An ARC of this graphic novel was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Chef’s Kiss was a quick read about fresh out of college, Ben Cook and his quest to find a job…ultimately leading to a very cute, heartwarming outcome. Although the book is tagged LGBTQIA+ the romance took a backseat favouring the crisis of the new graduates looking for purpose outside of academia. I have a particular fondness for a certain pig who becomes an integral part in deciding Ben’s future. Surrounded by a racially diverse cast of supporting characters Ben stumbles towards deciding what future will make him happy. The art style really is what manages to capture the readers attention, beautiful lighting and a comic book style instantly had me hooked. One of my favourite things was how the story managed to handle the relationship between Ben and his friends, the balance felt very healthy and realistic.

This review was also posted on goodreads at the following link: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4445805939

Thank you to NetGalley & the publisher for the advanced copy of this book.

This book has the best art! i loved the illustrations throughout the whole book and i loved the plot of having Ben choose the career he was passionate about despite the outside influences having their own opinions while throwing in a cute romance with the other chef.

I will admit, while it was very cute, The environment surrounding Ben was so toxic. The chef method of tasks and not even saying Bens name correctly until the situation of his parents coming in occurred and then his parents trying to force ben to make some decisions of his career was tough to see the little support he had by some of the most important people to him.

I would also want to add my confusion of the fake story the chef made up about Watson's origin story and had this whole radioactive food critic bite him and give him super taste buds. This part was funny to read and gave some insight to the chefs character it was just putting the story in a whole other place and setting once reading that part.

Overall it was a pretty nice and quick read but as far as rereading and recommending it would be targeted to certain types of people and moods rather than a generalized recommendation that most people would love.

Thank you to Netgalley and Oni Press for providing me with an e-ARC of this amazing book!

Chef's Kiss was an absolutely adorable quick read. I loved all the characters so much and I had so much fun reading this book. I honestly laughed out loud, blushed, giggled and squealed way to many times than I can count. If you are looking for a quick, gay, cute contemporary/romance graphic novel, you should definitely give this a read (especially if you love cooking).

I am only taking a star away because it took me a while to get into it, but once I did I absolutely loved it! Also I wish there were more cute moments between Ben and Liam and that they would have gotten together a bit earlier on.

Such a cute, wholesome grpahic novel !

Ben is a soft and adorable character, with the worries of life after university, conflicted about what he wants versus what his parents wanted for him, navigating his personal relationships with his friends and his new working environment.

The author and the illustrator gave a lot of attention to the food scenes, and the whole coloring and drawing is amazing !

Comedic elements are also spot-on, with the chef and the food-critic pig being hilarious !

And of course, Liam and Ben are adorable!

Thank you Netgalley and OniPress for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Loved this graphic novel. The illustrations were so vivid. It was an enjoyable read. Really loved the colors.

I could not wait to read this graphic novel, to the point that I consumed it the first chance I could. It was simply fantastic and I enjoyed every second of it.

The characters were great and really well developed for a short form story like this. I found Ben (our central character) extremely relatable and I completely understand where is he coming from. Ben had quite a few friends and I felt that each got given enough time for me to learn a bit about each of them and fall in love.

The story was fun centering on a cooking challenge for a job. The plot does touch on parental expectations, job-hunting and young adult life generally. The story also had LGBTQIA+ representation, which included a slow-burner romance as a secondary story.

To put it simply, this is a must read and I need either a sequel or a series of spin-offs from each of the other characters in this story ASAP.

In 2022, I'm planning to read more graphic novels. I adore them and I feel as though the last few years I've not read as many as I used to so it's high on my list of book goals for 2022. I'm so glad Chef's Kiss was the first for this year as it was so brilliantly cute!

Ben is just out of College and struggling to find a job in the writing world. Weeks go by and he stumbles across a restaurant advertising a job as an assistant chef. This begins our crazy story where a pig in the form of a gastronome selects the chef from the food. Sounds nuts but it actually works.

This story features a super sweet gay romance, quirky side characters and an exploration of the pressure family can put on us. I highly recommend a read if you're looking to branch out into the GN world or if you're into cute romances.

Many thanks to Netgalley and Oni Press for a copy of this novel. ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.

THIS REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS

Chef's Kiss is a cozy little story featuring Ben Cook, a recently graduated English major who isn't sure what to do with his life. It becomes quickly apparent, interview after interview, that the job market isn't nearly as open as college graduates are promised it will be -- Ben faces seventeen rejections in just three weeks, all based on the cyclical problem that he has no experience in the professional field, yet can't gain any without being hired (sound familiar, anyone? :'D). Enter Liam: the sous chef at a restaurant that just happens to be hiring a position where no experience is necessary. Ben is immediately put to the test by Liam's boss who demands, quite outlandishly, that Ben undertake 3 cooking challenges and be judged by an actual pig. If Watson (the aforementioned pig) likes his food, he will be hired. If not, he will be immediately fired on the spot. Thus begins Ben's new life of culinary challenges, roommate tensions, and blossoming love.

