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.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

This wasn’t the most riveting plot, but I just love a cozy mystery. It’s really hard for me to not enjoy one I’ve come to find out. I found myself flying through it.

I really like the depth that these books tend to have, and I think it wrapped up so beautifully, which is always nice.

I always like when books are part of the book so that aspect was also kinda fun.

Just an enjoyable read!

I wasn't sure what to expect with this premise as it seemed more rom-commie than I normally go for, but it was a delight. This is one of those super fast reads that are perfect for a plane ride or a pool day or, frankly, just a quick escape from reality. I think anyone who has been married for more than 15 years will find the humor infinitely more hilarious. Or maybe that's just me.

Jane and Dan at the End of the World is a light-hearted, fun and relatable novel… with undercurrents of deeper themes like struggles in parenthood and long-term relationships.

Jane feels like our main character, though we spend a fair amount of time with her husband Dan’s POV as well! Jane and Dan have mysterious reservations for a popular, exclusive and expensive restaurant for their nineteenth (or twentieth?) anniversary. Jane has been preparing for some time now to use this occasion to ask Dan for a divorce. But soon after she does… trouble starts.

The story is wild, bordering on unbelievable, but it provides a great backdrop to understanding Jane, Dan and their motivations. Jane feels bored and unsatisfied, hilariously describing her life as a mother and author of one book. Dan seems oblivious to her feelings. I know many women who would identify with Jane! I certainly did.

I’ve never read any of Colleen Oakley’s books but I will absolutely be looking for them now! The story was light-hearted but fun while also bringing up more serious themes, and the writing was engaging!

Thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for the ARC!

Jane and Dan at the End of the World by Colleen Oakley was a joy to read. After reading the synopsis I definitely thought this would be a predictable read, but I was surprised by some good twists along the way. This story touches on the balance of happy and bored in long time marriages, parenting and climate change. Great novel to escape into.

Rating: 3.5 Stars

When Jane and Dan break from their traditional Macaroni Grill anniversary dinner to dine at the upscale La Fin du Monde, they find themselves in a hostage situation.

I read and adored Oakley's books. This was very different from her past work, and maybe not the best fit for me. Though the story wasn't my favorite, I was fully engaged and entertained from beginning to end.

I found myself very invested in Dan and Jane. It pained me when Jane asked her husband for a divorce at their anniversary celebration. I hate seeing love stories end! But Jane had her reasons. The exploration of Jane's personal struggle with losing her identity and becoming a wife and mother was done well, and I enjoyed getting those peeks into Dan and Jane's past. I appreciated her journey to learn how to want things while still recognizing all you have. BUT I really didn't care for the climate change, rage against rich people part of the story.

I did find it amusing that Jane's little read book was the blueprint for the siege but I just didn't buy into that whole part of the story. I will say it was a great way to force Jane and Dan to recognize their true affection for each other while also being thankful for all they have.

Dan and Jane are at a restaurant way out of their budget for their 19th (or is it their 20th?) anniversary. Jane thinks the meal is going to be uncomfortable because she plans to announce to Dan that she wants a divorce, but halfway through the appetizer a group of terrorists (or are they more like activists?) burst into the restaurant holding guns and things get much more complicated. And when Dan and Jane start to see similarities between the actions of the terrorists and Jane’s book (a flop of a thriller that barely sold, but happens to be about a group of terrorists breaking into a tea house) and start to realize the terrorists may not all be strangers after all, things go even more haywire.

I have found that I unfortunately have a soft spot for books like this. Where a kooky cast of characters come together to realize the bad guys aren’t really as bad as we thought and the good guys actually are. A botched (or not botched) heist perhaps? I read Anxious People by Fredrick Backman a few months ago, not really realizing what it was, and really loved it too. This book felt super similar in vibes and energy. Personally, I liked the characters and found them quirky and charming. The second half of this book flew by for me and was a quick and easy read for me. And overall I enjoyed reading this much more than I expected to.

My only complaint is that the beginning of this book was a bit slow and it did take me a while to warm to the characters. About halfway through I was fully on board but the beginning was a bit of a slog for me.

Jane and Dan at the End of the World is hysterical-and this is no easy feat considering the plot is about a group of diners held hostage in a restaurant. And this is no ordinary establishment-La Fin du Monde is a haven for celebrities and business tycoons, where meals cost thousands of dollars. The humor isn't the slapstick variety-Jane and Dan at the End of the World is an "inside joke" about marriage that almost every couple can relate to. That La Fin du Monde is French for "end of the world," and the terrorists are (mostly) teenage Keystone Cops instead of killers adds to the sarcasm. Dan and Jane are at La Fin du Monde for their anniversary dinner, and that they will become hostages mid meal isn't the only surprise-Jane plans on telling Dan she wants a divorce before the second course. Jane and Dan at the End of the World should be required reading for all couples contemplating splitting up-the musings on the challenges and pitfalls of long term marriage are more insightful than any "self help" book. Colleen Oakley is mostly known for tearjerkers (Before I Go) and love stories (Close Enough to Touch), with Jane and Dan at the End of the World showing she also has amazing comedic skills. You don't have to go to the end of the world for a good laugh-Jane and Dan have done that for you.

This was such a cool way to tell a story. I loved this book and I want more stories like this! A book inside a book, parents realizing they're just people, and a second chance romance executed so, so well. I can't recommend this enough.

Great read. Took me a bit to start to get into it but then I couldn't put it down. I really enjoyed it.

I received a gifted copy of JANE AND DAN AT THE END OF THE WORLD by Colleen Oakley for an honest review. Thank you to Berkley Publishing Group and PRH Audio!

