Cover Image: Chef's Kiss

Chef's Kiss

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Member Reviews

This was the cutest fucking thing! The artwork! The friendship dynamics! The humor! WATSON! That slow-burn romance! Ah! I could have read at least 200 more pages and NEED at least 100 more. It's just the perfect sweet new adult graphic novel. My heart is so happy after reading this - it's just what I needed. 4.5 stars rounded down.

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A cute & fun romp for a main character who is trying to figure out who he is and what he wants to do with his life after college. While looking for an editing job and finding his credentials lacking, our main character happens upon an opportunity to work in a restaurant, no experience necessary. While tackling multiple challenges to prove himself as a cook, he also finds himself with a huge crush on a co-worker and dealing with parents who are controlling when it comes to his future. A quick read. Great for libraries that need more new adult graphic novels, especially where there is a lot of interest in cooking.

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This absolutely lived up to expectations, and surprised me along the way! Queer people deserve queer content from its most serious to a pig with a perfect palate (though this book definitely goes into some more serious character development), and CHEF’S KISS is the fun, new adult, queer rom-com that I needed to brighten up my week. If you’re looking for something quick, fun, and with a great plot and character arc that doesn’t get too heavy, this one’s for you!

CHEF’S KISS isn’t quite a coming of age story, but more of what comes after. After you’ve realised you’re queer, after you’ve been through school, as people begin settling into life and you have to figure out what exactly is next. Which is exactly what Ben is doing, as he tries to figure out how exactly his English degree fits into his life, and eventually if he’d rather have a restaurant whose chief taster is a pig and a sous chef that he can’t stop thinking about fit into his life instead. The story is easy to follow, and Ben is easy to empathise with. I rooted for him from the very start, and was wholly satisfied with the happy ending he ended up with.

Moreover, CHEF’S KISS really is just a fun time. It’s goofy and queer and personal with genuine heart. And it does all of that without sacrificing the story, or the character growth. Ben isn’t perfect, and he grows into himself and how that changes his relationships. He grows as a chef, as a friend, and just as a person. His queerness is paramount to who he is, but it’s not a coming out story, as much as a coming into story. And if that’s not enough, there is a pig named Watson who, as mentioned before, is the chief taster.

Truly, this graphic novel is a fun time, and worth sitting down for a little while just to relax, and enjoy the story.

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Dare I say Chef’s Kiss was Chef’s Kiss?!? It was hella good!! The story, the artwork, the love and the humor … I loved it all!!

I highly recommend! Cuteness Overload!! It was like a little hug you didn’t know you needed!

A big thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this copy in exchange for my honest review!!

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Chef's Kiss was a cute graphic novel all about the unexpectedness of life and how things not going according to plan can be the best thing to happen to you. It's about standing up for yourself and doing what makes you happy.
It covers the themes of friendship, romance and independence.

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I'm not usually one to read graphic novels but this one caught my eyes quite early. Plus the cover's pretty cute and believe it or not "don't judge a book by its cover" doesn't really apply to books because I will choose a book by its cover.

The storyline's pretty awesome and the characters are pretty real, considering graphic novels often lack realistic characters.

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Ben is a new college grad feeling the pain of job hunting for that first job out of college. The only job he finds is at a restaurant. He realizes he's pretty good at cooking. He also realizes he has a crush on his coworker. Part coming of age story, part romance, this graphic novel will satisfy readers looking for a sweet story about finding yourself.

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I LOVED this graphic novel! It is an absolute delight to read, for sure take the time and savor it in one sitting. The characters are relatable and the relationships realistic. So much of this graphic novel plays out like a sitcom that I want a next installment, maybe a focus on one of the roommates. What more could a reader ask for than food, friendship, and a romance that is just too adorable! Please check out this impeccable read!

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This was actually such a cute graphic novel and story! The characters were all distinct and the plot was pacy, I loved every second!! Also the art style was beautiful too!

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A super adorable graphic novel.

Chef's Kiss is my kind of comfort read.

I loved the chef boss and the pig, so cute :)

Recommended!

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I was looking forward to read this one. A fun and short read, I would recommend. The cover was what made me press that request button and I stayed for the story :)

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This was such a cute, fun read! I loved the art style and the main characters. Ben's friends seemed almost a little too conventionally quirky?? In the sense that it felt like the author went "Ah yes, every queer friend group has one of these friends" and then proceeded to put all of them in Ben's friend group. So while honestly accurate, it also just felt like a bit much to have a character that speaks using Shakespearan language. I enjoyed the overall plot a lot but wished to see more of Ben and Liam and their relationship development.
In the end, it was a really cute and quick read. I definitely recommend it for people looking for a sweet, queer graphic novel.

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Absolutely adorable!

For Libraries: Nothing in this is necessarily too much for YA collections, but the age of the characters does place this in a New Adult category.

