O'Mara's

The Guesthouse on the Green #1

by Michelle Vernal

Welcome to the guesthouse on the Green, where Mammy and her girls will make you feel part of the family. Settle in and enjoy your stay at O'Mara's, where stories abound, romance lurks and laughter sounds.

Aisling O'Mara. Her heart was broken once, and she won't let it happen twice. Besides, she's far too busy managing the guesthouse, shopping for designer shoes and learning to dance the salsa for love. So she's built a fortress as impenetrable as the Berlin Wall around her heart.
Now her former fiancé has reappeared in Dublin, and he's determined to knock that wall down. But, can she trust him or, has love been stepping on her toes all along?

Una Brennan's booked into the guesthouse she used to walk past each morning when she was a young girl, full of hopes and dreams. She left Dublin more than fifty years ago, vowing she'd never set foot in the city again. What devastating event caused her to go, and what's brought her back now?

Other people's problems are easy to solve, and when these two very different women share a late-night pot of tea, they might open each other's eyes to the possibility of learning to love again.

Genres: Fiction, Ireland, Chick Lit, Romance, Contemporary, Book Club, Irish Literature

278 pages, Paperback

Published December 11, 2018

About the author

Michelle Vernal is a bestselling author of warm, witty, and uplifting Irish fiction. Born in England to parents from Liverpool – often called “Little Ireland” – she grew up on her mum’s tales of Iocal families, music, and humour. Later, she lived, worked, got engaged, and travelled extensively in Ireland, experiences that inspire her much-loved novels, including the hilarious Guesthouse on the Green series. Her stories, filled with heart, humour, and unforgettable characters, have earned her a loyal readership worldwide.

For updates on Michelle's latest book releases you can follow her here: https://www.amazon.com/author/michell...

Reviews

[Elaine and Tess the Springer. I won’t be on GR for a bit. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Delightful.

A wonderful and very enjoyable book about family life in a guesthouse. We hear about the guests and also about Aisling, who is running it after her father passed away very suddenly and her mother decided to pass it over. An easy read.

[Dee (in the Desert) · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars for this “stuff my Kindle” novel that I totally forgot I owned. 🤷🏻‍♀️ I’m so glad I did finally read it though - it’s kinda old school chick-lit (set in 1999) and was quite lovely to read for St. Patrick’s Day. This is book one of a rather large series & I would read another. Faith & begorra, I would sure love to see Ireland someday!!☘️🇮🇪☘️

[Katherine Coble · Rating 2 out of 5]

I don’t know why this book was such a flat read. It contained a lot of what I enjoy from light romance. But I think I was bothered by the fact that the author attempted to make this a “deeper” book by doing a non-linear narrative.
1. It wasn’t done well. By the time we get to a flashback section most of the events of the flashback have been recounted or at least alluded to. So instead of being a bit of insight it feels more like “oh. Here we are again.”

2. It feels like the author didn’t know if she wanted to be Maeve Binchy or a lighter romance author. So she tries some time-honoured Binchy tricks, but does so without the deep theming that makes Binchy work. It all just felt…EXTRA. I picked up the book for one thing and got 1/2 of that one thing and then 1/2 of trying for more.

I guess for me it was the wrong book at the wrong time. But it’s not a terrible book by any means so YMMV.

[Rachel · Rating 1 out of 5]

A sappy frothy comical book. The only positive thing I have to say is it was set in Ireland therefore the audiobook narrator had an Irish accent.

Aisling O’Mara returns to run the family guesthouse after her father’s death. She is beginning to examine the possibility of romance with long-term friend-zone neighbour Quinn, when her commitment phobic ex-fiancé Marcus reappears and makes her rethink her path. Come on girlfriend, it’s so obvious. The story of a lonely older guest Una Brennan jilted by her fiancé makes up the other story arc. Like Maeve Binchy gone wrong, it is so stereotypically cringingly Irish cliche that I can’t imagine anyone Irish ever reading it. The only redeeming feature was the odd funny line from her mother. If you want to read books set in Ireland, try one by an Irish author, there are so many better options than this.

[Carlin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book and Michelle Vernal's writing (I've read others of hers and loved them too). Plus it's a good thing the setting was Dublin, one of my favorite places. This is #1 about a series revolving around the guest house O'Mara's.

[Lisa · Rating 2 out of 5]

Boring as hell. I was at 50% before I even had an idea what the plot was supposed to be. Summary: lady is jilted at the altar by an incel man-baby. a year later he wants her back. she almost does it. UGH what a waste of time.

the writing was okay (too much useless detail) and the voice acting was very good. That's all that got me through.

