Instant 5/5⭐ to Chef's Kiss by Jarrett Melendez. Thank you Oni Press and Netgalley for an egalley copy to review! This is a fantastic graphic novel that follows Ben Cook after he finishes college and is trying to find a job. His family and degree want him to get a job in writing or publishing, but the job search is futile. Eventually he gets a job practicing as a cook at a restaurant and it changes the course of his life. I adored actually seeing characters on the slightly older side of YA (mid 20s), and in general this GN had fantastic characters!! I also think many (myself included) millennials and older gen Z can relate to the reality of employment, education and how those often don't align today as we've been told. It also touched on issues of parental expectations which I appreciated. The food and cooking scenes were delightful and made me so hungry! We also get the most adorable slow burn romance that made me squee at the end <3 Finally is the art...immaculate, adorable, and perfect!! Literally, *chef's kiss* (pun intended). Please go out and get it or request it from your library!

This is a delightful new adult graphic novel! Ben and his friends just graduated from college & have moved into their new apartment. Everyone has their life figured out except Ben. He has intentions of being a writer, but can't get hired anywhere. When a local vegetarian restaurant offers him a chef job with no experienced necessary, Ben decides to go for it. It doesn't hurt that one of the chefs is very easy on the eyes. Will Ben change his career direction and can he pass his chef's training?

I enjoyed this graphic novel, but I think it was just a little short and under developed for me to truly love it.

I thought the story was super cute and the characters were all interesting and had unique personalities. I also loved Watson the pig, who was hilarious and adorable. The illustrations were also amazing!

For me, it was just a little short and some things felt rushed. There were some scenes that suddenly changed and it felt abrupt, and other times scenes were suggested, like going out for a drinks date, but then not explored, which I think would have helped develop the relationship between the MC and his love interest. I also thougt the final cooking challenge was rushed and I didn't feel any anticipation or nerves for the outcome.

Overall, a very cute graphic novel, but would like to see the romantic connection and some scenes developed a little bit further!

Thanks to NetGalley & Oni Press for the early copy in exchange for an honest review.

A very sweet coming-of-age story with comedy peppered throughout. I really enjoyed the light and sketchy art style and the fun characters. A very wholesome graphic novel!

Thank you to Oni Press & Netgalley for providing me with an e-ARC of Chef's Kiss in exchange for an honest review!

Not to be dramatic but this is one of the cutest things that I've ever read.

Before I dig into what I really loved, let's get the basics out of the way: the story is good. The art is good. This book is good.

Okay, now that we're done with that, CHEF'S KISS IS SO GOOD.

At this point, anyone who knows me knows how much I love food-related stories. They're usually instant wins for me. A little background info: I previously worked in a kitchen & my IG stories could show you how much I love cooking. So, obviously, this graphic novel has already earned a special place in my heart. I'm even considering replicating one of the dishes in Chef's Kiss!

Chef's Kiss follows recently graduated Ben Cook as he attempts to find a writing job; his parents are throwing on the extra pressure, because "HELLO WE JUST PAID SO MUCH MONEY FOR UR EDUCATION YOU BETTER FIND A JOB RIGHT NOW!@!!" Things are just not going so great for Ben. That's when he notices a hiring sign for an assistant cook (& unlike other jobs he tried out for, no experience was needed for this one!)

Chef's Kiss addresses growing up & breaking out of this idea of doing what others expect of you & instead doing what makes you happy. There's a story of friendship & having a wonderful support team. There's a Queer romance (& oh my gosh, the love interest even makes me swoon!) Oh & there's a taste-testing pig that really holds Ben's fate in his... hands? ...Claws? ... Feet?

I absolutely love this one & will be snagging my own physical copy when it's released into the world.

I read the graphic novel from NetGalley and I highly recommend the book if you love light-hearted graphic novels about a character who is in dire need of a job after graduating from university with a degree in English. I'm pleasantly surprised how much I smiled throughout reading this and seeing how the main character progressed from not being a good chef to impressing Watson the pig. Plus, the romance is absolutely adorable and seeing a LGBTQ+ story that doesn't have coming out as a major plot point is refreshing for me. My only thing is that I wish the graphic novel was longer and see how his parents reacted to him staying at the restaurant after three weeks.

Chef's Kiss by Jarrett Melendez and Danica Brine was very cute! Ben Cook has graduated with a English degree and he's having no luck getting a job in his field. He's got to pay the bills though if he wants to avoid moving back in with his parents. When he sees a job opening advertised at a restaurant, no experience necessary, he immediately jumps on the opportunity. He enjoys cooking already, but if he's going to get the job he needs to prepare dishes that will please the head chef's taste tester, a pig named Watson. It doesn't hurt that Ben will get to work with Liam, the cute sous chef at the restaurant.

