I thought the art was really well done in this book! The food looked so good I wanted to be able to reach into the page and eat it. Hungry heart is about an anxiety ridden journalist and the super famous chef that is only just getting out of a nasty breakup. The entire comic is a set up of the will they, won’t they dynamic that I can appreciate. This dynamic doesn’t go on too long or overstay it’s welcome which I deeply appreciate. A really well done story that I will come back to if I ever need a cute story.

While a bit abrupt I appreciated the ending being open ended. I also liked the diversity of the characters involved, who knew this many British people existed!

|| REVIEW || ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
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Length: 256p
Source: ARC - NetGalley, Andrews McMeel Pub
Release Date: November 19, 2024
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Uhhhh, do…do we get MORE? 🥹
Absolutely darling.
Quirky.
Emotional.
Raw and realistic,
Gorgeous artistry.

Y’all!
I adored this one so much!
Laurie is a blogger and journalist when he gets tasked with interviewing famous chef, Oryan.
He’s clumsy and awkward and he’s struggling, heavily, with eating disorders.
That poor sweetie.

And Oryan just wants to cook.
He’s overworked and depressed and sad.
The multiple text exchanges between these two really show their chemistry and deep pull towards each other.
Their little romance was slow burn but SO SWEET.

I giggled.
I teared up once or twice.
I felt completely SAFE reading this inclusive graphic novel.
And I need MORE.
Yes?

{I received a complimentary copy of this audiobook. All reviews are my own.}

This was such a well done graphic novel that touched on a lot of complex issues, while still being fun.

I loved Laurie and Oryan. They both are such adorable, flawed characters and they worked so well together. I really enjoyed Laurie’s friend group as well. The author did a great job at showing how even though they like him, he doesn’t feel like he fully fits in with them either.

I can’t wait to read the next volume!

THIS COMIC WAS SO FREAKING ADORABLE!!! My heart was so happy about how cute, awkward, and adorable these two are together. The best freaking part is that it’s not just the rosy cheeks and sneaking glances, but their conversations are so real and they treat each other like whole human beings in spite of their roles as journalist and famous chef extraordinaire.

I was so in my feelings throughout this whole beautiful comic. I loved the details like how it showed the way Laurie’s chest looks with the bit of sag from when he had an eating disorder, Kai’s top surgery scars, and Ari being a wheelchair user, but also her being for the girls and being confident and I loved her so damn much. Every single character felt three dimensional. They all have lives, wants, and personalities of their own and it made this comic feel like a snapshot of life itself.

Everything feels so real. The exploration of fame, burnout, and learning to live for yourself was gorgeously done. I loved that during the interviews Laurie made sure he had Oryan’s permission to write about certain things. Laurie, while an absolute fanboy, was nothing but respectful and because of that Oryan felt seen and heard and not sensationalized by him.

When they started texting organically it was this new and exciting thing for both of them. As someone who regularly has a major crush on her partner of 5 years even though we’ve been together so long I felt that cute aggression reading this. They were absolutely smitten by each other and it was soooooooooo cute.

I loved Hungry Hearts it’s beautiful, adorable, amazing, 10/10! Please everyone reading this add this to your tbr. It is a gem. Jem Milton’s writing is so so good. They’ve written something I will be gushing over the rest of my life.

What a glorious and diverse story.
It's a slow burn romance between a chef who was a teenage prodigy and an aspiring food writer with an eating disorder.
The art is great. There's a cast of diverse characters.
The two leads are both lovely but each has their issues. Laurie, the aspiring food writer, had an eating disorder as a teen which still makes an appearance occasionally, and Oryan was thrust into the limelight at a young age, and suffers with anxiety.
It was beautiful watching a friendship form between the two which gradually moved to more.
I've not read the webcomic this is based on but the volume 1 tag on this book implies there is more to come and I'm eager for it. That said it ends in a perfectly suitable place for a comic. The final panels full of joy and teasing possibilities.
I recieved this as an ARC from Netgalley. Would I buy it? Yes. I'd love a physical copy for my shelves.

