I've been anticipating and dying to read this. I was thrilled to see Nisha write a romcom representing a woman in stem.

I loved that she touched on the difficulties some woman deal with in male centered careers. It was handled well. I also really enjoyed how relatable Tris was although she came off a little stalkerish at times. Haha. Staring much?

From her cake loving ways to listening to songs on repeat, I was on her side in this rivals to lovers slow burn.

I didn't really get the banter. It just wasn't for me, and I felt parts of the book felt dry. Maybe a lack of emotion in the first parts of the book.

I'd give a 3.5 and round to a 4.

I took off a star for a text exchange around the 79% mark that made me ALMOST DNF THIS BOOK

I like the concept of this book. I've read many fanfictions with this premise and it is always a fun time. However, fanfiction plays with characters where you already have background and there is already canon established and it makes situations like this where there is a foundation smoother.

I liked the workplace conflict/rep in this book. And the cover? Gorgeous. That dress is something from my dreams. The characters and pacing however fell a little flat to me though, like there wasn't enough tension built up before parts of the plot happened. I don't mind cliches, but there were some in this book that felt inorganic and stilted. It was a fun time but unfortunately will probably be unmemorable to me in the long run

I got the chance to read an early copy of this through NetGalley and Forever’s prioritized reviewer program. This was such a generous offer-that they wanted South Asian readers, women in STEM, or readers with chronic illness (I have a couple of chronic illnesses, including chronic headaches due to a Chiari malformation) to have access to the book.

I loved Not Safe for Work. Tris, our FMC, is an engineer who is fighting the good fight against the patriarchy, while pushing for her career dreams. She is a firebrand, and I loved her point of view through the book. She is not going to keep the status quo. I understand that romance is not inherently feminist, but I sure love when I pick up a romance book and it is. Lately, I really want even my escapist fiction to have something to say.

One of the things I really loved was Nisha J Tuli’s choices regarding Tris’s chronic pain. A lot of times characters that have chronic conditions mention them and they’ll come up maybe once afterwards in the story as a major plot point. Tris has nearly daily headaches, but she also takes them in stride and takes care of herself. Her pain is part of her character, but wasn’t an axis around which her storyline was built. I love that.

Rafe is a great MMC. He is a strong character in his own right, but does a great job at supporting Tris, while also leaving her room to fight her own battles. He’s in a great place in his career, but it’s not where he wants to be, and he has his own issues to navigate. I loved both of these characters pretty much from the moment I met them.

I just really like how relatable all the characters in this book are. They are smart and they are funny, but in a really real way. This book discusses, sexism and racism. Tuli acknowledges at the beginning of the book that several of the experiences that Tris had in NSFW are things that she actually experienced back in her days working in STEM as a biracial woman. I’m sure whatever company she worked for was sad to lose her, but I’m so glad that she’s writing books like this now. I love that this is how she chooses to use her voice.

I love Romantasy books, but I was also thrilled to see that she had written a romance. I can’t wait to see what’s next!

4.5 Stars. I devoured this.

The romance, rivals to lovers was on point. I loved what a golden retriever Rafe turned out to be. Trish’s reservations and doubts were so realistic based on her prior experiences with men, love in the workplace, racism, and sexism.

But whoa baby the tension between these two. The forced proximity, the one bed… some of my absolute favorite tropes. Throw in a tropical setting and some open bars. Ugh why couldn’t I be invited to this conference!? I’m also insanely glad we actually got to see them at work-related events. Nothing more frustrating than have a story about work/school where no one actually does any work/school.

I know that this story happened over the course of a couple of weeks but it still seemed very realistic for the timeline of rivals to lovers. We know there was attraction from both sides but it wasn’t an insta-love situation even with the honeymoon suite and alcohol flowing. Them finding common ground, of being honest and open and learning that they are actually friends was a sweet experience to read. Especially because we could feel the sexual tension and growing feelings the whole time. When that tension broke it BROKE. And then it got to break all over again. SWOON.

