This was a fun quick rom-com!

Coworkers, Trishara and Rafe, compete with one another at a retreat in Hawaii to win a 1-year leadership training in New York, but here is the thing: Tris SWEARS Rafe is her mortal enemy.

The build up of their angst was steamy for sure. Individually, there was so much to appreciate too. I LOVED seeing a woman of color crushing it in the STEM field. Tris didn't back down, she spoke her mind, and she shut down condescending remarks from the men around her. That representation and strength were wonderful to see. Rafe, her rival, had great banter and he also had a dirty mouth which I think some will appreciate. ;)

Overall, it was a light, funny, steamy rom-com! Definitely recommend this as a beach read!

Thank you Forever & NetGalley for this ARC!

When I tell you I devoured this book! Yes, it's a spicy romance, but it's also about a woman of color in STEM who has been knocked down and passed over for promotions too many times. Trishara is a stunning FMC. I'm obsessed with her!!! When you read some of the things Tris has had to deal with in her place of work, you will be raging. I was invested in the relationship between Tris and Rafe, but the added storyline of Tris reclaiming her confidence was so amazing.

Ugh and then you have Rafe. This man gives me heart eyes. We love a MMC who can be sweet, spicy, and everything in between. I thought he was the perfect counter to Tris. I loved their banter, friendly-ish competition, and the words that came out of his mouth-- my god!

This is the authors first contemporary romance book, but I see that she's written many fantasy/romantasy books and now I want to read her entire catalogue.

This book might be your next good read if you:

-Think DEI initiatives help foster a better and more efficient work environment
-Love a strong FMC who finds her voice
-Are into dirty talk
-Don't mind an excruciatingly slow burn in your romance books

I love Nisha Tuli's fantasy books and I am delighted to say that I also love her romance books!

This book has great pacing, tension building that made me scream into my pillow, and a great spicy payoff. I was impressed that she managed to write a book that is simultaneously light-hearted while addressing the sexism and racism that a BIPOC woman working in STEM faces. I loved not only the romantic payoff but also the payoff of Trishara letting herself be angry about the stuff she is dealing with at work.

I usually don't love workplace romances (I've spent plenty of time in toxic offices - I don't need to visit them in my books) but she beautifully side steps this issue but having it take place during a work retreat in Hawaii. Work drama but it's in a gorgeous tropical resort? Yes please!

I hope she continues to write in this genre, because I will absolutely read it!

Thank you to Nisha Tuli and Forever Publishing for this ARC!

This book is a witty and steamy workplace romance that delivers on charm, chemistry, and a strong female lead. I especially appreciated the women in STEM representation—it’s refreshing to see a smart, ambitious heroine holding her own in a male-dominated field.
The banter and slow-burn tension kept me hooked, and the dynamic between the main characters was full of energy. That said, the relationship drama driven by miscommunication became a bit frustrating at times. Some of the conflict felt avoidable, which took away slightly from the emotional payoff.

Still, it’s an engaging, spicy read that stands out for its bold protagonist and fun, flirty tone. I definitely recommend it.

I've read almost everything by Nisha J Tuli. This is her none fantasy romance. I enjoyed the growth of the main characters especially with them learning what is holding them back but also realising their own goals, worth and wants.
This is looking at a business that is very male dominant that turns a blind eye to questionable behaviour and very little diversity, making the work place toxic.
But a romance does blossom from this once they over come their fears, challenges and the boxes they got put it.
Can't wait to see what's next from Nisha J Tuli. And I just love her writting style.
There is some spice from about half way into the book.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced reader copy

Not Safe for Work by Nisha J. Tuli is a first person-POV contemporary interracial romance. Tris is an engineer who has been looked over for multiple promotions and leadership opportunities despite her excellent performance. When she and Rafe, the boss’ son and Tris’ rival, are both given a spot to earn a spot at a leadership retreat in Maui, Tris is determined to ignore him. Until there’s a mix-up at the hotel and the two now have to share a room the whole three weeks.

I’m a fantasy romance fan and this is my first Nisha Tuli book. I have yet to get to any of her romantasy series, but have fully intended to dive into her work for a while, so when I saw this was available, you best believe I snatched it up. I totally get why she’s so beloved in the romance/fantasy romance community. She’s now an autoread author for me. The slowburn yet high heat of Tris and Rafe is very hard to pull off and Nisha Tuli does so wonderfully. Rafe and Tris having a five year history certainly does help, but it could have fallen flat very easily.

Besides the romance, Nisha Tuli goes into her own history in STEM and explores racism, sexism, and sexual harassment in the field as well as how some women claim to be for empowering women in business and then don’t stick up for others and let the boy’s club continue. None of this detracts from the romance and even works well with it as Rafe is the boss’ son and his cousin has a history of being problematic on social media. Rafe himself never dismisses Tris’ experiences and is even hyper-aware that he is getting chances because he’s the boss’ son and Tris isn’t because she’s an Indian-American woman.

