Take a photo of a barcode or cover
adventurous
challenging
informative
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I love a romance with some depth but damn if this wasn't next level on the tragedies. Glad that all of the side characters weren't flat although the main characters did make me think she tried to mold them into perfect, insane protagonists just so we didn't have any more shit happen in this book. Don't know why it would be a series but it was cute enough to keep going.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Dementia
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
moved from kindle to audiobook at 25%
let me preface this all by saying that abby jimenez is one of my FAVORITE authors.
the insta-love at the start of xavier and samantha’s relationship reallyyy turned me off and had me questioning if i wanted to just dnf.
this might be too niche but what ultimately motivated me to continue on audiobook was finding out that matt lanter (the voice of anakin skywalker from star wars the clone wars) was narrating as xavier 😅
the long distance relationship didn’t bother me. if anything, i appreciated how realistically it was depicted.
xavier was adorable, samantha was fine. i do tolerate cringe but their relationship was a bit too much for me i’m sorry.
still love abby jimenez always!! this was just not my favorite work of hers ❤️❤️
let me preface this all by saying that abby jimenez is one of my FAVORITE authors.
this might be too niche but what ultimately motivated me to continue on audiobook was finding out that matt lanter (the voice of anakin skywalker from star wars the clone wars) was narrating as xavier 😅
xavier was adorable, samantha was fine. i do tolerate cringe but their relationship was a bit too much for me i’m sorry.
still love abby jimenez always!! this was just not my favorite work of hers ❤️❤️
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Medical content, Dementia
Moderate: Child abuse
emotional
funny
hopeful
sad
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Dementia
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Medical content
Minor: Animal cruelty, Excrement
emotional
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Child abuse, Death, Infidelity, Sexual content, Dementia, Grief
emotional
funny
hopeful
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
The beginning threw me off a bit. When Xavier asked her out on a date the second time they met, I actually swiped back on my e-reader to make sure I hadn’t accidentally skipped a few chapters. It came out of nowhere and honestly felt a little weird. They were basically strangers, plus he’s her vet, so it was an odd dynamic for him to suddenly ask out one of his patients’ owners.
I do enjoy instant attraction or infatuation in books, but I prefer it when both characters keep those feelings under wraps for a while. I love that delicious secret pining before anything happens. So for me, the story started off on the wrong foot.
That said, once I moved past the beginning, it only got better. Xavier is a top-tier book boyfriend: thoughtful, caring, sweet, and absolutely swoon-worthy. The long-distance relationship struggle was written so well that it genuinely hurt. I shed quite a few tears reading the final chapters. One thing I really appreciated was how these two actually communicated and openly discussed their issues with each other instead of bottling them up. The communication in this book was truly top-tier.
On a side note, as a European, the American system for bank loans and health insurance is baffling and frankly infuriating. I found myself frustrated on Xavier’s behalf.
Overall, despite my rocky start with it, this story still hit hard emotionally and definitely gave me something to remember.
I do enjoy instant attraction or infatuation in books, but I prefer it when both characters keep those feelings under wraps for a while. I love that delicious secret pining before anything happens. So for me, the story started off on the wrong foot.
That said, once I moved past the beginning, it only got better. Xavier is a top-tier book boyfriend: thoughtful, caring, sweet, and absolutely swoon-worthy. The long-distance relationship struggle was written so well that it genuinely hurt. I shed quite a few tears reading the final chapters. One thing I really appreciated was how these two actually communicated and openly discussed their issues with each other instead of bottling them up. The communication in this book was truly top-tier.
On a side note, as a European, the American system for bank loans and health insurance is baffling and frankly infuriating. I found myself frustrated on Xavier’s behalf.
Overall, despite my rocky start with it, this story still hit hard emotionally and definitely gave me something to remember.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Chronic illness, Death, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Dementia, Grief
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Infidelity, Sexual content
challenging
emotional
funny
sad
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:
No
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Chronic illness, Death, Dementia, Grief
Moderate: Alcoholism, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Gaslighting, Alcohol
challenging
emotional
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Unfortunately, I found this book to be really boring and repetitive. I empathized with the characters and like them in theory, but I couldn’t quite connect with them emotionally enough to fully engage with the story — especially when so much of this story is about their family hardships and less about their romance. Abby Jimenez isn’t a romance author for escaping into the fantasy of a romcom; she serves up tragedy and pain on the same plate as the romantic relationship. Usually I’m fine with that, but in this book’s case, I struggled.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Death, Emotional abuse
Moderate: Child abuse
emotional
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
N/A
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Where do I even begin?
This was one of my highly anticipated reads as an Abby Jimenez fan, but I'll admit that "Say You'll Remember Me" missed the mark.
