Probably my favourite Abby Jimenez title! I thought this one had the perfect combo of humour & serious topics. Both main characters had trauma that they had to deal with throughout the book, and I thought it was handled really well. It's more than just a romance!!!

First off, thank you so much to NetGalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for this e-arc! I was so excited when I got approved for this arc. I am a huge Abby Jimenez fan and will read everything she writes! Abby just knows exactly how and when to tug on your heart strings. This book was definitely heavier than any of the previous books I have read of hers. It was heartbreaking but had such a humorous tone in a classic Abby Jimenez way.

Another story by Abby Jimenez that had me in a chokehold. When will I learn to have my tissues ready and therapist on call?
I absolutely loved all the easter eggs within and the subject matter ripped me to shreds, as someone who has a family member with dementia-- The part where they talk about doing her mom's hair and make-up wrecked me as that is something we have started doing for our own family member and it helped in our circumstance as well.
Thank you, Abby, for writing another book that I will be recommending to all my friends that has love of ALL sorts and realistic situations with the best of the best men.

*This was an e-arc from NetGalley*

Minor spoilers in this review.

How I read it: ebook (on a Kindle)

Themes: dual POV, long distance relationship, caretaker, sick parent, abusive parent, death, complicated family dynamic (both sides), found family

Spice: Fade to black

Oh Abby, you get me every time! I was so lucky to receive the eARC from NetGalley. If I wasn’t a working parent, I would have finished this book in one sitting, -that- is how much I enjoyed reading this book.

I would recommend this book. I gave 5 stars because I like it a lot, and would re-read it and/or buy it!

I normally love Abby Jiminez, and while this had so many of the things I love about her books (lovable characters, sparkling dialogue, big feelings) the couple's problems felt too big. I didn't really enjoy reading this. It didn't offer the level of escapism I normally look for in a romance. I'll read her next book but this one was not it for me.

I laughed, I swooned, and sobbed...because it's Abby Jimenez and of course, I did! Another beautiful book. Her writing style is so conversational, it makes it seem effortless which is a special magic of its own.

It’s taken me a long time to write this review because I’m conflicted. While I absolutely love Abby and her books so much, especially because they include raw, emotional real-life conflicts and love stories, my honest opinion was that this one was just too much of a giant trauma dump that overshadowed the romance and I’m still struggling with it a month later.

⚠️ Any kind of harm to animals is a huge trigger for me and there is a CW in the beginning of this book for “mention of animal abuse, cruelty, neglect, and death” but I believe that this CW and “mention of” followed by reassurance the MC’s dog doesn’t die did not adequately prepare me for what was in the pages. It’s impacted me way too much and I wouldn’t have picked this book up if I had known. While I understand why Xavier’s backstory and childhood traumas are important to understanding his profession and who he is as a person today and what drives him, that point could have been accomplished a lot more delicately and I believe the CW was not sufficient for some readers.

However, that all being said, I did enjoy the characters overall and I did enjoy the long distance relationship representation and struggles they faced. That part was very realistic and I could empathize and relate given my husband and I are military and have needed to spend time apart exactly like this. But sadly, I still felt as though this book was 80% trauma, 20% romance whereas most Abby books I feel strike the perfect balance between both usually.

Thank you to Abby, Forever, and NetGalley for the advanced copy of Say You’ll Remember Me.

Abby Jimenez has done it again!
The highlight of every one of Abby’s books for me is how she’s able to tell such an amazing love story while also showing so much of raw and real life. Our main characters have an instant connection, but have to jump insane hurdles to even attempt to make a relationship work. Throughout the story the reader looks at the question of how far would you go for love (literally) and the importance of prioritizing your own happiness.
An easy 5 star and an incredible addition to Jimenez’s already extraordinary backlist!

