The main trope was insta love which is totally not for me. I really can't help but not like insta-love. It feels too unreal.
I liked both these characters separately but the romance didn't sell me on them together.
That being said, I still enjoyed the rest of the book. It dealt with some super serious topics from grief, to sickness, to compromise when somebody's sick and you need to be their caretaker.
I also really enjoyed the rawness of the story and the struggles both our main characters live through.

This is an insta-love, long distance romance that started out strong for me. The meet-cute and initial twist were well executed, and the author's signature banter is in full force. Overall though, the main conflict didn't seem to have high enough stakes and could have been resolved on a much shorter timeline, which made the story feel like it dragged on. I liked the messiness of the main character's family and how they were central to her arc. Long distance romance in fiction may just be a tad too tedious for me.

Did I finish this book or did it finish me?! this book wrecked me in the best way possible, as someone who is super close with her mom and handles her health care this story hit home, thank you Abby Jimenez <3

If I ever want a good laugh along with a good cry, you bet I'm gonna read Abby Jimenez. She always blends the two perfectly and this one is no different. She knows how to make you fall in love with the plot & the characters in such a unique way. I felt like I've known them my whole life and I could really feel what they were going through, plus it's set in my home state? Absolutely.
Loved this book.

if there is one thing abby Jimenez can do (and really she can do many things) it is make me forget about the entire world for her books. I open one and I *know* everything is about to fall away; it's the most special feeling for a reader. Her love stories are always thoughtful, emotional, and about so much more than the romance, itself. Did I almost cry while reading this?? Yes, yes I did. BEAUTIFUL.

I love Abby. I think we would be best friends. Everything she writes is poignant, tragic, layered, and lovely. The grump-sunshine dynamic in this book is just perfect to me. The characters and situations she writes about feel so real (aside from the very predictable moment where they surprise each other in a way that feels straight out of the story about the woman who sells her hair to buy a gift and the husband buys a hair comb).

It’s a bit like magic. Magic to see these feelings and thoughts I have so well articulated on the page. And damn, can she write some narcissists. But please please beware of the triggers because they be triggering. Like, a lot. Especially the animal one.

Read if you like Emily Henry. Read if you like complex family dynamics, intense, fast-forming connections between love interests, and stories about moving through the grief of illness, separation, and terrible parents.

I received an advanced reader’s copy from NetGalley—thank you to them! All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I love all Jimenez books and this one is no different. This book is perfect for those that like a humorous romance but also like a little depth and emotions with it. I loved the main characters and going through the emotions of their long distance romance and the attachments they gave to their “homes”. Bonus: MMC is a caring and handsome veterinarian. ❤️❤️❤️

Well nobody does trauma and romance like Abby Jimenez. I do fear this one swung too far into the trauma for me but I know that many people will love it! The early on-set dementia of it all is EXTREMELY heavy and while Jimenez treats it with care, it makes for a tough read. Not every book is for every person though and that's ok!

I usually love Abby Jimenez but this book missed the mark.

I didn’t like the insta lovey and how the MMC just gave up everything for the FMC.

Not to mention the trauma dumping towards the end. I didn’t think there was a happy ending at all.

This had the classic Abby Jimenez charm for me - the banter between the characters, some giggly cute moments that have you kicking your feet (the song Come on Eileen will always make me think of this couple) and remembering what it feels like to fall in love.

But it wasn't my favorite style romance. They have 1 date and it rocks, but she's moving states away the next day. They can't forget about each other, despite (sort of) trying, so they start a long distance relationship, and the whole story is basically about how hard a long distance relationship is.

Each character has their own hardships going on adding additional strain to the already trying experience of working to maintain a new relationship immediately in a long distance situation. The FMC's mom is dealing with early onset dementia which takes us a significant portion of the story and can be difficult to read.

Because this story deals with such heavy themes, and the relationship feels more doomed for the start from these circumstances, it's not a fun light rom-com read. Jimenez tends to write romances with heavier, real-life issues, but this one in particular stood out as feeling more doom & gloom because of the trials going on in this relationship instead of it being able to be a reprieve from the difficulties of life.

I like the characters, and I think the book does a good job portraying realistic struggles, but I think it would've worked better for me as a romance if their connection was more of a slow burn developed throughout the story despite the hardships instead of being more of an instalove connection that's getting challenged throughout the story.

Either way, still looking forward to the next book from Jimenez!

Thank you to the publisher for sending me an ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions remain my own.

I really enjoyed this book. Abby’s humor is so relatable and consistently funny that you can help but find enjoyment from her books.

I usually don’t like the insta-love trope, but for the overall plot of this I think it worked. Both POV chapters, whether it be Samantha or Xavier were interesting, and I feel like it’s not easy to make them both compelling narrators. I also liked the complexity of the family dynamics, it felt authentic.

