Penny

by Krystal Veitch

At twenty-three, it sounds a little ridiculous to say that I’ve spent my entire life being disappointed by men, but that doesn’t make the statement any less true.

Before him, I was perfectly content spending my days baking and running a successful business alongside my two best friends.
I was happy.
Fulfilled.

And then came Beckett.

We agreed to be casual, but from the moment we met, we were anything but.
The thirty-three-year-old tattoo artist made it his mission to learn all my secrets, and I tried not to fall for him. I really did…
But the man won me over, and I thought I was done. That I’d found someone strong enough to break down the walls I’d spent years building.

And then he betrayed me.

He’s a liar, just like the rest of them.
I just wish he understood that a positive pregnancy test doesn’t change a thing, no matter how many pretty words he throws my way…


**While Penny is part of an interconnected standalone series, contains its own HEA, and can be read as a standalone romance, the timeline of each book flows through the series, and so for the best reading experience, Molly should be read first.**

Genres: Second Chance, Second Chance Romance, Contemporary Romance, Surprise Pregnancy, Found Family, Contemporary

346 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 8, 2025

About the author

Krystal Veitch writes swoon-worthy, contemporary
romance with spice that’ll make you squirm in your seat.
She loves creating relatable, flawed characters who work
for their HEA.

She lives in Adelaide, South Australia, with her
husband, two kids and her cat, Cecil.

Being Australian, Krystal uses words like mate and fuck more
than the average person, and in her free time (when she
doesn’t have a child attached to her arm or leg), you will
find her either reading or buying yet another house plant to
add to her collection.

Reviews

[Bev · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not a fan of whiny, bitchy, childish characters that are mean for the sake of it. Penny is all this and more. Beckett was a saint to put up with her.

I was so bored I skimmed just to call it done.

[Viola · Rating 2 out of 5]

I did not like the FMC at all. She was so insufferable and mean. Go to therapy and deal with your issues without using other people as your punching bag. She refused to be in a relationship then made Beckett grovel for nothing and treated him like crap. That man did everything to make her happy short of ripping out his own heart to present to her and most of the time she shit on him for it. He deserved so much better and a happier ending would have been him taking the baby and running because she did not deserve them.

[Irene]

Why is everbody hating the FMC while she has big faults and therapy i still think he cheated will update about how good is the grovel,

Cheating: FMC has big hung-ups about relationships and thinks all men will cheat so she keeps MMC on the down low, big explode when he suddenly says i love you that leads to big big fight, he goes to his tattoo shop to draw&drink ex fiancee Paige shows up he does says get out multiple times but she doesn’t, gives him a hickey and unzips his pants and masturbates watching him while he does not make her stop or leave

I also saw this comment i agree:

but let's not forget he also was loyal to the OW and he did everything to keep her and make her happy until he caught her cheating. He knew that she was a snob bitch, but he still wanted and loved her, he gave up his own shop because of her and you can see that he spoiled her with expensive things even if he was not rich.


Quotes:

I look back at Paige, and I feel nothing other than disgust. And then I realise that feels a hell of a lot better than feeling everything else. So, instead of telling her to leave again, to get out, to show some fucking self-re-spect, I take another swig of my drink, I turn my portable boombox on, hoping like hell the music will drown out the sound of her voice, and I think of the life I'd planned out with a woman who doesn't want any of it. At least not with me.

"You're so dramatic. I didn't ruin your relationship. It's not like I forced you to touch-"
"We both know I didn't lay a fucking finger on you."
"No." She grins. "But you sure enjoyed the show, didn't you?"

“Good! Because while you may not have fucked her, you sure as shit sat there and watched her flick her bean in your face. So, I don’t know why you’re sitting there, looking up at me like I’m the bad guy here. If you’d kicked her out, we wouldn’t be in this position!”
Confused by the statement, I frown. “I told her to leave…”
She rolls her eyes. “You’re literally double her size. You could have made her leave.”
“I tried!”
“Not. Hard. Enough.”
Not hard enough.
Fuck, if that isn’t the truth…
“Please, Love,” I whisper from the cold concrete step. “Just give me a chance.”

