Never Say Never: A Novel

In this emotionally charged and inspiring novel about a love triangle, secrets between best friends threaten to blow up friendships and a marriage and change lives forever. When Miriam’s fireman husband, Chauncey, dies while rescuing students from a school fire, Miriam feels like her life is over. How is she going to raise her three children all by herself? How will she survive without the love of her life? Luckily, Miriam’s sister-friend Emily and Emily’s husband, Jamal, are there to comfort her. Jamal and Chauncey grew up together and were best friends; Jamal and Emily know they will do all they can to support Miriam through her grief. Jamal steps in and helps Miriam with the funeral arrangements and with her children, plus he gives her hope that she has a future. But all the time that they spend together—grieving, sharing, and reminiscing—brings the two closer in ways they never planned. . . . Editorial Reviews Publishers Weekly 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.

“Readers, be on the lookout for Victoria Christopher Murray's Never Say Never. You'll definitely need to have a buddy-reader in place for the lengthy discussion that is bound to occur.”

“Never Say Never is a testament to the magnificence of Murray’s storytelling gift! The author creates a surpris­ingly satisfying ending for each of the characters, even when their ‘sin’ seems unforgivable.”

“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.”