Another book that has me wanting to scream “WE NEED MORE MEN WRITTEN BY WOMEN!”

Okay this was an emotional rollercoaster in the best way possible! Not my favorite Abby Jimenez book but there was something super touching and unique about this book. Somehow Abby can always reach my heart a squeeze it lol It was a lovely story and I had a fun time reading it.

I always love having a dual POV and you can tell the author did her research on veterinary practice as well as memory loss care. It is a well written story and the characters are extremely relatable. I think the author did an amazing job at addressing heavy topics such as grief.

I always love Abby Jimenez books and I'm grateful that I got to read this one through NetGalley!

Although this book has some difficult subject matter, the love between the characters shines through so clearly that you find yourself loving all of them.

As someone who has recently increased my reading of romance novels, Abby Jimenez has a reader for life! It’s not that I dislike love stories, but I often find the tropes too predictable, and the emotional stakes can feel contrived. Yet, this book caught me completely off guard and tugged at my heartstrings in a way I never imagined. The love story between Xavier and Samantha kept me intrigued and wondering what would happen next. If you love romance, animals and family themes, this book is for you!

i had high hopes for say you'll remember me by abby jimenez, but unfortunately, it fell short in several areas. while the premise had potential, the execution left much to be desired.

first, the insta-love was difficult to overlook. the characters’ connection felt rushed and lacked the depth and development necessary to make their romance believable. the commitment to classic romance tropes was inconsistent, often introduced briefly and then abandoned without any meaningful exploration.

furthermore, the frequent use of booktok slang and pop culture references felt excessive and, at times, out of place. terms like "actoar" and other internet jargon disrupted the flow of the story rather than enhancing it. instead of adding a modern touch, these elements made the dialogue feel forced and superficial.

as a reader, i hoped for more emotional depth and genuine character growth. however, the story remained at a surface level, making it difficult to become invested in the characters or their journey. ultimately, while i appreciate the effort to appeal to a younger audience, the reliance on trendy phrases and a lack of meaningful conflict made this a disappointing read.

i would recommend this book only to those who enjoy a light, quick read without a lot of emotional complexity. unfortunately, this one wasn’t for me.

(Slight spoilers to be found here)
I generally enjoyed this book but I dropped my rating for two reasons. If you like Abby’s books in general you will most likely enjoy this. The review is about to be only things I’m complaining about so if you want to read the good things go read someone else’s, there are plenty out there.

1) I don’t think the trauma to moments of joy ratio worked very well. Almost the entire book was the characters in emotional distress either from their lives or from being apart from each other. I signed up to read a romance, not a family drama about dementia with a romance subplot. I think even just a better epilogue would have helped me because even that was more focused on her family than it was on the romance.

2) and the main reason for the rating drop was that at one point in the book Samantha is telling Xavier backstories about her family members and says this (32% in ebook) when talking about her sisters ex-husband, Omar. “She got full custody and he fucked off back to his motherland instead of getting therapy and paying child support.” Why is there just a random racist comment in the book? Wtf

Not my favorite Abby Jimenez book but still a great time! The Sarah J. Maas references threw me off and it became repetitive at times. However, it was really cute and the ending wrapped up well. I especially loved all the animals, specifically the dogs. I would skip the “Epilogue”/“last chapter though.

Samantha is a social media maven, who ends up with a kitten and brings it to a veterinarian. Xavier is the vet, who’s hot and broody. The two make an impression on one another and end up having an epic, unforgettable date. But life, distance and things happening in Sam’s family make it difficult for them to be together like they’d hoped.

I’ve gotta say, I really loved the first half of this book. Samantha and Xavier’s love story is very cute, and they were easy to cheer for. I found the second half to a bit repetitive, with the two of them trying to make their relationship work despite the challenging circumstances. Xavier was a total babe and I loved all the animals coming through his clinic. Samantha’s family was delightful, but I would have liked to get to know them more. The playlists were very sweet.

Please be sure to read the content warnings, as this book deals with some tough themes including dementia, abuse and death.

I’ve wanted to read one of Abby Jimenez’s books for awhile and have a bunch on my TBR. I was grateful to receive this ARC from Forever and NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

Abby Jimenez punched me right in the gut with the this one.

