Chef's Kiss was an absolutely a delicious delight to read. The artwork was really beautiful and consistent throughout in a way that allows the reader to fully immerse themselves in the setting. And I must say...who doesn't love letting an adorable pig decide your fate?!
Recent grad Ben Cook moves in with his 3 eccentric best friends and while they are off to work and pursuing their passions, Ben feels unmoored and cannot land a job through traditional interviews due to his lack of professional experience (we have all been there, trust me). This causes him to pivot and go for a job that required 'no previous experience' and allows him to tap into a dormant passion - cooking! Along the way, Ben may just find love, friendship, and self-acceptance. In all seriousness, this Chef's Kiss will really resonate with those who are just out of college and trying to figure out their life path OR those of us who made some changes during the pandemic and now are trying to figure out what is next - sometimes the unexpected or seemingly temporary option can allow you to find happiness.

This was really fun and well written! I enjoyed the characters and the pig! I wasn’t a huge fan of the plot, however. I thought it could have been expanded upon!

Ben Cook did what he was supposed to: he went to school and applied at all the publishing houses to become a writer or editor, but when he's rejected at every turn, he decides to turn his hobby into a job at a local restaurant. Is Ben really choosing what's best for himself, though, or has a certain handsome sous-chef caught his eye?

What a cozy little story! So many young adults are working through disillusionment with college and the rat race, and this book offers a refreshing look at what it means to grow up. I enjoyed the carefully-crafted illustrations and the gentle way each character was presented... except Tom, who is pretty much just comic relief. Although, of all of them, Tom left me with the most to think about in regards to the way the job market has been tipping. Overall, this book is clear and prompt, but it takes joy in little details that make it a delight to read from cover to cover.

***I was given a free digital copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review***

Absolutely adorable! This book was a perfect mix of friendship, love, and FOOD! The characters were all so different and there was just enough drama to keep it interesting while still keeping it light and fluffy. Strongly recommend!

I loved reading this story. It's cute, as well as short and sweet. I read this in approximately one sitting, and was glad I was able to preview it. New adult is a growing genre, and I think this story is a happy medium between Young Adult, and Adult. I would definitely recommend this title for purchase!

I haven’t read a graphic novel in so long and this was the perfect one to get back into them!

The story was so relatable- we have all had that moment in time where we second guessed the trajectory of our life. Eventually, we figure it out- and this book captures those moments so well.

It was corny, in the best ways; and Watson the pig was just ✨chef’s kiss✨ perfection! There were parts of the story that were easy to guess through; but I have to admit, it didn’t detract from the over all enjoyment.

It was a quick, but delightful read!

I was given an ARC of this story to read; but thoughts and opinions are all my own. Thank you to NetGalley and Oni Press for the chance to read this graphic novel!

Heartwarming and endearing story, wonderful cast of characters and gorgeous illustrations! I had a big smile on my face all the time that I was reading it

Thanks NetGalley for sending me an advanced copy to read and review!
This was adorable! Whacky, funny, relatable, a little weird at times, but just such an easy comfort read all round. And you better read it with a snack because it’ll make you hungry.
4 stars

Chef’s kiss is an adorably fluffy graphic novel about Ben Cook, a struggling college graduate on a search for a job. It focuses mainly on his initiation process of becoming a chef as well as a crush he develops on his co-worker Liam.
This book did well at portraying the difficulties of being a young adult, scrambling to discover passions, dealing with family and friendships, etc.
Overall, I really enjoyed this fun combination of cute illustrations and lighthearted humor.

This book was cute. Really, really cute.
We follow Ben, a recent English college graduate, as he tries to get a job with no job experience. Yep, hell itself, basically. He has some really supportive friends and a highly pressuring family, and he thinks he wants to work in something related to writing or reading. But the only job he gets is in a really peculiar restaurant where every new dish is tasted and approver by an endearing pib named Watson.
Also, Ben is gay and quickly develops a crush on his coworker Liam, and is adorable.
The only thing that I didn't really like was how descriptive it was of all the food and the cooking. I mean, I know it's important for the character, but as a reader I don't like finding so much descriptive text in a graphic novel.
But I really liked the story and characters anyway.

