This story was a fun queer slow-burn romance story. The cast is diverse, but it's a casual diversity. The slowly developing relationship between the main characters was very fun to read about. This story focuses on developing Laurie and Oryan as characters first, before developing them together romantically, which I liked a lot. The ending felt odd and a bit abrupt, but that was mostly because I didn't know that this was meant to be a series! The book was shown to be a stand-alone novel on NG, so I was very confused by the ending until I found out it's a series. The art style I adored! It's a very soft style, it has a romantic feeling in general.


Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review!

A received a review copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion.

This novel is a fresh edition to what I like to call the sub-genre LGBTQ cooking graphic novels. Others in the genre include Basil and Oregano and Chef's Kiss. The genre itself tends to be light and bright, even when dealing with serious issues.

First let me address the story. Hungry Heart follows a enthusiastic young writer Laurie who gets his big break interviewing cooking show star and heartthrob Oryan Adiei, a British-Ghanaian cooking star who achieved fame at an early age on the competition show British Kitchen trials. For anyone who watches things like Masterchef, think those vibes.

At first Laurie is starstruck when meeting Oryan, but soon realizes that Oryan's life is more complicated than it seems on the surface. Oryan despite being famous feels more alone than ever and is worried people are seeing him as a object and not as himself. He also worries about the direction his career is taking and isn't sure he wants to continue.

Laurie takes the time to get to know Oryan as a person. The two bonding over their lives in London, their shared love of cooking, and their growing affection for each other.

What started as a work relationship over cheese stakes quickly becomes a whirlwind friendship of stealing hors d'oeuvres and hanging out at parties together. But each of them has something at risk. Laurie is being pushed by his editor to get the 'scoop' on Oryan. But Laurie doesn't want to push for more personal details about someone he's coming to care about.

Oryan is also feeling the heat, as he makes changes in his career after talking with Laurie about how he was feeling trapped. He is facing problems both professionally and personally as his change of direction lets down a former mentor and an old flame seeks to regain his attention. But will Laurie and Oryan's budding relationship prove strong enough to handle the searing heat of the life as a celebrity and the scandal that can come about with it.

Can Laurie get past his self doubt and let Oryan in? Or will the two of them flop like a souffle. The volume finishes up on a positive note, but it leaves the door open for future scandal.

The art in this graphic novel supports the story, with the food being pictured as bright and vibrant. Also whoever did the coloring for Oryan's different colored hair did a great job, it jumps off the page and creates almost like a halo about him when he appears on the page. It's an interesting contrast compared to Laurie's more muted color scheme.

Finally the content warnings, this book deals with some serious stuff including coming out, and a fairly important side plot about a former eating disorder with images that match visible on page. This is noted at the beginning of the graphic novel though and is approached in a sensitive and caring way.

This book is five stars, I can't wait to read the next cute Volume from the Jem Milton if they decide to produce another.

Oh my god I LOVED!! THIS!! I could not remember where I recognized this art style from, but when I realized it was the same author as the Flying Ship I SQUEALED!! The writing really makes my heart skip a beat and get invested emotionally along with the characters. I can't wait for more!

** I WAS GIVEN THIS BOOK FOR MY READING PLEASURE **
Copy received through Netgalley

~

Hungry Heart, by Jem Milton
★★★★★
256 Pages
Content Warning: mentions of anxiety, eating disorder, identity crisis, coming out
Reps: POV, trans, disables, pansexual, non-binary



Hungry Heart is a super-cute romance story between opposites.

Laurie is half-English, half-Scottish, from a “wealthy family” – the type with a big house that's too expensive to run/live in, but too deeply ingrained in the DNA to let go of. His parents are separated and he's dealing with an eating disorder he's trying (and sometimes failing) to recover from, as well as anxiety, poverty, and the threat of losing his job, not to mention a food blog with only 2-digit followers. Oryan is his polar opposite – from a regular, middle-class family, he won a UK Kitchen chef competition when he was 19 and became an instant star. Now, he's struggling under the weight of stardom, doing more celebrity appearances than cooking, and losing sight of who he really is behind the flashing lights.

Together, they are the cutest, most normal and messed-up couple. They start as strangers, then Laurie is offered the chance to interview Oryan for a food magazine he freelances for. Oryan's sister works with Laurie's roommate and that is the start of their meet-cute. And a budding romance.

I really liked how Oryan's life wasn't bright and shiny just because he became famous, and presumably rich, at a young age. Yet, conversely, I love how normal Laurie was – working a dead-end waiter's job just to pay the pills, yet maintaining his blog for the love of food and working side jobs, like at the magazine, to try to further his career. I also love how carefully, respectfully and honestly their problems were treated. How Oryan had anxiety he tried to hide, was losing himself because no one would let him breathe, and Laurie was grinding away like the rest of us in life, without getting very far. The exploration of internet/social media trolls was well done, too, and such an important issue to highlight.

I loved the artwork. Both MC's were equally drawn as sometimes beautiful, blushing and cute, and often times just regular people, with regular issues.

