2.75 ☆

ARC Review

Thank you Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This one hurts me. I LOVE Abby Jimenez and her books, but unfortunately this one just didn’t land for me, and I need to remind myself that that is okay. It started off stronger, but it kind of lost me along the way. The beginning had me in. I’m not usually one for insta love, but their first date had all my emotions running rampant. Their banter and energy was just top tier and had me laughing so much. I think it was when Samantha’s move from Minnesota to California started to lose me. It just took a turn I wasn’t anticipating and with the premise of this book not only being insta-love but also long distance it just made for a unique plotline I found hard to follow.

Samantha meets Xavier when she finds a stray kitten and takes her to the vet to get checked and he’s the doctor on hand. Upon their first gaze, it was instant attraction. When he denies surgical care because he believes the kitten is too far gone, Samantha takes it upon herself to prove him wrong. She started an online fundraiser that goes viral and enables her to have the funds to give the kitten (Pooter) care. Xavier realizing his mistake, donates a hefty sum of money. After Pooter’s surgery, she takes him back to the vet, Xavier apologizes, they banter, and he asks her out on a date. They have an unforgettable night, but when Xavier offers to stops by her apartment on the way to the airport, it is then he realizes she’s not taking a trip, but rather realizes she’s moving from Minnesota to California.

So much was happening in the pacing of their relationship. Nearly every chapter was a time jump and the progression of their relationship all happened between a couple phone calls a week and maybe a monthly visit. It was just hard to follow and find authentic because the flow felt off.

The pop culture references were at an all time high and it just wasn’t for me. Don’t get me wrong, I love Abby Jimenez wit and ability to craft stories that blur the line of fiction and real life, I get a few references but it was every other page. The writing felt so forced in terms of trying to be relevant that I fear this book won’t age seamlessly.

In terms of themes, this book was VERY heavy. Diving into dementia, childhood trauma and abuse, narcissistic behaviors, familial issues…there was a lot to be explored and talked about. Having family members who’ve had dementia along with other progressive and degenerative diseases, I know just how all encompassing and challenging it is to navigate. I know first hand the way it rips families apart and amplifies loneliness, depression, etc. There were just a few moments in this book that left me uncomfortable. Whether that’s from my first hand experiences and the emotions I am still working through resurfacing, or just the way it was handled amongst characters in the book, I can’t exactly pinpoint what made me feel off, but I just did (I already have enough in my plate and go to therapy so I’m not in the mood to psychoanalyze myself rn😭).

My hopes were much higher for this book, but this one just didn’t land well for me. Still love Abby and her work, and I look forward to see what she has in store for the future. Once again, thank you for the opportunity to read this book as an ARC.

Readers who are already familiar with Jimenez's work will happily find a lot of what they expect in her newest novel: characters they'll instantly fall in love with, a handful of well-placed spicy scenes, a robust supporting cast, and, of course, a happily ever after. Familiar readers will also know that Jimenez does not shy away from life's difficulties. I loved this story, I loved these characters - I am so glad to have met them and been along for the ride as their story unfolded. However, having said that, this book is sad! For much of the story it feels absolutely impossible to imagine how Xavier and Samantha will ever arrive at a satisfying conclusion.

An author's note at the beginning of the novel offers trigger warnings for the things readers may find difficult - and there are several. The most poignant being the advanced dementia of Samantha's 54 year old mother. Say You'll Remember Me is a real testament to savoring joy and loving the people around you, even when your world is falling apart. Perhaps that makes it the perfect read for this moment.

I struggle to rate this because I did not like the first half, but loved the second half. This book explores grief, dementia, long distance relationships, familial responsibilities, and much more.

In the beginning, I found myself getting annoyed at the multiple rhysand (from acotar) and pop culture references as well as the constant “forget about me”, “don’t ever think about me again”, “let’s forget we ever met” discussions. But as the book progressed, I was fully invested in the romantic relationship and the plot. At this point, both the story and characters gained significant development and depth, which I really appreciated (I literally couldn’t stop crying).

Long story short, this was cute and funny and had abby’s signature charm, but definitely isn’t my favorite from her.

Say You'll Remember Me is a love story for the ages.

How can anyone forget the first time that Xavier set eyes on Samantha? I mean, I definitely won't! And neither did Xavier. Their meeting rockets them through a romance, starting with an unforgettable first date that lasts hours with neither party wanting it to end. They try to forget one another, but there is an unexplainable force, pulling them together even when they are thousands of miles apart. It's a spark that ignites one of my favorite love story's to date.

