4.25 stars

We follow Sam and Xavier as they meet when Sam finds a stray kitten and Xavier is the veterinarian she takes the kitten to. Xavier is standoffish and they don't start out on the right foot, but Sam eventually agrees to go on one date with him. The date is perfect and they end up falling for each other fast, but Sam is on her way to another state and their budding relationship is put to the test.

I thought the instalove worked very well here. Both Sam and Xavier had external issues but were still able to be honest with each other about what they wanted and how strongly they felt about each other. I think their respective traumas probably made them latch on to each other much faster than normal, but their relationship was as healthy as it could be, all things considered.

This story is so full of angst! That's why I'm taking off .75 stars. Each chapter ended with the same internal freakout about how they couldn't be together in the same place and how painful it was. I would've liked to see some solutions present themselves sooner than we did. My ereader was at around 90% when some real problem-solving came into play.

There were also a ton of family issues: Xavier's parents, Sam's mom, sibling drama. I found these storylines just as interesting, but the whole thing with Sam's dad felt strange and unresolved. I think the main strength of Jimenez's writing is incorporating deep issues into a love story, and as always, she succeeded here.

I will read anything by Abby Jimenez. Her stories are never a disappointment. There is always humor in them as well as a serious message. This is my new favorite book by her. Thanks Ms. Abby for all the great stories.

I adore Abby Jimenez and her other books. And also I really did not enjoy this book. I hated the main conflict that kicks off immediately that FMC moves away and they're in a long distance relationship. The conflict lasts the whole book and I was just deeply irritated with the MMC.

I have loved everything else I've read so far by Abby Jimenez, and this is sadly the only exception. The biggest issue I had while reading was that the main characters and their connection felt so unconvincing. Almost every chapter felt like an overview telling us how they felt, rather than actually showing it and making their love story feel real; and it just felt like complete insta-love between the main characters. I didn't connect with either of the characters, and neither really felt fleshed out or original; they were missing that bit where a fictional character feels like a real person. The pop culture references/dialogue throughout really took me out of the story, and felt out of place, as well. I felt no emotional connection to pretty much anything that happened, and the book just felt very far removed from what had the potential to be a promising storyline, characters, etc.

This book couldn’t have hit me at a better time in my life! I absolutely loved this story and will be buying myself a special edition! Thank you to #netgalley and the publisher for the ARC. The romance was top notch, chefs kiss even for a long distance relationship. I appreciated the main characters commitment to how difficult a long distance relationship can be but their commitment to each other had me swooning! This book made me laugh out loud and made my eyes mist up at times. I even highlighted parts, not something I do normally! The dementia hit me hard and the subject of trying to keep loved ones home, but also having hard discussions. These topics are tough and hard on families and I so appreciated the realness of it. Putting a loved one in a home is never easy, while that wasn’t the outcome in this book I appreciate that it was explored and discussed by the family. This book really had all the feels and I can’t say enough great things about it. This was my first book by Abby Jimenez and I will be reading her backlist immediately!

This is my first time reading a book by Abbey and I was not disappointed. I was first drawn to the book because of the title and the premise. The book took no time diving into the story and it’s easy to fall in love with these characters. While the storyline about the main characters mother was hard to read about a times, it was real, honest and still provided you with hope.

Abby Jimenez has done it again!! The character depth, the humor, the unrelenting love that the two main characters have for each other is chef’s kiss! I picked this book up and did not want to put it down! You will laugh, you will cry, you will cheer! This is some of her best work yet!!!

thank you so much netgalley & the publisher for gifting me this advanced reader copy!

this was one of my most anticipated reads of 2025, and it definitely didn’t disappoint!

our story centers Samantha, and Xavier- a social media manager for a mustard company and a veterinarian. The two have sparks fly immediately and after spending a perfect and hilarious first date together spend the rest of the book finding a way to be together despite all odds.

