This was a cute LGBTQ+ book about finding your passion. We all have dreams and aspirations but sometimes they can suffocate us. Our main character loves writing but gets stumped when he can't land a job in the field - he does however finally land a job at a restaurant with a really hunky sous chef.

Finding a passion - a passion for cooking.

Thank you to OniPress for sending me this ARC.

Okay this was really stinking cute!! Ben is such a sweet little bean, he deserves nothing but happiness!

I was really drawn in from the first page. We are introduced to the cast of characters on the first page – 4 friends who are moving in together after entering a new chapter of their lives. Ben Cook is job-hunting as is struggling to find something as an aspiring author, when he stumbles upon a restaurant that is hiring. The rest is history! The art style is also wonderful, it’s really pretty! And all the food, yummm. This was all in all a really cute graphic novel about drifting after getting your degree, feeling torn between parental expectations and a job that turned out to bring more joy than you even thought possible. The romance was also so cute and wholesome. But my favourite thing might have been the friendships between Ben and his friends.

I highly recommend this! Especially if you enjoy graphic novels and stories about finding yourself after finishing school.

This story was super cute! I loved all of the characters and I hope there are more to come from this group. The art is so well done, it's vibrant and has a great comic feel. I'm definitely going to purchase this for my library and I hope to see more from the author and artists.

It is such a cute and fun book! super easy read and I would give it to my young teen cousins to read. I think some bits are particularly long and I would avoid the use of the word 'senpai' it seems a bit cringe-y and I don't know actual people my age who talk like that (but I could be very wrong).

I liked the pacing and I wish there was some sort of end bit where he spoke to his parents.

This was so cute! We all know how I feel about cooking and baking books and to have it in a new adult graphic novel was extremely fun to read. I loved all the characters and we really were able to get a sense of who each character was which is a big feat for 160 page graphic novel.

I unfortunately really didn’t connect with this book for two main reasons.
It uses a lot of humor that isn’t my sense of humor, so the funny moments felt annoying or nonsensical to me instead of funny like they were intended to and like they might be to someone with a more similar sense of humor.
I also really couldn’t connect with the characters. This is partially because some aspects were supposed to be funny, but I also missed reasons why the characters did what they did. You only ever really got that for Ben, the main character, and his motivations and characteristics didn’t make sense for me. For example he stays home to practice cooking for his job instead of celebrating his friend’s promotion as he claims to have no idea what he is doing, but within a week he massively improves that recipe in a way none of the professional chefs could come up with. It didn’t feel believable that anyone could improve that much that fast.

A gorgeously illustrated graphic novel about finding your way in the world once you have graduated and it's time to take the next step.
After running face first into the reality of all new graduates - every entry level job needs experience, Ben Cook takes a job in a quirky kitchen with a sexy Sous chef. It was never the plan, or the dream, but sometimes life takes you places you wouldn't expect.

This novel has it all: beautiful artwork, droolworthy food, a sweet as pie romance, and that heartwarming feeling of finding your way in the world with the support of your friends.

This was an absolute pleasure to read, which I heartily recommend to lovers of a visual romance. If they ever did an animated or love action adaptation, I'd be there for that too!

A beautifully illustrated story filled with loveable humour and characters I’d love to be friends with.

No one knows exactly what’s in store for them, especially after graduating from university. When Ben Cook finds himself failing to get anything close to his dream editing job, he takes a chance on a kitchen in order to make a wage. But what he finds there is the passion his life has been missing and it doesn’t hurt that there’s a very charming boy determined to see Ben succeed.

For a story filled with quirky elements like a taste-testing pig and Ben’s “fairy conscience”, it was remarkably relatable. The tension between Ben and his friends is only natural for a tight group all being pulled in different directions and equally wanting the best for each other while making sure not to leave someone behind to settle. I would love to see more of all of these well-rounded characters. Not to mention the deliciously drawn scenes filled with sweets and treats enough to make the reader ready to eat.

A wonderfully honest story that is sure to leave readers hungry for more, in every sense.

I have been looking forward to getting to this graphic novel on my TBR for some time, and genuinely it lived up to my own hype as it brings together some of my favourite things, food, cute romance and incredibly intelligent pigs.

A range of diverse characters set the scene for Ben who after many years of studying something his parents want him to study, he then chooses something he wants to study for himself and finds his feet in a kitchen full of really well-crafted characters and a friendship group of people I’d like to hang out with.

Maybe I am a little biased, but I loved all the women that surround Ben in this comic, Liz, his best friend since he was a kid, Rachel talking in ye olde English and Emilia who has no chill and I love her for it. The romance story burns through the first volume and is done so well to not overpower all the other stories being told with his friends – with such a big cast, the balance is kept incredibly well throughout I think and I hope we get to see them grow as this comic goes on.

Accompanying this great story is such incredible art, this comic will have the same effect as watching Bake Off does, you will need a snack, cake, anything edible next to you, while reading this.I need ‘tart me up’ right now in the great words of a chef.

A great first volume, I’d love to read more soon!

