Jana Goes Wild
By Farah Heron

I have always dreamed of going to a Safari in Tanzania and having that as a backdrop of the story for a destination wedding is the perfect place for a second chance at love – with your ex that is… Dr. Jana Suleiman is a single mother to an adorable daughter and finds herself the bridesmaid at a destination wedding with her long time friends, her new boss, and her ex – her daughter’s dad. This is a story that is fun and though it’s a slow burn, I found all the ways we got to the HEA fun, exciting, a romp, and so hilarious. A great story and just loved all the descriptions of the animals, the food, and learning about Muslim traditions.

Jana Goes Wild was a bit of a wild card. I fell in love with the cover which is why I requested this book. However, the story inside didn’t live up to the artwork for me. Jana’s thoughts just went around in circles and were repetitive. Even when she ended up with what she wanted, she was just unhappy. Some others may enjoy, but overall this one just wasn’t for me.

Um I guess I'm not a fan of a rom com with a small child involved. The romance was also suuuuper forced for me.

Thank you to @netgalley and @readforeverpub for a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

This was my first Farah Heron book, but it most certainly won’t be my last! This second chance and forced proximity romance was a book rich in African culture with beautiful landscapes. It was the perfect backdrop for Jana and Anil to reconnect. The group of friends in the book were their biggest cheerleaders.

This was a slow burn, but I was here for the whole thing!

4 stars


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It was hard to get attached to Jana. She felt a bit aloof and distance but that’s probably she is as a character. Anil, on the other hand, I couldn’t get a feel for him. Overall I enjoyed the book.

This novel legit transported me to Tanzania, and I was over the moon that Jana got her own book. This is one of those grumpy/sunshine novels with two parents doing their best to co-parent their daughter. They are stuck together for a wedding weekend, giving the forced proximity vibes we love. The growth in both MCs was beautiful to see unfold on the page. I loved the descriptions of the world around them, and the slow burn is always my favorite. This is such a tremendous quick romance that everyone should pick up.

Tropes:
-Second Chance
-Forced Proximity
-One Bed
-Grumpy/Sunshine

I so wanted to love this one, because there were elements I definitely enjoyed. But the main character, Jana...she just wasn't for me. She had so much resentment towards Anil, and I just loved him.

I really loved the previous book in this series and was looking forward to this one because of the unique setting. I loved getting to see the characters from the previous book, but otherwise this book fell a little flat for me. I think I wanted there to just be a little bit MORE. I can't say of what, but I just felt it was missing something that the other book had. Overall, I really like this author and I'll definitely be continuing to read their work. And I think that others will really love this one, and don't get me wrong I still liked this book, it just wasn't a 5 star for me.

This is a good book. The two main characters are Jana and Anil. Jana and Anil meet five years ago. Anil didn’t tell Jana he was married. Jana learned she was pregnant. Anil got a divorce. She had a daughter, together they co-parented her. Five years later two of their friends were getting married in Africa, they were both in the wedding. They got back together and fell in love.

Farah Heron is an author I adore, having read (most of) her previous adult romances. This is sort of the sequel to “Kamila Knows Best” and even though I accidentally skipped that one it wasn't a problem. Jana and her daughter Imani are going on safari in Tanzania for Kamila’s wedding, looking forward to a great vacation. Until they're joined by Imani’s father, Anil with whom the relationship ended tumultuously. Second chance romance isn't my favorite trope, but I really liked this one. The sense of place certainly helped, as did interfering aunties and cultural expectations. Thank you to Netgalley and Forever Publishing for the advanced copy, it's been out since May.

