
Member Reviews

*Francine's Spectacular Crash and Burn* by Renee Swindle is a sharp, witty, and heartwarming novel that blends humor with a deep exploration of self-discovery. The story follows Francine, a woman who's seemingly got it all together—until everything starts falling apart. In a whirlwind of career setbacks, personal struggles, and unexpected events, Francine is forced to confront her flaws and the truths she’s been avoiding.
The writing is brisk, engaging, and filled with sharp observations about life, love, and the pressures of perfection. The humor in the narrative is both lighthearted and poignant, offering a refreshing take on the ups and downs of modern life. Swindle’s relatable characters and clever prose make the book one of my favorites of the year so far. "Francine's Spectacular Crash and Burn* is an enjoyable read for anyone who’s ever felt like life was a little too much to handle—but still worth living.

4.5 stars
✨This book has humor, depth, a main character you can’t help but root for – and a little boy that wanders into her life that will absolutely steal your heart.
✨It’s not often that such a layered and nuanced story also makes me laugh out loud so often. I love it when an author can make me laugh and cry and feel such emotion.
✨The character development and dialogue in these pages are absolutely incredible. I really couldn’t put it down. I hope you’ll give it a read. I can’t wait to check out the author’s backlist and will be anxiously waiting to see what she writes next.
🌿Read if you like:
✨Neurodivergent rep
✨LGBTQ rep
✨Mental illness rep
✨Healing from grief narratives
✨Bighearted stories
✨Contemporary fiction
My thanks to @tinyrepbooks and @netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this book before its publication date.

Francine’s Spectacular Crash and Burn reads as if it was intended to be a film script, not a novel. That’s both a compliment and a criticism. The dialogue is sharp and quick, but the prose is paper thin. An individual conversation between two characters has more rhythmic back and forth and forward momentum than the novel’s entire narrative. But while the pacing lags—the descriptors too threadbare—the characters themselves always come to the page fully-formed through their dialogue. It’s that nagging suspicion, that the cast haven’t been placed in the correct medium, one where they could thrive to their absolute fullest, that holds Francine’s Spectacular Crash and Burn back.
An important heads-up for potential readers: the novel’s cover isn’t entirely representative of the content. It invokes the feeling of a light-hearted romantic comedy and, while there’s certainly humor present and some familiar tropes, Francine’s Spectacular Crash and Burn is a drama first and foremost. The narrative tightly centers on generational/familial cycles, mental-health, and abuse. There is one particular scene, where a character recounts a sexual assault, that I had to take a pause while reading. The subject matter is well handled, but I don’t think the cover adequately illustrates what Renee Swindle is trying to accomplish.
The strongest elements that stand out here, head and shoulders above the rest, are the ways in which Swindle approaches the subjects of chosen family, particularly parenting, and narcissistic abuse. The latter is handled with such unflinching realism and grace, tracking how a narcissist—whether consciously or not—gloms instinctually on to those with low self-esteem; constantly pushing the boundaries as to what they can get away with… and what they can take. The dynamic between Francine and Jeanette presents how this escalates and metastasizes so clearly.
While the relationship between Francine and Davie, a chance encounter that blossoms into an endearing relationship between a surrogate mother and son, runs through the heart of the entire book; encapsulating parenting and the immense responsibility it holds, and how one’s choices aren’t simply dictated by their singular wants or needs anymore. This relationship forces Francine to grow, to rethink her usual self-destructive tendencies, in order to put Davie first.
The character work and dialogue in Francine’s Spectacular Crash and Burn is the best part about it. I just can’t help but think the story would be better served as a miniseries—perhaps a long-form six to eight episodes.
(Thank you to Penguin Random House/Dutton for allowing me the opportunity to preview this title before its release.)

I was intrigued by the premise of this novel as it reminded me of Nightcrawling by Laila Mottley. Which is a good thing. This novel was just as good but not so dark. The main character having dating issues gave it a bit lightheartedness to the story.. because anytime a child is involved and is being put into the system, the story is always so sad for me. The authors writing style was good and easy to follow. It made for a senseless reading experience. I can’t wait to see the continued hype this novels deserves once it’s released.

