Oh! My! God! This was incredible. The romance and the story were so beautifully intertwined, giving the characters and plot so much room to grow and develop. The conversations of women in men-dominated fields was executed perfectly, which is of no surprise seeing as it was from a first-hand perspective. Although devastating to read and upsetting that this is still often the case, it was handled with so much grace and bravery within the novel and amazing to see the hope Tris inspired.
Rafe was such an incredible MMC, and I loved that he was so well fleshed out as well. Having other passions but being lost on how to act on them? Not knowing how to stand up for himself until he has found a reason and purpose strong enough to no longer fear his father? He has my heart.
And, as the name of this book suggests, THE SPICY SCENES WERE ABSOLUTELY HOOOOOOOOOT!!!!! I mean, wow.

Clever, real, and full of energy, I am thoroughly impressed by Nisha’s writing. Consistently I have found myself drawn to her work; if she writes it, I will definitely read it. The engaging dialogue and hot chemistry made this book utterly binge-worthy. Providing an exhilarating and empowering journey, this story was excellent from start to finish. I had to alternate between the audiobook and the eBook, but every time I switched, the audiobook was perfect—the narrators truly delivered! I really recommend the audiobook, personally it added so much to the experience.

3.75/4 ⭐️

This was a pretty clear cut, stereotypical rom com. It wasn’t a serious book and if you looked too deep into the idea of the characters / plot it felt pretty immature, but i still had a lot of fun.

The MCs definitely came off pretty immature making it hard to buy a lot of the things that were happening, BUT if you’re looking for something fun, quick, easy and won’t make you think to hard but laugh and swoon quite a bit this is a really good option!

I really enjoyed the concept of our FMC being BIPOC female in a male dominated field. It was dealt with mainly with humor and being that i deal with serious things with humor quite frequently, i really enjoyed that! 😅

I really enjoyed the narration! I liked the commitment and i was engaged with the story the entire time. I would definitely recommend reading via audio if you’re an audiobook frequenter!

You’ll find:
-Females in STEM
-BIPOC FMC
-Forced Proximity
-Instalove-ish
-Rivals to Lovers
-One Bed
-Workplace Romance

Overall, it was a fun read. It was pretty funny, surface level and i had a great time. It’s not the best book i’ve ever read, and i’m not sure it’ll stick with me. BUT it was fun during! 😊

What a fun, summery romcom! Nisha can really write it all. I love her characters and their depth.

Trish and Rafe are workplace rivals who are always butting heads. They get sent to Hawaii together where they’ll be spending three weeks on a work retreat. And the hotel booked them the honeymoon suite with only one bed.

I think this would also make an awesome movie! AND he’s a baker helllooo I didn’t expect that! This was such a devour it in one sitting, kick your feet and giggle type romcom and I loved it!

Thank you Forever Publishing and Netgalley for an early copy of this book.

3.5/5 Stars

The good:
- Something about Nisha's storytelling in this fictionalized setting felt extremely real and I enjoyed reading her words on the page. I definitely want to pick up more by her.
- I felt the spicier scenes made sense in the story and did not take away from the plot at all
- I loved Tris's personal journey throughout this book way more than the romantic plot line. Her character development on an individual level was something I thoroughly enjoyed

The loss of 1.5 stars:
- The romance was just not hitting for me. It felt a bit too much like instant love (even though it was not technically that) and it just did not hit for me, which is not ideal since this is a romance book. HOWEVER, I know there is someone out there that will love the love story in this book.
- I think the pacing was a bit slow/repetitive between about 50% - 75% of the book. Otherwise, I had no pacing issues.

Overall, I will be reading more Nisha Tuli in the future; however, this particular book for me as a romance was not it.

"There's nothing unmissable about you…There isn't anywhere you could go where everyone wouldn't notice you."

This rom-com debut by Nisha J. Tuli was pure, lighthearted fun! It felt like a crossover between The Spanish Love Deception by Elena Armas and The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren. Workplace rivals, a woman (of color) in corporate STEM, and a beautiful, tropical setting? Sign me up!

I adored Trishara Malik’s unapologetic confidence, sarcasm, and fiery attitude. At the same time, we got to see more layers to her with her fears as a woman in her late twenties and the relatable struggles she experienced with burnout and sexism in corporate America. Plus, she slayed with her tropical outfits. ✨

Enter Rafe Gallagher with his smirks, forearms, and competitive streak. Though on the surface he appeared to be just another nepo baby, I loved how sweet and thoughtful he was and how he had a creative side with his hobbies. A man who draws and bakes?! Swoon.

Together, Tris and Rafe had insane chemistry and were a kindling fire. I was so here for the various plot points that forced Tris and Rafe to be in close proximity to each other (no matter how predictable or cheesy). I do wish we got Rafe’s POV as that would’ve made the story much stronger in my opinion. This very much felt like Tris’s story. Plus, I wasn’t a fan of the drama with his ex-girlfriend. All of that said, this was still such a fun, flirty read that is perfect for the summertime!