This was so cuteeeee. I have such a soft spot for stories that have to do with cooking and baking, so I am not surprised I loved this.
The colours and art style were super nice, they made me feel happy just by looking at the pages. The food looked super tasty and I really enjoyed the character design. The pg was the cutest thing ever and I honestly would read a graphic novel about him.
In general, the story was heartwarming and wholesome, while also dealing with a topic which is very close to me, that is what should you do once you’ve graduated? How many of your choices are actually yours and how many are influenced by outside factors, be it your parents or social pressure?
The characters were also nice and they all had a personality, even if of course some had more than others, seeing as we are following Ben’s adventures. I would love more books in this series, companions about the other characters and an actual sequel would both be nice.
I highly recommend this graphic novel if you liked Bloom or if you are looking for some new adult comics, as it is a target often forgotten by the publishing world. It’s nice to read about children, teens and full grown adults, but sometimes I need to see characters in their twenties, struggling with life like me, to feel represented. Yay to more twenty-somethings in fiction.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC, can’t wait to buy myself a finished copy.

This book was an absolute goddamn delight.

Ben Cook is a recent college graduate who is struggling to find work. When he ends up getting employment at a local restaurant with a boss who has completely inane requests but also a hot sous chef, he works hard to figure out what he really wants to do, and maybe the path he's always gone down isn't what he really wants.

The art for this is amazing. I loved the friends' stories (all of them! They were all so wonderful!). The co-workers were a delight. THE PIG. THE FUCKING PIG (the line "He was bitten by a radioactive reviewer" got me to laugh out loud on the subway). So much about this book was really quite a treat.

I had a few lmao world building moments because Ben's parents show up to argue that they spend so much money for a lucrative career in...publishing? They definitely have connections, but out of all the things, they picked /publishing???/ That also got me to laugh.

As a graphic novel, some of the text felt too long, if that's a thing. It definitely felt like reading a short novella and despite the beautiful art, kind of pulled me out.

Also I usually dislike co-workers to lovers stories because what! if! Something! Goes! Wrong!!!! but Liam was lovely. I really liked him and Ben together. But I wanted a little more of Liam and his backstory but what we got was nice.

And finally, while I loved the ending (so cute!) it wrapped up really neatly. I left wanting more.

But overall, a super adorable graphic novel that I will 100% be buying when it comes out !

Thank you Netgalley for a copy in exchange for an honest review.

4/5⭐
Chef's Kiss is an incredibly ADORABLE graphic novel with an adorable cast of friends, queer romance, and a feisty food tasting pig! Ben Cook is a recent college grad who is trying to find his career, but is struggling to choose between what his parents expect of him and what he really wants. After getting a job as a chef, Ben gets to know his coworker, Liam a bit more.

Go read Chef's Kiss if you are a fan of food-related and queer romance graphic novels.

Thanks to Netgalley and Oni press for the Arc

CHEF'S KISS is an incredibly adorable graphic novel about Ben Cook - he grew up being pushed into the writing industry, and now that he has graduated, he cannot find a writing job. After taking a probationary chef job, Ben gets to know the sous-chef Liam and himself a bit more...
CHEF'S KISS is one of the best new adult novels I have, let alone one of my new favorite graphic novels. The illustrations are magnificent, bringing to mind FLAMER and BLOOM. The food made my mouth water and the cute queer romance made my eyes join in. Please read CHEF'S KISS if you are a fan of graphic novels, food-related stories, and queer romances.

