4 stars. Delightful and cozy, Chef's Kiss Again is akin to the cherry on top of the cake that was the last graphic novel: fluffy and perfect to satisfy my sweet tooth.

Chef's Kiss is one of my favorite original graphic novels and when I saw there was a sequel coming out, I squealed out loud. This follow-up story takes place almost directly after the events of the first book so we get to see Ben and Liam in their sweet honeymoon phase that quickly gets interrupted by major life events, pressure over new work responsibilities, communication challenges, and past trauma. Where Chef's Kiss Again shines is in the realistic and heartfelt way Melendez shows the growing pains of young adults figuring out new challenges and growing into new identities. I loved getting to hang out with these characters again and would not say no to more stories in the future. Highly recommend for fans of Heartstopper and and all things heart-eyes.

Ben Cook is living a life he could only dream about - he's scored a cooking job at the highly desirable Cochon Doré, he's getting PAID to write, his roommates are his found family, and - the cherry on top - he has a super-hot, super steamy boyfriend. And thanks in no small part to his most recent article, the restaurant is popping off, and reservations are booked solid. It's an exciting - and anxiety-inducing time, and the pressure of deadlines, growth, new responsibilities, and nosy parents may make like a pressure cooker and explode if Ben and his friends can't learn to let loose and rely on each other once in a while.

I loved the first volume of this novel, and thought this was a really cute follow-up - I think it's hard to go bigger when it felt like a lot of the loose ends of the first volume got tied up nicely, but there was good conflict as well as plenty of cute slice-of-life moments here and I really enjoyed revisiting the world. I also can see threads of stories that might be addressed in future novels (fingers crossed), and for those who like a low-stakes, queer-affirming story seasoned to perfection with joy, heartache, validation, and the kind of anxiety you can only get from being an overachiever, this is a story that will leave you asking for seconds (and thirds)!

Chef's Kiss Again Written by Jarrett Melendez Illustrated by Irene Flores Colorist Irene Flores Letterer Crank! This is a super cute sexy BL Slice of Life Graphic Novel that's funny and made me smile throughout. Thank you @OniPress & #NetGalley for the opportunity to review the ARC. #BookSky

This was super cute and a really great follow up to the first book. It was so nice to see how Ben and Liam’s relationship plays out and the overall message of how stressful life can get. The friends these guys have are so wonderful and I appreciated the amount of support and communication from everyone.

Between the troubles of work stress and romance.

Altogether it was very cute, I especially adore how supportive the side characters are and that they said "Just talk to him"!
With more work responsibilities comes stress, and without communication comes doubt. A slightly dramatic but not at all toxic relationship between a chef and his coworker. The troubles of being a working adult and being in love. An amazing sequel, because even in life if you land your dream job and dream boyfriend, there will be troubles and not everything will be perfekt bur if you work together and talk about it you can make it as good as possible.

Thank you Oni Press and Netgalley for this eARC, these opinions are my own. This was so sweet! Ben and Liam are back and business at the restaurant is booming since Ben’s article came out. Watson has become a hit with people and everyone wants to eat the food he approves of. But as the restaurant gets busy so do their personal lives and as the holidays approach, things become slightly complicated for both Ben and Liam. They work through Halloween parties, Thanksgiving dinners, and Christmas drag shows all while trying to find new food items for the winter menu and for Ben, new ideas for articles that he write. Will all the pressure be too much for their new relationship? And what happens if they can’t get the new menu to make customers happy? I thought this was a perfect follow up to the first book and it was nice to see Ben and Liam settle into their relationship and Ben settling into the restaurant. Plus we get to see new characters and Pao was everything! Their relationship with Tom made me laugh and the two are so cute together! A charming story that had me feeling and the warm and fuzzies! Jarrett Melendez, Irene Flores, Gabriella Sinopoli, and Crank due an excellent job with the story and artwork for this one! Highly recommend checking it out!

A lovely sweet, humorous story about the trials and struggles of navigating a new relationship. It is a great follow up to Chef's Kiss, the same artwork and characters you love from the original.

4 stars - It was really good

This book picks up a few weeks after the previous book ended. Ben has finished his chef training and is finally starting to do full services. The restaurant has also seen an explosion of business since he wrote his article and it went viral. Now Ben and Liam have to navigate their new relationship, holidays, new meal plans, and Liam being in charge of the restaurant while the chef takes a break.

This was a great follow up to the previous comic. I really loved the original story and my only complaint with it was that we barely get to see Ben and Liam as a couple because they spent that volume flirting and working up to being a couple. This volume fixes that issue and it is all about navigating their new relationship while having time consuming jobs and other commitments. On top of the relationship, we dive deeper into the staff who work at this restaurant, some of whom we didn’t meet in the previous book, and Ben’s friends who have now joined this little found family.

Liam and Ben’s relationship is super cute, but we also get to see them struggling as a couple for various reasons. They both have intensive jobs and a robust friend group so they have little free time on their hands. When the time they usually spend together gets filled with Liam’s new responsibilities we see them both start to crack under the pressure. I really loved seeing the progression in their relationship and how it was being tested. Yes, they probably should have talked sooner, but they are both anxious boys who struggle with how much they like the other and fear of messing up. We have all been there at some point. Basically, their relationship was super cute, and also really relatable.

