jessica's Reviews > The Switch

The Switch by Beth O'Leary
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this is exactly the kind of wholesome, endearing, and sweet content everyone needs in their lives right now.

so it makes me so sad that i didnt love this as much as i wanted to, but its definitely not the books fault. i just wasnt in the mood for such a slow, character driven novel.

the entire story is explained in the synopsis - nothing new is given to the reader, everything that happens is mentioned in the blurb. so there really wasnt anything for me to look forward to in terms of plot because i already knew how the story would play out. thats not always a bad thing, especially if a reader is able to connect to the characters, but i definitely need more from this. i checked out here and there because there wasnt anything happening. i almost felt bored, which is a shame because this has such an adorable message.

i think those who are enjoy unhurried stories, quaint english villages, and likeable characters who want what they deserve will really appreciate this.

3.5 stars
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Reading Progress

March 29, 2020 – Shelved as: to-read
March 29, 2020 – Shelved
Started Reading
April 18, 2020 – Finished Reading

Comments Showing 1-34 of 34 (34 new)

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Schmunzelrapunzel You hit that one right on to the head! I feel exactly the same unfortuntely


message 2: by TMR (new) - added it

TMR Eh, I wanted to try it.


lucie ha, i love slow and character driven books so i hope this one is going to be a winner!


TARA Agree


jessica rapunzel - so glad im not the only one who feels this way!

arini - same. i also prefer plot driven novels. and this is a cute story, i just wanted more story. if that makes sense. lol.

j - i still recommend reading it if it sounds interesting and you enjoy character driven novels. :)

lucie - this will be perfect for you, then! i hope you love it! <3

tara - that makes me feel so much better!


Sherin Sarah David nice review


jessica thank you!


Sherin Sarah David this is the book i liked most and i will give it 5 star rating


message 9: by Caitlin (new)

Caitlin Brown Great review. I loved The Flatshare, but after getting hold of this one early, I gave up on it after just a few chapters. I really wasn't in the mood for whimsical grandmother characters, so probably me and not the book.


jessica i totally get that. i preferred leenas chapters, so i understand not connecting with an elderly character. sorry it was a miss for you!


jessica aww. im so happy you loved this story so much! <3


message 12: by Reynita (new)

Reynita ★ The Night Reader ★ Great review!


jessica thank youuuu! :D


Alexis I felt the same. I enjoyed it but it was very slow then a rushed ending. I preferred Leena's chapters to Eileen's so skipped through hers more quickly.


jessica yeah, i agree. leenas chapters were much more interesting. every time it talked about eileen trying to organise the people in the building to pitch in for the common area, i skimmed it.


Keira Totally agree about the blurb! I've seen quite a few books where the blurb just gives away the entire story so I avoid reading them now


Helen Shrapel Seems as if us old crocks can’t have an exciting life if you skimmed through Eileens life, seems the point was missed about enriching people who live in flats and don’t communicate with each other but when someone comes in and gets them all talking and helping each other out it’s called organising people’s lives, I think it enriched their lives


message 18: by jessica (last edited May 08, 2020 08:42AM) (new) - rated it 3 stars

jessica just because i skimmed eileens chapters doesnt mean i think "old crocks," as you say, cant have exciting lives. i skimmed them because i just didnt really connect with that section of the plot and with those particular characters. i enjoyed the characters in leenas section more, many of whom were "old crocks." theres nothing wrong with that.

additionally, i never said she was "organizing peoples lives." i said she organized them to get together. theres a big difference.


message 19: by Tina (new) - rated it 2 stars

Tina I agree with your review there were no surprises and it felt a bit flat. Although I actually found Eileen's chapters more interesting for some reason.

I didn't really enjoy Ethan he just felt like a convenient villain with no substance


Katrina Completely agree with this review. It was a lovely story but at times I felt bored and struggled to finish it because I knew what was going to happen.


Alicia Cunningham Yes! I agree! I was happy to pick it up but just as happy to put it down because nothing was driving me to see what happened next. Beautiful soul but a little slow.


Megan Anderson Completely agree!


Kim Carr Yes I agree! Preferred the Flatshare and I'm looking forward to the next book x


Claudia Yes, I totally agree, the writer is good, but the book didn’t give us any surprise!


Kathryn I felt just the opposite: the main motivating factor of grief is NOT mentioned in the blurb. Really that's entirely what this story is about: coming to terms with grief and loss of different kinds and coming out the other side with something positive. I found the plot more complex than I expected and I had trouble putting it down. It also made me laugh out loud a number of times, which doesn't happen often. It was charming, endearing, cheeky and as someone who lives in an English village, I'd say she illustrated that quite well, too!


message 26: by Jane (new) - rated it 4 stars

Jane Buck As someone dealing with grief at the moment. I found it was really good to read The Switch.
Not my usual kind of book but I felt it gave me hope. It made me laugh and cry and I loved Eileen .


Kathryn Arini ~ Miss Casually Reading wrote: "oh no that doesnt sound good. i was quite looking forward to this. but im more into plot driven books than character. okay, i guess we’ll see how it goes."
I'm really surprised by this review, because NONE of the really important stuff in this book was mentioned in the blurb: dealing with grief; domestic abuse; sense of self within a relationship. I chose it as a light read for my book group (following some very "heavy" tomes), and it turned out to be far more serious than we bargained for. One member who had recently lost her sister couldn't deal with it. Another whose grief wasn't as fresh was glad she read it because of its positive, supportive outlook. For me, there were some laugh-out-loud moments, but overall it has some pretty serious content conveyed in a relatively light tone.
I enjoyed it enough to read it twice, mostly because the grandma is such an enjoyable character.


Jannah Colston Completely agree with this review, well put


L. Soper This review is spot on. I wanted to read this because I had just finished and loved The Flatshare- these two book do not compare to one another.


Kathryn Eva vs The World 🌎 wrote: "I absolutely loved this book being about communities coming together to help their members, female empowerment, trying to find love while being almost 80 - not many books actually touch upon this a..."

I totally agree! A real slice of life in a multi-generational community, which most villages are--although that seems to be disappearing these days.


Kirsty Hopkins I really wanted to love this😩


message 32: by Kari (new) - rated it 3 stars

Kari My thoughts exactly.


message 33: by Desig (new)

Desig Good book


message 34: by Desig (new)

Desig Good book


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