I really enjoyed this one! It took me a minute to get into it because of the compact style. There was a lot of info thrown out there in quick succession and I needed a bit to get used to that. But once I got into the rhythm, it was so cute!!!

I especially loved Watson the pig. He was soooo adorable and I just want to smoosh his cutesy little face!!! Ben was a sweet character and I’m glad he grew a lot in the book. While Watson is my favorite, I have a soft spot in my heart for Ben too. He’s easy to relate to. And I love how he gets so nervous around Liam!! He’s such a cinnamon roll!!! Basically all the characters are fun and add to the story. Even Chef with his abrasiveness.

The plot was super adorbs and I thought it was unique too. I see a lot of graphic novels with the same romance plot over and over, which is honestly a comfort sometimes, but it’s nice to have a new storyline to read. I recommend this to those who like funny graphic novels and a little lgbtqia+ romance.

Thanks so much to NetGalley, Oni Press, and Jarret Melendez for the opportunity to read this for my honest and unbiased opinion!!

I've been reading some heavier stuff lately so when Netgalley provided me with an ARC of one of my anticipated reads of the year, I knew I had to bump it up on the list. Chef's Kiss was the epitome of "short but sweet." A fast read but full of laughs and good vibes. A lot of the antics in it reminded me of anime or Disney movies which was fun.

I've seen the book classified as YA, which I could see in the vibe, but I like this book because the characters were my age. It is probably more accurate to describe it as a very wholesome NA book! What I love about NA books is that they have a lot of the vibes of YA books, but the characters are my age (26). The main love interest, Liam, is 25, and our main character (Ben) had recently graduated college.

I would definitely recommend this graphic novel for anyone looking for a short, quick read. Other than a few friendship conflicts and overbearing parents, there's nothing bad in this book. Just pure sweetness and joy.

An ARC of this graphic novel was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Well, this was literally chef's kiss (yes, pun intended). I started to read it and expected to have fun, and I had! Ben was relatable for me in so many ways. Especially in the first couple pages when he was looking for a job after he graduated, I literally saw myself. I'd felt the same pressure, same frustration he felt every time he comes back with empty hands from an interview. So it was pretty easy for me to connect with him. Also, he is a bookworm! How can't I relate?

Another thing I want to say is that our Ben Cook is gay, and Liam is really swoon-worthy! Also I love the diversity in this comic. And can we talk about Watson the Pig?! He is the real show-stealer, I tell you.

Anyway, all I can say is, THIS COMIC IS SO FREAKING CUTE! I LOVE IT! If you really love reading cute, funny, and queer comics, I really recommend Chef's Kiss. Go read it when it released!

Thank you NetGalley and OniPress for sending me this beautiful comic as ARC.

(Thank you to NetGalley and Oni Press for an eARC in exchange for an honest review(

This was such a cute story! Ben (the main character) is an adorable nerd who i loved and he’s friendship group/room-mates where such a fun group of people. The banter between then all was amazing and the romance was very cute.

The illustrations and art style is beautiful and there’s little things in the background here and there that made me laugh. All the food looked delicious and made me seriously hungry but also got me inspired to try new recipes and experiment a little.

Watson the taste testing pig was random but i loved him! There’s a part where the head chef is telling Watson backstory that i just couldn’t help but laugh too.

This was such a wholesome and cute story and i found myself smiling for almost the entire time.

This was such a cute read! Once I actually started reading it, it was very fast and flew through the whole thing in 2 sittings. I didn't really expect where the story was taking me, but I enjoyed where we end up a lot! There are some ridiculous aspects, but they were also a lot of fun. I liked the characters and the art was very nice. This is definitely a graphic novel I would like the have on my shelves and I would recommend it to contemporary fans.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me access to an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Thoughts:
The art style in this graphic novel is beautiful and so well fitting to the story. The colours and illustrations really bring the characters to life and add so much to the experience!
I really enjoyed chef’s kiss and resonated with the main character in so many ways that I really wasn’t expecting as I went in without really knowing anything about the synopsis. This story is one that I feel a LOT of people will resonate with and gain a lot from and I really did read it at the right time for me. I would definitely read more about these characters and their lives and I just loved how crazy but real the story was. If you’re looking for something fun, fast and super cute I’d definitely recommend!

Recommend? ✅
Reread? ✅

Thank you to NetGalley and Oni Press for an ARC of this book. All opinions in this review are my own.

