This was my intro to Nisha J. Tuli (though I've been wanting to read Trial of the Sun Queen for a while) and I love her oh my god. I finished Sunrise on the Reaping about a week ago and it put me in a slump and this was the perfect book to free me from it. I loved the concept (especially since it reminded me of Two Can Play by Ali Hazelwood which I loved and wanted more of) and it was executed perfectly! I hate workplace romances because I find them to be repetitive and sometimes embarrassing for the main characters, but thankfully this book was free of all of my workplace romance icks.

The characters:
I loved Tris and how she actually felt like a well rounded fmc and not a caricature of a corporate girl boss. She's multilayered and also really funny (like actually made me laugh, and not just like a Funny Girl) I think the representation of a woman of color facing workplace discrimination is an extremely important story to tell, especially while DEI is being taken away across the country. This book effectively makes the point that even with DEI initiatives, the playing field is NOT level for people of color, and especially for women of color in male dominated fields.

I also really liked Rafe, even though I immediately judged him by his name (I hate Rafe from outer banks and couldn't tell if this was going to be a fanfic-esque moment) but he was actually great and I loved how many small details were slowly revealed about him while him and Tris were getting to know each other. Like he's a baking influencer that also has a corporate job (this reminded me of the finance bro on TikTok that does cake reviews I love him) and he's been sketching her in her office??? omg. At first I wasn't sure he would be a real yearner but he was a little obsessed once he started opening himself up to vulnerability. On that note, I will say that I wish there was little bit more detail about his complicated family relationships, especially with his dad, but there was definitely enough context that it didn't feel like a forgotten plot.

Their relationship was so cute too. I typically hate the enemies/workplace rivals to lovers dynamic because is it really that serious?? You hate this man for what? Being bad at excel? This was definitely not the vibe they had. It was much more rivalry, not because it was necessary but out of a love for the game (the game is called being a hater) and as a petty bitch I loved this. It was flirty but not cringey, and the dialogue felt realistic. I loved the slow burn (which was done WELL. not just ugh I hate/am indifferent to you then we fall in love in the last 25% of the book). Need to know if Nisha J. Tuli was an ao3 warrior. But the slow opening up to each other and willingness to be vulnerable between two people that are terrified of vulnerability was so amazing to read and I was kicking my feet and giggling every time they ordered room service and just talked.

Another detail I really appreciated was the female friendships. I love seeing a fmc love other women and support them and there were at least three close female friendships in this book (and not very many main characters). I also loved the moment that Tris realizes the woman she's been idolizing is complicit in the system that tried to make her fail, and the second she succeeded she allowed it to continue to make other women fail. This was a really important detail for me at least.

Lastly, this book was addictive and fast paced and I read it in about 6 hours, which is all I really want from a romcom. It's not easy to have that addictive factor because I can't think of any one thing that creates it, but Nisha J. Tuli was able to capture it in this book. Also I really want to read a 2000s style bodice ripper-esque villain romance from Nisha J. Tuli now.

5 ⭐️ 3 🌶️
Contemporary Romance
Tropes: Rivals to Lovers, Coworkers, One Bed/Room

I wanted to call this a workplace romance, and it is. But it also takes place at a tropical retreat so you kind of get vacation vibes too. I could actually very clearly picture the locations in this book and that doesn’t always happen for me.

Living in Tris’s head was so fun and I loved her banter with Rafe. Some of the situations they get into are hilarious. The side characters are interesting (OMG Whistle Mouth lol).

I have to say the sexism in the workplace felt very realistic. So much so that it freaking pissed me off for a while. And the thing about the “ khakis” was spot on.

Nisha’s books have been on my TBR for a while and I haven’t gotten to them yet (I’m sorry, my TBR is way too long). This cover just drew me in and I had to request an ARC.

Ambitious engineer Trishara Malik is forced to share a honeymoon suite in Hawaii with her infuriating rival, Rafe Gallagher, during a high-stakes corporate retreat. As the competition heats up, Tris begins to question her assumptions about Rafe and discovers that love might be the most unexpected twist of all.

