What do you think?
Rate this book
Love Languages
Sarah Huxley has moved from London to Paris, only to find a lonely life of corporate drudgery and disappointment—a far cry from her romantic expectations of the city. She collides with Ping Loh, a young woman working as an au pair to a wealthy family of Hong Kong expats, and the two bond over their shared struggle with the French tongue.
In museums and markets, over text messages and translation apps, Ping and Sarah slowly begin to learn each other’s languages, communicating in a rich and ever-shifting blend of English, French, and Cantonese. As their friendship blooms, so does their private dialect—a personal linguistic patchwork, a shared secret just for them. But when their feelings for each other start to deepen, they discover that the simplest words to translate can be the hardest words to say.
In these sumptuously painted pages, award-winning graphic novelist James Albon (The Delicacy) presents a dazzling love story about cross-cultural connection, the bewildering sensation of feeling one’s brain rewrite itself, and the intoxicating rush of the foreign becoming familiar.
In museums and markets, over text messages and translation apps, Ping and Sarah slowly begin to learn each other’s languages, communicating in a rich and ever-shifting blend of English, French, and Cantonese. As their friendship blooms, so does their private dialect—a personal linguistic patchwork, a shared secret just for them. But when their feelings for each other start to deepen, they discover that the simplest words to translate can be the hardest words to say.
In these sumptuously painted pages, award-winning graphic novelist James Albon (The Delicacy) presents a dazzling love story about cross-cultural connection, the bewildering sensation of feeling one’s brain rewrite itself, and the intoxicating rush of the foreign becoming familiar.
176 pages, Paperback
Published May 6, 2025
19 people are currently reading
458 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 223 reviews
May 7, 2025
Two foreign girls cross paths in Paris, and learn how to speak each other’s languages while also falling in love.
Love Languages is an ode to the beauty and hardships of learning languages, but also deals with sapphic love, patriarchy and being able to stop working on something that it’s not fulfilling to you. As someone who loves learning languages, watercolors and sapphic love, I was very excited about the premise of this graphic novel.
The author delivered on the multi-lingual aspect. I really appreciated how much French and Mandarin this book had, without it being confusing at any point, because the author always added the translation in English in another color, which it’s something you’d never be able to do in a book that it’s not a graphic novel.
Something that really annoys me is people who are native speakers of English not bothering to learn other languages even if they are foreigners. Sarah, one of the main characters, is from London, but she’s trying to learn French (because she’s in Paris) and Mandarin (the other main character is from Hong Kong). I loved that-I know it’s the bare minimum, but the reality is that this often doesn’t happen!
It pains me a bit not to rate this higher, because I really appreciated everything related to knowing all the languages and mixing them all together, but I wasn’t emotionally invested in the story. I felt the pacing was too slow at the beginning, then it was moving too fast. I also didn’t like the third act problem, I thought it was done for the drama. They could have talked instead of doing what they did.
Another thing I actually loved was a couple of scenes about their feelings for each other (that first kiss, I adored the whole drawing and all the writing explaining how Sarah was feeling).
Overall, I’m glad I read this but it could have been better. I loved the premise and the multi-lingual aspect, but the pacing was a bit off and I wished I was more emotionally invested in the whole story, and not just in a few scenes.
*rating: 2.5/5 stars
I kindly received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Love Languages is an ode to the beauty and hardships of learning languages, but also deals with sapphic love, patriarchy and being able to stop working on something that it’s not fulfilling to you. As someone who loves learning languages, watercolors and sapphic love, I was very excited about the premise of this graphic novel.
The author delivered on the multi-lingual aspect. I really appreciated how much French and Mandarin this book had, without it being confusing at any point, because the author always added the translation in English in another color, which it’s something you’d never be able to do in a book that it’s not a graphic novel.
Something that really annoys me is people who are native speakers of English not bothering to learn other languages even if they are foreigners. Sarah, one of the main characters, is from London, but she’s trying to learn French (because she’s in Paris) and Mandarin (the other main character is from Hong Kong). I loved that-I know it’s the bare minimum, but the reality is that this often doesn’t happen!
It pains me a bit not to rate this higher, because I really appreciated everything related to knowing all the languages and mixing them all together, but I wasn’t emotionally invested in the story. I felt the pacing was too slow at the beginning, then it was moving too fast. I also didn’t like the third act problem, I thought it was done for the drama. They could have talked instead of doing what they did.
