this!!! book!!!!! took!!! me!!! out!!!!!

francine stevenson is the epitome of a mess. and i love it so much.

this book is wholly about dealing with how trauma shapes us as people and can make or break us. there’s so many layers to this story and it’s complexity makes the book the excellent read it is.

at its core, it’s a chaotic, traumatized woman finding their worth and it was highly relatable and i loved every second of it!!

thank you netgalley for inviting me to read this!

Oh Francine. I loved her in all of her messy chaoticness.

One thing I love is using humor as a way to cope and move through sensitive subjects. While Francine’s funnies will make you cackle the topics here are heavy (grief, parental loss, child abuse, bullying, neglect, ableism, SA, DV). There were times when I’d laugh and be like omgeee no that’s not supposed to be fun. Also the supporting characters. Wow. I never wanted to fight a fictional auntie as much as I did Liane and I even had beef with a couple of kids lol. This book is soooo good.

Also, it is autism awareness month and Davie was handled with so much care. While autism varies from person to person the attention to detail did not go unnoticed when meeting and learning Davie. I know Francine is taking good care of him :)


It was my first from Renee Swindle and I’m looking forward to more. Thank you NetGalley for this digit arc.

A lovely novel full of entertaining characters that manages to deal with grief in a lighthearted way. Francine is grieving her mother when she meets a unique little boy named Davie. The two of them are both misfits, and are drawn to each other. Francine, however, also manages to make some spectacularly bad decisions along the way to righting her life.

"[The novel} follows Francine Stevenson. whose life revolved around her anxious agoraphobic mother—her abrupt passing rocks Francine to her core and sends her into a tailspin of depression. She copes by rummaging through her mother’s assortment of pills, dancing manically at night to the disco she and her mother enjoyed while keeping up appearances at work during daylight hours.

On one such day Francine’s blissful high is interrupted by shouts outside her door. She pulls back her curtain only to catch sight of a few older kids picking on a much younger boy. She ushers ten-year-old Davie into her home for temporary refuge. After that moment, Francine’s life takes a surprising turn.

What appeared to be a one-off encounter evolves when Davie repeatedly shows up at Francine’s house. Despite herself, Francine begins to enjoy his unannounced visits. She finds herself wondering why a ten-year-old has so much autonomy. Francine realizes the proper thing to do is introduce herself to Davie’s foster parents and loop them in on the bullies she worries may still be giving Davie trouble, only to discover Jeanette, her high school crush, is Davie’s foster mother."

Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Group Dutton for the free ARC in exchange for my honest review. All opinions expressed herein are my own.

A multi genre story of finding family and how it's sometimes the best kind. There are plenty of ups and downs but in the end, life is what you make it, so make it good!!!

Messy. Author M.C. Hutson is always posting videos about wanting to read messy lesbian romance and Francine’s Spectacular Crash and Burn is it. Oh my goodness, the lesbian drama!

Renee Swindle takes us through grief and the crazy decisions we make while trying to fill the holes in our heart. Francine didn’t have all of her shit together before her mother passed away. Her life was comfortable for her. She was used to complaining about taking care of her mother, but did nothing to change it. She complained about her job, but did nothing to change it. She just let day after day go by wishing for other things, but not doing anything to change anything. Then her mother dies and suddenly she has to make decisions.

I can relate to Francine. I didn’t make any of the choices Francine did (thank goodness), but my life had become safe and comfortable. I wasn’t exactly happy nor was I unhappy. I was just existing. Then the coyote attack happened and then everyone started dying including my Mom. Now I’m still drifting and trying to figure it out. I felt for Francine.

The only thing that Swindle really didn’t address is the brain fog. It’s legit. I’m so surprised that Francine could work. No one gave her enough credit for that or to be able to form a relationship with Davie. The complexities of handling the emotions and behaviors of someone on the spectrum and then dealing with your own truths. Francine is a rock star.

Francine's Spectacular Crash and Burn is about what happens when you lose not just your mom but the person who you were living your life with and for. The desperation to feel something even if it’s bad. How we deal with grief and how other’s handle our choices. Renee Swindle does this humor and grace. I love Francine, but then I’m drowning in the same pool too. Francine makes it just a little more tolerable.

When I started reading the book I couldn't put it down, but when I did it took a little bit of trying for me to get back in. I did enjoy reading it even though I couldn't help but cringe (sadly) at so much of what was going on in the book, I will say I really like how it is able to balance heavy subjects and keep a light hearted feel when needed.

