The tension and banter was everything I could have wanted for an enemies to lovers workplace romance. Trishara was such a feisty badass and knew how good she was at her job, but unfortunately being a minority within the engineering firm she worked for she was passed up for promotions and such A LOT. That’s why when she was picked to go to Hawaii on the leadership she was shocked, but of course she was now going to be stuck with her enemy Rafe aka her boss’s son.

Rafe is absolutely drool worthy and I just loved his dialogue. The way he talked was so swoony and when he was filthy with Trishara I was sweatin’. He was so down bad for Trishara from the moment they met 5 years ago, but of course communication wasn’t their strongest traits with each other (obviously until the end).

The only thing that really kept getting on my nerves was the amount of times Trishara was adamant about not wanting to be involved with Rafe or anyone in the workplace because of a past relationship, but then dived right in everytime. Just a bit repetitive in my opinion.

I was able to listen to this book through approval from
NetGalley & Hachette Audio! Soneela Nankani did a great job being the sole narrate for this audio since it was just in Trishara’s POV. She was able to do all the different voices perfectly and I never questioned what character was talking!

I ATE THIS UP. I listened to the audiobook on 1.25x because the narrator's voice was definitely too slow at 1.0x for me. Great book and great concept, although it was a veryy slow burn but a great enemies to lovers storyline. I genuinely loved this book, I appreciated a minority FMC climbing her way to the top on her own with her own brain and will power. The novel also highlights the struggles and sexism minorities, women, especially minority women in the STEM field have dealt with over the years, and continue to experience.

The progression of the workplace romance intertwined with forced proximity and one bed tropes was easily the best way to introduce the burn in the candle.
THE ENDING THOUGH - BURN IT ALL TO THE GROUND !

There were little tid bits that did not align - such as Belinda blocking Trish's number due to the amount of times she emailed her, but it was so small that I was able to move on.

Only one bed. Enemies to lovers. Women in STEM. Don't touch my woman. Boss's son. Workplace romance. Force proximity.

A classic rom com, Not Safe For Work is a fun and flirty story with a heavy dose of reality. Overall, I enjoyed this book but I didn't feel like it really stood out amongst the other romances I've read recently. I do think part of my rating it a little lower is because I tend to use romance as a distraction from the real world and as a member of corporate America it was a little too rooted in reality for me. In saying that, the characters were fun and likeable (if you had a crush on Austin Aimes you'll love Rafe) and the Hawaiin setting would make it a great beach read.

Imagine going on a work getaway with the boss’s son that you loathe or do you. This story is so good I had a blast reading it. The banter and angst had me giggling and the slow burn had me yearning the narrator was perfection she did a fabulous job. Tropes grumpy sunshine x grumpy sunshine slow burn coworkers touch her and… one room one bed dirty talk. Easy 5 stars for this contemporary romance

April 30, 2025
Tris has been turned down for promotion time and time again. Being a woman of color in a male dominated field full of nepotism, unearned privilege and “bros”, it’s a constant struggle. So she is shocked when she learns she won a trip for training for a “rising star.” Even if she knows she was a clear diversity pick for the company’s image (hate this for her……), she decided she still deserves the trip and is going. The other person in, her work enemy and the boss’s son, Rafe.

Tris is determined to enjoy her trip, stay far away from Rafe, and maybe get a little wild as she hasn’t been on a date with a guy in over a year. Her plans are quickly derailed when the two are booked in the same room, the honeymoon suite - of course!

Now in a new competition for a super exclusive training, she finds herself uncovering more about Rafe and the more she uncovers the more she likes (gasp!!!)

There was plenty of banter, conflict with the job competition, his recent ex still obviously being in connection with him, etc. This was a funny read with some heavy topics. The author addressed this beautifully and her personal connection to the story and experiences of the FMC which made me love the story that much more. Definitely get this one on your TBR- the perfe

Thanks to NetGalley and Hachette Audio for the ALC in exchange for an honest review. Release date 5/20/25.