I got this book a couple weeks ago, and I just had a chance to sit down and read it. Verdict- it's adorable. It's about a guy who just graduated college and isn't quite sure what to do with his life, and finds passion in cooking. It has friendship, cooking, realizations about what someone wants out of life, and a bit of romance. Plus a pig! The queer rep in this book is there but it is incorporated into the book so perfectly; it is a part of the main character but it is not who the main character is, which is always nice. The friends in this book are great and everything flowed so easily. It is not very long, since it is a graphic novel, but it was super cute and everything I wanted when I just wanted to sit down and de-stress for an hour this morning. It comes out in March and it is definitely worth checking out! 5/5

Thank you to Net Galley & the publisher for this eArc of Chefs Kiss by Jarrett Melendez.

First and foremost the artwork and representation of this graphic novel were brilliant, it is gorgeously presented and the images themselves are clean and inviting.

The story itself perfectly captures what I’m sure a lot of young people go through in regards to wanting to fit in, choosing a career, being undecided or having their parents try to vicariously live through them.

This story is about friendship, overcoming others expectations and prioritising yourself. It was a funny, emotional, heartwarming story with characters I was invested in the whole time.

If there was or is to be a continuation, I would happily read more.

Overall this was short, sweet & wholesome.

This is a sweet story with lovely art about Ben, a man struggling to figure out which passion to follow after graduating college. Despite generally enjoying this book, I did find it overly simplistic. There's no real depth or nuance to either the plot or characters. If you're looking for something fun and straightforward to read in a single sitting, this is a good option. But, unfortunately, I don't think this is the type of book that will stay in my mind for long after I have read it. The biggest redeeming factors of this book are: 1) The art, as I mentioned before, is very nice. 2) The main character, though basic, does face the common struggle of wondering what to do with one's life, which is very relatable. 3) There is a cute pig who does silly things, which I enjoyed very much.

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Rep: gay mc, mlm love interest, Black sc

This is a pretty cute book. Ben and his friends are right out of college and just moved in together. Ben is trying to start his writing career, but struggles to find a job at all. He eventually finds a restaurant that’s willing to hire him, but first, he must pass a series of tests.

I think everyone will agree that Watson the taste testing pig is one of the best characters. I did not expect that. He’s adorable. Impress your potential boss? Nah, impress his taste testing pig LOL Speaking of the boss, he acts all tough but he really does care about his employees (and especially Watson).

Liam is adorable, I really liked him. The romance was a slow burn, but Ben and Liam work really well together. I loved that Ben’s friends are all geeks and were supportive of him.

Overall, I really enjoyed this graphic novel. It’s short, sweet and wholesome

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this book.

This was such a cute story. One of my new year’s resolutions is to read more graphic novels, and this was a sweet one to start with. I loved the art style and the color palette, it was what caught my attention at first.
There is a little bit of romance, but the main focus is on Ben’s struggles to decide what to do with his life. A relatable topic for most in our generation with a lighthearted and positive approach. Also, the least realistic aspects,like Watson, were adorable and did a great job to put a smile on your face.

Amazing! I seriously enjoyed this book so much I can’t wait to be able to buy a copy.

It was completely relatable ! Everyone knows what it is like just coming out of college and needing to find a job. Find out what happens to these fun loving characters as a leap into something new turns into passion.

My favorite part of this book was the pig! Read it so you can see what I am talking about!

This was such a sweet, saccharine story about self-discovery and realizing that the career you wanted at 18 might not be the career you want after you graduate.

Ben was a wonderfully relatable protagonist: freshly graduated from college with a degree that means nothing without experience. Attempting to find some sort of employment, he applies for a no-experience-needed cooking position at a local restaurant. He goes through ups and downs with work and his personal life, amounting to the questions of what makes him happy and how to make his own way in the world.

The art is great: the food looks delicious on the page and the character's expressions really stand out and show their feelings about a situation.

I would have liked to learn a little bit more about Liam, Be's co-worker/crush. We got little tidbits here and there but I would have liked to discover what he likes outside of cooking and more reasons for Ben to fall for him outside of work. .

Chef’s Kiss is a delightful graphic novel about Ben Cook, a recent college graduate, who finds himself applying for a job in a restaurant after getting passed over for jobs related to his field. As someone who graduated from college with an English degree, I felt Ben’s blues about what to do with his life when all entry-level jobs require experience.

This was such a charming story. I loved all of the characters, especially Ben and Liam (Ben’s super hot mentor at the restaurant). There was enough description of food that I found myself itching to go to a restaurant and just asking the chef to surprise me with whatever they wanted to make.

Some parts of were a little jarring, not fitting in with the rest of the story tonally. There were some characters that were not given the same amount of room to shine as others and there was a lot of time given to Watson, the taste-testing pig. These moments pulled me enough from the story that it dampened my enjoyment.

All in all, I really liked this! A solid 4-star read.