Francine’s Spectacular Crash and Burn deals with incredibly sensitive, challenging topics, and does so with the clear intention of humor and life. You feel for Francine right off the bat, as it seems she’s been forced to hold a lot of responsibility. Grief that undercuts that responsibility is the sort of thing that leads to crashing out, and in Francine’s case, that’s absolutely correct.
Despite this premise, which seemed right up my alley, and the lovely off-kilter energy of the main character and the people she interacted with, I was not grabbed by the narrative style or any of the characters. At an objective level, I cared about Francine. I wanted her to succeed. On the page, however, I felt that she came across as a paper character in a play– in many ways, her reactions and actions didn’t feel authentic, but instead madcap and unpredictable. Unpredictable could have been good, but it wasn’t in an intentional way– it was in a way that took me out of the book and forced me to question the reality of this person. People around Francine felt even more flat, which led me to really not caring about any of the events, despite a literal death via overdose and the aforementioned crashing out.
I see a good deal of potential in Renee Swindle’s writing, and her humor is delightful. I giggled at most of her snarks, gags, and jokes. I believe that as she continues to publish, her characters likely will grow to be a little more fleshed out and a little more three-dimensional. I do think there will be an audience for this, and hope that the audience finds it. For now, though, that audience is not me.

i fell in love with this book almost immediately. the characters are so honest and real and at times you want to punch them in the face but you also want to do that when you know the people you love are making bad choices. while this book can be beyond frustrating at times, it all ends up worth it at the end and i will be recommending this to everyone i know in the future

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of Francine's Spectacular Crash and Burn.
From the title and book cover, I thought the narrative was going to be more rom-com, but it contains serious themes include foster care, mental illness, grooming, sexual abuse and domestic violence so readers should be aware.
Despite it's serious themes, the novel contains many cliches and tropes:
Francine is an awkward young woman who falls to piece when her mother dies unexpectedly.
She lacks confidence, self-esteem, is socially awkward, has no friends, and poor relationships with her relatives.
Davie is really smart, and on the spectrum, and Francine may be as well.
Despite her education and partly due to her sheltered upbringing, Francine lacks maturity and street smarts, making her an easy target for Jeannette, her #1 girl crush from high school, when they reconnect.
As their relationship escalates and tensions run high, Francine realizes her mother still has her back, but only she can change the course of her own life.
I didn't like or dislike Francine but she reminded me of similar characters popping up in novels now; awkward, no friends, needs a kick in the pants to evolve and discover their true path in life.
The author does make a good point in the scenes where Francine is being called out for being 'bougie' or speaking like a white girl.
Racism occurs on all levels, including people from our own ethnic group.
The writing was good, but there's nothing memorable about the premise.
Naturally, everything is resolved at the end and tied up with a big bow.

FRANCINE'S SPECTACULAR CRASH AND BURN is such a heartfelt story that had me laughing one moment and crying the next. Thanks to NetGalley and Tiny Reparations Books for the advanced copy!

Francine Stevenson has just lost her mother. Francine Stevenson is in the process of losing her mind.
In the midst of this emotional storm she makes a connection with a ten-year-old kid named, Davie. She “rescues” him one day when she spots him being bullied in front of her house. She quickly learns why Davie is considered an outcast and begins to play a sibling/parent role in his life. This leads her down a path that eventually lands her in a romantic relationship with her high school crush.
The relationship between Francine and Davie is where the book really shines, but there came a point where the romantic aspect with the former crush began to take the lead. While it’s entertaining (and infuriating) to witness Francine fumble her way through this messy love affair, the story hit a slight slump along the way. It eventually picked back up for me though.
This book takes an off-beat humorous approach to dealing with grief and for lack of a better word, trauma. But it doesn’t shy away from the seriousness of it all. The main character is messy and you’ll probably hate her at several points while reading. When it was all said and done I enjoyed this book and I can’t wait to read more from this author.

Francine, who lives with her agoraphobic spiritualist mother, is sent into a tailspin after her mother suddenly passes away. She meets a child on the spectrum who reminds her of her childhood self and is forced to go through the states of grief in an especially messy way. I enjoyed greatly how queerness was represented in this book - a factor of the story, but also just an aspect of every day life. The character development was amazing and made me like the characters even after questionable actions.
Thank you to Renee Swindle, Penguin Group Dutton, and NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

This book started, and I was immediately CRYIN IN THE CLUB! From that alone, I can tell yall this was a realllllly good one (definitely heartbreaking and warming with some big notes of found family) 👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾
I am absolutely loved the main character Francine sooo soooo much she’s such a palpable and beautifully imperfect character dealing with the complexities of both life and grief!.
⭐️FRANCINE’S SPECTACULAR CRASH AND BURN, out APRIL 2025⭐️
Thank you @tinyrepbooks for the review ARC of this book!

