4.25 stars- i loved the setting so much of this book- i read it on vacation so it was perfect vibes!!!!! this was a SLOOOOWWWW burn but the tension was so good

After years of dealing with sexism and microagressions, as well as being passed up for promotions, Trishara finally gains some notice and is picked to attend a 3 week training session in Hawaii! The only problem.. she has to attend with her boss's son and due to a reservation error, they have to share the honeymoon suite. Will these rivals learn to get along? Will Trishara be recognized for her hard work and talent or will she be subjected to the ever present sexism and racism?

This book seems to have it all - lush setting, laugh out loud humor, intelligence (in the character, the writing, the plot, all of it), and a swoon-worthy rivalry between Rife (the boss's son) and Trishara. I knew of the author, Nisha J Tuli from her work in the romantasy realm (although I haven't read those books yet) and this book made me so excited to go back and read more of her work. I sometimes don't enjoy contemporary romance novels because so many have seemed so superficial, but with Not Safe For Work, I thoroughly enjoyed this story. Not only was it intelligent, heartfelt, and funny, but I loved how it highlighted examples of discrimination for women and women of color, especially in male-dominated industries. With threats to DEI on the rise, this was a great reminder about the very real situations women experience and the very necessary protections that must be in place.

I listened to the audiobook version of this book and it was enjoyable. The pace was good and the single narrator did a good job with differentiating characters (in particular male vs female) in a natural way.

Who wouldn’t want to attend a three-week work retreat in a Hawaiian paradise? What if your rival is coming with you?

I loved this rivals-to-lovers workplace romance. The author did an excellent job with the characters. Trishara is a woman in STEM fighting for equality and a chance to prove herself, and her rival, Rafe, happens to be the boss’s son.

There’s a lot of tension between these two; it’s been brewing for a while in the office. But Trishara learns that Rafe is not just this hot guy who never smiles at her in the office. He turns out to be someone she never dreamed he was: kind, caring, and attentive - her safe place.

I was glad the author included actual work events, such as team-building exercises and meetings, which served as a realistic backdrop. Even if Tris and Rafe skipped out on a few. 😉

The romance between Trishara and Rafe is a slow, smoldering burn that eventually erupts into a sizzling fire. Their flirtation and banter are not just sexy, but also filled with tension and anticipation. The wait is worth it, and the journey is as thrilling as the destination.


🎧 I loved pairing my reading with the audiobook. The narrator, Soneela Nankani, did an excellent job of bringing out all the characters' humor, emotions, and sensual vibes. Her performance added a new dimension to the story, making it even more engaging and addictive!

Thank you @booksparks and @nishajtwrites for this gifted book.

Thank you @hachetteaudio for the gifted audiobook via #NetGalley.

I was super excited to listen to the audio of this book. I absolutely loved Trial of the Sun Queen by the same author. This story was cute, and did have many well loved tropes (one bed, miscommunication, he takes care of her, etc) and the audio narrator performance was excellent. Ultimately though, I found the characters to be immature and the FMC’s internal monologue was grating and annoying.

Thank you NetGalley, the publisher and author or the audio ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you so much to @hachetteaudio and @nishajtwrites for the opportunity to listen to this amazing book! The narrator did such an amazing job and I loved her in the Artefacts of Ouranos series too!

I first want to say how important I think it is to talk about the main topic of this book which is sexism and discrimination in the workplace! I so appreciate that representation in NSFW and the voice it brings to women and people of color who are trying to work and thrive in a white male dominated field! I think Nisha did an amazing job of showing what that can be like!

Now I want to say how much I LOVED this book!! It’s set in Maui which is my happy place so right off the bat I knew I was going to enjoy it! Tris is such a strong FMC and I loved seeing her fight back against the discrimination she received from WMC! And when Rafe warns her off of Andy you can tell he’s jealous and wants to protect her and I absolutely ate it up! The tension between them is top tier and when it finally erupts I was cheering! The scene when they sneak out of the seminar they’re in was incredible! And every time his phone rang because Hannah was calling I wanted to throw it in the ocean!! I seriously love Tris and Rafe and this is one of my favorite romance reads of the year so far!

As a work place romance connoisseur this one is at the top! Absolutely amazing tension, spice 10/10 and the narration was just as good!

This book was such a fun read but also touched on some serious topics, like being a woman of color in a male-dominated field. I loved that it managed to stay light while still having something to say.

It grabbed me with the premise of a retreat in Hawaii—I’ve been there myself in the past, so it made everything feel even more real. The FMC and MMC were selected as promising professionals for a 3-week escape in Maui, and I was instantly hooked.

It’s more of a soft version of enemies/rivals to lovers, especially since she was clearly lusting after him from the start—admiring his beauty for pages!

Now about the audiobook—I loved it. The narration was super easy to listen to and made the story even more vivid. The performance fit the characters so well, and I felt truly engaged the whole time. This was my first time listening to a book narrated by Soneela Nankani, and I didn’t know what to expect, but I ended up loving it!Also keep in mind I usually gravitate towards full cast audiobooks, the fact that this one impressed me says a lot .

