How to Grill Our Love, Volume 1, by Shiori Hanatsuka is a manga style graphic novel. Dating can be tough when you nerd out over barbecue. Kenta, a practical pitmaster, looks for a grill-friend in Chihiro, an aloof and faultless business babe…or is she? Scared of being rejected for who they really are, the two of them find comfort in food and each other…and all is well until Kenta must transfer away. With their developing relationship at steak, Chihiro proposes they tie the knot and they marry for better or wurst. Winging a long-distance marriage is one thing, but here’s the rub—they barely know each other! It’s a rare marriage where all the awkwardness of dating meets a sizzling passion for grilling!
How to Grill Our Love is a fun and enjoyable read. I liked the story- and getting some recipes along the way. I liked the set up and I thought it was a very cute read. My only complaint is that at the end of the book I had a pretty good understanding of Kenta as a character and I really liked him. However, I have no more of an understanding of Chihiro than Kenta does. I understand doing a slow reveal, but I think her personality is completely left of the page, and while it might get explored in later volumes I am not sure that everyone will stick around to figure out who she is. I did enjoy the read, and I liked it overall, I just wish I knew more about Chihiro when the first volume ended.
