Not Safe for Work follows two workplace rivals that are sent on a three week company retreat, where they are forced to challenge their thoughts on one another.

This is the first book I have read by Tuli and now I need to read her backlog. Rafe is one of my all-time favorite MMC's. While we see this story through Tris's perspective, you can see how much Rafe cares for her from the beginning. Forced proximity with enemies/rivals is top tier, and Tuli delivers on the banter. And that grand gesture at the end? It had me giggling and kicking my feet. I need everyone to read this book as soon as it comes out, specifically on audio. Soneela Nankani does an excellent job bringing these characters and story to life.

This was so much fun! I love Nisha’s writing style and her first contemporary romance is definitely a hit! The FMC is funny, the MMC is swoony, great tension, great representation., really enjoyable romance. The audio is really well done, I loved the narration and production was great.

oh my lordddd the way I couldn't stop reading this book! Instantly a new favourite, without a doubt.

Okay first, I loved Trishara as our protagonist. She was whipsmart, determined, hilarious, and felt genuinely authentic. Seeing the hurdles she faces in the workplace as a woman of colour in a male-dominated field was so entirely frustrating - which made her experience all the more real, check the author's note for more details as well. I really appreciated that Tuli embedded this into the story since it touches upon such an important and relevant topic, and it's so hard to see its effects on our main character. Overall, I found Trishara incredibly strong, heartfelt, stubborn, and sassy - I loved her. Also, the narrator for the audiobook?? PHENONEMENAL

Okay, Rafe.... my LOVE. I ADORED him. I loved his humour and sass, his grumpiness, his protectiveness. I loved everything about him. I found him so earnest and adorable and sexy - his dirty talk???? OMG. I loved how tender he was with Trishara, protective and caring. I also loved how much he believed in her, saw the best in her and how fearless and trailblazing she is. Hoenstly the chemistry between these 2 was incredible, I couldn't get enough.

I loved the Hawaiian setting, the pace, the romance, everything. I never wanted it to end. This is the perfect summer rom-com, highly recommended!

Thank you endlessly to Forever Publishing and Hachette Audio for the advanced listener copy!

4.5/5
All this has proved is that if Nisha Tuli writes it, I’m going to read it. Work place rivals to lovers, forced proximity, banter, and tension all while tastefully tackling heavier issues such as workplace discrimination, racism, and sexual harassment.

The pacing was a little difficult to follow in the beginning because the dialogue was at a faster pace than the narration but once you adjust it’s easy to follow.

3.5 stars

What to Expect
- Enemies / rivals to lovers in a workplace romance
- Women in STEM rep
- South Asian FMC rep
- Beautiful backdrop: Hawaii
- Chronic pain rep: headaches / migraines
- Only one room / bed with forced proximity

I liked Nisha’s fantasy series The Artefacts of Ouranos, so I was excited to read this book, especially because the cover is absolutely gorgeous. Everything about is eye-catching and that DRESS!

What I Liked
- Women in STEM rep! As a woman in STEM, I love the callouts to the blatant and casual misogyny and sexism that is rampant in STEM. I would love to see more books about women in STEM.
- Fast read, palette cleanser
- Loved the subtle nod to her fantasy series in the book
- Soneela Nankani did a great job with the narration

What I Didn’t Like
- I didn’t love Rafe. I think the story would have benefited from getting some chapters from his POV as he came across as very one-dimensional ‘hot guy’.
- Very shallow / looks based relationship. I’m all about a book that has steam and yearning but most of Trishara’s inner dialogue about Rafe and interactions shared between the two MCs were based solely in sexual attraction and not much else.
- The title is very apt as the amount of HR violations in this book is staggering.

Thank you to Nisha J Tuli, Hachette Audio | Forever, and to NetGalley for providing an audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

4.75 stars

I LOVED THIS!! the most perfect rivals-to-lovers and summer read. A workplace romance filled with INSANE tension, the one-bed trope, women in STEM who pushes boundaries, and a man so down bad he would literally swim across the ocean to get to her. THIS WAS INCREDIBLE! Nisha’s writing felt like one of my favourite rom-com’s brought to life.