This was such a cute read.
I was a female engineer before I became a SAHM and let me tell you,
the things said about women and to women in general are so true!

I enjoyed the one room/bed trope and the tropical "snowed In" trope the most!

for a debut romance (non fantasy) Tuli did fantastic!

Rivals to forces roomies to lovers, what’s not to love!
The audio of Not Safe For Work was perfect and I was entertained the whole time!
The characters were so amusing at times and the story line was relatable. Tris is making it in a white man’s world, and then makes it with a white man’s son.
The resolution was perfect, and I will definitely be reading more books by Nisha J Tuli!
Thank you Forever & Hachette for this ALC on NetGalley!

Not Safe for Work was a delightful audiobook with an enjoyable premise, characters and romance. This was my first read from this author and it did not disappoint!

The audiobook is in the heroine’s POV only with a single female narrator. The narration was incredible and definitely made the characters and story pop.

There are some great tropes as well like, forced proximity, one bed, rivals to lovers, and a workplace romance.

The overall premise was amazing. The STEM and Hawaii settings were enjoyable. There were also various moments throughout the story that had me laughing out loud. The were some amusing, heartfelt and emotional moments as well.

One of my favorite aspects was the heroine’s journey in rediscovering her passion in work and healing from her past relationship. Her story unfolded beautifully and I loved how she fought all the toxicity at work.

I will say though, the pacing of the story was very slow and there were definitely moments that dragged a bit. There was also quite a bit of misunderstanding between the main characters and the hero’s relationship with his ex-girlfriend did get quite annoying towards the end.

The romance between the main characters though was filled with a lot of tension and chemistry. While their buildup was a slow burn, it was so worth it. Their banter and emotional connection was written perfectly. The spice did not disappoint as well, just very steamy and passionate.

Overall, just an enjoyable read with a strong heroine and a steamy romance.

Thank you to the publisher for providing me with an ALC in exchange for my honest review.

If you love enemies-to-lovers, forced proximity, and a dash of workplace drama, Not Safe for Work by Nisha J. Tuli is the perfect pick for your next read—or listen!

Trishara is a driven, capable woman who’s had enough of being overlooked at work. Despite her talent and hard work, she keeps getting passed over for promotions—most recently by Rafe, her boss’s arrogant son and longtime nemesis. It’s a frustrating reminder of the sexism, male privilege, and possible racial bias she’s been quietly enduring.

When the two are sent on a corporate retreat to Hawaii, Trishara hopes for a bit of a break—but instead, she’s stuck sharing the honeymoon suite with Rafe. Cue the tension, the banter, and the undeniable sparks.

One of the things I loved most about this book is how Nisha Tuli doesn’t shy away from tackling real issues like discrimination in the workplace. Tris’s journey to finding her voice and standing up for herself felt empowering and deeply relatable.

The audiobook is narrated by Soneela Nankani, who does an excellent job bringing Trishara’s story to life. Even with a single narrator, I didn’t miss a male voice—her performance was that strong.

I give Not Safe for Work 3.5 out of 5 stars. It’s a fun, thought-provoking read that balances serious themes with light, romantic moments—perfect for your summer TBR.

ARC REVIEW!

Thank you to Forever Pub and NetGalley for the EARC and ALC of “Not Safe For Work” on available on May 20th!

Tris is tired. She works in a male dominated field and has gotten passed up for opportunities and promotions so many times she has basically given up. Then she was surprisingly chosen to go on a three week company retreat to Maui! The only problem? So was Rafe, boss’ son and her sworn enemy. Nbd, she can just ignore him….. until they’re seated next to each other on the plane…. And they were mistakenly booked in the same room…. And, of course, there’s only one bed.

This book has EVERYTHING you want in an enemies to lovers, work place romance:

🌴 Pining, longing and SO MUCH TENSION

🌴 Forced proximity and only one bed

🌴 Witty banter

🌴 Slow burn

🌴 Forearms….. so much forearms

🌴 He comforts her

🌴 She is strong and confident

Thank you, NetGalley and Hachette Audio, for the Audiobook in exchange for an honest review!!

