If someone offered to trade lives with you, would you do it? You swap houses, friends and potentially jobs. Well? What if it was your grandmother you swapped with? You go to live in her tiny little village, in her little cottage, where the most exciting thing to happen is changing what biscuits the local council have at meetings. Whereas your Grandmother goes to live in London, in your snazzy flat with your friends whilst she finds herself a boyfriend? What would you say to that? Would you do it?
Leena and Eileen both need a change in their lives, and a switch is the perfect way to do it. A two-month switch, to help freshly single Eileen find someone special in London whilst her granddaughter Leena takes some needed rest and looks after everything in rural Yorkshire.
To say that this book just projects light and warmth would be an understatement. I had an absolute joy reading this book. It is truly hilarious that I found myself laughing out loud at the characters (mostly Eileen, she is one cheeky sassy grandmother). It is a book that requires no effort to read, it smoothly invites you in with a warm cup of tea and a sweet grandmother - granddaughter relationship, where they are trying to help each other get what they need in life, whether that is a new boyfriend for Eileen or getting rid of one for Leena.
O’ Leary captures the feeling of finding home in somewhere you’d never expect and simplicity of listening to your heart to steer you in the right direction. I have been a fan of O’ Leary since her first novel The Flatshare and this book did not disappoint. It is filled with happiness, hilarity, a grumpy next-door neighbour who isn't as bad as he seems, and a fluffy pooch who has a knack for running away but is a fairly good matchmaker.
Next time you pass a bookshop I highly recommend popping in and grabbing The Switch. I promise you; you won’t regret it.
By: Holly Proctor