This checks every single box for what you want in a workplace enemies-to-lovers story. This book also hit on some heavier topics, but it was balanced out by the feel-good and super sweet moments (aaaaaand the super hot moments, too!). I received an ARC of the audiobook from NetGalley, and I'm so glad I did because Soneela Nankani doesn't miss as a narrator. I don't know if she narrates all of Nisha's books or just all of the ones I've listened to, but I hope she never stops.

I love a workplace rival to lovers romance so much! This was one where you can clearly tell they both liked each other before they admitted so they weren’t true rivals BUT it was still really fun. The forced proximity and one bed trope make this a truly enjoyable romance read. The banter and tension was the best!
Trishara was a baddie! It was really sad to see the racism and sexism she faced and to know that real people must deal with that sort of thing constantly. I loved that she defended herself even if it meant she might lose opportunities for it. Rafe was a dream. And he cooks?! Sign me up! I love him.

🎧
Soneela Nankani did an amazing job with the narration! I especially loved the way she brought Tris to life. It was a great audiobook and I highly recommend it!

5⭐️ | 3🌶️

I binged this in one go and honestly, the audiobook made the whole experience ten times better!

Soneela Nankani completely nailed the narration. She brought Trishara’s voice to life with so much personality and confidence, I felt like I was listening to a friend tell me a juicy story over coffee. I was laughing, cringing, and rooting for Trish the entire time.

This book blends workplace drama, enemies-to-lovers tension, and vacation vibes in the best way. Trishara is a smart, driven engineer stuck in a toxic company that doesn’t appreciate her. When she’s sent to a three-week leadership retreat in Maui with none other than her workplace nemesis Rafe, who also happens to be the VP’s son…things get complicated fast.

Cue: forced proximity, old grudges, and the kind of tension that practically sizzles.

I loved the dynamic between Tris and Rafe. Their messy, miscommunicated history felt real, and watching them slowly unpack those misunderstandings was so satisfying. While it’s mostly Trishara’s POV, Rafe still felt like a fully fleshed-out character. I kept thinking, “Okay, but where’s his book?”

I also loved how the story highlighted Trishara’s struggles in STEM and gave us a strong female lead who speaks up for herself and doesn’t back down. That final email she sends? Iconic!

This is such a fun listen, perfect for a summer weekend. Whether you’re into beach reads, slow burns, or just want to escape to Hawaii for a few hours…this one’s a winner.

Trishara and Rafe are workplace enemies, and both are chosen to attend a leadership retreat in Hawaii. A booking mistake puts them in the same room and they end up competing for a spot in an executive training program.

The Hawaii setting was fun. And I loved that the MC is a woman in STEM. (I majored in math and computer science) I usually love enemies to lovers but I didn't really buy the enemies part here. It seemed to be completely in her head. However, I really enjoyed the banter. There were several funny lines. I would read another romcom by Nisha Tuli.

The narrator of the audiobook is excellent. I think she's the reason I liked Tris as much as I did. I highly recommend the audio.

I really tried to get through this book, but there is just too much feminist vibes and corporate politics/competition stuff in it for me to actually enjoy it. Like I feel like the FMC just gets way too offended when little things are said or done and I completely understand how you could get offended in real life but I come to a book to enjoy and just escape and this didn’t feel like an escape for me. I know everyone has their own things they like but I tried really hard to just get through it and I kept getting frustrated with the extreme slow burn that this story contains. I also felt like the FMCs POV was doing too much like trying to be too funny. In terms of the audiobook, the narrator’s voice was just a little annoying as well with the over expressiveness in the voice, and it just made the whole thing feel off on top of the story vibes. I feel like the writing could’ve also used a little less filler sentences and words because it just took way too long to get to the point which was also frustrating.

This book was such a fun read. What pushed it over the edge for me was how great the audiobook narrator was! I’m never sure how I feel about workplace romances but this was so well done. Trishara is an engineer who has been looked over for promotions and is felling burnt out when she is sent to a leadership retreat in Maui. Only drawback is that she has to go with her work nemesis, Rafe, who is her boss’s son. Of course when they get there, they discover that they have to share a room due to a booking error (has to be an HR violation right??).


