The Switch - Beth O'Leary (Blog Tour Review)
The Switch by Beth O'Leary
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?
When I read The Flatshare I was amazed by the originality of the story and I was absolutely pleased with the characters and the writing style. When I heard about The Switch, I KNEW I had to read it.
If I thought that sharing a flat, or more specifically a bed, was beyond creative in a book, changing lives with your grandma certainly tops that. I did not really know what I was going to find in this book but I had big hopes and I am glad to say I was not disappointed.
The story is original and fresh, and even when it sounds a bit crazy, it works perfectly. Wouldn’t you like to live a new life without the pressure or the stress of a big city or to have the chance to live in the city and fulfill one of your youth dreams? The Eileen’s get to do that, but it won’t be as easy as it seems.
The Switch is a story about understanding. Understanding yourself and your life, and understanding the others. Understanding your family, their lives, and their decisions. And it is also a story about loss, letting go of the past, and about moving on.
Both Eileen’s get to find a new perspective, make new friends, find love, and have new adventures they would have never thought about.
I loved the characters. They each add to the story in their way and make it richer and more profound. I liked Leena, although sometimes I wanted to throw something at her. And Eileen, well, she was amazing!
The story was fun and sweet, without being superficial or too complex and dense. Just the perfect balance for a book to be read in one sitting with a nice cup of coffee (or a good glass of wine). I deeply enjoyed every single part of it. I laughed, I cried, and I just cannot wait for Beth’s next book!
Bottom line: Do not miss this book and this wonderful, gripping, and funny story that I'm sure will delight you.
Expected publication:
August 18th 2020
by Flatiron Books
About the Author:Beth O’Leary worked in children's publishing before becoming a full-time author. She is also the author of The Flatshare. She can be found on Instagram @BethOLearyAuthor and Twitter @OLearyBeth.
Thanks to Netgalley and Publisher
