This is a story about a british young woman living in Paris and building a relationship with another young woman. The art is cute with a watercolour pretty texture and vibrant colours. However the protagonist was so annoying I couldn't enjoy the comic. This is a story about learning languages but I found that part very lackluster, the main character is so uncurious and arrogant that she made all the graphic novel dull and boring.

Love Languages by James Albon immediately caught my eye with its vibrant cover, and I’m happy to say the contents didn’t disappoint. From the first page to the last, the colorful, often monochromatic visuals were an absolute feast for the eyes.

The story revolves around two protagonists, Sarah and Ping, who meet by chance in Paris. Both are there for work, neither is from France, and their language barriers leave them somewhat isolated. Their conversations—if you can call fragments of sentences “conversations”—start out clumsy as they try to find a way to communicate. Sarah speaks mostly English, Ping mainly Cantonese, and both struggle with French. But over time, their tentative dialogue grows into a friendship—and eventually, something more.

This graphic novel is captivating from start to finish, drawing readers into Sarah’s world: her struggles in a foreign land, her unsupportive job, and the isolation caused by the language barrier. James Albon’s choice of the graphic novel format feels perfect for this story. He skillfully uses speech bubbles to show what’s understood, what’s partially grasped, and what’s completely lost in translation, presenting the original language alongside English subtitles—provided Sarah can understand them.

One of the most delightful aspects of the book is watching Sarah and Ping gradually connect—not just linguistically but emotionally. The way they learn to understand one another, both in words and on a deeper level, is beautifully portrayed.

Language, in all its complexity, is the heart of this story. Albon masterfully demonstrates how language can be both a bridge and a barrier. His nuanced exploration of this theme left a strong impression on me.

This is a graphic novel I would recommend to anyone. It’s heartfelt, visually stunning, and offers a fresh perspective on the power—and limitations—of language.

I got this as an arc on Netgalley and it will come out in May. This was such an interesting sapphic story that really deals with the complexity of feeling unmoored in many different ways.

A heartfelt and colorful queer romance between two foreigners living in France, trying to communicate across three languages. I loved how the feeling of learning a foreign language was described, as someone who also speaks two languages and tried to learn more. I also really liked how the translations were presented. And Ping is soo real for wanting a better life for Bébé.

3.75 ⭐️ This was a lovely graphic novel, and I finished it in one sitting. If you enjoy stories about human connection or have an interest in language and how it shapes relationships, this is definitely worth picking up, as Love Languages is about finding connection beyond words.

Sarah, a lonely Londoner in Paris, and Ping, a nanny from Hong Kong, form an unlikely friendship after a chance meeting outside a bakery. As their bond deepens, they create their own unique way of communicating and overcome language barriers together. While the premise is sweet, it lacked some depth. I felt that the feelings between them came out of nowhere, and their confessions felt sudden. Unfortunately, I couldn’t fully warm up to their relationship or understand the depth of their emotions for each other. I would have enjoyed the story more if it had been longer, giving us more time to see their bond develop gradually and their feelings evolve naturally.

That being said, I loved the concept and the art, but the pacing felt too rushed.

Love Languages is a sweet, cosy story of Sarah and Ping, who despite their language barrier develop their own way of communicating and a closer friendship. It was a short read and fast paced in terms of the relationship developing. The art in the novel is wonderful, the novel has an overall unique storyline and I enjoyed learning about the characters. However I wish we got more!

The art and concept of it are both really beautiful, I was immediately drawn in by the title.

The story felt like it took a little while to get going but was very sweet once it has gained momentum.
Whilst not 100% my cup of tea I think a lot of people would like this.

Love Languages tells the story of two women who meet and connect despite their language barriers in France. Sarah is from London and moved to Paris for a job, but she finds herself feeling lonely and disconnected from everyone around her. Ping is an au pair for a couple from Hong Kong who is struggling with the expectations they already have for their child. The two meet when Sarah falls down outside a bakery, runs away embarrassed, and then their paths cross again and again. The two become friends despite the fact that Sarah's French isn't the greatest and Ping's first language is Cantonese. They develop their own hybrid language and also begin to develop deeper feelings for one another.

This was a sweet graphic novel. The art was absolutely gorgeous and the use of color to convey what the characters were feeling was great. The way that language was portrayed as being understood or misunderstood was also really unique and interesting. My one wish with this book would have been to have gotten to know the characters a bit more, particularly Ping. It also felt like their feelings of the characters sort of developed out of nowhere, so I would have liked to see more about how that came about. Overall, I enjoyed the story and I really liked the artwork. I think this graphic novel will especially appeal to people who have an interest in linguistics.

A short read with beautiful color usage!

This story details how the paths of two foreign women cross, evolving in language fluency and blossoming into queer romance.

I would like to thank netgalley and the publisher for an advance copy in exchange from an honest review. An interesting story following Sarah who is from the UK working in France struggling with a language barrier and no friends. She meets Ping who speaks Cantonese and little French or English. The two bond regardless and we follow their friendship turning into something more.