The ultimate beach read for fans of early 2000s golden era of romcoms

Absolutely LOVED this romcom!

Tris and Rafe were adorable and I loved their entire dynamic and banter and oh my gawddd the spice was so good!

Tris was so relatable and I loved her resilience, determination and backbone. Rafe is an absolute dreamboat that has surprisingly more depth than I expected from a simple romcom.

Some of the metaphors were perhaps a tad cheesy but it didn't lessen the absolute joy I experienced reading this early copy.

"It's weird. Who listens to the same song for two hours?" - Me, Rafe, I do. lol

Nisha J. Tuli’s contemporary romance debut was equal parts humorous, heartfelt, and hawttt!!

Trishara (Tris) was our main character and being inside her head was such a wild ride. I felt truly immersed in the story from her perspective.

Rafe was the love interest and he definitely checks all the boxes for a swoon worthy hero. The banter and chemistry between him and Tris was one of my favorite parts.

And the setting!! Give me a book set in Hawaii any day. Coupled with the retreat style plot line, only one room/bed, and the sizzling banter… I ate this right up. On top of all that, Nisha J. Tuli tackled sexism and racism in the workplace so well and has added her book to the growing list of women in STEM romance novels.

If I were to critique anything it’d be about the other woman drama (OWD). It felt a bit old after a while and the constant back and forth between Tris and Rafe about it grew tiresome. Tris at times was a bit frustrating but all in all the end result was worth all the rough patches.

Thanks so much to Forever Pub and Netgalley for the eARC!

This was a perfect tension filled slow burn romcom!
I love Nisha's romantasy books and was over the moon to read her first contemporary romance and she blew me away.
Trishara is a brilliant and underappreciated engineer at WSC, where she's been striving for greatness for the past 5 years but she is starting to lose her spark in the wake of losing opportunities and promotions to white male nepo babies and she is at her breaking point. Out of nowhere she is selected as one of 2 engineers to go on a 3 week company retreat and compete for a chance at a once in a lifetime opportunity to go to the NY office and advance her career alongside the big dogs. Of course her ultimate rival, and the bosses son Rafe is the other engineer chosen for the trip. Tris is quickly suspicious as to why she was chosen and confronts her bosses, where they all but say she's being sent for their public image as a diversity pick, being a biracial woman in a white male dominated field and company.
Tris and Rafe suffer all the forced proximity throughout the trip and get to know not only each other but themselves and their goals much better while enjoying Hawaii and suffering through team building excersizes. Rafe is an onion with so many layers we get to peel away and I absolutely fell in love along the way!
Nisha's writing is fresh and fun and had me laughing from the first chapter, but also brings you on a range of emtotions and connects you so deeply to the characters. The tension builds up to an extreme level, but there are many bumps and obstacles along the way including exes, trauma, drama with bosses and family that complicate their feelings.
Will Tris and Rafe realize they're meant to be or will is just be a vacation fling?!

This book was so incredible.
The awareness of women in the workplace and inappropriate behaviour that is often not dealt with was so on point.
The character and relationship development was fantastic.
The banter had me giggling soooo much.
The chronic pain representation was also a really sensitive touch.
The diversity in the characters was fantastic.

If you haven't picked this up yet, you need to.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

I LOVED this book! From the cover (it’s absolutely gorgeous- probably my favorite romance cover I’ve seen in awhile) to the story, to the main characters, to the pacing, to the writing, everything was wonderful. I read A LOT of romance books, and this is one of my favorites I’ve read so far this year.

Trishara (Tris) and Rafe work together and despise each other (allegedly!). Everything they do is to one up or challenge the other, they never agree on anything and they get picked to go to a company retreat where, as fate would have it, they end up in one suite with only one bed. This one’s told entirely from Tris’ POV, but that doesn’t take away from Rafe as a character at all.

If you like books in the realm of The Hating Game by Sally Thorne, you’ll love this one. I was surprised to find out this was Nisha Tuli’s first book in this genre, it read like she’s been doing this forever in the best way.

