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??

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with an ARC of this story.
SPOILERS TO FOLLOW

I ALMOST CRIED WHILE READING THIS. IT WAS SUCHA GOOD STORY. They were honestly so cute together and I didn't even realize it was more of an adult manga (for whatever reason? it's literally called home office so duh it would be about adults) and I was really pleasantly surprised. I really enjoyed watching their relationship progress. Nokoru was so funny and I loved how he was overthinking EVERYTHING when it came to her because SAME. Izumi was really funny too with how hard she was coming onto him and he didn't even realize. They were so damn cute and I WISH THERE WAS MORE!!!!

I absolutely love Sweat and Soap, so this was a must-read for me! This was such a cute and light-hearted story with two lovable characters. I actually liked how this was set during the pandemic and portrayed how we yearned for human connection. It was so nice seeing their relationship blossom and to pursue their dreams together.

Thank you to NetGalley and Kodansha Comics for the ARC!

I absolutely loved this delightful little grumpy/sunshine romance! I wouldn't usually gravitate towards something set during lockdown but the writer managed to anchor the story in it without it feeling too overbearing. This was so light hearted and sweet. Nokoru is an introverted engineer, whose internal monologue I found both funny and endearing (but totally believable). It's also nice to see acts of service and gift giving played out as love languages. Most of the home office experience was very relatable. And I adored Nokoru's balcony! This could have been twice as long and I would have devoured it.

"Home Office Romance" is sweet and cute but somehow manages to be mature and realistic. The work from home setting was on point. I currently work from home fulltime so it was interesting to see how someone in Japan might experience this lifestyle. I related a lot to Nokoru and his work-life balance (or sometimes lack thereof). Nokoru's personality is adorable to me even though he has a mean resting face. I enjoyed seeing Nokuro and Natsu's relationship thrive during the pandemic. Actually, I don't like reading books set during that time period. However, in this manga, Yamada creates a love story about two lonely people during the pandemic without letting the setting overshadow the story. Love, love, love this.

Also, seeing the Resident Evil game look alike in the panels made me so happy. lol

Thank you NetGalley for the arc!

This was such a cute story about two neighbors getting to know each other more and seeing their relationship evolve over time. I love how they communicate very honestly
I appreciated that the characters comforted each other in times of doubt. That they could count on each other.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Kodansha Comics for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This one is absolutely delightful.
From the same author as Sweat and Soap, we get another lovely story about two adults falling in love and gently communicating their wants and needs and building a good and healthy relationship.
This is so cute and heartwarming, I loved how these two grew closer and how Nokoru sound the courage to really go for his dreams.

Absolutely recommend it!!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for this ARC!

This was such a cute, simple romance manga! I’m not really big on stories that are set during covid, but I liked this one. I liked seeing our two main characters find a connection and fall in love. I thought the art style was cute. I also appreciated that the story was able to be told in one volume.

*warning: contains spoilers *

Home Office Romance is a simple manga that captures the essence of love blossoming amidst pandemic. The narrative follows Natsu Izumi and Nokoru Mitsuhashi, two characters whose paths intertwine in unexpected ways. Natsu, navigating graduate school, and Nokoru, working from home as systems engineer, illustrate that love doesn’t require a traditional office set up to bloom. Their relationship feels relatable, perfectly showing modern romance.

Kintetsu Yamada's storytelling shines through in the dynamics between Natsu and Nokoru. Natsu's ability to encourage Nokoru to open up adds depth to their connection. The pacing is just right; the plot progresses smoothly, making it an engaging read.

One of the standout scenes that made me laughed was at page 193 on Nokoru's panel when Natsu said : “We’re going to be up all night.” HAHAHAHAH! It shows both the humor and the tenderness that define their relationship. Natsu's proactive nature in pursuing Nokoru creates a lovely balance, leading to satisfying moments of tension and sweetness. Not to mention, Nokoru was able to explore more about his work life balance because of Natsu.

This standalone story emerges from a one-shot featured in another manga, Day to Day, and offers a refreshing take on romance that readers can relate to. Overall, Home Office Romance is a charming, lighthearted manga that combines humor with a cutesy love story. It’s perfect for anyone looking for page turner and enjoyable read that reflects the realities of love in our modern world. I received an ARC of this manga, read it and finished within the day. Thank you, Kodansha Comics and Kintetsu Yamada!