Nope, not for me. Way too cutsey. I should’ve known. It’s a case of “It’s not you it’s me”, this book is just not my normal genre and I should’ve known better

What’s meant to be a celebratory dinner at an absurdly expensive and exclusive restaurant shockingly turns into a hostage situation

It’s the 19th, or maybe 20th, year of Jane and Dan’s marriage. They’ve had a nice, if dull, life. Two kids, his career as a podiatrist, her writing career stalled after her only book flops.

They’ve won a reservation at La Fin du Monde, but while Dan is celebrating their anniversary he doesn’t realize Jane is considering it a last night out pre divorce.

The meal is barely underway before the restaurant is stormed and taken over by activists. Their identities and intentions are unclear, but the primary objective seems to be stealing a fortune from fellow diner Otto St Claire
He might not be *quite* the worst tech CEO, but he is solidly in second place

Most strangely, the crew seems to be following the plot of Jane’s novel. If they continue that way, things are not looking good for any of the staff or diners.

Things get a little wild as a maze of motives and connections are revealed - it’s all very messy and convoluted but in an entertaining way
As long as you can keep yourself from getting too caught up in “What are the chances of *insert each new reveal here*??” you’ll have a blast! Just kind of a suspend your disbelief and enjoy the ride

There’s the peril of the hostage situation, social commentary, and relationship drama, but there’s also a good deal of humor in between which helps balance the story from being too heavy

The ending wraps up cleanly - possibly a bit too easily? - but I liked the epilogue settling how everything landed in the end

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley for the ARC!

They wanted a nice anniversary dinner at the fanciest and most expensive restaurant around. She had just dropped a bomb on her husband when all hell breaks loose around them. The disturbance is a siege of the restaurant at the top of the world because they are trying to get to someone and he was supposed to be eating there but he hasn't yet arrived.. Now what.?
While there were lots of serious and funny moments, I really wish that we would have been given a whole back story on the couple and their kids . Plus while some of the people in the group that took over the restaurant were known by the diners we didn't know much about them.
I did enjoy the epilogue telling us what happened in the future.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc.

This was such an interesting concept for a book! I devoured Oakley's last book and couldn't wait to start this one! Jane and Dan are your typical couple that has been married for ages and stuck in a rut. My biggest issue with them was communication. It absolutely drove me bonkers that they wouldn't just communicate with each other. At first I thought the whole "restaurant takeover" was too much but I slowly grew to really like it. It definitely had it's laugh out loud moments. I think this is a book that you really have to suspend reality in order to read it because it is just so bizarre. Overall, this was a solid read with a great comedic punch.

Sooo fun! 3.5 stars rounded to 4. I loved this premise and the fact that it was a comedy at heart, despite the grim events!

I really liked Jane’s character and thought she was so funny. I’m just so glad for her that at least one person read her book haha!

I do think it got a little long in the middle (I think the whole part where they’re in the van could have been removed) but the pace was quick and snappy.

My first book by this author and I’m a fan!

Figure the odds you win reservations at the fanciest restaurant around and it's taken over by ecoterrorists. Even less likely, one of the terrorists is none other than your daughter and another is one of a handful of people who has read, and loved, your novel.

From the beginning Jane feels deja vu over the way the events take place. It's all a little too close to the plot of her failed book. Dan thinks she's being a bit egotistical. As the events of the evening unfold Jane tells Dan she wants a divorce, a diner is shot though they weren't supposed to have real ammunition, Dan sets the record straight, and inept police escalate the situation. The billionaire the terrorists are after doesn't show up until well after the terrorists were supposed to be gone. Dan, a proctologist, is called upon to provide medical help to the injured chef. He also faces the fact that he's not the hero type. Until he actually is. Who knew!?!

I found the story entertaining and very imaginative. There was a ton of action, lots of emotions and people facing their own character traits and flaws. It all wraps up in a satisfying way.

Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the ARC.

This story follows married couple Jane and Dan, who are going to celebrate their 19th anniversary. Jane, who is tired of the monotonous life of raising her kids and having an unsuccessful writing career, feels like she doesn't think they will make it to their 20th and wants to get a divorce. She plans on telling Dan at their anniversary dinner, which Dan had won a certificate to a super fancy, exclusive, isolated restaurant: La Fin Du Monde. As they are at dinner, Jane drops the bomb on Dan that she thinks they should get divorced. Dan is in total shock and refuses, but Jane refutes him stating that she knows he is cheating on her. Unfortunately before they can discuss what is going on, in storms climate activists taking the entire restaurant hostage. As the events unfurl, Jane begins to feel dejavu as the things that are said or being done seem like scenes from the one book she has published, which was not a popular book. Of course when she tries to tell Dan that she thinks they are taking all of this from her novel, he dismisses her and says some pretty hurtful things. As the couple goes through this hostage situation, both partners start realizing how much they care for one another.

The book was alright for me, it was funny at times, but underwhelming. I liked how the author discussed the struggles of being in a long term relationship and having a feeling like you haven't achieved much in life, dreams getting waylaid. Even at the beginning the hostage stuff was interesting and captivating, but deeper into the plot things got very muddled and some of the situations were so batshit insane. It is definitely an easy read though.

I loved this one! Read it in practically one sitting, I was so caught up with the characters and the story, I could not stop. Jane and Dan are relatable and fully fleshed out characters, the plot is quirky and exciting, the stakes are real, and the pacing is flawless. No notes, just go order it already.

Jane and Dan have been married for 19 years and Jane wants a divorce. Which she tells Dan just before the first course at their anniversary dinner at an uber-chic uber-pricey restaurant, just before the restaurant is taken over by climate activists who take the diners hostage following a plot that turns out to be suspiciously similar to Jane's novel, read by nearly no one (or so she thought). This book is funny, tender, and relatable. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

4.5 stars

Thank you to the publishers and author for providing an ARC thru NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

Thanks to NetGalley, Berkley, and PRH Audio for the arc and alc.

This was a really unique and witty women's fiction novel. I absolutely adored this one. Yes, the premise is a little weird, but I promise you that this book has a lot of heart!

Hillary Huber as always does a fantastic job with the audiobook narration!

I can't wait to see what Colleen Oakley writes next! I highly recommend picking up this book!

This book is so many delightful things at once--a marriage story, a mother-daughter story, a thriller, a comedy, a heist--and Colleen Oakley pulls it all off with a satisfying finishing bow. I fell immediately in love with Jane's voice--wry and reflective and so relatable. Then to be able to see Jane through Dan's eyes, and learn about their marriage through his voice--all the things you wish you knew your partner thought about you (and a few you don't). The terrorist plot is a little unbelievable (how could it not be? It's based on Jane's book!), and yet the plot works so well, the character are so sympathetic, that you can absolutely see it happening. A very fun, fast read with heart and depth.

This is my first book by Colleen Oakley, and I’m definitely a fan now. This book takes place mostly in one setting in a few hours, and I devoured it! It was so fast paced, and I felt like I was watching a dark comedy movie.

What I loved:
- I absolutely loved both Jane and Dan. Were they perfect people? No. But I love imperfect characters. It makes their growth from beginning to end so much sweeter.
- The dark (and sometimes inappropriately timed) humor was so up my alley.
- The mystery aspect was well done and had me guessing until the end.
- The little twists made me not want to put the book down.

Jane is done with her 19-year marriage to Dan and is going to tell him during their anniversary dinner at an incredibly expensive, incredibly pretentious restaurant (it honestly felt like a mockery of Noma). Enter a terrorist attack by a group of climate terrorists, a not particularly well-organized group, that seems to be basing their plan on Jane's almost non-seller novel. Coincidence? or predictable plot?

