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!

♤ rating: 4.5/5
♤ review: let me start with, if you are here for tragic, twists and turns, then leave cause this ain't for you. Chef's Kiss is graphic novel with straight up fluff and reality. It shows the actual face how hard it gets to find a job and also whag friendship means.

This manga starts with Ben and his 3 friends moving in together. While the centre of focus is Ben, I loved to see some aspects of the friends lives as well despite it being a short read. I loved Ben as an character and also Liz, but I thought there could have been more story to Tom cause he looked someone I'd hang out well with (like free food, let's goooo)

I absolutely loved all the food scenes, i am a foodie, and seeing them in books is always nice. The romance isn't that of a big part in here, its more like the reality of life. The plot won't move as its rather short (or maybe I'm used to reading long mangas) but then also it's catching in it's own way.

All the characters were fun to read about, but Watson was the best (only if you knew)... and also the dramatic story about him has me crying...

♡ Thanks netgalley for the gifted copy of this!

Thanks to NetGallery for the ARC. This was another one of my most anticipated reads for 2022, and I’m happy to said that I really liked it. The art is beautiful, I love that it's all in color and that it has a good amount of dialogue. I feel that I tend to gave higher rating comics and graphic novels more easily, but it makes sense to me, it's hard to develop a good story and characters only through drawings and dialogue, they deserve a point for that. The story is quite simple, but very easy to enjoy, it's cute, funny and relatable. Despite having its serious moments, it doesn't feel like an emotionally demanding read, which I loved.
Ben and Liam are so cute, and the friendship dynamics between the characters are great, this is the kind of short story that anyone would love to read between heavier books. Definitely recommended.

Spanish-
Gracias a NetGallery por el ARC. Esta era otra de mis lecturas anticipadas del 2022 y me gusto mucho. El arte es precioso, me encanta que sea todo a color y que tenga una buena cantidad de diálogos. Siento que suelo más fácilmente ratings más altos a los comics y novelas gráficas, pero para mí tiene sentido, es difícil desarrollar una buena historia a través de solo dibujos y diálogos, se merecen un punto por eso. La trama es bastante simple, pero muy fácil de disfrutar, es lindo, divertido y relatable. A pesar de tener sus momentos serios, no se siente como una lectura que te exige mucho emocionalmente, lo cual ame.
Ben y Liam son muy lindos, y la dinámica de amistad entre los personajes es geniales, este es el tipo de historia corta que cualquiera amaría leer entre libro más pesados de digerir. Definitivamente recomendada.

This was a perfect, lighthearted and fluffy read. Although it is a graphic novel, the story didn't feel too rushed or slow, and I thought the pacing was excellent. The story itself was heartwarming, and all the characters are to die for! Do not read this if you are hungry because the illustrations make the food look delicious, and you will instantly become hungrier.
I loved that the story focused on this idea that we don't need to know what we are doing at such a young age, or we shouldn't be permanently linked to something we choose at a young age and have to stick with it forever. I thought it handled the idea of not entirely knowing your future and taking the time to figure out what you want right now.
I will be looking forward to a sequel or anything this author creates, and I adored this book.
Rating: 4.5 stars.

Oh this warmed my frozen heart right up.

I really enjoyed watching Ben find himself in a job he wanted, something he was passionate about, and his colleagues were wonderful - and that's before we even get to his friends/roommates; they were so wonder. A little bit of drama and a whole lot of coziness, and I loved it. The romance was teeth-rottingly sweet and I lived for it, not gonna lie. The art and the colouring kind of follows along with that point of "coziness", I guess. It's kind of a little bit pastel-y? It was really nice on the eyes, is what I'm getting at.

It loses a star for the way Ben's boss treats him all the way until just before the end, though. It was too much, and it wasn't challenged, and it was.. bothersome. Other than that, though? Yes, good.

Chef's Kiss is a sweetly humorous slice-of-life NA graphic novel based around the everyday life of 20something Ben Cook written by Jarrett Melendez. Due out 1st March 2022 from Oni Press, it's 160 pages and will be available in paperback and ebook (comiXology) formats.

This is such a sweetly romantic book. Being a middle aged curmudgeon, I'm usually not such a fan of NA romance titles since I'm a few decades outside of the target audience, but this one was exceptionally good. Protagonist Ben is shy and just beginning to find his way after university and is living in a houseshare with his 3 friends. Despite applying for lots of jobs in his field, he's had a fruitless few weeks on the job front when he stumbles into a job training in a local upscale vegetarian restaurant. It doesn't hurt that there's a cute chef working in the same kitchen.