I’ve read Nisha’s Artefacts of Ouranos series, so I was excited to see her dipping into contemporary romance. This kind of reminded me of a mix between The Unhoneymooners and The Hating Game. Unfortunately, this was a miss for me. I had mixed feelings about Trishara. I understood why she behaved the way she did, but at times, she came across as too immature for her age. I couldn’t feel the chemistry between her and Rafe. They seemed to have this weird insta-lust without any real emotional connection. Both were hot and cold and their immaturity brought out the worst in each other to the point where I didn’t particularly like either of them. The story is told entirely from Trishara’s perspective. While Trishara’s emotions were clear, some of the feelings were repeated a bit too often. I think the book could’ve benefited from Rafe’s POV to better understand his behavior, thoughts, and backstory as he was definitely underdeveloped. The pacing was also inconsistent which made it hard for me to stay fully engaged. I wasn’t a big fan of the ending either. It felt like too much was happening at once which made it hard to focus. Overall, this one just wasn’t for me.

*Thank you to Forever and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest review*

As a woman in STEM, thank you Nisha for writing this book. So many of the microaggressions in this book have happened to me, though thankfully not the lecherous ones. I really identified with Tishara throughout - she's so hungry for recognition and a promotion, while also refusing to put up with any misogynistic bullshit. But moreover I loved how much she grew when she stopped competing with Rafe and started listening instead. While an enemies or rivals to lovers story is built on miscommunications, I liked how Molly and Lan were quick to point out what a down bad caveman Rafe was for her. And the Artefacts of Ouranos Easter egg on the plane? Loooooved it.

I hope that Nisha J Tuli keeps writing some romances in addition to her fantasy books because she's really dang great at it. This story was dynamic and kept me interested in every plot point, just a standing ovation.

Not Safe for Work is a contemporary workplace romance that features an enemies to lovers plot line, plus forced proximity, and only one bed tropes.

Honestly, I feel like this book just wasn’t for me—I didn’t especially connect to the main characters because it felt like they were too perfect and attractive. However, I’d recommend it to fans of The Hating Game, another enemies to lovers workplace romance. Not Safe for Work also had some similar elements to Ali Hazelwood’s novels, but I feel like her characters are a little more quirky and relatable.

A welcome diversion from the romantasy genre, Ms. Tuli’s first contemporary romance has hints of Ali Hazelwood, Tessa Bailey, and Ana Huang.

This is a single POV, and it follows the standard romance beats, allowing the reader to easily fill in the gaps left by not sharing the MMC’s POV.

We’re treated to a workplace enemies-to-lovers, while a sensitive treatment of the struggles women and minorities face in STEM and in corporate politics. It’s eye-opening and at times difficult to swallow.

4 stars because some of the characters choices and responses are annoying, and the story is highly choreographed to make a point. It’s still an enjoyable read.

This is my first book by this Author and I wasn’t impressed. This book had so much potential. The cover is adorable. The FMC was annoying. She sexualized Rafe but complained about others doing that to her. I loved the idea of the plot but to me it fell flat. I loved her resignation letter! Rafe was everything. His mouth, he bakes, chefs kiss.

Trishara is my hero!!! I love her so freaking much. This book had me rolling laughing and ready to cry at any given moment. The banter was so great. I loved the rivals to lovers and the slow burn to get there. This was so great and I can’t wait to read more by this author!!

Not Safe for Work is definitely one you wouldn’t want to be caught reading at work but one that is more than worthy of the risk. Our main character is Tris, bogged down by her corporate job that continually passes her over. She gets selected for their corporate retreat where she has the opportunity for a big promotion, but of course her nemesis, the boss’ son, Rafe, is selected as well. Is anyone really shocked? Tris end up being the most shocked when she discovers not thought he was the whole time, she’s known him .
What made this different for me versus other books with slightly similar premises, like the Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren was that the main character has a lot of emotional baggage in her personal and corporate life that made her feel real. I was as equally upset at the injustice she and her friends suffered in their workplace and at the retreat. I also ADORE a slow burn. It definitely paid off in spades. The one thing that took me out of it a bit was that Rafe was absolutely too perfect for words. He was definitely written by a woman, and I wish he was real. He didn’t always do or say the right things, but he always tried. If you were looking for a fun contemporary real romance, you can’t go wrong by picking up this book. 18/10 stars

