Underwhelming.

I enjoy when authors mix up themes especially when we mix fantasy with the mundane, and while the ending wasn’t exactly what I was expecting, there really was no doubt that this was a debut novel in that the story and the characters lacked any real substance.

Arleta Starstone is a mundane human who uses usual spices in her baking to make unique and sublime treats. She dreams of taking over an old empty café in town but for now has to settle for renting a booth way in the back of the market. Sadly, she will never earn enough if she has to keep negotiating her prices but such is life for a non-magical in the world of baking. No one believes her wares located in the back corner of the market should be getting full price.

Arleta is shocked when a fae messenger arrives with an invitation to the Bake Off, especially since non-magicals are never invited to compete. But her messenger, Theodmon Brylar, insists that the judges have tasted her submission and have agreed that she should receive the invite. It seems Arleta’s neighbor submitted for her when she refused to even try. Theo insists on accompanying Arleta to the competition although they barely make it in time before the gates close in the Capital.

Arleta makes friends with a few of the other contestants and has a rivalry with the current two-time champion–all while finding out that Theo believes Arleta is his lifemate who he has been dreaming of for years.

THOUGHTS:
When I read a story and I can really envision the characters as real people, those are the stories I enjoy the most. This story seemed to lack depth right from the beginning and what I found odd is that I kept envisioning this as an animated story. I don’t think I have ever visualized a story in an animated format.

It would be a cozy novel rather than a serious fantasy story and not just because it was a baking competition. The delays that kept them from the competition weren’t dire. They weren’t attacked by marauders on the road, fighting a bloody battle for their lives. They stopped to help a merchant right his tipped over goat.

Arleta has problems first with grief, as she still hasn’t gotten past the loss of her parents and has a problem believing that Theo will be there for her. She also has a problem believing in herself, and no matter how many people tell her how delicious her baking is, she is certain that her lack of magic makes her less than everyone else.

Arleta’s new friends were a cheery dwarf, who didn’t want a life in the mines, and a rabbit-creature who was grumpy, but still managed to earned their friendship.

I would actually say this would make a great Young Adult novel about friendships and believing in yourself.

Thank you to Poisoned Pen Press and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

This was a cute and cozy fantasy that made my stomach grumble with the fantastic descriptions of the food!! I also appreciate the inclusion of the recipes featured during the baking competition, as I will definitely be trying them out. Another star of the show for me would be the side characters. They had such personality and really brought more to the story.

One gripe I had was the main character and how she treated the relationship between her and Theo. She kept on going back and forth with her feelings throughout the entire book and it got a bit tiring towards the end.

Overall, an enjoyable book!

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

A Fellowship of Bakers & Magic is a wonderfully cozy, no to low angst, easy read. We are welcomed into the fantastical world of Adenashire, where those with magic are revered and those without get no respect. Though Arleta Starstone’s surname is a wizard’s surname, she and her family are humans who have no magic. Not having any magic doesn’t stop Arleta from making wonderfully delish bakes.

She is entered into the Langheim Baking Battle (think British Bake Off with magic) and sets off to try and win it all and come home with funds to open her own bakery. Here is where she meets Theodmon “Theo” Brylar, a woodland elf tasked with getting Arleta to the competition.

Whilst in Langheim, Arleta meets with her competitors, some who become friends, and others who may be her rival, like the elf Taenya, who has already won the competition before. Does Arleta have what it takes to compete in this storied competition, even without magic?

This was delightfully easy to read. Once I got started, it was hard to put down. If you are looking for a simple fantasy book where you do not need 100 pages of world building, or epic battle scenes, and just want something joyful, this is for you!

For my personal tastes, I would have liked a little more tension, or plot twists (or at least ones that were not so obvious). And I did feel like everything wrapped up just a little too neatly. However, there is for sure a market for a book where you can just sit and enjoy it and know everything will go as it should.

I recommend picking this one up if you like a cozy fantasy (with a touch of romance without spice), baking, friendships, and found family.

