To readers craving a happy, “feel-good” sort of romance, this debut novel from Trish Wylie will seem like a breath of fresh air. Though the page count is very short, Wylie manages to paint a rich and surprisingly intricate picture of a relationship between two friends who discover that friendship may not be the only thing they have between them.

After living in the United States for six years, Molly O’Brien recently returned to Ireland. Her closest childhood friend, Ryan Callaghan, had remained in their hometown and the two have roomed together since her return. For a variety of reasons (which I’ll leave the reader to discover), the two decide to pretend that they are dating. Normally this is a setup that comes off feeling contrived, but Wylie has a deft touch and she manages to make this tale feel less stilted than it would have in the hands of a less talented author.

During the course of their charade, Molly and Ryan find themselves working through past issues in their friendship and beginning to acknowledge a deeper attraction to one another. This is where the novel gets to be a really fun read. Wylie moves smoothly back and forth between the present and the past to present a richly textured portrait of Molly, Ryan, and their relationship. At times it is humorous and at times it becomes rather moving.

Though I read a fair amount of category romance, I usually skip the Harlequin Romance line because the very short novels often fail to deliver a truly satisfying story. That is not the case here. Wylie works within the limits of her format to deliver an effective story indeed. I wish there was more of it to enjoy, but I never got the sense that anything crucial was missing here. Additionally, while this novel is definitely straight romance, it has a little bit of a Chick Lit feel about it in places that makes it seem more modern than many category romances.

Were it not for a truly eyeroll-inducing Big Mis buried deep in this tale that makes for a weakened second half of The Bridal Bet, I probably would have nudged the grade a little higher. Still, Wylie’s U.S. debut is a promising one. I enjoyed her characters, writing style, and the sweetness of her story and will definitely be keeping an eye out for her in the future.