This is undoubtedly one of the coziest, most adorable books I have ever read. Magical creatures, a baking contest, and a good-looking Elf MMC, who, in my mind, was Legolas. It was such a perfect escapism from this crazy human world I currently reside in and I would love to find a portal and transport to this world immediately.
What to expect:
Magical world
Baking Contest
Trials
Adorable love story
Found Family

Thank you so much to Poisoned Pen Press for my EARC.

This was so cute! I loved "the great british bake-off" vibes along with a cozy romance and the fantasy elements.

The recipes at the end were such a delightful touch, I may actually have to try and bake them.

Oh, this book. THIS. BOOK. J. Penner has skyrocketed to the top of my auto-buy authors list, for sure. A Fellowship of Bakers and Magic gave very similar vibes to The Spellshop, which is one of the best cozy fantasy books of all time! The rest of the books in the Adenashire series cannot come soon enough. The world needs more books like this one. I am so grateful to have received an advanced copy of this book. Thank you, NetGalley!

3.5 stars rounded up

I think this is pretty fun and cozy, if you like Legends & Lattes, you’ll probably like this, the vibes are pretty similar. I really enjoyed the recipes at the end of the book and I look forward to other books in the series.

But I (personally) didn’t really care about the romance between Arleta and Theo, I would have had all that cut so we could have more of the Baking Battle which we don’t really get to until about halfway through the book. I also just generally felt like Arleta was a very kind of mopey character for most of the book and then out of nowhere she does a 180 at the end.

Not my most favorite cozy fantasy but it’s definitely a contender.

Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I have been reading a lot of tragic books lately, but it was very nice to read a book that was short and sweet. Everything about A Fellowship of Bakers and Magic was perfection. From the beautiful descriptions of food, to the found family, and the utterly adorable romance. This was a wonderful read. Arleta is a fantastic main character that I loved following on her journey towards finding her true identity and falling in love. Arleta is a human living in a magical world. When she is suddenly thrown into a British baking show type competition she begins to realize that all the things she has been told about humans not having talent in the baking world were lies. Gaining friendships and the confidence to find her flavor of life was such an enjoyable experience. Theo are main male character was confident and wonderful, giving her the opportunity and encouragement she needed to be her best. This is the perfect cozy book to read on a rainy day. It is not too long and wonderful detailed. It will make you want to eat scones and drink tea.

So cute and fun! The perfect cozy little book with tropes of found family and fated mates. Highly recommend

A Fellowship of Bakers & Magic
by J. Penner
Pub Date: Apr 15 2025

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…

What a delight! A Fellowship of Bakers and Magic was the Great British Bake Off magical edition. Everything I look for in a cozy read and in a fantasy, plus there's baking. What's not to love?


Arleta is a good person, but she is stubborn to a fault. She's let fear and prejudice dictate a lot of her life. Hurt by life and circumstances, she has her guard up, even against those who've always been in her corner. It was frustrating at times, but overall I liked her. Besides Arleta, there was this wonderful cast of characters. Theo was the kindest elf I have ever met. A dwarf with a bright personality and even a grumpy fox, plus many more great personalities.


To quote Despicable Me, "It's so fluffy!" This was a lighthearted read with just enough angst (the romance kind and otherwise) to keep things exciting. The journey to the baking battle was a little bit of an adventure. Then there was the baking itself. The competition was tight, and the pressure was on. The story was so incredibly detailed, it was just like watching my favorite series. There were events from dinners to balls, and let's not forget the actual competition set inside a lush castle. Things were a little low-risk until that twist.


What a good read! I loved everything about A Fellowship of Bakers and Magic, especially the ending. I'm looking forward to more series from Adenashire.

If you’re a fan of Travis Baldree’s fantasy novels, such as Legends & Lattes, you’ll want to try J. Penner’s A Fellowship of Bakers & Magic.

Arleta Starstone is a human, a baker who sells her goods at the local market in Adenashire. But, since she has no magic in a land that reveres magic, she’s not at all respected. But, the two orcs who live next door, and took her under their care when her parents died when she was sixteen, love her. And, they adore her baked goods. But, when Ervash enters her in the annual Langheim Baking Battle, she’s shocked, and wants to refuse. She has no magical talent to bring to the competition.

When Theodmon Brylar, an elf, shows up with an invitation to the baking battle, she’s reluctant to travel with him. But, between Theo and the orcs, she feels compelled to travel to the battle and compete.

While Arleta feels strangely attracted to Theo, she knows her priority is to bake for the battle while trying to hide that she’s a human in a world of elves, dwarves, ogres, orcs, and magic. But, her feelings for Theo continue to get in her way, although as an elf, he’s “fated” to be with someone. Between baking, and her two new friends, competitors in the battle, Arleta tries to block her feelings.