This is a really cute bake off, finding one’s worth, finding new friends and maybe your fated mate! Story follows Arleta a human baker whose dads enter her in to a competition. She lost her real family really young and was taken in by an Orc couple that was friends of the family. No human has ever won let alone been invited so when she gets the letter she starts to doubt herself. Though pushed to go she makes the best of it!

I loved this sweet story! The friendships, journey of the baking championship, the relationships. Just so wholesome and sweet.

Within Adenashire, Arleta Starstone is a human baker in a world where elfish enchantments and dwarven delights are common. She works twice as hard on her baked goods, so her orc neighbor submits her creations into the prestigious Langheim Baking Battle. Arleta wants to prove her talent, even though she isn't sure if she has what it takes. Along the way to Langheim, she meets an attractive woodland elf and discovers what is truly important to her.

The deluxe edition of this book has interior art, sprayed edges, and additional scenes. This is the first in a cozy fantasy series, and is a feel-good found family kind of story. Arleta is down on herself and her lack of magic, but lives for baking and loves her orc neighbors, who had taken on parental roles in her life after her parents died when she was sixteen. The Baking contest is like every other competition. There are competitors that are surly or friendly, and Arleta has an innate kindness that earns her friends along the way. She also has a romantic interest in Theo, who brought her to the competition.

I enjoyed seeing Arleta grow and accept that she doesn't need magic to have baking skills and friends. Her friends also learn more about themselves. The competition winnows down the bakers, and the behind-the-scenes antics test Arleta. We see all the people who care about her, and she eventually sees it for herself. I really enjoyed this book, and look forward to the rest of the series.

This was such a cozy (and delicious) read. The author is very skilled at describing all the baked goods and the baking process - and even includes a few of the recipes from the baking competition at the back of the book! I loved exploring Adenashire and Langheim and could picture each location and character based on how descriptive the author was which was fantastic. If you have read Legends and Lattes by Travis Baldree, you will definitely enjoy this one.

Most of the characters are memorable and lovable and I love reading books with found families - although I’m not usually keen on the soulmate trope.
A few things that detracted from this read (for me) was how quickly conflict was solved. It felt like something would come up and be solved within the same chapter and so there wasn’t a lot of suspense or anything like that. But the loveable characters kept me returning to - and enjoying the book.
I also was waiting for more magic if I’m being honest. There was quite a buildup about how Arleta was the first non-magic to be admitted to the competition but there didn’t seem to be any magic used - other than the cooling fairies.

Overall though I enjoyed this book and would happily recommend this book to all.

Thank you NetGalley for the advanced electronic copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

In A Fellowship of Bakers & Magic, we meet Arleta and her dreams of opening her own bakery in her town. However, she is discriminated against for being human (non-magic). Things get rough for her and she faces challenges, but never asks for help. Her neighbors secretly enter her into a baking competition, which opens many doors for her. It is billed as a cozy, fantasy read and was easy to get through and enjoyable.

My favorite thing about this book was the descriptions of food and baking. These made my stomach growl while reading. So good! Do not read while hungry. Many thanks for the recipes! I also adored the side characters. I think we all have a fennec fox friend in our lives and I loved this one.

My biggest gripe was the FMC. She was all over the place with emotions. I really didn't like her that much until about 70% in. Also, the relationship seemed a little forced. I love Instalove (judge me all you want!), but this wasn't it. This was, "let's spend barely any time together and now have the readers believe we are in love". It just felt forced to me.

All in all, I liked it. Did it hit the "Legends and Lattes" caliber that is was billed as? No. But that's okay, it still was a cozy read.

*Thank you to Poisoned Pen Press and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest review*

Cozy fantasy Great British Bakeoff premise? Sold. Execution wasn't the best for me though... I felt like we kept focusing so much on this burgeoning romance between Theo and Arleta and less on the baking itself! It took me out of the coziness, even with the fun cast of characters and delicious bakes. The ending was super rushed in an attempt to set up the rest of the series, but it just didn't hit for me.

A Fellowship of Bakers and Magic is the start of a new series by J.Penner. A cozy romantasy that readers of Travis Baldree’s Legends and Lattes will adore. Ok two is coming out soon and I am very excited to continue the adventure with Arleta and her found family.

