This book ended up being a like, not a love for me. It was a well-written, steamy romance with likable characters, a dreamy vacation setting, and enough snarky banter littered throughout that I was thoroughly entertained. Tris is a strong female main character, a badass engineer trying to make it in a workplace stacked against her. Rafe is a gorgeous, sensitive yet strong male main character, who is appropriately obsessed with Tris. They end up at a three week training course in Hawaii for their company. We’ve got STEM careers, workplace rivals, and only one bed, which is just the best!

For me, a rivals to lovers book should be angsty and full of pure loathing at the beginning, slowly turning to love as we learn more about the characters as they interact with each other. That was what was missing from this book. The hate at the beginning of this book was a little wobbly, with both characters kind of disliking each other but not with any sort of convincing resolution. This book was single POV, but kind of seemed like it was edging on dual POV without actually committing to it. Like we just knew too much about both of the characters, and the anticipation of the main characters finding out what we all knew would happen from the very beginning just wasn’t there for me.

This is my first book by Nisha J. Tuli, but her collection of fantasy books is impressive. I would absolutely read one of her other books, and would still encourage you to give this one a try! Thanks to NetGalley and Forever for the eARC!

I love Nisha, and I was excited to try this romance from her. Unfortunately, I didn't love it. I think Nisha truly shines in her romantasy. This was good, but I think her fantasy's are better.

I've narrowed down why I didn't really like it to 3 main reasons.
1. I don't love workplace romances, I think this solidified it for me.
2. I didn't connect with the main character - I can recognize that she can be totally relatable to some people, but people is not me.
3. The characters did not act their age. They are supposed to be in their 30's but they act a lot younger.

I am still giving this 3.75 stars, I enjoyed it and giggled at the romance interactions at times.

I really had so much fun with this. You definitely have to suspend disbelief because this entire plot is a giant HR nightmare, but I was living for it. I liked the rivals to lovers aspect, and how it kind of felt like summer camp for adults. I loved how much realism was sprinkled throughout in regards to misogyny in the workplace (ESPECAILLY for women in STEM). I ate this up and binged it in one day. So good.

Thank you NetGalley and Forever for sending this audiobook and eARC for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

Not Safe for Work is sharp, spicy, and bright in all the right ways. Nisha J. Tuli delivers a workplace romance that doesn't play by the usual rules—think simmering tension, whip-smart banter, and a heroine who owns her ambition without apology. The chemistry crackles from page one, and the modern, messy, and oh-so-relatable setting makes every twist feel grounded. There's depth beneath the heat, too, with thoughtful exploration of power dynamics, personal growth, and the cost of being a woman navigating male-dominated spaces. Tuli nails the balance between steamy escapism and emotional resonance. It's bold, empowering, and doesn't hold back.

This was a fun, trope filled romance with real life issues and one bed! Nisha J Tuli gives romance readers exactly what they want. If you loved The Spanish Love Deception or books by Ali Hazelwood, I think you will love this too. This is definitely a solid read and makes the read think about the world around them while also still being an escape from the daily grind of current life.

I will say that while I think I enjoy Nisha 's fantasy series better, she has a solid grasp of contemporary romance and I can't wait to see what else she does in this genre.

Lastly, I will say that I had super high hopes for this book and while it fell short of perfection for me personally, that has more to do with my personal preferences than Nisha's storytelling and writing. Definitely recommend.

I binge read this book in just a couple sittings and WOW. I am obsessed with Trishara and Rafe! Their banter was a 10/10. I was laughing kicking my feet so much throughout this book. And the tension?! Off the charts HOT from the very beginning of the book! I was expecting a fun little workplace vacay romance but this was so much more! Snaps for Tris standing up for herself and other women in male dominated fields! She is THAT girl and we love her for it! And I'll never get over how supportive her and Rafe are with each other's careers & dreams 🥹 I could just melt into a puddle from how sweet these two are together (if not, I'll definitely melt from the inferno of their tension & chemistry). This is the perfect beach read for your summer vacation this year!