It took me a little bit to get invested in the character, but about half way through I was hooked. The artwork is crisp and sharp and even on digital the words were easily readable. Ben is a loveable character that readers are sure to root for and identify with. I really appreciated the changing nature of his childhood friendship and how they both insecurities about it and that friendship was given as much, if not more, weight as the blossoming romance between Ben and Liam. The romance was cute and well-done. A solid, fun, cute graphic novel.

This was SO CUTE! I'm so happy a digital ARC of this landed in my inbox this afternoon. Chef's Kiss is a lighthearted, post-college coming-of-age comic that leaves readers laughing and cheering throughout.

Chef's Kiss centers around Ben, a recent college graduate who's struggling to find work as a writer to help achieve his lifelong dream. After seventeen disastrous interviews (and lying to his parents about landing a job), Ben needs to find any job to help fund his new life, FAST. When he stumbles upon a no experience necessary poster for a job as a chef, he applies since he loves to cook in his spare time. But applying comes with a surprise twist: he has three weeks to prove himself to the hard-to-please owner and his even more challenging taste tester: a lively pig.

Throughout the comic, Ben struggles to balance his newfound adulthood, his friendships evolving, his crush on the sous chef, and the struggle between following his hard-to-achieve dream or to follow a new path where he's found growth and happiness. Ben's struggle is relatable to anyone, especially twenty-somethings still trying to figure out what the rest of their life will be, and this comic is a light way to explore those worries while still getting a delightful story along the way. I can't wait to see it in print this March!

Chef’s Kiss is a new graphic novel from Oni Press. Ben Cook and his friends recently graduated from college and moved in together to start their careers. Ben majored in English in college and after applying to a number of writing and editing provisions becomes discouraged. After seeing a restaurant was hiring with no experience necessary he applies. His mentor, Liam, ushers him through three weeks of challenges to determine if he’ll get the position. While trying out a position at the Cochon Doré, Ben develops a crush on Liam.

This graphic novel is beautifully drawn and written with such heart, full of tender and funny moments. From the opening pages, this novel seemed to tell my story. Ben is moving into his apartment and his roommates make fun of all his books. I immediately fell for all of the characters, though some could have been fleshed out more. We didn’t get a lot of story for the roommates and the people at the restaurant. I have been in a similar position after graduating from college and trying to find work. This book really captures the uncertainty of post-adolescence but an era defined by strong friendships. I loved the marriage of a gay coming-of-age story with the culinary world. If you’re looking for something a little more mature and grounded in present day culture, check this out.

This was so cute! Love the food descriptions and the absurdity of the pig being the taster. The romance was VERY slow burn, would have liked more tension between the Cook and the love interest, but still enjoyed it a lot!

Loved the artwork in this, as well as the lgbtqia+ representation. I loved the friendships and how accurate it describes how hard it can be to get a job after college. This is a new adult graphic novel.

This graphic novel was a breath of fresh air and absolutely how I needed to start the new year - a big thank you to NetGalley and publishers for giving me an eARC in return for an honest review.

After graduating from school, Ben has been having a tough time finding a writing job when he stumbles across a ‘We’re Hiring’ sign in the window of a local establishment and decides to take the plunge into something entirely new. Navigating his parents disapproval, an awkward new boss, and his friends feeling left out - we’re along for the ride while Ben's path starts to become much less clear.

I absolutely adored this book. It was a story about feeling lost, finding joy and experiencing the mistakes and mishaps in between - as someone who struggled to find a direction after finishing university, this is something that I think will really resonate with it's readers, young and old and perhaps inspire them, too.

The artwork was lovely; it’s really cute, easy on the eyes and adds a really soft vibe to the story! I really enjoyed the pages dedicated to food, too. I know it’s a food based graphic novel, but feeling like we were part of the cooking process with the recipes and imagery really added that extra dimension.

The characters were brilliant - my favourites (aside from Ben) being the best friend and the grumpy boss figure; both with great personalities that I thought were really believable. I loved seeing the dynamic of how friendships and relationships change and grow as you navigate adulthood, with the inclusion of disagreements and learning to communicate better with the people around you. Then there was the pig (the one on the cover), he's a real character! That lovely animal is the pet of our restaurant manager and plays a role in Ben winning or losing at his new job - such a unique and fun part to the story.

My overall favourite part of this comic was the underlying message it gave; that growth and experiencing new things is necessary to finding out who you want to be, and that it’s okay to stray from your once-planned path! Perfect for not only teens and young adults, but just anyone who maybe needs that boost of confidence and encouragement.

It had me not only resonating with the lead characters position, but smiling, laughing and ultimately wanting more!