I don’t always love second chance romances, but I really enjoyed this. I loved reading about Tanzania. I loved the Bridal Brigade and all of the aunties and uncles. Imani was a cute kid and very loved. Jana and A Anil had a lot of baggage and resentment to work through and communication issues to deal with. I liked how everything came together, and the recipes in the back of the book were a nice surprise!

Farah Heron does it again! I loved Kamila Knows Best and now a couple supporting characters get to have their second chance love story. Jana has worked tirelessly as a single mom and is now stuck with her ex and daughter’s father Anil. They are stuck together for two weeks in Tanzania to celebrate Kamila and Rohan’s wedding. Jana and Anil haven’t spent this much time together since their daughter was conceived. At first Jana and Anil act as the single parents they are, but soon the magic of Tanzania and learning about each other all over again brings back strong feelings from the past. Can Jana and Anil learn to forgive each other for their past mistakes and move on, maybe as the family they were meant to be? I connected with Jana a lot being an introvert and feeling awkward in social situations and group settings. The topic of social and cultural norms was was very prominent and makes the reader really think about what is and isn’t acceptable and what societal expectations need to be challenged. The second chance romance, Tanzania setting and deep personalities make this a fabulous book and a favorite read of 2023 for me. Even if the year has just begun, this is a special one!

I had SO much fun reading this book! The setting? Phenomenal. The cast of characters? Incredible. And I loved going along with Jana on her journey of discovery and re-discovery with Anil. She grows so much over the course of the book while remaining herself and every second of it was a treat. Thank you to Netgalley and Forever for this ARC in exchange for my honest review!

Definitely chose this one based on the cover. It's gorgeous! The story did not disappoint either.

Like all of Farah's books I've read so far, the food descriptions left me starving and wanting to try everything described throughout. The scenery sounded incredible and now I need to see Tanzania at some point in my life. The romance and relationship between Jana and Anil was genuine, and their love for their daughter was felt throughout as they tried to figure out what was next for them.

Definitely recommend!

A great second romance read. The main character, Jana, does experience growth in the story and self-realisation - which I loved. What I enjoyed most about the story, I admit, was the descriptions of the safaris and the animals. This is a vacation that is on my bucket list and I travelled via her descriptions. What an amazing sight to see all those animals in the wild.

I loved the premise of this book and overall it was charming and a fun red about family, love and misunderstandings that get in the way. I felt like Jana made things ways more complicated for herself than necessary, she's a bundle of stress and a bit too angsty at times. I also had a hard time visualizing how Jana and Anil managed to raise a daughter together and not have contact with each other until the destination wedding. I liked Anil and I enjoyed the crazy family dynamics of loving people with good intentions that manage to complicate things more than necessary. It's very relatable.

This book is more than just a second chance romance. I loved the characters and the story. It included an amazing look at co-parenting, love, family, loss, stepping out of one comfort zone, and finding one’s own way. All of this take place with the amazing back drop of Tanzania. I loved the banter between Jana and Anil. And on top of all this I am obsessed with this cover.

Thank you NetGalley, Forever publishing, and Farah Heron for an arc in exchange for my honest review.

I was provided an eARC by the publisher in exchange for my honest review.

I enjoyed this book for a variety of reasons. I loved learning about a different culture and different customs, and I appreciated the complexity of the main characters and their relationship (or lack thereof). This book deals with heavy themes, and I feel the author did a great job navigating those in a way that did them justice.

This book does include the miscommunication trope, but it may be the first time I was not annoyed by it. It didn’t feel like it was thrown in just to add conflict. It felt very natural as a result of the history between the two main characters. The author did a nice job of demonstrating how we can know so much about someone and simultaneously know so little.

The setting was very well written. The author took similar trips with her family, and it really shines through with her imagery. Bonus: there is a recipe at the end for something yummy mentioned throughout the book. I won’t ruin the surprise, but I’ll definitely be trying!

