The Switch Book Review

---

Having loved reading The Flatshare in 2019, I was keen to read more from Beth O’Leary. The Switch centres on Eileen and Leena – a grandmother and her granddaughter who, for different reasons, feel somewhat stuck in their circumstances. Leena’s sister Carla died from cancer the previous year and it finally overwhelms her when she blows a work presentation and is told to take 2 month’s leave. Eileen’s husband left her a few months after Carla’s death and she can’t escape the sense that she hasn’t made the most of her life yet. So the two women decide to swap lives. Eileen will live in London for 2 months to try something new and exciting and Leena will live at her grandmother’s in Yorkshire, trying to slow down and fully come to terms with her sister’s death. But will the women be able to do it? And most importantly, what unexpected things will they learn along the way?

As with The Flatshare, this book is great simply for how loveable it is and the feel-good feeling it gives you! Despite Carla’s death being a tragic and difficult subject running through the book’s storyline, overall O’Leary writes something hopeful and joyful and so it’s hard not to finish this without your heart feeling at least a little bit bigger.

The ensemble of side characters made the book even more enjoyable for me; from Leena’s colleague Bee who seems to never find luck when trying to find someone to date, to Fitz and Martha, Leena’s flatmates. Then in Yorkshire, there’s no end of nosy neighbours or village drama to keep the reader entertained. In particular Betsy was an interesting character – through her O’Leary proves she’s able to give her characters dimension and depth, they’re not all just rom-com caricatures.

I loved the difference in Leena and Eileen’s narratives; they were contrasting enough to get a sense for both women without feeling like it was the same writer, however, their similarities also made them loveable because with a 50 year age gap, it was surprising just how many there were! This, coupled with some OAP vs. millennial humour was enough to keep the book both fun and compelling.

With most rom-coms, by the end everything does fall nicely into place, and the loose ends are tied up with a little figurative bow, but isn’t that what the genre’s all about!? Giving the reader some familiar predictability that they can get lost in for a few hours a day. All in all, I don’t think I liked The Switch as much as The Flatshare (but that’s probably because it’s less romance-f0cssed and I love me a romance!) but it’s a book worth merit and I’m sure it’s one that can be enjoyed by just about anyone!