Another thing I actually loved was a couple of scenes about their feelings for each other (that first kiss, I adored the whole drawing and all the writing explaining how Sarah was feeling).
Overall, I’m glad I read this but it could have been better. I loved the premise and the multi-lingual aspect, but the pacing was a bit off and I wished I was more emotionally invested in the whole story, and not just in a few scenes.
*rating: 2.5/5 stars
I kindly received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
September 23, 2025
this charming sapphic graphic novel is about the loneliness of being a stranger in a strange place, finding love, and eventually celebrating what once felt like a barrier.
i love the linguistic theme, and the exploration of how language differences can shape and eventually strengthen our relationships. we need more interlingual love stories!
however, the art style and characters didn't do much for me. i don't quite believe the MC's extremely fast fluency in cantonese. i also found the dual speech bubbles distracting - the characters speak in a blend of english, french, and cantonese, and all the french and cantonese speech is also translated into english. even though this is a book for english readers, i think the story would have been just as impactful if the dialogue remained a beautiful blend, rather than being translated.
i love the linguistic theme, and the exploration of how language differences can shape and eventually strengthen our relationships. we need more interlingual love stories!
however, the art style and characters didn't do much for me. i don't quite believe the MC's extremely fast fluency in cantonese. i also found the dual speech bubbles distracting - the characters speak in a blend of english, french, and cantonese, and all the french and cantonese speech is also translated into english. even though this is a book for english readers, i think the story would have been just as impactful if the dialogue remained a beautiful blend, rather than being translated.
January 8, 2025
⭐️ 4 stars ⭐️
A chance encounter turns two foreigners lives around.
This was the sweetest comic I’ve ever read.
The art style is very colorful and light. I loved how sweet Sarah and Ping were. I also loved the multi-lingual patchwork they spoke to each other with, reminded me of me and my mom talking to each other in our own mix & match language.
I wish it was longer, really explored more of their relationship, but it was still a very soft and lovely read.
I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley, and am leaving this honest review voluntarily.
A chance encounter turns two foreigners lives around.
This was the sweetest comic I’ve ever read.
The art style is very colorful and light. I loved how sweet Sarah and Ping were. I also loved the multi-lingual patchwork they spoke to each other with, reminded me of me and my mom talking to each other in our own mix & match language.
I wish it was longer, really explored more of their relationship, but it was still a very soft and lovely read.
— Mon amie —
I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley, and am leaving this honest review voluntarily.
April 14, 2025
Sarah's life is lonely and uneventful, until she has a chance encounter with Ping, un au pair from Hong Kong. Both have issues with not knowing the other's language, or French, find their own unique way of communicating throughout this slow burn graphic romance novel.
I really enjoyed this tale. First off the watercolor artwork is quite unique and visually appealing. The story itself shows a natural progression of a relationship and the awkwardness and insecurity that a communication barrier can bring. I liked how the author mixed the languages together for a way for them to communicate. Definitely recommend for those that love a slow burn romance with unique artwork!
My thanks to IDW, the author, and NetGalley for gifting me a digital copy of this book. All opinions are my own.
Releases May 6, 2025
I really enjoyed this tale. First off the watercolor artwork is quite unique and visually appealing. The story itself shows a natural progression of a relationship and the awkwardness and insecurity that a communication barrier can bring. I liked how the author mixed the languages together for a way for them to communicate. Definitely recommend for those that love a slow burn romance with unique artwork!
My thanks to IDW, the author, and NetGalley for gifting me a digital copy of this book. All opinions are my own.
Releases May 6, 2025
January 14, 2025
I loved this! The watercolor artwork was different and original. The story was good, and as someone who utterly failed to learn other languages it was relatable and interesting. I particularly liked some of the creative ways they used the speech bubbles to demonstrate how the characters were understanding the languages; at first you saw the original words and the translations beside it (indicating how the character was thinking) and over time they blended together until you could tell the character was simply speaking the language without the extra steps. I liked it a lot to be honest; graphic novels are at their best when the visual element is used to aid in the storytelling and this one was a perfect example of how to do that.
I always have a hard time giving graphic novels a rating. The story wasn’t the deepest or most compelling thing I have read, but that’s often the case with graphic novels. The artwork however was brilliant.
My Rating: “B”
Converted Rating: 4-Stars
Thank you to NetGalley for providing a free ARC. This honest review was left voluntarily.
