I really enjoyed the first book of the series so I had high hopes for this read! Book 2 was cute and I loved it was about Doli! She was such a fun character in the first book. However, I did not enjoy this book compared to the first one. I know it is a cozy read, but it was a bit too boring at parts of the story that I almost DNF'd. I am hoping the third book will be good since the FMC will give black cat vibes.

A Fellowship of Librarians and Dragons by J. Penner
⭐⭐⭐.5

This was a perfectly, cozy read - The main characters are a dwarf and a Gargoyle and I LOVED that. Best part: Recipes!!!! At the of the book! That are developed and tested and loved!

4.5 stars

*Note: This is book 2 in a series.

I thoroughly enjoy cozy fantasy as a genre, and I absolutely love books and dragons, so this sounded exactly like the kind of book I'd love. I liked seeing more of Doli, and I love the whole guardian to a dragon angle. The entire main story takes place over the course of a week-ish, and it simultaneously feels meandering while other parts feel very rushed. The romance seems a little instalove, which is not my favorite, and the last three chapters seemed very, very rushed. I was expecting Evvy to be around for a while, but I guess the author didn't want to leave a loose ending.

If you want fast-paced, this is not the book for you. But if you want to enjoy a cozy story about a dwarf and a dragon with a cup of tea, definitely check this out.

Thank you to NetGalley and publisher for the opportunity to read and review.

After reading The Fellowship of Bakers and Magic, I was so excited to get started on Doli's perspective. I absolutely loved her as a side character in Book 1. While I still love Doli after reading this book, I had some major problems with the pacing in this book. In general, the pacing just felt off. Something was missing, it felt as though there were weird gaps between events and not enough polished transitions. While I was expecting low stakes, some of the higher stakes moments felt forced and rushed. I left the book feeling like it needed *more.*

On a more positive note, this book still is such a cozy read. I loved getting to learn more about Doli, her inner battles, and the ways she finally accepts who she is and creates healthy boundaries for herself. The baking made me so hungry and I finished the book full of warmth fuzzy feelings and recipe ideas for baked goods.

This was a super cute, cozy sequel to A Fellowship of Bakers and Magic. I loved Doli as a side character in the first and I loved her even more as the main character.

Perfect for fans of low-stakes, cozy fantasies. Think of the coziest anime/manga (I’m thinking of Delicious in Dungeon, and you’ve got this book.

I do love a little more action in my books, but this wasn’t pitched as that, so I didn’t expect it.

In the village of Adenashire lives a baker dwarf named Doli who spends her days imbuing cups of tea with magic and comfort for her friends. When she inherits some gifts from an uncle, Doli soon finds herself in possession of a baby dragon whose destiny is somehow tied to hers. With her parents stopping by for an unexpected visit, a new gargoyle residing in the village, and suspicious visitors lurking around town, Doli's life is about to change.

This was a cozy read but the pace was quite slow and lacked much of a plot. The characters were cute, but without having read the first book in this series, I lacked understanding of the different dynamics in their relationships. While Doli and the dragon were cute, I wish more had happened. It felt like they mostly sat around, drank tea, and ate pastries.

*** I received this book as an ARC from NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. ***

This is a sequel to a book that I have not read, so much of it was a bit lost on me. I did try tracking diwn a copy of the first book, but with little success, if I was going to get a review in in a timely fashion. But I can say that the writing is solid, the characters seem interesting, and I definitely want to read the first novel and revisit this whole series again later. Nothing terribly original or groundbreaking, but a solid book for cozy fantasy readers.

This was such a fun follow-up to A Fellowship of Bakers & Magic. I loved reuniting with the familiar baker crew and seeing how they all made the move to Arleta’s hometown after the competition. Much like the first book, this one was delightfully cozy, laugh-out-loud funny, and sprinkled with a sweet, slow-burn romance. And I have to say—this love interest was totally my type. Hunky, book-loving batboy? Yes please!

The story has the same kind of comforting charm as the Dream Harbour series (TikTok fans, you’ll know what I mean), but with a cozy fantasy twist. It’s warm, whimsical, and packed with characters you can’t help but root for. I especially loved getting a POV from all my favorite characters while also being introduced to someone new in town. Doli, Sarson, and Evvy stole my heart—but I’m already counting down the days to get grumpy old Jez’s story in book three.