A graphic novel full of queer and diverse characters centered on the love story between two boys

This story is also full of heavy topics that might trigger some people and in my opinion would have benefited from having more space with a second volume

I enjoied reading it and I'm very interested to read other works from the author

Thanks to the author and publisher for making it available on NetGalley

What an adorable, quirky graphic novel!

I loved how the story was more than just a rom-com. We really got to know the characters, like what they enjoy but also what they’re struggling with.

‘Hungry Hearts’ has lots of wonderful diversity and mental health rep. Trigger warnings for anxiety, burn out and ED!

I didn’t know there would be other volumes, so the abrupt ending caught me a bit off guard. I NEED MORE NOW!

Thank you to Netgalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

A sweet queer romance with some really fun characters! Enjoyed reading about these characters and this book tackled hard issues very well
Wish it didn’t end as abruptly as it did, left me feeling like I was missing out, I think this could work well as a stand alone instead of trying to make it a series.

The cover drew me in at first, I just found it so cute! As I started reading the cuteness and warm feeling only grew and it dealt with more intense topics well.

A great big thank you to NetGalley and Andrews McMeel Publishing for the e-ARC of this graphic novel in exchange for an honest review. My opinions are my own and do not reflect the opinions or beliefs of NetGalley and/or the publisher.

TW: please be aware that this series discusses the sensitive subject of eating disorders.

'Hungry Heart by Jem Milton' is a slow burn queer romance graphic novel and it's absolutely precious. I would recommend this over heart stopped, not gunna lie. This graphic novel just made me so happy. The beautiful art/Illustrations really make the whole story. Everyone is so beautiful!

The plot is a simple one. Laurie is a writer and Oryan a famous chef. They meet to do an interview and start a sort of whirlwind relationship starting with a really fantastic friendship that anyone would die to have. Supportive of each other, the two of them work through the chaos that is their separate and combined lives.

I ship these two so hard! This whole book is so wholesome and you really connect with all the characters. The characters are really inclusive and diverse.

So refreshing to have such an inclusive range of characters, I really respect that.

I can't wait to read more; I am invested.

"Hungry Heart" is a YA graphic novel by Jem Milton. Laurie is a writer who gets the chance to interview celebrity chef Oryan. He thinks he flubs the interview, but Oryan likes his honesty and agrees to do a series of interviews. As they get to know each other, sparks start to fly. Both of them are trying to figure out where they want to go in life and what makes them happy. Colorful and fun illustrations add to the humor of the story. A highly recommended purchase for YA GN collections, especially where other WebToon novels are popular.

2.75


A heartwarming romantic comedy with charming art.
It has more potential than what is published here as the ending felt very fast.

Still want to read more about these characters and know their stories.

This was such a cute read! I loved the art style, the characters, and the story line. It was such an enjoyable story and I appreciated that the author touched on some deeper topics (such as ED's and mental health). The relationship progression between Laurie and Oryan was paced well. It was slower to develop, but it made sense considering they each were going through their own struggles. They were content to being one anothers friends, which made it all the more satisfying when they decided to take the next step. I'm curious to see if there is more to come for this story. I am hopeful that we will get to see these characters again and learn more about their new relationship and how their lives are progressing.

This was a super cute, fun, beautifully written and illustrated story about anxiety, struggling under pressure, fame, food, queer identity, friendship and love. I really enjoyed the whole thing!

I also like that there was a small conversation about race and how Black people (and other people of colour) have a different experience of the same place than white people, and are held to different expectations.

A great cute graphic novel!

Side note: vegan empanadas with eggs wouldn’t be vegan, as eggs aren’t vegan.

I haven't previously read this web comic on Tapas, so I wasn't sure what to expect from it. I thought this was a really sweet story, and I loved seeing the romance slooowly build. The comic has such a lovely cast of characters. It was a pretty comforting read, even though it does deal with some heavier themes. I do think the way these heavier themes were dealt with felt a little haphazard at times - they were discussed in small bursts and I was missing some structure. All in all, I really did enjoy this though!

4.5/5 I thoroughly enjoyed this book! A beautiful queer interracial romance love story blossoming through food! I think the biggest takeaway from this is trying to be your authentic true self before loving someone else. Also, food is always a love/hate relationship with people! We can hate for many reasons but food always brings us together whether it’s family or love! The graphics were beautiful to look at while painting this beautiful story together!

