I think, perhaps, I went into this one with my hopes too high. I loved Kamila Knows Best and Accidentally Engaged so very much that both books wound up on my “favorite books of the year” lists in 2022 and 2021 respectively.

I even pre-ordered this book without reading the description first. That’s how much I love this author’s books. She has moved to my “must read” authors list.
So, I was beyond excited when this landed on NetGalley and I knew I’d get to read it early.

I didn’t realize that this book was actually a spin off from characters in Kamila. They weren’t even the most likable characters in Kamila and the author has managed to make them lovable here and to give them a good love story too.

That said, I couldn’t quite get into it the story as easily here. I definitely felt bad for Jana. I felt bad for her through a lot of this book.

At the risk of this sounding spoilerish, I don’t think I’m saying here that wasn’t already said in Kamila and if you haven’t read Kamila, read it! It’s wonderful!

Jana and Anil had a very happy, very short lived relationship five years that ended explosively when Jana found out that Anil was still married rather than divorced.
Then she found out she was pregnant.
They have successfully co-parented their daughter the past four years while barely talking to each other.
Jana’s life got hit way harder by their relationship than Anil’s did. She lost her job and because the topic of gossip as “the other woman” which was especially cruel since Jana had no idea.
She has protected herself and her heart since then.

When she shows up at Kamila’s wedding she is ticked that Anil is there.
He wants to spend the two weeks in Tanzania acting more like a family. He’s hoping that him and Jana can become friends finally and make life easier for them and their daughter.

But to complicate matters, Jana’s mom is also at the wedding and she’s lying to absolutely everybody that Jana and Anil are divorced.
In addition, the man who Jana interviewed for a job with is also at the wedding and hears her mom’s lies.
And now Jana feels like she has to keep up the guise that she’s divorced.
I’ve read fake dating stories before but never fake divorced.

The thing is, there’s just so much going on. In addition to this fake divorced story, Jana is also trying to come out of her shell by making a list of things to do that are “wild” for her. She thinks this will impress the job interviewer. But when she lets down her guard it weakens her resolve with Anil too. And she’s not sure how she feels about that.

My favorite thing is that we got to revisit Kamila and Rohan who I absolutely love and they continue to be wonderful here too.

I read an early edition ebook and if anyone who reads this review has the ability to edit the book, I noticed something that I really think needs changed. I hope this helps.
-The book is written in third person but Jana’s mom is always referred to just as Mom. This doesn’t fit grammatically, in my opinion atleast, because it’s the only name not in the third person. I think it should say “Jana’s mom” or “her mom” rather than “Mom”.
I’m not mentioning this to be not picky, I’m mentioning it because I hope it helps.

How do I love thee? Let me count the ways, starting with the setting of Tanzania. How. Absolutely. Breathtaking. I felt like I was on this trip with them all, right down to the elephant dung! I also loved learning about Jana's culture and family!

I really enjoyed Jana and her growth throughout the course of the book. She has a lot of leftover anger and frustration (justifiably so) that she needs to work through, or at least, pretend to have worked through? How AWKWARD being on a destination wedding vacation with the man that broke your heart, your mother, your adorable kiddo, and the man that just interviewed you for a dream job!

Anil was a cinnamon roll and I love him. But also, he clearly needs to work on his communication skills.

Things I didn't love: lack of therapy (seriously, there was a lot to work through), and the idea that a woman would be dismissed from a job because of a personal situation that was misunderstood...it just didn't feel real to me and brought me out of the story a bit.

What an amazing read!
As a first time reader of Farah Heron, I fell in love with her writing and storytelling.
This book was unique and emotional and incredibly diverse in all senses. I loved how beautifully represented Africa and the characters’ Indian culture was represented. It was fun, captivating and chaotic. I truly had the best time reading this!

3.5⭐️
This was the first book that I’ve read by this Canadian author. It follows Jana and her young daughter attending her friends wedding in Tanzania for two weeks. She’s also a bridesmaid. Her daughter’s dad Anil is a groomsman who shows up for the trip, much to her surprise. Their relationship is complicated to say the least. The backdrop of the African safari adventures was amazing…makes me want to take the same trip! The book just felt a tad too long…too many misunderstandings, dialogue, etc…but all in all was a solid read.
Thanks to #Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC of this book!