[Taylor · Rating 1 out of 5]

oh penny

Penny love, you need to grow up. She’s just moved to my most disliked fmc ever. Beckett is a saint and he deserved so much better, and imo he did nothing wrong. Penny seriously just found any reason to constantly be mad at him for NO REASON AT ALL. God, I was so hyped for this book to finally be out, and I have to say I’m so disappointed this is what I waited for.
Sorry Krystal

[Danny Lea · Rating 2 out of 5]

For some reason Goodreads keeps erasing my reviews. 🤷 I really liked the first book in this series, but this was so bad. I really couldn't stand Penny. I hated her throughout. She was too immature and ridiculous. I'll just leave it at that.

[Bookish.Midnight. and. black · Rating 1 out of 5]

dnf, got bored after the 'huge' betrayal.
also,I hated the h.
I read 'Molly ' twice and loved it but unfortunately, 'Penny' was not for me

[dee☁️]

I still don’t understand why did he let his ex get herself off while he was just standing there watching?😭 even tho he didn’t want to(he said no and told her to get out)but he still stood there doing nothing to stop her???? I’m not even mad I’m just confused ?

[Shelley · Rating 4 out of 5]

I LOVE how Aussie Krystal is! This was a fun read at times with the references to Aussie slang

I bloody love Beck. I really want my own Beckett. Penny was hard to love, but she grew on me.
I was so curious about Penny’s story with the snippets we got from Molly and it didn’t disappoint.
Now bring on Evie and Mack

[Sarah♡books · Rating 4 out of 5]

4/5 ⭐️

liked Molly & Ryans' Story more but this one was also good 🤍
So excited to read about Evie & Mack ! 🤭😍

[Louise · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good

Well I think this book has such a strong heroine that she maybe bordering on stubborn , she has her reasons but goodness, (but a little too much for me) this hero gives good grovel.(even though really he shouldn’t of had to) Angst, flawed characters, I enjoyed it.

[VoraciousReader · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pregnancy hormones or not, I don’t believe that Penny would have been turned on by Beckett watching her with her v!brator after his betrayal with Paige. This scene ruined the book for me. 🤮

[Jess · Rating 2 out of 5]

Penny was so, so immature. She constantly punished Beckett for her father’s mistakes. Beckett put up with a lot from her. And honestly she was immature to literally everyone.

[Bumble Bee · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book should come with a warning, something like "Don't read this book while hormonal or have an emo day" etc ect.
Because it made me cry so bad!

Now can I blame the tears on my monthly visitor? Yeah, maybe. But honestly there were some scenes in Penny (mainly the last 80%) that just touched home and were so full of love, that they made me sob like a complete lunatic.
And I am good with this ❤️

Now Penny herself as the FMC made me want to reach into the book and give her a good set down. She had moments of being so freakin annoying, that I just wanted to slap her upside her head.
I understand why she was so pissed at Beckett (MMC) like I do. But she just wouldn't let it drop and took it way too far. She became more likeable towards the end of the book, so that redeemed her slightly in my mind. But I feel she's going to be a character you either love or hate 😬

Now Beckett was a dream boat (outdated saying? Not for him it ain't) he was just so sweet, loving and pure yum! Yeah, he did a dick thing at the beginning, but he made up for it and then some.
Plus he had to put up with Penny being a class A butt hole. And he still loved her endlessly 😍

The spice was about a 2.5 for me and I loved Beckett's dirty talking during the jiggetey jig. So that pleased me greatly ❤️

So, would I recommend this book?
Yeah, I would. I went through it in one a
day and I kept coming back to it whenever I could, as I needed to know what happened.

I loved the writing, I loved Beck and I loved the banter and humour.
It only lost a star, as Penny was so darn annoying 😅

Bring on the next book!! 🥰

[Callie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was in the mood for a grovel book and this pretty much delivered.

Penny and Beckett are dating but she wants to keep it under the radar. Their friends are dating and she has issues from her cheating dad, etc. and kind of freaks out and says she needs a break.

