2.75 rounded up.

Thanks to NetGalley & Hatchette Audio for this ELC 📚wishing the author and publishing team best of wishes for publication on 20th May 🙏🏽📚❤️

The synopsis of this book really is quite descriptive and honestly gives the majority of the outline of the plot for this audiobook so as far as the story itself goes there isn’t much else I can add. What I will say is I found this to be a bit of a slow burn for the first half it felt like I already knew maybe due to such a descriptive synopsis what was coming after that it began to pick up pace a little and change course with some added characters that made it a little more interesting.

It was a typical rom-com however personal pov was that it just didn’t quite hit the mark on the humour side for me or even in the romance it was almost like we were almost always getting there then it went a little flat

I found the narration ok but a little monotone at times which may have taken away from the story sadly. I don’t like to leave negative comments however I also commit to leaving an honest review and this one for me is one I will forget easily meaning it just didn’t quite have that little something extra that draws you in as a listener.

I appreciate the opportunity to listen to this ELC 🙏🏼

I am a big Nisha J. Tuli fan and I was so excited to read this book. It didn’t disappoint! This rivals to lovers story has all the pining you could ask for! It was such a fun read and I highly recommend it!

4.5/5 ⭐️
1.5/5 🌶️

ARC read 2/28-3/2/25:
Thank you to Nisha, her publisher, and NetGalley for providing me with an advanced copy of Not Safe for Work!

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! 🙂

ALC listen 4/28-4/29/25:
They tapped a new-to-me narrator, Soneela Nankani, to read this novel. I am so glad they chose someone whose ethnicity matches that of the main female character. I strongly feel representation is important for things like this. She did a phenomenal job! I wasn’t thrown off when she used her “male voice,” like you sometimes are when there’s only one narrator for male and female characters. I plan to look up other books she had narrated.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Hachette Audio for this ALC!

I was lucky to receive an ARC copy of this a while back and have already read it, but when I heard there was going to be an Audiobook version I knew I NEEDED it!!

This is my first listen from Soneela Nankani, and she was amazing! Crisp, smooth vocals and she truly brought Tris and Rafe to life! Her tones were so emotive, funny, sad, and sultry as the words called for. Let me tell you I made sooooo many bookmarks in this, I'm going to have to do another listen soon..!

Not Safe For Work will be one of my top reads this year! I related SO MUCH to Tris, as I am Southeast Asian woman in a male oriented medical field. Reading thru Tris' experience while at the work retreat felt like I was back at the medical conferences where the men at our assigned table would assume I'm with "my husband" and criticize your work while being validated for bringing the same exact ideals to the table.

Honestly, I would love having a friend like Tris in my life! She was so personable and I love reading her and Rafe's growth throughout the book.

Forced proximity? Check!
Only one bed? Check!
Rivals/Workplace enemies to Lovers? Check!
Finding your strength? 1000% check!!

Thank you Net Galley for this ARC!

This one had me all in my feels with working in a predominantly male environment and feeling like for the longest time I kept getting overlooked for higher opportunities. I loved the chemistry you could feel from the MC’s, the forced proximity was *chefs kiss* and I loved his side hobby. The email she sent at the end had me screaming in envy. I just giggled like a school girl so much in this. Love love love!!!

I LOVE THIS BOOOKKKK!! I was lucky enough to get this ARC earlier this year, but the audio made this book THAT much better. I loved this book SO MUCH!

Thank you to Blanchette Audio and Netgalley for the ALC of this novel!

I've NEVER related to a book more than I relate to this one. I am a female in civil engineering, just like Tris, and WOW. The things that she has experience as a woman are exactly the types of things that have happened to me as well. Sexism is RAMPANT in engineering (and other career fields as well), and the way Nisha wrote the scenarios was perfect.

I love an enemies to lovers, and this being workplace romance was the cherry on top. The banter, the angst, the tension?! *Chefs kiss*

Soneela Nankani's narrations were the perfect voice for Tris, and her renditions of Rafe were great as well.

5/5 stars. So good. So so so good.

Not Safe for Work by Nisha J. Tuli is an enemies-to-lovers romance. Trishara Malik, a driven engineer, dreams of breaking barriers as the first woman of color to rise to the top at WMC Purcell. However, her aspirations are thwarted when her long-deserved promotion is handed to her nemesis, Rafe Gallagher, the boss's son. She must navigate a forced proximity with Rafe after they're booked into the same honeymoon suite at a corporate leadership retreat in Hawaii. Amid team-building exercises and challenges, their animosity softens into unexpected attraction, testing Tris’s ability to trust her former adversary. With humor, tension, and emotional depth, this story explores ambition, rivalry, and love.

