I tried to get into this one, but it took me a little too long. I hope to come back to it with fresh eyes in the future.

I like all these series installments and this one was no exception, the title and blurb was very misleading to be honest, this was a good second chance romance with great friends and family surrounding it that we know and love from previous books in the series.

This book was so good! I felt like I was traveling with Jana and Anil, both throughout the safari and the relationship. I love a wedding-setting story, and this one definitely did not disappoint. It was set up so nicely, flowed really well, and I was invested the entire time. I couldn't put my kindle down! 5 stars, 10/10 reccomend!

I'm not a huge fan of the second-chance romance trope, but I was excited to read a desi version of it by an author whom I've heard lots about!

However, I ended up not liking this book as much as I wanted to. I didn't vibe with the characters and the only character I sort of liked was Jana and despite liking her a bit I couldn't connect. The personality and characteristics of Jana felt forced kinda, and I know there are supposed to be character arcs and development and personal obstacles one goes through but all that felt forced with Jana for the sake of the story.

And I've read about many fictional men but Anil isn't someone I felt like swooning over even though he may have been a great father. I side with Jana about not forgiving him right away and having him prove himself, grovel, and work extra hard to gain her trust after what he did to her.

Also, I don't see how these two act like they've known each other for years when they've only dated for two weeks and co-existed but never talked for the years following that. That's what I mean by lack of connection and chemistry since I felt there was none, which made it challenging for me to get through the book but I pushed through.

Either way, I gave this book a chance but it wasn't for me.

Jana and Anil had a whirlwind weeks-long love affair until she found out he was still married and broke it off. The break up and scandal all happened before Jana realized she was pregnant and they've been coexisting as co-parents ever since. Now they are forced to spend two weeks together while celebrating Kamila & Rohan's (from Kamila Knows Best) destination wedding in Tanzania. We love how Farah Heron connected these books! 

The romance is very hot/cold. We understand Jana's hesitation when it comes to rekindling a romance with Anil (especially now that there's a child involved) but we wish that she wasn't so cold! You can see that Anil has been pining for her and trying to prove himself to Jana but she just can't forgive him for his role in how their breakup affected the rest of her life. Yes, Anil made a huge mistake and didn't communicate properly, we understand where they are both coming from.

A fun aspect to the book was Jana's "letting-loose” list. She's always been so serious and focused on school then work that Jana never had a chance to let loose (except for those weeks with Anil). Her fellow bridesmaids come up with a list of tasks to complete while on vacation. It does involve some tame things but it was perfect for Jana to feel free.

We loved Kamila Knows Best and were so in her corner that even though Kamila and Jana made peace and are friends, we weren’t sure how we would feel reading Jana’s story. We’re glad we did. This book is about Jana getting her happy ending and in order to do that she needed to come to some realizations and letting go for herself.

What we liked:
▪️Second chance romance
▪️The connection with Kamila Knows Best & seeing those characters again
▪️The setting & culture

What we didn’t like:
▪️Jana felt very negative
▪️Jana’s mom - a lot of Jana’s issues are b/c of her

I am impressed yet again! Farah Heron somehow adeptly managed to write what would have been an extremely difficult and almost impossible to work out relationship.

If you've read Kamila Knows Best and know about Jana and Anil's history - you'd say there's no way these two would get an HEA, but well, against all odds, they do. The journey that lead to their happiness was difficult but worth it with some amazing personal growth and self-exploration.

I also loved the vivid safari setting, the colorful side cast and the African cultural references. And of course, it was a joy re-visiting Kamila and Rohan.

Definitely a second chance romance I'll be recommending!

Jana may have gone to the wild but she most definitely did not go wild. I absolutely adored Accidentally Engaged and was so looking forward to Jana Goes Wild.  i hate to say it but this book just fell flat for me and it was so disappointing. I didn't care for Jana. She was stubborn, in quite an immature way. The big "secret" that Jana's family was trying to keep was infantile and something literally nobody would care about. I liked Anil though. Cutesy but I could have DNFed.

“Jana Suleiman has never really fit in—everyone always sees her as too aloof, too cool, too perfect. The one time she stepped out of her comfort zone she ended up with a broken heart and a baby on the way. Aaaand lesson learned.”

This book was a good time. I absolutely loved the setting, the positive representation of the father, the cast of BIPOC, and the Second Chance at Love trope. Even the Accidental Pregnancy didn’t piss me off – probably because it was in the past.

