I really liked the unique premise of this story, It hooked me from the start. I could relate to some of it. Very funny and hard to put down.

This was really fun! Jane and Dan are at a crossroads. They've been married for years and are out "celebrating" their anniversary when they are taken hostage in what appears to be a scene straight from Jane's latest novel. Coincidence or something else??? You'll have to read and see!

This book had me laughing and guessing what would happen next the whole time. I have not read any other books by Colleen Oakley, but this made me want to check out the rest of her work because it was just such a fun experience. Kudos!

Just so inventive and whimsical, and Oakley's writing is always knife's-edge sharp. A true delight to read.

This book was absolutely STUNNING! I knew vary basic concepts of the synopsis but not much beforehand, and I'm glad I went in pretty blind because it was just hilarious and so well written. I felt incredibly endeared to the characters and loved the blend of satire, comedy, romance, and suspense! I hope to re-read this book in the future and am just so thankful for the opportunity to read Jane and Dan's funny and relatable story with on-point social commentary throughout.

This was such a fun book. Which might be an odd thing to say about a hostage situation, but Colleen Oakley just has this way with her books.

I liked the premise of the book: a couple that is going through a rough patch goes to a fancy restaurant to celebrate theis anniversary when eco-activists start making demands following the wife's unpublished book. It seemed like a fun idea. But there were so many plot holes and conveniences. But the worst part was how insufferable Jane was since the beginning and she never changes.

Thank you Netgalley, author, and publisher for the ARC.

Jane and Dan are celebrating their anniversary at the most fancy restaurant. Life has gotten in the way and after tonight's events who knows where they end up. Colleen Oakley keeps you laughing, nodding and doesn't let you put the book down. Loved following along on this wild ride. This fun, lighthearted novel is full of life lessons, familiar craziness of our weird world and is an overall great time.

I needed a palette cleanser after the gorgeously written, yet heart destroying This Is A Love Story, and Colleen Oakley’s Jane and Dan At The End Of The World saved me from dwelling on how sad I felt by being an entertaining, smart, laugh out loud funny read.

I actually snort laughed in public multiple times. I felt enormous empathy with Jane (ok, and Dan) as they find themselves in the most precarious and hilarious of situations. It’s more serious moments made me think about my own family and my relationship with my daughter. I have so much in common with Jane.

Read it and shake off any lingering winter blues! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Out Now!

Thank you to the author & @berkleypub for the opportunity to read this in exchange for my opinion.

QOTD: What’s one of your favorite things to do with your family?

#newbooks #funnybooks #familybooks #currentlyreading #bookrecommendations #arcreading #arcreviews #amreading #bookreview #bookreviews #netgalleyreview

Jane and Dan at the End of the World by Colleen Oakley is a fun, second chance marriage drama full of suspense and humor!

Jane and Dan have been married for 19 (or maybe 20 years) and heading out for their anniversary dinner at the expensive and fancy La Fin du Monde. Jane is over everything – her unsuccessful writing career, parenting teenagers who no longer need her, and mediocre relationship where she is convinced Dan is cheating. Dan is of course oblivious to all of these issues. Just as Jane drops the bomb at dinner that she wants a divorce, activists storm the restaurant and take everyone hostage. This was a fun read and my favorite part was the inner monologues of Jane and Dan being so unbelievably relatable to real life! The plot of the hostage situation got a little too far fetched for me, but it was a great light hearted read!

Thank you to Netgalley, Berkley Publishing Group, and the author for this e-ARC. 3.5 ⭐

I really like how this author writes and I enjoyed the beginning of this story. However, it felt a little long and almost like it lost it's way as it kept going. I did laugh and relate to all the parenting quotes and marriage anecdotes.

I highly enjoyed this book! The plot was very unique and the characters were relatable, dynamic, and LOL-worthy. The short chapters made it quick to get through, and the pacing was consistent throughout.

Thank you Berkley for my copy. What a fun and original novel by Colleen Oakley! I love her writing style and how she always manages to charm me but also makes me reflect while reading her novels. This story had me captivated until the very end as I was trying to put all the pieces together. A witty and clever story that was hard to put down.

Jane and Dan are going out to a very expensive restaurant for their anniversary dinner (the 19th, not the 20th). The evening doesn’t go as planned. Broken up into timed sections, the book takes us through the night — giving it a harried feel. Occasionally, the exposition drags and I guess we’re just supposed to not worry about the chef anymore. This is the Good Housekeeping March book club pick.

Loved this book about a woman in her mid-to-late 40s having something of a midlife crisis as she realizes her one published novel seems to be the blueprint for a hostage takeover at the prestigious restaurant where she and her husband are having an anniversary dinner. As with the best novels, this one manages to be funny, keenly observed, and poignant.
My thanks to the author, publisher, producer, and #NetGalley for access to the novel for review purposes. It is now available. Read it!

Read If You Like:
- Fast-paced, deviously clever narratives
- Hilarious and witty storytelling
- Explorations of midlife and marriage
- Unexpected plot twists
- Engaging character development

A seemingly ordinary date night spirals into an extraordinary adventure, testing the boundaries of a couple's relationship. Jane and Dan, navigating the complexities of midlife and marriage, find themselves unexpectedly thrust into a high-stakes situation that challenges their perceptions of each other and their commitment. As they confront unforeseen dangers, their journey becomes a testament to resilience, rediscovery, and the unpredictable nature of life.

The novel seamlessly blends humor with suspense, crafting a narrative that's both entertaining and thought-provoking. The evolving dynamics between Jane and Dan offer readers a fresh perspective on relationships, highlighting the importance of adaptability and understanding in the face of unforeseen challenges.

