This didn't work for me on a lot of levels, but I'll stick to one here: Arleta. The main character. She drove me up a wall.

Arleta spends the book whining about how everything is hard, and everyone hates her because she doesn't have magic, despite the other characters bending over backward to help her out while she complains about how difficult her life is.. Something to consider here... *none of the other main characters use magic.* We see one pixie cooling off bakes to make frosting easier (honestly, useful) and the love interest has magic sparks on his hands sometimes. That's pretty much it. At every turn, Arleta complains about how people are helping her, or tries to refuse to participate in the baking event because nobody will want her there even though a hot elf just rode two days across the wilderness to beg her to please show up, our announces to everyone that she has no magic as a penance for not helping her friend. It was very odd. She worked hard to make herself into a victim despite facing few actual hurdles.

Truly, 90% of Arleta's problems are self-inflicted. Toward the end of the book, she delivers a speech about how she had to work twice as hard as everyone else to get half as far, but... she literally didn't. My eyes rolled so far back into my head when I read that. Throughout the book, she sabotages herself left and right, only to have people randomly do favors for her and tell her how great she is. I don't get it.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC of the special edition. It seems like the second book may follow my favorite member of the cast, and I'm not sure if this was a debut, but that's something to consider.

“Because meeting you has not been a disaster for me. You being here has not been a disaster for the Baking Battle. There are so many people who are swooning over your bakes. Just you being here has changed this competition forever. You should have seen the last-minute invitation requests for the finale. We can’t even accommodate all of them.”

Arleta Starstone wants to have her own bakery, but it is a literal struggle just to sell her goods at the market. She's magicless, so she must work twice as hard for what she wants. Her neighbor secretly enters her into a baking competition, and she gets accepted. They are unaware she doesn't have magic because Starstone is a wizards last name. (Her family was adopted and kept the name and it's not like there is anything against the rules about not having magic and participating.) This story will leave you hungry with a desire to make some baked goods. I guess it's a good thing there are recipes in the back of the book. One of which is the Salted Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies, which are 100 percent on my list of desserts to try, and I was so elated to see it in the back. I kept saying when it popped up in the book I do hope there are recipes for some of the desserts because they sound amazing!!

What You Can Expect:
📖Baking Competition
📖All The FREAKING desserts, mouth watering really
📖Only One Bed
📖An Accidental Cuddle?
📖Found Family
📖Friends to Lovers
📖Magic

Perfect for fans of The Spellshop and Tusks, Tails, & Teacakes! I will most definitely be reading the ENTIRE series.

Thank you, netgalley for the earc!

Waittttt I ate this up it was such a cozy fantasy vibe read!
The plot wasn't bad and it had a charm to it, I would read from this author again

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC!

This was the absolute epitome of cosy fantasy. I absolutely fell in love with this book, the characters, the world, the plot. For me it had everything. Is it completely original? Probably not. But something about the writing captured me from the off. It reminded me a lot of Legends and Lattes but with a romance element, which I really felt elevated the book for me. I loved the layers; the baking descriptions were scrumptious, the found family element with Doli and Jez, the romance was super respectful but believable, the setting and fantasy characters added an interesting sub-plot. I really didn't want to leave this world and really appreciated the extra chapter of our FMC as a child. In a scary world this was just so wholesome and fluffy and left me feeling warm inside. Thanks to the publisher for the E-ARC.

This was such a cozy read - if you liked The Spellshop by Darah Beth Durst you should definitely read this one! Throw the Great British Baking Show into a fantasy world? Yes please! There's a romance subplot with fated mates (a trope which I don't think I've actually ever read before) but I thought it was done well! Overall this was a nice palette cleanser book that was a quick and enjoyable read!

Thank you to the author and NetGalley for an e-arc of this book.

TL;DR: A cute and cozy fantasy with low stakes and a heart-warming plot. While rather simplistic, its predictability could be a comfort for some.

Plot: 3/5
The plot overall is simplistic and predictable, but for a cozy fantasy it hits just right! As a fan of baking competitions, I thoroughly enjoyed Penner’s take on how magic might be utilized in such a competition without compromising the raw skill and hard work that the bakers need. Each scene helped push the main and/or subplots along, and nothing felt out if place. I did find that at times some of the scenes felt contrived . The scenes where Arleta just so happens to overhear her competition come to mind first. I can see why these scenes were included, but their timing felt unnatural and forced in relation to the rest of the story. The relationships also felt forced, and the progression was rushed and the build up was almost non-existent. Overall the story was enjoyable, but those few scenes along with the plot’s predictability are why I scored it a 3 (average) rating.

