A Fellowship of Librarians & Dragons by J. Penner is the 2nd book along with A fellowship of bakers and magic!

This lovely book focuses on the main character who practices Tea magic (how cool is this tho!) Though her life gets turned quickly into a whirlwind when her parents arrive back home with a dragon egg...and a strange gargoyle.

Her life is turned upside down figuring out who she is, and family pressures while navigating raising a dragon.

J. Penner creates a world of self discovery through this book, and places the importance of having a community in our lives to help us grow and develop courage to embrace ourselves.

Overall, I really liked this book with its cosy reading style, plot about self discovery and growth and the amazing characters that came to life ❤️

This just as the first one was such a fast paced, feel-good cozy fantasy romance! Doli is a dwarf that has to suddenly take care of a baby dragon, and although all her friends try to help her only the new gargoyle in town has the knowledge to do so. But is he hiding something? And why did Evvy end up with Doli? I loved the two MCs!And just as the first one I liked that the romance was a subplot as it focused more on Doli’s relationship with her little dragon Evvy. Again I cannot wait to get the sequel, I need it right now especially knowing it focuses on Jez that has a very similar personality to me. Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for an e-arc copy in exchange for an honest review.

J Penner’s books have all the delightful elements of a cozy fantasy: baked goods, bookstores, mythical creatures, and the best of friends who become found family.

In this second book of the series, I really enjoyed Doli’s character growth and how she had to overcome her people-pleasing tendencies. And I loved her bond with her dragon Evvy.

My only quibble is that it was almost TOO low stakes and calm for awhile, and all the action happened very quickly right at the end.

I will absolutely keep reading this series! When the first one came out and was published independently, I asked both my libraries to order it, and they did. I am thrilled every time I think about more people getting to read about magical baking shows and delightful dragons. I am thrilled this book was picked up by a publisher so more readers will find it!

I find that cozy mysteries fall into two categories. The first type are books that are cozy, fun reads with an interesting plot, well developed characters, and actual stakes. The second type are stereotypical drivel with characters and a world primarily built around stereotypes, and no worthwhile plot. Unfortunately, this book fell into the latter type.

The plot, what little there is, centers around a dwarf named Doli (I guess it’s not cozy if it’s not alliterative) who works in a bookshop and makes tea (of course). She lives in a small town where every person you meet is a different fantasy race - an orc, an elf, a centaur, a fennex, even a talking badger. One day a gargoyle named Sarson comes into town and Doli thinks he’s cute and eventually you’ll get a “…” style interspecies romance moment. *Sigh* The main drama in the book centers around Doli receiving a dragon egg from a dead Uncle, which immediately hatches upon her touching it. I’m sure you’ll be excited for a dragon to appear, but don’t be fooled. Not only is the dragon basically just a little cat-imp creature with wings, but an adult dragon shows up at the end and proceeds to make puns. Kill me.

A sub-plot around Doli’s parents unexpectedly coming to visit soon goes nowhere as one two page conversation about respecting people and their boundaries solves all the problem ever faced by their family. I’m sure other things happened, but none of it is genuinely enough to keep your interest and you can certainly skip huge chunks of the book without actually missing anything.

Ultimately the main problem with this book is that the author has taken the sub-genre of cozy fantasy and assumed that no stakes, no world building, no character building nonsense will appease readers. Definitely not the case for me. Save yourself and skip this book.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

3.5 stars

This book was SO MUCH BETTER than the first! You can really see how much the author has grown and I love that and have no doubt that each book following will be better than the previous.

This was such a fun and cozy slice of life story. I definitely preferred Doli as a main character to Arleta- who I found quite annoying in book one. Doli had some great character development and I just adore her relationship with Sarson. Evvy the dragon was adorable and food obsessed a dragon after my own heart.

Things I liked:
Found family
Familiar characters
Cozy vibes
Small town
Low stakes
DRAGON

Some things I didn't like:
The confrontation conversation with her parents to go way too smoothly/easily after all that build up.
Why was everyone constantly pinning their lips?
I'm assuming it was a joke hearing about how much everyone was talking about the unicorn stampede but never actually telling the reader what was going on with that, b ut I didn't find it amusing, but annoying. Either tell the story or drop it.

