This book is whimsical, magical, and delightful! It's perfect for anyone who loved Legends and Lattes and/or The Great British Bakeoff.

A wonderful cozy fantasy book. Loved the 1st book in this series and quickly sought out the others to read. Arleta is struggling to make ends meet in her town baking. When a stranger, Theo, approaches her to enter a Baking Battle. She quickly finds friends in the competition along with Theo being a cinnamon roll hero.

This was like reading a warm hug. I so enjoyed this book! All of the characters are so good and believable. I love that not all of the characters are a ray of sunshine. It makes them that much more realistic.
I read this on a rainy Saturday, and it took me about 2-3 hours to finish. It was the perfect rainy weekend read. It was cozy and lighthearted. It just made me feel good once I completed it. I am so excited to read the next books in this series!
Even though this was a fluffy, lighthearted book, I highly enjoyed the author's writing style. It was educated and sophisticated. Even though it was an easy read, it was still stellar.
Also, a side note, I made the lemon bars from the recipe in the back of the book, and they are out of this world! I highly recommend the story and the baking recipes in the back! Read this book!!

A Fellowship of Bakers & Magic by J. Penner is an enchanting start to a promising cozy fantasy series that blends small-town charm, light magic, and culinary delights in a way that feels both familiar and fresh. Arleta Starstone is a lovable protagonist—relatable, headstrong, and quietly magical—who anchors the narrative with heart and grit.

Penner's prose is inviting, with just enough whimsy to keep the tone light while layering in hints of mystery and deeper lore. The pacing flows smoothly, with vivid descriptions that bring Adenashire and its bakery delights to life. Although some secondary characters could have used a touch more dimension, the ensemble cast is endearing and leaves room for development in future installments.

Perfect for fans of Travis Baldree’s Legends & Lattes, this book will appeal to readers looking for cozy, low-stakes fantasy with a strong female lead and a sweet, satisfying narrative arc.

I look forward to seeing where the magic leads next in Adenashire.

loved this romance of a normal girl who likes to cook and friends she makes along the way. She ends up finding love and having good friends. Loved how she used her magic and her found family.

A Fellowship of Bakers and Magic is a cozy fantasy with a side of British Baking Show and a whole lot of fun! It is an easy read with sweet and savory moments. I loved how the insecure FMC grows and changes throughout the book. If you love baking or eating tasty treats then the contest portion will really resonate. If it’s a slow burn romance that you relate to then this sweet story won’t disappoint. Penner also adds in some charming companion animals that really add to the atmosphere. There are a couple of different settings that you really feel like you are visiting and cool maps! Even though the story is mostly light, there are a couple of serious topics touched on briefly like racism, panic attacks and death of loved ones that add representation and depth to these characters. These are definitely treated respectfully and with obvious love. Found family is a wonderful trope in this book and just really warms the heart. Overall, it’s a spoonful of sugar that helped the medicine of this not so kind world go down. So, if you need to just take a breath right now, this is the book for you! Thank you to J. Penner and NetGalley for trusting me with this ARC!

Big huge thanks to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for gifting me an eARC of this book!

What a cozy little read! This book is exactly what would happen if you took a big bake off show and put it onto paper, and add a magical twist to it. It made for a fun read, and while there were some stakes added to it this is less of a high stakes romantasy and more of just cozy, feel good vibes with tons of friendship added into it. Our protagonist, Arleta, goes through a journey of self discovery about confidence and finding yourself even when everything may seem against you. I do wish that she had a bit more growth, but I can still appreciate the end result. And Theo! What an absolute gentleman. He’s not your typical MMC in romantasy titles and I do enjoy how soft and kind he is, plus their chemistry throughout the book is really nice. I will say the romance aspect of it feels a little rushed to me, but I understand exactly why and the context it was just missing a bit of the build up. That being said I still very much enjoyed them, and I very much enjoyed the other characters (especially Doli and Jez, they’re my favorites!) present in the story. Overall, a very fun read and I’m really excited to see what else the author puts out. I hope we get more books set in this world!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.25/5

A beautiful, cosy read perfect for fans of Legends and Lattes, Monster Romance and the Great British Bake Off!

Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher for providing a copy for review.

I read this book over the span of a couple of days but it completely feesible to do so in one sitting! I went into this book with very little prior knowledge, simply wanting a cosy fantasy read with hints of the monster romance kick I have been on recently and I was not disappointed!

A Fellowship of Bakers and Magic follows Arleta, a human baker living in a world where those with magic are beloved and humans deemed inferior. Orphaned at the tender age of 16 she has been finding her own way and building walls to protect herself - even from the loving orc males who live next door and simply want to care for the girl they view as a daughter. She is determined to sell her wares (even though society undermines her skill) with the dream of one day opening her own bakery. Her plans are altered when a handsome wood elf Theo, arrives at her home with an invitation to the exclusive Baking Competition - which had unbeknownst to her been entered into.