What a complicated cast of characters! This story grabbed me right from the beginning and I could not put the book down. It's one of those rare books where you become completely immersed with everybody's drama and do not want the book to end. I could read about these people all day (and I did!).
I loved Davie! Davie is a 10 year on the autism spectrum, so maybe this hit close to home. Certainly, the book focuses on the "fun" nuances of parenting a child with ASD. What the book does not really focus on is how absolutely hard and impossible doing this is on the daily. It seems easy for Francine to swoop in with money and fresh energy because she did not have to do it every single day like Tucker and Jeannette. I think that's why I struggled with the ending because it ends so positively and unrealistically. Yes, it is all solved now. Francine becomes an expert within a couple of weeks and it's all pretty easy as long as you just love your child. I want an epilogue showing Francine at a bar with her spirit in the toilet after one year's worth of rejection of physical touch and emotional connection to someone with this disability and doing it as a single parent. But it is beautiful to see Francine meeting Davie where is he and loving him completely.
I received an e-arc from Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

A quirky and heartfelt story of self-discovery, found family, and unexpected connections. While the narrative can be chaotic at times, it offers an emotionally raw and authentic look at the complexities of relationships and personal growth. Francine's journey from misguided romance to genuine care for Davie provides plenty of humor and warmth, though the pacing may be uneven for some readers.

This book was great. The title fits what happens in the book perfectly. This book follows Francine after the death of her mother trying to get her life together. She falls in love and becomes a mentor. I enjoyed all the unique touches in the book. The film references and the interesting jobs. It felt real.

3.5 stars, rounded up to 4 stars.
Hmmm. First off, the cover doesn't reflect the book at all. The cover hints at a rom-com story, when this isn't that. The book is much more serious than the cover leads on. I liked this; I didn't love it. Francine was pretty naive, made a whole bunch of bad choices, and was far from mature. I did enjoy her relationship with Davie, who provided the book's few humorous touches. There was a little character growth, but no real plot surprises or unexpected happenings.
This was moderately entertaining, covered numerous serious issues (including child abuse) and showed some positive writing. There certainly is a market for it.
I received a complimentary copy of the novel from the publisher and NetGalley, and my review is being given freely.

I loved this book!
Francine lives with her anxious agoraphobic mom. They have close and dysfunctional relationship. Her mom suddenly dies and Francine goes into a depressive tailspin. She meets a kid on the spectrum who reminds her of her childhood self. I loved this book so much. The characters were interesting and real. A lot of important topics were addressed. This book is filled with so much love and warmth! I could not put it down. I now want to drop what I’m doing and read another book by this author.
Thank you to netgalley for a copy of this book.

Loved this book from Renee Swindle. Francine was a relatable character who went through some crazy stuff but her journey made so much sense. Thank you to the publisher for the digital copy!

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
What a rollercoaster of emotions — so sad, then so so angering, then so feel-good. This book was a raw and honest depiction of a flawed person figuring life out and a reminder that everything will be alright. Parts of the book made me so frustrated because of how Francine was being treated, which really is a testament to how the characters are crafted. Swindle has a real talent for creating characters that walk off the page. The writing was a little too conversational for my liking, and there was a bit too much going on at times making everything muddled and the point get lost. The themes at the end pulled everything and were so healing, making this a story that will stick with me.

Renee Swindle’s Francine’s Spectacular Crash and Burn is a witty, poignant exploration of self-discovery, failure, and resilience. Through Francine’s rollercoaster journey, Swindle tackles themes of ambition, love, and the lessons we learn when things fall apart. The sharp humor and relatable protagonist make this a compelling read for fans of character-driven stories about growth and reinvention.

Sometimes you come across a book that makes you drop all your black hearted pessimist walls. Renee Swindle's book Francine's Spectacular Crash and Burn reinvigorated my love of tales powered by self-discovery. Thoroughly enjoyed.
Thank you to PENGUIN GROUP Dutton | Tiny Reparations Books and NetGalley for providing an eARC for a honest review.