The importance of change and grow.

Aisling is made redundant by Pensionsplus just before Christmas.

Elaine, her flatmate marries Ruby on New Year’s Eve. This ends Chez SEA; Sadhbh, Elaine and Aisling sharing Elaine’s flat. Aisling decides to move home to Ballygobbard. She worries about her mother, Marian, since her father’s passing.

Her relationship with John, her long-time boyfriend just doesn’t have the same spark and after a serious argument, they decide to split up.

None of these setbacks although life-changing dents Aisling’s zest for life and it’s not long before she decides to open her own café, BallyGoBrunch.

I think I’m becoming addicted to Aisling, Ballygobbard, and all the crazy situations she and her friends manage to get themselves into. I especially love Aisling because she’s wearing crocs in the café. I love this quote from her, (referring to her friends who are shocked to see her wearing them) “Honestly if I could just get any of them to try on a pair they’d see the appeal. It’s like walking on clouds.” (Aisling, I share your passion!)

I thoroughly enjoyed the first book, Oh My God What a Complete Aisling, but the authors have gone on to develop and grow each of the protagonists. This is a book that will amuse you, whether you’re young or old. It’s a story about the importance of friendships, new relationships, and new beginnings.

Imbali

Breakaway Reviewers received a copy of the book

With thanks to the publisher for the copy received. Aisling was a character I liked a lot in the previous book and I liked her even more after this follow-up. She is still naive but is much stronger and as the novel progresses she uses all her little idiosyncrasies to gain focus in her life.
There is humour but I also found it a darker and more poignant read. Her relationship breakdown was upsetting but also heart warming. I could picture them easily trying to come to terms with their decision. The warmth and openness of her personality is more evident. The devotion to her family, friends and many other people she has known for years.
The more intimidating side to the novel had me suspecting various individuals. I’m not revealing if I was correct, you need to read it. It’s a very convincing part to the storyline and shows that these authors can write different types of fiction.
I finished this book wanting more. I want to know more about life in the Irish town and it’s brilliant community.

Another hilarious and entertaining story about Aisling, her friends and family. The things they get up to make for an easy read and you can almost her the brogue whilst reading. Great read once again, I:: hope there is more to come.

How lovely to be allowed back into Aisling's life. I felt like I'd never been away. The writing style is inclusive and natural. Once again I read in an Irish accent (couldn't do it aloud though). Aisling is back at work, back with John and coming to terms with her daddy's death. She's managing to travel up and down to BGB while working in PensionsPlus in Dublin, until the unthinkable happens and the entire workforce is made redundant. So Aisling moves back home, and takes time to consider what she is going to do with her life. Her romance isn't going so well, and we join her struggles as she comes to realise everything isn't as it should be - are they together out of habit? Everyday stories are so entertaining told in Aisling's voice. I love that she's a normal young woman and we share her thoughts which are hilarious. She is so organised she reminds me of myself at a younger age! A lovely story, fabulous characters and great craic! I laughed, I cried and I gasped out loud. #TheImportanceOfBeingAisling #NetGalley

In “The Importance of Being Aisling” we’re back with our beloved character created by two authors, Emer McLysaght and Sarah Breen, and I couldn’t be more happier to be reunited with her. She’s still deeply grieving after the tragic loss of her beloved Daddy but she tries to go on – well, she’s back with John, so it’s not so bad, right? However, she’s being made redundant at PensionsPlus. Elaine and Ruby are getting married, so she’s forced to look for a new place to live which in Dublin is simply impossible. To top it all, yes, she’s back with John, but where is this sparkle…? The butterflies…? Her mum is not coping well and it looks like she’ll be selling the farm. Might Aisling need to go back home, to Ballygobbard, then? How will she cope with mum, unemployment, John being in another city? But maybe Ballygobbard can offer her more than she thinks is possible?

I love Aisling, I think it is impossible not to love her. She’s so nice and so kind and also so genuine in being nice and kind, there is not a drop of falsity in her and this makes her an outstanding character. I love that she’s so proud of being herself, of her heritage, of coming from a little town in Ireland, and I love her sense of humour and simply the way she is. She knows how to party and she knows when she should stop, she knows probably all recipes in the world and I’m sure she also knows how to get any stain out.