Why 4 stars instead of 5? Certain parts of the book felt choppy - not the story, but the prose itself. There were also portions that felt like the author was speaking in first person even though it’s written in third person, and that was a little grating. All that being said, it wasn’t enough to turn me off from the book. I still devoured it in under two days and would recommend to anyone wanting a cute read, with forced proximity, and a little more depth.

I’ve been really enjoying Farah Heron books. They are snappy, romantic, and they promise a good time. Jana and Anil have so much going for them in this book, they worked well together.Overall I thought this was a fun, delightful read and would definitely read more from this author.

ARC kindly provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Having first met Jana in <i>Kamila Knows Best</i>, I was excited to see where Farah Heron would take her. I loved where this story went.

I really appreciated that there were several years (timeline wise) that passed between Kamila's book and Jana's. Had this taken place immediately after the other ended, it would have felt unrealistic and rushed. But having an almost 5 year time jump made this seem much more realistic.

This is a second chance romance that has a lot of emotion and heart. It has a lot of focus on coparenting which I liked to see. I also loved the banter between Jana and Amil - it never felt forced.

Also, the cover is amazing. It immediately draws people in. Plus, loved the Bridal Brigade!

Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for making this available via a "Read Now Weekend" in exchange for my honest review.

I loved the setting of this book. It was fun to be in Africa with Jana and go on Safaris. I love a second chance romance. I did feel like it was dragging on at the beg/middle, and it felt like a co-parenting book. It also felt a little unrealistic to me that Jana and Anil would co-parent 50/50 but have had minimum interaction over 5 years. It feels like they would have to have more conversations and make decisions together as she grows. The conflict at the end was blah. I did think the MCs were sweet though and was rooting for them.

I don’t think this author is for me. Jana Goes Wild was sometimes engaging but mostly boring. The bursts of action did not outweigh the repetitive nature of Jana’s dilemma. I feel like a good 30% of the book could have been cut and it would have been much more entertaining.

4.25/5 stars! I really enjoyed "How to Win a Breakup" by this author so I was excited to read another book by them. The setting of this story in Tanzania was beautifully and written with great attention to detail. This is a second-chance romance and watching the will they/won't they between Jana and Anil was highly entertaining. I found myself frustrated with Anil at times, but maybe that was just because I connected with Jana more.

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

4.5 stars!

The cover does a great job at hinting how colourful and fun this book was. It was a very fun read with great characters. I loved that they included the idea of co-parenting in this book, I surprisingly haven't read many books with it incorporated. I kept hoping Jana and Anil would end up together throughout the book.I really loved the beautiful descriptions of Tanzania! I had me wishing I could teleport there.

This was my first Farah Heron book, I will definitely check out Kamila Knows Best to get some knowledge on the events that transpired before Jana Goes Wild. (Jana Goes Wild is a stand alone book).

Thank you NetGalley for this advanced reading copy in exchange for my honest review.

Received this ARC via NetGalley

I was rooting for Jana and Anil the whole time! Jana’s Type A and introverted personality is so relatable.

The pressure to not disappoint your parents and societal shame is so overwhelming sometimes. But I appreciate how all the characters were able to communicate their perspectives by the end of the book. Each person’s experiences and previous trauma led to the decisions they made.

Even though this is a standalone book, I recommend reading Kamila Knows Best first.

By far the best Farah Heron I have read. I loved this book. It was vibrant, colourful and so compelling. I loved the plot and the characters. When I read Kamila Know Best, I did not really like Jana. But I am in love with her after this book.

So what I like about this book:
First, An amazing retake on co-parenting. Most of the times books are about how it does not go well while co-parenting but this book showed a new perspective. I loved how both of them put Imani’s happiness first and foremost. So refreshing!

Second, the Tanzanian description. I think I am putting it down on my bucket list. All the descriptions and events in Tanzania just took my breath away.

Third, pushing out of ones comfort zone, rediscovering oneself, rediscovering friends and realizing that one doesn’t need to change oneself to fit in. They can be themselves and still be loved for who they are.

I finished this in a single sitting. Couldn’t put it down really. Such an amazing book. Thank you @netgalley for the ARC review e-book.

