“I want to taste your mouth and eat you out and f—k you until the sun comes up, Tris.”

Thanks to the publisher for the e-ARC and ALC!

- workplace rivals to lovers
- endless banter and insults as flirting
- interracial romance (South Asian FMC, white MMC)
- slowburn with spice
- tension 😮‍💨
- Soneela Nankani is a fabulous narrator who brings all the characters to live and gives them all a distinct presence seamlessly

Trishara and Rafe have the kind of tension and chemistry that you can feel - their competitiveness and blunt words don’t fool anyone but maybe themselves. A work retreat to compete for a leadership position and hotel mix up landing them in a shared room with only one bed is all they need to have an opportunity to face what they really yearn for.

Tris is smart and excels in her job as an engineer but she’s constantly passed up for opportunities in an obvious display of racial and gender based bias. While she’s somewhat given up on hoping her ambition will go anywhere with her current company, being selected to compete for a leadership program spot reignites that fire in her. You can’t help but to root for her, even as you start to question if it’s really what she wants when the company has never treated her like she deserves and it will likely continue to be an uphill battle.

It makes her rivalry with Rafe ramp up, but their time together proves to her that he has a lot more depth than she thought and that his dreams are very different from the life he’s been leading. Rafe is good at his job but nepotism and systemic bias favor him - it’s something he’s aware of and has resisted, but leadership has been determined to maintain the status quo.

The romance is perfectly balanced with the thematic exploration of systemic oppression in work environments. The romance is not sidelined but the deeper themes are not glossed over either.

I love this authors Romantasy stories and her foray into contemporary romance is just as good!

🌺🌅Not Safe For Work🌅🌺
By Nisha J. Tuli
⭐️3.75
🌶️4

Upside, Tris is chosen for a company retreat that is for a competitive training program. Downside, she has to attend with her sworn work nemesis, Rafe. Double downside, the boss’ secretary accidentally booked only one room. As they vie against each other for the coveted spots in the program, all this close proximity may convince Tris that Rafe was not what he initially seemed.

Let me first of all say overall I did enjoy this story. I appreciated the minority rep and hearing her experiences in the corporate engineering world. I thought it was so interesting and informative that it was pulled from the authors own personal experiences. The flirty banter was fun and the FMC was a great character. The ending and epilogue left me with a smile.

However, it did feel like the pacing was off in the middle of the book and a lot of the scenarios started to feel very repetitive. Like how many times they were short with each other and sought the other out to apologize and it felt like they were having the same conversations. Also a lot of scenes happened in the same setting-conference room, gym, bedroom, repeat. I also felt like the smut rivaled plot some in this story. Not just because of the plainly explicit scenes but how it was a focus of the internal monologue and dialogue as well, there wasn’t quite enough character/relationship growth over physical attraction for my usual preference.

Tropes:
✨work rivals to lovers
✨POC/ woman in STEM rep
✨forced proximity
✨one bed
✨he takes care of her
✨forbidden love

CW:
🛑sexism
🛑racism/racial micro-aggressions
🛑non consensual touch

This was my first book by Nisha J. Tuli, and I loved it! Not Safe for Work is a workplace, enemies-to-lovers romance. Trishara and Rafe are engineers in the same firm who have worked together for years, but never gotten along. They both end up on a company retreat in Hawaii and somehow find themselves forced to room together, too. As they spend more time together, they get to know each other more and realize that being friends is better than fighting with each other all the time. They share their experiences and really become close. Trishara and Rafe have great banter and chemistry. Their attraction, even while fighting, jumps off the page. Their time together leads each individually to resolve some important issues in their lives, and clarify their goals for the future. I loved how these characters supported each other to move forward in their careers and with their personal goals.

I got really caught up in this book, and finished it in a few days. Nisha J. Tuli creates authentic, relatable characters, and built the romance between the two main characters slowly and organically. The reader can really see all the ways that these characters are drawn to each other. Tuli's description of Trishara's challenges in the workplace as a woman of color were hilariously accurate. The side characters, particularly Trishara's friend Molly, were really funny, and added depth to the story. Tuli wraps up the story neatly by the end of the book, and gives the reader a fun glimpse of the future in the epilogue.

