8/10

Cozy fantasy has been having its “five minutes” recently. There are a lot of titles about magical cafes or bookstores – so it’s hard to find something that could be called a real breath of fresh air. Is “A Fellowship of Bakers & Magic” some great novelty that breaks the rules of the genre? No, but in this case it is definitely an advantage.

The magical “The Great British Bake Off” is a little bit funny but still intriguing starting point, and although you can predict where the story is going, the whole thing is written in such a captivating way that all you can do is surrender to the course of events. There is humor, a bit of emotion and a lot of charm, and the addition of recipes for baked goods made by the characters is a nice “cherry on top”. I highly recommend this book – it will fill you up like the tastiest dessert.

This was a wonderful cozy fantasy. A human baker without any magic is entered in a magical bake off. Along the way, she meets Theo, Tanya, Doli, and Jez, who all become her found family. It is a book of taking chances on friendship, family, and love. 4 stars.

It’s early spring 2025, and outside life is full of strife, drama, and really horrible things. I practice daily gratitude, mindfulness, meditate, slow breathe, laugh, read, blast excellent music, exercise, talk to family and friends, go to concerts, tend to my sourdough starter, and have taken the first steps to starting an aerogarden, but I certainly have some intense moments of anxiety. I prefer to keep those moments as few and far between as possible, hence the *schedule* and my must reads of cozy fantasy/magical realism and historical romance.

*friendship

*found family

*romance

*consent

*baking, and baking competitions


Arleta was probably my least favorite character, honestly, Theo is the perfect gentleman and was fairly bland - the side characters are the ones to read for; Arleta’s adoptive dads are awesome.

I read this during early spring leisurely mornings, sipping chai tea and feeling grateful to be reading this - I enjoyed *A Fellowship of Bakers and Magic* and look forward to reading more of this series and the author.

A definite recommendation.



Thank you to Poisoned Pen Press and NetGalley for the DRC

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (5/5)

"A Fellowship of Bakers" by J. Penner is an absolute gem for anyone who appreciates the art of baking and the deep connections it fosters. This heartwarming and beautifully written story follows a diverse group of bakers who come together in a shared passion for creating delicious pastries, bread, and desserts, and in the process, they build an unbreakable bond of friendship, support, and community.

Penner's writing is rich with detail, making you feel as if you can almost taste the freshly baked goods and smell the warm, inviting aromas wafting through the kitchen. Each character is carefully developed, bringing unique personalities and stories that make their individual journeys feel personal and authentic. The way Penner explores the intersection of food and relationships is both touching and profound, reminding us that baking isn't just about following recipes—it's about nurturing creativity, tradition, and connection.

The narrative moves seamlessly between the challenges the bakers face in their craft and the personal struggles they navigate, creating a beautiful balance of lighthearted moments and deeper emotional arcs. Whether you're an experienced baker or simply someone who loves the comforting feel of a warm kitchen, this book will resonate deeply with you.

Overall, A Fellowship of Bakers is a delightful and soul-soothing read that reminds us of the power of food, friendship, and the shared joy of creating something from the heart. Highly recommend it to anyone looking for a story that nourishes both the body and the soul.

If you'll excuse the pun, this is a sweet story. It's not unexpected, there's no remarkable twists in it, but it's wholesome. I liked Arleta well enough although to be honest the side characters were much more rounded and I related to our lovely dwarf best. The orc dads were very sweet.

this book was such a fun cozy fantasy that had all the vibes of great british bake off and eddie’s million dollar cook off. what I absolutely LOVED in this book though were the side characters. From the main characters adoptive dads to the surly fennec fox friend who'd rather throw things at you than accept a compliment, they were hands down the best part of this story. I loved the animal sidekicks. I loved the best friends the main character made at the bakeoff. There was so much lovely banter and soft conversations that honestly did give me a lot of feelings. I felt like these side characters were more lovable and offered more enjoyment to me as a reader than a lot of the main characters. if you like a cozy fantasy, this is easily a book you can read in a few hours and enjoy, but i’m not sure anything about it will stick with you forever. that being said if penner continues to write stories in this world, i will definitely be back reading them all because i imagine they’ll all be just as fun as this one was. maybe next time ill bring snacks too since this book had my tummy growling the whole time.