Whilst hesitant she is convinced to travel from her home in Adenashire to take part in the competition where if she wins, she will be awarded with a prize capable of making all her dreams come true. First she must battle with her feelings for the elf, survive the competition without her lack of magic becoming common knowledge and fight off the two unlikely allies who wish (some rather begrugingly) to become her friend and if she is lucky, win?

This read was magical and promises for an emotional and heart-warming read. The main character Arleta is equal parts inspiring and stubborn - while Theo is the sweet cinnamon roll mmc that all readers crave! Their romance was sweet, albeit a tad frustrating, particularly following the competition. There was a tad too much angst followed by a rather abrupt ending which I would have loved to see come about more organically.

That being said the side characters MADE this book. Arleta's friendship with Dolli and Jez was beautiful and filled me with hope for future books, in addition to the rather late and surprising addition to their friendship group. As mentioned above the Orc couple who adopt Arleta were also a driving force for this book and the origin for the ongoing found family trope.

Overall, I highly recommend this book and look forward to reading the next books in the series!

This book is the best thing I’ve read all year and is exactly what my heart needed. I am so excited it is a series. It’s great British bake-off meets magic which is the mashup I didn’t know I needed!

I loved the world created in this book and thought the magical baking competition was delightful! Arleta’s friends and fellow competitors were all interesting characters. The writing of the competition itself was excellent. The only point that I felt was a bit wanting was the romance - it just felt unnecessary and undercut some of the message of empowerment. Still, overall this was an enjoyable read that I would recommend to most fantasy readers, particularly those with an interest in baking.

Every day I love cozy fantasy more and more and this was no exception.

In this magical world full of so many incredible creatures, we meet Arleta, a pastry chef and... human, who struggles twice as hard not to let her pastry shop fall down and to do something special without having magic.

It is at this point that her neighbors enter her in the Baking Battle, where she will not only have to deal with the imposter syndrome while overcoming each stage of the competition, but also prove to others that despite not having magic, she can make wonderful desserts.

The friendships and love that arise during this competition were so beautiful to me, I just wanted more and more of them all.

It has been an incredible writing so gripping that it invokes such a magical atmosphere and ambiance, it has reminded me why I love this literary genre.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with access to this beautiful ARC.

Thank you so much to NetGalley, Poisoned Pen Press and to J. Penner for sending me an eARC of A Fellowship of Bakers and Magic to review!

A Fellowship of Bakers and Magic follows Arleta Starstone, a human baker who sells her amazing creations at the local market in her town of Adenashire. She's content to make her living at the market (as long as the market owner lets her have a good spot to sell her bakes) but when her neighbour applies for her to enter the Langheim Baking Batte, the most popular baking contest in the country, she reluctantly and anxiously travels with the very attractive elf, Theo, to Langheim in order to participate. As she is a human, she is magicless in a contest surrounded by magic-wielding creatures, so she'll have to make her own kind of baking magic if she is to win the contest.

This was such a cute and cosy book; I binged it in one day! I loved how easy it was to get stuck into the world here, and I ended up getting super hungry at the descriptions of all the baked goods that Arleta and the other bakers made. I wanted to try everything on offer, and the fact that we get recipes at the end of the book is amazing; I may have to try the recipes sometime!

Arleta was such a relatable character for me. She's anxious and doesn't really believe in herself, but her growth in this book is great. I kept wanting to shout at her to follow her dreams, which made me want to shout at myself to do the same! Anyone with anxiety and insecurities will relate to her, even if you want to yell at her in the beginning.

The themes of family and friendship are also so strong in this. Arleta's orc neighbours, Verdreth and Ervash, were so incredible and lovely, even if one of them entered her into the contest without her knowing. I loved the way they cared for her and pushed her to follow her dreams. Her fellow baking contestants, Doli, Jez and Taenya, were also so well written and very distinct from each other; I loved their found family so much, especially at the end.

I think the part that I didn't engage with the most was the romance with Theo. It was a little insta-lovey, which makes sense for Theo, but then Arleta was getting all confused with it and having a "will-she-won't-she" moment. That conflict was also relatable, but it got irritating after a bit. Their romance is cute but not my favourite part of the book!

Overall this was such a fun time! If you love The Great British Bake Off, Dungeons and Dragons and cosy fantasy, I definitely recommend A Fellowship of Bakers and Magic! Just eat before you read it as you'll get very hungry!

I absolutely adored everything about this book! The characters were hilarious and bursting with personality, making it such a fun and engaging read. The plot was equally delightful—Arleta’s adopted father secretly signs her up for a baking competition, kicking off a heartwarming adventure filled with friendship, self-discovery, and just the right touch of chaos. Along the way, Arleta forms new bonds, encounters fascinating people, and even finds herself drawn to a charming elven love interest. If you’re a fan of cozy fantasy or enjoyed *Tusks, Tails, and Teacups*, this book is a must-read!