While I understand that it is a long distance relationship it felt as if Xavier was doing the most sacrifices. I'm sorry but I cannot believe that Xavier sacrificed his entire practice, everything he worked for, for Samantha. He gives up volunteering at a rescue, something he genuinely loved. He worked himself to death, working 80 hours a week, ending up in a hospital. He takes up all this debt and will need to file for bankruptcy. It's just not believable to me that he has this "a-ha" moment like "Oh I'm only staying here because of proving something to my parents." Like Xavier still has a love for animals, but sacrifices everything for her. I also had to roll my eyes that Hank was the vet who helped him when he was a kid and that Hank's old colleagues would work at his Minessota clinic for free...yeah right!
It's also just depressing, and for what? All the characters were miserable the entire time. Samantha's family was also just so frustrating to me. They all came to an agreement that they want to honor their mom's wish to stay at home, but basically do nothing about it. Sorry, with the exception of accruing more debt to renovate the house? Also, the casual mention of dad's infidelity? Tristan was valid for that.
I did not like how at the end of the book everything is tied up in a nice little bow. A "perfect" ending. These two characters just went through so much trauma and I felt as if nothing was resolved. Also, how did the family who never communicated with each other finally get their sh*t together and made it work with Lisa.
I didn't believe y'all, but yes, the internet references are crazy.
This was one of my highly anticipated reads as an Abby Jimenez fan, but I'll admit that "Say You'll Remember Me" missed the mark.
While I understand that it is a long distance relationship it felt as if Xavier was doing the most sacrifices. I'm sorry but I cannot believe that Xavier sacrificed his entire practice, everything he worked for, for Samantha. He gives up volunteering at a rescue, something he genuinely loved. He worked himself to death, working 80 hours a week, ending up in a hospital. He takes up all this debt and will need to file for bankruptcy. It's just not believable to me that he has this "a-ha" moment like "Oh I'm only staying here because of proving something to my parents." Like Xavier still has a love for animals, but sacrifices everything for her. I also had to roll my eyes that Hank was the vet who helped him when he was a kid and that Hank's old colleagues would work at his Minessota clinic for free...yeah right!
It's also just depressing, and for what? All the characters were miserable the entire time. Samantha's family was also just so frustrating to me. They all came to an agreement that they want to honor their mom's wish to stay at home, but basically do nothing about it. Sorry, with the exception of accruing more debt to renovate the house? Also, the casual mention of dad's infidelity? Tristan was valid for that.
I did not like how at the end of the book everything is tied up in a nice little bow. A "perfect" ending. These two characters just went through so much trauma and I felt as if nothing was resolved. Also, how did the family who never communicated with each other finally get their sh*t together and made it work with Lisa.
I didn't believe y'all, but yes, the internet references are crazy.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Dementia
Moderate: Confinement, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child abuse, Death, Infidelity, Blood, Abandonment
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I don’t know that I’ll be able to stop thinking about this book any time soon. Abby Jimenez has a way of crafting characters and stories that stick—books that are so full of life and heavy-hitting themes wrapped in romance and humor.
What happens if the romance plot is a done deal and the book has barely gotten started? An author’s contract with me as a romance reader is that they will provide the HEA by the end of the book (and ideally include an epilogue so I have time to come down from all the feels before meeting real life head on again). So of course I know that the romantic protagonists are going to be together when I close the book. But the formation of that certainty is typically a slow process that takes most of the book.
In Say You’ll Remember Me, Abby Jimenez avoids things like a third act break-up or a major miscommunication that threatens to derail the building of the thing that will later become the HEA. Instead she allows life itself to provide the conflict and challenge. There were real issues for the FMC and MMC—both internal and external. But their flaws weren’t at the center of the book’s conflicts.
I don’t think I’ve read anything quite like this, and I certainly haven’t cried and shouted, “No way!” out loud (in my kitchen, don’t worry) while reading a book. I will be rereading this one for sure.
What happens if the romance plot is a done deal and the book has barely gotten started? An author’s contract with me as a romance reader is that they will provide the HEA by the end of the book (and ideally include an epilogue so I have time to come down from all the feels before meeting real life head on again). So of course I know that the romantic protagonists are going to be together when I close the book. But the formation of that certainty is typically a slow process that takes most of the book.
In Say You’ll Remember Me, Abby Jimenez avoids things like a third act break-up or a major miscommunication that threatens to derail the building of the thing that will later become the HEA. Instead she allows life itself to provide the conflict and challenge. There were real issues for the FMC and MMC—both internal and external. But their flaws weren’t at the center of the book’s conflicts.
I don’t think I’ve read anything quite like this, and I certainly haven’t cried and shouted, “No way!” out loud (in my kitchen, don’t worry) while reading a book. I will be rereading this one for sure.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Dementia, Grief
Moderate: Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Child abuse, Death, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting