Bookseller Reviews
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A joy to read!
I can pretty much count on one hand the titles of contemporary fiction that I have genuinely adored, and Beth O’Leary’s books take up two of those spots. ... READ MORE
Beautiful story with developed characters!
This was such a beautiful story with developed characters some of whom you fall in love with and root for throughout the book. Eileen is absolutely class! ... READ MORE
So Sweet!
Where do I even begin?! I did not expect to love this book as much as I did!
I’m a big fan of multiple POV’s but you do run the risk of having a charact... READ MORE
Synopsis
Eileen is sick of being 79.
Leena's tired of life in her twenties.
Maybe it's time they swapped places...
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 overdue rest. 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.
Once Leena learns of Eileen's romantic predicament, she proposes a solution: a two-month swap. Eileen can live in London and look for love. Meanwhile Leena will look after everything in rural Yorkshire. But with gossiping neighbours and difficult family dynamics to navigate up north, and trendy London flatmates and online dating to contend with in the city, stepping into one another's shoes proves more difficult than either of them expected.
Leena learns that a long-distance relationship isn't as romantic as she hoped it would be, and then there is the annoyingly perfect - and distractingly handsome - school teacher, who keeps showing up to outdo her efforts to impress the local villagers. Back in London, Eileen is a huge hit with her new neighbours, but is her perfect match nearer home than she first thought?
Publisher information
- Publisher: Quercus Publishing
- ISBN: 9781787475021
- Number of pages: 368
- Dimensions: 196 x 128 x 28 mm
- Weight: 263g
- Languages: English
Customer Reviews
View allWarming and Home Baked
Eileen is 79 years old and a few months ago her husband left her for a dance teacher. Eileen is being independent but she misses male company and, after ma... READ MORE
I loved every second of it.
This book. THIS BOOOOK. Oh my god. My heart is so full of love and happiness and emotions.
I was kindly sent a e-arc of this book via NetGalley and I star... READ MORE
A genuis storyline
Another amazing book by O'Leary! I was thrilled to get my hands on this book. Following her other fantastic read Flatshare, I had high hopes for this one a... READ MORE
Romps along in a feel-good vein
Leena Cotton has been throwing herself into work in an attempt to keep going after the death of her sister. But she is not coping and eventually her employ... READ MORE
Side-splitting humour!
Grandmother Eileen and granddaughter Leena switch lives in hope of change, adventure and reconciling. Eileen lives in a small Yorkshire village and is deal... READ MORE
A lovely read!
What a lovely read! There's nothing I love more than a pick-me-up and make-me-feel-good novel and Beth O'Leary's second book is exactly that. It's a story ... READ MORE
Loved it
I finished this a couple of weeks ago and have only just got round to writing my review but I LOVED it! After all the hyped reviews and loving The Flatshar... READ MORE
Absolutely fascinating read!
I have been in a reading slump for ages, and I'm happy to say that this book has motivated me to read plenty of books again!
I rate this book a 4 out of 5.... READ MORE
A glorious read with wonderful characters, can’t recommend enough
Oh my goodness, this is the most wonderful book. I am so delighted to have been able to read this early.
Beth O Leary writes beautifully, her characters ... READ MORE
Brilliant
Beth O’Leary writes brilliantly, love love love
Be more like the Cotton women!
What a delightful book! I could not put this down, and stayed up to 1am finishing it. I loved every character in this book and feel each character brought ... READ MORE
Delightful balm for the soul!
(Was sent a preview copy courtesy of Netgalley) The Flatshare was one of my favourite reads of 2019. This book, the author's follow-up, is just as good. As... READ MORE
A charming heart wrenching read
I was on FaceTime with some friends the other day, having coffee. As you do.
When someone mentioned the ‘The Flatshare’, a conversation then started abo... READ MORE
Absolutely Charming
I think I might have fallen in love with Beth O’Leary’s writing style. Besides a delightful and charming story, it’s the writing that made me chuckle and l... READ MORE
Great book!
I really loved this audiobook and I enjoyed it very much. It was an easy going, comforting book about a grandmother called Eileen and her grandaughter Len... READ MORE
Just what was needed
This book seems to be just exactly what we need in these difficult times. It's easy and charming, full of wonderful characters but never becoming cloying o... READ MORE
Book Club Crowd Pleaser
Lovely easy read which I chose for my book club. Everyone has enjoyed it as the characters are relatable. The Switch is a comfort read. There are a few goo... READ MORE
Amazing, funny and addictive!