Trishara Malik has found herself at the same engineering firm for the last 5 years where she’s been passed over every promotion. As she decides her next step, she’s surprisingly selected to go on a corporate retreat with her workplace rival and boss’s son, Rafe Gallagher. They arrive in Hawaii to find out *gasp* they’ll be sharing the same suite for the entire three week retreat. Their competitive nature drives a spark during the retreat and Tris starts to realize that maybe Rafe isn’t the villain after all.

This is every trope thrown into one and done so perfectly. This wasn’t only hot and full of tension, but also delved into deeper issues of Tris being a woman of colour in a male-dominated field. It added a sense of vulnerability into an otherwise lighthearted read. The production and narration of this audiobook was amazing! I really enjoyed Soneela’s narration and interpretation of the book. Definitely recommend!

I only have positive things to say about this & highly recommend to everyone to put it on your summer tbr!! Thank you Hachette Audio for the ALC in exchange for an honest review 💛

A solid 4-4.5 stars.
I really liked Nisha J. Tuli’s writing style. The perspective felt refreshing and real, especially when dealing with how women, and even more so, women of colour are treated in the professional sphere.

I like that the FMC was confident and smart and dressed for her own taste and not to please others. She was unapologetically herself throughout. Even when she was less than confident, it was because she’d been burned in the past, not that she felt like she somehow deserved to be treated that way.

The “office rivals” trope is always a good one, but to then add in “only one bed” was the recipe for trouble.

This was a good book.

The audiobook narrator did a great job at creating all the character voices and making them easily distinguishable. I would definitely listen to her again.

Women in STEM jobs do not have it easy even more so if they are women of color. Tris navigates that experience as she deals with micro aggressions in the work place including being passed up for a promotion over the boss’s son.
Rafe is the epitome of privilege and he and Tris are now both chosen to go on a work retreat in Hawaii for 3 weeks. But wait! There was a booking issue and they have to share the honeymoon suit! Oh nooooo whatever will they do?

The tension and banter between these two is so great. Rivals to lovers is one of my favorite tropes. They go through all of these work retreat activities and start learning more about each other. 2 hot people in paradise, in close proximity, for 3 weeks???! And it’s a slow burn nonetheless?!?! Yeah I was drooling for half the book.

Soneela Nankani did a fantastic job at narrating. I know she also narrated the Artefacts of Ouranos series for Nisha so I knew she would be amazing again. Her voice just captures the characters perfectly catching all the witty banter moments beautifully. The pacing and diction just kept me so immersed.

@hachetteaudio thank you for this ALC

<b> ✨️ ARC REVIEW ✨️ </b>

<b>Not Safe for Work by Nisha J. Tuli
Publicationdate: 20th May 2025 </b>

<b> Thoughts </b>
This was an absolute delight to read. I loved it so much that I'd watch a movie with this plot ( but you'd have to copy them to the T ) I loved the couple dynamic so much; who doesn't love a layered MMC (?) - I think I'm a sucker for MMC's who have a soft side; literally way to my heart 😂 their dynamic aside I also enjoyed how the author wrote the MMC when it came to their miscommunication in the past, he would actually explain what he meant when he said certain things or acted a certain way, this was such a refreshing plus in terms of character development. The FMC was witty and smart there's nothing not to love about this character except for the parts where she obviously caught feelings, her thoughts were a bit exaggerated and over the top -- might just be a me thing lol but I did find myself thinking "pull yourself together girl" at some parts 😭 overall I thoroughly enjoyed this story and would highly recommend!

I really enjoyed listening to this book HachetteAudio. It was funny, spicy, and had a great message.

This romance delivered exactly what it promised: sharp banter, tropical tension, forced proximity, and steam with a purpose.

Trishara and Rafe might not be true enemies, but the tension between them is real and deliciously well-built. I loved their dynamic—part snark, part slow discovery, and a whole lot of unresolved tension that had no choice but to unravel once they were stuck in a Maui honeymoon suite. The “only one bed” trope is always fun, and here it added the perfect edge of chaos and vulnerability.

What surprised me most was how the book didn’t shy away from deeper issues. Trishara’s experience as a woman of color navigating corporate culture was incredibly well portrayed: all the little digs, all the moments she had to push twice as hard just to be heard—it added a meaningful layer to an otherwise light read. Her moments of resistance felt powerful and deserved.

