The Visa

by Lizzie O'Hagan

The agreement was to get married . . . not to fall in love.

In this sweeping romantic comedy, affairs are to be expected, and falling in love is betrayal... This topsy-turvy romcom is perfect for fans of Josie Silver, Beth O'Leary and Mhairi McFarlane.

For a commitment-phobe who's never taken a girl on a third date, Jack finds getting married to his old friend Maya pretty easy. He's a New Zealander in need of a visa to stay in the country, and she doesn't believe in marriage anyway. Simple.

Maya and Jack live in wedded, sex-less bliss, until one day Jack starts to get serious with someone else...

Suddenly Maya finds herself falling into a role she never thought she'd be: a wife - and a scorned one at that - who is falling uncontrollably, undeniably, and entirely inconveniently....

... in love with her own husband.

Praise for Lizzie O'Hagan:

'This book is so much more than your usual romcom!' Amazon reviewer

'A must read for any romantic comedy lovers!' Amazon reviewer

'A stunning debut' Amazon reviewer

'Witty and totally engaging!' Amazon reviewer

'The perfect mix of love, friendship, drama and humour' Amazon reviewer

Genres: Romance, Contemporary Romance, Chick Lit, Contemporary, Fiction, Adult, Young Adult

352 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 7, 2022

Reviews

[Alex · Rating 2 out of 5]

this book made me so frustrated why couldn’t the characters just talk to each other!!!!

[Lucy Aronis · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars.

A good premise which was enjoyable to read. However, at times the plot dragged and became stagnant as the protagonists simply did not talk and became stuck on the same issues which led to the book being longer than it needed to be.

Ultimately, a sweet romance which I would recommend!

[Anett · Rating 3 out of 5]

just talk!

[Izzy · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a perfect book for the love-filled month of February! This book definitely took me on a rollercoaster of emotions, and while I definitely got frustrated at both Maya and Jack at times, I rooted for their happily-ever-after throughout.
The dual narrative structure of this was just what I needed to really gain an insight into both Jack and Maya's lives, and it was great to be able to watch them fall in love at their own pace with the other. The back and forth and O'Hagan's writing style in general kept me hooked and I sped through this to know how the book ended.
As much as it was a love story between Maya and Jack, I liked how interconnected they were, to their respective best friends who bring everyone together by being a couple. It felt like taking a peek into a friendship group and helped me feel very involved in the story.
Both protagonists had their own obstacles to overcome while also dealing with their feelings for each other, and while it may have been frustrating to read at times, I appreciated that these weren't resolved straight away in order to make way for the romance plot, but rather that these took precedence for Maya and Jack to deal with their issues before they felt they could be in a happy, healthy relationship.
I haven't read many, if any, books with this marriage-for-convenience trope, but it's made me want to seek them out! It really read like a rom-com film, and I think this would be great if adapted onto the big screen.
The slow-burn romance between the two, and the fact that they never get together before things initially end for them, made the final reunion so much more satisfying! It really made me feel that they connected as two beings who come to love one another instead of the typical passion-filled affairs.
I will definitely be looking out for whatever Lizzie writes next, and I hope you give The Visa a chance!

[Michelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

+1 star for having a real kiwi accent on the audiobook
-1 star for my petty jealousy that any visa application could take as little as 6 weeks to process T_T

[Elizabeth Moore · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a delight! Loved the sweetness and honesty of these characters who work to become healthy individuals (after a few self-admitted childish rough patches) before they can consider a happily ever after. Read in one sitting on a flight from the UK to the US and it was the loveliest plane book!

[Leith Devine · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this book. The premise was great, and I liked the characters. There was a lot of dialogue that didn’t advance the plot much, which meant I skipped forward occasionally. The relationship between the two characters was believable and the best friend characters were strong.

From the Publisher:
“For a commitment-phobe who's never taken a girl on a third date, Jack finds getting married to his old friend Maya pretty easy. He's a New Zealander in need of a visa to stay in the country, and she doesn't believe in marriage anyway. Simple.
Maya and Jack live in wedded, sex-less bliss, until one day Jack starts to get serious with someone else.
Suddenly Maya finds herself falling into a role she never thought she'd be: a wife - and a scorned one at that - who is falling uncontrollably, undeniably, and entirely inconveniently...in love with her own husband.”

