Review: The Switch

The Switch by Beth O'Leary
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

4 out of 5 stars - If you ask, I'll tell you to read it.

Lena Cotton is a high powered woman in London. She's had a lot of upheaval in her life, as she's only a year removed from losing her sister to cancer. As we meet her, she's having a panic attack before and during a client meeting. Lena's boss determines that she needs a sabbatical and tells her she's being pulled from all projects for two months. As she sits at home in her apartment, she calls her grandmother and agrees to come visit for the weekend.

Eileen Cotton is Lena's grandmother, living in a small village in the country. Eileen is very involved in the activities of the village, including the neighborhood watch, the May Day committee, and walking the dog of one of the men in the village once a week. What she misses most, though, is companionship. Her husband, Wade, had walked out on her with their (younger) dance instructor.

While visiting, Lena finds Eileen's "project list", which happens to include a pro/con list of all the eligible men in the village. It's a pretty disappointing list! Lena introduces her grandmother to online dating and they learn that there are none in the "over 70" group within 100 miles of the village. There are, however, over 400 to choose from in London. Then the idea hatches. Lena needs to get away during her sabbatical, and Eileen wants to have an adventure. They decide to switch places for those two months. Eileen's one condition is that Lena has to hand over her laptop and smartphone. She can use the old "dumb" phone and desktop of her grandmother's.

Over the next two months, there are all sorts of adventures for both women. Eileen meets a nice man who wants "no strings attached". She also meets all of the neighbor's in Lena's building and finds a way to give back to her generation in the neighborhood. Lena finds that sometimes the "slow, village life" is anything but. There are drama and stories and always something to do. Lena takes her grandmother's place on all committees and tries to fulfill all her commitments.

I really enjoyed the 2 narrators who alternated chapters. Each played the role of Lena or Eileen Cotton and the story from their perspective. I did get distracted by the noises though. You could hear them clearing their mouths and swallowing.

Thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for this advanced copy.



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