Also special shoutout to Trish’s little electric friend! Such a simple thing to include but what a way to empower female sexuality!

Thank you so much to Forever (Grand Central Publishing) and Nisha J. Tuli for the advanced reader’s copy.

The book at a glance:
💼 Workplace Rivalry/Romance
🌴 Only One Bed
💼 Women of Colour in STEM
🌴 Overcoming Systemic Barriers

As a South Asian woman in STEM, I see so much of myself in Trishara, from receiving inappropriate comments to the micro aggressions, the systemic barriers, and the need to excel in every aspect of life.

Not Safe For Work is about a highly ambitious woman who builds herself up after a devastating betrayal. It’s a funny, flirty, and at times emotional workplace romance that I really enjoyed. The banter, the rivalry, and the representation are all wonderfully done.

I do wish the author would have spent a little more time highlighting the issues with Hawaii’s tourism besides a passing comment. I also wish Tris had called out a specific instance of micro-aggression, the tried and true “you’re pretty for a [insert racial/ethnic descriptor] girl”. However, in the end she does come through for the underrepresented folks.

Rafe was thoughtful, sexy, and a wonderful representation of being secure in your masculinity. He took the time to uplift Tris at every point, until she realized how strong she is and uplifted herself.

The cast was diverse and I think the issues with underrepresentation in the corporate space were handled fairly well. I can personally relate to so many seemingly unbelievable instances in the book where they seem so outlandish it couldn’t be true. Unfortunately, these things truly do happen and they need to be addressed. I think Nisha did that beautifully.

This is a perfect summer read book. I enjoyed the pacing of the book. The main characters were fun and engaging, as well as relatable. Trishara could be any woman working in any office setting, regardless of the industry, and I think that is what made me really connect with her. Tris’ brain was fun to look into in comparison to Rafe and his real intentions. I had fun reading Tris and Rafe go at it, and laughing at their foolishness. Rafe is a book perfect boyfriend that I think many readers will fall in love with. I really enjoyed reading it, my only wish is that it had been a little longer.

This is the first stand alone romcom I have read from this author as she only wrote romantasy and I can say without a doubt that if you like her romantasy series you may like this as well. Her writing style never wavers and there is always so much to digest. She included everything from her infamous slow burn (she loves to watch us struggle for our lives) BIPOC and LGBTQ representation and chronic illness. As a chronic illness girly myself this book resonated so much with me as it is something felt and not seen and can be written off. The struggles our character faces as she navigates a life as a BIPOC female in a sea of STEM careers built for men is also very real in struggles and she wrote it so beautifully I could not put it into words. I cannot wait to spread the word of this book and show it to my friends!

Nisha J. Tuli has solidified that she is a multi-genre author with her NSFW contemporary romance. I love her fantasy/romantasy, and I loved this title. Her FMCs are always so relatable, while her MMC was exactly what we want in a work enemies-to-lovers story. I would recommend this for fans of romcoms and contemporary romances. Tuli should be on everyone's TBRs.

First off, as a woman in STEM, I absolutely LOVED seeing a strong, successful woman as the lead in this book. Tris is an ambitious engineer working hard to climb the corporate ladder. Of course, she gets passed over for promotion after promotion by the boss’s son, Rafe. Tris is a high performer who consistently achieves her goals so she despises Rafe and everything he stands for.

WMC is sending two people from each branch to Hawaii for a leadership retreat. Who gets chosen but Tris, as the diversity choice, and Rafe, the nepo baby. They’re forced to spend three weeks together at this retreat in hopes that they will be chosen for the prestigious training program. Upon arrival, they discover there’s been a mix up with rooms and they now also have to share a suite! Will their rivalry hold them back from achieving their goals or will this retreat teach them how to work together?

I adored the banter we see between Tris and Rafe and how they always seem to be competing with each other. They grow and learn from each other throughout the book and I adored how encouraging Rafe was at the end. In the end, Tris learns how to stand up for herself in the corporate world in a way that sheds light on the problems at her company. I loved this book and hope others will pick it up too!