I loved this book! I have been waiting for this book to come out, so I was so excited when I was approved. And let me tell you, this book did not disappoint! This book will have you laughing, crying, and swooning after the characters.

The book follows two enemies who work together and are forced into close proximity during a work trip. Once Rafe and Tris get to the hotel, they realize there is a booking error and they are stuck sharing the honeymoon suite… which means one thing. There’s only one bed. While they try their best to stay away from each other, they can’t stop their feelings for each other. Will they be able to shove their feelings down and avoid each other?

I loved both Tris and Rafe and the chemistry they had!! They were adorable together, and they worked well together. They were always trying to better each other, even though they hated each other. Let’s also not forget how supportive Tris is towards all of Rafe’s hobbies!!

Tris was a badass. She really liked what a badass businesswoman she was. She knows what she wants, and she goes for it. She won’t settle for anything less than she deserves, and I admire that. I loved how much her character grew throughout the story. I was so glad that she stood up for herself and did what was best for her!

Overall, this was a great book, and one that I will immediately be purchasing when it comes out!

Before I tell you what I thought of the book, I have to praise Soneela Nankani. She was a fantastic voice actor. Soneela really made the book come alive and not to mention how good she was at the male voice. Will definitely listen to more books narrated by her.

Now to the book. I love Nisha's books and this was no exception. She is really good at capturing you in her stories. I never want to stop reading/listening. I actually listened to this book in one sitting, even though this wasn't fantasy, Nisha can really write whatever she wants and I will read it. The chemistry between the two leads was so hot. Their back and forth was such a good foreplay. The fact that she then also tackled issues of both racism and discrimination against women was something that made the book extra good. Such important issues but raised in a lighter way. I look forward to seeing what Nisha will write next.

Overall: I really liked this! The good parts are REALLY good and the stuff that didn’t work for me probably won’t be a big deal for most readers. Details below. Thanks to Forever Pub and Hachette Audio for the gifted copy!

What I liked:
- Rafe (the MMC) — hands down, the best part of this book. He’s level-headed, supportive, and genuinely a really great love interest.
- The chemistry — Trish and Rafe have off the charts chemistry. It’s swoony and it feels sooo real.
-3rd act drama — Without spoilers, I can say I appreciated the way the third act conflict was handled. No dramatic meltdown, no absurd miscommunication. Just two adults figuring it out, which was refreshing.
-Workplace commentary — The exploration of what it’s like to be a woman of color in a white male dominated field is thoughtfully handled.

What I didn’t love:
-Trish’s attitude — especially in the first two-thirds of the book, she and her BFF won’t shut up about her year-long dry spell in a way that got old fast.
-Corporate potholes — If you’ve worked in a corporate environment, you’ll probably find that a few of the key events in this book could never happen… not even at the worst run company. It didn’t ruin the book, but it pulled me out of the story a few times. I can’t give specifics w/o spoilers, but DM me if you want details!

Audio: Soneela Nankani has tremendous range and brings Trish and Rafe’s story to life vividly! I especially love her as the narrator because she is of East Indian heritage, as is Trish! It’s a small but meaningful way to increase representation in the audiobook space!

Not Safe for Work by Nisha J. Tuli is a flirty, fun, and brilliantly written slow-burn romance that had me smiling the whole way through. The banter was smart and playful, and the tension built in such a satisfying, subtle way. What stood out to me was how real and relatable the characters were—Tuli weaves in honest, everyday struggles that grounded the story without ever weighing it down. It felt fresh, modern, and full of heart. I didn’t want it to end.

Thank you to NetGalley, Nisha J. Tuli & team, and Hachette Book Group for the ARC—Not Safe for Work releases May 20th!