The character driven plot arc includes a seriously irascible head chef, an ensemble cast of coworkers and friends, and an adorable (actual) pig called Watson. The plotting is tight, and the dialogue is very well done and believable. The pencils, inking, and lettering are clear and precise. It's easy to read and well done all around.

This will absolutely appeal to fans of light romantic manga and NA graphic novel romance. There is no explicit content whatever.

Four and a half stars.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

This is a really fun and fast story to read. What caught my attention the most is the cover and the art style!
As an illustrator myself i like graphic novels, because images are a whole experiencie in storytelling.

Something that took me a little to get used to was the overuse of bubble speeches, i feel like they could have been edited a little, because there was so much text on the panels and took me a little out of the visual story

This was a sweet, quick read that made my heart happy. It was a quick read, and the story was intriguing. I loved the ideas of recipes the characters created, and it made me want to cook more.

Buen día, gente bonita. Espero que estén de humor para un cómic tan divertido como tierno, y una dosis ligera de drama. Hace mucho tiempo que quería leer algo sobre la vida de los universitarios recién graduados, así que no lo pensé dos veces cuando me crucé con Chef's Kiss, de Jarrett Melendez. ¡Gracias a la editorial por enviarme una copia a cambio de una reseña honesta a través de NetGalley!
La historia es bastante sencilla: conocemos a Ben y a su grupo de amigos cuando empiezan a buscar empleo luego de terminar sus estudios, cosa que me encanta. Buscar trabajo es ridículamente traumático, y me vi en muchos de los diálogos de Ben, exhausto por no conseguir nada. Es uno de los problemas más grandes que hay en el mundo de hoy, y aunque son escenas cargadas de humor negro, la frustración es palpable.
https://tintanocturna.blogspot.com/2022/02/comic-chefs-kiss.html

Good morning, beautiful people. I hope you're in the mood for a comic that's as funny as it is cute, and a light dose of drama. I've wanted to read something about the life of recent college graduates for a long time, so I didn't think twice when I came across Chef's Kiss, by Jarrett Melendez. Thanks to the publisher for sending me a copy in exchange for an honest review through NetGalley!
The story is quite simple: we meet Ben and his group of friends when they start looking for a job after finishing their studies, which I love. Looking for work is ridiculously traumatic, and I saw myself in many of Ben's dialogues, exhausted from achieving nothing. It is one of the biggest problems in the world today, and although they are scenes full of black humor, the frustration is palpable.
https://tintanocturna.blogspot.com/2022/02/comic-chefs-kiss.html

Trigger Warnings: Drinking, throw-up, drugs

Representation: Gay, Black

Chef’s Kiss is a graphic novel about Ben, a recent grad who has to figure out what to do with the rest of his life. While his parents insist that he uses his new writing degree, Ben struggles to find work until he lands an opportunity at a vegan restaurant. Over the next few weeks, Ben must compete to earn the position, lie to his parents, and figure out what he wants in life, all while working next to a very handsome man!

This book was so cute! I love the simplicity of graphic novels while they still balance a full story and in depth characters! I really enjoyed the storyline and the “fantasy-esque” feel with the inner fairy and the pig origin story. The story is sweet and sincere, with humor thrown in along the way. I love a happy ending and was glad to see Ben and Liam finally kiss. I felt the characters as a whole brought a very mature light, despite Ben and his roommates being recent grads. I also loved the development with Ben’s confidence. The story felt real and relatable for anyone who has gone through that after college phase. I thought the illustrations were on point and really brought a lot to the plot.

Thankyou so much for the eARC of this graphic novel from Netgalley and Oni Press.

An LGBTQ+ graphic novel with the food and illustrations giving it a Ratatouille vibe. The characters are all fun and have so much depth and personality, that it makes this a fun enjoyable fluffy read.

The pig is also a very cute addition - participating in the story was just like how you'd expect from a classic tv anime.

An incredible read about a man trying to choose the right path for him, with pressure from his parents, encouragement from his friends and the hot sous chef that he likes. Also a pig who is the restaurant taster, who also causes trouble. Will he make the right decision to make himself happy and not for everyone else??

