It pains me to rate this book so low, especially since Just For the Summer, Abby's last book, was one of my favorite romances last year. But sadly, this one wasn't for me.

One of the main issues for me was the insta-love. I need some yearning and tension in my romances, and this one was a lot of telling the reader that they love each other, and not a lot of showing. It also becomes extremely repetitive when they fall in love in the first few pages. Since we don't get a lot of romance build up, the majority of the story is spent on their hardships, which is not necessarily a bad thing, but it put an already weak romance on the back burner. I wanted more from the characters instead of just being told they they're perfect in every way. Show me why they work together!

Again, I'm so so bummed this one didn't work for me, but I'll be back, Abby!!

Thank you so much to Forever and NetGalley for the e-arc in exchange for my honest opinion.

ɴᴇᴛɢᴀʟʟᴇʏ ʀᴇᴠɪᴇᴡ || SAY YOU’LL REMEMBER ME [thank you to Forever and @netgalley for my #gifted copy!]

Title: Say You’ll Remember Me
Author: Abby Jimenez
Genre: Romance
Format: Digital
Star Rating: ★★★☆☆

ꜱᴜᴍᴍᴀʀʏ:
Samantha knows there’s no such thing as the perfect guy—but Xavier Rush comes dangerously close. A gorgeous veterinarian with Greek god looks and a soft spot for kittens? Yes, please. That is, until he opens his mouth and proves even the most sculpted men can say all the wrong things.

After one incredible, never-ending date, Samantha is ready to walk away, knowing her family crisis leaves no room for romance. She begs Xavier to forget her. But some connections refuse to fade—and maybe the only thing better than one perfect night is a love worth fighting for.

ᴍʏ ᴛʜᴏᴜɢʜᴛꜱ:
Unpopular Opinion time: this book just didn’t really work for me. When I read the description and was immediately reminded of the Drew Barrymore + Justin Long romcom GOING THE DISTANCE, I was sold. A long-distance romance book written by Abby? Yes please.

Did this book have classic Abby banter? Yes. Did this book have classic Abby heart? Yes. Did this book have classic Abby trauma dumps? Yes. Was the balance between these three things classic Abby? No, not really.

I found myself not really being invested in the romance. It was cute, but something felt off. And a lot of the book was focused on their lives apart instead of how they came together.

If you’re a diehard Abby fan, I still recommend it! It was just a miss for me.

ʀᴇᴀᴅ ɪꜰ ʏᴏᴜ ʟɪᴋᴇ:
Romantic Dramas
Classic Banter
Going the Distance (film)
Family Drama
Adorable Animals
Lots of ACOTAR + pop culture references

ᴅᴇᴛᴀɪʟꜱ:
GR: 4.55 ⭐️
# of Pages: 416
Pub Date: April 1, 2025

One day 5 star read for me. Loved the complex love story between Samantha and Xavier. Very relatable about how life gets in the way of relationships working out smoothly. Thanks to NetGalley and Forever publishing for an advanced copy for an honest review.

Every year, I impatiently wait for the new Abby Jimenez book to hit the shelves, so I want to thank NetGalley and Forever Publishing for giving me the opportunity to receive an ARC. This book was perfect. Every time I pick up Abby Jimenez, I know I am in for some laughs and some tears. This did not disappoint. I never wanted it to end, but I literally could not put it down. Was I reading late into the night? Maybe.... Was I reading if I woke up in the middle of the night and couldn't sleep? Also maybe. This book hit SO MANY good points, and the emotional depths she reaches are unmatched. I appreciate and respect the way Abby can weave a tragedy into her novels, sprinkle in humor, yet make each plot so dang real and relatable. This could very well be my favorite book she has written, and I am screaming from the rooftops with gratitude. =]

Say You’ll Remember Me is a stunningly, timeless love letter to romance.

The novel captures such a realistic portrayal of unconditional love, familial love and above all, self-love. We follow Xavier and Samantha, two adults who find themselves on what they would consider to be the “perfect” first date. The only problem is that timing isn’t on their side. Their journey of being together was truly so beautiful and I fell in love with both characters charm, quirks and personalities. The backstory of who they are and their roots was also very touching and such an emotional view of what it’s like to see and know themes of loneliness, sickness, family, and emotional despair. This book will leave you thinking long afterwards
of life’s little beautiful moments with the people that mean the most to you.

