Lovely Recipe coming February 3rd, 2026 from Random House Graphic; 240 pages
Content Warning: Death of a family member
About the Author: “Myra Rose is a comic artist and Illustrator located in Upstate New York, sharing her apartment with 2 cats and 2 snakes. She attended Laguna College of Art and Design, majoring in animation but dabbling in other majors, eventually realizing her love of storytelling and comics. Having worked on comic covers for Boom! Studios, she is excited to release her debut graphic novel Lovely Recipe with Random House Graphic. When she’s not drawing, you can find her knitting, spinning, crocheting, weaving or attempting to make sourdough bread” (Bio from Penguin Random House’s website).
It’s Sofia’s last year of high school, and all her friends are leaving for faraway colleges, but she’s unsure what she wants to do after graduation. One thing she is sure of is her mother’s avoidance of cooking and distance from Sofia since her grandmother died. Fearing being left alone, Sofia is determined to learn her family’s recipes in hopes of bringing her and her mother closer again. The only problem is that Sofia doesn’t know how to cook. But once Sofia discovers that her driven and disciplined classmate, Anna Marie, works at her family’s restaurant as a gifted chef, she convinces Anna Marie to give her cooking lessons despite their differences. In return, Sofia helps out at Anna Marie’s family’s restaurant. As the two cook for the restaurant, they get to know each other and realize they have more chemistry than they initially thought. But with graduation approaching, Sofia is unsure whether or not she can save their romance.
This romantic and wholesome graphic novel was one of the sweetest books I’ve read. I absolutely loved Sofia’s character and her drive to fix the issues in her family. Even though it took Sofia longer to learn how to cook, I admired her spirit and Anna Marie’s patience. I completely adored the family flashbacks, and I thought they were so special to Sofia’s character arc. The story reflected some coming-of-age themes, which I also enjoyed. I would’ve liked to see a bit more of Sofia’s friends, since she was devastated about them leaving for college, and we didn’t get many scenes where she’s talking to them. I liked Anna Marie’s character the most, especially given how driven and helpful she was to her family and Sofia. Their romance was a sweet slow burn, and I absolutely loved how they would choose each other over “big life events” like prom. I did not like Sofia’s mother, though, for the majority of the story. I felt like she was selfish at times, and like she revealed her ignorance of her own daughter in a specific fight they had, which didn’t sit right with me. But I did grow to like her more in the end when she tried to cook for Sofia and comforted her when she came home crying. The illustration colors were mostly bright pastels, which made the book feel magical and cozy, and I loved the usage of pink and sparkles whenever Sofia was looking at Anna Marie. Artistically, I loved the story and the drawing style. If you’re looking for something cozy, wholesome, and romantic, I recommend this story!
Lovely Recipe releases on February 3rd, 2026.
Pine Reads Review would like to thank NetGalley and Random House Graphic for sending us an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Any quotes are taken from an advanced copy and may be subject to change before final publication.
Anasofia Alejandro, Pine Reads Review Writer