[Fionnuala Dalton · Rating 3 out of 5]

The three books were an easy read and at first I was enjoying them but unfortunately as I read on it was obvious that the author was trying too hard to be Irish. She over used the word yer, and the phrase "I was after" and they were not used in the right context and this annoyed me. It was more obvious in the third book unfortunately and ruined it for me. Definitely a good way to go to be as good as Maeve Binchy.

[ISABELLE M MANDANICI · Rating 5 out of 5]

A delight

I so enjoyed this story so much. I was wishing we had a guest house like O'Maras here. I enjoyed the characters and felt I knew each one personally. They were very believable and easy to get to know.

[Gail · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pleasant, funny read. Loved the Dublin setting!

[Sue · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great fun!

[Mahoghani 23 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Romantic and Passionate

A double love story that covers two generations. Actually, three but two wrongs don't make a right and if the so call love of your life leaves you out of fear of commitment, there is no such thing as a do over.

[Pam · Rating 5 out of 5]

O’Mara’s: Guesthouse on the Green: The Guesthouse on the Green Series Book 1 is by Michelle Vernal. This book is so cute and the fact that it takes place in Ireland makes it so much more unusual. With the clear and realistic characters, you get the feel of Ireland which is enhanced by the descriptions of the inn and Quinns in particular. This is the story of love and love renounced and forgiveness. It is actually two stories combined into one.
Aisling O’Mara had come home after her Dad died and took over the running of the O’Mara hotel when her Mother decided to give it up. Her older sister and brother didn’t want to run it and her younger sister didn’t either, although she agreed to live there with her. That it saved her money was the main reason she stayed. Aisling loved the old family home and wanted to make sure everyone who came to visit had a wonderful time. She had thought she would live her with her husband Marcus; but he had sent her a note telling her he didn’t want to marry her. Her best friend managed to get refunds from most of the vendors they had already paid for the wedding while Aisling was devastated. Finally, she has almost come to and end of loving Marcus; but she isn’t quite there. Now, Marcus is coming back to try to win her back. Will she trust him with her heart again?
Una Brennan was a retired lady who was visiting O’Mara’s. So far, evidently nothing had met with her standards because she was always sporting a frown on her face. Nothing positive came out of her mouth. Everyone tried to stay away from her. Luckily, she spent most of her day out, doing what no one knew; but she was out. What no one knew was Una was a twin and had come to see her sister; but didn’t have the nerve to get closer to her house than the park across the street from her house. What was going on with her?
The twists and turns the novel makes keeps you on your toes. You find yourself laughing at their Mother and at Moira as she tried to find the best life will provide. You cry as Aishling struggles with her decision about Marcus. You feel the whole range of emotions as you get to know the people in the hotel and you root for Mr. Fox.

[Jan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed the story and the characters. However, it was very hard for me to read this book with all the grammar errors. It really needed a good editor. So many run-on sentences, apostrophe errors, and misspellings. I sometimes had to read sentences a couple of times, trying to understand what she was staying. I won't be reading any more of her books.

[Theresa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Meh

If you’re a Lifetime or Hallmark movie fan then this is the book for you. This book was billed as a laugh-out-loud story of the proprietor and guests at a bed and breakfast in Dublin, Ireland. While it was a low-key, pleasant read I honestly wasn’t compelled to chuckle let alone laugh out loud. My overall reaction is...meh.

[Claudette Elzinga]

Boring. Read half of the book and gave up.

Boring read half the book and gave up. Boring, boring,boring, boring,boring,boring. Boring,boring,boring,boring,boring,boring. I can't think of anyone I would recommend this book to.

[Valerie · Rating 3 out of 5]

A nice atmospheric read in Dublin's fair city as the author captures all that is Irish. Aisling is a 30-something recovering from a failed romance while managing her family's bed and breakfast. She meets one of her curmudgeonly guests and learns to follow her heart.

[Catherine Matsubu · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm so glad I chose to read this book!

What a nice, comfortable book to read at bedtime! I usually like mysteries but decided to deviate this time and was not at all disappointed.

[Linda Walters · Rating 5 out of 5]