I found the book a bit draggy, however. Mostly because there was a tonne of repetition.

This was a very slow burn romance. Understandably, considering the consequences of their past, but something to consider.

This author wrote Accidentally Engage, another I quite enjoyed, so I’ll be on the lookout for her next book.

6.5/10

Thanks to NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for this ARC.

A fun adventure of self discovery with an astounding backdrop in Tanzania. This one is a combination of fake relationship and second chance romance. Jana and Amir had a fling that resulted in a daughter, but haven't been together since for a very good reason. When they are both on a destination wedding trip with the head of the company Jana just interviewed for, they pretend to be well-adjusted co-parents. and partners. As usual in romance, it isn't all pretend.

⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

𝘼 𝙙𝙚𝙡𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩𝙛𝙪𝙡 𝙧𝙤𝙢-𝙘𝙤𝙢 𝙤𝙛 𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙬𝙤𝙢𝙖𝙣 𝙩𝙧𝙮𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙤 𝙨𝙝𝙚𝙙 𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙛𝙚𝙘𝙩 𝙞𝙢𝙖𝙜𝙚 𝙖𝙩 𝙖 𝙙𝙚𝙨𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙬𝙚𝙙𝙙𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙝𝙞𝙡𝙖𝙧𝙞𝙤𝙪𝙨—𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙢𝙤𝙫𝙞𝙣𝙜—𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙪𝙡𝙩𝙨.

📍 Read if you like:
• Second Chance Romances
• Wedding Festivities
• Disney References
• Tanzania

This was a fun and quick second-chance romance with so many Disney references, which I really enjoyed.

We follow single mom Jana, who wants to give her daughter the best life. She ends up falling for Anil, who happens to be already married.

They’re both forced to see each other when they’re part of a destination wedding in Tanzania, East Africa. I just loved the setting so much and I had a great time reading about the wedding festivities and culture there.

There were some entertaining scenes in this book involving food and safari adventures. I really want to read more romances set in Africa, I just love the culture there so much.

There’s also a lot of drama that added so much spice to this story.

However, there were times when Jana got a bit over the top and it got repetitive. I didn’t like the way she treated Anil at times. Some of their interactions felt too forced and it felt uncomfortable.

Overall, this was such a fun read. I loved the chemistry between the characters and the setting was the absolute best. I loved the rich cultural activities and local foods. Highly recommend picking this romance up!

Thank you so much NetGalley and Forever for the review copy in exchange for my honest review!

•𝗧𝗪/𝗖𝗪: Infidelity, sexual content, pregnancy, panic attacks/disorder, sexism

My flight is delayed and what better way to spend my time than telling you how utterly delightful JANA GOES WILD is!

The descriptions of Tanzania, the wedding events, and food transported me far, far away from a very busy airport. I loved Jana's complex relationship with Anil and Imani has completely stolen my heart.

Balancing career, parenthood, friends, and family is no easy feat, and @farahheronauthor takes us on that roller-coaster of an emotional journey with Jana, with no shortage of laughs along the way. I'm a real sucker for the laughs.

.....

Jana Suleiman has never really fit in—everyone always sees her as too aloof, too cool, too perfect. The one time she stepped out of her comfort zone she ended up with a broken heart and a baby on the way. Aaaand lesson learned . Now she’s a bridesmaid for a destination wedding in Serengeti National Park, and almost everyone she knows will be there. Her five-year-old daughter. Her mom. Her friends. Even her potential new boss. And of course (because who doesn’t love surprises!) her gorgeous-but-not-to-be-trusted ex.

Fortunately, Anil Malek is a great dad, even if Jana hasn’t quite forgiven him for lying to her all those years ago. Determined to show he has no effect on her whatsoever, she and the bridesmaids concoct a go-wild list to get Jana through the week. Sing karaoke? Sure. Perform their high school dance routine in front of strangers? Okay. But the more she lets down her guard, the less protection she has against her attraction to Anil. And Jana soon realizes it’s one thing to walk on the wild side . . . and quite another to fall for her ex all over again.

#bookstagram #reading #janagoeswild #review #romcom #canadianauthor

I LOVED THIS

It took a while for my mood reading soul to pick this one up - but once I did I devoured it in one sitting. What a fantastic second chance romance featuring strong familial relationships.

