First and foremost, I want to give a thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of "Chef's kiss". In exchange, this is an honest and unsponsored review.

Three things drew me into this graphic novel:
1. The adorable art style on the equally adorable front cover.
2. The even more adorable title.
3. The most adorable of all concept of a gay romance in a damn restaurant kitchen!!!

None of these things disappointed.

The art style throughout the book was just as adorable as I had come to expect, paired with page design that sits perfectly between the line of boring and too much—it's perfect.

I loved that opening scenes perfectly captured the experience of, essentially, not knowing what the hell is going on with your life. Especially as a fellow English major with no professional experience. Further down the track, when Ben first took up the job at the restaurant, the stakes felt rather exaggerated—though still enjoyable. However, when we witnessed just how horrible his parents were to him about his career during the visit, it all made a lot of sense.

The romance was so sweet, and a total slowburn, but it wasn't the main focus of the story, which I loved. Their chemistry was palpable, and gave me those little butterflies every time they interacted, but I loved the friendships between the cast, and Ben's journey of self discovery just as much.

There's not much else to say about the title, though the final scene does add to the absolute adorability of it all.

If you're looking for something you can read in one sitting, with a loveable cast, story, and romance—give Chef's Kiss a read! You won't regret it!

This was such a cute and adorable graphic novel that I ended up finishing in one single sitting!

While I absolutely enjoyed the taste testing pig, there was actually too much packed into a stand-alone volume if this novel. This should have definitely been one that could have been a three-four part series giving time to the protagonist to be meshed out into a solid four dimensional character rather than being pulled in different directions.

The artwork was soothing; and inventive enough for me to enjoy it as part of the storyline seamlessly.

Definitely worth picking up if you are interested in cooking and love reading graphic novels.

Absolutely adorable. I can't wait to reread this. I adore this art style and the writing was so much fun. I love stories that surround cooking and this was just too fun to read.

This was... fine. The art was good and the writing was fine. Honestly it felt like a mid tier restaurant au fanfic which isn't a bad thing but also isn't quite what I was hoping for

Captured kitchen life/realtionships very well. A very cute and wholesome story with a couple problematic scenes but nothing not to be expected from a kitchen based story. And of course the how could anyone leave out how cute Watson the Taste-Testing Pig is!

I really enjoyed this one. Normally I’m not a big fan of graphic novels or manga’s with huge chunks of texts on one page. When I started to read I thought I wouldn’t enjoy this book due to that but boy was I wrong. There was workplace romance, LGBTQ theme, and humour, plus realism. There was nothing more I could ask for. Fun fast read!

Thank you to Onipress and Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this graphic novel. I think for me personally getting out of a reading slump, a graphic novel like this was perfect for me. I loved how there was a discussion on how difficult the job market can be for post-undergrad students.  I also loved the indepth visual with the cooking. However, I feel like there were some moments that were unnecessary but others that needed to be flushed out (aka a volume 2 needs to happen please!!!) Overall though, I highly recommend this graphic novel if you haven't already read it  4 out of 5 stars

Chef's Kiss is such a sweet graphic novel. I enjoyed the coming of age aspect, but it's for college age people and older. I certainly understand what it's like to finish school and have no idea what's next. Ben feels that way, he's finished his English degree, but isn't having any luck finding a job. So he takes a cooking position at a local cafe and BOOM find something he enjoys doing and maybe a little bit of a cruch as well. Unfortunatly, he hasn't told his parents about his new position, or rather...he's lied to them. I enjoyed this super sweet story of love, food, an adorable pig, and finding your place in an ever changing world. The artwork is fabulous and the story is great!

Absolutely loved this title! Wonderful for young adults and maybe even teens. Told a wonderful and lighthearted story about finding yourself. Hope this gets turned into a series and there's more titles!

This is such a cute, uplifting graphic novel. It is full of great queer side characters, and a heartwarming story at its centre. I would love for more in the series, to flesh out Ben's relationship with Liam, and his parents.