There’s also a disclaimer at the beginning that says you might find yourself thinking people wouldn’t do or say certain things, and maybe its because I’m a POC that’s mostly worked in male-dominated fields my entire life, but unfortunately, not one single thing in this book was surprising to me. I applaud the author for putting those themes into her first romcom book and in such a delicate and graceful way in the writing. I hope she writes many more romance books in the future, I’ll be first in line to read each one! (Also hope this gets made into a movie one day!)

I enjoyed this contemporary, realistic departure for Nisha J. Tuli, whose romantasy books I've devoured in the past. Very much an enemies to lovers story, and while the romance element was great - not just the character chemistry but also the deft use of tropes like "only one bed" - I actually found the commentary on women in corporate spaces to be the most interesting thread throughout the story. Tuli doesn't shy away from sharing the sexism/misogyny that main character Trishara (Tris) Malik has experienced in her workplace, and doesn't pretend that romantic entanglements with colleagues don't tend to work out a lot worse for women than they do for men. Her letter to her workplace at the end felt cathartic and inspiring. A great read that blends some of the fun, fizzy elements of romance with more serious commentary on women in corporate/tech workspaces.

3.5 stars. Quick, east, fun summer romance read. I wanted to like this book so much more than I did, but the FM came off a little immature for a 29 year old in a work environment. In the past she was passed up for promotions due to nepotism and sexism. But then her behavior doesn't really reflect that. (Specifically, her getting very heated over a team building exercise when Rafe disagreed with her approach. Getting loud and drawing attention of others over a team building exercise is just weird. Stand your ground, but there really is no need to yell.) If she was a little younger, it would have made more sense. I did really enjoy how she ended up handling the work situation at the end. That really redeemed her for me. I concept was so great and I really enjoyed most of the book. I will eat up a forced proximity every time!

Workplace - Only One Bed - Rivals to Lovers - Engineers - Women in STEM - Baker MMC

I'm rarely a huge fan of rom-com books and this one wasn't an exception. Everything was... fine. For the most part, I enjoyed the friendship between the main character and other STEM women, as well as the commentary on gender and race playing an important in a male-dominated field. The romance I didn't care for. The love interest was just a guy, and I was left unimpressed. Not Safe For Work is an improvement from the Ali Hazelwood STEM romance books, but nothing to write home about. The writing was fine, and I'd ascribe the faults in this book not to the author but to the rom-com genre and STEM girl-boss subgenre, which don't allow all that much originality and end up feeling performative in their effort to keep it lighthearted.

This was one of the best RomComs I’ve read in ages. Tris speaks to my soul as a brown woman working in corporate America. I feel seen. I feel heard. I feel less alone after reading this. Rafe was a secret cinnamon roll under a slightly burnt crust. All he had to do was scrape off that first layer, and this man was ooey gooey and delicious. These two were so thirsty (lovingly) for each 😂 I loved their banter. Equal parts steamy and funny, and in general this book was just SOOO much fun!

Thank you to Nisha J. Tuli, Forever and NetGalley for the eARC.

4.5/5


This book reminded me of a mash up between an Ali Hazelwood and Christina Lauren book in the best way! It is witty, has a touch of science, has an unrealistic but enviable location of a work trip to Hawaii, and two great main characters. What is not to love!?

If you like rivals to lovers and forced proximity, you should read this book.

Thank you to Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for the honest review.

Wow wow wow....I enjoyed every moment of NSFW. The perfect amount of slow burn and then fireworks. Did I know I was going to read this is one sitting...nope...but damn I enjoyed all of it.

"...it's hard to believe you're an introvert because you shine in every room you enter." ✨️ 🔥

Off to go read all my favorite quotes to my husband...🏃🏾‍♀️🏃🏾‍♀️ and to read Nisha's entire backlist

Loved it! So well and smartly written, unpredictable and great enemies to lovers story. Also very realistic, I sometimes struggle to believe in overly idealistic romance books but this one felt very good to me. Loved the main female character with her strong morals who didn’t shy away from telling it like it is

Enemies-to-lovers and forced proximity tropes set in a luxurious Maui resort—nope, I’m not talking about White Lotus (this isn’t a dark comedy-mystery), but rather a perfectly swoony romance that every reader should escape into for a delightful break from daily stress.