The tension and banter between Rafe and Trishara was so so good! Trishara’s experience shows a really raw look of challenges women face in the workplace and how it’s intensified for women of color. While there are moments where the characters really struggle with miscommunication, I felt like it was easy to overlook with how fun the audiobook narrator made it to listen. I’m excited to read whatever Nisha Tuli publishes next!

Thank you to Forever and Netgalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 ⭐️

This book had a lot of potential. There are so many aspects of this book that were so good and so important. For me the romance part fell a bit flat for me, it was super slow burn but for me it just didn’t flow well. It was super slow burn and then all of a sudden super hot and I personally did not connect to it as much as I wish I could have.

The workplace issues especially as a POC woman is so relatable and will resonate with so many people. I feel like so many people will be able to connect with that.

The book is enjoyable but it wasn’t next level amazing they way I felt it had the potential to be. I felt like there was more detail in the smut than in other parts of the story that just needed more. A lot of the book felt repetitive to me.

I loved the South Asian representation and chronic pain representation. Her character was very relatable. The MMC was good but could have had more depth. I felt like everything we knew about him was not that deep, but he was likeable for sure. I felt that the focus on his ex was overdone and shouldn’t have last so long into the book.

Thanks NetGalley, Hachette Audio, Forever and Nisha J. Tuli for giving me an advance listener’s copy of this book! The narrator did a wonderful job and I’ll definitely read/ listen to more books by this author.

4.4 ⭐️ An enemies to lovers workplace romance with a S. Asian STEM FMC set in dreamy Hawaii? It cannot get any better than this! 🥰

Thank you Forever Pub for the ALC! 🥹 I devoured this in half a day and it kept me glued to it the entire time! The narrator was exceptional! Her voice and narration made me feel everything the FMC was feeling!

And oh my Trishara is one of my favorite FMCs I read this year! She’s so smart (whoah girl is an engineer 👷🏽‍♀️) and beautiful and on top of that she knows what she deserves and stands up for it! Such a lovely S. Asian lady! 😘

The MMC Rafe, is downright swoon worthy too and this pair creates out of chart chemistry! 🤯 They are forced together in a work retreat and there’s much tension!! Think hating game vibes? Ali Hazelwood vibes? If you loved them you will really enjoy this too!

I was so appalled to know that some incidents Trishara faces were real incidents from Nisha’s own experiences. As a woman in STEM myself it broke my heart and made me really angry!!! 😤

I only wish we had a POV from Rafe too cause it would have been so good to see his thoughts too! 👀 I craved for this which is the only reason I docked the star rating.

"Not Safe for Work" follows Trishara Malik as she attends a three week leadership retreat in Hawaii for her engineering company. Trishara has to navigate the "boy's club" of the engineering world in order to try to earn a coveted engineering training program spot. The person in her way? Rafe.

I enjoyed the viewpoint of a woman's experience in the world of STEM, especially because I'm sure it's not an easy field to break into for women. However, I felt like the author tried to include too many conflicts to keep Trishara and Rafe apart. Rafe's ex-girlfriend storyline in particular felt like a bit too much and detracted from the women in STEM and romance storylines in my opinion.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Hachette Audio for an advanced copy of this audiobook.

I flew through this book.

I love me an office romance, some “enemies to lovers”/rivals to lovers and forced proximity. Those three things might honestly be my favourite tropes when it comes to romance books, so of course I had to read this.

I listened to the audiobook, which I very much enjoyed and I think that was also one of the reasons why I flew through this book. It was just so nice and comforting to listen to.

We follow the engineer Tris, who is the first woman of color to ever work at WMC Purcell. Unfortunately, since she is a woman of color she’s had to deal with the men in her office and their white privilege and the obvious nepotism.

Tris is thinking of maybe quitting her job at WMC, but then she gets surprised when she is picked to attend the company’s corporate leadership retreat in Hawaii. However, her work nemesis, Rafe, is her co-attendee.

