ᴊᴀɴᴇ ᴀɴᴅ ᴅᴀɴ ᴀᴛ ᴛʜᴇ ᴇɴᴅ ᴏꜰ ᴛʜᴇ ᴡᴏʀʟᴅ
by: Colleen Oakley

Small blurb: Date night goes off the rails in this hilariously insightful take on midlife and marriage when one unhappy couple find themselves at the heart of a crime in progress.

Qᴜᴏᴛᴇ: “And then she squeezes her mom’s hand once, turns, and steps through the open window, and it feels like Jane’s heart has exploded from her chest and is now running away from her and there’s nothing Jane can do to stop it or protect it or get it back. It feels like her skin is on fire. It feels like motherhood.”

ꜰᴀᴠᴏʀɪᴛᴇ ᴄʜᴀʀᴀᴄᴛᴇʀ: This is a tough one because I really loved a lot of these characters, but I think I’m going to choose Dan! I just loved his portrayal of a husband, he actually gave me insight on a couple things as a wife that helped make sense with my own husband haha. I also loved his humor… his little catch phrase 😂.

ᴡʜᴀᴛ ɪ ʟɪᴋᴇᴅ: This book has it all! I giggled, I cried, I was anxious to find out what the heck was going on! I just loved it and could not stop thinking about it (and still can’t)! I also really liked that the cover of the book made me totally judge how I thought the book was going to be, and it was NOTHING like I expected (in the best way!) The ending was so perfect, I’m excited to read more from this author.

ᴊᴀɴᴇ ᴀɴᴅ ᴅᴀɴ ᴀᴛ ᴛʜᴇ ᴇɴᴅ ᴏꜰ ᴛʜᴇ ᴡᴏʀʟᴅ
releases March 11th, 2025

Thank you
NetGalley, Berkley Publishing and Colleen Oakley for this digital ARC.

Okay, this was a fun and quirky read- the reader is left with the WHAT THE HECK IS GOING ON HERE feeling for over half the novel. There were A LOT of coincidences in the plot- too many to be realistic at all, but I still enjoyed this fun (with a serious undertone) read. I enjoyed the writing. While I enjoyed Oakley's other books more (frick island, tanner & louise), I'd absolutely recommend this one as one to pick up when it is published in April!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

It’s Jane and Dan’s anniversary (though Dan is confused which one) and they go to a swanky, prohibitively expensive restaurant located in a hilly patch of Southern California. Dan is unaware that Jane is going to ask for a divorce at their anniversary dinner. Things go from bad to worse when their dinner is interrupted by a group of terrorists looking for a specific diner.

The criminals have seemingly locket them in, plus the windy two lane road leading up to the establishment is blocked with one of the two cars the terrorists have used to create a barrier and keep the patrons in. They have bound their wrists and ankles when shots ring out causing Dan to be summoned to the kitchen to tend to an injured sous chef and he realizes that one of their captors is her eighteen year old daughter.

Nearly every chapter begins with a countdown to the end of the story, heightening the tension immensely. Jane, who has asked for the divorce at the beginning of the story becomes increasingly frustrated with Dan and his inability to help the situation along or send an SOS to the outside world. About halfway through we discover that the terrorists are members of an underground environmental organization. This all rings so familiar to Jane whose only published novel is about a terrorist group taking over a tea room. Why are some of these criminals seemingly following the plot of her book? Will their efforts be thwarted by Jane and Dan?

What a fun book! I love this storyline of Jane knowing exactly what is going on due to her failed novel. The writing is sharp and witty and infused with a lot of humor, juxtaposed with the examination of the breakdown of the marriage of our two protagonists. And the characters are so well developed and easy to identify with. Jane and Dan at the End of the World shows us that adulthood and life is never exactly what we think it will be.

I received this advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review and feedback.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC. I really liked this story- quick read and a good light book to read! Jane and Dan are middle aged and Jane is not sure how she got to where she is now. On their 19th - or 20th (depending on if you ask Jane or Dan) wedding anniversary they try a new place and the adventure ensues.
There were some twists I didn’t see coming and could see this as a movie.

Definitely recommend!

Jane and Dan at the End of the World is a fun fast read with moments which made me laugh out loud which I always enjoy in a book!
The way it is written is sometimes funny, sometimes heartwarming and many times surprising and I thoroughly enjoyed it, I won’t hesitate to recommend it to library patrons when they ask for good book ideas!

The synopsis for this appealed greatly and I started it right after receiving an eARC. The premise was unlike anything else I’ve read.

