This was a really sweet mini love story of two people living in Paris, one whose native language is English, one whose native language is Cantonese, and how they slowly bridge the language gap between them to get to know each other. It was a quick read, and honestly, I could have used like, 50 more pages. Partially because the story needed a bit more depth and length, and partially because I enjoyed it so much! I thought the English text wrapped around the spoken language so that English-speakers can read it was a clever touch.

Thanks to Netgalley and Top Shelf for the e-ARC!

Love Languages was such a sweet little graphic novel. I loved the colourful art style. I also loved how James Albon manages to capture the flow of spoken language in picture. Some conversations are fluid, some are slow and confused. And he really manages to catch that feeling of joy when communication suddenly starts working.

The story takes place in Paris, but none of our main characters are from France. Sarah is from England but working at a French firm, Ping on the other hand is from Hong Kong. When they meet they only have fragments of English, French and Cantonese to use. But slowly and steadily they find a perfect mix and learn a lot of each others languages.

And slowly they become more and more important in each others lives.

Unfortunately, I found this story didn't work for me. I felt like we spent so much time in Sarah's head, in a very morose state, then all of a sudden she was professing her love. But previously, the other interactions we had Sarah internally wondering if she and Ping were even really friends, especially after grabbing lunch with people Ping knew. It felt like a chapter was missing, or even a thread connecting any sense of joy in Sarah's existence in any aspect of her life after spending more and more time with Ping. She never shared any aspect of what her burdens were with Ping because she was too worried about being seen as frivolous, so I'm unsure how you could be in love with someone you chose to share nothing with.

First the likes: I found the art style absolutely beautiful. It's watercolor-like, and the author is able to use the medium in different ways to show different emotions. I liked one specific panel where the main character's face is progressively less complexly drawn to signify losing herself/depression/sadness.

I liked that it's written in different languages, but I don't think it was handled in the best way all the time. I speak french and english, so I wanted to read both the french and the english, but sometimes the second would be written over the first, half a sentence here and half a sentence there, and it got difficult and confusing to read. Bigger panels and less text would've been great. Also there's no option in netgalley but to read it on your phone, and the text was small enough already without having to account for multiple languages and their translations in the same panel.

The main character was fleshed out correctly, but the relationship felt underdeveloped. Reading the author's notes it looks like they wrote this from their own experience, and maybe that played against it. Yes they know this people in real life, but maybe that prevented them from being able to write them for readers who don't know who they are. I don't think the couple made any sense, apart from being two foreigners in the same country. The jump from acquaitances who can't even string a sentence together to friends to lovers felt rushed, even for a lesbian couple.

Love Languages by James Albon was beautiful! It had a bit of a slow start at first. The main character, Sarah Huxley, moved from London to Paris for her job. She meets Ping, a woman from Hong Kong. Together they start communicating through French and English, and eventually Cantonese. I especially enjoyed how they communicated through a mix of languages and gestures. Eventually they become really good friends, and soon after their feelings for each other start to grow. While I eventually came to enjoy the story, the artwork was a bit distracting to me, but that’s more of a personal taste problem than a problem with the graphic novel itself. The artwork is painted in watercolor, which while impressive, comes off a bit rough. Overall, I would definitely recommend Love Languages to anyone who enjoys languages and LGBTQ+ stories.

Incredibly slow paced. The art was cute but I found the mix of languages, overlapping speech bubbles, and the lack of a real plot hard to follow. It picked up nicely in the second half once the romantic vibes started and ended up being an incredibly sweet story.

I picked up Love Languages on a whim, drawn in by the title and the promise of something quiet yet emotionally expansive—and that’s exactly what I got.

What I loved most about this book is how it captures the real messiness of human connection. The language barriers aren’t just a cute plot device—they’re woven deeply into the emotional fabric of the story. Misunderstandings, pauses, the silence between conversations—they all carry weight here. Albon does something really special with how he visually represents dialogue. Sometimes, entire panels are silent except for floating translation bubbles, or overlapping languages swirl in a chaotic blur. You feel the disorientation, the longing, and eventually, the warmth of connection.

