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

Not Safe for Work by Nisha J. Tuli
🎧 Narrated by Soneela Nankani
⭐️ 3.5 stars (rounded up on vibes)
Audio: 4 stars
Thanks to Hachette Audio and NetGalley for the ALC!

This was such a vibe for summer—think sun-soaked paradise, workplace tension, and a STEM girl with serious backbone. Tris absolutely carried the story with her sass, smarts, and refusal to deal with corporate BS. I was rooting for her every time she clapped back at the sexism around her.

The tropes? Chef’s kiss. Enemies-to-lovers, only one bed, slow burn, protective MMC… the works. Rafe had potential, but I wanted more depth from him. The family drama gave some layers, but I needed him to show up more emotionally.

The chemistry built slooowly—but when it hit? Fire. The awkward tension and banter made for great audio, and Soneela Nankani’s narration made everything come alive. Tris’s frustration and wit were especially well done.

The tropical setting and the call-outs on toxic workplace culture stood out. Loved the author note and personal connection—it added real heart to the story.

Minor gripes: pacing dragged a bit in the middle and the conflict resolution felt too quick. Tris deserved more than a half-apology. But the epilogue was sweet and left me with a grin.

Overall? A fun, feminist slow-burn romcom with a smart heroine, a flawed-but-swoony hero, and enough sun, sass, and steam to keep me hooked. Definitely recommend for fans of banter, brains, and beachy chaos.

She was a senior engineer at WMC after experiencing a silent blacklisting from a scorned ex-boyfriend. Tris is sent on a training program trip to Hawaii with her bosses son and her archenemy, Rafe, where they end up sharing the room due to an accidental mix-up. Except she starts to realize that maybe her archenemy is more like her ally and her heroes are the true villians.

I am not a woman of STEM, but I love reading about them. I related a lot to Tris and her experience of racism and sexism within and outside of the workplace. I've heard one too many times how "pretty" I was for a black girl. I truly loved the female friendships, the duality of a woman in STEM, the romance with Rafe, Rafe's secret social media persona, and the steamy scenes were on another LEVEL!!!

The audiobook was chef's kiss and I truly believe Soneela Nankani truly brought these characters to life. I am so honored I got the chance to listen to this early and this won't be last book I pick up for this author.

This was a decent audiobook! I liked the romance. I would recommend it, it’s a good summer read. I liked the audiobook.

3.5⭐️3🌶 Rivals to Lovers, Forced Proximity, Workplace romance. Single POV. I really enjoyed this romance. It had a lot of my favorite elements. The audiobook was very enjoyable to listen to as well. The narrator did a wonderful job giving life to the characters that kept me hooked to the story.

Thanks to NetGalley and Hachette Audio for the opportunity to experience this story through this ALC.

I absolutely loved this book—easily a 5-star read (and listen)! From start to finish, it had me completely hooked. The character dynamics were so much fun, and the banter was perfectly sharp, flirty, and relatable. I found myself laughing out loud multiple times, and the workplace setting added a level of realism that made the story even more engaging. The office politics, awkward moments, and high-stakes tension felt authentic without being too heavy, which is hard to pull off in a rom-com!

This book hit some of my favorite tropes in the best way, and the chemistry between the main characters was fire. It had that slow-burn spark with just the right amount of tension and payoff.

I listened to the audiobook and was pleasantly surprised by the narrator—it was my first time hearing her, and she did such a great job! Her cadence was smooth and easy to follow, and the way she differentiated the characters’ voices brought them to life. She truly captured the tone and personality of the main character, which made it feel even more immersive.

This was such a fun, smart, and spicy listen. If you’re a fan of workplace romances with humor, great dialogue, and heartfelt moments, I highly recommend this one!

Such a fun, fast paced read. I loved how it was a light hearted read but still tackled issues of inclusion and sexism in male dominated work environments. It was great watching Trishara’s character develop into such a strong and fierce fmc. The tension and the slow burn between Tris and Rafe had me hooked. I also loved the island vibes that the Hawaiian Retreat setting gave.

The audio narrator did an amazing job.

Thank you Netgalley & Hachette Audio for the ALC.

I loved this workplace “enemies” to lovers romance! Trishara is at a career crossroads and is trying to figure out if staying at her current company is worth their “old boys club” ways. When she’s chosen for a three week leadership retreat in Hawaii - after being skipped over numerous times for well deserved promotions - she’s skeptical at best for what their intentions are by bringing a woman of color alongside their golden boy (and CEO’s son) Rafe. Even though there were definitely some heavier/serious topics, I found myself laughing several times at the truly comedic disasters that happened on their tropical beach work retreat. Their chemistry was off the charts, and their bantering and competitive spirits led to romantic fireworks.

This is such a great summer read - perfect for the pool or beach, and the audiobook was just over 10 hours of flawless storytelling by Soneela Nankani.

I don’t think I am the best target audience for this as I am NOT an avid rom com reader. It was definitely fun and easy to read but not my preferred genre.
I enjoy this author as a fantasy author and would definitely read more of her books in the future!

