Absolutely loved this sweet and fun graphic novel. The art is so beautiful and intricate, I wanted to bake & cook for hours after reading this one. Loved the characters and their friendship, envied their put together life and also their struggles. It was easy to get lost in the way the feelings developed between Ben and Liam. I felt sorry for all the hardships Ben felt and the lack of understanding from the parents. I will get a copy of this one. I need to have it on my bookshelf.

This graphic novel is so adorable, I squealed with happiness when I got to the end.

Liam is hot and what a dream.

Watson... I so want a Watson!!

Thanks to @NetGalley or I never would have gotten round to reading this.

Adorable story, fabulous art. Golly, all those dishes look amazing.

Thanks to the wonderful publisher for letting me get a review copy in exchange for an honest review! Woohoo

This was such a sweet and adorable read. I’m grateful for the opportunity to read this. It was just what I needed.

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with an arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Now that college is over, English graduate Ben Cook is on the job hunt looking for something…anything…related to his passion for reading and writing. But interview after interview, hiring committee after hiring committee, Ben soon learns getting the dream job won’t be as easy as he thought. Proofreading? Journalism? Copywriting? Not enough experience. It turns out he doesn’t even have enough experience to be a garbage collector! But when Ben stumbles upon a “Now Hiring—No Experience Necessary” sign outside a restaurant, he jumps at the chance to land his first job. Plus, he can keep looking for a writing job in the meantime. He’s actually not so bad in the kitchen, but he will have to pass a series of cooking tests to prove he’s got the culinary skills to stay on full-time. But it’s only temporary…right?

When Ben begins developing a crush on Liam, one of the other super dreamy chefs at the restaurant, and when he starts ditching his old college friends and his old writing job plans, his career path starts to become much less clear.

This graphic novel was everything! the art and the plot was the cutest thing ever. I loved the artwork in this novel and thought it paired perfectly with the novel. This was a cute graphic novel and I highly recommend picking this up!

TW/CW: Vomit, unemployment, overbearing parents

What can I say? This book was almost everything I needed right now.

Recent college graduate Ben cannot find a job, of any sort, for the life of him. He doesn't have enough experience at... anything, apparently. Until one day, he runs across a restaurant with a sign that says they're hiring - with no experience needed.
Ben mostly cooks at home, but figures it's worth a shot - even if his parents will be unhappy, and it's not exactly what he'd planned, at least it’s a job.

“You. Are not. A failure.”
“Then why won’t anyone hire me? I’ve done everything I’m supposed to do. Study, get good grades, do extracurriculars… and for what?”

If you're anything like me, the above quote and the whole premise of the book hit very close to home. College feels like a waste. Why even go through those 4+ years?

But this book tells you why.

“There’s nothing crazy about figuring out what makes you happy and deciding to pursue whatever that ends up being.”

It's not all about going to college to get a job in that field. Sometimes, you can love something so much (in Ben’s case, reading and writing), but that doesn’t mean a job in that field is meant for you. Sometimes you’ll discover another passion, like Ben does with cooking. Knowledge is never a bad thing, so the experience isn’t something to regret – like Liam says, figuring out what makes you happy is the important part.

Okay, one last quote that made me feel better:
“Do what you have to do until you get what you’re really looking for.”

As someone who has basically been living by “I’m only doing this until I can get the job I really want,” it was so refreshing to see that validated in the media I consume.

In all, this book is a breath of fresh air… most of the time. While Ben’s story is Relatable™, his friends left me wanting more. Two of them promptly got amazing jobs before graduating or just out of college. Not that that isn’t what SHOULD happen – but in a story about a graduate struggling to find a job, it felt like a bit of a slap in the face. Especially when I’ve known people in those fields who struggled to find jobs just as much as Ben.
Quick Q: how do all of these fresh graduates + a student afford THAT apartment??? Where are they living? I need to move ASAP.
Also, wow, wish I had rich parents who agreed to pay for my apartment and bills for a bit. And had connections.
Basically, the characters felt like they struggled, but never really were in danger of losing everything, so it fell a bit flat at times.

