The second book in the Adenashire series by J. Penned is a cozy, low-stakes fantasy romance featuring a very cute dragon called Evvy!

Our main character Doli, a dwarf with tea magic and a set of highly frustrating parents, is sweet and kind but struggles with the desire to always be seen as perfect. Her partner-to-be is a gentle gargoyle librarian who has a massive wingspan. The author's words, not mine ;)

I found this to be a very gentle book, and despite not having read the book before this, it was fairly easy to pick up the new characters and setting.

However, I do prefer my books to have more conflict and much stronger angst, and many of the issues Doli faced were resolved with not enough emotional weight for my taste. It's low stakes, I know I know, but I read this book in fits and starts because it just wasn't compelling enough to make me read it in one sitting. There were times when I would definitely have liked to see more of the process of how things went down, and I had a hard time connecting emotionally with the characters. The exception was Doli's struggles with her parents. That was really well-written and will be (unfortunately,) highly relatable for many people!

As part of the Deluxe edition, we got an extra scene at the back of the book was very cute, and I also loved the recipes provided, as well as the story behind them!

I do think that some people will greatly enjoy A Fellowship of Librarians and Dragons, so if any of this sounds interesting to you, check this book out! It's available wherever you normally source books :)

DNF. Unfortunately it was a miss. Just not for me. Very whimsical and didn’t resonate. Hoping for more from the beginning of the book, but it just didn’t hold my interest like I wanted it to.

If you are looking for a cozy, fantasy world to melt into and feel like everything is right, this series is perfect for you.
I absolutely adore these books. The found family, the magical creatures, the cute little town, the food—my gosh, the food makes me literally drool.
This series is literally pure vibes, and I am all here for it. Plus, a cute little romance is the magical cherry on top!
What to expect:
Found Family
Magical Creatures - our FMC is a Dwarf, and MMC is a Gargoyle.
Dragons
Bookshops and Bakeries
Low Stakes
Delicious Food

Thank you so much to J Penner, NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for my EARC.

This was a nice cozy fantasy read. It was a great palette cleanser from my typical fantasy/romantasy genre. This dwarf, Doli, moved to Adenashire to get away from her parents and that life. Her uncle ended up passing away and was gifted a box of inheritance items. One of these items is a dragon egg. Doli is very confused why she was gifted a dragon egg. As she’s figuring it out, she learns about self discovery and what one can be capable of. This story includes a new found family and a little bit of romance!

I had a little bit of trouble getting into the story at the beginning, but after awhile, I was finally into the book and wanted to know what happens with Doli and the dragon. I’m glad I stuck around to read the ending.

When happy-go-lucky dwarf, Doli, is unexpectedly bequeathed a dragon’s egg and notice of an impending visit from her overbearing parents, she begins to feel not so happy or lucky. When her egg hatches and she must care for Evvy, a rambunctious baby dragon, while simultaneously entertaining her parents she feels downright overwhelmed. Enter Sarson, a handsome gargoyle with extensive dragon knowledge. The two work together to care for and protect the rare dragon from a sinister plot and find their own magic in the process.

This book was so sweet and I loved little Evvy. I found that in many ways caring for the baby dragon very accurately represented what it’s like raising a human toddler.

The closed door romance that blossomed between Doli and Sarson was charming and added to the overall appeal of the story. I also loved how Doli found her voice to advocate for herself with her parents, show her feelings for Sarson, and protect Evvy. A fantastic story about being true to yourself and finding your own happiness.

Read this if you like spunky dragons and lighthearted fantasy with a touch of romance. Pairs well with lavender cream tea and jam filled spice cookies.

Thank you Netgalley, Poisoned Pen Press, and J. Penner for sending me this advanced review copy for free. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

This was a good blend of cozy, with a lot of fun chaos. I loved that we got to hang out with a ton of the characters from the previous book. It is the perfect found family, and everyone is so supportive of each other.

It was great to watch Doli grow more willing to express her feelings instead of hiding them to make everyone happy. I would have loved to see more growth in the relationship with her parents, but it fell a little flat for me. Hopefully that will come in future books.

