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!

I'm not sure how I really felt about this. On one hand, it was very entertaining and unique. I could see it being turned into a movie. On the other hand. I didn't really feel much for dan and jane. I felt like all the fighting and the conflict could've been solved with just one single conversation. I wish I rooted more for them but they honestly kind of irritated me? All in all, I think the book was fun. I just wish I enjoyed the personal relationships more. I do look forward to what colleen comes out with next! thank you to Berkeley and Netgalley for this arc.

What do you do when the plot of your failed novel starts unfolding right before your eyes?!

Jane and Dan have been married for nineteen years, but Jane isn’t sure they’re going to make it to twenty. She is in a bad place, convinced that Dan is having an affair all while her writing career is not going well.

When they head to the ultra-fancy restaurant for their anniversary dinner, Jane’s all set to end things.

To her surprise, a group of climate activists storm the dining room, and Jane realizes something terrifying: they’re following a script straight out of her only published novel!

For Jane, it’s a surreal experience—and for us readers, it’s an absolute thrill!

Colleen Oakley has such a way with writing, every scene feels like it’s happening on the big screen in my head!
I couldn’t anticipate what was coming next, and that’s exactly what kept me glued to the pages.

This is such a creative and unique book, full of funny surprises, suspense, and genuine moments of connection.

If you love stories where ordinary people find themselves in extraordinary situations, this one’s for you!

Thank you NetGalley and Berkeley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!