Upon finishing this book I am indeed due for a tropical vacation with my mans.

This was such a fun enemies to lovers, women in STEM book. Trishara and Rafe are rivals at their company WMC and are flung together during a company retreat to Maui (can you say, only one room?) The setting of this book in Maui was so dreamy and immediately turned up the intensity on the tension between Rafe and Tris.

I loved all the cheesy team building exercises that they were forced into and ultimately took way too seriously just to get under each other’s skin. And the second there was a crack in that disdain shield and Rafe’s desire for Tris began to trickle out, I was hooked. Their chemistry was so palpable and I loved their banter. I also enjoyed as the book went on the depth of both Tris and Rafe’s characters and how they weren’t your typical engineer rivals.

Overall, this was such a fun read and would be the perfect summer romance to take on a beach vacation.

A quick paced, flirty workplace rom-com that features (my favorite) enemies-to-lovers trope. I enjoyed how it tackled diversity and being a woman in corporate America, balancing out the seriousness of that with the fun and sexy dynamic of the romance. Tris and Rafe were amazing characters, and I especially liked the female friendships featured here.

🌸 Trishara is a go-getter and hard worker. I’m glad she stood her ground when her company failed her and realized her worth. You go, girl!

🌸 I think women, specially women of color, will find Trishara’s struggles in a male-dominated field relatable.

🌸 Rafe is sort of a people pleaser especially when it comes to his family. Expected to follow his father’s footsteps and stay in the family business, he couldn’t a actively pursue his own secret passion (which was totally unexpected!)

🌸 Rafe can also be a sweetheart, and you can tell that underneath his rivalry with Trishara is admiration.

🌸 The Hawaii paradise is a pefect setting for their romance! The close proximity forced them to debunk their assumptions about each other and get to know one another on a more personal and intimate level. I enjoyed seeing their relationship grow from rivalry to an unlikely friendship and then to something more.

🌸 This was my first Nisha J Tuli, and it did not disappoint! Love that this was inspired by her early career as an engineer. I can tell this story holds a special place for the author.

✨ Workplace romance
✨ Forced proximity
✨ One bed
✨ South-Asian representation
✨ Women in STEM

thank you to @readforever for the e-arc!

This was my first Nisha Tuli book and I highly enjoyed it!

As a Southeast Asian female in a male dominated field, I could definitely see so many parallels with Tris and my own personal experience. I could even relate to the chronic pain- how we are still forced to grin and bear it like nothing is happening. I love how strong Tris was and that she was a total badass and didn't take bs from those people who attempted to bring her down every step of the way. I was rooting her so much!!

The banter between Tris and Rafe was too fun and I loved how you can totally tell there was some mutual pining going on. This will probably be one of my top reads already, and I've already got my physical copy pre-order!

Thanks so much for the ARC opportunity!!

One thing about Nisha J. Tuli is that she'll write the most tension-filled slowburn!! As someone who has loved Nisha's fantasy books and also reads a ton of contemporary romance, I really think this was a solid contemporary debut. I had a lot of fun squealing at the tension between Rafe and Trisha, especially during any jealousy or forced proximity scene. I also appreciated some of the subplots of the story, including Trisha's chronic migraines, Rafe's inclination towards art and baking, and Trisha's struggle to thrive in a deeply sexist and racist work environment. I could have done without some of the excess other woman drama, but that is a personal preference for me.

Where this book fell a little short for me was honestly the workplace romance aspect. I know that that is the whole point and the romance sub-genre of this book, but some of the scenes felt so unrealistic and unnatural. I was shocked at the number of times Rafe boldly made comments about Trisha's body, walked around her half naked, got overly possessive about her in front of other colleagues, etc.. Like....someone needs to call HR immediately! I think I would have appreciated more subtle signs of interest or affection between the two leading up to the end of the book, rather than the insta-lust. However, Nisha is known for writing books with high heat and insta-lust vibes, so I don't think other fans of hers will be too surprised. Overall, I think I'd rate this book 4 stars.

