Everything about Not Safe for Work was fine—right down the middle, classic workplace romcom with miscommunication and a third-act breakup. That's also somewhat the issue here. I don't necessarily feel like books need to break the mold or shake the table, and I am very open to books containing WOC/POC taking on tropes and situations white characters have operated within forever, but I also wasn't expecting it to feel so barebones.

I think both Trishara and Rafe could have been developed more/better. Rafe keeping contact with his ex throughout the entire book was very off-putting, and it didn't come across that he was a nice guy who was letting someone down easy, it came across as someone with a complete lack of interpersonal boundaries, especially when paired with the dynamics between his dad and cousin. Trish was a bit of a pushover in this respect, and I wished she demanded more for herself in literally every aspect of her existence because she was so deserving. But ultimately both Trish and Rafe being extremely passive and non-communicative wore me down. This is marketed as enemies-to-lovers, which I struggle to buy for contemporary contexts but I also fully don't buy for them at all. They both very clearly liked each other and held up some wall between them for some odd reason, and then once they let on that they liked each other it was balls to the wall in record time. There wasn't much build up or angst or tension, so even the spice felt kind of unengaging.

This is my first Nisha J. Tuli book and I overall did enjoy her writing style and the themes discussed within, such as white female complacency in patriarchy, corporations smothering Black and POC hires in the workplace, sexual harassment, etc. But I didn't connect to these characters, so the story ultimately didn't click with me. However, I look forward to reading more from Tuli!

The narrator was a little stiff/robotic at times, and I think Trish would likely read much warmer if this book is consumed via ebook or physical copy, but the narration was by no means bad—just not my favorite.

Thank you to Hachette Audio, Forever, Grand Central Publishing, and NetGalley for providing me with an ALC and ARC!

3 ⭐️s
2 🌶️
🚨 Pub Date: 05/20/25

This book was absolutely fantastic! I loved the story, the representation, the setup, and everything between these 2 main characters.

Having Tris be our narrator for this story was everything! Her POV was fresh and well thought out. It made the story much more enjoyable because her intentions, feelings, and thoughts were well flushed out. I was able to laugh, cry, be upset and every other emotion with how Nisha was able to write her. Rafe was also a fantastic MMC, and he wanted to make things better, even if misguided at times. I think he was such a good foil to Tris and was able to make her better, while eventually following her lead to make his life better.

Normally, I have a personal preference of Dual POV in my romance books, but I TRULY think that this book stands on his own in just Tris' POV. It just makes sense in this story with how it has been set up.

Soneela Nankani as a narrator of this story was just fantastic. Her pacing and variations throughout her performance made me feel like I understood what was going on in Tris' head perfectly, so it felt more like I was with my friend talking through the problems.

Overall, this was a fantastic story, and I cannot wait to get my hands on the next book from Nisha!

Thanks to Forever for an ARC and Hachette Audio for an ALC in exchange for my honest opinion!

Thank you to NetGalley and Forever for providing the ARC.

This book was an absolute delight!

Right from the beginning, Tuli engages you with her witty prose and dives right into the characters. You get an amazing sense of who Tris is within the first few pages, someone who is confident and capable, and absolutely loves cake. You learn about her situation with Rafe, the golden boy of the company, and how he's Public Enemy No. 1. And you get a glimpse into what it's like not just being a woman in a male-dominated field but a woman of color.

Tris and Rafe are delightful. I loved how Tuli juxtaposed Rafe the Suave Manager with Rafe the bumbling idiot he seems to be around Tris. He is constantly putting his foot in his mouth and reverting into a teenage version of himself. He often finds himself at the end of Tris' disapproving glare. But you can tell right from the get go that this man is holding a torch for her and has been for quite some time.

The inclusion of Tris' experiences in her job is the unfortunate reality of many women in the workplace, but especially in male-dominated fields. It was great to see that played out in a way that felt authentic and genuine and it didn't come across as a gimmick or for someone to check off a diversity box. Many women have to deal with getting passed up for promotions, exist commentary from their male coworkers, getting propositioned, and generally are expected to look the other day. Screw that, and I'm glad that Tris finds her teeth.

This book is truly an amazing read.

ARC Review

And she does it again! I want to thank fellow Canadian, Nisha J. Tuli for turning her skills to the contemporary world and giving my brain a much needed fantasy break. Additional thanks to NetGalley and Forever for the opportunity to read Not Safe For Work as an ARC.

After a bit of a slump, I dove into this and I’m so happy I did. I love Nisha’s writing and character building, and this book was no different. Our saucy FMC’s inner monologue was genuine and I kid you not, I actually snorted when I came across the Easter egg. Brilliant.