Yes, some parts of the writing were a bit cheesy, but honestly? That’s part of the charm. My nickname growing up was Mouse, so you know I’m all about the cheese. This series knows exactly what it is—cozy, magical comfort reading—and it delivers that in spades.

Huge thanks to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the e-ARC in exchange for my honest opinion. I’m fully invested in this charming world and can’t wait to see where the series goes next.

This was a very cozy, low stakes read!

The positive: The world was fun and filled with a diverse cast of wonderful characters. I love that Doli had a tea based magic system. I loved the intro of Evvy and all the hijinks that followed. Doli is a very sunshine-y character, and it was good to see her realizing she can't please everyone. This is my first cozy fantasy read, and I love it! I didn't feel lost with not reading the first book.

The cons: The love did feel a little instant love-y, but that's not worst thing in my book! I also wish the ending was a bit more fleshed out - a lot happened in the final chapter or two that I wish was explored more.

Overall, I greatly enjoyed this book and would love to revisit this world again someday!

Thank you the J. Penner, Netgalley and Poisoned Pen Press/Sourcebooks for an opportunity to read this ARC. This review is left voluntarily.

🦇🦇🦇🦇
A Fellowship of Librarians & Dragons by J. Penner

This was such a cute and cozy read, a true “swing in a hammock with a cup of tea” kind of book. J. Penner continues to keep alive the inviting world in Adenashire, filled with charm, soft magic, and a lovable dwarf protagonist named Doli Butterbuckle who brews enchanted tea, adopts a dragon egg, and befriends a gargoyle named Sarson. The Deluxe Edition’s added recipes were an extra sprinkle of magic, making this feel like a full sensory experience.

The pacing was a little slow at times, and I found myself wishing for more character excitement or sharper emotional turns. Still, the heart of the story, centered on personal growth, community, and the magic of quiet resilience, shines through. Penner’s writing wraps around you like a well-worn shawl: comforting, familiar, and perfect for readers who crave cozy fantasy with a gentle narrative arc.

If you love stories that prioritize warmth over wild twists, this one’s worth a read. It may not be a fast paced, page-turner, but it’s absolutely a soul-soother.

#NetGalley #NetGalleyARC #ARC #JPenner #AFellowshipOfLibrariansAndDragons

First my thanks to Poisoned Pen Press and NetGalley for an ARC copy of this novel 🫶

Once again J Penner gives us such a fun read! I love getting to dive more into each of the characters and their stories. Fret not, she doesn’t forget our OGs, Arleta and Theo, and we get to see more of how they’ve settled in together.

A *mostly* lighthearted story of friendship, family, romance, and of course dragons; the author touches on some more heavy emotions that Doli has— but don’t worry our favorite Dwarf gets her happy ending by the time it’s all said and done!

I can’t wait to read the next book about Jez and what she gets up to!

A FELLOWSHIP OF LIBRARIANS & DRAGONS • J. Penner • Pub Date: June 3, 2025

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for an eARC of this book. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Abridged Goodreads Synopsis: This book is the sequel to A Fellowship of Bakers & Magic ("Book One"). In this story, we follow Doli Butterbuckle, one of the participants in the baking competition from Book One. Dolli is still the same lovable, people-pleasing dwarf, content with her simple tea magic and circle of friends. While it is true she’s never quite lived up to family expectations, her life is just fine...until a charming gargoyle harboring a secret strolls into her life at the same time that her parents arrive, unannounced, with an inherited dragon egg. As Doli grapples with her newfound responsibility and discovers a long-hidden side of herself, she must face an overbearing family, a sinister plot, and a mischievous pink dragon that refuses to stay out of trouble.

Oh, how I missed the whimsical land of Adenashire. It is the perfect setting for a cozy fantasy, and Book One provided us with such a great cast of characters that I was eager to pick up Book Two! However, as badly as I wanted to love this story, it just did not hit the mark for me.

Book One was low-stakes, while still incorporating adventure, competition, and good-natured fun. Unfortunately though, Book Two was not just low stakes; it was borderline boring. The story felt flat, repetitive, and largely unsatisfying. Doli's character felt superficial, resulting in the romance plot coming across as forced (almost like a weak attempt at the "instalove" troupe). Additionally, this book seemed to suffer from the "tell, not show" pitfall.