Five stars, hands down. If you love banter, "enemies" to lovers, one-bed, TENSION, and workplace romance.. this is for you. Honestly if you like romance in the slightest, this is for you. Seriously I don't want to spoil anything but this is fun, sexy, and empowering all at once.

Narrators did a fantastic job with the snark, spice, and heart.

LOVE the nod to Nisha's Artefacts of Ouranos series.

Trishara has worked hard to gain success in her engineering job, breaking barriers of gender and race. But when the promotion she has worked so hard for goes to her nemesis Rafe, the boss's son, Tris is ready to call it quits. Surprisingly, Tris and Rafe are both selected to attend a three-week corporate leadership retreat in Hawaii and compete for a spot in an executive training program.

Tris is ready to give it her best and plans to avoid Rafe, but due to a booking error, the two are stuck sharing the honeymoon suite at the hotel. After years of competition the two go head-to-head in aptitude tests and team-building exercises but soon start to see there is much more to each other than they knew before. She has been burnt before and hasn't opened herself up to love in a long time. With her future goals on the line, can Tris learn to trust the man that might have been in her corner all along?

This was my first ready by Tuli and from what I understand, this is her first romance book. She did it right and loved listening to this one. This rom com had some of my favorite romance tropes: enemies-to-lovers, forced proximity, strong female but protective male at her side, and strong banter. The main characters were charming and supportive of each other and pushed each other to become better versions of themselves. Love Tris and her strong stand in the white male dominated world that she works in. Spice was medium level. The ending was perfect!

Thank you to NetGalley and Hachette Audio for the ALC for review.

Trishara Malik had dreams of being a trailblazer for women in STEM, but has been worn down by years of watching her white male counterparts, particularly the boss's son and her nemesis, Rafe Gallagher, receive promotions that she rightly deserved. She is absolutely floored when she is told that she was one of two engineers selected to attend a corporates leadership retreat in Maui. Sure, she may have to attend this retreat with Rafe, but how difficult could it be to completely avoid him in a massive Hawaiian resort? Apparently more difficult than she anticipated because due to a booking error, it looks like she will be spending the next three weeks in the only vacant room on the property--the honeymoon suite--with her biggest work rival. Welp. At least it's no hardship to look at him.

Before I had even finished reading this book, I was firing off messages to my friends INSISTING that they pick up a copy when it's released. Y'all. I LOVED it. I know a slow burn where the reader is edged for 2/3 of the story isn't everyone's cuppa, but it sure as hell is mine.

I thought a weeks-long corporate retreat was a brilliant setting for an enemies-to-lovers workplace romance. Allowing the characters to spend time together in a completely different environment combined with the forced proximity of "only one hotel room" was so essential to Tris and Rafe peeling back their preconceived notions about each other. Neither one of them was what the other had expected, and conveying that sort of mutual shock when they each came to that realization in a single POV novel felt very impressive to me. A lot of the time I feel like I'm missing something when I can't experience both characters' points of view, but in this case I felt like I received so much insight about Rafe solely through his interactions with Tris.

Not Safe for Work is an absolutely charming romcom that not only delivers on banter, tension, and spice, but also manages to touch on some very real issues regarding consent, sexism, racial microaggressions, and harassment in the workplace. Especially what women should not have to, but do, tolerate to maintain non-hostile work environments.

Audiobook: At some points I thought the narration felt a little bit slow (which could just be a *me* problem as I typically prefer to listen to audiobooks at an increased speed), but overall I enjoyed Soneela Nankani's narration of this story! She really brought Trishara and Rafe to life and I couldn't stop listening.

Thank you to Forever, Hachette Audio, and NetGalley for copies of the ARC and ALC of Not Safe For Work! All opinions are honest and my own.

I absolutely consumed "Not Safe for Work" in under a day, completely hooked! Nisha J. Tuli's contemporary romance debut is a witty, steamy enemies-to-lovers story set in a dreamy Maui resort, blending sizzling chemistry with sharp workplace commentary.