Rafe was a pleasant surprise too. He had charm and depth, and the way he let Trishara shine while slowly dropping his own armor was satisfying to witness.

And I have to say: Soneela Nankani brought the whole story to life with just the right energy. Her narration was perfectly in tune with both Trishara’s fire and vulnerability—an absolute treat to listen to.

In short: sunshine, spice, snark, and substance. An excellent beach read with just enough bite.

OMG! Literally perfect in every way ✨

Where do I even begin?? I’ve only read fantasy novels by Nisha, and I was so excited to find out that she was writing a rom-com. Needless to say, she freaking nailed it with this one. Literally knocked it out of the park. I didn’t think a book could be more perfect since Tale of the Heart Queen.

Plot: Trishara and Rafe are coworkers, who are stuck on a three week long training program in Hawaii. Plot twist, they have to share a room the entire time. Trishara is a baddie engineer, who is trying to make a name for herself and climb the ladder in a male dominated field. Rafe is the son of the boss, who surprises us in more ways than one during this journey. We see them go from hating each other, to way more in this epic slow burn.

My Thoughts: Trishara is literally a queen, and I’m obsessed with the fact that she was reading The Artefacts of Ouranos (if you know you know). Rafe is the brooding, dark villain with a surprisingly interesting hobby that made his character 10x better! The banter between the two is top 10, and the spicy scenes were perfection! We are told by the author herself that it’s a slooooow burn, and she was not kidding but it was so worth it! I’m sad the rest of the world has to wait until May for this book to come out.

Thank you Forever Publishing and Netgalley for an advanced audio copy of the book on exchange for an honest review.

Tropes
-Rivals to Lovers
-Forced Proximity
-One Bed
-Workplace Romance
-Destination
-Single POV

This was an engaging, fast-paced story with just the right touch of slow-burn romance to keep me invested. I especially liked how it tackled the ongoing challenges women face in male-dominated industries—a theme that felt timely and authentic.

While I did find the characters a bit immature at times—especially considering their age—I still enjoyed their playful banter, which brought a charming lightness to the story. I would’ve liked to see more mature communication between them, but their chemistry made up for it.

Although the FMC fell for the MMC rather quickly, the romance still developed at a satisfying, gradual pace that suited the slow-burn vibe. Overall, this was a fun, feel-good audiobook I’d gladly recommend to readers who enjoy snappy dialogue, workplace drama, and a bit of sass in their romance.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and Hachette Audio for the advance listening copy in exchange for an honest review.

okay so to be honest, there were a few too many things that threw this book off for me. pretty early on i could tell this wouldnt be the book for me but i tried to follow through, though for the longest that maybe it was just the narration (which still played a part in my grievances, i was not a fan) but it wasnt totally her fault.

i think having two characters pushing thirty with the emotional intelligence of a toenail is where the majority of this book went wrong. all of the bones of the book are there, a fun setting, women in stem, coworkers trapped in one room with one bed for a week. i mean all great and fun things, but when your characters behave like they are in high school it negates all of the potentially great other things. i also dont think this should be advertised as enemies/rivals to lovers when they are both clearly obsessed with each other from the get go, i mean rafe is literally all trish ever talks about and im supposed to believe its because she hates him?

unfortunately the only things i really liked about this one was the setting and a few of the side characters.

Thank you to NetGalley and Hachette Audio for the chance to review this work!

Um, how can one book hit all the tropes? A workplace romance is not normally one I go for but this one worked. I love the enemies to lovers, forced proximity, one-bed goodness between the characters. This one is a good, fast read with spice that is just right. You should definitely listen to it!

This book gets published the day after my birthday and can I say Happy Birthday to me ?! This is the present I am getting myself!! Where do I even start??? The narrating was fun, beautiful and kept me so engaged the entire time and the WRITING!?! Do I even have to say anymore ??? Nisha has the best story telling abilities, she had me hating Hannah from the minute I heard her name and loving Trish and Molly from the beginning (such a fun and honest friendship). I wasn’t sure about Rafe from the beginning but by the end LOVED him!! I truly laughed, was angry, happy, sad and felt all the feels during this book! I felt so much pride for Trish and Rafe for standing by up for themselves and what they love at the end and it helping them grow stronger together as a couple. This truly was such an amazing book, that went over real life issues in the work place that most people don’t feel comfortable in talking about, let alone full blown tackling in one book. I think this made me love the book more than I did before and I don’t even know if that’s possible. I truly only have positive and amazing things to say about this book! I will truly recommend this book to LITERALLY everyone and anyone! 6/5 stars for this book and so well deserved!!! Thank you so much to NetGalley and Hatchette Audio for allowing me to listen to this book and giving my honest opinion!!