Ultimately, this book did not live up to its predecessor or my expectations. However, if you are new to the cozy fantasy genre, you might just fall in love with Doli, her adorable pink dragon, and this story of self-discovery and found family.

A Fellowship of Librarians & Dragons was an enjoyable, cozy fantasy read. It is the second book in the series but truly works as a standalone!

This book hit all the cozy fantasy boxes with found family, a wonderful cast of characters, and a tea-based magic system!

The second book focuses on Doli receiving an inherited box her late uncle sent her. Without spoiling anything, lots of adventure, shenanigans, and even some closed-door romance ensue.

While I enjoyed the cozy atmosphere and kind characters, I found myself craving a slower pace that allows readers to have more connection and depth into certain characters and plot lines.

Thanks to Poisoned Pen Press, J. Penner, and NetGalley for this eARC in exchange for my honest review!

Thank you Netgalley for this arc in exchange for an honest review.

I think I loved the first one more than this one, although Doli endeared me more.  I relate to her scatterbrained way of multitasking, like she is always so overwhelmed, kinda like me 😅 She feels everything so much all at once and that makes her an imperfect yet lovable character.  The story had its ups and downs, but overall I really enjoyed it especially the ending.  The dessert recipes at the end as always, really nice touch.  Don't read without having your sugar fix first!  I can't wait for book 3 because it's Jez's story and I think it's gonna be a sapphic love story, grumpy x sunshine or grumpy x grumpy one and ooh it's gonna be good 🙂

This was a super cosy read! I loved the magic system and was rooting for the FMC the whole time. Her friends were so good and the chosen family theme was really heart warming. However, I think the entire story fell a bit flat for me and did not make me go through the book as fast as I thought I would. I wasn’t hooked at all. Some people may love this, it wasn’t for me.

I had picked up this book because I am a librarian, and if there is “librarian” in the title, I will read it! I did not realize this was book 2 of a series, but I can say, it can be read as a stand-alone! I will eventually go back and read the first book (possibly, it is hard for me to like cozy fantasy), but I am glad you can read it by itself or in the series! Overall, I gave the book 3.5 stars, but rounded up to a 4.
Anyways, this book follows Doli who works in a book store! She was gifted a box from her uncle, which ended up having a dragon’s egg in it! The story then follows Doli and her friends through the adventures with the dragon. I feel like adventure might be too much since there really is no adventure or action, it is a cozy fantasy. I am an action book girlie, so it was a little slow for me to get into, but I did end up enjoying the book, even though it was very calm throughout most of it.
I do have to say, J. Penner adding the recipes mentioned in the book was amazing, and I will for sure be making something from this book, it all seemed so good!
Thank you to NetGalley and J. Penner for this digital advanced reader’s copy of this book in exchange for my honest review!

⭐️: 4.25
🌶️: 0

Favorite Quote:
“The strength inside your mind and body is great. It has always been there...brewing until the right time." She winked.

And the pun, all the funnier coming from the enormous, dignified being, made Doli laugh.

I’m so thankful to the author, J. Penner, and NetGalley for sending me an ARC of the Deluxe Edition of the second book in this series in exchange for an honest review.

Do you ever read a book that just feels like a warm hug? Or that cozy feeling where you’re curled up on the couch with your comfiest blanket, mug in hand with your favorite tea brewed to perfection and your furry sidekick nestled next to you on a perfect fall evening? That’s the vibe of this entire series.

We head back to Adenashire where this time we get to spend more time with Doli, the sunshine personified dwarf with tea magic and an apt for taking care of others. The whole gang is back with a few new characters especially a very nerdy and attractive but mysterious gargoyle named Sarson. Oh and a baby dragon. What’s not to love?

I really loved this book and it was exactly what I needed after the stress of an international move. I actually read it on the plane while my brave kitten was on my lap (in her carrier of course) for her first ever flight. It helped me escape reality without the stakes being so high that it stressed me out.

Doli’s parents and her relationship to them is a big part of this book as well. I always find myself proud of a FMC who finally stands up for herself especially to people who treat her a certain way “out of love”. I do wish however there had been a bit more backstory/explanation to their constant comments about how irresponsible she is. Like did she set the house on fire once because she got distracted while baking cookies? Their comments didn’t fully connect with what Doli’s character is. The same can be said for her “darker side”. I didn’t quite see a hard juxtaposition where she felt shame about it, but again, that wasn’t really the point of the story.

