Smash

by Penelope Ward, Vi Keeland

A new, shockingly forbidden standalone from New York Times bestselling authors Penelope Ward and Vi Keeland…

Sometimes one floor is all that separates the life you planned from the life you never saw coming…
Moving to New York with my boyfriend, Calder, was supposed to be a fresh start.
A new city. A new job. A beautiful brownstone in Brooklyn we'd call home. The beginning of our forever.
There was just one catch: Calder’s best friend lived in the apartment downstairs.
Rafe—a gifted artist who smashed glass into masterpieces. With his unruly blond hair and piercing eyes that seemed to see right through me, he was impossible to ignore.
He was also completely off-limits.
Yet somehow, every walk past his apartment or trip to the basement laundry room turned into another deep conversation neither of us ever wanted to end.
At first, it was innocent.
Then I found myself looking forward to running into him again.
Before long, I was creating opportunities to be around him.
Somehow, Rafe and I made each other feel seen in ways neither of us expected.
I tried to ignore our connection, reminding myself that Calder’s best friend was the last man on Earth I could ever fall for.
But with every stolen moment, that lie became harder to believe.
Maybe some love stories aren't about finding the right person—but what happens when you find them too late.

Genres: Romance, Audiobook, Contemporary Romance, Forced Proximity, Forbidden Romance, New York, Slow Burn

427 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 25, 2026

About the author

Penelope Ward is a New York Times, USA Today and #1 Wall Street Journal bestselling author of contemporary romance.

She grew up in Boston with five older brothers and spent most of her twenties as a television news anchor. Penelope resides in Rhode Island with her husband, son, and beautiful daughter with autism.

With millions of books sold, she is a 21-time New York Times bestseller and the author of over forty novels.

In 2014, Penelope’s fourth book, Stepbrother Dearest, became the #1 bestselling independently published Kindle ebook of the year on Amazon.com and was credited with igniting an entirely new subgenre of romance. Her 2016 smash hit RoomHate debuted at #2 on The New York Times Bestseller list. Penelope is an Audie Award Winner and three-time Goodreads Choice Romance of the Year Nominee. Her books have been featured in Entertainment Weekly and Publisher’s Weekly (Starred Review).

Penelope’s novels have been translated into over a dozen languages and can be found in bookstores around the world.

She can often be found chatting live with her readers in her private Facebook group, Penelope’s Peeps.

Reviews

[Penelope Ward]

★LIVE IN ALL FORMATS!★
SMASH a new, shockingly forbidden standalone from Vi Keeland and me is now LIVE!
Get Ready!
✔️ Boyfriend's best friend
✔️ ALL the angst
✔️ Forced proximity
✔️ Forbidden attraction
FREE to Read in Kindle+:
Amazon US ➜
https://a.co/d/008td2M2
Amazon UK ➜
https://amzn.eu/d/0hiiygTb
Amazon CA ➜
https://a.co/d/0fkCmBrw
Amazon AU ➜
https://amzn.asia/d/05aa6brG
Paperback (Alternate cover) ➜
https://amzn.to/4gXezAY
Multi-cast DUET Audio ➜ https://www.audible.com/pd/B0HMJWZBZV...
SYNOPSIS:
Sometimes one floor is all that separates the life you planned from the life you never saw coming…
Moving to New York with my boyfriend, Calder, was supposed to be a fresh start.
A new city. A new job. A beautiful brownstone in Brooklyn we'd call home. The beginning of our forever.
There was just one catch: Calder’s best friend lived in the apartment downstairs.
Rafe—a gifted artist who smashed glass into masterpieces. With his unruly blond hair and piercing eyes that seemed to see right through me, he was impossible to ignore.
He was also completely off-limits.
Yet somehow, every walk past his apartment or trip to the basement laundry room turned into another deep conversation neither of us ever wanted to end.
At first, it was innocent.
Then I found myself looking forward to running into him again.
Before long, I was creating opportunities to be around him.
Somehow, Rafe and I made each other feel seen in ways neither of us expected.
I tried to ignore our connection, reminding myself that Calder’s best friend was the last man on Earth I could ever fall for.
But with every stolen moment, that lie became harder to believe.
Maybe some love stories aren't about finding the right person—but what happens when you find them too late.

**Both versions of the paperback are available! They may just show up in separate listings.

[Laura · Rating 1 out of 5]

I'm putting this behind a spoiler tag as I honestly don't even know how I feel about this book, other than to say I didn't like it and to say why, and there are very likely spoilers in that.

Talia and Rafe were supposed to be forbidden, and I don't know if it was how they were written, some of their choices, or both, but I never got to the point of being able to see them as anything but toxic and manipulative. I didn't care about them as a couple, I felt no connection and all I could really bring emotionally to this one was a belief that Calder deserved better than both of them.

I usually love forbidden. I don't have an issue with cheating in books, or characters with other people during the book, so none of that was a factor in my dislike of this one.

Calder was the only one of them I liked. And in fact the snippet of him at the end where he's happy and found the love of his life was the only moment of warmth I felt for the end of the book.

No feeling of happiness, of enjoyment of them as a couple. I just kept thinking that the characters were irredeemably awful, kind of like the book Talia edited at the beginning of her job.

And I think that is really where I found most of my issue. To enjoy a book, I have to feel emotionally invested. All I was able to every see was how toxic all of the interactions seemed to be, how many red flags there were for all of them, and instead of feeling invested in a happily ever after, the only healthy resolution I could imagine for any of them was total distance. I think that was why I was happy for Calder, he got away and found happiness.

I'm sure it's just me. I'm sure other readers will think it's wonderful, but I was glad to see this one end and I'm honestly not sure why I kept reading.