There were parts of this graphic novel that irked me: I thought the tension between Ben and Liz was unfairly put on him. It centers around Liz wanting him to drop everything to go out celebrating when he's already explained to them that he needs to be taking the challenges seriously if he wants to keep his new job. He apologizes for not being around, but like...they're adults? That's adulthood? Granted, it can be a rough awakening for some people when they leave college to realize that work becomes a giant factor of your life that you have to work around, but you gotta work to get paid, and you gotta get paid to eat? ...Is that too cynical a view for a fictional graphic novel? Probably, yes.

HOWEVER: the rest of this story more than made up for it. It's quirky, cute, cozy, and just a (mostly) light-hearted read about learning what truly makes you happy, or perhaps even learning that not knowing what makes you happy in the moment is okay. There's time to figure that out. Life doesn't end after college. My own love of food certainly helped me enjoy the cooking segments of the graphic novel, and the comedic tone was the right kind of soft. While I think some people may find this story on the boring side, with the only real confrontation being the fight with Ben's parents toward the end, if you can enjoy a good story without conflict, you'll find something in this graphic novel to love.

As a separate note, though I've added this to my "LGBTQIA" shelf, if you're looking strictly for a romantic graphic novel, this is probably not the one for you. Though Liam and Ben are clearly interested in one another and ...well, *spoilers*, their romance is not exactly central to the plot.

**STAR BREAKDOWN**

Art: ★★★★☆ [Fantastic!]
Story: ★★★☆☆ [Above Average!]
Would I Reread?: Yes!
Would I Buy?: Probably Not
Overall Star Rating: ★★★★☆

...don't ask me to explain my rating system, it seems to be changing constantly these days 🤷

This graphic novel follows Ben just graduate from university and try to find some work in his field of study. When he come to realize he won't find something that has to do with writing and reading, he decides to apply to a restaurant. Before he can officially work there, he has to prove in can cook by succeeding in food challenges.

This book was absolutely adorable. I loved every single moment of it. The illustrations were beautiful. I love cooking and I love food in general so this book made me so hungry. My favorite character has to be Watson the food-tasting pig. I really liked the fact that we see Ben evolve and develop new interest during the book. I highly recommend it

First, thank you so much for netgalley and onipress....
I AM SO GRATEFUL 🙏🙏🙏
I DO

So, let's talk about Chef's Kiss 😌

The Cover...
Seriously, look at the cover. It's pretty simple with solid color and focused on Ben. Yep, take a great look for our boi, Ben. I really love Watson being cupid.

The characters...
Can we talk about Liam and how hot he is, especially in Ben's naughty imagination. (I laughed so hard on these scenes). Chef's Kiss serves us many type of characters'. You can feel the diversity in this book. And one special character, is that Piggy, Watson. Watson takes an important part in this book. Eventhough, it feels so unreal (That Piggy and the story about it) but it's okay. Since, every parts related to Watson are hilarious and not cringey.

The Plot itself is quiet simple but really grounded. Many people have the same issue like Ben. So, it's easy to feel like "Ah, I feel that too".

How about the art? No complaint. The Art is totally gorgeous.

After all, Chef's Kiss is really fun to read and perfect recommendation when you searching for "feeling-good" books 😍

Chef’s kiss was a perfectly cute, light-hearted graphic novel that totally warmed my heart. I loved Ben and his entire cast of friends, they were really fun.

It’s a story that’s been told many times and this one is really unique and adorable. A graduate student who’s struggling to find a job, exploring different opportunities and making new friends, meeting cute love interests, restaurants, a food-critic pig, etc.

What I will say though, is that this book isn’t entirely what it’s described as. It’s definitely marketed as a romance, and honestly its main focus is discovering and exploring your identity and career in your twenties.

Another thing that I did not sit well with me personally was the humor. Most of the jokes are really vanilla and it feels like you’ve heard them before. And others feel forced at times. Like the owner’s grumpy personality didn’t really have a reason and it felt like he was just forcing that kind of attitude. Also is it just me or did they really overdo Tom’s free food jokes?

Overall, definitely enjoyed this book, but I don’t think it’s the kind of book that I’d pick up.

I loved this graphic novel! It was so cute and sweet and I just absolutely adored it.

Ben has recently graduated from college, and is struggling to find work. On the path for any job that will make ends meet, he stumbles upon a restaurant taking on staff. With nothing to lose, Ben applies for this job and meets the handsome sous-chef Liam. An intense training period followed by increasingly challenging tasks are all that stands between Liam and a full time role. In typical young adult fashion, nothing is that simple. Having aspired to be a writer for his whole life, and having expectations to do so, causes doubts in Ben’s mind about whether this is truly the right path for him.
In between navigating the new role as a chef, Ben has to come to terms with the changes with his relationships with childhood friend and housemate Liz, who is feeling left out and resentful towards Ben’s new job and the friends he is making. It was so nice to see such a strong friendship facing such troubles, and the emotions of the characters are ones that are so easily identified with.
There are many sweet moments in this novel, and the artwork is just absolutely stunning. If you are looking for an easy read with a hint of romance, then look no further! I will shout about this book for a long time to come, and will definitely be buying it when it comes out in March 2022!!

