Not Safe for Work is a solid rivals to lovers, workplace romance. The tension between the main characters was palpable and the release was very well written. Both main characters had great backstories (thank you for trigger/content warnings) that motivate them throughout the book. The side characters add both depth and comedy to the story.
Tuli is a great descriptive writer. I could picture every scene, outfit, and character perfectly.
My only issue is that the miscommunication, or misunderstanding surrounding the ex-girlfriend dragged on a bit too long and became unbelievable to me.

This was the perfect enemies to lovers, workplace romance. These characters had such good banter and it was really easy to root for them. Tris was a bit too stubborn at times imo but for good reason. She is everything I aspire to be in corporate America. Would def recommend this read!

There is nothing that Nisha writes that I won’t read! After writing such compelling and immersive fantasies of course she can also conquer the contemporary romance genre. I was fully in the story of Tris and Rafe. Their angry tension fueled their interactions at work and continued as they traveled to Hawaii. But was the tension ever really angry? Being pushed together again and again made them, or at least Tris see Rafe in a different light, with no filters. She’d been burned in the past and realizes that perhaps she lumped him with the rest of “the Kahakis” a little unfairly. I absolutely loved every minute of this book. Not only is it a wonderful story between Tris and Rafe, but it showcased the misogynistic and racial injustices that Tris and her fellow female and BIPOC colleagues face in the privileged white male dominated field. I can’t wait to see where Nisha takes us next.

Omg! I loved!!! This was such a fun read even though Tris & Rafe worked my nerves with all their back & forth!!

This was perfectly done. Enemies to lovers. One bed.

I loved how Rafe was so possessive and the competition between them definitely was entertaining 😂

Tris ATE that company up and all I heard was applause in my head because that’s how you do it!

This is the first book I have read by Nisha J. Tuli and I loved it. I cannot wait to go back and read more of her work.

The title of Not Safe for Work made me think it was going to be a little more kinky, but it was so much more than book smut. I loved Tris' line of work and the story behind her closed heart. Rafe was a little immature in the beginning, but I'm glad he got his head out of his butt before the end of the book.

I was fortunate enough to receive a copy of the audio book and the narrator was awesome. This was also the first I have listed to of hers and I have already done an audio book search for Soneela Nankani to add some to my collection.

Thank you for the copy, this is my honest opinion. Please be aware of any trigger warnings, as your mental health is most important.

to begin - i should not have requested this book in the first place. the cover drew me in, and i'm always going to try out new authors of color, but the hints of the plot shown in the blurb should have told me that this wasn't the right plot for me. i really tried to stick it out, and tried to rationalize some of tris' behavior (she's worshipping a white woman VP, as if that person is going to advocate for her, or will stand for the work that tris says she wants to do, but it's the beginning of the book, maybe tris will change!!) but ending up DNFing at 33%.

I overall enjoyed this one. The premise was unique and the STEM aspect and Ali Hazelwood comparison is what drew me into this book. As well as the enemies to lovers, workplace romance, and forced proximity tropes.

While both characters are engineers and the plot revolves around a work retreat for the company they work at, the book doesn’t totally focus on the STEM/engineering aspect (and I am not complaining) like Ali Hazelwood books tend to (they really tend to revolve around the STEM world and academia, again i’m not complaining I enjoy it either way.

I really loved the setting of this one, even though they are on a work retreat they are in a tropical location and are forced to share a room (WOO FREAKING HOO). i really enjoyed the vulnerability and shared moments between the two main characters in this one.

I really just loved everything about this one. the setting, Tris, how she had a backbone and was willing to stand up for herself, Rafe, how he was with Tris, I loved watching both main characters open up about their hopes, dreams, and feelings with one another as well as their histories and personal lives. Overall i just had a fun time with this one and found myself staying up saying “oh but just one more chapter” not wanting to put it down.

do i wish this was dual pov? yes yes absolutely, getting to see inside of Rafe’s mind really would’ve been the cherry on top. *chefs kiss*

i was happy with the way this one wrapped up and i’m glad both characters did what was best for them. this one touches on sexism in the workplace as well as even racism and micro aggressions. Tris our FMC is a woman of color in a primarily white male dominated field and she’s a badass. that email she sent at the end??? GO GET EM TRIS!!

Anyways you cant go wrong with an enemies to lovers, forced proximity, workplace romance book (maybe you can, but it’s hard to let me down when those three are all involved in one book)

Thank you Forever Publishing & Netgalley for the arc in exchange for an honest review! ALL thoughts and opinions are my own :)

So many fun tropes in this. Enemies, but not really, to lovers, forced proximity, only one bed!! All made for an entertaining read. Tris was a likable main character, smart, confident and strong enough to stand up for herself and others. Her walls made sense but I liked that she eventually let her guard down with Rafe.