I loved Xavier and his backstory, and Samantha’s personality was great. I do wish we got more from his friend group since we get so much of Samantha’s family, but to be honest, at a certain point it felt like everything was about Samantha? By the end of this book I was like what really did Xavier get from this deal? I know it eventually worked out, but the fact that he was to be willing to go bankrupt and destroy his health to be with her? I don’t know, it really rubbed me the wrong way and the whole relationship felt one-sided. There aren’t many times I don’t like the ending of a romance book but 😅 It just a seemed like Samantha’s unwillingness to budge made everything a million times harder.

But overall, I laughed, I teared up, and I was very into the book.

Five Stars — A Love Story That Respects the Heart and the Hard Stuff

Abby Jimenez has done it again. Say You’ll Remember Me is a smart romance and deeply human novel that tackles heavy topics like abuse, dementia, and animal cruelty, but never in a way that feels sensationalized or exploitative. Jimenez approaches these realities with dignity and compassion, honoring both those who suffer and the loved ones walking alongside them.

At its core, this is still a love story, and a beautiful one at that. The main characters are flawed but incredibly likeable—real people you want to root for. And as always with Jimenez, there’s humor, heart, a little bit of music, and some seriously adorable animals woven throughout.

If you love stories that make you think, feel, and fall in love all at once, this one belongs at the top of your reading list.

Immediately after reading: The last 1/3 of this ATE
I don't have any idea how I'm rating this. 🙃

Weeks later: I still don't know.
From being majorly disappointed with the problematic line on the e-arc, that was changed 2 more times before finally find a non problematic sentence to use in the final ebook...
Too the MANY Rhysand and night court references
Then the MASSIVE insta lust

BUT loving the last 1/3 so so much ... I'm lost. I've been an Abby Stan for ages and have LOVED everything she's written. But this was a let down for me. If it wasn't Abby I probably would have DNF'd in that middle chunk.

If you loved it, I'm honestly jealous 🤣 because this one hurts to not love.

Thank you Forever pub for this earc

4.5 Stars Rounded Up

There’s a UFO escape room, an unfortunate cat named Pooter, a cascade of mustard puns, and a VILF you won’t soon forget. It’s peak Abby Jimenez chaos, and I was all in. But as always, she doesn’t stop at the laughs—this story goes deep. From the beginning, I could tell this one was going to hit hard, and it absolutely did. Abby tackles topics like dementia and the weight of family responsibility with such grace and empathy. You can feel how much thought and research went into every layer of this story. It never felt heavy for the sake of being heavy—it felt true. Samantha and Xavier were so good together. They’re imperfect, vulnerable, stubborn, and so full of heart. I loved watching their relationship unfold in the middle of everything else they were carrying. Abby has such a gift for creating characters you root for in every sense, and that extended to the entire supporting cast. Each person mattered. Each connection had purpose.This is the kind of rom-com that sneaks up on you. It’s hilarious and sharp, but also deeply emotional and sincere. Everything came together in a way that felt completely earned. I closed the book feeling cracked open in the best way.

I definitely recommend the audio! The narrators, Christine Lakin and Matt Lanter are truly perfect for these characters. The audio is true duet and it just brought the story and these characters to life.

Abby Jimenez is always a winner in my book. While this book wasn't my favorite of her titles, it was still very good. I know our book club will really like it, so we will be purchasing it for the collection.

I'm not going to lie this was not my favorite book by Abby Jimenez. I felt like it was really forced and the instant love was a little much for me. As someone who has dealt with a family member dementia, there were definitely some parallels with my own life but I didn't feel like this book was particularly realistic and while I understand that there are people who go through these things, flying halfway across the country on a tight budget doesn't seem like something that is realistic by any means especially when you are running a small business and running yourself into the ground trying to pay for it. While I love Abby Jimenez, this one just wasn't it for me.

As a big Jimenez fan, this book was a weird disappointment. The love story was overshadowed by the constant parade of tragedy. The chronically online dialogue felt uncomfortable and immature, as well.

While I deeply love so many of Abby Jimenez books I feel like this one just wasn't meant for me. I’m not a huge fan of insta love and separation so I wasn’t as invested in the couple as I wanted to be. There were also so many instances where there was just too many pop culture references and cliches that were so modern it drew me out of the book. Comparing the male character to the lead of a fantasy series that’s popular but also not even completed yet instead of describing the male characters just jerked me out of the book. I wanted to like this so much but sadly just couldn’t get through it! I’m still an Abby fan but sometimes some books just don’t hit like others and that’s okay.

Absolutely brilliant. Abby always knows how to make her readers laugh, cry… just feel emotions while reading her books and this one is no different. Xavier was the definition of “if he wanted to, he would,” and that made me fall for yet another fictional character. And Samantha… my Samantha… she was such a wonderful daughter, and sister. I can’t imagine how she felt knowing her mother doesn’t remember her, yet she continues to take charge and take care of her every single day. This book really made me cry, and I don’t think another book has ever made me feel the way I did reading this one. Thank you Abby, NetGalley and Forever pub…

I adored this book!!! And the characters!!! Another one that Jimenez knocks out of the park! Her characters are always so relatable and this story was no different, I was hooked from the very first page!!