Not Safe for Work
-
- USD 11.99
-
- USD 11.99
Publisher Description
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.
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?
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Fantasy author Tuli (the Artefacts of Ouranos series) delves into romance with this escapist if slightly unbelievable enemies-to-lovers rom-com. As one of few women, and even fewer women of color, at engineering firm WMC Purcell, Trishara "Tris" Malik struggles to break barriers in a toxic work environment—only to be repeatedly passed over for promotion in favor of the boss's son, Rafe Gallagher. She's shocked when she's chosen as one of the company's rising stars and invited to join their three-week leadership retreat in Hawaii. The other shoe drops, however, when upon arrival she discovers that, due to a mix-up withe the reservation, she and Rafe will be sharing the honeymoon suite. And, of course, there's only one bed. Readers who can suspend disbelief about this obvious HR nightmare will be gratified to witness the simmering romantic tension between Tris and Rafe. Their chemistry is palpable but feels better suited to a vacation fling than anything long-term, as neither character really matures over the course of the novel. Still, there are plenty of seductive scenes, the tropical setting entices, and Tuli pairs the romance with a frank exploration of the challenges faced by women of color in STEM. It's not perfect, but it will hit the spot for those looking for a beachy getaway.
