Reviews with content warning for Child abuse - Say You'll Remember Me

Reviews tagging 'Child abuse'

Say You'll Remember Me by Abby Jimenez

29 reviews

rachelshubin's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0

Say You’ll Remember Me is a difficult book to rate. It is being marketed as a romance book but it should be sold as women’s fiction. There’s not a lot of romance compared to the actually “family member with dementia dynamic.” Dementia + a romance story ≠ a romance book. Romance was a subplot at best, and as some other reviewers have mentioned - it’s heavy on the trauma and too light on the romance. I would’ve judged this story less harshly if I knew it was more of women’s literature than a romance, hence a 3 star rating.

If I was to rate this story…the chemistry between the characters, the humor, and the banter was all a 5/5! Really no notes, it was addictive and fun and enjoyable! Unfortunately the actual plot and the progression of the story was a total downer and gave me anxiety as I waited for the other shoe to drop. It’s fine if you want to put your characters through trauma, but as the reader, it was too much trauma. I genuinely couldn’t conceive of a way they could be together. Yes, life is messy, but is it this messy? I felt exhausted as everything that could go wrong, went wrong.

On the topic of dementia, my grandfather had it so the idea of this story was already close to home. I wish Abby had focused a little on how shitty the system is for the families who want to care for their sick family member, but how cost inhibitive that can be. She focused a lot on the problems families go through with caring for their loved ones and also how hard it is to have them not recognize you.

Pros: there were many funny moments, some good friends (except Sam basically had no friends so that kinda made her one dimensional) and there were so many ACOTAR/Rhysand references which was super fun! The writing style is Abby’s classic addictive detailing.

Cons: well, I’ve already listed a ton but honestly…a social media manager for mustard? That was a choice. There was also sooo much working against the MCs that their Happily Ever After was really unrealistic at the end.

It’s not my least favorite Abby Jimenez read, but it’s definitely down there

Fave order (I still have one of hers to read)

Just For the Summer
Part of Your World
Yours Truly
The Friend Zone
Happily Ever After Playlist

I was lucky enough to get an advanced copy! Thank you to Forever and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Content Warnings

readwithcass's review

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emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted reflective sad fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

I cannot begin to describe the joy that I felt when I got my hands on a copy of this book. I love Abby Jimenez’s work from her complex characters, hilarious dialogue and banter, and a-ha or ‘big reveal’ moments. I have yet to make it through one book without going on an entire rollercoaster ride of emotions from tearing up to full on sobbing as well as cackling and snorting.

I think you should read this book for several reasons, but the top 3 (I might be slightly biased in my ranking) are:

1. The portrayal of dementia and caregiving.

2. The portrayal of long distance relationships.

3. The characters!

The Characters:

Samantha: Her sense of humor had me cracking up or cackling and snorting myself. I loved her dry, quick wit. I would sell a kidney for the opportunity for nothing more than to read more of her posts and comments.

Xavier: Perfection. No notes. Ultimate book boyfriend. I don’t think he will ever be topped. I’m a sucker for eyes and men who are apparently ‘Airport Dads’. His backstory and journey was so compelling as well and I thought this was another aspect that was done so well.

*Side note: The references to ACOTAR quite litterally had be kicking my feet and giggling. I hope they have the same effect on you.

Honorable Mentions:

Xavier’s Inner Circle - I loved the glimpses of their relationships that we got to see and I loved their honesty and audacity to show how important Xavier was to them. It was clear the bond that they had with Xavier.

Grandma, Tristan, and of course, Maggie and Tina — Absolutely hilarious. I would read a whole book just based on Tristan’s past escapades.

The Portrayal of Long Distance Relationships:

I found this so interesting how well this type of love worked with the ideas presented on dementia. How longing to create memories with someone and missing someone can compare to longing for someone to remember you and the memories you’ve created. I thought the use of ‘gray’ representing longing and ‘color’ representing love and happiness throughout the text to weave together both of these aspects of the plot.

The Portrayal of Dementia and Cargiving:

When I found out that Jimenez was writing about a protagonist who was a caretaker for their mother who had dementia. I couldn’t not wait to read it. My grandfather had Alzheimer’s and I have a niche interest in books that discuss characters with dementia, Alzheimer’s, and other degenerative diseases as well as the effects on their loved ones.

I had every bit of faith that Jimenez would do this with such grace, compassion, love, and kindness. She surpassed all expectations illuminating several complex and nuanced situations that sparks discussion about topics such as: the emotional, physical, and mental toll of caretaking, the impossibility of decision making when torn between a loved one’s wishes and what’s best for their well being, and how to help someone retain their dignity while suffering from a degenerative disease/illness.

I don’t think I’ve ever read such a well done portrayal of the experience of an individual whose dementia is progressing as well their families experience caring for them.

Lastly, thank you Abby for writing this story.

Content Warnings

laurrelise's review against another edition

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challenging emotional sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

Content Warnings

shellysbookcorner's review against another edition

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emotional reflective sad medium-paced

Loveable characters? Yes

4.0

Thank you @readforeverpub for my book

Abby Jimenez has such a way with words and the moment I started reading I didn’t want this book to end. This book in my opinion is one of her heaviest works to date and had me all in my feelings. I used to work in the healthcare field and one summer I was on the dementia floor and it was so depressing.

Xavier and Samantha were everything I love as a couple. Complete opposites and they balanced each other out perfectly. Xavier is guarded and rightfully so but I love the way he didn’t run away when things became messy. I did find this book to be slightly repetitive, but it was still a great read and longtime fans of Abby will definitely enjoy this story!