I am surprised that this book has such high ratings. I suppose that I am an outlier! I found the main character to be very annoying- she was immature and thought too highly of herself. It was a real turnoff how race and gender was constantly referenced and the main character embodied a victim mentality. It was a sharp contrast to the book “Not Safe for Work.” The main character worked in tech and faced sexism in the workplace. However, she maintained a positive attitude and proved herself.

This was my first NIsha J. Tuli book and it was a very enjoyable read.
Not Safe for Work is a rivals to lovers workplace romance and it thouroughly delivered on that front. The chemistry between the two love interests is scorching from the get go and I liked the way the relationship developed. The two characters became increasingly more vulnerable with each other as the story progressed and I really enjoyed seeing them drop their façade and get to know each other.
Another element that I thought was well done, and felt believable because it was inspired by the author's own experience in the corporate world, was Trishara's experience with sexism and racism in the workplace. I thought the resolution of that plot point was very satisfying, and explored the complexities of being a woman of color in the workplace and how other women are not necessarily your allies (intersectionalism and all that.)

(i will say I wish the book was not set in Hawaii. Although it does mention in passing the island's issues with the tourism industry, it's not really an element that is present in the story at all beyond that fleeting mention. I thought it would be more central to the story given the FMC's interest in environmental issues.)

As always, Soneela Nankani's narration is flawless. I enjoyed listening to the audiobook.

I absolutely could not put this book down! The way I became invested was unhealthy and affected my sleep pattern. The true signs of a great contemporary romance. I loved the workplace setting, the FMCs challenges and her personality. The atmosphere was electric as we follow our FMC and MMC on a work trip. The one suite trope is a new fave of mine now. Throughout the banter is sharp and there is plenty of humour and lightness that just made me happy whilst reading. The MMC is tall, mysterious, rich, ripped and intelligent - possibly unbelievable, but I didn’t care this is fiction! I am going to read everything and anything by this author!
The narration was amazing, her voice is smooth as butter and draws you in.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an ARC. This is a voluntary review of my own thoughts.

5 🌟 How do you make a workplace romance super fun and exciting? You make the main characters extremely attractive, office rivals who are selected to go on a leadership retreat in Maui for 3 weeks and forced to share a deluxe suite in the hotel every night while working on leadership exercises throughout the day! This reminded me of Ali Hazelwood’s steamy STEM romances but like way, WAY hotter!!

I absolutely loved Not Safe for Work by Nisha J. Tuli! I was immediately hooked from the author intro where she shares that although this story is fictional, many instances throughout the book were based on her own experiences as a young 20-something woman working as an engineer. Not Safe for Work addresses the challenges that women and minorities face in a traditionally white, male dominated career field.

Trishara Malik is feisty and fierce. She’s smart, capable, and repeatedly stands up for herself as she faces discrimination and sexism in the workplace. Rafe Gallagher is the misunderstood son of the boss whose real passion is being smothered by his father’s expectations. Their competitiveness both in and outside the office lead to increasingly steamy confrontations at the retreat. The way Tuli slowly turned up the heat between these two was excruciating delightful!

If workplace rivalry, forbidden love, slow burn romance, women in STEM, a feisty FMC who always says what’s on her mind, a confident, cocky, arrogant MMC, enemies to lovers, dirty talk (and texting), and the one room, one bed trope sound like your cup of tea, then pick this book up as soon as you can!!

The production and narration of this audiobook were absolutely fantastic! I highly, highly recommend listening to this if possible. Soneela Nankani also narrated the Aretefacts of Ouranos series and has a beautiful voice that is very pleasant to listen to throughout.

Many thanks to Hachette Audio for allowing me to listen to this ALC through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review!