ARC Review:

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

🌶️🌶️

A flirty, addictive office romance with plenty of tension, heat, and just the right dose of chaos. I loved the witty banter and how the characters’ messy choices made the story feel real but still fun.

If you’re in the mood for workplace drama, stubborn chemistry, and a main couple you can’t help but root for — add this one to your TBR. 💕

Adorable couple, lush setting, and 10/10 chemistry. This is one of the most memorable contemporary romances I’ve read in so long. The tension between the two main characters was elite, and the setting was perfection. Having just returned from Maui myself, I can confirm that Tuli’s writing expertly captures the romance and jaw-dropping beauty of this little corner of the world.

I think the best part about Not Safe for Work is how not-predictable it was. I didn’t see Rafe’s hobby/would-be career coming; nor could I imagine how he’d fix the mess he’d made of the third-act breakup. Bravo. At times, it felt like Tris and Rafe were a bit immature (her in her actions toward him, and him in his response to his ex girlfriend), but also relatably flirty. Not Safe For Work isn’t the kind of romance novel that will have you weeping or tear your heart out, but it’s also not without its moments of depth and additionally forces important conversations about women in male-dominated fields that are often lacking. But it IS a book I would consider the Perfect Beach Read for Summer 2025 and I read it in one sitting.

Here’s what you can expect from NSFW:

- Forced proximity
- Slow Burn
- Chronic Illness representation
- Enemies to Lovers
- Workplace romance
- Women in STEM
- Single POV

Thank you, Forever, for the eARC of this book - it’s exactly what readers like me are looking for in a summer romance.

First off, I nearly had a heart attack when I got an email from a stranger with the subject line: “Not Safe for Work.” For a split second, I thought I’d been hacked, or worse, subscribed to something sketchy. Thankfully, it was just the publisher reaching out to offer me an early copy of Not Safe for Work by Nisha J. Tuli. Crisis averted (lol).

I was immediately intrigued. Tuli is best known for her fantasy series. I devoured the Artefacts of Ouranos series. Those books have their spicy moments, sure, but the romance is usually a subplot, not the main event. So I was curious to see how she’d handle a contemporary romance where the spice takes center stage.

Unfortunately, this one was a bit of a mixed bag for me. I ended up giving it 3 stars, a solid middle ground. I didn’t hate it, but I won’t be rereading it either.

The first half of the book was rough. The writing felt underdeveloped and reminded me of a less-polished Wattpad story (and yes, I know some Wattpad stories are fantastic, but this wasn’t one of them). At one point, the main character, Tris, describes her morning routine with lines like: “I put my pink blouse and grey pencil skirt on. I combed through my silky, black hair and made it straight. I put on red lipstick. I put on dark eyeshadow.”

It read like a checklist, and honestly, I nearly DNF’d right then and there. The book was bogged down with mundane details that didn’t move the story forward.

But—I’m glad I pushed through.

Around the halfway point, the chemistry between Tris and Rafe really kicked in. The tension, the longing glances, the “oops our hands touched” moments were addictive. The slow-burn angst and mutual pining kept me turning pages. Rafe, in particular, was a pleasant surprise. Underneath his reserved exterior, he’s genuinely sweet and vulnerable, and I loved watching his character evolve.

Drama involves an ex-girlfriend, workplace complications, and a fair share of misunderstandings, but it all added to the tension in a way that worked. By the end, I was fully invested.

So, would I recommend Not Safe for Work? Yes…with caveats. If you can make it through the rocky start, there’s a satisfying story buried in there. The latter half redeems it quite a bit, but it’s not Tuli’s strongest work. If you’re a fan of her fantasy novels, just know this is a very different ride.

A fun read with enough depth to keep things interesting! I liked Tris but found Rafe a bit boring, which took some of the fun out of the love story.

If you’re in the market for a fun rivals-to-lovers in the workplace summer read, this one has tension and banter for DAYS.

