I absolutely adored The Flatshare, and I would go so far to say that The Switch was even better! I just love Beth O'Leary's style of writing, its gentle and very easy to read, whilst still managing to address some underlying issues facing society. The Switch made me laugh out loud in almost every one of its chapters. It's hilarious, heartwarming and genuinely moving.
A large part of the narrative addresses grief and how it can affect every aspect of your life. I loved the idea of the two Eileen's switching lives to help them both heal from the traumas of the past few years. I felt the way they were handling it was all very accurate. From reading the blurb, I was worried the plot would feel a little too farfetched, but I never felt like that whilst reading, it all felt very genuine and as though it could really happen.
The portrayal of life in Britain is just perfect, I feel like the book drips Britishness. I laughed constantly through Eileen's first days in London, because it's just so accurate. If you weren't born in London, it can be such a massive shock how people behave on a daily basis, and this was just captured so perfectly. Similarly life in little villages, and how minute details become huge parts of your life. The observational humour is brilliant!
Eileen was just wonderful to read, I thought she was absolutely fantastic. I loved her so much and I could read another 100 books from her perspective. Her brutal honesty and continued lust for life was inspiring and beautiful. Leena struggled to stand up against her grandmother, but I really enjoyed watching her grow and learn to love herself again. Her relationship with Jackson was dreamy, and I was rooting for them from pretty much the first appearance he made.
Not to be overshadowed by the leading ladies, there are so many amazing side characters to fall in love with. Fitz stood out to me, always willing to embrace Eileen and the older ladies into his life, the banter they shared was wonderful. I also adored pretty much every resident of Hamleigh-in-Harksdale, and if I could, I'd be packing up and moving there tomorrow. There are lots of themes explored with these fantastic people, loneliness, domestic violence, parental relationships and many more.
Beth O'Leary is rapidly cementing herself as one of my favourite authors, her books are a warm hug and a mug of hot chocolate on a chilly day, just perfection.
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From the Publisher
The Flatshare
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The Switch
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The Road Trip
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The No-Show
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The Wake-Up Call
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| Price | £5.49 | £5.49 | £8.19 | £3.75 | £3.54 |
| Read more from Beth | Tiffy & Leon share a bed. Tiffy & Leon have never met... | Leena is too young to feel stuck. Eileen is too old to start over. Maybe it's time for The Switch.... | One car. Five people. A whole lot of history... | Three women. Three dates. One missing man... | Two sworn enemies. One failing hotel. Love is the last thing they need . . . |
About the author
...a heart-warming novel that has given me many moments of recognition ...
This delightful romantic story is filled with compassion, insight and humour. It's a tale of family, friendship, fun and finding yourself.It looks as though, for her second novel, Beth O'Leary has taken Aesop's traditional fable of The Town Mouse and the Country Mouse and pulled it into the 21st Century. Now then, I never recount entire plots or spill spoilers so I'll just say the central mice - sorry, women - include Eileen Cotton who leaves her beloved Yorkshire village and swaps homes, and lifestyles, with her granddaughter Leena Cotton, a London business professional on an enforced career break.Both women have a lot in common but different ways of expressing themselves to strangers as well as family and friends. Both women are also getting over a bereavement and need some true love in their lives. In the two places, village and city, each one begins a project or two, helping the community that has become their temporary home.The result is a heart-warming novel that has given me many moments of recognition as well as a few challenges. Much better than a self-help manual but full of human life tips!
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Top reviews from other countries
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- Wandaka LyngdohReviewed in India on 6 December 2024
Had a great time reading this one!
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