I loved Abby Jimenez's writing
She is an automatic book buy for me and Say You'll Remember Me did not disappoint. I loved it. It was a cute and fun read that had me hooked from page one.

I am not a super big fan of romcoms but I love abby jimenez I will say this one was alot more heavy than her others but I still enjoyed it she is a fantastic writer and I will read anything she writes

I absolutely love Abby Jimenez books and this one was no exception.
This was such a heartwarming book with all the funny, romantic and adorable moments one can possibly want.
I loved the two main characters, however I felt some lack of description on the physical aspects of the characters. But what I loved the most was that it happened so much outside the romantic aspect of the book. Lots of family issues and dynamics that made the story feel extremely real.
This is absolutely a book you need to read this summer.

What a beautiful read! A contemporary romance full of genuine characters and pure emotion. It was so authentic and refreshing to read.

There’s a LOT to unpack here, I don’t know where to even begin.

I think the concept of this book was “how much suffering & trauma could the writer put the main characters through” or maybe this was a personal challenge for the author to put as much misery as possible in a single book. I’m not new to AJ books, I knew she always make the characters life’s difficult. But this is too much, even from her. At first I tried to sympathize with the characters, then it’s getting ridiculously excessive and I was starting to get tired of it all.

I didn’t mind the insta-attraction, even though generally I’m not a fan of it. I quite enjoyed their dynamics at the beginning. I get that sharing personal struggles is crucial in a relationship, with the whole trust thing and whatnot, but I feel like they’re mostly trauma bonding. And the further I read the more it seemed like they’re developing an attachment issue with each other😭 I couldn’t see it as romantic gesture I’m so sorry. Don’t get me started on when they wanted to surprise each other. It almost made me start pulling my hair😭😭😭

Okay fine this book wasn’t all bad. I liked the theme about memory, about forgetting and remembering, showing what dementia looks like. There’s some profound and beautiful quotes. I liked Tristan’s character. There’s a scene that successfully made me cry, even though it’s not about the main relationship. But that’s just it. My discontentment still out-weight them. NOT TO MENTION the reference to a character from a controversial series; and the slight xenophobic sentiment that, thankfully, didn’t make it to the finished copy but it’s still wild to think that AJ wrote it in the first place. I was positively BAFFLED.

In conclusion I don’t like this book. Might still give AJ’s future books a chance, but I’m starting to mentally put a warning on her.

I’ll say this first: Abby Jimenez never writes a “just romance” book, and that’s exactly why I keep reaching for her stories. Her books always come with so much more than love and longing. There’s depth, there’s heartache, there’s growth—and there’s always a sense that you’re stepping into lives that existed long before page one. Say You’ll Remember Me continues that trend beautifully.

This one felt heavy in the best way. It’s about trauma and survival, about what it means to let someone in when you’ve spent years building walls. The romance is intense, the banter is sharp, and the emotional connection is undeniable. Abby knows how to write chemistry that simmers, but it’s the emotional vulnerability that really pulls you in.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I'm a sucker for Abby Jimenez's perfect blend of laughs and feels! Say You'll Remember Me delivers her signature emotional punch, though I'm still debating if it tops my personal favourites list.

Xavier Rush is practically a rom-com fantasy come to life—a dreamy vet with Greek god looks cradling kittens? Sign me up! Until, of course, he opens his mouth and proves even gorgeous men can be total foot-in-mouth disasters. But watching Samantha knock him down a peg is half the fun! Their chemistry explodes during one epic date, only for Samantha to drop the bombshell that any relationship is off the table. Her plea for Xavier to remember their perfect night while forgetting her altogether is heartbreaking—yet some connections refuse to fade, proving that sometimes life's greatest love stories begin with a single unforgettable moment.

The book dives into some heavy themes like grief and loss while still keeping the narrative buoyant.

Xavier and Samantha's relationship had me invested, though occasionally their back-and-forth felt like spinning wheels rather than moving forward.