[Shannon Lee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Main trope: This is a taboo romance.

Additional tropes:
✅Cheating between the main characters

Detailed spoilers/trigger warnings (if any) and final thoughts can be found below. There is a warning right before the spoiler and trigger section so you have the choice to proceed or stop reading.

Summary: Grieving from the recent loss of her dad, the book begins with the FMC Talia, preparing to move from Montana to Brooklyn with her boyfriend Calder. Once she arrives she meets his best friend Rafe. She is surprised to learn he is also renting an apartment in this place which is owned by his Aunt.

Leaving her home and the comforts that come with that, especially while grieving, is challenging for Talia. Calder is very busy with work, leaving her feeling lonely a lot of the time. She’s trying to distract herself with her new job and visiting places she likes but she’s having a hard time. She ends up spending time with Rafe and getting to know him. They have a lot in common and she begins to value the time they spend together while also battling an intense attraction that has been present since she first met him.

The close proximity, continued attraction, and sharing heartfelt moments culminate in Talia and Rafe crossing a forbidden line. After the fact, both parties are consumed with guilt and not sure how to move forward. Talia becomes withdrawn which worries Calder as he’s not sure what’s going on with her. He decides to look at her phone to see if there’s anything there that explains what might be wrong and he sees a message thread between Talia and Rafe proving what they’ve done. He confronts Talia immediately.

With her relationship with Calder in limbo, Talia is forced to seriously consider what she wants and who she wants to be with. When both Calder and Rafe need to travel due to work, this alone time allows her to think things through, coming to only one conclusion, which is it’s time she follows her heart.


⚠️SPOILERS/SPICE/DETAILED TRIGGERS⚠️

✋
✋
✋

🌶️: 2/5

Final thoughts: Wow…just wow. This is by far, the most taboo book written by these authors and I’m here for every second of it. I know cheating is a hard pass for some people but please understand this book is so much more than that.

This was not something driven by lust. Sometimes the heart recognizes what it wants in someone and a connection is made that can’t be ignored. This was such an emotional story giving the reader the chance to really connect to and go through the experience with these characters. I listened to the audiobook which was just so good with a full cast narration. Give this one a chance and I promise you won’t regret it.

[Kindle Crack Book Reviews Cheri · Rating 5 out of 5]

I couldn’t breathe until I hit the last page of Smash by Penelope Ward and Vi Keeland. I forgot my phone existed, and that’s saying a lot coming from this book addict and social media doom-scroller. Penelope and Vi absolutely SMASHED this incredible new release.

My advice? Go into this book blind. Don’t read spoilers. Let Talia, Calder, and Rafe’s story unfold exactly the way it’s supposed to. It’s complicated. I mean, what could possibly go wrong when you move in with your meh boyfriend and his hot, talented best friend lives one floor down?

My favorite writing duo unleashed the angst, heat, and heart with this one. Talia, Calder, and Rafe’s tumultuous relationship felt like watching a car crash unfold in real time, and I couldn’t look away. The guilt eating Talia alive. The passion. The impossible choices. THE ANGST. There were moments when I wanted to skip ahead because I had to know what happened, but I didn’t want to miss a single word. My blood pressure meds need a refill after this one. At times, I wanted to smash my Kindle or hug all three of them.

Smash was messy, emotional, sexy, and completely addictive. This is the most forbidden book Penelope and Vi have written, and I want more, please and thank you.

[Amour.Rebelle.Reads (Bran.d) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Even though I struggled with some aspects of the story, I have to say that by the end, I was happy that everyone found their happiness. ❤️ Sometimes a book can take you on an emotional roller coaster, even when the characters make you want to shake some sense into them along the way! 😂

🎧 Andi Arndt, Austin Stone, and Lee Samuels were a great combination for this audiobook! Their performances made it easy to get pulled into the story, and I really enjoyed experiencing this one in audio.

If forbidden romance and complicated relationships are your thing, this one might be worth adding to your list. Just know that if cheating isn’t your favorite trope either, you might have some feelings about it! 😉

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

The writing kept me listening, but the characters kept me from falling in love with their story.
I've enjoyed many books by Vi Keeland and Penelope Ward, and their ability to evoke emotion has never been in question. Smash was certainly no exception. It made me feel plenty, just not necessarily the emotions I wanted to feel.
I went into this ALC knowing infidelity was part of the story. What I didn't anticipate was just how much of the book would revolve around it. I expected the cheating to be part of a complicated romance, but I found myself spending far more time immersed in the secrecy, dishonesty, and fallout than in a relationship I could genuinely root for.
For me, the struggle wasn't simply the forbidden nature of the romance or the characters' questionable decisions. I don't need flawless characters or morally uncomplicated love stories. What I do need is emotional growth, accountability, and a reason to believe in the people at the heart of the story.
There's a difference between recognizing that your actions are wrong and genuinely accepting responsibility for the hurt those actions cause. While the characters acknowledged their mistakes and expressed guilt, I struggled to see that recognition consistently translate into meaningful accountability.
Some of the most important emotional honesty came much later than I needed it. A particular letter contained the kind of reflection and communication I wished had happened much earlier. Had those conversations taken place sooner, I might have connected with the characters and their journey very differently.
And while the story ultimately offered resolution, I struggled with how that resolution was reached. Rather than witnessing enough meaningful growth to make me believe in the relationship, I felt as though I was being asked to accept that the characters had changed.
I didn't need a perfect love story. I needed a love story whose ending felt earned.
My rating has always come down to two things: Did the authors make me feel something? And did I connect with the characters?
Surprisingly, Smash accomplished both, just not in the ways I've come to expect. The emotions were often frustration and disappointment rather than affection or excitement. And my connection to the characters came more from my reactions to their choices than from any desire to see their romance succeed.
But those feelings and connections were real, and they deserve acknowledgment.
Four stars, because even though this wasn't a love story I fell in love with, it was a story that made me feel, think, and react. And that, to me, is part of the power of storytelling.
This one wasn't necessarily for me, but I can absolutely see how it might resonate with someone else.