I liked that the ending took a realistic amount of time to come together, it made it more powerful. 3 stars.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

[Novel_Natters · Rating 5 out of 5]

#adprprproduct #BookReview ✨
The Visa by @lizzie_ohagan 📖

Words: Almost strangers, marriage, secrets.

🌟This was a fabulous slow burn romance. A will they, won't they with so much more.

🌟I absolutely adored the Jack & Maya. I was 100% invested in their story. I laughed, I cried & I gasped along the way.

🌟It's pace is spot on making it rather difficult to put down.

🌟I'd highly recommend to fans of Beth O'Leary this plot is reminiscent of the Flatshare.

🌟I cannot wait to see what O'Hagan does next! But luckily in the meantime as she is a new to me author I'm running off to purchase her debut What Are Friends For?

Disclaimer: A huge thanks to @headlinebooks for sending me this title for an honest & unbiased review.

[Rebecca Thompson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this so so much, one of the best reads so far this year. A beautiful story of finding love in messy lives and that things always end up right even if it doesn’t feel like it will

[Claire · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was such a good read. I adored Jack he was just such a sweet guy dealing with alot, I loved Maya too although she drove me crazy with her inability to bloody say anything that she thought/felt there's also a moment in here were I wanted to scream at her.

The slow burn in here is done really well, and I loved watching there relationship slowly develop into more, and the living together and same bed trope, yes I loved it, it's definitely one of my favourite tropes in romance. So many cute moments in here that made me love Jack and Maya together.

Although this book definitely deals with some hard topics - grief being the biggest one I loved watching Jack and Maya work through everything that they needed to deal with. This ended up being such great read for me.

Thank you to the publisher who gifted me a copy of this book via netgalley for review.

[Agi · Rating 3 out of 5]

When I started reading the book, I was expecting a funny, light - hearted comedy of errors. What I got, though, was, especially at the beginning, not too promising read with characters that didn't feel likeable. It took me long to warm to Maya, to be honest, she was not an easy character, what with all the issues plaguing her. I think I am done with characters like hers, focusing so much on themselves, being so broken and with her feelings so ostentatiously on display. However, slowly, I started to warm to her, to maybe not like her but understanding her more.

I liked the banter between Maya and Jack, it was genuine, it flew seamlessly and flawlessly and didn't feel forced. However, there wasn't much of this banter, as the book mostly focused on Maya and Jack's own issues and the story felt like one big and long stream of consciousness and eventually I found myself skim - reading the story.

But altogether, it was an easy and entertaining read with characters that need more polish and depth to them. It was not what I've been expecting - my fault, apologies - and I'd love it to be more complex and for the author to not taking the easiest way. Nevertheless, there was a lot of potential, so maybe we're in a treat with the next book?

[Liv · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really quick read but was kind of disappointed with the ending, wanted more jack and maya time but still a good read

[Faye · Rating 5 out of 5]

it has been a while since i enjoyed myself a perfectly sweet and hilarious rom-com and lizzie o’hagan’s the visa delivered just that. i laughed, i cried, i cringed, i screamed, everything that you could possibly think of happen… happened. i truly enjoyed this one with all my heart that i’m at loss for words on how to describe my overall feelings for this book. i am impossibly enamoured by this little fictional bubble o’hagan has created and though i want more of jack and maya, i’m happy it ended the way it did.

i see a great deal of myself in maya. from our headstrong—often times you can call it stubborn—personality to our personal troubles on family and love. her sarcasm is truly everything and it compliments her relationship with jack so well that it made it seem as if they were made for each other since day one. jack is such a sweetheart and his constant thoughtfulness of maya both as a friend and as a husband is so sweet to read. despite the deal that they made, the rules that they established, it took him so much restraint to respect the rules maya had laid down for them and i love him for that. i just love both of them together, they have my whole heart, their banter with each other is what keeps me breathing and living. i. just. love. THEM. thank you 💋

this is my first lizzie o’hagan book and definitely will not be the last. as said before, i am enchanted by this little world o’hagan has created, paired with her intelligent and hilarious writing, everything is simply *chef’s kiss*. this really broke my minor slump and i reckon it could break yours too. it’s not everyday that i read a book with a marriage-of-convenience trope so this one truly took my breath away with how amazing it is. it’s only right for me to give it 5 stars and perhaps infinitely more. highly recommend this to EVERYONE if you’re looking for a sweet, lighthearted rom-com that will tug on your heartstrings in every imaginable ways possible. (don’t worry you can read this during ramadan too i assure you my muslim readers 🤍)

thank you as always to definitely books by pansing for sending me this gorgeous book 💌

twitter ☆ instagram ☆ booktube

[Soph · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is such an adorable, easy, loveable, cute, addictive read. I absolutely love a slow burn romance book that just keeps you waiting for that first something that you 100% know is going to happen.

