A fun work place story where the main characters go from enemies to lovers. It was fun to watch it unfold as Rafe and Tris get to know each other better and the setting in Hawaii added to the story.

Rivals to lovers? Forced proximity? On a company retreat? Say less!

Not Safe For Work follows a smart and determined Engineer FMC, Trishara, who has been overlooked at WMC Purcell for years. Not to mention, the Boss’ son, Rafe, Trishara’s nemesis, receives the promotion she so clearly deserves. Between the blatant nepotism, racism and sexism at play, Trishara is surprised when she’s selected to go on the company’s retreat to Maui alongside WMC Purcell’s executives, including her enemy, Rafe.

What turns out to be a not so fun workplace vacation to Maui, turns into a nightmare as Trishara and Rafe are forced to stay in the same room with ONE BED. And that’s where this book stole my heart!!

Nisha’s tackles important topics such as misogyny, racism and nepotism so brilliantly, and we need more FMC’s like Trishara!!! I really appreciated reading from the perspective of Trishara and seeing her break the glass ceiling was a MOMENT.

I really enjoyed Rafe’s character development; despite his unapproachable seeming persona, it turns out he’s just a Cinnamon Roll MMC after all. The way he protects Trishara had me swooning.

As a chronic migraine sufferer, this was the first contemporary romance that had chronic migraine representation in it, and I’d be lying if it didn’t make me shed a few tears.

This was such a fun slow burn read and I highly recommend it!! I really loved that this was a debut contemporary romance for Nisha, who might I add, is a Canadian author and am so excited to see what’s next for her!

Tropes:
Rivals to lovers
Forced Proximity
Only one bed
BIPOC Women in STEM
Workplace romance
Tropical setting
Chronic migraine representation

Thank you Forever for the ARC & Hachette Audio for the ALC!

I LOVED THIS BOOK. Nisha, the woman you are!!!
I had the time of my life reading this on vacation. The vibes were perfect! The slow burn, the mutual pining, the Hawaii setting, Tris being a badass woman in STEM.
So so good. I loved Nisha's Artefacts of Ouranos series, so I was super excited to read her contemporary romance and she did not disappoint!!
Absolutely stellar book.

4.5 stars

I have read Nisha's Artefacts series, and I enjoyed the way that Nisha wrote her FMC and MMC. The world building, banter and the twists and turns were entertaining. So, I was pretty excited to see what she could do in a contemporary setting. And whether your characters are in a fantasy world or on a tropical work trip - the woman are bad ass, the men are swoon worthy and the heat is hot!

This gave me TL Swan, Vi Keeland, Penelope Ward type of writing. You have this rival-to-lovers workplace romance with some tender moments, addressing real-life conflicts and prejudice that you find in an office workspace, with some pretty funny banter, spicy spice and sweet moments to balance it all out. I loved Tris and how she handled *everything*

One Bed
Rivals to Lovers
Tropical Getaway
Work-Place Relationships

The audiobook was narrated by the very talented Soneela Nankani. I like her audiobooks. I find that she can really keep my attention and that she can really set the tone that aligns with the plot. Some people can get discouraged with not duel/duet narrations - Soneela narrating Rafe was not an issue at all to me.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

This book was so fun and hard to put down. I loved the characters, chemistry, slow burn, and the setting. Cannot wait to read more by Nisha!

“He is everything I wanted and didn’t know was right in front of me all along.”

Tris and Rafe. She’s been working at a male-dominated company for five years where she keeps getting passed over for a promotion. When she contemplates leaving the job, she gets an opportunity to attend a corporate retreat in Hawaii. The only problem is that she has to go with her work rival, who happens to be the boss’s son.

I heard a lot of good reviews on this book and really enjoyed it! It’s filled with lots of banter and tension; I just wished it was a dual POV so we know all of Rafe’s thoughts!

🌺READ IF YOU LIKE🌺:
- workplace romance
- forced proximity
- rivals to lovers
- only one bed
- slow burn
- chronic illness rep: headaches/migraines
- set in Hawaii

cw: sexism, racial microaggression, blackmail, non consensual touching, mention of leaked intimate photo

Thank you @netgalley and @readforeverpub for the advanced copy! Not Safe for Work is now available!

Thank you to Netgalley and Forever for this ARC.

I loved this book so much, it was easily a million out of ten! Trishara's inner ruminations were so amusing, even though I had to yell at her a couple of times, in the most loving way, of course. But I loved how witty and funny she was. And Rafe! They were so cute together even when they were fighting- I was actually scared when I got to the last 75% or so because I didn't want them to break up or fight about something silly (they do but it wasn't that bad).

The whole thing with Hannah pissed me off immensely but I knew it would inevitably happen. I also loved how Lan and Gabrielle have their own side stories and it all comes together beautifully in the end. Honestly, I just don't think I could love this book more. Everything about it was written with care and you can really tell writing the story meant a lot to Nisha. And the email at the end?! Total chef's kiss.