This was a one-sitting, popcorn-read that I breezed through with ease. The story follows Trishara Malik, a young, ambitious engineer who has been working at WMC Purcell for five years following a traumatic experience at a failed startup that left her heartbroken and humiliated. Unfortunately, her current workplace isn’t much better—she loses out on a promotion to her boss’s entitled son, Rafe Gallagher, her arch-nemesis and workplace pain-in-the-neck. She deals with constant mansplaining and the inappropriate behavior of Rafe’s cousin Rory, while quietly dreaming of better opportunities elsewhere.

Just when things look bleak, Trishara is selected for an elite company leadership retreat—on the tropical paradise of Maui! But there’s a catch: Rafe will be there too. Still, she’s determined to use the trip to network and secure a coveted training opportunity in New York. She can ignore him for three weeks… right?

Except she didn’t count on a mix-up that results in one room, one bed. Now trapped in each other’s personal space, Trishara tries to keep her cool around the maddeningly charismatic man she secretly kind of has a crush on. But as the retreat unfolds, she begins to see a different side of Rafe—a man frustrated with his own family dynamics, aware of the workplace injustice she faces, and maybe not the smug jerk she always thought.

What if Rafe doesn’t hate her at all? What if their undeniable chemistry isn’t just a fluke? And most importantly, can Trishara risk her already-bruised heart for a second chance at something real?

Overall: This is an entertaining and thought-provoking romance with strong themes of workplace equality, earning a solid 3.5 (rounded up to 4) stars from me. “Aloha” to this charming escape—I’m excited to read more from this author!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for the digital review copy in exchange for my honest thoughts.

This was a sweet, spicy romance. I enjoyed the chemistry between Tris and Rafe (the yearning!) and I was rooting so hard for them. I also really enjoyed how this book highlighted how hard it is to be a BIPOC woman in a male-dominated field (or any field, really). Tris was a fun main character and the ending left me so satisfied. This will be perfect for summer!

3.5 STARS

This book started out really strong in the first half with a really likable female lead character and lots of positive female friendships and good hate-chemistry between the leads.

At about the halfway mark the story slowed down significantly and I felt like I was reading a lot about a work retreat and not a lot about the furthering of this enemies to lovers romance.

Sadly, after these characters finally get together and we get a handful of really excellent spicy scenes, the end of the book kind of fizzled for me. The ending felt rushed and highly predictable and I really disliked the romantic grand gesture.

there were so many really good things about the story but in the end it turned out to just be a middle-of-the-pack read for me.

SPICE LEVEL: Rated R / 2-4 descriptive sex scenes, may have harsh language.
CONTENT WARNING: workplace sexual harassment, revenge porn
FEELS: 2/5 - A bit of drama, but still a pretty light read.
POV: Single - F - 1st Person

HOLY SHIT THIS BOOK WAS FUCKING AMAZING, I LITERALLY COULDN'T PUT IT DOWN!! I NEED MORE FROM THIS AUTHOR IMMEDIATELY.

The setup: Trishara’s promotion went to her work nemesis (the boss’s son, *eye roll*) Rafe. After years of hard work as one of the few women and even fewer women of color in her career field, she is shocked when her boss selects her to attend a corporate leadership event in Hawaii. The 3 week long retreat could give her the opportunity to win a spot in their company’s executive training program. The catch? Rafe is going, too. No problem, Tris can just avoid Rafe. Which would have been easy except that the resort is fully booked and for some reason, the front desk put Tris and Rafe in the honeymoon suite together. The close quarters force them together and something more than animosity grows between them as they compete their way through the event.

My thoughts: Nisha’s touch is golden. I have loved everything I have ever read by her, and she does it again with NSFW. I’m convinced she can write anything! The banter, the representation of a bipoc woman in STEM, the tension in sharing a hotel suite with your hot workplace rival (sort of boss).. All of it is written so well! Literally made me want to kick my feet and giggle so many times. Nisha builds tension and relationship between her characters masterfully. If you don’t mind suspending your disbelief about workplace(ish) romances with a slight power imbalance, I think you’ll love this. (Though she did a great job of acknowledging those power dynamics and how they played out in Tris and Rafe’s relationship.) Tris gives very strong enneagram 3 vibes. Also there are some very hot moments in the resort gym.

