Rounded down from roughly 4.5 stars ⭐️ This was my first Beth O’Leary book but it absolutely will not be my last.

The Switch follows Leena and her grandmother Eileen who are struggling in their daily lives and in need of a change. So they decide to swap lives, with Eileen trying online dating in London, and Leena going back to her rural home village.

This was just the charming and easy read that I needed right now. I found myself smiling much of the time, laughing occasionally and with tears in my eyes towards the end. This book tackles grief in such a real way that I found I personally connected so much to the experience of grief by the characters. I fell completely in love with all of the characters in this book, but particularly the quirky and different characters from the village. Arnold was a particular favourite of mine as he reminded me of my grandad! A tough exterior with such a warm and tender heart.

I absolutely love easy reads based in small villages so the setting of this was perfect for me. It felt so vivid and real, I felt a great sadness at saying goodbye to the characters. I love that this book was easy to read whilst tackling the difficult topic of grief. It managed to strike a perfect balance with not being too serious but not being insensitive either. I cannot believe I’ve waited so long to try this author, but I am really excited to delve into their other books now!

I would recommend this to any fans of light novels, with a focus on family, friends and romance.