My favorite part was when Tris discovered Rafe’s more sensitive side and his actual interests, with her fully supporting him and even encouraging him to pursue those interests. She doesn't care that it’s not in STEM and he might fail; she cares that he’s happy. After Rafe’s previous relationship, I think that was really important for Rafe and I think it’s important for us as readers to see. We still push this idea that men have to be the breadwinners and that they need to derive happiness from earning a lot of money when men have every right to pursue their passion (as long as they aren’t hurting anyone) as anyone else does. I love that inclusion and I love how it flips the gender script.

Content warning for sexual harassment, microagressions, racism, and sexism

I would recommend this to fans of contemporary romance with characters in STEM and readers looking for a romance that tackles gender binaries and sexism

The way I fell in love with Tris and Rafe!! They were constantly trying to one up each other without realizing they were both hiding feelings. All it took was a work trip where they’re stuck sharing a room to realize there’s more to their competitiveness. Ahhh, the slow burn was SLOW but sooo good! And Tris being a badass in the end - girl that email was perfect 👏🏼 I honestly loved how this book showed how it is being a woman of color in a male dominated field.

This is perfect for The hating game fans like me. Also the vacation / retreat reminded me of the unhoneymooners. Also the indian origin character 💓
✨ workplace rivals to lovers
✨ Vacation / work retreat
✨ One suite / one bed
✨ Women in STEM
✨ Indian origin FMC
✨ MC has a secret IG account
✨ Wedding crashing and other shenanigans
✨ Single PoV
✨ Spice rating 3/5

It was funny and steamy. I loved the golden retriever-ish MMC and the feisty FMC.
Trishara's interactions with Rafe, her friends and others were so lively.
I love how the author unapologetically presented the hardships faced by women in STEM and basically every workplace. The book shows how internalized the discrimination is, and how authorities turn a blind eye towards such issues and refuse to bring any modifications unless absolutely necessary and sometimes for the wrong reasons.

Coming from someone who loved Nisha’s Artefacts of Ouranos series, you will absolutely love this rivals to lovers slow burn romcom. The banter between the two main characters was fun but the TENSION was so good and I was rooting for them til the end. This story will also leave you rooting for an FMC who is an engineer that knows her worth and advocates for herself.

5/5 stars ❤️

4 ⭐️

This was such a fun romcom! It was so funny and had me kicking my feet and giggling.

Trishara Malik is a woman in stem, who has been constantly overlooked despite her hard work and dedication simply because she is a woman. She goes through heartbreak at her previous job and blackballed from other employers before she lands at WMC Purcell. Her nemesis, Rafe, is the boss’s son and is given the position that she rightfully deserves. They are both selected to go on this work retreat to Hawaii and end up having to share the same room (hehe)

This rivals to lovers was swoony, hot and absolutely hilarious. The only gripe that I had with it was Rafe was kind of frustrating with his situation with his ex girlfriend. And then her showing up with the help of HR (????) was also kind of annoying because he didn’t just tell her to dip out and try harder to keep Trish from leaving (though she had a good reason to)

This was my first book from Nisha Tuli and I absolutely will be reading more of her work! The writing was great and she had me cracking up the entireeeee book.

Thank you to NetGalley & Forever publishing for the ARC approval!

Not Safe for Work is the kind of book that surprises you, in the best way. Nisha J. Tuli delivers a workplace romance that’s not only full of steam and chemistry but also grounded in smart, engaging dialogue and characters with real depth. The banter is sharp, the tension sizzles, and the story keeps things moving with just the right mix of heart and heat. It’s entertaining from start to finish, and I genuinely had a blast reading it. If you love a confident heroine and a romance that doesn’t take itself too seriously but still delivers emotionally, this one’s worth picking up.

Not Safe For Work is a standalone romance novel by Nisha J Tuli. This is her foray into contemporary romance. I'm a huge fan of her romantasy books and will always be my first love. However, I loved this book. I could identify with the main character Trish, a POC and is in a career field where it is prominently all men. I loved her sassy confidence. The enemies to lovers chemistry between Trish and Rafe was off the charts. I loved how it touched on work place inequalities between genders. We need more contemporary romance novels from Nisha! I highly recommend this book and especially if you are a fan of rom coms. This is a must read!

4.75/5 I adore Nisha J Tuli and her work is always amazing! Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my eARC! I truly devoured this book. This is out of my usual as a contemporary romance (I tend to prefer Romantasy) but I still found myself really enjoying this book. I love the representation of a WOC in STEM. Banter was absolutely amazing between the FMC and the MMC and of course he has a heart of gold. Overall the story was such a fun read and I hope everyone adds this to their summer beach reads this year!