Oh this book is SO good! I couldn’t read it fast enough. The relationship between the two main characters is delightful! So nice to read about couples who don’t miscommunicate and who are committed to each other. And at the same time they are dealing with real life, very hard circumstances and issues. My favorite Abby Jimenez yet! Thank you NetGalley for an early copy. Absolutely 5 stars! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Read this if you like:
•cats or dogs
•witty banter
•mustard

As usual, Abby’s books deals with heavy topics. This one is having a parent with dementia and the weight of being a caregiver. This has strong themes of family, and communication with a side of romance. There were also laugh out loud moments and plenty of the witty banter that A by writes best. I will never be sick of Minnesota references in books either. This will be out April 1. Thank you Forever for the eARC!

Read this if you like:
•cats or dogs
•witty banter
•mustard

As usual, Abby’s books deals with heavy topics. This one is having a parent with dementia and the weight of being a caregiver. This has strong themes of family, and communication with a side of romance. There were also laugh out loud moments and plenty of the witty banter that A by writes best. I will never be sick of Minnesota references in books either. This will be out April 1. Thank you Forever for the eARC!

Another amazing gem from Abby Jimenez! She keeps us laughing and crying through tough topics while we fall in love with her characters. The banter and realistic family interactions make this one of her best. The characters and plot are so well-developed that I felt their frustrations, their pain, and their joy. Your emotions will run the gamut with this one.

In my opinion as a romance reader, romance books should have at LEAST equal parts romance and other plot (if not more romance). This book was so focused on other pieces of the plot that there were no stakes with the romance. They were immediately obsessed with one another and that continued until the end. I liked that in some ways, but I didn't feel like I was reading a romance book anymore.

This book was also incredibly bleak. Our FMC was hit by bad thing after bad thing. I felt like I didn't have time to breathe, so I'm sure she didn't either! Lastly, there were wayyyy too many topical references and trendy slang phrases. 3 ACOTAR references in the first 10% (5 overall) was ridiculoussss. I think the FMC was supposed to be funny, but our senses of humor didn't align. Overall, not a book for me.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with an e-arc in exchange for my honest review.

Abby Jimenez does it again, takes on hard issues and embraces a relationship at the same time. Character development is her strong suit, I always enjoy learning about her characters and their stories. Thank you NetGalley for the read.

I was anticipating a somewhat comedic, romantic tale and maybe that was my misinterpretation and I should have read the blurb closer. This book does have trigger warnings, for animal cruelty for example, but honestly it was a little over the top. I don't want to say too much, but at one point a character mentions a parent killing four or five litters of puppies by drowning them. I feel like that was a bit overkill, no pun intended.
Also, the author used the word "scoffed" so many times, it began to lose all meaning to me.
Definitely not my favourite by this author.

I will buy literally anything that Abby Jimenez writes. Seriously- she could publish a book with photos of grass growing and I'm at the bookstore. This one was fantastic-- I adored everything about the characters.

Xavier Rush is hands down one of my favorite book boyfriends of 2025. Thank you Abby for creating this man who totally stole my heart!

Abby Jimenez is one of those rare romance authors that I auto-buy every single new release because I know that she is going to deliver a swoon-worthy romance that is going to rock me hard with all the feels. Sure enough, this book is no different as I made my way through an entire tissue box while my heart went through the wringer.

It was one of my most anticipated new romance books of 2025 and did not disappoint!

I find that only the best romance authors can pull off insta-love in their stories where the connection between characters from just one night is so deep and believable that I’m hooked for the rest of the story, desperate for their happily ever after.

Abby wrote the BEST dialogue between Xavier and Samantha from their first meeting in his veterinary clinic and every interaction after.

Samantha had this exuberance that was infectious and she was a woman who loved openly and with her whole heart.

Xavier was the more closed-off, almost stern grump to her sunshine who had the best dry delivery and one-liners that had me smiling from ear-to-ear.

I swear I highlighted so many lines between these two that makes me believe Abby should lead a seminar on dialogue, she’s that good.

