Trishara is a woman of color who feels like she has been passed over multiple times due to her race and gender. Nothing has ever been easy. When she wins a company work trip, she realizes she was chosen to meet a race initiative. She was chosen to attend this conference with Rafe, the son of the boss of the organization. Tri has never liked Rafe, finding him extremely arrogant. Once the two arrive in Maui, drama unfolds when they learn the administrative assistant did not book rooms for each of them. These two rivals must share a one bedroom suite. Trishara learns that Rafe is not everything she thought he was. However, while her walls are ebbing, and she starts to have feelings, she is completely put off by the incessant phone calls from his so-called ex-girlfriend. This is a cute book with a lot of feelings. The narrator does a nice job. Thank you to NetGalley and Hachette audio for the advanced listen in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Perfect for your next beach read! A fast paced, enemies to lovers, forced proximity on a tropical work trip book. Tons of my favorite tropes all thrown together!

It has elements that remind me of Ali Hazelwood with our FMC Trishara, a female engineer constantly fighting to prove herself in a male dominated field. I LOVE a story about smart women who are great at their jobs.

She and her work nemesis, her bosses son, end up stuck in the honeymoon suite on a cooperate retreat when there is a room mix up (because of course there is!).

It’s funny and spicy and overall just a lot of fun as they navigate this situation while trying to repress feelings for each other just under the surface.

Thank you to Hachette Audio for providing me with a copy of this audiobook. All opinions are my own.

"And it's then I know that this one - this smile is only and forever just for me."

This book had me feral from start to finish. It is a smart and sexy rom-com with so much depth and the best combination of tropes (rivals-to-lovers, forced proximity, a man who would 1000% throw hands for his girl, etc.) Tris and Rafe, two workplace rivals with years of pent-up tension, are both chosen to attend their companies corporate retreat in Maui - and after a booking mishap, they get stuck in the honeymoon suite. and yes, there’s only one bed—someone call me an ambulance. Tris is so painfully relatable, her hopes and ambitions constantly crushed under the weight of a white-male-dominated field. Meanwhile, Rafe is a walking contradiction—grumpy, protective, secretly soft, and saying things that should be illegal. Their slow-burn chemistry is intoxicating, and their banter feels like second nature, blurring the line between rivalry and something much deeper. The humor is seamlessly woven into the story, balancing out the heavier themes of ambition and workplace inequality.

The slow-burn was so agonizingly perfect, but the moment things finally explode? Life-changing. The writing is so vivid it felt like I was watching a movie (or maybe an emotional hostage situation). Between the humor, the tension, and the filthy chemistry, this book owns me now.

Soneela Nankani absolutely KILLED the narration and truly brought the story to life!

3 ⭐️
1.5 🌶️

-workplace romance
-enemies to lovers
-one bed

A special thanks to Nisha J. Tuli and Hatchett Book Group for the ALC. While the review copy was gifted, all opinions are my own.

This book felt very mediocre. In a good workplace romance/enemies to lovers I expect some type of edge to keep me rooting for the couple. I didn't get that from Not Safe for Work. The writing and audio performance was good, no complaints in those departments. I just didn't experience a 'hook' that had me invested and pulled to the story.

I'd say pass on this romance.

I feel like this book took me a little bit to get into and maybe that’s due to the narrator not being my favorite. The only thing that really helped that was listening on 2x speed. This book reminded me of aspects of Meghan Quinn’s books but at times it felt slightly disjointed. Like the main characters didn’t like each other and then all of a sudden they did. I’m not sure how to explain it but I almost felt a little random and the chemistry (for me) between them wasn’t fully there? I don’t know. I did like it and maybe if I read it with my eyes I’d have enjoyed it more…sometimes it be like that. I’m interested to see how I feel about this authors fantasy books!! This probably lands around 3.5⭐️ for me.