There are so many brilliant things happening in this book, guys, we can’t say that Aisling’s life is boring, oh no. She’s made redundant so she needs to consider what to do next, her relationship with John is not this what she was thinking it is, there is the cracking and epic visit to Las Vegas and she’s always able to get up, shake off and built a new life for herself, and I simply adore her for this. Aisling is such a queen of being organized, I am sure that no matter what can happen she’d be prepared for it and have it in her bag. I loved how important her family and friends were to her and how much she stressed it, it doesn’t happen often that the characters REALLY put them first and act according to this. She’s such a brilliant friend as well, the girls are so supporting and they can count on each other, and it feels so genuine, honest and real. This friendship is actually one of the best points in this book, going strong and it’s certain, and it is so lovely the girls are always open to people becoming their friends, and taking it all, with ups and downs, supporting each other’s backs. They’re all the kind of characters that I’d got to know and love with all my heart in Marian Keyes’s books – the Irish families and people are the one and only in the world, they respect each other but also mercilessly pull their legs, their humour is so sharp and intelligent, their observations so spot on and life approach so relaxed – and I’ve got all of this in this book, and it was so brilliantly entertaining.

It was a great joy to be back with Aisling, and I really hope there is more of her to come. She’s so practical and so serious in being practical, it’s simply impossible not to fall for her. She’s funny without trying too hard to be too funny, which only makes it so entertaining, and the way she takes all things so seriously is overwhelmingly heart – warming. I personally think that what makes Aisling such a brilliant, exceptional character is the fact that maybe we are not complete Aislings ourselves (although…), but there is much of Aisling in every single one of us.

It was actually really hard to write this review because there was not a single thing in this book that I didn’t like! I loved the characters, I loved the setting, I loved the events and I adored the humour – what’s more to love, right? “The Importance of Being Aisling” was a brilliant, uplifting story about trials and tribulations in life, about friendship and family and being there for each other, also touching upon some heavier issues this time – there is the short but expressively written issue of bullying, domestic violence and sexual abuse which I appreciated so much and I think the authors tackled in the best possible way. This book, as well as the character of Aisling, was heart – warming, uplifting, funny and poignant. The supporting characters were a huge part of this novel and they were equally comic, craic, believable and they felt so full of life good people. A special and magnificent novel about girls’ power and women’s empowerment and sisterhood, inspiring and so important nowadays. I hope for many more Aisling’s stories to come!

I was so happy to be back in Aisling's world! I love the first story - Oh my God, what a complete Aisling - and this second part carries on our loveable heroines tale in the same brilliant way.

We find Aisling, after the tough events she faced in the first book, with her life seemingly back on track. Back with John, still living it up with Sadhbh and Elaine in Dublin at Chez SEA and happily organising the works Christmas Party. But unfortunately, everything is about to change.

With Elaine getting married, Aisling and Sadhbh were going to have to find a new place to live anyway, but when a huge revelation at work adds more pressure and with her Mum struggling back at the family farm, Aisling is faced with a situation she never though she would have to think about. Moving back home.

This is another hilarious, heart-warming story with an entire cast of characters that you can't help but adore. Covering a huge range of topics, from the mundane to the emotional in the same positive and uplifting way, I really hope that we are going to see more from Aisling very soon!

A second engaging read following the Irish Aisling, a girl we can all identify with. We follow her ups and downs in relationships and life, cheering her on as she achieves her dreams. Very enjoyable read.

Brilliant. I laughed a lot reading this book. The ups and downs in Aislings life continue. She has her own unique way of tackling events. She is funny and caring and loves her family and friends and is protective of them. Her life is never dull. I loved the first book and I really enjoyed this one too. I hope there is another to come.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy.

Funny, warm hearted and easy to read. I really enjoyed this novel - it provided me with so many laughs throughout! Loved the setting, loved the characters. Overall, a really great novel. I believe this is the second one in the Aisling series, but have yet to be accepted for the first! Could easily read as a standalone though.

The Importance of Being Aisling is a welcome return to the world of Aisling and friends, as she deals with some significant life changes and plenty of other challenges thrown at her. I don't want to give too much away, but there are some hilarious moments (as always with Aisling) and some slightly more emotional parts than the last book, as well.

I love Emer McLysaght and Sarah Breen's writing in this series; the characters are just brilliant (and if you have Irish family, friends or similar, I've no doubt that you'd find it even more entertaining, as I'm sure many of the references would resonate more with you) and the storyline is entertaining, fun and at times very comical. Some parts are silly but it's great fun to read, and Aisling is a brilliantly entertaining character and one I'd happily read more about, so here's hoping there's many more books to come in this series!

Aisling is back amongst us. Another great easy read from these two talented writers. If you can’t read this lying on a sun lounger on your holliers (as we Dubs say) as I did the first book, curled up on the couch with a hot coffe is the next best thing. This book will make you laugh out loud as you recognise your friends and yourself- well I certainly related to lots about Aisling 😂 In addition to the light hearted read there’s some hard hitting issues visited too. Please let there be a further catch up with Aisling & Co.