Not Safe for Work is a great workplace romance with a diverse set of characters. The main characters' forced proximity at a company retreat has many ups and downs but is a life-changing experience for both as the book concludes. I recommend this book. It will be a great summer beach read this year.

Thank you Nisha J. Tuli, Forever, and Grand Central Publishing for providing this ARC for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Content Warnings: Misogyny, Sexual Content, Sexism, Sexual Harassment, Bullying

Spice level: 3/5

Thank you to Forever Grand Central Publishing, NetGalley, and the author for a copy of this ARC!!!

Summer romance set in Hawaii + workplace romance sold me! Oh and the one-bed trope… ooh!!!

And how was it executed?

I enjoyed Trishara’s character and omg her email at the end … she is an icon and a legend.

Rafe was her rival … until they weren’t! We learned a lot about his family drama at WMC, but we didn’t really get to know him other than his love of cooking/making content.

rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

includes:
❀ workplace romance
❀ only one bed
❀ bipoc women in stem
❀ rivals to lovers
❀ great banter

trishara malik currently works at wmc purcell and it’s clear that the company has pushed her off to the side. as a woman of color, she has consciously been pushed to the side in her career although her work speaks for herself. she ends up being picked to attend a leadership retreat in hawaii but who also gets to attend? ralfe gallagher, the son of the boss but her workplace rival.

my favorite part was getting to learn more about trishara’s job and the hardships that women in stem have to endure. haven’t read that many books on this topic so being able to read about this perspective was really enlightening and informative. think the author did a great job bringing those experiences to the forefront!

trishara and ralfe, whew their tension was apparent immediately. you were quite literally screaming at them for something to happen. it was hard to feel invested into them because ralfe just seemed very one dimensional to me.

really think people who enjoy workplace romances and adding in the rival aspect will really enjoy this book!

Nothing gets me more excited for a summer read than enemies to lovers set in a tropical location where tensions are high and the spice is even spicier. If this is your vibe, this book is perfect for you! I had a great time devouring this book in two sittings. The reader meets Tris, a competitive engineer working in Chicago at a company full of a bunch of white bros that she has (not so) affectionately nicknamed “the Khakis.” Yeah, you got the picture. The biggest bro of all is Rafe, son of one of the executive team members, of course, and her arch nemesis. When they are both chosen to go on a company-wide retreat in Hawaii, and somehow end up in one honeymoon suite, nothing bad can happen, right? What transpires is such an entertaining story! It’s enemies to lovers, it’s steamy, it’s women in STEM dealing with sexism and slight casual racism. This all sounds like a lot, but it is definitely entertaining and a perfect beach read. There were times when Tris leaned a bit immature, but then she redeemed herself and that email that she sent the company? She got me all the way back in, baby. I really enjoyed reading this one. If you need a great summer read, put this one in your cart!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for an advanced readers copy of this book. All opinions within this review are my own.

Let me tell you about my latest read: Not Safe At Work by Nisha J. Tuli 👩🏽‍💻✈️🌺

Tishara is an engineer who’s been working her way up for years, dreaming of becoming the first woman of color in a big leadership role at her company. But after constantly facing white male privilege, she’s starting to wonder if her hard work will ever truly be recognized.

Rafe Gallagher is her boss’s son and her sworn arch enemy… or so she thought. When they’re both picked for a company retreat in Hawaii and find themselves stuck in the same room with just one bed (yes, the trope we love!), things start to shift. Getting to know each other away from the office might just change everything.

Rafe completely stole my heart in this book. He’s definitely my favorite character! Tris had me a little stressed at times, but I loved how vulnerable they became with each other. The character growth was chef’s kiss.

This book is the perfect light read to kick off your summer ☀️
Bonus points for the Women in STEM rep—I don’t know why, but I LOVE when authors include that trope 👏🏼 This book is a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This book was okay overall—nothing particularly bad about it, but also nothing that really stood out to me in a memorable way. I went in with fairly high expectations, especially knowing it was written by Nisha, whose previous work I’ve really enjoyed for its emotional depth and strong character development. Unfortunately, this one didn’t quite deliver on that front.