Such a cute listen—perfect for summertime.

UGHHHH this book was INCREDIBLE!! There truly is nothing like a workplace romance and a misunderstood enemies trope

As summer is approaching, I was in the mood for a swoony romance, and this one hit the spot! This is a sweet and steamy romance, and the while there was a “slow burn”, it wasn’t too slow. This had some of my favorite tropes, too: enemies-to-lovers, forced proximity, ONE BED!

I really felt for Tris, having to deal with nepo babies and white male privilege in her workplace. Rafe- I felt less sympathetic towards (lol). I did like his character arc, though. I’m just curious how their family dinners will go in the future 😅

Overall this was a fun romance that I enjoyed reading and listening to. I will definitely be checking out the author’s Romantasy series after!

𝑾𝒉𝒐 𝑰'𝒅 𝑹𝒆𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒅 𝒕𝒐:
Any contemporary romance lovers out there!

𝑨 𝒏𝒐𝒕𝒆 𝒐𝒏 𝒏𝒂𝒓𝒓𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏:
The narrator did a great job for this book, including voicing the different characters. I loved how much feeling she put in her voices.

I really enjoyed the enemies to lovers with the vacation / conference vibe and loved seeing the FMC find her voice! There was a lot of push and pull, and I liked the take on the single POV. Overall I truly enjoyed this listen, and will be excited to read more from this author especially this being her first contemporary romance!

This book was such a fun, bantery rivals to lovers story! The FMC and MMC have been trying to one-up each other for nearly 5 years. They both attend the same work retreat where, at the start, nothing has changed. But slowly we see their hard exteriors melt away and a relationship develop.

I know it’s part of the story, but I didn’t love that it felt like the MMC kept stringing along his ex-girlfriend instead of being honest with her up front. I could see why the FMC was rightfully not trusting of a relationship with him until he broke it off for good.

The book also addresses themes that many women face in the workplace, such as being a woman in a male dominated field, sexual harassment, racism, and other micro aggressions. I have personally experienced many of these things myself and could relate heavily to the FMC.

If you’ve ever been a woman in a male dominated field or had a work rival (even if it didn’t turn to lovers) I highly suggest you pick this book up and enjoy the ride. And ya know, even if you’ve never experienced those things, pick it up for the banter and one-liners alone!

⭐⭐⭐💫 (3.75 *)

I was drawn to It’s Not Safe for Work by the early reviews and while there were definitely some great moments, I had a few mixed feelings along the way.

We’ve got Tris and Rafe, co-workers locked in a long-standing rivalry, with the added twist that Rafe is the boss’s son. Tris has worked hard to rise through the corporate ranks, only to see promotions pass her. So when both are sent on a leadership retreat (I loved how Tris twisted her boss's hand a bit before the trip... hihi) to Maui and accidentally end up in the same room… with only one bed (yep, that trope!), things take a very entertaining turn.

The book delivers on the workplace/enemies to lovers romance with a slow burn that (if I’m honest) sometimes felt too slow. We only get Tris’s POV and while I admired her strength and refusal to tolerate sexist nonsense, there were moments where her reactions felt a bit immature. That said, I loved her fire and independence.

Rafe, for his part, had his charming moments (yes, the man has great arms, and yes, I laughed when he said, “I know you're obsessed with me” 😂), but he came off a little flat overall. I would’ve loved to see more depth and backstory from his side to really feel their chemistry evolve.

One of the biggest highlights for me was the narrator... She absolutely nailed Tris’s voice. She brought out every bit of frustration, vulnerability and snark, making the audiobook a genuinely engaging experience.

Overall, this was a solid listen with some funny and heartfelt moments. I’d recommend it to readers who enjoy a classic workplace romance with a fiery female lead and the always-entertaining “only one bed” situation.

Audiobook provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Phenomenal!

The narration was amazing and everything about this book was amazing. Nishas first romcom read was perfection and I can’t wait for more from her. Please keep producing her audiobooks!

3.5 ⭐️

This was such a cute read! I loved the Artefacts of Ouranos series by Nisha, so definitely was excited to pick this up.

I loved the hate to love vibes of them being workplace rivals. The setting of this being a work getaway was so fun and gave me summer romcom vibes! We go straight into the action and the book gripped me immediately.

I really loved Tris as an fmc, she's smart and quirky and I loved her POV so much - she had me laughing at some of her inner monologue. I was rooting for girly to go places.

I loved her dynamic with Rafe. I would have loved a bit more personality from Rafe's character, as he fell a bit flat for me as an mmc. But overall, the tension and the chemistry between them was 100% there!

I was lucky enough to be gifted an ALC and I can say, I highly recommend listening to this. The narrators did an amazing job, Soneela Nankani did a particularly phenomenal job of bringing Trisha to life.

