I personally had a really hard time with this one and ended up DNFing it at 30%. I think I just couldn't get along with the MC's personality...maybe she changes by the end of the book but it was frustrating for me and made it difficult to get fully engaged.

Gorgeous. Farah Heron has incredible mastery of prose that binds emotion, humour, and description in a wonderfully immersive way. Loved the romance and loved the story.

Jane Gose Wild is a cute second-chance romance. The beginning was wild, as were the relations between Jane and Anil and the aftermath.

Jane's reaction was justified, and how she rebuilt her life was fantastic - I always appreciate women who kick ass and make it regardless of the odds.

Anil has a deeper story than one would think at first meeting him. The daughter was annoying to me, and she seemed a little spoiled, enjoying all the joys of two parents in two different households.

All in all, this was an entertaining read that I enjoyed.

I enjoyed Kamila Knows Best by Farah Heron, so when I had the opportunity to request an eArc for another one of her books, I took it. Heron has a way of taking pauses where I’m like, why this cliff hanger now?!?! Must have more details and closure! Don’t worry, you get them, but she makes it very hard to put her books down. I found the views on a child born to unwed parents and divorce both a bit antiquated, however, I don’t know if culturally, there are still issues with acceptance regarding this. So, to a more progressive audience this may not resonate and at times snuff the enjoyment factor. This novel includes storylines and characters that intertwine with her previous book, but allow for the novel to be read alone. If you’re a fan of family drama, strong friendships, and rooting for love to win, pick this one up.

🦁🦒Book Review:
Title: Jana Goes Wild
Author: Farah Heron
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/4 stars

I "read" this book by listening to the audio version while cooking dinner! It took a few days to finish it, but it was quite entertaining and enjoyable!

Jana Suleiman and her five year old daughter, head to the Serengeti National Park to be a bridesmaid in her friend's destination wedding (lots of family will be there as well because of how close the families are). Here, they have a run-in with her daughters father, Anil. Jana and Anil had a two week crash-and-burn "relationship" that ended when it was revealed that Anil was still married. Then Jana found out she was pregnant with their child. Yikes! There's gonna be some drama during these nuptials! Hold on for the wild safari between these two!

Published: May 2nd, 2023

Thank you, @netgalley and @readforeverpub, for this ARC in exchange for my honest review!

The sweetest second chance romance. I loved how fleshed out Jana, Anil and all the supporting characters were, and how exciting the entire wedding was. Loved this one!

I'd not read the first book in this series when I picked up this title, thus, was unaware of readers' contentious relationship with Jana before picking up her story. I'm glad for this as I found Jana one of the most interesting romance protagonists I've read in a while and rate this novel highly in the second chance romance novels I've read. I was fine with her romantic interest but wish he had more redeeming qualities, especially after picking up Kamila Knows Best.

I loved Accidentally Engaged by Farah Heron so I assumed I'd love this one too but sadly, I didn't. It felt too long and drawn out {the audiobook was over 12 hours!}, and I felt like the characters just weren't believable, or relatable, maybe? For some reason I just didn't connect. I did love the setting and the way she described all the things in Africa but aside from that, this one was a miss for me. That won't stop me from picking up her future reads though.

Thank you to the publisher + NetGalley for an advanced reading copy. All opinions are my own.

This is a really sweet romance! Second chance romance isn't always my thing and I def struggled to identify with Jana but that didn't take away any joy from reading this book! It would be so hard to give a second chance to someone who intentionally or not really screwed up your career and life. And Africa! I have only been to South Africa on the continent but I love books set there.

I love this author, and when I saw the adorable cover, I knew I was in for a fun treat!

Some of my favorite things were the great conversations the friends had, the lush setting in Tanzania, along with all of the animals, the culture and food descriptions, as well as traditions.

WHAT TO EXPECT
-slow burn
-second chance romance
-emotional
-🔥off the charts chemistry
-destination wedding in Tanzania

*many thanks to Forever and Netgalley for the gifted copy for review

This book sadly was not my jam. I tried very hard to get into it but the writing just could not draw me in. I thought it was going to be a fun adventure type of book with some comedy and romance but I just found myself annoyed. It took me entirely way too long to finish because I had to keep starting and stopping, rinse & repeat.