Then of course there a booking error. Where Tris has so share a room with Rafe, and who knows what’ll happen.

Thank you to NetGalley and Hachette Audio for this Audio Arc in exchange for an honest review.

This was awesome!! The narrator did such an incredible job bringing this story to life. I loved going on this adventure and the narrator made it even better. I loved the dynamic between our couple and the tension was delicious!

I did not enjoy the first half of this book. All I kept thinking was that this was supposed to be a hate to love situation, but the hate honestly felt one-sided. I enjoyed the second half a lot more, which is what saved this book for me. The narrator did a really good job! I could clearly distinguish when it would transition into other characters.

Huge thank you to HachetteAudio and NetGalley for gifting me this ALC in exchange for my honest opinion.

I had a lot of fun with this one! I went into this a little hesitant after hearing some mixed things but I think the audio and the narrator REALLY shined.

Trishara is a strong but slightly beat down engineer at a company that has super minimal diversity which has been a struggle for herself as a woman of color. When Trisha is surprised by the selection of a spot at the company's large multi-week retreat in Hawaii, she decides to take advantage of it and get the most out of the experience and hopefully gain some advantages from the exclusive trip. Trish's hope at a fun, relaxing trip is dashed when the boss' son Rafe has to share her one-bed suite at the hotel.

The narrator here did soooo good and I was so entertained and captivated throughout, she did an incredible job with Trish and Rafe's voices as well as all the side characters. Although you definitely have to suspend your disbelief on a handful of the workplace aspects, I still had a lot of fun with it. Trish could be a little frustrating because she refused to acknowledge how her relationship with Rafe was evolving when they were stuck together but it was honestly kinda understandable. I also think Nisha portrayed the struggles that Trish experienced really accurately. I'm a woman in a STEM field and although there are about even women to men on my direct team, my field is pretty severely skewed towards men.

All in all, I really enjoyed this and definitely recommend the audio format for this one!

I was severely disappointed in this book, in part because I’m a nisha fan but I don’t think contemporary romance is her forte. The characters were flawed to the point of not wanting to root for them, the chemistry was lackluster, and I just wish there was more commentary on race (because women of color face more than just sexism in the workplace.). I’m respectful of the fact that this book was personal to Nisha but it just wasn’t for me.

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

5 stars — because my heart, soul, and entire TBR are now devoted to this book.

I don’t even know how to properly express how much I loved this book without just resorting to keyboard smashing and heart emojis. Nisha J. Tuli absolutely crushed it. She didn’t just write a romance—she crafted a story that wrapped itself around me, refused to let go, and made me want to start all over again the second I finished. This story hit every single one of my favorite things: sizzling chemistry, razor-sharp banter, slow-burn tension so delicious I could practically taste it, and characters so real I wanted to text them memes after work.

Trishara is the heroine of my dreams. She’s bold, brilliant, unapologetically ambitious, and refreshingly real. I adored her strength, her humor, and her vulnerability—watching her navigate the challenges of a male-dominated industry with her head held high made me want to cheer out loud. And then there’s Rafe. Oh, Rafe. He starts off all broody and buttoned-up, but as his layers peel back, I fell harder and harder for him. The way he sees Trishara, respects her, and challenges her in all the best ways? That’s the good stuff right there.

The romance sparkles with perfect tension, but Nisha J. Tuli also gives us so much more—a thoughtful, empowering story about career, confidence, and connection. Her writing is sharp, smart, and so immersive. I felt like I was inside the story, and frankly, I didn’t want to leave.

And I absolutely have to gush about the audiobook narration. Soneela Nankani? She is phenomenal. Her performance brought these characters to life in a way that scratched my brain in all the best ways. Her voice has this magical ability to make the dialogue snap and sizzle while also capturing every tender, vulnerable moment with nuance and heart. I was completely hooked from start to finish, and I absolutely will be seeking out more of her work because she made this story sing.

If you love romance with bite, heart, humor, and a heroine who’s impossible not to root for, do yourself a favor and grab Not Safe For Work immediately. This book is going straight to the top of my favorites shelf, and Nisha J. Tuli has officially become an auto-buy author for me.