Tris and Rafe are feuding co-workers in a field where Tris, as a brown woman, has double to overcome — engineering. And while they have sizzling physical chemistry and excellent back-and-forth-banter, I struggled a bit with the ‘workplace’ of it all. Enemies (or even rivals!) to lovers rarely works in a way that feels organic in contemporary romances, and with this being a workplace romance, I found it impossible to suspend my belief that adults are actually behaving this way in an office. HR would NEVER!

The best parts of this book are the women in STEM representation, Tris’ burn-it-all-down, take-no-shit energy toward horrible men in the office (and the women who enable them!), and also all of the baked goods. A++++ baked goods content.

If you don’t mind a little immaturity for the plot, have ever had a hot coworker who irritated you, and you want to feel empowered to take the non confrontational exclamation point out of your e-mails, pick this up!

I really liked the setting and the premise of this book. But I didn’t really buy the initial “enemies” dynamic between the two characters. The main character is thinking about the main male character from the very beginning and it’s very repetitive throughout the entire book. I did like the male romantic interest, but the immediate lusting from the woman’s point of view and her constant reminders to herself that she “hated” him didn’t really make sense

such a cute read!! i loved the romance and the tension and im definitely going to pick up this authors future books.

This was a cute and enjoyable read but nothing super groundbreaking to me. I found both the main characters annoying, and although the struggles of a BIPOC woman in STEM and in the world in general are realistic I wasn’t enjoying reading about it. Maybe it was just too close to home for me, or a favourable view of the authors writing in that it felt very real and almost too relatable. Overall, I appreciated what the book set out to do, and I’m glad I read it. It was a quick, fun read, and while it didn’t fully land for me, I can definitely see others connecting more deeply with its message and characters.

Thanks to Forever and Netgalley for this eARC that I chose to read and review

A highly enjoyable romcom! In the end I thought she wasn't going to get the leadership position and then leave the company... and I was kinda right? It was fun, flirty, and light. Romance seems to be Nisha's thing so I hope she makes the switch over from fantasy.

Such a supercute book! This was a new author for me and i couldnt put this one down! Thanks so much for the gifted copy

Tris or Trishara Malik, works at a big corporation but currently feels stuck in her job and isn't even sure where her career is going, she is passed on for promotions she deserves and has to deal with constant sexism and subtle racism. 

Enters Rafe, a man straight out of the novels Tris reads but they never get along, 5 years and all they do is bicker and bring out the nasty side of each other, and cherry on top of the cake, he is the boss's son. 

A love story waiting to happen for 5 years until they are forced to share space for three weeks when they are both selected for the leadership retreat in Hawaii. Due to some mix-up and the hotel at full capacity they are forced to share the honeymoon suite for the duration of the retreat. 

The first half of the books is all about Tris and Rafe bickering about everything. And it was fun. But somewhere in the middle it starts moving in a circle and I was starting to get a little annoyed but then it picks up the pace in the last 30% and there is so much growth for both the characters and the chemistry was off the charts. 

My only complaint was that Rafe's family issues which were a major plot point in their romance as well were all sort of talked about in the background. It needed to be a little more explored. Everything happens off the page which happened because it was following only Tris. It would have made Rafe's character a little better.

This was a fun escape! While not exactly realistic, it was super entertaining with several laugh out loud moments.

Not Safe for Work by Nisha J. Tuli delivers on spice and tension, but falls a little short when it comes to emotional depth and plot development. The chemistry between the leads is undeniable. If you’re here for the spice, you won’t be disappointed. The banter is fun, and there are moments that really shine, especially when the characters let their guards down.

However, the storyline felt somewhat predictable, and the emotional stakes never quite landed. Some secondary characters were underdeveloped, and the pacing dragged in places where it should’ve been tighter. I also found it hard to connect with the main character’s motivations at times.

Overall, it’s a fun, sexy read with a glossy finish, but don’t expect too much beyond surface-level romance. A solid pick for fans of spicy office dramas who don’t mind sacrificing a bit of plot for passion.

Nisha J Tuli has been an auto-buy author for me since 2023, but with her fantasy romance books so I was excited to see her expanding into contemporary romance/romcoms as well!