One of the more emotional romantic comedies I’ve read in a while with characters that won’t be easy to forget. Samantha is charming and witty and her family gives you that warm fuzzy feeling. Xavier is strong and dependable and has overcome more in his life than most people will ever face. Their chemistry and banter from the beginning had me invested and I loved how Samantha described Xavier as being her safe space, something I think a lot of women can relate to in a world where we are constantly always on guard, when you find that stronghold you know they’re someone special.

The long distance circumstances between Samantha and Xavier were so horrible and yet realistic at the same time. It actually gutted me for Samantha to be longing to see Xavier so much that his habits would begin to annoy her; something I think when we see our loved ones often we take for granted so it really put life into perspective. I loved how AJ put romance into your every day moments; the joy and happiness in their relationship was in an inside joke (Come On Eileen) rather than in a lavish vacation - don’t get me wrong that’s nice too.

Samantha’s relationship with her family and their experience with her mom currently battling dementia was so raw and real and made me feel all of their anger, grief, and sadness through the pages. AJ described loving someone with dementia as mourning the loss of them while they are still alive and that couldn’t be more true.

This was as witty as it was emotional and a five star read for me from the plot to the character development, I wouldn’t change a single thing.

Abby is the queen of emotional romances! She is so good at writing books with swoon worthy romance and heartbreak all at once.
This story follows Samantha and Xavier as they navigate a long term relationship while also both dealing with hard emotional battles of their own. I loved how cute there love was, it was one of those books that just makes you giddy! I also loved the emotional roller coaster you are taken on! It really feels like you are following real people through life and seeing all the up's and downs of their journey. This one was truly such a great spring time read and I’m so excited for the release on April 1st! If you like…

🩷 Swoony love story’s
🌭 Mustard puns
🐶 Hot veterinarians / VILFs
🎶 Many references to Come on Eileen
🛸 UFO escape rooms
💔 Emotional roller coasters

Then you’ll love this book!

I want to start this whole thing with all the good— we love a vet, we love a hot guy, so we love a hot vet, literally no pets are harmed in this beautiful Minnesotan x SoCal love story. This was probably one of the most believable living situations out of Jimenez's couples, Xavier and Sam had work and family obligations, childhood traumas, and monetary constraints (no one could just throw money at their problems, refreshing!!). They fell fast and they did everything they could to make it work.

Of course there was fun, sweetness, and LOTS of Dexys Midnight Runners. It's not an Abby book unless it pulls at your heart strings!!

But its only fair to flag a few things to keep expectations REAL. First and foremost, I wanna have a good time when I pick up a book with a cartoon cover and this book was a GREAT time… but there were a few times I was taken right out of the story. MY biggest issue (that I know some people dont mind but I try to avoid) is the internet slang, booktok-y references, and overall niche-modern dialogue. I feel it cheapens the story and make me wince (honestly a big cringe) when I see words like "mid", "gave me the ick", and mentioning "ACOTAR" (YIKES). Tell me he's tall dark and handsome dont tell me he looks "like the lord of the night court" pls I beg!!

Overall had a great time, compliments to the chef, luv ya girl! Thank u Netgalley, Abby Jimenez, and Forever (Grand Central Publishing)!!!

Every time I read an Abby Jimenez book I’m reminded just how much I love her books. And let me tell you, Say You’ll Remember Me did not disappoint! I think this might be her best one yet! Absolutely fantastic!

Samantha is an absolutely hilarious social media manager for a mustard company (yes you read that right), and Xavier is an oh so handsome and charming animal-loving Veterinarian whose appearance is described as Rhys from ACOTAR. (Is there anything better?!)

The connection between Samantha and Xavier felt so genuine and deep. Like most of Abby’s books that have sweet and funny moments with themes of the main character(s) dealing with complex emotional situations or trauma alongside the romance, this one was similar but much more focused on working through the situation. Don’t get me wrong though, you will definitely get those laugh out loud moments and romance that will make you experience all the feels.

You definitely don’t want to miss reading this book. It’s a good one for sure!

When I think Abby Jimenez can't possibly get any better, she gives the proverbial "Hold my beer." This book follows Jimenez's usual authentic, real, wonderful characters Xaivier and Samantha. You route for both of them from the very beginning. I mean, like the very first sentence. It was hard to read this book at times, not because it was slow or bad or boring. NO! The exact opposite. Jimenez's style has a way of sucking you in, making you feel the hardships, love, joy, and pain her characters are feeling. Do recommend this book? A thousand times yes. Read this book. Read it. You won't be disappointed.

