Absolutely 100% YES. Yes a thousand times over, you need to read this.

This book is top tier workplace rivals to lovers. Just enough realism (from Nisha's own career in engineering) to make it seem so real for the corporate girlies like me, while knowing that a man like Rafe does not exist in real life haha. I am an absolute GONER for just how much Rafe is in DEEP with Tris. The minute the one room / one bed trope raised it's beautiful head I knew I was going to like this. The tension, the banter, the ANGST.

Tris is so relatable for women in the corporate world. Especially a woman of colour, but I believe all women can relate to this on some level. The engineering industry (and schools) are I believe notoriously known for being essentially disgusting frat parties. While I hope that's changed since the many years its been since I went to uni, the way it was depicted in this book was so so relatable. Tris kept getting pushed down and looked over until she eventually just gave up and felt lost. The way that she converts all this energy and comes out as sass and then eventually when she gets pushed a bit too far being able to really stand up for herself is amazing. Tris is what makes this book so relatable and I am SAT for her revenge arc.

Rafe is a bit of a suck (in the best ways). And fighting all of the expectations that comes with the silver spoon he knows he's had his entire life. It's refreshing because he knows he's got it and recognizes that in the various places in his life. It takes him a while to really develop a backbone to stand up for himself with everyone who places the pressures on him to be a certain way, but makes up for it by just how much he worships Tris :).

Overall, I highly recommend this book, I for one devoured it in one sitting. The audio was also bang on (more details on the audio specifically below).

On the audio:
OMFG Soneela Nankani is so good. I don't know how she pulls off the different voices so well. Sometimes when you only have one narrator and they try to do the other gender's voices (or even just other characters) it feels... weird? Did not happen here. It was different enough for me to differentiate the voices while not feeling unreasonably forced into some deeper timbre. The way she narrates kept me engaged throughout this entire listen and I cannot wait to also get the ebook when it comes out so I can highlight the heck out of the bits I liked most!

Thank you NetGalley for the audio ARC

2 ⭐️ ⭐️

The audio was fine. I enjoyed the narrator and feel like they did a good job embodying both characters. The book tho meh. It was just ok. Nothing exciting. There are much better written books and plots out there.

“𝑻𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆’𝒔 𝒏𝒐𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒖𝒏𝒎𝒊𝒔𝒔𝒂𝒃𝒍𝒆 𝒂𝒃𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒚𝒐𝒖. 𝑻𝒉𝒂𝒕’𝒔 𝒂𝒍𝒍 𝑰 𝒎𝒆𝒂𝒏𝒕. 𝑻𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆 𝒊𝒔𝒏’𝒕 𝒂𝒏𝒚𝒘𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒄𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅 𝒈𝒐 𝒘𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒚𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒘𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅𝒏’𝒕 𝒏𝒐𝒕𝒊𝒄𝒆 𝒚𝒐𝒖.”

I freaking love a work romance and even more when they pull the “let’s take this to a resort” card so the tension follows into a whole new setting. I AM HEEEERE FOR IT. And this one delivered.

I had the chance to listen to the audiobook while reading the eARC, and let me tell you: Soneela Nankani SLAYED. She made me feel like I was watching a full-on rom-com. The vibes were immaculate. Every bit of sarcasm, every ounce of anger, and every moment of pouting was perfectly brought to life through her voice. I could feel exactly what Trishara (the FMC) was going through tbh AUDIOBOOK?? NO NOTES 😮‍💨🔥 I enjoyed the way Trishara would just oogle him all the time but then be like "I wasn't staring" because ladies and gentlement that's me lol

Now let’s talk about the book itself. Trishara noticing how her company consistently favors white men over qualified women and POC it hit hard. As someone who has worked in corporate as a women and hispanic (where english is my second language), this reality felt all too familiar. The rom-com undertone brought humor, but underneath all that? There were so many moments it made me want to scream “YEAH, F**K YOU KHAKIS!!” at the top of my lungs.

I adored Trishara. In the workplace, she’s seen as “too bold,” “too loud,” someone who needs to “tone it down” but honestly, she’s a queen 💅✨ I would die for a work bestie like her. At the start, you can see her light has been dimmed, and watching her rediscover her fire was EVERYTHING. I rooted for her so hard ❗❗

AND THE ROMANCEEE okay, you don’t understand. I already love a workplace setting, but take them out of the office and drop them in a resort?? You know things are about to pop off. And boy, did they. Their enemies-to-lovers banter was gold. It started off as harmless sarcasm… then someone would cross that blurry line into flirt territory… and suddenly the air was thick with tension. MAMAAAAA I COULD NOT STOP READING 😏

I enjoyed that not only was Trishara having issues with her job, but Rafe as well so it wasn't as one sided as you thought (even though Tris is obviously a different level in the work climate) still you can also feel for him. At the end both character development makes you want to stand up and applaud like YES YOU BOTH ARE DOING AMAZING.