This was laugh out loud funny while also making me nod my head in recognition at some of Jane and Dan’s moments and insights. 100% pure fun.

This was my first time reading the author’s work; I’ll definitely read more after enjoying this so much.

An absolute recommendation from me!



Thank you to Berkley and NetGalley for the DRC

LOVED this book. I read the entire thing from start to finish on the airplane. I was covering my mouth laughing out loud, and I didn't stop thinking about it my entire vacation.

I love the personality of Colleen Oakley’s works. She is witty and clever and I know she does a ton of research for all her books. I had trouble connecting with the family in this story because the mom has no regard for her daughter suffering consequences for her actions. Yes she’s only a teenager, but there is no part of the mom that wants her daughter to face reality like an adult. Also, the mom seems to forget she even has a son. I think it would be better if he’s excluded entirely because the daughter is so clearly the favorite child. Never once does the mom wonder about her son when she feels her life is in danger. I think the ending wraps up a little too nicely for such a messy hostage plot gone awry. And again, the daughter suffers no consequences in the end. We don’t learn anything about what truly led her to join a radical group: we are supposed to believe that she’s book smart but brainwashed by a charismatic older guy who is both a hero and a villain in this story.

I am a big fan of Colleen’s writing, I just didn’t connect with this story as much as TANNER AND LOUISE.

OH EM GEE. 4.5 stars!

I was not expecting this to be such a riot. All I can think about is Kristin Wiig and Will Ferrell playing the middle aged couple who have reached the point in their marriage, where it's become predictable, loveless, and quite frankly boring. Jane, who is in a rut after only selling about 500 copies of her book, and Dan who is a podiatrist (not a real doctor), are celebrating their 19th (or is their 20th?) anniversary at an incredibly expensive restaurant high uptop a hill in California. They have two kids, one getting ready to head to Stanford in the fall, the other not far behind her. Soon to be empty nesters, and eventually Jane is looking for a reprieve from her monotonous life.

"It’s not the parenting that’s so exhausting as much as the performance of the same script day in and day out. Or maybe it’s the trying to fix all the things for all the people in her family, when she can’t even fix herself."

"Whenever someone asks the secret to making a marriage last, the answer is never, He’s the only one who knows where the ironing board is kept."

Low and behold, a group of armed terrorists come in after only one plate has been served and after Jane tells Dan she wants a divorce. What happens next takes place over four hours, and is both thrilling, exciting, wall to wall bonkers hilarious. Even more ridiculous is the fatct the hostage situation is very similar to her own book. It's as if there are certain plotlines being unfolded in her eyes.

The banter between the couple, and the fact that the terrorists keeping them hostages, well are practically children, will leave you laughing out loud. There are quick moments of hilarity that are thrown in, where if you don't pay attention, you won't understand the joke.

"You mean Brick? He’s not our leader. We’re leaderless.” Dan, losing patience, scoffs. “Because that worked out so well for Occupy Wall Street?” “What’s that?” Neck Tat asks."

"Your dad always makes that lame joke at Christmas that you have to shop at Walmart because you can’t find the Target.”

I don't want to reveal any spoilers, as it is a mystery as to why they are even being held at gunpoint to begin with, and when you find out who the hostage takers are, it will leave you wanting more. It's such an easy fun breezy read. I plan on diving into Colleen Oakley's entire library, as I had no idea she was this funny, especially after continuously shelving Louise and Tanner multiple times last summer.

By the end, the couple learns that love is often not consistent, that liking each other needs to be what is most important on a day to day basis.
“Dan!” Jane says. “These are awful, terrible memories.” “I know,” he says through guffaws. “Oh, they’re awful. But they’re our awful, terrible memories.”

The only reason it isn't a five star read is that there were moments when Jane was insufferable, but I also understand her thought process as a bored housewife.

I truly hope this is turned into a movie, cause it will be a fun ride!!!

This is the perfect book to get you out of any reading slump! I was turning pages waiting to find out what happened next. The ending was a bit predictable, but that was okay with me and there were a lot of really good LOL moments along the way!

First and foremost I would like to thank NetGalley, the publishing company and the author for allowing me to review this ARC. Thank you!

What do you do when life imitates a book you wrote years ago?

In this humorous novel, we are introduced to author Jane Brooks who is stuck in a boring marriage and wanting to divorce her husband on their twentieth… no wait nineteenth anniversary. Little do they both know that the famous restaurant they are dining in is going to be the major location of a terrorist group’s attack to save the planet.

But to Jane, she sees parallels in her fiction novel and real life. Will they make it out alive in the end?