[Nadine · Rating 4 out of 5]

I told myself that I wouldn’t read any more Ward and Keeland novels until more reviews were posted after release day. I broke that rule with Smash looking for an engaging and messy romance. Smash delivered.

Smash is not for everyone. It’s an incredibly messy romance with decisions the characters make that will not appeal to all readers.

Smash is a forbidden romance with heavy cheating as Talia moves to New York City to be with her boyfriend. Once she arrives, she finds out she’ll be living with her boyfriend’s best friend, Rafe, in the same brownstone.

Talia and Rafe have an instant connection with fiery chemistry. The angst between the two is so thick you could cut it with a knife. Their interactions were electric as they attempted to stay away from each other. Their first coupling was 🔥 and was one of the best moments of the novel.

Spice level: 🌶️🌶️🌶️

The reason I rated Smash four stars instead of five is because the drama near the end of the novel. While I’m happy the novel didn’t go in a certain direction, its inclusion almost made me want to DNF.

Overall, Smash delivered the angsty, steamy, and messy romance I was looking for, even if some of the drama at the end of the novel nearly pushed me to DNF. If you enjoy forbidden romances with undeniable chemistry, high tension, and plenty of questionable decisions, this one may be worth adding to your TBR!

[Sue Galuska · Rating 5 out of 5]

Talia Richards met Calder Monroe while attending the University of Montana and they quickly became sweethearts. After college Calder moved back to Brooklyn, NY and eventually Talia joined him. Calder lived in a cute brownstone on the 3rd floor, with his best friend, Rafe Rivers on the 2nd floor and Rafe's aunt Rosie on the 1st floor. Talia was looking forward to her new life even if moving from Montana to Brooklyn was going to be a big change. It didn't help that her dad just passed away unexpectedly either.

What Talia didn't count on was Rafe. How could she be so attracted to her boyfriend's best friend. Why did it seem like the universe was just pulling them together. Every time Talia was around Rafe she felt the pull getting stronger and stronger until they finally crossed that line. How could two people who loved Calder so much do that to him? The guilt was killing both of them but they couldn't seem to stop themselves until the unthinkable happened.....Calder found out! Now everything was blown up and no one knew where things were going to land.

Calder, Talia and Rafe all had some deep soul searching to do. All three will take you on a very emotional ride but in the end, love does prevail and all three of them do find their happy ending.

Whoa this was a very steamy, very emotional ride. Emotions ran all over the place. Please note that if you have a hard pass regarding cheating, this book is not for you. It was a little too emotional at times and hard to relate to, but in the end it was all worth it.

[MissPetiteBrunetteBookBlog · Rating 4 out of 5]

When Talia moves to NY to be with her boyfriend, Calder, she thought it would be a new beginning for them. Talia never thought she would become so close to her downstairs neighbor & Calder’s friend Rafe. He is the complete opposite of her boyfriend but every time they run into each other they seem to have this growing connection. With Calder always either working or distant her friendship with Rafe grows. She knows it’s wrong but how can she stop the growing feelings for one and the distance for the other? This is a touchy storyline for some including me but I did enjoy the angsty and emotional draw of the characters. Obviously, this story about OM drama and being unfaithful to your partner starting with a friendship while being lonely in a new city. It’s told from Talia’s POV so you see her inner turmoil of her thoughts, actions and the consequences to them. I would say if you’re truly against any type of cheating then this might not be for you but otherwise I would say maybe give this a chance if you enjoyed flawed characters but with a conscience that are trying to figure out what they truly want in life even if they go at it the wrong way.

[Katie Pencka · Rating 1 out of 5]

The main character was a terrible person and I’m mad everything worked out for her.

[Valeen Robertson (Live Thru Books Blog) · Rating 5 out of 5]

AMAZON US / UK / CA / AU / ALTERNATE COVER PAPERBACK / DUET AUDIO

Talia moved to Brooklyn to be with her boyfriend, Calder, but never in a million years could she have known that they weren't meant to be, and why. That his best friend Rafe was really her forever, not Calder. She met her one, but at the worst possible time.



Talia and Rafe have their reasons for their betrayal of Calder. She realizes how she feels for him isn't even a tenth of what she feels for Rafe, that their love isn't the passionate kind she wants, the kind everyone wants. But Rafe? Whew, theirs is the the kind she's been searching for, even if she didn't realize it. But that love came at the wrong time for both of them. The authors do not take the easy route with Talia and Rafe. They don't escape the consequences for what they did, and that made it all the more possible for me to love their story. It's angsty and really hard to read at times, but the payoff ended up being worth it. Normally this is the kind of thing that is a hard pass for me, but the fact that they didn't just sail along without feeling the guilt and suffering the emotional fallout allowed me to actually not automatically pass on them. If you can get past this, it's well worth it by the end, and you might fall in love with them the way I did.



ARC provided by Give Me Books Promotions for an honest review.
Ebook also purchased through Amazon.

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[Ptiteaurel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Avant de vous donner mon avis sur ce roman, je dois vous préciser que le thème central ne plaira pas à tout le monde, loin de là. Je l'ai lu en sachant dans quoi je me lançais. Je me suis laissée porter par ces personnages, par leurs failles, leur erreurs, leurs choix.

