Not Safe for Work

Last May, Nisha J. Tuli released her first contemporary romance, Not Safe for Work. I had never read her before, but was excited for this workplace romance set at a resort in Hawaii. Trishara and Rafe have been rivals for the past five years that they’ve worked at his dad’s company in Chicago. Now they’re both on the same corporate retreat in Maui, and thanks to some kind of booking error, they’re stuck in the same suite. As Tris and Rafe compete for the same opportunity to move up in the company, they now have three weeks to reconcile their animosity… and their obvious attraction.

What I Liked:

• Workplace rivalry. Enemies-to-lovers is my favorite romance trope, and throwing it into a professional setting is always a treat. Tris is so argumentative and petty with Rafe! Sometimes it seemed too immature, but it was also fun to see her so competitive and outspoken. Tris isn’t afraid to speak her mind or stand her ground. Later on, this serves her well with another character. She’s a bit much at times, but also pretty inspiring.
• Forced proximity: Only one hotel suite! Only one bed! Here are some more of my favorite tropes. Tris and Rafe may never have overcome their issues if they weren’t stuck together for so long. The tensions are rising, secrets and misunderstandings are coming out, and eventually they’ll have to acknowledge it all.
• Slow burn but sexy. With all their banter, I kept expecting things to heat up, but the author makes us wait for it. The payoff is there once Rafe and Tris do get together, and they still retain that competitive spark that defines their relationship.
• Dissecting the worst of corporate America. Tris has put up with a lot of sexism and racism at this awful company. It’s an old boys’ club, and despite her hard work, she’s been passed over for promotions she deserved. Does she want to stay here, even if she’s now getting the opportunity she’s been aiming for? Or is it too little, too late?

What Didn’t Work for Me:

• I wanted Rafe’s POV. As a general rule, I prefer my romances with dual POV (more if it’s poly). Rafe is hot, sticks up for Tris, and has a cute side, but I would have liked to get to know him more. Getting his perspective may have also allowed for more nuance with Tris.
• Arguments are a bit too immature sometimes. I love a rivalry and a competitive spirit, but a few of Tris and Rafe’s arguments felt somewhat forced. Some of those did not need to be arguments, and especially not so heated. This wasn’t always the case, but it did cross my mind a few times in the first half of the book.

Audiobook:

Soneela Nankani does a great job of narrating as Tris throughout Not Safe for Work. She carries the book well, especially anytime Tris was ready for a fight. Her sass comes out well here, and I enjoyed this book in the audio format.

Final Thoughts

Not Safe for Work is a fun, smart romance for anyone who likes a tropical setting, taking down the corporate patriarchy, and finding love with the rival stuck in your hotel room. This was my first time reading Nisha J. Tuli, and I’m curious to read more from her! Her other books are more fantasy/romantasy, but I imagine the writing style works equally well in that genre.

Special thanks to Forever, Hachette Audio, and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this book!

Get the Book

You can buy Not Safe for Work here – it’s available as a paperback, ebook, and audiobook.

Not Safe for Work by Nisha J. Tuli
Audiobook Narrator	Soneela Nankani
Audience	Adult
Genre	Contemporary Romance
Setting	Hawaii
Number of Pages	320
Format I Read	Audiobook & Ebook (NetGalley ARCs)
Original Publication Date	May 20, 2025
Publisher	Forever

Official Summary

Two workplace enemies find themselves in close proximity on a tropical company retreat that challenges their assumptions—and just might make them to fall for each other—in this romcom by a beloved TikTok author.

“Tense, feisty, funny, and steamy!” —Abby Jimenez, #1 New York Times bestselling author

Engineer Trishara Malik once dreamed of being the first woman of color to smash the glass ceiling at WMC Purcell, but after years of dealing with white male privilege and blatant nepotism, she watches her hard-earned promotion go to her nemesis, Rafe Gallagher—the boss’s son. Teetering on the edge of burnout, Tris is stunned when she’s picked to attend WMC’s corporate leadership retreat in Hawaii. It’s a chance to revive her stalled career and compete for a coveted spot in an executive training program—plus, three weeks in paradise! The only downside? Rafe is her co-attendee. 

Tris plans to avoid Rafe entirely, but when she arrives in Maui, a booking error has them stuck sharing the honeymoon suite. Sure, it’s not all torture. Rafe is a smoldering ten—okay fine, an eleven—but after years of competition, they can barely stand being in the same time zone. 

As they vie against each other during aptitude tests and team-building exercises, Tris begins to realize Rafe might not be the villain after all. With her dreams at stake, can she learn to trust the man who might have been standing in her corner all along?