I loved The Mostly True Story of Tanner & Louise by this author, and this next did not disappoint. I like how Oakley tells a story, and I loved the quirks of the characters in this one. Thanks to Netgalley for the free advanced copy in exchange for an honest review, book publishes March 11.

JANE AND DAN AT THE END OF THE WORLD combines contemporary commentary on relationship, family, environmental, and social issues with humor and does so in a manner that softens what might otherwise feel preachy.

There’s a lot going on with the plot of this book - Jane and Dan are celebrating their anniversary at a ridiculously overpriced trendy restaurant when Jane tells Dan she wants a divorce - and the night gets worse from there. They soon find themselves held hostage by a group of gun wielding terrorists whose actions coincidentally mirror those in a book Jane wrote and published years ago that wasn’t exactly a best seller.

Told in the third person, we gain insight into both Jane and Dan’s points of view especially as they relate to their marriage. Jane is wondering if being a wife and mother is enough and Dan is content with things exactly the way they are. Nothing like facing possible death to make you take a long hard look at your choices.

I’ve seen reviews saying Jane is an unlikable character, but she resonated with me as she took stock of her life and imagined her future. Her take on motherhood: “These were the three pillars of motherhood: guilt, anxiety, and love,” summed up the conflicting emotions every mother I know has grappled with. Second guessing, worry, and fierce devotion are the inescapable hallmarks of being a mom.

The real takeaway for me was a simple life lesson, “Never let the things you want make you forget the things you have.” I imagine Jane is not so different than most of us.

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for the advance copy. All opinions are my own.

The feel of "Die Hard" in the setting of "The Menu" with a bit of "Something's Gotta Give."
Very fun, tightly wound, with a satisfying end.

Jane and Dan at the End of the World is the perfect blend of mystery, adventure, and humor. I love how Colleen Oakley makes me laugh and also creates some amazing and deep observations of humans and relationships. As far as the mystery goes, as with other Colleen Oakley novels I've read, I was always adjusting my theories and then thrown off of those theories and surprised by how everything ended. I LOVED it. Her notes on motherhood and marriage had me bookmarking pages faster than I've ever bookmarked pages. I can't wait to get my hands on a physical copy so I can re-read it any time I want! 5/5 stars! (chef's kiss) Perfection!

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley for a copy of this eARC in exchange for my honest review.

This was so fun! It gave me Date Night vibes with its mix of humor, chaos, and unexpected adventure. I also loved how it felt like a book within a book. The story follows Jane and Dan, a married couple celebrating their anniversary at a fancy restaurant—totally out of their usual routine. They do the same thing every year, but Dan decides to shake things up after winning a raffle for a posh and extremely expensive restaurant. Jane isn’t thrilled and has her own plans for the night with something important to tell Dan, but that goes out the window when the restaurant gets taken hostage mid-dinner by what seem to be terrorists!!! 😱

The fun part? The whole thing feels ripped straight from the pages of Jane’s own book—a novel about a tea shop getting held hostage. Is it a coincidence or did the terrorists actually get inspiration from Jane’s (not even popular) book?!

This added such a cool twist that made everything even more intense. This would be a great read for anyone who feels stuck in their “boring” or “lackluster” routine and dreams of shaking things up. The plot felt so fresh and unique, with some moments that had me biting my nails. I also loved Jane and Dan together, but also apart. This was a fast read but I really felt connected to this family throughout the story.

If you love books that mix humor, action, and a little mid-life chaos, this one’s for you. Fans of Date Night or Remarkably Bright Creatures will have a blast with this. It was such a fun, entertaining read!

Thank you, NetGalley and Berkley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!

✨ARC Review✨

Colleen Oakley has such a knack for clever, but relatable writing. This is no exception to her rule.

It’s Jane and Dan’s nineteenth anniversary and Jane has made a decision. They’re going out for an expensive meal at a Michelin-starred restaurant an hour and a half away from their home. They’re going to have their lovely dinner and then she’s going to tell Dan she wants a divorce.

This is the plan; however, her anger and resentment towards Dan has her telling him she wants a divorce during the first course. Dan is reeling, but tells her they’re not getting a divorce.

Then all hell breaks loose when a group of armed eco terrorists storm the restaurant. And why does this whole thing seem familiar to her? Oh no. Jane knows how this ends and it’s not good.

So, now Dan’s trying to reconcile her asking for a divorce and they’re both trying to figure out how to call for help and/or escape this hostage situation.