This was my first book by Renee Swindle and I really loved the much needed insight into autism through a Black person's lens. The story centres on the relationship between adult Francine and the unlikely relationship she strikes with a young Black autistic foster boy.

The book has excellent mental health and disability rep (Francine's mother suffered from depression and agoraphobia) and Francine herself suspects she is neurodiverse. There's also a complex Sapphic romance, domestic abuse and foster care rep.

This was excellent on audio narrated by Bahni Turpin and is a great book to read during #AutismAcceptanceMonth !! Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy and @prhaudio for a complimentary ALC in exchange for my honest review!!

This was my first book by Renee Swindle and I really loved the much needed insight into autism through a Black person's lens. The story centres on the relationship between adult Francine and the unlikely relationship she strikes with a young Black autistic foster boy.

The book has excellent mental health and disability rep (Francine's mother suffered from depression and agoraphobia) and Francine herself suspects she is neurodiverse. There's also a complex Sapphic romance, domestic abuse and foster care rep.

This was excellent on audio narrated by Bahni Turpin and is a great book to read during #AutismAcceptanceMonth !! Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy and @prhaudio for a complimentary ALC in exchange for my honest review!!

Francine’s life is in turmoil. As the blurb says her mother dies unexpectedly leaving her floundering, falling into depression and having some manic behaviors. Then she meets ten year old Davie. He is on the spectrum and in foster care. Surprisingly, his foster mother is an old crush from high school. This is very much Francine’s journey and it is a chaotic one. A lot of serious topics are covered including grief, mental health, family cycles, abuse and bullying. Davie is a stand out character with his Steve Job facts. Francine relates to him because of her own experience as a child. And he helps give Francine the courage or reason to break the patterns of her past. I found it hard to identify with Francine as her life is unlike my own. But I was rooting for her. There is humor in the story but It is a heavier book than the bright color suggests. (3.5 Stars)

4 stars
Thank you to Penguin Group Dutton for this ARC.

I really enjoyed this story. I read it in 4 days (which is super quick for me) but I easily could've read it in one or two sittings if I had the free time. It was quick paced and entertaining, never boring. I loved Francine and found her relatable in so many ways. I found myself cheering for her and wanting to be her friend just to offer some support. I loved watching her character grow, and I liked so many of the other characters as well. I also loved Davie. I loved Francine's patience for him and how they grew together. I think Renee Swindle did such a great job making her characters multifaceted - even characters in the story that do things that are wrong or mean aren't displayed as just bad; it's clear that emotions are complicated and she does such a good job showing how past traumas can shape our actions. She also does a great job in showing Francine building boundaries to where she can recognize and have empathy for others, but can also decide who she does and does not want in her life.

I would 100% recommend this book to pretty much anyone. It's a light, warm read, but does cover topics that could be sensitive to readers, so I would encourage you to check the trigger warnings before reading if you have certain triggers. Amazing character growth, fun characters in general - there's really nothing that I didn't like about this.

A tumultuous journey of self discovery told by one of the most zaniest voices in fiction. A tale of found family and hijinks, Francine’s spectacular crash and burn will wiggle into the most resistant hearts. This novel kept me entertained and wanting to know more and was so heartwarming and relatable! I will definitely read more by this author!

Francine's Spectacular Crash and Burn by Renee Swindle was an emotional and heartwarming novel.
I was hooked from the beginning!!
It was amazing and engaging.
I was instantly sucked in by the atmosphere and writing style.
The characters were all very well developed .
The writing is exceptional and I was hooked after the first sentence.

Francine’s Spectacular Crash and Burn by Renee Swindle ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

This character-driven novel explored themes like found family, grief, and identity.

I enjoyed this read, but the whole time I was wanting just a tad bit more from it. I couldn’t put my finger on it, but I felt it was missing something to just push it over the top for me.

The characters were vibrant and distinct. I loved Davie and wanted more interactions between him and Francine. The journey was fun and also anxiety-inducing. I’ve never cringed so much at a character’s decisions in my life, but I still rooted for Francine.

Fans of character-driven stories, books about found family, and characters who grow will enjoy this one.

Thank you to Tiny Reparations Books and Netgalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review. Unfortunately this didn’t work for me and I ended up DNFing about 16% of the way through. I really didn’t like the writing style, which was a surprise because the first chapter was so good. But I hated how it was all telling instead of showing, and eventually I realized it wasn’t going to get better and return to the high of chapter one.

