Listen, Abby Jimenez is the queen of a meet cute. She never lets me down in that department. In fact, in her latest, she even uses the meet cute to have me, a non-believer, believe in insta-love. It's that cute.

And then it isn't.

Samantha brings a tiny kitten into Xavier's veterinary clinic, calls him an asshole, and the rest is history. (Honestly, it's super cute - along the lines of the Stuntman Mike meet cute.) "Immediately yes." -- this line will stay with you.

Upon their next meeting, he asks her out and they spend the next twelve hours having a dreamlike date that ends in escape room hell but make it funny. And then, in the morning, Sam moves from Minnesota to California to help care for her mother, who has early onset dementia.

And so the two first try to deny the chemistry, and then decide to give long distance a go.

I have no issues with any of this. It can absolutely work. It is family drama and romcom, something I love to read.

Except it isn't. Honestly, for me, it verged on trauma porn.

The two characters are kept apart, which makes romance difficult to say the least. Again, I could work with that, but it is traumatic event after traumatic event (on top of Xavier's traumatic history) for them. There is not once where they get a break. In fact, at one point, I saw where the narrative was going and I said out loud, "Please. Don't."

Spoiler alert: She did.

All of that said, I did like the book? I did not love it, but I did like it. That is heavily due to the two main characters being very likable. Xavier is a protector to the nth degree, an all around good guy if somewhat reserved. Sam is his perfect foil, drawing him out of his shell and basking in his care. I think heavy topics are well suited for a book, and I believe a lot of people will see themselves mirrored in either Xavier's childhood or Sam's care for her beloved mother.

I love that for them.

Unfortunately, this is billed (I kid myself not) as "a playful yet deeply emotional contemporary romance" and I think that is problematic. This is heavy on the trauma and light on the romance.

I know it will resonate with many of you and I am glad about that. It just did not resonate with me.

Thank you Forever for my copy. Abby Jimenez knows how to write a book you can’t put down! I read this in one sitting. She immediately drew me in with her authentic + real characters, the chemistry and the banter. As always I felt she handled the tender topic of grief with care.

I want to thank Netgalley, Forever Pub, and Abby for an early copy of "Say You'll Remember Me".

My rating: 5/5 stars

I recently finished this book and I needed a day to process what I read.
Abby's books have always been so relatable in some way or another. They are always realistic in my opinion as to why she's one of my favorite authors. But this book felt different compared to her other books. This book was more relatable to me.

This book portrayed grief in so many forms. I had to pause from reading in certain parts because I had flashbacks. When Samantha was talking about how her mom will never know her name, will start to slowly disappear and forget who she is as a person, and memories will start to fade until there's no more I bawled out crying. I cried so much because I remember my best friend going through this and he's still going through this with his mom who has Dementia. I could remember him crying to my husband and I saying "She's here, but she's no longer here. She's going to forget her life".
Another part is when Samantha came home to California and she finally saw her mom after a long time, she described her mom as fragile, that she did not look herself at all. I knew how she felt... I knew what she meant just by remembering seeing my best friend's mom after a year of finding out her diagnosis. It all came crashing back to me. Even though my experience is not as close and super personal as Samantha's situation is in the book, I've seen it through my best friend's eyes and it's heartbreaking to witness it from afar.
THEN SAMANTHA'S GRANDMA PASSING AWAY AND HER DAD NOT TELLING HER AND HER SIBLINGS ABOUT HER GRANDMA'S HEART CONDITION BROKE ME TO PIECES. This really hit me hard because I experienced it with my grandpa passing away and finding out that he had a tumor in his head the whole time. No one told me until he was gone.
Samantha and her family went through grief and man it broke them apart from losing the grandma to struggling to find ways to taking care of her mom in the best possible way without putting her in assisted living. They had to work together as FAMILY in order to get through it together without losing themselves in the process. It was heartbreaking to witness what grief can do to people because at times you think you can't find a way to help them, but there's always a way. Eventually they found ways to make things work for the mom and for themselves and all it took was communications.

The book not only portrayed grief, but it also portrayed love. Love is the ultimate key in life. No matter what, love makes the world go round. I love how this book showed every possible type of love not only romantic love, but also family love and self-love. Both MMC and FMC somehow went through so much which led them to each other. Nothing broke them apart, not even distances. They found ways to possibly be with one another no matter what it took.

I loved both the MMC and FMC so much because they are just strong independent people rather they're together or separate from one another. They portrayed what true love looks like when they first met, to being apart from one another, and to finally being together all the time. But even though in the beginning of their relationship it was a struggle they found a way to make it work somehow all because they truly love each other.

In all serious note, this book was beyond its time. This book was amazing. I always feel hungover when I read Abby's books and it's just an amazing feeling because this is what you call a book. She shows me what a book is truly meant to look like and I just love every moment of it.

I will forever recommend this book and Abby Jimenez.
Once again, thank you Netgalley, Forever Pub, and Abby for an early arc of this amazing book.