Thank you to Hatchette Audio for the gifted ALC via Netgalley.

Enemies to lovers - ✅
Workplace Romance - ✅
One Bed trope - ✅

This story had all my favorite romance tropes and the characters really made them come to life. I also work in a male dominated industry so I related to Trishara right away. She and Rafe had great chemistry and I loved their banter instantaneously.

The spice was spicing but not too spicy. I will say this is a SLOW BURN. I was in the mood for that so it was fun to take the long journey with them. A LOT happens in the third act so it’s a bit of a tempo change in the end.

Overall, I had a great time and really enjoyed discovering our main characters on this journey. Highly recommend.

Thank you to NetGalley and Hachette Audio for an advanced audiobook copy; all opinions expressed in this review are my own.

I hold a special fondness for workplace romance, as I found my partner at work.

NOT SAFE FOR WORK was a delightful read. This book offered a captivating slow burn, plenty of spice, and the enemies-to-lovers dynamic was truly engaging, I ate this book up!

While I may not be a woman of color, I understand the challenges of navigating a male-dominated industry, and I can attest that all of Trish’s microaggressions, along with the macroaggressions she encountered, were both shocking and still resonate today.

The audiobook was fantastic, and the narrator perfectly captured Trish's essence, her sass, boldness, and everything in between.

Seriously. Get this one! But be ready to hit the beach, laugh out loud, and giggle like you’re falling in love for the first time.

What happens when your rival at work and worst nemesis and you get sent on a 3 week work retreat in Maui… oh and they accidentally book you the honeymoon suite… with only ONE bed.
When I say this book had all the tension and angst I need from a romance book.. it did!!
You need to read this if you are a fan of: rivals to lovers, jealous and possessive mmc, one bed, tension, longing, flirty banter, forced proximity and so much yearning!!!

Also the narrator did such an amazing job. I really felt all the emotions through her voice. I really enjoyed this audiobook!

Nisha J. Tuli is a new to me author, but I really enjoyed this audio listen. Workplace romance with some enemies to lovers vibes- the romance is full of slow (and I mean slow) burning tension and intensity. But what really soars and sparkles in this story is the female empowerment. The journey of a capable, brilliant, and deeply relatable woman navigating a while male driven world. And I love how the romance doesn't come at the expense of that- Tris finds romance and love and connection all while not losing any of herself.

Nisha does a great job conveying the lived reality of so many women in male-driven workplaces, particularly women of color. And I loved the concept of a professional navigating those challenges, off at a Maui work event, stuck with the LITERAL manifestation of those challenges. The dashing son of her boss (and her rival). Of course, this is a romance at it's heart- so it's fun and playful, even if socially astute. Their is great banter and forced proximity, the beloved one bed trope, and two likable characters at the center of this story. I loved having two smart, independent, capable, and charismatic leads. Their rival felt a bit feigned (and so much of it was rooted in the dreaded unspoken assumptions/lack of communication) and the burn is definitely slow. Not usually my thing, but here it let us saturate in these characters.

The audio narration was really great from new to me narrator Soneela Nankani. It's been a minute since I've listened to a solo narrated audio/a story told solely from one perspective, and she did a great job with each character and bring plenty of emotional range to the performance. Definitely appreciated the audio.

-Workplace Romance
-Maui Setting
-Boss's Son
-One Bed
-Rivals to Lovers
-Forced Proximity
-One POV

4.5 🌟 This was such a good enemies to lovers in a contemporary setting. The move from enemies to lovers between Trishara and Rafe felt so realistic. There wasn’t a rush for them to work through their feelings. Honestly everything in this book felt super realistic. The issues Tris dealt with in a male dominant world have definitely been felt by so many women. I loved how she didn’t hesitate to stand up for Rafe or herself. Speaking of Rafe, I was definitely kicking my feet multiple times at things he would say or do.

Tropes:
🖤Workplace Romance
🖤Forced Proximity
🖤One Bed
🖤 Slow Burn
🖤Enemies to Lovers

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

Not Safe for Work by Nisha J Tuli
Contemporary diverse romance.
Trishara Malik works for WMC Purcell. As an engineer, she thought she was on the fast track to smash the glass ceiling as a woman of color. Instead she is passed over in favor of the boss’s son, Rafe Gallagher over and over. On the verge of leaving, Tris is stunned to learn she is scheduled to attend the corporate leadership retreat in Hawaii. She’s not happy that Rafe will also be attending but it’s an opportunity she can’t turn down. A booking error has Tris and Rafe staying together in the same suite and working together on projects as they grow the antagonistic attitude into attraction and lust.

🎧 I alternated between an ebook copy and an audiobook narrated by Soneela Nankani who did a great job on the full unabridged story. I heard anger and lust in the performance and so many other emotions as the story continued.
The audiobook is a wonderful alternative to try.

Smart, stem related and romantic as Tris finds out that Rafe has in her corner all along. Sigh.

I received a copy of this from NetGalley and publisher Hachette Audio.