Jane and Dan at the End of the World is a captivating read that combines elements of surprise, humor, and heartfelt moments, making it a standout choice for those seeking a unique and engaging story.

Thank you Berkley for my ARC and finished copy!

I ended up not finishing this one- it’s not so much i didn’t like it, but the tone of the book wasnt working for me. It was a pretty serious situation that the author was very much trying to keep it lighthearted. The characters were being unserious but the plot felt unserious. Idk. Unfortunately it was just a miss for me.

Jane and Dan are out celebrating their nineteenth anniversary at a fancy restaurant, La Fin du Monde, where Jane plans on telling Dan she wants a divorce. She’s pretty sure Dan’s cheating on her, but she’s been unhappy anyhow for a while. However, their issues go on the back burner when a climate activist group barges into the restaurant and takes everyone hostage.

This sounded like a fun premise and the story started off strong. I thought we’d see Jane and Dan working together to survive or escape. Discovering why they fell for each other in the first place along the way. Instead, I think their interactions (which were limited because of how things went down) underscored why they weren’t getting along. I wasn’t convinced by the end that they rekindled their old feelings and repaired the damage. Plus, their story was muddled by an additional source of conflict (the Sissy issue) that took the focus off of their journey.

The resolution wasn’t believable, IMO and I wasn’t thrilled how everything was just brushed under the rug with the Sissy situation. Still, I was invested enough to finish the story and find out how it all turned out.

Jane and Dan are out to dinner for their anniversary. In Jane's mind this is the day that she will ask Dan for the divorce she's been thinking about for over a year. In Dan's mind he cannot believe this exclusive dinner costs upwards of $200 per person.

However, all of their thoughts and plans are tossed to the side when they become part of a hostage situation. One that seems to be pulled right from the pages of Jane's one and only novel.

The premise for this book sounded kind of bonkers (in a good way) and immediately made me want to read it. I was not expecting to get a story that deals with how we contend with marriage and motherhood and aging and, basically feeling as though you're failing at all of them.

Jane is a difficult character at times because she is at this precipice where she feels absolutely stuck and knows no other way out than to completely, figuratively, tear everything down. For all the times I cringed at her actions, I also inevitably saw myself in her and the way she's feeling.

Amongst all that, we do get points of view told from various other characters which helps to broaden the scope a bit from the narrow confines of the restaurant. However, Jane is our main narrator. I did particularly appreciate the scenes from Dan's point of view just because it's like we're seeing the other perspective of Jane. She's a lot to handle in her own voice / words, but looking at her from his point of view, I think it's easier to see that she's constantly anxious and feels like she is letting everyone down around her. The fact that he knows and sees this in her, understands her, and even sometimes makes allowances for her speaks a lot to his character. It doesn't mean that Dan was the perfect husband and Jane was wrong, but it highlights the idea that in trying to remain in control of all the chaos going on around her, Jane will often pull at whatever thread she can in order to wrest some control, which usually just sends things spinning out further. Considering the hostage situation in which they find themselves, spinning out of control is not best case scenario.

The story takes place in one night over the course of a few hours (there's even a countdown) which means that it goes by at a good clip. This heightens the chaotic feeling that runs throughout because there's also not a lot of down time. I felt like Colleen Oakley did a great job with the pacing.

Overall, I was surprised by this read. I don't know that there was ever a point where I felt like things weren't going to work out in the end, but there was a lot I wasn't expecting out of it. Mostly I appreciated the commentary about aging and the general fear of not being enough. I think it's a universally relatable topic. If you're looking for something that tackles more serious topics like that, but in a quirky way, I think this is a perfect read.

Jane and Dan at the End of the World isn't a post apocalyptic novel, but if you are familiar with Colleen Oakley, you weren't expecting that anyway. Instead, Jane and Dan are celebrating their anniversary at an absurdly expensive restaurant called La Fin du Monde.. If you've ever seen the movie "Date Night" you won't be surprised when everything goes hilariously and dangerously wrong and they find their relationship being tested. They go from discussing issues with their very boring routine marriage to being pressed into extricating themselves and another loved one from environmental terrorists. Complicating this taut situation is that the terrorists seem to be following the plot of a book Jane published several years ago. Mixed in with the suspense and tension are moments of hilarity and unexpected twists in the story. This is another winning combination that you would expect from Colleen Oakley.

My thanks to NetGalley and Berkley for an advance ecopy. My opinion is my own.

JANE AND DAN AT THE END OF THE WORLD provides many laughs and hairy, scary situations at a frantic pace. It stars a couple on their wedding anniversary, Jane and Dan, who celebrate it at a fancy restaurant. Jane, who is an author, is having marriage problems and decides she is going to confess to her husband, that she wants a divorce. Pandemonium breaks out before their second course even arrives! An environmental terrorist group brandishing weapons bursts into the dining area taking everyone hostage. Jane is stunned when the hostage situation and all it's ramifications are scarily similar to Jane's first failed published story. So, it's up to Dan and Jane to save the day. Can they take down the terrorists? What will happen to Dan and Jane's marriage?

Wow! What an original story! I never expected anything like this to happen to a couple dining out at a fancy restaurant. It starts out slow, but then the pacing picks up when bedlam breaks out at the restaurant. The characters are flawed and relatable. I was rooting for Jane and Dan throughout, even with their imperfect chemistry. The secondary characters are all fantastic and have their own stories to tell. The gripping story line kept me way up past bedtime to see what happened next. The author provided many astonishing twists with the tense, riveting plot. This is a stunning story with plenty aha moments and a lot of heart. Hilarious, polished, entertaining page-turner, JANE AND DAN AT THE END OF THE WORLD has oodles of chutzpah!

Thanks to NetGalley and Penquin Publishing for an ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.