It’s funny, exciting, and ultimately relatable to most people in long term relationships. The book is told in third person and you do get insight into both Dan and Jane’s perspective. I’ll be honest. Jane was a bit of a pill for a lot of this book. I get it though. She’s in the middle of her life and her children and husband are central to her existence. She’s a failed writer in her mind. She’s in a rut and blaming Dan for her malaise. Like I said, it’s relatable. It reminds me of that meme that goes something like “I get on my own nerves- girl, you need to chill.”

Recommended! It’s a good, page turner of a book. I couldn’t wait to figure out exactly what was going on and whether Dan could convince Jane to not get a divorce if they make it out alive.

I received an eARC of this book via #netgalley and @berkleypub. All thoughts are mine alone.

#booksbooksbooks #contemporaryfiction #litfic #literaryfiction #janeanddanattheendoftheworld #colleenoakley

Thank you Net Galley for this ARC. The story starts off with Jane and Dan going out to dinner for their anniversary. At dinner, Jane tells Dan that she wants a divorce. As Dan is processing this news, the restaurant is taken hostage. Over the course of the night, events unfold that are very similar to the book Jane wrote. Jane and Dan are both very relatable characters as they are grappling with issues we all face :parenthood, sense of identity and purpose, and just working to keep a marriage good. I would recommend this story as it reads like a popcorn action movie. The story is fast paced and filled with action, lots of humor, and ultimately love. It was a very enjoyable read.

I absolutely loved this book. Hostage situation comedy, yes please. Colleen Oakley always does such a great job writing relatable characters, and this book was spot on for this 40 something wife and mom. Enjoyed every minute of this book.

This is a lovely book with such a beautiful message intertwined with a crazy ride of being held hostage. Being a parent is no joke, and it is easy to sometimes feel like while your whole heart is dedicated to your family, there is something missing and this book does a beautiful job exploring that idea utilizing, action, and humor. This is just such a joy to read.
Thank you so much to Berkley Publishing Group and Netgalley for allowing me to read an advance copy of this title.

This was a cute book which took on a lot. A middle aged couple gets taken hostage while out for an expensive anniversary dinner, and as events unfold, the book explores their relationship issues, the protagonist's mixed feelings about her daughter's imminent departure for college, and her feelings of failure regarding her career as an author. (She apparently wrote a book several years ago that no one read ... but, strangely enough, their captors seem to be following her book's plot points.)

On top of that, there is a mystery unfurling, with several twists - who are the captors? What do they want, and why? Why do some of the captors seem familiar? We also get to see the viewpoint of a police officer who's called to handle the case as it evolves - although, I have to admit, his POV doesn't add much to the story.

I gamely followed along, because I wanted to see where the story was going. At moments, it reminded me of Sandwich (the book), The Menu (the movie), and even Die Hard (but a "lite" version)... kind of an odd combination, but enjoyable. It was not an amazing book, but entertaining enough. I could even see it as a movie. I also enjoyed the references to Stanford, since I attended Stanford, and the editorial comments about going there made me laugh.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!

3 stars! 🌟 Huge thanks to Berkley Publishing Group & NetGalley for the ARC! 💌

Alright, I’ll be real—I wanted to love this book. The premise? A+ brilliance.✨ A couple on the verge of divorce gets caught in a hostage situation that weirdly mirrors the wife's failed novel? Sounds like a chaotic, high-stakes, messy adventure with marriage drama 💔, second chances 💞, and maybe even some deep character growth. Buuut... the execution? Not quite there. 🤷‍♀️

Jane and Dan have been married for 19 years (or is it 20? Even they don’t know). Jane is over it—her kids don’t need her, her writing career tanked, and she’s convinced Dan is cheating. So, naturally, she picks their anniversary dinner at the absurdly expensive La Fin du Monde to drop the divorce bomb. But before they even finish their overpriced appetizers, a group of bumbling climate activists storm in 🌍✊, demanding justice for the planet. Plot twist? Everything they do is straight out of Jane’s book. 📖 A book that literally no one read. 😭

At first, I was hooked. The idea of a failing marriage colliding with an over-the-top hostage crisis was gold 🏆, and I actually laughed at some of the ridiculousness. But then… it got too ridiculous.

Where it lost me:
✧ The humor didn’t land. I love a good quirky, witty read, but this one felt forced—like it was trying too hard to be funny. 😕
✧ Jane? So unlikeable. I didn’t root for her, I didn’t feel for her, I just… tolerated her. 😬
✧ The plot holes. The activists were messy (on purpose?), but the way things unfolded was just too convenient. 🤔
✧ The ending was meh. Super underwhelming. 😞 The whole book built up to something, and then that something just kinda… fizzled out. 💨

What I did like:
✔ The unique concept—seriously, this plot is fresh and fun. 🎭
✔ Dan! Poor guy was just out here trying to survive marriage and dinner. 🍷😂
✔ Some of the banter was entertaining, even if it wasn’t consistently funny. 💬
✔ The idea that maybe this disaster could bring Jane and Dan closer again (even if I wasn’t really rooting for them). ❤️‍🩹

Overall, it’s not a bad book, just not as good as I wanted it to be. It had all the ingredients for a crazy, hilarious, action-packed ride, but somewhere along the way, it lost its spark. Would I watch this as a movie? Absolutely. 🎬 But as a book? 3 stars.