I love Tuli's work, this particular book was a little slower in pacing than I would have liked, but it was charming and Rafe was SO HOT. I had a lot of fun with this, and would recommend to anyone who likes their women in STEM. (ME)

Slow Burn and Slow Start

As the title says this one is slow on two fronts, but that doesn't mean it's not worth the time. I started with the e-book, then switched to the audiobook about half way through. I much preferred the audio version. The narrator, Soneela Nankani, did a fabulous job and I'll be looking for more of her work.

Admittedly, it took be a bit for me to get into this story. I'm not sure if it was the story setup or me. I am usually all in by 20%, but this one took me until about 30%. The story is told from Trishara's (Trish's) point of view. I liked Rafe almost immediately, but Trish took a bit longer. She annoyed me in the beginning and her childish jabs at Rafe didn't help. Rafe held his own, but just seemed so terribly sad for so much of the book.

The advertised tropes were spot on except for the "enemies to lovers." That was a stretch, imo. Trish treated Rafe like an enemy as a defense tactic, but I didn't see much of that on Rafe's side. As the book was from Trish's POV, maybe it does fit? The tropical setting was fun. The having to share one room at the hotel was far=fetched, but made for some fun scenes between the two. I loved how they eventually started to let their respective guards down and opened up to one another.

The book dealt with several tough issues such as: racism, microaggressions, sexism, diversity, glass ceilings, sexual harassment, long-term health issues, and bullying. I appreciated how they were handled. While the purpose of the book was a romance, it did give insight into how some "innocent" comments can be quire hurtful.

Loved the side characters: Lan and Gabrielle were a freaking awesome couple. I loved how the two women rallied around Trish and supported her. Molly was an awesome bestie to Trish.

The ending and epilogue were absolutely fabulous! I have zero complaints. It's not often I actually like an epilogue, so this was a treat. It didn't feel unnecessary or forced.

Thank you NetGalley and Forever Publishing!

Thank you to Forever Publishing for the eARC and Hachette Audio for the ALC.

Did Not Finish.

I am a STEM girly, so reading about someone who seems to hate being in STEM (albeit, she has legitimate reasons to dislike her job and career) just isn't super fun. And Tris is just not a character I could connect with. She seemed to alternate from body betrayal syndrome and extreme hatred for Rafe and after a while I sat there wondering why I was still listening.

it starts off promising but just falls and falls and made me pause like one does at the edge of a cliff. It was unbearable for some reason sorry

When I saw that Not Safe for Work involved a workplace romance, a woman in STEM, and forced proximity, I was all in. As a romance reader, this book seemed made for my TBR. STEM romances, especially those centered around women of color navigating male-dominated spaces, are still relatively rare, so I’m always excited to see the genre grow beyond the Ali Hazelwood hype (and that's coming from someone who LOVES Ali). 

Before I begin, a HUGE thank you to Forever Publishing for providing me with a copy of this arc. Let's get into it. 

Tropes:
Workplace Romance
Enemies to Lovers*
Forced Proximity / Only One Bed

This is marketed as an enemies-to-lovers story, which I find can sometimes be misleading in contemporary romances. I just wanted to note that there was not a lot of build-up or tension between the two characters (in the way that they were "enemies"). There WAS, however, sexual tension between the two. 

Pros
I appreciated the representation of women in STEM. I am so happy that this has become more present in books. The story follows Trishara, an employee at a top engineering company. She's constantly been passed over for job promotions by less qualified white men, making her motivation and work ethic plummet. The story does a great job of exploring how Trishara deals with these issues, but it also highlights the problems within these jobs. That aspect of the story felt realistic. 

Trishara was a strong lead. The way Trishara grew as a character felt realistic, and it was great to see a character stand up for herself. I also appreciated the chronic pain representation (migraines)

I loved the character of Rafe Gallagher (aka the love interest). He was brooding and grumpy, and it was so easy to imagine his yearning towards Trishara. The banter between the two characters was enjoyable to read, and I could definitely sense the connection between them. My only complaint is that I sometimes wished for his perspective. I'm a sucker for a yearning man though...

Cons
One of the reasons I didn't fully enjoy this book was the writing, particularly when it included descriptions. One example is "But I’ve really said the wrong thing because his expression becomes a shard of obsidian dipped in ink." Isn't a shard of obsidian already dark? Why dip it in ink? How does an expression become this?? Now, this is an ARC, so it's entirely possible that this line will not be in the final copy of the book, but there were multiple instances of this.

Other descriptions also took me out of the story. Almost every time a character was introduced, there was a quick explanation of what they were wearing. The way it was done did not feel smooth or natural. Instead, it felt jarring and unnecessary, as if we were pausing the story to conduct an outfit check. 

For the most part, the main character, Trishara, did not bother me. As I mentioned in the pros, her character was inspiring in her job. However, near the end of the book, I did not enjoy the constant hot-and-cold attitude. It was getting too repetitive, and it made for an uninteresting third-act conflict. 