I hope this comes across as the compliment I intend it to be: J. Penner's A Fellowship of Bakers & Magic reminds me of my all-time favorite movie from childhood: Strawberry Shortcake in Big Apple City. It's no surprise that, as an adult, cozy fantasy has become my favorite genre of book. I grew up with the cozy greats, forming found families before I'd ever even heard of that phrase. This book is a perfect addition to the cozy canon, a warm, loving, funny, sweet read, full of magic and absolutely glorious descriptions of baked goods and pastries. The number of cookies I whipped up while reading this novel! I'm not exactly sure why it was labeled as LGBTQ, besides a very minor pair of characters, but I loved it so much I didn't even mind. I've seen a lot of books compared to Great British Bake-Off over the last several years, but this is the first one that actually feels like it matches the vibe and earns the parallel.

Thank you to Poisoned Pen Press and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book and provide an honest review.

Thank you to Netgalley and the author for allowing me an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. 

I went into this book with fairly low expectations but was really pleasantly surprised! 
A Fellowship of Bakers and Magic follows our FMC Arleta as she wrestles with being a human without magic in a mostly magical world. She gets selected to take part in the legendary Baking Battle where she meets new friends and has to navigate the complications of being human in a magical competition. 

Some particular high points for me;
🥧 the found family trope is really strong. You get a fantastic range of characters and really believe their relationships
🥧 the whole premise is super cozy and comfy and that is executed really well
🥧 it’s a relatively short book with simple plot lines so it’s a really relaxing and easy read
🥧 you can tell the author has a passion for food and it comes across in beautiful writing and even recipes at the end

Some particular low points for me;
🫐 Arleta (the main character) is kind of her own worst enemy beyond the relatable realms of anxiety and self doubt. She sabotages herself at every turn in a way that becomes a tad annoying
🫐 the romance felt a bit like an afterthought, I didn’t really believe it
🫐 the pacing was slightly questionable given that only 40% of the book was about the actual main plot line

Overall I really enjoyed it and I look forward to the next in the series. I’m excited to see some of the side characters fleshed out and given back stories.

Thank you so much to the publisher Poisoned Pen Press and NetGalley for this arc! All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This is a fantastic cosy fantasy that had me hooked from the very first chapter! It was such a great autumn read, my only regret was not starting this in a cafe where I had access to some baked goods because the descriptions in here were mouthwatering. I'm a sucker for a lighthearted, cosy fantasy and this one really hit the spot.

Things I enjoyed:
- The baking competition was so fun! The pacing was also really well done, nothing felt unnecessarily drawn out but we weren't speeding through key moments either. The twists and turns of the competition also had me eager to see how our FMC Arleta would fare
- Found family trope!! I loved the friends Arleta made at the competition Doli and Jez, and of course her elf escort Theo. You also cannot forget her two overprotective orc neighbours/fathers either. I will say that the romance situation wasn't my favourite and felt quite rushed, but everyone else was great
- The world/magic system. This was so cosy and I want to know so much more about the different creatures and magics, I'm hoping that the next books in this series will expand on this point some more
- Included recipes. I will definitely be trying these and I cannot wait

Overall I had such a fun time with this one! If you enjoyed Legends and Lattes, definitely try A Fellowship of Bakers & Magic!!

I really enjoyed this story. The characters were lovable and I thought the baking companion was very well written. I also thought the recipes at the end was a great edition! The only thing that could have made this even better would have been if we were able to see more of the relationship between the love interests develop. There were multiple times where weeks would pass between chapers and we were just given a quick look back to be told that the characters had been interacting during that time but we didn't actually see those interactions enough to feel really connected to the romance aspect of the story.

Thank you to Netgally for the opportunity to review this book and leave an honest review!

Thank you to Poisoned Pen Press via Netgalley for the deluxe edition in exchange for my honest review.

Arleta Starstone is a human baker from a small village where there is elves and orcs that live among her. She makes delightful treats with apothecary herbs that make them unique. Her Orc neighbors secretly enter her into an elvish baking championship and is accepted as a contestant when a handsome elf comes to deliver her invitation and bring her back to compete.