Now, I can’t end this review without mentioning the romance. It’s cute and the panels with just Liam and Ben ~just hanging out~ are my favorite (the sunset? The final page? STUNNING.). I wish we’d gotten a bit more development between them than just “omg hot guy at work and we both happen to be gay” but. It is what it is.

I love love LOVED the end. He gets to have the best of both worlds. It's what he deserves.

Last but not least – Watson, the pig? An icon. Would read a book just about him.

Quotes are from an early copy and may not reflect the final version.

Huge thank you to Netgalley and Oni Press for an ARC of this!

OH. MY. GOSH. The cuteness that is this book - I cannot even handle it! The art style is so good - the artist is really great at depicting the emotions and personalities of the characters, which I was at first concerned about, but was quickly reassured. The journey of self-discovery that the main character went through during this book reminded me of my own, which made this book all the more fun. I'm SO glad that this was a graphic novel - I can't imagine absorbing this story any other way. The premise is so familiar, yet the details make this story fun and unique in a way that I have not yet experienced in either a regular or a graphic novel. This book is so fun - my only regret is that I want to see the relationship blossom more, so I'm REALLY hoping that there is a sequel planned for the future! I also loved the cooking details - the way the food and the cooking process was written about made me feel like I was working in a kitchen right alongside Ben. I'm not a professional chef by any definition, but judging by what I've seen on tv, the cooking, food combinations, and flavors seemed pretty legit ha ha. Overall, this book was an absolute delight!!! Definitely recommend!

I received an advanced review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

After he makes his parents proud by graduating with an English degree, Ben searches for work in writing. When he's turned down for every job he applies for, he lies to his parents about a copywriting job and finds work to pay the bills at a local restaurant with an eccentric owner and a gorgeous chef, Liam.

My favorite thing about Chef's Kiss was the beautiful art style and the restaurant scenes! Ben is put through challenges before he can join the team and I loved this! It was so much fun to see what challenge he'd face, what dish he would make, and how the mystery judge (don't want to spoil who that is...) would rate his dish.

However, I did find a lot of the cooking scenes, especially his practice runs, to be tedious and draggy. It goes through each and every step of the entire recipe, pages and pages of cooking one dish. This makes sense for a book about a budding chef, but it did not appeal to me. The same thing happens toward the end of the book when one of Ben's friends teaches a yoga class. Again, pages and pages writing out each and every pose, going through the entire class. I felt like these things could have been edited down to a few pages to flow a bit better and offer time for other aspects that were rushed and given far too little time on the page like the romance!

Ben falls for Liam almost immediately. Sadly, aside from pining on Ben's part and a never again mentioned moment with Liam, we never really see their relationship go anywhere until an abrupt ending. Their relationship was a big factor in my choice to read the book and I was left unsatisfied with the small amount of romance in a book entitled, Chef's Kiss.

Overall, I would still recommend this book especially if you like to cook or like to see recipes laid out in books. If you're looking for a queer romance, you won't find much here.

Okay, this was super adorable, and the only thing I didn't really like is how I couldn't sample all the delicious sounding vegetarian dishes they were making. I enjoyed that this had a couple of "wtf" curve balls but the characters just went with it. This graphic novel is sweet and savory.

First of all, thanks to netgalley for the ARC of this!
I thought this was pretty cute. The art style was nice and the story went well with it. I had a good time. My only problem was the format i did read it. I think I’m meant to read graphic novels in physical form.
Overall, I would give it a 4/5

Thank you to NetGalley and Oni Press for an e-ARC of Chef's Kiss by Jarrett Melendez in exchange for an honest review.