I really liked both Maya and Jack. I know Maya had some 'hard to like' traits to begin with but even right at the beginning of the book I could see beyond that and I know she'd be a character I could relate to in many ways. Jack is such a sweet guy that had a lot of unresolved experiences on his plate and I fell utterly in love with him. Watching their relationship blossom was just wonderful, despite wanting to shout through the pages at them both to make them realise how they felt about one another!

I think the slow burn romance was executed perfectly here. The fact that they were living together, sharing a bed, and married very early on was a romance trope I can get fully behind. There were so many cute moments throughout the story and I adored them so much.

I also want to give a shoutout to the extremely hard and sensitive topics that were woven through the story. Grief being the main topic at the forefront. Watching both Maya and Jack navigate their way through their grief experiences was extremely raw and heartwarming and I loved the way Lizzie O'Hagan addressed the topic.

I cannot thank Headline Publishing Group and Lizzie O'Hagan enough for a copy of this book as part of The Visa blog tour! (I apologise my review is late, apparently moving house and working on a COVID ward as a newly qualified. nurse isn't good for reading)

[Bogstoetten Elfie · Rating 3 out of 5]

SPONSORERET ANMELDELSE

3,5 stjerner

”Visum” er en sød slow-burn romance, hvor slow-burn virkelig er kodeordet. Bogen er 352 sider lang, og de finder først sammen til allersidst, så de danser om den varme grød længe. Jeg synes, at det er lidt for længe.
Sproget er nogle gange lidt kringlet, så jeg har skullet læse adskillige sætninger flere gange for at forstå det.

Maya er ikke den eneste med en hemmelighed, også Jack gemmer på noget, som bliver langsomt afsløret igennem bogen. Jacks hemmelighed var med til at fastholde mig til bogen, når jeg synes, at det blev lidt langtrukkent.

Bogen bliver fortalt fra både Mayas og Jacks synsvinkel, og på den måde kommer man hurtigt til at lære dem at kende. Jeg må indrømme, at jeg finder Maya irriterende. Hun gør alt for at være selvstændig og uafhængig, hvilket også er fint nok, men jeg synes, at det kammer over for hende. Hun vil ikke engang gå ind ad døren, hvis en anden holder den for hende – hun vil og kan selv. På den anden side er jeg aldrig stødt på en karakter som hende, så det er med til at gøre historien anderledes end alt, hvad jeg hidtil har læst.

Udover kærlighed og hemmeligheder handler bogen også om venskab og familie, hvor Mayas bedste veninde Emmie, Jacks bedste ven Adrian og Mayas mor spiller store roller.

En ting, som jeg virkelig er vild med ved denne bog, er, at mændene også viser følelser med våde øjne eller tårerne strømmende ned ad kinderne. Der er ikke noget med store, stærke stereotype mænd, der aldrig græder.

Selvom mine følelser om bogen er lidt ambivalente, vil jeg alligevel anbefale den til romancefans, der elsker slow-burn romance.

[thewoollygeek (tea, cake, crochet & books) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was such a an addictive and adorable read. I do admit though to being a massive fan of the slow burn romance and this one is perfect, yes the living together and same bed is been done before, you could say it’s a cliché but there’s a reason it’s done again and again in so many books and films, it absolutely works and it’s funny. I loved watching their relationship grow and both Maya and Jack I loved so much, I admit I did love Jack more because although I did love Maya I found her frustrating a lot with her not being able to express her feelings at all, I know there reasons for this but I still couldn’t help but find it a bit irritating at times. I thought the use of dual POV narrative was done really well and helped add to the story, they both had distinctive voices and I thought it did make a big difference. Overall, an engaging and entertaining read that I would definitely recommend to lovers of romance.

Thanks to netgalley and Headline for a free copy in exchange for an honest review, all opinions are my own.