I loved this book just as much as the first one. Still has that cozy fantasy and that desire of wanting to bake everything they made.

The reason why I gave it a 4 star: I felt like there wasn’t enough interaction between Doli and her parents for me to feel that strange relationship between them. Even when she finally opened up to her parents I wish there was more of a bounding time and a start of a new relationship between them, instead of her going home to read on her parents last day.

However, I will most definitely be rereading this book again and trying these amazing recipes!!

Not my usual read, but I was drawn in by the stunning cover and the promise of cosy, whimsical fantasy—and on that front, this book absolutely delivers.

Set in the magical town of Adenashire, the story follows Doli Butterbuckle—a sunshine dwarf, people-pleaser, and tea-magic aficionado—whose quiet life is upended when she inherits a dragon egg and her overbearing parents arrive unannounced. Add in a charming gargoyle with a mysterious past, a mischievous baby dragon, and a loyal circle of friends, and you have a lighthearted, feel-good adventure steeped in warmth and found family vibes.

This is the second book in the Adenashire series, but I had no trouble reading it as a standalone.

While I really enjoyed the cosy, Hallmark-esque world-building (orcs, dragons, gargoyles, and all), I found the pacing a bit uneven. The first two-thirds of the book meandered and felt a little repetitive, while the final few chapters suddenly rushed through the action. Several intriguing threads—Doli’s relationship with her parents, Sarson’s backstory, and the slow-burn romance—were introduced but never fully explored.

Worth noting: this is a no-spice romance, which fits the cosy tone, but may be helpful for some readers to know going in.

Overall, this is a sweet, comforting read that will appeal to fans of gentle fantasy, magical tea, and stories about embracing who you truly are—even if that means raising a chaotic dragon on your own terms.

Thank you to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Super cozy fantasy. Normally I don’t like cozy stories because they seem boring and super slow paced. But this one I enjoyed. The characters were realistic and not stereotypical. I loved the main characters being different types of creatures (dwarf, gargoyle, fox, etc.) and if I were ever in a cozy happy fantasy story I’d like to be in this one. Also, there are recipes at the end! I’ve never had a fantasy book give me recipes before and I love it! It’s a nice touch.

Thank you to Netgalley and the author for providing me with an earc in exchange for an honest review. This book comes out June 3rd.

I enjoyed this book. Cozy, fun. However I didn't enjoy it as much as the first book as nothing major happens till like middle of the book. I prefer if something happened already at the beginning. I still loved this book

This short, cozy fantasy had everything I wanted and more. Mythical creatures, magic, found family, mouthwatering baked goods, romance and an FMC, Doli, who is the sunshine in all of her friends’ lives, but is struggling with her own internal battles. Doli, a tea magic-wielding dwarf, has left her hometown of Dundes Heights in search of a happier, more fulfilling life indulging in the things she loves – especially books. She is employed at the town’s bookshop and rents the apartment above it with her fennec friend, Jez. Fate happens upon her doorstop not once, but twice, when an unexpected delivery arrives not long before a handsome gargoyle named Sarson sweeps her off her feet (literally). I appreciated the diverse array of characters and creatures in this story; it helped me feel truly immersed in the world of Adenashire. Evvy’s antics were so much fun to imagine as was watching the bond between her and Doli grow. I also love love love a grumpy-sunshine friendship so naturally I adored Jez and Doli’s relationship. All of Doli’s friends are incredibly supportive, kind and interesting, but seeing Jez come around to not only Evvy, but Sarson too, was heartwarming. And the romance between Doli and Sarson was so sweet I swear my teeth were aching by the time I finished reading. I’d definitely pick this up again and recommend to those who just want to escape into a happy, cozy place for a little while.

A whimsical, clever tale that celebrates books and bravery. The humor was spot on, and the found family vibe was heartwarming. Great pacing and fun references for book lovers.

I went into this book not having read the earlier books, and now I have to go back and read them all! After a few darker books, this was the ultimate palate cleanser. I loved how wholesome and cosy it was. Cant wait to read them all!

3,5⭐️

First of all, thank you very much to J. Penner, Poisoned Pen Press (Sourcebooks, Inc) and NetGalley for giving me the access to the ARC.

