Rating: 5 leaves out of 5
-Characters: 5/5
-Story: 5/5
-Writing: 5/5
Genre: Slice of Life
-Slice of Life: 5/5
Type: Manga
Worth?: Yes

Want to thank Netgalley and publishers for giving me the chance to read this book.

This was such a cute and fun little manga read! Kinda wished there had been more volumes!

Wow! I read such a cute and short manga after such a long time. I wish there were more chapters! But the ending in this felt so satisfying and right that I didn't mind. This is a story about two neighbours set during the Covid-19 years. One is an archaeological student and the other is an office worker and they both meet while working from home.

The chemistry between them is so cute, it makes me giggle. The FL is the one who pulls the first move here and the ML is such a softy. They bond over their love for architecturual wonders. One who acquired the love from mangas and other from her studies. They exchange each other's books and even make pie charts to find out free time to date. If this isn't the cutest thing then I don't know what is.

Also the ML moves all the way to a different part of the world, not just to meet the FL but also fulfill his own dream. This encourages me to fulfill my dreams of visiting my favourite places too!

In short this was a wonderful short read and everyone who has forgotten their dreams or loves a cute romance should give it a try. All you need is to burn that spark again and have some confidence!

I really enjoyed this, such a cute story about two neighbours falling in love during the pandemic. Very sweet indeed. And all wrapped up in one volume as well.

After reading an intense fantasy this was the perfect palate cleanser! What an incredibly cute, sweet, and funny story! I really liked the characters and the way their story was told. I wish we hadn’t found out so close to the beginning that they end up married. It would have been fun to not find out until the end! But otherwise, I liked this a lot!

Thank you Netgalley for providing me with a copy of Home Office Romance.
This was so heartwarming, funny and cute! I loved the characters and the progression of their relationship. I related to their interests and their experience of being apart due to lockdown. This was a quick read for me. The ending felt satisfying and I loved the art style.

Thank you to Netgalley and Kodansha for providing me with an eArc for this title in return for my unbiased review.

If you are feeling a bit down or having a hard day, I’d definitely recommend reading this manga for a pick me up! It is a short and sweet story about two neighbours who meet during the COVID pandemic and, as the title suggests, fall in love. I loved both of the characters- they had widely different personalities but, came together in such a natural and cute way. Honestly, aside from the pandemic, it reminds me of when I met my husband during my university years!

My only criticism is that there wasn’t more for me to read! I’d love more details of their lives and the events they experienced. Thank you to Netgalley and Kodansha for providing me with an eArc for this title in return for my unbiased review.

The characters felt so real and lovable, like you could actually meet them in real life. Their chemistry was effortless, and nothing about it felt forced or cringy. The way they were drawn made them even more charming—every expression and little detail added so much personality. Her reactions when she flirted were priceless; I couldn’t stop laughing at how funny and relatable they were. I’ve read a lot of manhwa before, but this one was on a whole new level of cute. It just left me smiling the entire time.

This was such a delightful and heart-warming slice-of-life manga! I adored the story of how two neighbours go from strangers to friends, and eventually fall in love during the COVID pandemic. The art style was charming throughout, and the sweet moments of romance had me giggling! I’d highly recommend it to anyone looking for a short, wholesome, and cosy read. It’s left me eager to explore more works by Kintetsu Yamada.

Thankyou Netgalley for this ARC.

This was a short sweet read with cosy vibes. The MC's are neighbours who become friends and then more during the pandemic. It shows their journey in their relationship and where they end up, I just wish there was more they're so sweet <3 I was kicking my feet at them so dang hard!

(Rounded from 4.5 stars)

Honest Netgalley Review:
This was such a sweet and wholesome slice of life manga. Set in the time of the Covid 19 pandemic two neighbors connect. Nokoru is working from home for the first time and inspired to spruce up his apartment. As he enjoys his newly decorated patio he finds out he has a neighbor and he's very intrigued by her. Natsu is in college for archeology and finds herself bored at home thanks to the pandemic. She misses being at digging sites but when she notices her neighbors jungle like patio she strikes up a conversation. These two neighbors stuck at home more than usual find they quite enjoy chatting. The two bond and soon their neighborly friendship blooms into something more. Nokoru was so hilarious. He is so stiff and formal but has super funny inner monologue. He needs answers for everything which is complete opposite of his neighbor. Natsu is outgoing, sweet, and very curious. It was so sweet and fun reading Nokoru and Natsu falling for each other.

it was a sweet romance read. i enjoyed it. but i really felt that the story could have been longer. but it was overall ok. sweet and short

I enjoyed this manga. It's a sweet story with an easy to follow storyline that is pretty relevant to today's time. The characters are relatable and likeable. I like that the story is told from Nokoru's point of view and you can see his character development as he interacts with Natsu. Overall, the artwork and storyline work real well!