Content Warnings

laudis98's review

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emotional funny hopeful lighthearted reflective sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

I feel so lucky to been given an ARC of Abby Jimenez’s new book #SayYoullRememberMe. I’m at book 104 for this year and this one is one of my favorites. I will admit that I am partial to any of her books. Here is my review:

Abby Jimenez makes us fall in love with another character. Main character Xavier is introduced as a hot vet that looks like Rhysand but also volunteers at animal hospitals. She had me at hot guy that loves animals.

Samantha meets Xavier when she takes a kitten she found to be examined. They both are instantly attracted to each other but Xavier ruins that connection with delivering less than hopeful advice to Samantha. Miraculously, Samantha accepts an invitation for a date. Little did they both know it was going to give “the one” date vibes. Too bad Samantha family circumstances cut that romance short.

I love a strong female character and Samantha is just that with a “Bitch watch me” attitude. 😂 She also is vulnerable showing her softer side.

This book had me laughing out loud and feeding my heart with daydreams. I love Abby’s books because she doesn’t just offer the romance, she also offers substance of real serious issues. In this one, dementia is one of those issues. Say You’ll Remember Me truly delivers an insight on how dementia affects a family. *This book does contain elements of abuse to kids and animals along with mental illness. Please check your triggers.

Though I did enjoy this book, I found Xavier to be too soft. I felt like he worked far more than Samantha to make the relationship work. Perhaps his past trauma contributes to his people pleasing attributes but I honestly felt bad for him.

If you’re looking for a great rom-com with meat & potatoes definitely read this!

Thank you #NetGalley & #Forever for an ARC! #abbyjimenez

Be on the lookout for my year’s favorites!

Content Warnings

caitsbookcase's review against another edition

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emotional funny reflective medium-paced

4.5

Abby Jimenez never disappoints me! I will read ANYTHING she writes at this point. As always with this author, I adored this book from start to finish. It made me feel so full of love and heartbroken at the same time. I can’t wait to get the physical copy in my hands in April so I can annotate it🤭

Samantha and Xavier were true soulmates! They were a perfectly balanced match. Immediately I was captivated by this couple and their instant connection and chemistry. I’m not always a big fan of when a couple has that instant connection but I genuinely felt so much love between them in this one so I can’t fault it.

This author always gets me towards the end of her books…I can confirm I spent the last 10% crying on and off—this story was truly beautifully written🥹

Content Warnings

kateywaldhart's review

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emotional funny hopeful medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

Content Warnings

dbr3168's review

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challenging emotional lighthearted sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

ARC Review - Overall it was a cute story. The chemistry between the two leads was funny and easy to enjoy.

One thing I've consistently enjoyed about Abby's books is the realistic and complicated life scenarios she writes for her characters. A long distance relationship is hard. Long term family member care is hard. Determining what to do next in your life when you have desires that conflict with your financial obligations. All topics are well handled in this book!

I'll say though, there is an infidelity plotline that I think didn't add to the story at all. I kept waiting for it to be addressed or mentioned in a more meaningful way, but it wasn't. I also found myself somewhat jolted at times by some abrupt parts of the book (Samantha moving to CA instead of just "traveling", Xavier reconnecting with Hank after all those years, as examples). All that said, I'll read the final copy once it's published!

Content Warnings

abby_reads_stuff's review

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emotional funny hopeful sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

I had to take several hours to let this book soak in before reviewing. I enjoyed it so much but I needed a bit to come down from the roller coaster of emotions to make sure my review was coherent.

This story features our main characters Samantha and Xavier. Samantha is a witty, sarcastic social media manager and Xavier is an introverted veterinarian who vastly prefers animals to people. They are so in love but their relationship is geographically challenged, with one living in Minnesota and the other in California. They try their hardest to forget each other but just can’t seem to make the memories go away. Samantha really sums it up when she says, “…there is nothing more beautiful than being a witness to someone’s life. To know them inside and out..” The characters are also faced with a lot of difficulties outside their relationship too which helps make them a stronger couple. Samantha asks Xavier if he would want to erase all his memories of her because of the hardships it brought upon them. Xavier said wouldn’t want that “Because life wouldn’t be worth living if I didn’t remember you.” They have incredible banter that had me kicking my feet and giggling several times.

As always, Abby includes some call backs to previous books in this universe and they do not disappoint, especially not Jafar. There’s definitely a few more connections to add to the ever growing Abby-verse chart.

A lot of the themes in this book are personal to me. My grandmother passed away in 2023 from complications from dementia and so Samantha’s family struggles really resonated with me. I also loved how accurate the long distance relationship was since I lived that life for several months while I was engaged because I lived in Texas and my fiance was working in Ohio. She encapsulated the feelings of distance perfectly.

I appreciate all of the time and thought Abby puts into making her stories realistic. The veterinary aspects were well researched and added to the story.

Abby Jimenez’s books always make me very emotional and this book was no different. I lost count of the amount of times I teared up and cried (and sobbed). Say You’ll Remember Me made me feel a lot of feelings. I was so in love with all of the characters that I felt their pain and joys right along with them.

I would like to thank Abby Jimenez for writing this masterpiece and I would also like the Forever Romance team for the opportunity to review this ARC!

Content Warnings

ktdakotareads's review against another edition

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emotional medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

Content Warnings

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