This was absolutely perfect! It was spicy, funny and such a great story! The narrator was fantastic! Absolutely loved this!

This is my first Nisha J. Tuli book and it won't be my last! Tuli writes banter in a way that keeps you coming back for more. It doesn't hurt that I love enemies to lovers and this scratched an itch I've been trying to reach for ages!

I LOVED Trishara’s self-confidence. It’s always refreshing to read about a woman who fully embraces herself, regardless of how it makes others feel. Women shouldn’t have to be modest to make others, especially men, comfortable, and that message is depicted really well in this book. Trishara is a strong lead, and I appreciated that about her.

This was my first contemporary romance by Nisha Tuli (and I believe her only one in the genre so far). I’ve read her fantasy romance books, and her fantasy background definitely comes through here. The characters are some of the most feral I’ve ever encountered in a contemporary romance… which felt a little off at times. Some descriptions were so intense they pulled me out of the story. Rafe especially had a big “touch her and die” energy. That might land better in a fantasy setting, but here, it felt a bit much. (It’s worth noting I’m also currently reading her Artefacts of Ouranos series, so the contrast really stood out.) The “rivals” aspect didn’t feel very prominent. Trishara’s dislike of Rafe seemed based on things beyond his control. Still, there’s plenty of angst and tension to keep the slow-burn romance alive.

What to expect:
- Workplace romance
- Rivals to lovers
- Forced proximity
- Chronic pain/condition rep
- One bed trope
- Women of color
- Slow burn
- Women in STEM

Overall, I enjoyed this one and would recommend it especially if you’re already a fan of Nisha Tuli’s spicy writing. The slow burn is delicious and there is plennttttyyyyy of angsty banter to go around.

Audiobook review: 4 stars
The narration was well done. While the narrator wasn’t my favorite, they didn’t take away from the experience either. I think this story works well in either audio or physical form <3

This book was fantastic. I could not put it down. I loved the realism of being a woman in a technical office job and of a man looking to not do a technical office job. So good!

*spoilers ahead* I feel so blessed to have gotten a copy of this audiobook on NetGalley. Thank you so much Nisha J. Tuli. This is the first thing that I have read by her and it is safe to say I don’t want it to be the last. I really enjoyed that while this was an office romance that the romance did not all take place inside the office building. The main characters are OBVIOUSLY rivals at the beginning and they are both chosen to go to their company’s leaders retreat together in Hawaii for three weeks. There was a miscommunication trope, or maybe just lack of communication in this book and usually I don’t like that but it didn’t bother me in this book. Overall I would rate this book 4/5 ⭐️ 2/5🌶️

3.5 rounded up

i wanted to love this book so bad but i did not enjoy much of it at all. my husband said it best when he said they’re both assholes because they ARE. while i understood the rage in both characters i felt like there was no resolution and they had no chemistry. the tension wasn’t there for me and don’t even get me started on the miscommunication

the production was great however i couldn’t understand the characters names and had to go look them up. but that minor problem didnt deter me from finishing

I wasn't sure about this book at first. There were some phrasing issues and I wasn't wild about the way the narrator read some of the lines. I eventually settled in and ended up enjoying it, but it did nag at my mind throughout.

Thanks so much to NetGalley and Hachette Audio for the ALC!

Not Safe for Work was an absolute delight from start to finish. I found myself giggling and kicking my feet the entire time! Rafe and Trishara’s chemistry is pure sexual tension gold . Their banter and slow burn reminded me a lot of early Ali Hazelwood vibes, especially with both characters navigating STEM careers, which felt fresh and relatable.

What I really appreciated was how the story didn’t shy away from serious topics like workplace discrimination, adding depth and resonance beneath the swoony moments. It gave the romance a meaningful backdrop that made the stakes feel real.

Soneela Nankani’s narration as Trishara was fantastic, she truly brought the character to life and made the audio experience even more immersive.

If you’re a fan of smart, steamy workplace romances with heart and humor, I highly recommend giving Not Safe for Work a listen!

