This book is an absolute delight! It does an excellent job of capturing what the first phase of adulthood is like, as people navigate jobs, friendships, and relationships. It is beautifully drawn and the characters and the story are charming.

Highly recommended!

I received an ARC of this graphic novel in exchange for a review.

Chef's Kiss was a cute queer story about a post grad man unable to find a job in his field of study. The artwork was attractively done, and the panels easily flowed together without being cookie-cutter. I enjoyed seeing references to how difficult it is to get a start in most industries, and the difficulties one might might experienced with wanting to please one's parents. The MC, Ben, was likeable, but a bit bland. The side characters have some variety, but are mainly there to fill space outside the main storyline. Overall, this was enjoyable, but not nuanced. Readable, but not something I would re-read.

Appealing art and storyline will be compelling to a gen z audience but maybe not by millenials... it remains to be seen.

Chef's Kiss was a perfectly delightful read. It follows college graduate Ben Cook as he attempts to make it in the writing world... and ends up in the restaurant business.

The illustrations were absolutely gorgeous, and I fell for Ben and Liam right away. However, the real showstopper was Watson, the adorable food critic, who also happens to be a pig. The addition of his character to the graphic novel was an interesting choice, but it was a wonderful way to embed some humor into the story.

The story itself is completely relatable for many people, including me; Ben, a recently-graduated English major, goes to 17 different interviews trying to get a job in the writing world. When every job requires at least a few years of experience, though, it can be hard (if not downright impossible) to be hired. At wit's end, he stumbles upon a "Help Wanted" sign on the outside of a restaurant and feels compelled to apply. His life changes as he meets Liam, Chef, and a whole other cast of characters that make him feel at home.

While I enjoyed reading this graphic novel, I was a bit thrown off by the toxic atmosphere that Chef creates in his kitchen. The hazing Ben must go through was not entirely enjoyable for me to read, even though I'm sure it was meant to be a silly, humorous addition to the story. And the lack of resolution with his disappointed parents was... well, disappointing. Lastly, I have to address the romance. The slow burn between Ben and Liam was TOO slow! I love how well they got to know each other, but I was bummed about how little we got to see them actually together.

Like I said- this book was perfectly delightful! Its gorgeous illustrations and delicate handling of serious topics made it stand out to me.

Special thanks to NetGalley for sharing this digital reviewer copy with me in exchange for my honest opinions.

Chef's Kiss is a cute, bite-sized little graphic novel about a jobless writer who stumbles upon an opening at a local fine dining establishment run by a callous old chef and his pig Watson. (I'm so serious, the premise is amazing.) While he trains under the mentorship of the restaurant's unreasonably attractive sous chef, things start to heat up in the kitchen in more ways than one.

I absolutely loved the art style of this book. It's so well drawn I had to stop and really look at some of the pages to fully appreciate them. The characters are lively and unique, the settings are perfectly designed — really, the atmosphere is there. But the story itself was kind of flat, and I felt the ending was rushed and abrupt. It's very much a complete and total happily ever after, which can be nice depending on where you are in your life, but it didn't really do anything spectacular for me. I loved the experience of reading this story, but probably wouldn't have enjoyed it as much if it were a traditional novel or short story.

I do recommend this, if only for Ben Cook's adorableness, and since it's such a short read it's pretty inconsequential. So much work clearly went into it that I think it's worth supporting the artists and author.

It's soooo heartwarming, cute and adorable. The kind of book you can read confortably in a couch with a hot drink, and ans smile from page one to the last. Almost everybody is well meaning with Ben, and seeing him being this young and shy guy lost in adulthood is relatable.

Chef's Kiss is a wonderful graphic novel about a young man finding his way in his life and career. Our main character always thought he would be a writer, but he struggled to find any work in the writing world. One day, he sees an advertisement to work in a restaurant and he applies, thinking that it will just be a stop-gap job until he lands a job in his field.

Chef's Kiss was so fun to read. I loved each of the characters, they all had such big, vibrant personalities and were such a joy to read. I picked this one up amidst a very stressful and busy time in my life and it just brought me so much happiness and peace.

It's definitely one I think will stick with me, and I urge anyone to pick it up for a quick, fun, adorable romance.

Thank you to the publishers, author and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this graphic novel in exchange of an honest review.

This delightful graphic novel that takes place in that awkward period of life post-college. The story follows Ben Cook, a recent English major college grad, who is feeling a bit lost after school. He's dealing with heavy personal and family expectations while experiencing the excitements and disappointments of navigating the adult world solo for the first time. He stumbles into a restaurant job, and discovers he loves the work . . . and well, there's also this adorable co-worker. The story includes lots of fun banter between roommates and co-workers. Yet, you get a sense of something deeper -- the roommates support and care for one another, and restaurant co-workers are tough, but ultimately kind. This sweet coming of age/romance graphic novel has heart and humor. What a gem! Hand to fans of Bloom and Heartstopper.

