I started Jana Goes Wild and then decided I needed to go back and read Kamila Knows Best, a book I own, but hadn’t read. Reading the two back to back was a great decision. Kamila Knows Best is a retelling of Jane Austen’s Emma, with Jana and Anil in the Jane Fairfax and Frank Churchill roles. Jana Goes Wild, set some 5 years later, is the resolution of their story. If you haven’t read Kamila yet, you don’t absolutely need to, but you should anyway. While it isn’t an Austen retelling, Jana Goes Wild does continue the exploration of expectations and appearances started in Kamila.

Towards the end of Kamila, Kamila and Jana realize they were pitted against each other as kids with each being told they should be more like the other. By setting Jana five years later, Heron gives Jana and Kamila’s friendship time to solidify, and for the rage at Anil calm down. Well, everyone’s rage but Jana’s – she is still angry. Despite that, Jana and Anil have settled into co-parenting their daughter, Imani. Jana avoids seeing Anil, and keeps most of their conversations digital, but she is also grateful her daughter has a father who loves her and works hard to be a good parent. In the intervening years, Anil has rebuilt his friendship with Rohan and Kamila enough that he is invited to be a groomsman.

Jana Goes Wild edges up to the romance/women’s fic boundary but stays on the romance side, keeping Jana’s primary focus on her relationship with Anil as her feelings move from anger to love. While Jana and Kamila were able to set aside that expectations that pitted them against each other, Jana still has to contend with other people’s expectations of her both as an unwed mother and as an introvert. Jana still feels the repercussions from the scandal around her two week romance with Anil. When she finally gets to yell at him about it, it feels cathartic. Anil is so clearly in love with her, but he really needs to learn the lesson about keeping secrets from Jana.

The thorniest relationship for Jana though is with her mother. Her mother is both a huge part of her support network, but also keeps Jana stuck feeling shame about choosing not to marry Anil before Imani was born. They are able to work through some key elements in a lovely scene. Farah Heron very kindly put the recipe for Jana’s mother’s samosa in the back of the book. I made them and they are delicious.

A big chunk of the book is set in Tanzania where Kamila and Rohan are holding their wedding. Over a couple of weeks the wedding party tours several resorts providing a lovely backdrop for the story. By coincidence, a friend of mine and her partner were vacationing in Tanzania at a couple of the same resorts, so I got to see pictures and hear stories. I will now always believe that my friends were in the fictional wedding party.

I received this as an advance reader copy from Forever (Grand Central Publishing and NetGalley. My opinions are my own, freely and honestly given.

Thank you so much @readforeverpub @farahheronauthor and @netgalley for my e-ARC!

I’m a big Farah Heron fan, so when I heard she was coming out with a follow-up to Kamila Knows Best and then I saw that gorgeous cover, I knew I had to read it!

Quiet, controlled and rule-abiding Jana, and smooth, charming, charismatic Anil had a whirlwind of a romance five years ago. Over the course of two passionate weeks, Jana fell in love and believed she had found her forever partner in Anil ... until she discovered he was still married. Betrayed and heartbroken, Jana was determined to leave Anil and what could have been behind, but life had other plans: She found out they had a baby on the way.

The two have made it work the last five years for the sake of their daughter. Respectfully co-parenting, the two hardly see each other or speak unless it’s through the parenting app they both use to coordinate their time and schedules around Naomi. But when both of them, plus Naomi, are asked to be in their mutual friends’ wedding in Tanzania, Jana’s plans of keeping her distance from Anil are thwarted. Could forced proximity, meddling friends and family, some time to see and interact with each other in-person, plus co-parenting their daughter in a foreign country be what they need to really confront their past and work things out, or will this Parent Trap-esque plan fall flat?

I enjoyed this sweet read. Farah's food descriptions had me Googling and craving all sorts of foods, her picturesque descriptions of Tanzania and its wildlife made me yearn for a visit, and I loved catching up with Kamila and company. I also loved the "let loose" list Kamila and her friends made for Jana in an effort to get her through the two weeks with Anil, and the coparenting aspect of this story. My main hang-up? I felt like the slow-burn between Anil and Jana was a little too slow, and the plot became a little repetitive for me. I was also really frustrated by all of the miscommunication and lack of communication between the two, and though they made it to their HEA, I wanted a little more time to sit with that at the end since it took such a long time to get to it. It was a fun journey, though, and I loved the Tanzanian safari setting!