ARC review:
3.5 ⭐️ (rounded up on good reads) for Not Safe for Work by Nisha J Tuli

This was a fun rivals to lovers romance, with a beachy setting. Tris is repeatedly and unfairly passed over for a promotion at her office job. She is a woman of color competing in a male dominated field. The boss’s son Rafe has no such issues with moving up. The two are bitter rivals until they are both selected to attend a conference at a beach resort.
I loved that the fmc, Tris was a confident woman who was not afraid to speak up for herself. Rafe was an absolute gem, who was protective and kind. The misunderstanding each others motives was super frustrating. Watching Tris and Rafe compete in silly conference games was funny. While I loved that the fmc was strong, I hated to see her anger aimed in the wrong direction. While there was growth between the Tris and Rafe, I felt like I wanted more of an emotional connection. The physical connection was off the charts though. Overall it was a quick romance that represented a strong woman breaking the glass ceiling that I think is worth the read!
Thanks to Netgalley and Forever for the opportunity to read this e-arc.

Not Safe for Work by Nisha J Tuli releases May 20, 2025

This is my first book by Nisha J. Tuli and I can say it won’t be my last! This was a steamy, slow-burn romance that had me giggling at the banter and how badly they clearly wanted each other haha. Here we follow Trishara(Tris) a determined female engineer who has to navigate the challenges of a traditionally male-dominated industry, and her rivals to lovers dynamic with Rafe, the CEO’s son. All my favorites tropes are here: forced-proximity, one bed/one hotel room, enemies to lovers and were all super well done! What I loved: the authentic depiction of Trisha’s struggles as a BIPOC woman in STEM. She encounters microaggressions, sexism and the pressure to succeed. Rafe had his moments but his character development didn’t feel quite as fleshed out as I would’ve liked although his comebacks and dirty talk were 👩🏻‍🍳 💋

My only gripe is the drama with Rafe’s ex went on a little too long for me but that’s just my personal preference.

All in all, a solid read! Thank you to @nishajtwrites and @readforeverpub for the Arc in exchange for my honest review!

Thank you to NetGalley and Forever Publishing for a digital ARC of Not Safe for Work. I gave this 4 stars, but I think I would round down to 3.75 if I could.

I enjoyed this story. I liked the plot and the characters and the tension/banter was chef's kiss. I can't explain why I'm not rating it higher, but I didn't feel the thing at the end where I have to tell everyone about this book. I don't have any complaints and would read future books from her. I'm also interested in her fantasy now, too.

Nisha J. Tuli's Not Safe for Work marks a compelling shift from her fantasy roots into the realm of contemporary romance, delivering a vibrant, trope-filled workplace rom-com that balances humor with heartfelt social commentary.​

The novel follows Trishara Malik, a sharp-witted, biracial engineer navigating the challenges of being a woman of color in a predominantly male industry. Her professional life takes an unexpected turn when she's paired with her long-time workplace rival, Rafe Gallagher—the charismatic son of the company's CEO—for a leadership retreat in Hawaii. A booking mishap forces them to share a honeymoon suite, setting the stage for a classic enemies-to-lovers narrative infused with forced proximity and simmering tension. ​

Tuli's personal experience in engineering lends authenticity to the narrative, particularly in portraying the subtle and overt instances of sexism and racism Trishara faces. Reviewers have lauded the novel for its realistic depiction of workplace microaggressions and the protagonist's resilience.

Ok this was a fü€%ing delight.
A lemon tart scented balm on a weary soul.
Competitive zingers as years long foreplay?
Indeed, that pleases me.
Arc review: 5 ⭐️

I love this story and I’m obsessed with Rafe and Tris.
Tris is amazing, smart and funny, and Rafe… even though sometimes I wanted to slap him, he really stepped up and was the perfect book boyfriend.
I don’t know exactly when, but at some point in this book, I was totally hooked and couldn’t put it down.
Love Nisha’s work, hope we can get more contemporary romances from her!