After finishing this book and reading some other reviews, I found out this is a sequel to Kamila Knows Best. That isn’t stated anywhere in the description, which I find very surprising. I think a lot of my negative feedback might have been solved if I had read that first, such as the fact that there were so many characters that seemed similar to me. All of the characters were Kamila and Rohan’s friends, so it might have helped if I read their book first. Other than that, it didn’t take away from the reading experience at all, and this can be read as a standalone!

This novel follows Jana Suleiman as she joins her friend Kamila at her wedding in Tanzania. She is excited to visit the country again, and this time will be her daughter Imani’s first time there. But when Imani’s father Anil shows up as a surprise, as well as someone who just interviewed Jana for an incredible job opportunity, her plans go a little bit differently than expected…

Things I liked:
1. The plot! After reading the prologue, I wasn’t sure if I was going to like it. I knew it was a second chance romance, and Anil’s actions were horrible. Once things got explained from his perspective a little later in the book, I could totally understand everything.
2. Character dynamics. I liked Jana, Anil, and Imani’s interactions together, and of course the bridal brigade and groom platoon :)
3. The setting. I’ve never read a book taking place in Tanzania, so it was fun to read something set there!

Things that could be improved:
1. Jana, Anil, and Jana’s mom were the only people who got any characterization, most of the supporting characters only had a few noticeable traits.
2. The cast of characters was enormous. It was hard to remember who each character was because they were all so similar.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book, and I would definitely recommend it!

I loved this one! I had just read a pretty heavy book before it and this was the perfect light and lovely book to bring me back! I read it all in one day!

Reading a novel set in Tanzania was extra fun for me since I traveled there in 2019 and went to every spot mentioned in the book!

I liked the tension between Jana and Anil as they learn to parent their child together (as opposed to their usual single-parent ways) in close quarters on an African safari.

It was also really great to read a book that reflected the traditions of South Asian and African cultures. I love that publishing has taken a more inclusive turn lately and hope that's here to stay!

All in all, if you're looking for a great romance novel that will also make you want to book a luxurious safari, this is the one for you!

Thank you to #netgalley for this ARC of #janagoeswild

1) I love this cover!!
2) I have read Farah's other novels and enjoyed them. This one was a nice treat. It is quite travel-based and it really made the story. We travelled everywhere including Disney World, Canada and Tanzania.

Gonna be honest - I hate the unplanned co-parenting pregnancy trope but it worked in this novel and I enjoyed the story. Also this book takes place 5 years after the events in Kamila Knows Best with Kamila and Rohan getting married in Tanzania for their destination wedding. Could be read as a standalone but it's always nice to know other things.

The multiple settings and travel based storyline were my favorite parts of this story. From Africa, to Canada, and even Disney World, the wanderlust created from reading Jana Goes Wild is real.

Jana Goes Wild by Farah Heron is absolutely wonderful! You will see many characters from Kamila Knows Best, but you can read it as a standalone.

I absolutely love Jana. She is prickly. She is an introvert. She has a very hard time making new friends and letting people in. She has a huge heart!

Anil is the missing piece to Jana's puzzle, but can Jana get out of her own way to bring her other half into her life?

This wonderful story is set in Tanzania and the landscape, setting, food, and animals are such a treat. We also get authentic South Asian representation!

I received an advance review copy for free from NetGalley, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

OH MY. GOD!

Do you like ABBA? Do you like animals? Do you like second chance romances? Then read this book.

Oh how this book made feel. Oh how I felt Jana's struggle one each page, but Anil. ITS THE LITTLE THINGS I SWEAR. Jana not seeing how this man is crazy about her made me want to scream. Every single chapter I was screaming at her.

I love the little details in this book. Both Anil and Jana's interactions with Imani. ALL THE ANIMAL MENTIONED!!! How beautiful Tanzania was described, but mostly I feel this book with connect with people who have felt like they didn't fit anywhere but with one person and then were betrayed. How do you back to trusting that one person that felt like home.

The book was a little slow to me, I wanted to scream at Jana the whole time, but it didn't make me love it any less.

Thank you so much NetGalley and Forever Publishing for the e-arc of this book.

4.5 stars.

I loved this book so much. Having read Kamila Knows Best, I was already familiar with Jana and Anil and how they slept together and then Jana found out Anil was married and then found out that she was pregnant. Jana was unpleasant and uptight in KKB, and while she and Kamila finally bonded toward the end of the book, it was hard to imagine how Heron would pull off a second-chance romance.

