Thank you to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for this e-arc in exchange for my honest review.

This was such an enjoyable and fun read. The descriptions of all the food? Goodness did I want to eat everything!!

I loved the fantasy elements and how this story was just shiny - it was sweet and great for what it was.

I absolutely adored this book! The plot was so fun, I felt like I was watching a magical bake-off show! I could almost smell the lemon bars and immediately wanted to bake my own. The characters feel like old friends and are so lovable! I couldn't get enough of this book and can't wait to read the next in the series!

4.5 stars rounded up

Anyone who knows me knows that I absolutely adore a cozy book so obviously, I thought that A Fellowship of Bakers and Magic by J. Penner was an absolute delight. AFoBaM follows Arleta Starstone, a human baker with a magical name who is looked down upon for being human. Her neighbors decide to enter her in a baking competition with magical creatures and she's invited because her bake goods are just so good even without magic. Theo, an elf, delivers the invitation to the baking competition and is insistent that she comes. At the baking competition she makes friends and foes and has to prove that even a magic-less human is able to bake with the magic-full folks.

This cozy fantasy is definitely the Great British Bake Off with a dash of romance and absolutely no spice. I enjoyed it a lot because it was so cozy and warm. I thought the characters were lovable even the tough cookies (see what I did there? lol). I thought that the book was great at showing the FMC and MMCs character rather than telling you the type of people that they are. I enjoyed the whole plot a lot but my highlight was the friendships that are made in the baking competition. I did think that the slow burn was way too slow for me but if I had been warned that it is just a side of romance then it wouldn't have bothered me at all.

I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a cozy fantasy. I would even recommend it for people who want anything low stakes that has a warm feeling even if you aren't a big fantasy fan. I do not recommend this book to people who like high stakes and fast moving plot or maybe give it a try and you might enjoy it.

Thank you to NetGalley, Poisoned Pen Press, and J. Penner for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

First my thanks to Poisoned Pen Press and NetGalley for an ARC copy of this novel 🫶

This was such a fun read— I devoured it all in just one sitting! This book is the perfect length to read over a weekend and a wonderful, lighter-hearted, pick me up read.

This book has it all; romance, fantasy, found family, baking, a talking cat— AND the author includes recipes at the end of the book for the big bakes that the main character makes!

The best word I can use to describe this book is cozy. I can see myself rereading it again in the fall and making some of the bakes to eat while I read! I cannot recommend it enough!

this is probably the coziest fantasy i have ever read. i mean baking?? a group of friends?? found family??? a hot love interest as a side plot?? i really enjoyed this read. though i must admit, it was very predictable, and you'll see through things much earlier than the main character. is that so wrong though?

thank you to netgalley and the author for sending me the book in exchange for an honest review

Arleta has a passion for baking. This year, she has earned a spot in the prestigious Langheim Baking Battle thanks to her neighbor secretly entering her. But can she take the risk and go? Being a human without magic is hard enough without everyone watching.

I liked this book for the most part. I loved the side characters, especially Doli and Jez! The baking competition was fantastic and I’m hoping to try to make one of the recipes at the back of the book with my sister!
Arleta just didn’t do it for me as a main character unfortunately. She had so much confidence when she was baking and it all just went out the window the rest of the story. Her character growth kinda came out of left field with like 2 chapters left and felt very rushed to me.

I’m definitely interested to see where things go in book 2 and I do feel like I’d like Arleta more as a character now that she actually has some self confidence.

This is a cute, cozy fantasy. While the writing could use a little bit of work, the story was great and I really enjoyed it. Basically take a TV baking competition and add fantasy/magic elements to it and you've got this book. So, if that sounds interesting, pick this one up! p.s. there are also some fun recipes included in the book if you like baking!

Thank you Poisoned Pen Press and NetGalley for the eARC!

This was cute and cozy but ultimately, not for me. I found the romance to be a little on the insta-love side, which isn't my cup of tea, but if that appeals to you, you will certainly love this book! I wished this book had more magic and baking in it, as I felt it was lacking in both of those things, but overall, it was a cute and cozy read.

