Not Safe for Work is a clever mix of romance, rivalry, and real-world struggles that so many women face in male-dominated workplaces. Trishara is a strong, relatable lead who’s smart, driven, and doesn’t hold back—and I found myself rooting for her from the first chapter. The tension between her and Rafe is perfect: funny, frustrating, and full of sparks. What really stood out, though, was how the story didn’t shy away from deeper issues like sexism and racism, while still delivering all the feels of a great slow-burn romance. It’s sharp, emotional, and empowering—a great read from start to finish.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me an early copy of the audiobook

First thing’s first: thank you Netgalley for the ALC of this book!

Not Safe For Work by Nisha j. Tuli was a rivals to lovers work place romance between Tris and Rafe. They are sent on the same workplace leadership retreat but their accommodations have been misbooked and they end up sharing a suite. Chaos ensues as they compete with each other and you know what they say about the fine line between love and hate…

On paper, this should have been everything I love in a book! Rivals to lovers, GORGEOUS cover art, forced proximity, strong FMC, etc etc etc!!! However, this just wasn’t super well executed to me. Tris routinely blows up at Rafe in wildly unprofessional ways at a LEADERSHIP retreat??? Hello???? And then when they finally give in to their mutual attraction they’re leaving meetings to get it on?! This was just…a bit too far of a stretch for me. The main characters were super immature and it really made it hard to root for them or believe they were part of serious corporate America. The steamy bits were certainly steamy, but that just wasn’t enough to save it for me.

2.75⭐️

Not Safe For Work is the first contemporary romance novel from Nisha J. Tuli. The book follows Trishara and Rafe, workplace enemies (or are they?) on a corporate trip to a luxury Hawaiian resort. It explores issues of racial prejudice, nepotism and the struggles faced by women working in STEM.

It was a nice easy read, however it was a little predictable and insta-lovey. That being said, it’s packed with the tropes we all love (there was only one bed, naturally). It would make the perfect holiday read!

Thank you to Nisha. J Tuli, NetGalley and Hachette Audio for advanced access to this audiobook.

Rivals to lovers? Forced proximity? One bed? Co workers? All while on a company retreat? Sign me up

I loved Not Safe For Work this book was so well done. The audiobook was narrated by the very talented Soneela Nankani. While I know many would have wanted this to be a duet/dual narration I believe Soneela did a great job at narrating and did a good job at giving Rafe his own voice. This was the perfect slow burn and a perfect book to read next to the pool.

Not Safe for Work by Nisha J. Tuli is a rivals to romance, sitcom set at a work retreat in Hawaii. Trishara intends to woo corporate, make friends, get laid, and stay as far away from Rafe as possible. However, when they show up to the conference, the overbooked hotel only has one room for her and Rafe. Though her vacation (work retreat) plans seem to be ruined, Trish insists on making the best of a crowded situation.

Rivals to lovers? Forced proximity? On a company retreat? Say less!

Not Safe For Work follows a smart and determined Engineer FMC, Trishara, who has been overlooked at WMC Purcell for years. Not to mention, the Boss’ son, Rafe, Trishara’s nemesis, receives the promotion she so clearly deserves. Between the blatant nepotism, racism and sexism at play, Trishara is surprised when she’s selected to go on the company’s retreat to Maui alongside WMC Purcell’s executives, including her enemy, Rafe.

What turns out to be a not so fun workplace vacation to Maui, turns into a nightmare as Trishara and Rafe are forced to stay in the same room with ONE BED. And that’s where this book stole my heart!!

Nisha’s tackles important topics such as misogyny, racism and nepotism so brilliantly, and we need more FMC’s like Trishara!!! I really appreciated reading from the perspective of Trishara and seeing her break the glass ceiling was a MOMENT.

I really enjoyed Rafe’s character development; despite his unapproachable seeming persona, it turns out he’s just a Cinnamon Roll MMC after all. The way he protects Trishara had me swooning.

As a chronic migraine sufferer, this was the first contemporary romance that had chronic migraine representation in it, and I’d be lying if it didn’t make me shed a few tears.

This was such a fun slow burn read and I highly recommend it!! I really loved that this was a debut contemporary romance for Nisha, who might I add, is a Canadian author and am so excited to see what’s next for her!


Tropes:
Rivals to lovers
Forced Proximity
Only one bed
BIPOC Women in STEM
Workplace romance
Tropical setting
Chronic migraine representation


Thank you Forever for the ARC & Hachette Audio for the ALC!

Fun, sexy romcom to listen to! I don't think it really stuck with me. I mostly just look for romances to distract me and it worked well enough! I really did enjoy the narrator, and this set up was so delicious. Workplace to lovers has a special place in my heart! I can think of a few people I'd recommend it to.