I always have a hard time giving graphic novels a rating. The story wasn’t the deepest or most compelling thing I have read, but that’s often the case with graphic novels. The artwork however was brilliant.
My Rating: “B”
Converted Rating: 4-Stars
Thank you to NetGalley for providing a free ARC. This honest review was left voluntarily.
February 19, 2025
Love Languages by James Albon is a sweet sapphic romance about two very different women far from home, united by their feelings of disconnect in a foreign country. They happen upon one another and strike up a friendship as they desire to master multiple languages and ultimately learn that love surpasses all other languages. As they spend time together, Sarah realizes she has strong feelings for Ping and may not be as straight as she thought.
This romcom was interesting and had me chuckling several times. The characters are likable, and the relationship feels completely organic.
The art works extremely well for the content. The watercolors and the way the images flow emphasize their feelings of being carried along through their experiences, almost passively.
I am impressed at the depth and completeness of this story in such a small amount of space. I recommend this graphic novel.
#fishoutofwater #Paris #English #Cantonese #French #HongKong #sapphic #oppositesattract #toasterover #multilingual #interracial
I received this free ARC from NetGalley. This is my honest opinion.
This romcom was interesting and had me chuckling several times. The characters are likable, and the relationship feels completely organic.
The art works extremely well for the content. The watercolors and the way the images flow emphasize their feelings of being carried along through their experiences, almost passively.
I am impressed at the depth and completeness of this story in such a small amount of space. I recommend this graphic novel.
#fishoutofwater #Paris #English #Cantonese #French #HongKong #sapphic #oppositesattract #toasterover #multilingual #interracial
I received this free ARC from NetGalley. This is my honest opinion.
October 8, 2025
Oh this was great! Not too fast, not too slow, gentle and sweet. The idea of mixing the languages is perfectly portrayed on a visual level. I also really like the art style and colouring.
September 20, 2025
enjoyed the language stuff
September 4, 2025
My single script self is bemoaning my lack of multilingual romance! Such a cute read and I thank my lucky stars Brianna is in my life to provide it 🫶
March 2, 2025
If you want a slow burn, this is definitely one. Sarah, British, is living in Paris, working for a firm that is draining her soul. Ping is in Paris, as a nanny to a Chinese family. They both speak English, some French and some Cantonese.
They keep running into each other, accidentally, and finally exchange numbers, and Sarah finds that there is brightness in Paris that wasn’t there before. She loves picking up more Cantonese, and we don’t see inside Ping’s head, but she seems to be enjoying their meetings as well.
Sarah doesn’t realize she is falling in love, and neither does Ping. They keep thinking they are really, really good friends. I think if we weren’t told this was an LGBTQ graphic novel, we might have delieved that. But we can see them getting close.
And the thing that really makes Sarah understand that there is something more that is despite them not knowing each other’s languages totatally, they do understand each other.
Sweet story. I kept wondering where it would all end up, and how it could all end up.
Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review. This book is coming out the 6th of May 2025.
They keep running into each other, accidentally, and finally exchange numbers, and Sarah finds that there is brightness in Paris that wasn’t there before. She loves picking up more Cantonese, and we don’t see inside Ping’s head, but she seems to be enjoying their meetings as well.
Sarah doesn’t realize she is falling in love, and neither does Ping. They keep thinking they are really, really good friends. I think if we weren’t told this was an LGBTQ graphic novel, we might have delieved that. But we can see them getting close.
And the thing that really makes Sarah understand that there is something more that is despite them not knowing each other’s languages totatally, they do understand each other.
Sweet story. I kept wondering where it would all end up, and how it could all end up.
Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review. This book is coming out the 6th of May 2025.
March 4, 2025
Love languages.is a sweet graphic novel about how love can transcend language barriers.
Sarah is a lonely Brit who has moved to Paris for a corporate job who, on a particularly bad day for her, meets Ping. Ping is a nanny from Hong Kong. She speaks a little French and English but Cantonese is her mother tongue. Sarah speaks some French and a little cantonese. Over time they form a friendship and get to know each other using bits of these languages in a way only they can understand.
This is a beautifully drawn sapphic novel, saturated with colour. I was not. aware of this graphic novelist previously but will now seek out his other work. I would highly recommend this, it’s a quick read and a warm hug of a book.