I don’t think that this is Abby Jimenez’ best book but it was still so entertaining and romantic. If there’s one thing Abby is better at writing about than romance- it’s toxic relationships with patents. Truly I’ve never felt such unrelenting hatred for parents.

This boom starts off so strong and in my opinion it holds up the whole book! I’ve seen other reviews complain about the insta love but it didn’t feel that way for me. It felt so genuine and wholesome that these two immediately knew they were meant to be together. I thought Justin was the perfect MMC, but Xavier definitely gives him a run for his money. Samantha and Xavier were so perfect and healthy together, I really loved every moment of their romance.

As someone who had done long distance before, this book put so much of the emotions into words. I think it’ll be easy for readers to relate because it’s described with such beautiful writing.

The plot line ine with Samantha’s family and her mom was at times so heartbreaking. Dementia runs in my family and I know countless others have also been affected by it and it’s truly such a gut wrenching disease. I appreciated the families efforts in the short and although it takes up a large part of the plot it never felt like too much.

Genuinely my only critiques of this book are the title, and the references to Rhysand from ACOTAR. I think we has a reader community NEED to move on from taylor swift. There is no reason for her to play such an adamant role in so many books, covers, and book titles. The comparisons of Xavier to Rhysand were so cringe. Everytime they brought it up (like 5x within the first 50 pages) I was so annoyed. Let’s find some other comparison or use our words to describe what he looks like instead of “our dark high lord”

Overall I really loved this book, and found it to be so easy to read. I don’t think this will be as well loved or received as just for the summer but I think it will still be loved! Abby Jimenez is an amazing author and I can’t wait for everyone to read this and see where so goes on from here!!

heartbreakingly beautiful & everything i wanted in a book!!!!!! romantic 💘 emotional 😭 & yet also hilarious 😅

i honestly don't even know how to formulate my thoughts on this one.... one moment i was giggling & kicking my feet, the next i was SOBBING. this book punches you in the gut in the best way possible. it reminds you how beautiful life is & how we shouldn't take a single moment for granted. it makes you want to grab your loved ones and hold them close, to call up that friend you haven't talked to in forever, to jump headfirst into love, to live life to the fullest!!!! i cannot wrap my mind around how abby took me on this journey of instant love and connection with SO MANY obstacles while also hitting on one of the hardest moments of life, slowly losing a parent. the way she described the heartaches and hard moments of dementia just made me ache. i cannot imagine how stressful and discouraging that life can be. but i love love love how through all the difficulties, samantha never stops seeing the beauty and. the color in every single moment. & when xavier comes into that moment??? when he sweeps in & loves her unconditionally, supporting her and caring for her ??? i actually would die for that man.

i also love love love how abby captured finding YOUR person. the person who gets you on a completely different level. the person whose presence makes everything better. the person who sees you & loves you. and i LOVED tristan. he had me cracking up !!!!

thank you Read Forever & Netgalley for the arc! this is my honest review.

Couldn’t put this one down!! I’ve enjoyed all of Abby,s books but this is my favorite. What worked so well for me was the really likable characters that you are rooting for all the way. And there was no crazy drama to roll my eyes at. It was simply about two people meant for each other trying to figure out how to make it work. The other story lines regarding their back stories and families added to the story and characters themselves without getting bitten way of the romance . Just a really enjoyable romance.

Abby Jimenez has a wonderful way of grabbing reader's by the heart! Samantha and Xavier just fit together.. despite their circumstances reader's will be cheering them on the whole way through while clutching a whole box of tissues. The title is so fitting in so many ways.

Abby Jimenez knows how to write true love and I was down bad for these two. This book got pretty darn dark, deep and depressing and punched me hard in the feels. So be prepared that this isn't all light and fluffy even though it did make me giggle and smile like an idiot at times.

Honestly, had this book been written by anyone else, I probably wouldn't have even read it. The synopsis didn't sound exciting and I'm not one for my romances to get so serious, but Abby Jimenez made me love these characters and this book, and managed to make me cry.