But I needn't have worried, because Heron loves Jana and Anil and refuses to reduce them to stereotypes. It's a few years later. Jana and Anil are coparenting Imani, who is four and hilarious, but they hardly interact. Imani goes back and forth (week on/week off) between her doting parents, who communicate through a parenting app and never connect. Kamila and Rohan are finally getting married, in Tanzania, and Jana, Imani, Anil, Jana's mother (who insists on telling people Jana and Anil were married), Kamila, Rohan, and a bunch of other friends and family are there. Also there? Jana's would-be boss, from a development job she interviewed at eight before the wedding.

One of the things I love about Heron's work in this series is how she places the reader in fully realized environments. Here, it's Tanzania, and the large South Asian population. Her depictions are immersive and three-dimensional, and even separate from the plot, I just wanted to read the book for the descriptions of places and culture and traditions.

We already know Jana is uptight and a perfectionist from KKB, and we also have already gotten a glimpse behind the mask there too. In JGW, we get extended time with Jana, and she's a delight of a flawed character. We also get to know Anil, and even thought the book is only from Jana's perspective, we see Anil's complexities as well.

Gah! I don't want to spoil this book except to say: the path to HEA isn't smooth at all and it's all completely worth it. I loved Kamila (and still do) but Jana is my new favorite character from the series. So so worth it.

I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Jana Goes Wild was such a hit for me! The cover is stunning, the story is heartfelt, and this book sells Tanzania! You'll definitely be planning an African safari after reading!

This book opens with a quick peek into Jana and Anil's two week relationship, that promptly fell apart and produced their adorable daughter, Imani. Fast forward 5 years and they are co-parenting Imani and attending a wedding of friends in Tanzania. They are continuously thrown together and must deal with the issues that have been between them the past few years. Can they get over past hurts and make a future together?

First, the sense of place in this book is off the charts. As I read, I googled and made notes of all the amazing places in Tanzania that I am now dying to visit. Next, the story is so good. Jana's journey made me feel all the feels. It's full of angst and heartache, but also the search for joy and happiness. I loved the look at Jana dealing with extroverted friends as an introvert and learning to be a little more outgoing herself. Jana and Anil had great chemistry, but definitely needed to learn to communicate more. They both showed a lot of growth throughout the book.

If I had one negative, it would be that this book isn't marketed as a series. There are several stories here that began in the author's previous book. I would have loved to see some sort of indication that this book is part of a universe. It didn't negatively impact my experience, but at times I did feel like I was missing a bit of backstory.

I will definitely continue reading Farah Heron. She writes smart, fun, well-developed romance novels. I'm a fan!

Thank you to NetGalley and Forever Publishing for the advanced e-book in exchange for my honest review!

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC. Like any of Farah Heron’s books, this one will make you want to wear the clothes, eat all the food, and, particularly for this story, travel to where it’s set. It’s lush and evocative and she always makes it part of the adventures. I will say this story isn’t for me. It prominently features a four-year-old child, and they are not my thing. I’m also not big on high angst or characters who strike me as needing a good therapist more than they need a love interest. But I know plenty of people for whom all of those things are their catnip. I will say the later scenes with Jana and her mother were very sweetly done. And I do appreciate that none of the bigger issues were presented as magically fixed like a magic wand was waved.

Lots of reviewers seemed to really love this book. While overall I did like it, I found myself skimming a bit at times too. Jane has an affair with a married man, gets pregnant, and 4 years later they meet up in Africa for a wedding in Tanzania. Lots of angst, lots of misunderstandings too. Would recommend, although not one of my favorites.

Thank you netgalley for allowing me to read this book. This book was so different and I loved how easy and fun it was to read! It was interesting to read about the culture and the vacation they took but I more so enjoyed how different Jana and Anil’s personalities were but how cohesive the parenting seemed. These characters felt so real. I can’t connect as well to Jana because I’m an extrovert but it really put it into perspective and made me think about how introverts might feel in group settings. Jana isn’t the most likable character she was very negative a lot of the time but I liked how different of a character she was. Some of the characters infuriated me at times but I enjoyed that there really was no bad guy in this whole situation just misunderstandings. I love that the roles felt reversed in this book in the sense where she was the grumpy and he was the sunshine plus she ended up making the grand gesture! Love the mamma Mia reference! ❤️

4.25 ⭐️
1 🌶️

Thank you to the Publisher and NetGalley for a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

This is a second chance romance with a couple they had a fling that ended pretty horrifically and the FMC ends up pregnant so they are coparenting their daughter but do not have a friendship or communicate outside of a parenting app

They both end up at a friends wedding in Tanzania and are forced to fake as a divorced couple due to the FMCs mom trying to save face for her daughter having a baby out of wedlock. There ends up being some humor and the infusion of culture and the Tanzanian background we get a very vivid story.