I recommend this book if you ever worked in corporate you would just get it!!! Period.

Why wasn't it a 5 star for me? Well please take this with a grain of salt, but Trishara was describing Rafe smile in every other chapter and.. I swear I was about to break his smile so she could stop talking about it asdvbgfrd

tropes:
🌺 enemies to lovers
🌺 work place romance
🌺 first single POV
🌺 only one bed
🌺 forced proximity

Thank you Forever Publishing for my eARC and Hachette Audio for my ALC

This story is something special. It captures so much of the female experience in the cutthroat corporate world. This is my first Nisha J Tuli book & definitely won't be my last. Her writing weaves together the frustration & rawness of the FMC Trishara's struggles at work with this fun, tension-filled romance in a corporate Hawaiian retreat setting. The inner dialogue is perfection, the slow burn is delicious & angsty & I love the underlying messaging of standing up for yourself despite the hurdles you face.

This story revolves around Trishana, 5 years into working for the same engineering firm & has just accepted the status quo. She's been passed over for promotions & recognitions, deals with inappropriate behavior, not only because she's a woman but a person of color in a white man's world. But when she finally has the opportunity to attend a leadership summit, she's hopeful she's going to get the recognition she deserves. Except she has to go with the boss's son & her work rival/secret crush, Rafe.

This is a forced proximity, one-bed situation with an enemies-to-lovers vibe. There are also a lot of misunderstandings between Rafe & Trish that get unraveled as they finally spend time together. This is a slow burn at its finest. I love how this is all from Trish's perspective, but you still get an understanding of Rafe & who he truly is. There are a lot of fun moments, especially in the retreat setting (think beaches, late night adventures & a storm where he comforts her). Rafe & Trish having to share a room forces the tension to continue to build in a way that when it explodes, get ready. Rafe does not disappoint (hello dirty talking MMC!).

This story follows Trish on a journey of self-discovery that any female can relate to. Add in the steamy romance—it's an absolute banger! 🎧 Listening to this audio performed by Soneela Nankani brought this story to life, really capturing Trish's highs, lows, and spiraling moments.

📎 Workplace Romance
❣️ Boss's Son
💖 Enemies to Lovers
🛏️ One Bed
💋 Forced Proximity
🌺 Hawaiian Setting
☝🏻 Single FMC POV

How could I not love this book when it had all my favorite tropes? Rivals-to-lovers, forced proximity, only one bed/pillow, steamy workplace romance… I ATE THIS UPPPPPPPPPPP. As I do with all my audio-ARCs, I listened to this at work, but this story was so bingeworthy that I kept on listening during my commute home, while putting up my laundry, while making dinner and then I stayed up much later than I probably should have for a weeknight so I could finish it because I simply couldn’t wait until the next day to find out what happened between Trish & Rafe. I’m honestly obsessed with these two. I loved seeing Trish stand up for herself and for WOC in the workforce! This book addressed some serious issues, and I love the way that it empowered the FMC and the story but never felt like it was taking away from the main plot/romance. And be still my heart, RAFE? That man is everything I could ask for in a book boyfriend: supportive, broody, passionate, great sense of humor… honestly, I could go on and on about this man. I also think when you write a rivals/enemies to lovers story, the banter can make or break it and Nisha J. Tuli MADE IT! The banter between the two main characters was incredible and had me rolling around, kicking my feet and giggling to myself. I wish I could give this book 6 stars. Okay, maybe 10 stars. FINE! A million stars. Beautifully written and beautifully narrated, this is a book that romance readers won’t want to miss!

Thank you to Netgalley and Hachette Audio for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review!

What a fun, easy read. Lots of laugh out loud moments, a little spice, and super relatable as a woman in the corporate world. Definitely a solid summer romcom!

This book was a great blend of workplace romance and tropical setting. The work getaway made a perfect setting for this enemies-to-lovers romance (among many other great tropes but I'll keep this spoiler free). It dealt with a lot of topics around unfair treatment of women in the workplace and I loved how it was handled, and also represented in a very realistic way.
There was such great tension and chemistry between the MCs, and a sweet HEA 🩷

Thank you to NetGalley and Nisha J. Tuli for this early audible copy of this book.