.okay so this was bad. For a book with baking in the title, there was so little baking!! Like yes, they were baking, but the descriptions were so lackluster. I wanted in-depth descriptions of the challenges and the foods and the ingredients. I wanted to feel like I was watching a baking competition. Instead I felt like the baking competition was merely a device to allow the romance.

And the romance was somehow worse. Because why were we 25% in and they're in love??? They just met!! I'd forgotten how bad insta-love could truly be until I read this. And their romance wasn't even convincing. Neither of them had enough personality to make it believable, instead it just seemed like two hot people existing together.

Not to mention how bad the world building is. Why are humans/magicless considered so much less? Is it common to be like Arleta? It's such a huge plot point that she doesn't have magic, but it's never really obvious why that matters so much. Especially because we barely see any magic. And even worse, what does anyone look like?? We meet so many creatures and none of them are described. We get a name and a species name, and nothing else. I wanted to feel immersed in this one and instead I spent the entire time looking forward to the end.

Thanks to Netgalley for providing a free copy in exchange for an honest review

A cozy, low-stakes fantasy book with baked goods? Yes please! I was so excited for this story when I first read the synopsis. Was I skeptical? Yes. I’m a HUGE Legend & Lattes fan. Massive fan. If you are chasing the feelings that Legends & Lattes gave you, this book will get you *kinda* close to that feeling. I only rate 3 stars as the writing felt a bit immature (to me!) and I feel this writer can definitely do better. The ideas were great, it just needs a little extra push.

I will say, for me, because of the less-mature writing and the often times needless descriptions, I wouldn’t find myself reading this book more than one time. I didn’t find myself making a “lasting” connection with the characters. It could be me having super high expectations, but I didn’t find myself wanting to come back for more.

3.75 ⭐️
0🌶️

This is a story you’ll like this if you want a sweet, easy to read, cozy fantasy world about a human woman trying to make it in a world full of magical creatures, without any magic of her own. Just her grit, determination and passion for baking pushing her to keep trying for her dream, while also learning to let people in after grief and to believe in herself. It had some fun Masterchef (the tv show) vibes which I enjoyed. Along with some mental health rep in how Arleta experiences her anxiety.
Now, the romance wasn’t as developed as I would’ve liked, it definitely left me wanting more. Felt as if a certain trope was used instead to make up for what was lacking. I still liked what we got though, it was sweet. On the other hand, it had a great friendship trio and some heartwarming found family vibes. Not to mention the delicious sounding baked goods in this book, that even have their own recipes in the back! 😋💖

Thank you to @netgalley and @poisonedpenpress for this eArc in exchange for an honest review. As someone who loves both baking and cozy fantasy books, this seemed to be the perfect intersection of interests for me. 😆

She may not have magic, but Arleta Starstone is magic.

This book is like a cinnamon bun for your soul—warm, comforting, a little spicy in the best ways, and filled with surprising heart. I adored every enchanted, flour-dusted second of Arleta’s journey from quiet, underestimated baker to confident competitor in a world that doesn’t exactly roll out the welcome mat for magicless humans.

I loved the way Arleta infused apothecary herbs into her pastries (hello, witchy baking goals!), and the supporting cast is a total treat—especially her sweet orc neighbor and a charming, very distracting woodland elf who may or may not have stolen a few scenes (and hearts). The magical world of Adenashire felt lush and lived-in, and the Baking Battle? Delicious drama with found family, unexpected friendships, and so much growth for Arleta along the way.

It’s cozy fantasy with a hint of romance, a whole lot of heart, and the kind of story that makes you believe that being different is its own kind of magic. I rooted for Arleta every step of the way—and now I kind of want to start baking with lavender and a dash of bravery.

🧁 Perfect for fans of: baking meets fantasy, cinnamon roll elves, underdog heroines, cozy competition, and stories that make you believe in yourself just a little bit more.

Thank you to the publisher (Poison Pen Press) for an eARC of this book to read and review.

