3.5 stars
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Chef's Kiss is a really cute and wholesome graphic novel. The drawing style was very pleasant and made everything seem cutesy but still realistic. This book brought up some interesting conversations around friendship, being young and being lost as well as parents expectations. Also it had a nice little side romance between two guys and an adorable food critic piggy so it's a good time

tags: m/m relationship, coming of age story, finding one's path, found family aspect
content warning: the mc feels a lot of pressure from his parents and their expectations

Just when I thought it would be a mushy story about a guy pining for another guy… ALL THE FOOD COMES OUT!!!
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My Rating : 4/5 😄star 🌟🌟🌟🌟
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This book follows Ben Cook, an English major who doesn’t know what he wants to do with his life and his realization as to what makes him happy. . The way Ben’s character was written was realistic and resonated with real life so much aka me when I just finished college. The group of friends had a really good rapport with each other, and their conversations and encouragement was adorable. Also, can we talk about all the food that was mentioned in this book?? I legit got hungry after reading this book. Liam was a cute love interest, but I liked this story for Ben’s character development and not for the romance in it. Do you know who my favourite character was? Watson. If you know, you know.
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THAT ART-STYLE WAS ABSOLUTELY GORGEOUS!!! Every Colour, every stroke was impressive and I think it definitely made me enjoy the story better! The subtle humour and a character called Watson gives the story a lightness I wasn’t expecting. (Which was definitely a plus )Liam and Ben were cute together, which was an added bonus. Liz was such a bae, and I loved their friendship so much. As far as the character development goes, Ben is my absolute favourite and I loved his character.
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Overall, I think this is a really cute graphic novel that talks about life after college, the reality of job searching, doing something you actually love for the first time, AND some cute workplace queer romance to pick you up. If you want something inspiring yet light, definitely pick this up!
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Thank you Netgalley for the gifted review copy!
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Book 37 - January 2022 / Arc/ Kindle
Tags : Graphic Novels, Coming of Age, MM Romance, Feel Good Books

This was a fun and easy read that left the reader encouraged to follow your dream. The pig was probably my favorite character. Can’t wait to get this in the hands of more people.

Super quick read. Really enjoyed the character growth and development. Characters were easy to relate to. Enjoyed this book!

This super sweet and witty quick-read graphic novel addresses an important challenge that a lot of recent graduates face when trying to find a job in their field. Sometimes the unexpected path turns out to be the right one. I loved the beautiful art, the discussions that take place, and the subtle romance between Ben and Liam.

Thank you Oni Press and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

i'm not one to give a five star easily, but this was an immediate 5/5

one thing i always find difficult with graphic novels is that connecting to the characters (since you're not reading their thoughts) is more difficult, but this book went above and beyond that. characters that had very little 'screen-time' were drawn and characterised so clearly that you remembered their name and everything about you. this book was both beautifully endearing escapism and extremely relatable--a romantic image of life after college where you don't quite know how to translate a degree into a real life job.

seeing the main character chase after this newfound cooking dream despite how it may not be the career he (or his parents) intended for him. seeing his friends all chase after new dreams, developing code for new apps and instructing yoga classes, was so sweet and made me want to find a friend group exactly like this. the romance was sweet and natural--liam was drawn like a disney prince and it was really sweet to see ben all flustered about it. the watson the pig plot line was adorable and the cooking in this book was overall phenomenal; someone make me ricotta filled squash flowers thank you.

there were so many wholesome, heartwarming moments in this novel and i highly recommend it to absolutely everyone!

(also i'm hoping that rachel and emilia get a spin-off because there was something there, i swear)

I have received an eARC from the Publisher via Netgalley in exchange of my honest review.

OH WOW! This graphic novel was everything I needed for a cheer me up read! It was cute, beautifully drawn, relatable to the core and made me laugh and sigh in anticipation of the romance! This is a queer graphic novel, and it did deliver the innocent blooming love I was expecting.

The story follows Ben and 3 friends of him, when they move in together after graduation from college! The story is about them, a twenty something years old new adults and it beautifully wraps up the challenges we face when we are thrown into the big world!

It is also a story of finding yourself, what sparks you joy in life and how to stand up for yourself!

Watson WAS HILARIOUS AND now I wish to read a whole graphic novel about Watson!

Highly recommended!

The art was beautiful so was the end, I loved every minute I spent reading it. Ben's journey is amazing and inspiring.
Thank you NetGalley and publisher for an advanced reader's copy.
My rating-4/5 stars

This was such a refreshing read!!
I had a great time reading it and also managed to finish it in one sitting! The art style was very beautiful as well.
My favorite part was definitely the main storyline, absolutely loved the whole career crisis theme. It managed to strike a chord and I enjoyed the snippets on it because they were so true!
Highly recommended to readers looking for short reads that are cute while also being important!