This was just the right amount of tension, with some delicious spicy bits blended in and I was all here for it. #nishajtuli please write more that I can dig into soon!

I was giddy reading this book! It's such a fun story with great tropes and mature characters. I hope this book gets a ton of attention!

Nisha J. Tuli is such a popular romantasy writer (even Katherine Heigl is a fan), so I was excited for Grand Central Publishing to provide me with a copy of her contemporary romance debut. Tuli mentions that this book is her most personal, and there is a real sense of vulnerability and openness in the book, especially when dealing with the sexism and racism that young women in engineering can face.

Trish Malik was burned by dating her boss at a previous job, and the last thing she needs is to go out with Rafe, whose family has long been part of her engineering firm. But when the two are both chosen for a management mentorship in Hawaii, the antagonism between them becomes chemistry.

Trish's experiences of micro aggression, of vengeful boyfriends, of dismissal feel all too true to life. And the book has some pointed reminders of the failures of "lean in" feminism for encouraging young women to change the system. I did appreciate that the male main character had some very real flaws (primarily communication) and so the book really felt like two people authentically trying to be a better person and coming together. This book is for Ali Hazelwood fans who love a STEMinist romance.

Slow burn, forced proximity is just about one of my favorite things and this book does not fail to deliver. It is perfect for fans of Ali Hazelwoods Stemnist series. It doesn't fail to deliver on romance, societal reflections, and humorous situations that slowly increase the intensity.

Not Safe for Work by @nishajtwrites was such a delightful, feel good story! I’m so glad I got to read along while listening to the audiobook it made the whole experience even more immersive. The narrators were incredible; they brought so much life and personality to the characters. I felt every emotion every laugh, every moment of frustration, every swoon. It was such a fun ride from start to finish!

Trish was an absolute standout for me. Her strength, determination, and the way she stood her ground were so empowering to witness. She wasn’t afraid to show vulnerability, and that only made her bravery shine more. I rooted for her the entire way. She’s a character who truly stays with you.

The dynamic between Trish and Rafe was everything. Tender, playful, steamy their chemistry was off the charts! Their banter had me laughing out loud, and the tension between them was impossible to ignore. The rivals to lovers vibe, mixed with that delicious forced proximity, made for such a fiery, fun romance. And yes the spicy scenes? Absolutely worth the wait.

This was my first read from Nisha J. Tuli, and I can confidently say it won’t be my last. She completely nailed it with this one. If you’re into slow-burn romances with humor, heat, and heart, this book needs to be on your TBR. Five stars honestly aren’t enough!

Thank you so much to @hachetteaudio @readforeverpub, and @netgalley for the advance copy of this eARC & ALC!

Thank you NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for an advanced copy of this ebook.

What a treat! I enjoyed the banter, chemistry, and the slow burn appeal of this rom-com. I am never sure what to expect when reading a romantic comedy by an author who is new to me, and I tend to have high expectations and a strong cringe reflex, but this book really hit all the right marks. I feel like capturing romantic tension and chemistry is really challenging for authors to do, but let's face it - that's the appeal of a romance. We want to feel ALLLLL the feels. Nisha J. Tuli achieved that! Enemies to lovers (my favorite trope) + forced proximity were executed beautifully. This is a fantastic summer escape!

OKAY guys, I am wholeheartedly obsessed with this book!!!
The banter, the TENSION, the spice…I went in with very high expectations after seeing so many positive reviews, and Nisha absolutely delivered. There was a moment where Rafe was running that mouth of his, and I was actually sweating. I might have been panting at one point, too, but who's to say?

I appreciate the heavy focus on women in male-dominated industries. This is something that is not talked about enough in books, so it is very refreshing when it is. Another thing that really made me love this book was the storm anxiety representation. I have incredibly severe storm anxiety, and I have never seen it represented in a book! This made me feel so seen and validated.

All the thanks in the world to Forever and NetGalley for letting me read this book early and share my thoughts! <3

(Be prepared for me to make this book my entire personality for the foreseeable future.)

“As I sip my wine, I scan the deck, definitely not looking for Rafe. He probably stayed behind to chalk pentagrams on the floor of our suite and summon his closest friends from the ninth circle of hell.”

