I’ll be honest: It was tough for me to get beyond the dedication with its internalized misogyny of referring to adult women as “girlies.” Add to that the content warning (which is not mentioned in the book description) and the vulgarity of the first chapter, and I noped out of this one pretty fast. Obviously, I’m not the target reader. The audiobook narration gives the book a veneer of class that’s not in the text. DNF.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC.

Thank you to NetGalley and Hatchette Audio for this advanced copy of Not Safe for Work.

Overall: 4 out of 5 stars

Not Safe for Work is a spicy romcom about two enemies who get sent on a work leadership retreat. Tris is a multiracial woman who has experienced so much sexism and racism in the work place she’s not even sure if she wants to stay. Rafe is the boss’s son and clear nepotism choice.
What follows is a romcom where they’re both put in a singular room for the entire trip. It has a lot of classic romcom tropes, and decent spice.
The real seller for me was Tris finally standing up for herself. Nisha said this book was inspired a lot by her own experience working in engineering before writing, and you can tell. I’m glad Nisha got out and also didn’t let Tris take it anymore.

Thank you Hachette Audio and Forever for this ALC.

I loved Nisha's Ouranos series and when I saw this I knew I had to read or listen. But it fell slightly flat for me. It started out with the FMC, Tris, saying that she would never date anyone she worked with again but then she was ranking all the men in the office. And we don't find out until much later in the book why she wouldn't date a co-worker...and it's a totally valid reason and makes the utmost sense, wish we would have gotten that sooner!

And then there's Rafe, Tris's nemesis and also her crush. They go on a work trip and have to room together...how convenient. But as the trip goes on and they get to know each other more they find that the other isn't so bad and the tension and chemistry builds. And they definitely tip toe around their attraction

A dual POV could have really made this really come to life and would have bumped it up a star for me. But we do see very real life problems with the work place and women vs. men and the standards that exist. I really appreciated this and how the author dealt with it!

Overall it was good and if you like a one bed, work place drama, miscommunication, tropical setting trope you will like this!

I had a hard time getting into this one and then once I did the love story and plot just felt like it was missing something and maybe a little cheesy. I did love the women in a male dominated field perspective and minority representation.

Nisha J Tuli is a new to me author, and after this gem, I will definitely be actively checking out her books more!

I really liked this one. In the beginning, the author mentions using some of her experience in the engineering field in this book. As someone who went to school for engineering (and was actively low-key bullied by the all male classmates I had) I really felt for Trishara and her experiences. And I think the author did a really good job of showing the reality of anyone who isn't a white man being in the field. Great work there.

I LOVED the slow burn romance! It was amazing. I love them together and I loved the build up.

The only reason this isn't a five star for me is for two reasons: one, the obsession with his smiles got a little annoying after a while (it was talked about way too much) and two, Rafe and his very clingy ex-girlfriend. It was more specifically how he handled it (or didn't) and how long it went on for. It made him less appealing to me as a reader.

Also, Soneela Nankani is a fantastic narrator! She did incredible on this book. I love her as a narrator.

As a woman engineer, I loved reading about Trishara’s experiences in a male dominated field. She was such a great character and her strength and determination was inspiring.

Even while dealing with more serious themes, this book was a lot of fun. The dynamic between our two leads was entertaining, and the romance was sweet and felt authentic.

I do wish we got a little bit more of Maui, as I was excited to see this was the destination in the book, but I feel like we didn’t get much besides the hotel.

The narrator did a fantastic job on this audiobook, and it was an enjoyable listen.

⭐️ 3.5 stars

- Rivals to Lovers
- One Bed Trope
- Workplace Romance
- Slow Burn
- Forced proximity
- FMC POV
- 🌶️🌶️🌶️

This was my first book by Nisha J. Tuli. It took a little while to get into, but once the story picked up, it became a pretty enjoyable audiobook.

The story follows Trishara Malik and Rafe Gallagher, workplace rivals who are forced to share a room during a leadership retreat in Hawaii. As they compete for a promotion, they start to get to know each other better. The hate they've always felt might actually be something else.

I listened to the audiobook while doing chores, and it’s perfect for that kind of light, low-focus listening. It was easy to follow and kept my attention. Trish’s experience of being dismissed in a male-dominated workplace hit close to home for me. I’ve been through that, and the author captured that dynamic really well, even if it made me angry.

The book was good, but it lost me in the last pages. A lot happened, but none of it felt meaningful. The plot seemed to lose its spark and direction. I also felt a bit frustrated with how most of the female characters were written in ways that made them hard to like. I wish that hadn’t been such a big part of the book.