Talia va quitter son Montana natal, après un événement tragique et la perte de son père, pour vivre à New York avec son petit ami de longue date. On la sent profondément marquée par ce deuil et heureusement, elle pourra parler à sa mère à coeur ouvert de ce qui la trouble et la perturbe. Elle va commencer son travail dans une maison d'édition, même si elle aspire, un jour, de vivre de sa plume. Calder essayera de faire en sorte que tout se passe bien mais les 1ères semaines, il débute son travail, et elle est seule, face à ses doutes et la tentation. Elle va faire la connaissance de notre héros et ils vont se trouver des points commun. Ils se rapprochent dangereusement et essaient de ne pas succomber. Suivre cette jeune femme ne sera pas de tout repos mais je voulais connaître la finalité.

N'ayant que le POV de l'héroïne, nous ne savons pas ce qui se passe dans la tête de nos deux autres héros. Nous allons nous forger une image grâce à leurs échanges avec Talia. D'un côté, on a la raison, le côté fiable et protecteur. Calder travaille dans la finance mais il ne la néglige pas pour autant. Il ne se rend sans doute pas compte de la profondeur de son mal être. Il ne sent pas la situation dériver avant qu'il ne soit trop tard. Puis d'un autre côté, on a Rafe Rivers. Il s'occupe de sa tante Rosamery, qui habite dans le même immeuble. C'est un artiste qui s'exprime avec son art et pas forcément les mots. Il va sentir ce qui ne va pas chez Talia. Il va vraiment l'écouter et partager certaines blessures ou troubles ne fait que les rapprocher. Ne pas avoir son POV est frustrant car on ne sait pas le fond de sa pensée.

Bref, c'est une romance qui change des écrits habituels de l'autrice. Elle aborde un thème pas facile à aborder ou à accepter avec divers angles et j'ai apprécié la psychologie des personnages.

[Angelica · Rating 0.5 out of 5]

DNF 38%

Insta-everything.

Not even 10% in (tbh earlier than that) and she, who was happy enough with her boyfriend to move across the country to move in with him, is super attracted to his best friend and is now questioning her whole relationship.

It got intense real quick and I wanted a slower pace and more resistance when she’s in a relationship with his best friend.

I usually don’t mind cheating in books and can really enjoy the angst that comes with it, but it has to be written well (I’m looking at you queen Kandi Steiner..! 👀). For me, the most important thing is that there’s some actual resistance, this had none of that. She jumped right into being obsessed with her (sweet and kind) boyfriend’s best friend.

They had zero chemistry, I didn’t like the characters and I was in no way buying their ”connection” or rooting for them.

The first sex scene made me cringe so I DNF:d mid ”spread your legs for me”.

💭 Random thoughts:
- Wow. Rafe waxing poetics about waiting for the washer/dryer to be ready was ridiculous and almost made me strain my eyeballs from rolling them.
- An immunocompromised uber driver? Really…? Tell me you know nothing about…well…anything, without telling me. And also, the idea that it would be okay if they sit in the backseat is laughable.
- So the poetic guy with seemingly high emotional intelligence is obsessed with his best friend’s girlfriend and when said girl walks in on him masturbating - he turns in to a dick to punish her?
- Letting her edit a novel which is basically this one, felt like a weird way for the authors to, I don’t never know what. Justify this shit show? Recognize that they’ve thought about the implications? That they realize the FMC suck? It was a choice that felt more like it was for the authors themselves, not the readers, and it took me out of the story.
- Why would she constantly end up sitting in between her boyfriend and his friend? I’ll take “things that never happened” for $500.
- What a great friend Rafe is, huh? When his biggest concern is that SHE has a boyfriend, that SHE’LL regret it.

🎧 Audiobook narration was okay, Andi Arndt is perfect as always but the narration of Rafe was dragging in a stoner kind of way that didn’t quite work for me.

[Red Cheeks Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 SMOOCHES!

I’ve read every single book that Penelope Ward and Vi Keeland have published, both individually and jointly, and I’ve never experienced anything like this book from them. I’m going to be careful here because I really think readers need to go into this book not quite knowing what exactly they should expect, so all I’m going to say is brace for a gut-wrenching angst-fest.

I listened to the audiobook, a multicast duet narration performed by Andi Arndt, Austin Stone and Lee Samuels. Their performances were exceptional and pulled me right into the story. This book contained a plot point that is typically a hard line for me, but because of the authors, I took a chance and I’m glad I did. I ran through the gamut of emotions listening to this book. My aching heart was smashed to bits before it was pieced back together into a mosaic of the love it was intended to be.

A complicated, messy and intensely emotional story that kept me on the edge of my seat with my heart racing and my emotions teetering the whole way through. It was unputdownable, an absolutely addictive read and vastly different from anything I’ve ever read from these authors. Five smooches from me for Smash by Penelope Ward and Vi Keeland.
-Danielle Palumbo

[Melissa R. · Rating 0.5 out of 5]

This book pissed me off. The FMC was such an ick. Everything was wrong. Everything.

[Dali · Rating 3.75 out of 5]

What happens when the right person enters your life at completely the wrong time—and lives only one floor below you? 😬❤️

⭐️ 3.75 stars

✨ forbidden romance
✨ boyfriend’s best friend
✨ neighbors
✨ emotional affair
✨ complicated love triangle
✨ flawed characters
✨ angst and heartbreak
✨ messy choices with real consequences

Talia moves to New York with her boyfriend, Calder, believing they’re beginning their forever. But Calder is frequently absent, and Talia soon forms an unexpected connection with Rafe—the talented glass artist who lives downstairs and happens to be Calder’s best friend.

Their conversations begin innocently, but Rafe makes Talia feel seen in a way no one has before. The more distant Calder becomes, the more opportunities Talia creates to spend time with Rafe—and the harder it becomes to pretend their relationship is only a friendship.

