The Great British Bake Off but make it fantasy. That’s exactly what you’ll get from A Fellowship of Bakers & Magic wrapped up in a cozy, low stakes read. The FMC had a great development arc during the story. I also loved all the baking details and flavors discussed even though it made me hungry while reading this, so I’d recommend having a snack handy. I enjoyed how the MMC got the FMC to step out of her comfort zone to enter the baking competition. This story also features delightful found family with the friends the FMC meets along the way. I combo read this between the audiobook and ebook. The audiobook narration was a delight that fit the story perfectly. Vicki-Jo Eva balanced the cozy nature of the story while also capturing the emotions this story invoked. Overall, I really enjoyed this and look forward to the next installment.

3.5⭐️
This book is a cozy fantasy that any fan of the Food Network or Baking shows will love. It has the intrigue of competition, found family and a love story all rolled up into one. I really enjoyed the the laid back nature of this book.

I love the Great British Baking Show. Mix that with my favorite genre of fantasy with a dash of magic and fated mates. Equals a golden brown, fluffy story that makes you feel warm and cozy inside. Then drizzle some icing on top of that with character development from Arleta, the FMC, as she finds her confidence, explores friendship, and tries new and scary things. Chefs kiss. The perfect cozy story with HEA. 10/10 recommend.

Such a fun world and an adorable book. Do not read while hungry!! All the bakes sounded so delicious and I can’t wait to try the recipes in the back. Super cozy read. The ending is a bit quick but easy to follow.

A Fellowship of Bakers and Magic feels like a giant, warm hug of a book. If the hopeful, cozy vibes of Great British Baking Show, the Shire scenes in Fellowship of the Ring, the feasts from the Redwall books, or Animal Crossing are your jam, you'll love Penner's fantasy book. It's a quick read, but I wanted to live in her world forever. Honestly. I really enjoyed the romance element--while parts of the back and forth were occasionally frustrating, I thought it was overall sweet and thoughtfully written. I really enjoyed the found family aspect as well. I will happily be back for more of Adenashire!

Thanks to Netgalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the ebook ARC. All opinions are mine alone.

When her neighbor signs her up for the prestigious Langheim Baking Battle, Arleta is tempted to refuse the offer. She’s just a simple human, with no magic. How could she ever compete with elves, dwarves, and other magical creatures?! When a particularly attractive elf convinces her to compete and fight for her dreams, Arleta realizes that she has a lot to learn about herself, friendship, and romance.
This cozy, baking fantasy romance is exactly what you would expect, in all of the best ways possible. If you are a fan of The Great British Bake Off or The Baker and The Bard, then this book will make you feel like fresh-baked chocolate chip cookies.

This is a delightful cozy read about a non-magic baker just trying to make her way through a very magical world. I enjoyed all the characters who circle Arleta, our main heroine from her very delightful baking competition friends and her orc adoptive fathers to the elven messenger who is very mysteriously determined to make sure she gets a fair shot at winning. A wonderful escape read into a lovely new magical world.

"She wasn't a child and resented all the emotions this "adventure" was stirring up in her. This was exactly why she avoided getting close to people or opening up. All it brought was pain, and she didn't need that. Stability was her refuge."


Arleta Starstone is a talented confectionist that unfortunately doesn't get the respect or recognition she deserves. Discriminated against on the daily for being magicless and barely getting by because of it, Arleta gets the opportunity of a lifetime after receiving an invitation to the prestigious Langheim Baking Battle. The only problem? Magicless are very much looked down upon in this competition as well. Throughout the Baking Battle, Arleta has to undo years of telling herself that nobody can love or care for her when they find out that she has no magic.

Arleta is a wonderful main character. She can be upsetting and frustrating, but at all times I understood her hesitation to open up or accept that she, too, has a place in this world.

Her personal growth is at the centre of the story. We only meet a few of her contestants and the baking challenges are simple and concluded in short chapters. It's not a bad thing, because it's not really what the story is about. But if you are looking for an intense competition, know that this isn't that kind of story.

