5 ⭐️

Oh, Nisha absolutely ate with this one. The sexual tension & loathe-to-love banter was just...ugh, it was so good. And when they burned? They burned BRIGHT and HOT. The storm in the ballroom???? The wedding scene? The conference room? Rafe was stable and strong, pathetic and yearning. The way he talked about Trishara, the way he complimented her. God, it was so good. I loved that there was always something brewing under the surface with them and I adored the way the third act conflict was handled.

Don't let the setting of the tropical island fool you, this book was an incredible exploration of racism and misogyny that's rampant in the work force and what women, and especially women of color, experience on a daily basis. She tackled these themes head-on and it opened my eyes to microagressions (or just flat-out aggressions), I won't ever experience.

Nisha's descriptions were stunning and made ME want to be a better writer. This book was incredible and I loved every second of it. Highly recommend.

Not safe for Work By Nisha J Tuli

Thank you to Netgalley and Forever Grand Central Publishing for the gifted eARC

This is my first book by Nisha J Tuli and I really enjoyed it!

Tris is a woman of color in an engineer position that is mostly dominated by men. This book goes over the struggles that women deal with by getting passed over for a promotion that they are qualified in and not being taken serious. Having to fight every step of the way to be recognized for your hard work.

This book also has the lighter side with banter, angst, SLOW burn and I mean SLOW but oh so good! There is spice toward the end of the book.

Tris our FMC is a strong independent woman who has been hurt in the past and has a wall up. When she gets picked to go on a 3 week leadership training program that can help her career she is hesitant. Rafe the bosses son is of course also chosen to go. Over the years there has been lots of icy glares and heated arguments between the both of them fighting to prove their point.

Will 3 weeks in Hawaii bring them closer r will they find out they dislike each other even more!

TW: sexism, racism, including racial microaggressions, nonconsensual touching, mentions of past incident where a private pictures was leaked, blackmail.

I really enjoyed this book, but I feel the ending was rushed, and a lot of information was added. But over all I really enjoyed this book.

As a brown woman in lots of white spaces this book was so validating. I was not expecting Nisha to get as deep as she did with the workplace undertones and the sexism/ racism that biopic women go through. For a lighthearted sexy contemporary i really appreciates some raw realness thrown in here.

Not safe for work was so great! The banter ! The vibes ! The characters ! I ate this up. I will be first in line for the next contemporary Nisha writes!

Loved this and have already purchased stock for my store!

This is an excellent debut romantic comedy! It was fun and sexy while also diving into some important and hard-hitting topics. I would have never guessed that this was Nisha J. Tuli's first novel in a new genre, it was spectacularly done. Thank you to NetGalley, Forever, and Grand Central Publishing for this advanced copy!

Not Safe For Work reminds me a lot of Ali Hazelwood's STEMinist novels. It deals with the struggles that women face in a male dominated field and touches on a range of topics from misogyny, nepotism, and sexism. Tuli doesn't shy away from these topics at all and does such a wonderful job representing what women have to deal with in the workplace. The aggravation and constant micro-aggressions are laid out so heartbreakingly perfect.

Trish is a such a strong and relatable FMC. I loved how confident and bold she was! She absolutely had the brilliance and ambition to break barriers in STEM and has the patience of a saint when dealing with the foolishness of her job. She has that patience with everyone except for Rafe. Her workplace nemesis who is also the boss's son. Their tension and banter was OFF THE CHARTS. When both Trish and Rafe get selected to attend a work trip together and are forced to share a room, the shenanigans are hilarious to follow! I very much enjoyed watching the characters grow closer together and learn more about each other. Their tiny moments that eventually grew to bigger gestures absolutely warmed my heart. These two brought out the best in each other and I think those are best type of relationships.

If you are looking for the perfect beach read with some steam, this is your go-to for the summer! I very much look forward to picking up Nisha's other books and definitely any of contemporaries that she may write!

Thank you to Forever and Netgalley for this ARC. Unfortunately I didn’t like the writing style and DNFed it

I thought this book was fun and steamy and a decent enemies to lovers story. My problem was that I felt that the characters’ interactions felt immature which got annoying after awhile. I also wasn’t a fan of Rafe and the fact that he stayed in touch with his ex. So that made it hard to root for our MC’s when I wasn’t in love with them to begin with. I’m definitely open to trying other books by this author and thought the audio narration was well done. Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for this ALC.

This was a really fun read. A workplace rivals-to-lovers romance set in Hawaii? Sign me up. This is a slow burn story that I didn’t once feel bored while reading. Normally I find myself growing impatient during slow burn stories because I find the obstacles preventing the main couple from get in together to be very flimsy. But in this novel I didn’t feel that way at all. I understood why it took as long as they did to get together. I really enjoyed Tris’s arc in this story and I really felt for her struggles as a woman of color in a predominantly white, male industry. I loved that our main couple had to grow as individuals first to be able to come together by the end. Overall I really enjoyed this romance, and I’d definitely recommend it to others.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the e-arc. These are my own opinions

I wanted to like this book more than I did! Sadly it felt like a fanfic for THE SPANISH LOVE EXPERIMENT. I wish we had more of the two of them in the office, because i don't think their history came across strongly in the book.