This is the perfect summer romance. It's a rivals-to-lovers, workplace romance, with witty banter, and characters that are engaging and relatable. Tris is our main character and she's an engineer working in a male dominated field. She's been passed over for promotions and is unsure of what she wants next. Rafe is the bosses son, set on a pedestal and handed everything...and he hates it. They end up at a work retreat and through a mix up, are forced to share a room, with only one bed. This was such a fun read, but it also had depth to it. The trials that they face are real and relatable. The character arcs were great and I loved how it ended. This was my first Tuli book, it definitely won't be my last!

My first Nisha J Tuli book but definitely not the last. I absolutely devoured this book. Rafe and Tris butt heads so much but the chemistry is palpable so it’s worth the slow burn. The back and forth and all the tropes and the slow burn that will have you fanning yourself when it heats up, love love love. It was such a fantastic book.

As a person with idiopathic migraines like Tris, it truly encapsulates the pain and annoyance and toll they take on every day life. As a woman engineer, I have also heard some heinous things hurled at me because I am a woman. This book touches on so many topics near and dear to me. It was a book where I can truly relate to an FMC with work and chronic migraines. This book is a 10/10.

Thank you Forever Publishing for the arc!!

This book was pure serotonin — Rafe and Trish had me kicking my feet the whole time with their chaotic rivals-to-lovers energy and top-tier banter (seriously, I was ready to riot if they didn’t kiss soon). It’s slow burn in the most deliciously frustrating way, packed with tropes like only-one-bed, forbidden workplace romance, and a STEM queen FMC who absolutely crushed it. I devoured this in one sitting and loved how it balanced swoony, spicy tension with real-world struggles (shoutout to how well it tackled being a woman of color in STEM). Was it a little heavy on the “you’re so hot I forgot how to breathe” energy? Yeah. And did the “I love you” come a bit fast? Also yes. But honestly, I didn’t even care because I was too busy screaming over how freaking cute and unhinged they were together. No skips, no lulls, just pure vibes.

ARC Review from NetGalley.
I love Nisha’s fantasy books and was excited to read her first contemporary romance.
This was a cute take on a workplace romance, taking place at a company leadership retreat in Hawaii! Strong / confident FMC x workplace rival & CEOs son. Tons of banter and sexual tension, definitely a slow burn but worth the wait!
Discusses workplace bias, nepotism, workplace harassment, gender / racial discrimination in a very well done close to home way.
Nisha did a great job of hitting the important points, but still having great chemistry banter and plot.

This was a great workplace rivals to lovers story!

I had so much fun reading about these characters, and having it all set on the backdrop of Hawaii made it all the better.

I really enjoyed Trishara as a character and how she stood up for herself and didn’t take anyone’s shit. Her confidence and strength was incredible. Rafe was a really fun character, and I enjoyed his arc. It was fun to see hints of him always having a thing for her sprinkled throughout the book.

Their relationship progressed nicely, and I liked that they had some big conversations before anything romantic happened.

Not Safe for Work is Nisha J. Tuli's debut in the Contemporary romance genre, and oh boy was it a solid release. I genuinely enjoyed the story, Trishara was an confident woman who dealt with a lot of Cooperate misogyny and to be honest as someone who also works in the cooperate world there was a lot I can relate too.

Now on to the romance with the CEO's son Rafe and this Enemies to Lovers tension he has with Tris. This romance had two of my favourite tropes. Forced Proximity and One Bed and the spicy was spicing. That being said the romance was slow burn and well paced which I love. I also enjoyed the side characters who were all women, and all women in business supporting one another which honestly we don't see enough it romance these days.

And lastly this has no 3AB! Instead it has we are both adults here, figure your shit out and then once you do then we can move forward. I've started to see this more in books and YES PLEASE! Keep it up!

So Suffice to say Nisha knocked out of the park with this one, and now I look forward to reading her romantasy. Also LOVE that she is Canadian, we need more genre focused Canadian Authors getting some love.

rating: 3.75/5

I thought the book was enjoyable and ultimately very entertaining, but I think there were some areas that were lacking. It felt like our FMC, Trishara, and our MMC, Rafe, didn't grow or fully develop individually before getting together? They were walking on a thin line of immaturity for being the age that they are. They would act childish when they could have been having mature, honest conversations. However, in some instances I really preferred their banter and playfulness.

I wish that Tris had a little bit more depth. I felt like I was almost there to relating with her at times in certain instances but then I would flip the page and her opening up would come to a complete stop. I loved the representation of a woman of color in STEM, which is a primarily male-dominated field. I felt like she could really hold her own and spoke her mind. She didn't put up with any of the passive remarks that the men would express and I loved that about her character.

I loved how protective, and kind Rafe was to Tris. He knew the best ways to comfort her and make her feel like the most special girl in the world.

Them together, though?!? MIND BLOWING. They were hot with a capital 'H'. I was utterly obsessed with their relationship and let's just say that the slow burn was WORTH IT.

Overall, I will definitely be recommending this rom-com and hyping up the relationship between Tris and Rafe.