Cozies aren't my typical genre of preference, but I was charmed by Arleta and enjoyed the whole cast of characters and the bake off. This story was lighthearted in the best way. I think that this author's books are only going to get better and look forward to their next book.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for letting me read this book early.

I rated this book 3.5 stars.

If you like books like Legends and Lattes and enjoy The Great British Bake Off you will like this book.
The descriptions of the bakes throughout this book was wonderful and made me hungry 😁 It was very low stakes, the major conflict being with the main character Arleta’s own insecurities and doubts.
The cast of characters in this book were also very delightful and each had a very different personality that all blended well together.
I finished this book in 4 days.
If you need a light hearted, low/no stakes, palette cleanser book this is a good one to try.

ARC provided by NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press in exchange for my honest review.

3 stars
I enjoyed this book, it was quite a quick read that was very cozy.
It has a stunning cover, and contains a baking competition, mythical creatures, magcial friendships and a lot of cozy and feelgood vibes.

'She might only be human, but at least her baked goods tasted magical.'

This was SUPER cute and cosy. The most wholesome read for the moments of wanted low key downtime. Arleta's adventure from the small town of Adenashire to the wide world of baking was a joy to journey on, and I absolutely LIVED for the moments of self discovery, found family, romance and magical baking! Picture orcs for neighbours, an elf for a romantic interest, and dwarf as a best friend.

My favourite moments largely centred around the development of Arleta, Doli and Jez's friendship at the baking contest. Admixed with the mouthwatering descriptions of tasty cakes, cookies and lemon bars were moments of girlhood, vulnerability and the formation of an unlikely family. Each chapter leaves you feeling light, warm and cosy.

While the story was very much surface level, I feel it wasn't ever meant to be anything than a lighthearted magical journey. Likened to the Spellshop by Sarah Beth Durst.

As a bonus, the recipes of the baked goods described during the book are included at the end!!

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read this e-ARC

God, I love cosy fantasy.

This review may contain spoilers!
Thanks to Netgalley and the author for this ARC 🥰

This has:
- Found family
- Baking competition?? (The day I don't love a food related cosy fantasy I am probably dead)
- Femme friendships and love
- Understanding some toxic people aren't really toxic

Arleta's parents died when she was very young, and ever since she has been trying to find her own way in the world through her baking, to make them proud. Then her next door neighbour enters her into a prestigious baking competition that turns her world upside down in the best way possible.

Look, I adore a found family trope. But I absolutely adored how some of Arleta's found family was already there, she just had to let them be! As well as the family found along the way. It was a gorgeous tale of letting yourself be loved, and accepting help. I also really loved how empathetic Arleta is. She kept finding herself in bad positions with a certain other baker, yet she always continued to see her point of view.

There was a romance subplot but in honesty, I would have preferred it without it. It wasn't necessarily bad but if it was taken out, or even if he (I can't actually remember his name right now) was just a friend that was also a part of the found family, I would probably have given it 5* as it felt like a needless addition to me.

Overall though I loved this read and am off to request #2 which I'm really hoping is Jez and Doli romance?! 🤞

A cute cozy fantasy that inspired me to watch The Great British Bake Off. Not high on plot but adored the world, characters and vibes

Thank you, Netgalley, for a copy of this book. This is my honest opinion.

Read this book if you like:
□ found family
□ pastries
□ fantasy species (elves, orcs, dwarves etc.)
□ competitions
□ fated mates

This is such a cozy, feel-good story. It kinda reminds me of Legends & Lattes.

How the FMC goes on the road for the first in forever to participate in a baker competition and follows her dreams... it's so heartwarming. Along with a handsome woodland elf, the non-magical human arrives at her destination and meets various fantasy species. It's a totally different world, only the beginning of a fantastic adventure.

If only I could dive into this story and taste the FMC's pastries. Every pastry is explained so detailed, and it made me drool most of the time. She deserves her own bakery!

I loved seeing the FMC opening up herself to other people and even forming strong friendships. And the romance in the book is so precious.

At the end of the book, there are three recipes of the pastries mentioned throughout the story. I'm definitely going to try them!

The start of Arleta's story stresses me out. She's a human with no wizard ability in a world that looks down on the nonmagical. She's also chronically late to things. Thankfully once the baking competition gets underway her punctuality ceases to be an issue.

The baking competition resembles The Great British Baking Show, with signature bakes and technical challenges. The Baking Battle isn't as cozy, though there are no rules against friends lending each other a hand... Arleta's main competitors are a friendly dwarf, a grumpy fox woman, and an elf who's already won two previous Baking Battles.