This was my first graphic novel and it was really adorable, realistic, detailed and beautiful! Story and scenes were funny, romantic and passionate, yet some parts, due to dialogue, felt bit cringy and rushed. I wished for Ben to have more progress towards his own dreams and needs, not so much as romance. It would be also great to have more backstory or at least insight of Ben's friends (more Liz, please) :)

Overall this was a quick read, plot was there, Ben was lovely, his friends were supportive and understanding, and every time when I read something food related, I wanted to run to my kitchen. Thank you!

Chef’s Kiss is as an adorable, somewhat magical slice of life story that follows a recent college graduate that finds himself in a completely different job than what he studied for in school. After many failed attempts to find a writing job due to no work experience (hello he was just a student?!), he stumbles across a cafe that is hiring and doesn’t require precious experience! Enter a fun cast of eccentric yet loveable chef’s that teach our MC that it’s okay to try things new and do things you love. It also helps that there’s a hunky chef too; hello love interest! I particularly enjoyed the somewhat magical pig that the head chef has be the final test for each cooking challenge. Such a delightful read!!!!

This was adorable! If you're looking for a lgbt graphic novel you don't want to miss this one.

Chef's kiss follows Ben as he is trying to figure out what he wants to do in his life. He's looking for a job, any job really as he becomes more and more desperate. However, he lies to his parents and say he has found a writing job like he's always wanted. But every interview is a failure and eventually he finally manages to get a cooking job, he'll have to do some tests because the boss is a bit picky (you'll see what I mean when you read it ahah). However, with the help of a handsome chef, Ben will become more confident in the kitchen. The romance is pretty sweet and I was rooting for them.

<i>(Thank you for letting me read and review an ARC via Netgalley)

This was so cute. The art style is beautiful and the colours are perfect. This tackles some really apt problems about not just university or finishing education but about working life. How yes your all this time into university but nothing is quite like experience but if you cant get the job you can’t get experience.

How we can be influenced by our base nature but sometimes that puts us in a greater area than we thought we would be. I loved the way it tackled the problems in a really straight up form and I just think this story was so simple it was brilliantly put across. Sometimes its just the delivery that makes the difference.

Thank you NetGalley for the proof.

Thank you Onipress and Netgalley for an advanced copy.

This was such a cute and beautiful book. You will become so invested in Ben and his story, which is totally relatable in every way. His journey of trying to decide what his future will be when everyone else around him has it sorted already. The rest of the characters become so loveable as well, and who doesn't adore a cute pig. If graphic novels are something you love, this is one for you.

I really enjoyed this, it was a perfect easy read, heartwarming but also dealt with issues that a lot of young adults face. Watson was really the star of the whole story

I really really like this book. An absolute delight!

I was very invested with all characters here. Ben could represent every young people who are still confused about what they want to do for their life, such as career. Not only that, but I also love how Ben got friends who are loyal and very supportive to him when his parents are not. That little piggy Watson is also cute and funny. A great touch to this story. Watson made me want to try every food Ben cooked.

I recommend this book so much. Sweet, warm, and nice story with an outstanding art style.

Thank you Netgalley and Oni Press for providing me this wonderful ARC!

I received Chef’s Kiss by Jarrett Melendez for free on NetGalley by Oni Press in exchange for an honest review. Thank you so much for my advanced copy!

In Chef’s Kiss we follow our main character Ben who is trying to find a job after leaving uni. After multiple interviews going nowhere he applies to a job he never would’ve thought to go for and finds a new passion along the way.

Chef’s Kiss was relatable from the very first page! Trying not to freak out and having to go for what felt like a million failed interviews is what I was like after leaving uni! It can be such a stressful time and it’s so funny how you can end up in a completely random job that has nothing to do with your degree but you end up loving! Plus I instantly related to the amount of books he had too!

The story was so fun, I loved all of the awkward and hilarious moments plus it was really cool to see Ben prove himself in his new role and get better even though his boss would definitely give me anxiety! I loved the romance subplot too, it was so well interwoven into the story and of course queer romances are always the best!

Additionally, the artwork was absolutely incredible! It was so detailed and clear plus I loved the use of colour all throughout! I wanted to read some more graphic novels this year and this was perfect for me!