Thank you to Forever Grand Central Publishing for sending me an early copy!

Not Safe for Work delivers everything you could want in a modern romance: sharp banter, undeniable chemistry, and a heroine you’ll root for from page one. Trishara Malik is ambitious, relatable, and refreshingly honest about the exhaustion that comes with being a woman of color in a corporate world stacked against her. Her voice is fierce, funny, and emotionally authentic, making her journey feel both personal and universal.

The enemies-to-lovers dynamic between Tris and Rafe crackles with tension, and their forced proximity setup in a Hawaiian honeymoon suite adds just the right amount of chaos and charm. Rafe isn’t your typical office rival—he’s thoughtful, layered, and a perfect match for Tris as the story peels back their history and misconceptions. Watching them go from bitter rivals to vulnerable allies is immensely satisfying.

Beyond the romance, this novel shines in its commentary on corporate politics, burnout, and what it means to fight for your seat at the table without losing yourself in the process. Nisha J. Tuli writes with warmth, wit, and a keen eye for the nuances of modern ambition.

Final verdict: Not Safe for Work is a powerful blend of romance, resilience, and self-discovery. It’s equal parts heart and heat, and an absolute must-read for anyone who’s ever had to fight to be seen.

Many thanks to Forever for the physical review copy of this one, which came out on May 20th.

I very much appreciated that Not Safe for Work is a single POV story, which was definitely the right choice for this particular setup. Not knowing what Rafe is thinking really adds to the tension of the slow burn in the best way.

The banter between the main characters is also spot-on, and I enjoyed several of the side characters, as well. This is a slower burn with many great tropes, including workplace romance, enemies-to-lovers, and only one bed. However, once the spice enters the chat, it delivers. There are a few solid spicy scenes that were well-written enough not to make me cringe.

Tris has chronic migraines, which were handled really well in the story. I did kind of expect them to be a bigger part of the plot, but in retrospect, I like that Tris just has her migraines and her meds and that's just that. As someone with chronic migraine myself, that's pretty much the role it has in my life, too. So ultimately, it felt like really solid rep that shows how chronic illness, when well managed on the right regimen, can become pretty commonplace for someone who's used to it.

While many characters were well-written and I loved Tris' friend group, a few of the side characters felt a bit like caricatures, which always bugs me a bit. In particular, Rafe's ex-girlfriend Hannah has like five seconds on the page and feels like such a stereotype, which was a bit of an interesting choice.

Finally, I liked how both Rafe and Tris find their way to what they want out of their career over the course of the book. Both of them supporting and pushing each other feels like a natural part of this progression and makes the ending even more satisfying that just a romantic HEA.

In all, Not Safe for Work is a really solid, well-written romance. If you enjoy enemies-to-lovers, workplace romance, and/or only one bed, along with a bit of spice, this is definitely one you don't want to miss.

DNF 10%
I found the main character to be incredibly childish, when (what I assume will be) the love interest asks what she's reading, and he is her coworker, she responds something along the lines "You can borrow it when I'm done, maybe you'll learn how to please a woman" Excuse me?
The dialogue is weird and I don't find it enjoyable enough to continue.

Such a cute book! I loved the banter between Rafe and Trishara, it was so much fun. 🤭

Also loved the sparks that I could feel between the two of them all the time they were together. 😍

I could've read a lot more about them. ❤️

Loved the ending we had and I'm glad we got to see them a bit in the future but not that much at the end. ❤️

Overall, this was a 3 star read for me and that pains me to conclude because I LOVED certain aspects of this book! The FMCs inner dialogue often cracked me up and Tuli excelled at writing scenes with sizzling tension. However, the overall romance plot didn't all weave together satisfactorily for me and part of the big ending grand gesture really irked me. A great concept, including important themes, with mediocre execution.

Thank you NetGalley for the eARC!

