Not Safe for Work had all the ingredients for a spicy, enemies-to-lovers workplace romcom: forced proximity in paradise and a slow-burn romance with a swoon-worthy rival with hidden depth. The setup was delightful, but the execution was a little frustrating. Trishara is a woman of color in the male-dominated world of engineering. The book does a great job at showcasing what Tris has had to deal with in her workplace, such as sexism, racism, constantly getting passed over career growth opportunities simply for being a woman, just to mention a few. This whole background serves to show that Tris has sharp edges that are understandable as she's had to deal with so much as a woman. That said, her immaturity and juvenile thought-process and gut-reaction made it difficult to root for her. Tris had it all to become a favorite fmc: smart, ambitious, and rightfully pissed about workplace inequality. Unfortunately, she kept making some truly baffling choices based on miscommunication from her part. This may sound cruel but I wanted her to be smacked with a wrecking ball of common sense—I felt like Stitch clawing at his eyes. Her tunnel vision and refusal to really think and reassess situations with Rafe with new eyes tested my patience more than once. I wish Tris had evolved a little earlier in the story or at least stopped jumping to conclusions like it was a full-time job. Thankfully, the balance to Tris being...Tris came in the form of the charming and every-so-supportive Rafe. He was the complete opposite of Tris, constantly in her corner and completely gone for her from day one. He was willing to have conversations and was open to really listen to Tris so he wouldn't jump to conclusions. He would look out for her well-being, and the way he took care of her during a storm? I had heart-eyes for him! Honestly, he's the reason I stuck with this book. I will say the banter was certainly giving! Pair it with the beautiful island setting, it's a good and quick read to escape into. - rivals to lovers - forced proximity - slow burn - only one bed - woman in STEM - workplace romance

Unfortunately, this book didn’t really work for me. I enjoyed the tropical island setting and appreciated the representation of women of color in STEM. The story also tackled important topics, like navigating a male-dominated workplace, which I found interesting. In the beginning, I liked the banter between Tris and Rafe, but after a while, it started feeling repetitive rather than engaging.

One of my biggest issues was how heavily the book relied on insta-lust without developing a deeper emotional connection. Because of that, their relationship felt flat and unconvincing. I also wish their rivalry had been explored more—since they were supposed to be rivals, it would have added more tension and build-up to the story.

Another thing that frustrated me was Trishara’s immaturity. Despite being an adult, some of her actions felt childish, which made it hard to fully connect with her. On top of that, the side characters lacked depth, so I never felt invested in them.

While the book had potential with its setting and themes, the execution just didn’t deliver what I was hoping for.

Thank you to Netgalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.