Chef's Kiss is a love letter to cooking and finding work you enjoy, even if it's not what you expected. I loved how well this graphic novel addressed the pressure to stick to what you studied but how many of us end up in jobs outside of our majors. This lovely graphic novel comes out on April 12th!

This is worth reading! This light and fluffy graphic novel covers the struggles of new adulthood in a wholesome yet relatable way. I enjoyed the art style as well!

A sweet, fun filled graphic novel! I enjoyed every bit of it! My favorite character was Watson the pig, he’s adorable. I don’t read many graphic novels but I loved everything about this one!

Thank you to NetGalley and Oni Press for providing a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Chef’s Kiss is a sweet graphic novel and a delectable feast for the eyes! The artwork is amazing and it reminded me of a comic book art style while also having a modern feel to it. I loved the colour palette and was drawn to the pretty cover.

The story follows Ben who has recently graduated from university and is struggling to find a job. I personally related to Ben and I think a lot of people can see themselves in his character. Ben is a fellow bookworm who has a passion for writing, but he soon learns that his dream job is out of reach without professional experience. Luckily, Ben sees a help wanted sign outside of a restaurant which doesn’t require any experience. He decides to apply and is hired on a trial basis. Ben needs to pass a series of challenges before he can prove himself in Le Cochon Doré.

Without giving too much away, I loved Watson, the adorable food connoisseur! The foodie feel in this graphic novel is a highlight. Ben enjoys cooking in his spare time and he goes on a delightful culinary journey where he not only learns about the art of cooking but also discovers more about himself. It was lovely to see the different dishes that Ben learns to prepare in the restaurant and they all looked delicious.

Ben’s friendship with his roommates Liz, Rachel and Tom was a joy to read. They are all very supportive of each other’s aspirations. All of Ben’s friends have their own unique personality traits and they have great dynamics. There are moments of humour in their interactions, as well as a sense of found family.

Since the title of this graphic novel is Chef’s Kiss, I was hoping for a little more romance! The development of Ben and Liam’s relationship is subtle and cute, but the focus of the story is more about finding your way in the world.

Overall

A feel-good graphic novel about food, friendship and finding yourself.

Its cute and quirky and had me falling in love with all of the characters. The art is wonderful and really help highlight the story. As someone who has just graduated from college, it's scary to find oneself in the world. Like what comes next and all of that. This story gives that validation of whats coming next and not having to follow all of the steps of the recipes to go next.

Ben Cook is a recent college graduate with an English degree. When he can’t find a job in publishing after weeks of interviews, he finds a restaurant that is hiring with no experience necessary. It doesn’t hurt that Ben also likes the cute sous chef who interviews him. Ben must do a series of challenges to prove to a tough critic that he has the skills to work there full-time.

I loved the quirky characters in this story. All of them, even the minor characters, had distinct personalities. There was also a pig, named Watson, who was just adorable.

The one thing I didn’t understand was why Ben had to do weeks worth of challenges for this job. He didn’t spend time actually working in the restaurant. He had to work on one dish a week to perfect it, but it seemed more like a training program or school rather than a job.

Chef’s Kiss is a cute queer graphic novel!

Thank you Oni Press for providing a copy of this book.

This has such cute art style, such a relatable premise and was super easy to get invested in. Not to mention all the descriptions and depictions of food actually had me starving by the end! I wish there was a touch more romance but overall and cute and fun queer graphic novel! Overall ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

A cute and fun graphic novel with great rep!

The main character, Ben is a bit geeky and awkward but adorable!
He’s a relatable character, that has finished college and struggling to find a job after finishing his English degree. (Hits way too close to home haha)

The food aspect of this graphic novel was awesome! I felt genuinely hungry at times. I like the whole dynamic between Ben and the other chef’s. (Apart from the scary head chef)

There’s not only a bit of a slow burn romance (LGBT) but there’s a huge focus on friendships – which is nice to see! The romance actually isn’t a massive part of this, at least in my opinion. It takes a while for any romance to happen. It’s more about Ben learning about himself and where he wants to go in life; while dealing with pressures from family and juggling his friends and new friends.

Illustrations: GORGEOUS!
I love the art style here. It reminds me of older comic book and cartoons drawing style.

Overall, definitely worth picking it! Light fun read that does deal with some deeper topics. A well balanced story!

Absolutely loved this sweet and fun graphic novel. The art is so beautiful and intricate, I wanted to bake & cook for hours after reading this one. Loved the characters and their friendship, envied their put together life and also their struggles. It was easy to get lost in the way the feelings developed between Ben and Liam. I felt sorry for all the hardships Ben felt and the lack of understanding from the parents. I will get a copy of this one. I need to have it on my bookshelf.

This graphic novel is so adorable, I squealed with happiness when I got to the end.

Liam is hot and what a dream.

Watson... I so want a Watson!!

Thanks to @NetGalley or I never would have gotten round to reading this.

Adorable story, fabulous art. Golly, all those dishes look amazing.