I loved her interactions with Sarson and how easy it was for her to relax. And how their relationship evolved in such a lovely way. I mean any man who loves books as much as he does is an automatic winner in my book. And seeing how much he cared about Evvy (the dragon) and her development was extra sweet. No hidden agenda, just a kind partner and friend.

I can’t recommend this series enough. The updated cover art is beautiful and I’ve already placed my pre-order to add it to my library.

3/5
I rated this a 3 because I can see how people would enjoy this, but it's not the genre for me, so I'm giving it a bonus star because of that.
This is a book 2, seem to be interconnected standalones
Cute, cozy, fantasy. They made overt callbacks to the previous book, but I didn’t feel that I was missing all that much by not reading it.

Baby dragon described as “clasping hands” and “making grabbing motions with hands” struck me as very odd, especially since the dragon “caught things with its back claws”. Does it just have human shaped hands in the front? Why not describe them as front claws or front paws? There are creatures in this world that have “paws” instead of hands… The badgers and the quokka for example are described as walking on two feet but having paws instead of hands…

After finishing this book, I decided that cozy fantasy is just not the genre for me. Sure, things “happened” but they didn’t really feel like they mattered? If that makes sense. I guess it would follow that since I don’t like slice of life, or settings in the modern day, that adding fantasy wouldn’t automatically mean that I would enjoy the genre. However, I do LOVE slice-of-life shojo manga, so idk… Since this is not my genre, I could be wrong, but I thought that the central focus would be on the characters and that the characters would be strong and that I’d like them, but the characters felt flat to me, and some interactions forced (especially the romance… cringy and awkward to me).

I was taken in by the cover of this one, but it’s safe to say that I will not be continuing with the series (or going back to read the first one… everything was summarized in this book so no need…). I also will not be buying physical copies.

If you like cozy fantasies with weird (and random) magical and anthropomorphized animals, then you’d like this book.

This series is always super cozy and cutesy, nothing serious some slight drama but just nice cozy fantasy vibes. I did want a bit more on Doli’s magic, the tea magic was nice but I really wanted some cool tea recipes or anything else since her magic is about this.

I also wanted more personality from Sorsen, he felt lacking to the more developed Doli. Then the ending felt rushed and I wish we got more story on the backend, since the dragon part was more interesting than parts with Doli’s parents.

Thank you to Poisoned Pen Press and NetGalley for letting me read this early copy and share my honest thoughts

After competing in the Langheim Baking Battle and making friends with the other contestants, dwarf Doli Butterbuckle decides to settle in Adenashire. She finds work at the “It’s About Tome” bookshop and shares the apartment above the shop with fellow contestant named Jez, a fennex. She settles into her new life, but something is missing. Doli left home hoping to find her place, she loves her family, but she doesn’t share their mining magic, her magic is conjuring tea and putting people at ease – things her family just don’t understand. When she receives a box from her parents, she discovers that it is an inheritance from her uncle. The box contains a necklace, a vase and a dragon egg, but it isn’t until after she opens it that Jez recalls a letter that was with the box – a letter from her parents informing her they will be arriving the next day to open the box – oops! Things just go from bad to worse, she is immediately stressed about her parents visit and to make matters worse – the egg is hatching!!

But not everything is bad, because just before her life got turned upside down, she met Saron, a gargoyle and was instantly captivated. And as luck would have it, Saron seems to know quite a bit about dragons and offers to help her. Help she is grateful for once her dragon hatches. The pink baby dragon is adorable and informs Doli that her name is Evvy and that she has chosen Doli to be her guardian. Let the adventure begin!!

This was a cute, well-written, coming of age story with wonderful characters and lots of magic. It was easy to get sucked into this book and the author did an amazing job with building the world of Adenashire. Doli was definitely the star of the show, and her story is filled with friendship, insecurity, magic, a low-key romance, personal relationships, lots of diversity, finding oneself and lots of love. I was hoping for a romantasy, but this story has a definite YA feel, however, it was a fun read, and I am looking forward to reading the first book in the series while waiting for the next installment.

*I am voluntarily leaving a review for an eARC that I requested and was provided to me by the publisher/author. All opinions in this review are my own. *