This book was provided by Netgalley, but the thoughts and opinions are entirely my own.

An aspiring editor/writer named Ben Cook can't find an entry level job in that field, so he takes a job as a cook. Yes, Cook the cook is on the nose and a joke used by Ben's love interest.

I don't generally read graphic novels, but I do enjoy them. This was just too short for me. Or maybe it was too simple. Something was missing.

The side characters were fun and supportive, the chef job and all the antics were funny (actually maybe a bit ridiculous), and there is the tiniest amount of angst between Ben and Liam (the love interest).

I think part of my issue is that the romance isn't as fully developed as it could be. For instance, they go on dates, but we aren't privy to any of the conversation that happens. We don't get to see them getting to know each other outside of where they work.

It's a cute story and Ben learns more about himself and what he wants from life. This is done well. And overall I did enjoy it.

I also really enjoyed the art. This is part of why I enjoy graphic novels. I get to see what the characters and scenes look like to the author/creator. And the artist did a lovely job providing pretty and descriptive images for the story.

Also, Watson is adorable.

Chef's Kiss is not just a Graphic Novel with beautiful illustrations, but also a story that feels utterly relatable.
The time after graduating college can feel like a black hole of nothing because so many jobs require experience, but how is one supposed to acquire experience without a job.
This is where we meet Ben, after losing hope due to being turned down for jobs in the journalistic field he comes across a vacancy for a sous-chef in a restaurant, no experience necessary.
We also get to meet the people in Ben’s life who truly are a unique and fleshed out cast of characters that bring enormous charm to the story.
My only gripe, the Chef of the restaurant is very toxic and it is sad that Ben’s parents are not supportive of him in his time of need and uncertainty. Also, I felt like the ending was a bit rushed.

Thank you Netgalley, Oni Press and the author Jarrett Melendez for the opportunity to read this Graphic Novel as an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

** A copy of Chef's Kiss was provided by the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review **

I thoroughly enjoyed this graphic novel for its art style and story. It's a wholesome look at being twenty-something, finding your passion, and having supportive friends. It's filled with just the right amounts of warmth, humour and fluff. And oh, Watson is a pretty adorable pig too! If you want something light and cosy, I recommend Chef's Kiss!

Ben has recently graduated and moved into a new home with a group of friends, and he is desperately looking for a job. He has plenty of interviews lined up, but how is he supposed to have achieved years of professional experience while being fresh out of university? Just as he's about to give up all hope of finding a job, he comes across a 'No experience needed' sign in a restaurant window. Now, not only does Ben have a potential new job (if he can pass the head chef's challenges), but maybe even a new crush?

Oh my gosh Chef's Kiss was cute. It's an adult graphic novel, and the art is beautiful. Not only that, the story is engaging and highly enjoyable, and laugh out loud funny at times. I loved the friendship dynamic of Ben's group and I really related to his difficulties in trying to get a job in a market that demands years of experience for 21-year-olds going into entry-level positions. As the novel goes on, we come to learn more about the pressures Ben is facing from his parents too, which added an extra layer of depth to the story. Sometimes I felt the head chef's aggression was somewhat over the top, but I wonder if that was a case of the style of humour going over my head a little. This was my first graphic novel read in a long time, and I loved it.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing a fre eARC of Chef's Kiss. These opinions are my own.

What a great queer new adult romance!! I loved this graphic novel about Ben and his close friend group who live together trying to figure out life, love and work! Very LGBTQI+ positive and wow oh wow do I get why Ben is attracted to working at a local restaurant!! Liam is HOT! When Ben gets turned down for every job he applies for because he has no experience, he answers a help wanted ad and is hired on a trial basis to work at a restaurant. Full of quirky characters (including a PIG!), great supportive friendships and a swoony romantic love interest. Highly recommended, especially for fans of Reality cooking style shows or the comic series Heartstopper. Much thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my advance review copy! This book was a surprise delight!!