One reason I love Farah Heron's books is that her humor really works for me. The other is because she writes "unlikable" heroines, but they're not all the same archetype. Kamila from Kamila Knows Best is a bubbly, extroverted take on the titular character from Austen's Emma in the line of Clueless. She's what people think of when they think vapid rich girl, and Heron did a fantastic job dissecting and countering associated assumptions and biases. Jana, on the other hand, is introverted and prickly. We see in Kamila Knows Best that Jana is known as the perfect daughter and has been pitted against Kamila their whole lives. In reality, she's being crushed by the expectations of her culture, family, and her work as an international nonprofit development consultant. When she falls for Anil while they're traveling for work, she falls hard. That is, until she learns that he's still married... and she's pregnant.

Fast forward a few years and Jana and Anil are successfully co-parenting a vibrant almost-kindergartener. Having a child outside of marriage and with a married man no less, has made finding work in the often faith-based development field difficult for Jana, not to mention the gossip and judgment she experiences in her family and community since she moved back home to raise her child.

She's never forgiven Anil and that process is central to both Jana's personal growth and the relationship arc as a whole. It's not easy as a reader to forgive Anil either, but Heron spends the time to convince us (and Jana) that their relationship can work. It's interesting how she walked right up to the line of true cheating and doesn't quite cross it. For some people, the betrayal will be too much, however. Anil was definitely not as separated as he said so there is marital infidelity, but he was literally not able to find his then-wife.

All this is set against the backdrop of a destination wedding and two week safari trip to Tanzania. The Indian-Canadian Muslim community to which Jana, Kamila, Rohan and Anil belong largely immigrated to the Toronto area from Tanzania and the experience is important enough to them culturally that it makes sense Anil would want to be there for his daughter's first time visiting. I appreciated that though the two MCs sniped at each other a bit, it was never in front of or about their daughter. I also appreciated that they already had such a good co-parenting arrangement that there wasn't any pressure to get back together "for the good of the child."

By the end, I had experienced a whole roller-coaster of feelings about the relationship and I was surprised to find myself rooting for the two of them to get together. Big lies are a hard sell, but Farah Heron made it work.

2.5 Stars rounded up

I was absolutely ready to give this a lower rating but Jana acknowledged her relationship with the male main character was primarily based on how good the sex was between them lol

I mean, the book was way too long while going nowhere and the conflict was Jana versus Jana and totally obnoxious inability to communicate with anyone. I also don't know how her industry works but in the year of our lord 2023 why would having a kid out of wedlock matter in the slightest when it comes to getting a job. That seems super illegal??? maybe Canadian labor laws are different idk. Jana getting a job was a huge part of the plot even when she was halfway around the world on a safari vacation. Like chill out lady vacations are temporary work is forever.

The romance was kinda whatever too. Due to aforementioned having a kid out of wedlock with the guy, and her losing out on a job like 5 years prior to the book events, Jana is super butthurt and mad at him the entire time. So obviously they have sex and then she ghosts him like c'mon Jana you can't just one night stand this guy!! He has 50% shared custody with your kid!!! Ugh whatever these dingalings deserve each other. Especially since they had a huge argument over going to Disney World together because Jana wanted to be the first to take the kid there. I can't even summarize the issues with the book well because they're all so ridiculous so I'm just going to end the review here lol

When Jana attends a destination wedding in Serengeti National park, everyone she knows will be there - her mom, her daughter, her baby daddy Anil, even her potential new boss. At the urging of the other bridesmaids, Jana steps out of her comfort zone.

I liked Kamila Knows Best, so I really enjoyed getting to read about her wedding in Africa. At times, Jana kind of drove me crazy - like I just wanted her to be herself/stand up for herself. I liked the second chance romance between her and Anil - but talk to each other. It definitely makes me want to visit Africa!

Jana Goes Wild
⭐️⭐️⭐️
Author: Farah Heron

I requested a digital advanced readers copy from NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing and providing my opinion voluntarily and unbiased.

Synopsis: 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.

My Thoughts: We first met Jana and Anil in Kamila Knows Best. While not necessary to read, it does give you a little character history/background. This was a slow burn romance but the ending does make it worth it. The tropes of second chance romance and forced proximity are followed here and done well. Jana and Anil coparent their daughter. Then they go on a trip together as part of a designation wedding, and everything changes, they discover why they were to each other to begin with (outside of Anil being married previously). This does have some spice level, maybe a 🌶️🌶️.