Wow this one dealt with everything - grief, love, loss, struggling with familial and cultural expectations.

Thank you to Netgalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for the opportunity to read this in exchange for an honest review.

Highly recommend everyone reads this beautiful story about a single mom rediscovering herself and learning how to let go on a safari adventure.

Jana Goes Wild is the newest book from Farah Heron and it does not disappoint. I loved the fun setting, the romance, and Jana going out of her way to try new things (with some push from her friends & family that is). It is a great summer read and especially a good vacation read (though I'd read this book any time of the year).

Jana Suleiman just doesn't fit in. She is quiet, smart and seemingly perfect. Yet, after a two week affair she become pregnant and broken hearted. She is off to Tanzania as part of a bridal party when her ex lover shows up, along with her potential new boss. What could be worse? Only that her mother has told everyone she is divorced. She must keep up the pretense during the two weeks. She and the bridesmaid come up with a go-wild list to get Jana out of her comfort zone. Will she really walk on the wild side? Will she get back with her ex?

Humorous, adventurous, and a beautifully written multi-generational tale. I always enjoy books that feature a grandma, mom, and daughter because I grew up in a similar family unit and learned so much from the women who raised me! This one was entertaining and as someone who enjoys studying cultural Geography especially I loved learning about different ways of living.

really sweet second chance romcom that takes place in an irresistible setting. I loved all the colorful customs, food and cultural references. this was a REALLY slow burn, but it had a pretty good payoff. I loved all aspects of the co-parenting relationship and there were some pretty funny moments as well. Pacing was a tad slow for me, but overall it was an easy read.

Jana is a bridesmaid in a fabulous destination wedding when her ex (and father of her child) shows up unexpectedly. Things quickly get complicated for these co-parents.

This isn't tagged as being part of a series, as it definitely can be read as a standalone, but it does share overlapping characters with Kamila Knows Best.

I struggled a bit with how repetitive this storyline felt. It always seemed like Jana and Anil had these moments of connection, then cycled through misunderstanding and miscommunication. It was hard to get past just how negative Jana was as a main character, I found her constantly assuming the worst about everyone, from her mother to her future employer to even her friends and especially Amil--after a while, I found it weighed on me a bit as a reader.

I did really enjoy "traveling" along with this fun wedding party. Farah Heron clearly has such a strong connection to Tanzania and I really appreciated the detail included on the customs, the safaris and the food!

Thank you to NetGalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for sharing this ARC with me in exchange for my honest review.

I would rate this story 3.5 stars I think. I really loved all of the travel/wedding aspects of this story - the game drives, the hotels, the parties and all of the food! But as a romance, I felt like it fell flat for me.

Jana and Anil had two amazing weeks together before something ended their relationship before it could really start. And then Jana realized she was pregnant. The story jumps to five years later when Jana and Anil are both in the wedding party for mutual friends so they’re all going to Tanzania for two weeks to go on safari and celebrate the wedding. They apparently are excellent co-parents sharing equal custody of their daughter Imani, but really don’t interact otherwise. Anil continues his many years of apologizing and on this trip asks Jana to really give them a chance at being friends for Imani’s sake.

I think part of my struggle with this story was that it was single POV from Jana’s perspective so we spent a LOT of time reading her inner monologue which was very repetitive throughout the course of the book. The forced proximity did give Jana and Anil to have a few moments together but if this hadn’t been a romance novel, I wouldn’t have seen enough from Anil to make me excited at all for their relationship. At one point he texts “You know how I feel about you” and I literally spoke out loud and said “I don’t even know how you feel!” Also, the final conflict was a little far-fetched. Jana even said to herself “What are the chances …” - yes, what ARE the chances. Lastly, there was a distinct lack of honest and direct communication between the characters and I just really felt like they were too old to still do such a poor job communicating.

Jana Goes Wild is a bop and it surpassed my expectation after loving Kamila Knows Best.

The cover alone is a reason to order this book because it's such an eye-catching cover.

Another fun romance from Farah Heron! Jana and all the other characters were so human, I love that the author wrote them all to be slightly in likable. It made the story feel like I really knew these people. The descriptions of the scenery and animals were fantastic, the romance was steamy- overall, a great experience. Readers who liked Heron’s Kamila Knows Best will be excited to revisit those characters in this book.