This was an absolutely adorable forced proximity rom-com. Great for a cozy beachy summer read. It was funny and lighthearted and the vibes were fun and cozy. I would want to be friends with this couple! If you’re a fan of rom-com, check this one out.

Thank you to Forever, facilitated by NetGalley, for an early copy of this e-book in exchange for an honest review!

Tris is picked to go on a workplace retreat in Hawaii 🌴 Dreamy, right? The catch is… she has to go with Rafe (the dude who got promoted over her because he’s the boss’ son). At least he’s easy on the eyes. But there’s nothing like a forced proximity situation to reveal some buried truths between them 😏

Read this if you like:
💫 Contemporary romance
💫 South Asian FMC rep
💫 Women in STEM
💫 Workplace retreat
💫 Rivals to lovers
💫 Slow burn + tension
💫 Single POV, first person

Tris was such a fun FMC! Loved her tenacity and her boldness. The slow burn had me on the edge of my seat… and I ate it up. This is such a bingeable book and a fun contemporary debut for Nisha J Tuli! It incorporated real-life issues of racism and sexism in the workplace, while still giving us great romance and tension 👏

4.25/5 stars
2/5 spice level (slow burn)

After reading a whole lot of romantasy from Nisha J. Tuli, it was fun to shift genre gears with her and check out a contemporary romance.

A workplace, rivals-to-lovers setup, the story follows Trishara, an engineer whose career has stagnated in a company run like a good ol' boys club—but hey, at least she has a stable job. Still, she hates the pervasive nepotism, and especially Rafe, the gorgeous and brilliant boss's son who can't stand her. But when a leadership conference is announced to take place in Hawaii, and both Trishara and Rafe are named as their office's representatives, Trishara realizes this is her chance to not only impress the C-suite bench, but prove how much better she is than Rafe.

Once Trishara and Rafe arrive in Hawaii, there are tropes aplenty—including an only-one-bed situation—and the tension between our main characters grows more and more taut during their forced proximity. It's a fun and quick romance with a fiery female lead that's easy to love and a stoic, broody hero with surprises up his sleeve.

Though nothing about this book will surprise you, that's also precisely the reason to love it.

3.5🌟

This was one of the most bingeable reads I’ve picked up in a long time — I devoured it in one sitting! 🔥📚 The writing was sharp, emotional, and full of personality, especially Trishara, who completely stole the show.

The romance was so hot. Definitely a slowwwww burn, and totally worth it. Tropes include miscommunication, rivals to lovers, one bed, and forced proximity — yes please! Trishara and Rafe are chosen for a three-week work retreat in Hawaii and, due to a booking error, end up having to share a hotel room with no other options. Cue the tension! 😏

Trishara is a badass engineer working in a toxic, male-dominated company where she constantly faces sexism and racism. After being burned in the past, she’s done dating anyone from work. Rafe seems like her arrogant rival who only got ahead because he’s the boss’s son, while she keeps getting passed over for promotions. But as they’re forced to spend time together, she starts to uncover the truth about him — and I absolutely loved the way his layers were peeled back. He’s protective, kind, emotionally aware, and did I mention his forearms? 😍

The chemistry between them was 🔥 and the banter was on point. I laughed out loud more than once, and the tension had me fully invested. It also had a really empowering undertone as Tris started to believe in her own worth, not just in love, but in her career too.

If I had one tiny complaint, it’s that Rafe’s ex, Hannah, kept calling and clearly didn’t get the hint. I wish he’d been a little more clear with her, but it didn’t take away from how much I loved their story.

If you’re into slow burns, strong women in STEM, steamy workplace romance, and emotional growth, this one absolutely delivers! ❤️

3.5/5 stars

This was a cute and spicy story about two people working in corporate at the same job. They hate each other and find themselves on a work retreat together where they are stuck sharing a room and one bed.

I enjoyed this fun romance and the push and pull between Tris and Rafe. I found some phrasing to be repetitive throughout the book and sometimes that pulled me out of the story. However, if you like fun spicy romances and want a quick read, you'll want to pick this one up!

Tris is an engineer who hates her job. The work isn't the problem, the problem lies in the fact that every time she tries to advance, the position is given to a man, typically through Nepotism. Therefore, there is no one at work she hates quite as much as Rafe, the boss's son, who got the promotion she really wanted. To her surprise, she is chosen for a leadership retreat in Hawaii, along with Rafe. When a booking error puts them together in the honeymoon suite, they cannot help but get to know each other. Will that sizzling attraction boil over? Can Tris learn to trust?