Writing Style: 3/5
I have to be honest, I wavered between scoring the writing style a 2 or a 3. Ultimately, I went with a 3 because many of my issues boiled down to personal preference, and while it may have impacted my reading experience, the book as a whole was still readable. I thoroughly enjoyed how Penner primarily used baking similes and metaphors which aligned perfectly with Arleta’s character. Arleta’s voice shone through the sentence structure and variation. There were the occasional odd or seemingly redundant description, as well as some excessively wordy sentences, but overall the writing was easy to understand and enjoyable to read.

Characters: 2/5
The book started off strong with its character introductions. Immediately, we get a taste of Arleta’s frazzled demeanor and anxious personality. The way she interacts with her world along with her inner monologue perfectly demonstrates this. Theo immediately comes across as a caring and open-minded- if not a bit sheltered. Their early interactions were incredibly sweet and built the foundation for their relationship beautifully. Unfortunately, there wasn’t really any character development or a deeper look into their personalities. The side characters and antagonists also suffered from this and every character felt extremely flat and like caricatures of their main trait. This was most noticeable with Arleta and Sharlina. Arleta’s internal monologue was incredibly repetitive and grew quite annoying as the book progressed. Sharlina had very little to no development and had no substance outside of her hatred for Arleta. I definitely feel like the characters held promise, but they needed some more developing in order to feel whole.

Story Elements: 3/5
I absolutely adored the world building in this book. Even though we only see two parts of the world, Penner still draws an incredibly full picture. Unfortunately, the dialogue felt stilted and unnatural for a good portion of the book, which detracted from my overall experience.

Grammar: 4/5
There were one or two grammar mistakes and/or typos, but they did not impact the overall reading experience.

Overall Experience: 3/5
While I found the book enjoyable, it didn’t especially stand out to me. I would recommend it if somebody was looking for a cozy fantasy and an easy read.

first of all, thank you to netgalley and the author for allowing me an arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

this was what i'd call a cozy read. it felt like a warm hug, a nice cup of tea and your favourite sweet treat. i really enjoyed it!

having said so, i couldn't give it five stars because there were some things that were rushed and left a bitter aftertaste on my tongue, to use a baking related metaphor. the romance between arleta and theo felt like an afterthought at first, and then it sprouted from seemingly nowhere and blossomed in two seconds. this weird pacing confused me a little.

as i said, though, overall it was a lovely read and i liked doli's pov at the end.

What a delightful cozy fantasy! I thoroughly enjoyed this one, and I think the premise was perfect for this genre of fantasy. If you like lighthearted fantasy and are familiar with the "Great British Baking Show" you will likely love this book. Arleta Starstone is a master baker living in a sleepy shire. Her only stumbling block for achieving her dreams of opening her own bakery someday is that she is a magicless human trying to make her way in a world full of magical beings. When her next-door neighbor secretly enters her in the kingdom's Baking Battle, Arleta is shocked to learn she's been issued an invitation to compete. But she is equally certain she'll be disqualified when the judges learn she is a magicless human.

The premise of a baking competition for much of the story, lends a familiarity to this fantastical setting where the other competitors are elves, dwarves and halflings, making this a perfect fit for a cozy fantasy. The stakes are still high for Arleta to succeed in order to fulfill her greatest dream. But during the baking scenes, hearing how she feels most at home while mixing up delicious pastries, cakes or cookies is relatable for anyone who either loves baking or loves watching baking on TV (which is totally me). I also loved the friends Arleta makes along the way and her love interest in the story, Theo.

Some may be a bit turned off by Theo's instant enamorment of Arleta. But this is believably explained later in the book. I did get a little frustrated with Arleta towards the end of the story at her stubborn inability to accept Theo's affections, even when he continues to help her after the Baking Battle. But other than that, I found this novel to be as strong in its writing and characterization as "The Spellshop" by Sarah Beth Durst or T. Kingfisher's "A Wizard's Guide to Defensive Baking." I look forward to reading more books by J. Penner set in Adenashire. She is one of my new favorite cozy fantasy authors.