3 ⭐️ This is a tough rating, on one hand the tension was great but that’s all it really had going for it besides a pretty great woman empowerment messaging at the end. The rest of this book was not my favorite for many reasons. For starters, the fmc is unbearably immature. She acts more like an early 20something than someone nearing her 30s. Trishara is also supposed to be some brilliant woman in STEM and every thought she had during this top performer training was lust over her “work nemesis” it just didn’t work at all. I actually thought about DNFing this book for the first 30% or so. There wasn’t much in terms of actual emotional connection between Tris and Rafe, I just didn’t buy it outside of lust. The story too felt pretty paint by numbers, I feel like it wasn’t very original and I can’t stand when non communication gets in the way as a main conflict. There’s just so much I didn’t like at all.

What redeemed this book at least a little, was the tension was pretty hot. This is a slow burn and I definitely felt the intense attraction between these two. I also liked the story of Tris standing up for herself and women in a male dominated workplace. The story wasn’t perfect but it tried to redeem itself at the end with a strong empowerment arc. The setting should have also been pretty dreamy but not much was done with it to really feel like this was in Hawaii. Overall it was a pretty mid tier romance that I would hesitantly recommend.

This was my 32nd book of 2025.
Format: ARC, egalley

Thank you to NetGalley and Forever Publishing for the gifted egalley in exchange for my honest review. This book is set to publish on May 20, 2025.

3.5/5 stars
2/5 spice

You best believe I FLEW through Not Safe For Work by Nisha J Tuli. Nisha has such an addicting writing style, it is so easy to find yourself halfway through one of her books in the blink of an eye. I also am a sucker for STEM romances.

I really enjoyed Rafe and Trishara's romance, but sometimes it felt a bit whiplash-y. I love a good enemies/rivals to lovers plotline but I felt that Rafe was a bit too hot and cold throughout, despite being very obviously in love with Trish. I was definitely rooting for them, but also found their relationship a tad lackluster. I did find myself blushing a few times though.

I think this is easily a book I would pick up again in the future, and I really hope that Nisha writes more Contemporary Romances, especially in the STEM world! Overall, I had a good time with Not Safe For Work and can't wait for the romance world to get their hands on it in May!

✨Not Safe For Work✨

Author: Nisha J. Tuli
Release date: May 20, 2025

Contemporary romance is not my typical niche but apparently if it’s by Nisha, I AM 💯. After having read her Artefacts of Ouranos series, I knew that no matter what she’d take good care of me. And she ABSOLUTELY did that! Along with a few quips that nodded to her other writings that I ADORED and made me feel like I was in on a secret.

In NSFW, we follow the first person POV of our whimsical and feisty BIPOC FMC as she tries to break glass ceilings in a corporate man’s world. When she is awarded a 3-week work trip to Maui, Tris is set on not only moving forward but finding out what she truly wants and deserves in her life and career. However, it’s not all mimosas and poolside vibes when she finds out the other colleague joining her is her arch nemesis and boss’s son, Rafe. Oh, and the rooms had an issue so now they have to share a suite for the duration of the retreat.

I absolutely DEVOURED this book. In one day, I avoided as many duties as I possibly could so I could spend more time with Tris and Rafe. Their connection was tense, angsty, and desirable. I loved the whimsy, the humor, the depth, and seeing these characters unravel on their own and together. It was such a beautiful story that truly made me giggle and find joy during my time with it. I am honestly REALLY sad it’s over and I fully plan to reread this.

Tropes you may find in NSFW are rivals to lovers, forced proximity, workplace romance, slooooow burn to medium spice, comfort and anxiety rep, one bed, BIPOC and STEM engineer FMC, so much delectable banter, and a heartwarming ending.

Thank you, Nisha, Netgalley, and Read Forever Pub for allowing me to be an arc reader for this wonderful read!

An amazing swoony read that was a great look at corporate America and the disparages that women and particularly BIPOC women face in day to day corporate structures. The characters grew and grew together along with facing and overcoming their pasts in different ways. Definitely a great read. ❤️

I LOVE Nisha’s Artifacts of Ouranos series so I was really looking forward to this contemporary romance from her.

The first 40% is GOOD. I ate it up, couldn’t stop reading. But then it kind of just fizzled out for me. In the end, the characters were lacking a certain amount of depth and the romance was lackluster.

