Abby Jimenez knows the way to my heart, she knows how to make me laugh, cry, swoon. This one was definitely different from her past books but there is nothing wrong with that. Abby is a great storyteller and I will never stop reading her books!

Thank you so much to the publishers and NetGalley for this eARC!

Xavier and Samantha are beautiful characters and I loved how their journey together developed, albeit rather insta-lovey (which isn't always a bad thing). Xavier is immediately down bad for Samantha and I'm here for it, to be honest. And I must note I never expected to laugh so much about mustard until I met Samantha. (You'll have to read to find out). There were emotional moments that made me cry and highlight-worthy quotes, with classic Abby Jimenez humor and vulnerable bits that will pull at your heartstrings.

Mild spoilers ahead...

This book had the perfect formula but unfortunately it just fell flat for me, even with all of that being said. There were one-too-many sad events that happened back to back, and they were all very predictable to me. Same goes for our two main characters flying back and forth constantly to visit each other. Like when Samantha saved a bunch of money to flight out and surprise Xavier...and what do you know? He's not there because he had the same idea and spent all his money to fly out and surprise her, so now they're both out more money and aren't together! And he's sick so the whole time she ends up being his caretaker. It just felt kind of pointless to me (and that's coming from someone who has been in a long-distance relationship before). Not to mention the sheer amount of times they both talked about either how they missed each other, were weary of the relationship working out, they had to keep working and save money to fly out and visit each other... It drove me a bit crazy and felt very much "telling" instead of "showing".

At the end of the day, I am so grateful to receive an eARC for this book.

Would I recommend it? Yes, I would always recommend form your own opinion of it. You may love it way more than I did!
Would I reread it or think about it again? Personally, no.

However, I did love other books in this series so I will continue to lookout for what Abby does next!

I love how Abby Jimenez brings light to topics and life struggles that the normal person never has to think about. I think this aspect of her books is so important. The main characters in this book were very likable, although their situation really frustrated me at times. Overall I really enjoy this book!

My first Jimenez book and I liked it, but I also feel like not all that much happened in the story line. The majority of the book was just the two characters lamenting that they didn't live closer to each other. There were sweet moments and not too much explicit sex, I will try another of her books. She is a well liked author in our library.
I appreciate the ARC and our library purchased this title.

This author is new to me, but I will be keeping an eye out for anything else they publish. I loved the story and the characters. The pacing of the story was great and the characters were relatable.

Abby Jimenez is one of my very favorite romance authors, so I was eager to read this one. Sadly, it only disappointed me. I was on board for the first quarter, but it quickly devolved into a book I just wanted to end. The forced banter, the constant pop culture references, the insta love that verged on stalking... it just ended up giving me the ick. I can't say there weren't aspects that I liked, but once it reached 50% everything felt repetitive and both of the characters were frustrating me to a point that I wanted to throw the book across the room. Abby is still a auto-buy author for me but this one is my least favorite of hers so far.

This is my first Abby Jimenez, and I’ve heard her compared to Emily Henry for forever, but I was very disappointed by this book :( it felt too rushed and I had no connection to either character. Also too many pop culture references which made it super cringy to me… really expected more, bummed about it.

This book was phenomenal! It was an emotional and impactful ride! I loved every heartbreaking moment as well as the way the story had me melting in certain moments. These two ppl were so much a part of me while I was reading the book. I honestly felt attached to them as well as the family.
Easy 6 stars!!!!

Thank you to the publisher for the gifted e-copy.

Well, I might have a new favorite book - and book boyfriend - by Abby Jimenez. Grumpy/Sunshine, meet cute, excellent banter/dialogue, and some heavier topics written with emotion and grace. This one definitely hit differently, and in a personal way, due to the subject matter of dementia.

Samantha rescues an adorable kitten, but the (super hot yet assholish) vet, Xavier, callously points out a serious issue with it. Samantha decides to prove him wrong, and crowd sources the funds to fix the kitten. When she goes back for him to check the kitten over, he ends up asking her out and they commence the best but possibly longest first date ever. They get along great, and he wants to see her again. The issue? Samantha is leaving the next morning to move back home to California. Her mom has dementia and she is moving home to help care for her. Xavier just started his practice in Michigan, so he obviously can’t up and leave any time soon. She tells him to forget he met her and to move on.

Is it really that easy though?

This book brought all the emotions. Samantha is dealing with so much with her mom, and the rest of her family. She feels such a responsibility to her family and her mom and she wants to do her part, but she is struggling with wanting to give her and Xavier’s romance a chance. Xavier is working himself sick trying to make enough money to take a few days off here and there to go visit Samantha. He can’t figure out an away to keep his practice going, pay his bills, and still have their relationship work. I just felt bad for the impossible position they are both put in for most of the book.

I will say the first couple pages of this book had me like OMG WHAT but I also think if you are familiar with Abby’s writing, you’d know he’d never. IYKYK.

Abby Jimenez is an auto-buy author for me so I was so grateful to get this eARC. It took me a little bit to get through but honestly I’m so sad now that it’s over. I loved Samantha and Xavier and Jake from State Farm and Pooter and all the other characters throughout the story. I, of course, had to have the physical copy because the covers always slay.