I struggled with the Rhys comment, especially because it reminded me of the last season of Love is Blind when one cast member mentioned they looked like Megan Fox ... it's the same kind of energy. I would have liked to imagine Xavier in my own way and not another bookish character. Additionally, even though there was a content warning regarding the animal abuse/harm, it was still EXTREMELY difficult due to the level of detail that I was just not expecting. Because of this topic, it was difficult to fully be emotionally invested in this story, and due to this wariness, I did not feel the full weight of emotions for the main characters. It would have been a perfect 5 star read if I had cried like I have cried for all the books in the Part of Your World series.

Even so, I still very much enjoyed this love story with highly memorable mcs and pets!

CWs: mentions of animal abuse/harm, childhood abuse, loss of a family member, dementia + role of caretaker, allegations of cheating partner

I laughed, I swooned, and I never wanted this book to end! 😭💖

Say You’ll Remember Me by Abby Jimenez is out today, and I loved every second of it. Samantha and Xavier’s chemistry? Perfection. Their banter? Had me laughing out loud. This was such an easy, heartwarming read, and I already miss these characters.

If you love romance with humor, depth, and all the feels, this one’s for you!

this was so messy and SAD!!!!!!

samantha and xavier have a whirlwind date the night before samantha moves back home to help take care of her mom with dementia. what sets them on a path of a tortured long distance relationship.

in true abby fashion, this was emotional af. I didn’t find very many happy moments between them given their circumstances. but xavier was such a steady person for samantha. he took such gentle care of her and I loved him for that. he also delivered some major swoon. the love confession was so tender!!!

🎧 christine lakin and matt lanter did a phenomenal job. AND IT’S IN DUET!!! I think this is matt’s first romance audiobook and he was the perfect xavier.

thank you so much to forever publishing and libro fm for the gifted copies!

what to expect
⟢ insta love
⟢ long distance relationship
⟢ cinnamon roll mmc
⟢ difficult family dynamics

Thanks so much to Forever for the gifted copy of this book!

A true Abby Jimenez story - lots of sad, emotional plot with an adorable romance where everything magically works out. I loved the vet / animal plot line and how in love our MCs were from the start. They were meant for each other, given his backstory with his family and her more closeknit family. I loved that dynamic. Abby adds in some quirky and fun elements to make this unique, too -- a cat with no bumhole, marketing for a mustard company, getting locked in an escape room -- I love how she keeps it fresh!

Wow wow wow!!! This book had me laughing one moment and crying the next. Absolutely love Abby Jimenez. This was definitely my favorite book by her so far!



Meet cute
Grumpy x Sunshine
Complicated family dynamics
Romcom

Thank you Netgalley for the eARC.

This book beautifully blends humor, romance, and real-life struggles. The chemistry between Samantha and Xavier is undeniable, and their quirky meet-cute with a kitten sets the tone for a heartfelt story. I connected with how Jimenez tackled heavy themes, like Samantha’s mother’s dementia. The emotional depth and humor made it such a rewarding read. While there were moments of sadness, the overall message about love, family, and the importance of communication resonated with me. Once again, Jimenez delivered a story filled with relatable characters and moments that tugged at my heartstrings. Recommended.

Another delightful new release with relatable tough topics of life from Abby Jimenez. Say You’ll Remember Me strikes the right cord between steamy romance and heartfelt family drama. Add in lovable animals, a long distance romance, serious family problems and funny side characters and I was hooked. I cried, I laughed and I loved it. I went into it expecting a light read and ended up with so much more. I will be recommending this title as a perfect read this summer.

Thanks to NetGalley and Forever for the advanced readers' copy.

I think this was something a little different than what she has wrote in the past. Yes she always has emotion in her books and tough topics and this novel went even farther. This one was a great read if you are looking for a general fiction book I would not put it in the romance section. Yes it did have romance and longing and love but it was more about how life is hard. Life can knock you down but this is a story of how to keep fighting.
Abby Jimenez did create yet another quote that will live in every reader's mind forever "someone to witness". That quote alone is one for the best that I have read.
Her use of short chapters with jumping timelines keeps readers focused and guessing what will happen next.
I cannot see what the st of this friend group will go!

(4⭐️) okay I loved this up until about 80% through 😭 spoilers below 👇🏼

I can relate a ton to our fmc and mmc! so this had me gripped from the beginning. I teared up so many times, I lost count. I just wanted our main characters to be together and it seemed like everything that could go wrong, went wrong!!! and eventually I was pretty over it, I was like UGH WHY 😂 they’re SOULMATES, but the cost was so big that it felt impossible!! then the ending felt a bit rushed, like I was all for them finally getting a HEA but after all they’d been through I was just like DANG, the sad moments way outnumbered the happy ones. and it’s the sad ones I’ll be lingering on and taking with me. so, if you’re in the mood for a fluffy, cutie romance don’t pick this one up 🙃 it’s one of those romance books that really hurt and I know that’s what abby does best, but I just think at times it might’ve been too much?? or could be bc I could directly relate to a lot of aspects in this book. idk, we’ll see how I feel in the coming days / weeks!!

