The one time shy Jana took a risk and fell in love, she ended up heartbroken and pregnant. Anil is a great dad, but she can't forgive his lie of omission. Now, the two are attending a destination wedding in Serengeti National Park. To distract herself from Anil's presence, she agrees to a list of wild challenges created by her fellow bridesmaids. But dropping her guard only makes her more susceptible to Anil's charms. Can she risk forgiving him and falling in love again?

I could really empathize with Jana. She's been hurt, and it's hard for her to trust. But Anil is just so sweet and perfect for her. I loved the African setting and the wedding backdrop. Overall, it's a fun, heartwarming, and uplifting book.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.

This was fantastic and such a fun read. I loved it so much and kept turning the pages. Can’t wait to be able to share this with friends.

I do love a second chance romance and this one hit the mark. Loved the setting of the book, Enjoyed the secondary characters but as for the MFC was not a huge fan of hers at the beginning. She had a bit too much woe is me attitude it seems, but as she grew in between the pages she grew on me as well.

Jana's never really forgiven Anil for not telling her he was still married but their brief affair resulted in their beautiful girl. Jana might have borne a scarlet letter in their community but Anil has, to his credit,. been a good dad. Now they're all off to Africa because her sister is having a destination wedding. This is very much a second chance romance. I liked the setting and if Jana was annoying occasionally, well, everyone is making the best of their lives. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A good read.

I am giving this book three stars because I wanted to see it to the end. However, I LOATHED the main character. She never redeemed herself. She was an awful person through most of the book and I don't understand why anyone wanted to remain in her orbit.

Jana "going wild" is her coming out of her "comfort zone." That phrase gets bandied about throughout the book, although what most of us would consider coming out of our comfort zone is something seriously risky or interesting, like skydiving or moving to a new city alone where you know no one, Jana's is wearing something other than black, white or beige. Talking to a stranger. Things that most people do regularly without a second thought. Jana is the most boring person ever and she always remarks that no one likes her because she is stuck in her comfort zone. She is right, I hated her character. Throughout the entire book. Even when I got to know her, which she remarks changes people's minds, not me. I still think she is an awful person.

There was very little to redeem this rom-com. I even thought Anil was a dolt for waiting around for this woman who is out and out mean to him most of the time.

Seriously, I wasted several hours of my life on this book I am never getting back,. ARGH

I suppose I should thank Forever Grand Central Publishing and Netgalley for the ARC of this book but I'm still mad about the whole thing.

There is a lot that I really enjoyed about JANA GOES WILD, but writing this review a few weeks after reading it, I am finding that it was a pretty forgettable story overall. In the moment, I enjoyed the characters and the lightheartedness of the story, and the fun premise of how our characters finally come together, but there's nothing that cements JANA as incredible or groundbreaking in my eyes. And maybe it's not trying to be, but as someone who reads 200+ books a year, for a book to stick in my mind after time has passed there just has to be something *more.* JANA GOES WILD just didn't have that.

My first Farah Heron, and probably my last. I just didn't like this writing style. I failed to immerse myself and get lost into it; it felt more like having a voice-over recounting events, which doesn't really ever work for me.

Thank you to the publisher and author for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

Coming in hot with another review for Tuesday’s big release day! Introducing Jana Goes Wild, a second chances, and adventure romance.
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Jana meets Anil and has an instant and intense connection…but he held a secret from her and when she finds out, she just can’t trust him. Fast forward, and Jana and Anil have a child, and they were all invited to attend a wedding in Africa. The descriptions of Africa were incredible, I felt like I was there. Also, I loved that Jana was a strong Woman of Color with her doctorate and made no apologies for who she is! It was so refreshing to read a story with such a strong and empowering protagonist.
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My only con - I realized with this book that I’m not a fan of lying and miscommunication. It frustrates the heck out of me. But there is so much to love about the story, not to mention - the excellent writing, and fun cover. Would I recommend it, absolutely, especially if you enjoy the miscommunication trope. So grab a comfy blanket, a good snack, settle in and head on an African safari.
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The hugest of thanks to @netgalley and @readforeverpub for the ARC - this is an honest review

Five years ago Jana and Anil were in a two week relationship that crashed and burned after Jana found out he was still legally married and then discovered she was pregnant. She received a lot of backlash not only within her community but in her professional life as Anil's ex wife's family tried to paint her as a homewrecker. Fast-forward to present day where despite barely having to communicate in person, she and Anil will be apart of the same destination wedding.

I liked that this was a second chance romance with a child that didn't go the route of secret baby. I never find the reason for keeping the child from the father justifiable in those stories. Anil is actually present in his daughter's life and as Jana constantly tells us he is a very attentive father.

I really enjoyed the parts where they were traveling to different hotels and getting to explore Tanzania wildlife on safaris. I also enjoyed reading about the different foods and just experiencing all the aunties and uncles. The friend group was very solid despite Jana's reluctance and sometimes feeling like the odd one out.

