DNF @ 52%

I was hoping this book would be like Legends & Lattes with a fantasy baking competition. Unfortunately, it fell short and was verrrry slow moving. The baking competition didn't even start until 40%!!

Two things I love so very much: baking and romance....ah, such a lovely read that I just couldn't leave my bed until the book was done.

Fans of Legends & Lattes- this one’s for you! This is a cozy, low-stakes fantasy with quirky side characters, found family, and lots of baking that will most definitely make your mouth water. I could have used a little more depth to the characters; they feel a bit flat for me, especially in the romance department. Honestly, the side characters had so much charm and heart that they stole the show for me.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this eARC in exchange for my honest review!

I adored this! It was the perfect amount of cozy and whimsical. I knew about 2 chapters in that I was going to love it. By the time I reached 25%, I knew I had to get my own copy and ordered it before I even finished my ARC (thanks NetGalley!)

Theo has my whole heart. I was fully giggling and kicking my feet. I devoured this, and would have finished it quicker but I kept stopping to squeal over how cute Theo was, and reading my favourite lines to my daughter. <spoiler>"There is plenty of magic in you. You are magic… for me"</spoiler> I mean COME ON!

The friendship that developed between the characters was so wholesome, and when I realized that the other books in this series follow those friends, I knew I'd be picking up the sequels next! J. Penner is my new favourite cozy fantasy author.

4.5 stars rounded up

The story was cozy and uplifting, but it also had real emotional depth. I really enjoyed watching Arleta slowly start to believe in herself, not just as a baker but as someone with something valuable to offer. It’s a warm, gently magical tale about courage, self-worth, and the joy of doing what you love—even when the odds aren’t in your favor.

If you love magic, sweet treats, and a little bit of romance, this has to be your next read! It’s like the whimsical version of the Great British Bake Off and I was all about it. This story was so sweet, in more ways than one! I would highly recommend if you’re looking for a nice cozy read.

*I received an ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Thanks for the free book.*

If you want Legends & Latte, conventional fantasy romance and a bit of Great British Bake off + found family, this book might be for you. I personally found it too sweet and predictable to be really interesting. And I absolutely loathe the "magically made for each other" trope, ugh, just go away.

3 stars

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me an ARC of this book for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Oh my goodness, this was such a cute and totally immersive little fantasy adventure; it truly captured the essence of the cozy fantasy genre. Full of mouth-watering desserts, lovable characters, and small-town charm, this novel will carry you away to the joyful place that is Adenshire. I cannot wait to pick up more books from this series and eat them right up! The recipes at the end were the most perfect little cherry on top.

Readers who enjoy low-stakes, sweet fantasy with good characters will love this book!

"She might only be human, but at least her baked goods tasted magical."

This was a wholesome but not highly remarkable book. I enjoyed the prose, particularly the descriptions of food. Where the book fell flat for me was the story. A narrative doesn't have to be void of cliches, but it should execute them well. Positive examples of this would be An Ember in the Ashes or Heartless Hunter/Crimson Moth. Those books have many predictable elements, yet still feel fresh and deliver well on the reading experience. The plot of this book felt somewhat dull, and the characters' actions were occasionally contrived.

There are still aspects of the book that I liked, such as the sweet side characters and the aforementioned baking descriptions. I think this book might work for someone who hasn't read too many fantasy books and isn't that familiar with tropes or isn't looking for intense worldbuilding, but still wants to read something in the fantasy genre. The book definitely leans into the cozy vibes, but there are other cozy romantasies with light worldbuilding I'd recommend before this one, such as Half a Soul.

Very sweet and cozy quick read. I felt like it very similar to other books in this genre. The writing could have used some editing.

After a long time, I finally picked up a cozy romantasy—and I absolutely loved it. This book had everything to make it feel magical and heartwarming: a lovable baker, two wholesome orc dads, a charming elf, plenty of baked goodies, two incredible new friends, and of course, a sprinkle of magic.

Arleta, our FMC, is kind of forced into joining the Langheim Baking Battle by her orc neighbors and an elf named Theo. Naturally, her journey to Langheim wasn’t without a few chaotic mishaps. Once there, she befriends Doli (a dwarf) and Jez (a fennex), and their slow-burn friendship ended up being one of my favorite parts of the story.

Another thing I really appreciated was that the romance between Theo and Arleta didn’t overpower the plot. It was there, and it was sweet, but it didn’t steal the spotlight. Even though Arleta did get on my nerves a bit with her constant inner debates (girl, breathe!), I still really rooted for her. And the ending? Both the book’s and the baking battle’s? Totally unexpected—and honestly, so refreshing.

I binged this entire book in a day. That’s how good it was. My only complaint? It made me insanely hungry. I’m 100% sure I gained weight from all the cakes and chocolate I snacked on while reading it.