⚠️ SPOILERS ⚠️👇🏼
dementia runs in my family (my grandma struggled with it for years and was in a memory care facility the last years of her life) so when I found out our fmc’s mom was diagnosed with this I knew it was going to hit hard. PLUS my husband and I did the long distance relationship thing for over a year so that also had me in my ~feels~ 😫 the thoughts they had, have been my exact thoughts and again hit so close to home 😮‍💨

in the end, I love xavier and samantha so much. they deserved their HEA ❤️‍🩹

REVIEW: Say You’ll Remember Me by Abby Jimenez

Abby Jimenez is one of those authors whose books I know I will enjoy no matter what. Now, there are some I like more than others, but I know I will have a good read overall. I was so excited to see another new release from her with Say You’ll Remember Me.

Say You’ll Remember Me follows Xavier and Samantha through their budding long-distance relationship. Xavier is a vet with a dark childhood who isn’t in contact with his family. Samantha is a puny mustard social media promoter who decides to move home to California to help care for her mother with dementia. This book is heavier than most of Abby’s other books. A lot of the book is very emotional and has some serious topics. Say You’ll Remember Me gives a lot of insight into family caregiving for their family member, in this case, dementia. She does a great job showing the harsh realities of burnout and how difficult it can be.

I really enjoyed both the main characters. Xavier was quieter and sweeter, whereas Samantha was louder and out there. They were a great example of opposites attract that balance each other out. Even with a long-distance relationship, their chemistry was great together. I especially loved their playful banter and those sweet romantic moments.

A lot of Say You’ll Remember Me felt more like contemporary or women’s fiction versus a romance. It would feel more like a romance if more focus were on Xavier and Samantha’s growing relationship. It is hard to develop a romantic relationship when most of the book is in different states.

Overall, I enjoyed Say You’ll Remember Me. For a 400-page book, I flew through it so fast and just wanted to keep reading. Abby Jimennez does it again!

Thank you, Forever (Grand Central Publishing) | Forever and Netgalley, for the free advanced copy for my honest review!

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This book has some of the Abby Jimenez's classic sensibilities with the cast of characters really taking the story to another level and with a male main character that is angel walking on earth. I personally found this one to be incredibly heavy at times more so than her previous works and it was a tricky balance with the long distance relationship. I got to a point where I was like I know this will have an HEA but I need it now in order not to just feel PAINNN you know? Overall Jimenez is still in the top league of romance writers for me but this one wasn't my personal favorite.

This was not what I was expecting. Even with the warnings at the beginning, I wasn't prepared for the level of sadness I felt throughout the book. There were moments of light, but overall it was a really heavy read. Sam meets Xavier right before she moves back to California to help with her mom. They have the perfect date and then the next morning she is on a plane 2000 miles away.
Sam tells Xavier to forget her, they can't work out long term because they live on opposite sides of the country, but neither of them can forget that night. They can't forget the fact that in the span of 12 hours they had found their person and this book was the journey of them trying their hardest to get together and make it forever.
There were SO many things in the way of these characters HEA. I felt like.. one thing after another kept happening and I was sitting there thinking.. when will this end? What else could go wrong? Then something else would happen and I would feel even more sad for them.
I loved every single one of the characters in this story though and my heart was left with them. They all needed hugs and I thought this was one of the most raw books I have read by Abby. Some have touched my heart but this one buried itself deep. I wouldn't call it a rom com. There were elements that were funny, but mostly it was a family drama with an amazing book boyfriend who would stop at nothing for the love of his life.
Thanks to Forever, Netgalley and Abby for an early copy.

First off, this book is heavyyyy on grief, so much life struggles, loss, etc. Check CW before and just know it’s a rough ride. I’ve read everything by this author and this isn’t a favorite for me, it’s kinda mid for me. Yours Truly is still top tier (not that it matters to compare the author’s own books against each other, but more of a note for if you finished this book and felt the same as me and haven’t read Yours Truly yet, go read it).

