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.

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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!

I began this story completely forgetting that Jana had been in Kamila’s story before! So my brain took a second to realize why it all seemed so familiar to me. Once I recognized the storyline, I became engrossed in finding out what might happen between Anil and Jana, as I had been at the end of Rohan and Kamila’s story. As a rather quiet introvert with massive RBF, I really do sympathize with Jana’s anxieties, especially being a single mother myself before. I loved the huge family/friends group that surrounded them and the ensuing chaos. I felt like I could picture all of the Tanzanian safari along with everyone, wishing I could be that close to a precious baby elephant! The portion of conflict between Jana and her mother is something so many Asian children go through, and was just so well-described. I don’t know what it’s like to be an only child, but I can imagine the pressure it might put on you to make your parents proud with every single thing you do. Anil was such a dream, I found myself constantly having to remind myself why we were mad at him haha. I really loved how much emphasis was put on not giving him a break bc he was Imani’s parent too, like why wouldn’t he have to do just as much as Jana? The difference between the old traditions and healthy new ones being brought forth into the new generations was lovely. I wish there had just been a BIT more discussion between Jana and Anil around the end, but it didn’t make me enjoy the ending any less.

I'm a sucker for second-chance romances and this one was a fun one! I didn't always like the MC, but as the story unfolded I learned to like her more and more.

This book was super cute. I enjoyed the romance and I liked seeing the development of the characters. There were times that Jana wasn't my absolute favorite MFC, but overall I liked the book!

I don't read a lot of second chance romances because they always make me cry. And, yep. Cue the waterworks. Pretty sure I cried a dozen times reading this sweet little love story. I was so invested in Jana and Anil's story: their whirlwind romance, the tense co-parenting of the daughter that was the product of their affair, and the simmering romantic tension that obviously never went away between them five years later.

This book hit every single chord that is guaranteed to get an emotional reaction from me.

Adorable daughter, plus a hot guy who is also an incredible dad?
Characters all over the place struggling to deal with their own generational trauma?
Years of pining?
People saying hurtful, regrettable things to their loved ones because they just can't handle the extent of their emotions?
Gorgeous destination wedding in the freaking Serengeti???

I was doomed.

This was my first Farah Heron book, but I'm definitely going to go ahead and check out Kamila Knows Best, now, because Kamila and the rest of the adorably supportive side characters were one of the best things about this book.

I would absolutely recommend this book to just about any lover of romance.

I always love reading about characters on vacation while traveling myself. It just hits a bit different. So I had been saving my arc for @farahheronauthor’s latest for this trip, and I’m so glad I did! It is out May 2!

I’m a big @farahheronauthor fan - I absolutely adored Accidentally Engaged and Kamila Knows Best. I was fascinated that this one digs in on Jana, a character we met in Kamila’s story. I will admit I wasn’t the biggest Jana fan then, but I really enjoyed her taking the leading role here.

Jana is a no-nonsense gal, excelling in her career in development but often feeling like she’s coming up short socially and when it comes to her mothers expectations. She grew up in a traditional household, so when she had a baby out of wedlock, it was a bit of a scandal. And she’s never forgiven the father of her daughter Imani, Anil, for the mistakes and betrayals in that relationship.

They’ve been successfully coparenting and avoiding each other for years, but she’s in for a rude awakening when he shows up for a weeks long trip in Kenya as part of Kamila and Rohans wedding party.

I sometimes struggle with the second chance romance trope, but this one was well done and felt authentic. I really enjoyed their journeys and growth through the book.

Big thanks to @netgalley and @readforeverpub for gifting me this advanced reader copy! Make sure to preorder or request from the library!

Will post on goodreads, my bookstagram @scottonreads and retail sites

Five years after Jana and Amil spent two whirlwind weeks together, the pair, now co-parents to a four-year-old daughter, find themselves in close proximity again for a family wedding in Tanzania. And though the setting is vibrant and beautiful, the trip ends up taking an unexpected turn due to some meddling and lingering feelings that refuse to lie.

Rating: 3.5 stars

This was my first experience with Farah Heron but imagine it won't be my last! I enjoyed her descriptive writing and hilarious character dynamics. Several moments made my heart so happy as Jana prioritized her growth and happiness. And it was wonderful to see Imani, one of the cutest kid characters ever, thrive and be the recipient of so much love.

I did struggle with Jana's character though. Though I sympathized with her position as a single mother who values her career, her insistence on viewing Anil as the villain in her story grew tiring. That man had the patience of a saint to keep going back for more battering each time he attempted to improve the distance between them. His relationship with Imani was adorable, adding it to my confusion as to why Jana refused to give him an inch for much of this book.

Thanks to NetGalley, Forever and Farah Heron for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 stars.

I enjoyed Kamila Knows Best so I quickly snapped up Jana Goes Wild as soon as I saw it. I should have read the blurb better, because I soon learned it contains the dreaded “second chance” trope.

Jana and Anil had a two week fling that ended badly five years ago, but are still tied together while coparenting their daughter. The reason for their break-up was a big deal, frankly, and I totally understood Jana’s resentment and ongoing mistrust. But even for a revenge monster like me, it was a bit much. Anil was groveling for years, it felt like, and Jana just couldn’t move on. But on the bright side, it was very refreshing to see a healthy coparenting team represented.

And because of her inability to forgive, I found her actions towards the end to be confusing and out of character.

Jana Goes Wild had a ton of side characters (and thankfully I remembered most of them from Kamila Knows Best!) and I enjoyed their interactions with Jana. Seeing her character eventually let down her hair and chillax was enjoyable, but it was a long time coming.

I wish I had enjoyed this one as much as the previous, but still a good read, nonetheless.

Thank you to Forever Publishing for the review copy.