Rafe was a good romantic lead, though I would have loved to get his pov to explain some of the hot and cold behaviour with Tris. Their chemistry was pretty hot. Whilst I liked most of the back and forth there were moments where it felt a little juvenile between them rather than two adults navigating their way around their complicated changing feelings for one another. Overall though I enjoyed reading this and the author did a good job pulling me into the story. A solid 3.5 ⭐️

Short Synopsis:
Trishara has been her butt off to smash the glass ceiling at her engineering company, only to be faced with white male privilege, blatant racism and company nepotism. But to her complete shock she is sent to a training program in Hawaii. The catch? Rafe - the boss’s son will be tagging along.

My Thoughts:
I’ve read Nisha’s Artefacts of Ouranos series and was excited to try her romance debut. And this was just so much fun!! I truly enjoyed NOT SAFE FOR WORK. Workplace romance is a trope I tend to struggle with - a lot of the times it comes with power dynamics or competition and I didn’t feel that with this one at all. (There’s completion on the beach but like healthy competition.) Rafe and Trishara were perfect. The banter was exceptional. The chemistry was sizzling. And it was beautifully written with a focus on a FMC of color in STEM.

The second half was a bit steamy for me. (I know, I know. The title is literally NSFW. But I thought it was a clever play on words. Whoops. 😆)

But truly enjoyed this one and had a great time with it. I did the audiobook and honestly highly recommend it that way. The narrator was phenomenal!

Also. Hannah needed to take a hint. 🙃

What You’ll Find:
Workplace romance
Enemies to lovers
Hawaii setting
Only one bed
BIPOC woman in STEM

Hot Hot Hot
Workplace romance set during a work trip
Fmc finally stands up for herself after getting overlooked for promotions
Great character development
Lots of tension and angst
Classic only one bed trope

Nisha. I'm sorry. I'm sorry that this is the first book of yours that I've read. I'll remedy that. Immediately.

Rivals to Lovers (I like this term better in contemporary, though sometimes you had to second guess whether or not Trishara was going to a little shabby- who could blame her). One bed (suite). Hawaii. Free things that work pays for!

But as a (non-technical) corporate girlie in the STEM industry - all those comments, the grey walls, the trying and trying to get ahead when all you feel is as if you're being left behind. Ouch.

I'll take my three week trip to Hawaii now.

Thanks Forever for the eARC, workplace trauma is all my own.

Overview:

Engineer Trishara Malik once dreamed of being the first woman of color to smash the glass ceiling at WMC Purcell, but after years of dealing with white male privilege and blatant nepotism, she watches her hard-earned promotion go to her nemesis, Rafe Gallagher—the boss’s son. Teetering on the edge of burnout, Tris is stunned when she’s picked to attend WMC's corporate leadership retreat in Hawaii. It’s a chance to revive her stalled career and compete for a coveted spot in an executive training program—plus, three weeks in paradise! The only downside? Rafe is her co-attendee.

Tris plans to avoid Rafe entirely, but when she arrives in Maui, a booking error has them stuck sharing the honeymoon suite. Sure, it’s not all torture. Rafe is a smoldering ten—okay fine, an eleven—but after years of competition, they can barely stand being in the same time zone. As they vie against each other during aptitude tests and team-building exercises, Tris begins to realize Rafe might not be the villain after all. With her dreams at stake, can she learn to trust the man who might have been standing in her corner all along?

Review:

This was such a fun and EASY read. You know how sometimes each page read feels like a struggle and a feat? This one just breezed by! I found myself laughing out loud in a room by myself while reading. Rafe is just *chefs kiss* for an MMC, and Tris is very sassy, if not a bit over the top. I loved peeling back the layers from both of them and learning more about their lives behind the scenes and beyond the assumptions that Tris has made during her tenure at work!

Lots of great representation in this novel, including mental health, LGBTQ, women of color, and women in STEM. It’s quite trope-y, but if you enjoy these tropes, you should definitely check out Not Safe for Work by Nisha J. Tuli when it releases on 20 May 2025!

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I just love this book and this author so much! I loved Nisha Tuli's fantasy romance writing, and I was just as impressed with this contemporary romance story. Tris was such a fun, sharp, relatable main character—I wanted to be her best friend immediately. The story does a great job blending the lighter romcom moments with some very real experiences around being a woman of color in a male-dominated workplace. It made me laugh, but it also made me think, and I really appreciated that balance.