Overall, this was a fun second-chance romance with a beautiful and fun setting, and I definitely recommend it. It hits shelves May 2, so get those pre-orders and holds in. And while this could be read as a standalone, I also recommend reading Kamila Knows Best first for additional background and context!

For most of her life, Jana Suleiman was the picture of perfection—intelligent, well educated, high-achieving, with a respectable and honorable career in global microdevelopment. But her professional life went off-course when a personal scandal unfairly affected her job. For the last few years, she’s been juggling doing contract work, living at home again with her mom, and co-parenting her four-year-old daughter with the man who broke her heart. But now she’s on the shortlist for her dream job, and going on a luxury safari vacation as part of a destination wedding bridal party. So things are looking up, right? …Too bad a large assortment of gossiping relatives and family friends, her ex, and—unexpectedly—her potential boss are also attending the two week-long, overseas festivities. It’s an introvert’s worst nightmare.

𝘑𝘢𝘯𝘢 𝘎𝘰𝘦𝘴 𝘞𝘪𝘭𝘥 had a lot of potential. I liked that Jana has a profession atypical of a romantic heroine, struggles with the very relatable problem of being an introvert in a world that values extroverts, and tries to dig herself out of a personal and professional rut by trying new things and going out of her comfort zone on the trip. I also loved the representation of South Asian culture and the fun, unique setting of Tanzanian safari tours and resorts. And I did see a convincing connection between Jana and her baby daddy Anil, her soulmate when it comes to shared interests and passions but a personality mismatch. However, there were far too many bizarre coincidences moving the narrative forward and too many miscommunications complicating the love story for me. I really wish the author had simplified the storyline—after a while, it got a bit tiring suspending my disbelief over a new plot twist or seeing Jana and Anil run into the same obstacles. The foundation of a great romance was there, the book was just overly cluttered for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and Forever for an advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review. My review was posted on April 10, 2023 to Goodreads here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5353744415.

I really enjoyed this lush destination romance novel. If you've read some of Heron's other books, you've seen cameos of Jana Suleiman for a while now and we're now finally getting her book! I loved the beautiful descriptions of the Serengeti and the hilarious mishaps that resulted from the location. I also really liked that part of the plot was Jana finding her happiness again after the scandals she's experienced in the last few years. If you love romantic comedies with a large cast of characters, definitely try this one.

The only reason that this isn't a 5 star book for me is that I am not a big fan of the tropes in this book. I need to spend a lot of time with the couple before I can believe in a second chance romance and I wish we got to spend more time with Jana and Amil alone to understand why they love each other. I also felt like the only reason Jana loved Amil was because he's a good dad and yes, that's nice but I need a bit more than that.

I would definitely recommend that you pick up Kamila Knows Best before this book so that you get most of Jana's backstory as well as get to know the couple whose wedding is the main plot of this book.

Wow another great book from Farah I am so glad I got to read before it was officially published. This was such a cute romance book, I honestly just wanted to live it. I love the trip that happened in this book and it definitely made.me want to travel more. I like that our Maine characters were a bit older then in some romance books. As a 30 year old myself it makes me feel like love and children can happen at any time. I also loved the that this was also a second chance romance as well, with so much growth. I have so much more I can say about this book but honestly I tink you should all just read it for yourselves and love it just as much as I did.

I have become such a fan of Farah Heron’s novels. I say it every time I read her books, but I can’t believe I was so late to discovering her work!

Heron’s stories speak to my heart with all the nods to the Indian influences that can still be seen in Africa today. Jana Goes Wild is about a woman who is readying to take off for her friend’s destination wedding extravaganza with her daughter. Unbeknownst to her, Anil Malek will be there too, her daughter’s dad. The two have figured things out enough to co-parent, but that’s all that remains from their two week whirlwind romance. Jana can barely be in his presence without making a face. These two are forced together, but what will happen?

The plot line for this novel at times felt drawn out to me. I sometimes really struggled to relate to Jana’s continuous self-doubt and negative self-talk. It’s something I am sensitive to and thus it stood out to me. I also couldn’t stand the incessant bridal brigade nonsense, but it was all part of the fun in the story.

