as the main ones and really involved in the story. Again I particularly loved Arthur, Eileen's crotchety, nosy neighbour. Who forms an unlikely friendship with Leena. The plot is similar, in that alongside the core storyline there's plenty of other things and sub-plots going on involving the supporting cast.

Beth O'Leary is a brilliant storyteller, capturing the idiosyncrasies of the characters and British life perfectly with her trademark observational humour. Her portrayal of village life where everybody knows everybody's business versus London where people are immediately suspicious of anybody who tries to make eye contact let alone strike up a conversation.

I would say, however, that I found the alternating narrative slightly confusing at times as both characters were so interlinked in terms of their back stories, supporting cast and life swop that sometimes I had to double-check whose chapter it was. Not that it detracted from my enjoyment but I also found it slightly repetitive. Both characters needed a life change as they struggled to cope following the death of a family member, hence the life swop. And, whilst this was important and the catalyst for the entire story we were unnecessarily reminded of the fact again and again.

I really enjoyed this though, giving it a 4.5 rating, rounded up to 5 stars.

I was so looking forward to reading this book and was not disappointed - Beth O'Leary has done it again! I loved the fact that this was a story told from two perspectives - that of Leena, a young, professional city girl and her glamorous granny Eileen, a country lady. When the opportunity comes around for these two characters to live in each other's homes we are taken on a fantastic journey as they adapt to different lifestyles, meeting new people and finding out lots about themselves in the process. Whilst this kind of storyline has been told in the past, I cannot recall it ever involving characters of different age groups and it was really interesting to get inside Eileen's mind and to see things from the perspective of a more mature lady. The descriptions of the locations were enjoyable and there is a very engaging supporting cast. The author has a gift of making you really care about the characters and without giving too much away, there was a most pleasing love interest. The book also explores the difficult relationship Leena has been experiencing with her mother, following the tragic death of her sister and takes the reader on a roller-coaster ride of emotions.

Definitely recommended.

I dont know if it because of the times that we are living in at this current moment but this was everything i needed right now!

When i read this synopsis for this book it gave me 'the holiday' (Cameron Diaz and Kate winslet) feels and considering i rewatch that movie every christmas to me that was a great thing and i tell you this did not fail.

Difference being with 'The Switch' is that instead of following 2 women the same age with no ties to each other you are instead following Leena and her grandmother Eileen and it was SO GOOD!

I went in thinking I would be less interested in Eileens/Grandmas timeline but i ended up favouring it over Leenas. I think because it is a different perspective than what i am used to it was refreshing, new and fun not too mention Eileens strong and sassy character just made it all the more interesting to read. It was so fun to see her on her journey and also helping the youngens and all the flat mates with their lives.

I did still love Leenas side and I loved the romance in it and that it wasn't an easy or unbelievable storyline for either the men in the book. Also 100% loved Jackson and his vibe and 100% hated Ethan and his slimy, belittling behaviours. I also so enjoyed the setting of yorkshire and all the great relationships Leena forms with all the oldies. Made me think alot about my nana.

Although it sounds all fluffy and fun their was some tougher topics in there for example grief, infidelity, emotional abuse. But all in all it was a great book and i absolutely loved it! I wish it would get made into a movie and i cannot wait to read 'The flatshare' by Beth O' Leary now too

Thanks Netgalley and Beth O Leary for sending me an arc

A grandmother and her granddaughter decide to swap homes with interesting results. Living in London is totally different from living in The Dales yet they each seem to fit in equally well in either.
Really interesting characters - the Gran, mother, granddaughter and all the surrounding neighbours