JANE AND DAN AT THE END OF THE WORLD follows the titular married couple. As the book opens, the duo is having a fancy anniversary meal at La Fin du Monde to celebrate nineteen years of marriage. Little does Dan know that Jane wants to ask him to make year nineteen their last. Little does either of them know that their night out is about to put them dead center in the middle of a crime as a climate activist group takes the entire restaurant hostage. Stranger still, the whole experience feels eerily familiar to the novel that Jane once wrote.

I really enjoy Colleen Oakley's writing and this book was no different! I find it really easy to settle into the minds of her characters and I was very interested to see how this story would link back to Jane's book and how the relationship with Jane and Dan would change over the course of the evening's events.

I think this book had a lot of interesting discussions about relationships and how they (and expectations for them) change over time. There was definitely some miscommunication going on between our characters in addition to the day to day struggles of living life, staying connected, and raising a family.

I had a good time binging this book!

Thank you so much to Berkley for the gifted book!

One thing I know about Colleen Oakley is that her books will ALWAYS make me smile. She manages to write the most unique plots with the most memorable and endearing characters. Jane and Dan were both so well written that I felt like I've known them my whole life.

The plot itself was a little off-the-wall crazy, but you know what, I think that's why it worked so well! There are a LOT of new release books lately focusing on couple's relationships after many years of marriage, but none of the other ones have taken place at the end of the world, so this book already has a leg up for uniqueness there, LOL!

This book covered all the emotions: I laughed, I shed some tears, I was on the edge of my seat, and I was angry at certain parts! What more could I want?

Overall, I think this book will deeply resonate with a wide variety of audiences, especially those looking for something outside the box!

Colleen Oakley is becoming a must read author for me. Her books are so unique, funny, and sort of quirky- I can’t get enough of them. Jane and Dan at the End of the World is no exception. Part mystery, part action, part romance, this book could really appeal to many different readers. I LOVED the tongue in cheek commentary on marriage throughout the book. The action kept the story going, but the humor and relationships between the characters really made the story a great one. Loved this. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the e-arc.

Jane wants a divorce.

That's the premise that drew me into this story, because as a 30-something woman in a long term relationship with a man, I get Jane. (No offense to my man.) However this story ended up being about so much more than wanting a divorce, and not –as I thought based on the title– about Jane wanting a divorce despite the world literally ending around her. I would argue instead that Jane & Dan's personal world crumbled throughout this story about being held hostage at a really really ridiculously expensive restaurant where a group of eco-warriors craft a new meaning for extreme protesting.

The story, with it's twists and turns had one plot point that was outright baffling, but it really was Jane & Dan that kept me involved. I did roll my eyes a few times at some of the dialogue, and even put the book down with a sigh a few times at the dad jokes. But overall this story wasn't really about the world ending. It was about what makes a marriage, and what makes it break apart. How love endures, and how certain people become indispensable to you, and that's what made me enjoy it so much.

I loved this book. Jane and Dan are celebrating their 19th anniversary, although Jane has decided that she wants a divorce. But before dinner is even served, activists take over the restaurant and hold them hostage. But Jane, a writer, recognizes the uncanny coincidence that the heist is just like her only book that did not do well at bookstores, playing itself out in real time. What the kidnappers say and the events are as if Jane herself wrote the script. Only she and Dan are aware of how this could turn out and they are fearful. Can they change the ending of this novel gone bad and maybe save their marriage? Some twists and turns the will surprise you. Delightful and engaging, I recommend this book. Many thanks to #netgalley #colleenoakley #janeanddanattheendoftheworld for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Jane and Dan at the End of the World by new to me author Colleen Oakley, published by Berkley Publishing, is a stand alone rom/com.
Jane is a 46 year old writer who suffers from lets call it writers block.
Her husband Dan is a podiatrist. They're married for 19 years with two kids. And Jane is unhappy and wants to change it. Dan is opposed to her plans when in slapstick manner they're roped into an überfall.
The writing is ok, a bit stilted, but the story is like a car wreck on the other lane of the highway, you just can't not look.
An ok read, 4 stars.

Jane and Dan have been married for nineteen years, and Jane isn't so sure she wants to make it to twenty. They go out for their anniversary dinner at the famous and trendy restaurant, Le Fin du Monde. It's a super upscale place sitting at the edge of a cliff, offering gorgeous sunset views. Jane is feeling stalled out in her writing career, only selling a small amount of her first novel, she feel unappreciated by her two children and she's pretty sure Dan is cheating on her. So Jane decided to tell Dan right then and there that she wants a divorce. While Dan is still reeling from this news, the restaurant's patrons and staff are all taken hostage by an underground climate activist group. Jane is shocked to be in this hostage situation, but also starts to notice that the events taking place are strangely similar to the plot of her unsuccessful novel. Even Dan has to agree that it's eerily similar.

As the events of the evening start to unfold, several shocking twists are revealed, none of which I saw coming. This was at times also quite funny and I found myself chuckling. But along with the hostage plotline, I felt this was also an exploration of a long term marriage with all it's ups and downs. So maybe if they can survive this night, maybe they can find a way to salvage their marriage as well. Overall, a really fun ride that I found witty and unlike any story I'd read before! Thank you to @berkleypublishinggroup and @netgalley for this advanced copy in exchange for my honest review. Publishes March 11, 2025.

I am a longtime Colleen Oakley fan and this book is one of my favorites by her. The plot is fun and interesting, but the commentary on marriage on parenting is what makes it so charming and enjoyable. It's a light and easy read, which we all need in challenging times like these.