Penner combines adventure, romance, and baking in the story of a young woman who realizes all her feelings, friendships, and baking have come together as part of her life journey.

A Fellowship of Bakers & Magic is a delightful story of a young woman finding her place in life. I have the feeling this might just be the first in a series that focuses on Arleta and her new friends. I hope so.

Recipe for a perfect cozy fantasy:
-a spoonful of an endearing main character
-a cup of quirky and oh so loveable side characters
-a dash of handsome, kind, gentlemanly love interest
-a sprinkle of baking
-a pinch of heartwarming lessons
-a teaspoon of low-stakes but relevant conflict
-a little dash of magic 😉

This was honestly so wholesome, heartwarming, beautiful, and just what I needed to lift my spirits. Exceptional cozy fantasy!!!

A Fellowship of Bakers & Magic – A Heartfelt, Cozy Delight

I went into this book with no expectations—drawn in simply by the charming title and whimsical blurb, thinking it would be a quick, light read. What I found instead was a warm hug in book form: a story brimming with comfort, magic, and the kind of sweetness that lingers long after the last page.

Set in the enchanting town of Adenashire—a peaceful, cozy place filled with magical beings like elves, orcs, dwarves, and more—this story follows Arleta Starstone, a human with no magical powers, but with a rare and extraordinary gift for baking. In a world where magic sets most people apart, Arleta's talent lies in the comforting, soul-stirring power of her pastries.

When her orc neighbor secretly enters her into the prestigious Elven Baking Battle, Arleta embarks on a journey that is equal parts self-discovery, healing, and joy. Through the trials and triumphs of the competition, she learns to believe in herself, navigates grief with grace, and opens her heart to both friendship and love—no spells required.

The story is sprinkled with delightful characters, sweet moments, and mouthwatering descriptions of desserts that had me seriously considering a baking spree of my own (especially with those lovely recipes included at the end!).

I devoured this book in a single sitting. It was that lovely. Wholesome, charming, and full of heart, it’s a reminder that not all fantasy has to be about war or darkness—sometimes it’s about community, quiet courage, and the simple magic of flour, sugar, and love.

Big thanks to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the delicious ARC. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got some baking to do…

thank you to netgalley and the publisher for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review!

a fellowship of bakers & magic is a cozy fantasy about one woman finding her confidence and support from the people around her. arleta is a woman who tragically lost her parents when she was younger, and has been struggling to get by all on her own. when she receives an invitation to the biggest baking battle in the land, she must find her place in the world and fight to stay there.

plot: this is your typical cozy fantasy with romance and friendship and overcoming adversity. it has its ups and downs, allowing the reader to follow arleta as she works hard to make her dreams come true. while the plot is predictable, i did enjoy how the ending of the competition turned out, as it was not entirely what i was expecting. i also loved reading all the baking imagery and descriptions. the main magic of this story lies in the baking, and does an excellent job at making readers hungry for a sweet treat!

characters:
arleta starstone: there's a difference between having a stubborn character, and making one too stubborn. i believe that arleta falls into the latter. i can understand her hesitation and reluctance to strive for more, as she has had to fight twice as hard to stand among others. however, i think i would have liked her a lot more if there was just a little less refusal to change or accept change.
side characters: the friends arleta makes while competing are lovely. doli and jez are interesting characters, and i wish we had gotten to see them more!

overall: a cozy fantasy that stays within the norms of the genre, spreading the magic of friendship and love alongside delicious baking imagery. this was cute, cozy, and anyone who enjoys the cozy fantasy genre will definitely enjoy this.

I'm not usually one for cozy fantasy (I typically like more conflict and peril in my fiction,) but I think that I actually really needed to read this book right now. So much stress and fear in the world and in my own life that it was important I take a break and just enjoy a lovely story with loveable characters and truly delightful desserts.
AND. AND!
The recipes for the treats made in the story are in the back of the book! I can make those lemon bars that made my mouth water.

Finished this book in a few hours! Such a cozy fantasy book! It was like a warm hug. GBBO in a fantasy world. I loved all the characters, especially the side characters. Will definitely be reading the next book. Bonus: there’s recipes at the end. And thank god because I wanted those sea salt brown butter chocolate chunk cookies the whole timeee I read about them.

I don’t generally read a lot of fantasy, however I love a cosy fantasy, and this was just perfect. Think bake-off with magic and a side of romance.

I appreciated that when a new creature was introduced, there was a description so you could really picture the characters in your mind when reading.