Although light-hearted, this book touches heavy topics and social issues such as racism and eating disorders. The artwork is amazing and the story is very charming. LOVED the pansexual representation!

The romance between the main characters felt very natural and not rushed at all. We get to know them as individuals before they develop a romantic relationship. The author does a great job at interweaving difficult topics with the cute romance. Hope there is a second volume!

Thank you Jem Milton and Netgalley for the arc

Thank you, Andrew Mcmeel Publishing & NetGalley for an advanced ARC of this graphic novel.

The humdrum life of an aspiring food writer changes when he meets a celebrity chef. Based on the hit webcomic, Hungry Heart is a sweet, queer rom-com that explores self-discovery, identity, and acceptance.

This was a great read from start to finish, I loved that it was slow-paced and also hit on subjects other than a possible romance, the story was engaging & had you drawn in to care about both characters & showing that things are not what they appear to be when looking from the outside in on people.


The young and talented chef Oryan Adjei is not just a celebrity in this graphic novel to be all Starry-eyed over instead shows the young man behind the mask of fandom and also trying to find his way in a world where everyone is telling him what to do, how to be and pushing him into one thing after another...( it's a true saying when they say - your passion will die when it's taken out of our hands & ran around like a profit cow), and that's what we see happen here but also we see him facing what he wants and the ideas of urself being twisted by society on social platforms.

Laurie the freelance writer is a nervous wreck as well as a person suffering from his dilemmas of self-image, low self-esteem, an eating disorder etc... the one thing I liked and disliked at the same time ( but that's because I have my past with dealing in this field myself) was the eating disorder parts that where short sections but handled respectfully, showing that Laurie went from a binge eater fo hardly eating at all and at times throwing up if he thought he eats too much ... (this sort of thing -even though was not mentioned in the book looks like bulimia) I wish it was talked about a little more because I do believe it's an issue that needs to be addressed more so younger people are made aware.

But other than that 1 little thing, I loved the story, the characters, the friendships and the bond that was made between Laurie and Oryan and I think it was very sweet and adorable ❤️... i cannot wait for the next volume

Thank you to Andrews McMeel Publishing and Netgalley for the e-ARC!

Cute and cozy, Hungry Heart is a very queer, very diverse graphic novel serves up joy on a silver platter as we follow Laurie, a food blogger trying to break into journalism, and Oryan, a celebrity chef and media darling, as their intertwining career paths bring them a budding new friendship... and something more!

The art is cute and dreamy, bringing a softness with the style and coloring that perfectly fits the cozy feeling of the writing. With natural sounding dialogue and fantastic pacing, the relationships between the characters feels realistic and delightfully not rushed. Each of the characters, too, feels very well-written and actualized without being one-note, and while the romance between Laurie and Oryan is a strong thru-line, the narrative takes its time to explore each of them as individuals and not just as static objects destined for romance.

The care and respect that the author puts into exploring the heavier themes of the narrative is also readily abundant without being heavy-handed. From questions of identity as a queer person to the lived experiences of Black, POC, and disabled folks living in London (particularly through the lenses of folks living with a measure of fame--and thus, scrutiny--that others might not have to contend with to such a severe level if they were white, able-bodied, etc) as well as the handling of eating disorders and complicated family dynamics... I feel these were really well handled, all while never losing its sense of levity and kindness.

The only mild piece of criticism I have is the depiction of a vegan empanada that has a whole egg inside of it; its a Very minor detail, but I know most folks don't consider eating eggs as being vegan-friendly, so it stuck out to me. It also ended quite suddenly, but I know that making the transition between webcomic and print media means there's not always a perfect place to leave off when portioning a comic into separate volumes.

Overall, I really enjoyed Hungry Heart and I can't wait to read any future installments to come!

Hungry Heart was so a sweet graphic novel that touched on so many realisties of the world around us such as sexuality, gender, and mental health. The story was beautifully written and you really get attached to the characters in the story. I would suggest this to anyone who enjoyed Heartbreaker.