This author straddles that contemporary romance and women’s fiction line a lot anyways, but this one definitely felt more women’s fiction than others. The romance is very insta love with the hero falling immediately and by date 1 they’re locked in and ready for a long distance relationship (she moves back home to California to help with her mother who has dementia, while he lives in Wisconsin). I mean, you’ll definitely root for the character’s to get their HEAs but it’s almost because of all the trauma and loss and life they’re going through. Sooo idk. He’s very sweet and swoony, almost too perfect if that’s a thing lol and he’s constantly talked about how he gives Rhysand vibes from ACOTAR series which was just odd in how much it happened. That and some of the other humor in the book just weren’t my vibe. She’s going through a lot and it really didn’t feel like there was much else to her character besides the things she’s going through. Her family dynamics are complex and a lot.

I don’t know, it was just fine. If you want women’s fiction with grief, real struggggggles, and family drama, I guess read this one. Not a favorite for me by this author though. I received an ARC/ALC, all thoughts in this review are my own.

CW: grief, parent with dementia, death of family member, abusive parents, narcissistic family, animal abuse, financial stress, cheating (side character)

Incredibly painful for me to say this was not the book I expected it to be and it wasn't a wonderful surprise either. The book immediately sets the stage referring to the mmc as a Rhysand lookalike. Nearly everyone, their mother and family member, makes the same comment about this man looking like Rhysand. For some reason, everyone unrelated to each other have all read ACOTAR. That was off-putting and took me out of the story almost immediately, but I persevered. The main characters have a lot of forced chemistry. Abby Jimenez has great skill in writing characters that have rough beginnings or have to work hard to make their relationships work. In this book, it felt like there was nothing to really propel the relationship building or convince me why they really were all that interested in each other. To top it all off, there was some racially insensitive language and references made about a side character that was egregious and felt out of touch and unnecessary. I believe Forever Publishing has taken reader feedback and amended that section. However, it left a bad taste in my mouth and makes me more apprehensive about picking up from work from this author.

Abby doesn't know how to disappoint when it comes to romance filled with heart and emotion. I kept rooting for Samantha and Xavier. They are proof that love knows no distance. As individuals, they have their own baggages they're dealing with, and they were able to find comfort and support with each other. Xavier witnessed first hand Samantha's (and her family's) life as caregivers to her mother with dementia. That didn't sway him away from her, and even offers a helping hand to them when needed. He also takes care of Samantha is many ways. Now, if he'd only take care of himself as well...I mean, this man will literally work himself to death just to be with Samantha. Samantha, on her part, is there for Xavier when his abusive family decided to resurface. Samantha gave him the love that he deserves, one that he didn't get from his own family.

Honestly, these two deserve all the happiness in the world. I just wanted them to be together! They're so smitten, so in love, that tough circumstances will not stop them. I wasn't sure where their love story was headed because of all the challenges, but I was satisfied with the way it wrapped up.

>>> Long-distance relationship
>>> A date to remember
>>> Longing and pining
>>> Life as a caregiver to a family member
>>> Dementia
>>> Mentions of abuse
>>> Pet sidekicks

Abby Jimenez has done it once again! I could not put this book down! I laughed, I cried... maybe cried some more afterwards... Gosh she just knows how to write an AMAZING book!

oh my heart!!!!! All these feelings!! ❤️♥️ ❤️

I finished this 2 days ago and I am still thinking about this book. It started absolutely hilarious, and it sucked me in almost immediately.
Most of the time, I'm not going to lie, I felt overwhelmed by a sense of desperation as Xavier and Samantha faced struggle after struggle to be together. At one point I was doubting how the book was going to end and that made me sadder! They're relationship had so many beautiful and pure moments that I couldn't bear not having an HEA.

<i>" Because life wouldn't be worth living if I didn't remember you."<i>

We get to know Samantha's family very closely and I felt such a connection to all the side characters like her siblings. Her grandma was hilarious!! Abby did an amazing job at making them so relatable and so real. Her family dealing with her mother's illness and the struggles we see them go through was also heartbreaking but there is so much healing that happens in this story. I loved it!

Although there were a few things that caught me off guard in various ways, overall, this is definitely going to be one of my top reads!
There is something pretty nostalgic about the sibling humor, the sibling relationships, the fragrances described, the music, the CAR hello!! It was all great.

Tropes:

🐈 Opposites Attract
❤️ Forced Distance
🐈 Found Family
❤️ Cinnamon Roll MMC (compared to Rhysand)
🐈 Slow Burn
❤️ Family Drama
🐈 Loss & Hardship
❤️ HARD Fought HEA


"The Sriracha and queso guys have it easy. Team Mustard's in the trenches- I'm fighting for my life daily."

"Maybe that's the last thing we forget. Or we never forget it at all. Not really. We lose the words to say it. We lose the ability to show it. But we never lose the ability to feel it or recognize it when we see it. Love is the brightest color in a gray world."


Thank you to Netgalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for the ARC.