A cozy fantasy perfect for when I am missing the GBBO.

First, it isn't a direct comparison to GBBO. There are several differences in the competition, but I find it makes for a quicker read. I say this so you don't go in like me expecting it to be the same structure.

That being said, this is such a cute book. It has found family and friends, great recipes, and fun characters wrapped up in a cottage core vibe. I loved how diverse the characters were as there were different representations of sexuality and race (ie species). I especially appreciated the anxiety representation that our MFC had throughout the book. And for a cozy novel, you could see the work the author put in to show the FMCs growth as well.

The one part I found lacking was the romance. While I liked the love interest, I wasn't a fan of the method the author used for the two to get together. Which is odd, because it is something I usually enjoy. But in this case, I found it annoying and I wish their relationship could have developed differently. I also wish Theo had more personal agency in this story. I feel like he could have been better developed and fleshed out.

But overall, I found it cute and perfect for when I am in a cozy mood. I have plans to pick up the next book in the series once I am ready for my next cozy adventure.

It looks like this is J. Penner's debut novel, and there are times where it very much reads like it. I love the story and the various beats, but this book is a bit of a diamond in the rough. It's got definite 5 star potential, but there are a lot of places where it just doesn't quite flow smoothly and it's just overall a little rough. It could do with a few more passes by an editor just to smooth out that flow, and I'm hoping as the series continues some of that naturally gets smoothed out just as the author gets more books and experience under their belt.

I like Arleta a lot, even though she did whine an awful lot about how hard her life is and how rough it is being human and "a magicless." Yes, she has amazing talent and clearly works hard, but also... why you gotta be late to the market all the time, Arleta? Like, really?

What REALLY made this book dazzling for me are the side characters. I adore Arleta's orc neighbors / adoptive orc fathers. Doli is a delight, and Jez is intriguing (and okay, I might have a little crush on Jez, sue me). Theo is sweet and, okay, yes, I saw a lot of the plot points around him coming from page 1, but I still quite like him. Even Taenya has her moments that make me want to learn more about her and give her a chance to redeem herself and find her own true happiness.

This is book 1 in the Adenashire series, and can be read as a standalone. I'm excited to read the rest of the series for Doli and Jez's stories!

A Fellowship of Bakers & Magic by J. Penner is charming, whimsical, and leaves you craving sweets. Arleta Starstone’s journey navigating the Elven Baking Battle as the only non-magical competitor, is full of heart and determination. The blend of baking and magic, along with the delightful friendships, made this story a quick, cozy escape. If you enjoy lighthearted reads with a sprinkle of magic like I do then you’d probably love it too.

What. A. Cozy. Book. If a Dsney or Pixar film were a book, this would be it. It is so simple, sweet, and wholesome!
The setting is a universe where various types of people, including humans, elves, dwarves, talking animals, etc, live. Except for humans, all other groups of people have magic and that results in a kind of discrimination towards humans, making people look at them as “less than.” Our FMC, Arleta Startstone is a human–therefore magicless–who loves to bake and is exceptional at it. She lost her parents at sixteen years old and has two orc neighbours, a gay couple, who have looked over her as her guardians since then. Now at twenty five, she is barely making ends meet. There is a baking championship that happens in the “Northern Islands”, a little far away from where Arleta lives, in Adenashire.
The book revolves around this competition and the friends she makes, along with a romantic sub-plot with a handsome elf, Theodman–or Theo.
I had gotten approved to receive the ARC of this book and the cover drew me in! It is so gorgeous (as you can already see), and the writing is as beautiful and cozy as the cover looks. Although initially I was thinking that the romantic subplot could have been worked upon in a better way, I realized later that it only adds to the magical vibe of the whole thing.
Overall, I really, really enjoyed reading this book and it was legit playing in front of my eyes like an actual Disney movie! Loved it! One of my favourite reads of this year!

Lovely cosy fantasy with Great British Bake-off vibes. I love the concept, fantasy mixed with delicious food is right up my alley. Overall I enjoyed the book, it just annoyed me how flippy-floppy Arleta was in relation to Theo. Aside from that, it was a lovely quick read. I really like the new cover art and map in the latest version. 3.75⭐️

Thank you to the author and publisher for the eARC in exchange for an honest review

4 stars!!

What a pleasant read! I'm honestly surprised at how much i adore this book and how quickly i got through this book. The description, the characters, the plot everything was just so good! I never expected myself to enjoy a cozy fantasy book before but this book change my view on it.

The romance in this book is subtle but sweet, it's a real sweet ad different type of romance compare to the ones i read in fantasy often. I love the friendship aspect in this book and the supporting characters are all fun and rather interesting as well. The stuff that were baked in the book and the description makes me so hungry haha but so interesting and rather beautifully written.

I received a free eBook copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for their hard work and this opportunity.

A Fellowship of Bakers & Magic was exactly up my alley. A mix of competition, and cozy fantasy was just what the doctor ordered, and I had a lot of fun reading about all the baking. And! Bonus material at the end of the book actually gave the recipes for the baking done in the book and I felt like that was a fantastic touch to really draw in the readers.

The story was warm and only a little stressful - but I find competition stressful in general, so the stakes were low but impactful. It was basically the Great British Baking Show but for fairies and mythological creatures and I found it endlessly charming.

My one real complaint was I had trouble with all the names and who was who but once you got into the thick of the competition, it was easier to follow. All in all, this book was a solid, fun, reading experience. 4/5.

A Fellowship of Bakers & Magic is a heartwarming cozy fantasy. With its themes of found family and delicious baking, it’s a delightful escape. The story moves quickly, drawing you in, and the charm of the characters and setting keeps you wanting more. I’m excited to see what this author has in store for future books!
Thanks NetGalley for the E-arc

As a pastry chef and a lover of fantasy, I was immediately drawn to this book—it promised a Bake Off-style competition, cozy fantasy vibes, and a sweet love story. However, it ultimately fell short of my expectations.

The "insta-love" trope felt rushed, and much of the dialogue lacked flow, making some scenes feel disjointed. I often had to backtrack to ensure I hadn’t missed anything, which disrupted the reading experience.

For a story about the *best bakers in the land,* I expected the food descriptions to be more tantalizing. While lemon bars and scones have their charm, I hoped for a richer variety of decadent pastries and desserts to reflect the characters’ culinary talents.

The book also suffered from excessive repetition. The FMC's negative self-talk was overplayed, and her personal growth seemed reliant on external pushes rather than genuine self-reflection. A deeper exploration of her vulnerabilities could have made her arc more compelling. Similarly, the antagonist’s lack of a true reckoning left the story feeling unresolved for me. The abrupt ending pivoted into a completely different narrative, making the conclusion feel unsatisfying.

Moreover, the FMC's humanity—a central plot point—seemed inconsequential. With blind tastings and no magical scoring, it felt like the story underutilized this aspect, leaving me underwhelmed.

That said, the new cover is stunning—kudos to the artist. But would I recommend this book? Sadly, no. It might work as a light palate cleanser for fans of Bake Off, but it lacks the finesse and depth to truly satisfy. As a baker, I’m eager to see this genre explored further, as the premise holds great potential. Unfortunately, this one was underbaked for me.

This cozy fantasy is full of adorable side characters, baking, and a touch of romance.

The writing is lovely, it flows well and I was interested in the story at all times. However, I struggled with the main character, Arleta, whose self-doubt got old quickly. I would have liked her to be a bit more easygoing and confident, or at least to show more... personality? Theo was a bit too bland for my taste, especially with the insta-love romance. I'm never a big fan of that trope to begin with.

While I enjoyed the cute baking contest twist and the side characters, the story didn't fully win me over. A fun read for fans of light-hearted, feel-good fantasy!

This book was adorable. As a huge fan of The Great British Bake-Off, the premise instantly caught y eye. The story was wonderfully cozy, filled with heartwarming friendships, fun side characters, and a sweet romance.

Arleta was such a lovable protagonist, and I really enjoyed her journey of self-discovery and proving that magic isn't the only way to create something extraordinary. The fantasy world was rich and charming, with unique magical creatures (special shoutout to the majestic forest lynx!). The sweet and subtle romance was just the right touch to compliment the story's cozy vibe.

One of my favorite details was the inclusion of recipes from the book at the end! I’m definitely tempted to try baking some of them myself. If you love cozy fantasy, magical competitions, and books that feel like a warm hug, A Fellowship of Bakers & Magic is definitely a delight.

A Fellowship of Bakers & Magic by @jpennerauthor
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Slow-burn romance with no spice

Y'all....get you a cup of cocoa or tea or coffee, curl up in a comfy chair with a soft blanket, and DIVE IN! This book is so stinking cozy. It's a warm hug on a cold day.

Arleta has a lot of confidence issues, but that doesn't stop everyone around her from showing her how amazing she is and loving her through her struggles. Not only is there a patient, cinnamon roll MMC, there are strong female friendships, great sportsmanship, and the cutest 2 Orc Dads a girl could ever ask for.

There is representation with multiple LTGBQ+ characters, many of your favorite fantasy races, handling loss, finding yourself, fate vs choice, only one bed, found family, interfering moms, family obligations/expectations, and most of all: a fantasy baking competition that will leave you drooling.

While that seems like a lot all in one book, it honestly flows and fits perfectly, and each character is amazing, and I love them all (except Theo's mom...she sucks haha).

Highly recommend this to anyone who loves a good cozy fantasy.

A Fellowship of Bakers and Magic was a cute cozy read with so many delicious food descriptions. The romance was cute, but I was really here to see Arleta grow into her own and understand that there is nothing wrong with being human and that her baking skills are a magic all their own. I binged this book because it was such a feel good easy read and perfect for a nice sunny day.

I can't wait to try and make some of the recipes at the end of the book as well.

