Detached woman works for family, brother commits suicide, but a happy ending.

This is a novel I read probably 10 years ago.

I'm pretty sure it was written by a popular author, not an obscure one.

A young woman goes to work for a family. She wants to be the handyman, not a maid/housekeeper. The matriarch is a widow with two sons.

This handyman/woman is detached from others but has decided to say Yes if anyone asks her out. One of the brothers does ask her out, and he falls in love with her. Unfortunately he's heartbroken when she goes out with his brother, not understanding her emotional detachment. He eventually commits suicide.

She leaves the family. Later, the widow is in failing health and will only accept the young woman as her companion and helper. They track her down and convince her to return.

I believe this story ends happily, with the woman finally part of the family, married, keeping house.

Thanks for your help!

This sounds a bit like The clock winder by Anne Tyler, but it was some years ago that I read it so could be remembering the details wrong. The female protagonist definitely works as the handywoman for a family and becomes involved in their lives.

I think this is it!!!!!! Thank you so much!!!!

Sakerfalcon, I just read the first chapter and this is definitely it. I have been searching for this book for a long, long time, going over the story in my mind, reliving the moment that I decided to get rid of the book in order to reduce clutter...but not able to remember the look or the cover or the title or the author. The title still doesn't sound familiar, but this is definitely it. Thank you again.

So glad I could help! I hope the book is as good as you remembered.