Thank you to Top Shelf Production for this ARC via NetGalley #LoveLanguages #NetGalley #TopShelfComix
Sarah is a lonely Brit who has moved to Paris for a corporate job who, on a particularly bad day for her, meets Ping. Ping is a nanny from Hong Kong. She speaks a little French and English but Cantonese is her mother tongue. Sarah speaks some French and a little cantonese. Over time they form a friendship and get to know each other using bits of these languages in a way only they can understand.
This is a beautifully drawn sapphic novel, saturated with colour. I was not. aware of this graphic novelist previously but will now seek out his other work. I would highly recommend this, it’s a quick read and a warm hug of a book.
Thank you to Top Shelf Production for this ARC via NetGalley #LoveLanguages #NetGalley #TopShelfComix
December 29, 2024
This was a unique watercolor style graphic novel telling the story of two foreigners who meet in Paris and fall in love, despite language barriers.
The depiction of the text translations was particularly interesting, as Ping and Sarah began to understand each other more, ending with the translations wrapped around and hiding the original text bubbles in a visually creative way.
As someone who's really pulled in by characters, I didn't feel particularly attached or invested in these two, but it was a sweet love story.
I received this ARC from @netgalley and publisher @idwpublishing. The opinions are my own.
Love Languages will be released on May 6, 2025.
The depiction of the text translations was particularly interesting, as Ping and Sarah began to understand each other more, ending with the translations wrapped around and hiding the original text bubbles in a visually creative way.
As someone who's really pulled in by characters, I didn't feel particularly attached or invested in these two, but it was a sweet love story.
I received this ARC from @netgalley and publisher @idwpublishing. The opinions are my own.
Love Languages will be released on May 6, 2025.
July 13, 2025
i quite liked this!! really gorgeous artwork, beautiful style i haven’t rlly seen in a graphic novel before. a pretty simple story about two lonely ppl who don’t love their jobs working in paris tho one is from london and the other is from hong kong. they have a hard time understanding each other at first (neither is fluent in french and the hong konger only knows a little english) but they make a combo language of the three. i rlly liked how languages were portrayed in this story and i loved the big moment of finally fully understanding each other. very sweet and simple but lovely and gorgeous. a quick read but it felt like just enough content
February 1, 2025
Digital ARC provided by IDW Publishing in exchange for a review.
Love Languages is a brilliantly illustrated cross-cultural and cross-language love story. It follows Sarah, a English woman working a thankless but well-paid corporate job in Paris, who encounters and befriends Ping, a woman from Hong Kong. As they meet more and more they start talking to each-other in a mixture of English, Cantonese and French, and slowly begin to find a common language. While the story is about them developing feelings for eachother, it's equally as much about language and the role it plays in self-dicovery and expressing love and connection. At the end, I couldn't help but feel for the characters - they were flawed, at times insecure, and so believably human.
Another thing that set this book apart is how well the art conveyed emotion - the illustrations of facial expressions, combined with the strategic use of colour to set the mood, made the text and narrative so much more impactful. For example, Sarah's workplace was drawn in cold blues, which immediately showed it as a sterile place where little happiness could be found.
The lettering was also used quite cleverly - there was this special type of text bubbles used for translations of the foreign words and phrases, which at first served to illustrate what phrases in French the main character understood and which she didn't. It reminded me of how subtitles were used in The Sound of Silence - a film about a man who's recently lost his hearing gets immersed in deaf culture. Later on in the story these bubbles are given an entirely different function (I'm not saying more because I don't want to give it away haha).
Love Languages is a brilliantly illustrated cross-cultural and cross-language love story. It follows Sarah, a English woman working a thankless but well-paid corporate job in Paris, who encounters and befriends Ping, a woman from Hong Kong. As they meet more and more they start talking to each-other in a mixture of English, Cantonese and French, and slowly begin to find a common language. While the story is about them developing feelings for eachother, it's equally as much about language and the role it plays in self-dicovery and expressing love and connection. At the end, I couldn't help but feel for the characters - they were flawed, at times insecure, and so believably human.
Another thing that set this book apart is how well the art conveyed emotion - the illustrations of facial expressions, combined with the strategic use of colour to set the mood, made the text and narrative so much more impactful. For example, Sarah's workplace was drawn in cold blues, which immediately showed it as a sterile place where little happiness could be found.