And the watercolor artwork—gorgeous. It feels nostalgic and alive at the same time. There’s a softness to it that perfectly matches the hesitancy and growing affection between Sarah and Ping.

If I had to nitpick, I’d say the pacing toward the end felt a bit rushed. I found myself wishing for just a few more pages to sit with the characters after their emotional arc wraps. But in a way, maybe that mirrors life too—sometimes things happen quickly, all at once, and we only realize their impact later.

Love Languages isn’t loud or dramatic, but it stayed with me. It’s about the quiet power of empathy, the beauty in difference, and how we find connection even when the words don’t line up. A truly lovely read.

I really liked the art and the characters but I had some trouble following the story when the romance was introduced. It seemed to come out of nowhere and I couldn't figure out the conflict. There was just a lot of things that didn't make sense to me.

A sapphic graphic novel about two expats, one English and one from Hong Kong, living in Paris and navigating their everyday life. With amazing watercolour art!

I love reading books focusing on adults around my age living their everyday life and going through their struggles because I can identify with them. Sarah and Ping are just two adorable people who happen to meet in Paris and have a beautiful friendship, later relationship, blossom between them. It shows their growth as people living in a different country and what they experience there. It's an adorable love story.

Especially, it focuses on the language barriers. Willingness to learn a new language to be able to communicate with someone. The need to be understood. How it feels to be a part of an international group where people speak several languages at once. How love can overcome even not being able to understand each other. The hard work that goes into learning a language, how it gradually builds in a person, mainly in an immersive environment. How a true multilingual person speaks. And the most wonderful moment - when it finally clicks that you can understand and speak the language! I'm in love with this part as a linguistics major. Love Languages masterfully combines what the title promises - love between people, and many languages themselves.

This is a tender and visually stunning graphic novel that explores the intricacies of cross-cultural connection and the slow blossoming of love. Set against the romantic backdrop of Paris, the story follows Sarah, a London expatriate, and Ping, an au pair from Hong Kong, as they navigate the challenges of language barriers and personal discovery.

The novel's use of both watercolor artwork and multilingual dialogue—interweaving English, French, and Cantonese—authentically portrays the characters' efforts to communicate and connect. I'd imagine this as exciting practice for readers in the process of learning any of these languages.

I'd say this is a great introduction to graphic novels for any readers who typically enjoy either literary fiction or LGBTQIA+ romances as this narrative unfolds as a slow-burn romance, focusing on the everyday moments that build intimacy and understanding between Sarah and Ping. This story emphasizes character development and the gradual deepening of their relationship rather than having a strong plot.

This is an ideal read for those who appreciate stories of personal growth, the nuances of communication, and the quiet power of love.

⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧˚ 2 stars ˚୨୧⋆｡˚ ⋆

i hate to be a part of the minority but i didn't like this graphic novel. to me it seemed very slow and it was hard to follow with the languages mixed in the speech bubbles. unfortunately, i found the story boring and the characters were annoying. the premise seemed interesting but no, i guess it just wasn't for me.

˗ˋˏ ୨୧ thank you to NetGalley, IDW Publishing, and James Albon for the digital arc in exchange for an honest review! ୨୧ ˎˊ˗

A fluffy and beautiful queer graphic novel about belonging, language, and what it means to truly thrive. The art style is a stunning watercolor that perfectly matches the tone of the story. It was so cool to get glimpses of various languages throughout the novel, but the story is primarily told in English, French, and Cantonese – with English translations for whatever is understood by the main character. I get the feeling that readers who understand the French and/or Cantonese might be frustrated with how often translations cover up the original text, but as someone with zero grasp on either of those languages I was not affected by that design choice. Overall, I throughly enjoyed this story and would highly recommend it to anyone fascinated by the complexities of communicating across languages or who is looking for a lighthearted sapphic friends to lovers tale.

3.75 ⭐️

🌈 Rainbow Ratings:
Representation: 7
Atmosphere: 6
Intrigue: 7
Narrative: 8
Build-up: 7
Originality: 8
Wow Factor: 7

Two foreigners in France reach across language barriers and turn each other’s lives upside down in this stunningly beautiful queer romance. When Sarah, a disillusioned Londoner, meets Ping, a young au pair from Hong Kong, the two forge an unexpected connection through museums, markets, and translation apps—creating a bond stitched together by language, longing, and shared vulnerability.