Full disclosure: I follow Jimenez on social media, and I couldn't help but roll my eyes at the not-so-subtle mentions of her bakery—again! I get it's her passion project, but sometimes it reads like a commercial break in the middle of our story. Same goes for Gran's Dart car, which sometimes got more loving descriptions than the actual romance! These moments really pulled me out of the narrative, making parts of the story feel more like being told what to feel rather than experiencing it organically.

But that's just my take! Despite these quirks, it remains a charming, worthwhile read that left me smiling.

This book was so electric, it was amazing to live through the hardship of a long distance relationship and getting to feel all the emotions. Samantha and Xavier were literally the perfect match. I couldn't put it down!

Abby Jimenez is an auto-buy, comfort author for me so returning to this interconnected stand-alone series feels like coming home. Once again, Jimenez is able to deliver fully-fleshed out central characters who are alive enough on their own, so DAZZLE together.

As Abby Jimenez is one of the only romance authors I read from, I’m still very much establishing what I like in this genre. I normally live for the slow-burn and building of tension, but there was something so refreshing about the instant connection and ACTING upon that straight away in Say You’ll Remember Me. Firm insta-love haters beware, but I’d still say it’s worth a go because if anyone can do it, Abby Jimenez can.

My one criticism would be the pop culture references, such as ACOTAR, as I feel this ages the book and alienates some of its readership (I don’t know anything about ACOTAR).

Although I didn’t connect to these characters and their storyline as much as I have in Jimenez’s other novels, this is still the perfect summer read with a perfect mixture of romance and depth.

Say You'll Remember Me is a contemporary romance that delves into themes of love, family and personal growth.

The novel tackles serious issues such as dementia, family enstrangement, and past abuses, providing a realistic portrayal of life's hardships alongside romantic elements.

While I appreciate the emotional depth, I found the pacing slow and the tone heavier than expected for a romance novel.

Overall, this book offers a heartfelt exploration of love's resilience in the face of life's challenges.

I just finished this book and I am still thinking about it.

The romance feels very authentic as the characters have personal issues and challenges not related to the other character.

I love how much Xavier was trying so hard to make it their relationship work and I loved his personality.

This was a very challenging book for me to read as it portrays dementia which exists in my family. Although this book is a romance story it definitely involves some difficult themes that is not for everyone.

Although some parts of this book were challenging I am glad I read it 💗

The following Trigger Warning were provided by the Author‼️ This book contains detailed descriptions of someone with advanced dementia. There's mention of a cheating spouse of a side character, mention of past child abuse both physical and emotional. Mention of animal abuse, cruelty, and neglect. There's a scene where a dog is in peril (the dog doesn't die. The dog will NEVER die.) Sudden unexpected death of an on page side character.

I’m so saddened to say I didn’t enjoy this book. I love Abby Jimenez but this felt so unlike her usual fare it was jarring. I’m not a fan of pop culture or references that will date a novel and this had far too many. The emotions were hard to connect with and felt contrived. After a perfect series preceding this, this was a huge letdown.

I’m calling it - Say You’ll Remember Me is Abby’s BEST BOOK YET!!!

Xavier and Samantha were utterly addictive to read and I really loved how unique their long distance love story was despite how heavy it became at certain points. It was heart wrenching and heart warming all in one beautiful book.

Not all romances are simple or geographically easy - sometimes you have to travel for a full day (or more) to have mere moments with the one you love. Xavier and Samantha certainly didn’t choose easy but the connection you share makes the decision for you.

Abby really jumped in to some tough subject matter here (caring for a loved one with Dementia) and the impacts this can have on their carers. This is a topic which isn’t discussed often but I’m so glad Abby decided to include this and to make the experience raw and honest.

5 STARS!

This book left me in tears. Definitely different from Jimenez's other books, but ultimately still had her fantastic touch. Xavier and Samantha's instant connection -- through a kitten meet cute -- was electric and was a chord throughout the struggles they faced in the book, and boy struggle they did. I'm a sucker for a grumpy x sunshine and Xavier did not disappoint whatsoever. An absolutely beautiful read that I would recommend to anyone in the mood for a heartwarming read.

