If you're looking for your next fun, cozy read, this is the one for you! A Fellowship of Librarians and Dragons is the second book in the series, and while it's recommended to read the first book to fully appreciate the groundwork and magic system, this installment can also be enjoyed as a standalone. The themes in this book were such a delight—full of charm and whimsy. It’s a heartwarming, low-stakes fantasy that feels like a warm hug in book form. The blend of magical libraries, dragons, and a close-knit fellowship made for an utterly enjoyable escape. I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The beginning of this novel held a lot of promise. It seemed like Jez would be included more within the plot and I liked the introduction of gargoyles and dragons as new races. I also really liked the idea of Doli having tea magic. However, despite both gargoyles and a dragon being main characters, we learn very little of either of them the entire book. Instead we get pages and pages of Doli’s endless worrying and she is just so… boring. We learn very little of Sarson’s intriguing past or why he left his position, even though that was central to the plot and why the “villain” appears. I use the term villain loosely since he was so underwhelming and we get an anticlimactic, deus ex machina ending.

The plot is completely obfuscated by pointless and unnecessary detail. For example, every time a character appears on page, their outfit is described in painstaking detail. If there’s a group of all 6 friends together, we get a detailed description of every character in every scene. It’s overkill.

While the predecessor had its flaws, it was at least entertaining. The same can’t be said for the sequel. Overall a disappointing read and not one I would recommend. Thank you to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the ARC.

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC!

Doli Butterbuckle is living a cozy life in the town of Adenashire. She’s content and happy—until she receives an inheritance box from her uncle. Alongside some ordinary items, she finds something extraordinary. A dragon egg. To make things even more complicated, her parents show up unexpectedly. Now, Doli must juggle caring for a newborn dragon and managing surprise family visits. How will she handle it all?

I really enjoyed this book! It’s the second installment in the Adenashire series, and I loved seeing familiar characters again while getting to meet new ones. Doli is sweet, caring, and sometimes a bit hard on herself. Her personality and hobbies are very similar to mine, so I connected with her right away. I especially enjoyed her personal growth, her bond with Evvy, and her interactions with a certain adorable gargoyle.

Overall, this is a quick, fun, and cozy read—absolutely perfect for a rainy day with a hot chocolate and a comfy spot on the couch!

2.5 I really wanna give this a 3 but the ending felt rushed. This really was a cute story, but I felt like it should’ve been way shorter or the ending should’ve been written a little better so you don’t just feel like oh yeah I already knew that was gonna happen. We follow a dwarf named Doli who loves to bake. We get introduced to her friends, her parents, a new love interest, and a dragon egg she has inherited that has begun to hatch. We follow her journey as she deals with the everyday responsibilities of life and also figuring out how she is gonna take care of a dragon as a dwarf. Like I said, very cute story but a cute story stills needs an ending that makes it worthwhile. I loved reading about the pastries and the baking scenes but I felt like it was over half the book and then we finally get something happening in the last two chapters. As always, thank you Poisoned Pen Press for the earc.

A wonderful read!
This novel drew me in from the very first page and kept me hooked until the end. The characters were vibrant and relatable, the writing was engaging, and the story had just the right balance of heart and humor. Highly recommend!
Many thanks to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for my ARC. All opinions are my own.

Imagine sitting in your reading chair, while it’s autumn and raining outside. You look out your window, have some homemade cookies and some tea next to you. (Cookie recipe included btw).
If you imagined that you are in the perfect mood for that book. It’s such a cozy little fantasy, I really enjoyed reading it.
We have many mythical creatures, their daily struggles and family issues. Everything combined with a baby dragon that’s, well, best described as behaving like a toddler with ADHD- after eating all the above mentioned cookies.
I smiled a lot during reading and I absolutely recommend this book to everyone that just wants to relax and is looking for a book that’s cozy, easy to understand and is still talking about topics that everyone of us might have struggled with before.

Get the book and read it- maybe really during some nice day in autumn

Thanks to Netgalley and Poisoned pen press for the eARC!