Everything that Farah Heron writes just sucks you in, and this book is no exception. It has an AMAZING setting (I want more travel romcoms, STAT), grumpy/sunshine MCs, a delightful cast of characters, and a whole lot of baggage and emotion to sort through before we get to our second-chance HEA (but it's totally worth it, and well-earned!) I completely enjoyed every minute!

First off, this cover is absolutely amazing. Seriously, 10/10 to the cover artist because it’s perfect and fun and really sets the scene for the book! I’m not a fan of second chance romances and this book was no different, unfortunately. I just felt there was too much misunderstandings that could have easily been solved if the characters communicated with each other properly. I did love the co-parenting relationship between the two MCs. Ultimately, they were a sweet couple, but getting there took a while.

I did not finish this one, it was not for me, I couldn't relate to the characters, and just did not care for the story.

3.5⭐, 2🌶️

I didnt love this book, but I didn't dislike it either. I think as a second chance romance, it made sense to be as long as it was, but it still felt rather long and dragged out for me at times.

Jana and Anil had a whirlwind romance, until Jana learned he was still married...then she learns she's pregnant. 5 years later, they are both on a Tanzanian vacation for their friends wedding, and as Jana is pushed out of her comfort zone more and more, her and Anil grow closer and start to question their co-parenting relationship.

All I know is I'm torn between whether I want to go watch Mamma Mia, or any and all documentaries I can find about the Tanzanian wilderness.

Thank you NetGalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for an eARC of Jana Goes Wild, by Farah Heron.

I have really enjoyed Farah Heron and will continue to pick up her work. She has both a unique voice and yet this is perfect for anyone wanting a cute romance, mass appeal here.

I really wanted to like this one as the cute cover and second chance premise drew me in immediately. Unfortunately, I did not like any of the characters from the beginning and couldn't finish the book. I really hate leaving reviews for books I did not complete - hopefully a patient reader will enjoy the ending of this one!

4.25/5
My Spice Rating: 🌶🌶🍆/🌶🌶🌶🌶🌶

Farah Heron is easily one of my favorite romance writers, and as soon as I started Jana Goes Wild I knew I was going to love it. It is fun to know that she took her own experiences on safari in Tanzania and was able to bring them to life in this story. I loved the characters as well as the backdrop, and this book is loaded with animals and mouthwatering descriptions of yummy food. I didn't even realize Jana and Anil were both in Kamila Knows Best which I've already read, and now I kind of wish I would have read all her books in order one after the other. I love it when authors do things like this, and I wasn't able to fully appreciate it since it has been so long since I read Kamila.

The audiobook is also narrated by one of my favorites Soneela Nankani, and once again she did a beautiful job with the characters and the book as a whole. This is already a laugh-out-loud funny read, and Nankani just made those parts even better. There is a bit of spice to the story, but it wasn't anything too extreme and it didn't happen too often, so it was basically perfect for me on that front. The friendships both crafted and built in the storyline were heartwarming and touching, and at times provided fantastic lighter moments that specific scenes needed. Jana is a very relatable character, and even though I am not a mom or a professional of her skill level I found plenty of other things I could easily relate to. This second change romance absolutely stole my heart, and I loved all the Disney references! Read this if you enjoy a bit of steam, uncomfortable moments, and destination weddings.

This cover is so good! I just could not get on board with this couple at all. I absolutely could not stand Anil with his lying, cheating self. I feel sorry for Jana! If stay together for the baby was a book, it would be "Jana Goes Wild". They need to just co-parent civilly and move on from any type of romantic relationship between each other. I tried to like this book, and there were moments when I was in the groove and interested, but all in all, all I got was a headache.

Jana, the main character, is instantly likable and easy to connect with. Her struggles with past heartbreak, the challenges of single motherhood, and her desire for personal growth are portrayed realistically and with great empathy. This story tackles forgiveness, love, and the complexities of relationships. Each character has their own quirks and complexities, making them relatable and integral to the narrative's development. The chemistry between Jana and Anil (the ex) is palpable, their interactions are filled with unresolved emotions and unspoken words. The story is truly delightful and engaging and the exploration of cultural identity and traditions adds an extra layer of richness to the story.