✔️long distance relationship
✔️emotional
✔️family issues
✔️dual pov
✔️animal lovers

4.5

This will definitely be one of the top romance books of 2025. It was such a beautiful story! Abby Jimenez truly marvels at making you feel all kinds of emotions through her words and characters. If you're like me and connect with the story you'll be laughing, smiling like a fool, wanting to cry, and many more things.

There's no question that Xavier and Samantha are meant to be together. I loved reading about them, how perfectly they fit together, and how fiercely they loved each other even when everything seemed to be against them.

It was so heartwrenching to read about their families, and what they've been or were going through. I literally just wanted to give them both a hug. But I love how they unconditionally supported each other, it was perfection. There were so many funny, lighthearted and cute moments so the book was perfectly balanced.

I think the only reason I'm not giving it 5 stars is because I felt it was a bit repetitive after a bit. Even though the reasons why the couldn't be together physically were absolutely logical after a while they didn't feel as important as the need they had to be together.

Still, this story was an absolute delight! I'm so excited about the upcoming books by Abby, I'm sure they'll be just as good, if not better.

Thank you to NetGalley and Little, Brown Book for the eARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

I've read Abby's Just For The Summer and Part of Your World (JFTS was first, I now realise I read them super out of order + completely missed the second book but here we are LMAO) , and I did really enjoy Just For The Summer! Part of Your World, I did enjoy but not quite as much. I was quite excited for this, as the title, cover and synopsis all worked together to sound like it'd be a cute lil romance. Unfortunately, as I continued reading I felt CHEATED😭

Below will contain spoilers! Please don't read ahead if you don't want to be spoiled.


This book embodies insta-love, I swear they were dating within like 4 chapters or so?? The entire synopsis happens in the first 15% of the book??? To me, this doesn't read like a romance. The characters get together and fall in love within the first 15% of the book, the rest of the book is how they're going to make it work, but it felt so lackluster that it didn't even feel like the main plot of the story to me. I did not like Samantha as a fmc, I thought it was insane of her to accept a date with Xavier in the very beginning of the book knowing that she was moving across the country??? Like, is this not a thing you'd casually mention at SOME POINT during your 12-hour date??????

I'm a little biased in that my real life love's name is Xavier, but I liked Say You'll Remember Me's Xavier well enough (who wouldn't??) - he was sweet and caring despite his traumatic upbringing. I liked the depth to his character, but was actually in disbelief at the lengths he went through in this book just to see Samantha or make her happy at the detriment of his own physical, emotional and financial wellbeing - like some of the things were actually insane and no actual person would've done all this MUCH LESS have let a loved one go through with all of it (COUGH, SAMANTHA, COUGH). He flew back and forth, dropping all of his past hard work and putting himself through literal sickness to be with Samantha AND was willing to put himself through BANKRUPTCY JUST BC HE COULDN'T BEAR BEING AWAY FROM HER???? and this was all after one single date I ACTUALLY CAN'T 💀💀

I also need to bring up the insane amount of pop culture references in here!! I also love Rhysand from ACOTAR, but my GOD using him as a descriptor for Xavier (MULTIPLE TIMES) feels so incredibly lazy to me, I was absolutely not a fan. The amount of TikTok references in here too was actually insane, and really took me out of the book. I also think it's INSANE that a book mostly about dementia is called 'Say You'll Remember Me', it feels like it was strategically picked to also capitalise on Taylor Swift's fans if you get me, since I too associate it heavily with Wildest Dreams by Taylor even though it doesn't even give the vibe of the song AT ALLLLL.