I recieved this as an audiobook from NetGalley. As for the audiobook, I am pretty picky about my female narrators just based off of their voice. I found that I loved Soneela Nankani and thought she was perfect for Tris. As for the story, I felt like I had read this before but I still enjoyed it. I felt a little disconnected from the characters, they kind of lacked depth. This is a book that I would recommend for a vacation. It is super easy, you don’t have to pay very much attention or use too much of your brain to know what’s going on; it helps pass the time.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️

Tropes / What to expect: Romance, slow burn, workplace romance, forced proximity, only one bed, rivals to lovers, he fell
first

Liked: Overall, I really enjoyed this audiobook! Soneela Nankani’s voice was a pleasant surprise, as I’ve never listened to her narrate bedore and now I look forward to more of her work. The storyline was cute, but a few surprises along the way kept me intrigued and entertained. I love banter, and this banter was pretty good! I also loved Rafe’s backstory and where his journey took him. Nisha wrote a great book boyfriend, everyone needs a Rafe!

Dislikes: I only really disliked Tris’ wavering back and forth in the span of a moment. One moment she’d decide she was into Rafe and in the next she was done with him - gave me a bit of whiplash, but it was worth it in the end!

Thank you to NetGalley and Hachette Audio for this ALC! 🎧

Thank you NetGallery for the ARC of this audiobook in exchange for my honest review.

The audiobook work is great! the narrator does excellent work and makes me enjoy the book. 5 stars to the audio team.
Now, moving on to the book itself, there were many aspects that I liked, but others that I didn't. This was like a 4 star book. Let me elaborate.

This is not your common Rom-com, it is more than that. Of course, it has anything you can expect like spice, only one bed, enemies to lovers, banter and a slow burn that I gladly appreciate. However, more than the other themes the author highlights, I really appreciate her bringing attention to the misogynists at work that some women need to deal with. The diverse representation and how the protagonist needs to deal with harassment and people not valuing her or her work. Those are things that we, as a society, need to continue bringing awareness to. I love it when books bring this type of awareness inside stories that may be seen as only a rom-com, this makes them exactly more than just that.

I think is a good book, easy to read, it gives you some things to think about, and it has some fun and entertainment.
My least favourite part was the spice, open-door scenes. When there is just common sex it makes me feel like a creep watching others making it out hahaha

Anyway, if you like romcoms you will enjoy this one, there is a good plot, good character development and a tropical paradise as a setting.

Note: I rate books based on how they make me feel and their gender, a five-star romcom shouldn't be compared with a historical fiction 5 star. (just to put an example).

⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
🌶️🌶️

Queen of the slow burn is back and I know my girl Nisha would never disappoint. This shit BURNT hotter than the earths core. Workplace romance meets work retreat, already sold, then you add in one bed trope and likely split apart faster apart than Kim’s divorce to Kris Humphrey’s 😅

So you’ve got Tris and Rafe, they are co-workers, they’re both engineers but Rafe is daddy’s little protégé and so gets all the perks without having to work hard. Tris is a women in an industry dominated by white men and she believes that is reason behind why she been passed over for her promotion since working for the company. And let’s get one things straight, Tris severely despises Rafe for his nepotism.

Both Rafe and Tris get selected to go on a work retreat and end up having to share one hotel, and what does that mean ladies and gentlemen, yes they have to share one bed as well. It’s forced proximity. What are they gunna do! EACH OTHER of course.

Clabbacks. Angst. And ones you reach the spice. It’s really quite nice.

The author note on this one nearly broke me on this one.

Thank you to Natgalley for providing me this as ALC 💜

Can't imagine a better start to my summer reads. Recommend to anyone looking to feel even hotter in these warm months.

Trishara is a great FMC, I really enjoyed her confidence and how she stood up for herself. I saw myself in her, also unable to shut up when people expect you to fall in line. I enjoyed her voice very much, she truly shines throughout the story.

Rafe also pleasantly surprised me, not trying to spoil anything, but he is a sweetheart with a villainous smile ;)

I was most overjoyed when they both started to honestly open up to each other, and even though there were times when conflict arose, they actually dealt with stuff like real adults would (apart from some very emotional situations where it can be explained).

This book is a breath of fresh air with a view of Maui.

Also! The narrator was amazing! Will definitely look through her other narrations.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for gifting me a copy of the audiobook.