Chef's Kiss manages to capture the twenty something post college job seeking nerves in SUCH a real way. It can be SO disheartening to go after job after job that your degree prepared you for only to have the lack of real world experience hold you back. This is an experience I've had, all of my friends have had. It was like it was ripped from our real lives and laid out on the page. And to see a character struggle like you have, feel down about themselves like you have and come out of it with a discovered passion and a little sense of direction, it gives you hope! This is so much more than a silly little graphic novel with a cute queer romance. (though the silly sweet romance is an EXCELLENT part of this book). And the integration of the friend group who love and support each other like family. even when they are in a fight is such a beautiful addition. I think this book is a required read for anyone who feels like they are flailing. Day dreaming about the delicious meals and the food critic pig and the main character who figured himself out and found a cute partner to boot is like a shot of dopamine right where you need it.

This was a fun and easy read. The art was so beautiful throughout. I thought the story was predictable but still pretty cute. I would have liked a little bit more from the love interest; I didn't think we got to know him very well. Him and the roommates felt too underdeveloped. The final conflict resolved very quickly. I also thought some of the stuff with Watson was a little too silly for me. Overall though, this was well worth the read.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my review copy! The graphic novel is out on March 1st, 2022.

Unfortunately, this one just didn't capture my attention in the digital format. The artwork alone is worth three stars though --and I'll definitely be giving it another shot with a print edition.

Chef's Kiss is an absolutely adorable story. It's SO CUTE and I got super invested in the characters right away. Not to mention Watson the pig is the absolute best character. And the illustrations of the food made me so hungry. It makes me feel like I need to cook something.

This is a fun, cute graphic novel perfect for fans of Heartstopper. The images are beautiful and add a lot to the story. The story itself is a little basic, with a mostly predictable storyline, besides the pig's backstory, however the book gives all the warm and fuzzy feelings of new love.

This was such a lovely comic with a lovely narrative and rich graphics.

The story follows Ben who is a recently graduated English major looking to find a job in the field only to be denied due to lack of experience. After a terrible job interview he stumbles upon a restaurant looking for chef apprentice without any experience needed. Ben goes in an is interviewed by Liam whom Ben develops an instant crush on.

The story is about doing out what you love even though you never though you would and of life taking you in a different direction.

The reason why it didn't quite make the maximum rating is because I found the Chef character and trails really OTT. I wasn't a fan of Ben's BFFs attitude not his toxic parents. I thought that the resolution on the conflict on both BFF and parents was a little rushed.

Liam is BAE though I wish there was a bit more character development on his side and not just a really hot visual...because Liam is a gift from the Norse Gods.

Overall I really loved it and were this to be continued into a series I'd definitely keep my eye out.

**I received an electronic ARC from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for honest review.**

Thank you to NetGalley and Oni Press for an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Overall, this was an enjoyable read with a sweet romance.

I enjoyed that the story was about the immediate post-college stress of trying to work out what to do with your life but, honestly, I felt like Ben and all of his friends landed on their feet a bit too easily. I would have liked to see more of their difficulties of navigating early adulthood from all of them, not just Ben. That being said, I liked the overall message of this book that you don't have to have it all worked out, and you don't have to have just one thing that you want to do – you can follow what you enjoy and go from there.

I found the pacing of this book to be a bit fast and I felt overwhelmed trying to keep up with everything that was going on as each page felt quite busy. The whole thing with the pig definitely contributed to the manic energy of the novel.

Others have commented on the toxic workplace and the bad attitude from Ben's boss that just got swept aside without ever being addressed. I also felt like his relationship with his parents wasn't addressed or resolved properly. I think this is a side effect of the fast pacing of the book, the story itself is only around 130 pages and a lot is squeezed into that time.

I would have liked to have seen more development in Ben's friends and more of their personalities. They all felt a little like plot points rather than characters in their own rights. The romance, whilst sweet, was also a pretty minor part of the plot and I didn't really have a grasp on who Liam was as a character.

Overall, I enjoyed the experience of reading this novel, but it's not going to be one that really sticks with me.

