Oh My God, What a Complete Aisling!: Just a Small-Town Girl Living in a Notions World

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The synopsis reads: “With her café BallyGoBrunch flying and the door firmly closed on her relationship with John, an unexpected job offer sees Aisling boarding a business-class flight to New York in her best wrap dress and heels. As she finds her feet in the Big Apple, she throws herself into the dating game, grapples with ‘always-on’ work culture, forges and fights for new friendships, and brings her good wedges to a party in the Hamptons (much to Sadhbh’s dismay).

I stumble into the ensuite – two sinks, nice touch – where John is simultaneously brushing his teeth, rubbing a cloth across his face and attempting to hold in a puke. I catch sight of my reflection – mother of God, I didn’t even take off my makeup last night, that’s highly unusual – and wince. Fun, entertaining and, at times, a bit emotional, Oh My God, What a Complete Aisling is a fast-paced, funny read which I really didn't want to put down!Armed with her best wrap dress and heels, Aisling boards a business-class flight to New York to start a new adventure. So who is Aisling? In short, she’s the Irish everywoman who over the past six years and five books has become a runaway publishing success story. Co-author Sarah Breen summed her up best for this newspaper in 2017. “Aisling’s the country girl who works up in Dublin but has precisely zero time for your city notions, thank you very much. She loves working in the Big Smoke – very sophisticated altogether – but she loves going Down Home every weekend even more ... Aisling loves a good wake; Aisling has never hidden from the television licence inspector; Aisling knows the Weight Watchers points in everything.” I've always had a soft spot for Irish authors who write the type of books which are funny and sad at the same time. I swear I read them in an Irish accent in my head as they're not nearly as good in my native Scots! I think we have a little bit of Aisling in all of us so it's really easy to identify with her. I found myself getting quite emotional in some of the lifelike, sobering scenes but it wasn't long before I found myself laughing again. Emer McLysaght and Sarah Breen need to bottle Aisling and prescribe her in place of anti-depressants; I can't imagine anyone reading it without a smile on their face.

Emer McLysaght (left), and Sarah Breen during the Frankfurt Book Fair in 2019 (Image: DPA/PA Images) Große Abenteuer bestreitet Aisling im Buch zwar nicht, dennoch halten ihre neuen Mitbewohnerinnen sie ganz schön auf Trab. Sie durchlebt die Tiefen des Liebeskummers, mutiert zur Partylöwin, auf der Arbeit geht es drunter und drüber und bei den Eltern ist auch nicht alles wie man es sich wünschen würde. Außerdem scheint jemand ein Auge auf sie geworfen zu haben. Es sind eben die kleinen oder größeren Aufregungen des Alltags an denen die Autorinnen uns teilhaben lassen. Das macht Aisling zu einer von uns, denn ihre Probleme oder zumindest so ähnlich, haben wir alle bestimmt schon gehabt. Ob es am Ende zum Befreiungsschlag kommt, müsst ihr selber lesen ;) For a dyed-in-the-wool farmer, Daddy is low-key obsessed with soaps, especially the Australian ones. I think part of him longs for a bit of escapism. He doesn’t get much glamour moving sheep and cattle around all day. I arrive home to find Daddy asleep in front of GAA Beo, a fluffy ginger ball curled up on his lap. Technically the cat is Paul's, but since my younger brother's departure for Australia four months ago, Daddy and Tiger have forged a weird sort of bond, borne out of a fondness for the fire and a desire to avoid Mammy's incessant questions. He wakes up as I reach for the remote, even though I haven't made a sound. Beside me, John is horsing into the contents of his second trip to the buffet. He looks so cute that I can’t stop myself reaching out and squeezing his hand affectionately. His plain white T-shirt is inside out, I’ve just noticed – the big gom. He looks up from his sausage sandwich and raises his eyebrows quizzically.

Aisling’s neuroticism arises from her deep conscientiousness and investment in those she loves, and is considered fondly by her reader. She is presented to us as a tender, well-rounded, functional person who is a benevolent influence on people around her. She is caring, independent and robust. She is the sort of person who can function as an individual and can also prioritise others when the situation calls for it. She is a modern Irish woman, and the book presents Aisling’s neuroticism as a realistic element of her character that both benefits and stymies her depending on the context.

There's a theme of romance in this, but it's not a romantic story, more a coming of age story which disappointed me a bit if I'm honest. The end kind of came up from nowhere and ends were left loose which isn't my thing, but still, a good read. Irish duo Sarah Breen and EmerMcLysaght admitted emotions were running high as the final instalment of their popular series of novels hit shelves on Monday. Aisling wohnt mit 28 Jahren noch bei ihren Eltern und träumt von der großen Liebe und einem Ring am Finger. Doch ihr langjähriger Freund John hat da offenbar andere Pläne. Als ihr das klar wird, trennt sie sich kurzerhand von ihm und zieht in eine WG in Dublin.Author Sarah Breen On How Living With Friends Helped Invent The Iconic Character Of Aisling | Stellar". Oh My God, What a Complete Aisling made me smile and laugh, and though she's odd in many ways, I really warmed to Aisling - seeing the world through her eyes is so entertaining, and left my hugely amused. Her observations on other people and their habits are brilliant. Some parts are ridiculous but that's all part of the fun, and there are some much more serious moments too - it's not all light and fluffy. This is an edited extract from Oh My God, What A Complete Aisling: The Novel by Emer McLysaght and Sarah Breen, published by Gill Books ( €14.99) You get the picture. They both have one main street and plenty of pubs. The hurling teams play each other in almost every county final, with the competition frequently spilling off the pitch and into everyday life. As a result, Daddy sees myself and John as a sort of modern-day Romeo and Juliet but with fewer suicides and more GAA dinner-dances.