Out March 11, 2025! 📅

Jane Brooks does not expect her anniversary dinner to go so, so wrong. Well, she planned for it to go somewhat wrong, as she knew she was going to ask her husband of 19 years, Dan, for a divorce. But quickly after the words leave her mouth, a swarm of criminals enter the restaurant and take everyone hostage.

Except... everything they say, and do, exactly mirrors Jane's mystery book. A book published six years ago, and that was widely reviewed as being not very realistic. It would be preferable to have her research validated from afar, but for the time being, Jane is stuck in a hostage situation-- and she knows it doesn't end well.

Thus is the premise for author Colleen Oakley's upcoming novel, Jane and Dan at the End of the World. Perfect for fans of Fredrik Backman's Anxious People and with Ocean’s 11 vibes, this multi-POV tale showcases not only this unique situation, but also explores the depths of a long marriage, losing sight of oneself, and the struggle of learning to let go.

With sky-high stakes, great pacing, interesting characters, and an engaging plot, this novel is impossible to put down. Beware: risks include staying up way too late reading. Cliffhangers galore at chapter breaks, so best of luck disengaging.

It was especially poignant to see women, and mothers in particular, represented in the various phases of motherhood when feeling like they've lost sight of who they are as individuals. It's also refreshing to see this affect male characters, as well.

Disappointingly, there is an instance of a character referring to tribal tattoos making someone appear wild and savage, without that line of thinking ever being corrected. Other references to the 'wild west' add to the negative Native stereotyping, again without ever being corrected. I did read an advance copy; hopefully this issue was corrected prior to publication.

Thank you to the author, NetGalley, and Berkley Publishing for an e-arc such that I could share my honest opinions.

This was a big miss for me, which is unfortunate as I have really enjoyed Colleen Oakley before. I did not connect with any of the characters and I cared so little about what would happen that I skipped the last third and read the final couple chapter.

The bright spot is the accurate depiction of what it’s like to be married to someone almost 20 years. It made me chuckle a few times at just how accurately she captured marriage.

Thank you, NetGalley and Berkley, for the advanced copy.

I immediately added this book to my TBR after seeing a couple of reviews & then was fortunate enough to have the opportunity (thanks to @netgalley & @berkleypub ) to read & review this book.
My verdict? I loved it!

📚JANE & DAN AT THE END OF THE WORLD by Colleen Oakley

“Date night goes off the rails in this hilariously insightful take on midlife and marriage when one unhappy couple finds themselves at the heart of a crime in progress.”

Jane & Dan are celebrating their 19th wedding anniversary (or is it their 20th? They can’t seem to both agree on the number!).
But Jane has decided this will be the last one & tonight she is going to tell Dan.

Dan has broken with tradition & booked them a table at a very exclusive & very expensive restaurant, but their evening is interrupted by an activist group who holds the restaurant staff & diners hostage…. And it’s all a little familiar.
Everything they do seems to be taken right from Jane’s not very popular debut ( and only) novel….

This is a story about motherhood, relationships, and career midlife. It's a story about feeling stuck, invisible or not needed in midlife and was told with such humour and in such a fun way! Add it to your TBR - It’s out March 11!

What a fun read! If you are a fan of fast paced action interspersed with humor, grab this book when it is released March 11th.

Jane is a mid 40s mother, wife, and author who feels she hasn't been too overly successful in any of the aforementioned. Her 18 year old daughter. Sissy, many times thinks she is smarter than her mother; her podiatrist husband, Dan, seems oblivious to so many things, and Jane is almost positive he is having an affair; her professional life as an author has been stagnant for the last 6 years. Her one and only published book, about a group of terrorists taking over a Tea Room in London, sold only 800 copies, and she's pretty sure was read by way less than that.

It's Jane and Dan's 19th wedding anniversary, and Dan has "won" a reservation (not a meal, only a reservation) to California's most exclusive, uber and outrageously expensive, coastal restaurant. Between the first and second courses, Jane springs on Dan that she wants a divorce because of discovered texts on his phone. Dan is flabbergasted, but his state of shock and surprise is short-lived because suddenly, the restaurant is overtaken by an "environmentally conscious" terrorist group. Also, wait a minute, that young, slender masked girl looks awfully similar to their daughter, Sissy! Lo and behold, it is Sissy being called "Goldie" by her terrorist comrades.