Thank you to NetGalley and J. Penner for the opportunity to read this.

Thank you to the author, publisher and @NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

If you love the Great British Bake Off but wish it had more elves, dwarves, magic, and drama, then this book is for you!

I thought this was totally a fun, cozy fantasy read about a fantasy world’s cooking competition that honestly went pretty quick. The world building was just enough to not overwhelm in such a short read (under 300 pages) and I enjoyed the whole premise.

And Penner has a way with words. So much so that her descriptions of all those yummy baked goods made me super hungry 🤤

Was this a five-star read? No.
Was it adorable? Yes.

In the realm of cozy fantasy reads I’d say middle of the road but fun as hell! And I’m sure the popularity of Legends and Lattes is part of why this got republished. Let the cozy fantasies have their moment!

This was a very interesting book about a woman named AR.L e t a. Now they have the magic part revolved around the baking. She would bake with Herbs and she would cooperate this interbaking and she always had a stir behind why she was speaking this. Her friend entered her into a B a k e r contest and she was really nervous about doing it. As she journeyed to this contest she met a lot of interesting people. She realized she had really good talent against other people in this contest.

Thank you Net Galley and Publishers for letting me read an arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This cozy fantasy was super sweet and whimsical to read but not memorable. I mean the story was cute and I loved the characters but it's not a story I'll keep going back to. It was super easy and quick to read almost too fast paced as it went quickly from one plot to the next. I loved the concept of the story but the execution felt kinda lack luster. It didn't quite hit the mark but it was still a magical and cozy read. It made me smile and I'll be reading the rest of the series cause I liked the characters enough to want to know more about them. Also I really don't think the romance added anything to the story. It could have been left out and nothing would have changed. That part felt rushed and almost forced, like an afterthought. Not all stories need the romance aspect, this would have been fine without. Still overall enjoyable just not remarkable.

Representation: Various queer supporting characters

Rating: 3.75/5

I love the cozy baking competition trope, and even more when there’s a dash of fantasy sprinkled in. I liked Arleta, and I LOVED the gay orc neighbors who basically acted as her fathers. I honestly would love to see a spin off of some kind about just the two of them before Arleta became part of their lives! Anyway, I had fun with all of the various fantasy aspects, meeting the different species in this universe and how each of their magic is flavored. The whole point of this book was that Arleta is a human, and is magicless, but still has incredible skill in the kitchen. She’s very negative toward herself, despite knowing she’s good and multiple people telling her she’s good, so that annoyed me a little. [Spoilers! I did like that she didn’t actually win the competition, but I wish it had been a honest second place, rather than throwing the competition.] The whole back and forth, slow burn with Theo was…meh. It felt like a lot of things were missing, and I felt like it kept distracting from the baking competition part. The end also felt a little rushed, with how everything wrapped up in a neat little bow. It’s an enjoyable read, but not the best I’ve read.

It was cute and sweet and lived up to they hype the cover and title made in my mind. Overall id recomend it and would be great for bookclubs.

Rating: 4 stars!

A wholesome fantasy adventure book that has cake, friendship, and found family. The story starts with a magical baking competition and ends with our main character being changed forever. Whats not to love?

Thank you NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Truly enjoyed each morsel of the story, piece by piece as it unfolded. I did suspect one major plot element well before the protagonist did, but I'm pretty sure that's how it was meant to be. Delightful, and an unexpected ending. Looking forward to the next book!

I loved this book! I found it to be a really good example of cozy fantasy. Low stakes, found family, and the characters, including side characters, were lovable and amusing. I found myself smiling a lot while reading, and finished it in a day.

I am also happy with how the romance was handled. When Arleta didn’t have a dress to wear to the ball, I rolled my eyes thinking, “oh great, the elf is going to give her an exquisite dress.” But instead, her friend repurposed one of her dresses to help her out. It was practical and I loved that. I also liked the respect Theo had for Arleta and how important it was to him that she make the choice of whether or not to be with him. And when she asked him to give her space, he did. I was rooting for them.

When I saw it was a series, I wasn’t very excited about it. I’ve been feeling like fantasy series are very overdone and often there isn’t a need for as many books as are included. After reading this one, however, I can’t wait to read about the other characters and their journeys.

Clunky writing - it’s in print now I think so I hope it had a polish with an editor beforehand, Some words and phrases were odd and unnatural, and her sentence structure is confusing; she sort of gives too much information at once and distracts the reader from what’s happening. I hope in her next one she has shorter, sharper sentences and fewer oddly placed clauses. Premise was cute but I felt it lacked the magic that claimed to set it in the fantasy genre - even the fae love interest was really just a dude whose fingertips sparked when he was nervous. Needed more enriching detail to bring the world alive. I just felt it, and its cast of characters, lacked real depth. I know what she was going for and she was so close, but she missed the mark.