Chef’s Kiss is a fun, relatable and absolutely lovely story!

At first glance I thought this was going to be a romance because of the title, but Chef's Kiss reads more like a coming of age story and I like that a lot more. It was nice to see a graphic novel about someone in their twenties since most graphic novels are about kids or teenagers. I think a lot of people in their twenties can enjoy this. It's a quick read about the struggles of adulthood, and figuring out what you truly want to do. The protagonist, Ben Cook finds himself caught between two passions and is unsure of what he truly wants in life. He is faced with the pressure that comes with unemployment but all that changes when he gets hired as a chef.

While this is a fun and cute story I found that there were continuity issues when it came to the characters. The conflict that occurred with one his friends felt abrupt and out of character. I feel like it was meant to move the plot forward, but I don't think it added much. And while the romance in the story was hinted at the development felt rushed towards the end of the book. Overall though I think it's a great book that many people would enjoy especially since the artwork in it is amazing. I love the style. It was really nice to read about someone in my age group dealing with the struggles of finding work, living independently and just navigating life in general. I hope it encourages publishers to create more graphic novels geared towards adults.

Thank you to the publisher, Oni Press and Netgalley for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review

An extremely relatable storyline about a 22-year-old named Ben who is looking to find a job after graduating from university and ends up taking a job he hadn't considered before. It was a lovely, short read that showed you should always put yourself first, no matter what anybody else thinks, and is a great, lighthearted read.

Give me a second to be corny here but... Chef's Kiss was *chefs kiss!*
What an utterly delightful graphic novel and one that I'm sure I'll return to time and again when I'm looking for an easy, comforting, and feel-good read! I absolutely ADORED it!
Thanks to Oni Press for providing an ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review! 5 pig-tastic stars

The minute I saw this cover I just knew I had to read it. The artwork was fantastic and is one of my favourite styles of graphic novels/comics. It reminded me strongly of the Archie Comics that I used to read as a teenager, albeit with a lot more dialogue; still, I enjoyed the conversations and how they contributed to Ben's story, even if at times some of the frames felt a little crowded with text. The art managed to accurately capture the characters' many facial expressions and convey what they were thinking and feeling at a given time, for example, all the blushing Ben did whenever Liam was nearby! 😂

The story itself was just as wonderful as the art and I think a lot of people will be able to relate to Ben's situation, whether you're a fresh graduate or not. I, for one, have been in his shoes so I found it very easy to empathise with his post-college and parental situations. Ben's a fellow book nerd who was set on a writing career until he kept getting rejected for that catch-22 reason of being passed on for not having enough experience while being denied the opportunity to get the experience he needed. He lucks out when he comes across that restaurant gig and as the story progresses you can see just how happy it makes him and how passionate he becomes about cooking. This was such a feel-good story about finding your way in the world and learning about what makes you happy, even if it's not what you initially planned for. That's life, right?

It was such a pleasure to read about Ben, his roomies/college friends, and the chefs! I loved the friendships Ben had with his roomies; Liz was the serious childhood bestie, Rachel was the dreamy, hopeless romantic and Tom was the tech geek and stoner, and despite being so different from each other, they meshed so well together and were a great support to Ben and his dreams. I also really liked the way the restaurant chefs rallied around Ben and became his 'restaurant crew'. Is it a little wild that a taste-testing pig with immaculate taste buds makes the final decision on who does and doesn't work at the restaurant? Sure. But I absolutely adored Watson and his relationship with the head chef, even if he (the chef) was a bit of an arse at the beginning. Honestly, all of the characters in this story were fantastic and had well-defined traits that set them apart and I want *more* stories with/about them! Also, there's a dash of romance in this that was so sweet and was (again) *chefs kiss*! 😉

Overall, this was an absolute treat to read and I would highly recommend it if you're looking for a wonderfully illustrated graphic novel about new beginnings and finding your way in the world, with wonderful characters and great friendships that are sure to make you smile!