The Visa by Lizzie O'Hagan: A Book Review

We are almost halfway through the year and I've finished my 8th book. At the start of 2024, I told myself that I wanted to finish 15 books before the year finishes, I'm over the halfway point of that target and thrilled! Just another 7 to go. So, what book has been my 8th read this year? It's called 'The Visa' by Lizzie O'Hagan.

The front cover of the book 'The Visa' by Lizzie O'Hagan.

Let's set the scene:

Commitment-phobe Jack is from New Zealand and is currently residing in the UK. However, he needs a visa to continue living in the country. Maya doesn't believe in marriage. As she says "it's just a piece of paper". After a party, Maya drunkenly suggests to Jack that she'll marry him so he can get his visa. The next day, they decide to go ahead with this sham wedding. They then secretly live in sexless-wedded bliss in Maya's dad's apartment in Wapping. 

However, there are big secrets that Maya and Jack don't know about each other. Maya then finds herself falling into the role she doesn't want - a wife. As time passes, she starts falling for Jack, will she admit to Jack how she feels and will they share their darkest secrets?

The front cover of the book 'The Visa' by Lizzie O'Hagan.

What are your thoughts on The Visa by Lizzie O'Hagan?

Three words - lack of communication. This book frustrated me as I wished the two characters would just talk to each other. This book could have been about 100 pages shorter in reality. The plot became a little stagnant and came to a standstill because Jack and Maya couldn't communicate with each other. I would say the story didn't really get going until about 3/4 of the way through. 

However, even though the book dragged a little more than it needed to, I think it kind of made the ending more powerful as it felt more realistic. The book is told from both Maya's and Jack's perspectives, which I like as you can get a feel for and read between the lines of each character.

With the main characters, it took me a while to warm up to Maya. There were a lot of issues plaguing her though so I'll give her the benefit of the doubt. Jack was a likeable character and the banter between him and Maya was brilliantly written and flowed so seamlessly and didn't feel forced. 

I liked the main character's best friends, Emmie and Adrian, who were really good friends to both Maya and Jack. 

This romantic comedy isn't the most favourite I've ever read, but it did have its nice moments and as I said, it had a fitting ending. 

Would you recommend The Visa by Lizzie O'Hagan?

Yes and no. This book was easy to follow, but it didn't need to drag on as it did. However, I would like to read another one of Lizzie O'Hagan's books as this book did show potential, so maybe I'll fall in love with another one of her books!

The front cover of the book 'The Visa' by Lizzie O'Hagan.


Let me know your thoughts on this book review!

31 comments
  1. I haven't heard of this book before, but I loved reading your review of it! I hate when books drag on for much longer than they need to, it can be so frustrating! Great work on keeping up with your reading goals for the year! I'm a little bit behind on mine, I definitely need to work on catching up! Thanks for sharing your review! :)

    https://melissakacar.com

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    1. Yeah I hate it when books drag on for much longer than they need to, it's just not necessary! I hope you catch up on your reading goal Melissa! x

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  2. I like the sound fof the premise of the book but I think the lack of communication would frustrate me! xx

    Danielle’s Beauty Blog

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    1. The premise is really good but the lack of communication between the two main characters frustrated me! x

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  3. It's a shame this book dragged a little bit - I don't really have patience for that. But at the same time I love an easy-to-follow read, especially during the Summer months. Thanks for sharing :)

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    1. It is definitely an easy to follow read, just a shame it dragged on a little longer than it should have done!

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  4. This seems like a decent book, if a little overly long and dragged out a bit. I am not sure if this book is for me, but I definitely like the premise of it!

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    1. The premise is really good Molly, it's just a shame it dragged on more than it needed to!

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  5. When I was younger, I used to read a lot of romance novels, but I prefer non-fiction now. I liked the layout of your review- it was an easy read and captured the essence of the book.

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    1. I'm glad you like the layout of my review lovely!

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  6. You had me chuckling at 'this book could have been 100 pages shorter.' But you persevered and got your good ending

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    1. Haha! I definitely wanted to persevere with this one as I wanted to see how it ended!

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  7. Interesting book, haven't heard of it before! However I did laugh out loud with the comment that it could have been 100 pages shorter. xD
    I haven't read a single book in MONTHS, I somehow struggle to find something to keep me entertained, but I will try my best!


    http://www.couture-case.com/

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    1. Yeah I hadn't heard of it before until I saw it on Vinted and bought it!
      I'm glad that bit made you laugh!

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  8. Great review! The plot does seem promising at first, but I understand how a dragging story can be frustrating. Your honest take is really helpful for getting a sense of the book’s pacing.

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    1. When the story drags, it can be frustrating!

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  9. Ah, that's too bad that it was a slow start because the plot seems interesting!
    Good luck with your reading challenge; can't wait to see what other books you pick up!

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    1. Thank you Claire! I hope I can complete my reading challenge too x

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  10. I hate a book that is slow lool I have no attention for that https://www.shyyshianne.com/

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    1. It's annoying when a book starts to become slow x

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  11. Great job on hitting the halfway point of your reading goal! "The Visa" had its slow moments, but the ending was worth it. Looking forward to hearing about the next book on your list!

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    1. Thank you Doris!
      Yeah the ending was worth it in the end!

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  12. Sounds like a good beach book or one to read by the pool. I liked reading your perspective on it thank you for sharing! :)

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    1. It's a great beach book by the pool Andrea!

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  13. Ooh I've not heard anything of this book before. Defo adding it to my list!
    Rosie

    https://www.loverosiee.co.uk

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    1. Despite it dragging on more than it should. it was a nice, easy read!

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  14. Ohhh interesting! This book sounds like it has all the storyline to be something great, it's a shame it kind of fell short. And go you! I'm looking forward to seeing what your next 7+ books are going to be. X

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    1. Yeah it's a shame that it dragged on a little longer than it needed to! x

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  15. This book sounds like something I would enjoy, though it is often frustrating when communication is a big issue! x

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    1. When the characters lack communication, it makes the book harder to read sometimes! x

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  16. Thats too bad it was so frustrating to read but yes try one of her other books. I love the cover design I would buy it just for that to have my shelf LOL.

    Allie of
    www.allienyc.com

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