Oh my Goodness this was absolutely adorable! So sweet and heartwarming! I couldn't stop reading!
Ben has just finished college and he's trying to find a job in his field but finding really hard because everyone asks for experience he doesn't yet have. He's getting desperate when he decides to look for any job. That's how he ends up working as a trainee at a restaurant and where he meets Liam, a handsome sous chef.
The story was beautiful! It really captured the struggles of finding yourself (and a job) when you finish college. I really loved Ben's group of friends and the relationships between them. And the romance was the sweetest.
The artwork was also gorgeous, I adored the artist's style.
I had the absolute best time reading it and I highly recommend it.

**I received an ARC from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for honest review.**

THIS GRAPHIC NOVEL WAS SO CUTE!??
Featuring:
• A+ cullinary content
• cute boys (with top tier romance)
• an iconic friend group
•an adorable pig named watson!!!

It was funny and heart-warming and absolutely adorable. I found myself recommending it to everyone I knew. Such a wonderful pick-me up story! I definitely see myself coming back to it again and again on rainy days.

Very very cute and short romance. My only complaint is that it is a little too short and slow but other than that I absolutely loved it.
Thank you netgalley for the ARC!

an endearing visual novel that, while I was sceptical about it at first, managed to pull a few heartstrings. It has a fun cast of characters with varying designs and personalities. while most of the side characters don't get a lot of "screen" time, the reader still gets a sense of what kind of people they are and what their relation to the others is. I liked that a lot about it.
I do feel like the story was slightly choppy at times, pun not intended, where story elements were just sprang onto me. It reminded me a bit of the way some people tell stories. "so he was cooking, and then his parents came in, and they got angry" kind of storytelling. I understand this might be a stylistic choice in order to deal with the visual format, but I would be amiss not to point out that it bothered me occasionally. I would have liked a wee bit more dept, and smoother transitions.
But in the end, the author managed to create a story i found myself caring about, with characters I wanted to see succeed, and I think that is the most important part of a novel like this.

PS, not a remark on writing, but some of the panels appear to have been scaled a bit weirdly, and get a bit pixelated on my screen

Ben is a recent 22 year old college graduate that’s struggling to find a job in writing. Interview after interview he’s passed on for not having any experience and he starts to give up hope when he sees a “help wanted-no experience necessary” sign on the window of a restaurant. What’s supposed to be a temporary fix to his employment situation turns into a world that Ben never expected to thrive in. As he falls for the cute chef Liam and working in the restaurant he becomes more and more confused about his future. At first the restaurant was temporary but maybe there’s more to the world than writing after all.

Chef’s Kiss is a heartwarming, hilarious and beautiful graphic novel that will leave you questioning if you followed your dreams or someone else’s.

At times the dialogue seemed forced but that was quickly outshone by the loveable characters, stunning graphics and unique storyline. By the time I finished I was already desperate for more.

If you’re a fan of boy’s love, slice of life and books that give you butterflies then Chef’s Kiss was made for you.

This was an easy fast paced read that I found lighthearted and enjoyable. I am an English graduate myself so I appreciated seeing someone else’s struggle with what to do with an English degree and found Ben’s journey very relatable and inspiring.

I didn’t enjoy the character of the Chef. I found his behaviours unnecessary however it can be seen as playing into a stereotype for the character he was supposed to represent. All of the characters were individual and realistic and worked well within the story.

Both the narrative and the illustrations worked well for this book and I think it worked really well together.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This was such a sweet book and a fast, amazing read. The protagonist struggles with pleasing his parents, searching for a job and figuring out his own feelings, which was very relatable for me but it is still not a heavy book at all; there were a lot of parts that made me laugh. It made me happy to see how he figured out what he really wanted throughout the book and that there was a happy ending for him and his friends. All this is accompanied by wonderful illustrations that I liked a lot. I don’t usually read many graphic novels but I couldn’t put down this one!
(I was provided this book by NetGalley for an honest review)

Unfortunately there was no way for me to access this book so I can't give a review of it. I'll hopefully be able to read the finished copy.