•••

Such a funny and humorous book. There were times where I was really on the edge (no pun intended) of my seat.

Jane and Dan are headed to dinner to celebrate their 19th anniversary. Jane is pretty sure they won’t have another one though, as she wants a divorce. When a group comes in and holds the entire restaurant hostage, Jane cant help but notice the similarities to her book. It’s like they read her book and are copying it word for word. She is the only one that knows what is going to happen next, can she stop it before it’s too late?

Ok so I need to start by saying I haven’t been able to read for the past 2+ weeks. So when I picked this one up to try and read, I was pleasantly surprised when I couldn’t put it down. Not that I didn’t expect that from a Colleen Oakley novel, but just because I haven’t even been able to read a few pages let alone an entire book. I just adored this book! I loved the tension between Jane and Dan, and I just needed to know what the point of this hostage situation was and how it would end! My review writing these days is about as good as my reading has been so I don’t really have much else to say other than I loved this book and you will too!

This book perfectly balances motherhood, action, marriage, humor, midlife panic, and contentment all under the pressure of a time bomb…literally.

It is rare that a book lives up to the label of “hilarious” but Oakley had me laughing OUT LOUD throughout this novel. The pacing is excellent. I stayed up too late, read on the clock, and took my Kindle to places I’d rather not mention all to keep reading this book. The reveals in this book will have you gasping. “Oh my god, [REDACTED] IS WITH THE [REDACTED]”, I yelled across the house to my girlfriend. ("No way!”, she says, completely unaware of who or what I’m talking about. She’s very supportive.) This book is so well written, I could see everything in my mind as if a movie were playing. And I hope one day I will get to see it on the screen. Until then, read this book the SECOND it comes out, which is March 11, 2025. Mark your calendars, baby, you’re gonna wanna go to the End of the World.

Thank you to Netgalley and Berkley for this early copy in exchange for an honest review.

This was a funny book. Jane and Dan get trapped in a fancy restaurant celebrating their 19th anniversary when it is taken over by armed intruders. Minutes after Jane announces she would like a divorce. Chaos ensues. This was a entertaining book that I zipped through quickly so I could find out what happened.

If you’ve ever thought your date night was a disaster, just wait until you hear about Jane and Dan’s! In this laugh-out-loud tale of midlife crises, marriage woes, and one wildly unexpected anniversary dinner, Colleen Oakley delivers a deliciously chaotic romp.

Jane’s got problems—her kids don’t need her, her writing career is in a nosedive, and her husband Dan might be cheating on her. So, she decides to drop the D-word bomb at their anniversary dinner at a fancy restaurant. Romantic, right? But just as Jane is warming up to the idea of freedom (and dessert), a group of bumbling climate activists storm in, and suddenly, they’re in a hostage situation straight out of Jane’s flopped novel.

As Jane and Dan realize they might be the only ones who know what these activists will do next (because, oh yeah, they accidentally wrote the playbook), they have to work together to keep everyone from turning into pâté.

With its sharp wit and zany plot twists, Jane and Dan at the End of the World is a hilarious reminder that sometimes the craziest things can bring a couple closer together. Who knew saving the day could also save your marriage? I was rooting for Jane and Dan all the way!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Berkley for the opportunity to read and review Jane and Dan at the End of the World prior to publication.

Colleen Oakley manages to outshine herself with each novel she publishes, and I believe JANE AND DAN AT THE END OF THE WORLD could potentially wind up being a cult classic. Written with all the makings of a cinematic masterpiece, this novel will make you laugh, cry, and scream; it is pure joy wrapped up in 370 pages.

Underneath the brilliance of the banter and the sheer fun, witty, engaging, attack on your insides laughter, Oakley has written a manuscript that really tackles the harsh realities of marriage and the depth one goes through to not only survive it, but thrive in it; learning along the way that marriage throws so many challenges to your core being.

Jane and Dan are celebrating their 19th wedding anniversary, NOT their 20th despite what Dan thinks, at a luxurious restaurant for the Uber wealthy and rich; because Dan won a raffle for a free reservation: keyword reservation, NOT a free meal; and when they arrive, a hostage situation soon unfolds and so much of the action and dialogue from the intruders appears to come from Jane's book, yes, the BOOK that Jane published 6 years ago and hardly no one read, and she has been unable to publish a follow up since then.... HOW is this real life and what is happening to Jane and Dan!?

In March of 2025, you'll find out! Thank you to Berkley for an ARC!