🏝️Tris is an engineer who has been passed over time and time again for promotions. Whether it’s due to racism or sexism or both, her ambitions have been beaten to a pulp by a flawed system and she is steadily losing hope. Most recently, losing out on a promotion to her rival, Rafe (the boss’ son) was the final blow to her paper-thin self-belief. So when Tris is chosen to attend a career-boosting corporate retreat in Hawaii, she’s shocked but hopeful that things are finally starting to look up. Or are they? Not only does she have to travel there with Rafe, but a booking error has them sharing the honeymoon suit at their hotel. There is ✨only one bed✨! But, with forced proximity, comes forced realizations. Rafe is not only incredibly attractive. He may actually be, ugh, a good person. 🍹

🏝️Is there such a thing as putting this book down once you’ve picked it up? Because I could not. I only put it down when forced to for Mother’s Day family stuff and even then I went home and stayed up FAR past my bedtime reading. I was ABSORBED by Tris and Rafe’s story! They start out this book absolutely loathing each other, but as they are forced together they actually begin to talk, and share some pretty deep conversations. Every single interaction between them is charged, and I ATE it up! Their chemistry was absolutely scorching 🥵! This book was also hilarious and I have become a massive fan of Nisha’s writing! This is definitely what I like to call an “ARC fail”: I got the ARC for free but I’ve preordered a shelf copy! 🍹

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Forever for the review copy!

🫖 I paired this book with Hibiscus Splash tea from David’s Tea for its tropical flavours. This one is best iced! One of my favourite things is to make my own iced tea. Brew your tea up hot (sometimes I brew a little longer than normal for more flavour) and then cool in two steps: add ice to bring to lukewarm temp, then add more ice to chill. 🧊

I LOVED THIS BOOK! It was the perfect palette cleanser between my Romantasy books! I could totally see this book as a movie. It’s predictable but in the best way possible! Nisha did an amazing job showing what it’s like as a woman in a male dominant workforce, but also being a woman of colour! Tris is a badass!!!

Nisha certainly delivered with this outstanding, tension filled, workplace contemporary romance! Look, I’m not a contemporary romance girlie, I prefer the darker side, but this book had me hollering “You go girl!”. Well balanced characters, witty banter, well written story, spunky, quirky, relatable and once you finally get to the good stuff it’s hot! It really shines a light on the misogyny and imbalance between the sexes in the workplace, especially the professional world, and even more so for a PoC. But that email at the end was EPIC! This is a must read for its genre.

Rivals to lovers, work place romance with a smart fmc and migraine rep and an mmc who can keep up with her, love that for us all. The micro aggression and sexist work place behavior was really represented well. The workplace sexism, especially in male dominated fields, is going to make this book relatable to a lot of women. The characters are fierce, snarky and loveable, even when they aren't meant to be. This book is going to smash into the market and become everyone's greatest obsession.

I also just loved this story! Being a woman in a man's line of work is hard! Tris is a female engineer and a damned good one. Being passed up for promotions and opportunities has really hurt and she's applying for other jobs when she's chosen for a company retreat. She thinks she's finally been noticed and is being given the recognition she deserves, only to find out she was only chosen to tick an equality box for the company. And she has to go with the boss's son- her absolute nemesis who she's secretly always been obsessed with 😏

We've got enemies to lovers, forced proximity, only one bed, office romance, etc. Absolutely loved this!

First and foremost, Rafe is a sweet little cinnamon roll who just wants to be a baker influencer on Instagram. My precious boy has never done wrong in his life and I will accept no criticisms at this time. 😌

Tris is a BIPOC woman in the male-dominated field of Engineering and while she encounters a lot of relatable scenarios regarding being a woman in STEM, but I just couldn’t quite relate to her beyond that. She suffered through blatant sexism, racist undertones, and faux-DEI initiatives but I had a lot of trouble connecting with Tris as a character as a whole. Her behavior was often so immature that it was painful to read. I did however, really appreciate that she stood up for her morals at the end. It was a “stand up and cheer” moment for me.

I had a few instances that took me right out of the story, and mostly they were just too wild and outlandish scenarios that I just couldn’t ignore them for the sake of the story and I would continuously think of them throughout the book. For example: Tris is chosen to go on a THREE WEEK leadership retreat in HAWAII with over 100 of her coworkers. This company must be on par with Amazon-like profits to even come close to funding this trip. So not only does she get chosen to go on this trip, she also blackmails (ish) her boss to fly her first class, have her put up in a top floor suite of their luxury Hawaiian 5-star hotel (her accommodations alone would have cost like $75,000 or more), and buy her a multi-piece brand new set of LOUIS VUITTON luggage? Another $25,000??? I couldn’t get past it. And then at the end she’s all “I’m going to burn this luggage” 🤯 Ma’am, I beg your finest pardon???

But I digress.

The story was enjoyable, and beyond those truly incredible details i mentioned above, I enjoyed the story. It was a fun little tale, full of spicy goodness and a cinnamon roll MMC (who again is perfect and didn’t I just tell you I’m not accepting any criticisms at this time?? Shoo).