Evvy the little dragon was so much fun! I loved the adorable chaos, and her ability to eat an endless amount of tasty treats.

I loved Sarson too. His quiet broodiness, balances Doli's enthusiastic energy. They are so good for each other. I wish there had been more depth to his backstory, it felt like it was just suddenly dropped on our laps. I'm sad he couldn't take the time to come to terms with it, and share it on his own.

Overall I really enjoyed this book, flaws and all. It was a great quick read with a cozy, yet chaotic vibe.

This is the second book in this most magical series and I enjoyed it as much as I enjoyed book one. And I must say I did love the first line in the blurb, 'Spilling the tea has never been so cozy...'.

We are back in the quaint town of Adenashire with Doli Butterbuckle, a people-pleasing sunshine dwarf, following along on her adventures. I love the storyline and the magic of reading this book. It is cosy, fun and love recipes at the end of a good book. This book continued to entertain me, I enjoyed reading it as you can read it with such ease. The romance part doesn't do much for me but it is part of the story. The rest I really enjoyed and found I had finished reading before I knew it.

Looking forward to see what comes next.

Thank you NetGalley and Poison Pen Press for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.

This book felt a bit higher stakes to me than the first book but still very cozy and enjoyable. I loved seeing Doli break out of her people pleasing ways and was definitely able to relate to some of her struggles. I love the idea of having tea magic and the descriptions of her tea cup holder just solidified that I need one for my ren faire outfits this year. I wish we had gotten to see her go into her fashion a bit more in this book and hope to see it come up in future books. The relationship between Doli and Sarson was sweet and how they accepted each other just the way they were was great. I love continuing to see the found family that they have all built from the baking competition and it really flourished in this book.

This book tries very hard to be cozy. It has lots of baking cookies and descriptions of rocking chairs, a heavy handed emphasis on vanilla smells and floral accents, and in case none of that was enough, it also has lots of people talking about how cozy things are, how nice, how good. The book is so cozy the racism, slavery, and xenophobia almost slip through the cracks ... but only almost.

So much talking, and telling, and explaining. You will never wonder why someone is smiling or thinking, because the book will tell you exactly what this smile means, why they sigh, the sound of their liquid trills that I’m guessing are laughter. Evvy may have been charming, she may not have been, but I’ll never be allowed to make up my mind because the book tells me that every single thing she does is cute, whimsical, adorable, wonderful …

But the worst problem with this book, beyond the simplistic writing, the constant telling, the belabored efforts to make me think things are cozy and cute is that this book is beyond boring. It’s tedious and dull and beyond painful to read. Honestly I had wondered if this was a middle grade/YA debut with how it was written.

This book is boring. It’s predictable. The writing is simplistic, and I honestly think the author really wanted to write a cook book but didn’t have enough recipes, and so wrote a story about how good her recipes were. I’m sorry, but I don’t recommend this to anyone.

Imagine being promised magic, dragons, and a found family—and then getting handed a very cozy, very scenic nap. That’s Fellowship of Librarians and Dragons for you: a book that sounds like a whimsical delight but sometimes reads like a fantasy-themed user manual.

Let’s start with the good stuff: the cozy atmosphere is really well-written. The descriptions are lush, the world feels lived in, and if you’re the type who enjoys curling up with a mug of tea and reading about books inside of books inside of libraries, this will hit the spot. The found family angle was genuinely heartwarming, and I did find myself rooting for the gang (except Doli & Jez, who I will be sending to the fictional version of therapy). But oh, Doli. Our resident whiner. I’m not sure what’s worse—her constant complaining or the fact that nothing ever happens while she is complaining.

At under 300 pages, this should have been a brisk, whimsical read. Instead, it felt like I was trapped in a time loop where nothing happened. I’m someone who loves “just vibes” books, but even vibes need a little momentum. Also, it felt like the writing couldn’t decide if it wanted to charm a seasoned fantasy reader or be someone’s very magical bedtime story. There were passages where the prose felt oddly juvenile, like the author forgot which age bracket they were writing for halfway through.