A entertaining, funny, emotional, romantic read that I highly recommend. Also the drawings of the food looks delicious and will certainly make your stomach grumble. You may even try out some yourself.

Would you trust a Watson the pig to judge your food?

This is a gorgeous graphic novel that touches on the uncertainty and lack of direction for many new grads post-college. The illustrations are beautiful and the storyline is cute and sweet, with just enough touch of silly. The characters are fun, and this is altogether just a fun and enjoyable, fluffy read.

I received an eARC of this title through NetGalley in return for an honest review.

I genuinely enjoyed this graphic novel. I like how it touches on themes of living for yourself and what makes you happy instead of living up to your parents' expectations. Ben is a great example of leaving college, having a degree, and struggling to get a job using said degree because he has "no experience". Not to mention his parents are constantly on him about getting a job. He does what most of us in this situation does, gets a job to pay the bills until he finds a job where he can use his degree.

However, Ben starts to enjoy his "in between" job more than expected. He loves to cook and becoming a chef in an eccentric restaurant slowly becomes something he didn't know he loved. It also helps there's a very attractive chef who is super nice to him and takes him under his shoulder.

I think this book is a must read / must have in your library. It tells the story of life after college when your friends seem to be living their dreams while you may be stuck. I highly recommend this title.

Chef's Kiss, by Jarrett Melendez, is a coming-of-age graphic novel about a new college graduate named Ben, who moves into an apartment with 3 of his closest friends as he tries to navigate the world of job hunting. As he goes to job interviews with his resume in hand, he quickly learns that he needs job experience to get a job with his degree, even when it's an entry-level position. After an afternoon of fruitless job hunting, Ben happens upon a restaurant in need of a chef. Down on his luck and in desperate need to feel like he isn't a failure, Ben goes inside, where he meets Liam, a handsome sous chef. As Ben fights to prove himself in the professional world, he also has to deal with the disapproval of his parents, and the growing pressure he feels from watching his peers succeed.
As someone new to reading the graphic novel format, I found this storyline to be creative and fun. The art was well done; colorful and detailed. I did have some difficulty following the dialog but again, as someone new to this format, I'm still learning how to navigate it. I did find the storyline with Watson to be a bit odd at first but it did add a fun element to an otherwise serious storyline. On a negative note, I will say that I was disappointed by the lack of romance. The romance ended up being more of a side plot, which would've been fine but the title of the graphic novel is Chef's Kiss, and with Liam introduced fairly early, I thought this was going to be a queer romance-centered story, which it was not. Despite that, I found the story to be incredibly entertaining and relatable. I was caught off guard that although it is a graphic novel, there were still some great conversations to be had on the experiences of fresh college graduates and how getting a job straight from college isn't always the feat to accomplish.

A cute new adult comic talking about the trouble of getting your first job with no experience and discovering what you want to become. Because of the cover I kind of expected a little fantasy/supernatural, but no. A very adorable, if predictable romance, but that will talk to people who are about to step into the working world, or just took that big leap after uni or are feeling as if they just haven't found their way just yet.
Not quite for me, I'm not in that age group anymore, and I'm not a romance reader. I love foodie books though, so I thought it would talk to me... but not really either. I found it a little annoying how this guy who spends his life in books can suddenly cook better than people who have studied cooking and spent their lives improving that art. It felt a little disrespectful to people of the industry, suggesting that anyone could do it within a week and belittled their training. I'm sure that wasn't the spirit of the book, but it just came across like that to me...
The colours are beautiful, in soft pastel tones and lots of blushing, the illustrations are a little too classic comix for my taste, but lots of people love that clean style so I'm sure many disagree with me and find it very clear and easy to read.

This was such a fun graphic novel! The art was amazing. I appreciate seeing confused postgrads in media as someone who was confused after university, this is such a needed perspective in media.

Ben was such a fun and relatable character and I loved following his story. His relationship with his friends was great to see and I loved seeing them interact. I also enjoyed his budding romance with Liam but I love that it wasn’t the centre of the story, time was spent equally on Ben’s friendships, his post graduation anxiety and his passion for making food.

I enjoyed Chef’s Kiss, it exceeded my expectations and I would love to see more from the artists.

TW:
Overbearing parents
Homophobia (minor)

This was really cute! I really enjoyed watching Ben learn things in the kitchen. I enjoyed Ben's friendships. Liam was the perfect love interest. I hour that Ben's parents come around. Great art and plot!