When I say I sat down to read it, this book consumed me, and then all of a sudden it was over, I mean it.

I fell in love with both Tris and Rafe. I knew that Nisha could write a killer romance based on Artefacts of Ouranos, but to see it in romcom action made me fall even further in love with her writing. From the slow burn, enemies to lovers, workplace romance, and ONE BED!!! I was swooning constantly. The pacing was perfect, never a lull in sight.

What I loved the most about this book was the topic of sexism in the workplace and how realistic her descriptions were when in a male dominated field. Women do have to work twice as hard to get any recognition and respect, the potential for sexual harassment and inappropriate behavior, and even the reality of being fired just for sticking up for yourself. These are realities women face EVERY SINGLE DAY and the fact that she made she to highlight the significance of this made me proud to be a woman in STEM and that I am not unnoticed.

Tris was a phenomenal FMC and I could not get enough of her. She always had the perfect witty response, was willing to stand up for herself, and proved that women do have a place at the table, the head of the table. Rafe was dreamy in so many other areas. His broody temperament, ‘caveman’ response to anyone going near Tris, and how much he adore and respected her made me love him all the more.

For being a contemporary romance debut, I applaud Nisha J. Tuli and cannot wait to see what she puts out next. I am also hoping (triple fingers crossed) we get a cameo of Tris and Rafe in any future romance books she puts out!

Thank you to the publisher for an ARC in exchange for my honest review and opinion.

3.5 stars! Not Safe For Work is an office romance featuring rivals that win a company sponsored training program opportunity to Hawaii. Very cute and for fans of Ali Hazelwood for sure. I’m glad she’s writing contemporary romance in addition to fantasy- I’ll definitely check out her future books! The reasons it’s not 5 stars for me is that I didn’t really believe they fell in love in the time frame? It went enemies to lovers in 3 weeks and the first 10 days were filled with miscommunications. Sure it was after 5 years of knowing each other but it didn’t really seem like they had interactions that felt … positive. And the main conflict was very messy to me where if this happened IRL I’d tell my friend to RUN lol. BUT I did enjoy the setting and the premise of the book. I love a good office romance and haven’t felt vibes like this since the hating game!

You’d think with a title like NSFW it’d be a little more **risqué** but honestly it was like a 2.5, maybe a 3 in terms of spice.

Thank you to the author and publisher for the ARC. NSFW is out now!

I loved seeing a brown woman in STEM standing up for herself. I also loved seeing her with a man who knows how powerful she is and can meet her there. These two were so good together and this book was hot hot hot.

Thank you to NetGalley, Forever, and Ms. Tuli for the opportunity to read an ARC of this title. An honest review was requested but not required.

I've had Ms. Tuli's romantasy series on my radar for a while so I was intrigued by the chance to sample some of her work (albeit of a different genre). I was pleasantly surprised by this book. Trishara Malik is a non-white, non-male engineer and as such struggles daily against blatant and implicit racism and sexism at work. She is on the verge of walking away from her job when she is offered the opportunity to attend a leadership conference in Hawaii. Also in attendance? And, due to a booking snafu, her new roommate for the next several weeks? Her office 'nemesis', the owner's son, Rafe.

Of COURSE Tris and Rafe strike sparks off each other and of COURSE their rivalry escalates into outright war. The snarkiness is definite and a lot of fun. I wish there was a little more exploration of Rafe's character; outside his rivalry/connection with Tris and his rocky relationship with his dad, there really isn't a lot. And I would have LOVED more, more, more of Tris showing those Khakis who's boss. Seeing a woman succeed, especially a woman of color, would have been so gratifying. Tris was complimented, but only one-on-one, and her successes and skills largely went unremarked during the conference by the administration. I suppose that's what made her later email so, ahem, satisfactory. I was wondering if the author has ever sent such a communication? (since she said the book was directly inspired by her experiences as a woman in STEM.).