This was a such cute short and quick read! It was fast paced and had cozy vibes which was a nice palate cleanser almost for the dark fantasy reads that I have been reading recently. I will definitely be recommending this book!

A cozy fantasy with a cast of characters full of baking and romance and found family. And maybe my heart is just cold and crusty but this wasn’t quite for me.

Arleta Starstone is the only human in her town and ostracized for being magicless, but she’s a skilled baker who sells her wares at the local market. After her orc neighbor secretly applies to a big baking competition, Arleta travels there with the handsome elf, Theo, who came to deliver her invitation. There, Arleta meets friends and rivals and finds confidence even if she has no magic.

There’s some cute recipes at the end and a bonus prequel chapter as well, and the book was short and sweet. The baking competition is pretty obviously based off the Great British Bake-off (I prefer the original name over the America title) and I like that show, but this book felt more leaning toward romance than baking. The fantasy aspects mostly come from the different fantasy creatures that show up, like elves and dwarves and others that I think are unique to this book like a quokkan and a fennex. There’s not actually that much magic otherwise, so it was a bit confusing why Arleta was so caught up with being magicless when magic didn’t really come up and definitely didn’t have anything to do with the competition. I’m guessing it is supposed to read like an allegory for some sort of discrimination, but I’m not sure how successful it was considering there were traits for the other magical species that were assigned based on who they were, which kinda defeats the purpose.

I feel like the writing could have read more smoothly than it did, though the food descriptions sounded delicious. This kind of gave me fanfiction vibes in the sense that if I liked these characters already, reading a low-stakes story about how they make friends and do a baking competition would’ve been fun, but the characters weren’t built up enough or didn’t act in a way I could understand that I grew to care about them, so I was just not interested. Arleta just kept going back and forth and hot and cold without seemingly anything pushing her that way (except herself), which idk if it’s supposed to be her anxiety talking, but if that was the case, then her sudden growth at the end was a bit unrealistic. The relationships weren’t really built up, and the romance relied too much on the fated mates trope (which is not a trope I enjoy, so there’s that) to be satisfying to me. And Theo’s a bit of a doormat, honestly, like I don’t know what he saw in Arleta or what his role actually was in the competition?? Like why did he go hand deliver her invitation in the first place when he had no part in the competition afterwards? Kinda confusing.

This has vibes of Legends and Lattes, but I don’t think the characters here were as strong. Also reminds me of Can’t Spell Treason Without Tea (which I didn’t like that much), but if you enjoyed that you’ll probably enjoy this, as it’s about kind characters, food, and small businesses. I’m starting to learn that cozy fantasies are a hit or miss for me.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the eARC in exchange for an honest review!

Thank you netgalley and publishers for this arc.

I loved this one. A fantasy play on GBBO with some romance, what's not to love? There could be more of the baking competition in there but in truth it wouldn't be as fun to read the long detailed baking scenes like it is to watch them. I think it was balanced well.

I did find an inconsistency in the book with the baking battle in the first bake any extra ingredients they grabbed from the pantry a portion of would have to be used in the final bake. She only grabbed lemons and then didn't use any in the final bake nor was it mentioned in the competition. Not a huge deal, but also seemed important to the battle.

I also wondered how the audience knew about the battle? Like it was never mentioned that it was on TV, didn't seem like that was a thing in this world?

Anyways I enjoyed it.

This a lovely fantastical romp.
Would recommend to anyone who loves baking shows, fantasy, and fun!

I will definitely keep reading this series.

Thank you to Poisoned Pen Press and Netgalley for providing me with an ARC for review purposes. All opinions are my own.

A Fellowship of Bakers & Magic was the perfect, sweet palate cleanser I needed after some heavier reads I’ve done lately. It promises to take the reader on a cozy, low-stakes adventure full of love, found family, and delicious food and it certainly delivers.

We join our characters for a story that is essentially Master Chef: Fantasy Edition, and I enjoyed it very much. The action is engaging without being heart-pounding, and the pacing is wonderful–never too much going on, but never boring. Action scenes are broken up with interpersonal scenes between the characters in exactly the right balance.

If you are looking for a book with tension, twists, and emotional turmoil, this is not the book for you. However, I think it’s perfect for someone who is looking for less of a white water rafting trip and more of a lazy river float experience. The characters were universally loveable, the characters sweet and earnest, and the story comforting and predictable (in a good way).

Cozy and low-stakes fantasy is one of my favorite sub-genres, and I very much look forward to reading the second book the next time my heart and soul need a bit of a hug.

This is a cosy and cute book overall, with the characters being adorable and magical. The plot is filled with baking, gardens and magical creatures. The story is also simple and cute filled with magical elements. Also, the slow burn is a little too slow, and we do not really get many romantic moments.

This book was SO GOOD! Its a nice cosy fantasy with a bit of legends & lattes vibe to it. I cant wait to read the next books and i even got some friends to buy this book already! Its a very good book for when your head is already full or when you just want to sink into a book without thinking too much, just perfect!