Say You'll Remember Me

The last 20% of this book was beautiful. Abby Jimenez writes the best romance book, hands down. I know she always adds a lil modern zest to all her books which sometimes is a hit or miss for me. But near the end, I forgot about it and LOVED Dr Hank and how he connected the dots. I almost bawled my eyes out when he said he’d do anything for one more day with his wife. I think it was an overall fantastic story!!!

There are so many things about this book to love but overall it’s the way that it made me feel. There were so many relatable and very real topics in this book that made it so easy to connect to the characters and the story. The romance side of things was a little insta-lovey and typically that isn’t something I gravitate towards but due to the logistics in Samantha and Xavier’s relationship, it still gave me the yearning feeling I enjoy, especially because I’ve done long distance before and knew exactly what they were going through. Abby also does a great layering in the different family dynamics and traumatic histories that give us more than just a love story to care about. I will admit loudly that I bawled by eyes out, so proceed with caution but this is such an incredible book so you should absolutely read it.

Not my favorite of Jimenez's works. The main couple is cute, but I don't love insta-love romances and this one just gets bleak with all the hits these characters have to endure!

This book kept me engaged as well emotionally drained.

Say You’ll Remember Me balances long-distance romance, caregiving, financial stress, family trauma, and grief without losing the warmth that makes Abby Jimenez books so addictive. Xavier and Samantha fall for each other fast. Their relationship never feels easy because both of them are already carrying so much. Samantha is trying to hold her family together while her mother’s dementia keeps progressing. Xavier is drowning in debt after surviving emotionally abusive parents who spent years tearing him down. Their relationship worked so well for me because Jimenez never treats love like a magical fix for everything falling apart around them. Xavier completely stole my heart. A compassionate veterinarian who rescues animals while carrying childhood trauma sounds like a man engineered in a romance lab specifically to ruin women emotionally. Somehow Jimenez still makes him feel believable instead of perfect. Watching him finally stand up to his parents felt so satisfying after everything he endured growing up. He notices things, listens, shows up, and is the walking definition of “if he wanted to, he would.” The dementia storyline felt painfully realistic. Jimenez clearly researched the realities of caregiving and the exhaustion families experience while watching someone slowly disappear piece by piece. Samantha’s frustration, guilt, and desperation reminded me so much of the family dynamics I saw while caregiving for end-of-life patients. Her father refusing to fully acknowledge his affairs while simultaneously pushing for a nursing home made everything even messier. I kept finding myself angry at how often women are expected to carry the emotional and physical labor of caregiving, while husbands emotionally check out once things become difficult. The final stretch stacks tragedy after tragedy onto these characters. At times, it honestly became emotionally exhausting. What kept the book from becoming too heavy were the bright moments scattered throughout all the heartbreak. One of my favorite scenes comes late in the story when the veterinarian volunteering at Xavier’s clinic turns out to be the same man who inspired him to become a vet as a child. The audiobook narration elevated everything. Matt Lanter and Christine Lakin stayed firmly within their own character perspectives instead of awkwardly forcing opposite-gender voices the entire time. The listening experience felt immersive and natural. Their chemistry carried beautifully through the emotional scenes and made the long-distance yearning feel believable. My only real complaint is the spice level. The chemistry between Samantha and Xavier builds steadily. Then, the intimacy scenes fade to black much faster than I wanted. Xavier spends the entire novel being thoughtful, attentive, emotionally available, and attractive enough to make strangers stare. I wanted at least one scene with more detail after all that tension. I loved Say You’ll Remember Me. The happily-ever-after felt comforting after everything these characters survived. Abby Jimenez continues proving she excels at writing romances where love exists alongside grief instead of replacing it. Pick this up if you enjoy emotionally mature romance heroes, long-distance love stories, realistic family struggles, veterinarian main characters, and romances that balance heartbreak with hope.