🌟To start my review, I'd like to extend a heartfelt thank you to J. Penner, Poisoned Pen Press, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and enjoy A Fellowship of Bakers & Magic. I'll share my review to Goodreads, Amazon, and Barnes & Noble.

🌟A Fellowship of Magic is a semi-cozy fantasical tale about baking, community, and creating your own magic with your bare hands. We follow Arleta, an anxious human baker in the enchanting world of Adenashire, where elves, orcs, and dwarves roam—but humans (especially magicless ones) are often overlooked. Arleta's neighbors with a fondness for her impressive baked goods secretly enter her in a baking competition, thrusting her into a recipe for growth. Along the way, she makes some unexpected friends and meets a slow-burn crush, and learns that sometimes, confidence can be whisked into existence, even without miracles or magic. The baking scenes are excellent - and as someone who enjoys baking, I found these parts especially enjoyable and unique. I definitely appreciated the recipes at the end, because reading this made me so motivated to bake something yummy! I loved all the friends and side characters, and the whole Bake-Off competition is such a fun idea. I liked Arleta, but I wish we saw more growth in her. The baking competition was fun, but could've been drawn out a bit more - but perhaps there will be fun sequels to explore that a bit more. I look forward to seeing more stories from Adenashire and J. Penner! 💫

🌟Age level recommendation: YA and adult readers (mild romance, no spice)

You might enjoy A Fellowship of Bakers & Magic if you liked:

Howl’s Moving Castle’s whimsy ✨
Legends & Lattes’ cozy vibes ☕
The House in the Cerulean Sea’s found family 🏡
The Teller of Small Fortunes’ magical charm 🔮

Major tropes/themes:

🍰 Baking Competition
🍄 Cozy Fantasy (with some higher stakes)
🧙‍♀️ Magical Characters
💖 slow-burn light romance
👯 found family/friendship
🌱 growth/self-discovery

4/5 stars!

First, I want to thank NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for an arc in exchange for an honest review.
I just finished binging this book in a day. This book is the coziest fantasy world combined with the Great British Bake Off.
This is the type of book that makes your heart happy to read. I believe this is the type of book that sticks with you and I’ll be thinking about these characters for a long time.
My suggestion is to grab some pastries (you’ll want them when you read the mouth-watering descriptions of food and baking in this book) and just escape for a bit into this fun and cozy fantasy world.

A Fellowship of Bakers and Magic was the coziest, most enchanting surprise—equal parts magical adventure and warm hug in book form. From the very first page, I was completely charmed by the whimsical world, lovable characters, and the way the story blended sweet baked goods with a sprinkle of spellwork.

As someone who loves fantasy with heart and humor, this book gave me everything I was hoping for. The protagonist is quirky, endearing, and incredibly relatable—trying to find her place in a world full of expectations and uncertainty. And the fellowship? A delightful found family that made me want to crawl into the pages and share a cinnamon bun while talking about magical mishaps.

J. Penner has a gift for writing warmth into every scene. Even during the more adventurous or emotional moments, there was always this comforting tone that made the story feel like coming home. The baking elements were especially fun—somehow mouthwatering and magical at the same time—and they wove perfectly into the plot without feeling gimmicky.

This book is perfect for fans of cozy fantasy, found family tropes, and stories that feel like a warm drink on a cold day. I adored every second and can’t wait to see what J. Penner writes next.

Magical and delightful - a fairy tale of love, found family, true friendship, and self discovery. I want to say "uplifting" without sounding corny, bit this is definitely a fun tale with adorable characters and quite the adventure. Highly recommended for any age.

Everything you want in a cozy, low stakes fantasy! I will definitely be reading the next books in the series.

A cute and and cozy read, “A Fellowship of Bakers & Magic” by J. Penner is about a baker named Arleta. While she is amazing at her craft there is one thing that is stopping her from entering the Langheim Baking Battle – she is human and has no magical powers, unlike the rest of the contestants. That is where her orc neighbor (and biggest fan) comes in, by secretly entering her creations in the baking battle. A story filled with delicious food, found family, and self-discovery, “A Fellowship of Bakers & Magic” is a lovely debut to the Adenshire series.

3.5 stars for this one. Arleta is our main character, and she is a magicless human in a world full of magic and fantastical creatures. She got on my nerves a bit early. She's terrible at time management and staying organized but has a deep passion for baking. She also has no self confidence and folds like a doormat constantly.

The Baking Battle was fun and I kind of wished it was expanded a little more. 3 rounds didn't feel like enough, but I think most baking/cooking competitions have 3 rounds so it fits. You got a sense that the author knew their way around the kitchen from the way ingredients and techniques were described which was nice. It made it easy to sink into.

The friends she made through the competition were fun as well, but came off a bit one dimensional at times. Jez being the grump, but secretly a softy and Doli being loud and boisterous about literally everything. We're definitely set up for more stories in this cozy little world and I'll happily come back for more.

The romance, or Arleta's constant doubt of her and Theo's feelings until the very end also got on my nerves. Girl ALL the facts are staring you in the face, just accept them.