I found myself struggling to connect with the female main character. She felt a bit flat to me, lacking the complexity and nuance that I’ve come to expect from Nisha’s protagonists. It was hard to fully invest in her journey or choices because she didn’t feel as fully fleshed-out or emotionally grounded. Compared to other books by the same author, where the characters tend to linger with you long after the final page, this one felt a little forgettable.

That said, the writing itself was solid, and there were moments of potential that I appreciated. But in the end, it just didn’t leave a strong impression—more of a middle-of-the-road read for me.

Not Safe for Work by Nisha J. Tuli

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4/5

This book was HOT 🔥🥵 Full steam ahead, I absolutely blew through this book! Women in STEM? ✔️ A pining man? ✔️ Tropical location? ✔️ Fighting the patriarchy? ✔️ Office rivalry? ✔️ Only one bed? ✔️ Steamy scenes? ✔️✔️✔️

When environmental engineer Trishara winds up receiving an all expenses paid executive trip to Hawaii to further her career with the company who has been passing her up for promotion after promotion, she’s rightly a little suspicious … especially when she finds out that the coveted second spot went to the boss’s son, her longtime rival and the person who was awarded the last promotion that should have been hers. When a major mix-up happens with booking and Tris winds up having to share her suite with her Rafe for the entirety of the trip, tension builds and sparks fly!

If there’s one thing I will always gobble up, it is office rivals to lovers!!! And set in a tropical oasis? Sign me up! Tris is such a baddie fmc. She stands up for what she knows is right and has balls of STEEL. I admired her character so much, especially once I learned she was modeled after the author herself and her former career in engineering. Sexism and racism in the workplace should NOT still be a thing in the year of our Lord 2025, yet here we still are. I love how the author drew on her personal experience and attacked that cause head on. And Tris’s email … 👀 uh yeah, that’s how you get it done, girl!

Rafe was the epitome of green flags. I loved how he went all “caveman” any time some punk was trying to do wrong by Tris. I have no notes for my king, Rafe 💆🏼‍♀️ This man knew how to do pining RIGHT, as he should. The banter, the tension, the slow burn, all of it was just perfect. And don’t even get me started on the way that man can move 😮‍💨

If you’re a fan of Ali Hazelwood novels or The Hating Game, then you’ll LOVE Not Safe for Work! Chock full of all our favorite romance tropes, you won’t regret it.

Thank you to NetGalley, Nisha J. Tuli, and Forever for the ARC in exchange for an honest review! All opinions stated are my own.

Ummm this was crazy hot. Nisha Tuli's writing style is encapsulating, and I love the tension between perceived enemies.

3.5 ⭐'s!
Thank you Forever Publishing, Nisha J. Tuli, and NetGalley for this ARC of Not Safe for Work. I'll be leaving my honest review!
I always love when authors are able to write across genres and this one was no exception. I thought this was a great introduction to what Tuli has to offer in the contemporary romance space.
I really enjoyed the chemistry between the main characters Rafe and Tris. It was evident from the get-go and created a simmering tension that could be felt through the pages (or the screen) of the book. They felt sort of inevitable.
The setting was to die for. Who doesn't want to spend three weeks in Hawaii with your hot coworker and only one bed?
I think something I struggled with though was events or actions being said and not shown. It seemed to breeze over so many topics or be so straightforward at times that it felt stiff and expository. It sometimes made the progression of their relationship seem sudden and at times a little too on the nose.
But I overall had a great time with this book! I think this is a great summer read! I loved the female in STEM and diversity woven through in all areas of this book. I loved seeing Tris find her voice at the end and stand up to the misogynistic, racially-insensitive assholes at her company.
This makes me very excited to dive back into her fantasy books!

It took about half the book for me to really get into Not Safe for Work—but once it clicked, it delivered on the slow-burn promise. The pacing might feel a little uneven at first, but the buildup pays off, especially once the romance heats up.