That said: Thank you to the publisher for the e-ARC! I can see this being a comfort read for some, especially fans of slice-of-life fantasy where the stakes are low. But personally? I needed a bit more dragon and a lot less dawdling.

Thank you to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for giving me the opportunity to read A Fellowship of Librarians and Dragons by J. Penner in exchange for my honest review.

A Fellowship of Librarians and Dragons continues the cozy fantasy vibes first introduced in A Fellowship of Bakers & Magic, bringing us back into a world of whimsical creatures, heartfelt friendships, and self-discovery.

This time, the spotlight is on Doli Butterbuckle, a sunshiney, people-pleasing dwarf with a gift for tea magic and a habit of hiding her struggles behind a cheerful smile. When a mysterious inheritance arrives, her parents show up on short notice, and a charming but secretive gargoyle appears in town, Doli’s carefully curated life is turned upside down.

What I loved:
This book absolutely nails the cozy aesthetic. The tea breaks, the slow-burn romance, the snippets of magic, and even my favorite, the end-of-book recipes, made this feel like a comforting hug in book form. I loved reuniting with the original baker crew in Arleta’s hometown and watching the found family grow. The addition of Sarson (the gargoyle) and Evvy (the baby dragon) brought fresh energy, and the POVs from familiar faces added depth and fun.

The themes of self-discovery, learning to say no, and standing up to unrealistic expectations were handled thoughtfully. Doli’s journey toward owning her truth, rather than trying to be the perfect daughter or endlessly cheerful friend, is one many can relate to.

Where it fell short:
Unfortunately, the character development and pacing held this book back for me. While Doli is positioned as the main character, her internal struggles felt surface-level. I didn’t see the need to reference her “sunshine” personality repeatedly, but there wasn't enough exploration of what lay beneath that mask. Her bond with Evvy, the dragon, had such potential but remained underdeveloped—more time was spent on learning about dragons secondhand than truly connecting with the one she was raising.

Additionally, the romance felt rushed and undercooked. I wanted more time to see Doli and Sarson grow together organically. Instead, everything wrapped up in a whirlwind in the final chapters, making the resolution feel unearned. The same goes for the villain subplot and Sarson’s mysterious past, which ended with a whimper rather than a satisfying bang.

The world-building continues to be light, which suits a cozy fantasy, but I still hoped for a bit more expansion, especially regarding Doli’s unique tea magic and how it fits into the broader magical world.

Final thoughts:
If you're looking for a sweet, light-hearted read with magical vibes, delightful side characters, and plenty of tea, this one delivers. Just be prepared for a slower pace, a few missed opportunities, and a story that’s more about warm vibes than deep plot twists. I enjoyed it, but I liked the first book a bit more for its stronger romantic arc and pacing.

That said, I’ll be looking for the next book and more tasty recipes.

🩷 Book Review 🩷
📚 A Fellowship of Librarians and Dragons
✒️ J Penner
💫💫💫

Thank you Netgalley for an eARC in exhcnage for an honest review.

I wanted to really love it, instead I liked it. It started slow and suddenly picked up and then petered out again.
It could've been shorter and even though I know cosy reads are normally fluffy but there was to much fluff sometimes.

A Fellowship of Librarians & Dragons is Book 2 is the delightfully cosy fantasy Adenashire series.

This book takes place after the events of Book 1 (A Fellowship of Bakers and Magic) and features the Dwarf, Doli Butterbuckle, as she attempts to cure herself of people pleasing tendencies and foster a newborn dragon she didn't sign up to look after! Oh, and starting a relationship with a Gargoyle. Things really come to a head when her estranged parents come to town, with little warning, to challenge Doli's life choices.

Can Doli learn to be who she wants to be in a world where people are trying to make her something else?

I love the Adenashire series. They're gorgeous, cosy, low stakes fantasy with diverse characters, a hint of closed door romance, everyday magic and lots of yummy recipes. It's a series all about believing in oneself, and the everyday moments that are truly magical, whether it be brewing tea or making lemon bars, or having a dragon drop a fish on your head.

