The Switch - Beth O'Leary - ★★★★.¼

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AUTHOR: Beth O'Leary
NARRATORS: Daisy Edgar-Jones & Alison Steadman
GENRE: Contemporary Fiction
PUBLICATION DATE: April 16, 2020
RATING: 4.25 stars.


The duty of every chick-lit novel is to create happiness in the mind and generate a smile on the face. This book does both successfully.

I'm not an avid reader of this genre so if a book leaves me smiling, you can bet that it has something different.

Eileen is a 79 year old grandmother who is tired of her routine life and craves excitement. She also wants a second chance at love and won't shy away from using dating apps to get a partner. But in the village, dating for the 70+ results in slim pickings.

Leena, her granddaughter, is still coping with PTSD after the untimely death of her sister. She is forced to go on a sabbatical by her workplace but isn't used to living life in the slow lane.

That's when the twain decide to switch places. Eileen will move to the city and Leena will move to the village. A perfect solution to both their problems. Or is it?

What I loved all the book was that unlike a typical chick lit, the romance comes secondary. The main focus of the book is on the beautiful relationship that Eileen and Leena share in spite of their generational differences. The story shows us the positive side of both the generations rather than sticking to the "old is gold" banalities.

I heard this in a audiobook narrated by British actors Alison Steadman and Daisy Edgar-Jones, star of Hulu's Normal People. It was such a joy to hear them bring Eileen and Leena to life. While I would have still enjoyed this book had I read it, I feel their performance raised the book even higher.

Recommended for anyone looking for a light, enjoyable read.

I received an advance review copy of the audiobook for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

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