Such a cozy reading this was! This fantasy book is so beautifully written, all the details about the scenery, the rich and diverse characters…an absolute must read!
Had a lovely time following Doli’s journey through Adenashire, watching her discovering herself whilst meeting new people and finding her love! Her kind soul made me feel so joyful, like…a lot of times I truly wished I could have hug her!I adored the way the author connected Doli’s self discovery journey to the dragon egg development, it gave the story a very special meaning, imo!

If you’re looking for some fantasy cozy reading, with characters diversity, a strong and lovely FMC and good amount of laughs I 100% recommend this book. I had such a great time reading it and my heart was so filled with happiness!

This second installment of this series was just as cozy as the first, and the reader gets to go even deeper into the town of Adenashire. I love the new character of Sarson and he and Doli's relationship. I felt the ending was a little abrupt, but I loved the arrival of the dragons.

This is a perfect lighthearted summertime read. It can easily be read in a day or a weekend. If you need a fast-paced, cozy book to up your book count towards your yearly goal, this series is perfect. I cannot wait to continue on with it.

Absolutely lovely story about a dwarf who wields tea magic (I want this magic myself, oh my goodness) and her adventures in trying to care for a newly hatched dragon. I adored Doli and all her friends; their friendship is so sweet, and I loved how supportive they were as she struggled to juggle Evvy, her parents' unexpected visit, and a blossoming romance with a very sweet gargoyle. This was a delight to read, and I'll definitely be adding the other books in the series to my TBR pile!

This book focuses on Doli and her wonderful tea magic. I mentioned this in my review of the first book but this would be my dream power. To be able to conjure up a warming cup of any tea I could imagine? Yes please 😍

We see Doli deal with the visit of her overbearing parents, who are dying for her to return home and work in the family gem business whilst juggling a magical gift left to her by her uncle and a potential gargoyle love interest.

Which leads me on to Evvy, what an adorable creature 🥹.
The bond between her and Doli was so powerful that I almost teared up at the end.

I like that the story has a lot of references to the events that take place in the first book so you don’t forget anything. This was great at continuing character building and development.

I do feel that the ending was quite abrupt and it wrapped things up very quickly. It would have been nice to see a bit more relationship building between Doli and Sarson.

Nevertheless, this was a beautiful low stakes cosy fantasy read that had me craving baked goods all the way through.

I am looking forward to the third book ✨💕

Such a cosy, whimsical romantic read! This book has feel good vibes all the way through! Love the dash of romance and the gorgeous works of this writer!

“A fellowship of the librarian and dragon” is low stake, cosy fantasy about a librarian dwarf and her found family as they navigate a rather unique inheritance she receives from her lost uncle.

While the plot was rather minimal, I feel like the characters were, in the same fashion, barely sketched and flashed out. Which made the mood feel tremendously bland and flat. I understand the low stakes, but to write a book where nothing happens? What’s the point?
And something does happen towards the 75% mark, mind you. But again, this tiny piece of action is so brief and barely there that if you blank out for a second, you might miss it.

The premise of the romance was cute, the shortie ball of sunshine with the stoic and closed off gargoyle? Cute, right? If only it was given the proper time to develop and flashed out in a way that felt natural…

All in all the book had potential but I feel it didn’t live up to it which meant that it was an underwhelming read and one I wouldn’t honestly recommend.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the advance reader's copy of the book. Loved this book. So far I'm just loving this series. Doli is my favorite character and I love that she had her own book. Loved the dragons and the gargoyle. Love that the world building just keeps coming and it's subtle almost. Cannot wait for the next book.

Penner is a fun writer, and I enjoy her cozy fantasies! Picking up after the events of “A Fellowship of Bakers and Magic,” “A Fellowship of Librarians and Dragons” follows another baker, Doli, and she settles into Adenashire and grapples with what she’s inherited from her family, both physics goods and mental patterns. Meanwhile, mysterious gargoyle has settled in the town with a fabulous library and a helping hand for Doli.
The characters are relatable, and the recipes are divine! I enjoyed the cozy feel of the town, and the general kindness which surrounds our main characters even when not every single person is super nice. There was enough intrigued to keep me engaged, coziness overall, an excellent read with a cup of tea on a rainy day.