I really wanted to love this - the Hawaii setting, the tension in a rivals to lovers story...it could've been great. Even better if we got a BIPOC, women in STEM representation that really did it justice.

Unfortunately, this story was tanked for me by the immaturity of the characters and childishness of their banter. For MC's that were not only in their late 20's/early 30's, but also in a workplace setting, the outbursts and behavior was totally unbelievable for me. It's hard to take a character's monologuing about being taken seriously and earning their place in STEM when their behavior is ridiculous. We got no real engineering content because she was too busy focusing on the love interest and fighting just to fight.

I didn't really find the romance storyline believable beyond a vacation hookup, partially because I couldn't find much to enjoy about these characters. Their struggles and animosity felt contrived, just to create opportunities for tropes to play out.

On a positive note, I found the narration to be good (yay for female narrators who can execute a decent male voice!) and I do think the slow burn and the spice scenes were well executed.

Thanks to Netgalley for the ALC in exchange for an honest review!

My first book by Nisha J. Tuli but by no means my last. This was a bingeable listen!

Not Safe For Work delivers:
❤️ Workplace romance
🌴 Idyllic setting
💘 Enemies to lovers
🌶 Spice
🫂 Slow burn
💬 Banter
⚙️ Women in STEM
🛌 Forced proximity

Engineer Trishara Malik has spent years fighting to rise at WMC Purcell with the goal of being the first woman of colour to break the glass ceiling — only to watch her long-awaited promotion handed to her rival, Rafe Gallagher, the boss’s son. Burned out but determined, she jumps at a surprise invite to a high-stakes leadership retreat in Hawaii, where the winner earns a spot in an elite executive programme.

The catch? Rafe is going too and thanks to a booking mix-up, they’re sharing a honeymoon suite... with only one bed.

Tris expects conflict, not chemistry. But as competitive sparks fly, so do unexpected truths. Maybe the man she’s always seen as her enemy has been something else all along.

I listened to the audiobook, narrated by Soneela Nankani. She does an amazing job! I normally struggle enjoying romance audiobook narrations but the characters' voices are distinguishable and she has a melodic voice perfect for narration.

I really enjoyed this story. Whilst the corporate retreat is far fetched (I need to find a company that will splash out like that) it works so well for the plot.

Tris and Rafe have amazing chemistry and great banter. This is such a slow burn but definitely worth the pay off 🔥

I love our FMC - she's smart, strong and sassy. And I think the story is a good reflection on the corporate world of today. However, whilst I was rooting for Tris, she is immature and unprofessional at times which is frustrating given her ambitions and how much I found myself championing her.

Whilst Rafe appears broody there's much more to him than Tris initially thinks. He's swoon worthy but I don't want to give any spoilers so let's just say I wish he set clearer boundaries from the get. But alas what is a romance without unecessary third act drama.

Whilst a light and fun story it does explore prevalent and serious topics including white male privilege, revenge p0rn, abuse of power, nepotism, sexism, racism and misogyny. It does so tastefully and doesn't force the issue instead shows why we need change and to stop being complacent.

Like all romcoms its predictable but I thoroughly enjoyed it all the same. If you're looking a fun and easy read with a happy ending I'd absolutely recommend this.

Not Safe For Work is available now!

Thanks to NetGalley, Hachette Audio & Nisha J Tuli for the Advanced Listener Copy. All views are my own.

Not Safe for Work
by Nisha J. Tuli
Narrated by Soneela Nankani

DNF 32%

I regret to say that this audiobook just wasn't for me. From the beginning, I found the narration to be quite slow-paced, so I tried increasing the speed a bit, but unfortunately, that didn't help my overall experience. I struggled to connect with both the storyline and the characters.

The female name character, Trishara Malik, is an engineer working in a male-dominated industry, where she has consistently been overlooked for promotions throughout her career. This ongoing frustration seemed to fuel her internal insecurities, which overshadowed her character's development. I found her portrayal—often snappy and grumpy—somewhat off-putting, as she frequently jumped to conclusions and misinterpreted conversations. This tendency toward immaturity made it difficult for me to empathise with her struggles and root for her success, leaving me feeling detached from the narrative.