Chef's Kiss was a fun graphic novel with a lively art style and cute romance. The characters were charming and seem like the kind of people you'd want to be friends with right after college. I think readers will appreciate the book's messages about being who you are and living life on your own terms - the quote "I know [my parents] gave it to me, but I'm the one who has to live this life" will really stick with me. I don't think this is meant to be a realistic depiction of restaurant work (though the food looked delicious!), but it's some good escapism we can probably all use these days. The conflicts were easily resolved in a way that seldom happens in life - again, sometimes it's nice to read a story where everything turns out better than expected! I think this book fits well in the new adult space and would be great for fans of queer characters finding a happy ending.

Thank you NetGalley for providing me with this ARC.
This was a very fun read and I really enjoyed it! The characters and the story was great. I liked how the character’s struggles were real, the pressure to find a job and your parents. I would recommend this to everyone looking for a cute quick read!

I received a free ARC in exchange for an honest review

An english major with a TON of books and no desire to get rid of them? It’s basically me! This graphic novel was really cute, and I honestly felt frustrated with Ben’s interviewers. Requiring experience to gain experience is the biggest nonsense in the job world. This was so well drawn that every time there was some sort of food I was hungry, and I just wanted to know what some of the dishes Ben made tasted and smelled like. I did find Rachel and her constant Shakespearean a bit annoying at the beginning, so I’m glad she dropped it. Also, Watson is the cutest pig I’ve ever seen and it made me happy that his opinion on things was so highly regarded (though if he was a real pig I think he'd creep me out instead, he's TOO human, haha).

I absolutely loved how cute it was, and I know it’ll be a good pick for people who love cute graphic novels that don’t have any violence or super high levels of drama. Definitely going to buy a copy when it comes out!

A lovely graphic novel that has a great plot and artwork! I will definitely be sharing this with my students as they are in love with great stories!

This graphic novel follows Ben, who recently graduated from college with an English degree,, but is struggling to get a job. He ends up finding a job at a restaurant, but it's not what he' looking for and the head chef/owner is making him go through a trial period where Ben's food is judged by a pig. There's also a chef there named Liam who Ben is instantly attracted to.

I have some mixed feelings about this graphic novel. Parts of it were cute, and I really liked the depiction of a recent college grad struggling to find a job/figuring out if what they thought they wanted is what they actually want to do. However, I felt like the dialogue was stitted at times and I wanted more from it. I also found the section where Ben’s friend who studied theater was only talking in Shakespeare quotes/Shakespeare like sayings annoying - and I say this as someone who has studied Shakespeare.

The art was great, but I found the story kind of boring and the romance wasn't strongly developed.

rating: 2.5/5

Ben cook has just graduated college with an English degree and is ready for the job market. Only, everywhere he applies tells him the same thing: Professional experience required. Desperate for a job, Ben comes upon a restaurant advertisement and soon becomes embroiled in a three week test in which a pig will decide that fate of his new career. Not to mention Liam, the hot mentor chef who's exactly Ben's type.

Chef's Kiss was pretty solid for me. The art is amazing. I love Ben's friend group. The story felt a bit flat and corny. There was supposed to be obvious tension between Ben and Liam, but it wasn't there. Also, as a person who's been in Ben's shoes, even if I had been desperate, I would have quit at the first sign of a "three challenge trial period", because that just sounds like a scam. That said, a follow up volume would be great to explore more of relationship between Ben and Liam. I would also like to see how he navigates his relationship with his parents.

3.5/5 stars Solid read

Melendez has created a graphic novel that expertly catches the New Adult experience. Ben Cook is a recent college graduate living with his three friends. They balance multiple jobs, hobbies, and fun nights out. Ben is trying to break into the workforce but is having the problem of applying everywhere and never getting an interview and not having enough experience. To add to the reality of the situation, his parents just don't understand the current job market.

When Ben does get a job at a restaurant, a wonderful queer romance is born, delicious food is drawn and discussed, and even though the head chef is not particularly nice, the tension created by that (and the bleak reality of Ben's job search) is cut by the addition of a Very Important Pig!

Ben balances friendships, family relationships, both his and his parent's expectations for his future, the stress of a new job, and a budding relationship. It's a very complex graphic novel and a great read.

This was really colourful, cute and heart warming - too much for my taste, I seem to only love books with dramatic things happening.
I still spent a good night reading this and I love the decisions made by the mc and his reflection on his life, dream job, etc. More interactions with the love interest would have been great and would have allowed the reader to see the evolution of their relationship - it happened too fast.

I found this book very cute and interesting, the. characters were interesting and well developed even the surrounding ones and the book toed the line very well between fantasy/comedy and realism. The art style was good and made me feel immersed in the story. The only negative was that it made me feel constantly hungry as the food looked so good!!

When does volume 2 come out?

Seriously this is my favorite type of read. It's light, funny, endearing, has a satisfying HEA, I couldn't ask for more.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for my ARC of Chef's Kiss. This is 100% my opinion, and I can tell you for certain that I will be on the lookout for more from this publisher/author.

A charming tale of a young man trying to find his path after graduating from college, Chef's Kiss follows Ben as he struggles to find work in his field and to accept that maybe life has other plans for him. The conflict feels genuine, and Ben's angst over his direction in life is bound to be familiar to a lot of recent graduates. The illustrations are beautiful - especially the food illustrations. Delicious! This graphic novel was absolutely worth the read and I will be recommending it.