Sigh. Chef's Kiss is pretty to look at (art below) but it's really shallowly developed. The opening scenes consist of Ben moving in with three roommates shortly after graduating from college. He applies to and interviews for lots of writing and editing jobs before stumbling upon a job opening at a nearby vegetarian restaurant. Thus begins a drawn out plot in which Ben has to cook three existing dishes and develop one new one for the restaurant and get approval of the chef's pig, Watson.


I was excited for Chef's Kiss because I love romance comics and have a restaurant background and hey, there's a pig! But the reality is that the story is boring and the romance is nearly non-existent. The creators clearly loved writing and illustrating the cooking scenes, but that's not what I thought I was signing up for and it took me two weeks to read a 160 page graphic novel. Not ideal. As for the romance, it's between Ben and the sous-chef, Liam. One of my issues with Chef's Kiss is that the power imbalance is never addressed. Liam is a few years older than Ben and he's Ben's direct supervisor. I guess they're not together until Ben passes his tests and is officially hired, but to not mention it at all in the entire book felt wrong. I spent years working for crappy bosses who hooked up with all the staff to think this is a non-issue. Most of those people (everyone I'm thinking of is a woman but I'm sure it's not limited by gender) were in low-paying, part-time jobs with no security or benefits. After the relationship/hookups ended, they often felt they couldn't stay employed at that restaurant and left. Surprising no one, the sous-chefs, pastry chefs and exec. chefs never left for the same reason...


Then again, the romance isn't the focus of this comic. If post-college coming of age plots and cooking are your jam, you might like this a lot!


***

I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher for review.

This graphic novel is ADORABLE! Ben is a recent college grad who is trying to find his career, but is struggling to choose between what is expected of him and what he really wants for himself. An adorable cast of friends, queer romance, and a feisty food tasting piglet?! I’m all in. I really love the message of this book, and the focus on friendship. And of course I would read an entire series of books about Ben and Liam! I don’t pick up a ton of graphic novels, but I’m so glad I got this one, it was such a quick but fun read, thank you to Netgalley for the Arc.

What I loved about Chef's Kiss is not only the gorgeous illustrations, but the way that it felt so utterly relatable. We have these ideas about how our future will be when we graduate. Then we see others living the dreams we all talked about and then we look at our life. We wonder what happened. And Chef's Kiss presents not only a realistic look at this situation, but also a journey to finding our passions and unexpected joys.

Chef's Kiss is a celebration of finding our joy. Of realizing that not everything is direct and that the journey can sometimes show us more about who we are. Additionally, Chef's Kiss is charming from the beginning, it has a PIG! The character relationships are quirky and hilarious. I just want to spend so much time with them!

4 sweet stars

This story is about. He lives with Rachel, Liz and Tom. Ben is originally a write, but he can't seem to get a job, so he ends up getting a job at a restaurant. Here he meets, Liam who is the souschef, and Emily and Mal.

While this story was so cute and sweet. It had some very hostile environment at the restaurant, that I didn't really like. The owner and headchef was a bit of an ass in the beginning, but in the end he ended up supporting Ben and his dream. And I really didn't like Ben's parents at all.

Thanks to netgally for a copy of this in exchange for an honest review

This was a really cute graphic novel with beautiful art and engaging characters! I have rounded up from 4.5 - I would've liked a bit more of an ending - but still a great read

What a cute story! I loved this so much. This slice of life story and the characters are so relatable.

Join Ben as he sets out after college to figure out what he wants to do with his life. A daunting task if there ever was one. After getting rejected by many professional level jobs in writing, he decides to answer a help wanted sign at a restaurant. What started as a hobby and fun pass time quickly turns into a passion - and its not just the hot guy Liam making it so.

The characters are all facing new and uncertain futures. Some of them have gotten their dream job right out of college, some decided to stay in college, and others are pursuing interests outside their original majors and disappointing parents. But such is life! I highly recommend picking up a copy of this book and watching as each character stumbles through life's many challenges, figure out who they are, what they want, and fall in love.

Super cute story and the art is really nice to look at. 10/10 would recommend several times over.