Another winner from auto-buy author Abby Jiminez! Prepare yourself for a really emotional experience, as each protagonist is dealing with truly difficult circumstances, one from childhood and the other current. Minnesota Vet Xavier meets PR whiz Samantha when she brings a stray kitten into his practice, nestled into the vee of her t-shirt. Sparks and snark fly when neither gives the expected response after a deformity is discovered on the tiny stray. Weeks later, they share an unforgettable date night and find they have amazing chemistry, the night before Samantha moves home to Southern California to help care for her deteriorating mother.

I don’t know how Abby Jiminez does it, but every time I open her books, I THINK I’m getting a rom-com, when what I actually experience is an honest story about relatable people dealing with really difficult situations, just with humor sprinkled throughout. This time, she’s written an un-rivaled book boyfriend in Xavier, the grumpy, gentle giant whose traumatic childhood has led him to be the consummate unasked needs-meeter. Samantha feels like a typical Jiminez heroine, a queen of snarky content, who loves her people fiercely even if they do drive her nuts. Xavier and Samantha refuse to let seemingly insurmountable obstacles end their story, which for this reader was un-put-down-able.

Content warnings: childhood abuse, advanced dementia, narcissism in a parent, alcoholism, cheating, death, animal abuse and cruelty **BUT no pets die in this book!

Every time I finish an Abby Jiminez book, I declare it’s my favorite, and it is, until the next one is published. All the heart eyes!

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

I loved this book! The characters were well developed and I really felt like I knew them. I laughed out loud and also cried. The many relationship dynamics is what really drew me in. When I read Abby Jimenez books I always think they can't get any better, and then they do. 5 stars!

While the premise was nice, the writing was... not what I expected. I wanted more from the characters because I felt that what was on the front cover and the front flap was not what we were given.

Abby Jimenez is a must-read for me, one of my favorite rom-com authors, and Say You'll Remember Me did not disappoint. The chemistry is great, plus the characters have a depth of real-life struggle and growth.

Abby does it again! The way the romance is written alongside heavier topics always impresses me. The mental health dementia representation was written so realistically and arguably, I enjoyed that portion of the plot more than the romance. The effects on a family when dealing and being the primary caregiver for a person with dementia were very vulnerable and touching. I struggled a bit with the instalove because it's not a personal favorite trope, however I did like Xavier and Samantha overall.

Well, Xavier is my new favorite book boyfriend! 😍

I absolutely love Abby Jimenez and the way she’s ably to touch on some heavier topics but be perfectly balanced with humor and romance.

Xavier and Samantha’s connection is instant and swoon worthy, complete with mini golf, a viral video, and Come On Eileen! Their connection had me hooked from the start! I was rooting for them every step of the way.
While some parts were heart breaking, I absolutely devoured and really enjoyed this story!

Be sure to check the trigger warnings, as some parts are heavy. Overall, it’s Abby Jimenez which makes it’s a recommend from me!

Another absolutely fantastic book written by Abby Jimenez. There were oh so many good quotes in this book. I'm not much for highlighting but with the amount of passages and lines that spoke to me, I was highlighting like I never have before. One line in particular I needed to hear at that moment in time.

Never have I read more events that kept two people apart. Samantha and Xavier found love like no other, but just at the wrong time. Both living in impossible situations that they could not get out of, 2,000 miles away from eachother, the trials and testing of their relationship was just through the roof. What a journey and ride.

Again, Abby seems to always hit right to the heart, and present tough real life situations that you probably don't want to read in a romance book. But she makes it worth it. I always like to see how titles play into the books, and this one especially has a couple meanings, one I didn't catch on to until close to the end. I also did love the mention of Nadia Cakes she threw in there! I definitely didn't have a dry eye at the end.

Thank you so much to Net Galley and Forever for an eARC of this amazing book!

Like all her other books, I’m blown away by Abby’s ability to expertly weave a story so fully immersive, emotional and full of real life. Xavier and Samantha’s connection and love is so sudden, so true and so perfect yet the road to happily ever after is riddled with obstacle after obstacle. After each twist and turn of life, you hope and pray this is the last hard thing they have to do or overcome and each time it is not is why you cheer even hard for them the next time around.

Perfect if you love:
💗Real Life Love Stories
🤍Instant chemistry
💗Long Distance
🤍Vet MMC
💗Caretaker FMC
🤍Found Family Vibes and a Strong Family Unit