The Switch by Beth O'Leary

Eileen is sick of being 79. Leena's tired of life in her twenties. Maybe it's time they swapped places... When overachiever Leena Cotton is ordered to take a two-month sabbatical after blowing a big presentation at work, she escapes to her grandmother Eileen's house for some overdue rest. Eileen is newly single and about to turn eighty. She'd like a second chance at love, but her tiny Yorkshire village doesn't offer many eligible gentlemen. Once Leena learns of Eileen's romantic predicament, she proposes a solution: a two-month swap. Eileen can live in London and look for love. Meanwhile Leena will look after everything in rural Yorkshire. But with gossiping neighbours and difficult family dynamics to navigate up north, and trendy London flatmates and online dating to contend with in the city, stepping into one another's shoes proves more difficult than either of them expected. Leena learns that a long-distance relationship isn't as romantic as she hoped it would be, and then there is the annoyingly perfect - and distractingly handsome - school teacher, who keeps showing up to outdo her efforts to impress the local villagers. Back in London, Eileen is a huge hit with her new neighbours, but is her perfect match nearer home than she first thought?The Holiday meets Gilmore Girls meets The Golden Girls.... in Britain.

★★★★★

🔥 out of 5 steam levelREQUIRED READING FOR FICTION LOVERS.

Well that was just perfectly lovely. You know when you finish watching the Kiera Knightley version of Pride & Prejudice and you just want to go around drinking tea, taking long walks and speaking in an English accent? No? Just me? Well this book left me with similar vibes.There were so many quotes I loved throughout the book but since it was an advanced readers copy I can't share them all with you. But trust me, you're going to love it.The characters were so likable. I loved them! It took me a while to get everyone's names down because there are strong friendship groups for both Leena and Eileen, but it's worth the effort. And honestly as you continue reading you catch on to who is who even if you can't remember initially. I'm personally very much hoping that Fitz and a girl with a car get a book of their own!You know I love Gilmore Girls, which features two (well, three if you're paying attention) Lorelai Gilmore's. This book features two Eileen Cotton's and I was so here for it!It was so well written that I could picture every scene. I can't always do that with neighborhoods or cities, but I really could in this book!What else did I love? You know when you're watching a Hallmark movie and you're rooting for some characters to get together and you just have a feeling that the guy you don't like is really a schmuck but you just haven't seen that yet? ...oh come on... that's just me too?! Well anyways, that happened in this book and I was so here for it.This has romance in the novel, but it's not the driving force. You should know that going in if you're looking for a romance read. It is a fiction novel with romance elements.Overall I found this book to be like a hot cup of tea on a rainy day. And just the coziness I needed during this insane time in the world. Highly recommend!I pretty much loved this book. Leena had a personal climactic moment that I didn't love her response to, but it didn't make me subtract from the star level.Content warnings: family member with cancer, death of a family member, infidelity, depression, panic attack, verbal abuse (secondary character).Looking for a book featuring LGBTQ characters? This book features a secondary character who you'll like.Listen to: Thinking Out Loud by Ed Sheeran (mentioned 98% of the way into the book)Do: Call your grandma and your mom.Drink: tea of course!

Get a Life Chloe Brown by Talia Hibbert

Engagement and Espionage by Penny Reid