This was a difficult story for me to rate because I struggled with some of the characters’ decisions, but I was also completely caught up in the emotional mess they created.

I had a particularly hard time with Talia. I need to go back and check her age. If she were in her early twenties, her immaturity and lack of self-awareness made more sense. If she was older…then there were moments when I still wanted to reach into the book and shake some sense into her. Stringing both men along... tut-tut

I also didn’t love that the story was told exclusively from Talia’s POV. Because the situation affected all three characters so deeply, I wanted access to Rafe’s and Calder’s thoughts too.

However, I appreciated that the story didn’t treat cheating as something without consequences. We see the heartbreak, guilt, anger, confusion, and damage it causes everyone involved. None of these characters is perfect, and there were moments when I was frustrated with them—followed by moments when I understood them or even found myself rooting for them.

By the end, I was genuinely happy that everyone found happiness. ❤️ This was messy, angsty, emotional, and surprisingly thought-provoking, even when the characters made me want to shake them.

🎧 The audiobook features multi-cast duet narration by Andi Arndt, Austin Stone, and Lee Samuels. I enjoyed the format and thought the narrators worked well together overall, but I didn’t connect with the performance for Rafe, which made it harder to become fully immersed in his character.

⚠️ The central conflict involves emotional and physical infidelity, so if cheating is an automatic deal-breaker for you, this probably won’t be your book. But if you enjoy complicated relationships, morally messy decisions, flawed characters, and plenty of emotional turmoil, *Smash* may be worth trying.

#ViKeeland #PenelopeWard #Smash #ForbiddenRomance #AudiobookReview

[Marsha · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you haven't already saw, the focus in this book is about cheating, so if that is an instant no-go for you, please skip this one. That cheating element made it harder to really sympathize with the heroine, though none of the characters were perfect. Each had some faults and did things that didn't help their cause. There was a light shined on the boyfriend in the beginning that didn't paint him in the best of light (and put that 'missing something in the relationship' thought into our heads,) but in the later pages, he was made out to be the best boyfriend ever. The thing that bugged me the most, was that the heroine was struggling with her feelings/attraction to the 'other guy' yet would continue to do things that would be more likely to cause them to cross paths. (They lived in the same brownstone, just on different floors.) It seemed like she made more trips than necessary down to the shared laundry room in the basement. (It was just her and her boyfriend, yet she had gone down to do laundry 2-3 times a week, or so it seemed... especially when she was trying to avoid him.) What I did like was that it dived into the effects of cheating. While the book was written from the heroines POV exclusively, we get to see how each person involved reacts and feels. The good, the bad, the ugly. Most books that I've read were from the person who was cheated on's POV, so this was different for me in that regards. Obviously, there is a lot of heart ache. There is some steam, yet for a book about cheating, there's not as much as you might expect. The boyfriend was absent a lot of the time, so it was easy to push him out of your mind. Because he was absent often, we got to know the other two a lot better. We got to see their past and learn of their demons. Not so much with the boyfriend, so I think that helped with the whole 'rooting for' the other two. We got to see how they fit together. Obviously, there is a lot of heart ache. There is some steam, yet for a book about cheating, there's not as much as you might expect. The book is easy to read and the story flows smoothly. You'll probably go through many emotions while reading. You'll feel anger towards the heroine and the 'homewrecker,' but there are also times when you'll be rooting for them. It's written in a way so you don't really know who, if either, she'll end up with in the end. After everything that's gone on and all they've been through, there is a HEA for all three of them.

[Sarah - Get Booked with Sez · Rating 4.5 out of 5]

I "smashed" this book in one day (get it?! haha). I sat down one Saturday afternoon & it was done by the evening. I was addicted to this love story. Please note this is a toxic love story. While there is cheating, there is also a HEA for all parties involved.

- Forced Proximity
- Boyfriend's Best Friend
- Forbidden Romance
- Instant Connection

I do recommend going into this one totally blind.

4.5/5 stars with 3/5 spice.

Talia is feeling, lost. After the unexpected death of her father, she feels sad she will be leaving her family in Montana to move in with her college boyfriend; Calder in New York City. Her and Calder have been doing long distance for a bit so she is excited to finally spend more time with him outside of the college days. When she arrives, she wasn't expecting his childhood best friend; Rafe, to also be staying in the same brownstone apartment building - Or to be in the apartment right under them - Or to be so hot....

As Calder pulls long hours at his new Wall Street job, Talia finds herself lonely. This is where she ends up spending plenty of time with her boyfriend's best friend. Rafe is an artist, and a very talented one. Talia finds herself pulled away from reality when watching him work on his glass sculptures, but most of all - Rafe also has a unique way in making herself feel seen in ways that Calder never could. While Calder asks how her day was, he listens but doesn't listen properly. And both of their conversation tends to be just about Calder. While Rafe pulls Talia up on it and makes her talk about how she is really feeling.

The connection between Rafe & Talia quickly goes from emotional to physical, in a connection both of them know they shouldn't act on. But when one night changes their fate, they find themselves tangled in a web they shouldn't even be in the first place.

My advice - Come for the broody artist Rafe, and stay for the truly unique love story.

[Catie · Rating 4 out of 5]

ARC/ALC REVIEW

On one hand I knew what to expect going in, but on the other hand I didn’t, since this was the “most forbidden” story these two have ever written and BOY was it a ride!

I enjoyed that the story was only told from Talia’s POV (except the epilogue) because we really got to see how conflicted she was with her situation. The angst was a level 100 for this book and there were definitely times where I thought, wait is she going to end up back with Calder, or really with Rafe?

