Get our Best Book Club Books of 2025 eBook!

Read advance reader review of Jane and Dan at the End of the World by Colleen Oakley, page 3 of 5

Summary | Reviews | More Information | More Books

Jane and Dan at the End of the World by Colleen Oakley

Jane and Dan at the End of the World

by Colleen Oakley

  • Critics' Consensus (8):
  • Published:
  • Mar 2025, 368 pages
  • Rate this book

About this book

Reviews


Page 3 of 5
There are currently 29 member reviews
for Jane and Dan at the End of the World
Order Reviews by:
  • Barbara B. (Harlingen, TX)
    Jane and Dan At the End of the World
    In my 86 years I have read thousands of mystery/thriller books. This plot is so original and clever I read it start to finish in one day. Jan and Dan go to an exclusive posh restaurant to celebrate their anniversary.. Before they can order a group of young thugs enter and take all of the diners hostage. Who are they and why? Even the ending is unexpected. To tell more would ruin the experience for all readers.

    It was so much joy to read Jane and Dan I plan to read more by its author, Colleen Oakely.
  • Hannah L. (Plymouth, MA)
    Lighthearted Book with a Sinister Plot
    This book caught me off guard as while there are funny moments in the book the main plot line is that Jane and Dan are being held hostage so it is very serious situation that the author does make efforts to lighten through some plot points. I recommend reading if you can get past that.
  • Wilhelmina H. (Russell Springs, KY)
    Fast Paced Easy Read
    This is a fun, fast-paced, easy to read book that kept me interested in the characters and the storyline. Although I found the storyline just a bit far-fetched, I read it for the 'fun' of it and feel the author pulled it all together to create an amusing, hard to put down story. Twists and turns galore including marital issues, a pretentious restaurant and a hostage situation that resembles the plot of the book written by the main character. I will look for other books by this author.
  • Dawn Z. (Canton, MI)
    A quick read
    I enjoyed parts of this book, including the humorous writing style, but the plot was a little outlandish. I read the book quickly a couple of weeks ago but remember little of the ending. I also received an ARC of The Mostly True Story of Tanner & Louise, which I enjoyed more than this book.
  • Bill B. (Choctaw, OK)
    The End
    I enjoyed Ms. Oakley's novel. She sustained suspense and a comic wit from the opening of their date night through the conclusion. Well done, Madame novelist.
  • Jamie K. (Berkeley, CA)
    How Far Would You Go?
    Jane and Dan at the End of the World

    Jane and Dan go to one of the most elite restaurants on the planet to celebrate their 20th (or is it their 19th?) wedding anniversary. Just as they dig into some alien-like claws that Jane says look like they were harvested out of Sigourney Weaver's stomach, their dinner is interrupted by a group of eco-terrorists running a script that rings all too familiar to novelist, Jane. What follows is a twisty, crazy heist story with hostages, weapons, and a motley group of leaderless rebels who sometimes seem as confused as their hostages.


    Well-plotted, highly entertaining, humorous, and somewhat political, Jane and Dan at the End of the World is a fun, quick read about going to the end of the world only to find what you're looking for is right in front of you. It's a quick-paced caper, but sometimes just as the suspense builds and you're dying to know what happens next, the page turns and Jane or Dan start musing about their lives, breaking up the pace and taking you out of the story. I tried to rush back in, but these interruptions took away some of the magic of this original, keep-you-guessing, tale of love, anarchy, and the clash between the haves and have-nots.
  • Janine S
    Fun, fast read
    I received this book for a free and fair review. I enjoyed Oakley's previous book, The Mostly True Story of Tanner and Louise, this, her most recent book, and was excited to be able to review this one. And this one did not fail to deliver either, being a fun-filled romp of misadventure, miscommunication and missed steps that lead to a denouement that's unique and satisfying.

    Jane and Dan are going to La Fin de Munde, an expensive and exclusive restaurant, precariously located over a cliff, to celebrate their 19th wedding anniversary (though Dan keeps thinking it's their 20th). Jane's in a funk; she's ready to leave Dan, feeling in a rut as her writing career hasn't taken off and she believes something's going on with Dan. The restaurant only seats five tables and is known as the restaurant that serves the most expensive dessert! Just a Jane announces to Dan that she wants a divorce a group takes over the restaurant and from there the adventure begins. As things unfold, Jane comes to realize that what is happening is based on the book she wrote, things get more curious as Dan begins to realize he might know someone in the group. No spoilers here. You have to read the book - and you won't be disappointed if you - to find out what the group wants, how the takeover ends and if Jane and Dan come to the "end of their world."

    Overall, I enjoyed the read and believe others will as well.

Read-Alikes

BookBrowse Book Club

  • Book Jacket
    Real Americans
    by Rachel Khong
    From the author of Goodbye, Vitamin, a novel exploring family, identity, and the shaping of destiny.

Members Recommend

  • Book Jacket

    The Fairbanks Four
    by Brian Patrick O’Donoghue

    One murder, four guilty convictions, and a community determined to find justice.

  • Book Jacket

    The Seven O'Clock Club
    by Amelia Ireland

    Four strangers join an experimental treatment to heal broken hearts in Amelia Ireland's heartfelt debut novel.

  • Book Jacket

    One Death at a Time
    by Abbi Waxman

    A cranky ex-actress and her Gen Z sobriety sponsor team up to solve a murder that could send her back to prison in this dazzling mystery.

  • Book Jacket

    Happy Land
    by Dolen Perkins-Valdez

    From the New York Times bestselling author, a novel about a family's secret ties to a vanished American Kingdom.

Who Said...

Be sincere, be brief, be seated

Click Here to find out who said this, as well as discovering other famous literary quotes!

Wordplay

Solve this clue:

A C on H S

and be entered to win..

Your guide toexceptional          books

BookBrowse seeks out and recommends the best in contemporary fiction and nonfiction—books that not only engage and entertain but also deepen our understanding of ourselves and the world around us.