Overall Thoughts
While I didn't hate Not Safe for Work, I didn't necessarily love it either. The book does a great job of tackling serious themes, such as workplace inequality and chronic pain, while also delivering a romance full of tension and fun tropes. Sadly, the writing style and pacing had some bumps for me, but I have no doubt that many readers will connect with Trishara’s story. If you’re into romance with tension and playful banter, Not Safe for Work might be right up your alley.

Trishara is sent on a multi-week work trip on Maui but a booking error at the hotel forces her to share a room with her work rival (and boss’s son), Rafe.

I loved the steminist, BIPOC female empowerment messages in this book! And found that particular arc very satisfying.

Trishara and Rafe’s romance was a slow burn with a steamy payoff(s)!! It took me a bit to get into it but then I was fully engaged and ended up really enjoying this one.

trishara is an engineer, dealing with privileged men who don't see her as an equal, and getting passing her over for promotions she deserved. But then they offer her the opportunity to attend a corporate leadership retreat in Maui, she feels there is a chance, even though she has to go with the boss's son Rafe, her nemesis. They never got along, but after a booking error forces them to spend the next three weeks sharing the same room, that might change.

i love a good enemies to lovers slow burn.
And while i liked this, i only liked it.
It was cute, Trish was interesting. I wanted Rafe to be more than he veined forearms..but he never really was lol.

Thanks to Net Galley for the Arc. All opinions are my own.

I will read anything Nisha writes and when I found out she was writing a forced proximity enemies to lover workplace romance I knew I needed to read it. Ultimately, I really enjoyed it Tris is an excellent lead. Tris is a badass who isn't afraid to call people out and advocate for herself and I absolutely adore a book that stars a woman in STEM. The reason I can't rate this any higher than 3.5 stars is Rafe. It's not that he's a bad MMC but he fell flat and one dimensional to me. We know he's hot af and he's got some family drama but I wanted more about HIM. I wouldn't re-read but it's definitively worth your time.


Thank you to Netgalley and Forever for the ARC.

𝑁𝑜𝑡 𝑆𝑎𝑓𝑒 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑊𝑜𝑟𝑘 (𝑎𝑟𝑐) 𝑅𝑒𝑣𝑖𝑒𝑤 @nishajtwrites
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
You know that fluttery, butterflies in your stomach kind of feeling you get from a really good romance book? That was 𝘦𝘹𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘭𝘺 what Tishara and Rafe’s story gave me. ✨

“𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘥𝘰 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘺 𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘢 𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘣𝘦𝘢𝘶𝘵𝘪𝘧𝘶𝘭 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘺𝘰𝘶’𝘳𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘳𝘺? 𝘍𝘶𝘤𝘬, 𝘪𝘵 𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘯𝘴 𝘮𝘦 𝘰𝘯.”

From the very first page, I knew this was going to be one of those rivals to lovers romances I couldn’t put down— and I was so right. The tension? Delicious. And the banter? Ugh, 𝘤𝘩𝘦𝘧’𝘴 𝘬𝘪𝘴𝘴. 🍒

But it wasn’t just the romance that had me hooked. The plot was so well done, the themes were incredibly on point, and the writing flowed effortlessly. It reminded me why I fell in love with romance books in the first place.💗

And let’s talk about the setting for a second— because the Hawaiian resort backdrop made everything even better. The beaches, the tropical vibes, the warm sun-soaked scenes… it all made the romance feel that much more magical, like a literal escape in book form.🏝️

If you need something that’ll pull you out of reality and straight into a story that’s equal parts fun, flirty, and heartwarming— 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙞𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙤𝙣𝙚.

Honestly, it’s hard to put into words just how much I loved this book… so I’ll just say it made me feel 𝙝𝙖𝙥𝙥𝙮. And maybe a 𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘵𝘭𝘦 obsessed with Rafe (okay, a lot)— he’s officially on my book boyfriend list now. 💘🌴📚

I always admire and appreciate when an author that is typically heavy in one genre writes in a completely different one! I liked the premise of this story but it fell a little flat for me. The spice was good (as the title suggests) but I feel like it was somewhat similar to other books I’ve read, so that uniqueness didn’t shine through.

I am quite enjoying Nisha’s Sun Queen series and this book was also a hit that everyone will love! Got it way super early on V day. I love that she includes hard topics that we should all be more aware of in this day and age.
I fell more in love with the MMC Rafe and wish I had his POV. I had been getting so used to duel POV that I was like “when do I get to see his side?”

I am totally new to Nisha Tuli's writing, but through this, I have become an instant fan. I loved her descriptive writing about both the FMC and the MMC. I love when characters have depth and their own small details, and she gave us that. One of my favorite book is how she explored what it's like to be a woman, especially a woman of color, in a male dominated field. I thought that brought so much depth to this book. I also loved how protective the MMC was, but that he had this unexpected love for baking. This spice was tense in the best way and very well written. Lastly, I loved how the story shifted from a workplace romance to a tropical vacation romance at the same time. Really love this and want MORE contemporary romance from Nisha Tuli!!

This book was so cute and sweet! Nisha J Tuli really knows how to bring you into her universe, I couldn’t put it down