Thank you to NetGalley and Oni Press for an arc of this graphic novel in exchange for an honest review.
This was really cute and I loved seeing the main character grow in his confidence and discover a new passion for something he genuinely enjoys! It was a little fast paced and too cheesy sometimes for my taste, but the lovable characters (and pig mascot) more than compensated for it. Not to mention how pretty the art style was. It's got the best balance between cute moments and self discovery. It was a little bit hard to track in the beginning since it dumped a lot of information on you in the first few pages and because of the formatting of the comic, you get used to it though. I got some "Check Please!" vibes, so I definitely think you'd enjoy this if you liked that series.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher for sending me an advance copy of this book in exchange of an honest review.

So let's see, starting with the illustrations... my taste is really particular when it comes to graphic novels but I figured by the cover it was not going to disappoint, and I was right! Hats off!! I truly loved them! Every single detail was visually beautiful, and again, did not disappoint at all.
The plot of the story is consistent, has a great timeline and it didn't get derailed at any point.
The characters are complexed enough for you to differencing them and get to know their personality and essence!
Amazing work! Can't wait to see what else the author has to offer!!

This adorable graphic novel is sweet without being sticky, and will surely delight people who like romance as well as sumptuous food. Following Ben as he tries to sort out his post-graduation life and finds a passion he never knew he had (as well as a little romance along the way) is a charming read, and that's even without the adorable pig Watson who acts as a resident food critic. If you are looking for a light and fluffy book that will make you hungry, look no further than CHEF'S KISS!

I loved it! I found it absolutely adorable, a little bittersweet because it explains soo well how hard is to find a job after you graduate because I’ve been there, still there. But at the same time I had other jobs that had nothing to do with my studies that I loved, so this hits home. I loved all the characters, the friends group is soo funny and adorable, and the restaurant crew are amazing. Special mention to Watson, the best and smartest pig, definitely. It’s my first time reading from this author but I’m sure won’t be the last.

Side note, I found everything so aesthetically pleasing and the romance…oh mama, I loved every single part.

This graphic novel is hilarious! I laughed so much while reading it. As an English major who’s passionate about writing, I found Ben’s character quite relatable. Watson, the pig, is also incredibly adorable, and the relationship between him and Chef Arnold added a “cute factor” to the novel that I enjoyed. Also, every recipe in this book looks delicious!

Chef's Kiss an absolutely adorable adult graphic novel.

Ben and his friends have just moved in together after graduating University. He studied literature and he's job hunting. He goes to several interviews but none of them hire him because he doesn't have any professional experience as a writer. After many failed attempts he stumbles upon a for-hire sign at a restaurant that says no experience is necessary. After applying for the job he finds out that he has to pass 3 cooking test in order to be hired.

Rating:⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5
Plot:⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5
Characters:⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5

I absolutely loved it.Ben had the same problems that many new graduates face and that made him very relatable.The story was well written and the art was just amazing. It was very bright, colorful and very vizually appealing. Also there was a taste tasting pig so I really don't think anything else need to be said.

Thank you NetGalley and Oni Press for sending me this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I really enjoyed this graphic novel! I thought that the depiction of Ben not knowing what to do after graduating was very accurate and relatable, and I also liked seeing what all of his friends were doing too!
The romance was cute but I kind of wanted there to be a bit more of it throughout.
The artwork was also great and I loved all of the depictions of the cooking!

did not know what to expect when I began to read this graphic novel except that were following a queer main character. That is correct, but this graphic novel follows some much more important concepts that aren't always addressed. For example, we follow four college graduates trying to find their way in their careers and additional degrees. While also balancing their old and new friendships. I really loved how the author presented these themes and blended them all together at the end to create a solution. I highly recommend this graphic novel and will aim to pick up a physical copy. Additionally, the art work on this graphic novel is beautiful and some of the recipes sounded delicious!


* I received Chef's Kiss by Jarett Melendez from #NetGalley

Chef's Kiss is *chef kiss*. I thoroughly enjoyed this one. "Soft" is the word I would use to describe this graphic novel, and the relationships, both romantic and platonic, are a joy to read. If LGBT+-themed literature is your jive, you would be doing yourself a disservice not to give this one a try.

I loved this book. It's sweet and funny. Highly recommend. This should be on everyone's shelf. I can not wait to buy a print copy of this book. I love the cover.

#bookreview Chef’s Kiss by Jarrett Melendez

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for this ARC. Expected release date: March 1, 2022

This graphic novel wasn’t quite what I expected, but I enjoyed it. I was expecting a little more romance than the small bit we got, but all of the kitchen training was somewhat interesting to read in this form. There were parts that seemed to distract from the point of the story, like the yoga class. I wasn’t super impressed with it, but it was a likable read.

rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
steam: Only the cooking variety
tension: Not really
feelings: 💙
my face while reading: 🙂