Rafe completely won me over. The dynamic between him and Tris was full of tension in all the right ways, and I thought their slow shift from rivals to something more was paced so well. The banter, the grudging respect turning into trust—it all felt earned and satisfying. And the tropical retreat setting added such a fun backdrop without feeling over-the-top.

The ending wrapped up everything in a really fulfilling way, with just the right mix of romance, growth, and hope.

Thank you to NetGalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for an eARC of this book.

Trishara Malik is tired of the exclusionary corporate culture that caters to white men above all else. Regardless of qualification. Resigned to always be looked over while her workplace rival gains success, Tris has checked out on WMC Purcell. Until she was unexpectedly picked for a leadership retreat in Hawaii! The catch? Her workplace rival was also picked. Will they finally address all of this tension between them?

This romance book was addicting! I was a big fan of Trishara from the first chapter. Her disgruntlement over her coworkers and work culture reminded me of being in those male dominated spaces in engineering school. It’s so tough watching others not work as hard as you and be applauded for their success. She had such tenacity and strength. It was so admirable.

The romance in this book was full of tension and fire. There’s something so satisfying about when all of the tension finally comes to a head, and they realize they have read each other all wrong. I live for that moment! Nisha J.Tuli really makes you wait for them to finally get together, but the little moments along the way make it so worth it.

4.5⭐
I have been a fan of Nisha Tuli based on her adept romantic fantasies, so I went into this contemporary managing my expectations. I am happy to say that she knocked it out of the park! I enjoy workplace rivals that are forced into proximity with one another, and I thought Tuli's take on the story was refreshing. It was a slow burn, but when it ignited - whoooo. 🔥❤️‍🔥 I am looking forward to the next book she writes, because she can apparently do it all!🤗

I finished this in a day. Workplace rivals but set it in Hawaii? Yes please. This was one of those books where it was so clear to me (the audience) that Tris and Rafe were meant to be and I was mentally shouting for them to get together already! Plus only one bed and I was hooked. Definitely recommend!!

I couldn’t get into the writing style of this book. I found it to be slow and boring right off the bat so I ended up abandoning it.

This is my first book that I have read by Nisha and it definitely won't be my last. This book is spicy, sexy, and hot all in one. Nisha does a incredible job navigating and bringing to light the issues women (and more specifically women of colour) face in a male dominated field and workplace. A spicy enemies to lovers romance with some forced proximity and one bed, you couldn't ask for anything better! This was a very easy 5 star read for me and I highly recommend you add it to your TBR! Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for a copy of this ARC in exchange for a honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Okay, I reaaaaally enjoyed this. I am not a woman in STEM, but I was fist pumping, “hell yeah, girl”-ing my way through this entire book. I adored Tris’ characters and loved that Molly, Lan, and Gabrielle had depth to them as her best friends/side characters. AND RAFE. UGH. Okay he pmtfo with the whole Hannah situation, but I understood how it moved the plot forward. I just feel like Rafe would know better than that? Idk that’s neither here nor there. But what is DEFINITELY HERE is Tuli’s larger critique of the patriarchal systems that exist in the workforce, but centering the experience of an Indian woman in a STEM field was *chef’s kiss*. I had visceral reactions to so many scenes: the awkward, claiming touches from a man who is, at best, acquaintance-adjacent, the internal battle with imposter syndrome, the scene at launch with PAUL, the moment with Hannah in the bathroom. SO many moments resonated with me, and I love Tuli for it.

Not Safe for Work by Nisha J. Tuli is an absolute knockout of a romance—smart, sizzling, and impossible to put down. Thank you to Forever Publishing for the gifted ARC. This gem hits shelves on May 20, and you’re going to add it to your TBR ASAP.

This is the kind of romcom I love: a slow burn that turns red-hot with open-door spice, fantastic women-in-STEM representation, and all the delicious enemies-to-lovers tension. Trishara and Rafe are rival engineers who’ve been butting heads for years, and when they’re forced to share a honeymoon suite during a leadership retreat in Maui, sparks (and tempers) start to fly. Rafe is smoking hot, and the chemistry between these two is off the charts.

What made this story stand out was how it explored ambition, burnout, and the experience of being a woman of color in a corporate setting, all while delivering a fun, funny, and steamy romance. The banter, the tension, the payoff -- it was everything. I devoured it and will absolutely read anything Nisha J. Tuli writes next. Don’t miss this one!