However, I absolutely loved the descriptions of each of the parks they visited and the excursions they went on. I also loved the beautiful descriptions of the clothes, the hotels, and the food. It made me eager to travel and wishful for an adventure like theirs.

This book really focuses on what it means to be a family whether you’re related by blood or not and how showing up for one another counts for so much.

I finished this book last night and my heart ached a bit when I realized it was over. I wanted to explore with them further. I continue to be a fan of Farah Heron’s books and look forward to reading many more.

Thank you very much to @readforeverpub and @netgalley for granting me access to this title!

Jana Goes Wild
By Farah Heron
Format: eARC
Pub. Date: May 2/23
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️🐘

I loved everything about this book! Already a fan of Farah Heron, I was looking forward to delving into another of her books, and I was not disappointed. Jana Suleiman is a complex person. While others see her as perfect she often doubts herself and keeps herself closed off from others. Until she meets Anil Malik, and falls hard, until she learns he is married and she is pregnant.
Move forward five years, Jana and Anil have been excellent co-parents, keeping each other at arm’s length, until the go to Tanzania for their friend’s wedding.

Farah Heron writes with so much compassion in this story. I have never thought of going to Tanzania, for a safari, but now I might. This book feels like a love letter to Tanzania, so descriptive, so much love for the land and the creatures there. This passion was also present in the characters. They all love hard even though that can lead to misunderstandings that threaten to tear them apart. This book is like a hug, comforting, and warm. Add this to your TBR list, you won’t be disappointed.

Many thanks to NetGalley, Forever (Grand Central Publishing), and the author for the opportunity to read this arc in return for my honest review.

3.5 STARS - I've been a fan of Farah Heron since I read and LOVED her book Accidentally Engaged. Her upcoming book, Jana Goes Wild is about a second chance romance between Jana and Anil, two people who had a whirlwind romance that ended in their break-up and their now five-year-old daughter Imani. When mutual friends have a destination wedding, Jana and Anil head to Tanzania for two weeks of close proximity and Jana's not sure she's ready to confront her feelings quite yet.

I love a good second chance romance and was eager to get to know Jana better, a character who we met in Heron's previous book Kamila Knows Best. Jana's relationship with Anil is more than strained and they have very strict boundaries concerning their parenting, but I love how they both always put Imani's needs first.

There's a lot going on in this book with a fake divorce, second chance romance, complicated family dynamics, and the 'wild' part of the story where Jana tries to complete a list of things to show her potential new boss (who is also on the trip), that she's a well-rounded kinda gal. But there's a strong lean on the miscommunication trope (my least favourite trope) with a lot of page time spent on Jana's anger towards Anil. While I can understand where her (and Anil's) feelings come from, the conflict between them sometimes felt forced and I felt frustrated that a simple conversation could have cleared things up.

What shines in this slow burn story are the vivid descriptions of Tanzania - the East Asian culture, the stunning locale and all the big beasties that also live there. Heron once again excels at describing the delicious food in her story and I loved seeing a positive co-parenting experience represented and thought wee Imani was adorable addition to the cast.

This second chance romance is a blend of tropes and complicated relationships set in the beauty of Tanzania. It has issues you can sink your teeth into and will also have you craving a delicious samosa and yearning for a safari trip of your very own - minus the family/romantic drama.

Other books I recommend by this author:
Kamila Knows Best
Accidentally Engaged

Disclaimer: My sincere thanks to Forever for my complimentary digital copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I really enjoyed reading this, and finished the last page with a smile on my face, and dreaming of booking a once in a lifetime African Safari adventure!

Jana has never really fit in, and the one time she stepped out of her comfort zone she ended up with a broken heart and a baby on the way. Now, she’s on her way to the Serengeti National Park as a bridesmaid in a destination wedding and everyone she knows will be there, including her ex.

Farah Heron completely transports you to Africa for this super fun, light hearted, grumpy x sunshine, second chance romance.

Heron paints such a beautifully vivid description of the Serengeti National Park. I felt like I was right there in the safari vehicles taking part in the safari rides and seeing all the animals (giraffes, elephants, lions and more). I could picture all the gorgeous scenery, and even could imagine the smells.