Beckett then gets super drunk, his ex shows up, sucks on his neck and then masturbates in front of him?? He’s super drunk and in his pov you know he’s not emotionally or physically into her, but obviously this is not ok and of course Penny comes in and assumes the worst.

The rest is basically Penny finding out she’s pregnant and Beckett doing his best to win back her love and trust.

Beckett was basically perfect besides that one moment, but I’m not sure how I felt about it. I know some people would probably be exasperated with Penny’s character, but she had major trust issues and I liked her resolve to not be with him, and then finally slowly build their relationship back up.

There’s not a whole lot going on plot wise, but I enjoyed the characters and the friendships, and thought it was a good book to read in an afternoon!

[Ditchwater Sal · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wanted to like this so much more than I did. I love a grovel, and I rarely side with the MMC, but Penny…sheesh. I didn’t hate her as much as other readers seem to, but she was TOUGH to like. And the narrative wants us to forgive her behavior because her dad cheated on her mom…and then it’s casually dropped in that Beckett’s mom cheated on his dad and walked out on them, so…your trauma ain’t special, boo.

And this is such a minor side plot, but Penny was so evil to the woman who they hired to cover for her at her bakery. It was set up to be totally understandable, she’s pregnant and hormonal and scared of being replaced, but then I expected them to have a moment and reconcile and Penny to get over herself and apologize for being such a raging bitch…but she didn’t. Even months later, she just barely begrudgingly tolerates her, even though Sophie has been nothing but wonderful and kind, baking her lactation cookies and kissing her ass. Again, a minor plot point, but very representative of why Penny is a really difficult character to connect with.

[Aria Maze · Rating 5 out of 5]

My heart!!!

I knew Penny would be a tough woman. Hard shell. High walls. But my goodness I loved her. Beckett seemed to be a bit of a softie in book one, quick to smile or tell a joke. His betrayal hurt, but his grovel was perfect.

Krystal writes a very sweet but heart wrenching book. I’m SO excited for Evie!

[I’m a Paula too… Thompson · Rating 3 out of 5]

That OW was a total female dog…

Penny is the FL and Beckett is the ML. I like Beck. He’s a gentle giant kind of guy, and he fell for Penny hard. Penny is an awful person. Her character, as written, is somewhat difficult to explain. She’s not feminine or womanly. She’s not masculine but she’s just… strange. Hostile. Everything is a battle with her. She holds a grudge too.

The wannabe OW was his fiancee. She cheated… and now she’s come back because she got dumped. And she’s even worse than Penny.

If I were Beck, I’d have left long ago. Both of these women are toxic.

The writing is pretty good but those characters took it down to two stars. The writing brought it up to three…

KU read, not a keeper.

[Beeg Panda]

Lost interest while waiting for the book to come out 🤷‍♀️ A case of too little, too late, I suppose.

[Lady Lauren Explorer · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found the book to be slow, and I had such high hopes for it and was kind of with how the story progressed.

It wasn’t bad, but it didn’t let a fire in me and I wasn’t interested in reading it at a later time so I pushed through it just to get it over with.

It was OK, but not a reread, unlike the first book!

[Melina Torres · Rating 3 out of 5]

alright

Penny was insufferable like I get it she’s the “grumpy who’s been hurt” but I had to put the book down multiple times because of her behavior. I honestly felt like Beckett deserved better

[Cc2000 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Started off great but just fizzled about 40% She was just too immature and it never got better

[Irene Kiew · Rating 1 out of 5]

Penny is so exhausting. She kept blaming Beckett for "choosing the other woman over her" when she was the one who kept pushing him away. He took all the blame for messing up, and she let him, never once taking responsibility for her own actions.

She needs therapy to get over her childhood trauma. No way am I believing in a HEA for Beckett if Penny doesn't get therapy. He gives and gives and she takes whatever she wants but throws away the rest. She won't give him a break.