Leena Cotton is ordered to take time off work to de-stress; Eileen Cotton wants an adventure before she turns 80 – the duo decide to switch! With Leena tak... READ MORE
Such a charming and easy read, with an emotional layer!
Rounded down from roughly 4.5 stars ⭐️ This was my first Beth O’Leary book but it absolutely will not be my last.
The Switch follows Leena and her grandmo... READ MORE
Who knew swapping could be so fun?
With thanks to Quercus and NetGalley for a copy of the ARC for The Switch by Beth O'Leary. Having read and absolutely loved The Flatshare, I started The S... READ MORE
A perfectly cosy feel-good read
I was a huge fan of The Flatshare, Beth’s first book, which I read last month. I knew I needed some comfort reading and Beth O’Leary is perfect for that. T... READ MORE
A good book to relax with.
I read this book in one sitting. It was well written with engaging colourful characters. A real feel good read.
Laugh out loud funny
Laugh out loud funny with relatable characters and a wonderful storyline
Didn’t disappoint!
I chose this book just from a critics recommendation, I was not disappointed.
She's Done It Again!
I decided to read this book because I read The Flatshare and loved it so thought I'd better give this a go, and I wasn't disappointed.
There are so many ... READ MORE
For fans of Grace & Frankie and The Holiday
The Switch is the charming multigenerational story of the Cotton family. Leena Cotton and her grandmother, Eileen Cotton, decide to switch places for two m... READ MORE
Verified Purchase
This, to me, was perfect!
I'm just going to come out and say it, this book was great. It ticked all of my boxes, I read it all in a day and I just feel lucky that I got to enjoy thi... READ MORE
Great fun
Meant to be working at home today. I just thought i'd have a cuppa and a chapter of this book before I started. Big mistake! Several hours later I've just ... READ MORE
Fantastic read!
Leena Cotton is ordered to take time off work to de-stress; Eileen Cotton wants an adventure before she turns 80 – the duo decide to switch! With Leena ta... READ MORE
Wonderfully Charming
Being my first book since having a break from reading, this was a great place to start. Brilliant, funny and charming. If you’re looking for a simple uplif... READ MORE
Completely Joyful
Completely joyful. The Switch is crammed with lovable, three dimensional people and believable relationships in all their complexities. Funny, moving, bing... READ MORE
Family at its heart
This charming novel was the epitome of comfort reading. While it incorporated heavier topics, the story had such a strong sense of community and heart that... READ MORE
Prescription for a blue day
Words can hurt. Tremendously. But they can also heal. And when they are set up in a series of fantastical phrases comprising up a volume we call novel, the... READ MORE
Contemporary
Oh how I adored this read so much!
Straight away I just fell in love with the characters and the storyline.
Honestly, this is a perfect read for everyo... READ MORE
Winning personalities
Beth O’Leary is so good at writing strong characters and the simplicity of this storyline combined with Leena and Eileen’s strong personalities is another ... READ MORE
Just lovely
I highly recommend the switch by Beth o'leary. It's about a grandma and her granddaughter that swap lives for two months, this book will guarantee full on ... READ MORE
The Switch was a delight
I was introduced to Beth O'Leary' books by my daughter in law and I am so grateful to her. The Flat Share and The Switch are vibrant books which you canno... READ MORE
A cosy & uplifting read
After losing her sister, Carla, to cancer Leena is heartbroken. She buries herself in work & London life while keeping her distance from her once close fam... READ MORE
Good story
Lovely story and good characters. I especially enjoyed Eileen's chapters. Though world building and character development are good, the writing style for m... READ MORE
Superb read
Really enjoyed reading, The Switch. This was the first Beth O'Leary book that I had read. I continued to think about the characters when I wasn't reading t... READ MORE
Wonderful
The Switch is a lovely uplifting funny, sometimes sad but inspirational story.
Leena is burnt out from working all hours since her sister died, having a pa... READ MORE
Practically perfect
When Leena blows a major presentation at work she finds herself on two months leave. At a loss, she travels to Yorkshire to see her grandmother Eileen. Whe... READ MORE
Fantastic
Last year, I read The Flatshare and I fell in love with the protagonists Leon and Tiffy, their story, and Beth O’Leary’s brilliant writing. And now, one ye... READ MORE
The Switch by Beth O’Leary
The Switch by Beth O’Leary is a fabulous read and very entertaining and the Cotton women, the mother, the grandmother and the daughter/ granddaughter were ... READ MORE