The narrator was actually really good. I listened at 1.5x speed, and she still managed to give each character a clear voice without making the male voices sound cringey.

Thank you NetGalley and Hachette Audio this ALC.

This story had so much potential - workplace setting, rivals(?)-to-lovers, women in STEM, there’s only one bed - but unfortunately it just fell flat. Coworkers rivals to lovers can be fun, if it’s done right. Unfortunately, I don’t think it is here. It’s so obvious from the very start exactly how the story is going to play out, which was disappointing.

As I listened to the audiobook of this, I’ll just say that I really enjoyed the narrator and thought she did a good job of bringing life to the characters.

I’ll start with what I did like. I really appreciate the author showing how difficult it is for Tris in the male-dominated area of engineering. I felt so angry on her behalf hearing how she’d been passed over time and time again for roles she was qualified for, just for them to go to another white dude. I think this was handled pretty well, and I really did enjoy how Tris finally put her foot down towards the end of the book. There were two ways that scene could’ve gone, and I’m so glad it went the way it did. The author did a good job of representation as well. Obviously our main character is not white but that’s never really mentioned, and the inclusion of her new bi/gay colleagues is treated as if it’s completely normal (which it is, but it’s often made into a really big deal in romance books even though it doesn’t need to be).

The two main characters are annoying for the get-go and both act like children at times. It’s hard to believe that these are professionals being put forward for leadership roles. They’re supposed to be nearing 30, but it’s almost as if they’re still in high school with the way they act.

It mostly reads like a crappy romcom hallmark movie, like I can easily picture how it’d all play out.

I thought the ending was cute, even if it was very predictable and not realistic at all.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ALC of this book in return for an honest review.

Nisha J. Tuli is a new to me author! This book made me feel giddy and smiled at the sweetest moments. The banter between Trishara & Rafe was AMAZING! I loved how she stood up for him in ways no one had ever done.

Wasn’t a huge fan of this one and the character purposely seeking out a workplace relationship. Kind of rubbed me the wrong way. The narration wasn’t horrible, but it was not my style. I was really hoping I would like this one more than I did.

4.5⭐️

‘Not Safe for Work’ was an absolute delightful romcom that has some of my favorite tropes: rivals to lovers, forced proximity, only one bed, slow burn, tension, banter, and women in STEM, among others.

Tris is an engineer in a mostly male-dominated corporate office who finally gets chosen to attend a leadership retreat at a Hawaiian resort with her office rival Rafe, who also happens to be the boss’s son, after being passed over for promotions for years. When they arrive in Hawaii, they discover a booking mishap has them sharing the honeymoon suite. Throughout the course of their three week retreat, they get to know one another and discover that many of their preconceived notions for one another may not have been what they initially thought. Tris’s character growth and journey is also wonderfully done and we love female empowerment here!

Nisha J. Tuli apparently used personal experiences from her own previous career as an engineer as inspiration for many of the barriers Tris experiences through the book and it as startling as some of these are, it made the story feel all the more genuine.

Overall, I really enjoyed this read and would definitely recommend!

Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

As a woc in the corporate world I feel so seen.
This was great! A slow burn, enemies to lovers, one room trope, and with real world corporate ambiance
🌶️🌶️🌶️

Tris is a boss woman and a force to be reckoned with. I immediately connected with her character and her quite frankly her patience. Rafe took me a while to warm up to but overall I ended up loving him as well. The spicy was steaming, and this whole book takes place during their work trip in Maui where they’re stuck sharing a room!
I will say Rafe baggage with his ex really irritated me, like I get it but also, there was no need for him to drag out as long as he did, and that lost him points in my eyes. Also the slow burn was a little to slow for me, but once it hit, I was absolutely foaming at the mouth. Not to mention the email Tris sends at the end was sooo so satisfying (claps enthusiastically).

Nisha hit it out of the park with this story imo. The banter, the tension, the friendships??

I'm a sucker for a good romcom and when I tell you this will likely be my personality for the near future I'm not being the tiniest bit dramatic about it.

Seeing exactly how Tris & Rafe were both just stubborn and a little (lot) in denial for each other had me yelling for them to just make out already several times. Throw in a three-week work conference where they have to share a room with only one bed?? I giggled, I gasped, I raised my eyebrows, - I did it all in this book and had such a good time doing it.

A huge thank you to NetGalley & Hachette Audio for the ALC as well.

This workplace romance gets out of the office and had me wondering how I can be invited to the next Corporate Leadership retreat.