First off, Soneela Nankani did a great job narrating this book. Brought it to life for sure.
This is a very Slow Burn and angsty book, but the author lets you know from the start which I absolutely loved and might have giggled a bit.
The banter and tension between Trishara and Rafe are top notch really brought perfection to this book.
Love how the FMC over comes everything she is handed and delt with that last and final straw. Loved everything about this book besides HANNAH!!! Get over yourself.......

*Rivals
*One bed
*Work trip
*Slow burn
*Angsty

I am so grateful to net gallery and the publisher for the ARC
The narrator was a great actor and I personally loved how the story was narrated .
I was so excited for this book but I'm so disappointed because these main characters I had to check their ages again because why are they behaving like 15 year olds . The way the FMC made her job to tell us every moment how attracted to the MMC but hates him , like girl I got it the other 30 times you said before . I enjoyed the way that the experience of women in STEM was described because it felt realistic. The way that the MMC was so boring and the way that his interests were introduced was like covering for his lack of personality no depth . The FMC miss girl privacy is a thing, it's annoying how she was listening to his conversations with his ex and then discussing with her friend. This was not it for real . The relationship between these two was not interesting to me or something I trust.

oh I absolutely LOVED this book!!!! there’s so much growth, understanding, tenderness, fun, and love. I really appreciated this book only in Tris’s pov bc it lets us as the reader know how each situation looks through her eyes— her experiences, vulnerabilities, morals, etc. framing it all. it makes the story so authentic and captivating, especially as she and Rafe get closer and start to clear past misunderstandings.

and oh my GOSH RAFE I LOVE YOU SO MUCH!!!! he is the perfect book boyfriend, the most understanding and obsessed MMC, always trying to do what’s best, even if it misses the mark sometimes which makes him and their story so much more authentic! he doesn’t always make the right call, but he ALWAYS does what he thinks is the kindest, most just way to do things. the way we learn how he’s always been thinking of Tris, and how he puts his own interests and passions on the back burner in the name of making others happy, was so special and heartbreaking to read. he’s really just been trying his best all along, and (shocker shocker) when the happily ever after comes for him and Tris it also comes for their other problems, not because they all get magically solved in the best way, but because they each have a strong, steady, honest partner supporting and loving them through it all.

truly such a beautiful, lovely, perfectly spicy story!!! and I loved the audiobook! the narration and production was done really well and let me fully immerse myself in this captivating story :)

thank you so much for the ALC!!!

Thank you to Hachette Audio and Nisha J. Tuli for providing me with an ALC.

Tropes from Nisha’s IG
Women of colour (South Asian FMC)
STEM REP
Rivals-to-lovers
One hotel room/bed
Workplace romance
Banter and angst
Chronic pain rep (migraines/headaches)
Hawaii

Book Review:
Four stars for a genuinely enjoyable and steamy escape.
Rival engineers Trishara and Rafe were stuck sharing a honeymoon suite at a Hawaiian work retreat, one-bed/room trope incoming.
This book zips along with sharp banter as these two go from professional sparring partners to ‘maybe I don’t hate you after all’
Both characters are clearly carrying some baggage, which adds a nice layer beneath the fun. I loved that there was so much representation within the book.


Audiobook Review:
Soneela Nankani's clear narration made this audiobook easy to follow, though the pacing was a tad slow but flowed well. Her character differentiation, especially for male voices, was effective, and she conveyed the emotions convincingly. Her voice suited the female lead perfectly. Audio quality was excellent – crisp, clear, and consistent. Chapter markers were present but numbered (001-034) rather than labeled as "Chapter," which was slightly less intuitive.

Flirty, fun, and undeniably spicy! Not Safe for Work brings a sizzling workplace romance to life with sharp banter, great chemistry, and a solid dose of heart. While it didn’t blow me away, the characters were a joy to watch stumble through tension and into love. A very enjoyable read that balances heat and humour just right.

Rounded up to 4 stars! I felt like the story was a little dragged out but I did end up enjoying the book. The ending is what saved the book for me and made me round the book up from a 3 to a 4.

The narrator did a wonderful job portraying each character in a unique way! They also did well adding a vast range of emotion that really brought the audio to life!!

