Absolutely adorable story about finding your passion and pursuing your interests! LGBTQIA+ representation, cooking and a magic pig!

An adorable graphic novel. The chemistry between the two characters was sweet. I also enjoyed the friend group, both at his home and at the restaurant's kitchen. The art was beautiful. It also made me really hungry.

If you're craving a graphic novel that serves up a delightful blend of romance, humor, and a sprinkle of sass, then "Chef's Kiss" by Jarrett Melendez is the perfect dish for you. I devoured this sweet and engaging story, and let me tell you, it left me with a satisfied smile.

The plot revolves around Ben Cook, an English graduate navigating the post-college job hunt with all the grace of a culinary novice in a high-stakes kitchen. The synopsis promises a journey filled with spice, and Melendez delivers. Ben's quest for the perfect job takes unexpected turns when he stumbles upon a restaurant with a "Now Hiring—No Experience Necessary" sign. Little did he know that this decision would stir up a recipe of challenges, culinary tests, and a side dish of self-discovery.

The characters in "Chef's Kiss" are as diverse and flavorful as the dishes being cooked up in the restaurant. Ben, our lovable protagonist, is not just navigating the world of cooking but also finding his way through the maze of emotions, friendships, and a super dreamy chef named Liam. The dynamics between the characters are both heartwarming and relatable, making you feel like you're part of their kitchen escapades.

Now, let's talk about the illustrations. The art style in this graphic novel is a feast for the eyes. The super sweet illustrations bring the story to life, capturing the essence of each character and the delicious dishes they create. The visuals add an extra layer of charm to the narrative, making it a joy to flip through the pages.

The romance in "Chef's Kiss" is not just sweet; it's downright delightful. Ben's crush on Liam adds a layer of warmth and humor to the story, and the LGBTQ+ representation is handled with care and authenticity. The author manages to balance the sweet and sassy moments, creating a perfect blend that keeps you hooked from beginning to end.

While I enjoyed every bite of "Chef's Kiss," I'm awarding it four stars. Why not five? Well, there were moments when I craved a bit more depth in certain character arcs and a tad more exploration of the culinary world. Nevertheless, it's a minor 'issue' in a book that left me with a happy heart and a craving for more graphic novels like this.

"Chef's Kiss" is a treat for the senses—a heartwarming, visually stunning journey through the world of cooking, self-discovery, and sweet romance.

This was super super cute! I loved the dynamics between the central friend group and the journey our main character goes on at work. The art style was simple and portrayed the characters' emotions well. I absolutely recommend this to anyone that enjoys a cute, lighthearted graphic novel romcom!!

This was such a fun read! The characters are so quirky and the story is so sweet. I loved the references to other books and the illustrations are really cute. I do think that the story could use some development.

Thank you, NetGalley for allowing me to read this book.

Chef's kiss was a really fun and sweet read with lovely characters. The story was enjoyable enough and it was a good time to read.

Enjoy very much. Found it fun and light hearted. Really enjoyed the characters, plot, and illustrations

This is fine. It's kinda weird, with some forced-feeling zaniness that hogs the stage. There's a sweet New Adult story about disappointing your parents, finding yourself, friends and roommates, and taking a chance on romance, but the silliness gets in the way. I enjoyed the illustration style. Suggest to readers of [book:Check, Please! Book 1: #Hockey|37534577] and [book:Himawari House|55780534].

I didn't get to the NetGalley eARC in time, so grabbed the print from my library.

This comic is just TOO cute. This is a sweet new adult queer romance about Ben, who had just graduated with his (writing of some sort, idk) degree and is attempting to find paying work in his field. Somehow he winds up applying to be a cook at the absolute WEIRDEST restaurant you've ever experienced. I love the wacky hijinks in this comic. Ben is an absolute cinnamon roll, and I adore his friends (who are all various levels of quirky in their own ways) and his potential new co-workers (again, all super quirky in their own ways...) The sheer number of weird individuals in this story had me wishing I could teleport into it and hang out with them all (not to mention eat all that tasty food!)

