Alex Carret is a talented young Brussels chocolatier whose life takes a drastic turn when he quits his job and agrees to partner with a friend of a friend named Ben. He’s a little wary of him at first, but when Ben comes up with a business plan, a space, a brilliant branding idea, and a 100,000-euro loan, Alex can’t resist the temptation of seeing his lifelong dream come true. Soon he and his team are selecting the finest chocolate from countries around the world and throwing a launch party, which is a smash success. But will that put them in the crosshairs of other local power brokers?

I thought the premise of this graphic novel – following a chocolatier in Brussels would be a fun read, and it was. A lot of the plot was predictable for me, but it was still enjoyable. I liked some of the diversity of characters, such as Manon who is deaf and like the overall individual characters that were created. The art style is very classic and realistic, so it was easy to follow and had great detail.

You can pretty easily see a few ways the following volumes could progress as people’s roles and possible plot points were defined, but there were still enough things that were left up in the air. All in all I would say it’s a good first installment to a contemporary graphic novel series with great information about chocolate and chocolate making.

Happy reading!

From the bestselling author of Quiet Girl in a Noisy World and Book Love comes a funny and adorable collection of comics about married life, specifically an introvert married to an extrovert! Debbie Tung’s tender, funny, and utterly relatable comics are the perfect gift for anyone in a relationship.

The comics in Happily Ever After & Everything In Between may be inspired by Debbie Tung’s marriage to her extrovert husband, but any couple can relate to increasingly relaxed anniversaries, slowly seeing more of each other’s weird sides, or the punishment for taking care of your sick loved one (catching whatever they had). Happily Ever After humorously captures what everyday love looks like—both the sweet moments and the mundane—making it a fitting gift for weddings, anniversaries, and Valentine’s Day.

As soon as I saw Debbie Tung had a new collection coming out I had to get my hands on it. I’ve read her two previous books and loved them and this one was no different. This one deals with married life and how she and her husband interact with each other as well as the outside world. It is super relatable and perfectly illustrates how relationships can be when you’ve found your person.

Debbie Tung is great at portraying what it’s like to live with anxiety and being an introvert – and how it is to have someone in your life who gets you. Her signature art style is great for her slice of life comics. This one is definitely a great addition to her collection of books.

Happy reading!

Part-Time Grim Reaper. Full-Time Cutie!

Like most university students, Kim works a part-time job to make ends meet. Unlike most university students, Kim’s job is pretty cool: she’s a grim reaper, tasked with guiding souls into the afterlife.

Like most university students, Becka has a super intense crush. Unlike most university students, Becka’s crush is on a beautiful gothic angel that frequents the underworld. Of course, she doesn’t know that.

Unaware of the ghoulish drama she’s about to step into, Becka finally gathers up the courage to ask Kim on a date! But when she falls into a ghostly portal and interrupts Kim at her job, she sets off a chain of events that will pit the two of them against angry cat-dads, vengeful zombies, and perhaps even the underworld itself. But if they work together, they just might make it… and maybe even get a smooch in the bargain. 

As soon as I saw this one available on kindle unlimited I wanted to pick it up since I have heard about it in the past. It follows two college girls, one of them Kim who is a part time grim reaper. She and Becka go on a number of misadventures after Becka follows her through a portal. What she thinks will allow her to ask Kim out becomes something completely different.

The first volume is full of laughs and crazy escapades as Kim and Becka try to navigate getting to know each other, their growing relationship and Kim’s job of reaping souls when it is their time. It’s light hearted and tongue in cheek. Looking at where it left off it will be interesting to see what happens to these two as well as what the Reaper’s council has in store for them.

As I said, this is currently available on kindle unlimited, so be sure to snag it if you want to read it – happy reading!

Welcome to Cat’s Café, a neighborhood coffee shop where all are welcome! Based on the popular webcomic, Cat’s Café introduces readers to the adorable denizens of this world. There’s Penguin, who has a bit of a coffee problem; Rabbit, whose anxiety sometimes overwhelms him; Axolotl, whose confidence inspires his friends; the always-supportive Cat, who provides hot drinks made with love and a supportive ear for anyone’s troubles; and many, many more. With a sensitive take on real issues and a gentle, positive outlook, Cat’s Café is about the power of acceptance, friendship, and love … and delicious cups of coffee.

Ok I won’t lie, I wanted to read this simply because of the title and the fact that there are a range of animals portrayed, including a cat and a penguin, but I’m so glad I picked it up. This collection features short comics revolving around the same group of animal characters, all with different personality traits and struggles. The central theme that connects them is that they live in the same community and frequent the same cafe (owned by Cat!).

There are tons of little discussions regarding anxiety, self confidence issues, depression and more. Each comic was a great snapshot into different situations and were full of inspiration and heartwarming messages.

Happy reading!