Sure, he did mess up by not throwing Paige out when she showed up at his shop, but he didn't touch her nor allow her to touch him, and he told Penny that he was heartbroken and wasted at the time since they'd just had a huge fight and she'd thrown him out -- he said he thought they were over -- so Penny holding a grudge is just being petty. Beckett blames himself for "not fighting hard enough to stay with her" and that is pretty ridiculous, considering how closed off Penny is.

She didn't even want to tell her two best friends they were together! She was treating him like some kind of shameful secret, or a stud service on demand. I feel that throughout the relationship Beckett put in so much effort for her but she didn't care about his feelings at all. I don't even know what he saw in her; he should have dumped her. She wasn't worthy of him, he needed someone who would appreciate him much more.

[Smiler The Avid Reader · Rating 4 out of 5]

Penny could be seen as an acquired taste.

Possible spoilers!!

It’s tough for authors as readers want a perfect fmc that fit into a box. They want also want a perfect man and if he betrays her they want him to grovel enough…..but even if the fmc is even as little bit bitter, b itchy or has stubborn streak and is fiercely independent then the tables turn.
For me Penny wasn’t a perfect person and that was ok. Beckett fell at the first hurdle and truly hurt her. Penny needed someone to want her warts and all….she made a huge step forward after realising her monumental mistake in pushing him away, but then felt blindsided and hurt by his actions, especially as it was only 14 hours later. Imagine being Penny with her upbringing and all the fear she felt (which he knew about) to then being proved completely correct about why she’d held herself back in the first place. The timing for me made it a form of cheating…..some may say it wasn’t as she walked away…..but it was all about the timing. if it had been a week later and Penny was still ignoring him and he had done it then, I wouldn’t class it as cheating as such, but because the dust hadn’t even settled yet that what’s makes it a huge betrayal. Plus he told her he loved her. Penny reacted with fear and she needed to take a minute. She had her realisation quickly and in that time that’s all it took for him to majorly cross a line.

It funny how readers love a grumpy mmc, but as soon as it’s a woman it’s seen as a flaw. What endeared me to Penny was that she WAS self aware, she wasn’t like a toddler stamping her feet, more so in that she was continuing to protect herself. She was more than self aware that she could be a little temprimental at times and was called herself out on it more than once. If Penny wasn’t as self aware I wouldn’t have liked her so much, but her knowing herself and then needing someone that could ‘handle’ her made me like her for Bennett and vice versa.
Looking forward to future stories!

[Leslie · Rating 1 out of 5]

Nope.

No amount of trauma has someone being this childish. Beckett, hell he should have been with Evie. I can’t finish this for how childish Penny is. I cannot stand this character. I’ll just skip it and not buy it. She’s too much like Rachel from friends and I can’t stand her. Beckett needs someone more mature.

[Bree · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was still having a book hangover with "Molly", so despite being a bit hesitant, I moved on to this. I didn't like Penny from the first book despite her being a loyal and good friend to Molly. She was belligerent, confrontational and disagreeable for my taste. Despite his being grumpy from the first book, I was intrigued by Beckett.

I enjoyed the book "Molly", mostly because of the easy flowing writing style, OW trope and Ryan the hero. Their relationship was fleshed out and I enjoyed the dynamics presented there. Story was more centered in their romance. Ryan had lots of POVs. Molly, despite being stubborn, a runner and distrustful, wasn't such an infuriatingly annoying heroine as Penny. In short, the first book was a lot more interesting and engaging.

In this book, main couple's relationship started out just like that. More of a hook up than a date. Next page, they were already together but not really together. Development of relationship was described in a more tell than show way. Following scenes the "drama" then pfft. Dragging scenes all the way. I didn't feel the romance nor connection throughout the book between these two, despite their so called love for each other.

What was frustrating about this book for me, unlike in "Molly", here Beckett's POV was so scarce. I'm into dual POVs. Here, I had to read a lot of Penny's whining in her POVs, which disappointingly dominated this book.

Sorry. I didn't connect with this one. It dragged. It was a chore to finish. I had to stop once in a while. Some unnecessary scenes and useless conversations. A product reference that was a bit more than necessary, which felt more like an endorsement. Interesting first few chapters then nothing, but the exasperating heroine's inner monologues.