The vibes:
Workplace rivals to lovers who are always competing
Shared hotel suite + forced proximity
Bipoc FMC in STEM
Light-hearted
Banter
MMC who loves to bake
Hawaiian resort
Corporate work event
Open door spice

I received this as an ARC, and my review contains my honest thoughts and opinions.

This was a fun and tropical romance read! I enjoyed the story overall. I wished we got to know the characters a bit more and sometimes I felt the characters were a bit immature. There also didn’t seem to be a reason for them to hate each other. However, I enjoyed the tension and how their relationship grew. The spice was hot! A good poolside summer romance read.

Sparks fly between work enemies as Tris and Rafe are selected to attend a retreat in Hawaii. This was my first book by the author and I was pleasantly surprised at how much this romance worked for me! Just the right kind of slow-burn with great chemistry between the characters, killer FMC and swoony tortured hero MMC.

I thought Tris was super likable, very smart and relatable. The book is entirely from her POV and we really get to know her throughout the story. It’s a fun enemies to lovers romance with a STEM theme, they’re in Maui and the atmosphere was tropical and relaxing. I really enjoyed the work drama plot, Chapter 28 is particularly outstanding in the finale!

The romance started out slow, a previous work relationship and its fallout hang over Tris’ head, and her reluctance to purse relations with Rafe were a big hurdle. Once the characters got together it was fast and steamy, with a small wrench thrown in to add tension. Recommending this to fans of Summery enemies to lovers romances!

Thank you to Forever for the free review copy.

2 1/2 stars, DNF

Engineer Tris is a woman competing in a man’s world, in a job she’s not very happy in. After being passed over for several positions, she—and Rafe, the son of boss, who happens to be her nemesis—are selected for a three week leadership institute in Maui. After negotiating (blackmailing) the leadership team into arranging for first class accommodations and new matching, monogrammed luggage, Tris is looking forward to wearing her new tropical wardrobe and ordering umbrella drinks between sessions. The person who made their arrangements booked Rafe and Tris into a one-bedroom suite.

Always competitive at work, Rafe is something else on retreat: territorial, derailing Tris’s potential plans to hookup with someone and put an end to her long dry spell. I’m guessing his instincts are correct about the dude hitting on Tris, day one, and it’s Rafe who will break the dry spell, because just one bed is the Chekhov’s rifle of romance.

For those who love the excitement , power balance, and suspense that the fear of getting caught adds, Tuli brings all the drama (dating is, of course, forbidden at the firm). Tris lusts after Rafe, even as she’s repelled by his behavior, the nepotism, and the inequity of women’s labor. Part of Tris’s reluctance to engage is due to her cheating ex. The misogyny and bro-ey-ness of her workplace is all too believable and while Rafe doesn’t participate, he doesn’t step up and advocate.

The writing was a bit lacking. Knowing when to leave details off the page is vital; I only need a head to toe recap on every outfit worn by every character when these a fashion theme. It helps to establish character, especially if the author goes beyond just color for the description of the sneakers, but you don’t need a blow by blow on the OOTD every day.

A mark of skill is interweaving the action and dialogue, so there are chunks or text that are one or the other, creating a whiplash effect. Emotions were limited to the outer wheel: anger, lust, hate; I found conveying a death threat about a coworker over the top.

I didn’t think Tris’s voice firmly established itself as unique, or as anything other than a lusty, kind-of-mean, advantageous, chip-on-her-shoulder sort of person, and even with the backstory to support her point of view, she wasn’t likeable enough for me to pursue the rest of the tale. I put it down at 25% complete and switched to another book, where the voice of the protagonist and the immersive writing immediately drew me in.

I received a free, advance reader’s review copy of #NotSafeForWork via NetGalley, courtesy of #Forever. A review will post to HLBB 5/30/2025.