The characters are fantastic. The story centers on Trishara, who feels stuck, passed over and burnt out when she’s selected to go to her company’s exclusive leadership retreat in Hawaii. The only catch is that she has to go with her work nemesis, Rafe, the guy who took the job she deserved (and just so happens to be the son of one of the company execs). What follows is an enjoyable series of mix-ups, teambuilding exercises, tests and events that kept me entertained from start to finish.

While this is a slow burn, there is definitely an emphasis on the burn here. These two have chemistry that jumps off the page. But as much as I enjoyed the romance storyline, I felt like the career character arc was also so well-done for both Trishara and Rafe.

I LOVED the audiobook experience. Narrator Soneela Nankani captured the chemistry between these two so amazingly. Worth the listen, even just for the variety of ways she has Rafe say Trishara’s name. Her delivery is as nuanced as the text and complements Nisha J. Tuli’s writing beautifully.

But my absolute favorite element was how the author weaved in these different smiles from Rafe throughout the book. It’s little details like that that are threaded through the pages that make a story extra special, in my opinion. This had me swooning, laughing, steaming and smiling all throughout.

Thank you to NetGalley, Hachette Audio, Forever and Grand Central Publishing for the opportunity to read a copy of this. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

ARC REVIEW 🌷

3 ⭐

Not Safe for Work sets the stage for a fun, steamy enemies-to-lovers romance with a tropical twist, and while the premise was promising, the execution didn’t fully work for me.

I appreciated the focus on Trishara’s experience as a woman of color in a male dominated field it gave the story a layer of substance often missing in romcoms. However, I found it difficult to connect with both Trishara and Rafe. Despite being in their late twenties, their dynamic often felt immature. Instead of meaningful conversations, they leaned into childish rivalry, which made their sudden shift to romance feel abrupt and underdeveloped .🤷

The chemistry between them didn’t fully come through it felt more like it was told than shown. After years of distance and just a few days of intimacy, their love story didn’t feel earned. That said, the setting was beautifully described and genuinely immersive I felt like I was right there on vacation with them.🩷

While I would’ve loved a duet narration for a story like this, the single narrator still gave a great performance. Unfortunately, the emotional tension and romantic spark I was hoping for didn’t quite land.

Thank you again to Hatchette Audio and NetGalley for the opportunity to listen and provide my honest thoughts.🫶

This was such a cute and fluffy read but yet it had a lot of real life problems that come with being a woman in a male dominant field. This was a beautiful book and our FMC was strong as hell which I absolutely loved. This was such a fun time and the audio was great!

Thank you Netgalley and Nisha for this ALC!

this book was the perfect combination of sweet & spicy. the contrast of their banter with the swoon-worthy romantic moments made the story extremely digestible. it was a bit of a slower burn but when the spice hit, it HIT.

tris was an absolute powerhouse of an fmc, her determination to excel in her career despite the obvious challenges the corporate world presented was beautifully portrayed. i think this book did an incredible job at highlighting the inequalities that still exist in the workplace. seeing tris fight for what she deserved & stand up for herself (& all the other women in her office) was *chefs kiss*

rafe was absolute perfection. i knew from the very first chapter that there was something about him we weren’t seeing & when it was revealed, i fell even more in love with him. he was truly the perfect counterpart for tris in every way.

overall, i really enjoyed this one. i did the audio but imagine that the book would be just as quick of a read. highly recommend checking it out!

This is my first book by Nisha J. Tuli and it won’t be my last! Not Safe for Work was such a fun, engaging read—made even better by the amazing narration from Soneela Nankani. She brought the story to life in such a vivid way, it honestly felt more like watching a movie than listening to an audiobook. So immersive!

I really appreciated how the book tackled heavier themes like workplace inequality and discrimination, but still managed to stay humorous and lighthearted throughout. That balance is tough to pull off, and Tuli did it effortlessly. While this is categorised as a workplace romance, I loved that most of it took place in a Hawaiian resort rather than the office—it gave the book a fresh and unique setting that helped it stand out.

Trishara was a great main character. She had some moments of immaturity, but I loved watching her personal growth and how she learned to stand up for herself in a rigid corporate environment. Her journey felt honest and empowering. Rafe was definitely a swoon-worthy MMC—kind, sweet, and just the right amount of mysterious. I do wish we got to dig a little deeper into his character, but since the book is told entirely from Trishara’s POV, that might explain the limited insight. Still, he was a great romantic lead and their chemistry worked really well.

Overall, this was an entertaining and thoughtful story that balanced romance and real-life issues in a refreshing way. Looking forward to reading more from Nisha J. Tuli!

This was my first Nisha J. Tuli book, and let me just say—I am officially on board. Not Safe for Work is a smart, sharp, emotionally charged rom-com that blends sizzling chemistry with real-world grit, and I devoured every minute of it.