Rafe Gallagher's character didn’t resonate with me at all; as the boss's son, you'd expect a palpable tension or rivalry between him and Trish, but that dynamic was almost nonexistent. The lack of conflict left their relationship feeling flat and uninteresting. Furthermore, I didn’t sense any chemistry between them, which made their interactions feel superficial and devoid of emotional depth. This absence of connection hindered my engagement with the story and diminished my investment in their character arcs.

I gotta say… I was expecting more. As a book titled “Not Safe For Work” I thought we’d get some pretty intense nsfw content.
I mean, we had the one bed trope laid out right there for us, and they still didn’t use it to its full potential. I wanted more. More anticipation. More content with them together.
I can appreciate the moves for equality throughout the story. But I wanted to get lost in a story, not be reminded of it constantly. And I can fully admit this is not an issue I e really had to deal with so I don’t have the same rage others might.
I’d like to thank NetGalley and Hachette Audio for the alc

This was one of the most bingeable audiobooks I’ve ever listened to — I finished it in one sitting! 🎧🔥 Soneela Nankani did a phenomenal job, especially bringing Trishara to life. Her voice gave Tris so much personality and depth, and it made the story feel extra vivid.

The romance was so hot. Like, slowwwww burn but absolutely worth the wait. Tropes include miscommunication, rivals to lovers, one bed, and forced proximity — yes please! Trishara and Rafe are sent on a three-week work retreat in Hawaii and end up getting mistakenly placed in the same hotel room… with no other options. You can imagine the tension! 😏

Trishara is a brilliant engineer navigating a toxic, male-dominated workplace where she faces constant sexism and racism. After a bad past experience, she’s totally sworn off dating coworkers. Rafe seems like her competition and he’s the boss’s son who keeps getting promoted over her, but as they spend time together, Tris starts to see the real him. And I loved that journey. He’s fiercely protective, sweet, thoughtful, and yep, his forearms are as glorious as she notices. 😍

The chemistry between them was 🔥 and the banter had me grinning so many times. I actually laughed out loud during a few moments! This book had such good vibes overall, but also real depth and growth, especially for Tris. Watching her reclaim her confidence and realize she deserves better in both love and work was so satisfying.

If I had one little complaint, it’s that Rafe’s ex, Hannah, would not stop calling and clearly wasn’t taking the hint. I wish he’d been a little more direct with her, but it didn’t take away from how much I loved this story.

If you love slow burn tension, strong women in STEM, swoony workplace rivals, and sizzling chemistry, this one’s for you! ❤️

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Hachette Audio for the ALC!

This was a sweet treat! I’m a sucker for enemies to lovers, and the addition of forced proximity was *chefs kiss.* Tris and Rafe have amazing chemistry, and I loved watching their relationship evolve throughout the story. I also enjoyed how the author drew inspiration from her own experiences, as it made everything feel real and relatable. If you’re into sweet, swoony romances, you'll love this book!

The narration of this book was amazing! Soneela Nankani is one of my favorite narrators, and the combo of her narration and Nisha J. Tulis writing is always a win. The production quality was excellent, and the flow was smooth and matched the overall feel of the story.

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 also was unwilling to go for what she really wanted and seemed more concerned about how she was perceived by her parents than about herself. While that was frustrating, it was a steamy and fun read.

3.5 stars rounded up to 4. The narration was excellent.

Thank you to Net Galley, Hachette Audio, and Forever for the ALC. All opinions are my own.

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!