A sweet story, perfect for fans of Check, Please! All the characters were distinct and I could tell them apart in the art. The pig bit was kind of odd. The characters are post-college, so I'm not sure where I'd put it--YA seems most likely, but usually that's for high school age. But my small library doesn't have a lot of readers for the adult graphic novel section. I think I wanted it to be longer.

This was a really freaking sweet new adult graphic novel about young (gay) love, earnest nerds, and finding your passion in unexpected places. I particularly loved Waston the supertaster pig with an immaculate palate. Not only was he cutely drawn and amusingly characterized, but he added a huge dash of whimsy to an otherwise fairly realistic (and at times slightly depressing) story. The balance between love, whimsy, and the realistic grind of finding a job in the world today (or, well, a non-COVID world, so not exactly the world today) worked well, and the ending was a delight.

Fresh out of college with an English degree, Benji is desperately trying to find a writing job. After countless rejections he decides to take any job he can to earn money. He tries out a cooking gig and discovers that he really enjoys it. It might also help that the sous chef is super hot. There's also a pig who judges whether Ben's food is worthy.

I thought this was a really cute story about self discovery and finding one's way in the world despite expectations of others. Watson the pig was also an interesting touch. All of the secondary characters were great and many of them added comedic relief. The artwork was outstanding.

This was fun!
I binged this in one sitting and it was hilarious and super cute. I did find it a little slow in sections but overall I really liked it - despite the cheesiness😂
Watson is my hero!
3.5

This was a sweet delight of a story. The characters, even the minor ones, were lovely, especially all of Ben's friends (both old and new). I especially loved the pig food critic---truly a pig after my own heart. The book is pretty light in the romance department, but I think it worked well for the book, which was a lot more about Ben's development as a person and navigating his life after college and balancing the various relationships in his life.

The depictions of food and cooking were really well done---definitely made me want to dine at a restaurant ASAP.

The story and illustrations came together nicely to tell a fun, cute story. The struggles faced were all too relatable, which made the book even more enjoyable. Really worth the read.

Oh my heart, this was SO FREAKING CUTE and I was so invested in these characters! Ben is absolutely the softest, most precious little bean, and I loved his friends, too. The entire cast of characters at the restaurant were delightful, whether it's Emi's weirdness or Liam's general perfection or Chef Davis' hilarious banter, yelling, and stories about Watson. And can we talk for a moment about how cute Watson the Taste-Testing Pig is?!

Seriously, this was one of the cutest, most wholesome graphic novels I've read in a while, and the characters and story sucked me in so fully that I was genuinely on the edge of my seat during the big "tense moment" near the end (will he/won't he? if you've read this, you know!). I'm going to need a finished copy of this cutie for my shelves because this strikes me as the kind of funny, feel-good queer rom-com I'm gonna reach for time and time again.

✨ Representation: Ben and Liam are both gay, there are multiple BIPOC side characters

✨ Content warnings for: vague homophobia from parents, pressure & guilt trips from overbearing parents, stress about unemployment (hide spoiler)

Thank you so much to the publisher for providing me with this review copy in exchange for an honest review!

I did not know what I was getting into in this book but I actually quite enjoyed it. I think it's an important topic about how to find out what to do with your life once your education ends and you have to become an "actual adult." Following your own passions, understanding that you may have more than one passion and that is ok, and how to manage your own friend group and close relationships when your whole world changes and they have to change with it.

Parts of it were a little cheesy but all in all, I really enjoyed all of the relationships and friend group members. I love Watson. He is the best. And Liam... <3 <3 <3

I loved this so much! So sweet and funny and cute! The flirting and best friend relationships are so good. And Watson the pig is such a fun addition. A must read for any fan of comics, romance and good food.

A cute story about a college grad trying to find his way. Ben has studied and planned to be a writer all his life. After college, however, he can't seem to find a position in his field. In the meantime, he takes a job at a restaurant and ends up finding a new passion (a possibly a new passionate relationship with cute chef Liam). When Ben's parents find out and issue him an ultimatum, Ben will have to decide which path he will pursue.

I found the characters likeable and the dilemma all too relatable. Navigating adulthood is tough, and deciding to do something completely new with your life can be daunting. My one nit pick would be that Ben's parents seemed to be a little one-dimensional--but their role in the story didn't require a ton of nuance.

This book feels like a warm hug, it’s such a sweet and mindful book that is such a comfort in this increasingly difficult to navigate world!

I found this simple and sweet graphic novel to be the perfect remedy for my traditional back-to-school reading slump.

The blossoming romance between Ben and Liam was delightful, if underdeveloped, and the porcine comic relief was absurd, yet endearing.

In other words, the bizarre creativity helped to balance this otherwise pleasantly predictable queer romance.

Danica Brine's illustrations are truly a feast for the senses, alternating between sumptuous and sensual.

I was hungry almost constantly, in more ways than one. Boy, do these men ever spend a lot of time shirtless.

My only criticism is that at times the dialogue was stilted and unnatural, but overall that is a minor grievance in an otherwise enjoyable graphic novel.