At times the pacing was a little off and dragged for me especially towards the end. It was a very slow burn romance but there was also a lot of repetition especially with Jana commenting on how Anil is such a good father but she's mad at him for ruining her reputation. And I understand people love good gossip and scandal and it did cause her to lose a previous job but I felt she let it get to her too much. Much worse scandals happen in the corporate world every day and people move on. The back and forth got to be a little much at one point as Jana felt the need to hold onto the past.

3.5 stars. An interesting story of growing individually and as a couple.

Jana Suleiman feels like she's never really fit in because she just isn't vibrant enough. The one time she actually took a chance resulted in a broken heart and a baby on the way. She's now a bridesmaid for a destination wedding in Serengeti National Park and everyone she knows will be there. Turns out, that includes her potential new boss and her ex. Anil Malek is a great father even if Jana can't forgive him. But she wants to show that she's moved on from him, so the bridesmaids concoct a go-wild list of activities for her to do for the week. When she lets down her guard, she might just end up falling for her ex.

This book was kind of hard for me to rate. For the first 60-70%, I just really didn't like Jana or Anil. I don't feel like they've really grown up or actually learned to communicate (failure to communicate is their main problem throughout the story). They're both being kind of petty and neither seems to want to grovel appropriately for reconciliation. Then we reach the last part of the book. Jana finally works through a lot of her issues with her mom and she and Anil actually talk to one another. I'm not totally convinced that they worked through their problems, but it was pretty heartwarming to see them try. I also really liked to see all their friends there to support them in any way they needed.

Overall, if you've enjoyed Farah Heron's other books, you'll probably also like this one. Even though it's definitely a romance, it a bit leans towards women's fiction, so keep that in mind when you go into the story. The atmosphere is definitely the best part and now I just want to cook up East African Indian food and somehow figure out how to go on a safari.

You need to read Jana goes wild!

Jana Suleiman was going to use the destination wedding in Tanzania as a bridesmaid for some of her best friends to step a little bit out of her comfort zone but finding out that her ex-whatever Anil Malek was putting a damper on everything even though their daughter Imani was thrilled.

I absolutely loved how Farah Heron redeemed Jana because she was still very angry with Anil not explaining what was actually going on in his life when they met. But they did co-parent putting Imani first without showing the world that not everything was perfect in their personal and professional lives because they had to deal with their baggage first.

Now I want the next book!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I really enjoyed these characters and I loved the focus on their daughter. Imani is adorable and seeing how much she loved her parents was really cute. I do wish that Amil and Jana had some cute moments where she wasn't upset at him before they got back together. It felt like something was missing because of that.

I received an arc through netgalley.

I was so excited to read this one and it did not disappoint! Some of the logistics left me with questions (the story with the ex-wife was strangely handled to say the least) but overall it was a lot of fun. Anil was a great character- I fell in love with him a little myself! Definitely recommend. Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for the e-arc.

Unbelievable but still wildly entertaining. Ha- see what I did there? :) The characters were unique and their stories so interesting. This was an interesting plot and the travel was EPIC. The setting descriptions were so vivid, I felt like I was on safari with them. The romance was sweet and authentic, realistic and so lovely. I enjoyed my time with this one!

Thank you Netgalley for the advanced reading copy! Jana Goes Wild is the follow up to Farah Heron’s Kamila Knows Best. This book was sweet and thoughtful in some ways, but hard to read in other ways, had great moments and hard to stomach moments. Jana had an amazing relationship with Anil years ago, but it ends in heartache and her being pregnant. Move to 5 years later, and Anil and Jana are co-parenting a tenacious 4 year old, but neither have recovered from their tumultuous love affair. They’re thrown together at a wedding in Tanzania, but can they both get past the hurt from their former relationship? Certain parts of this book were a slog to get through, and some of Jana’s and Anil’s fights and insecurities were yucky to read. But, saying those things, there were moments of sweetness and reflection that worked great, with some fun moments. I also liked the ending, but I thought it took too long to get there and just too much cringe for me to really enjoy the pacing and story as much as Heron’s other books. Overall, I recommend this book for fans of Heron’s other works and second-chance contemporary romance.

Jana Goes Wild is an introspective second chance romance. Farah Heron shows the work that goes into re-establishing a relationship that fell apart against the stunning backdrop of Tanzania.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Jana and Anil had a short affair five years ago, but some serious lies by Anil put the brakes on their relationship. Now they coparent their 4 year old daughter Imani with as little personal interaction as possible. But when they both end up in the wedding party for their friends Kamila and Rohan (from Heron’s Kamila Knows Best), they are forced to travel to Tanzania together with 30-odd family members for the wedding and two week safari adventure. Imani is ecstatic to have both her parents in the same place at the same time. The Bridal Brigade tries to convince Jana to break out of her safe routine. But she’s is wary about Anil’s motives and her own softening feelings towards him. If she takes a chance and opens herself up to him, is she just setting herself up for heartache again?