This was really fun! I had read Nisha Tuli's Artefacts of Ouranos series and was excited to read a contemporary romance from her. This met and exceeded my expectations (and I loved the little easter eggs for romantasy readers). I particularly enjoyed the main character's clear voice, the tight and focused setting, and how realistic the world and characters felt. I thought the central relationship was thoughtfully plotted, delightfully steamy, and felt grounded and lived in despite the tropical setting and the only-one-bed trope. Listening to the audiobook version really underlined how fun this was. The narrator really brought to life the inner monologue and boldness of the central character. I'm excited to read more from Nisha Tuli and to listen to more from this audiobook narrator.

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.

I really did overall enjoy this read it was such a cute vacation read for me and I was so happy I was able to get the ARC and go to Nisha book event for this book and meet her and hear how she wrote this book 3 years prior and having some of the things in this book be from her own life experiences!

I want to be 100% honest in all my feedback so while I loved this book the only thorn in my side was seeing how Trish went through so much labelling and having to experience the stereotypical judgments of others being a woman in the engineering industry and being a woman of color and seeing how livid she would get when she saw it happening to others or herself but then going and being one to also place that same judgment to Rafe and that just kind of annoyed me as it made her seem very hypocritical and I kind of didn’t really like seeing how she treated and labeled Rafe in the beginning when she hated others doing that same exact thing to her and while I completely understand and get where she’s coming from especially being betrayed the way she was by someone she trusted.. I believe that in her career while she hoped and waited to see better changes in her company she could have exercised that change she wanted to see for herself starting with Rafe instead of labeling him and stating she knew what kind of person he was being the boss’s son and seeing how she treated him. I think in order to see change we have to learn to also be part of that change even though it can be extremely hard to see opportunity to do that especially when she really was surround by pompous jackasses.

I think that is also the most human and realistic thing about this book and something I can truly I say I relate to as I have caught myself numerous times being a hypocrite and pushing change to start with others rather than starting with my own actions, thoughts and words. So I definitely related to Trish and saw the annoying parts of her in myself.

I’m so glad Trish saw her worth in the end and stood up for herself instead of allowing herself to be manipulated, used and harassed and leaving her company event with fear of the unknown but still putting herself first!

Rafe is such a bakery sweetheart! Hannah is a wacko lol

Enough with the heavy this book is still such a great read! I would recommend taking it with you on vacation! I kind of felt like I was on vacation while reading it lol

Thank you Nisha for this book as well NetGalley!! Thank you Hachette Audio the narration was perfection!

I really enjoyed the story and the narrator. The pacing kept me wanting to keep going.

Sure this is an HR nightmare, but I loved it and kept trying to find time to listen. I just can’t get enough. I love Nisha’ writing style. This just made my week

Not Safe for Work was not what I was expecting in a good way. Please read the author’s note at the beginning of the book as I feel it is very important to the story.

I really enjoyed this romcom featuring some heavy topics such as a woman of color who works in a male dominated field of work and who has dealt with male white privilege for years.

Read if you like:
~strong female character
~family drama
~work retreats
~Hawaiian setting
~awkward moments

TW: There are several! Please look them up

Sonali Nankani does am amazing job with the narration. I love the sass she brings to Tish’s character but also the calmness of Rafe. I highly recommend the audiobook!

I loved this book! I listened to the audiobook and the narrator brought so much life and sass to Tris that I couldn't stop listening. Their banter? Hilarious. I actually laughed out loud at some parts! Tris and Rafe's chemistry was fire (yes, it’s spicy, you’ve been warned), but it was also so sweet and adorable. The tension, the teasing, the gradual falling, everything was enjoyable.

I posted my review on Goodreads and will post on Instagram soon.

Nisha and the @hachetteaudio team have done SUCH a great job with this audiobook. Both narrator’s were great for their roles! I saw this one floating around and when I saw the audio on @netgalley I jumped. An enemies to lovers workplace romance with a Hawaiian conference and one bed?! Say less. It was the best time! The banter was on point and I loved how the duality of this duo. She is such an office badass and he is too but has the ooey gooey side and BAKES. It’s hot and funny with some really good hard hitting and relevant conversations as well.