“I definitely would have liked you better if I’d known you could make me cake” - me too, girl 🤣

4.5⭐️
This was a great workplace, rivals to lovers! I loved how it touches on the sensitive subjects of being a woman in a male-dominated field. And despite having those heavier themes, the writing had a levity that made it an enjoyable rom-com 🤗

I enjoyed Trishara’s snark & humor for such a strong, intelligent FMC. She also showed that even with an outward appearance of confidence, sometimes we still feel like we’re not good enough. Her choices at the end were empowering and made me happy she found a place that matched her worth! Rafe’s protective nature & dirty mouth were 🥵 but also, I liked that as the story progressed we got to see all the different layers to his personality and passions!

- Only One Bed on Corporate Retreat
- Comfort During Storm⛈️
- Rivals to Lovers
- Secret Passion 🧁

Not safe for work is a work rivalry to lovers rom com. The female main character is in a male dominated field full of sexism and micro aggressions. I loved her snarky inner monologue. Nisha J. Tuli has a knack for strong female characters who don’t take anyone’s stuff. It had everything I love in a rom com banter, and forced proximity. I loved the growth of both characters throughout the book .

The narration really brought the characters to life and showed a lot of range and emotion. The pacing felt steady throughout the book and I found myself smiling at the banter between Rafe and Trish.

This is it. This is the one. The Rom-Com you were looking for. Enemies to Lovers, Workplace Romance, Woman in Business, One Bed, all the tropes are here. I can not tell you how much I enjoyed this book. It was light but had serious undertones and side themes, and the HEA that we need in a good Rom Com.

I have never read anything by Tuli, but her books have been in my TBR for a while because she writes romantasy. I'll be moving her books up higher on my list after reading this one. I love that Tris is multidimensional. She is a strong and outspoken, yet very vulnerable. She wants to be successful and is willing to turn a blind eye to some of the sexism and racism that she deals with in her work environment, but will only be pushed so far. So basically, this book is about Trishara, who is sent to Maui for 3 weeks on a leadership retreat for her terrible company that has passed her over for promotions at every turn. Alongside her attending this seminar is Rafe Gallagher, the boss's son and her work nemesis. The work nemesis she now has to share a hotel room with for 3 weeks. Also, both of these people are very attractive and like food. These two have known each other for years, but being put in a closed-door situation allows their banter to become something else, and they get to know each other a little bit better. They soon discover that neither person had the correct impression of the other.

This book is honest and funny, and a little spicy. Is it weird to say it's a classy spicy? I didn't cringe at the bedroom scenes, and they didn't even occur until way later in the book, and they felt natural. The banter of these two is fantastic, and the internal dialogue of Tris is very relatable. As a female who has been in a male business world, some of these scenes were too close to home with the overt sexism and boys club mentality. At the end of the day, the relationship between Rafe and Tris was sweet, snarky, and kind of realistic. There were repetitive bits, and I am not a fan of the miscommunication tropes, but other than that, I didn't want to stop reading/listening to this book. The narrator is amazing, I can't think of one negative thing to say about her performance, she was just top notch.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher & author for the ALC!

The narrator did a great job, and really showed Tris’s emotions!

This book was so good! It shows the reality of women in male dominated fields, and I liked that. I also am obsessed with Rafe, that’s my man!!

The premise? Great!
The execution? Also great!

A good summer read!!

Rafe sounds dreamy. I love a pining man with a dirty mouth. Bonus points for his creative passions and his rejection of the corporate BS and double standards. Yes, he still benefited from the system and the good old boys club but he recognized that and did something about it.

Trisha was likable. Confident while still feeling like she wasn’t good enough. She knows her worth, value and is unapologetic about her sex appeal and fashion sense. I could identify with her feelings of insecurity, self doubt and indignation at being passed over or made to feel less than. I was inwardly cheering at her reaction to the proposition and her email to the company post-trip.

I’m usually not one for a slow burn I didn’t feel like this was too slow. and when it heated up, they burned it down. The spice level hit right for me.

This was the first of read of this author and I will be looking into more.

the slow burn was BURNING!!! this book was the perfect combination of hot hawaiian sun and steamy romance. nisha tuli was able to really showcase the struggles women have in a male dominated industry.

Smart, spicy, and fiercely empowering, this corporate rom-com blends slow-burn heat, razor-sharp banter, and all the corporate bro bullsh*t you love to hate. At its core, it’s about holding your ground, speaking your truth, and choosing yourself — even when the boardroom’s burning. A total audio delight with heart, heat, and heroine power. Serving forearm flex and eye rolls like a true boss. Audio was perfection wrapped in a beautiful Hawaiian lei. The narrator nails the tone—every raised eyebrow, every snarky remark, every breathy “wait, what are we doing?” moment hits just right.