Irish and sassy girl, Aisling, has commitment problems with her longstanding boyfriend and her home life, being treated like a child. Eventually she moves in with some girls from work, breaks up with the boyfriend, and lurches from one disaster to another.
The characters in this novel are by turns funny, dramatic or sad. The one problem I did have was with the Irish girls names, it was difficult to remember who was a home friend, a work colleague, or just someone she met.
The plot is very true to life, if sometimes a little hysterical!
Thank you to Net Galley and the Publisher for allowing me to read this novel.

This is a fun and light read - would recommend as a beach read - I found Aisling growing on me and enjoyed it more than I thought I would - fans of Marian Keyes would enjoy this

Hmmmmm where to start. The story follows a somewhat boring and not very funny 28 year old Irish girl. It was very predictable and I feel there may be more tales to come.
There were a few highlights like the attempt to debate the abortion laws in Ireland which made it worth carrying on with. Shan’t be reading anymore of Aishlings travels but could see how it could make the next Bridget Jones movie.

More of a collection of anecdotes about her younger years than a story. This gets a little tedious because for three quarters of the book, it goes nowhere. The last part of the book is put together nicely and so you get the point of it.

DNF

I'm pretty bummed out about this one because the description sounded really interesting to me and I still think that if I pressed on I would enjoy the story. But the style of writing isn't something I can handle. It's so jumbled and difficult to follow. It's heavy with gossip that is irrelevant to the characters that I would often find myself mind wandering onto my daily to do list. Going over what tickets I needed to buy and when to plan activities was more preferable to me than slogging through that prose.

With more than 48,000 members on their Facebook page, the creators of Aisling take their leap onto the printed page with their heartwarming story about a typical Irish girl from the countryside living her best life and trying to navigate the ins and outs of being an adult in Dublin.

What I loved about this book was the way that it was written. You can tell that this was a passion project for the two authors, because their love for Aisling, and for her life, breathe from the page, from the very Irish humour and inflections in the writing to the way that Aisling sees the world and the world sees her (as illustrated in a very amusing prologue to main tale).

The danger, when starting the book, is failing to connect with the main character. Aisling was conceived as a collection of stereotypes about a small-town Irish girl, so you can at times feel like you’re reading about a 2D cutout than an actual person with a memorable personality and quirks. However, once Mclysaught and Breen settle into the novel, Aisling’s warm personality and own fears and foibles soon start to shine through, and you quickly fall in love with her- and with her antics.

It’s impossible not to: she’s a compelling mix of naivety and the confusion we all feel when trying to navigate life as an adult. It’s also pretty relatable in the stuff she does- I’m from ‘the country’ as well and that sense of being a fish out of water is all too relatable! The plot is much of the same: when Aisling is forced to suddenly reassess her life, she’s thrown into one big life decision after the other, from moving in with friends to living as an independent woman, to taking an unconventional holiday in Berlin.

The secondary characters are great, too: from Sabhdh (the pronunciation of whose name I had to look up) to the excellent Majella, whose carefree attitude and love for going on the lash make her one of the funniest characters in the story.

Though there are some sad moments, most of all, this is a book about how it’s okay to see the lighter side of life, and embrace change when it comes along. Aisling’s inner voice is so chatty and friendly that reading the book is more like sitting down for a few drinks with a friend: it’s not a book to shake the world, but it’s a book that feels like sinking into a warm bath, and sometimes that’s just what you want.

Aisling has always lived with her parents in rural Ireland and has been seeing her boyfriend John for 7 years, so when at a friend's wedding she starts to think that it should be her turn she finds out that John has other ideas and is definitely in no hurry to get married. So Aisling decides to change her life - dump John and move to Dublin and then the fun begins!

A great story - I am always a sucker for the Irish books but especially loved this one - wonderful characters and great humour, a lovely summer read

Are you a complete Aisling?

Aisling has been dating John for seven years. Unfortunately, he’s not proposed to her and it seems that he’s not in a hurry to either. She decides that her life needs to change and one of the first steps she takes is wanting to move to Dublin instead of staying with her parents on their farm in Ballygobbard. She mentions to Sadhbh (who works in the HR department of the company she also works for, Pensionsplus) that she wants to find somewhere to live and is delighted when Sadhbh says that she and her flatmate, Elaine, find themselves with an empty room in their flat as their one flatmate has just moved out.

