Thanks to NetGalley, Berkley, and PRH Audio for the arc and alc.

This was a really unique and witty women's fiction novel. I absolutely adored this one. Yes, the premise is a little weird, but I promise you that this book has a lot of heart!

Hillary Huber as always does a fantastic job with the audiobook narration!

I can't wait to see what Colleen Oakley writes next! I highly recommend picking up this book!

This book is so many delightful things at once--a marriage story, a mother-daughter story, a thriller, a comedy, a heist--and Colleen Oakley pulls it all off with a satisfying finishing bow. I fell immediately in love with Jane's voice--wry and reflective and so relatable. Then to be able to see Jane through Dan's eyes, and learn about their marriage through his voice--all the things you wish you knew your partner thought about you (and a few you don't). The terrorist plot is a little unbelievable (how could it not be? It's based on Jane's book!), and yet the plot works so well, the character are so sympathetic, that you can absolutely see it happening. A very fun, fast read with heart and depth.

This is my first book by Colleen Oakley, and I’m definitely a fan now. This book takes place mostly in one setting in a few hours, and I devoured it! It was so fast paced, and I felt like I was watching a dark comedy movie.

What I loved:
- I absolutely loved both Jane and Dan. Were they perfect people? No. But I love imperfect characters. It makes their growth from beginning to end so much sweeter.
- The dark (and sometimes inappropriately timed) humor was so up my alley.
- The mystery aspect was well done and had me guessing until the end.
- The little twists made me not want to put the book down.

Jane is done with her 19-year marriage to Dan and is going to tell him during their anniversary dinner at an incredibly expensive, incredibly pretentious restaurant (it honestly felt like a mockery of Noma). Enter a terrorist attack by a group of climate terrorists, a not particularly well-organized group, that seems to be basing their plan on Jane's almost non-seller novel. Coincidence? or predictable plot?

Rounded up from 2.5 stars because there are a few good chuckles, but the predictability was a huge disappointment.

eARC provided by publisher via Netgalley.

Overview: Jane and Dan's marriage is on the rocks by their nineteenth wedding anniversary. When Dan wins a reservation to the most exclusive restaurant in Southern California, they break their tradition of going to Macaroni Grill to have a date night surrounded by celebrities and billionaires. Jane's plan to ask for a divorce makes the dinner tense, but this is taken to another level when the restaurant is taken hostage by terrorists. As the night goes on, Jane starts to realize this terror plot feels exceedingly familiar as she starts to put the pieces together back to her only published novel from six years ago. Overall: 4

Characters: 4 Jane's voice is the strongest in the book. The chapters alternate between her perspective and Dan's, and a part of me wishes that she'd stuck just to Jane's because it feels so much more embodied than Dan's. Still, that balance doesn't really detract from the story because there's a lot going on between the terror plot, what's driving Jane's desire for divorce and drive to reclaim her identity, and so many complicated parenting feelings. It's the characters that ground the novel. Jane has been a stay at home mom for twenty years and her kids are starting to leave home, making Jane feel adrift. The book spends a surprising amount of time drifting through Jane's experience with parenting, identity, motherhood, and marriage in a thoughtful way. It also reflects on parenting when kids become adults and how difficult that is to manage. There's an important scene where Jane is left to face the idea that some of her daughter's performance and choices might have been driven by Jane's wants more than her daughter's, and she has to reconcile pushing Sissy towards what's best for her with letting her be her own person. I guess since I'm on the other side of this as a kid that's having to start making my way in the world on my own as an adult and seeing how difficult it can be for moms when that kid role is vacated, this definitely pulled at my heartstrings.

Plot: 4 This book is a fast paced whirlwind. While the first 2 chapters of set-up are a bit slow and stilted, it picks up fast and never stops running. Oakley threads the emotional conflict through with plenty of external forces as the inexperienced terrorists bumble their way through taking hostages. This is the kind of high stakes book that I love where it's not a true mystery or thriller so there's a lot of action without any of the actual nail-biting, anxiety inducing feeling of reading true genre fiction. This is more about balancing action with a deep emotional core, which is much more my speed. I will say, the resolution, for how much time is spent in the book stressing about what the outcome will be with the police, left something to be desire. Oakley chooses to time hop over the details of how exactly everything was gotten away with when she reveals the character's end point in the book, and I understand the desire to skim, but I wish she would've gone for it. The exclusion almost felt cut for time. But I read the whole 368 page book over 2 days, with 75% of it on day 2 for reference of how fast of a read this is.

