Tarzan Loves Jane is a dark romantic comedy that blends heartbreak, humour, and hope into a story about one man’s chaotic quest to find love and redemption.
Set in Sydney’s beachside suburb of Coogee, it follows Johnny—a man battered by life, burdened by trauma, and bewildered by matters of the heart. After three failed marriages, Johnny begins to question whether true love even exists, or if the version of himself that once believed in it died long ago. When he spots a haunting quote on his psychiatrist’s wall—“On your last day on Earth, the person you became meets the person you could have become”—something in him shifts.
Determined not to leave this world as a man afraid of love, Johnny throws himself into the chaos of modern romance. That’s how he ends up on *Tarzan Loves Jane*, a dating app co-owned by Amber—a smart, magnetic woman who’s equal parts confident, compassionate, and completely fed up with men pretending to have their act together.
Johnny’s outrageous dating profile goes viral, drawing Amber’s attention first with laughter, then curiosity. When she decides to help him “fix” his love life, neither expects the emotional rollercoaster that follows. Their chemistry ignites instantly when they meet by chance at Coogee Beach—an encounter that’s equal parts awkward, electric, and strangely healing. Beneath the comedic banter and flirty exchanges, both are fighting battles they rarely dare to speak of.
As romance blossoms, Johnny’s past resurfaces—decades of trauma, guilt, and unspoken pain threatening to tear apart the fragile happiness he’s finally found. What begins as a romantic comedy quickly deepens into something far more profound.
*Tarzan Loves Jane* explores what happens when two broken people try to love each other honestly—without masks, without pretense, and without running from the dark.
Comerford’s writing is sharp, emotional, and disarmingly funny, offering readers both gut-punching vulnerability and laugh-out-loud honesty. Through Johnny’s struggles and Amber’s fierce honesty, the story unpacks universal questions about self-worth, shame, and whether true love can really conquer the parts of ourselves we’d rather hide.
The book masterfully balances raw emotion with comedic timing, drawing readers into Johnny’s inner world while confronting serious themes like mental health, recovery, and identity. As Johnny faces a moment of reckoning, forced to choose between self-destruction and growth, the story becomes a heartbreaking and exhilarating portrait of transformation.
*Tarzan Loves Jane* is both dark and uplifting, tragic and comic—a brave exploration of the human need for connection told through the messy lens of modern love. It’s a story that proves laughter can live beside pain, and that sometimes, the only way to heal is to stop pretending you've never been hurt.
For anyone who’s ever loved, lost, and tried again, JJ Comerford’s unforgettable tale delivers what its title promises: love in its most primal, flawed, and beautiful form.
Disability Themes
Contemporary, Dark Romantic Comedy, Mental Health
About The Author
John Comerford is an Australian author, speaker, and advocate dedicated to men’s mental health and suicide prevention.
After surviving childhood sexual abuse within the Catholic education system, he lived in silence for more than forty years before a breakdown forced him to confront the trauma that shaped his life. That moment of collapse became his turning point—a beginning rather than an end.
Through his acclaimed book Tarzan Loves Jane, John uses raw honesty and storytelling to break the silence surrounding male trauma. John’s lived experience gives authenticity and weight to his message: that vulnerability is strength, and healing begins when men speak their truth.
Today, John shares his story across Australia and beyond, inspiring others to confront pain, reclaim identity, and live with courage and compassion.
John currently lives in Coogee Beach Sydney with his partner Amber, and their dog Pedro.