Abby has done it again! Every single rom com she has written is a can’t stop reading page turner. Xavier and Samantha’s story is no different. Two people split apart and everything to lose to be together. You’ll be hooked from the hilarious and cute of this book right from the start. Samantha is funny and witty and Xavier is levelheaded and a calming presence. They meet in an odd encounter and the rest is history. You will not be disappointed by this book!

I about lost my mind when I downloaded this to my kindle!! Truly so thankful to be apart of discover forever this season. 🫶🏼

I’ll admit, this book started off kinda wacky! Like the whole premise around how our main characters meet sent me!! But as it went on, it became so much more. Abby really excels at weaving together tough subjects and comic relief. Right about when you think you might need to shed a tear, the main character will say something truly unhinged. I love it. 🤭

In SYRM, Samantha and Xavier have the best first date connection you could dream up despite the actually insane date (I won’t spoil it for you!!). Annnnnd then Samantha begs Xavier to forget all about her. What ensues is a relationship that is destined, familial struggles, and literally every hard thing you can imagine. But do you know what perseveres?? Sam and Xavier’s love for each other. The ending was so perfectly sweet. 🥹

I do think this book warrants a heavy content warning because it’s not all happy and it’s not easy going. There are parts that are hard to read and simply make your heart ache. As always, Abby handles it with so much care along the way.

Regardless, it’s hard not to love an Abby Jimenez book. Highly recommend! 🩷

I ABSOLUTELY LOVED IT!!!! I am so mad that it’s done and I’ll have to wait another year for another masterpiece. 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭

Abby Jimenez has long owned the lane of emotionally gutting love stories that somehow manage to heal and put you back together in the process, but she reached a new height with this book. The love and compassion Xavier and Samantha had for those around them was depicted with such depth and care that I was left speechless. These characters were the definition of "love shows up." To see a love story between two people who were intuitively wired to give, to put good back out into the world, was beautiful to see. 
Say You'll Remember Me is a book that will stick with me forever.

I don’t think I could ever fully express how special Abby’s books are, and Say You’ll Remember Me was no exception. It had a grumpy-sunshine dynamic, long distance, and a beautiful yet complex relationship—Xavier and Samantha might just be one of my favorite couples. True to Abby’s style, this story tugged at my heartstrings, packed with emotion, and explored meaningful themes like the importance of memories, commitment, the sacrifices we make for love, and how complex life can truly be at times.

She has an incredible talent for bringing flawed characters to life and placing them in realistic yet challenging situations. I laughed, cried, screamed, and giggled—I felt everything. I connected deeply with each character, and Xavier and Samantha’s relationship truly stole my heart. And Hank? He’s easily one of my favorite characters ever; every time he appeared, I got emotional.

Thank you Forever, Abby and netgalley for the opportunity to read this, im so honored.

(I'll post a longer review closer to release date!)

My first 2025 release book read and review written!
It's no secret that Abby Jimenez is one of my favorite authors, and I dove straight into my review copy this weekend - thank you to Forever and NetGalley for access in exchange for my honest opinion. Please mark your calendars for April 1 (no joke) because you're going to want to read this as soon as it comes out.
Say You'll Remember Me starts a new series for Jimenez, that is loosely connected to her previous books (with a few Easter eggs for obsessed readers like me to find). In my opinion it's a bit sadder than her other books (think The Friend Zone). I ugly cried multiple times and am tearing up even writing this review. There are moments of humor and levity, of course, as this is a romcom, but the content around aging and forgetting key memories resonated with me. That could have been in part due to reading this while traveling with my parents. Even though my parents are active for their ages, it's still difficult to see how activities like travel and handling schedule changes with patience are getting harder for them. And that's without any memory-loss diagnoses like this book entails.
I loved Samantha and Xavier and their obsessive love for each other. Samantha’s marketing job cracked me up, and Xavier is the sweetest veterinarian ever. His interactions with Hank really made me sob. And, of course, there are excellent pet characters: Pooter the cat and Jake from State Farm the dog are just as fully developed as the humans in this story. I'll never listen to Come On, Eileen without thinking of this book.
Abby, you are such a good storyteller, and I can't wait for your next book!

Thank you to Forever for the ARC copy! I literally dropped anything that I was reading in order to read this and it did not disappoint.

This was somehow the Abby Jimenez book I both laugh and cried in the most. Here’s what’s going on at the start of this book. Samantha takes her new cat into the vet and ends up meeting Xavier, the vet. They end up going on the best and longest (but also maybe the most chaotic?) first date ever and their chemistry is undeniable. Now they have to figure out how can they be together, should they forget one another, or could they make long distance work?

This book is a love story between two people. However, it’s also about the love between your friends, the love of your family, the love of people you choose to make your family, and finding love and support in unexpected ways. I finished this book in a weekend. The long distance, messy family relationships, and care-giving/dementia aspects of this book are gutting but beautiful. The juxtaposition of a character losing their memories while watching the 2 romantic leads, desperately trying to make new ones and commit them to memory, is haunting beautiful.