5+ STARS If someone you love hurts you build a bridge & get over it
The red fox opens the story and his part in the story is a hoot !
Aisling O'Mara- The Peacemaker. At all costs, so many times to her hurt. Clever and efficient running the Guesthouse but not so clever with men. Enter the future fiance, Marcus McDonagh, who everyone pretty much hated on sight. But Aisling is about to get a backbone ! Because she has friends like Leila, her best friend and Quinn. Quinn is also Aisling's best friend. He is the chef of his very own Bistro. And her constantly maker her great food. To keep her healthy and comforted, as a friend you know? He often conveyed that. Does he want to be more than a friend? It sure looks like he might want to be.
There are flashback before Aishing's fiance, and to current times but they are seamless and don't distract from reading the story.
Patrick O'Mara was absolutely NO help to the family at all. He was a "chancer". Their mom Maureen O'Mara thought he could do no wrong. And she's a bold, kinda waka- doodle woman. But Aisling and her sister, Moira knew better. He was just out for himself. First. Last. And Always ! It's also ironic that Moira was so judgemental because she was lazy and selfish. That led to some FUN conversations for everyone ! Rude and funny ! Yes, there is hurt in this story but there is also a HUGE amount of humor that often had me laughing out loud ! Or shaking my head. Michelle Vernal really knows how to write to wring your emotions and get you into this story. I also adored the Irish lingo and learned some cute Irish words that I might be using. There is a couple of Irish curse words that weren't too hard to figure out. But they don't try to take over the story. Good.
Roisin is the older sister, who is mainly absent from the guesthouse because she's married and living her best life with her husband and son, Noah.
A guest, Miss Una Brennan, turned out to be a VERY interesting person. We got to hear her backstory about her love for fiance Leo Greene and how everything had gone so wrong ! Things were still broken between her twin sister, Aideen and Una. Even more interesting.
I loved how Aisling looked at people and inside her head gave them nicknames and how she mentally Did a, "Dear Aisling " column signed to Me. Hysterically funny and at times a little sad.
The ending in this book was so special that I adored it.
Next book is centered mainly on Moira's story because at the end of this book there is a peek into that new book called, "Moira Lisa Smile" I love that clever title.
P.S. I did have trouble spelling and typing the name,P.S. I did have trouble spelling and typing Aisling's name for some odd reason. I kept misspelling it and even now I'm not sure I got it right, lol! . But that still didn't put me off !

[Julie Failla Earhart · Rating 3 out of 5]

Welcome to Dublin and The Guest House on the Green. It’s a charming Georgian manor in the heart of Dublin. It has been owned and operated by the O’Mara family. The innkeeper is Aisling O’Mara who recently returned to Ireland permanently after the death of her father. Her mother no longer wanted to run the inn and none of Aisling’s three siblings wanted any part of it. However, her youngest sister. Moira, lives there with her.

As I was introduced to the various characters who would play the major and minor roles in the story, I felt a little like I was watching an episode of the “Love Boat” or “Hotel,” in that there is more than one story taking place.

One of Aisling’s closest friends, Quinn, runs the restaurant down the street. They almost had a fling once, but then Aisling met and almost married Marcus. That didn’t work out so well when Marcus called off the wedding be leaving her a note and skipping town. Now that Aisling’s broken heart is about to heal, she begins to image what life would be like with Quinn. Then Marcus shows up and turns Aisling’s heart upside down.

One of the guesthouses’ guest is Una Brennan. An older woman, Aisling and her staff can’t seem to do anything to make Una happy. But it turns out that Una is there to right a wrong and mend her own broken heart. To me, Una’s story was the best part of the novel. It had more tension and surprises than Aisling’s story, who plot line was rather predictable.

“O'Mara's: The Guesthouse on the Green” receives 3 out of 5 stars in Julie’s world.

[Lilmissmolly · Rating 4 out of 5]

O’Mara’s is the first book in The Guesthouse on the Green series written by Michelle Vernal. It is a series about the trials and tribulations of the O’Mara family and those who visit their family guesthouse. The writer draws comparisons to Maeve Binchy and Rosamund Pilcher and I can see why.

This story in particular is a wonderfully written book that tugs on your heartstrings. Aisling O’Mara returns to Dublin to take over the running of the family guesthouse after the death of her father. She soon falls in love with Marcus and they plan to get married and run the inn. Two weeks before the wedding Aisling’s world comes crashing to a halt when Marcus leaves town after writing her letter to say he can’t go through with it. With the support of family and friends Aisling slowly pieces her life back together, until Marcus reappears on the scene saying he’s sorry and wants to try again. The rest of the story is Aisling determining whether she should trust him with her heart again.

I listened to the audio version of this story narrated by simply sublime Siobhan Waring. Her narration style is very natural, providing different voices for all the characters. She has a rhythm to her reading that is simply melodic and enchanting. I’m really looking forward to listening to other audiobooks in this charming series!

[Sara Clifford-gray · Rating 5 out of 5]

Aisling O’Mara has returned to Dublin to take over the running of the family guesthouse when she meets Marcus at a Salsa class. Just two weeks before their dream wedding Marcus gets cold feet and writes Aisling a letter to say he can’t go through with it. Ever since then, with the support of her friends Quinn and Leila, she goes about piecing her life back together, until Marcus reappears on the scene saying he’s sorry and wants to try again.

This book is not only the story of Aisling, her friends and family, but of the guests who come and stay at the family guesthouse.

In all the reviews I read prior to reading this book, it drew comparisons to Maeve Binchy and as a massive Maeve fan, I thought they were big shoes to fill, however, Michelle does it perfectly!

A truly wonderful read, and I am delighted that there are several more books in the series, so that will keep me busy during lockdown!!

[Sherry D'ambrosio · Rating 5 out of 5]

Be a Guest at O'Mara's

Go on a visit to Dublin and stop in at O'Mara's guesthouse. There you will meet the charming Aisling O'Mara who runs the place. She is a thirty something Irish woman who left behind a successful career when her parents died to return home to care for her many siblings and run the family guesthouse. Aisling is hardworking, sensible, clever and caring. She unexpectedly falls in love while grieving her loss, and throws herself whole heartedly into planning the ultimate wedding. Normally one to handle problems well, Aisling's life becomes complicated and full of heartache when two weeks before the wedding her would-be groom deserts her. One problem follows another and you will read on to see how this likable, realistic character pulls her life together all the while giving loving support to family, friends and even strangers.

[JOAN SALLEY · Rating 5 out of 5]

Aisling O'mara's life was turned upside down when her fiance wrote her a letter saying he couldn't go through with marrying her, as even though he loved her, he didn't feel as if he was ready for marriage. He has been writing her letters for some time, to which she reads and then files away, without replying to them. When he turns back up asking for a second chance, she is torn, as she still has feelings for him, however she isn't sure she can trust him. Is there someone else from her paste that can help her move forward in making the right decision.

Love the quirky characters in this story and looking forward to reading more of this series.

[Laura Wolf · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic immersive story

This story is a really immersive experience, from the detailed descriptions, and the flavourful dialogue to well developed characters - including a cheeky fox which you just have to love, this is a great read.
Aisling is adorable, and writes herself imaginary letters as though she's a relationship columnist in a magazine - totally loveable.
Even if Irish settings or destination romance isn't normally your thing, I'd still recommend giving this one a shot as you'll struggle to find anything as thoroughly absorbing.

[Sheila Dugan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun !

I love everything Mave Binchy , so I was anxious to read this book because of its' introduction. At first it was hard to read because I did want it to be one of her books. When I got the rhythm of Michelle Vernal writings, I really did enjoy the book. I have been to Dublin so I had a good visual of the setting. I do have to say that I don't recall Mave Binchy, using the off color language that was used in this book. When I would see it I would try not to "voice it" in my head, and that seemed to work for me :). I'm anxious to read the next book in this series.

[Lorraine · Rating 5 out of 5]

I ordered this book because it was set in Dublin! Little did I know that the storyline was so amazing! The characters are well written and the storyline just flows. I particularly enjoyed the intertwining stories of two of the characters, and the flashbacks to past events.
It is a great easy read. I like to read all kinds of books, heavy reads, easy reads and everything in between.
Pick this book up to read at the beach, on a patio with a cold drink or curled in your favourite reading spot.
I just ordered the sequel, I hope it lives up to this first in the O'Mara series!

[Jeanne Johnston]

Good, but needs some polish

Not a bad story but a bit hard to follow at times as flashbacks came and went without clear segues, and the punctuation needed a lot of work (no, not related to UK vs US English).

Biggest complaint is how a happy ending kept being hinted at and when it finally happened, it ended abruptly, just a couple sentences, and not even a space between the story and the "thanks for reading" bit and an invitation to read the next book. Quite a cockblock as "happy endings" go... 😒

[Carolyn Shalhoub · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed getting to know the O'Mara family more in this book. I ordered the next book and look forward to reading it. Aisling, the daughter who took over running the bed and breakfast from her mother after her father died is the dutiful daughter. She was left at the altar by her fiance, Marcus, and much of the book involves him coming to town and whether Aisling will take him back (I was loudly voting NO). There were stories involving some of the guests and Aisling's sister Moira, who needed a swift kick in my opinion. Apparently there are 10 books in this series -

[Cherie Mitchell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Have you ever read the first book in a series and just known that you want to keep on reading?

Each character in O'Mara's is exquisitely drawn and within a few pages, the reader feels as though they are a part of the family. The premise of the Guesthouse of the Green is nicely outlined in the first book and the scene is set for the events, chaos, squabbles, love, and laughter that are sure to follow in the subsequent books.

Bookmark this one.

[Suzan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book did my heart good. The setting of the book is in the heart of Dublin and it is lovely. The story starts off with Aisling O'Mara coming home to run the family guesthouse. The book is filled with fun and a little romance. It reminds me of the writing of Maeve Binchy. I love everything Maeve wrote. I will be reading more by Michelle Vernal for sure. I also have to mention the lovely voice of Siobhan Waring she was the perfect choice for reading this audio book.