Cover Image: Chef's Kiss

Chef's Kiss

Pub Date:   |   Archive Date:

Member Reviews

This was a fast and fun read! Ben and his friends are all ready to enter the “real world” except that Ben can’t find a job as a copywriter to start his career as a writer. He accepts a job in a kitchen to hold him over and falls for the job and the dreamy sous chef Liam.
I loved the characters and the illustrations. I did occasionally find some scenes to be a bit long winded but overall a cute and sweet story.

Was this review helpful?

*ARC given via Netgalley, thank you!*

This was very cute. We follow Ben Cook as he tries to find a job in writing, but is unsuccesful. On a whim he takes a job at a restaurant, and seems to fall in love with cooking.
I really enjoyed both the art and the story, and I'd definitely read a follow up to this purely for the food, romance, and for Watson. I'd also love to learn more about Ben's three roommates, because I'm curious about their personalities as welll.

Thanks again, Oni Press!

Was this review helpful?

This was such a cute story. I'm new to the world of graphic novels, and this is a great addition to the one's I've read. I really enjoyed that it wasn't just a fully white group of people and the comedic use of the head chef pig was really well done. The relationship between Ben and Liam was so adorable and showcased a cute side of the gay experience, uncertainty if the other person is gay or not, pining away, and the moment of realization that "oh, they are gay". Overall this graphic novel was a nice quick read, and I hope there's more to come from this series!

Was this review helpful?

This was such a cute and delicious graphic novel. It's not usual reading about characters who just finished college and are starting to move into the world of work and responsibilities.
Ben's journey is not different from the one if many people who studied one thing then got passionate about something totally different. He was kind of "forced" to look for job outside what he studied because everyone want experience but how can you get experience without people giving you a change to earn this experience? It's messed up! So yeah, he ended up training as a cook and he loved it! He is talented and isn't afraid to take risks.

I really enjoyed it and the romance side was small but still very sweet!

Was this review helpful?

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing an eARC of this title in exchange for my honest review.

⭐️⭐️⭐️

If Milo from Atlantis was a chef and gay(er) (let’s be real, he had ✨bi✨wife✨energy✨).

Okay…what is up with Watson the pig? Because I am kind of obsessed with him and his owner… I loved their little side story. It made me laugh. 11/10.

I really liked the art style. It complemented the story well and was super cute.

The transitions between scenes seem kind of abrupt especially when someone is cussing out the main character mid task and then the next page is of the gang at a German themed restaurant drinking beer.

Even though the romance was really cute and thoughtful, I wish there was a tad bit more moments between the two where they actually get a second to flirt. If there was more, then it would have made his parents claims about him only wanting the job because of the love interest somewhat true. Instead, it seems odd that Ben would even entertain that train of thought, because at that point the time spent with Liam is equal or even less than the time he spent with the other characters.

I also feel like Tom didn’t fit in well. Maybe if him and Rachel had been more involved/spent more time with each other then it could have paralleled how well Ben and Liz get along. I did really like their friendship. I appreciate that Ben and Liz both put in effort to make sure the other person was happy and supported and that it wasn’t a one-way street.

Was this review helpful?

A delightful, breezy title perfect for teens and adults. Chef's Kiss follows Ben Cook as he navigates post-college living while starting a new job as a cook. The main conflicts are relatable for older readers and educational for high school and college aged students. The struggles between friends, parents and oneself during a time of change is deftly handled with humor and charm.

Was this review helpful?

Thank you so much to the publisher for sending me a copy of this! I was super excited to read this because it looked amazing (both the artwork and the synopsis). I enjoy reading this type of graphic novel so much! That said, and regarding the content of the story, this book was super fun to read! I saw myself reflected in the main character so much; an english degree and barely any experience in the real world. I am glad it ended up working for him!!
The characters were super likable and the pig was the best! The illustrations looked amazing and the food looked so delicious.

Was this review helpful?

2.5 stars. I received an ARC of this graphic novel through Netgalley.

I really enjoyed aspects of this: the art style was fun, it was easy to read and digest, and it had a few sweet moments between friends and mentors. I also thought the creation of the different dishes was creative and exciting and definitely made me wish I was able to eat them. One of my main issues was that a lot of the characters felt one note. The friends/roommates Ben lived with all felt like a copy and paste of each other and each of the chef's at the restaurant also felt pretty surface level.

I also felt like a few of the scenes were too long and other scenes weren't long enough. For example, the scene with the explanation of the pig between the owner of the restaurant and Ben felt out of place and the yoga scene was boring and tonally off compared to the rest of the story. I loved the scenes with Ben and Liam and I wish those would have taken up that extra space and allowed for more character development.

Overall a quick and fun LGBTQ+ read. I definitely would recommend this graphic novel to people who love food and the process that goes into making food!

Was this review helpful?

This was a fun story to read! The graphics were beautifully made. Ben was so sweet which made him a lovable main character. Each character had quirks that I enjoyed immensely!