To be completely honest, as cute as Tris/Rafe were, I wouldn't have even minded if there was no romance at all, because Tris' trouncing of the Khakis was so satisfying.

Overall, a fun contemporary romance especially if you're in the mood for a feisty woman showing up some lame-o guys. (Who's not!?!)

⭐⭐⭐⭐

This book was everything! It was such a slow burn and then 🔥🔥🔥 INFERNO! I am a sucker for Just One Bed and this one didn’t miss. Workplace rivals is also one of my faves so that added to the joy. Tris was such a strong female presence- AANHPI, STEM, and a badass! Rage was a model for the he falls first trope and he was in hard! The Maui resort setting was perfect.

This is a great rom-com with plenty of banter and chemistry between Tris and Rafe. The tension between these two is so palpable you could cut it with a knife. This is a slow burn… until it’s not. But not only is this a romance, you get chronic illness rep (migraines) and great women in STEM representation. Nisha transported me to Hawaii and this would be a great beach read for the summer.

Thank you to Forever for the arc!
4.5/5 stars

Tris has all but given up on a chance for advancement in her company so imagine her surprise when she’s one of two chosen for the company’s big leadership retreat in paradise. The only problem is she stuck with her nemesis and nepo hire Rafe. As if that’s not bad enough, a mix up leads them stuck in a room together for the entire multi week trip. Now they have no choice but to find a way to get along or risk their positions in the company. The more time they spend together the more she finds out she knew nothing about Rafe and the harder it becomes to remind herself why she doesn’t get involved with coworkers.

As a woman in STEM who is also living that chronic migraine life, I was very excited to pick this one up. Tris’ struggles both personally and professionally were easily relatable and I think Nisha did a fantastic job portraying the migraine life without making it her entire personality. Most of us take our meds and do what we have to in order to make it through another day of pain. I felt it in my soul when he said that he didn’t like her having to take all that medicine and she said well it’s that or be unable to function.

The gorgeous tropical setting will make this the perfect summer read! I would only caution those who don’t enjoy OW drama that there is a fair amount even though the OW has very little page time. But if that doesn’t bother you and you’re looking for an easy to binge slow burn rivals to lovers workplace romance with a very satisfying HEA then I would recommend picking this one up!

A rivals to lovers in a professional setting, when Tris and Rafe get picked to go on their companies training retreat in Hawaii they’re forced to not only share a room from a booking fluke (hello one bed trope the entiiiiire book!!) but face their own issues they have with their job. I loved seeing Tris warm up to Rafe while simultaneously standing up for herself in her job.

This book is for fans of Ali Hazelwood stem-inist books!

Not Safe for Work by Nisha J. Tuli
Length: 320 pages
Source: NetGalley eARC
Publication date: May 20, 2025

What to expect:
🌺 MF workplace romance
🌺 Rivals to lovers
🌺 Obsessed with each other
🌺 Forced proximity
🌺 Slow burn

Workplace romances aren’t generally my thing, so this is a solid 3-star book for me. The things I tend to like about them—tension, banter, humor—are there. Tris is witty and outspoken, and I appreciate the author’s glimpse into the STEMinist world, especially for a reader like me, who has zero skill sets that would be good for that world. I feel like I can still relate because if you’re female or female-presenting, you’ve probably lived through, at least once, the sexism and chauvinism that Tris faces.

That being said, the book didn’t really hold my attention, and it took me longer than normal to finish it. I found myself constantly taking breaks, starting other books, and generally dragging my feet to keep going with Tris and Rafe. Part of it, I’m sure, is that I don’t normally gravitate to workplace romance, as mentioned. When I do, the workplace tends to be a hockey rink, a music stage, etc. But an equally distracting thing that I think kept me from just blowing through this book in one or two sittings is that as much as Tris and Rafe are a good match, they seem a bit immature at times for two people who are supposed to be in their late 20s. That immaturity makes the "lovable characters" thing harder to digest.