Trishara Malik, a fierce South Asian engineer at WMC Purcell, battles sexism and nepotism in a male-dominated field. Ambitious and sharp tongued, Tris is relatable with her secret love for romantasy novels (a nod to Nisha's other works, perhaps!) and a guarded heart from past betrayal. I loved her fire and resilience as she navigates microaggressions and workplace challenges. Rage Gallagher, her rival and boss's son, is a charming engineer who seems privileged but hides frustrations with his family's expectations. His protective side adds some depth, though I wanted more of his backstory.

A booking mix-up at a corporate retreat in Maui forces Tris and Rafe to share a honeymoon suite (hello, one-bed trope!). Their five-year rivalry sparks with banter ad slow-burn tension as they compete for a career-changing opportunity. The tropical setting amps up the heat, and their evolving chemistry is electric.

The tension is perfectly paced with top tier banter. Tuli nails the STEM setting, drawing from her engineering experience to highlight sexism with nuance. Tris's empowerment arc is inspiring, and the epilogue is adorable. Side characters like Gabrielle add warmth without stealing the show.

Rafe's character feels slightly underdeveloped, and the miscommunication with his ex-girlfriend drags a bit. The middle slows with some repetition, but the chemistry keeps it engaging.

Overall, "Not Safe for Work" is a vibrant rom-com with heart, heat, and a fierce heroine. Perfect for fans of The Hating Game, it's a swoony, empowering read. Tuli's a romance star!

REVIEW✨
Audiobook 🎧
Not Safe for Work
By Nisha J. Tuli
••• ••• ••• ••• ••• ••• •••
“I think I’ve seen this film before and I didn’t like the ending.” Exile - Taylor Swift

This was a wonderfully done enemies to lovers office romance that is a slow burn that turns spicy. It’s also set at a topical retreat in Maui, hello forced proximity.

The writing was amazing, the tension and chemistry was on point, the character development was excellent, and the plot was perfectly paced! I loved that Trishara has migraines and excellent representation with the pain and how the medications makes you sleepy. I loved the care that Rafe gives to Trishara when she has them. As someone that has chronic migraines with auras, I felt kinda seen.

Trishara is an engineer that is a woman of colour trying to be taken seriously at WMC Purcell, and having dealt with male privilege and nepotism she watches a promotion that should have been hers go to Rafe who happens to be the boss’s son. Trishara and Rafe are picked together to go to a leadership retreat in Maui, but when they get to Maui, there is a booking error and Rafe and Trishara are in the Honeymoon suite together for 3 weeks… the tension, the angst, the wanting, the EVERYTHING!

🍰Mirgraine Rep
🍰Enemies to Lovers
🍰 Forced Proximity
🍰 Forearms
🍰 Down bad for Each Other
🍰Woman in STEM
🍰South Asian Rep
🍰Only One Bed

Romance: ❤️❤️❤️❤️
Plot points: 💥💥💥💥
Spice Level: 🌶️🌶️🌶️
Stars: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The narrator for the audiobook was phenomenal and I enjoyed it very much!

I would like to thank Forever and Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I was immediately swept away by the vibrant characters dreamt up by Nisha J. Tuli. Meet Trishara: a powerhouse engineer tackling the STEM world, dodging the daily minefield of both blatant and sneaky sexism and racism. Then there's Rafe, the drop-dead gorgeous son of her boss and sworn nemesis at work, with so much more going on than meets the eye. Not Safe for Work dishes out a classic workplace romance with a spicy enemies-to-lovers twist and a dash of forced proximity at a work retreat, all set in the jaw-dropping paradise of Hawaii. It's chock-full of sizzling tension, witty banter, and tender moments. The diversity woven into this rom-com masterpiece makes it sparkle beyond the usual fare.

The narrator, Soneela Nankani, did an amazing job of bringing Trishara's character to life. Her voice was engaging, relaxing, and made the story fun to listen to! She brought the spirit of the story to fruition. I cannot wait to dive into more of Nisha's storytelling!