Tropes you’re going to obsess over:
– Enemies to lovers
– Grumpy x sunshine (flipped!)
– Workplace romance / forced proximity
– Competence kink (yes please)
– Slow burn with a chef’s kiss payoff
– He falls first (my absolute weakness)
– Only one hotel room (and it DELIVERS)

An enormous thank you to Hachette Audio, Nisha J. Tuli, and Forever for the opportunity to experience this gem early. I adored every single second of this sharp, funny, and utterly swoon-worthy story.

*Will post on my social media whenever my copy comes in

Ever since she joined WMC Purcell, Trishara Malik has dreamed of becoming the first woman of color to smash the glass ceiling there, but instead, her dreams keep getting smashed by white privilege, or in the most recent case, nepotism, when the boss’s son and her nemesis, Rafe Gallagher, snags what should have easily been her promotion. When we meet Trishara, she is on the verge of burnout and thinking of leaving the firm until she is unexpectedly chosen to attend the corporate leadership retreat in Hawaii and compete for a spot in the executive training program. The only downside is that Rafe of course is chosen to go with her.

I love an underdog character so I was hardcore rooting for Trishara at this retreat in terms of her career so I liked that we actually got to see her in action there. She’s smart and a talented engineer, and it’s well past time she got her time to shine. I really liked Rafe too though, and from the start, felt there was more to him than meets the eye, particularly when it came to his feelings for Trishara. I alway enjoy when forced proximity acts as a catalyst for characters to learn more about one another, so I was excited when a mix-up at the retreat forces the two of them to stay in the honeymoon suite together. Trishara has always thought Rafe was hot, even when she hated him, so what would happen if she realizes he wasn’t so bad after all?

I thought this was a fun read and a quick one. There’s lots of fun banter, tension, and plenty of chemistry between the main characters to keep things interesting. I was never bored even though the romance itself is a slow burn. It’s worth the wait though, particularly if you enjoy a bit of steam in your romance reads.

I really enjoyed Soneela Nankani’s narration. She does a wonderful job with all of the characters, but I especially enjoyed her spirited portrayal of Trishara.

Not Safe For Work had everything I want in a rom-com! Great characters, powerful women, enemies-to-lovers, forced proximity, witty banter - all set in a dreamy, tropical location. Sold.

This was my first Nisha Tuli book, and I can say with 100% certainty that it won't be my last. Tuli created a strong, female main character in Tris. She is everything I want to be! She is a such a badass who is not afraid to stand up for herself and clap back at the parade of underqualified, sexist white men she works with. She knows who she is and what her worth is and isn't afraid to fight for what she wants and what she deserves.

While Rafe's character lacked the full depth that Tris had, he was still a really enjoyable male lead. I loved the slow burn relationship between the two of them. I also appreciated that the romance didn't overshadow the bigger themes that Tuli addresses in this book including racism and sexism within the workplace (specifically in a STEM field). Tuli was able to perfectly mesh this all together to create a compulsively readable book that at times will have you laughing out loud, wanting to punch people in the face, and then bring you to tears.

I listened to the audiobook, and it was straight up perfection. Soneela Nankani was the perfect voice for this story and made it so easy for me to envision the whole thing.

This was easily one of my favorite books of the year so far. If you're a rom-com lover, then you need to pick this one up!

4.5 ⭐️

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the audio ARC of Not Safe For Work by Nisha J. Tuli. I was not compensated for this review, and all thoughts and opinions are entirely my own.

This was my first foray into Nisha J. Tuli’s writing, and I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed it. Though I haven’t yet read her fantasy series (Trail of the Sun Queen is patiently waiting on my TBR), Not Safe For Work was a fantastic introduction to her voice and storytelling in a contemporary setting.

The slow-burn romance was beautifully paced—equal parts tension, chemistry, and payoff. The dialogue had me laughing out loud at times, and the romantic build-up felt authentic and deeply satisfying. While smut scenes usually aren’t my favorite, I found them well-written here and surprisingly enjoyable, which is a testament to how invested I was in the characters and their connection.

