This cute manga was the perfect distraction from life. The characters are both lovable and relatable. I really needed this lockdown love story today. Noroku is so logical, he needs to know the answers to his questions. Whereas Natsu is bubbly and forward. Meaning she speaks her mind but has a deep kindness. There were so many cute moments that just made me smile. I really liked this book.

When I saw the cover, I just knew I would enjoy this one-shot. And I wasn't wrong. This love story unfolds so beautifully and naturally between two neighboors that are locked in because of pandemic. They progressively get closer to each other.

I really appreciated the way women were represented in this romance, and how the themes were tackled openly and without hesitation. It's a straightforward, adult romance. There were moments when I wished things would move quicker, but at the same time, I cherished every little interaction between them. Gradually, I too found myself falling in love with their relationship.

⭐⭐⭐⭐

🗺️Archaeologist Female MC
🖥️Software Engineer Male MC
👨🏻Introvert that panics at social interaction
🤣Rom-Com

What I Liked
1) Nokoru was so relatable if you're an introvert who doesn't go out too much

2) I related to Nokoru's desire for travel and I loved how Natsu perfectly complimented that with her job

3) Nokoru using speadsheets to make sense of things in his mind was hilarious!

4) Them using discord to communicate is so 2020

Favourite Quotes
1) 'To me home was just a place to sleep'

2) 'When I learned as a child, that these often had real-world inspirations... I dreamed of visiting places after I grew up. I'd forgotten that too'

3) 'What exactly is going through your head when you propose to casually to enter my domain?'

This was such a sweet romance that managed to feel slow-burn even though it is a standalone manga. I would highly recommend this if you like the elements I listed above.

Thank you to Netgalley and Kodansha Comics for this eARC in exchange for an honest review

Thank you to NetGallery and Kodansha for allowing me early access to this manga!! I rated it 4 stars overall, this short 1 volume manga is about Nokoru who is a software engineer and his neighbour Natsu who is a graduate student in archeology. They start interacting over their balconies finding common interests with each other which soon blossoms in to a romance, I’m a sucker for neighbours to lovers trope I love how shy Nokoru is and that Natsu really brings his personality out as the chapters proceed. This is my first manga where it’s set around covid times and I love how the mangaka showed how lonely and isolated the world was at this time.

There were so many kicking and shrieking moments like when Natsu makes the first move to which we were all waiting for!! it’s nice to see a strong female lead who knows what she wants and likes.

I’ve loved this mangaka since Sweat & Soap which is one of my favourite Josei mangas of all time, I really wish this manga had more volumes and showed the couple during their married lives as we only get a little hint of this when Nokoru mentions their married.

An enjoyable read detailing the relationship of two working adults. Satisfying romance for readers who need a quick romance fix.

I loved Sweat & Soap, so when I saw this on NetGalley, I knew I had to read it! Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

I thought the characters looked really similar to the main characters in Sweat & Soap (or at least you can tell that it's the same art style), but that's where the similarities end. The main characters are working from home and start a sweet romance as neighbors. I thought the romance was really short, but sweet and enjoyed reading this manga. It was really nice to delve into another world by the same mangaka as Sweat & Soap.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Kodansha Comics for an eARC in exchange for an honest review - I had a really good time with this! I can't believe we're in a place right now mentally where we can be reading pandemic lockdown romances and not feel traumatized by it... But that's what it was! Cute and realistic and very relatable because the experience of it seems so recent. An enjoyable quick read.

Absolutely loved this. Super cute, funny, and heartwarming. The romance between the characters is believable, and it definitely highlights the awkwardness, giddiness, and beauty of falling in love with someone unexpectedly.

The Red Thread of Fate is thought to be an invisible red cord, wrapped around the finger of those destined to meet one another as soulmates. This is the story of Nokoru and Natsu, two souls fated to meet.

Despite being neighbours, Nokoru and Natsu had never met before. However, forced to work and study from home due to the pandemic, these two individuals—a shy, introverted office worker, Nokoru, and the outgoing, more extroverted Natsu, an archaeology student—develop a slow-burn romance. They journey from neighbours to friends to lovers.

