Never Say Never: A Novel

When Miriam's fireman husband, Chauncey, dies in 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. As Chauncey's best friend, Jamal is happy to step in and help Miriam with the funeral and her children, and 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, and they soon find themselves in the middle of a heated affair.

Lost in the fog of grief and lust, neither is even sure if their passionate affair is real. While Jamal is filled with guilt, sure that this new relationship is all about loss, Miriam believes that she is in love. But then, Emily finds out, and Emily and Jamal have to deal with this woman scorned--and her hunger for revenge. In this tangle of love, longing, and loyalty, can any of the relationships survive? Less