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 🤷

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.

Okay, I wasn't sure how I would feel about this but I loved it! I'm already looking forward to a sequel.

This graphic novel is a great light romantic comedy! The art style is nice and flows well for the slice of life story portrayed. The story follows life after college, and the struggle of finding a job post-graduation, and as a senior in college with my own graduation fast approaching in May, it was a well-timed read. The representation of friendships between the roommates, and the plotline of Ben straying from his original plan of being a writer to grow into his own while cooking created a story and characters that despite the short length I found myself truly caring about. The comedic elements of the pig and the banter between characters were a perfect garnish to the main course of the story. Overall, a very enjoyable and funny read!

This was such an adorable book! All of the characters were well developed, and the overall vibes of the book were amazing. Both the story and the illustrations were beautiful. I will definitely be recommending this to everyone when it comes out, and I will be on the lookout for more by this author in the future. Can't wait to purchase a physical copy!

The storyline was engaging, but I felt like there was WAYYYY too much dialogue on page... on every page. Because of this, visually, it was tiring and at times I didn't want to continue.

And also, there is very little romance despite the name.. all in all, it took me 20 days to finish a 125-page graphic novel..

thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

Thank you Netgalley and Oni Press for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

What can be said about this graphic novel that isn’t already described in the title? Chef Kiss is a story about Ben, a fresh graduate with an English degree finding himself in a chef position in a quaint restaurant after a series of failures in his job-seeking attempts. Having to navigate pleasing the demanding owner of the establishment and his almost sentient pet pig, the narrative follows as Ben attempts to lie to his parents, balance friendships, and manage his crush on his supervisor. As he becomes more invested in this job, Ben begins to question his career path and the future that lies ahead of him.

Let me start off by saying that the art style is absolutely perfect. It captures the hilarity of Ben’s circumstances and the chaotic youth of fresh graduates. I love the attention to detail in all of the panels, with obscure character reactions or aside comments that infuses the graphic novel with so much personality. Obviously, a huge aspect of this book is food and I think Danica Brine and Hank Jones’ illustrations really make this graphic novel what it is. Every frame is as enticing as the last, pure explosion of entertainment and art.

I liked the progression of narrative throughout the book, especially the fact that Jarrett Melendez drew different plot points from the various relationships from Ben’s life, and not just have a singular focus on the romantic subplot. Ben’s friendship with his roommates are so endearing to read and applauding complex, given such limited pages for them to develop. That is not to say that Ben and Liam’s relationship was not the star of the graphic novel (if one were to exclude the pig that literally reached enlightenment by the end of the plot) - their dynamic is good fluffy and wholesome content. There is just something inherently tender to cook in each other’s company and the beautiful artwork depicts this intimacy beautifully.

If you’re looking for a sweet queer graphic novel that’s full of delicious food and found family, then Chef’s Kiss is absolutely the book for you. I love this book and getting to follow Ben as he tried to find a copywriting job after graduating college, only to stumble upon an unexpected opportunity to take his passion of cooking and turn it into a career. As someone who also struggled to find their way in young adulthood and ended up in culinary school, I found this story relatable, down to the crazy chef and fierce friendships you make when working in a kitchen.

Beside the story, I also loved the art in this book. All the food looked delicious and everything was so fun and colorful. This is definitely a book I’ll be recommending to everyone and shouting at them until they read it.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for sending me an eARC of this book!

Graphic novels and queer romance are my two favorite things so when you add them together I’m basically in heaven. Chefs kiss was an adorable and laugh out loud story about Ben Cook who starts a job at a restaurant. Shenanigans and romance ensue and it creates a wonderful story that you truly enjoy reading. I really enjoyed this novel, I wish I was a bit longer but I wish that for every book!

Also posted in goodreads1

I loved this amazing graphic story!!.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for letting me access an advance copy of this book in exchange for my feedback.