P.s. The subtle references to the author’s Artefacts of Ouranos series were so cute! IYKYK.

If you're looking for your next swoon-worthy, escape-into-paradise romance, Not Safe for Work by Nisha J. Tuli should absolutely be at the top of your list. Set against the lush backdrop of a Maui resort, this story perfectly blends enemies-to-lovers tension, sharp wit, heartfelt vulnerability, and a true slow burn.

Tris Malik is an absolute powerhouse of a heroine. As a woman of color in a male-dominated engineering firm, she’s fought tooth and nail for every scrap of respect—only to see promotions handed to the boss's underqualified son, Rafe Gallagher. Tris's resilience, dry humor, and refusal to tolerate the rampant mansplaining at WMC Purcell instantly made me root for her. She's whip-smart, ferociously independent, and doesn't back down when the world tries to minimize her worth.

Enter Rafe: golden boy, walking HR violation, and the bane of Tris’s existence. When the two are forced to share a room (and bed!) during an elite company retreat, sparks fly. But the real magic is watching Tris peel back the layers of the man she thought she knew. Rafe isn't just the spoiled heir she believed—he’s a guy grappling with family expectations, internal frustration at the company’s culture, and has a soft spot a mile wide for the one woman who sees right through him.

Their banter was pure serotonin. The tension? Off the charts. I found myself giggling, gasping, and sometimes just smiling like an idiot at my Kindle. It’s the kind of chemistry you can feel buzzing off the page. And when the slow burn finally tips over into full-blown romance—whew, was it worth the wait.

Tuli also doesn't shy away from real-world issues. The way she addresses workplace discrimination, microaggressions, and the exhaustion of constantly having to prove yourself as a woman in STEM added so much depth. The authenticity feels as though some of these struggles were drawn from personal experience, making Tris’s victories feel even more satisfying.

If I have one gripe, it’s that I wanted just a little more from Rafe’s character beyond his family drama. He's charming, protective, and hot, but I would’ve loved to dive deeper into who he is when he’s not reacting to the people around him. The communication between the two could have been more deeply developed and this would have been a great way to do it.

All in all, Not Safe for Work delivers a near-perfect blend of sassy banter, tropical escapism, heartfelt growth, and steamy, slow-burn romance. If you love the "one-bed" trope, enemies-to-lovers tension, and heroines who refuse to settle for less, this book is your new happy place.

On shelves in just a few weeks! Grab this on May 20th. 🌴🩵

Thank you to Forever (Grand Central Publishing) and NetGalley for the complimentary eARC. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Book: 3.5 stars! ⭐️
Audio: 4 stars! ⭐️
Huge thanks to Hachette Audio for the ALC & Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for the ARC via NetGalley 💌

Okay sooo… it wasn’t bad per se but I definitely went in with higher expectations. Like, I was READY to be obsessed, and while it delivered on some levels, it didn’t exactly knock me off my feet.

Not Safe for Work by Nisha J. Tuli, narrated by Soneela Nankani, was honestly such a vibe-y workplace romcom with a much-needed dose of brown girl boss energy.

Let's talk tropes (because duh):
🌺 Enemies-to-lovers 
☀️ Forced proximity
🌺 Workplace romance 
☀️ Only one bed
🌺 STEM rep (engineering queen alert!)
☀️ Woman of color in a white man’s world 
🌺 Chronic pain rep 
☀️ Slooooow burn (like painfully slow) 
🌺 Protective MMC who’s secretly soft 
☀️ Banter & angst combo pack

Tris was a STRONG lead. Smart, bold, tired of the BS, and not afraid to stand up for herself—honestly loved that for her. She carried this story. And I mean that literally and emotionally. I cheered every time she snapped back at sexist workplace nonsense.

But Rafe? Hmm... okay hear me out—he’s hot, sweet, and has forearms (which apparently is a thing now??) BUT he felt kinda flat to me. Like, I got more out of his family drama than him. I just wanted a little more depth, you know? Not just hot-and-mysterious energy.

The chemistry though? YES, they’re spicy but in a super slow-burn way—like, we’re crawling to the fire here. It took forever to get there but once it did? Whew. And the tension? Delicious. That one bed? Tragic (for them), hilarious (for us).

The audio performance by Soneela Nankani? Chef’s kiss. She made Tris’s frustration and sass SO real and gave life to even the most awkward tension moments.

What stood out the most?
The setting = literal paradise. Hawaii vibes, sun, water, awkward hotel situations... gimme all of it.
And also—THE CALL OUTS. Like, Nisha really said let’s expose corporate patriarchy and I was so here for it. The author note about her own experience? Heartbreaking. And powerful.