Let’s talk audio first: Soneela Nankani absolutely slayed. Her narration brought Trishara to life in such a vibrant, nuanced way that I felt like I was watching a Netflix rom-com in surround sound. Every sarcastic jab, every frustrated sigh, every dreamy ogle of Rafe’s face? Chef’s kiss. No notes.

Now the story? Also no notes… okay, maybe one, but we’ll get there.

Trishara is bold, brilliant, and burnt out by the corporate BS that too many of us know all too well. Watching her navigate a world that constantly asks her to dim her light—because she’s a woman, a woman of color, too loud, too much—was painfully relatable and deeply empowering. The way she fights to reclaim her fire? Absolutely queen behavior. 👑✨

And Rafe. Oh, Rafe. Our hero with the all-too-perfect smile that Trishara mentions about 437 times (we get it, girl—he’s cute!). He’s more than a pretty face, though. Their dynamic is enemies-to-lovers gold with banter so sharp it could cut glass. And when the setting shifts from workplace tension to resort retreat with only one bed, you KNOW things are about to get deliciously complicated. And they do.

What I loved most is that this book didn’t just drop a rom-com into corporate hell for the laughs—it dug into the very real disparities and toxic dynamics of the workplace, especially for women and people of color. And it didn’t just ask you to root for love—it asked you to root for Trishara to find her power again. I was fully cheering.

The romance? 🔥
The commentary? 🔥
The vibes? 🔥
That quote?

“There’s nothing unmissable about you… There isn’t anywhere you could go where everyone wouldn’t notice you.”
Yeah. It lives rent-free in my heart.

📚 Why not a full 5 stars?
I had to knock a half-star purely because if I had to hear about Rafe’s dreamy smile one more time, I was about to march into the book and tell him to frown on purpose.

Tropes you’ll love:
🌺 Enemies to lovers
🌺 Workplace romance
🌺 Single POV
🌺 Only one bed
🌺 Forced proximity
🌺 Healing + found strength

If you’ve ever worked in corporate and wanted to scream into the void about the khaki-pants crowd—this book is for you. Add to your TBR and thank me later.

If you’re like me and love a good workplace romance sprinkled with forced proximity and a dash of rivals-to-lovers, Not Safe For Work is an absolute must-read. This smart, zippy romcom delivered all the feels, humor, and slow-burn tension I crave—plus, it had that perfect mix of banter and vulnerability.
The story follows engineer Trishara Malik, whose ambition to shatter the glass ceiling at WMC Purcell is suddenly derailed when her promotion goes to her boss’s son, Rafe Gallagher. Sent to a corporate retreat in Hawaii—yep, the dream—they’re stuck sharing a honeymoon suite after a booking error, setting the stage for an enemies-to-lovers journey that’s equal parts hilarious and heartfelt. While the book isn't strictly "enemies-to-lovers," it's definitely a rivals-turned-romantics tale, with both characters gradually opening up about their true desires and fears.
I really appreciated the slow burn—trust me, the pining and tension made every moment feel so worth it. The romcom undertone kept things light and funny, but beneath all that humor was a potent commentary on workplace inequality, especially highlighting how women and POC are often sidelined in corporate America. As someone who’s navigated similar struggles in the workforce (and as a Hispanic woman for whom English isn’t my first language), those moments hit close to home, making the humor resonate even more.
A huge shoutout to the audiobook narrator, Soneela Nankani—she absolutely SLAYED. Her voice brought every sarcastic remark, simmering anger, and playful pout to life, making me feel like I was watching a full-on rom-com unfold in real-time. Honestly, listening to her read Not Safe For Work enhanced the experience tenfold—her delivery was perfection.
The romance itself? Chef’s kiss. Taking the stereotypical office enemies and moving them to a luxurious resort? Classic. The banter started off playful—sarcastic remarks and teasing that crossed into flirtation—and before I knew it, I was hooked on every smirk and stolen glance. Plus, having both Trishara and Rafe’s perspectives added depth, making them feel real and relatable. The story showed their struggles with their careers and personal lives—Rafe’s recent breakup, Trishara’s fight against systemic favoritism—and how those hurdles played into their slow-building connection.
Trishara was an instant favorite—bold, fierce, and unapologetically herself. Watching her rediscover her fire after feeling sidelined at work was empowering. She’s the kind of character you'd want as a best friend or coworker—so real, so relatable, and so deserving of happiness.
In the end, this book left me cheering for both characters because their growth and chemistry felt authentic and earned. If you’ve ever worked in corporate, you’ll get every bit of the humor and frustrations—they’re woven into this delightful story with such care.