The FMC is an engineer in a male-dominated field, and I found the depiction of workplace sexism painfully relatable. She’s fierce and smart but clearly disillusioned—tired of being underestimated and unsure how to keep going in a job that demands so much and gives so little. Her bad luck with men (truly terrible radar!) adds to her personal frustrations, but she doesn’t let it define her.

Once the romance with the MMC starts, it gets very steamy—though I wished for a bit more depth from him. He serves his role, but it’s really the FMC’s story. I appreciated how she manages her migraines—it's just part of her life, not her whole personality—and especially admired how she consistently refuses to put up with any BS, professionally or personally.

A satisfying, spicy workplace romance with a feminist edge and a main character you’ll root for. Thanks to Forever for the eARC!

I am in awe of this book. I am such a sucker for workplace romance and while that is what drew me in, everything else kept me intrigued. Nisha does a fantastic job of building that slow burn with the angst between the two main characters. I was practically salivating for them to just hold hands or bump knees.

Trishara is what every female main character strives to be. She is intelligent, strong-willed, confident, but also is imperfect. She makes mistakes and knows that she has her faults (but not in a pick me girl sort of way). Her past trauma dictates her choices in a very realistic manner. One of the overarching plot lines is that she is a woman of color in a very white male dominated field. She is constantly facing challenges because of this.

On the outside, Rafe seems to be your typical man. He's hot, charming, and his dad is the boss so you can connect the dots. While working for the same company, the two of them spur into a rivalry. His constant smirks and goading seem to light a fire within Trishara. When the two of them are chosen to go on a three week inclusive work trip to Hawaii tensions run high. After a room mix-up, they are forced to room together in a one bed suite. What could possibly go wrong with that?

I read this book in 'almost' one sitting and I was truly devouring it. The angst was EVERYTHING! I will say that my only critique was the love confession at the end of the three weeks. While I understand that they had been harboring some feelings for awhile before the trip, it felt very rushed and insincere. The book would have been really strong even without. Regardless, the book was very well written and I will be keeping my eye out for more works by this author!

Thank you to Netgalley and Grand Central Publishing for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!

This booked hooked me from the beginning. I loved that the setting of the book is in Hawaii.
Trishara was a great FMC. She was strong and I loved her growth through out the book. The banter and chemistry between Tris and Rafe worked so well. I loved the rivals to lovers aspect. This is a slow burn but it's all totally worth it.
Rafe was perfect for Tris but as a reader he was a little too mysterious so it took me a while to warm up to him.
But overall this was a fun read and the work retreat with competition was creative and entertaining.

Thank you to Forever (Grand Central Publishing) via @netgalley for the ARC!

I really enjoyed this, but there were a few fatphobic comments made by both main characters that left a sour taste in my mouth. But as someone with friends who are women in engineering, I really appreciated the no frills look at the sexism, racism, and microagressions experienced by the main character.

Not Safe For Work was the perfect book to get me ready for Summer. Alas, I now crave so many pastries.

If you’re looking for work rivals to lovers, sex scenes where they’re trying not to get caught, and in a hot destination, then this is the book for you.

4.25/5 stars, I would have loved to give it 5, but I wanted more from the ending of the book (more detail in the review).

I would like to start out by saying that I learned of author Nisha J. Tuli from some of her other works I have reviewed, and my admiration of her writing and her fantasy novels is what led me to this book in the first place, though I was skeptical at first.

Not Safe for Work follows Trishara Malik as she works through discovering who she is in a moment of her life where everything feels stagnant. The plot of the story begins when Trishara (Tris) is selected to represent her branch of the company she works for at a multi-week leadership retreat in Hawaii. she is one of two employees attending from the Chicago branch, and the other is none other than her work nemesis and son and nephew of the branch's big bosses, Rafe (the MMC).

Before diving into the plot of the story, I would like to take a moment to talk about the FMC, Trishara Malik. Tris is an engineer who has noticed herself becoming complacent with her position at WMC. Additionally she is hesitant to get too close to anyone romantically as a result of prior experiences, which impacts her opinion and perception of her coworkers and friends.