Although it ended a bit abruptly, in what feels like the middle of a potential second storyline involving Violet, I did enjoy what I read. There was no mention of this being a Vol. 1 when I requested it from Netgalley, but I wouldn't be mad if it continued. I liked that the entire thing was realistic, with no magic bow to tie everything up, no cure for their real life problems, just acceptance, love, friendship and fighting to survive another day.

I won't lie, I'd also love to see more of Laurie's friend, Hugo, who seems to have a hint of a crush on Laurie. I adored him, even though he was a bit of a happy weirdo, and I loved all the cute nicknames he gave Laurie.

For fans of Chef's Kiss, by Jarrett Melendez.

I loved everything about oryan’s and Laurie’s relationship and hope there will be a sequel. I loved the queer and POC representation. 10/10.

Thank you Netgalley and Andrews McMeel Publishing for this eARC!


This book was so incredibly sweet and easy to read, and had me hooked from the start till the very end!
The romance between Laurie and Oryan felt very believable and realistic. They are soooo cute together.
Another thing I loved was the little friendgroup and how queer and diverse everyone was. They aren't a huge part of the book but I really enjoyed reading their conversations.
This book does touch some important and heavier topics (like anxiety and eating disorder) but somehow the author still manages to keep the story light, which I thought was amazing.


So if you love graphic novels like Heartstopper, that are sweet and gentle reads but still touches heavier topics then this is 100% for you!

Thank you to Netgalley and Andrew McMeel Publishing for the ARC! I loved everything about this book from the artwork to the plot. Genuinely enjoyed all of the characters and the representation throughout the book.
The storyline and the growth of the relationship was so fun to read. I need this to be a very long series.

Very sweet story about finding out who you are and who you want to be as well as finding the courage to be your authentic self. It's a very cozy in a way. This is the first volume of a webtoon and the webtoon has more chapters so I hope the others eventually get published. That being said this volume does stop at a point where is this is all we get then it does have an ending of sorts and I can live with that.

Vibrant, sweet and overall ADORABLE.

This was such a great graphic novel.

Laurie is a food blogger with his big break to interview his celebrity crush, Chef Oryan. Laurie is navigating his crippling anxiety and Oryan is figuring out his sexuality all while this new sweet romance is building.

Frickin adorable.

I loved the vibrant art. The font was great to read and the story was lovely.

Thanks to netgalley and Andrews McNeel Pub for an eARC

Thanks to NetGalley and Andrews McMeel Publishing for the arc.

Wow. I don’t know where to start. This was great and touched on some heavy topics. There are triggers for eating disorders and homophobia. There is talk of racism. Mental health.
The artwork was beautiful and I loved the characters.

I can’t wait to read the next and I will definitely be reading more by this author.

This graphic novel is ADORABLE. It also deals with some serious stuff.

The art style is fun, a loose manga inspired style. The artist and author has a diverse cast of characters and fleshes them out well, even the side characters have a lot of life to them despite the book being about our two mains. The book covers a wide range of topics in a natural and unforced way, living in the limelight, anxiety, recovery and a few other bits. Laurie has a history with food and is now a food writer who manages to score an interview with a chef who gained his popularity in a reality show. The book does not shy away from Laurie's struggles with food, but doesn't dwell on it either. It's part of the story but not the whole story.

This is the first in a series and ends in a satisfying way that still leaves the reader ready for the next installment.

A Deliciously Romantic Journey of Self-Discovery and Connection

Hungry Heart by Jem Milton is a heartfelt story about love, identity, and overcoming self-doubt. Originally published as a webcomic, this LGBTQ+ romance follows Laurie, an aspiring food writer, who lands the opportunity to interview Oryan, a celebrity chef and his long-time idol. What begins as a professional meeting grows into a deep bond through late-night talks and shared love for food. Together, Laurie and Oryan face challenges that test their self-acceptance and courage under the pressures of fame and personal growth.

The relationship of the two has a natural, slow-burn quality, which feels both honest and endearing. The narrative’s warmth and Milton’s thoughtful approach to illustrating their romance, mixed with personal struggles, give the story an emotional depth that resonates. The illustrations are very charming and the dialogs have a very natural flow. The slow burn of the story enhances the emotional journey, making it a must-read for fans of graphic novels and heartfelt romance.

This was super cute! Laurie and Oryan are great characters and it was so satisfying to read this story of how they met. Sometimes you want something that just makes your heart happy, and this hit the spot.

Not only was the storyline fun and satisfying, but the artwork was beautiful as well.

If you are a fan of Heartstopper, I think you will enjoy this!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher/author for this copy of the book.

Uhhh this was sooo cute! Highly recommend giving this graphic novel a try!

The art style was fantastic and I loved the color palate.. Laurie and Oryan are so lovable. I felt like I could be either of their friends. Honestly, I would love to be their friend. The relationship was genuine and realistic. I loved seeing their friendship and relationship bloom and flourish. I hope this story continues so we can follow along with them.

Mental illness and LGBTQIA+ representation is very well handled. I will say that there is a graphic scene involving eating disorder struggles. Since this is portrayed through visuals it may be more triggering to some.

