"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.

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.