One small critique: the audiobook narrator’s pacing was slower than I prefer, so I did have to speed up the playback, which slightly disrupted the flow at times. That’s the only reason I knocked off half a star.

This book struck a lovely balance between humor, heat, and heartfelt emotion, and I’m now even more curious to see how Tuli handles world-building and fantasy elements in her other works. Trail of the Sun Queen has definitely been bumped higher up on my list.

If you enjoy witty banter, strong chemistry, and a deliciously drawn-out romance, Not Safe For Work is worth your time.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶🌶🌶

Title: Not Safe For Work
Author: Nisha J. Tuli @nishajtwrites
Audio: Hachette @hachetteaudio
Imprints: Forever @readforeverpub
Voiceover: Soneela Nankani @Soneela
Release: May 20, 2025

🏖 Slow burn with Spice, Enemies to Lovers, Forced Proximity, One bed, Rom-Com, Business Retreat, Business Patriarchy, Possessive MMC, Strong FMC

"I kind of want to lick him like a chocolate dipped cone." -Tris.

"Last night in bed, it felt like drowning in strawberries and creamy vanilla frosting." -Rafe. Oh my.

Two coworkers who compete at work go on a business retreat to Maui. Tris is heavily lusting on Rafe and Rafe is secretly pining on Tris. The hotel is booked up and they have to share a suite with only one bed. Things heat up and get very interesting between the two.

I devoured this book. I loved how it touched upon work place issues and women's struggles with moving up the ladder all while being a slow burn romance full of angst, tension, and fun banter. Tris is amazingly strong and I loved her quips. Rafe is not only hot, but he truly is an empathetic listener. He's not perfect and has his own set of issues he's dealing with in this book. I loved listening to this romance and seeing what would unfold between the two.

Voiceover: Soneela
She did such a great job at capturing all the emotions and telling this rom-com. The only thing that bugged me was the reading the text messages. Maybe needed a little space; however, I thoroughly enjoyed listening to this audio.

Thank you to Hachette, Forever, and Nisha for this Audiobook I received on Netgalley.

Reviewed on May 21, 2025. Listed on both my Goodreads and Instagram account.

“Not Safe For Work” or NSFW as the internet is affectionately calling it, might be Nisha J Tuli‘s best work yet. Known for her Artefacts of Ouranos series, Tuli temporarily steps out of her fantasy world and lands on the warm sands of Hawaii to deliver us a steamy, lightning-filled pages of electric rivals to lovers. Her first contemporary romance, but with the reception that it’s already getting in just a few days of being published, this surely won’t be her last.

first contemporary romance builds from all of those tropes that we’ve come to swoon over in our love stories. Rivals to lovers, workplace romance, forced proximity, only one bed. All of these on their own are enjoyable. Tuli, though, weaves all of these together to build an incredible story that had me flipping page after page to see what would happen next.

One trope that I haven’t seen talked about much is hurt/comfort, which is so skillfully and subtly done, but spoke volumes to me. I think I’m in my hurt/comfort era, and a specific scene where Rafe comforts and cares for Tris that had me moony-eyed. Don’t get me wrong, I am a sucker for the grand gesture, but there’s something about finding love in the small details that seem to make a big impact.

Additionally, Tuli should also be commended for not falling into the insta-love trope in this story. It would have been easy for these two characters to be on a work trip for a week and fall in love. Tuli took measures to build out the story over 3 weeks instead of one, giving more opportunities for our characters to work through their rivalry and learn about the real person underneath.

I found that reading this book as an ebook was the best option for me, but there are so many of my friends who enjoyed the audiobook as well. Soneela Nankani narrates the audio in just under 11 hours. The production was well done but I had a hard time with the harshness of the female narrator’s acting when trying to picture her as a romance character. Shes great but she would probably hit better for me in the fantasy genre.

Add this to your summer reading list today. NSFW is perfect for reading on vacation, on the beach, or even just out in the yard to help you set the scene for a staycation.