'Jana Goes Wild' is the first book that I've read by Farah Heron, but it won't be my last! The main setting for this book is a destination wedding in Tanzania. I never thought about visiting Tanzania, but I am now! The descriptions transported me to the breathtaking views and amazing animals that were on their trip. Farah Heron's words made me feel like I was right there with Jana on her journey.

Jana Suleiman has always been one to strive for perfection. She strives to life up to her mother's standards and do everything the right way. The one time that she goes out of her comfort zone.. she winds up with a baby. Her daughter, Imani, is now 4 years old, and Jana is still working on getting along with her daughter's father, Anil. Anil and Jana co-parent their daughter, but other than that, they don't have a relationship or a friendship. That's all about to change as Anil shows up at the destination wedding of their friends Kamila and Rohan.

Now that they are in Tanzania together, Jana gets to see firsthand how great Anil is with their daughter. She spends more time with him and they start to feel like they could be a family. Anil hurt her in the past, and she has to ask herself if she is willing to take a chance with him again.

I loved books where I can learn about other cultures, foods, and traditions, and this book delivers! It even has recipes at the end of the book, and I can't wait to try them, I loved learning about the Muslim wedding traditions, Indian wedding customs, and traditional Indian and Tanzania foods.

Overall, this story really swept me away to the picturesque country of Tanzania. The characters felt relatable, and I love how the #bridalbrigade really showed up for Jana. Also, who doesn't love the music of ABBA? What a great story!

Thanks to NetGalley and Forever Publishing for an ARC of this book.

Jana Goes Wild by Farah Heron us a great contemporary romance that is full of heart, heat, humor, sass, and four-legged residents of the Serengeti.

This book is so much more than a second chance romance between exes and coparents: Jana Suleiman and Anil Malek. It also encompasses humor, fear, love, loss, family, and finding one’s own way in life.

I really enjoyed the picturesque backdrop, the full character cast, and I loved the chemistry, humor, banter, dialogue, and progression of the complicated and passionate relationship between the two main characters. Despite their past, despite their individual differences and obstacles, they meet again…and the connection is electric.

4/5 stars

Thank you NG and Forever ( Grand Central Publishing) for this wonderful arc and in return I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion.

I am posting this review to my GR and Bookbub accounts immediately and will post it to my Amazon, Instagram, and B&N accounts upon publication on 5/2/23.

As soon as I finished Kamila Knows Best and realized Jana would be next, I couldn’t wait to read this book. I loved seeing the continuation of Kamila and Rohan’s relationship, especially with explicit mentions of them planning to stay child-free and taking steps to keep that goal. But while Kamila and Rohan still played a big role, this is the story of Jana and Anil finding their way to their own version of a happy family with their daughter Imani.

Jana Goes Wild takes place five years after Kamila Knows Best, and while Jana and Anil are amicable and try to make sure they have the best relationship possible for their daughter, Jana still holds resentment and trauma from having been the “other woman” when they first got together and even having lost jobs and friends because of that. When she joins Kamila and family and friends for Kamila and Rohan’s wedding, she assumed Anil wouldn’t be able to join them. So when she sees him and they’re in close proximity for two weeks, things between her and Anil start to change.

I love second chance romances, and I think this does a lot of really great things with showing them having to make amends with one another for their past, as well as the growth they’ve both had to experience over the last five years. I also thought it was a nice change to have Jana be the one doing a grand gesture to show she’s ready to try and have a future with Anil, especially as she’s been the one most reluctant and prickly (which is never shown as unjustified or she’s evil or anything!). Overall this was a great addition to Farah’s catalogue, and I look forward to seeing what she’ll write next!

Jana never fit in totally because she is too aloof... She only fell in love once and her heart got broken. Now she is a bridesmaid for a destination wedding with her ex in attendance and she decided to make a go-wild list to forget about him....

A fun book... Love the main characters especially. The friends and family are fun too. :) The dialogue is spot on. I wish Anil, the ex, had to beg and asked for forgiveness a bit more though.

Thanks to the publisher for the arc.