That said, some pacing issues dragged the middle, and I wanted more evolution from Rafe and their relationship outside of lust. I also wish the conflict resolution hit harder. Like girl, you deserved a SCENE, not just a half-apology and some sunshine.

Butttt the ending was cute, the epilogue gave me the warm fuzzies, and I smiled closing the last chapter.

Final thoughts?
A fierce brown woman in STEM navigating a sexist workplace with a lot of sass, a hot co-worker she swears she hates, and one bed in paradise?? YUP, that’ll always get me to click “Request.”

3.5 stars from me!
Would recommend with tempered expectations and a craving for slow burn, smart girls, and sun-soaked chaos.

CW:
– Sexism
– Racism + racial microaggressions
– Nonconsensual touching
– Mention of leaked intimate photo
– Blackmail

So yeah... Not perfect, but definitely a fun ride.
Now someone get me a piña colada and an enemies-to-lovers retreat ASAP.

Not Safe for Work was so cute! I loved the idea of a workplace romance but make it on vacation/work trip, and love to see women represented in male dominated fields.

This was my first read by Nisha, apparently she does some amazing fantasy and will have to check that out!

Tish and Rafe were adorable! Their romance was so sweet and swoony, and I loved every minute of their story.

An okay story about two work rivals and their back and forth

And back and forth

And back and forth. Not necessarily in the cute banter tension way but sometimes I wondered if they just didn't like each other (the tension wasnt giving two people in lust)

Then when they do give in… its a little spicy but then their dumbs selfs get right back out of it again.

If you like the back and forth and workplace romance, one bed tropes you'll like this quick read

I think because her fantasy novel had so much tension she tried to recreate this in her contemporary novel but because it's in the real world it just didn't work.

Spicy RomCom with reality sprinkled in between the fiction. The Glass Ceiling is real and women especially women of color have all experienced it. It doesn't matter if we graduate at the top of our class, earn x number of degrees, have impeccable volunteer and community service/activism, team player, go getter the cards are still stacked against us, and it is tiring.

Trishara has experienced it all. The subtle jabs, microaggressions, the subtle attempts at racism. You name it she's experienced it. Trishara took everything in stride until she couldn't anymore.

This was a story of how two people...rivals were vying for a leadership position within their company. Trishara wanted it to prove that she was just as capable if not better and Rafe was pushed towards it because it was expected of him to follow in his father's footsteps.

It was fun to watch Trishara and Rafe go from being rivals to frenemies to reluctant acquaintances to lovers. Which really wasn't hard when they both secretly held candle for one another.

I enjoyed this workplace RomCom as well as the BIPOC representation. Expect a hearty dose of slow burn romance, humor, as well as the workplace/corporate b.s women are expected to tolerate and accept in order to advance in male dominated professions.

I have not yet read Tuli's fantasy series, but it has jumped to the top of my TBR after finishing this book. I love the way she writes her characters! I loved Tris and Rafe and the banter! I'm sure it didn't hurt that all of my favorite tropes were wrapped up in this book, but they were just done so well!! I hope that she continues to write more romcom books because this was a big score for me.

Thank you forever for the gifted eARC!

I fear nisha just might not be the author for me 😔 I’m really struggling to immerse myself in this book! The idea is there with rivals to lovers, women in stem, and forced proximity (all my favs), but something about the writing feels very choppy and keeps pulling me out.

Not Safe for Work follows the pretty typical premise of a romance novel - two work “enemies”, thrown together where they then discover that they just started out on the wrong foot and secretly really like each other. For a light, predictable read, this is a good fit. It has a little spice, some good banter, shenanigans and ultimately, a happily ever after. It’s a great option for a holiday read or sitting on the beach.
3.5 stars, rounded down.

A solid first foray into contemporary romance for Nisha Tuli!

📕 𝗕𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝗜𝗻𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: Not Safe for Work by Nisha Tuli

📙 𝗦𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀: Standalone

📗 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗗𝗲𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗹𝘀: E-book ARC on Kindle. Courtesy of NetGalley.

📘 𝗚𝗲𝗻𝗿𝗲: Contemporary romance

📔 𝗧𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗲𝘀: Rivals-to-enemies-to-lovers, women in STEM, getaway vibes, Hawaii, forced proximity, only one bed.

📖 𝗦𝘆𝗻𝗼𝗽𝘀𝗶𝘀: Engineer Trishara is aimless at her job, having been the victim of workplace politics and sexism one too many times. When she’s finally selected to attend a leadership program, she decides to give her company one last chance - until she finds up she’s paired up with her work nemesis, Rafe.

🌟 𝗥𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄: Most authors these days seem to be transitioning from contemporary romance to romantasy. Nisha Tuli is going the other way. And her debut contemporary romance was a good read.