I loved the bluntness of Jez and Doli was a sweetheart. Her tea magic is literally my dream magic power 😂.

The story follows Arleta who is a very talented baker and her dream to one day open a bakery in her town of Adenashire. But she struggles more than most being magicless in a magical world. She’s always stuck with the worst market stall that she’s had to pay way more for than any magical creature, on top of having to sell her delicious bakes at a fraction of the price just to make sales.

The only way she’s going to make enough to afford her dream is by entering the annual Langheim Baking Battle, but full of self doubt and knowing the disadvantages she will have, she never applies. That is until her orc neighbours sneakily enter on her behalf.

What unfolds next are unexpected friendships, tense baking rounds and a romance that was written in the stars. But most importantly a lesson of overcoming self doubt and believing in yourself in all aspects of life.

I’m looking forward to the next book in the series which focuses on Doli.

This didn't work for me on a lot of levels, but I'll stick to one here: Arleta. The main character. She drove me up a wall.

Arleta spends the book whining about how everything is hard, and everyone hates her because she doesn't have magic, despite the other characters bending over backward to help her out while she complains about how difficult her life is.. Something to consider here... *none of the other main characters use magic.* We see one pixie cooling off bakes to make frosting easier (honestly, useful) and the love interest has magic sparks on his hands sometimes. That's pretty much it. At every turn, Arleta complains about how people are helping her, or tries to refuse to participate in the baking event because nobody will want her there even though a hot elf just rode two days across the wilderness to beg her to please show up, our announces to everyone that she has no magic as a penance for not helping her friend. It was very odd. She worked hard to make herself into a victim despite facing few actual hurdles.

Truly, 90% of Arleta's problems are self-inflicted. Toward the end of the book, she delivers a speech about how she had to work twice as hard as everyone else to get half as far, but... she literally didn't. My eyes rolled so far back into my head when I read that. Throughout the book, she sabotages herself left and right, only to have people randomly do favors for her and tell her how great she is. I don't get it.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC of the special edition. It seems like the second book may follow my favorite member of the cast, and I'm not sure if this was a debut, but that's something to consider.

“Because meeting you has not been a disaster for me. You being here has not been a disaster for the Baking Battle. There are so many people who are swooning over your bakes. Just you being here has changed this competition forever. You should have seen the last-minute invitation requests for the finale. We can’t even accommodate all of them.”

Arleta Starstone wants to have her own bakery, but it is a literal struggle just to sell her goods at the market. She's magicless, so she must work twice as hard for what she wants. Her neighbor secretly enters her into a baking competition, and she gets accepted. They are unaware she doesn't have magic because Starstone is a wizards last name. (Her family was adopted and kept the name and it's not like there is anything against the rules about not having magic and participating.) This story will leave you hungry with a desire to make some baked goods. I guess it's a good thing there are recipes in the back of the book. One of which is the Salted Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies, which are 100 percent on my list of desserts to try, and I was so elated to see it in the back. I kept saying when it popped up in the book I do hope there are recipes for some of the desserts because they sound amazing!!

What You Can Expect:
📖Baking Competition
📖All The FREAKING desserts, mouth watering really
📖Only One Bed
📖An Accidental Cuddle?
📖Found Family
📖Friends to Lovers
📖Magic

Perfect for fans of The Spellshop and Tusks, Tails, & Teacakes! I will most definitely be reading the ENTIRE series.

Thank you, netgalley for the earc!

Waittttt I ate this up it was such a cozy fantasy vibe read!
The plot wasn't bad and it had a charm to it, I would read from this author again

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC!

This was the absolute epitome of cosy fantasy. I absolutely fell in love with this book, the characters, the world, the plot. For me it had everything. Is it completely original? Probably not. But something about the writing captured me from the off. It reminded me a lot of Legends and Lattes but with a romance element, which I really felt elevated the book for me. I loved the layers; the baking descriptions were scrumptious, the found family element with Doli and Jez, the romance was super respectful but believable, the setting and fantasy characters added an interesting sub-plot. I really didn't want to leave this world and really appreciated the extra chapter of our FMC as a child. In a scary world this was just so wholesome and fluffy and left me feeling warm inside. Thanks to the publisher for the E-ARC.

This was such a cozy read - if you liked The Spellshop by Darah Beth Durst you should definitely read this one! Throw the Great British Baking Show into a fantasy world? Yes please! There's a romance subplot with fated mates (a trope which I don't think I've actually ever read before) but I thought it was done well! Overall this was a nice palette cleanser book that was a quick and enjoyable read!

Thank you to the author and NetGalley for an e-arc of this book.