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The Switch: the joyful and uplifting novel from the author of The Flatshare

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Yes, I am only 22 at the time of this writing, and no, I do not enjoy the real-life opinions or habits of our society’s most aged individuals, but I am tired of the antics of young people. So if you’ve tried planning meticulously and then diligently following your structure, and it just doesn’t work for you, here are some tips from me on how to embrace the chaos. She snorts at that. There’s a pause. “You’ve coped with way worse than this hundreds of times over, Leena,” she says. I'd like to kindly thank NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for granting me access to this Audiobook. It was a fabulous experience!!! Now, after finishing The Switch, I know why I loved The Flatshare so much. It’s the writing, not just the story that speaks to me.

If there are two words that sum up the essence of ‘The Switch’ for me is that it’s healing and about community. Beth O’Leary perfectly captured all of those aspects in every sense of the word and more. It’s not a typical “romance” as the joy of this charming story is how the two women embrace their opportunity, and the people in their “temporary” lives, with wry and witty observations!

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The relationship between Leena and her grandmother was the heart of the story, but all the other friendships, new and old made this book unforgettable. They end up proposing a swap of each other's houses. Eileen will go to London to take care of things and maybe do some online dating with over-seventies folks, and Leena will rest and convalesce in the English village and take some time to clear her head. It seems like the perfect plan, except in the village, Leena starts to fall for a sweater-wearing teacher who isn't her boyfriend and Eileen finds out that dating isn't quite as simple or easy as she thought it would be, and that her granddaughter's problems go so much deeper than a maybe half-hidden fear of public speaking. Beth O'LearyThough emotionally engaging and beautifully written - O’Leary emphasises the importance of family, friendships and having fun in your old age, as well as dealing with trauma and loss - I have one qualm in respect of the figure of Ethan. The protagonist’s boyfriend is not only irritating, but somewhat underdeveloped as a character, excepting for a thoroughly unpleasant demeanour. He is more or less absent in London throughout the book, an absentee boyfriend who makes infuriating quips about his girlfriend doing ‘the fifties housewife thing’, and the reader does not see much of Ethan until the book’s climax. On learning some distasteful news about her long-term partner, Leena is surprisingly reserved when it comes to confronting him: beyond some passive-aggressive texting, and a brief confrontation towards the end of the book, I found the scenario unpersuasive.

I've developed a reputation for being a fan of dark romances but sometimes I like to read something cute. When I found a new copy of THE SWITCH at a thrift store, I was excited because I really enjoyed the author's other book, THE FLATSHARE, despite thinking it would just be pointless fluff. There was an emotional depth to that book and a really strong connection between the two leads that made it so much more than a bookish piece of candy that you forget after one bite. I was excited to see what the author would do in her other books, too. 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. First of all, let me give a shout-out to my friend, Tina, who recommended I listen to the audiobook, because I can’t imagine a better way to experience this book than through the charming narration of Daisy Edgar-Jones and Alison Steadman. They really brought this story to life, and I loved every second of it! After my last frustrating audiobook attempt with The Thursday Murder Club, I feared my mind would go wandering again, so this time I put a leash on it and read along to the audio in my Kindle, which worked like a dream. I absolutely loved the authors debut The Flatshare. I remember gobbling that book up in a day. While The Switch had the same easy and effortless-to-read writing — I never felt the same enthusiasm while reading this. Maybe it was just me though. It's only fitting that I review this wholesome and heart-warming love letter to Yorkshire on actual Yorkshire day, whilst drinking a cup of Yorkshire tea!

A book begging to be read on the beach, with the sun warming the sand and salt in the air: pure escapism. I really enjoyed Leena's half of the book. She's fun and feisty. And I thought the author did a great job portraying her grief over her sister and anger at her mother in a positive and endearing way. It also gave the book more depth than I was expecting.

So overall: this is sweet, entertaining, well-crafted, humorous, romantic enjoyable family, self-discovery, grief, life and happiness story. We need more feel good books like this in these days which put smile on our faces and help us there is still hope out there! After the death of her sister to cancer, successful young London business consultant Leena Cotton finds herself struggling to cope and is sent on a two-month sabbatical by her company. At the same time, Leena’s feisty 79-year old grandmother, Eileen, recently abandoned by her husband and watching over Leena’s grieving mother, Marian, in quaint little Yorkshire village, Hamleigh-in-Harksdale, decides she’s ready to find love - or a fun fling at the very least. In this heart-warming, feel-good twist on the rom-com genre, Leena and Eileen agree to switch places for eight weeks, Eileen moving in with Leena’s roommate, Martha, in London, and Leena moving into Eileen’s Hamleigh home for eight weeks. Praise to Beth O’Leary who has given a 79-year-old grandmother centre stage in this feel-good novel, instead of the beautiful 20-30 year olds in a lot of books. A woman who is feisty, courageous, and spirited and equipped with 79 years of worldly knowledge and experience, she is something to treasure. A complimentary copy was provided by Macmillan Audio via NetGalley Shelf in exchange for an honest review. When Leena Cotton is forced to take a two month leave from her job, she has an idea. Her Grandmother Eileen Cotton lives in Hameligh-in-Harskdale and has always wanted to live in London, thus the two decide to switch lives, with Leena moving to Hamleigh and Eileen moving to London.Getting one of the revenue numbers wrong would have been forgivable. But once that happened the nausea came, and I got another wrong, and another, and then my breathing started coming too fast and my brain was filled with … not fog, more like bright, bright light. Too bright to see anything by.

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