"Say You'll Remember Me" by Abby Jimenez absolutely lives up to its online buzz. Having read three of her books now, I can confidently say that Abby has become one of my auto-buy authors. Her writing is exceptional, blending romantic tension, well-developed characters, and relatable, realistic scenarios. This particular story tackles dementia, and as someone who has witnessed a loved one endure this heartbreaking disease, it moved me to tears multiple times. It’s much more than just a typical romance—it’s deeply emotional and profoundly impactful. This book is sure to be on many Must Read lists this summer.
Thank you to NetGallery and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I really enjoyed this! This story has more than romance and with the long distance, there’s so much to take away from the book I loved Xavier and Samantha, their romance felt like a “when you know, you know” moment. And I really appreciate the way Abby wrote Samantha’s family and how differently everyone copes with her mothers Alzheimer’s
I also really loved the full circle moment that Xavier has when it comes to his family and his history
Did not care for the constant acotar references in the beginning when describing Xavier 😅 but I did enjoy the story overall

Would definitely recommend Thank you NetGalley and Forever for this arc! 💞

Abby's upcoming 2025 book, Say You'll Remember Me, had me feeling so many emotions and should be high up on your list of books on your radar for this new year! But let me warn you -- this romance was very heavy compared to past Abby Jimenez novels. Our two characters meet in the cutest way, the initial banter between them was on point! But we quickly enter into a long distance relationship as Samantha moves back to California to help with her mom who has dementia, and this is where the heavy part of the story really takes place. Somehow we see Samantha and Xavier defy the odds of a long distance romance despite all the challenges thrown their way. I have to commend Abby for steering clear away from something that really bugs me about 98% of rom com stories, which would be a spoiler for the book so I'll hold off here in my review. I was bummed though that we didn't receive any Easter eggs of previous characters from her other stories in this one, unless I totally missed it! All in all this was another winner from Abby! I definitely think Xavier is going to enter Book Boyfriend of the Year for many once more people get their hands on this book!

Abby Jimenez continues to be a must read author for me. Her stories show the realities of life and this one is no different. Samantha and Xavier were such a realistic couple and I loved every minute I spent with them.

This book was so amazing! I love Abby Jimenez and she continues to not disappoint! I hope Abby writes a hundred more books and I will read all of them.

Abby Jimenez did not disappoint with this sweet romance. I laughed a lot, starting from the cat’s missing butthole. The plot and character build were great. Highly recommend!

The pastel and whimsical summer-type cover is such a lie, and whoever designed it is cruel! It's not a happy-go-lucky beach read. Say You'll Remember Me is so heart-wrenching and relatable in such a beautifully authentic way. It transcends a traditional romance and is instead a story of family, belonging and finding a way to deal with what's at hand.

Also, the meet-cute of a rescue cat without a butthole!? It's those light elements of levity that keep those from becoming trauma porn.

At times, I felt Samantha and Xavier overthought this obstacle and let it become something bigger than it was. This constant “realization” that it will always be like this, how hard it is, etc., became somewhat repetitive about two-thirds of the way in. However, the hurdles of money and family were realistic and relatable in a way we don't often see in similar books.

✨4.5 — Rounded to four for review purposes

Thanks to the author, NetGalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for the advance copy in exchange for my review.

Abby Jimenez always delivers a really good romance. It never gets boring or too cheesy, it's always just the right amount of love and romance that I look for in a book. There were a few emotional parts- childhood trauma and themes of dealing with dementia in a loved one plus a few other topics I won't mention so it doesn't give the book away, but overall it was light-hearted and well written. I laughed out loud- and that says a lot. I don't do that too often when I read books. Thanks for giving me ARC of this title. I will buy it for my library and recommend it to others.

Abby Jimenez does it again, creating a story so beautiful and emotional that it was hard to put down! I loved both of these characters from the very beginning, and I cannot wait to see what's in store for the future

Samantha and Xavier meet when she brings a stray kitten to his clinic. They have one amazing date, but she is moving back to California to be with her family and help take care of her mom. The story chronicles their decision around trying long distance and how it would work.

I love Abby Jimenez and all her books, and this is no exception. They are more than just romance books, but dive into deeper issues. I love this story wasn’t a slow burn but also not so fast it was unbelievable. I also really love when the story itself and challenges faced are drama enough, not needing a third act breakup.

This is my third Abby Jimenez books and I’ve come to the conclusion that she’s just no the author for me. This one almost immediately turned me off with the insta-like and the numerous ACOTAR references (ugh). And it didn’t improve with both characters continuing to make annoying and irrational decisions. Jimenez’s writing style also seems kinda choppy. Ended up skimming most of the end bc it got too frustrating.

This was my first Abby Jimenez book but it won’t be my last. What a great love story!
When Samantha meets vet taking care of her cat she thinks he’s hot…then he opens his mouth. Xavier falls for Samantha when he sees her even if he did put his foot in his mouth. As they fall in love forces out of their control threaten to tear them apart.