This is an interesting book. I am not a big fan of workplace romances, especially when power dynamics are involved. This made me uncomfortable because it felt like Rafe had all the power. Tris was also unwilling to go for what she really wanted and seemed more concerned about how her parents perceived her than about herself. While that was frustrating, it was a steamy and fun read.

3.5 stars rounded up to 4.

Thank you to Net Galley, Grand Central Publishing, and Forever for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

I saw that cover (and let’s be real, that gorgeous dress) and said sign me up. While it took me a little bit of time to gel with these characters, I ended up really liking both Rafe and Tris. Their chemistry grew over time, and I enjoyed their banter back-and-forth.

Tris was the type of main character you can pretty easily get behind/root for. Her decision-making and rationale certainly wasn’t perfect, but at the end of the day, she’s a girl’s girl and deserves the promotions and recognition that she was passed over for. I loved seeing her come out of her shell and find her voice as the story developed.

Rafe has definitely always held a torch for Tris, and it was very sweet to see even though we never get his POV. I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t a little bit frustrating that he couldn’t/wouldn’t cut things fully off with his ex, but the circumstances made sense and ultimately I still liked him as an MMC. He had some killer panty-dropper lines in here.

There are some great themes of workplace sexism and micro-aggressions throughout – as a woman in corporate America, I appreciated seeing that represented in a romance. The ending, while cathartic, felt a little bit cartoonish and unrealistic, but I’ll grant it is certainly something we’ve all wanted to do at some point…

Overall, I’ll remember this as a cute enemies to lovers workplace romance I read in a single sitting on a flight. Easily and wholeheartedly recommended for those looking for the perfect beach read this summer.

It is possible that reading this book the day after I watched The Hating Game may have created the inability for me to not compare Not Safe for Work to Sally Thorne's The Hating Game, which is not necessarily a bad thing. I mean, THG was so incredibly popular, hence it being made into a movie. I will say, though, that for me, Not Safe for Work worked better for me overall. I really enjoyed the audiobook, for the record, and thought Soneela Nankani did a fantastic job solo narrating the book. But essentially, these two, Tris and Rafe work for the same company and Tris has created this whole rivalry narrative in her head with Rafe. I will say that it does seem like she has several legitimate reasons for her frustration with him, especially considering it seems clear that nepotism is why he got a promotion that she should have been given. But at this point, Tris is disillusioned with her company and so has sort of given up. And then she gets selected to go on this fancy retreat situation in Hawaii.

I loved, so much, the way Tris and Rafe wind up having to share a hotel room (yes, it was fantastic). I loved the way Tris has this personal journey about discovering (re-discovering) who she is. I loved the way Rafe and Tris have INCREDIBLE chemistry together. Honestly, I just really loved so much of this book. There are heavier themes paired with the overall fun vibes of this book, because Tris has an ex boyfriend who thought revenge porn was a totally chill thing to do. (It's not and it's a felony now in North Carolina, at the very least. If it's not yet a felony in your state, I would recommend some advocacy in that area because revenge porn is super messed up.) So Tris has some pretty intense trust issues (merited) and I really loved how the two of them navigated her concerns. Additionally, Rafe is dealing with an ex-girlfriend who is really, truly not ready to let go of their relationship. (This gets annoying, I will say.) But, all in all, I had a truly fantastic time with this book and I'm so excited to read more from Tuli! I have her romantasy series, but haven't read it yet, but now it's definitely shot up the TBR!

I had been hearing so many amazing things about this book, but I think it just wasn't for me. I've been noticing a trend that tik-tok famous books maybe are trending more new adult than I enjoy, and I think that's what happened here. The book's FMC is just so focused on her appearance and the MMC's looks that it was hard for me to get the depth I was looking for. I really appreciated the discussion of how hard it is for women (and especially women of color) to advance in tech workplaces, but I felt like some of the shallow looks-based talk took away from the more serious topics.

This will be great for some people, but not for me.

Coworkers who can’t stand each other find themselves on a work trip with only one room and one bed. They have to survive three weeks under these conditions in paradise, without killing each other. Rate, the boss’s son and Trish, the employee who’s over being passed over for promotions have to work together. Enemies turning into lovers make for a cute story. It was a cute read.

this was a good book and romance, and only a few misunderstandings for conflict that were not too unrealistic! I liked the lead characters a lot

I just really didn’t like this at all lmao, +1 star for being a quick read but that might be the only good thing about it??

The characters were so immature, mind you they’re supposed to be 30 years old??? So much miscommunication and not in a cute way. The slowest burn and NOT IN A GOOD WAY. Why did it take ¾ of the book for them to admit feelings for each other??? And then in the last ¼ they suddenly love each other? BYE I’m so irritated 😒

I did appreciate the diversity conversations in this book, and I loved that it was weaved into a romance book- a genre which is often looked down upon by men. That was probably my favorite part of this book honestly! But otherwise, this one was just not for me. Pacing was too slow, characters were too immature, and honestly nothing about the romance was believable or genuine to me 😭