The lettering was also used quite cleverly - there was this special type of text bubbles used for translations of the foreign words and phrases, which at first served to illustrate what phrases in French the main character understood and which she didn't. It reminded me of how subtitles were used in The Sound of Silence - a film about a man who's recently lost his hearing gets immersed in deaf culture. Later on in the story these bubbles are given an entirely different function (I'm not saying more because I don't want to give it away haha).
March 26, 2025
3.5 stars! i enjoyed this story and artwork quite a bit. The artwork was so colourful and always showing such an interesting variety of people and scenes. The plot is kind of slice of life, which are often stories I love. I’m glad I ended up picking this up on a whim, not having heard anything about it.
The use of multiple languages in this was impressive, and you could tell the author knew a lot about how languages worked and the experience of learning languages and foundering a bit in those new experiences. It was interesting to see how learning multiple languages might look. It even made me remember a tiny bit of French, which was fun! (Oui! Je m'appelle Billie! Salut!)
i think what stopped me from loving this was the tipping point and conclusion. Most of the character growth and self-realizations happen so quickly and fast compared to the rest of the story. It would have been nice to see certain things drawn out and more developed.
All in all, this was a nice lesbian graphic novel with very interesting artwork that I liked a lot, which I think would be even more beautiful in a finished physical copy, and a fresh take on two women falling in love from very different cultures/worlds. (And it wasn’t centred on America at all, which I liked to see.)
Special thanks to the publishers and NetGalley for the e-arc!! please check this book out on it’s publication on May 6th!
The use of multiple languages in this was impressive, and you could tell the author knew a lot about how languages worked and the experience of learning languages and foundering a bit in those new experiences. It was interesting to see how learning multiple languages might look. It even made me remember a tiny bit of French, which was fun! (Oui! Je m'appelle Billie! Salut!)
i think what stopped me from loving this was the tipping point and conclusion. Most of the character growth and self-realizations happen so quickly and fast compared to the rest of the story. It would have been nice to see certain things drawn out and more developed.
All in all, this was a nice lesbian graphic novel with very interesting artwork that I liked a lot, which I think would be even more beautiful in a finished physical copy, and a fresh take on two women falling in love from very different cultures/worlds. (And it wasn’t centred on America at all, which I liked to see.)
Special thanks to the publishers and NetGalley for the e-arc!! please check this book out on it’s publication on May 6th!
May 3, 2025
I received an ARC through NetGalley for an honest review.
I am learning more and more to not judge books by their covers and titles, moreover that there are so many wonderful things out there that I should just take a punt on them because then I might stumble upon a gem like this.
Love Languages is a beautiful graphic novel two women in Paris, one from Britain, the other from Hong Kong, in difficult and alienating places in their lives and the friendship that blossoms through their multi-lingual communication.
Written in English, French, and Cantonese with rich and charming ink and watercolour artwork, this is a feast for the eyes, heart, and mind. It has all the character, charm, and emotional resonance of a fabulous indie film.
I absolutely adored this and hovered it up in a single sitting, unable to keep still as I had to bodily express my emotions and got choked up.
Wonderful stuff!
I am learning more and more to not judge books by their covers and titles, moreover that there are so many wonderful things out there that I should just take a punt on them because then I might stumble upon a gem like this.
Love Languages is a beautiful graphic novel two women in Paris, one from Britain, the other from Hong Kong, in difficult and alienating places in their lives and the friendship that blossoms through their multi-lingual communication.
Written in English, French, and Cantonese with rich and charming ink and watercolour artwork, this is a feast for the eyes, heart, and mind. It has all the character, charm, and emotional resonance of a fabulous indie film.
I absolutely adored this and hovered it up in a single sitting, unable to keep still as I had to bodily express my emotions and got choked up.
Wonderful stuff!
September 20, 2025
This graphic novel starts out really well, explores interesting themes, and the illustration style is fun and colorful. I particularly enjoyed how the chance meeting of two women in Paris, neither of whom are French native speakers, handle the challenge of navigating languages and cultures not their own. However, I found the romance itself rather flat and was at no point emotionally invested in this tale.