It's cosy, cute, and I love all the characters we get to meet. Especially Jez and Doli are stand-out characters. I do wish we got a bit more physical descriptions of these characters. They are continuously referred to as "the fennex" and "the dwarf", but I really don't have a good grasp on what they actually look like.

I would recommend this to anyone interested in cosy reads and cute romances!

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Thank you to NetGalley and Poised Pen Press for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

3.5 stars!

A fellowship of bakers and magic is marketed as a cozy fantasy that reads like YA about a human, elf, dwarf who enter a baking competition. Our FMC Arleta is a magicless human who has encountered some hardships early in her life but is an extraordinary baker. She gets an opportunity to enter a baking competition where she competes against other magical creatures. The book has themes of found family, friendship and a touch of romance. I didn't care too much for the romance - it felt a bit sudden and like insta-love but i don't think that's the main point of this book. There's not too much character development from Arleta - she comes off as a bit young, and gets over her insecurities quickly. I thoroughly enjoyed the descriptions of the bakes plus the author includes some recipes she mentioned in the book in the appendix section! Overall, if you want something that is 100% vibes and you enjoy watching the great british bake off, then you will have a good time with this book. I know I did. It's a great book to read to welcome spring.

Thank you NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for an e-arc copy in exchange for an honest review.

So so so good! My first cozy Fantasy and I enjoyed every bit of it! This is definitely my new favorite genre and I will be reading more J. Penner asap!

*Received as a free ARC*
Delightful and whimsical! I enjoyed this greatly. The friendships were probably my favorite part. Looking forward to getting my hands on the rest of the books in the series.

4/5! Thank you to J. Penner, Poisoned Pen Press, and Netgalley for the ARC.

This novel was like eating a warm, gooey, chocolate chip cookie right out of the oven. Sweet, a little bit of salt, and semi-sweet chocolate mixed into a perfect treat. I plan to get a physical copy to keep on my shelves because it's one I will want to reread when I need a sweet pick me up!

We follow Arleta Starstone (a human) to the Langheim Baking Battle. Think Great British Bake Off but set in a fantasy world with all manner of creatures and species. She doubts she's earned her place there, but through friends, supporters, her two orc neighbors, and a potential love interest, she starts to learn just how gifted she is - in more way than one.

The story was quick and comforting, with a really sweet undercurrent of found family, sprinkled with a dash of self-discovery. Though I feel some of the characters could have been fleshed out more if the story was longer, I feel like the personalities we did get gave great balance. Some of the chapters may have ended a bit abruptly and some scenes I wished I could have seen played out, but for a cozy read, I enjoyed this a lot.

3.75 stars!
A Fellowship of Bakers & Magic is a delightful cozy fantasy with a little friendly competition.

Arleta is lovely and very kind, which often leads to some mishaps. Theo is a delight with his friendly and encouraging personality. Their interactions are so cute and heartwarming. Doli and Jez offered a lot of humor and joy to the story. However, I wish the competition scenes were more detailed. It seemed like they were over so quickly and left me wanting more.

Overall, this was a quick and cozy book full of love and friendship. Thank you NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the early copy! All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Quick Thoughts

💇‍♀️ Cosmic Love at the Multiverse Hair Salon by Annie Mare. Fancy a sapphic time-travel romance? The threads of this one got too complicated for me & I eventually stopped trying to understand all of the time travel intricacies (probably a me problem!). But the romance is compelling & the sensuality between the leads is nice. 3.5 ⭐️, out 06/03. (Thanks to the publisher & Netgalley for the complimentary ARC. All opinions provided are my own.)

🐉 Realm of Thieves by Karina Halle-a resourceful, strong dragon thief falls in love with her kidnapper & vice versa, as they work to pull off a heist & research the fearsome beasts. This one has steam, a fighting heroine (one of my weaknesses!), a declaration of love, endo rep, & secrets—in short, so much of what I love in a fantasy—but the plot felt loosely held together. 3.5 ⭐️, out 06/10. (Thanks to the publisher & Netgalley for the complimentary ARC. All opinions provided are my own.)