Eerily, what happens next (and next and next) are plot threads from Jane's own book. Dan at first tells her that she is just being overly dramatic and just wants that to be true. As the minutes "tick" away though, Dan very much sees all of the similarities, too.

What ensues is not only suspenseful, but also many times hilarious. I had not read a book like this for a long time, one that is a good mixture of plot + humor. On a more serious note, one of the thematic issues it addresses is who is the bad guy?

Look for this latest one by Colleen Oakley when it drops next month. Thank you. NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for this charming ARC.

Jane and Dan at the End of the World by Colleen Oakley is a great story. Jane and Dan have gone out to dinner for their anniversary. It is an amazingly expensive and elegant restaurant. While there the restaurant is taken over by eco-terrorists. Except the evening is playing out like Jane’s last novel. What?

This was a delightful fast paced story. I loved the humor, banter, and the mystery. I laughed out loud so many times, and kept wondering what was going to happen next. There is also something fun about two people who have been married awhile that just makes for some good humor. I enjoyed this one from beginning to end! I highly recommend Jane and Dan at the End of the World by Colleen Oakley.

I was given a complimentary copy and not required to write a positive review.

The story begins with Jane asking if she needs a lawyer. She recalls a time when she was young, pregnant and her grandfather passing away when she was pulled over for a speeding ticket. At that time she was very emotional and young. Now a police officer is questioning her about a horrific ordeal that she has just gone through. We find out a lot about Jane in the Prologue. She is a writer who takes note of details. She had written a book 6 years ago..
However, at the moment of questioning she realizes that she just needs to keep it simple and try to stick to the truth. She is concerned about all of the events that had taken place over the last 12 hours and why was her novel found in a van at the crime scene?
With just this alone in the Prologue, I decide that I'm strapped in and ready for the ride that this story is going to take me on!
The book is about a couple who are raising a family of two older teens, Josh and Sissy, living a typical middle class suburban life. Jane and Dan have been married for 19 years and are both having all of the feelings that go along with being married for that length of time. They have decided to use a gift certificate won by Dan to go to the restaurant La Fin du Monde to celebrate. Josh and Sissy have plans for the evening. What transpired during their time in the restaurant was harrowing and something most of us will never have to endure, but so important to what happens to Jane and Dan in the end.
So much of this story is about the internal thoughts of the characters, what they choose to say and what they omit saying for whatever reason. It is about the joys and sacrifices that go along with raising a family and deciding if all of it was worth it. Through times of struggle there may also be a realization of irony, humor, and Colleen Oakley knows how to lighten things up with perfect timing.
How does a marriage make it through all of the life's events over time? Jane and Dan are led to several conclusions as they struggle through an ordeal that will change their lives forever.
I enjoyed reading every second of this story and highly recommend it for those that enjoy suspense, humor, family drama, and parenthood. Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley for the advanced reader ebook.

I received a complimentary copy from the publisher and all opinions expressed are mine.

The premise of this book was promising but the story is a slow burn. I felt like the author tackled the dynamics of marriage ,friendship and hope.The book follows Jane and Dane who have been married for 19 years . On the night of their fancy dinner anniversary celebration Jane who is an inspiring bestselling author plans to divorce Dan but that plan is halted when a crime occurs. It has slow moments but its quite an intriguing read and everything that happens you can never truly guess.

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkeley publishing group for the ARC. This book was so much fun, ridiculous and hilarious in the best way while also touching on more poignant issues like what happens when you feel like your life didn’t pan out the way you had planned.

Jane is kind of a nutcase but somehow still likable, and I found myself rooting for her, rooting for Dan, and also rooting for the “bad guy.” Which was actually one of the more compelling storylines here - what does it mean to be a bad guy and who’s to judge?

This was a quick read that drew me in in the first few minutes and I will definitely recommend to my friends. Would love to read more by Colleen in the future!

Colleen Oakley’s latest book, Jane and Dan at the End of the World, held me in its grip from the beginning and never let me go. This book is such an interesting concept, chockfull of complex and intriguing characters who carry the book with strong determination and mysterious twists and turns. If you are anything like me, you will devour every word and finish the book wishing for more. Jane and Dan are at a crossroads in their marriage, but through no fault of their own (or maybe they are at fault) face an obstacle much larger than they anticipate while out celebrating their anniversary. I highly recommend this entertaining and thought provoking book. It is an absolute dynamo.