Themes/Tropes: Found Family, Fated Mates, Cozy Fantasy

This was like if The Great British Baking Show and Legends and Lattes had a cross over? It was cute, talked about the importance of beleving in yourself, found family (which is a favorite of mine), and has recipes in the back for me to cook (yes, please). It was a grand time.

Our FMC is a human that loves to bake and is great at it. Every year the elves host a baking competition, but humans, or anyone without magic, has never been allowed in. When Arleta is accepted into the competition, maybe the two ogres that have watched over her submit her stuff without her knowing, and a handsome elf, Theo, comes to collect her, her world will be forever changed.

The side characters were adorable and honestly I wanted a lemon square so badly by the end of this book- I will be making some using the recipe in the back. The miscommunication made me want to shake both of the MCs but I understand the purpose, even though it is frustrating.

I know that this was originally an indie published series, so I am excited that it got picked up for trad publishing. I will definitely take another adventure in this world.

“Not more than half a year before, they had been strangers—at least in the waking world of the Northern Lands. But since then, and more than once, each of them had declared how much they loved each other and couldn’t imagine life without the others in it.”

What an adventure that is beyond sweet in its portrayal of friendship, accepting yourself, and found family. Was some of this story predictable? Yes. Did that take away from how much I loved it? Absolutely not. I loved how each character has flaws and strengths, strengths that were brought out to an extent that they washed out those flaws when each one surrounded themselves with the right friends turned family.

Penner’s writing is cozy, addicting, and mesmerizing. Not only did I want to move to Adenashire, but I wanted to join the fellowship of bakers and magic… for the family yes, but also for the sweet treats!

Absolutely loved this - a well deserved five stars!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I didn't LOVE this, but I really liked it! I enjoyed the worldbuilding and the premise of the plot. The main character could do with some confidence and less whining, but she wasn't totally unlikeable. My favorite part was the FOOD. The descriptions of the baking and desserts was the best part of the book in my opinion. I could practically TASTE those lemon bars. The issues and themes came across very well also. I love how the "villains" had more depth and substance. I loved the life lessons in addition to the main plot. This was a very cozy, low stakes read, and very easy to read also!

Cute cozy and underdeveloped.

At times this book felt more like an outline than a finished product. There was not enough time spent on any one thing. For example the baking competition which was the main point of this book, there was barely anytime really spent describing the contest and contestants. I was really hoping to have more time in the kitchen with the bakers most of which were never even named or mentioned.

I adored the little motley crew of friends Jez, Doli and Arletta were really fun together and I look forward to reading more about them in the next book. I did not like the insta-love and the fated thing seemed a bit weak to me, but I did really love Theo. Honestly, most of the characters were lovely in this one, but Arletta's refusal to "let people in" got tiresome.

While I didn't love this book, I did have a lot of fun reading it . It was cozy and I found myself zooming through pages. I can see the potential with this series and the characters and I am excited to read the next book.

Let me preface this review by saying I am newer to the cozy fantasy genre, so I do not have as many books to compare this to. However, it was enjoyable. I didn't find myself too connected to our characters, nor was I overly invested in the story itself, but the food descriptions were worth sticking around for.

A sweet, cozy time! The food descriptions kept me hungry. The FMC was a little annoying at times & sometimes the language felt tooooo flowery, but overall I had fun.

For YA and adult fans of Legends and Lattes or any of the plethora of baking competition shows.

This is an adorable and cozy read, and was a really nice way to unwind in the afternoon. The pacing is good. and the writing style is easy to follow!

Definitely recommend for some fun and lighter reading!

This was such a wonderfully cozy fantasy read. I could not put it down! I especially love that the author included recipes from the story at the end of the book. Such a fun little detail. Arleta’s growth through the novel as she makes friends and starts to let people back into her life and heart is such a touching element. There’s a bit of romance, which is always welcome, but the bulk of the story is really about Arleta and her learning to break down her own walls and be the best person she can be. All the side characters were adorable, but I must admit, her orc neighbors (whose names I am not going to spell for fear of butchering them) were possibly my favorite. Can’t wait to read book 2!