The angst is high with this one and I have to admit I got frustrated that sometimes this couple wouldn’t just communicate.

CW: infidelity, “slut shaming” , parent death off page

• Single Parent Romance
• Second Chance Romance
• Forced Proximity
• Wedding Celebrations
• Travel: Tanzania


This was one of those stories where I found myself swept up and away – it had a wonderful cast of characters (with cameos from old friends for those who read Kamila), a unexpected but delightful setting, and a really compelling take on the tropes present.
One thing I love about romance reads is I know what I’m signing up for: banter, tension, connection, tropes and a happily ever after. The ones that always stand out for me, are those stories that manage to surprise me. Yes, they use tried and true elements, but they do so in a unique way or in such a way that it feels fresh. Which was definitely my experience in reading Jana Goes Wild.
For one, I loved that this story was a large family destination wedding trip – have I seen that before? Yes. Have I seen it set in Tanzania? Nope, completely new setting for me. Have I seen it with the ex? Yes, but the ex is the father of your child and co-parent and oh wait, everyone thinks you are good friends and you have a potential employer on the trip with you? No, again, definitely haven’t seen this and was surprised. I was really intrigued by the elements at play and loved seeing the exploration of co-parenting.
I enjoyed so many parts of this story and the characters. I want to point out that another thing that really stood out (for me) was the author’s ability to write the FMC (Jana), who I met in a prior book and didn’t get the best impression of, as true to herself and still made me feel for her and like her.
Overall, this story was just really fun for me to read – I honestly read it super quickly, it just flowed for me and I wanted to know what would happen next. Definitely one I will be adding to my physical book collection and I honestly can’t wait to see what Farah Heron writes next.

Thank you to Netgalley and Forever / Grand Central Publishing for the opportunity to read an early copy. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own and freely offered.

Oh, this book was fun! This was a quick and heartwarming read set primarily in Africa. This story follows Jana, a young single mom who unexpectedly ends up at a wedding in Africa with the father of her child.

I really enjoyed the author's character development, as well as her descriptions of the wildlife and landscapes of Tanzania. About half way through, I found myself thinking it was going to be a pretty predictable second half, and was pleasantly surprised by a few twists I didn't see coming.

This was an entertaining and enjoyable story and I look forward to seeing what this author writes next!

Thank you to the publisher for my gifted copy to read and review.

Taking place 5 years after the events in Kamila Knows Best, Kamila and Rohan are getting married in a destination wedding in Tanzania. Jana Suleiman is taking part in the #BridalBrigade, not feeling quite like part of the friend group but eager for a vacation with her mother and daughter as well. What she doesn't expect is to run into Anil Malek, her former lover and her daughter's father, en route to the wedding. While Jana and Anil have been able to co-parent Imani amicably, Jana still hasn't quite forgiven Anil for what happened to break them apart. But Anil is determined to find a way forward...

This second-chance romance really shows the hard work, struggle, and miscommunication that characterizes a genuine attempt to heal the rift between two people meant for each other. Jana has a lot of baggage to unpack over being the "good girl" who became a scandal -- baggage that made it more difficult for her to see Anil clearly. Anil shines as a devoted dad who also wants to do what's right for Jana but often trips over his own insecurity and inability to find the right words with her. There's a messy push-pull between them that creates some awkward moments during the trip, but it felt realistic that it took them a good deal of times (and bumps) to find their way back to each other.

I also appreciated the time given to allow Jana to inch her way out of her own comfort zone and to develop a new social confidence. The friend group offered her so much support, too, and I enjoyed their discussions and laughter. (Rohan's groomsmen seemed to offer the same for Anil, though much less of that appeared on page.)

Thank you, Forever/Grand Central Publishing and NetGalley, for providing an eARC of this book. Opinions expressed here are solely my own.

*ARC Review*

What a sweet story!

Jana Goes Wild by Farah Heron is a vivid account of an introverted woman's adventures in a Tanzanian wedding. She is ready for a two week reset when she learns in the airport that the father of her child is unexpectedly coming along. The novel follows Jana reconnecting with her ex Anil all while being a great parent to their daughter Imani.

The book is fun, the plot about the trip in Tanzania is great (I loved reading about all the animals), and the characters are a trip. It is a quick and easy read that matches the beautiful cover.

Highly recommend!