Not Safe for Work is Nisha J. Tuli's first romcom book after her stunning fantasy series and she did not disappoint. In this book, we follow Tris - a WOC in a STEM field where she has to deal with constant misogyny and sexism. We watch as she has difficulty navigating a world that is primarily men and we learn about her history of being passed over for jobs so that unqualified men who have connections can have the job instead. She is invited to a leadership retreat that, spoiler, she was only invited to because she is a woman and they wanted to show their company is diverse. The portrayal of a toxic work culture was great and watching Tris go back and forth between the internalized misogyny and not wanting to cause a scene to wanting to stand up for herself, felt very realistic.

The male love interest is the son of a high exec who is also struggling to find his role in a company he really doesn't want a part of. The two start off as work nemeses and slowly develop into friends and then lovers. And this was a SLOW burn but it was so worth it. There were times I definitely wanted to shake some sense into Tris because she often goes back and forth with wanting to be with him and trying to convince herself she hates him or that he's the worst (he's not, he's pretty amazing).

I also really liked the side characters in this book. I would love a story centered on Lan and Gabrielle, maybe post-retreat as they try to navigate long distance.

Overall, this was such a fun read! Thank you to Nisha J. Tuli and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I’m not normally a contemporary romance reader but I have read the authors other works and like her writing style. This did not disappoint. It was well written, the main characters were fleshed out properly and had amazing chemistry. The side characters were supportive and I can see some great stories coming from them in the future. The storyline was amazing and probable, had great flow, and ended in a way that left you satisfied. There was just the right amount of spice to keep you engaged. It’s been a while since I’ve read such a good well written novel. Highly recommend.

Engineer Tris has tried to climb up the ladder at her company but one person has stood in her way - her nemesis Rafe, the boss’s son. She finally has a chance to resurrect her career and spend 3 weeks in paradise. The one catch - Rafe is coming too.

I loved this one! Nisha’s prose is witty, fun, and relatable. The tension between Tris and Rafe was delicious and those soft moments interwoven between the banter were everything! This one really hits the spot with the perfect blend of all our favorite tropes. Highly recommend!

𝑻𝒓𝒐𝒑𝒆𝒔:

🌴 Slow burn
❤️ Enemies to lovers
🌴 Workplace romance
❤️ BIPOC women in STEM
🌴 Only one hotel room and bed
❤️ Work retreat in Hawaii
🌴 Forced proximity

Potentially the vacation read of the summer!
Not Safe for Work is a rivals to lovers romance set at a company leadership retreat in Hawaii. Tris is chosen along with Rafe, the owner’s son and Tris’ work nemesis, to attend from their office, turning their rivalry into a steamy setting.

Tris’ story is so important, both being a woman of color in STEM and how she was treated when her ex basically blacklisted her in their industry. She had so much hurt and found new friends to open up to and her way forward in her career.

I enjoyed the pacing of the romance and the tension paid off when Rafe and Tris finally acted on their feelings! They both opened up so much throughout the book and got to know what the other was going through. I also loved how Rafe was looking out for Tris when it came to Evan and others who tried to put her down.

They are so hot when they finally get together but I also felt the ending was a bit quick. I would have liked to see more of their relationship after their feelings are realized.

Thank you to Netgalley and Forever for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This was a nice change from Nisha. There’s nothing like a slow burn, enemies to lovers office romance. I’m forever a fan.

Thank you NetGalley, Forever (Grand Central Publishing), and Nisha J. Tuli for the early access copy of Not Safe for Work.

Not Safe for Work follows the story of Trishara, an engineer who has been dealing with nepotism and white male privilege in the workplace. After watching her hard-earned promotion go to her nemesis Rafe, the bosses son, Tris realizes that she is burnt out and ready for a change. That is until she is offered the opportunity to go on a corporate leadership retreat in Hawaii that may revive her currently stagnant role. The only downside is that Raffe is going to be there too. Tris planned to ignore and avoid Rafe through the entire experience. But, when she arrived in Maui, a booking error has landed both Rafe and Tris in the honeymoon suite.

Not Safe for Work is an enemies-to-lovers, co-workers, there's only one bed romance. The tension Nisha J. Tuli creates with her characters is unreal, and easy to get wrapped up in.