I also didn't get it why the heroes of these two books, put up with so much stress and pains from their heroines. Regardless if they were so in love with these women. Well fiction😛. These women would make a big deal out of solvable issues. If only they'd listen and communicate. These issues weren't even heroes' faults. Beckett's a bit. Heroes wouldn't really explain themselves in detail.They'd just blame themselves, admit they messed up then grovel.

Don't get me wrong. I loved this author's heroes. Big gentle giants, but her heroines were tiring in the two books. Good thing the first had some good themes. Heroines were stubborn just to create drama, making mountains out of molehills. Things got repetitive and vexing. Dragging and irksome. I felt these things here

I'll give it to the author though. Her heroine is human just like us, not just a romantic figure. Penny represents a flawed character who recognizes her strengths and weaknesses. In real life, her character exists in many human forms. I understand if authors try to recreate real life scenes, real life hurdles in life and relationships in their stories. Human flaws and frailties. The thing is, I have enough of them to last me a lifetime😛. I read fiction as a form of entertainment and escape. As for romance characters, I'd still wish for figures I'd go for, regardless if idealized, for a more enjoyable reading. This is a romance novel after all, despite other themes present. Besides pregnancy/baby tropes aren't really my thing in romances. I have my own kids already😛.

I'm sorry I didn't enjoy this one. Beckett was wasted on a heroine like Penny. While I like independent strong heroines, a bit feisty, who give as good as they get, most of all not doormats, anything that's too much regardless of their issues, isn't good anymore. Besides, maturity isn't based on age alone. Their being young, wasn't an excuse.

[Nicole · Rating 5 out of 5]

I recently read Penny and was struck by how Krystal Veitch seamlessly blends emotional depth, romance, and contemporary life challenges into a compelling story. Penny, a twenty-three-year-old entrepreneur running a successful baking business, has spent her life managing disappointment in love. Her journey is relatable to many readers navigating adulthood, independence, and trust. When Beckett, a thirty-three-year-old tattoo artist, enters her life, Veitch creates a slow-burning, emotionally charged romance filled with tension, vulnerability, and real-life stakes.

This novel excels in several key areas:

Character Development: Penny is independent, strong, yet vulnerable, making her immediately relatable. Beckett’s layered personality protective, passionate, and flawed creates a dynamic romance full of authentic tension.

Story Depth: The narrative explores betrayal, second chances, and the challenges of unexpected pregnancy, making the story emotionally resonant and highly engaging.

Standalone & Series Flexibility: While part of an interconnected series, Penny can be read alone, offering a complete and satisfying HEA while encouraging readers to explore the wider series for richer context.

Marketable Themes: Second-chance romance, contemporary love, family dynamics, and surprise pregnancy are widely appealing to modern romance audiences.

Narrative Style: Veitch writes with clarity, heart, and humor, balancing dramatic tension with tender, relatable moments.

Market Potential:

Readers who enjoy contemporary romance with emotional stakes and strong character arcs.

Potential for Goodreads, Instagram, TikTok, and BookBub campaigns targeting contemporary romance readers and book club communities.

Opportunities for review and media outreach through romance blogs, podcasts, and influencer campaigns.

a heartfelt, modern romance that explores love, trust, and personal growth with charm and emotional resonance.

[Christine · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cheating = gray area...H and h have a fight, H gets drunk and his ex girlfriend (OW) tries to hit up on him. H continually rejects her and pushes her off, but she proceeds to give him a show in which he watches for a bit but no other participation. h was in the building and overhears the OW giving herself pleasure and the H talking to OW. h believes H cheated after argument. Later, h watches the surveillance video of it all and while it corroborates everything the H told her, she still sees him watching the OW diddling herself. h correctly points out to the H, he could have tried harder to not have the situation occur and to stop it when it started. So, cheating? Gray area...

F-preg = h finds out that she is pregnant which is the set up for the eventual reconciliation between the h and H (not that h doesn't make the H work for it)

h sees H with OW = see above, h sees them walk out after the incident. 2nd time was when h went to tell H she was pregnant and OW was at H's house rubbing up on H again.