**ARC provided by NetGalley for honest review**

Home Office Romance by Kintetsu Yamada is a wonderful one-shot manga romance about working from home during a pandemic. It tells the story of how a young loner computer programmer meets and falls in love with his future wife, an archeologist. I ate it up greedily, it was definitely my first five-star read of the year. So satisfying, different, and sweet. We need more of these clean "workplace" romances out in the world.

A must read !

I have a deep love for slice-of-life anime and manga. There’s something so comforting about watching characters experience the small, everyday moments of life. These seemingly mundane routines carry a warmth that feels familiar, almost nostalgic. Without any tragic twists or dramatic scenes, they offer a sense of calm and simplicity. Home Office Romance embodied this perfectly, following two neighbors who fell in love during a time when in-person connections were limited. Natsu and Nokoru managed to make even the most ordinary interactions feel extraordinary. From their lighthearted conversations to their shared hobbies, their romance was a sweet and heartwarming journey to watch.

a massive thank you to netgalley and kodansha comics for the gifted e-arc.

The way I actually kicked my legs & straight up giggled getting to read this manga is actually unreal. I am a huge fan of Kintetsu Yamada's other work "Sweat and Soap," so this was an extra special treat getting to read something new from this author! Especially having spotted art of Nokoru & Natsu on Kintetsu's Instagram page and not knowing where they came from!

Overall, this story was a perfect blend of humor, heart and nerdiness that had me falling in love with Kintetsu's previous work! Everything about this manga worked for me and I can't wait to add a physical copy to my formerly "Sweat and Soap" shrine – but now is simply a shrine of Kintetsu Yamada's work! The way our two main characters found a gentle peace with their person and also rediscovered their passions through each other was just so beautifully woven and lovely to read. Also, side note but I loveeeeeeeeee an office romance and this kind of gave me that even without the office or the co-workers aspect. They're friendly neighbors growing friendlier by the day and I ate that up!

This was super cute!! Not exactly what I was expecting, but adorable.

We love a direct woman character, 10/10. And they're so wholesome while also still looking and feeling like adults, which I adore.

My only complaint is that we don't get to see more of their travels and relationship. I think something like this would make a really cute, low stakes series.

This book felt a little bit real, since it portrayed the pandemic. I guess a lot of people might have felt the same way as the main character, you finally had time to breath a little and put your life in order. This was a nice slow paced story about how the main character met his wife. It felt short but it was a nice read.

It's a heartwarming story. Set in lockdown, this book gave a glimpse of what our lives were like in those days. When human connection seems dangerous. Nokoru discovering his hobbies felt relatable. The romance between Nokoru and Natsu built steadily. The pandemic situation adds tension.
 
I also appreciate how this book delves into the topic of toxic work culture, where everyone is participating in a rat race, always working, barely finding a time to spend with themselves. This gives the idea of why work-life balance is important. Why spending time with yourself is important.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Really liked it, stuck with me & would recommend
Previous to this book, I've read manga, but have never really loved any of them, but this one really touched me. Although a fast read, the story was paced in a very slice of life cozy way, where the characters develop and fall in love in what I felt was a very real way. So much so, that I almost thought it was autobiographical. I was engaged and very much rooting for their success.

I loved the artwork, as it was a little bit toned down from the large exaggerated emotions of other manga. The line work was clean and pleasing.

Thank you to Kodansha Comics, NetGalley, and author Kintetsu Yamada, for providing me with a digital ARC copy of this graphic novel in exchange for an honest review. Home Office Romance is out November 12, 2024.

I absolutely loved this book! This was a quick read for me. I found the storyline and the characters so enjoyable.