Thank you for the ALC 🩷

I loved the FMC and recognized myself in her (I get migraines often as well). Unfortunately I didn’t love the MMC though, so I think my rating would be around 3 ⭐️ I think his character should have been worked out a bit more. After reading this, I’m even more excited to read her fantasy series, Artefacts of Ouranos.

4.5 stars

I have read Nisha's Artefacts series, and I enjoyed the way that Nisha wrote her FMC and MMC. The world building, banter and the twists and turns were entertaining. So, I was pretty excited to see what she could do in a contemporary setting. And whether your characters are in a fantasy world or on a tropical work trip - the woman are bad ass, the men are swoon worthy and the heat is hot!

This gave me TL Swan, Vi Keeland, Penelope Ward type of writing. You have this rival-to-lovers workplace romance with some tender moments, addressing real-life conflicts and prejudice that you find in an office workspace, with some pretty funny banter, spicy spice and sweet moments to balance it all out. I loved Tris and how she handled *everything*

One Bed
Rivals to Lovers
Tropical Getaway
Work-Place Relationships

The audiobook was narrated by the very talented Soneela Nankani. I like her audiobooks. I find that she can really keep my attention and that she can really set the tone that aligns with the plot. Some people can get discouraged with not duel/duet narrations - Soneela narrating Rafe was not an issue at all to me.

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

This book was so fun, and the audio was really well done. I loved the characters, chemistry, slow burn, and the setting. Cannot wait to read more by Nisha!

trishara and rafe were everything!! the audio was so good. and i loved the narrator! rafe is incredibly confident and we love to see it. and trishara? "rafe's standing too close. his scent and his heat are confusing me." girl, same. but a 3 week work trip on the beach with your rival? and you have to share a suite? sign me alllll the way up! this was my first book by this author and not i want to pick up her romance fantasy books! thanks of this alc of Not Safe for Work hachette audio and forever!

Not Safe For Work
Nisha J Tuli has created a fun, flirty and sunshine filled contemporary workplace romance in Not Safe for Work. I loved Trish’s personality and the way she learns to stand up for herself throughout the novel, especially the discrimination she faces in the workplace. The forced proximity and banter between Trish and Rafe is really enjoyable and the writing style is easy to get into. My least favourite part of the book was Rafe and Trish’s on and off again relationship. As they navigated from enemies to friends to lovers they flip flopped back and forth in their emotions fast and very confusingly. However, the HEA was all worth it in the end.

Narration:
Narrator Soneela Nankani does a great job bringing Trish’s voice to life. Although it is only a single POV story, Nankani does do a range of voices for each of the different characters in the story and it is easy to differentiate between characters. I did think the music at the start and end of the audiobook was a bit dark and didn’t really match the vibe of the Hawaiian vacation.

Trigger Warnings:
Mentions of racial discrimination
Sexism in the workplace
Sexual harassment and propositioning of the FMC

Slow Burn and Slow Start

As the title says this one is slow on two fronts, but that doesn't mean it's not worth the time. I started with the e-book, then switched to the audiobook about half way through. I much preferred the audio version. The narrator, Soneela Nankani, did a fabulous job and I'll be looking for more of her work.

Admittedly, it took be a bit for me to get into this story. I'm not sure if it was the story setup or me. I am usually all in by 20%, but this one took me until about 30%. The story is told from Trishara's (Trish's) point of view. I liked Rafe almost immediately, but Trish took a bit longer. She annoyed me in the beginning and her childish jabs at Rafe didn't help. Rafe held his own, but just seemed so terribly sad for so much of the book.

The advertised tropes were spot on except for the "enemies to lovers." That was a stretch, imo. Trish treated Rafe like an enemy as a defense tactic, but I didn't see much of that on Rafe's side. As the book was from Trish's POV, maybe it does fit? The tropical setting was fun. The having to share one room at the hotel was far=fetched, but made for some fun scenes between the two. I loved how they eventually started to let their respective guards down and opened up to one another.

The book dealt with several tough issues such as: racism, microaggressions, sexism, diversity, glass ceilings, sexual harassment, long-term health issues, and bullying. I appreciated how they were handled. While the purpose of the book was a romance, it did give insight into how some "innocent" comments can be quire hurtful.

Loved the side characters: Lan and Gabrielle were a freaking awesome couple. I loved how the two women rallied around Trish and supported her. Molly was an awesome bestie to Trish.

The ending and epilogue were absolutely fabulous! I have zero complaints. It's not often I actually like an epilogue, so this was a treat. It didn't feel unnecessary or forced.

Thank you NetGalley and Forever Publishing!

Thank you to Forever Publishing for the eARC and Hachette Audio for the ALC.

Did Not Finish.