In a world where just about everyone has magic, human baker Arleta Starstone works twice as hard as everyone else to try and keep up. An orphan since 16, she keeps her emotional walls high and accepts help from no one, usually including her friends and neighbors the orcs who took care of her after her parents died. She's determined to make it on her own, seeing it as emotionally safer. When her neighbors enter her in the annual Baking Battle Arleta isn't sure she should accept. Magicless people aren't welcome and it probably won't come to anything. Why risk it? But Theo, the elf who delivers her invitation, encourages her to accept as well and Arleta decides to take the chance. It's a whole new world for her, with new experiences, new friends, and the chance for romance as well as winning the Baking Battle- if Arleta is willing to be brave.

Hands down the best parts of Fellowship were when it focused on the baking. Arleta clearly loves baking (the author too I think!) and without going into deep descriptions that send the reader off topic we get the sights and scents of home baked goods and showstopping cakes that make you want to run down to the kitchen and start baking too!

Fellowship is a small, cozy world with lots to unpack and the author lets you do the unpacking yourself. Arleta and Theo travel together and have some equally delightful forced proximity/kindness to others on the road moments. The prejudice between some races (elves against everyone else and everyone against humans) shows this is not a perfect world, but there are plenty of secondary characters who show that this prejudice is not something everyone approves of. We could see more of that social change in future books in the series. Secondary characters like Doli and Jez (Jez especially) were fun and brought extra depth and personality to the story. Arleta had a lot of growing to do over the book and she had a tough time doing it. But I think she's someone we can all relate to- someone who has such a set idea about herself in her head that it is tough to accept all the evidence that something else, something positive, could be true instead.

I'll definitely be on the lookout for more books in this series when they come out. A fast and fun read that should make you smile, A Fellowship of Bakers and Magic is best read with a hot cup of your favorite drink by your side, and some scones or cookies to help when the food cravings hit. Be sure to check out the recipes at the end!


I received a DRC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

2,5 / 5 stars, rounded up.

Arleta Starstone wants to prove to herself and to the people of Adenashire that she has what it takes to not only bake the most delicious cakes a and cookies, but also to open her own bakery. She enters the most famous baking competition, as the first contestant who cannot use any magic. I had this book on my in my sights when it was still self published and the premise seems right up my alley since I love cozy fantasy, so when I saw it on NetGalley I immediately applied for an ARC. Unfortunately I was a bit disappointed with the book itself. It would've been SO MUCH better without the romance subplot shoe-horned in. It was undercooked (pun intended) and took away from the main story line.

The Good:
- The friendships between Arleta and some of the other contestants was really lovely. I especially loved Jez's reluctant bonding with the other two. No spoilers but I wish the third friendship that came out of this competition was the actual focus of the subplot instead of the romance. I really liked it and wouldn't have minded a bit more rivalry during the competition.
- The orc surrogate fathers are just amazing. I LOVED their characterization. Probably my favourite characters in the book.
- The food and baking descriptions were top notch, if only there was more of it instead of Arleta's constant self-doubt.

The Half-baked (could be better):
- The magic system isn't really explained and kept really vague, especially when it comes to what actual benefit it has during baking or the competition. In fact, the only benefit I read was of the faeries instant cooling the bakes (very cool substitute for a flash freezer actually) and every contestant made use of their abilities. If there's so much time spent on the difference between the folks with magic and those without I'd expect there'd be a better explanation of it.

The Bad:
- To expand on the previous point: Arleta's self-doubt about her magicless baking abilities and her anxiety in general was a bit too much. Especially since at no point in the competition did it really matter except for barely explained "magic racism". The concept just wasn't working and the self-doubt got tiring.
- The romance sub=plot was my least favourite part of the book. I know a lot of people hate insta-love, but I don't mind it that much especially in cozy fantasy. But "fated mates" concept is just icky to me, especially the way it's handled in this book. It takes away any agency (except die loveless, which isn't much of a choice) as well as the wooing and banter which is supposed to be the funnest part. Without romance and a bigger emphasis on the friendship this book would've been so much better. It's not even mentioned in the book description for crying out loud!

Thanks NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for providing me with an ARC, all thoughts are my own.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this arc.

3.75 stars

This story follows Arleta Starsone, a human who loves to bake intricate pastries. There aren't many humans around so she's often seen as a magicless outcast. She tries selling her pastries at a local market but struggles because of who she is. One day a handsome elf comes by with an invitation to a prestigious baking competition.

