I am delighted to share a review today for The Switch by Beth O’Leary, a book I read a month ago. I really must get caught up with some of my reviews.

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?

My Review…

After reading The Flat Share last year I knew I wanted to read more by this author. The Switch is a wonderful story that revolves around Eileen and Leena Cotton, Grandmother and granddaughter. Both sort of stuck and wanting a change, so that is what they do. Eileen stays in London for a couple of months living in Leena’s flat, while Leena lives in a small village in Yorkshire.

I adored this book right from the get-go. Eileen is an absolute hoot with her outlook on life, especially when she lives in London. Leena, in comparison, comes across as more reserved ut super organised. Both women have something in common, when they set their mind to something there is very little that will budge them from completing.

The author has described both of these women so well, on the outside they come across as strong, independent and resourceful. However, to those that really know them well, there are little cracks. Facing up to things and accepting how Leena’s sister is no longer with them is a major thing for her to deal with.

Sometimes in life, you need to step away to see things clearer and to appreciate those around you. Keeping busy doesn’t deal with problems, it masks them, buries them and they still need to be dealt with. This is very much a story of trying to find the courage to deal with problems and admitting to things that have gone on before.

Given the two very different locations, the author has done a wonderful job of presenting a sense of community, and this is down to the diverse and wonderful characters that she has created. From you to old, from shy to outspoken there is literally a wonderful cast that brings a good amount of humour and provides some truly heartwarming and also funny moments to this wonderful story.

This is a story I just loved everything about. Ideal for those who are looking for a story that you can escape into and come out the other side feeling great about. One I would definitely recommend.

Many thanks for reading my review, a like or share would be amazing 🙂 xx