The way Penelope and Vi tell a story together is unmatched and they did this one so well! I don’t usually read the cheating trope, unless the current significant other is like a horrible person or something? But I knew I’d enjoy it regardless since it was one of their stories, and I did! My heart hurt at times for Calder but to get to truly see how conflicted and what Talia was going through in her own head, and her connection with Rafe, I could see why she was meant for one over the other. And I ADORED the epilogue!

I always like to do an immersive read with their stories and I’m glad I got the opportunity to with this one, the fact we got three separate narrators was perfection! Andi Arndt is my favorite so of course I loved her as Talia, but Austin Stone and Lee Samuels were SO GOOD as Rafe and Calder and I thoroughly enjoyed the three of them together!

Thanks to the authors for the early review copies!

[Lisa Stinson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Penelope and Vi really went all out with this forbidden romance with the story of Rafe, Talia and Calder. The duet narration with Austin Stone, Andi Arndt and Lee Samuels really made this story even better. The fact that most of the story is told in Talia’s POV, it’s wonderful to get the male voices with the audiobook. These narrators were really able to portray all the emotions that this story brought out. Even though it wasn’t in the guy’s POV, the male narrators were so amazing at conveying those feelings so well.

Talia moves to Brooklyn to live with her long term boyfriend, Calder. They met in college and have been together for years. They did the long distance thing for a while and now they are going to live together. Talia wasn’t prepared to also be living with Calder’s best friend, Rafe. It doesn’t take long for the tension to set in. It also doesn’t take long for Talia to realize that she and Calder don’t have as much in common as she and Rafe do.

This story is full of angst and tension. As well as some not so great decisions being made. But also about two people who thought they were meant to be, and two people who had never met before that are definitely meant to be.

My heart was in knots while listening to this story. There were times when I was hurting for everyone but I was also on everyone’s side. I knew who I was rooting for but I also hated for anyone to get hurt.

I really loved how Penelope and Vi handled everything that happened in this story, especially the way they ended it. These two authors truly know how to give us an amazing story.

[Hannah Young · Rating 3.5 out of 5]

This was messsyyy!

I knew it would be by the tropes but I think I may have under prepared myself. Did I still eat up every word? Yep!

The thing that got me were the characters were in their 20s but we're acting like kindergartners. There was so much pettiness! And just terrible decision making skills. I don't know. I wanted to like the characters but then they would pull one of those stunts and I lost all sympathy for them.

Also if you're gonna do something to alter your life then accept the repercussions, especially if you're going to keep doing it. The whining was just too much.

If we could have handled these situations a little more adult like then I think I would have enjoyed this more. I like messy but this was just children pretending to be adults. I deal with that enough in my day to day life.

[Amber Sanchez · Rating 5 out of 5]

My gosh! What a whirlwind of a read! I began this book, not knowing what to expect. Penelope and Vi are just such true master storytellers. As long as I have been a reader of theirs, I have never been more pleasantly taken by surprise. The complexity of these characters and the strong emotions intertwined really made this story deeply felt for me. Every page I was hanging by a thread and every word served as momentum for the next. This type of a book was a first for me, and it was fun getting my feet wet with Penelope and Vi. “Smash” is a true heart wrenching and emotional read. I really loved it so much. Bravo to this dynamic duo of authors. This is why I continue to be such a big fan. They really do it right every time, and “Smash” is great proof of that!

[Julia Griffis - The Romance Bibliophile · Rating 5 out of 5]

NO SPOILERS!

Smash was absolutely fantastic and forbidden and unlike anything I’ve ever read, and I loved it so much!

Penelope Ward and Vi Keeland never disappoint, and they did an amazing job, as usual, with this forbidden romance. Rafe, Talia, and Calder’s story was unforgettable in every way, and I was ecstatic with the outcome and loved the ending.

Absolutely phenomenal from start to finish and a MUST READ!

Proofread for authors.

For more reviews and other book news, please visit: https://theromancebibliophile.com

[Tracy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Talia moves to New York to be with her college boyfriend, Calder. It’s an adjustment and she realizes that they might not have as much in common as she once thought they did.

They are living in an apartment above his best friend, Rafe. Talia and Rafe seem to have more in common than the boys do and more than she and Calder.

This was emotional and difficult decisions needed made. Couldn’t put this down. Wasn’t sure how things would end up in this one, but am happy with the outcome.

[Aimee Crant-oksa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Get ready to go on a rollercoaster ride with Penelope Ward and Vi Keeland with their newest release Smash. Talia and Calder move to Brooklyn for work and spend their lives together. When they arrive, Talia can’t help but notice Rafe, Calder’s best friend and their apartment mate downstairs. They strike up a friendship and have much in common and their time together just feels very natural. Stolen glances, innocent run ins lead to much more in this forbidden romance. Talia struggles with her feelings, with doing what is right but also with following her heart.
The audio was amazing and Andi Arndt, Austin Stone and Lee Samuels truly brought these characters to life! I listened in two sittings. I was hooked!
You should look at the triggers if you have some subject matters that you do not read.
There are many emotional struggles throughout for all the characters. Some people are in your life for a season, some for a moment and some for a lifetime because they are just meant to be. I enjoyed the ending to see them all come full circle.

[Reading with 2 book lovers Sarah P - · Rating 5 out of 5]

Please read all trigger warnings before reading this book!
This book was wow, such a different read from these authors, Rafe and Talia i swooned, this story had me captivated from the start, i imersively read this book while listening to the audio, these narrators smashed this story out the park and brought this book and charaters to life. Highly recommended

[Lydia's Bookshelf · Rating 5 out of 5]

I feel like I need a bottle of wine after reading this book. Or maybe tequila. Probably tequila.