3.5 star read. Loved the story of this book, it hooked me in about 15% into it. Really enjoy J Penner's writing style and the characters in this book

Thank you to Netgalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the ARC! I adored the first book in this series and was thrilled to return to this charming world. Doli’s story resonated with me in unexpected ways, her people-pleasing tendencies and quiet struggle to set boundaries felt deeply relatable. J. Penner captures her character’s quirks and vulnerabilities with warmth. I did find myself wishing for a bit more depth in how those emotional threads were explored and where they came from, such as with Doli’s love interest and his backstory. However, overall the prose is gentle and accessible and suits the story’s cozy tone. A lovely, quick, and thoroughly enjoyable read!

Thank you to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for a complimentary early release copy of A Fellowship of Librarians & Dragons by J. Penner.

I loved the first book in this series! A Fellowship of Bakers & Magic was a great fluffy romance book and much like that book A Fellowship of Librarians & Dragons was equally as fluffy and wholesome! I really enjoy the characters in this series and I’m happy that we are getting books that focus on each individual character. A Fellowship of Librarians & Dragons follows Doli Butterbuckle a dwarf with a sunshiny personality! I really liked her in the first book and I’m happy to follow her as a main character in this book. Doli is such a loveable character, I liked her personality and just the way she carried herself in general during the book. She had plenty of heart touching moments with her friends and the dragon that I absolutely adored.

I wasn’t too fond of the dragon egg plot line at first but once the story got to the midway point I started to enjoy it. The dragon brought in a chaotic energy that was enjoyable but not overdone until the point of annoyance. There are plenty of cute moments between the dragon and the characters that I couldn’t help but be in awe at some of the cutesy scenes. The dragon is adorable, I loved the elements that it had brought to the story and I’m really happy with how things had wrapped up for it!

The only thing I’m a little let down by is the romance in this book, there was so much potential for Doli and her love interest but I thought it felt kind of flat. The romance is more of a side plot and compared to the first book we don’t get nearly as many romance scenes or even touching quotes. In A Fellowship of Bakers & Magic I was able to really feel for Arleta and Theo, there were plenty of scenes and interactions between the two as well as so many heart touching moments. There were also a lot of good romance quotes between the characters that made me feel for the romance. I genuinely liked these characters and I could see them becoming lovers, the few scenes we get between them are cute. J Penner has a way of writing that even the tiniest of interactions stand out to me but by the end of the book I just wasn’t feeling the relationship between them.

My overall rating for this book is a four star. While the romance wasn’t for me I still found story itself and the characters enjoyable. I’m really enjoying my time with these characters, I love all the fluffy friendship moments and I’m liking the cozy vibes that these stories give. I’m also happy that we get more of Jez. She’s honestly starting to become one of my favorite characters along side Arleta! I’m excited to read the next book A Fellowship of Games & Fables which will have an Sapphic relationship between Jez and Taeyna! I’m eager to know how things will play out between these two, I think they would be a good match!

(Side Note: This book can be read as a stand-alone as events of the first book are rehashed/explained. You will have context of what happened in the first book but you will also be spoiled as to what has happened during the first book. I really recommend reading the first book A Fellowship of Bakers & Magic. The vibes and just the romance in general is really good!)

5 stars.
''𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐚 𝐠𝐢𝐟𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐚𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝 𝐲𝐨𝐮. 𝐍𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐠𝐞𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭.''
Arc review!

𓂃 𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘰𝘰𝘬 𝘪𝘴 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘪𝘯 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦:
𝖠 𝖼𝗈𝗓𝗒 𝖿𝖺𝗇𝗍𝖺𝗌𝗒 𝖺𝖻𝗈𝗎𝗍 𝖺 𝖽𝗐𝖺𝗋𝖿 𝗇𝖺𝗆𝖾𝖽 𝖣𝗈𝗅𝗂 𝗐𝗁𝗈 𝗆𝗎𝗌𝗍 𝗍𝖺𝗄𝖾 𝖼𝖺𝗋𝖾 𝗈𝖿 𝖺 𝗉𝗂𝗇𝗄 𝖻𝖺𝖻𝗒 𝖽𝗋𝖺𝗀𝗈𝗇 𝗐𝗂𝗍𝗁 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝗁𝖾𝗅𝗉 𝗈𝖿 𝗁𝖾𝗋 𝖿𝗋𝗂𝖾𝗇𝖽𝗌, 𝖺𝗅𝗅 𝗐𝗁𝗂𝗅𝖾 𝖽𝗂𝗌𝖼𝗈𝗏𝖾𝗋𝗂𝗇𝗀 𝗅𝗈𝗏𝖾 𝖺𝗅𝗈𝗇𝗀 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝗐𝖺𝗒. 𓂃