The artwork was gorgeous and so appealing, it sucked me in with its warm feelings. The story was adorable and had me biting my fist and kicking my feet. I have added this title to my school’s physical library.

I loved the rep in this story! The illustrations were just adorable. I will share this with my audience.

I loved the artwork! Truly beautiful. The formatting was a bit difficult to get, but once I got the flow it was super easy to get into. The characters were lovely, but the main chef. He was a little toxic. My favorite moments of the book is when Ben would blush! It was so cute!

I'm going to be honest. I love graphic novels but this one wasn't for me. I wasn't a fan of the artwork and I found the story hard to get into. The story itself is not at fault, but I think this was very much just a "not for me" kind of novel.

this is a really cute graphic novel. I did have a little trouble, figuring out which bubbles came next but it was a very good story. I’ve been very into graphic novels lately and I can’t wait to see if this author comes out with more.

This was a really sweet and fun book with delightful characters. The story was enjoyable and endearing and it was a fun time to read.

Relevant and relatable, particularly to post-graduates in search of a career. Touches on the absurdity of a job hunt and how employers expect candidates to have some form of professional experience for an entry-level position. A catch-22 situation that eliminates many opportunities for college-educated persons.

An enjoyable narrative that focuses on the difficulties in discovering what you want to do as an individual. Choosing to accept a job that you never intended to have does not necessarily mean you have failed. Emphasizes that it is perfectly acceptable to postpone efforts to apply your major into actuality. Take the time to find what you want to do and to reflect on what brings you joy as a personal passion as opposed to a passion that contributes to happiness in the working sphere. Loved the friend circle and the support they offered one another as well as their success in communicating their thoughts and feelings.

All-in-all, I found this book to be equal parts sweet, cute, and life-affirming. As a recent college grad., it's very easy to relate to Ben and his difficultly finding a job. Don't even get me started on theses "entry level" jobs all wanting you to have like 2-5 years experience. Like, how am I meant to get experience when nobody will hire me because I don't have experience? So seeing Ben's struggles to find his place in the world after graduating from college was very affirming to see. As a whole, this book is very sweet and wholesome and the art is amazing. I can very easily see this being a comfort read for a lot of people. Fans of the Heartstopper books should give this one a go, it fits the queer, wholesome, graphic novel with the MC trying to find themselves vibes. Alternatively, this one might vibe with those who feel like they're right outside the age range to really enjoy Heartstopper as the characters and their experiences in Chef's Kiss are those of mid-twenties adults rather than high schoolers.

My only qualm that I will raise is that the title and summary of the book kind of allude to this being relationship/romance heavy and it really wasn't. I'd say Ben's struggles to find his place and the actual cooking itself were far more in focus than the relationship element. While this may not usually be a problem, I just felt like it should've been more emphasized given the overall tone that the potential reader is presented with prior to ever picking the book up. I would love for a sequel that focuses more on the relationship development that we didn't get very much of in this book.

Overall, like I said earlier, I think this one could be a major comfort read for a lot of people. The content is wholesome, sweet, and fun, with just enough new adult anxiety to feel relatable. Plus, the artwork is very realistic in a way that appeals to me; it's very, very well done (plus they made Liam hot, which I respect). I read the ebook, but I am very much considering buying a physical copy to put in my hoard, just because this feels like the kind of book I'd like to have in my grubby little hands to read again someday.

Thank you to Netgalley and Simon & Schuster for the eARC.

I loved Chef's Kiss so much, all of the characters were engaging and fun and unique, and it was so much fun to spend time in Ben's world that I wish it was longer. My only real criticism of this book is that I wish it was longer, or adapted into a series. It feels like we're just getting to know everyone and just getting invested in the story when it ends.

This was an adorable graphic novel with great representation (gay and BIPOC characters). The main character, Ben was really sweet. This was such a nice read! There are some trigger warnings.

this was so adorable!! I'm going to start with my only criticism for this graphic novel and it's the head chef's behavior which was just mean. Other than that, I adored it, the relationship was extremely sweet and the book managed to be comforting while also not following a traditional romance plot line. Whole heartedly recommend! 4.5 stars