Arleta lost her parents at 16 and her neighbors and orc couple have helped her transition to adulthood as surrogate fathers. Arleta is a very independent young woman and doesn’t want to rely on the orcs for too much. She is very self conscious and has low self esteem. She is a magical baker though and sells her wares at the local market. Dreaming of her own bakery is something Arleta doesn’t think can actually happen though.

Until a wood elf named Theo shows up with an invitation to a bake off in the Northern Lands. That is when Arleta’s life will change and Hope will blossom along with more found family and finding true love.
This novel has all the good vibes you could hope for. A perfect read to pick you up or for vacation.

A cute little cozy fantasy book. I found it to be just the thing to read as a breather between heavier books.

Arleta is "just a magicless human" in many eyes, even her own, but not in the ones that love her, from her caring neighbors, a pair of Orcs who have been watching over her for years, to the new Elf in her life, many see her potential and push her to try her best even when she digs in her heels and tries to deny it.

Overall no big stakes other than a baking competition and a judge with a grudge, but the characters were fun and unique, and I can't wait to read the sequel as another breather book between others.

Thank you to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the arc.

I read a lot of fanfic and this felt like fanfic but in a bad way. In fanfic, you sometimes don't need character development because you already know the character. Arleta had no personality trait except for anxiety. In fanfic, you're often reading a romance because you're already attached to the ship. Yes, Theo was her fated. But why? Why did he like her? She doesn't seem to be particularly interesting or funny or smart or brave or whatever. He likes her because he likes her - why should the reader. I also appreciate cozy... but the lack of conflict was boring. There could have been something interesting to the other bakers, except they all just instantly fell in love with Arleta. There could have been interesting conflict with the other elf (whose name I already forgot despite reading this yesterday) except we don't know what she wants either - just what she doesn't. Even the world building is not that good. Other races don't like magicless humans? Ok, why? Racism against the magic-less is not a sufficiently interesting motivation. What is the magic actually good for? What do the characters actually want?????

My first read from J. Penner and I’ve got to say this was an absolute gem. Such a nice palette cleanser of a book. I can describe as traveling into a quaint cozy world of magic and finding myself watching a bake off! I used to love watching baking shows and this was just that in a book! Each character was so well depicted! I love love the Orcs and how our FMC Arleta finally learns that to love them as her fathers. It’s definitely a story of distance makes the heart grow fonder with those three. Then there’s Theo! This cute fated mate love was so nicely put together. I was so happy he put her before anything else. And let this no magical being truly come to terms with everything on her own. Her besties Doli and Jez were so great. Jez truly had me cracking up most of the book because I completely understand her attitude.
Overall I highly recommend this book and I’m so happy to have been able to read it.

🌟 Book Review: A Fellowship of Bakers and Magic 🌟
⭐ 3.5/5

I had the pleasure of reading A Fellowship of Bakers and Magic thanks to NetGalley, and overall, this was a charming and cozy fantasy that delivered exactly what it promised: a magical baking competition with all the warm, comforting vibes of a “Great British Bake-Off” meets fantasy.

The competition aspect was definitely my favorite part! It added a fun, structured tension to the plot, and I thought it matched the atmosphere of the book beautifully. I just wish the story had leaned even more into this element — the baking and challenges could have used a bit more spotlight.

The romance, on the other hand, didn’t quite work for me. The “fated mates” trope felt a bit forced and rushed, and I found myself less invested in that storyline. The writing style also came across as slightly mechanical at times, especially in the dialogue, which felt a little stiff and lacking in emotional depth.

That said, I loved the epilogue — it wrapped things up with such a cozy, satisfying feel. And the recipes included at the end were such a delightful bonus! 🧁✨

Overall, this is a light, low-stakes read perfect for fans of cozy fantasy who want something quick, sweet, and magical. Would recommend it if you’re in the mood for a feel-good story with a sprinkle of enchantment and a whole lot of baked goods!

Such a cozy spring read I love it so much I would definitely recommend it to others and will continue the series

3.5/5

I really enjoyed the imagery and food descriptions within the book. It didn't repeat the same steps ten times through the book it adapted to where it was in the book, giving more descriptive imagery in the beginning and more fast paced cooking at the end. Love how the author included actual recipes at the end.