[Rachel Gilbey · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fabulous novel, and the first I have read from this author, that had me incredibly entertained.

i love how Jack and Maya agree to get married out of convenience for them both, despite barely really knowing each other, in part so that Jack can stay in the UK, and so that May doesn't have to face up to ghosts in her own life.

They are both running from things, both have a lot to discover about themselves and each others, and I really enjoyed seeing them get to know each other after getting married.

Just as amusing is seeing them break the news to their best friends (who just happen to be dating), and seeing their reactions to this out of character development for Maya.

I reckon this would make a great rom-com film for the big screen, it certainly has all the elements, and is a story I feel many would enjoy.

I know I certainly did.

Thank you to Headline Review and Netgalley for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily.

[Meg’sLostInABook · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book title was finally picked out my TBR Jar despite me picking up the book twice and struggling to get past/into the first chapter. However, as it was picked out I focused my time and attention and it has been so worth will!

The Visa follows the POV of Maya strong minded, feminist Londoner and Jack-the-Jock nerdy Newzealander who is In desperate need of a way to stay in London after running from his past 5 years ago.
After a party where we find our two main characters alone and each heading in a different direction then what they have been used to these past couple of years, the question to asked on wether marriage is the answer to both their problems… 💍

Fans of Friends - The Last One (season 10 Episode 18) and 2011 Friends with benefits🍿 will love this book!
I really do recommend and I am so glad I perceived the 3rd time round!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

[Sukanya Bora · Rating 5 out of 5]

Perfect for those who love to read a feel-good romantic comedy book 📖 🌸
This is the first Lizzie O’ Hagan book I’ve read and I know that I’m going to read more of her books. This book just made me smile and wanting more. I had so much fun reading it. Loved the pink cover of the book and the storyline. I loved how the book was divided into various parts/sections to describe the relationship between Jack and Maya (the main characters from the book). Loved how the story ended. It will bring a smile to your face! For sure.
My rating would be 5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Would totally recommend it to book readers. Definitely going to read more of her books 📚

[vicky ꨄ︎ · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was such a good premise, so enjoyable to read. The banter between Maya and Jack was everything. The way the characters had to work out their own problems before finding happy ever after with each other, showed amazing self growth. But what did annoy me was when Maya would go through his phone to talk with a teenager and believe her and not let Jack explain the truth was honestly heartbreaking. Also when Jack was saying goodbye to the Girls Code, it broke my heart.

[N.L. Craig · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jack needs a visa and Maya might just be the one to give it to him. She doesn't believe in marriage, it's a piece of paper; one piece of paper for marriage, another for divorce.

So when the two come up with the plan to get married what can go wrong, especially when you make a set of rules such as 'do not fall in love.'

What a great read to start my March. This novel is split into different parts showing us the narrative, with a dual character chapter, split between Maya and Jack throughout.

This was a really easy narrative to follow, with short chapters to keep the novel flowing. This is a novel I very much enjoyed and found myself flying through.

I did struggle to like the character of Emmie, I found her selfish, but she was a minor character and you can see she is just trying to be a friend to Maya.

I will be looking out for this author again and wouldn't hesitate to recommend them.

[Denise Marshall · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.75⭐a sweet romance.but rather drawn out at times.maya and jack frustrating at times.all they needed to do was talk.the build up.the wedding.the backstorys of both their familys was good.but i thought when it came to the conclusion it ended quite quick .

[Fanneke · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 ⭐️. Too much miscommunication, the book could have been 100 pages shorter if we didn’t have that.

[Louise · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5⭐️

Just talk to each other guys!

[Elizabethsreads_ · Rating 3 out of 5]

communication is great, this book lacks it! but other than that it was a okay read! :)

[ebonnie🤎 · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.75⭐️

the characters didn’t communicate properly until the last page😀

[Amber Weller · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ending was predictable but cute

[Erin · Rating 3 out of 5]

It had a very slow start, and as a result of that, it took me a while to read. But if you like romance books, it's still a good read!

[Holly Perini · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely loved this book! 😍 up there as one of my top choices. Absolutely loved the story and the marriage of convenience trope.

[Romy Biauche · Rating 1 out of 5]

L’intrigue aurait pu être sympa mais c’était chiant à mourir, prévisible, sexiste, beaucoup trop long, sans rebondissements, frustrant,… les personnages ne sont pas attachants, bref un no no pour moi