Francine's Spectacular Crash and Burn is a wild ride of emotions from start to finish. This book elicits a wide range of emotions throughout the entire book. I knew there would be highs and lows, just based on the title. But I was not prepared for the ride that this book would give me.

We follow Francine through her life after her mother passes away in front of her. This tragic event starts a wild ride of events for Francine.

I really enjoyed the fact that this book felt REAL. This story could be from someone you know. Life is never perfect and has a lot of rough edges, but also has some beautiful moments in there. This book shows that perfectly.
I enjoyed this book so much and I am so excited to hear others thoughts about this book!

Thank you to Penguin Dutton Group, Tiny Reparations Books, and NetGalley for the eARC of this book.

4.75 stars rounded up to 5.
Trigger Warnings to be aware of:
-Agoraphobia
-Death of a parent
-Suicidal ideation
-Bullying
-Physical Abuse
-Drug Abuse
-Cheating

I was offered advance access to this novel. I am not sure I would have requested on my own accord as the description sounded heavy. However, I gave it a chance and I am so glad I did.

Francine’s Spectacular Crash and Burn is wonderful. I haven’t read anything like it. Francine is an endearing and compelling character and it was riveting to follow her thought process and decision-making. I was very invested in her wellbeing! Davie is amazing as well. This story is full of tragedies but also full of self-discovery, resilience, and hope. A perfect read for these tough times.

Thank you very much to Penguin Dutton/Tiny Reparations Books, Diamond, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read a copy.

Francine and her mom, what a dynamic duo, I resonated with Francine being a momma’s girl, and having that aunt who aggressively loves you lol. But Francine’s life is in shambles, she was a hot mess in denial before her mom’s death and after and I felt so bad for her, but the events going on this book? Was I the only one who was annoyed with them???? I felt like more than 80% of this can be triggering and made me feel so bad for Francine, Davie was the star in this book.

4.5 Stars rounded up

Francine's Spectacular Crash and Burn by Renee Swindle is scheduled to be published April 15, 2025 and it is well worth a read for anyone who has felt lost and stuck in a position not of their own choosing.

I read this book more than a month ago, but wanted to let it settle before writing a review and I am glad I did. I was originally going to give it a lower rating because I was uncomfortable with some of the main character's decisions and I was judging her harshly. However, in the intervening time I found myself thinking about this book a lot, rereading parts of it, and being able to empathize much more with Francine and understanding that while some decisions were not ones that I would have made, they make sense in the context of her story.

If the title doesn't make it abundantly clear, Francine's life is messy. She is dealing with the grief of losing her mother while also trying to navigate an unfulfilling dating life and a job that she feels stuck in. In the midst of this she meets Davie, a young boy in foster care who has some additional challenges of his own. Their stories continue to intersect and intertwine.

This book deals with disability with both nuance and sensitivity, which is appreciated. The characters may not always be likeable or relatable, but they are always human -- with all of the complications, messiness, and joy that that entails. I really appreciate this book for giving me a new perspective and would certainly recommend it to others as well.

Thank you to Penguin Group Dutton and Tiny Reparations Press via NetGalley for providing an early review copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

Letting this book go forth into the world without a litany of trigger warnings was a choice. At least 90% of the plot could be considered a trigger warning for someone, and the approach to many sensitive topics was not particularly sensitive. Do not be fooled by the bright cover. Francine’s journey is tough, it’s a little hard to connect with her, and things don’t really improve at all until the last 5% of the book. None of the side characters, except Davie, were particularly endearing either.

There were parts of this story that were sweet, but it was overwhelmingly dark. 2025 has been exhausting enough on its own, and it felt like a battle to finish this book.

Here are just a few of the trigger warnings to consider:
-agoraphobia
-death of a parent
-suicidal ideation
-bullying
-physical abuse
-sexual abuse
-drug use
-cheating

Thank you to Penguin Group - Dutton for the ARC of Francine's Spectacular Crash and Burn.

3.5 rounded down to 3.

This book was so odd. A woman loses her mom. Kinda spirals. Finds a strange boy. Reconnects with the popular girl in high school. Has a Bell's Palsy episode. And then it ends how I predicted it would. There's A LOT of trauma throughout the book. But somehow Francine is just miraculously able to find her way out of her depression with the help of her understanding boss, new friends, opinionated aunt, and acupuncture? That might be an overly simplified explanation of events, but essentially things just happen.

Didn't love it. Didn't hate. I wish Francine had a more developed growth arc.