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Ben Cook is a recent college graduate who longs for a job connected to his English major. He goes on over a dozen interviews, but lacks the experience needed to land a job that will allow him to gain experience. Luckily, a local restaurant is hiring, with NO experience required (plus a very dreamy sous chef, Liam). Now Ben must excel at Chef Davis’s series of challenges, mastering recipes both classic and original. He also has to please Watson, Le Cochon Doré's official taste-tester; Watson is a pig, an adorably affectionate one. “Cook the cook” really takes to the restaurant gig, especially the camaraderie that’s forged in the kitchen, but his roommate and longtime bestie, Liz, feels that Ben has given up on writing too easily. This upbeat graphic novel (with abundant character diversity) joyfully depicts the life-changing moments that happen when your life’s prescribed path opens up to a world of possibilities. With incredible culinary sequences, a slow burn romance, and a dash of early-twenties angst, it's just, yes, chef’s kiss.

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Unfortunately, this book started so slowly that I DNF'd it twice.
I tried reading this one several months apart from each other and I just couldn't get past the 20% mark either time.

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Chef's Kiss was a very cute read! The art style was beautiful and the story was wholesome and sweet. I related to Ben and his "what shall I do with my life" struggle on a spiritual level; I felt it in my soul. Anxiety about career paths, missing out, making life decisions and endless job applications are, unfortunately, all too familiar and I'm sure lots of other readers will feel the same. That said, Ben's living situation with his old college friends looks pretty great and, of course, Ben immediately gets an absolutely dreamy love interest in Liam. This is a romance, so obviously Ben and Liam's friendship and Ben's crush on Liam gets a lot of attention, though I liked that Melendez makes time for Ben's friends too. Friendship is important! I also liked the other supporting characters at the restaurant, especially Ben's grumpy but supportive boss. It may not be an especially original character type, but he was hilarious. As I've already mentioned, the art was gorgeous and packed with food porn so keep a snack handy! I bet the recipes will inspire many readers and I'm hoping the final published edition has little recipe cards, or something, as bonus content! Also, I applaud the punny title. It's kind of an 'Eats Shoots and Leaves' situation and I love it.

Unfortunately, for me personally, the romance itself felt a little underdeveloped. I still enjoyed it, but the HEA at the end seemed a bit rushed. This will probably be an unpopular opinion, but Ben's final career dilemma also annoyed me. I understand it was necessary to the narrative, but I would love to be offered that kind of opportunity, is all I'm saying. The ending also felt a little unresolved, especially in terms of Ben's relationship with his parents, but I'm guessing (hoping!) this is the first installment of a longer story, so hopefully another volume will wrap that up. My only other minor gripe was with Nelson, the resident taste-testing pig. He was cute as a drawing (all the art is adorable!) but the concept of Nelson felt like a gimmick. I feel curmudgeonly saying it, though, so I'm sure most readers will find him charming. Overall, I would definitely recommend Chef's Kiss for anyone looking for a lighthearted romance read. :)

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Sweet, queer, and much weirder than I was expecting in a great way. This was a lovely read. Really enjoyed the friendships and watching Ben figure out what he truly wanted in life and not letting his parents dictate that for him. The relationship was sweet as well. Also can’t help but enjoy scenes with Watson. I definitely was not expecting a pig doing such ridiculous things but I loved it.

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This feels familiar and totally fresh all at once, a stellar rom-com which balances heartwarming love with delicious food.

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Chef’s Kiss is a new adult graphic novel following Ben and his roommates right after graduating college. After several years of working hard for his English degree, Ben is expected to find a job in the field of his dreams and become a writer, as he always thought he wanted. But when interview after interview goes terribly wrong due to his lack of professional experience, Ben is desperate for money and ends up taking a job as a chef in a rather eccentric restaurant, no experience required. It doesn’t hurt that his coworker is cute, too. But as time goes on Ben starts to realize how much he enjoys his job, and that maybe he doesn’t want to be a writer after all. Between the ridiculous challenges of the restaurant, difficulties with his friendships, and all the other troubles of being a young adult, Ben must decide between the life he is expected to have, and the one that he wants to create for himself.

This was a very sweet, hilarious graphic novel. The art was incredibly beautiful, I couldn’t stop myself from staring at the pages just taking in the illustrations. My favourite thing about this though were the characters; Ben, his coworkers, and all his roommates were such a delight to read. I wasn’t expecting the level of humour and absurdity that is present throughout the entire novel (the Shakespeare roommate and the cigarette smoking pig are my favourite examples), but it was a welcome surprise! The absurdity did teeter on being a bit much at times, and I think this book would have benefitted from having just a little bit less of it in order to make room for getting to know the characters better. There were also some panels, or entire sections in some cases, that I didn’t feel were necessary to the story, such as Watson’s fake backstory, and a very drawn out yoga class. But otherwise this was a very fun book and I’m looking forward to reading more from this author!

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I really enjoyed this one!
It took me a minute to get into it because of the compact style.
Vibrant colorful illustrations!

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