No one writes a slow burn with witty banter and tension quite like Nisha. She makes you wait for that spice to finally hit but oh boy when it does? Delicious 🔥

This was a quick, easy read that had me laughing and swooning while also bringing very real themes of work place issues and oppressions to life. I thought the balance between the serious work environment/workplace issues and the romance/tension was done really well.

Highlights:
- Romance: MF
- Rivals-to-lovers
- Workplace romance
- Forced Proximity
- Only one bed
- Slow burn

I always love Nisha's writing. She brings so much humour and fun, even while getting a serious message across. She navigated this story perfectly and i loved every second.The descriptions in this book when Trishara is feeling things had me laughing so hard. The smut was excellent. I really enjoyed this book!

Thank you to Book Huddle, NetGalley and Forever for the digital ARC of Not Safe For Work. It was a good read with a wide variety of heavy and light emotional content from workplace sexism and racism to very funny banter and a slow burning relationship. The author does a great job of bringing all those varying aspects together in a cohesive way. Do the main characters have flaws? Yes. But in my mind that makes them relatable and human.
"If ever [I] want to be in a relationship again, then I have to find a way to trust someone."

As a woman in STEM, specifically engineering consulting, the same as the FMC, some aspects hit close to home and aspects that had me needing to suspend my disbelief.

First, after her first hugely problematic and traumatic experience with dating someone in the workplace, I was struggling to get behind starting another relationship within the workplace. And I understand her struggle with Rafe, which made complete sense. It was her immediate acceptance of Andy that I struggled with. We all know that he was only there as a plot device, but I found myself just shaking my head and losing connection with the FMC. She had been warned about him; she saw the types of men he hung around with, she could tell he only wanted one thing, and she worked with him. Granted, not in the same office, but same company. I just kept thinking "did you learn nothing?!".

The final 15%-ish was the best part. That email?! Yes. Redeemed everything I struggled with. Losing faith in your mentor and the woman you looked up to in the industry hit close to home, and is unfortunately all too common. Hate to say it, but the game isn't going to change overnight so sometimes you need to learn to play it.

Thank you to Forever and NetGalley for an advanced reader copy. All opinions are my own, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

WOW this book is spicy! loved it from the start and was glad I got to read it. Thank you for the copy in exchange of a fair review.

Not Safe for Work🌺💻👠🌶️

Thank you thank you thank you NetGalley and Forever for the arc of NSFW, out now!

If you follow my threads…. You know I had the absolute best time reading this. Truly Nisha came for the title of “Book of the Summer” and I need these babies plastered in every billboard, every newspaper, every magazine, showcase them EVERYWHERE!!!

A woman of color in STEM who has to deal with the white man patriarchy? Sign me tf up! Even more so a woman who knows what she wants, who she is, and what she will accomplish? Yeah, girlie, I adore Trishara more than anything. She’s gorgeous, confident, and can turn tables where she goes. She’s worked her head off and continuously gets pushed aside for the CEO’s son, Rafe. Trishara gave me all the feels. She pushed and got what she should’ve gotten ages ago, and for that I continue to applaud her for.

Now, Rafe. Guys I love a man who’s so obsessed😭 and my guy was struggling to keep his composure that they met up mid-meeting to get their fix. Yeah, it was hot.

There was just soooooooo much yearning and banter that I neverrrrr wanted to finish the book. Like give me a billion more one shot scenes for Trishara and Rafe‼️

I love me a “oops, our reservation was wrong and we got a 1 room with 1 bed” situation. Like, we all know what’s bound to happen…but seriously the tension was dripping from the pages, you NEED to read them this Summer. But, yeah, one of my top reads of the year for sure🥹🫶

- Enemies to Lovers
- Only One Bed
- Workplace Romance
- FOREARMS!!!!!
- Bad Ass Heels!!!
- Slow Burn
- Woman in STEM
- Spicy Office Scene
- The way they speak about each other🥹

This book was filled with witty banner, sexy This book was filled with witty banter, sexy characters, and spicy love scenes without being overly graphic. The enemies-to-lovers trope worked so well in the storyline. Also for those who love the one-bed trope, this is the book for you.