And then there's that handsome man pictured on the cover. He's very helpful and sometimes a bit distracting. Arleta needs to focus on the perfect bakes, so let's just put him on low heat for a slow burn romance.

Book Review 📚💖👩🏻‍🍳

A Fellowship of Bakers & Magic (book 1 of 4)
By @jpennerauthor
Publisher @poisonedpenpress
Releases April 15th 2025

Thank you @netgalley and @poisonedpenpress for this arc!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

Blurb:
“She doesn’t need to have magic in order to be magic…

In the heart of Adenashire, where elfish enchantments and dwarven delights rule, human baker Arleta Starstone works twice as hard at perfecting her unique blend of baking with apothecary herbs. So, when her orc neighbor (and biggest fan) secretly enters her creations into the prestigious Langheim Baking Battle, Arleta faces a dilemma. Being magicless, her participation in the competition could draw more scowls than smiles. And if Arleta wants to prove her talent and establish her culinary reputation, she’ll need more than just her pastry craft to sweeten the odds.

Though Arleta may not yet believe in herself, she makes her way to Langheim—with the help of a very attractive woodland elf—and competes. While on a journey of mouthwatering pastries, self-discovery, heartwarming friendships, and potential romance, Arleta will have to decide whether winning the Baking Battle is the true prize after all. But win or lose, her adventure is only beginning…”

My thoughts 💭
This was an adorable and quick read! The story is sweet, the characters diverse and lovable. Great mix of fantasy and found family. While there are undertones of romance, this is definitely not a romantasy and there is no spice. (Yearning and flirting but no actual action besides a kiss I believe).
This book had me smiling and wanting to read faster to see how the competition ended. I found myself relating at times to Arleta. Great first book to a series, I wish it had been a but longer. I will definitely be reading the rest as they are released!

#netgalley #poisonedpenpress #jpennerauthor #afellowshipofbakersandmagic #bookreview #bookarc #aprilrelease #bookrelease #bookseries #fantasybook #fatedmates #competition

A cozy fantasy filled with warm vibes, mouthwatering baking, and charming side characters. The food descriptions were next-level—I was constantly hungry while reading. While I didn’t totally click with the main character, the side cast (shoutout to the orc dads and fennec fox friend) totally stole the show. The ending felt a little rushed and some of the emotional arcs could’ve used more time to breathe, but overall, it was a sweet and easy read. If you’re in the mood for cozy vibes, magical bakes, and soft found-family moments, this one’s worth checking out.

This was so cozy and relaxing to read. Remember my three star reads are definitely recommended read to people that love the genre they are about. I loved the map and the recipes that were definitely fun addition to the story.

Now this was not quite to my top reads because I didn’t feel connected to the main character. The plot was predictable which is fine for a cozy book like this but don’t expect big twist in the plot.

Recommended to any cozy fantasy readers.

Thank you Sourcebooks for providing this book for review consideration via @netgalley. All opinions are my own.

The Fellowship of Bakers and Magic is a story as charming as it’s title. While reading this I felt as cozy as it promises, just like if I were watching The Great British Baking Show. There were all sorts of magical creatures, a love story, and various low stakes drama. I enjoyed it enough that I will want to continue the series. Do not skip the bonus chapter after the epilogue - I loved it.

Thank you to Poisoned Pen Press for the ARC!

This book COULD have been a five star read, easily. The concept is so cozy and the vibes were fantastic. Great British Bake Off but make it a cozy fantasy with elves and orcs? Yes. Immediately yes.

I still really enjoyed it. The setting was perfect and the side characters complemented the story. I struggled with the main character. Is she magicless? Yes. How do I know? She says it every other sentence. Her feelings gave me whiplash and her indecision had me putting my kindle down and rubbing my face more times than I could count.

If she would have just… made a decision without the back and forth in EVERY SINGLE chapter, I would have given this five stars. I do want to read the next installment because Dolli is perfect!

Thank you first for ARC copy! This was a delightfully cozy read! Fans of Legends and Lattes will have an amazing time with this one. Beware though, it’s gonna make you hungry! I think I wanted to try every single treat in this book, but especially those raspberry thyme cookies!