The characters were well developed, with witty banter, chemistry, and creatively done. The author’s writing style was humorous, swoony, and engaging. The author does an amazing job at translating the East African culture, history, and customs to the pages, really makes you feel like you are there with them. The author also gives a very positive spin on coparenting that I can appreciate. My biggest con was the repetition of how Jana felt about Anil’s choices in the past, while definitely warranted, I think it could have been one and done, and not repeated. Less of Jana’s frustration with Anil and more focus on their budding new relationship would have made a big difference.

Overall, this was a good read and I would recommend to other readers.

I think this was my favorite book in the series so far! The audiobook was superbly done, and I really felt for Jana. She was wrestling with so many feelings and I though Heron did a great job of showing that while still keeping us hooked. The third act breakup was even tolerable. Throw in an adorable child who is so loved by both of her parents, and I truly enjoyed this romp through the Serengeti. Definitely worth a read if you enjoyed Kamila Knows Best.

Farah Heron is one of my new favourite Canadian authors and I am never disappointed when I read a book by this author. Jana goes Wild is a delicious read and I literally couldn’t put this book down except I was in the middle of moving from Kingston, Ontario to Winnipeg, Manitoba and I apologize to Jana. NetGalley and the publisher for this late review. Bravo Farah and I can’t wait to read your next book hopefully very soon..🙋‍♀️🇨🇦📚👏🥰🥰❤️🤞

This is just one of those books where it's me and not it. I usually like the tropes in this book. Marriage reconciliation (although I know they weren't married but having a kid together is huge), when done well is so amazing but sadly I never found myself on Jana's side or even liking her to be honest. I felt as though she held a grudge because it almost became an extension of her. Not because she was actually mad at Anil. Let me say that I LOVED Anil though.... wow what a man. Maybe thats why I never feel in love with this book because I was so team Anil but it was a miss regardless.

This one surprised me in such a good way. The eat African setting was absolutely perfect ( I also loved that it was set during a wedding). I lovedthe self love journey that jana went on just as much as I loved the romance between anil and jana. The tense relationship between jana and anil was SO good, I loved seeing them work together and learn to work closer as coparents for their daughter. The wedding setting was amazing, I loved the chaos that came with it, I especially loved how much personality went into each side character, they were all so easily distinguishable and at times had me laughing out loud. overall this book was such a fun ride and perfect to read in just one day.
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thank you netgalley and the publisher for providing me with this arc in exchange for an honest review.

A second chance romance with set in Africa, yes please! I found the characters in Jana Goes Wild super fun couldn't get enough of it. Jana and Anil were perfectly crafted and I loved their romance. The secondary characters in the wedding party added texture and comedy to the story. I really enjoy romances with older (not 20-somethings) characters too so that was a plus for Jana Goes Wild. If you've read Kamila Knows Best you'll see some characters again. Personally I DNF'd Kamila Knows Best, but after reading Jana Goes Wild I might have to give it another shot. I also enjoyed the Disney nods in Jana Goes Wild.

I fell in love with Farah Heron's writing with Accidentally Engaged, which I highly recommend, and I can't wait for what you'll publish next.

Thank you to Forever Pub and Netgalley for a copy in exchange for my review.

The one time Jana did something so unlike herself it changed her life forever.
With a broken heart and a baby on the way her life drastically took a turn from her original path. Five years later she’s headed to a wedding in Serengeti National Park. Not only will her family and her daughter be there, but turns out so will her ex. Jana doesn’t want her ex to have any effect on her whatsoever so a Go Wild list has been created. She’s trying to prove she’s good without her ex, but there’s a reason Jana fell for Anil to begin with and maybe a second chance is in the works for these two after all. This was a fun one and the setting was amazing!
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Huge thank you to @readforeverpub and @netgalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.