Reviews on Instagram and Amazon will be posted release day 🖤

I love Tuli’s fantasy series and wanted to fall head over heels in love with her contemporary romance debut, but for some reason this just didn’t come together as I hoped. The FMC is smart (STEM career/engineer) but keeps getting passed over for work promotions due to patriarchal practices in the company. When she lands the opportunity to attend a company retreat and networking event in Hawaii she brings her A-game! The twist, her coworker arch-nemesis (and the son’s boss) is also coming and these two end up in a forced proximity, only-one-bed scenario when the hotel overbooks rooms. The setting was perfect for a summer beach-read, and I love a good forced proximity trope, but I just felt like the FMC was too immature and abrasive for my tastes. She was often down-right mean to our nepo-baby who was kind, considerate, and down bad for her! There is some great witty banter and tension filled scenes, with a satisfying conclusion, but I struggled to get through this one and just didn’t love the pairing.

A workplace romance in beautiful Hawaii? Yes please! When Tris and Rafe - work enemies - end up on a leadership retreat together, sparks begin to fly.

I wasn't a fan of Tris, she was a bit much for me. I loved some of the side characters like Lan and Molly, but this book wasn't my favourite. It was an easy, sexy read though and fun to spend a day with!

Thank you to the publisher for providing a copy to review.

An fun, slow burn enemies to lovers workplace romance that also deals with important (and sadly very common) workplace issues like misogyny and racism. I loved the character development and how we slowly discover both Trishara and Rafe's true wants and desires. Also - forced proximity is my absolute favorite trope so one extra star for that alone :)

The perfect beach read. With brilliant character development and a heroine you can’t help but root for, this story follows Trish on her journey to reclaim her voice and rebuild her professional confidence in a male-dominated industry. Add in a slow-burn romance packed with irresistible tension, and you’ve got a book that’s impossible to put down. Rafe is the ultimate book boyfriend, and Trish is all of us—relatable, resilient, and real. A worthy read from start to finish. Nisha J. Tuli has officially won me over.

This was one of my most anticipated contemporaries of the year and I could not put it down. Seriously I canceled a whole workout to finish reading it (Tris and Rafe would judge me for this). Workplace rivals barely hiding their irrevocable attraction to each other with petty competitiveness and trading lethal barbs have to room together on a work retreat and gasp, face their feelings? Sigh me the fuck up.

4.25 Stars

It felt like the author was speaking directly to me while writing Tris. Desi STEM girlie stagnating at her corporate job, severely lacking motivation in her career, and has severe trust issues with men. She’s even scared of storms ffs. Ho is you me? All I’m lacking is a Rafe. The universe needs to change that asap. Okay fine no one is inviting me to a work trip in Hawaii and I definitely don’t enjoy working out and girl has some severe trauma in her past, but otherwise we’re twinning quite a bit. I even find her lust for a good forearm deeply relatable.

Rafe might trade her barb for barb and otherwise brood prettily, but the man is a deep, unfathomable ocean underneath that pretty nepo baby face and those delectable forearms. It was quite adorable to see him switch between charmer (to others) and broody villain (to her at first) and shameless flirt and secret creative. Her obsession with him and especially him finally smiling at her (the usual trope turned on its head) was one of my favorite parts. I wish we got to know him slightly better, but this is often something that happens in single pov books. Their chemistry is sizzling and while the burn is slow, the payoff is so incredibly hot I MELT.

Tris is smart and confident, and we bear witness to her struggles in a cutthroat corporate world that is very pale and patriarchal. She doesn’t need a Rafe to fight her battles but the true test of a book boyfriend is in how he supports his girl, and Rafe is darn good at it. Of course he fucks up in other ways, but what’s a rivals to lovers romance without a good grand gesture eh? And his is a deliciously good one.

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for an early copy for review!

Wellllll hot dang.

I was completely hooked from page one of this book. Immediately got The Spanish Love Deception vibes from this, so I just knew I was going to love it. The office setting, the trip to a tropical island, the two co-workers who think they hate each other but really just experienced miscommunication?? Sign me up.