As far as first dates go, Samantha and Xavier had one of the best so it’s no wonder they were never going to forget one another. I honestly don’t think I will ever be able to hear the song, Come on Eileen again without thinking about this amazing book.

While I loved these characters, their dialogue and their devotion to each other that made their relationship so hard fought, I also really liked the side stories that were woven in.

Abby always packs a punch with her books and she did so with the topics of parental abuse yet again as well as parental dementia. There were only mentions of Xavier’s upbringing but it broke my heart what that man had gone through. I loved how one aspect of his story came full circle.
I think Abby also did a great job of portraying one family’s struggle with dementia. It is such a terrible disease and you could see how much it impacted everyone in Samantha’s family without completely taking over the storyline.

Abby Jimenez books should not be missed, though they should be read with a box of tissues nearby. I adore her writing, highly recommend this new release and cannot wait to see what she comes up with next.

*I received an advanced reader copy. All opinions are my own. Thank you Forever Publishing.

Unfortunately I cannot finish this book. In 2025, we cannot gloss over casual racism in books. I am sad that type of language made it through editing. “f*cked off to his hoke country.” Etc.

Abby can write me a traffic ticket and I will frame it.

This story is stunning. Felt so personal to my own story of how met my husband. Beyond that this story challenged me into a different take on dementia and the reality of the sacrifice required to truly love someone unconditionally.

Favorite quote ✨ “Sometimes the challenges we face either break us or they make us stronger. And sometimes they do both.”

Does anyone write better dialogue than Abby Jimenez? Or better boyfriends? I think not!

As soon as I was turning pages, I was smiling and so happy to be in the company of Abby’s writing.

Alternating chapters between Xavier and Samantha are perfectly woven. Samantha has the best sense of humor and Xavier is truly the perfect boyfriend (maybe a little too perfect but still). Xavier is a veterinarian who meets Samantha when she comes in with a rescue cat, who definitely needs rescue. He thinks the cat is beyond help, but Samantha, a marketing copywriter, proves otherwise. But then she is called home to help care for her mother, who has early onset dementia (at 55), and their struggle becomes real.

This book is so much about grief, taking care of aging parents, and all the difficult things in life. I enjoyed it, but I wish it would have had a little more levity in a few parts. I appreciate how much Abby tries new things and really wants to examine all facets of mental health and life experiences.

My favorite book of hers so far!! I was hooked from the first chapter and these characters hold a special place in my heart. Covers heavy topics so check triggers!

Abby’s books are always sweet, funny, tender, emotional, but this one took it to another level. This one felt different from the rest. Heavier in a way. I felt my heart being torn apart very often, but at the same time it was put back together. Samantha and Xavier have my whole heart. I love them individually and even more so as a couple.

Though I loved the characters, I often felt like they all needed a break from everything happening to them and around them. I understand that maybe the point was to show resilient complex characters, but at one point I felt it was too too much. Regardless, of course I was rooting for them until the very end.

Abby is a mastermind at handling difficult topics with kindness, and I will forever be her fan. Just like the rest of her books, once I started, I could not put it down.

🐾 Dual POV
🐾 “If he wanted to, he would” personified
🐾 Cinnamon roll MMC
🐾 He’s down bad for her
🐾 Grumpy / sunshine
🐾 Difficult family dynamics
🐾 Long distance relationship
🐾 No third act breakup!
🐾 Insta love (not usually a fan, but it was so good here!)
🐾 Grey sweatpants
🐾 Found family

TW: past trauma / abuse, loved one with dementia, loss of a loved one

Thank you Forever for the chance of this arc!

This book was everything. It was really one of those stories where you just get immersed into the characters lives and when you look up, you realize there is a whole other world in front of you. There were so many fun moments and then there were so many emotional moments where I cried for these people and what they went through. I have to say that this book really hit home for me because I lived with a grandparent that had dementia and our family took turns taking care of her. It was hard sometimes because it was so real but in a way it was also very comforting in a weird way. I think a lot of people will think the romance took a backseat in this book, but to me, I think that it rode passenger seat while the story progressed. I felt this book was about family, and being there for when things got hard, it had a lot of heart and I think Abby Jimenez really did this book justice. I think if might be one of her saddest books but I think it might have been one of her best too. I'll be thinking of this book for years to come.