Really sweet book about work life balance, romance, and adventure. The message of trying to spruce up your home work life is beautiful. Highly recommend!

This was such a sweet story!!! It had just the right lenght, the characters were cute and the small apartments it was set in had the right claustrophobia/cozy vibes. I loved that it was realistically set in the pandemic, it was a weird time to meet people and date in general and I think it managed that perfectly. I'm definitely keeping an eye on this author.

This book was incredibly cute. Great characters in a slice of life romance through the pandemic.
I absolutely loved it. The scenes really came to life for me and I had a great time!
I'd definitely recommend it.

I LOOOOOOOOVED THIS! Mm mm MMMM I ate this up y'all!

Home Office Romance is a very cute and wholesome single volume manga! The plot is well paced, the romance has a great build up, the art and character design is SO GOOD! And a big YES from my preferences is that it has no fan service or explicit content to distract from the plot! I also love the realistic aspects and that the characters are relatable. As far as formatting went, the panel coordination is smooth and easily readable.

4.5 Stars

I found this one-shot romance to be so sweet. It was a simple story but filled with cute and relatable moments. Nokoru and Natsu are neighbors during the COVID lockdown and bond over manga and food. The story had me laughing out loud and smiling at the adorably awkward interactions and genuine bond between the two characters. If you are looking for a fluffy romance, I would highly recommend this manga.

Não sou muito de ler mangás, mas foi bom descobrir esse volume único que, à seu modo, contou uma história bem bacana, com personagens carismáticos em meio ao período tenso da pandemia, mas com uma amenizada em meio ao romance surgindo entre o casal de vizinhos. Foi uma leitura leve, com um final fofo que até me surpreendeu, e no geral, indico sim!

This manga is a rom-com that happens during the pandemic when people were working from home.
This was a very cute and easy read. I actually read it in a few hours. It's a good book to get out of a reading slump.
The first thing about this manga that got my attention was that it's a standalone, and when I started reading the art just left me amazed!
Overall I had a lot of fun reading it, and in most parts it was very accurate because we went through the pandemic in 2020.

Also, I wanted to mention that I really enjoyed the part where Natsu and Nokoru talk and trade their hobbies and how that simple thing makes them fall in love with each other, it was very sweet.

Thank you, NetGalley, for this ARC!
Home Office Romance is a standalone manga that portrays a sweet romance at a pleasant pace. The reader follows the point of view of Nokoru, who tells his story retrospectively. So, we already know the “ending” at the beginning of the story. It’s entertaining to discover how Nokoru’s world is turned upside down by remote work and his meeting with his neighbor, Natsu.
I really enjoyed the cozy atmosphere and the realistic development of the relationship between the two main characters (their insecurities, emotions, etc.). I also appreciated how the story focuses on the characters' personal growth and dreams, not just their love story. The manga touches on the challenges of pursuing a dream job and how a poor work-life balance can significantly affect one’s health. These struggles are not just fictional; we all face similar issues in real life. The improvement in work conditions, especially the rise of remote work during the pandemic, is another relevant theme. It allowed for a shift in how we approach work-life balance and disconnected us from a more traditional, routine-driven lifestyle.
The title is perfect, as it encapsulates the dynamic of an office romance but set in the home environment, with digital communication and neighborhood connections playing a central role.
This was my first time reading a book by this author, so I’m curious to try Sweat and Soap, another office romance, but this time set in a traditional workplace.

Very cute, easy to read romance manga! I read it in one sitting. If you’re looking for a quick, standalone romance manga with funny & quirky characters, I'd recommend this! Thank you to NetGalley and Kodansha Comics for the copy!

Absolutely loved it! Loved both characters, loved everything about the plot. It was t complex or fancy or trying to do too much. It did exactly 1 story and it did it well. I was squee-ing and kicking my feet. Both of our main characters have my heart 🥹 It worked SO WELL for me. 5 stars.

Where do I even begin? I was scrolling on Netgalley looking for something that WASN’T romance since I was reading a lot of Christmas-themed romance novellas this month but this sounded so sweet I just had to pick it up… and read immediately. If you’re looking for a sweet wholesome romance you need to check this out! What I found surprising was that this book is from the male’s POV which is not something you see very often in the genre but it was such a welcome change! It follows Nokoru, a hardworking professional who’s been stuck in a grueling routine of endless overtime. When the pandemic forces him to work from home, he finally has the chance to slow down, revisit old passions, and explore new hobbies—like transforming his balcony into a lush garden. Through this, he gets to know his neighbor, Natsu, a graduate archaeology student.

I absolutely loved the artstyle and how devoid of life the male MC looks like most of the time haha his job is sucking the life out of him poor guy. It was so entertaining seeing him navigate through this newfound friendship and attraction - literally the greenest flag ever and Natsu compliments his character so well! This is a standalone comic but I wouldn’t mind seeing more from this couple in the future! So happy I picked this up : )

Spice scale for those wondering: Mentions of sexual acts but no explicit content.

I really liked this. It was cute, without focusing only on the romance side. I felt like it covered many aspects related to love in the times of the pandemic and discovering yourself. The artwork was also lovely, it fit the storyline. While not necessarily the most realistic, it's a wholesome manga - definitely recommended.

A few quotes I liked (note: these are from an ARC, so they may differ in the final edition of the book):

"As I said, letting your thoughts run away with you is pointless. It undermines your control... and fosters foolish conceits... which evaporate, leaving nothing behind."

"- I wish I could spend my life doing things I enjoyed, like you.
[...]
- Even if it meant never finding the right answer?"

"Weird, isn't it...? Being around too many people left me drained and exhausted... but in the end, the cure came from yet another person."

4.5 stars (rounded to 5)

A wonderful manga exploring finding yourself through changing external circumstances (in this case, a pandemic) and the evolving relationship between two neighbours. I tend to avoid anything pandemic-related, but I enjoyed this so much! The personality of each character was so unique and I loved watching them interact. The art style is easy on the eye and beautifully portrays both light-hearted humour and the more meaningful moments. Natsu was the best sunshine to Nokoru's grumpy, and watching them find their passions again, as well as finding each other, was so heartwarming!

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

This manga was just a cozy little gem. The chapters were short, making it easy to read, and the vibes were super comforting. As I got further into it, things started to get more interesting, and I couldn’t help but smile at the funny moments. The characters’ banter was on point, and there was a great balance between cute interactions and an engaging plot. It was nothing too serious—just a feel-good romance that was fun to read from start to finish.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

This story is so cute. I love the story line and art style. I like Natsu and Nokoru cute meet greet as neighbors. How that blooms and they become friends to lovers. I love how they support each other. Nokoru is such a sweet, shy guy realizing he can find love. Natsu she confident, flirty, and goes after what she wants. I like there connection and I want to read more of there story.

After falling in love with Kinetsu Yamada's art style with Sweat and Soap, I was so looking forward to reading this one! It was such a quick read, and it was great having such a nice escape.

such a sweet story and a really quick read!! it’s also not very heavy on the pandemic thematic which means you can still read it to escape reality!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for early access.

When I read the synopsis, I thought It sounded really good, I’ve only read a couple of books that have been set during covid times so was looking forward to seeing where this one went but unfortunately I did not enjoy it. It was incredibly slow to get going and I found it hard to follow at times as it didn’t feel like it flowed very well and felt like I was missing parts of the story, I also didn’t gel with the characters at all.

the mmc, an introverted fantasy manga lover, has to work from home due to the covid-19 pandemic and his life is rather monotonous. until one day he meets the young woman who lives next door, an archeology student with a bubbly and energetic personality who captures another's attention in the blink of an eye. it isn't long before the two grow closer to each other and develop romantic feelings for each other.
overall, i enjoy this graphic novel a lot and would definitely recommend it to anyone who likes the slice of life genre and isn’t looking for something overly complex.

NetGalley ARC

This was such a cute read! A nerdy guy working 9/5 got his world shaken a little by a grad student in archeology. Working from home due to lockdown with some balcony interactions and finding excuses to talk to each other.

I didn’t know I needed more nerdy romance in my life! Actions will always speak louder than words 🫶🏾

Thank you to NetGalley and Kodansha Comics for providing an advanced listener copy of this book. All opinions are my own.