A Cake Without Candles by Pete Fanning

Nettie Betts has a long list of goals to conquer before she starts middle school. Most importantly:

1. Finish the fort in the woods.
2. Get rid of Aunt Bethany.
3. Track down her runaway mom.

Number One is coming along, no thanks to Cole, her fleeting best friend. Number Two is no easy task, as Aunt Bethany is looking to strangle her after Nettie snuck a garden hose through the window and drenched her while she sat on the couch. Number Three is more of a life goal.

Things are okay until Nettie’s dad’s truck breaks down halfway across the country. From then on, survival becomes her top priority. With her father stranded, Aunt Bethany is ready for revenge. But when she slips and falls trying to extract it, Nettie feels partly to blame.

With her aunt’s foot stuck in a walking boot, a truce of sorts is established. Nettie is surprised to find her aunt can prep and cook like a five-star chef. She has a way with gambling. She cuts hair. She’s a talented artist and has terrible taste in men. Most importantly, she’s an excellent source of family information as Nettie sifts through the bits and pieces she can collect about her mother. But the more Nettie learns, the more things don’t seem to add up. And sure enough, as sixth grade begins, on the eve of her eleventh birthday, Nettie finally lands that missing piece to the past. Only it doesn’t quite fit the picture she had in mind.

Kindle Edition, 188 pages

Expected publication July 1, 2025 

by Apeiron

5/5 stars

How have I not stumbled across Pete Fanning before? A Cake Without a Candle was a total impulse grab on NetGalley - and honestly, what a win!  It might have been the cover.

The story follows Nettie, she is almost 11, school’s out for the summer and with her dad off traveling she is stuck with Aunt Bethany (who makes complicated relationship look like an art form). Cue awkward bonding time.

This book was so funny. The banter is sharp, the characters are messy in the best way and Nettie is pure chaos with a heart. She hangs with people way older than her (thinking 3 hippie ladies), acts before she thinks and constantly stirs the pot. But it’s hard not to root for her when you realize what she’s carrying underneath it all.

A Cake Without a Candle is part coming-of-age, part family drama and part laugh-out-loud therapy session. One minute I was giggling, the next I was hit with a wave of quiet feels. It was sneaky like that.

I’m now officially on a mission to read more by Pete Fanning. Never seen him on social media, which is a shame, his writing deserves more buzz.

Big thanks to BoooksGoSocial for the digital copy in exchange for an honest review.