BOOK 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...

After a life changing event happens within her family Leena Cotton finds herself reeling from the aftermath, life and work all seem to collide in an emotional turmoil that finds Leena placed on a two-month sabbatical from the job she loves. She decides to visit her grandmother Eileen in her home in a tiny Yorkshire village.

Eileen divorced from a loveless and finding herself about to turn eighty and wishing for companionship, takes her second chance at a new way of life and love as she cannot see herself finding an eligible gentlemen from the slim pickings in her local village.

Leena proposes that they switch lives during the two-months of her sabbatical, Eileen can go and find the answer to her what-if's and enjoy the dating pool of London and Leena can take a step back from all things work as her boyfriend can visit and she can use the time to focus on her new business with her best friend.

Leena is ill at ease with the gossiping neighbours and difficult family dynamics with her mother. Meanwhile Eileen is contending with trendy London flatmates and online dating in the city.

Leena realises that both her relationship with her mother and that with her partner are not what they seem.

All this is not helped by the frustrating competitiveness with the annoyingly perfect and handsome school teacher who is involved in her every effort to befriend the local members of the neighbourhood watch committee and arrange the summer fete event.

Eileen however, is a huge hit with her flat mates and has extended her friendship circle to the neighbours within the building as she attempts to meet her perfect match and introduce a project, that could benefit more than just herself.

This is Beth O'Leary's second book and I found this as equally compelling to read with its both emotional tenderness, family drama and read in one sitting romance, I cannot recommend it enough.

I would like to thank both Quercus and Netgalley for the opportunity to review this book and look forward to further offerings from Beth O'Leary in the future.

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