Broken Homes And Gardens by Rebecca Kelley

Joanna is sure she has life figured out.  Love and marriage are not for her.  Fifty percent of marriages end in divorce and having lived with a mother who went through an endless succession of men, she is sure that's not for her.  Men are fine, sure, nice to have around, but something serious?  Not for her.

When she meets Malcolm at a party, she is attracted but that's all.  They kiss but he is off the next day for an overseas job that will last two years.  The two write while he is gone, but Joanna meets another man and moves in with him.  She never stops thinking about Malcolm though or writing to him.

When Malcolm returns they settle into a strange relationship.  There is no denying the attraction they have for each other, but Joanna is adamant that they are just friends.  Friends last, lovers don't.  They each drift into and out of relationships but are always in each other's lives.  Will Joanna ever admit to the love she feels for Malcolm?

This debut novel is charming.  It will ring true with many Millenials.  Joanna and Malcolm don't settle for the established norms of life, education then a settled job then marriage and children.  They make their own way in life and that includes living their own definitions of love.  Both characters are well-drawn and endearing even when the reader wants to shake them to make them see how much they mean to each other.  This book is recommended for readers of romance and character studies.