Thank you to Netgalley and Oni Press for letting me read the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

This story is so good! I know this one is definitely going into the library collection once it's published.

I absolutely adored this comic! Not only is it beautifully illustrated, it‘s also funny and has so much heart! AND a pig! As a vegan myself and a huge fan of pigs (they‘re just awesome), I was so happy to see the pig as a taste tester and being embraced by everyone! There is nothing to fault here except maybe that I would’ve enjoyed dairy-less dishes even more (but that’s not the point). LOVED this!

I'm used to graphic novels being mostly middlegrade and YA, so it was nice to read a new adult one with the same feel to it. Ultimately it didn't entirely work for me, though. I just found the story to move quite slowly, and I wasn't the biggest fan of the art work, although some of the panels did stand out to me. The best parts were definitely the close-ups.

One thing that felt off to me was that the restaurant owner's anger and grumpiness felt really forced. It kept coming out of nowhere and seemed really random. It felt like he was putting on an act rather than actual being that awful for no reason. Especially the scenes with the pig were... really strange to me, I guess the humour didn't really land for me.. Because this was a fairly large part of the book, I kept waiting for something more to happen and it just didn't really. The conflict with Ben's parents also really felt like it came out of nowhere, and escalated so quickly. On top of that, the romance felt really underdeveloped.

What a great graphic novel! This short read shows the struggles that young adults have as they graduate from college and struggle to find their footing in "the real world."

Ben has done all of the right things: he went to college, he participated in extra-curricular activities, he's applied to countless jobs. Despite his best efforts, Ben has found that he's apparently not even qualified to collect garbage. As he struggles to financially support himself while keeping up appearances for his parents, he realizes that perhaps his passions lie in a different career path: cooking.

How will Ben's parents deal with this sudden life change? Will Ben successfully complete the cooking challenges at the restaurant, including impressing the most unusual food critic? Is his attractive coworker interested in him? Be sure to check out this book to find all of the answers! Here's hoping that this story will be made into a series. That would be *chef's kiss* wonderful!

<i>Thank you NetGalley for providing me with an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.</i>

This was so cute! If you’re looking for a super lighthearted queer read full of fun characters, yummy food, and an endearing pig, this is for you! <i>Chef’s Kiss</i> is a quick read, but worth every page. There’s a little sprinkle of friend and family problems, but otherwise, this will put you in a good mood.

This wasn't bad! I thought the art style was super detailed and gorgeous and the storyline was intriguing. I love books, especially graphic novels, about cooking and this showcased that element really well. The romance was present but not overpowering the story. I also liked the dynamics with Ben's roommates and thought their dynamics were interesting, overall I'd recommend!

Thank you to NetGalley for providing an ARC of this graphic novel.

This book is one of those times I wish GoodReads had a half-point feature. I'd have given this book two and a half stars since it felt very mid. I'm going to break my review into pros and big con since that seems the best way to do this.

Pros: I loved the relationship between Ben and Liam. They were extremely cute and I wished we saw more dates/fluff, but alas, this was the story of them getting together and not their continuing relationship. I also loved the food. It was obvious the author is passionate about cooking and it was great to see that passion reflected in the writing. This is one of those stories where I would've loved to have recipes included the back like a cozy mystery! Additionally, Watson the pig was a bizarre addition to the cast of characters yet I would die for him and now want a Watson of my own.

Con: Ben's job search felt half-hearted and not realistic. This was my biggest issue with the book. Speaking from personal experience, I couldn't believe he gave up finding a job in his field after only three weeks. I took me six months to get a part-time job as a public librarian, and I graduated with a 4.0 from my master's program with professional experience. I don't know if the author decided to cut out the extra time since it wouldn't make for a good read, but the bleak truth is that it often takes much longer and the job you get is not worth the wait e.g. not full time, no benefits, etc. I guess what I'm trying to say is: I would've liked to see more depression. That's right. I think I'm justified in saying this, though, as a young woman who's recently gone through a similar experience.

Overall, I do recommend this book wholeheartedly, and I plan to purchase it for my library (where I thankfully now have a full-time job). I just think it wasn't meant for me.

4.5/5 stars

Thanks to Netgalley and Oni Press for providing this e-arc!

This was a charming quick queer graphic novel that charmed me with its premise, age range, art style and other elements that make this a worthwile read.

The conflict was well paced and was fascinating enough to not annoy me which is something a book can easily do lol.

LOVE that it's a stand alone with a nice ribboned end. Loved the pig as well. Also what a lovely fvck you to English majors.