This is a cute cozy fantasy. I loved the character development and the story was fun to read. It had enough detail it was like watching a baking show in your imagination. I loved the added story at the end about Arleta it gave more depth to her relationship with her neighbors and her parents. I am excited to continue the series and see what’s next for Arleta and her crew.

If you love fantasy worlds with elves, orcs, & fairies and baking shows or even just a cozy read this is your series!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I'll be short: I did not enjoy this. I thought I would, and I have definitely enjoyed fluffy low-stakes fantasy romances in the past.

However: this book did not advertise itself well, and I would have avoided it had I known what it contained. This book is very firmly a closed-door YA book meant for young teens, even if it contains the romance of adults. There are two, barely described, kisses on lips. There is minimal romance, and a lot of insta-love (which I hate--I want to *see* the relationship develop!). The fated mates concept is given a new spin, but the insta-love and quickly wrapped up storyline doesn't allow the romance to develop, at all.

There are "friends" of the FMC and other extra characters, but they weren't built up very well and I was quite bored by their scenes. I, in fact, rushed through the "friendship" scenes, to get to the romance scenes--which didn't really exist. So it was a wholly disappointing enterprise.

Also, I'm not a baker, so I didn't really get moved by the recipes, either. Sigh.

Finally, the FMC waffles nearly the whole book, practically going through NO character arc until the last few chapters. Very disappointing and meh.

I think young teens looking for a fated mates insta-love romance might like this. Otherwise, can't recommend it.

This books was so wholesome and cozy! Just make sure that you have plenty of snacks while reading.
I read this in a few hours as I didn’t want to put it down.
If you love baking shows and cozy fantasy you will love this book! I want to live in the world so much. The romance was so so cute too even if it was an extremely slow burn! It was worth it in the end!

A delightful cozy read!

This book is like if the Great British Bake-off met Kimberly Lemming's Mead Mishaps world, but with a lot more baking and a lot less spiciness.
It reads as a new adult book, with the FMC, Arleta, a human in her early 20s, on a journey to really find herself, her confidence, her path in life, and love.

The main characters we spend time with in the book - Arleta, the Orcs who are her surrogate dads, Theo, Doli, and Jez, make for a wonderful group of friends and over the course of the book, found family.

The book does touch on some heavier subjects, including racism (or would it be specism?) as Arleta, as a non-magical human, is often looked down upon as compared to all the other magical species around her. While we don't necessarily see the perpetrators of discrimination brought to justice, we do see how it affects Arleta.

As the first book in the series, I will keep reading. It makes for a calming read on a rainy day. If only I had Doli's ability to make tea on the spot...

Thanks to Poisoned Pen Press for the eARC; all opinions are my own.

Cosy, charming and whimsical, this first book in J. Penner's Adenashire series is perfect for those looking for a book that takes the Great British Bake Off and throws it into J, R. R. Tolkien's Middle Earth.

Arleta Starstone–first of all, what an amazing name!–is almost like the perfect main character; she's intelligent, determined, kind and generous however she is also realistically flawed. Being a human leaves her vulnerable to criticism and prejudice, despite her being so unworthy of it, and this holds her back in so many ways, allowing her to grow throughout the book by learning to chase your dreams regardless of others and that being different isn't always a negative. Her friendships with her fellow contestants and her two orc protectors as well as her romance were raw yet beautifully crafted, especially since they did not take anything from the main plotline of Arleta's place in the Langheim Baking Battle. Ending a story as beautiful as this is always tricky but I feel that everything that happened not only needed to happen but felt right, even if I had wished for something different. Wanting a character's ending to be a specific way doesn't mean it will feel right for the character's overall story but J. Penner got it bang on!

The only criticisms I have is that I wish there could have been a bit more worldbuilding and exploration into the magical creatures that inhibit this wonderous world as well as having more descriptions of the food (a major element of this book) and allowing the scenes involving food to be slower so the reader can imagine making these gorgeous recipes and seeing it before their eyes. And, perhaps, without sounding too picky, the romance could have felt more dynamic, maybe adding some extra tense moments between them could have aided this but I love the choice of keeping it slow-burn and clean (no smut) as I don't think it would have done the characters justice had smut been included.