Here’s what you can expect:
Grumpy/sunshine
Mutually down bad
Off the charts chemistry
Family bonds, love, and commitment
Care-giving/dementia
Long distance
Right person, wrong time
Insta love

10/10 I think this is Abby’s best work yet and I was sobbing by the end. 💗

The best of 2024 and 2025

The most highlights I’ve highlighted in ages

I will remember this book forever

Tears are streaming down my face as I write this. Say You'll Remember Me might be the saddest of all of Abby's books but I absolutely loved Xavier and Samantha. Abby has once again written an amazing book that has you laughing and crying on the same page.

From their meet cute at his vet practice to their hilarious first date, this has all of the usual Abby wit and charm! I love the little Easter eggs with inside jokes and past characters that pop up throughout the book. I'll never look at mustard the same way or think of the song Come on Eileen.

This book was so real with dementia and being a caregiver along with family dynamics that for many this book will hit close to home. Especially around the tough choices that Samantha and her family make. I watched my own family struggle with these choices with my grandfather fifteen years ago. I loved Hank and that was partly why I was sobbing at the end too.

This was the 4th Abby book I read the moment I got the Netgalley ARC from her amazing publisher - Forever. Abby Jimenez new book day is one of my favorite surprise holidays and I devoured this in a few hours. Thank you so much for this advanced copy.

Say You'll Remember Me comes out on April 1st and you're going to want to read it.

Well, I am in absolute SHAMBLES. This book emotionally WRECKED me; it is my favorite Abby book yet. How do they keep getting better and better?!?!

I wasn't ready for the emotional journey, but I am grateful for it. My sweatshirt sleeve is a damp mess because I did not have a box of tissues ready!

Honestly, there isn't anything I didn't love about this book, but what truly resonated with me was Samantha's family. Abby captured the caretaker struggle so perfectly. I ached for every single person in that family, and I will be thinking about them for a long time. Also, bringing back Hank?! I didn't anticipate it, and it was beautiful!! I enjoyed Brad the dog's cameo in the beginning, too. I can't wait for the next book with this new group of friends!

Thank you, Forever team, for the e-ARC!! It's incredible to be a part of your influencer program. Abby, please never stop writing. Your work brings the brightest colors to this world.

Abby, what did you do to me?!! 😭

I read Say You’ll Remember Me in less than 24 hours, which I rarely do. This is definitely Abby’s most emotional book yet! It’s a beautiful, raw story about dealing with complicated family dynamics, caring for a sick parent, and fighting to make a relationship work when every possible roadblock gets in the way. Xavier and Samantha had somewhat of an insta-love story, which I usually don’t like. However, Abby fleshes out her characters so well-I believed their love! I loved the small, mundane moments between Xavier and Samantha. Their issues felt genuine, without the typical miscommunication or third-act breakup that usually makes me roll my eyes in romance books. The ending was so heartwarming and had me in tears.

This is easily one of my favorite Abby books, right up there with Yours Truly. I will be thinking about this book for a long time, and I can’t wait for everyone else to read it and gush with me!

Thank you to Team Forever for giving me the opportunity to be a part of their early reader program!

I dropped everything to start this immediately. Wow. Phenomenal. By far my favourite Abby Jimenez book. How she manages to out-do herself every time, I will never know. This story had me giggling, kicking my feet, and sobbing. I read this in one day because I couldn’t stop. Samantha and Xavier are soulmates, clearly. The way that Abby developed their relationship felt so real and raw … I felt like I knew these two people. The relationships between our two MCs, along with their families felt extremely fleshed out and intentional. Abby included a number of very complex issues in this one, and did so in a masterful way. This was an extremely moving story, truly Abby Jimenez at her best, and one I will be thinking about for a long time. Ugh.

Thank you Forever Pub & Abby Jimenez for this eARC. 🤍

♾️ stars! Abby Jimenez did it again and that should not surprise anyone. I read this in under 15 hours. It was heartbreaking, but beautiful. The kind of story that made me ACHE.

I ached for Xavier and Samantha and how fiercely perfect they were for one another but circumstances kept them apart time and time again. I ached for Samantha and the horrible pain she felt at losing the mom she knew and loved piece by piece to dementia.

This book reminds us of how special it is to have people witness our life because at the end of the day that's how memories are created and kept alive.

A massive thanks to Forever for an eARC in exchange for an honest review. ❤️

hello yes that is the sound of my heart breaking and being glued back together about 10x while reading this book 🥹. ugh it was everything! these characters are perfectly imperfect and the storyline is amazing and healing. Once again Abby has written absolute perfection and I couldn’t recommend this enough.

An emotional stunner from Abby Jimenez. This might be her most heart-wrenching book yet. Not to worry, she stitches your heart right back up. This book, however, may leave a mark forever. It sure did in mine. 

This felt a little different from her usual, but still very reminiscent of the Abby voice we all love. I think it really highlights how much she's grown (even more!) as a storyteller. I loved it so much.


CW: child abuse+neglect, animal cruelty, parent with dementia, death of a loved one.

This is going to be the best book of 2025. A book that will make you laugh, cry, and give you all of the feels. I loved this book so much. Real, raw, and comforting.

Abby Jimenez has done it again. Broken my heart and then stitched it back up. She is so good at writing messy, flawed characters who you root for, creating an entire universe with her books and dealing with difficult topics with grace and the weight they deserve.