And the food. Oh my word, I was salivating just picturing all the amazing foods, fresh fruits and pastries.

I really connected with Jana being a shy introvert myself and absolutely loved following along as she had her own awakening on this trip. And I love every single side character and the members of the “Bridal Brigade”.

This book publishes on May 2, 2023 and I highly suggest picking this one up and enjoying a Safari adventure with a super cute story and a ton of fun characters!

Thank you @netgalley and @readforeverpub for an advanced copy for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this slow burn, second chance romance. I enjoyed how the author explored the coparenting relationship between Jana and Anil - and I really enjoyed how she built the tension between them.

Really sweet second chance romance!
I loved the majority of the story being set in Tanzania for a wedding. Made for fun adventures and lots of opportunities for Jana and Anil to have to be together.
There were times I had difficulty keeping all of the characters straight though. So many people in the wedding party and family members that were included in the story which always slowed down my reading. The other thing I wish would have happened was maybe discussing Jana’s mental health struggles. It was obvious she has very high anxiety and maybe other problems and it came off as she was uptight, or “not fun” which I don’t think was the case. I think if the author has used the opportunity to discuss the topic and adding the pressures of her culture and family it could have rounded out the story more.
But that being said I appreciated how the double standard for men and women was addressed when there is a relationship issue and how women are made out to be the one in the wrong. Also how women are held to a different standard in the workplace.
All in all very enjoyable and I was really rooting for Anil and Jana.

Unfortunately, I decided to DNF this at 72%. It was very repetitive and I was having a hard time connecting with the characters and their love story.

I overall enjoyed this book! However, it wasn't without its faults, which I'll explain first. The first half was annoying in that the main character's mom was being overbearing in many ways and it was just perpetuated and added as an important plot line....for really no benefit to the story overall. I understood what she was trying to do- because don't we all have overbearing parents? But unfortunately it was just annoying given the repetition. Also, the woman main character was not very nice to the male main character- for no good reason IMO. This isn't really redeemed until closer to the end, making her annoying throughout. This book realllly could have used a dual POV.

Okay- the good stuff! The setting was great!! Safaris, tents under the stars, etc. That was a really strong area. Also, the MMC was straight swoon. He was a model father, which was honestly quite refreshing since I'm kind of over reading about crappy men/fathers (that I know do exist of course). The two main characters had a lot of chemistry and their interactions really gave me the warm and fuzzies in my stomach- you all know what I'm talking about! I do wish there were more...happy interactions and resolutions instead of waiting for the very end-but it was worth it.

I love the author’s writing style but I felt like this one had too much going on. Too many plot devices crammed in one book. I didn’t really feel a connection between Jana and Anil, and honestly Jana’s whole personality was obsessing over their breakup and it got old by the end.

This is the kind of book perfect for a beachy vacay, pool side Sunday, umbrella drink in your hand. It was light and frothy with just enough depth to feel real.

I think this would shine on audio with all of the side characters and ridiculous escapades, but I really enjoyed the writing, the story, the tension and the chemistry. I also love a second chance romance with a unique spin!

This book was not what I wanted it to be. I went into it extremely excited and... I knew by the end of the first chapter that I was in for a bumpy ride. I had a couple issues with the book: the writing, the MC, and the chemistry.

The writing was rather stilted and very much followed the pattern of telling, not showing. Jana as an MC? Didn't like her, at all. I could sympathize with her circumstances - it's incredibly hard being a woman in a working man's world. But outside of that? I didn't care for her, and I didn't vibe with her. She was whiny and stubborn... to a very frustrating degree. And her inner monologue was so redundant. I felt like I was being beaten over the head every chapter in regards to what she went through and her feelings towards Anil, except each time it was worded differently. And the chemistry? More like the lack of it. I did not believe the romance/feelings between Anil and Jana at all. Every conversation felt unnatural and forced. Also, if I had seen Anil's full name used in a chapter ending one more time, I was gonna scream. He was a great guy and good character but... what was with the constant use of his full name?

Also would like to mention that the title/blurb seems kinda misleading. It makes it seem like this book is about Jana letting loose. Where? She spends most of the book being uptight. She's almost no different by the end. She does a few things outside of her comfort zone (and doesn't enjoy any of it for the most part) so the title just... doesn't represent the book well. This isn't a very long book but it felt like it went on forever.