The majority of the book takes place during in Hawaii during the retreat. For the main characters, their time in Hawaii begins with a lot of hostility and frustration. Stuck with sharing not just a room for the entire retreat, but a honeymoon suite with only one bed, both individuals sought every opportunity to avoid the room and each other. Over time - and a series of meals on the suite's balcony - Tris and Rafe learn more about each other both inside and outside the company, but also the backstory to certain actions and reactions that have defined their work-relationship (or lack thereof) for the past 5 years. They slowly transition from enemies to friends, and then quickly from friends to something more, though that is definitely a result of the sexual tension that clings to them like the clothes on their back.

Unbeknown to our lovely main characters, a key feature in their relationship over the past five years is non other than miscommunication. As a result of one member of the pair misunderstanding the words or actions of the other, the intention behind their words and actions both before and during the trip led to many arguments and angry storm outs that could have been avoided.

This story also includes a third act breakup, however Tris and Rafe's makeup - and the entire final act of the book - was so rushed that I did not enjoy it. As readers, we spent so much time with Tris analyzing her own thoughts, actions, and reactions during the retreat, yet we were not given the same opportunity following Tris' departure from Hawaii. I loved certain aspects of the end of the book that I do not want to give away, and I loved the way Tris and Rafe made up, but I felt like it was unpolished/unfinished. It felt like the end of an essay or writing prompt where you know you have more to say but you have run out of time/pages. While the ending was neat and every loose end was tied into a bow, I would have liked a couple more pages to smooth the ending of Tris and Rafe's story.

I would like to thank NetGalley, the publishing company, the narrator, and author Nisha J. Tuli for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book was everything i needed it to be and more! Nisha always knocks it out of the park! I just wish i could have been on the retreat with them!

𝗡𝗼𝘁 𝗦𝗮𝗳𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗸 by Nisha J. Tuli, narrated by Soneela Konkani, #gifted by @hachetteaudio pub date 5.20.25

I know Tuli is known for her fantasy novels, and I am so happy that my intro to her writing is via this romcom that had me in stitches!

Combining a number of romance-favorite tropes, this story of work rivals who are chosen for a corporate retreat is not just funny because Tuli balances the humor and romance while also calling out the bad behaviors women in STEM constantly face.

And as far as the romance goes, it is 🔥🔥🔥! You know these two are going to hook up, but it’s that tension and the verbal foreplay that builds up and leads to only the best place! And I love that there’s more to Rafe than what meets the eye when it becomes clear that he’s been unhappy with the status quo in his professional and personal life.

Highlights:
🏝️Workplace romance, adversary-to-lovers, forced proximity, one bed
🏝️Women in STEM
🏝️Banter, text banter
🏝️Spice, open door
🏝️Family ambition vs personal ambition

Be aware of: sexism in the workplace, micro aggressions, inappropriate workplace behavior

Soneela Konkani is one of my favorite narrators. She’s so gifted at delivering sarcasm and dry humor, and nails the punchlines. I always, ALWAYS laugh out loud when I listen to her. It’s like I can see the character’s mind in motion along with their physical expressions.

This is one of my favorite romcoms this year! I was excited for any moment when I could pick it up from where I left off. I liked Tuli’s writing and I’m up for reading more from her. Definitely check this out!

Thank you @hachetteaudio for my ALC in exchange for an honest review.

4.75 stars!! I loved this so much! It was the rivals to lovers, workplace romance of my dreams! It drew me right in from the start and I didn’t want to put it down! The tension was phenomenal! Forced proximity is one of my favorite tropes and it was done so well in this! If you also love and “only one bed” moment, this one is for you! I was obsessed with Tris and Rafe’s dynamic and was so happy when they got together! They also had great banter, which made the book an even more enjoyable.

Tris was also so strong and I loved that she stood up for herself to all of the terrible people in the workplace because she dealt with way too much there! Overall, this was such a great book and I can’t wait to hopefully read more contemporary romances from this author!