Thanks to the wonderful publisher for letting me get a review copy in exchange for an honest review! Woohoo

This was such a sweet and adorable read. I’m grateful for the opportunity to read this. It was just what I needed.

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

Now that college is over, English graduate Ben Cook is on the job hunt looking for something…anything…related to his passion for reading and writing. But interview after interview, hiring committee after hiring committee, Ben soon learns getting the dream job won’t be as easy as he thought. Proofreading? Journalism? Copywriting? Not enough experience. It turns out he doesn’t even have enough experience to be a garbage collector! But when Ben stumbles upon a “Now Hiring—No Experience Necessary” sign outside a restaurant, he jumps at the chance to land his first job. Plus, he can keep looking for a writing job in the meantime. He’s actually not so bad in the kitchen, but he will have to pass a series of cooking tests to prove he’s got the culinary skills to stay on full-time. But it’s only temporary…right?

When Ben begins developing a crush on Liam, one of the other super dreamy chefs at the restaurant, and when he starts ditching his old college friends and his old writing job plans, his career path starts to become much less clear.

This graphic novel was everything! the art and the plot was the cutest thing ever. I loved the artwork in this novel and thought it paired perfectly with the novel. This was a cute graphic novel and I highly recommend picking this up!

TW/CW: Vomit, unemployment, overbearing parents

What can I say? This book was almost everything I needed right now.

Recent college graduate Ben cannot find a job, of any sort, for the life of him. He doesn't have enough experience at... anything, apparently. Until one day, he runs across a restaurant with a sign that says they're hiring - with no experience needed.
Ben mostly cooks at home, but figures it's worth a shot - even if his parents will be unhappy, and it's not exactly what he'd planned, at least it’s a job.

“You. Are not. A failure.”
“Then why won’t anyone hire me? I’ve done everything I’m supposed to do. Study, get good grades, do extracurriculars… and for what?”

If you're anything like me, the above quote and the whole premise of the book hit very close to home. College feels like a waste. Why even go through those 4+ years?

But this book tells you why.

“There’s nothing crazy about figuring out what makes you happy and deciding to pursue whatever that ends up being.”

It's not all about going to college to get a job in that field. Sometimes, you can love something so much (in Ben’s case, reading and writing), but that doesn’t mean a job in that field is meant for you. Sometimes you’ll discover another passion, like Ben does with cooking. Knowledge is never a bad thing, so the experience isn’t something to regret – like Liam says, figuring out what makes you happy is the important part.

Okay, one last quote that made me feel better:
“Do what you have to do until you get what you’re really looking for.”

As someone who has basically been living by “I’m only doing this until I can get the job I really want,” it was so refreshing to see that validated in the media I consume.

In all, this book is a breath of fresh air… most of the time. While Ben’s story is Relatable™, his friends left me wanting more. Two of them promptly got amazing jobs before graduating or just out of college. Not that that isn’t what SHOULD happen – but in a story about a graduate struggling to find a job, it felt like a bit of a slap in the face. Especially when I’ve known people in those fields who struggled to find jobs just as much as Ben.
Quick Q: how do all of these fresh graduates + a student afford THAT apartment??? Where are they living? I need to move ASAP.
Also, wow, wish I had rich parents who agreed to pay for my apartment and bills for a bit. And had connections.
Basically, the characters felt like they struggled, but never really were in danger of losing everything, so it fell a bit flat at times.

Now, I can’t end this review without mentioning the romance. It’s cute and the panels with just Liam and Ben ~just hanging out~ are my favorite (the sunset? The final page? STUNNING.). I wish we’d gotten a bit more development between them than just “omg hot guy at work and we both happen to be gay” but. It is what it is.

I love love LOVED the end. He gets to have the best of both worlds. It's what he deserves.

Last but not least – Watson, the pig? An icon. Would read a book just about him.

Quotes are from an early copy and may not reflect the final version.

Huge thank you to Netgalley and Oni Press for an ARC of this!

OH. MY. GOSH. The cuteness that is this book - I cannot even handle it! The art style is so good - the artist is really great at depicting the emotions and personalities of the characters, which I was at first concerned about, but was quickly reassured. The journey of self-discovery that the main character went through during this book reminded me of my own, which made this book all the more fun. I'm SO glad that this was a graphic novel - I can't imagine absorbing this story any other way. The premise is so familiar, yet the details make this story fun and unique in a way that I have not yet experienced in either a regular or a graphic novel. This book is so fun - my only regret is that I want to see the relationship blossom more, so I'm REALLY hoping that there is a sequel planned for the future! I also loved the cooking details - the way the food and the cooking process was written about made me feel like I was working in a kitchen right alongside Ben. I'm not a professional chef by any definition, but judging by what I've seen on tv, the cooking, food combinations, and flavors seemed pretty legit ha ha. Overall, this book was an absolute delight!!! Definitely recommend!

I received an advanced review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.