My couple of snags were how fast paced the FMC gets hit with your my one and only and is magically in love with tall and handsome. I think it was the way the Male lead kinda sounded like a psycho stalker while explaining the whole fate thing.

The imagery was nice, the story was interesting, the plot did kinda go happy go lucky towards the end, but overall a good fantasy read.

A Fellowship of Bakers & Magic, by J. Penner, is a cozy romance fantasy set in the world of Ardenshire. Arleta Starstone is a magicless human in a world filled with magical creatures. Arleta dreams of opening her own bakery, but as a magicless human she has to work twice as hard on her recipes to make enough money. That is until her Orc neighbor secretly enters her into the Elven Baking Contest. The prize money could help her buy that dream bakery. Arleta is caught between wanting to prove her culinary prowess and wanting to hide from all the magical folks who think less of her because she human. In order to win the contest, Arleta must find what makes her bakes magical.

This is a very sweet and comforting book to read. All of the characters are entertaining. The diversity in the book is good, there's characters from all different walks of life working to come together. The friendships formed in this book are the highlight of Penner's writing. This book is a fun, sweet, heartwarming book to read when you're looking for something with low stakes.

The idea of the baking contest is great. It's an excellent setting for a cozy novel. The contest kinds of reads like the Great British Bake Off. There needs to be more of the baking contest in the book. The actual contest only takes up a third of the book. It's the main plot point and it's where all of the interest of the book is. There needed to be more written about the actual competition. The Judges of the competition could have been filled out more. They seem to come out of nowhere, but it would have been nice if they had been in the story more. It would also have been nice to get more of the other competitors in the competition. The baking contest would have been excellent if it had been flushed out a little more.

The romance in this book was not as well paced as it could have been. The development of the relationship was good. Arleta and Theo made for a cute couple and they romantic tension was good. However, their conflict in the book was not well thought out. The pacing of the relationship messed with the overall pacing of the book. The relationship should have been paced to go with the baking battle, but it read as a separate story. If the two plots could have been better melded together the story would have seemed much more cohesive.

Overall, this is a good book, it just needed some work with the pacing. If you liked Legends and Lattes this has a very similar vibe. There are stakes but they aren't very high, so its a nice relaxing read. This book is definitely worth picking up if you're looking for you're next cozy fantasy read.

I was given an ARC by Netgalley and Poison Pen Press for an honest review.

A human, a dwarf and an elf walk into a bake-off...
A cozy fantasy about baking - how could I resist?

"In the heart of Adenashire, where elfish enchantments and dwarven delights rule, Arleta Starstone, a human confectionist works twice as hard perfecting her unique blend of baking and apothecary herbs.
So when an orc neighbor secretly enters her creations into the prestigious Elven Baking Battle, Arleta faces a dilemma."

A Fellowship of Bakers & Magic is full of found family, hopes/dreams, magic, self- discovery & romance. Oh and let's not forget the baking.

This book read like watching an episode of Bake Off. Cuddle up with a blanket, pastry & get lost in a magical baking competition. So many delightful treats are described in the novel that it set off my baking bug. I squealed with delight when I saw there were recipes in the back. The lemon bars are delicious.
I adore baking the book whenever there is food involved.

While it can be read as a standalone, there is a whole magical world to discover. I can't wait to see where else @jpennerauthor will take us.
If you like sweet treats & even sweeter stories, read this.

I adored this cozy fantasy. Baking and magic, combined with interesting characters and a love story was just what I needed when life felt like too much.
This was an easy read and although it was predictable, I enjoyed the journey.

This was like a cup of tea on a cool autumn morning, just perfectly cosy with the sweetest romance. I loved the found family in this, and how they all supported Arleta even when she doubted herself and her place as a human in a world centred around magical creatures.
This wasn't very long, but it was the perfect length for its genre - a perfect pallette clenser to help relax after complex fantasies or something highly emotional.
Thank you J Penner, Poisoned Pen Press and Netgalley for this eARC.