Five years ago Jana Suleiman's life was turned upside down by a terrible betrayal.

Now, she and her young daughter are headed to Tanzania for a destination wedding for two of Jana's oldest friends. Of course, she fails to realize that the man who broke her heart all those years ago will also be there.

Having to be around Anil is bringing up old memories and hurts. She doesn't know if she can ever forgive him, but for the sake of their daughter, she needs to try.

I absolutely loved this book's vivid storytelling. Farah Heron really knows how to describe the African landscape to perfection. I felt like I was riding along with the characters. You can tell that it's somewhere near and dear to the author's heart. The love just jumps off of the page.

Farah Heron also made the double standard that exists between men and women deftly felt. Jana experienced a great hit to her personal and professional lives after the implosion of her and Anil's relationship. She's still feeling the after effects - whispers and judging. Whether or not she realizes it, there's an internal shame that Jana carries around because of what happened. I think the biggest thing of all is, with Anil, Jana really felt like she had met her person. She doesn't easily make friends and isn't close to many people, but with Anil it was almost instantaneous. She was on her way to falling for him, so to lose that so abruptly along with everything else that occurred at the time, really caused Jana to turn in on herself.

There is a lot for Jana to unpack, and the moments when Jana speaks her true self were some of the best in the book. Unfortunately, they're far between at first, as the story builds upon itself rather slowly. There were quite a few times where I felt like we were on repeat with the same situation coming up again and again. I still enjoyed the story, but felt like maybe some things could have been paired down and I don't think this would have impacted the growth that we got to see from Jana.

Overall, while the journey to the end was sometimes a little rough, it was still all worth it as the ending was perfect. ( )

In the past, the heroine and the hero had a wonderful time that resulted in a pregnancy. In the present time, the heroine arrives at the location of her friend's destination wedding with her daughter and mother in tow. There the heroine meets the hero, who she hasn't forgiven for lying to her in the past. During this time, the heroine decides to let loose. Along the way, the heroine reconnects with the hero. Will the heroine and the hero have a second chance at love in this book?

This Farah Heron book is the sequel to KAMILA KNOWS BEST but can be read as a standalone. I enjoyed the setting of this book and how the characters interacted within this setting. There were distinctive characters in this book, and I enjoyed how some characters from the previous book appeared in this story. There were some good and bad facets of the main couple of this book. I liked the growth that the couple made individually, but there were times that each of them was not likable in my view. It would have been nice to have a bit more details in certain areas of the story, especially in certain resolutions that needed them in my opinion. Overall, a nice Farah Heron book with a beautiful book cover.

** Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the review copy. All opinions and thoughts in the review are my own. ** ( )

Jana Goes Wild by Farah Heron
Contemporary romance. Diverse / Own voice. Second chance troupe.
Jana falls in love but only afterwards finds out Anil Malek is already married. Jana is committed to give her daughter the best possible life so arrangements are made to evenly split custody and care. Jana does her best to never actually see Anil in the transfer between parents and it’s all working out. Both Jana and Anil are part of a destination wedding event in Tanzania, East Africa and as the karaoke and singing and parties put them together, their attraction renews and strengthens. Anil is single now all the friends and family help push them together. Resistance is futile.

Overflowing and rich with East African cultural references, local foods, dress, and traditions. The romance was a bit on-again, off-again but it was Jana coming to certain realizations that mattered and made a difference. The grand gesture was perfect.

Recipes for cheddar and potato samosas and mandazi fried donuts included at the end.

I received a copy of the from NetGalley and the publisher. ( )

After a whirlwind romance that spans two weeks on two continents, Jana discovers her lover, Anil, is married. She angrily cuts ties with him only to find out weeks later that she is pregnant. Anil proves to be a great father, though, and the next 5 years they co-parent their adorable daughter, while keeping distance from each other. That is until they are both enlisted as part of the wedding party on a lavish destination wedding in Tanzania.

The synopsis for this book, as well as the gorgeous cover, had me really excited to read it. So, I was disappointed when after the first chapter the story dragged for me. Things did pick up after the wedding festivities began but I had a hard time warming up to Jana. I think this book might have benefited from a dual POV.

I’m rating this book 3.5/5 rounded up since the last half of the book was more interesting and I’m glad I stuck with it.

Thank you to Shelf Awareness, NetGalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for this complimentary ARC. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. ( )