Oof. Jimenez titles always have real issues in them, but this one packs a heck of a gut punch of dementia, familial abuse, loss, and more. For that reason I wouldn't say this is a light read.
Normally not a fan of insta-love, but it worked here. The chemistry was fantastic. This one wasn't spicy, but some very, very memorable moments including Pooter the cat, ufo escape rooms, and a mummified mouse, more than made up for that.

3.5 ★

It was a cute read, I enjoyed it. I felt all the emotional moments—I was happy, then sad, then sad all over again… and then happy in the end.
Thank you for this ARC!

Abby Jimenez is so good at dialogue and at creating lovable characters (and pets!).

Xavier and Samantha meet at his veterinary office and they have a fantastic first date. But she doesn't tell him that she is moving back to California to help her family through a crisis. Can they figure out how to be together despite living two thousand miles apart?

It's Abby Jimenez, and her books get better and better. I laughed, I cried, and I read it in a day. I highly recommend to contemporary romance fans who like a lot of com in their rom-coms.

I had high hopes going into this book, but sadly this one just fell short for me. I think there is a fine line between writing dialogue for an enemies to lovers book to come off as sizzling chemistry rather than just two people bickering, and unfortunately this book came off as the latter. With the lack of chemistry, the insta-love start, and adding physical distance between Samatha and Xavier, it was hard to read this as a romance book. They had personal hardships that took precedence in this story that it read more like women’s fiction with a minor romance subplot.

Xavier checks all the boxes when it comes to a leading male. Readers will easily fall for and claim him as their own. While this author can write a good book boyfriend, I’ve seen with her previous work and especially this latest book, she has unlikeable female leads. Samatha comes off as a bit pretentious and the way she speaks feels as if she’s overcompensating and projecting perfection to hiding insecurities. By the time I got to know her, I already had an uphill climb on wanting to root for her.

This book felt different than her previous ones. While her other books are focused on romance, this had the opposite feel. With the lack of chemistry, mainly because Samatha and Xavier’s romance wasn’t the main focus of this book, I did not fully enjoy this one like I have with other books from this author.

I think those going into this book thinking it’s a romance book might be a little disappointed, but going in knowing this is a women’s fiction book would enjoy the character development and family drama/dynamics. Those scenes were written well and the research and emotions show through those scenes

3.75/4 stars. Abby Jimenez' SAY YOU'LL REMEMBER ME, tackles long-distance dating and the insta-love trope in a book that you'll hopefully remember long after the final page. Xavier is a grumpy and sexy veterinarian that resembles ACOTAR's Rhysand, and he cares about animals more than he does humans. Relatable. Samantha is a hopeful, cute and curvy social media marketer who becomes a client of Xavier's while rescuing a kitten without a butthole. Yes, you read that right - the meet cute revolves around a cat butthole. Jimenez has truly outdone herself. Xavier is instantly smitten with Sam and asks her out on a date that night, and let's just say things go from 0 to 60 very quickly. But a wrench is thrown into their plans when Sam reveals that she's moving to California to take care of her dementia riddled mother the next day. Cue the drama.

YOURS TRULY will always be my favorite Jimenez, followed by JUST FOR THE SUMMER, but SAY YOU'LL REMEMBER me falls into third place. Per usual, Abby's writing is funny, cute, sad, accessible, and flows so well that I read this in a day. Like most of Abby's men, Xavier is truly out of a fairytale, and we are not worthy. That said, I'm not the biggest fan of insta-love, so she lost some points from me there. That, and the excessive Rhysand references in the first three chapters - we get it, you're on BookTok. I generally found there to be a lot of showing and telling when it came to characterization, and there were moments when certain aspects of the story were so silly it almost seemed like a farce. Like, the pipeline from cat buttholes to dementia was WILD. And she's a social media marketer for mustard?! I swear this feels like a joke Jimenez is playing on us. There's also a brown dog named Jake from State Farm, and is that like...racially insensitive? Or am I just being overly sensitive?