March 4, 2025
thank you to netgalley for the arc!
what a lovely exploration of language --- the book does an excellent job of translating dialogue in a way that feels natural, and my favorite parts were definitely ping and sarah's conversations. they speak in a language all their own, and even though sarah feels embarrassed about that in front of pings friends it is still so important to them both that there is never a consideration of stopping.
gorgeous watercolor art also :)
what a lovely exploration of language --- the book does an excellent job of translating dialogue in a way that feels natural, and my favorite parts were definitely ping and sarah's conversations. they speak in a language all their own, and even though sarah feels embarrassed about that in front of pings friends it is still so important to them both that there is never a consideration of stopping.
gorgeous watercolor art also :)
March 22, 2025
thank you netgalley for giving me an earc
i really loved the themes and the art style but sadly i found it a bit boring
i really loved the themes and the art style but sadly i found it a bit boring
August 31, 2025
a test of my French and Cantonese language skills 🤪 a stunning queer romance
January 20, 2025
Slow but very cute with great artwork!
Read
January 4, 2025As someone who speaks French as a second language and lived in Paris for two short-ish stints, there was a lot about this book that was very relatable. The visual depictions of the animated Paris streets were probably my favourite part. I also appreciated the story this book told about how we experience language - I think that was the most masterful part of the book.
Where the story fell down for me was as in the character and relationship development. Even though we get more time with Sarah and her thoughts, it felt like it was shallowly circling around the same few things and the romance was not clearly seeded. Like I guess it's a friends-to-lovers, bi(gay?) awakening but the jump is awkward. I don't even think it would helped much to have more of Ping's POV, because some of Sarah's more banal interiority could been swapped out for some more insight.
That said, it's a quick read that is visually interesting and I think readers who know some French or can read written Chinese would enjoy the language component.
I received a digital Advance Reader Copy from NetGalley and IDW Publishing in exchange for an honest review
Where the story fell down for me was as in the character and relationship development. Even though we get more time with Sarah and her thoughts, it felt like it was shallowly circling around the same few things and the romance was not clearly seeded. Like I guess it's a friends-to-lovers, bi(gay?) awakening but the jump is awkward. I don't even think it would helped much to have more of Ping's POV, because some of Sarah's more banal interiority could been swapped out for some more insight.
That said, it's a quick read that is visually interesting and I think readers who know some French or can read written Chinese would enjoy the language component.
I received a digital Advance Reader Copy from NetGalley and IDW Publishing in exchange for an honest review
December 17, 2024
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.
Thanks to IDW Publishing and NetGalley for the gifted copy.
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.
Thanks to IDW Publishing and NetGalley for the gifted copy.
December 12, 2024
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.
February 24, 2025
A chance encounter in Paris between two foreigners in a friends to lovers/queer awakening graphic novel different than any I’ve ever read.
Sarah is from England, living in Paris in a managerial position full of pompous men (a$$holes). She hasn’t made any friends, so when a woman asks to buy her coffee, she wants to run away and hide. That could also have to do with the fact that said woman saw her fall flat on her face the day before…
Ping is working as an au pair for a wealthy family. She’s from Hong Kong and while her French isn’t great, she’s learning. Her love for the baby that she takes care of is really beautiful. Honestly, she’s just a really caring thoughtful person.
Their friendship starts out a little broken, since neither speaks or understands much of the other’s first language, but over time (a year, I think it was), they learn how to interact. Sarah learns Cantonese and you can see their friendship get even better.
The language barrier being conquered was one of my favorite parts of this story, because throughout, the author uses each of the languages in the book and as one of them starts to understand the other, the original language is covered by English (which is what I’m reading it in, but my assumption is it would be changed into whatever language it’s printed in).
The artwork is wholly original. I don’t see or read many books that use the same style, so I felt it made the story pop so much more. On top of that, the book is painted entirely with watercolors (I think?), which makes it so incredibly beautiful. Another thing with the coloring that I loved is that when the characters are sad, the colors are in blue shades and when they are really happy, they’re in yellows. The time they spend together are in every color. The whole thing is incredibly vibrant.
There is a lot that happens towards the ends that leads to the characters discovering themselves and finding love, but I don’t wanna ruin the story. So read it and let me know what you think!
Sarah is from England, living in Paris in a managerial position full of pompous men (a$$holes). She hasn’t made any friends, so when a woman asks to buy her coffee, she wants to run away and hide. That could also have to do with the fact that said woman saw her fall flat on her face the day before…
Ping is working as an au pair for a wealthy family. She’s from Hong Kong and while her French isn’t great, she’s learning. Her love for the baby that she takes care of is really beautiful. Honestly, she’s just a really caring thoughtful person.
Their friendship starts out a little broken, since neither speaks or understands much of the other’s first language, but over time (a year, I think it was), they learn how to interact. Sarah learns Cantonese and you can see their friendship get even better.
