Oh, this book was a delight! The slow burn was hot and the self-actualization was delicious!

Thank you to Hachette Audio for approving my advance listener copy request of this audiobook! I inhaled it in a single sitting. Soneela Nankani did an amazing job bringing these characters to life and immersing me in the story. That this is Nisha Tuli's first adult contemporary romance is a triumph! 

I was kicking my feet at the cuteness and smashing my fist on the figurative patriarchy.

The story follows Trishara Malik on a work retreat. Having been passed over for promotion time and again as a brown woman watching mediocre white men step in her on their way up, she is suspicious why the company has a sudden change of heart in sending her to this leadership development retreat. She pushes them to admit that she is granted this opportunity as a part of the company's DEI image improvement efforts, but of course, the only other person granted this opportunity from her branch is the boss' arrogant son, Rafe.

When they arrive at the Hawaiian resort, the hotel is fully booked and the office assistant has unwittingly booked Tris and Rafe for the same honeymoon suite...with one bed.

Enter the tropes we know and love:
🌟 Only one bed
🌟 Forced Proximity 
🌟 Rivals to Lovers
🌟 Just Bang It Out
🌟 SLOW BURN

Tris and Rafe already had a spark when they first met five years ago, but they've since buried it under years of rivalry and frienemy lines, but the fuse is running out and will there be a big payload at the end? 😏

I also enjoyed the subplot of an Asian woman breaking the bamboo ceiling. Tuli's experience working in tech as a brown woman tells no lies here and I love the way that she wrote Tris to give no 🦆 about finally calling out sexist, racist, and predatory behaviors in the workplace.

This was such a surprising delight!

This book was incredible. Cringy at times, yes, but it was incredible anyway. I loved the way the relationship developed. My girl is incredible, and the love interest is swoon worthy. I loved it so much, it was a wild ride and as soon as I can I’m buying a physical copy or two. I’m going to be recommending this book to everyone

I listened to the audiobook of Not Safe For Work, and Soneela Nankani really brings the story to life by immersing the listener into the story with appropriate tones, timing, and pauses, which helps make the experience more enjoyable. The narrator did a great job of holding my attention, and it felt like I flew through this audiobook with such ease. Nankani narrates a perfect Trishara, which reinforced my connection with the FMC. She is also great at creating distinct voices to differentiate between the other characters.

As for the story, I really loved this, there were so many times I was smirking, and the slow burn felt like a great pace. Their banter and tension are present throughout, but really kick it up a notch at around 50%, and I was all for it.

Tris is very admirable, she’s a great character all-around. She’s strong and stands up for herself. Tris’s concerns felt so valid in the story, and I loved how the resolution was handled. I also appreciated the workplace discrimination themes, which added thought-provoking notes to this rom-com.

I do wish Rafe had a little more depth to his character. It felt like what he had most to offer was that he was tall, hot, and protective. Aside from him being protective and sweet at times, he felt a little one-dimensional, but that didn’t prevent the characters from having chemistry.

Story: 3 stars

I was so excited for this story, a WOC in a STEM field fighting against sexism in the work place?? Forced proximity and only one bed?? Slow burn?? I love all of those things. But the story fell flat for me. Half the book is Tris ogling and describing Rafe’s body, even when she’s supposed to hate him. Both characters felt very 2 dimensional and so did their relationship. I also didn’t like the attempts to make Tris feel relatable (reading romantasy, calling Rafe dark lord, Taylor swift fan).

Narration: 5 stars

I thought the narration was wonderful and I would definitely like to read more audiobooks narrated by Nankani. I love the way she inflected certain phrases, it sounded so natural like how someone would talk in real life.

Well this was the cutest romcom! I definitely binged in one day! I adored Tris and Rafe and their entire relationship progression. It had me giggling, swooning and sweating from beginning to end!

Tris & Rafe
Workplace
Vacation filling
Hate to love
Woman in STEM
One bed

The fastest way to this book lover’s heart is through comedy and Nisha J. Tuli definitely delivers in this hilarious yet adorable rom-com, Not Safe For Work.

Tris is a biracial woman in STEM just trying to make it in a man’s industry. Rafe is her CEO’s son as well as workplace rival. Trish is determined to make a name for herself while attending a company retreat in Hawaii but as soon as she arrives she discovers that due to a booking error she is now going to be forced to share a honeymoon suite with the man she claims to hate most. What could possibly go wrong?

The tension and banter between the two was absolutely delicious. I devoured this book in one sitting.

If you are someone who loves a good slow burn, enemies to lovers, one bed, laughing out loud while simultaneously swooning then I highly recommend adding this to your summer TBR. Not Safe For Work would make for a fabulous beach read as well.

Soneela Nankani did a great job on the audio.

4.5⭐️ BUT ROUNDING UP

After reading Nisha J Tuli’s romantasy books, I already knew she could write an incredible romance & dynamic story, & this was NO exception!!

I loved the representation of Tris as a woman in STEM right away & just the representation of how so many women, especially WOC, get lost in the boys club of these corporate companies. I LOVED how she advocated for herself

And don’t even get me started on Rafe 😍 I loved how he had so many soft parts to his personality & how we learned about him throughout the story. Him & Trishara are truly the perfect match 😍

& I loved the ending so much 😭😭💗

Thank you to Nisha J Tuli, Forever Publishing & NetGalley for the advanced copy!!!