HOLY EMOTIONAL ROLLERCOASTER.

The uncertainty of EVERYTHING had me STRESSED. My gosh, there were several times where I literally gasped loudly. The emotions throughout the book had me in a chokehold. And I literally felt like I held my breath the entire time because HOLY ANGST.

I struggled a bit with Thalia and her actions, and let's just say, she stressed me the hell out. But wow, it all wrapped up perfectly.

This book was seriously unlike anything Penelope Ward and Vi Keeland have written, and wow wow wow!

[Rachael · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story consumed me. I couldn't quit turning the pages to see what was going to happen next. It was a beautiful love story that was so heartbreaking and full of raw emotion. Loved Rafe so much!

[Isabella Grace · Rating 4 out of 5]

“𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘀𝗼𝗿𝗿𝘆 𝗳𝗼𝗿? 𝗪𝗮𝘁𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗺𝗲 𝘁𝗼𝘂𝗰𝗵 𝗺𝘆𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗳…𝗼𝗿 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝘁?”


I HAVE ONE QUESTION.

WHY IS THE MAN BLONDE?!

PENELOPE. VI. WE NEED TO DISCUSS YOUR STAFFING DECISIONS.

Because you know I have a preference. A VERY ESTABLISHED PREFERENCE. Dark hair, questionable judgment, and enough romantic confidence to become a public nuisance.

And then you hand me Rafe.

BLOND.

An artist. A talented, emotionally perceptive, infuriatingly compelling artist.

FINE. I’LL MAKE AN EXCEPTION. BUT I WANT IT ON RECORD THAT I WAS BRAVE ABOUT THIS. 😂

Four stars, two peppers, and a story that understands the difference between forbidden and consequence-free.

Meet Talia.

She’s supposed to be starting a wonderful new chapter: a move to Brooklyn, a new job, and a home with her boyfriend, Calder. On paper, it looks like the beginning of their forever.

But she’s also grieving her father and trying to settle into a city that doesn’t yet feel like hers. Calder is busy. The transition is lonely. And sometimes a life can look perfectly right on paper while feeling completely different once you’re living it.

Then there’s one tiny architectural complication.

HER BOYFRIEND’S BEST FRIEND LIVES DOWNSTAIRS.

Rafe creates art by smashing glass and turning the broken pieces into something beautiful.

OH, WE’RE DOING SYMBOLISM NOW? WITH AN ACTUAL HAMMER?

And apparently this man has no idea how inconvenient it is to be interesting.

Their encounters start innocently enough: a conversation near his apartment, another in the laundry room, the kind of connection that makes an ordinary moment feel unexpectedly important.

Then the conversations get longer.

And the reasons to run into each other get increasingly creative.

BABES, THAT IS NOT LAUNDRY DAY. THAT IS AN EMOTIONAL APPOINTMENT DISGUISED AS FABRIC SOFTENER.

What makes this premise so compelling isn’t simply attraction. It’s the feeling of being understood by the very person you know you shouldn’t be turning toward.

Talia and Rafe see parts of each other that don’t always have room to exist in their everyday lives. Their connection grows through conversation, vulnerability, and the slow realization that something has shifted.

And THAT is the dangerous part.

THEY’RE NOT JUST PLAYING WITH FIRE. THEY’RE DISCUSSING THEIR FEELINGS WHILE ACTIVELY STOCKPILING MATCHES.

Let’s be clear: Calder isn’t some technicality the story can wave away so our preferred couple can kiss without guilt.

He’s Talia’s boyfriend. Rafe’s best friend. A real person inside this fictional mess who stands to be hurt by their choices.

And yes, this book deals with cheating. If that’s an absolute no-go in romance for you, know that before picking it up.

For me, the appeal of a taboo storyline isn’t pretending the betrayal doesn’t count. It’s watching the characters confront the reality that their feelings and their actions are not the same thing—and that the consequences don’t disappear just because the chemistry is spectacular.

ATTRACTION IS NOT A GET-OUT-OF-ACCOUNTABILITY-FREE CARD, DARLINGS.

That’s why the guilt and internal conflict mattered. There are impossible-feeling choices here, and the authors let the emotional complications take up space.

Do I want to shake these people occasionally?

WITH BOTH HANDS.

Do I also understand why a romance reader would be unable to look away?

ABSOLUTELY. PASS THE POPCORN AND REMOVE ALL BREAKABLE OBJECTS FROM MY READING AREA.

And the Brooklyn brownstone setting is such a deliciously simple trap. One floor. One staircase. One chance encounter too many.

No elaborate magical curse or secret society pairing ceremony required.

Just proximity, attraction, and people who should probably start using a different laundry schedule.

ONE FLOOR HAS NEVER WORKED SO HARD TO DESTROY EVERYONE’S PEACE.

I also loved the choice to make Rafe an artist working with shattered glass. The imagery fits a romance about the lives we planned, the choices that break them, and the possibility of making something new without pretending nothing was damaged.

See? I’m being thoughtful.

EVEN WHILE FORGIVING HIS HAIR.

Penelope Ward and Vi Keeland are one of those writing duos I will follow straight into whatever emotional catastrophe they have planned next. They know how to balance humor, desire, and heartache without making every character behave like a romance-novel robot.

And here, that messiness is the point.

Not every love story begins at the perfect moment with everyone unattached and emotionally prepared.

But loving the story doesn’t require approving of every decision inside it.

Sometimes I want a sweet, uncomplicated romance.

Other times?

I WANT ANGST SO THICK I COULD SPREAD IT ON TOAST.

This one delivered the tension and emotional conflict I wanted from a forbidden romance, even if it didn’t land in five-star territory for me.