Thank you to the publisher, Forever, for an eARC of this book!

I had a BLAST with Nisha J. Tuli’s debut in contemporary romance! I ate up the Artefacts of Ouranos series like it was candy and now I’m happy to share that she absolutely nails contemporary romance in Not Safe For Work! The opening scene had me giggling about the rating system and I could NOT put the book down from there. One of the bigger plot points, how women are treated in male-dominated careers, is relatable and the hijinks our FMC Trishara gets into along the way are just so entertaining. I love the way Nisha tells a story and the way she weaves humor, sass, and spice all together seamlessly.

If you’ve ever had hopes or dreams of getting retribution for awful coworkers and employers - you’ll enjoy the aftermath of the leadership retreat!

I would also gobble a book up about Trishara’s leadership retreat friends, Lan and Gabrielle!

Check it out if you enjoy:
🌺Women in STEM
🍰MMCs who aren’t afraid of gender norms
🌺Only one bed
🍰Office rivals to lovers
🌺Role playing in the bedroom
🍰Epic banter
🌺Short third act breakup

Not Safe for Work by Nisha Tuli

5 Stars

☀️Rivals to Lovers
☀️Close Proximity
☀️One Bed
☀️Witty banter

In Not Safe for Work by Nisha Tuli, ambitious engineer Trishara Malik must share a honeymoon suite—and a high-stakes corporate retreat in Hawaii—with her workplace nemesis, Rafe Gallagher, the boss’s infuriatingly attractive son. As competitive sparks fly and unexpected truths surface, their professional rivalry begins to unravel into something far more complicated—and possibly romantic.

Wow! This story was exceptional. It truly showed the struggles of a woman of color in a predominantly white, male-dominated field. Trisha was a bad ass FMC who didn't just shut up and listen, but stood up for herself and her beliefs. I loved the journey of Tris and Rafe. The angst, the banter, the sloooowwwww burn. Once you got to the spice, this book was "not safe for work" at all. This story also had multiple layers to unravel, which I LOVED! The epilogue was the perfect finish to this adorable love story.

"I'll follow you anywhere, Tris."

3.75🌟
This was so cute! I flew through this book while I tanned outside today, and I genuinely had a great time reading it. I am usually not a fan of workplace romances/enemies-to-lovers books, but I appreciated this for what it was.

What I loved the most about this book was the conversation surrounding women in male-dominated workplaces, sexism, lack of diversity in the workplace, and overall power imbalances that Tris was dealing with. Situations like these are everywhere, and I thought the author did a great job of shining a light on these issues.

Rafe and Tris's relationship was filled with tension, banter, and chemistry. From the start, it was obvious that they had a connection with each other that they were too stubborn to acknowledge. I truly don't think that they were really "enemies-to-lovers", mostly because I think that trope is not very applicable to romance books lol. However, I love it when the main characters realize how silly they were being by holding a grudge against each other, and just give in to the attraction they have for each other. I loved the way they finally broke each other down, became vulnerable with one another, and created a safe space for each other.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book! It was such a fun time and a great pool read! I can't wait to read more by Nisha J. Tuli! Her fantasy books are on my tbr!

I can’t believe this was my first book by Nisha J. Tuli! It definitely won’t be my last. I loved the setting (Maui? Yes, please) and storyline, humor, and the banter, tension, and chemistry between Rafe and Trishara. There are some heavier topics/themes throughout, dealing with racial and gender inequalities in the workplace, that I could relate to as far as being a female in a male dominated industry goes. There was great character development, and I loved how everything came together.

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘁 ⇣
Rom-Com
Enemies to lovers
Workplace romance
Inequality
Tropical retreat
Forced proximity
Only one bed
Single 1st POV
Spice

Thank you Forever Pub, NetGalley, and the author for this ARC!