✨🌴Not Safe For Work🌴 ✨
By Nisha J. Tuli

Genre: Contemporary Romance
Format: 🎧
Steam: 🌶️🌶️
Published: 5/20/25
Publisher: Forever
Audiobook: Hachette audio
Narrators: Soneela Nankani

Engineer Trishara Malik is tired of being overlooked at her toxic, male-dominated firm, especially when her nemesis, the boss’s son Rafe Gallagher, gets the promotion she deserved. When they’re both sent on a leadership retreat in Hawaii, their professional rivalry quickly escalates into chemistry.

Not Safe For Work by Nisha J. Tuli was a great summer beach read, especially for fans of a slow-burn romance and the beloved one room/one bed trope. It also addresses real life issues. It features Trishara, an intelligent woman in STEM, who navigates the challenges women of color can face in male-dominated workplaces and she also experiences chronic pain.

While I appreciated the inclusion of real life issues (chronic pain rep, BIPOC women in a male dominated field, portrayal of workplace dynamics), I grew tired of the constant bickering between Trishara and Rafe after a while. Their witty banter certainly created excellent sexual tension, but the prolonged conflict and an ex-girlfriend thrown into the mix, made the characters feel very immature for their age to me. We had a strong willed, smart FMC who spent most of her energy fighting with Rafe. I found it harder to connect to them.

Overall, Not Safe For Work was an enjoyable read, though it didn’t completely stand out from the crowd. Perhaps I’ve simply read one too many enemies-to-lovers stories where the incessant fighting becomes a bit much for my taste. If you’re looking for a spicy, palette cleanser, with BIPOC female in STEM rep, you will most likely enjoy this.
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

🙏 Thank you to Netgalley,, and Nisha J. Tuli for this ALC in exchange for my honest thoughts. Not Safe For Work published 5/20/25. 💖

Thank you, NetGalley for an advanced ALC of this book

I wanted to read this because I love romance books with the enemies-to-lovers trope and this was a fun read and I liked the characters... the art work on the cover as well was nice.

I liked how the main characters let down barriers though the book and seeing each other in a different light

I really enjoyed Nisha Tuli's fantasy series so I was excited to see this new direction from her. Not Safe for Work is a contemporary workplace romance. It was a super quick, fun read- I read this over a weekend at the beach. Our two main characters reminded me of Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth with their frequent mis-communications/assumptions about each other. The banter, tension, and longing between them was excellent. Since the work conference is taking place in Hawaii, I do wish we'd gotten to see a bit more exploration of the setting.

I both read a physical version and listened to the audiobook narration. I really enjoyed the narrator. I thought she sounded familiar and it turns out this is the same narrator who did Tuli's Artefacts of Ouranos series (as well as a ton of others, like The Daevabad Trilogy and Fall of Ruin and Wrath).

Thank you to NetGalley and Hachette Audio for providing an ARC of this audiobook!

Not Safe for Work by Nisha J. Tuli is a steamy and enjoyable workplace romance with great chemistry between our main characters. The banter is fun and flirty, and the pacing keeps the story engaging from start to finish. Some moments could have used more depth, but overall it’s a fun and satisfying romance read. Perfect for fans of flirty, fast-paced romance. The audiobook production was excellent as well! The narration is clear and expressive, bringing the characters to life without overdoing it. A great options for readers looking for a fun romance with a light tone and engaging voice

Oh my, I enjoyed this book so much. There were times when I wanted to strangle Trishara. Refe and she had a great chemistry and did love how things turned out. Trishara's suffering of the glass ceiling and men dominated business world did touch me, though the author has chosen a really light tone to express this. Maybe it is on purpose.
Anyways, the love story and everything that happened in the resort was fun and games and I do recommend the book as a summer read.

Thank you so much to Netgalley and Hachette Audio for accepting my request to read and review this book!

This was one of the romance books I had my eye on amongst the 2025 releases, I am so grateful to have been able to enjoy the audiobook for this one. I think the narrators were fabulous and really brought the characters of this book to life.

Enemies to lovers?
Workplace romance?
Getaway setting?
Pining?
Spice?

Yeah, I was never NOT going to like this book. The characters had wonderful chemistry and rivalry and I adored the discussions on the glass ceiling and women in business.

While I did find Rafe a little bit TOO rude to be secretly in love with Trishara, I know that the enemies part had to be believable enough.

I definitely will read more from this author. If you love books such as The Hating Game and Shipped, this will work for you!

I love nisha j. Tuli. Her writing and story telling ability is so amazing. This book was different from my typical reading choices but I still fell in love with it. It was an easy fun read.

I thoroughly enjoyed Not Safe for Work. The romance between Trishara and Rafe was smoldering (slow-burn) hot and featured some of my favorite tropes: rivals-to-lovers, forced proximity, and there is only one bad. Trishara and Rafe had great chemistry, and I loved their entertaining. On a more serious note, I appreciated the discussion about sexism and racism in the corporate world and what women, especially women of color, have to endure to be successful and to get to the top. Not Safe for Work is my first read by Nisha J. Tuli, and I look forward to reading more of her books.

This was a fun book, the tasks and the setting were so fun! I enjoyed the romance and the characters. I felt that this was a perfect fit for a summer read.