Was this review helpful?

Cuuuuuuute!!!! What an absolute delight of a story!!
I didn’t mean to read this so early but I couldn’t stop once I had it open! Definitely keep this one on your radar, friends!! It's the perfect combination of important self-discovery centred conversations and fluffy, happy, cuteness!
Will definitely need this one on my Fav Graphic Novels display shelf once print copies are available!


(And to the publisher - I've reviewed this in my Instagram stories, for now. And will have a proper post about it in my feed closer to publication!)

Was this review helpful?

I adored this book-- read it through in two quick sessions. I loved the characters and the graphics and the story-- and especially the pig! The little "story within a story" of how the pig came to the bakery was the most fun.

I did think the parents' objections were a bit overdone and made them out to be meaner than necessary, a bit of a downer for such a joyous book.

Was this review helpful?

I absolutely adored this. As an English major myself, working a job not in my field of study, I get that sometimes you have to take what you can get, but it helps here that Ben actually enjoys the positions he's in.

Dealing with disappointment from his parents and ultimately having to decide where he want to go with his life really hits home for me.

The writing was really well done and the art style was pleasant. The romance felt a bit rushed for how short the story was, but overall was very wholesome.

10/10 would read again.

Was this review helpful?

This is very cute! I enjoyed the visuals, the dialogue, the plot -- and especially Gabe the pig. :)

The only reason this didn't get a full 5 stars from me was that I wanted a little more at the end. I wanted to see what happened with Ben's parents -- and with Ben and Liam! Plus, I wanted to know how Ben succeeded as a chef too. Really, it could have been twice as long, and I would've gobbled it all up.

Was this review helpful?

Food in graphic novels is always a real favourite, so a whole graphic novel about food?! Sign me straight up! This was quite adorable, although a little odd at times (the pig?!). I loved the art style and very much adored, slightly geeky, awkward Ben. I remember this period of life all too well. You're expected to make such huge decisions, at such a young age, on what you want to do with the entire rest of your life. That whole idea is captured very well.

So many great side characters, Ben has a lovely group of friends. The story was just generally gentle and heart warming. All in all a charming little book.

Was this review helpful?

Simply delightful, this book is so relatable to younger adults leaving college or university and facing having to decide who they really are away from school and family pressure -as well as anyone who remembers those days themselves!

There is a very cute romance subplot, and a wonderful, quirky taste-testing pig, but really the star of the show is Ben Cook, the protagonist. Facing the hurdle of not being able to get a foot in the door when it comes to what he assumes is his dream writing career, and increasing bills, he spots a help wanted sign in a restaurant and discovers a new passion in cooking.

Facing misunderstandings with friends, kooky chefs, embarrassing drunken mishaps, a cute co-worker who may or may not like him back, and parental pressure, Ben has to decide what's really important to him, and where his true passion really lies. Definitely recommended!

Was this review helpful?

Really cute book, love the character. The book to have when you don’t want something complicated. The part with the pig was a little too much for an adult book.

Was this review helpful?

Ben Cook wants a job, but it is the problem with jobs that if you have no experience, you can't get experience. And so, despite a shiny new English degree, he can't find any work. His room mates try to make him feel better, but he doesn't.

And then he sees a help wanted sign in a restaurant, and he sees the most handsome man Liam, and decides to go after the job.

And this is where it gets weird, and if this wasn't just a silly ron-com, you would think that he could find a better pace to work. The owner will let him have the job, if he can both please the humans palettes, as well as Watson the Pig's taste buds as well.

Throw in crazy parents that want their son to have a writing job, because he went to school for that, and you have a sweet ron-com with a very out of it young man who doesn't know if he should be flirting or not.

<em>Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review.</em>

Was this review helpful?

Ahhhh! This was so great! I loved every second of it. Ben and Liam were adorable. I couldn't put it down. Absolutely 1000% recommend this to everyone.

Was this review helpful?

Such a cute and easy read !! I loved the graphics and the whole story itself.
The whole roommate situation was very interesting because we got to know bits of each characters and i loved how they communicated between them and how you could see everything isnt always bright and it really shows you that communication is the key!
loved liam’s character and how he “defended” Ben in front of the parents.
I also really found interesting the parents argument, not every parents can be supportive and thats the real life! It can make you realize that or show you that you’re not alone !

Was this review helpful?

This is cutest graphic novel I have picked up in a bit. The main character is very relatable. The premise begin with him moving in with his friends after graduation and in search of a job related to his major.

However, luck is against him and he has to take a restaurant job to pay his bills. There, his cooking skills are tested and approved by a pig (so cute). In between all the training and preparing, he crushes on the sous chef, has a fight with his best friends and his overbearing parents give him an ultimatum.

The whole book has a 'Friends' vibe and I really enjoyed it.

Thank you #NetGalley and #OniPress for giving me the opportunity to read this!
#ChefsKiss

Was this review helpful?