Arleta is a very fun character. I'm a baker myself so it was really fun to see what recipes she came up with. She is flawed at times but that gives her more depth. She struggles with trusting people and prefers to keep to herself, but throughout the book she has to change that. At some points I wish she would've communicated more with the other characters, but her stubborness is part of her character.

Theo is the elf that delivers her invitation for the competition. He is almost like the perfect man. He never pushes Arleta, he stays a gentleman and he would do about anything to help others. I almost wish he had some kind of flaw to him. A swoonworthy character is fun but he was just on the edge of becoming boring.

I enjoyed the other side characters. The two orcs who take care of Arleta are super sweet and caring towards her. The other baking contestants she befriends are nicely written too. They don't have the most depth to them but they are very different. The interactions between them and Arleta stay interesting because of that.

I do wish the romance would've been more present during the competition. It felt like the two plot points couldn't overlap which resulted in very seperate chapters. One about the baking, one romance, one baking, etc. The ending was nice and left me satisfied. I know there are more parts in this series but for Arleta this feels like good closure.

Overall, I would recommend this story if anyone is looking for a cozy fantasy with some romance. The story isn't very long but the plot keeps you hooked. I love that the author included Arleta's recipes at the end.

Girl with a talent for baked goods accidentally joins the magical love child of The Great British Bake Off and Masterchef.

✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧

Plot
I really enjoyed this plot and I inhaled it in less than a day (I would like to add it's a shortish book). I enjoyed her struggles at the beginning, the rough journey, her trials during the competition and the relationships she develops along the way.

Characters
FMC
The FMC in this book is so sweet. She's genuine and honest throughout the story, always looking out for her friends, old and new. I enjoyed
I think the only thing I found frustrating was when she decided to 'that thing' in response to the Blueberry Debacle. She felt that this was all her fault, despite the fact that her friend is a grown adult who made her own decisions. I know the author needed to get this supposed secret out one way or another, but I can't help but feel there must have been a better way.

MMC
I like this MMC. He is such a cutie-patootie. Right from the get-go he's doing is very best to just be a great guy, respecting the FMC and always trying to help out.
Even when he kept that one secret, I felt that he justified this well and chose to follow the FMC wishes when it came to their relationship, even though this hurt him.
I do wish we'd learnt a little more about him. We get some insight into his normal life, but this is very fleeting and doesn't add quite as much depth as I'd like.

The Rest
Her friends. They're so freaking cute and I love them both.
The rest of the ensemble cast are okay, although I wish we'd seen a bit more of the 'competition' earlier on.

The Chemistry
This is a slow burn, but there's definitely some

The Good
I love this concept, with the baking competition being the main focus that brings all of them together.
Those recipes at the back. I love this idea, and I am absolutely going to make them.

The Bad & The Ugly
Nothing here.

The Wrap Up
If you want a short and super sweet with a cherry and some icing sugar on top story, following the loveliest young lady from rags to not-quite-riches, this is absolutely the book for you.

Thanks to Poisoned Pen Press for letting me get my paws on this ARC.

I don't really know how else to put this besides saying that reading this book felt like being wrapped in a warm hug? I think that might be the textbook definition of "cozy fantasy"...and I ATE. IT. UP.(pun 100% intended).

You know how sometimes when you read a fantasy book that's on the shorter end of page length you feel like something is missing? Like the magic system or the magical creatures just don't quite make sense? That was absolutely not an issue with A Fellowship of Bakers and Magic. Everything had just enough details or context to make the story and world-building easy to follow even in a lower page count book. The characters were also great, especially the side characters. Jez? Love her! Doli? Love her! The gay orc neighbors who run a book store and paint? LOOOOOOVE them! I absolutely cannot wait to read more books in the series and see what this merry band of misfits gets up to next and how their relationships develop.

My only complaint is that I was super excited about the magical baking competition and I feel like that part of the plot was very down-played in the actual story. The book focused mainly on the characters and the days leading up to the competition and the days following it. The actual week of competition was covered in a relatively small number of pages compared to everything else going on and that was (very mildly) disappointing as the book was presented to me with that premise in mind.

Other than that, I really did enjoy a A Fellowship of Bakers and Magic; I felt like it exactly fit the bill for what a cozy fantasy should be and I will definitely be checking out more books by this author.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with a review copy.