Overall, Not Safe for Work was a quick and enjoyable read. Nisha J. Tuli skillfully tackled thought-provoking issues that women often encounter in STEM fields and corporate environments, offering an authentic portrayal of their challenges. Rafe, the male main character, was wonderfully crafted—his deep understanding of Trishara’s struggles added emotional depth to the story. His own journey was equally compelling, as he navigated pushback from his family for pursuing his passion for baking and becoming an influencer, rather than conforming to a corporate role. Together, these elements created a rich and relatable narrative.

I read the audiobook advanced readers copy provided by Hachette Audio, and the narrator did a fantastic job bringing the story to life. Their performance captured the emotional depth of the characters and conveyed the tension and humor seamlessly, enhancing the overall experience of the book.

Most of the reviews are 4 and 5 stars so I am an outlier and thats ok. Other than the racial and female representation in STEM, I didn't like this one much. She was a woman in STEM, but there was little said about her projects or thrive, some was said about her struggles, but 95% of this book was her being horny for not having a boyfriend for a while. The resolution was really fast at the end, although it was a natural ending for the story and I liked it. There was little development of the characters, most of it came to be in the very last chapter.

This book is a witty and steamy workplace romance that delivers on charm, chemistry, and a strong female lead. I especially appreciated the women in STEM representation—it’s refreshing to see a smart, ambitious heroine holding her own in a male-dominated field.
The banter and slow-burn tension kept me hooked, and the dynamic between the main characters was full of energy. That said, the relationship drama driven by miscommunication became a bit frustrating at times. Some of the conflict felt avoidable, which took away slightly from the emotional payoff.

Still, it’s an engaging, spicy read that stands out for its bold protagonist and fun, flirty tone. I definitely recommend it.

This book is a CLASSIC ticks-all-the-boxes contemporary workplace/STEM romance. I’m not a big romance reader, but I was drawn to this as I am also a female in an engineering role. I haven’t read anything by this author before, although Trial of the Sun Queen is on my TBR, so when I saw this available as an ARC on NetGalley I immediately requested it.

The premise of this book is our FMC engineer, Trish, her work arch-nemesis Rafe have both been selected to go on their companies big Hawaii corporate leadership retreat. Despite the best of intentions to avoid him, a “booking error” leads to them sharing a suite (oh no).

This is a book that is full of all the tropes, and yet feels fresh and fun. It’s not a modern Jane Austen novel by any means, but the romance is cute, Trish is a compelling and relatable character. I had a great time with it.

I did think some of the depiction of the work place could be a bit outdated - perhaps things are different in America (I am in the UK), but where I work there is a far better balance of female to male engineers - still skewed, but a constant push to encourage girls into engineering careers. I also - and again this is my personal perspective - would not be accepting the behaviours of the male characters in this book, even the MMC at times behaved way out of line towards a female colleague on a WORK trip. Also, considering the characters are all either late twenties or thirties, they were a bit juvenile.

However, again, I did enjoy it, it’s just the context is so similar to my own career that I couldn’t help but think about how I would have taken certain situations in a different way.

I listened to this as an audiobook, which I would highly recommended. The narration was clear and had great energy which matched the main character well, and the production was pretty much flawless. I would happily listen to more audiobooks narrated by the same voice actor.

This was one of my most anticipated reads of early 2025. A cross between 'The Hating Game' and 'The Unhoneymooners', one bed trope and enemies-lovers? Count me in! I can safely say I really enjoyed it.

A solid ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️½.

I listened to the audiobook, and Soneela Nankani absolutely nailed the narration. She brought the characters to life in a way that really pulled me in.

As a woman in engineering, I (unfortunately) related to a lot of the issues this book raised. It was so nice to see it represented, even if at times it felt overly repetitive throughout the story.

I enjoyed Trishara — she was a little immature and bratty at times but I actually enjoyed her personality. She wasn't meek or "small" and I found it refreshing compared to a lot of the books I’ve read recently. She recognises when she made mistakes and apologised accordingly. I wish she was less rude to Rafe early on, he was such a sweetheart and deserves the world. Not his fault he’s a nepo baby.

Rafe is one of my favorite male characters I’ve read in a while. He was sexy and sweet and felt 3D, despite being the typical fictional romance man.

The plot was enjoyable and engaging, that said, the constant push-pull of “I hate him but also he’s sooooo hot” did feel overdone and leaned into emotional whiplash. But once the slow-burn burned, it burrrned. It was so satisfying, hot and spicy. Their chemistry and banter? Chef's kiss. I ate it up.

If you're looking for an original plot, this might not be the book for you. But if you’re after strong STEM women, a sexy sweet man, and spicy heat, this ticks those boxes. This is a must-buy physical copy for me, perfect for when I need a familiar pick-me-up.

Thank you to Net Galley and Hachette Audio for an advanced audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

Audio narration: Excellent, Soneela Nakani is a Narrator I will never tire of listening to. Her range in voices and characters is perfect for dual dialogue where duet narration is absent. Soneela has great expression that pulls you into the story, making it emotive and captivating. The audio was easy to follow and engaging.