I was really excited for Not Safe for Work: woman working in a male-dominated field, enemies to lovers, Hawaii backdrop? Yes, please.

But it's just not working for me. Tris feels like she's been unfairly passed over for promotions in favor of white dudes, and maybe she has. But now she's so bitter and over working there, she's acting out at a company-wide retreat. I wouldn't promote someone who acts so unprofessional in work environments either. Maybe she was a star employee and team leader years ago, but without flashbacks I as the reader don't see that. Instead I see things like her telling a colleague she just met to "shut up" when they're supposed to be working together on a fun little group activity. And when the retreat is to identify the best candidates for an amazing career development opportunity.

And unfortunately the enemies to lovers relationship feels more like aggression, rather than hot banter. He's nice to her and she's rude to him. Which then becomes her being annoying to the front desk, repeatedly calling down to ask for another room when they've told her they're entirely booked. They just got to the gym together which I was excited about - a little physical competition! Except instead the scene opens with fatphobic comments about how she "likes food and wine, and the only way (she) can reasonably consume either of those, at a rate (she) finds acceptable, is to work out at least four or five times a week."

As for Hawaii, they could be at any generic beach resort.

I like Soneela Nankani; her narrations have worked for me in the past. I suspect that flashbacks and/or Rafe's perspective - a change in the writing - would most help me jive with this one. It's possible some of the delivery is a little too harsh, maybe her voice could do more to make it sound playful instead of rude, but that feels like a tall ask for a narrator. She is reading what's on the page, after all.

DNF at 31%. I expected to love this book but I just don't see it getting better for me.

I suspect Not Safe for Work will work much better for those with less corporate work experience. I also think anyone who goes in not expecting Hawaiian culture/environment can enjoy the beach resort setting without disappointment.

This was ducking HAWT! It could be the workplace rivals to lovers trope or maybe the fact that it’s a retreat vacation in Hawaii with ONLY ONE BED! Or maybe it’s his secret obsession with her (in a sexy way) and the pining he’s done for years. He worships the ground she walks on and everyone deserves a lover who does that.

Tris has been looked over for every promotion for 5 years, so she’s shocked when she’s chosen as one of the ”best and brightest” and picked to attend a tropical corporate retreat, along with her nemesis, Rafe. He may be incredibly nice to look at, but he’s the son of the company exec and nepotism is still very prevalent… just see the position she lost to him, even though she is a better employee all around.

When they arrive in Maui, it’s to find that they have been put in the same room and the honeymoon suite, to boot. With the island having no available rooms (it’s busy season), they are stuck together. They both may be single, but she’s closed off after a bad relationship and hasn’t had sex in over a year. While Rafe just got out of a relationship and his ex won’t stop calling. So to say the tension is high is an understatement.

From the very beginning, you can tell that the rivals portion is very one sided. He thinks Tris deserved the higher paying job. He gets jealous when a slightly attractive man comes onto her. And it’s very obvious that they are gonna F… DUCK!!! I mean, it wouldn’t make sense if they didn’t. This is a romance novel.

I will say that my one negative is that it took 75% of the book before the tension turns to clothes off fun. There is a lot of talk about it before then and Rafe is a goooooooooooood dirty talker. I started to sweat as he told her about what he wanted to do to her. ALSO!!!!! I’ve unlocked a new micro trope that I’m into. It’s when the characters tell each other their fantasies. That is so ducking hawt! I need all the books to have it, pleaseeeeee!

This was my first Nisha J Tuli book and it won’t be my last. Her writing is 👨🏻‍🍳🤌🏼💋!! I have been in a contemporary romance mood lately, so as soon as I’m back in the fantasy one, I’m gonna eat up Trials of the Sun Queen!!!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for my ALC!

Thank you Hachette Audio and NetGalley for the ALC! This book was a quick easy romance.
What I liked: The diverse representation! Especially of the two side characters Trish becomes friends with on the trip. I also liked the times Trishara stood up for herself. As a woman of color in a STEM field where she is expected to just keep her mouth shut and get walked over, it was empowering to watch her stand up for herself. Finally, I really liked the narrator’s voice.
What I didn’t like: Why was everyone so insanely horny on a work trip? I get that this is a romance so it makes sense for the MCs to be into each other, but it felt like so many people on this trip were looking for a hookup/fling. I also wasn’t a fan of Trishara acting like Rafe is still this evil arch nemesis over halfway through the book while he is trying to be nice and get to know her better.
Overall: Would I go out of my way to recommend this to a friend? No. But, would I dissuade someone from reading this? Also no.

