Ordered to take a two-month sabbatical after blowing a big presentation at work, Leena escapes to her grandmother Eileen's house for some overdue rest. Newly single and about to turn eighty, Eileen would like a second chance at love. But her tiny Yorkshire village doesn't offer many eligible gentlemen... So Leena proposes a solution: a two-month swap. Eileen can live in London and look for love, and L Leena will look after everything in rural Yorkshire.
But with a rabble of unruly OAPs to contend with, as well as the annoyingly perfect - and distractingly handsome - local schoolteacher, Leena learns that switching lives isn't straightforward. Back in London, Eileen is a huge hit with her new neighbours, and with the online dating scene. But is her perfect match nearer to home than she first thought?
The Switch by Beth O'Leary was published in hardback on 16 April 2020 by Quercus. The paperback will be published in January next year. My thanks to the publisher who sent my copy for review.
This review was previously published in the Daily Express
Leena Cotton has a very successful career, she’s the youngest senior consultant at Selmount Consulting. She lives in a trendy Shoreditch apartment and has an equally successful boyfriend.
Leena has just had a panic attack in the middle of an important presentation and has been ordered to take two-months paid leave, immediately.
Eileen Cotton is Leena’s 79 year old grandmother, and lives in a small Yorkshire village. Her husband of many years has left and she’d really like to find love, but there are few eligible men around.
Leena seeks refuge with Eileen, and they realise that they could swap lives for a while. Eileen will move into Leena’s flat and try her hand at online dating, whilst Leena can spend some peaceful time in the country.
The Switch is funny, uplifting and beautifully written. O’Leary explores the real meaning of community spirit; having both Leena and Eileen thrust into their new neighbourhoods, and both of them discovering the joys of neighbourly support.
Packed with a cast of well rounded and cleverly crafted characters, this is a story of rediscovery. Leena and Eileen come to terms with a recent family tragedy that neither of them have dealt with very well. They learn more about themselves than either of them could have anticipated.
The Switch is feel-good fiction that will delight readers, especially during these times of disconnection from our friends and family. It is emotionally absorbing, witty and bursting with warmth. A treat for fans of Marian Keyes and Jill Mansell.
Praise for The Switch
Beth has done it again! Warm, witty, and a cast of characters I wish I was friends with - I truly loved it!, Laura Jane Williams, author of Our Stop
Eileen Cotton proves you don't have to be in your thirties to be Bridget Jones. A triumph of a second novel, Anstey Harris, author of Richard & Judy Book Club pick THE TRUTHS AND TRIUMPHS OF GRACE ATHERTON
I am blown away. I didn't think Beth could top The Flatshare but she has. It sparkles with wit, warmth and compassion. It deserves to be huge!, Gillian McAllister, bestselling author of The Evidence Against You
Beth O'Leary has absolutely smashed it out of the park with The Switch. Brilliant, warm, funny, full of heart. Completely loved it!, Richard Roper, author of Something to Live For
Heartwarming and uplifting. Everyone should have an Eileen in their life!, Heidi Swain, SUNDAY TIMES bestselling author of THE CHRISTMAS WISH LIST
O'Leary does it again! The Switch is a warm, funny and feisty tale of generational location swapping that will have you laughing and tearing up in equal measure. Populated by a cast of characters you'll wish you knew in real life. It's an absolute joy from beginning to end, MIKE GAYLE, author of Half a World Away
Utterly charming and uplifting, The Switch is bursting with love and warmth and humour. Another wonderful book from Beth O'Leary, LOUISE O'NEILL, author of AFTER THE SILENCE
This delicious slice of feelgood fiction is a real tonic, Sunday Mirror
This sparky, upbeat romcom balances riffs on the generation gap with heavier topics including grief and infidelity, Mail on Sunday
You'll find yourself rooting for the main characters, especially Eileen, the real star of this cheerful novel. A perfect tonic for anxious times, The People
Eileen Cotton proves you don't have to be in your thirties to be Bridget Jones. A triumph of a second novel, Anstey Harris, author of Richard & Judy Book Club pick THE TRUTHS AND TRIUMPHS OF GRACE ATHERTON
I am blown away. I didn't think Beth could top The Flatshare but she has. It sparkles with wit, warmth and compassion. It deserves to be huge!, Gillian McAllister, bestselling author of The Evidence Against You
Beth O'Leary has absolutely smashed it out of the park with The Switch. Brilliant, warm, funny, full of heart. Completely loved it!, Richard Roper, author of Something to Live For
Heartwarming and uplifting. Everyone should have an Eileen in their life!, Heidi Swain, SUNDAY TIMES bestselling author of THE CHRISTMAS WISH LIST
O'Leary does it again! The Switch is a warm, funny and feisty tale of generational location swapping that will have you laughing and tearing up in equal measure. Populated by a cast of characters you'll wish you knew in real life. It's an absolute joy from beginning to end, MIKE GAYLE, author of Half a World Away
Utterly charming and uplifting, The Switch is bursting with love and warmth and humour. Another wonderful book from Beth O'Leary, LOUISE O'NEILL, author of AFTER THE SILENCE
This delicious slice of feelgood fiction is a real tonic, Sunday Mirror
This sparky, upbeat romcom balances riffs on the generation gap with heavier topics including grief and infidelity, Mail on Sunday
You'll find yourself rooting for the main characters, especially Eileen, the real star of this cheerful novel. A perfect tonic for anxious times, The People
Beth studied English at university before going into children's publishing. She lives as close to the countryside as she can get while still being in reach of London, and wrote her first novel, The Flatshare, on her train journey to and from work.She is now writing novels full time, and if she's not at her desk, you'll usually find her curled up somewhere with a book, a cup of tea, and several woolly jumpers (whatever the weather).
Instagram @betholearyauthor
Twitter @OLearyBeth
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