This series is the coziest of cozy! I really loved the first book in this series a lot, and somehow, I ended up loving this one even more! There's not much happening in this book plot-wise. But, even though there wasn't much happening, there was never a moment I felt bored and I never felt like I was losing interest in the story. I just loved everything about this sequel. 🌸

I loved the characters, especially Doli. I found a lot of comfort in her. She felt so real with her emotions, and I genuinely liked her personality—she’s so kind and good-hearted. She's also a book lover! Doli was my favorite character in the first book, and she remains my favorite in this one as well. And I'm happy that she got the ending she deserves! It was fun to meet new characters while also reconnecting with those from the first book. And of course, Evvy! She is the most adorable little dragon, and I love that she's pink! <3 💗

I loved to return to the whimsical setting that kinda starts feeling like a bookish home, and there are recipes included by the author at the end of the book! Thank you, author! ☕🍪

As for the romance, there isn’t a lot, but it’s just the right amount for a story like this, in my opinion. Although not much happens between Doli and Coal/Sarson on the page, the glimpses we get of their budding relationship are very sweet. The way he wraps his tail around her to keep her safe and prevent her from falling, notices her freshly painted pink nails, and compliments her makes her feel seen, loved, and genuinely happy. How he doesn't shy away from telling her how he feels about her, and they’re just so cute together! But, yes, this story is so much more than just a fantasy romance. ''A Fellowship of Librarians & Dragons'' is a story about self-discovery, self-worth, accepting yourself for just the way you are no matter what others might think of you, following your own path and dreams, about friendships, found family, magic, and love, and that all wrapped up in the most comfiest, coziest, most heartwarming bundle of joy. It makes you appreciate the little things in life, and makes you feel just so content and happy. At least, I did. 🍃

Even though there's not much negative I have to say, I do feel like we didn't get to learn much about Sarson. We get to know that he has a secret past, but we don't get to know much about it. So, that part felt a bit underdeveloped. But, still, this book is getting a 5 stars from me, the way this book made me feel outweighs that one thing faarrr more. I do hope we'll get to learn about his past in one of the other books, maybe? But, no matter what, I can't wait to read the next book in the series!

If you are thinking of reading this book, don't go into this one expecting an amazing plot with a lot of things happening, and you shouldn't expect many romantic scenes. But, what you can expect:

📚 Sequel/Part Of A Series but can be read separately
📚 Low-Stakes Cozy Fantasy
📚 Found Family
📚 No Spice, Romance between a dwarf and a gargoyle
📚 Taking care of a dragon egg > pink baby dragon
📚 Magical & Whimsical little adventure.
📚 Self-Discovery.
📚 Books, Baking & Tea.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author J. Penner and Poisoned Pen Press for this arc in exchange for my honest review!

°❀⋆.ೃ࿔.*:･𝗛𝗮𝗽𝗽𝘆 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴ⵑ ᡣ𐭩･:*.ೃ࿔.⋆❀°
ฅ^>⩊<^ ฅ𓍢📖🌷͙֒𓂃 ࣪˖- Demi ⊹ ࣪ ˖🧚🦔

Thank you Poisoned Pen Press and NetGalley for the ARC.

This is book two of a series of interconnected standalone, which is really my favorite type of series because no cliff hangers but don’t really have to say goodbye to characters I love since they continue to pop up. This book follows our favorite tea making dwarf Doli in her adventure starting over in Adenashire. The vibes are immaculate with the cozy fantasy, hot gargoyles, baby dragons and of course delicious sounding recipes.

A fun and cosy read that had me invested in the characters! Even though this was book 2 in the series it was easy to follow and keep up with the plot and how the story progressed. Will be going back to read book 1!

Read book one in the morning and book two this evening!

I love Doli but I liked Arleta’s story better. I’m glad we got to see Arleta and Theo’s relationship grow from book 1 and see how Jez, Faylin, the dads, and Taenyn have grown in Adenashire.

I think there was just a lot going on all at the same time in this one that my poor brain couldn’t keep up with… that or I just can’t focus as much with ebooks as well as I can with physical books… or maybe both.