OW drama = OW had the several incidents mentioned but really she just fades into the background, so no real comeuppance.

Grovel = h and H both need to work through numerous issues and problems (communication issues, trust, commitment, etc.) H was always all in, but still made mistakes. H made up for them but the h had to really work on overcoming her issues.

Good book and it ended with allusion to future books and who they will center around.

[☆Laura☆]

Lo que hizo Becket, yo lo considero una infidelidad, aunque él quiera hacerlo ver como que no fue así. Después de que Penny escuchó lo que hizo con su ex, decidió salir, divertirse y conocer a otros hombres. Se besó con uno, y cuando Becket lo vio, se puso como loco. Según él, ya habían terminado. ¿Entonces, si ya no estaban juntos, por qué no dejó que ella también se divirtiera con alguien más? ¡Total, ya no eran pareja, ¿no?!

Disfruté ver cómo se arrastró, cómo sufrió durante semanas. Y aun así, creo que le faltó más, todo por culpa de Molly y Evie por hacer que Penny pensara que ella tenía parte de culpa en la infidelidad. Si ellas se hubieran quedado calladas, Penny lo habría hecho sufrir aún más.
Después de que regresan, él la trata como una reina y no vuelve a cometer estupideces.


La infidelidad:
Lo que pasó con la ex fue que él estaba muy triste porque creía que Penny lo había dejado. Justo entonces, Paige (la ex) apareció en su casa buscando una segunda oportunidad. Él le dijo que no, pero no con mucha convicción. La dejó entrar, se emborrachó, permitió que lo tocara y que le hiciera un chupetón en el cuello. Cuando se dio cuenta de lo que estaba haciendo, la apartó de su regazo. Pero ella se sentó frente a él y comenzó a masturbarse, y él simplemente se quedó mirando. Recién entonces volvió a reaccionar, la sacó de la habitación… y se encontró con Penny, que estaba afuera escuchándolo todo.

[DiDi · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed but it was dragged out way too long. Penny was a tortured soul who was terrified of falling in love because of her childhood. She thought all men will eventually cheat. She becomes involved with the H but won’t define them even though they are together every night. They have a blown out fight as the H wants them to be together fully and expresses his feelings. She feels bad about their fight and goes to tell him she loves him at his tattoo studio only to overhear him getting busy with OW who turns out to be his toxic ex. So fairly early on we find out that he never had sex with OW he stayed while the OW got herself off while he watched. He was pretty drunk. Was it wrong that he just did not toss her out? Yes but he did not physically cheat or even emotionally he was just numb. He was all in with Penny and went after her to win her she was it for him. Penny also ends up being pregnant. So honestly Penny was a nightmare she had trauma got it but the way she acted and dragging it out the repetition of her comments was overdone. This should have been a novelette not full blown novel. The reconciliation was way too drawn out. There should have been more adult dialogue and real conversations. I did believe in the HEA and the H was great. That is why rounding 3.5 stars up.

[meka · Rating 5 out of 5]

Holy moly did this validate me. The way that Penny acts is honestly kinda relatable. Beckett is the ultimate book boyfriend, there I said it!! He never makes Penny feel like she’s too much. Every irrational thought she has, he finds a solution. Every time she doubts herself or his love, he reminds her tenfold. He’s patient and such a gentle giant.

The plot is so real. Krystal has a beautiful way of writing books that are perfectly imperfect. Characters with flaws. Raw and real without the illusion that everything’s always sunshine and daisies. Miscommunication and healing are part of life and that’s totally okay.

Do yourself a favour and READ. THIS. BOOK!! (Pls check tw’s though cause I know it may not be for everyone). This is for all the girls who think they’re not enough. This is for all the girls who think they’re too much. This is for the girls who think they’ll never find love. Or are too loud. Or are too independent. I hope you all find your Beckett ♡

(Thank you Krystal for giving us this gem, you’ve crushed this lovely xx)