Aisling starts to learn about the “real world” once she moves in with Sadhbh and Elaine. Parties galore, Nightclubs. Weekends going to clubs and pubs in other parts of Europe. As much as she loves her new life, she still needs to try to remember her “sensible Aisling side,” like how many syn points she’s consuming on her Slimming World diet.

I was slightly judgemental when I first started reading this book. I found myself tutting and saying things like “Gosh, but they drink a lot” among other remarks from my “holier than thou” side. All caused by a dose of “deliberate memory loss!” In fact, what I was reading reflected my own days of attending wild parties and sharing flats with various people.

This is a truly delightful book and I found that I ticked quite a few boxes on whether I, too, am a complete Aisling! And yes, Aisling in the Irish language is a girl’s name meaning “dream” or “vision.” I’m just not sure whether it will remain popular thanks to it now meaning something completely different – like, “OMG What a Complete Aisling!”

Imbali

Breakaway Reviewers received a copy of the book to review.

Fun, flighty, flirty, frivolous but also touching, kind and most definitely addictive.
Aisling grows on you, at first I found the very ‘Irishness’ of this book a bit challenging and Aisling was, well ... a bit of an Aisling. But once I embraced everything Aisling, armed myself with Google (some of the phrases were completely foreign to me) I found OMG... was a real joy.

Aisling is the archetypal country girl, who at the age of 28 is watching her friends one by one ‘tie the knot’ and although she has been going out with John for the last 7 years it’s not looking like there’s a ring in the offing any time soon. Frustrated and feeling decidedly ‘on the shelf’ Aisling resorts to ... well read the book and see.

Aisling’s journey of self-discovery covers love, loss, family tragedy, innocence and growing up. To top it off it’s really good craic, right so, it is.

Thanks to Netgalley for providing an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

Loved it - really funny and heartfelt. Also makes me want to return to Ireland, a place I haven't visited for years. If you need perking up and a good laugh as well as a decent tale with characters you can warm to, then I can recommend this.

I imagine that if you understand the places and cultural references, then you would enjoy this book.
Not for me, I'm afraid.

What a lovely easy read just right for sitting on the beach with or distracting you from a long plane journey. Characters I loved and a good solid ending. What’s not to like?

The title of this book, while obviously eye-catching and funny, doesn’t really do it justice – it sounds like a stunt, a gimmick, a one-trick pony. And actually Aisling is much better than that: it is endlessly entertaining and laugh-out loud funny, but this is also a proper novel. It is charming and nicely-plotted and structured, and the voice of Aisling is wonderfully well done and completely consistent.

At first I thought it might be patronizing or belittling, but I was enjoying it so much I stopped worrying about that. Aisling’s creators say that we all know an Aisling, and we all have a bit of Aisling in us. This is part of their description:
She's your stereotypical friend who carries her court shoes to work in a bag while pounding the pavement with her MBTs on the walk in from Rathmines. Aisling loves a Colours Night in the Portobello and a cheeky Coors Light in Mc Gowans of Phibsboro. She keeps all of her Laser receipts and checks them off against her bank statement. She has a loyalty card from both Tesco and Dunnes but not Marks and Spencer, have you seen the prices in there? Aisling loves a good bit of drying and thinks tumble driers are a sinful waste…
She leaves notes for the others in the work communal kitchen and in her apartment, she hates to pay for parking, and she is a great keeper of rules. The excellent feature of the book is that Aisling’s life is full of very Irish details – and yet there is a complete universality about her. We do all know an Aisling. And just from the capsule wardrobe above, you could tell where Penneys lies in the general scheme of things, even if you’d never heard of the shop before. Cheaper than Zara, that’s for sure, as when her friend is
…wearing something from the ‘state of that’ rack in Zara. I love the idea of Zara, but it can be very dear, and a lot of it has me gasping ‘the state of that’ before I can stop myself.
So – all Aisling’s friends are getting married, and she wonders if it’s about time for her longterm boyfriend John to pop the question. Things don’t pan out as she’d hoped, and she makes a few changes in her life, including moving in with the friends who wear Zara and Cos, and eat avocados, and might be vegan.