Oh, the joys and sorrows of marriage! What better way to rediscover your partner of 20--I mean 19--years together than being held hostage at a restaurant that may lead to filing bankruptcy later?
Oakley's delivery of the strife of miscommunication between partners and even who you are to yourself was great to read. While the premise is eye catching and certainly interesting at first, I was wishing to get Dan and Jane out of that situation so we could really get at the heart of the issues. Saving the Earth and saving a marriage didn't play perfectly with each other in this one. I also found myself getting irritated with Jane often. Give me more of Dan's pov, honestly!

How will I rate this book? Very carefully.

Hmmm... I know this isn't the most enthusiastic way to start a book review for one of your favorite authors, especially for her latest release, which initially filled me with hope due to its intriguing plot about a couple’s second chance at marriage at the worst possible time and place! When I first read the blurb about Jane and Dan—mid-thirties, celebrating their 19th (not 20th, thanks to Dan’s confusion) wedding anniversary at one of the city’s most expensive Michelin-starred restaurants, La Fin du Monde—I was immediately drawn in. Jane’s plan to drop the bombshell of her desire for a divorce during their $2000 nine-course meal seemed intense enough. Poor Dan, confused and insistent he didn’t cheat, has no clue that Jane’s issues go far beyond cryptic text messages. She hates her unfulfilled life, her rejected manuscript she toiled over for six years, and she’s trapped in the depression of an empty nest. Divorce feels like her only way out, like a life raft to help her finally breathe again.

But before she can continue their conversation (or even enjoy her second course), an activist group bursts into the restaurant with guns, demanding everyone surrender their phones and obey their orders. Strangely enough, these bumbling, eccentric activists seem straight out of her failed book, where terrorists take over a teahouse—right down to their leader reciting lines she’d written! How is this even possible when no one, not even her husband, has read her manuscript? The plot thickens when Jane realizes her daughter, who claimed she was watching Yellowjackets with a friend, is actually part of the activist group. Now, Jane must find a way to protect her family and especially her daughter, who’s about to throw away her future. But Jane is no John McClane, single-handedly taking down terrorists in Nakatomi Plaza. She’ll need to team up with Dan, for old times’ sake. After all, didn’t they promise each other "till death do us part"? Could any ordinary person become an action hero in such a dangerous situation? It’s time for them to channel their inner Dwayne Johnson!

Overall, I found the opening, with its fresh and entertaining focus on a broken marriage and a couple's second chance, to be smart and captivating. I was still engaged when the hostage situation took over and the twists started to pile up. But by the second half, the far-fetched scenarios and exaggerated moments began to overwhelm me, making it feel like the author lost sight of her main message. The commentary on capitalism and the ultra-rich ruining the environment for their own gain became muddled, and the fine line between crime and justice wasn't drawn as sharply as I’d hoped.

I wanted to connect more with Jane and Dan’s marital struggles, but from the beginning, Jane irritated me, and I found it hard to relate to her. Dan was likable enough, but his big secret turned out to be underwhelming, leaving me with a shrug rather than a sense of revelation.

The conclusion wasn’t bad, but there were still unresolved parts that didn’t sit well with me. I did love the concept, and I laughed out loud at Dan’s hilarious line about paying for dinner at the end—that was the highlight for me! Ultimately, though, this was a three-star read. I had higher expectations for this author, but while the book didn’t completely work for me, it was still an entertaining and fun ride. If you don’t overanalyze it, it’s definitely an enjoyable read. And if it ever gets adapted into a movie, my ideal casting for Jane and Dan would be Kristen Wiig and Will Forte!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for providing this digital reviewer copy in exchange for my honest thoughts.

This was so unique. For anyone who has been married or in a long term relationship this one is for you. Miscommunication or non-communication is big ones in relationships and I think some of that for sure happened here. I loved the writing and this was a fun ride with Jane and Dan and their relationship.

📖📖 Book Review 📖📖 Marriage is hard, and parenting is even harder. Even with the best partner, it is one tough journey and it just seems to get harder as the years go on….as I am learning from the trenches. Thank you so much to Colleen Oakley for sharing such an honest and hilarious book to shake up the perspective for all of us who feel overwhelmed and exhausted and have not yet even reached nineteen years of marriage (or twenty depending on which partner is counting…) Jane and Dan at the End of the World is a humorous breath of fresh air with a writing style that is breezy and beautiful. Oakley hooks the reader in with the first sentence and does not let up until the very end. With an absolutely perfect delivery of satirical comedic gold balanced with absolutely relatable rich human emotions, Jane and Dan at the End of the World is one glorious roller coaster of catharsis that is absolutely binge-worthy.

Review is on Goodreads and will be posted on instagram closer to publication date and on Amazon when published!