4.75 stars ✨

Thank you so much to Ali Hazelwood for putting this absolute gem on my radar 🫶🏼😫

Trishara is a baddie. She intelligent, hilarious, bold, and kind. From her nosy habits and love for sweets to her big dreams of improving the future female engineers, everything about her felt so REAL 😫 Even when her spirits are low, she knows her worth and is unapologetic about it—she’s my role model.

Rafe is a total stud. He’s charming, considerate, just as competitive as Trish, and so much more than his family drama. The man is a talented artist with a dirty mouth, and even though he’s the boss’s son, he clearly has both an understanding of and skills in engineering—just a well-rounded individual. However, we really could’ve done without the constant mentions of his various smiles. It was plain and repetitive rather than endearing.

The chemistry between these two is palpable. They can be incredibly gentle with each other or total firecrackers, depending on the moment they’re sharing. I very much enjoyed their banter and Rafe’s protectiveness clashing with Trish’s stubbornness. Those scenes had me SMILING. BLUSHING. KICKING MY FEET. This was one hell of a slow burn, and it was worth every agonizing page where they refused to give in and just let the tension keep building.

I don’t usually read single POV romances, but I truly enjoyed reading this whole story from Trishara’s perspective. It actually worked better that way, given what Rafe represents in their workplace dynamic and how that influences the development of their romantic relationship. Trish is a brown woman trying to succeed in a male-dominated field, and Rafe is yet another white man in a leadership role, not because he earned it but because of who his father is. Rafe is an interesting MMC, but I honestly do not care to hear from him because I know that Trishara would have more valuable insight beyond just their romance. I appreciated the representation and the thoughtful approach in portraying the intersectional class, gender, and racial issues that remain rampant in corporate settings.

Two random things that I love about this book:
1. The HUMOR?! 10/10.
2. The cover!!! The very beautiful characters in sweet poses, the color scheme, the background—I love everything about it!!

As much as I loved this book, there were a couple of things that held me back from giving it five stars:

1. Hannah’s calls and the fact that Rafe always answered them. Every time she called, it felt like Trish was the side piece 😭😭 Even though he and Trish weren’t officially dating, he claimed that he wants to be with her, and he knew she had trust issues from her past relationship, so WHY was he disrespecting her like that?! I understand that Hannah is a childhood friend, but he really needed to set some boundaries. The man was sending some serious mixed signals and had the audacity to act frustrated by Trishara’s hesitation when she had every reason to doubt his sincerity.
2. The ending was not it. The sudden Instagram Live was soooo underwhelming and quite tacky. That was such a weak reunion.

Overall, this was hot—and not just because of the spicy scenes (there were actually only like two). The chemistry between these workplace rivals was everything!! This was such a fun read, and Trishara was an incredibly inspiring lead.

Audiobook side note: Soneela Nankani was an incredible narrator! She captured Trisha’s irritation and wit perfectly, and really brought her fiery character to life. However, I wasn’t a huge fan of her Rafe voice as it felt a bit flat and she sounded rather monotone when reading his lines.

Thank you very much to Netgalley, Hachette Audio, and Forever for the ARC and ALC of this book. This is my honest review. All opinions are my own.

Not Safe for Work by Nisha J. Tuli is cute, funny, and poignant contemporary romance and a great beach read.