This was a cute graphic novel about finding something that you didn't know that you were looking for, and finding yourself long the way as well. This has some great queer representation along with a will-they-won't-they romantic storyline. I read this because I've been big into romance books that revolve around food/cooking, plus I love graphic novels. This was right up my alley and I'm so glad I picked it up because I really enjoyed it. Honestly, the only thing that could have made his better would have been recipes in the back for all the drool worthy dishes that they talked about making! I'm going to have to try and figure out how to make them because they sounded delicious. I will definitely be checking out what this this author does in the future.

Chef's Kiss was an absolutely adorable graphic novel about becoming an adult, figuring out how to function in society post-college, and discovering a sweet romance on the way. The art style was perfect for the story. I felt really connected to the main character as I was also an English major in undergrad and suffered many of the same problems that he did post graduation.

A charming story of self discovery love and friendship. I don’t normally gravitate to graphic novels but this one was truly a pleasure to read. The artwork is perfectly paired with the narrative.

"Chef's Kiss" is a charming tale that while does incorporate a romance, it isn't all it's about, but rather, the will to find yourself and work hard at achieving your dreams. Ben tackles the all too real difficulty of finding a job post-graduation and the expectations that can come from it, especially when parents or loved ones have a specific plan in mind for you. While it might have been a little unrealistic that a chef would take a chance on someone with zero experience, it was nice to see how not easy it was for Ben, but that he had to earn not only the job but everyone's respect. He had to find a balance between falling in love, maintaining his relationships, not disappointing his parents, and staying true to what he wanted, which at times proved difficult.

It was also lovely to see the interactions he had with his friends and how supportive and understanding they were. While at the same time, trying to balance those relationships and how many he wasn't always the best friend to them, even when they were. The romance was also nicely fleshed out and built in a way that made sense; it wasn't automatic but developed over time in a way that made sense. It was nice to have that positive representation of a gay romance without it being about two characters who were gay.

The artwork was also fantastic and much to the reader's detriment, too real when it came to the food. Many times I wish I could sample the dishes Ben had created! The artwork really lent itself to the story and elevated it by showing emotions words could not always fully express. All-in-all, it was a fun and quick read that I'd recommend to readers of all ages.

Really sweet novel, that had interesting characters particularly a cute pig. Liked the interactions and development of the main characters but thought the romance could have been built up slightly more. Enjoyed the style of the artwork and thought it worked well with the story.

Beautifully drawn, fun and interesting story, I would definitely purchase my own copy and recommend to my friends !!

Beautifully drawn with a story that kept me engaged. I find graphic novels to be really easy to walk away from but this one kept me reading.

If you wish to read a graphic novel with slowburn romance, lots of food, wholesome friendships and piles and piles of cuteness then look no further!

Loved every second of it, I wish I had the physical copy in my hands!

Thank you so much to Netgalley for providing me an e-copy of Chef's Kiss! My heart swelled with joy!

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

This was a precious graphic novel! It reminded me a little of Bloom. I really enjoyed Ben's self-discovery of his career and his expectations. While I really appreciated the wholesome nature of the romantic plot, I'm glad that it didn't overshadow Ben's exploration of a new hobby and career! I also really enjoyed all of the characters. They were all very distinct and played an excellent role in Ben finding what he wants in life. Lastly, the best part of the novel was the test-tasting pig, Watson!

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC graphic novel of Chef's Kiss by Jarrett Melendez.

Ahhh, what's not to love with this beautifully illustrated graphic novel. It has everything! Dreams, ambitions, friendship, romance, disappointments, disputes, and lots of delicious descriptions of food.

Ben is a newly graduated writer looking for a job, ANYTHING that will help him achieve his dreams in the literacy world. But with every door that closes, Ben is more and more despondent. Desperate for any job, he comes across a help wanted ad outside of a restaurant, he quickly jumps on the opportunity. But it's not as easy as just throwing some plates together, Ben must pass several tests. He has to make dishes that will satisfy the restaurant's official taste tester, a pig!

But easily the best part of working at the restaurant is Ben's handsome young mentor Liam, who is always a soft spot when Ben is down, and never stops believing in him. But does that mean that there is any chance of a relationship? And does Ben have what it takes to even keep working there?

Like I said, adorable. I think any young person trying to make their way in this world can deeply relate to so much of this story, not to mention the fact that it's gorgeous to look at and so silly and entertaining.