OMG THIS WAS SO GOOD! I have only ever read Nisha's romantasy books, so I didn't know what I was going into reading NSFW; but right from the beginning, I was hooked! Tris and Rafe's story really stole my heart. I appreciate how Nisha both highlights the career barriers experienced by women of colour in the fields of STEM, as well as the difficulties men encounter when wanting to explore careers outside of business or STEM.

Tris is such a frigging badass - she is not afraid to stand up for herself and speak her truth, demonstrating her courage; but at the same time, she shows us a different form of courage by being vulnerable with Rafe and her friends. And Rafe is now my new book boyfriend - besides being sexy af, he is sweet, thoughtful, confident and creative. I appreciate Nisha humanizing both characters by highlighting their flaws, as well as their growth throughout the storyline.

NSFW is a delicious blend of enemies/rivals-to-lovers, slow burn, and forced proximity. I'm always a sucker for this mix of tropes, as well as when there is an added one bed trope. Would definitely recommend this as a fun summer read or a palette cleanser from heavy fantasy reads.

Thanks so much to the author and Forever for the ARC!

I didn’t mean to binge this in less than a day, but it was just THAT GOOD and I could not put it down! The tension, the banter, and the spice were *chef’s kiss*. I loved it all! Rafe is my newest book boyfriend, 10/10, no notes. Tris is feisty and I could see a little bit of myself in her.

I also loved how Nisha included some very real things that happen to women (and specifically BIPOC women) in male-dominated industries. I am a BIPOC woman in STEM, and while I have been “lucky” to not experience everything Tris did, I’ve still dealt with enough sexism and microaggressions. The way Tris dealt with everything felt very real and I love how she ultimately handled it.

Not Safe for Work was a book I had REALLY been looking forward to. Unfortunately, it didn’t really hit. I really struggled to get past the workplace romance in this one when I haven’t always in the past.

Additionally, I never really fell for the MMC. Rafe came off as wildly immature to me, most notably in his handling of his ex girlfriend of over 6 months. I would have walked away from him immediately and that would be that. The ex called INCESSANTLY and he kept answering and allowing it, not putting up any boundaries despite entering into a physical relationship/situationship with Tris. Interrupting important conversations and then refusing to discuss how disrespectful that was considering Rafe wanted to start a relationship. I’m sorry, but why should she when you’ve shown you’ll prioritize your ex? No thanks. He had no depth when it came to the relationship with Tris and I ultimately just didn’t like him. Their one on one could be cute but it was far overshadowed by his immaturity for me and nothing in the end made me want to forgive him. This book could have benefited with Rafes POV I think by proving his character more time to explain what was happening and the depth of his feelings, but oh well.

Tris was actually a great lead FMC for me. She had drama and trauma responses that frustrated me, but in the way a book should so the character can grow. Her drama and the tackling of the workplace boys club and Rafes family ties to that would have been plenty of drama. The Hannah thing was unnecessary and kind of ruined this book and Rafes character for me.

All in all, there were hot and cute aspects of this book, but it was really missing something for me. Mostly any sort of actually attraction to the MMC. Either way, thank you so much to Nisha J. Tuli and Forever for the eARC of Not Safe for Work. I always appreciate it!!

This is the first book I have read by Nisha J. Tuli. I very much enjoyed this book and the representation in the book with Trishara and what she went through, both in the workplace and her personal life. An enjoyable forced proximity, Rivals to Lovers romance read featuring only one room/only one bed trope. I didn't want to stop reading. I especially enjoyed the ending which gave me a glimpse into the future for Trishara and Rafe. I have the Romantasy series by this author on my shelf and I look forward to reading those books soon.

Thank you to Hachette Books and Forever for the gifted finished copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

My Rating: 4/5
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Slow burn workplace romance, enemies to lovers that are forced into a one bed situation at work retreat in Hawaii. Fun read, but feels a bit stale in the premise and the characters are immature but it does address real issues that females face in male dominated industries. Thanks to NetGalley and Forever for an advanced copy for an honest review.