Want to go in safari in Tanzania? Then you need to pick up this gorgeous book!

This book was more than just a second chance romance. There was so much exploration into the shame that Jana felt getting pregnant by a man who was still married and raising the child on her own. And there was also the trauma she experienced when that affair became public and she lost her job.

I really enjoyed all the characters, whether they were main characters or side characters. They were all real and helped Jana get through her story. There were sometimes so many characters that it was hard to keep track of, but it made sense for the storyline with the big wedding party.

Anil was such a great father, and Imani was cute. But it really bothered me how hot and cold Jana was towards Anil, especially when they have been coparenting for so long. I know that it explains in the book that they hardly saw each other, but she could have been a bit more civil towards him.

Along with that, it went on for so long that started to take away from my enjoyment of the book as I became frustrated with Jana. She would just respond or talk without thinking and hurt Anil before she had seen the whole picture.

Jana Goes Wild was a great story of second chances, friendships, letting go and moving forward. And I really enjoyed it!

Jana Goes Wild picks up five years after Kamila Knows Best with Kamila's wedding to Rohan. Jana's daughter, Imani, is now four years old, and they are traveling to Tanzania for the wedding and a safari. But as they get there, they are surprised to learn Anil, Imani's father, will also be there. If that weren't enough stress to put on a family trip, she also learns that the man who just interviewed her for a job she really wants is at the wedding as well.

I so greatly appreciated the amount of character growth we see, not just within this book but even before the book starts. And the back story between Jana and Anil makes so much sense in a way that made it easy for me to root for them both and for a happy ever after.

There are such great antics, as they explore different parks on safari through Tanzania. I caught my breath with them, as they encountered amazing animals. I greatly appreciated the nod towards the world of international development and efforts to reduce global inequality. And I thought there was appropriate nuance in talking about the benefits and drawbacks of safari tourism.

There were a lot of characters, so I would have appreciated a character list or family tree. I felt best about keeping track of those I remembered from Kamila Knows Best, but struggled with some of the new additions. I definitely recommend reading the two in order.

I really enjoyed this book. It was such fun and immediately engaging. It's one of those rare rom-coms that actually made me laugh out loud. And I am pretty sure this is now my favorite book by Farah Heron.

Thank you to Forever for the advanced reader copy. These opinions are my own.

4.25 stars

I lost interest about 30% in, as the heroine's inner dialogue became repetitive and her worry about her potential new boss overwhelmed the true conflict--the romance. Also not a fantasy of a romance with a kid in the mix, though Imani was realistic/not annoying or too precocious.

Jana Goes Wild is such an adventurous and emotional romance. When Jana and Anil first met, Anil failed to mention he was in the process of a divorce and not actually divorced. When Jana becomes pregnant, they find themselves tied together by their little girl Imani. Five years later, they have a functional but cold co-parenting relationship. Anil and Jana both end up as members of the wedding party on a destination wedding to Tanzania. Will their time in Tanzania be enough to help them become friends once again…or something more?

I loved Jana Goes Wild! Farah Heron is an auto-buy author for me. I love her vivid writing and sensory details, she makes you feel as if you’re right there with the characters. The writing is very descriptive with excellent depictions of the tasty food, heat of the Serengeti, and stunning safari animals. I’ve never been to Tanzania, but this book made me want to visit!

Anil and Jana both have heavy emotional baggage to sort through together and luckily they have their daughter Imani to bond over. Imani is very sweet and excited to see her parents together, which helps them try to become friendlier to each other. Farah Heron writes about joyful large families with ease; I loved the inclusion of Kamila and Rohan from her book Kamila Knows Best. Jana’s relationship with her mother was so well-done and relatable. They both loved each other so much, but were unintentionally making things harder due to lack of communication.

Jana Goes Wild is a love story about family and finding the courage to shake off societal expectations to find true happiness. I would highly recommend this book to anyone and it can be read as a standalone, though you should definitely read Kamila Knows Best next (or before, if you want to see Kamila and Rohan’s romance). Readers who enjoy Jasmine Guillory, Abby Jimenez, and Jackie Lau should check out this book!

Thank you so much to Farah Heron, Forever (Grand Central Publishing), and Netgalley for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

For publisher: My review will be posted on Instagram, Goodreads, Amazon, Storygraph, and Barnes & Noble etc

An entertaining slow burn second chance novel that you can read and relate to with your best friends!! Jana faces all her fears and insecurities halfway around the world when she sees her daughters father has surprised them on a destination wedding trip. I did love the beginning story line a little more than the middle parts but really enjoyed it overall. Farrah is not afraid to turn up the heat in her newest novel.

Jana Goes Wild by Farah Heron is a women’s fiction novel that follows the protagonist, Jana Suleiman.
 
Jana is a person who works hard for what she wants, and she tends to drive that to perfection. Other people see her as a bit too perfect and she tends to keep to herself. There is absolutely nothing wrong with her and I could totally understand her.
 
Her relationships were not the greatest and her recent ex is Anil, and he was a bit untruthful about the status of his marriage. That was immediately a red flag and Jana also saw it this way and ended things. However, she got pregnant and always had that connection to Anil.
 
For a destination wedding Jana and her daughter travel to Africa for a safari and Anil also happens to be there. This could be a second chance for their relationship however Anil still kept his previous pattern. Therefore, the whole romantic aspect was completely unbelievable to be, and they rather seemed like a dysfunctional family. Maybe that was also due to the fact that we never get Anil‘s perspective, but I just couldn’t warm up to him.
 
Overall, I liked the concept of this book, but the characters and especially their relationships stayed too shallow and there was barely any plot. 2 stars.
 
(ARC kindly provided in exchange for a review.)

I wish the cheating had been messier, but I understand why I'm the sole bearer of that hot take.

Review copy provided by the publisher