That being said, I absolutely intend to read the rest of the books in this series as I am dying to find out how all the character's stories end and perhaps explore this world a little more.

Go ahead and give it a try as you will not be disappointed!

I really, really, really wanted to LOVE this book. I just wasn't fun for me and was more negative than fun. The food aspect was okay, I just expected more.

I absolutely loved it!
It's got everything you could possibly want from a cutesy romance fantasy book.

J Penner said "I want to host the great british bake off in the LOTR shire" and their publisher said "say less girl!" This was a lovely story to sink into- beautiful descriptive writing and very easily entertaining.

--Arleta is an easily understandable main girl with a chip on her shoulder- she is unfairly prejudiced not only in her small town but in her world at large, and she's being forced to put what she holds dearest (and is her livelihood) on the chopping block for that world to tear to shreds. I kind of wished we saw more of her nerves and anxiety in this book because it was quickly glazed over quickly but it was so human, and isn't this whole book about how being human is still magical or something? idk
--I didn't feel like, with all the beautiful writing and ideas this book included, we had any space to get to know Theo outside of "elvish mate culture." His only character traits were "plant magic" and "owns a cat." It almost felt like he was a plot device, rather than a character.
-- As for the competition, I was rolling on the floor reading how directly they ripped off gbbo (signature challenge? showstopper? come on now lol). I also would love to have seen how baking without magic was impacting her in the competition. It felt like a major point in the beginning how disadvantaged Arleta was in her work compared to bakers who used magic to support them, but we never saw any of that in the competition. Like do her competitors have magic that makes bread proof faster? can they make ingredients fresher? can they stir something with mind powers while kneading dough with their hands or something? I wanted to see it!!! And I feel like Arleta and her being human struggle would have been more compelling if she had struggled or failed a little bit onscreen- like if she had made mistakes or had mishaps in the stages of the competition and we got to see her work through them. (I also want that because I wanted more action from the competition! It was so fun but over so quickly each round!)

All in all, I just wanted more (action, character development, descriptors of bread lol) because this book was such a great start to all these ideas, and the writing is like a warm hug, but it lacked in a little bit of the follow through.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the advance review copy!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced readers copy in exchange for an honest review.

I have read this previously when it came out on Kindle Unlimited so this was a reread for me plus the additional bonus chapter from the deluxe edition!

This book makes me understand the appeal to cozy fantasy. It was adorable! Great British Bake Off meets a fantasy world with elves, orcs, and many other magical beings. I absolutely loved it.

Arleta Starstone is a fantastic baker struggling to make ends meet so she can one day open her own bakery in her hometown, Adenashire. Her very supportive orc neighbors submit some of her baked goods as an entry for The Langheim Baking Battle, unbeknownst to her, and she is admitted! Despite being human and unable to use magic in her bakes, she gets to compete against the best of the best.

The story is adorable. If you ever need a low angst, thoroughly enjoyable story with amazing friendships, found family, and tasty food, I couldn't recommend this book enough. It even comes with recipes at the end which I cannot wait to try! 

There is a bit of romance but I found it to be the weakest part. The found family and GBBO feel was just so good that the romance almost distracted from the story at times. But this was still a super cute story all around and an excellent read.

A cozy fantasy perfect for when I am missing the GBBO.

First, it isn't a direct comparison to GBBO. There are several differences in the competition, but I find it makes for a quicker read. I say this so you don't go in like me expecting it to be the same structure.

That being said, this is such a cute book. It has found family and friends, great recipes, and fun characters wrapped up in a cottage core vibe. I loved how diverse the characters were as there were different representations of sexuality and race (ie species). I especially appreciated the anxiety representation that our MFC had throughout the book. And for a cozy novel, you could see the work the author put in to show the FMCs growth as well.

The one part I found lacking was the romance. While I liked the love interest, I wasn't a fan of the method the author used for the two to get together. Which is odd, because it is something I usually enjoy. But in this case, I found it annoying and I wish their relationship could have developed differently. I also wish Theo had more personal agency in this story. I feel like he could have been better developed and fleshed out.

But overall, I found it cute and perfect for when I am in a cozy mood. I have plans to pick up the next book in the series once I am ready for my next cozy adventure.