Writing: 4 Oakley is an author I love returning to. I discovered her last year with The Mostly True Story of Tanner and Louise, which I recommended a ton and was kind of my commercial fiction favorite of 2024. While I think I might have enjoyed the dynamics of that book slightly more just because of its unique inter-generational focus, Oakley has really carved out a lane of pulling together some genre elements with heists and hostages and other big ticket plot items and managing to expertly give them a deep emotional core and characters whose learning and development from the situation is just as important as whether the big plot beat goes right. It appeals to my sensibilities loving the deep character work of literary fiction while also wanting something more fun and light from time to time. Oakley writes compulsively recommendable books, the kind that are easy to hand to literally anyone with little information and know that they'll have a good time, and I think that's a great niche to be in.

Review will be posted about a week out from release date, and my net galley submission will be updated with a link.

This book was an absolute pleasure, with wry humor and wise words mixed with suspense. I could not put it down…until then last third, where the plot fell apart. This was on its way to a 5-star rating! It is so unique and fun! However, the wrap-up and resolution was so lackluster, my spirits plummeted. So, I assign 3 1/2 stars, rounded to 4. I am interested to see others thoughts. This book has the potential to be huge. Thank you to Berkley (!!) and NetGalley for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

"What she needs is someone to explain to her why the entire opening act of her novel is playing out in front of her eyes, like some fever dream come to life. Or nightmare, more aptly."

Jane and Dan are your typical 40-something couple. They've got 2 kids, a house in the 'burbs, and stable jobs. Well - Dan has a stable job as a podiatrist, whereas Jane is a writer who has published one book that sold a few hundred copies. When the couple wins a reservation slot at a three star Michelin restaurant that usually has a months long wait, they jump at the chance to dine their on their 19th wedding anniversary. Surprises aplently await the couple at La Fin du Monde - first, Jane is planning on telling Dan she wants a divorce. And second - the restaurant is overtaken by gun toting masked bandits who take everyone in the restaurant hostage before the first course has been finished. Jane is able to think through her terror long enough to realize the bandits appear to be mirroring the actions taken in her not-so-famous book, Tea is for Terror. Is it possible this isn't a coincidence - and that the group is using her novel as a playbook for this heist? And if so, can Jane (and Dan?) do anything to stop it?

The premise of this tale sounded really fun to me, and the end result delivered on the enjoyability factor. Oakley was able to successfully combine a story about the mundane relationship troubles couples who have been together for a long time and feel stuck in a rut suffer with the fast paced excitement of being involved in a adrenaline pumping hostage situation. I found the characters of timid Dan and take-charge Jane to be realistic and relatable.

Where I felt the novel fell short was silliness of some of it. Look, I'm no fan of law enforcement myself, but Oakley really played up the incompetent police aspect a bit too much. And while some of the twists and turns I didn't see coming, others were glaringly obvious. The most disappointing part was the lack of the use of the most interesting aspect of the plot - that the heist may or may not have been taken directly from the book Jane wrote. That's what drove me to pick up this book to begin with, as I'd never heard of such an idea before and it sounded fascinating! I mean, yes, of course it was mentioned here and there, but Oakley really missed a chance to make this idea of life imitating art a central part of the book rather than an afterthought.

Overall I found the book engaging and enjoyable, and I would recommend Jane and Dan at the End of the World to anyone looking for something fun and silly to read.

3.5 ⭐

this book was absolutely unhinged. i honestly don't even know how to rate it. it was such a ridiculous read, but absolutely bingeable and kept me in a chokehold while finishing it. It was super fast paced and enjoyable. The plot twists were fun and honestly made the book even more ridiculous as you went. I didn't love certain parts of it (want to escape from reality yk), but overall the book kept me engaged and I finished it in a sitting (with a sleep getting in the way lol). I also went into this book completely blind, and if you're okay with that, i honestly would. It makes it much more fun!

Jane and Dan have been married for 20 (19?) (it's a joke in the book lol) years and on their way to their anniversary dinner that they definitely cannot afford. Jane is convinced that Dan is cheating on her and wants a divorce, and Dan is honestly just trying to get by. When armed robbers take over the restaurant they're eating at, Jane feels for CERTAIN that this robbery is legitimately playing out exactly like it is in her book....little does she know...

This was my first Colleen Oakley book but definitely not my last. This premise was crazy! A couple heading into an anniversary dinner where Jane is going to ask for a divorce, gets taken hostage by a group of eco terrorists that enter the high end restaurant. What makes matters worse the terrorists seem to be following the plot of the book Jane wrote five year ago. It was surprisingly funny and warm despite the tense situation.

3.75 stars, rounding up.

Thank you netgalley and Berkley Publishing Group | Berkley for the advanced reader copy.

Thanks NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of Colleen Oakley’s latest, Jane and Dan at the End of the World.

I enjoyed this one. Was it a little far-fetched and over the top? Yes. But was it funny? Absolutely. Did some of its reflections on motherhood and marriage ring true? Absolutely again. For Jane and Dan and their marriage, getting caught up in a terrorist hostage situation at one of the world’s most expensive restaurants is a turning point. How will they respond? I recommend this one to anyone who wants something light and funny, especially if you’re into Colleen’s previous works!