I ate this cozy fantasy up! It reminded me of the uplifting feeling I had while reading Legends & Lattes. As someone whose comfort shows include The Great British Bake Off and Gilmore Girls, this was exactly what I needed during the transition from winter into spring. It had that welcomed fairytale predictability. It’s a gentle, heartwarming story that wraps you in comfort.
There’s a sweet romance, but the true standout was the friendships Arletta forms during the magical baking competition. Her bond with her kind, neighborly orc father figures was touching enough, but once she enters the competition, she meets a cast of whimsical, supportive characters who cheer her on as she strives to become the best baker she can be, despite being a non-magical human in a world of magic.
This was the perfect easy, palate-cleansing read after some heavier books. I’d recommend it to anyone looking for something feel-good, low-stakes, and soothing. It is a great brain break when you need a bit of joy. The ending especially tugged at my heartstrings, bringing together a found family of former strangers, rivals, and unlikely friends. I adored every minute of it.

Everyone stop what you are doing and go read this book RIGHT NOW! This was the cutest book I have read in such a long time. If you are a fan of The Great British Bake Off and you love fantasy, you absolutely MUST read this book. This has become an automatic comfort read!

Arleta is magicless, but she is certainly not without magic. When she finds herself entered in a baking competition against those who are magical, the only thing she can do is prove her worth with her baking. And boy, does she ever! At the surface, this book is about a human in a magical baking competition. At its core, it’s about fast friendships, love, grief and healing, pursuing your dreams, and finding your own magic. The only thing wrong with this book is that it ended.

✨This ARC was provided by Poisoned Pen Press via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.✨

I absolutely adored this super cosy fantasy. Fans of Travis Baldree's legends and lattes will love this take of a human baker competing in a baking contest for magical beings.
The characters were delightful including the supporting cast of characters the fantasy world well written and the story compelling enough to make me want to continue the series.

Thank you to Poisoned Pen Press and NetGalley for the eARC!
This was so magical and cozy! I loved the baking element and the descriptions of food. It takes a lot of talent to describe food so vividly and J. Penner certainly has that talent! The relationship was also cute, although it had fairly minimal development. Overall this was a cute and cozy read!

✨ Review: Bakers & Magic by J. Penner
Rating: 3 stars ⭐⭐⭐

A Fellowship of Bakers & Magic serves up a cozy, whimsical story filled with herbs, hope, and baked goods. 🧁 It’s a sweet blend of fantasy and food—a human, a fennex (a fox-like woman), and a dwarf in a magical bake-off 🍰🧝‍♀️🧙‍♂️ plus a cute love interest sounds like the perfect recipe for a charming adventure. And in many ways, it is.

The strongest ingredient in this tale is definitely the baking. The descriptions of pastries and herbal infusions were mouthwatering and comforting. 🥐✨ Arleta’s journey as a magicless human in a magical world had its emotional moments—especially when facing prejudice. But it was never deeply explored, and I wish that part of her arc had gone further.

One recurring theme was Arleta’s self-doubt—so much of it that it started to annoy me. Quotes like:
“No magic runs in my blood. That I am less.”
“Theo should not travel this path with her. She was a magicless human, and one with a propensity toward chaos.”
highlighted her insecurity—but they came up again and again. I found myself frustrated that she couldn’t see her own worth for so long. I wanted her to step into her power earlier and believe in herself.

That said, I appreciated the themes—self-worth, chosen family, and defying tradition—but the plot felt predictable at times. The romance didn’t quite sweep me off my feet. Even sweet moments didn’t really hit the emotional depth I hoped for. I wanted to feel something more, but the spark just didn’t ignite for me.

That said, the book is a relaxing read—easy to follow, filled with light banter, and sprinkled with wholesome moments (and literal sugar). 🍪 If you’re in the mood for a comforting, low-stakes fantasy filled with baked goods, sweet friendships, and just a touch of magic, this might be the right flavor for you. 🍰✨

Tropes you’ll find:
🍰 Magical Baking Competition
💕 Fated Mates
🧙‍♀️ Magicless in a Magical World
🐾 Found Family
🌱 Grumpy/Sunshine-ish friendship
🏡 Small Town Fantasy

CUTE GREAT BRITISH BAKE OFF VIBES BUT THE ROMANCE WAS LACKING

As a GBBO fan, the cozy baking vibes were great. However, I found the romance lacking.

What I liked

👍GBBO:The cozy baking vibes were great, I enjoyed the competition and the description of all the baking and the cakes, of course.

👍Side characters: My favourite characters were, without a doubt, Doli and Jez. They brought a lot of personality to the story, which I felt was lacking from the main characters.

What I didn't like:

👎Arleta: I found Arleta flat and boring, nothing relatable or likable.

👎Chemistry: For me there was no discernable chemistry between Arleta and Theo. They had very few interactions, and hardly any romantic ones.

👎Theo: On the subject of Theo, he bored me as well...

👎Ending: Such a rushed ending that didn't feel genuine or believable, even for a fantasy book.