Doli dealt with her dragon, her parents, nosey neighbors, and her gargoyle 🤭

I also thought there would be more about books in it. They had the dragon books and the bookshop but aside from her job and bringing her and Sarson together, they don’t play much of a role.

I do like that, despite this one not being as much about baking, there are still recipes at the end. I for sure can’t bake but maybe I’ll find someone to do it for me in the future.

Still a very good story and I have some theories for the next storyline but until then… break a biscuit!

I loved this book! The characters are well written with distinct personalities and believable problems. The length of the book is perfect. It lets the story roll forward without any boring bits. I also loved the cute baby dragon!

I am very quickly becoming a big fan of J.Penner. I got the opportunity to read A Fellowship of Librarians & Dragons, but before I would allow myself to dive in, I had to make sure to read the first book. The first book in the Adenashire series focused on the POV of Arleta Starstone, and her journey of independence and seeking out her dreams thru travel, forced proximity, and a magical baking competition. In this book, we get to focus on her friend, Doli and her struggle with self (discovery, acceptance, ect.) and unexpected changes in her new life in Adenashire.

While I loved the first book, the second one is my favorite of the two. I felt like there was more character development, a bit more world building, and who can go wrong with dragons?? Doli also felt very relatable with her complicated relationship between herself and her family. I also had a personal sweet spot for her relationship with her late grandmother. This book was a solid 4.5 stars, cozy, fun, at times suspenseful, and I always appreciate stories with baked goods and tea.

Thank you to Netgalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the arc of this book. A Fellowship of Librarians & Dragons is the second book in the Adenashire series. This book is from Doli's point of view. This book was a fun, heartwarming and cozy read. I read this book in one sitting. This book does have characters from the first book but could be read as a stand alone and enjoyed. Doli inherits a dragon egg from her Uncle and some chaos does ensue. This book was very enjoyable. I love forward to reading the next book in the series.

Fellowship of Librarians & Dragons is a dazzling tribute to the magic of books, friendship, and adventure. Set in a world where libraries are sacred and librarians are warriors of wisdom, the story offers a perfect blend of humor, heart, and high fantasy.

Each character, from the Archivist to the Riddle Keeper, is beautifully crafted and impossible not to root for. And the dragons? Intelligent, enigmatic, and fiercely tied to the fate of knowledge itself.

Whether you’re a fantasy lover or a bookworm, this is an unforgettable read.

The book is very light-hearted and cosy. Not much happens in terms of the plot but it's still cute and entertaining. The found family aspect is very strong and heartwarming. There is a bit of character development with the FMC, especially with her parents and trying to keep up with a baby dragon. As well as overcoming her fears when it comes to the MMC. The relationship between the two of them happens pretty quickly with no tension. It is also really well-paced so it doesn't feel like it drags on. Overall it is a rare light and refreshing fantasy read with a relatable FMC.

Received as an eARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

If you’re looking for a cozy easy read this is the one for you. I jumped in not realizing this was book two of a series but I don’t think that affected the read at all. We hear mentions of how some of the characters met in the first book during the bake off but this seemed like it was good enough to read on its own.

In short it has its fun moments. The romantic aspect of Doli and Cole seemed exciting at first but then fell flat. I’m not sure if this is how a cozy read is supposed to feel but it seemed like for how fast I was going through it there was a good amount of time where it felt like there was no progression. For example getting over 40% in after meeting Evvy and we still didn’t know much about her.

Overall a decent read to add as a breather between other series.

RATING: ⭐️⭐️💫 (rounded up)

This was a very cozy read and I enjoyed it! The story focuses on Doli, who inherits a dragon egg from her uncle. She has a bit of a strained relationship with her parents and the dragon only seems to make things worse.

I felt bad for Sarson the gargoyle as he received plenty of judgement and dislike from the town just for simply being a gargoyle. I did enjoy watching him and Doli get along together and help each other with their goals. I found Sarson's backstory very interesting.

The pacing is a bit slow at times, but overall it was a super cozy read and I enjoyed escaping into this fantasy world. I thought the unicorn stampede near the inn was unique and it made me think how majestic and chaotic a unicorn stampede must really be. Thank you to Netgalley, Poisioned Pen Press, and J. Penner for an ARC of this book. This review is my own honest opinion.