Rounded up from 2.5 stars because there are a few good chuckles, but the predictability was a huge disappointment.

eARC provided by publisher via Netgalley.

Overview: Jane and Dan's marriage is on the rocks by their nineteenth wedding anniversary. When Dan wins a reservation to the most exclusive restaurant in Southern California, they break their tradition of going to Macaroni Grill to have a date night surrounded by celebrities and billionaires. Jane's plan to ask for a divorce makes the dinner tense, but this is taken to another level when the restaurant is taken hostage by terrorists. As the night goes on, Jane starts to realize this terror plot feels exceedingly familiar as she starts to put the pieces together back to her only published novel from six years ago. Overall: 4

Characters: 4 Jane's voice is the strongest in the book. The chapters alternate between her perspective and Dan's, and a part of me wishes that she'd stuck just to Jane's because it feels so much more embodied than Dan's. Still, that balance doesn't really detract from the story because there's a lot going on between the terror plot, what's driving Jane's desire for divorce and drive to reclaim her identity, and so many complicated parenting feelings. It's the characters that ground the novel. Jane has been a stay at home mom for twenty years and her kids are starting to leave home, making Jane feel adrift. The book spends a surprising amount of time drifting through Jane's experience with parenting, identity, motherhood, and marriage in a thoughtful way. It also reflects on parenting when kids become adults and how difficult that is to manage. There's an important scene where Jane is left to face the idea that some of her daughter's performance and choices might have been driven by Jane's wants more than her daughter's, and she has to reconcile pushing Sissy towards what's best for her with letting her be her own person. I guess since I'm on the other side of this as a kid that's having to start making my way in the world on my own as an adult and seeing how difficult it can be for moms when that kid role is vacated, this definitely pulled at my heartstrings.

Plot: 4 This book is a fast paced whirlwind. While the first 2 chapters of set-up are a bit slow and stilted, it picks up fast and never stops running. Oakley threads the emotional conflict through with plenty of external forces as the inexperienced terrorists bumble their way through taking hostages. This is the kind of high stakes book that I love where it's not a true mystery or thriller so there's a lot of action without any of the actual nail-biting, anxiety inducing feeling of reading true genre fiction. This is more about balancing action with a deep emotional core, which is much more my speed. I will say, the resolution, for how much time is spent in the book stressing about what the outcome will be with the police, left something to be desire. Oakley chooses to time hop over the details of how exactly everything was gotten away with when she reveals the character's end point in the book, and I understand the desire to skim, but I wish she would've gone for it. The exclusion almost felt cut for time. But I read the whole 368 page book over 2 days, with 75% of it on day 2 for reference of how fast of a read this is.

Writing: 4 Oakley is an author I love returning to. I discovered her last year with The Mostly True Story of Tanner and Louise, which I recommended a ton and was kind of my commercial fiction favorite of 2024. While I think I might have enjoyed the dynamics of that book slightly more just because of its unique inter-generational focus, Oakley has really carved out a lane of pulling together some genre elements with heists and hostages and other big ticket plot items and managing to expertly give them a deep emotional core and characters whose learning and development from the situation is just as important as whether the big plot beat goes right. It appeals to my sensibilities loving the deep character work of literary fiction while also wanting something more fun and light from time to time. Oakley writes compulsively recommendable books, the kind that are easy to hand to literally anyone with little information and know that they'll have a good time, and I think that's a great niche to be in.

Review will be posted about a week out from release date, and my net galley submission will be updated with a link.

This book was an absolute pleasure, with wry humor and wise words mixed with suspense. I could not put it down…until then last third, where the plot fell apart. This was on its way to a 5-star rating! It is so unique and fun! However, the wrap-up and resolution was so lackluster, my spirits plummeted. So, I assign 3 1/2 stars, rounded to 4. I am interested to see others thoughts. This book has the potential to be huge. Thank you to Berkley (!!) and NetGalley for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

"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.