Jana Goes Wild has single parents, friends who are family, forced proximity, and a first class, second chance romance. The reader understands Jana’s frustration with her mother, and her inability to please her family no matter how hard she tries. Jana’s wistfulness is almost another character, along with her hurt and frustration when dealing with Anil. But, watching the two learn how to interact with each other on a daily basis after years of seemingly impersonal coparenting is a slow burn treat.

Jana Goes Wild takes characters who appear unlikeable on the surface and shows their relatable struggles. If you are a fan of a slow burn, second chance romance, you’ll enjoy this book. And the stunning Tanzanian backdrop has me thinking about planning a safari of my own.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I've had mixed feelings about Farah Heron's novels in the past, though I've mostly enjoyed them—but, I unfortunately had to DNF Jana Goes Wild at around the 40% mark. I loved the premise and adore the cover, The setting was unique and it had a lot of great tropes, including forced proximity, second chance romance, and guest appearances from past novels.

However, I found it difficult to feel invested in the main romance and quickly grew tired of Jana's character. I also struggle with accidental/surprise pregnancy as a trope, and since it was how the book started, things got off on the wrong foot pretty quickly for me. I think a lot of people will like this book, i just don't know if I'm the right audience for it.

Jana Goes Wild is a perfect second-chance romance.

Jana and Anil are co-parents to a little girl named Imani. They do such a wonderful job at being co-parents. Everything they do together for Imani seemed effortless.

However, Jana tries to avoid Anil at all costs. Until they are both at Kamila and Rohan’s destination wedding in Africa. This time she is stuck being around him for a few weeks.

You can tell that they both still have feelings for one another. Anil tries to do everything he can to get Jana to warm up to him. I love how he would bring her a book that he knew she would like, and her favorite chocolates. Jana was having a hard time fighting feelings for him as the days went on.

I loved the ending and I loved seeing them all so happy!

The setting was amazing. You feel like you are touring Africa with all the great detail Heron put into her writing.

I think fans of Abby Jimenez will love this book!

Thank you to Forever Publishing and NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for my honest review.

A book set in a neverending African safari? Yes please! When single mom Jana and her daughter arrive in Tanzania for a wedding, the last person she expects to see is her daughter's father as a groomsman. After he lied to her years ago, she wants as little to do with him as possible. But when the trip forces them together and she begins to see how wonderful Anil is with her daughter, can Jana find it in her heart to forgive him? This story had a different twist on a second chance romance and I liked watching Jana grow throughout the story. Her daughter was hilarious and I also loved the commraderie of the Bridal Brigade. They all supported each other no matter what and I thought that was awesome. This was definitely a fun destination read and I really enjoyed it! Thank you @readforever and @netgalley for my copy!

The cover of 'Jana Goes Wild' may be one of my favourites of 2023. The visuals of the Tanzanian safari took me on the trip I desperately needed!

This book is for you if you enjoy:
💕 Second chance romance
💕 Introvert x Extrovert
💕 Forced proximity
💕 A cute kid
💕 Chaotic friend group
💕 Bridesmaid party shenanigans

I typically don't enjoy second chance romances in contemporary fiction, but the beautiful East African backdrop and Jana and Anil having such a tense, emotional bond and parenting relationship won me over. The start to their relationship 5 years ago was perfect until it wasn't. They go onto raise their daughter Imani with shared custody for the next five years. Jana makes it her business to keep out of Anil's reach. She has no choice but to interact with him closely over two weeks when her friends get married on a beautiful getaway in Tanzania.

For me, 'Jana Goes Wild' is just as much of a self-love/acceptance story as it is a 'falling back in love with your ex' story. Jana really goes through the journey of her life on this trip as she learns to accept that despite all the bad gossip about her and her introverted nature, she is worthy of love, friendship and appreciation.

Another favourite for me was how every character in this story has such a huge personality! I genuinely laughed out loud at a few pieces of dialogue. I wasn't bored for a second with Jana's friend group and the chaos of the entire wedding party.

I saw someone describe this book as a 'third act breakup but really good' and that made me laugh because it's so true.

And now we get to the romance. I actually liked how tense Jana and Anil's relationship is throughout most of the book. They had a child out of wedlock and due to lies/misunderstandings, they've got a working co-parent relationship but not much a relationship between themselves. The back and forth of discomfort versus desire that Jana spirals through in Anil's presence felt so real. I understood her every time she felt fear that she would be disappointed again.

I wish we got to see a little more of Jana and Anil's 'before' and more of their 're-falling' in love stage. And because I am a fan of groveling - I almost wanted MORE groveling from him at some points. He was feeling a bit too sorry for himself and didn't understand why Jana was going through such a hard time being around him.

I think they had great physical chemistry of course (spicy rating 2). I just wanted a tad more of seeing them falling in love again. Still, the payoff was good and I was really happy to just see them finally talk and work it out.

Thank you so much ForeverPub for the ARC!