Thank you to Forever for providing me the opportunity to read and review this eARC in exchange for my honest review. Thank you also to Hachette Audio for providing me the opportunity to listen and review this ALC in exchange for my honest review.

Enemies to lovers. Workplace rivals. One bed. Pinning. He protects her from a storm! Trishara and Rafe! I absolutely ATE THIS UP!! Nisha gave me all I wanted. I was laughing. Giggling. Emotional. Angry. And smitten by the way Rafe is.

I’m a big fan of Nisha’s fantasy books and her contemporary romance did not disappoint.

Enemies to lovers, forced proximity (there’s only one bed!!!), and a vacation setting?? I knew I was going to eat this up.

This was sooo steamy but the book had more substance than I was expecting. The friendships felt so real, there was a dabble of queer rep, and more than one scene had me punching my fist in the air in victory.

My only hang-up from giving this 5 stars was that Tris’ relationship backstory didn’t play a big enough road block in her getting with Rafe. What happened to her was awful and very real, but I don’t think the repercussions of that affected them in the way I would have expected it to. The real problem was Rafe’s past.

Overall, this was a lot of fun!! I can’t wait to see what’s next for Nisha!

Not Safe For Work 🌴🌊✈️🌺
2.5 ⭐️
3🌶️

Thank you to Forever for the chance to read and enjoy this free advanced copy!

This is a HOT TAKE because so many people in my circle are loving this book. I did not enjoy NSFW.

I was really excited going in about the diversity/south Asian rep, the FMC being a woman in STEM, the Hawaiian setting, and the concept of a contemporary “enemies to lovers”.

This book had really great diversity! Our FMC is Indian, and she also has some past relationship trauma. In addition to this, there are some queer side characters.

I really liked the concept of the FMC being a woman in STEM/having a career in engineering and breaking the glass ceiling. From the start, Tris is very career-oriented and anti-white-man. Unfortunately, the STEM aspect of this book was underdelivered in my opinion, but I’m used to others such as Ali Hazelwood and Jillian Meadows.

I LOVED the setting of this book! The resort in Maui was so immersive and it made me want to book a flight ASAP!

I was curious as to how “enemies to lovers” outside of a fantasy novel would work, because the stakes in real life just really…aren’t that high. To be frank, it didn’t work. It was more “rivals to lovers” or just “workplace romance”, but there was nothing that made the MCs enemies in any way.

I thought it was counterintuitive that Tris was so anti-white-man but then falls so head over heels and goes wild for a man in the same category that was her “enemy”. It felt very underdeveloped and like Rafe’s character was an afterthought. This also applies to Rafe’s character arc and subsequent ending.

While this book wasn’t for me, I know that I lot of people will enjoy it; I just felt as though certain aspects didn’t work together and could have been altered to be more cohesive for the overall impact that was intended.

not safe for work had a fun premise, the usual fun tropes with a new twist and at it’s core it was engaging. this book is lowkey an own voice book because our author has pulled from her own experience as a female poc in the corporate space so you know this is going to be a romance with a social message to send.

my main qualms are with the writing and with the convenient plot elements, which ill explain
there was a lot of repetition such as particular words being overused in short spans of pages such as “navel” or “pithy” or one thing being described repeatedly such as our mmc’s smile. on a personal note, first-person present feels a bit juvenile. it always takes me out of a story and doesn’t allow me to fully take it seriously. so whenever our fmc would describe her outfits in detail by starting the sentence with “today, i go with a two piece set…” it was a bit much. (i’m not someone that in general has a problem with clothing description but only when done smoothly.)

then convenience of plot. we already have a whole book set on the pillars of two work rivals being on the same work retreat (low odds) and then accidentally being booked in the same suite (even lower odds), so when throughout the book there are things that continuously happen by chance like phone calls cutting confession’s short or overhearing phone calls you shouldn’t multiple times or the same guy you hate is the one hitting on the girl you like, etc. etc. it gets a little too unrealistic.

finally, i do want to say that the social media element present during a certain important convo at the end of the book made me so embarassed that i couldn’t even enjoy it. it was just tooooo much for me.

however, i repeat, THIS WAS ENGAGING. it was fun to read, there is a variety of drama and activities and female friendships and inner monologues about being a woman (especially as a poc) in the corporate space that really make this book. the diversity in the work space and its subtle south asian representation is what sets this otherwise trope-filled basic romance apart. subtleties like a south asian fmc always being told she smells good by the mmc is in itself such great rep for a community that suffers from so many microagressions when it comes to that. also, there’s a certain email at the end of this book that i think serves as a sort of catharsis for any of us female pocs in the corporate world that have lived anything close to what our fmc lives.