This story follows Trishara and Rafe as they are the two people chosen to attend a leadership conference in Hawaii for their jobs. I really wasn't expecting to like this one as much as I did, but it just sucked me in. I feel like this would be the perfect book to read while sitting on a beach.

Was the writing the most spectacular thing? No, it wasn't. However, the storyline was so fun and kept me hooked for a good time, so I couldn't give it anything but 5 stars. I loved the characters and how real they felt. Tris and Rafe both experience things that make you feel for them as a reader and those obstacles just make you root for them harder.

I will now be trying out Nisha J Tuli's romantasy series soon just because of how much fun I had with this one!

Thank you NetGalley and Forever Publishing for providing me with an eARC!

3.75 Stars!

Nisha is a auto buy author for me! This is so different than her other works and yet still just as good. It has all the quirks that make a rom-com great. We got a diverse cast of characters, workers in STEM, rivals to lovers and forced-proximity! Oh yes and also the one bed trope, yup. The book is lighthearted and has many funny moments. I love the banter between the two characters and how we slowly saw them opening up to each other. I specially loved how their relationship took it's time and nothing was rushed. I did find that Trisha's inner monologue would get a bit repetitive while he sorts out her feelings for Rafe and the constant mention of how she's physically attracted to him. I also found her behavior to be immature for her age and was hoping she would have had some character growth sooner. Overall, a fun and cute read!

**4.5 rounded up to 5**

This was my first Nisha Tuli book and it will not be my last! WOW -- truly a phenomenal read! I saw the Forever Team post about this title in their Facebook Group and requested it on a whim after being sucked in by that STUNNING cover. I went in completely blind (aside from briefly glimpsing at the synopsis) with zero expectations and left completely hooked. It was such a delight to discover this book had everything I love and more.

One Bed? ✔
Forced Proximity? ✔
Enemies to Lovers? ✔
Down Bad MMC? ✔✔✔

To break it down: our main characters, Trishara Malik and Rafe Gallagher, are workplace rivals who are forced together during their leadership training camp in Hawaii and eventually, a spark blossoms between them. I really enjoyed the chemistry and the banter between them, and OH THE ANGST! I do wish we had Rafe's POV at some points so we could have more insight into his emotions just to add to the overall tension which I think could have been drawn out a little more. But even without his POV, his interest in Tris was clearly established. And as the title suggests, this is NOT SAFE FOR WORK! Nisha absolutely delivered on the spice!

Not only did I love the romance aspect, I really appreciated how Nisha used Tris to tastefully touch on sexism and racism in the workplace, and remind us (the readers) that we don't have to keep putting up with this bs. As a woman of color in STEM, Tris resonated with me on a deeper level. Her experiences felt so real and raw and personable in ways I wasn't expecting.

If you're looking for a fun, fast-paced contemporary rom com, this is the book for you! I would recommend this book to fans of The Hating Game and The Spanish Love Deception. From how beautifully written this book was, you would never know this is Nisha's contemporary romance debut. I really hope to see her back in this space in the future!

Thank you NetGalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for the advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you NetGalley and Forever for making this available for Read Now!

This book was just fine, nothing truly extraordinary or life changing. The FMC came off a little too 'not like other girls'/'better than everyone' that it really took me out of the story. I thought it would get better as time went on, but it only got worse as she became more immature and high and mighty in her thought process and actions.
Some of the plot just didn't make sense- in the year of our lord Beyonce 2025, you mean to tell me that a company can have that many HR violations, lack of diversity, and sexual harassment and still be such a huge, successful company? Speaking of HR, where were they? You mean to tell me not a single HR person was on this company retreat for 3 weeks? As the author, it is their job to convince me of certain things and I was not convinced in the slightest. We were told many things and not shown enough- how smart and capable Tris was, this one sided enemies to lovers with zero proof of any ill-intent on Rafe's side, Tris' many workplace injustices and wrongdoings.
There were some fun parts and the setting was beautiful, but I just couldn't ever get into the story. I really did. not. care. This was not very spicy, as the title would try to suggest otherwise. This was definitely safe for work- if you are looking for a quick, light, beachy read, this is for you.