I am a STEM girly, so reading about someone who seems to hate being in STEM (albeit, she has legitimate reasons to dislike her job and career) just isn't super fun. And Tris is just not a character I could connect with. She seemed to alternate from body betrayal syndrome and extreme hatred for Rafe and after a while I sat there wondering why I was still listening.

My love for Soneela Nankani runs deep, and if she’s narrating it, I’m listening. I laughed out loud at the entirely too accurate descriptions of corporate culture and the “khakis.” And cheered so hard for the MC’s company-wide email smackdown. I liked the romance too, duh.

This audiobook was really well done. The story was beautiful and heartfelt, I am excited to read other contemporary books from Nisha!!

I loved this audio! I haven't ever been the biggest audio fan, but I was captivated by the story and loved listening while I was traveling and on my way to a vacation. It was a fun way to experience my flight!

Book: Not Safe For Work by Nisha J Tuli
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Rating: 4 Stars
Audiobook Narration: 5 Stars!

**Thank you to Hachette Audio and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for the ALC of this book!**

Nisha J. Tuli won my heart with her Artefacts of Ouranos series, and I requested the Not Safe for Work audiobook the moment I saw it on NetGalley.

I am a sucker for an enemies/rivals to lovers story, but I’d say that’s not quite what this is. Only one person (the FMC) really thinks they are enemies, and he is enraptured with her the entire time, even if he does like to annoy her and push her buttons. Rafe is one big green flag, and a hottie with a body (just we like them).

One of my favorite aspects of this book was not even the romance, but the adversity Trishara faces in a male-dominated field. She is passed over for promotions and receives no recognition for the work she does, she experiences microaggressions related to her gender and ethnicity. She is stuck in a rut and isn’t quite sure what next steps to take – stick with her current job and try to push through, or leave entirely and try a different company. The stalling of her career advancement and the frustration of not being where she wants to be at this point in her life is something that I think many can relate to.

Then here comes an opportunity to attend a corporate training retreat that could open up doors for Trish. This is where we settle firmly into rom-com territory.

✅Oh no, there’s only one available hotel room but two people needing a room?

✅Oh no, there’s only one bed? (But a couch – Nisha will still edge us with a slow-burn like the amazing torturer she is)

✅Oh, maybe that hot co-worker who she often hates isn’t actually that bad. And we’re not talking about those forearms, ladies, we mean that big beautiful brain and heart of his. But the forearms are good too.

That is the point to just settle in and enjoy the chaotic, fun ride!

This book doesn’t take itself too seriously, and that is completely fine. Nisha writes her character’s inner monologue in a way that is funny but makes them relatable (Trials of the Sun Queen had this as well). We get to watch Trish try to break through the glass ceiling and seize the career she wants, with a little fun antics with Rafe on the side as they learn more about one another, and the attraction builds.

I now own a physical copy of this book - so many thanks to The Novel Neighbor for hosting Nisha J. Tuli in St. Louis and helping make St. Louis such a hotspot for romance. I did listen to NSFW, which I recommend. The audiobook narrator did a wonderful job!

4.5 - A spicy little workplace romance set in Maui! Full of tropes I usually roll my eyes at, but somehow this one REALLY worked for me. Loved the setting, loved the banter, loved the romance... who even am I??

Thank you NetGalley for the ALC 🌺🏝️🔥

Engineer Trishara Malik once dreamed of being the first woman of color to smash the glass ceiling at WMC Purcell, but after years of dealing with white male privilege and blatant nepotism, she watches her hard-earned promotion go to her nemesis, Rafe Gallagher—the boss’s son. However, when she’s picked to attend WMC’s rising stars leadership retreat in Hawaii, it’s a chance to revive her stalled career and compete for a coveted spot in an executive training program. But the downside, Rafe also won a spot. When a booking error means her plans to avoid Rafe are toast, will vieing for an executive training program spot end up killing or falling for each other?

This had some of my favorite tropes - only one bed, enemies to lovers, and forced proximity so I was ready to be wowed with this audiobook but I wasn’t in love with the MMC. I felt like Trishara was a powerful FMC who was smart, headstrong, fought for what she wanted, and really went after her goals while also calling out issues in her corporate job (sexism, racism, harassment). However, Rage felt flat - he was the hot son of the owner who was inheriting everything but didn’t want it. That was his big issue - family drama and since we got so much depth to Tris it made their relationship seem just okay. But if you are heading to a tropical vacation spot and love a workplace romance, this might be for you.

⭐️⭐️⭐️💫/5

Thank you @netgalley and @hachetteaudio for the ALC. @soneela did a fantastic job narrating Tris.

#bookrecs #audiobooks #nsfw #netgalley #bookreview #netgalleryreads #novelsandneedlework