Francine’s Spectacular Crash and Burn

Francine Stevenson’s chance encounter with a ten-year-old who shows up at her doorstep after her mother’s sudden death spirals into an adventure for the ages

Francine Stevenson gets more than she bargained for when she rescues ten-year-old Davie from a group of bullies clamoring to snatch his beloved iPad. From that day forward the puzzlingly direct boy continues to show up at her door until the two develop a unique understanding. Their Pixar movie nights and Davie’s random Steve Jobs factoids slowly work to soothe the ache of her mother’s recent passing.

When Francine learns Davie is in foster care, she decides to introduce herself to his foster parents who she can’t help but judge for allowing the kid to spend evenings with a literal stranger.

To Francine’s surprise Davie’s foster mother is none other than Jeanette, her fiery high school crush. Their reintroduction forces Francine to face her severely single reality. And hearing her dreaded old nickname brings up long-buried issues she never dreamed of confronting.

Tired of being used by the women she meets on dating apps, Francine grows closer to the very-married Jeanette, until all her other priorities begin to cloud over, and Davie is only on the periphery of her mind. After a consecutive string of bad choices, Francine is left wondering how to free herself from an incredibly hot but toxic entanglement, as she works to become the kind of person Davie can depend on. What follows is a tumultuous journey of self-discovery told by one of the zaniest voices in fiction.

A tale of found family and hijinks, Francine’s Spectacular Crash and Burn will wiggle deep into even the most resistant hearts.

Renee Swindle’s bestselling first novel, Please Please Please (Dial/Dell), was a #1 Blackboard Bestseller, a Literary Guild Alternate Selection, and was excerpted in Essence. She is also the author of Shake Down the Stars and A Pinch of Ooh La La, both published by NAL.