This story was heartbreaking and frustrating but in the most impactful way. Abby’s writing is perfect. I’m not obsessed with social media references so those parts are never my favorite in any book but that’s personal preference and honestly I loved that she was one of the “mean” brand accounts so it was done better than in most other books. I can’t wait to read anything else Abby decides to put out in the future, thank you so much for the opportunity to read and review this story.

Whew! That was different from what I expected! I went into this read expecting a cozy, warm romance (just perfect for spring) but this was much heavier than expected. It took a while before I could re-calibrate my expectations and started enjoying this for what it actually is. Not my favorite of Abby's, but still a worthwhile read!

Jimenez never disappoints and this novel continues that streak. With a focus on losing memory as alluded to in the title there is also a focus on remembering those you meet and make an impact and not giving up on your own hopes and dreams. She shines through with another great story. I can’t wait to read the next one!

SUCH a sweet story - truly wholesome & both heartbreaking and heartwarming. Slow burn is what keeps me turning the pages, so it just felt harder for me to stay connected with the level of insta-love here. Instead of following along as they fall for each other, we follow along as they navigate the repercussions for falling for each other while circumstances keep them apart. 🩷

I'm not sure how to put into words how much I loved this book. This is only my second book by this author but I understand now why so many people love her. I felt so many emotions while reading, I was laughing at page 2 and I was sobbing by the end of it. This packed so many emotions, there was sadness, happiness, and some shocking moments. I related to both of the characters so much with the animals and taking care of a sick parent. Fun fact, I had a Manx kitten named Rosie that was also born without a butthole so I absolutely loved Pooter. This is a book that's going to stick with me for a very long time and has also been added to my list of favorites.

This book will stay with you long after you’ve finished it. It’s much more than a traditional romance, it addresses the realities of early onset dementia from the caretaker’s point of view.
Samantha meets Xavier, a vet, and they go on the best date of her life. Has she discovered a unicorn - the perfect guy? Unfortunately, she believes she’ll never find out, because she’s leaving Minneapolis the next day to go home to LA to help her family take care of her mother Lisa, who has dementia and is getting progressively sicker.
Samantha doesn’t think they’ve got a future even though their connection was unusually strong. Xavier can’t leave because his practice is in debt and he has something to prove to his parents - that he can be successful without their help.
However, when Xavier finally gets to LA, he and Samantha are like magnets. He believes they’ve got something special and isn’t willing to give it up. Her family likes him and Lisa bonds with him too, she’ll occasionally cooperate with him and no one else.
Can this meant to be romance survive the back and forth of a long distance relationship? Is there some way for them to be together?
You’ll have to read it to find out! I think this book will be on many of the “best books of 2025” lists, including mine.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley, I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Abby Jimenez is my newest auto-buy author, and Say You’ll Remember Me kept on trend and did not disappoint!

Sweet, mostly clean romance with tons of character building that makes you feel like you’re a fly on the wall watching this story unfold. You’ll fall in love with some characters (I’m looking at you Xavier) and be irritated by others (but that’s to be expected from brothers, right?). You’ll go through heartbreak as you walk through long distance relationships and health problems alongside these characters.

I truly loved this one and struggled keeping my attention elsewhere, when I really just wanted to keep reading about Sam + Xavier.

Definitely recommend. Great beach read. Would recommend reading the trigger warnings, especially if you have a sick loved one.

3.5 stars

I listened to this one on audiobook, and I'm not quite sure how I feel about it. I think had I read it physically, it would have taken me a while to get through it. But since I was listening to the audiobook and really liked the narrators, I read it quickly.

I liked it, and I also feel like not all that much happened? It felt like most of the book was just the two characters lamenting that they didn't live closer to each other. Xavier, our MMC, did a lot of the heavy lifting – the traveling, the financial burden, etc. – and I felt like Samantha (the FMC) did not actually try all that much to make it work with her situation? Like, she could have talked with her family and worked out a better schedule. I don't know. Maybe I'm being too hard on them, but it just felt like they wanted to be together, but weren't really trying to figure out realistic, long-term solutions.

The narrators were fantastic though. They both get 5 stars.

While the overall story was moving and well written, a couple elements were too cheesy for me to fully appreciate the book. Pooter the cat with the butthole problem just irked me to no end and distracted from the story.

My first Abby Jimenez book. A great romance. Lots of interesting characters. Xavier and Samantha meet right as Samantha is moving to California. Their love is strong; however, their romance is filled with lots of problems regarding family, money, and distance. Can they make this new romance work or will they just forget each other and move on?

✨ Review ✨ Say You'll Remember Me by Abby Jimenez

Thanks to Forever and #netgalley for the gifted advanced copy/ies of this book!

While I enjoyed this one overall, it wasn't my favorite AJ book partly because it was a heavier book than normal.

My favorite part of the book was the first 10-20% where the characters meet and have an enchanted and hilarious (albeit super brief) first date. I was laughing like crazy throughout this section at the sheer silliness of it all.

But then it all takes a turn toward sadness as Samantha heads back to CA to help care for her ailing mom. As her and Xavier explore whether they could be something long-distance, ultimately, they both have things anchoring them to California and Minnesota, rendering them incompatible.

To me, this read more like women's fiction than romance, and the insta-love part of this didn't really capture me like I wanted it to. I did really appreciate how this handled the complex familial relationships that evolve while caretaking for a loved one with memory issues.

⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 (3.5)
Genre: women's fiction / m/f romance
Setting: Minnesota and California
Pub Date: April 1, 2025