This is a classic romcom with layers or real world issues including misogyny, workplace equality imbalance and microaggressions. The topics are well addressed and very realistic to the lived experience of women and people of colour, I feel it was well balanced in the plot. The setting is the perfect balance of workplace tension and casual holiday vibes that spur romance.

The one bed trope is done in a funny way that adds to the tension and growth within the story.There are some great small moments that help break the walls down between Tris and Rafe, while they’re workplace adversaries both are very likeable. Tris clearly has much more ill will towards Rafe than vice versa, it’s great to see her inner monologue as Rafe becomes more likeable in her eyes.

The end conflict did come and go quite fast I think this could have been a larger issue and more drawn out but overll I really enjoyed it.

Thank you Hachette Audio and Netgalley for an advance audio copy of this book.

The way I fell in love with Tris and Rafe!! They were constantly trying to one up each other without realizing they were both hiding feelings. All it took was a work trip where they’re stuck sharing a room to realize there’s more to their competitiveness. Ahhh, the slow burn was SLOW but sooo good! And Tris being a badass in the end - girl that email was perfect 👏🏼 I honestly loved how this book showed how it is being a woman of color in a male dominated field.

I also listened to the audiobook that’s narrated by Soneela Nankani. And let me tell you she did an amazing job! I love how she brought forth all of Tris’s emotions to life. The way she portrayed Tris was perfect and I also liked how she handled Rafe’s dialogue. Can’t wait to listen to more audiobooks by her.

Not Safe for Work
Nisha J. Tuli

1.5 stars

🗣️ single pov
🏝️ set in Maui
💼 workplace romance, enemies to lovers
❤️‍🔥 hot & breezy read

the audiobook narration was great!
I wanted the badass stem girlie but instead we have an immature ditzy one… There are moments of cheeky banter but there aren’t any character developments that make us love a character any further. There were too many “and it’s… Rafe” moments!!!

yeahhh I don’t think workplace romance is for me

I ALWAYS love a workplace romance... throw in some smart and sexy main characters, a tropical location, one bed trope and a dirty mouth?... chef's kiss (no pun intended!)
The author did a fantastic job creating the tension and slow burn between these two characters... as well as developing a strong, funny FMC and a walking 💚 flag MMC. She explores the difficulties that women and POC face in corporate America and the stick-it-to-the-man moment was awesome! 👊🏼
Thoroughly enjoyable rom-com!! 4.5*

Thank you to Net Galley and Hachette Audio for an advanced audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

This was a fast paced workplace rom-com. I enjoyed this book and listened to it in one day. There was some miscommunication but it wasn’t an excessive amount and was solved fairly quick. It was a slow burn, but not in an annoying way. I enjoyed the narrator of the book as well.

Not Safe for Work features Tris and Rafe, both engineers at a firm. They are both chosen to go on a leadership retreat in Hawaii. Of course, the forced proximity, shared hotel room and one bed situation lead them into realizing how perfect they are for each other.

This was really fun to read, and I devoured the audiobook in two days. The narration was so well done. I enjoyed the story as well, I’m the biggest fan of a dislike to love situation. The banter between Rafe and Tris was fun, but it teetered a little too close to the edge of mean for me, at points.

I really loved how strong Tris was and how protective her shell was. I completely understood, but also side eyed her a little for her low blows sometimes. Rafe was really delicious, I have no complaints except for wanting more of him. Being inside his head would have been the best!

Overall, so fun, such a great audio!

This delivers everything! Enemies-to-lovers, workplace romance, one-bed (at a work retreat) and a strong woman in STEM! I absolutely ate this up! Trishara is a very relatable character who has gone through a lot. She is trying to make it in a male-dominated industry to the best of her ability. There are some tough themes to be mindful of but the author handles it in a very sensitive way. Rafe is such a smooth talker that literally made me kick and scream multiple times! And he is such a layered character! When these two finally get together it’s electric!

This is definitely a slow burn but when the spice hits…have a fire extinguisher ready!

Trishara Malik is a smart, competent engineer who is constantly getting passed over for promotions despite her stellar work record. She works hard but is tired of seeing newbies and nepos get the titles she rightfully deserves. And then there's Rafe Gallagher, one of the nepos who happens to be incredibly hot.

When the company announces they're sending two employees to a three-week leadership retreat - in Maui - Tris is shocked to find that she is one of the chosen. But so is Rafe. To make it worse (or better?) there is a snafu at the hotel and they're forced to share a bedroom.

Forced proximity, there's only one bed, enemies to lovers - despite all the tropes this book hits, it was frustrating to read. Tris is the only fully developed character - Rafe is hot and protective of her and is attracted to her despite how she treats him, but we don't really get to know him. The side characters are pretty two-dimensional, and Tris, who is said to be a brilliant engineer with years of experience, etc. behaves so immaturely at times that I wanted to shake her. Some of the situations in the book are not very realistic at all, and the insta-lust and communication issues were definitely a minus.