The story is heartwarming and cozy, a quick read that showcases an escalation of events, making you feel the need to be in love too. I enjoyed reading about the outgoing Natsu, who took the first steps in showing her interest, even though Nokoru, being the chronic over-thinker he is, took his sweet time to realize his feelings were mutual.

They balance each other out, and seeing them reunite after not seeing each other for so long truly struck a chord. It was so well-written and illustrated, capturing the longing, the need, and the desperation to be together.

I only wish we had seen more of them—seeing them get married, seeing their domestic life. Despite being a standalone, I still hope that in the near future, we might see a future adaptation of these two. Thank you, NetGalley, for the ARC.

A good romance started during the pandemic time

The characters are relatable and the art style nice

I had a good time reading it

Thanks to the author and the publish company that put it available on NetGalley

Single volume manga about a couple who meet during the pandemic, while each one works in their own apartment.
The art is very beautiful and the story is cute and quick to read. I liked it!

I saw someone reviewing this manga in bookstagram and I knew I had to read this. Luckily it was available for me to access the manga.
I loved the manga. It was so cute and adorable.
The relationship ship between the neighbors, Nokoru and Natsu was so sweet. Nokoru was this awkward introvet guy and Natsu was adorable and extrovert girl, so seeing them became friends with each other and fall in love was so beautiful.
When Nokoru flew all the way to Peru because he missed her.... He's a husband material❤
It ended too soon. I wish it would have been longer.
I don't know whether there's gonna to be another volume, but if there is, I can't wait for the next vol.

A big thank you to NetGalley and Kodansha Comics for an eARC in exchange for an honest review. Overall, I found Home Office Romance to be well written and very cute. This cuteness in this book is mundane and not unrealistic which I very much enjoyed. It was also nice to see how differently Nokoru and Natsu lived during the pandemic. The characters were quite different, but they fit together perfectly. Nokoru being introverted while Natsu seemed a bit more outgoing. For me Nokoru was very easy to relate to. He had the same worries and thoughts that I've had myself. If you're looking for drama free romance between two neighbors during the pandemic, then I highly recommend this.
I've rated this book a 4 out of 5 stars.

A cute standalone romance story! Sometimes standalones can feel a little rushed, but I think the pacing worked out well here and it was all fluffy and stress-free . I liked the POV of the main character and the love interest was super cute. I love the slice of life feel and the soft moments between our two leads. It was cute to see both of them pursue their goals and connect over their various interests. 😊

This honestly was super cute. I loved the character development. The way that Nokoru came into realization of his feelings for Natsu really showed the best in character development. The way he reacted at the end was absolutely heart felt. I would definitely read a second volume if it comes out! The art style was very nice, I do wish that Nokoru didn’t look like death all the time but it did fit where he said he was absolutely exhausted. I feel like they would be the only issue I have with this. But the way it ended I feel like there’s more to be said if we got more answers in a series I would definitely bump it up a star but the ending being the way it is left me with questions.

This was a cute standalone manga that was enjoyable to read. I felt like the manga had good flow and likeable characters. I would read other works by this author.

NetGalley Advanced Reader Copy

This story was so cute and had me laughing out loud multiple times. It is definitely relatable for anyone that shifted to the work from home model during COVID.

I will be buying a physical copy!

Home Office Romance is a slow-burn romance manga about two neighbours, Nokoru and Natsu, who are stuck at home due to the pandemic. They become friends and slowly develop romantic feelings for each other.

Nokoru and Natsu have distinctly contrasting personalities. Nokoru values his solitude and tends to be reserved in expression, whereas Natsu is outgoing, lively, and extremely expressive.

The plot of this manga is undeniably cute. I thoroughly enjoyed the interactions between Nokoru and Natsu; they formed a genuine connection through the small things, and their exchanges had several laugh-out-loud moments. The artwork is absolutely adorable.

It was a light, heartwarming, and cozy read. I enjoyed reading it.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC! I don’t usually read stand alone webtoons but wanted to give this one a try. While the premise is cute and artwork was super cute, I think because it is a stand alone the pacing is a little off for me. Likewise the humor just isn’t my style so I didn’t enjoy it as much as I thought I would. Still overall a cute read but just not for everyone try audience!

Couldn’t like the book. Somehow it feels detached and impersonal.
Now where am i supposed to find 100 words for this??