🥧 A Fellowship of Bakers & Magic by J Penner-this is a cozy fantasy with a soft romance between an elf & a nonmagical human. The heroine develops confidence in herself, forms friendships with contestants, & challenges herself in a baking competition, all the while surrounded by a beta hero elf & a host of intriguing secondary characters. 4 ⭐️, out now. (Thanks to the publisher & Netgalley for the complimentary ARC. All opinions provided are my own.)

📖 have you read any of these or are any on your TBR?

This was such an enjoyable read! It felt cozy and perfect from the very beginning. I loved the FMC—she was so relatable. Despite facing hardships in her life, she never gave up, and with the support of good people, she continued striving to achieve her dreams. I can’t wait to continue this series !

Another cozy fantasy with baking; maybe I've reached my capacity for this post-Legends & Lattes flurry.

This one is fun, light but not completely empty-- the fantasy universe makes more sense and seems to have a better grounding than The Spellshop, more on par with Can't Spell Treason Without Tea. Some sections did feel repetitive, and the ending was a bit neat, but I could suggest this through reader's advisory without feeling the need to add extra caveats, like I would with The Spellshop.

There is a romantic element, but it's not the focus of the story. The MC and her love interest don't share, at least on the page, anything more than light kisses (although there are verbal references to sex in the epilogue); two other characters [get together in the final chapter/epilogue in a queer relationship (hide spoiler)]. The story could have done just as well without the [magic soulmates (hide spoiler)] romance storyline-- it's ok to be an adult and *not* fall all over new boyfriends in every book.

eARC from NetGalley.

A cozy and definitely sweet book! I think it's perfect when you want something fast-paced and lighthearted. Trust me, have some pastries with you and maybe a warm cup of tea while reading this, it will elevate your experience. Most of the characters were easy to love and Theo is just a definite book BF. Overall I feel like this book is the definition of "cozy fantasy" and you'll have a quiet and nice time reading this. I also appreciate that we get the recipes for some of the pastries mentioned, will definitely be trying those out!

I LOVED this book. It feels like bake-off meets cozy fantasy with a sprinkle of magic! A Fellowship of Bakers & Magic centers around Arleta, a highly skilled baker living in the town of Adenashire, who is also... human. As a human living among magical creatures, Arleta has had to work extra hard at her craft. After being invited to the coveted Elven Baking Battle, Arleta must prove herself as she competes amongst elves and other magical bakers. This story is filled with friendship, a little bit of romance, found family, and of course--lots of baking!

As a fan of cozy fantasy, I found this book to be exactly what I'd hoped it would. With the highest stakes being centered around a baking competition, this really does feel like a cozy comfy read. I eagerly await the next book in the Adenashire series and cannot wait to read more from this author. If you are a fan of Legends & Lattes (and baking competitions), you will likely love this one!

Thank you so much to the publisher and to NetGalley for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A Fellowship of Bakers & Magic by J.Penner is a heartwarming fantasy that combines magical creatures, a baking show, and a talented human baker named Arleta. Arleta finds new friends and love in her endeavors to be the baking champion.

I recommend this book for fantasy readers and The Great British Bake off fans. It’s a cozy book full of detailed descriptions of delicious treats. There are recipes to try for yourself if you could enter the Baking battle. This is a great book to cleanse your palate and relax into a cozy fantasy.

Thank you Poisoned Pen Press and Netgalley for the advanced reader copy. All opinions are my own.

This was a nice cozy read. Arleta is a human in a world of elves, ogres, orcs, etc and she since she has no magic she has to work harder for what she has. Her neighbor ends up submitting one of her bakes for a massive baking competition and she gets selected.

The baking competition is the main story line but there is a separate one for fated mates. A Fellowship of Bakers & Magic was a perfect relaxing read AND there are recipes at the end which I really appreciate because all the talk of food made me hungry.