This was a lot of fun! The idea of a very unsuccessful author encountering a group of activists committing baby's first crime using the plot of her book was really unique and led to some funny moments.

I appreciated the outlook of parents who've been married for almost 20 years, and how their identities are tied up in being parents and spouses. I'm not there yet, but I can already see how relatable that will be to me in 10-15 years. There was also light commentary on/themes of capitalism, oligarchy, eat the rich kinda stuff. This didn't go too deep but I did appreciate it nonetheless, and it opened the door for some humorous parts.

You definitely have to suspend belief for some plot points, but when you find out it's modeled after a mediocre fictional book, it's a lot easier to do.

This book has clever twists and I enjoyed the different viewpoints. Good observations about marriage and parenthood that made me teary and then laugh right away.

Thank you @netgalley for the Advanced Reader Copy of Jane and Dan at the End of the World, by Colleen Oakley. Jane and Dan go to a very fancy restaurant (far from their normal) to celebrate their anniversary. Jane’s plan is to ask for a divorce. But their dinner is interrupted by a terrorist group that explodes into the restaurant, looking for hostages and making demands. As much as it is scary, some of it is almost comical. And Jane, an author, realizes that they are following a playbook that is very close to what happened in the only novel that she ever published-and it did not have a lot of readers. There are a lot of surprises, and some crazy characters. Fun action filled read. #janeanddanattheendoftheworld #colleenoakley #netgalley #advancedreadercopy #lovetoread #bookstagram #readersofinstagram

3.75 stars

3.75 stars

This is a fun read, part farce, part romance, part caper. Dan and Jane have been married for nearly 20 years, long enough for Jane to feel things have gotten a bit stale. And when she discovers incriminating texts on Dan's phone, she is certain he is having an affair and she decides to ask for a divorce. Jane also is having a bit of a mid life crisis with her oldest daughter going off to college. Jane sort of slid into being a stay at home mom with one published novel which didn't exactly set the world on fire.

She is a loose cannon, Gracie Allen style, and picks a fairly absurd moment to spring the news on Dan. They are at an unbelievably snobbish and expensive restaurant for an anniversary dinner. Dan is stunned to hear about all this, when suddenly -- the restaurant is taken over by an armed pseudo terrorist group. The fact that Dan and Jane continue their banter and bickering in the midst of this is highly comical. Things get much worse over the course of the evening, but the situation does wistfully remind them of each other's strengths and it is obvious to the reader that these two are crazy about each other.

Entertaining and wry. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I write haiku reviews for Instagram and Goodreads but am happy to provide more feedback, if you would like.

This book would make a great movie - very funny, entertaining, creative, and I laughed out loud multiple times!

This book was slow. And that's saying something, given the subject matter. I was forcing myself to keep reading, hoping it would get better.

Dan was an unsupportive, unlikeable, flimsy husband.

Jane wasn't much better.

There were several instances where a more British English was used and it was very out of place being that it's set in Southern California.

I found myself not really caring what happened.

This was “Date Night” meets a heist meets marriage in trouble. Jane and Dan are in a rut - and on the eve of celebrating their 19th (or 20th?) wedding anniversary, they end up in a situation that’s less than believable: they get stuck in the middle of a hostage situation, oddly based on the book Jane wrote six years earlier. This book was a romp. I really appreciated how it dealt with what marriage can look like after decades and kids - you sometimes get complacent and forget to really communicate. And I loved how it dealt with parenthood and the way you can love and support your kids even when the decisions they make aren’t what you would’ve done. It was fast paced and had a lot of humor.

While overall it was enjoyable, there were some parts that fell a bit flat for me, specifically the way Jane sometimes spoke to Dan and the chaos was a bit hard to follow (there were a lot of characters!).

Thank you to Berkley and NetGalley for this early review copy!

Jane and Dan at the End of the World is a relatable and unexpectedly twisty story about marriage, parenthood, and the unpredictability of life. I liked how it slowly built up to the main event, allowing time to connect with Jane and Dan’s everyday struggles. The author captures the little moments of a long-term relationship so well.

That said, the middle section did drag for me—I found myself feeling bored around the 50% mark. Also, The plot’s connection to the publisher felt a little odd at first, but by the end, it was woven together in a way that made sense. And while the journey had some slow moments, the twists and turns along the way paid off with a satisfying and well-executed ending.

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Jane and Dan have been married for 19 years and are at dinner celebrating their anniversary when Jane announces she wants a divorce. While this is shocking, the night takes a turn when a group of naked people burst into the restaurant and they realize they are being held hostage. This was a fun read that touched on the ways marriage changes over time set against a hostage situation based on a low selling novel written by Jane. Dan and Jane’s personalities play well together adding a level of comedy to the story.