Thank you so much to Forever Publishing for access to the eARC!

3.5 stars! I did really enjoy this and would recommend as a great option for a beach read. But, it just wasn't all that memorable for me, not that I expect that with every book I read. I did love that this book dealt with the struggle of women in color in STEM and I loved the banter and chemistry between Rafe and Trishara. I really liked Trishara and her strength of character. As for Rafe, it was obvious he was a good guy early on and I liked seeing the moments when he tried to stick up for Trishara and take care of her., plus I loved the mouth on this man. But, I felt like the book focused too much on their physical chemistry with each other and I unfortunately didn't fully buy into their feelings for each other.

Thank you to NetGalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for providing this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

i am absolutely, irrevocably, in love with this book. i haven’t stopped thinking about tris & rafe and i have loved every second about their love story. tris is an fmc that i loved, all of her thoughts and emotions felt so relatable! rafe is just UGH the absolute best i love them so much they’re story is the absolute sweetest!

thank you forever grand central publishing & nisha tuli for this arc !!

This book was everyyyyythinnng! The chronic pain rep was so relatable with Trish (FMC). As someone with chronic pain, it was refreshing to see someone face the difficulties of it in a book. It absolutely sucks, but it doesn’t stop Trish from being a total badas$! The banter and back/forth between Rafe (MMC) and Trish was perfection. Trish is not afraid to call it how she sees it, I used to be a woman in a male dominated area where I did the same! I could relate so hard with Trish, I just absolutely loved her character. This book had me kicking my feet and giggling. I am definitely grabbing a physical copy when this book drops! I need a book trophy.✨

This was such a cute, spicy romp! There were several moments I physically laughed out loud. The characters are both easily likable and the plot, though simple, is entertaining. The one thing I wish we had was dual pov with Rafe. I would have loved to get into his mind more. But with that being said, the writing is so clear that it’s easy to infer what Rafe is feeling, even if Tris is blind to it. An enjoyable read all around!

Thanks to Nisha J. Tuli, Forever Pub, & NetGalley for this eARC!

3.75 / 5 Stars

What a swoony book! In “Not Safe for Work,” Trishara was once super driven and motivated to claim the corporate ladder at her job. That was until she was repeatedly passed over for promotions while the boss’s son, Rafe, got ahead. So Rafe became her (very hot) nemesis. When Rafe and Tris both get selected for a leadership retreat in Hawaii and get stuck in the same hotel suite, they try to avoid each other like the plague. But you can’t put two hot people together without sparks flying and maybe Rafe isn’t actually the villain in her life?

I thought Tris’ experience at work was incredibly well written. Tris feeling burnt out after years of experiencing sexism and racism were written really well and it was so easy (and sad) to see how she would feel deflated and defeated. Being a woman in any workplace is nuanced and complex and the author did a great job of articulating all of those complexities. I appreciated that Tris continued to stand up for herself because that is so incredibly hard to do in the workplace.

Tris and Rafe’s chemistry was HOT, HOT, HOT. I don’t usually like when the main characters’ tension comes from barbs and competition (I’m a non-confrontational Cancer Sun, Cancer Rising and I would cry immediately if any spoke to me that way), but the author did a great job of revealing the underlying reasons for why they interacted this way.

For me, Rafe’s dream job felt like it came out of left field and didn’t feel entirely authentic to his character so that slightly threw me off, but he was swoon worthy regardless. I would have been mortified at his grand gesture so I am glad that Tris loved it. I think she needed that to really believe him (I would have crawled into a hole which is another reason why I am not an FMC in any romance novels LOL).

Thank you to Forever (Grand Central Publishing) and NetGalley for providing this eARC! All opinions are my own.

What a hot romp and the perfect escape when spring isn’t giving up. Perfect for fans of Let’s Call a Truce

This book read like a fanfic in the BEST way. All the characters were so fleshed out, the conflicts believable, and the humor was fantastically on point. Certain scenes had me actually shrieking, and I was SO invested. I sped through this book and was not ready to leave this world or it's characters. I've never read anything by Nisha before, but if all her books read like this, she's going to be an autobuy author for me, for sure.

