The Switch by Beth O’Leary: Book Review

Have you ever wished you could change lives with someone else temporarily? In The Switch, Grandmother Eileen and Granddaughter Leena do just that.

Eileen is about to turn 80 and is looking for romance. Her husband has left her for another woman and she misses the intimacy of marriage. Unfortunately, the tiny Yorkshire village where she lives is hardly spilling over with eligible bachelors.

Leena lives in London and has just been instructed to take a two month vacation. She’s been pushing herself at work to try and escape the grief that has stricken her since the death of her sister. After speaking with her Grandmother, and learning of her quest for romance, Leena suggests that they swap homes for the two months. Leena could benefit from some time away from the city, while Eileen would have a greater chance to find romance. Leena’s boyfriend could come and visit on some weekends, and they could have the privacy that Leena’s flat can’t provide. Will this plan be everything that Eileen and Leena hope it will be?

The story was sweet and the loving relationship of Eileen and Leena was endearing. The book is engaging and had many humorous moments. The characters were all very likeable and easy to connect to. It was enjoyable to watch Eileen create herself a life in London and take on the challenges of the online dating world. I love how she gave the neighbourhood in London a small-town charm. It was also moving to see how Leena changes during the course of the book and takes a look at her life and what is important to her. I was impressed with the way the author takes on the difficult topic of grief. It was touching to read how Leena reconnects with her Mom, after a long period of estrangement beginning with the death of her sister.

I listened to the audiobook edition and thoroughly enjoyed the performances of Alison Steadman and Daisy Edgar-Jones. The roles were perfectly cast with the age-appropriate reflection of their voices. As a Canadian, I had no difficulty in following the British accents and the words were well articulated. I must say I felt a little sorry for Ms Steadman’s voice during words spoken by Leticia as I’m certain this was not easy to pull off. Their combined performance added to an already lovely read.

Thanks to Netgalley and MacMillan Audio for the ARC of this book in exchange for the honest review provided here.

My rating: ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️/5