I wanted to love this story. I liked Laurie's mum, Ari, and Hugo a lot, but everybody else just seemed lacking. Plus this book really needs a trigger warning for eating disorders and Margaret Thatcher. There was so much going on that it's easy to get lost and lose interest. Some things felt like they were added just to bring drama, like Laurie's ed, Oryan's spinelessness, and Viola's continued appearances. The leads barely spent time together and it wasn't clear to me how they reached the "like" stage of their relationship. I felt no chemistry between them and it feels like they're only together because the author wants them to be, which isn't a good start to a fictional romance. I do hope the story gets better as it goes on, but for right now, I'm not interested in continuing.

a very queer, very diverse and very cute love story. gay friends, if you want to have a sweet read, this is a heartwarming, important and relatable story of self exploration and struggles with comforting outcomes — and I guarantee that you will at least like it.

though the story is overall gentle, it still touches on important and heavy subjects, primarily eating disorders. it's an aspect that is, in my opinion and as someone who deals with such issues, extremely well done and well portrayed.

the drawings were adorable with a very soft but colorful color palette, both to which I became addicted quickly. the main characters are attaching and their interactions natural.

this was so much fun! loved it

I got this as an arc on Netgalley and it will come out in November. This beautiful queer romance was everything. The comic was entertaining, insightful and delicious.

Thank you to NetGalley and Andrews McMeel Publishing for providing a copy of this book for review. All opinions are my own.

Hungry heart follows Laurie, a food blogger turned journalist and Oryan, a celebrity chef who gained notoriety through winning a cooking competition at the age of 19; as a work encounter blooms into the start of a romance.

"I would describe myself as pansexual. But explaining that to people .... It's easier to let people think I'm bisexual than it is to correct them"

Never before have I felt so heard from a singular quote from any book as that is exactly how I have felt in the past when coming to terms with my own pansexuality. Often it is rare to find genuine representation in books as opposed to labeling a character as queer and giving no true representation through them. This graphic novel contains a wide array of POCs and persons from the LGBTQ+ community as well as a disabled character whos disability does come into play within the story.

The romance between Laurie and Oryan is believable and not rushed. It develops nicely and you can tell they genuinely care for one another.

The artwork is gorgeous and the style combined with the steady story kept me wanting more. I devoured this in one sitting and would love to see more from these characters if a future volume was to be released.

Review to come to blog/other places in November.

I received this graphic novel from the publisher/Netgalley in exchange of an honest review.

I picked this one up from Netgalley because of the cover, it was just so swoony! Sadly, I struggled a bit through the book.

Yes, I had many YAS moments, but at times it was just TOO MUCH. Too many topics and it felt very crammed in, some worked out, sometimes it was just much and I had a hard time reading. Plus, I wish I had known about the issues with food because that is a big trigger for me and that made it difficult to continue at times and a couple of times I just wanted to DNF this book. So yeah, I would have liked less of that and more romance/food. Oh, and I was so HYPED to see a bi character, but Oryan was pan in the end. Which is OK, but I just want more Bi peeps!

What I did like: The art! It was cute and sweet and I love the character designs, especially Oryan! Oh, and I love Laurie's friends/friend group, they were such fun, big points to Pepper, and I loved that orange-haired guy whose name I already forgot (oops).
Seeing Oryan and Laurie get closer and closer and discover their feelings for the other was just so adorable and cute and I was shipping them like mad. Oh, and I was telling them to finally kiss, much to the hilarity of my hubby who was next to me while I was reading this one, haha. They really make such a sweet couple and I hope that it will work out, because both have their issues to work through, but I am sure with enough talking, maybe finding some help outside will make things go better. Crossing fingers!
Oh, and I loved that we didn't just get to see things from Laurie's side, but also Oryan. We see how both characters try to make it through life. Laurie with his food/body problems and his jobs, Oryan with what he would rather be doing, cooking? modelling? talk shows?, we see that he is struggling with what to do next. It doesn't help that the internet is brutal and has many an opinion about him.

All in all, I may read the next volume, or maybe I will just wait until the series is done and just check out the ending, haha. I need to know if these two are sticking together!

Laurie is a food blogger who's just turned to food journalism in hopes of getting enough money to stay in London. Oryan is the former prodigy winner of a cooking show, now superstar who doesn't really want to be one that much. When Laurie gets an opportunity to interview Oryan, the two of them grow closer to each other.

This was a really sweet comic! As a first volume, I think this book offers a good storyline where we get introduced to the characters and their backstories but also get enough action that it doesn't feel like it's sole purpose is introductory. The art is also really cute and dynamic.

I also love the way this comic approaches the topic of celebrity, drawing attention to the behaviors of fans that can impact the celebrity but also the pressure put on that person to perform in order to stay relevant. It's a very nuanced exploration and fits nicely into the comic format. There also a good balance between the heavier topics and the more lighthearted ones, which is something I always appreciate.

Oryan and Laurie are both so sweet and the evolution of their relationship is so adorable. I liked seeing how Oryan tries to always communicate his feelings regardless of their nature and how Laurie also really listens to him. It's such a cute and healthy dynamic and I'm looking forward to more of it in future volumes!

I would recommend this for those who are looking for a sweet romance with lots of mouth-watering foods in the background!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the e-ARC.