What you can expect…
🌺BIPOC FMC in Stem
🌺Workplace Rivals-to-Lovers
🌺Work Trip
🌺Mutual Pining
🌺Sweet and Spicy
🌺Forced Proximity
🌺Vivid Imagery
🌺The Best and Worst of Men

There were a lot of things I appreciated about this book. As a young woman who has worked in the engineering world (though a very different job function than Trishara in this book), I was impressed with the accuracy and succinct descriptions of interactions with men in the field- I absolutely had or witnessed many similar experiences. I found the writing to be engaging and there were many moments that just had me cracking up and/or feeling like I could so seriously relate. My favorite quote from the book has to be “Why are men.” 👏 No further comments necessary. 🎤🫳

The character development for Tris and Rafe is great, keeping the story simpler by focusing on them, and allowing the reader to feel like you really understand their thoughts and behaviors. We love a smart and accomplished FMC; you absolutely want to see Tris succeed and can’t help but root for her. I did find her character to be a little overly aggressive and edgy for my taste, but considering the perceived and discussed experiences, I can understand that. I love how this book explores both the best and worst of men- especially in regard to respect- with the execs and other male engineers giving a perfect demonstration of the worst, and Rafe checking most of the boxes for how a man should handle himself.

I enjoyed the vivid imagery throughout; it was just the right amount to create a clear picture of the sights and sounds of the various locations, while not going too far so the story is bogged down by details. Overall, it is a very well balanced, and super comfortable setting for the story.

Soneela Nankani did an excellent job bringing the characters, and especially Tris, to life in this audiobook. Her narration is full of so much energy and emotion, and I couldn’t help but cackle at the sassy perfection of the snarky moments! I especially appreciated the clarity of diction and consistency of tone throughout, which you may not think about, but makes a world of difference as a listener when you don’t ever have to stop and reverse because a section is garbled.

This one didn’t light me up, but I found it to be sweet, fun, and an enjoyable read! Thank you to NetGalley and Hachette Audio for the audiobook access!

This read started off so strong, fell off and got really slow in the middle, and mostly recovered by the end. I was hooked from the dedication honestly because I too am a woman of color that works in STEM. The main difference between my life and fiction is I love my job and my company has always been good about diversity and showing how much they value their employees. I liked Tris, but I couldn’t exactly relate to her. She’s a strong character with a strong personality. The way she lusted after Rafe was almost over the top. It was very horny lol especially for them to apparently both have feelings for years and not do anything about it. It felt very Ali Hazelwood like. Half of Tris’s actions and the things she got away with saying to her superiors were very unbelievable. I’m also having a hard time believing they did a 3 week work trip in Hawaii?! That sounds insane lol Honestly with the cover and the title I was expecting this book to be a lot more fun and steamy. But in reality the entire middle of the book was all work activities and micro aggressions and Rafe dealing with his ex. I listened on audio and it just lost me in the middle. I wanted more steamy fun and less actual work lol. The whole Hannah storyline drove me insane right up until the very end. It felt like an unnecessary stressor in the story. And while I liked Rafe’s secret passion, it felt random and out of place. I hate what Tris went through in the workplace and how she found out the hard truth about meeting your idols. I really did enjoy most of this book, it just didn’t hit the way I was expecting it to. I will say I listened to this book on audio and I loved the narrator! She was really good about giving every character their own voice. Thanks so much to NetGalley and the publisher for the ALC.

I wanted to love this more than I actually did. The setup was so fun—give me a corporate retreat with “one bed” chaos and a snarky, burnt-out heroine, and I will show up. Trishara had real fire to her, and I really felt for her frustration with office politics and watching a mediocre man (who just happens to be the boss’s son) snatch her promotion. She was done. And honestly? Relatable.

The best part for me was the narrator. She absolutely nailed the tone. The humor landed better in audio than it probably would have on page, and I really appreciated the emotion she brought to Tris’s inner conflict. This made the listening more enjoyable overall.

That said, I’m giving it 3 stars because while I liked parts of it, something didn’t fully click for me. The humor was hit or miss; I like snark, but sometimes it felt like it was trying too hard to be quippy or spicy, which pulled me out of the moment. I also never totally bought into the romantic tension until pretty late in the game. It did get steamy and sweet eventually, but I think I wanted more of a slow burn payoff emotionally, not just physically.

Also, I love a feminist heroine with ambition, but the messaging sometimes felt a bit on-the-nose or simplified. It was trying to balance too much, rom-com banter, serious workplace commentary, and steamy romance, and didn’t always succeed in tying it all together. Still, if you're in the mood for enemies-to-lovers with vacation vibes and a solid narrator, this one might still hit the spot.