The main focus was on Samantha's family, her mother's dementia and how they were all dealing with it. This part was fine, it was interesting meeting her family even if they all felt a bit more like caricatures rather than people, but the only reasonable character here was Tristan in my opinion. Tell me why, when the father's cheating comes to light, Tristan was the ONLY person in that household to be angry at him for it???????? The rest allow him to JUSTIFY it and even support him, wtf??? What happened to 'in sickness and in health'????????? The grandmother's death also didn't really phase me - it came completely out of nowhere and felt like it happened just to make things even more traumatic and emotional. I was expecting to feel so much more emotion whilst reading this book, but I lowkey didn't really have any emotions other than anger towards the end LMAOOO

After reading this one, I just don't think Abby's books are for me anymore unfortunately! Thank you so much to Hachette Australia for the e-ARC via NetGalley!

4.5⭐️

Samantha and Xavier were so cute, their first meeting lets face it left something to be desired but, impressions were made on each other just not the best impression. I was rooting for Xavier and Samantha the whole time, I just wanted them to work the whole time. The way the topic of dementia was handled in such a caring and realistic way that showed how significant it was to the story. This made me laugh out loud and cry. This is going to be a book that sticks with me for a while.

Abby Jimenez's writing continues to blow me away and I am so excited to read whatever she writes. Every time I read an Abby Jimenez book I come away more and more excited to read more and makes me feel my emotions that little bit more. I could not recommend this book enough.

Thank you for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Two and a half stars.

Samantha writes social media copy for an organic mustard brand (yep, end of days). When she finds a kitten with a potentially life-endangering birth defect (I can't bring myself to say what it is) she crowd funds surgery. Xavier is the handsome vet who agrees to perform the surgery against his better judgement. The two of them go on a bizarre yet magical first date which ends up with the two of them locked in an escape room overnight.

However, their magical date can only be a one-time thing because Samantha has to leave Minnesota and return to her family home in California. Her mother has dementia and the rest of the family are struggling to cope, as a remote worker Samantha can work just as easily in California and lend a hand.

Then the rest of the book is just Xavier and Samantha getting sadder and sadder because they live on opposite sides of the country, he can't leave Minnesota because he is hundreds of thousands of dollars in debt after setting up his veterinary practice while she (obviously) can't leave her mother. Neither of them can afford to fly cross-country very often, but neither of them wants to give up on their relationship. And then things get worse.

TBH it was all a bit depressing and didn't really go anywhere.

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley.

This has to be one of the most wholesome and heartfelt books I have read in a long time. Sam and Xavier meet just as Sam is leaving the state but eventually decide to try a long distance relationship. Say You’ll Remember Me navigates this relationship, Sam’s mother’s dementia and Xavier’s business struggles with his vet clinics. This book is extremely relatable which made it all the more loveable.

If Abby Jimenez's last book, Just For The Summer, was a five-star read (it was; I rated it that), then this one is a six.

Say You'll Remember Me is one of the most poignant and emotional contemporary romance novels I've read. Yes, it's a love story. Boy (Xavier) meets girl (Samantha) and sparks fly. They share a perfect, 10/10 no notes date, but she's leaving the day after for California to deal with a crisis family situation. They've only just met, so it would be senseless to try keep anything going, right?

This is a "right person, wrong time" tale, but with a devastating back story. Xavier is up to his eyeballs in debt, having opened his very own veterinary practice. Samantha's mother has been diagnosed with early onset dementia and is deteriorating rapidly, and Samantha is moving back home to help take care of her. But their connection is undeniable.

Samamtha and Xavier are incredibly strong and well-drawn characters, and their chemistry is electric. I loved their banter and how considerate they were of each other, and I couldn't get enough of their story. The secondary characters are also fantastic, and I especially loved the dynamics between Samantha's family members, who all end up under the same roof caring for a woman who is clearly the centre of their world.

I found the story so captivating and moving, and it brought me to tears a number of times. I will say this might be a difficult read for anyone who has cared for a sick family member, but it is handled with honesty and great sensitivity.

Say You'll Remember Me is a truly gorgeous and life affirming novel about love, family, and memory, full of depth, heart, and also humour. I can't stop thinking about it.