If we’re going by the cover, I’d be handing out a 5. It is probably what made me apply for the ARC in the first place. And if you want vibes, that cover is exactly what Nisha Tuli delivers in her writing.

For me, I waffled on a rating. I’ll be honest. I’ve read this book before. Workplace rivals to lovers who really seem to hate each other but realize they’ve gotten it all wrong? And on a beach somewhere? It’s not unique.

But I landed on a four because Tuli wrote it really well, and she also encapsulated a lot of the struggle for women in STEM so well, I felt seen. This isn’t fluffy, it’s real life, and I respect that.

𝗥𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴: 4/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐

𝗦𝗽𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝗟𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹: 3/5 🌶🌶🌶

𝑰 𝒓𝒆𝒄𝒆𝒊𝒗𝒆𝒅 𝒂𝒏 𝑨𝑹𝑪 𝒐𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒃𝒐𝒐𝒌 𝒊𝒏 𝒆𝒙𝒄𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒈𝒆 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒂𝒏 𝒉𝒐𝒏𝒆𝒔𝒕 𝒓𝒆𝒗𝒊𝒆𝒘.

Super steamy flirting and banter between these two workplace rivals stuck together on a training retreat. Tris is your typical woman of color in a white male-dominated workforce, overlooked for many promotions, and losing out leadership positions to the boss’s son Rafe. She’s totally surprised when she’s selected to go on a training retreat in Maui, but irritated that she’s stuck traveling with her rival Rafe. Being forced to share a room might actually force them to call a truce though, and we get all sorts of angry flirting along the way. Once we get away from the taunting each other and get to the actual relationship-building, I loved this book, and loved how sweet Rafe actually was (and not the dude-bro persona he gives off).

Who knew?
Seriously, you know an author can WRITE when they can switch genres and still push out a banger.

The enemies to lovers trope isn't my favourite, but the vulnerability of these characters won me over. From the start, Tris and Rafe had a spark, but she outed it before it had a chance to flourish. Instead they seemed to enjoy a constant game of one-upmanship in order to deny the chemistry that continued to grow between them.

Throw in a work trip, one room and one bed, and the undeniable becomes something hard to reject. Tris sees the truth of all that is Rafe, demolishing the image she had composed of him, illustrating all that was good in this man. And he finally had the chance to see her in a new light as well. No more walls, no more denials, and Tris was forced to see the real Rafe and how compatible they were.

I loved that the author didn't make this relationship easy. There was plenty of angst and I was kept on my toes as to whether these two would even end up together. And that workplace drama... oooh, those microagressions could have been worse, I'm sure. As a woman of colour, I know the negative part of the corporate world all too well, but I'm pleased with the way that Tris handled all of it, even when she was just going along to get along.

Rafe was my favourite character and Tuli described him in such a delicious way. How am I supposed to resist a hero like him???

i absolutely loved this! Nisha J Tuli has written an incredible contemporary romance, and I am so impressed. I really loved the dynamic between Trishara and Rafe. (I absolutely eat up and workplace rivals plot.) I also found it really refreshing that the trip lasted three weeks, as often these vacation romances are insta love. It also was refreshing that neither trishara or Rafe did anything cruel prior to the beginning of the book, and made it that much more enjoyable.

I also really appreciated the plot about Trishara’s experience as a woman in engineering, and especially how it was handled by the end of the book. It felt (even if disheartening) exceptionally realistic.

Definitely will read another contemporary romance by Nisha J Tuli!

I did not know Nish J Tuli (author of the Artefacts of Ouranos series) wrote a spicy romance! And this was a good one! It's perfect for a quick summer read as it takes place in Hawaii!

So right off the bat, the cover is really cute hehe and i'm a sucker for a cute cover! And the tropes?
-Forced proximity
-Woman in STEM
-One bed
-Rivals to lovers

But I am not here for one of the major plots that kept re-occurring...:
-unresolved previous relationship / annoying ex

Besides that...I thought there was a great balance between the personal/work drama the FMC was facing and romance with the MMC. Again, I got annoyed with the whole annoying ex thing, but I get it. Take that part of the book out; I think it would've been perfect. The MMC is so caring, and I loved how he always comforted the FMC when she needed it.

Thank you NetGalley, Forever Publishing for my ARC and Hachette Audio for my ALC of this title!

Thank you Forever Publishing and Netgalley for this eARC!

This book was on my TBR as soon as it was announced and I screamed when I got an early copy of it.

Not Safe For Work was everything I wanted it to be and more. The chemistry between Rafe and Trishara was jumping off the page from the very beginning and the writing made visualizing this book as a rom-com movie so so easy. The tropes were so well done- my favorites being Loathe/rivals to lovers, the forbidden romance, and forced proximity. I seriously gobbled this book up.