Bottom line: If workplace romance is your thing, or if you’re already a fan of the author, you’ll probably want to pick up this one. I enjoyed the read overall but probably won’t come back for a re-read in the future.

— A

Thanks to NetGalley, Forever, and Nisha J. Tuli for an eARC of this book. All opinions are mine.

Not Safe for Work is a sizzling, slow-burn workplace romance that brings the heat—and the heart. Trishara Malik is a smart, ambitious woman in STEM fighting to break the glass ceiling, only to have the promotion she earned handed to the boss’s infuriatingly charming son, Rafe Gallagher. Cue a forced-proximity work retreat in Hawaii and a one-bed honeymoon suite mix-up, and the tension between these two explodes in the best way.

Enemies to lovers? Check. Grumpy banter? Check. Excellent feminist fire from Tris? Absolutely. And Rafe? He’ll surprise you—in the best way.

Favorite quote: “There’s nothing unmissable about you... That’s all I meant. That there isn’t anywhere you could go where everyone wouldn’t notice you.”
And trust me—you’ll notice this book. It’s unputdownable and so much fun!

Thank you to Netgalley for the eARC!

I don’t think this book is for me, I don’t want to bring down the rating so I decided to leave 5 starts.

This was my first book by Nisha Tuli, and I flew through it—I’m definitely curious to check out more of her work now.

What I loved most was the slow-burn romance between Tris and Rafe—so much tension, chemistry, and payoff. Their dynamic was full of misunderstandings, longing looks, and yes, the beloved only-one-bed trope, all done so well.

But what really stayed with me was the deeper theme: a woman of color fighting to be seen and respected in a male-dominated, predominantly white space. Tris’s struggles felt real, relatable, and powerful. Her strength and voice made me love her even more.

Thank you NetGalley, publisher, and Nisha for the eARC!

I ADORED this book. I, like so many others, love Nisha’s romantasy novels, but I think that she may have just outdone herself with this contemporary romance.

The book follows Tris and her work rival, Rafe. They’ve been in competition since she started at the company and they cannot stand each other. Or can they?

A tropical setting, some well placed tension, and some delicious desserts make up this brilliant rivals-to-romance story. I adored Tris, and even Rafe, from the very beginning. I was HOOKED. I think this is the fastest I’ve ever finished a romance in my life.

I can’t wait to see what else Nisha releases, and a HUGE thank you to both her and her publisher for the opportunity to read this a little early as an arc 🩷

I really enjoyed this book, the SLOW burn was everything. The way these two wanted each other, too bad Tris has a rule of not dating anyone she works with. These two go on a work trip, unfortunately there was a mixup and they end up in the same room. There’s also only ONE bed 🤭 I really loved Tris, she’s had a rough time with dating in the past. She so badly tries to deny her feelings for Rafe, but these two are meant to be 🥰

Thank you Forever Publishing for the ARC!

“I love the way you charge through life as though you don’t give a shit what anyone thinks.”

Not Safe for Work at its core is an ode to every woman in STEM that has had to prove themselves twice as much as their male counterparts. As a woman in STEM I see so much of myself in Tris. I love her strength and tenacity to prove herself amongst the men that dominate her world, even if it’s just to say fuck you to the hand that’s dealt to her. The dynamic between Tris and Rafe is absolutely amazing. I love the coworker enemies to lovers trope and the two of them perfectly embody it. Once they come together Rafe’s support of Tris is something I can only dream of. I especially loved the migraine scenes since I am a migraine sufferer myself and wish I had someone like him to support me through it. Not Safe For Work is going to be a book I come back to all the time to binge read until four am.

4.5 stars *** rounded up

I loved this. Rafe is literally goals. I was swooningggg. I loved their dynamic and their BANTER. OMG. They like did not hold back at all.

My only issue was the pacing in the last 30% - I loved the slow burn but then it felt overloaded with spice in those last few chapters.