This was a delightful second chance romance, which is my favorite trope. It's a unique spin on it as well because the couple has a child together.

Jana and Anil have been co-parenting their daughter for almost 5 years with minimal interaction. This is her wish because she doesn't want to get hurt by him again. When they end up together on a huge trip to Africa for mutual friends' wedding, they are in case proximity for weeks.

I loved all the characters, especially the side ones. There is a lot of great humor in this book and some sexiness, while still delving into heavy topics such as infidelity, familial expectations, sexism, and single parenting.

The setting of Africa (and several animal watching drives) was so much fun. I really got a feel for the place and loved the moments involving animals.

Highly recommend.

I enjoyed this book so much. It was interesting to have a heroine who seems so put together and almost perfect on the outside, but who is tormented by insecurities on the inside and has to overcome them. The hero is delightful. What is more endearing than a big strong man who is so devoted to his little daughter and determined to be a good father to her? It’s clear that he is totally in love with Jana and is trying to do anything to get her to forgive him. Meanwhile, the group travels around in what sounds like a dream vacation wedding in Tanzania. I heartily recommend this book.

I voluntarily reviewed an advanced reader copy of this book that I received from Netgalley; however, the opinions are my own and I did not receive any compensation for my review.

After I really enjoyed Kamila Knows Best, I was so excited for this sequel! And I honestly might have enjoyed this even more.

This was the ultimate feelgood read for me, it was exactly what I needed. It's a second chance romance and they have a child together, which was just so lovely to read. And the setting really stole the show here - they all go on a trip to Tanzania for Kamila and Rohan's wedding, and this was just the loveliest setting ever.

Jana has 2 weeks to have a love affair and 2 weeks to explore the wilds of Tanzania, and maybe learn a little bit about herself in the process.

This book does a great job of handling COMMUNICATION between mothers and daughters, exes, workplace relationships, and friend groups. I am so so pleased that every bit of confusion, frustration, or unsaid opinion by a character was fully dealt with by the time this novel ended. As a single POV from Jana, the reader is mostly in tune with her frustrations and misgivings, and Heron does an excellent job of getting Jana out of her comfort zone as she takes to Tanzania with her mother, daughter, and (surprise!) her ex.

We get to see Kamila (From Kamila Knows Best) be her naturally exuberant self, hosting the Tanzania trip for two weeks of wedding fun. She fashions a Bridal Brigade made up of some of her besties that for the most part help Jana be more open to trying new things, including trying to get her to loosen up around the father of her daughter, Anil.

The romance part of this book started out very slow. It seemed as if the story was going to mostly be about family and figuring out how to co-parent with someone you haven’t forgiven for lying to you years ago. Jana and Anil’s daughter, Imani, plays a large role in the book and although she’s used as a catalyst to drive her parents together (eventually), the last thing I wanted was to read about her throwing up or talking about Disney World.
BUT!…
Imani helps the narrative arrive at one of my favorite tropes, There’s Only One Bed™️, and her appearance takes a back seat once the story reaches this point. This is where the romance really took off for me. Jana and Anil both struggle with communication and as feelings start to arise, they wrestle with figuring out how to lean into those feelings without rocking the proverbial boat. As I mentioned, Heron WONDERFULLY navigates these tricky situations and although they’re never perfect, Jana and Anil begin to explore what having more with each other might look like. There are only 2 open door scenes, and I would’ve loved more, but we get a sense through the way they interact with one another that there is definitely chemistry.

I also appreciated the conflict between Jana and Anil in regards to his ex-wife (notice it’s better than a third act break-up because it’s BELIEVABLE). There’s forgiveness and resolution instead of what could easily have been written off as a miscommunication trope, and no one plays the bad guy/gal. Perception plays a huge role in determining how the characters react to and see each other. I loved how women’s roles as mothers, daughters, and lovers were challenged and made forefront in this book. Jana is not an unlikable character, although she is perceived as one because she is an introvert and because of other characters assumptions about her. She is the grump to Anil’s sunshine and yet I found her to be very authentic. I think we need more books with female characters like Jana and am happy I got to review this. I received this book in exchange for my honest review, thanks to NetGalley and Forever. All opinions are my own.