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poppyflower2's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Very funny! I really liked it, except the romance. But thats no a problem, the book is so much more than that!
bargainsleuth's review against another edition
5.0
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I've been following a lot of book blogs, making acquaintances and seeing what everyone else was reading. It was because of a post on Stephanie's Book Reviews that I picked up The Switch by Beth O'Leary.
From the publisher: "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 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."
I had the privilege of listening to The Switch which was narrated by Daisy Edgar-Jones and Alison Steadman. I could not have picked better narrators for Eileen and Leena's story. Sometimes, when I'm listening to a British accent, I get lost in the accent and forget to focus on the story. The women both have such soothing, easy-to-listen-to voices that the time flew by while I was listening and I listened captively.
The Switch is an utterly charming book. Switching back-and-forth between Eileen and Leena's point-of-view. Sometimes that interrupts the flow of a book, but it did not in this case. While I enjoyed Eileen's point-of-view more, it was the characters in Leena's Yorkshire world, her grandmother's world, that made the book for me. How Leena handled all these "country folk" when she is a city lady makes for some great comedy. How Eileen, the "country lady," handles London makes for some real heart-warming scenes. How each of the women interact with each other's friends makes for great listening.
There's a subplot that isn't mentioned in the synopsis: Leena's sister, Carla, died of cancer about 14 months prior to the swap, and Leena is still not dealing with it. It was probably one of the reasons for her breakdown at work. Her relationship with her mother is non-existent because of an argument over Carla's care. Throughout the course of the book, we get to "see" Eileen and Leena work Leena's mom back into her life, and let the healing begin.
There's another subplot involving Eileen and Todd, a man whom she meets through a dating app and has a casual sexual relationship with during her stay in London. I'm not a big fan of casual sex for any reason, so this was one of the only downsides of the book for me.
The Switch is highly recommended for those who love contemporary fiction, British fiction, coming-of-age stories, and really, anyone who wants to read a well-crafted book. Five stars.
I received the audio book through NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion.
I've been following a lot of book blogs, making acquaintances and seeing what everyone else was reading. It was because of a post on Stephanie's Book Reviews that I picked up The Switch by Beth O'Leary.
From the publisher: "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 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."
I had the privilege of listening to The Switch which was narrated by Daisy Edgar-Jones and Alison Steadman. I could not have picked better narrators for Eileen and Leena's story. Sometimes, when I'm listening to a British accent, I get lost in the accent and forget to focus on the story. The women both have such soothing, easy-to-listen-to voices that the time flew by while I was listening and I listened captively.
The Switch is an utterly charming book. Switching back-and-forth between Eileen and Leena's point-of-view. Sometimes that interrupts the flow of a book, but it did not in this case. While I enjoyed Eileen's point-of-view more, it was the characters in Leena's Yorkshire world, her grandmother's world, that made the book for me. How Leena handled all these "country folk" when she is a city lady makes for some great comedy. How Eileen, the "country lady," handles London makes for some real heart-warming scenes. How each of the women interact with each other's friends makes for great listening.
There's a subplot that isn't mentioned in the synopsis: Leena's sister, Carla, died of cancer about 14 months prior to the swap, and Leena is still not dealing with it. It was probably one of the reasons for her breakdown at work. Her relationship with her mother is non-existent because of an argument over Carla's care. Throughout the course of the book, we get to "see" Eileen and Leena work Leena's mom back into her life, and let the healing begin.
There's another subplot involving Eileen and Todd, a man whom she meets through a dating app and has a casual sexual relationship with during her stay in London. I'm not a big fan of casual sex for any reason, so this was one of the only downsides of the book for me.
The Switch is highly recommended for those who love contemporary fiction, British fiction, coming-of-age stories, and really, anyone who wants to read a well-crafted book. Five stars.
I received the audio book through NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion.
booksadoodle's review against another edition
3.0
I’m a fan of Beth O’Leary, but this wasn’t one of my favorites. Cute and entertaining tale of how a family navigates loss, love, change, and learning to move on. Leena and her grandmother need a change so they switch homes & lives for a time (small town vs big city London). I listened to the audiobook version and while I really liked all the different voices and effects (telephone voice, etc.), sometimes I still felt that it wasn’t completely holding my attention. Definitely cute, and if you’re a fan of Beth, then check this out.
blackbookishandbougie's review against another edition
I just could not get into this one. This lacked the depth of The Flat Share.
suvata's review against another edition
3.0
• ModernMrsDarcy.com 2020 Summer Reading Guide
• NetGalley Shelf Audio ARC
Leena Cotton is a 20-something who, after blowing a big presentation at work, was ordered to take a two-month sabbatical. Leena’s grandma, Eileen, is newly single, 79-years-old, and looking for second chance at love. There aren’t many eligible men in her small Yorkshire village. So, Leena proposes a two-month swap. Eileen can live in London and look for love while Leena takes care of everything in Yorkshire. So begins a touching and humorous tale of love and family.
• NetGalley Shelf Audio ARC
Leena Cotton is a 20-something who, after blowing a big presentation at work, was ordered to take a two-month sabbatical. Leena’s grandma, Eileen, is newly single, 79-years-old, and looking for second chance at love. There aren’t many eligible men in her small Yorkshire village. So, Leena proposes a two-month swap. Eileen can live in London and look for love while Leena takes care of everything in Yorkshire. So begins a touching and humorous tale of love and family.
cindy_f's review against another edition
4.0
This book made me want to drink tea with Eileen. What a wonderful story and great characters. I’ll definitely look for more books by Beth O’Leary.
jen_libros's review against another edition
5.0
So good I cried at the ending so beautiful so good of a story not just romance but people and their lives and oh my god the old people love them
jodieparks's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
3.5