The culture clash is hilarious and delightful. Aisling still sees a lot of her very real ‘home’ family, and there are various life stages to go through – the book is not just comedy. There is a satisfying ending, but also room for sequels, and there is now talk of an Aisling film.
These are some of my favourite lines:
‘Where I’m from, a heifer, especially if it’s in calf, is a solid and very common Confirmation-money investment. I made a packet on it in the end. But it always falls on deaf ears, and they just end up creasing themselves laughing.
A neighbour has brought round a plate of
...little triangular ham sandwiches. She puts Ballymaloe relish on them, in case anyone forgets she’s Protestant.
Aisling is not sure she wants to start dating:
I’m not sure I’m ready for all the leg-shaving and pretending I care about how many sisters he has and all that.
On waking up late in a hotel:
‘John,’ I whisper, ‘my voice shaking. ‘I think we’re going to miss the hotel breakfast.’ As quick as Clark Kent nipping into a phonebox, twirling and suddenly transforming into Superman, John’s out of the bed, stumbling in the half-darkness… ‘It’s included in the price?’ he asks, his voice husky. ‘The breakfast?’
And then there’s the important distinction between going Out, and going Out Out – see above, the dress is for Out Out.

Non-Irish readers might not get every detail of the jokes, but we get the point, and we can substitute our own local terms, we know why it is funny. There is a lot in the book about weddings and wedding planning – some of it is deeply familiar, some details are completely strange: it’s like Edith Wharton for the modern age.

And it is hilariously, laugh-out-loud, funny, and there isn’t a mean moment in it, and I hope there will be many more Aisling books.

Absolutely loved this book! Aisling is amazingly funny and so sweet. All the right ingredients for a fabulous rom com on the big screen. Excellent.

A light and fluffy read this book has been developed from the Facebook page of the same name following the life of Aisling a young Irish country girl who commutes to Dublin (the Big City) for work and is in a relationship with John, her boyfriend of years. Aisling longs to have a wedding of her own - whether she actually wants to be married or not is up for debate - and when the much-anticipated proposal from John does not materialise as expected Aisling end the relationship and moves the a swanky city-centre apartment with her stylish work friend Sadhbh and Sadhbh's friend Elaine. We follow Aisling through her journey towards finding out what she wants and what is really important in life.
I found this to be a very easy read which had quite a few laugh-out-loud moments and some quite emotional moments also. Not my usual type of read but enough to keep me engaged so all round a good read.
Many thanks to Netgalley UK and the publishers for ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Amazon Review posted - 14/05/18

A light, entertaining, summer read. This wasn't a book I found addictive or memorable but it was enjoyable enough. We journey with Aisling, a country girl (which the authors go to much effort to stereotype), who breaks up with her long term boyfriend when he cant commit to getting engaged. She feels a lot of social pressure from her peers which is typical of that age. It becomes a catalyst for other changes in her life like moving to the city and making new friends. These prove to be positive experiences for Aisling. A likeable ensemble of characters but overall this book didn't make a strong impression.

I was excited about 'Oh My God, What a Complete Aisling,' when I first came across it. I recalled my first introductions to Marian Keyes twenty years ago and anticipated something similar from the authors, Emer McLysaght and Sarah Breen. Unfortunately, to my great regret, this book was simply not for me! Yes it was witty, yes it was scatty, yes it was humorous - BUT, I think what I was anticipating was more likely to be a revisiting of my youth. I have, quite simply, outgrown the genre and 'Oh My God, What a Complete Aisling' was just not for me! Like Marian Keyes, I have grown up and this book is for the succeeding generation!

I'm sure a lot of us to admit to being a bit of an Aisling at times-I know I recognised a trait or two! Aisling is a country girl. She came from a farm and now commutes to her job in Dublin. She has been going out with John, her boyfriend for seven years.She watches friends getting engaged & married. She wonders when it will be their turn to get a plot of land from her Da, build a house, get married and settle down to family life but John doesn't seem to be 'ready'. Things change when she decides to force the issue!!

I loved Aisling's money saving ethos, her rigid organisation and her firm beliefs in her way of doing things! She would drive you crazy but she has a heart of gold!!

This is a really enjoyable light read and I loved it! Thanks to Netgalley & the publisher for letting me spend time in Aisling's world!

At first I thought just another chick lit, but not at all, as you get past the first chapter it turns out to be a very entertaining read. Funny, family and friends who you can totally relate to with the great dialogue. Good Craic as the Irish would say.

I highly enjoyed this humorous book about Aisling and her amusing life.
Set in Ireland, using many Irish phrases, this well written novel was about a woman who got fed up of her long term relationship with a man who she desperately wanted a proposal from.
What follows is the upheaval of Aisling taking a stand and finally going all out for what she thinks she wants... but alas, does she really want it?
The character is very relatable as her friends and the pace of the story is great for keeping you hooked, I definitely recommend this light hearted book.