The chaos at the beginning of this graphic novel is definitely confusing—but it’s necessary. It puts you right in Ping and Sarah’s shoes, helping you feel the disorientation and struggle that come with trying to connect across language and cultural barriers. Once the story finds its rhythm, you can really appreciate the heart of it: two people doing their best to build a friendship despite the odds. It’s fun, sincere, and deeply human.

I’ll be honest—I was frustrated in the beginning. But when the clarity finally hit, it felt earned and meaningful. My biggest gripe, though, is the font choice. It was really difficult to read, especially in the ebook version, and that pulled me out of the experience a bit. Still, this was a solid, quick read with absolutely gorgeous art.

**Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a free eARC in exchange for an honest review**

3,5 ⭐
"When I speak another language, I can almost glimpse, an entrevoit, of myself as another person, and this new person can be described with new, exciting, scintillating words. The barrier between language and thought seems to melt away."

I liked this, especially the second part in which the full page drawings were beautifully designed.
The idea of the graphic novel is adorable and made for an interesting read.

A graphic novel about two strangers living in Paris, one from London and the other, Hong Kong. Sarah, the one from London, moves to Paris for her job as a manager while experiencing a male-dominated field. She experienced belittling, chauvinism, and out right disrespectful from her colleagues and team. Ping from Hong Kong, works as an Au Pair for a wealthy family from Hong Kong. They bond over their love of museums, the arts, food and learning French, Cantonese and English together.

I really felt Sarah’s anxiety through the beautiful artful pages of this graphic novel. How the wheels in her mind were working overtime especially when she would make a joke and Ping did not comprehend completely due to the language barrier. Their friendship turned relationship was very sweet and adorable.

I feel like there’s always a “Jerome” in a story and I did not like Jerome one bit.

Thank you again NetGalley for this E-ARC.

This graphic novel was beautifully unexpected. I loved how the author captured the confusion and vulnerability that comes with trying to communicate across languages—not just between the two main characters, but with the world around them. The story is both a tender, surprising love story and a quiet exploration of self-discovery, especially as one character begins to uncover something she'd kept hidden from herself. The watercolor art adds to the dreamlike, disoriented feeling of being somewhere new, and the book does a great job showing just how isolating—and transformative—language and place can be.

very very cute and fantastic illustration! however the pacing was a little wild at times, and the few spanish lines were not correct.

[i received a free arc from netgalley in exchange for an honest review. thanks!]

‘Love Languages’ is not a book I would traditionally reach for besides it being a queer graphic novel.

There is something so entrancing about this one, from the watercolor palette to the way the characters are so realistic you can picture them perfectly (okay, the actual pictures help). This book is a love language (get it) to both love AND languages. It’s a love letter to cities and views and life as a whole. It’s very slice of life and feels very reflective but in a way that has you turning the page slightly slower to savor the view.

It’s a story I really enjoyed my time with and one I’m sure you will too.

Sarah's life is lonely and uneventful, until she has a chance encounter with Ping, un au pair from Hong Kong. Both have issues with not knowing the other's language, or French, find their own unique way of communicating throughout this slow burn graphic romance novel.

I really enjoyed this tale. First off the watercolor artwork is quite unique and visually appealing. The story itself shows a natural progression of a relationship and the awkwardness and insecurity that a communication barrier can bring. I liked how the author mixed the languages together for a way for them to communicate. Definitely recommend for those that love a slow burn romance with unique artwork!

My thanks to IDW, the author, and NetGalley for gifting me a digital copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

I wasn't quite sure where this book was going to take me. The foreign languages on the first few pages made me think I may not be able to read this. But most of it was in English. It did have some of the other language with it. At times it was difficult to follow along. I was not sure what the speech bubbles meant.
I did like the illustrations with the mainly yellow, red and black colors. This is more of an adult graphic novel. It was a bit predictable, but not in a bad way. The main character seemed stressed and I just wanted what was best for her. I liked the happy ending.