One of the best parts of this story though was the found family they created with the restaurant employees and Ben’s friend group. This was a wonderful, inclusive, and so happily queer group that supported and looked after each other. I loved it! I especially liked Pao and how over the top they were. They were such a diva, but also a great friend, and I loved them for it! Also, I loved how they pushed Ben and Tom to try drag. It was adorable and fantastic.

Overall, this was a fantastic sequel to the first book. I really loved this couple and their friends. I would totally read more stories with them.

TW; anxiety and panic attacks; emotionally abusive ex mentioned;

Our favourite cooking couple, Ben and Liam, are back in Chef’s Kiss Again by Jarrett Melendez and they are just as cute, queer and in love as ever.

The second installment of Chef’s Kiss is serving up slice-of-life, the stressors of adulthood, the craziness of the restaurant business, balancing work versus personal life, friendship, romance, communication and love.

It’s an emotional yet fun depiction of life and love, of finding and asserting confidence in one’s self and trusting those around you; it is a visual depiction of growth and found family and how that culminates to curate your life.

The illustrations were realistic and detailed and the colours chosen made the characters come to life in a warm, fun and cozy way.

Overall, a good continuation of the series in that it still holds humour and heartfelt moments while still giving 3D main characters and solid side characters. My only grouse was that it felt a bit text heavy and I wish we got more moment of wordless scenes.

Thanks to NetGalley and Oni Press, for this free arc/copy of Chef's Kiss Again by Jarrett Melendez; all opinions are my own and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

YESSSSS I love this series and this author so much. I've met him twice and he's such a doll. This was such a good sequel, I've been waiting on it for a while now and it did not disappoint. I'm so happy to have gotten an advanced copy of it, and I ate it up in 45 minutes. I loved Paola, and the drag scenes, the holiday festivities, but most of all I loved Ben and Liam's relationship as always. Things got a little rough for them but they learned to communicate and help each other out. They're such a sweet couple and I loved that Tom found someone too ... the other relationships budding in this make me super excited for a possible third book if that's in the works..

I absolutely adored Chef's Kiss when I read it back in 2024, so discovering there was a sequel felt like finding an extra dessert after an already perfect meal. Naturally, I jumped into it immediately—and then proceeded to read the entire thing in one sitting because putting it down simply wasn't an option.

Picking up right where the first story leaves off, Chef's Kiss Again trades the excitement of falling in love for something just as rewarding: figuring out what happens after the happy ending. Ben and Liam are still as charming together as ever, but now they're juggling growing careers, mounting responsibilities, busy holiday schedules, and the universal challenge of trying to spend time with someone when life insists on being inconvenient. Their relationship feels sweet, relatable, and wonderfully human, especially as anxiety, miscommunication, and perfectionist tendencies start stirring the pot.

What really shines, though, is the sense of found family that surrounds them. The restaurant crew and friend group feel warm, supportive, chaotic in the best way, and impossible not to love. Several side characters steal scenes effortlessly, and one particular newcomer practically strutted off the page and demanded my attention. Honestly, if confidence could be bottled and sold, they'd be a millionaire. (I see you, Pao.)

The artwork remains gorgeous throughout, balancing heartfelt emotional moments with plenty of humor, personality, and visual storytelling. Whether it's holiday celebrations, restaurant antics, or quiet character moments, every page feels lively and inviting. The story moves at a brisk pace without ever feeling rushed, which may explain why I accidentally devoured the entire book in a single evening.

Overall, this is exactly the kind of sequel I was hoping for: comforting, funny, heartfelt, and full of characters I wasn't ready to say goodbye to. It's a celebration of love, friendship, and learning that life doesn't have to be perfect to be wonderful. If there's another installment waiting in the wings, I'll be first in line—with my plate ready for seconds.

Chef's Kiss Again is the second instalment to the Chef Kiss Series. This is a book that represents the LGBTQ Community so well. I absolutely love Liam and Ben's relationship they are so cute and sweet to each other. I hope there is more coming to this series or some spin offs in the other characters POV's because I was also enjoying some of the other relationships in this as well. I will for sure be picking up more by the author. I am still kind dipping my toe into watching and reading about Drag Queens but this was beautiful introduction and I also look forward to reading up more on that as well. I highly recommend this series to anyone that like these topics are just a romance in general.

Last year, I read the first book in this graphic novel series and while it just barely turned out to be a 4 star, it was one that I enjoyed and had characters I wanted to read more about if the chance presented. So when I saw the sequel was available for request on Netgalley? I had to try! And I was so happy to get approved for the ARC cause I didn't think it was going to happen. We step into Ben & Liam's lives again as they work at Cochon Doré while navigating the ups-and-downs of life from the pressures of work, the pressures of fame, the pressures of a new relationship, and more. The world is throwing curve-balls at them, but nothing compares to the ones they aim at themselves as the ghosts of relationships past and the anxieties of self-doubt press in on them. Thankfully they have wonderful friends surrounding them both. I absolutely love, love, love the found family in these graphic novels and feel like it's even stronger in this one. The side characters are such a delight and I'm here for them as much as I am Ben & Liam so I was pleased to see we got to see more development in them as well.