The language barrier being conquered was one of my favorite parts of this story, because throughout, the author uses each of the languages in the book and as one of them starts to understand the other, the original language is covered by English (which is what I’m reading it in, but my assumption is it would be changed into whatever language it’s printed in).
The artwork is wholly original. I don’t see or read many books that use the same style, so I felt it made the story pop so much more. On top of that, the book is painted entirely with watercolors (I think?), which makes it so incredibly beautiful. Another thing with the coloring that I loved is that when the characters are sad, the colors are in blue shades and when they are really happy, they’re in yellows. The time they spend together are in every color. The whole thing is incredibly vibrant.
There is a lot that happens towards the ends that leads to the characters discovering themselves and finding love, but I don’t wanna ruin the story. So read it and let me know what you think!
April 18, 2025
3.75 ⭐️
🌈 Rainbow Ratings:
Representation: 7
Atmosphere: 6
Intrigue: 7
Narrative: 8
Build-up: 7
Originality: 8
Wow Factor: 7
Two foreigners in France reach across language barriers and turn each other’s lives upside down in this stunningly beautiful queer romance. When Sarah, a disillusioned Londoner, meets Ping, a young au pair from Hong Kong, the two forge an unexpected connection through museums, markets, and translation apps—creating a bond stitched together by language, longing, and shared vulnerability.
The chaos at the beginning of this graphic novel is definitely confusing—but it’s necessary. It puts you right in Ping and Sarah’s shoes, helping you feel the disorientation and struggle that come with trying to connect across language and cultural barriers. Once the story finds its rhythm, you can really appreciate the heart of it: two people doing their best to build a friendship despite the odds. It’s fun, sincere, and deeply human.
I’ll be honest—I was frustrated in the beginning. But when the clarity finally hit, it felt earned and meaningful. My biggest gripe, though, is the font choice. It was really difficult to read, especially in the ebook version, and that pulled me out of the experience a bit. Still, this was a solid, quick read with absolutely gorgeous art.
🌈 Rainbow Ratings:
Representation: 7
Atmosphere: 6
Intrigue: 7
Narrative: 8
Build-up: 7
Originality: 8
Wow Factor: 7
Two foreigners in France reach across language barriers and turn each other’s lives upside down in this stunningly beautiful queer romance. When Sarah, a disillusioned Londoner, meets Ping, a young au pair from Hong Kong, the two forge an unexpected connection through museums, markets, and translation apps—creating a bond stitched together by language, longing, and shared vulnerability.
The chaos at the beginning of this graphic novel is definitely confusing—but it’s necessary. It puts you right in Ping and Sarah’s shoes, helping you feel the disorientation and struggle that come with trying to connect across language and cultural barriers. Once the story finds its rhythm, you can really appreciate the heart of it: two people doing their best to build a friendship despite the odds. It’s fun, sincere, and deeply human.
I’ll be honest—I was frustrated in the beginning. But when the clarity finally hit, it felt earned and meaningful. My biggest gripe, though, is the font choice. It was really difficult to read, especially in the ebook version, and that pulled me out of the experience a bit. Still, this was a solid, quick read with absolutely gorgeous art.
March 16, 2025
Love Languages is a graphic novel that follows two foreigners, Sarah and Ping, who live in Paris and bond over their shared struggle with the French language. As the women grow closer they begin to rely on their own language — love.
The art in this book wasn't my favorite stylistically, however it tells the story really well. The use of color is incredibly well done. This is a love story, but it's also a story of self discovery. When Sarah is at work she's surrounded by dark blues almost as if she's adrift or drowning at sea. But then Ping arrives, dressed in yellow as a light to guide her to shore. By the end the colors are brighter and Sarah has found meaning professionally and personally.
The storytelling was interesting. I haven't read many graphic novels that use so many blocks of text. Albon inserts narration from Sarah so it almost reads like a mix of novel and graphic novel. It was a unique form of storytelling that feels perfect for a story about characters learning to communicate. Text and art are their own forms of communications after all, so it was really fitting.
I liked this one and would recommend it.
eARC provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
The art in this book wasn't my favorite stylistically, however it tells the story really well. The use of color is incredibly well done. This is a love story, but it's also a story of self discovery. When Sarah is at work she's surrounded by dark blues almost as if she's adrift or drowning at sea. But then Ping arrives, dressed in yellow as a light to guide her to shore. By the end the colors are brighter and Sarah has found meaning professionally and personally.
