Never Say Never

A grieving widow finds solace in the arms of her best friend’s husband in a heart-wrenching tale of a brief but damaging affair. Miriam can’t imagine life without her husband, Chauncey, and his death in a fire leaves a gaping hole in her life. Despite her closeness with her two best friends, Michellelee and Emily, and her love for her three sons, the only person she is able to connect with in her grief is Emily’s husband Jamal, who loved Chauncey as though they’d been brothers. Jamal, wracked with guilt over surviving the fire that killed his best friend, feels freedom from grief in Miriam’s arms. Their affair could ruin Jamal and Emily’s marriage. Murray creates a believable scenario of two people who never wanted to hurt their friends—they just wanted to stop hurting. With extremely well-drawn characters, the story offers neither blame nor excuses, keenly depicting the heartbreaks caused by both death and betrayal. Faith is a central part of the characters’ lives, but there’s no heavy-handed Christian message here. Agent: Liza Dawson, Liza Dawson Associates Literary Agency. (June 4)