I loved too how we got to progress with Ben & Liam through so many firsts of relationships: the good and the bad. It was so cute. The overall story felt stronger to me in this one, honestly. Not that I didn't enjoy the story in the first one cause I did. Just that this one hit differently as I've been where Ben & Liam both were when it comes to a new relationship. Felt the same fears, the same anxieties from past relationships. Then to have to deal with the stressors of everyday life on top of everything; heightening those feelings whether you want them to or not, and not sure how to move forward from there. . . It's a lot, for sure. I was glad to see so much growth though in these two throughout this book. It was wonderful.

There were also, of course, the other aspects of the story around the restaurant that brought a variety of feelings including humor to the story. Watson was precious and adorable as expected. I definitely had some new favorites in this issue for side characters, and hope that maybe we'll get to see one of those couples be the main characters in their own graphic novels one day. The art, of course, was stunning especially during so many of the holiday aspects outside of the restaurant that we got to experience.

So yeah, definitely one I recommend and hope we get more of this setting and these characters in future.

Thank you NetGalley, Oni Press, and Jarrett Melendez for a copy of the eARC.

This comic made me feel so warm and cozy inside. There are so many tender and heartwarming moments inside this book I just cannot stop thinking about it. The story can be read as a standalone, but there's a prequel to it. There was a little bit of a lack of communication between our two main mmcs, but their friends definitely did good slapping them back into reality. I love how everyone's just so supportive of each other, including the pet pig, Watson. It seems that everyone's so attuned to each other's vibes/feeling that they can always step in when someone starts spiraling.

The art was amazing and made it really fun to read. The characters were all so beautiful, whether in their usual fit or in costume/drag. I love how there's always a pop of color in all the panels. The Halloween and Christmas costumes were were thought out. Even the pig had fabulous outfits. At one point I started thinking about how nice it would to have a pet pig.

I would totally recommend this book to anyone looking for a quirky, fun, and cozy read. There are minor struggles between the character, but it just reminds us that we are all human and can make mistakes. I will most likely be picking up a copy of this to have on my book shelf as I have both a sister in the LGBTQ community, as well as one that works as a chef. I am sure both of them will appreciate this book.

I loved the first volume of this series and this was a great continuation of the story. I really lovely slice of life graphic novel with a loveable set of characters. This would be the perfect read for any Heartstopper fans. Imagine the FRIENDS tv show but with a diverse and wonderfully queer cast. I’m a sucker for any stories that revolve around cooking and food and Wilson does not disappoint in this. That pig has sass and steals every scene. I really enjoyed the character growth, and whilst tackling some relationship drama and the art of communication it still remains a wonderfully cosy funny read. I already can’t wait for the next story following this characters!

I absolutely LOVED Chef's Kiss and I was beyond excited to read Chef's Kiss Again early!
It is just as wonderful as book one has been. The most perfect cast of characters, the sweetest story and of course: The most badass little pig!
I think the literal only thing that took me out of the story was when they ate meat. With the pet pig running around, it just doesn't compute in my brain why there is a turkey on the table. But alas! The drawings: Superb. The characters: Beautiful. Absolutely lovely.

Thank you NetGalley and Oni Press for this arc.

I really enjoyed the first book in this now duology and the sweetness that I enjoyed so much in the first is definitely still here in the second. There's talk of anxiety, work pressure and feeling not good enough about yourself while being able to see you aren't alone in that feeling and that the people you love likely feel it too. The way our main character and his boyfriend experience these feelings and the way it was discussed was very nice to see.

As always I love this art style and Watson the pig really is the star of the show in that restaurant.

Would definitely recommend this and the original Chef's Kiss graphic novel.

This was so cute! This sequel a more of a serious tone when compared to the first volume, Chef’s Kiss. The first one was cute, fluffy, cozy, and all about food! This volume still had all of those elements, but the topics dealt with her more serious. Which I thought was a nice change of tone, it felt very real, unfortunately not everything in the real world can be cute and perfect, so I really enjoyed that this graphic novel reflected that as well. This is the perfect series to read if you want something warm and comforting for the fall!

Thank you NetGalley and Oni Press for the opportunity to read this ARC.

Just as good as the first one! Seeing them carry on from where we left off in Chef's Kiss. I absolutely adore these characters and the art style is one of my favorites!

I love Ben and Liam so much but Watson always steals the show. I enjoyed seeing all the characters again. The found family aspect is so strong and it just makes me so happy. Also the artwork is still stunning.

Oh my goodness, this is so incredibly cute and charming! I enjoyed the first volume, but this second volume absolutely knocked it out of the park. The supportive and loving found family is so sweet, I love the dynamics between the whole group of characters. The art style is so fun and enjoyable to look at, I really lost track of time flying through this volume!

So cute, highly recommend for fans of queer romance and graphic novels! Thank you to Netgalley and Oni Press for the chance to read this early!