The storytelling was interesting. I haven't read many graphic novels that use so many blocks of text. Albon inserts narration from Sarah so it almost reads like a mix of novel and graphic novel. It was a unique form of storytelling that feels perfect for a story about characters learning to communicate. Text and art are their own forms of communications after all, so it was really fitting.
I liked this one and would recommend it.
eARC provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
January 3, 2025
This graphic novel has my whole heart! Not only is it a sweet and soft sapphic romance, it's also gently but deeply introspective about love, languages and unlocking something profoundly intimate. Two strangers in a strange land, with no common fluent language, push through the communication barrier to foster a friendship that blooms into love. Being a multilingual person, who is addicted to Duolingo, and have moved continents in a lifetime, this premise is very close to my heart. But what's truly beautiful about the book is how the art itself gives texture to the role language and understanding plays in this relationship, in how the text bubbles of translation change as each of the characters' relationship with understanding each other and the world around them changes. I am in awe of how sneakily and beautifully the author/illustrator pulls off what could have been a very pretentious pondering about language and cognition. Knocking off a star because of how abruptly it ends though.
Thanks to Netgalley for this unexpectedly beautiful graphic novel ARC.
Thanks to Netgalley for this unexpectedly beautiful graphic novel ARC.
June 28, 2025
rating 3.5 stars
let's start off with the things i did like -
- the art
- the use of language to bring two foreigners together despite that barrier (one of the coolest parts was how the book handled the multilingual aspect. The author included translations in a different color right next to the dialogue, which made everything so easy to follow!)
- sarah is stronger than me because i cannot learn a language easily (girl is actually making an effort to learn French (since she’s living in Paris) and Mandarin (because her love interest is from Hong Kong), i would've relied on google translate so much haha)
things i didn't like as much -
- pacing (it was lowkey all over the place, but then again i did read all this in one sitting haha)
- third act conflict felt forced? miscommunication can sometimes be hit or miss, and sadly i felt like this missed me :')
but i will say it was still a good read - i love seeing unique art styles and stories about love that is beyond mainstream <3
thanks netgalley for letting me read this
let's start off with the things i did like -
- the art
- the use of language to bring two foreigners together despite that barrier (one of the coolest parts was how the book handled the multilingual aspect. The author included translations in a different color right next to the dialogue, which made everything so easy to follow!)
- sarah is stronger than me because i cannot learn a language easily (girl is actually making an effort to learn French (since she’s living in Paris) and Mandarin (because her love interest is from Hong Kong), i would've relied on google translate so much haha)
things i didn't like as much -
- pacing (it was lowkey all over the place, but then again i did read all this in one sitting haha)
- third act conflict felt forced? miscommunication can sometimes be hit or miss, and sadly i felt like this missed me :')
but i will say it was still a good read - i love seeing unique art styles and stories about love that is beyond mainstream <3
thanks netgalley for letting me read this
March 15, 2025
A delightful and beautiful story of love and language, "Love Languages" will make you fill your cup. The story follows two foreigners forging a relationship with bits and pieces of three different languages.
We read about Sarah and Ping's relationship with language and watch as their love grows with their efforts, and it become this wonderful love story. The beautiful artwork compliments their romance perfectly. Of course, no romance is without some kind of twist, so prepare your heart for a little heartache.
The artist portrayal of mix and match words is such a unique concept and was a delightful representation of their conversations.
A great graphic novel for any sapphic readers collection, I highly recommend grabbing a copy if you enjoy visual story telling as well as a cozy romance graphic novel. Have I mentioned how lovely the artwork is?
A big thank you to the author and NetGalley for sending me an advance review copy for free. I am leaving this review voluntarily.
We read about Sarah and Ping's relationship with language and watch as their love grows with their efforts, and it become this wonderful love story. The beautiful artwork compliments their romance perfectly. Of course, no romance is without some kind of twist, so prepare your heart for a little heartache.
The artist portrayal of mix and match words is such a unique concept and was a delightful representation of their conversations.
A great graphic novel for any sapphic readers collection, I highly recommend grabbing a copy if you enjoy visual story telling as well as a cozy romance graphic novel. Have I mentioned how lovely the artwork is?
A big thank you to the author and NetGalley for sending me an advance review copy for free. I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 223 reviews