Beth O’Leary writes brilliantly, love love love

I read this book in one sitting. It was well written with engaging colourful characters. A real feel good read.

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 Flatshare I had high expectations and it did not disappoint! Like most people, I was really struggling in lockdown 3.0 and with no end in sight (this was before Boris’ announcement) and this book was just so perfect to get lost in and remind yourself of “normal life” before COVID when you could spend time with family and friends etc!! The narrative switched between Leena & Eileen and they were just both FAB - I wish I had an Eileen in my life! Beth O’Leary’s writing is just always amazing and she just somehow makes you love every single character - Jackson was a fav of mine too I just absolutely adored this book and can’t wait for her next book Road Trip to be released!

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 or saccharine. Leena and Eileen are both brilliant characters, and it's so nice to see how they both develop over the course of the book - and it's particularly good to see an older woman both as a lead character in a romance book, and finding the way of becoming a lead character in her own life. It's perfect to escape into these characters' world for a while, especially as part of it takes place in the beautiful Yorkshire Dales. Both Leena and Eileen are well-drawn, and it's nice to see that although it's a romantic book, both of them discover that what they want and what makes them happy is more than just finding the right man - it's finding the right life. A must for a well-needed dose of positivity!

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 Switch sort of knowing to expect a book with a few unexpected plot wiggles and some whacky characters but really, it was brilliant. Lovers of The Flatshare will definitely enjoy The Switch. We start with Leena, an overworked businesswoman in London who is still grieving her sister and after being given a break from work she travels up to Yorkshire to visit her grandmother, Eileen. One thing and another happen and they decide to swap places, Leena taking over her grandmother of villager extraordinaire and Eileen becoming a lady about town. Both embrace the change with all their heart, and with a bit of small village rivalry, Londoners finding their heart and a few gentle and strategic shoves, everyone gets the ending that they deserve. The plot is incredibly well developed and there was always something going on, but the part about this book that really stands out for me is the characters. There's something about the way Beth O'Leary writes her characters, it gives the story such an unbeatable flair, the small details about them that are woven in, all their little mannerisms and quibbles. I also really appreciated the way that issues that the older generations are facing was included so well - that our society can tend to be a bit ageist, that we do sometimes under appreciate those that have been on this planet for a few more years, and might take a bit longer to do something, that they are taken advantage of so cruelly by scammers, that advanced age doesn't necessarily mean senility. To round off, the only bit about the book that I didn't like was that whilst there was always something going on, at times it felt like there was too much happening at once, and now on reflection, having galloped through it at top speed once, I need to go back through the book at a more leisurely pace to get the full flavour of the book. Would definitely recommend to anyone that likes a bit of romance for all ages, the slightly comedic but also special life in a Yorkshire village and women who take charge of their life.