Nisha Tuli can write! Period.

As much as I loved her fantasies, that enjoyment continues into the author's debut into contemporary romance.

Trishara and Rafe are workplace enemies that are chosed to go on a work retreat and can I say that the ANGST, the BANTER is just top tier. Our FMC is dealing with some BS as a female in a male dominated work field and the rage I had while reading. It felt very real and I appreciated the author touching on these themes of misogny in the workplace. Tris is the ultimate main character and I swear if there is one thing I take away from this book, its to not be afraid to stand up for yourself. Rafe was a perfect MMC- grumpy and sweet and just had me swooning! *sighs* i just love a workplace romance.

This book is filled with my favorite tropes ( one bed! rivals!) and I absolutely recommend for anyone that enjoys a fun romcom.

So fun and sweet! Nisha is amazing at writing characters whose emotions and actions feel real and her romance is too tier. I really enjoyed this story!

3⭐

LIKED:
- I think the beats of this book really worked, it is very technically adept. Structurally it is just really sound and engaging and a quick read.
- I like Trishara, I think she is relatable yet flawed and endearing. I understood who she was, what she wanted, etc. It was fun to be in her head.
- I got the lust and attraction between the two of them. Did I get the love? No. But I understood why they liked each other at the very least. I do think there could have been a bit more investment into the actual romance of their relationship, but meh.
- The third act break-up legitimately worked for me. I like them when they are instigated by external forces and the characters are fighting against it. I just think this one clicked for me.
- We love forced proximity. We love a ‘there’s only one bed’. We love forearms. Solid trope-ry.
- This title, while not something I would gravitate towards and is a bit cheesy, does work for the story.

LAMENTED:
- What. The hell. Was that grand gesture. It was sociopathic. Trying to not spoil too much, but I do not want hundreds, thousands, however many people seeing me at my absolute lowes. All of what was accomplished in the last 5% of this book could have been accomplished (and made me not throw my kindle across the couch in disgust) without it being broadcast. Eesh. I was having a pretty good time with this book up until then.
- This book falls into a trap I’ve seen many so-called “enemies-to-lovers” books fall into. They’re not enemies. They do not hate each other, especially him. And her reasons for hating him…don’t exist? She kind of hates him for nepotism but that’s…it. It’s flimsy. I needed there to be more reason for hatred. Because I do think it could have worked. But it was too flimsy for me.
- I also just think that Rafe (and his name, oof) were a tad underdeveloped. He didn’t really have any flaws. All of his flaws were external to him, and the one maybe flaw was resolved off the page. We get it, he’s tall, dark, and hot, and that’s all fine. But I needed more.
- The whole conference thing was all fine and good, but then there’s the whole competition aspect of trying to get the fellowship or whatever and I’m not sure I believe the trajectory of Tris for that. She messes up a lot and we don’t really see her winning anyone over. I needed more focus on her actually putting in some effort to believe some of the plot choices.
- What is going on with the proportions of these characters on the cover? The overall design is pretty, I love the color palette, but…why do they look like that. They have massive heads and snatched waists and they look uncanny valley. I would not reach for this book because of how eerie they look to me.

LONGED FOR:
- A different last 5%. Woof.
- More attention paid to the work conferences shmoozing or whatever. I think Andy could have been eliminated as a character entirely for the sake of Tris linking up with Diane and working towards climbing the ladder or whatever.
- A cover with less oddly proportioned humans.

Will I read the next one? : Maybe. I do think this was overall a successful foray into contemporary romance for Nisha J. Tuli. I am interested to see what she does next in the genre. But genuinely…that ending was just not it for me.

This was cute and had some important messages regarding misogyny and racism, particularly in the workplace. I enjoyed some of the banter and I always love a vacation romance with only one bed. Some things worked well in this book but ultimately it didn’t set itself apart from so many other stories.