There are Elves, and Fairies and Wizards, and Orcs, and a Fennex, and even a couple of Humans in this delightful found family story that revels in simple pleasures.

(A few criticisms - Some of the writing was overly descriptive, there were a few sentences that seemed unfinished, and the ending felt rushed - but they're minor, and I still loved the book)

It's the literary equivalent of curling up in a window with a book and your favourite cup of tea.

And as an aside, I really like the cover on the Deluxe edition, more so than the standard ones!

~This is a NetGalley ARC. All opinions are my own, I also purchased the ebook and audiobook~

Thank you NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the arc copy of this book.

A cosy fantasy with some found family, romance but zero spice. It has dragons, elves and just a lot of cuteness. Pick it up and tuck yourself in.

This book feels like a teacup full of sunlight. It’s the kind of read that doesn’t rush to impress you with big twists or high stakes but settles gently into your bones with warmth, whimsy, and low-key emotional resonance. Doli’s journey is soft and subtle, but it holds weight. The internal shift from people-pleasing to self-trusting is handled with care, and the cozy setting makes room for that growth to breathe. The found family dynamic is strong, and the sensory elements—tea magic, bakery treats, bookshop vibes, the chaotic adorableness of baby Evvy—make it a pleasure to linger in.

While I would have loved a deeper emotional arc for the love interest and more tension in the midsection, this is a series that knows what it’s doing. It’s not trying to be sharp or fast-paced, and that’s what makes it work. It’s gentle fantasy with a soft center, where growth comes from everyday bravery, and magic tastes like lemon balm and cinnamon. Perfect for anyone in their cozy era or anyone who just wants a little softness in a loud world.

An adorable warm hug between the pages as we meet up with the crew again.
We get to see life from Doli's view & as she was my favourite in the past book, I am not disappointed.
This is a story about growing up and finding out who you are, what you love & being brave enough to speak your truths.
Everyone here is someone I would be proud to call a friend. They're kind and caring, willing to help someone be their best.
Grab a cup of warm tea, a delicious cookie & settle in for a cozy adventure, in a small town, with the best of friends. Oh- and an adorable baby dragon up to hijinx

When you say Gargoyles and Dragons i already know I want to read this book. This is book two in the series but can be read out of order. I enjoyed book one as it was definitely a big throw to the British Baking show which I love to watch but with a fantasy cozy setting. This book continues in the same town with the same friends to it was a nice and easy step back into the Adenashire world. There’s found family, strong friendships, a diverse cast of characters and lots and lots of yummy food wrapped into a cozy fantasy romance. If you are interested in that type of book this is a series for you just make sure you have all the snack as it will make you hungry. I can’t wait to read book three!

This is the kind of book you want to curl up with under a blanket and savor slowly. If you're in the mood for a heartwarming fantasy with a hint of mystery, a lot of charm, and plenty of tea, this one’s a must-read. I didn’t want it to end.

Now this was cute. Very cute and very cozy. This is a delicious cookie with a heartwarming cup of tea kind of book. All the characters are lovable, with the adorable baby dragon to boot. It is all about growing up and away from overbearing parents who love you but just can't let go. It's about learning to love yourself and grow your talents, not the talents you wish you had. It's all about allowing yourself love even in the most unlikely circumstances. This is a super quick read and perfect when you need to smile.

Thank you, NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press, for the eArc. These opinions are mine.

When Doli receives a mysterious package as her inheritance from an uncle, her entire world is flipped on it's head.

Dragons create bonds for life. Can Doli live up to that? Maybe, with the help of her friends!

In this book, we are back in Adenashire. We do get appearances from the characters in book 1 in this one so it does help if you read that book first, but if you don't, this one can stand on its own.

For me, the story was okay. I did have a tough time getting into it, but again, I also think another round of developmental edits would have helped with that. We are still getting the telling versus showing with emotions from our fmc and that creates a disconnect with the characters. I think if it got fixed in editing, the story would have flowed a little better.