This is a lovely light hearted follow on to see what Aisling is getting up to.
it will make you cry with laughter. its the funniest book i have read this year!
Perfect for the cold winter days. cuddle up with this book and you won't be disappointed !

Emer McLysaght and Sarah Breen bring back the glorious phenomenon that is Aisling after her hard year, still griefstricken with the tragic loss of her beloved father that has knocked her for six, but back together with John. However, life has more to throw her off course as her job at PensionsPlus disappears as she is made redundant. The lesbian marriage of her friend, Elaine, to Ruby means that she is going to have to leave her Dublin home and all the craic that went with it. To top it all, whilst things with John were good for a little while after the death of her father, she cannot escape the fact the two of them seem to no longer fit, and she appears to have outgrown their relationship although she is not for upsetting the applecart until circumstances beyond her control push her to address the issue. Her mother is not coping well with the loss of her father, and the need to conserve funds due to her unemployment force her to think the unthinkable, moving back in with her mum and returning to the small town Irish community of Ballygobbard. How is Aisling going to cope?

Aisling finds some comfort that best friend, Majella, is similarly planning to move in back with her parents. Maj is completely smitten and head over heels in love with Pablo from Tenerife and she convinces her parents to let Pablo to move into their home too, there is much hilarity with the family pet dog, Willy's response to Pablo. Struggling to find suitable employment opportunities, Aisling thinks outside the box and plans to resolve the issue by setting up her own business, a cafe, if she can secure a business grant, although obstacles to realising this dream have to be dealt with a firmness fired by her determination to succeed. As she seeks to address her despondency with a cracking and uplifting trip to Las Vegas accompanied by her supportive girlfriends, she once again turns to her inner Aisling qualities to help build a new life for herself. Trials and tribulations are never far away, but with the help of old friends and new, such as Sharon, a newcomer setting up a hair and beauty business, and the bullied and vulnerable Carol, Aisling is never one to be down for long.

It's a joy to have the return of the irrepressible Aisling, the organised and organising Queen of Ballygobbard, a woman with a heart of gold for whom her friends and family are everything. However, this time around it felt that it took a little time before the Aisling that I had come to know and love returned full throttle, but once she did, she was as utterly compelling and funny as ever. The authors have a solid gold character in their concept of the Irish Aisling, a phenomenon that is both entertaining, comic, witty and heartwarming, surrounding with a wonderfully distinct and diverse set of appealing characters that provide a scintillating support to her. This is a wonderfully engaging and charming read that I adored. Many thanks to Penguin Michael Joseph for an ARC.

This is very easy reading. Nothing too much to think about. Perfect for a holiday read but nothing particularly exciting or different from any other "chick lit" book.

This book had me hooked from page 1. I really warmed to all the characters especially Aisling and there were so many laugh out loud moments in this book, many times I was crying with laughter. This book was a real page turner and meant that I stayed up late reading it many nights as I just wanted to read another chapter

This was a real surprise for me. I hadn’t read the first one because I honestly didn’t think it would be something I would enjoy, so this one was downloaded on a real whim. And I’m actually really glad I read it. It was funny, honest and very reminiscent of early Marian Keyes. Super fun!

I loved the first Aisling book and was delighted to get an ARC of the latest one just before going on holiday.It is perfect holiday reading,and has all the trademarks of the first book.It's very funny,and the characters from the first book all reappear,but life has changed for Aisling after her father died at the end of the last book,and there are more changes for her to deal with .
She is such a great character,kind and funny,and anyone who enjoyed the last book will not be disappointed.I just hope there is a third book to come-I can't wait to find out what happens to her next!

Continuing the adventures of Aisling. There were some laugh aloud moments which had to be muffled as I was sitting on an aeroplane! I enjoyed this enormously even though it was a little predictable in places. I felt as though I was sitting on the sidelines observing life in BGB. A lovely light hearted novel which felt like a celebration of girl power. Look forward to the next instalment.

It was fun to meet up with Aisling again. Her worries and views are so relatable and I like the funny quirks of life in small town Ireland. I hope we get to read more about it in a next instalment.

I loved the first “Aisling” so was delighted to get my hands on this follow on. I wasn’t disappointed either it’s just a really lovely book which made me laugh out loud lots of times. I could hear the voices of the characters perfectly and so glad all the old favourites were in it along with some new ones.
If I have a criticism it’s that the ending just seemed a bit too twee and the book seemed to use this to rush to the end. I loved it though and would heartily recommend it and look forward to the next.