A cozy, sweet fantasy romance, light on the fantasy. If you love lattes and legends, you will love this book. Centered around a baking competition, we see found family and a sprinkling of romance without the smut. Ya friendly.

What a quick, cute and cozy little read. I love cozy little witchy stories and this fits the bill.

The only thing stopping me from giving this 5 stars was that I feel like it went too quickly. The timeline sped and there wasn’t a lot between adventures. I love the characters and the ending but it is very sweet.

A delightfully cozy book for bakers and romantics at heart. Not exactly my cup of tea, however I see the appeal for a law stakes, sweet read with minimal stakes.

Is it over the top if I say I've been waiting for this book all my life? There are not nearly enough books that have a plethora of magical creatures, and this book really nailed that for me. Like, quokka and fox humanoids? A gay orc couple who are father figures to the main character? A talking cat? Yes, thank you so much. More of that immediately, please.

Plus, the found family aspect of this was awesome. I love female friendships that are truly supportive and loving, and this book had a band of four female characters—all different types of magical creatures—who were great friends by the end of the book. Love to see it.

This book honestly didn't go too deep into the worldbuilding, but I think it worked really well. You get a basic idea of what the different races are and what some of their defining features are, but you don't learn their entire history. There are a bunch of magical creatures, and they have an advantage at this baking contest. That's basically all you need to know, and I really like that. I'm all for more lighthearted, cozy fantasy.

What made this book unique is not just the premise; I know there are other books out there that are basically The Great British Baking Show with witches. No, what makes this book really stand out is that it seems the author herself is also a baker. Because... THE BOOK INCLUDES RECIPES!!! How cool is that?! As soon as I saw them in the table of contents, my jaw dropped. That is such an incredibly fun way to make the book even more immersive. I'm not even much of a baker myself, and I really want to try them.

This book was perfectly cozy and delicious. There were so many clever references to baking in other descriptions of non-food items, which I found to be really cute. My only problem with it, really, is that the main character could be...grating at times. She was very stubborn and set in her ways—for good reason, I'll admit—but it seemed as though every time we were reaching a point where she'd break through that, she didn't. It grew a little tedious, but I appreciated that she broke through her walls and fears by the end of the book.

I really, truly cannot wait for the next installment in this series. This is easily my favorite book I read so far this year.

A Fellowship of Bakers & Magic is a cosy romantasy about baking, magic and found family. It follows the story of Arleta, an orphaned human, whose neighbours secretly enter her into a baking competition. In the process of the competition, she meets a variety of people from different races and backgrounds. Inevitably, they become a tight friendship group and one of them is her soulmate. Cute, right?

The book oozes charm and warmth. It's like a cup of cocoa on a winter's day. There's nothing profound or ground-breaking but there doesn't need to be. The heroes are distinct and together make a wonderful group. The villains are sympathetic and fleshed out. The personal growth is there for every character, not just Arleta. The pace meanders nicely to fit the vibe. The plot is predictable but the character interactions aren't. The ending is satisfying without being trite.

My favourite part is that the recipes used in the competition are also provided at the end which is a nice touch. I haven't tried them yet but I fully intend to - earl grey flavoured cherry scones, anyone? They all sound absolutely delicious and I'm psyched that they didn't try to monetise it by releasing an accompanying baking book.

I would recommend this book to anyone, fantasy fan or not. It's one of those feel good stories with universal appeal like Lord of the Rings or Beatrix Potter. This book meets its vibe so successfully that whenever I think 'cosy romantasy', I will always think A Fellowship of Bakers and Magic.

I don't have a single criticism except that it's her only book. I hope to read many, many more of Penner's stories. If they're anything like this one, they'll be magic indeed.

This review will be published by Pending Plays on Monday 14th April 2025

Ideal for readers who enjoy cozy, whimsical escapes blending low-stakes fantasy competition with themes of friendship, self-discovery, and mouthwatering creativity.

I really loved the premise of this book, I am a big fan of cozy fantasy like Legends and Lattes by Travis Baldree and the Tea and Tomes series by Rebecca Thorne. I saw that this book was recommended as similar to those works. However, this authors writing style really just is not for me. I found it to be overly flowery and riddled with unnecessary adjectives. It took me out of the story and made it difficult to focus on the substance of the book. I’m glad that so many people enjoyed it but it was not for me.