And the two-pepper heat works because the anticipation is doing plenty of heavy lifting long before things become physical.

Those conversations? Those stolen moments? The knowledge that each encounter is making an already difficult situation worse?

THAT’S THE KIND OF SLOW-BUILD TENSION THAT MAKES ME TURN PAGES LIKE THE KINDLE OWES ME MONEY.

FINAL VERDICT:

Four stars and two peppers for a beautifully messy, angsty, emotionally charged romance about forbidden connection and choices that carry a real cost.

Smash takes a seemingly simple setup—woman moves in with boyfriend, falls for the best friend downstairs—and gives it complicated feelings, genuine consequences, and enough longing to make one flight of stairs feel like a terrible idea.

Penelope Ward and Vi Keeland remain an absolute favorite writing duo. Their stories have a way of making me laugh, ache, swoon, and question everyone’s judgment in a single sitting.

Now, Talia and Rafe?

I SUPPORT YOUR RIGHT TO FIND HAPPINESS. I ALSO SUPPORT CALDER’S RIGHT TO BE VERY, VERY UPSET ABOUT THE ROUTE YOU TOOK.

And Rafe, congratulations.

You are officially one of the very few blonde fictional men permitted into my romantic hall of fame.

FOUR STARS. TWO PEPPERS. ONE BROOKLYN BROWNSTONE. AND THE MOST EMOTIONALLY HAZARDOUS TRIP TO THE LAUNDRY ROOM I’VE EVER WITNESSED. 🔨❤️


Tropes: Forbidden Romance • Boyfriend’s Best Friend • Forced Proximity • Neighbors • Emotional Affair • Love Triangle • Slow-Build Attraction • Angst • Complicated Choices

[Donna reads Romance · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Love Story That Shatters You Before It Teaches You How to Breathe Again

Bear with me, because I still have FEELINGS about this one!

Some books entertain you and others leave you questioning your own reactions, arguing with fictional characters, and wondering why you’re emotionally invested in a situation you’d probably tell your best friend to RUN from.

Yep. Smash was THAT audiobook for me!

When Penelope Ward and Vi Keeland ventured into this forbidden romance, I was intrigued but apprehensive. I knew I’d be stepping into morally complicated territory, but I wasn’t prepared to feel so conflicted about it all.

TALIA. GIRL. WE NEED TO TALK.

I cannot tell you how many times I wanted to shake her and ask if she truly understood what she was risking. Calder wasn’t some terrible man she needed to escape. He was loving, devoted and building a future with her. How could she risk all that for a connection she should never have allowed herself to pursue?

I wanted to judge her. I really did.

But the more I listened, the harder it became to dismiss the emotional pull between her and Rafe. And that annoyed me almost as much as it fascinated me! Understanding their connection didn’t mean I approved of their choices, but I couldn’t deny the chemistry had me in a CHOKEHOLD.

AND THEN THERE’S RAFE. OH, GOOD LORD, RAFE.

The man she should never want, the man she should absolutely keep her distance from, and the man who happens to be Calder’s BEST FRIEND.

Of all the people in the world, WHY HIM?

Rafe is a gifted artist who turns shattered glass into something beautiful and I couldn’t help thinking how painfully fitting that was. Here is a man who can create beauty from broken pieces, while the hearts caught in this situation might not be so easy to put back together.

I wanted them to stop. I wanted them to walk away. I wanted someone to make a sensible decision for once.

AND YET, I COULDN’T STOP LISTENING!

That’s what made this story so compelling. It made me question my own reactions and reminded me that understanding someone’s feelings doesn’t mean excusing their choices.

AND CALDER… MY HEART COULD NOT TAKE IT.

His part in this emotional mess hurt in an entirely different way. I kept thinking about the person left behind, the one who believed in the promises, pictured the future and had every reason to think they were building something real.

I couldn’t simply brush aside his pain because another connection was intense. I found myself wishing that London might bring Calder the kind of love he deserves: the kind that chooses him without hesitation, never leaves him questioning his place in someone’s heart and makes him feel just as cherished as he deserves to be.

Because I can be fascinated by one love story and still ache for the person who gets hurt along the way. And honestly, that emotional contradiction is exactly why Smash stayed with me.

THE AUDIOBOOK DESERVES ITS OWN MOMENT!

Andi Arndt, Aiden Snow, and Lee Samuels didn’t simply narrate this story; they made me FEEL it. The longing, guilt, hesitation, tenderness and heartbreak felt so intimate that I struggled to distance myself from what these characters were experiencing.

Their performances made the emotional tension hit even harder and I genuinely believe listening to this story amplified everything I felt.

MY FINAL VERDICT

Penelope Ward and Vi Keeland, I HAVE QUESTIONS. SO MANY QUESTIONS.

I went in expecting forbidden romance. I didn’t expect to spend so much time arguing with myself, wanting to shake Talia, protect Calder and understand Rafe, all while questioning my own moral compass.

I don’t need characters to make perfect decisions to move me. I need to FEEL something, to care enough that their story follows me long after the final words. Smash gave me all of that.

It reminded me that love can be genuine and still cause pain, that understanding isn’t the same as approval and that sometimes the most powerful stories leave us sitting with feelings we can’t neatly explain.

If forbidden romance is your thing and you love scorching chemistry, impossible choices, emotional turmoil and an audiobook that gets right under your skin, add Smash to your must-listen list.

Just don’t expect to come out of it emotionally untouched!

FIVE EMOTIONALLY SHATTERED STARS!

For the forbidden temptation, the scorching chemistry, the impossible choices, the emotional chaos and three narrators who made every feeling hit that much harder.

Penelope Ward and Vi Keeland, YOU ABSOLUTELY WRECKED ME.