Thank you @netgalley and @readforeverpub for this eARC!

This was a 4 ⭐️ but I will be honest that I didn’t quite connect with the characters.

I enjoyed getting to know Tris and Rafe! Their banter and chemistry was so good!

Tris is so strong and resilient and this book narrates exactly how the corporate world treats women. I know that lots of women go through what Tris went through, and my God..

Rafe is so passionate and funny. I loved learning more about him and finding out that he’s not like every other guy and there’s more to him than what he lets on.

Lots of healing and learning in this book. I recommend it!

• Work place romance
• Nemesis to lovers

And this book is out TODAY, May 20!

I absolutely ADORED this book, it was witty, and heartfelt, and poignant, all while having the most delicious romantic slowburn. Trishara and Rafe have such a beautiful love story and I loved collecting smiles alongside them! Nisha J. Tuli crafted such a whirlwind romance that once you start reading I promise you will not be able to put it down. The perfect summer romance that I am sure is best enjoyed by a body of water with a drink in hand.

Tris was one of the funniest people I have ever read, her inner monologue was always spot on and I was laughing out loud at multiple points. I was also cheering her on the entire time as she faced the sexism and patriarchy of the stem world head on! She is such a great example for all women and I know I could stand to gain if I channeled a little more of her into my life! The queen of confidence and knowing her worth, even if she had lost her way for a little bit there!

Rafe was such a pleasant surprise, I expected broody grump but was met with such a deeper character full of interesting facets! I loved his growth and watching him come out of his shell so much!

These two have a love story for the ages and I was truly grinning ear to ear by the end of this book just so happy seeing Tris and Rafe get their happily ever after! Cannot recommend this enough, a rom com with so much heart and characters you can’t help falling for!

Not Safe for Work by Nisha J Tuli
Pub Date: 5/20/25
Format: ebook/audio hybrid
Rating: 4.5 stars!

Oooooh this is a slow burn for the corporate girlies who are so sick of men's bullshit in the workplace, but still love a nice rolled sleeve/forearm moment. This is not only a romantic comedy where our FMC Trishara is a woman of color in the corporate world - but also a woman of color working in STEM! Oof. I felt like the office dynamics were captured SO well before the setting of this book moved to the resort/trip part of her journey that I didn't even want to root for Rafe at first. I just wanted her to get out immediately and burn the place to the ground.

....However, I guess I'm glad she didn't because this book was so fun! We have forced proximity, rivals to lovers, the one bed trope, and that excellent banter that we have come to love and expect from Tuli! Were moments of this a bit unbelievable? Yes. Did I mind? Absolutely not. I was too invested in their shenanigans to really try to root certain pieces in reality.

The tension in this romantic comedy is delicious and narrator Soneela Nankani really made the audiobook deliver! It had vibes of an old school romcom movie and just absolutely adored this contemporary romance from Tuli. I truly hope we get much more of this genre from her in the future!

4.5/5 stars
2/5 spice

Tropes:
Rivals to lovers
Workplace romance
Forced proximity
One Bed
Slow burn
Single POV

I really loved this debut novel for this author's foray into a new genre. The story was compelling, relatable, funny, and romantic. Both MCs were crushing from the start but of course, walls were built and hostility grew to keep each other at arms length. Rafe showed Tris respect despite needling her, it only took their forced cohabitation for Tris to see he wasn't the villain. Their character growth and mutual pining really made it easy for them to crumble those walls they had built... and I love seeing that trust grow. The slow burn had just the right amount of angst and was totally worth it.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. Please pay attention to the trigger and content warnings. Despite being a romcom there were a few heavy moments that could be triggering. But the way it was resolved was chefs kiss. I highly recommend this book for fans of workplace romance, enemies to lovers, rivals to lovers, and diverse characters.

Thank you to Netgalley and Forever for the ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own and offered voluntarily.