As a fan of the slow burn romance, I dislike insta-love because a lot is happening so quickly that the emotions feels unwarranted in such a short period of time. I understand the romance genre, it's just that she’s meeting the friends by chapter six, and he's gaga for her before she leaves for LA a chapter or two later. That said, if a man jumped into the water to retrieve my dropped phone, I'd marry him on the spot. But what are they so enamored with? I mean, they don't really know each other because they only spent A DAY together and he’s considering upending his career to move across the country shortly after. SLOW YOUR ROLL! Even so, while these two are destined to be together, they're sadly apart for most of their days, so the spice isn't heavy. Though he's a foreplay king and they do it for three hours at one point, so be careful about the UTI Sam!

These two quickly bond over their messy family dynamics - her mom's dementia, and his abusive parents, somehow finding color in their often grey worlds. I love the idea that loving others is having witnesses to your life, that's quite beautiful, and it's cute and interesting to watch these two navigate the trials of long-distance dating...despite the insta-love trope. If men like Xavier exist, please send them my way. A lot of this felt like a fantasy, but isn't that why we love romance books?! A BIG THANK YOU to NetGalley, Forever, and Grand Central Publishing for the ARC! I feel very lucky to have received one.

Abby Jimenez’s latest novel was cute, but it wasn’t my favorite. Xavier and Samantha had great chemistry from the start, and their relationship kicked off with a lot of sparks. But for me, it leaned a little too hard into the insta-love trope, which isn’t usually my thing. Even though it’s not my favorite setup, I think Jimenez pulled it off pretty well, and the first half of the book kept me hooked. But by the second half, things started to drag. It felt like they were just getting hit with problem after problem, and since they were already so into each other, the excitement wore off a bit.

One thing the book did really well was its portrayal of dementia and the challenges of being a caregiver. Jimenez handled this with a lot of care and realism, and I really felt for Samantha and her family. It added a lot of depth to her character and made her relationship with Xavier more complicated in a good way. I loved how supportive and understanding Xavier was, but at times, the focus on their individual issues made it feel like the relationship took a backseat. I wanted to see more of them actually together, instead of just dealing with all the obstacles in their way. Overall, it was a good read, but it didn’t quite hit the same as some of her other books.

This book was absolute perfection. Every single detail was perfect and the characters were perfect and every word on every page was perfect. I will accept zero criticism about this book or Abby Jimenez in general because this book absolutely wrecked me in the best way. That’s it. That’s the review. Read this immediately. 😭🥰

While I finished this one several days ago, I have really struggled on how to rate and review it!

Abby's romances always have something heavier and more emotional involved, from infertility to parent issues and beyond. This time, main character Samantha's mother has dementia, and she moves home to California to care for her, leaving behind her adopted town in Minnesota and Xavier, the man that she just had the world's best first date with. The connection between the pair stretches across the country as they try to find a way to make a relationship work from afar while struggling with their own daily tasks.

The romance is definitely one of insta love, and the beginning of the book brims over with joy, fun banter, and cute moments. The pair's initial meeting had me laughing out loud, and their date night was memorable to say the least.

I ended up feeling like this was more aligned with contemporary fiction or WF than a romance. The connection between the two frays and wears as they struggle to find ways to see each other in person, and things got repetitive in the middle of the book while they struggled with this. They each have important things keeping them where they are, and it is hard for them to look forward to a future where they are together when they can't see a way to make it work.

The back portion of the book is trauma city, with everything that could possibly go wrong going wrong. I did find beauty in the way Abby describes the importance of witnessing someone else's life, of being the one there making the memories and holding on to them. If you are someone who holds memories dear and who feels deep nostalgia, this book will absolutely bring you to tears

Thank you to Forever for the ARC. All opinions are my own.