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emotional
hopeful
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:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Medical content, Dementia, Grief, Gaslighting
Moderate: Alcoholism
Minor: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Infidelity, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content
challenging
emotional
funny
lighthearted
reflective
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
Spice Rating: 🌶️🌶️
My Summary: Xavier and Samantha meet in one of the most unexpected ways--at a veterinary clinic while Samantha has a kitten in her bra. Little do these two know that this random meeting will lead to an instant emotional connection. Unfortunately, the day after their first date, Samantha is moving across the country to California to she can live with her family and help take care of her mother, who has been diagnosed with dementia. And Xavier is unable to leave the veterinary clinic he owns in Minnesota. At fist Samantha doesn't think starting a long-distance relationship is worth the heartbreak, but when Xavier shows up and puts in the effort, they both start to rethink their futures. Will they be able to overcome the distance and still be there for each other through it all?
My Thoughts: I know there have been a lot of mixed opinions about this book, but I definitely enjoyed Abby Jimenez's newest release. Say You'll Remember Me is about more than just the romance between Xavier and Samantha. It's about overcoming obstacles together as a couple. It's about learning how to cope with slowly losing a loved one to dementia (something with which I have unfortunately had to learn myself). It's about showing up for your loved ones when they need it most. It's about discovering what you would do for the person you love.
Though their connection was fairly instantaneous, I still enjoyed Xavier's and Samantha's relationship. They helped each other heal from emotional wounds left from childhood as well as work through grief in real time. They showed up for each other even from thousands of miles away.
Say You'll Remember Me is for readers who want an emotional rollercoaster ride of a story full of love, grief, and hope.
My Summary: Xavier and Samantha meet in one of the most unexpected ways--at a veterinary clinic while Samantha has a kitten in her bra. Little do these two know that this random meeting will lead to an instant emotional connection. Unfortunately, the day after their first date, Samantha is moving across the country to California to she can live with her family and help take care of her mother, who has been diagnosed with dementia. And Xavier is unable to leave the veterinary clinic he owns in Minnesota. At fist Samantha doesn't think starting a long-distance relationship is worth the heartbreak, but when Xavier shows up and puts in the effort, they both start to rethink their futures. Will they be able to overcome the distance and still be there for each other through it all?
My Thoughts: I know there have been a lot of mixed opinions about this book, but I definitely enjoyed Abby Jimenez's newest release. Say You'll Remember Me is about more than just the romance between Xavier and Samantha. It's about overcoming obstacles together as a couple. It's about learning how to cope with slowly losing a loved one to dementia (something with which I have unfortunately had to learn myself). It's about showing up for your loved ones when they need it most. It's about discovering what you would do for the person you love.
Though their connection was fairly instantaneous, I still enjoyed Xavier's and Samantha's relationship. They helped each other heal from emotional wounds left from childhood as well as work through grief in real time. They showed up for each other even from thousands of miles away.
Say You'll Remember Me is for readers who want an emotional rollercoaster ride of a story full of love, grief, and hope.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Sexual content, Dementia, Grief
Moderate: Child abuse, Death, Emotional abuse, Alcohol
Minor: Alcoholism, Animal death, Infidelity
emotional
funny
lighthearted
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
In Abby Jimenez, we STAN!
Now, listen, for some reason, I'm hearing a lot of people weren't a fan of this. I can't say that's me, though, cuz when I was reading, I seriously didn't get. This is my 5th from Abby, and she has YET to disappoint me! Let's start with the pros:
Now, listen, for some reason, I'm hearing a lot of people weren't a fan of this. I can't say that's me, though, cuz when I was reading, I seriously didn't get. This is my 5th from Abby, and she has YET to disappoint me! Let's start with the pros:
Pros:
- Xavier - I usually don't care for grumpy men, I don't! But it seems like Abby can write any man, and I will eat it up every time. This man was SO DOWN BAD! It's disgusting! The things he does for her! Another acts of service king, and I love it! He stepped up in every which way he could to the point where it drove him ill, like WHAT! Get you a man willing to do that for you! My man was DEVOTED, and I wouldn't ask for anything less. There's literally doing long distance and it's stressing him out to mo end, but not once, not ONCE did he ever suggest breaking up. This man was literally rather die than lose her! I can't! I seriously can't! Abby did her big one with him. Never thought I'd feel this way about doctor romance, but here we are. Also, I found myself deeply relating to his storyline. I honestly wish we got more of him dealing with his toxic parents because that's something people heavily relate to, and it's rarely talked about how an upbringing like that can shape you as an adult and how you view the world.
- Samantha - I liked Samantha. I like her personality. She was very headstrong and completely devoted to her family. There wasn't much to her as a character now that I think about it. But like I said before, she had a likable personality, and I think she was a great counterpart to Xavier
- Xavier x Samantha - Beautiful, just BEAUTIFUL! Their love is honestly so sweet to read. Their both so heavily devoted to each other, and it's so sweet and kinda heart-wrenching to see what they go through in this book. Cuz the chemistry is there and there's seriously "the ones" for each other. Their dates are the cutest and funniest dates I've ever read about. I seriously don't know how she comes up with them. Uggghhhh! I love them! They were great!
- [I'm sorry if this is a spoiler] - The talk about dementia here broke my heart. I have no insight or firsthand knowledge of the subject, so I can't really speak on the accuracy of Abby's research, but you can tell she handled the subject matter with the utmost care that she could deliver. Reading about this really hit me, and it's hurt me so much that so many people go through this with a loved one. And I know it can be repetitive and cringe at times, but I really like how she incorporated how valuable memory is and tied those themes with the couple; it was so cute!
- Samantha's family - I don't know if I'm alone on this stance, but I really enjoyed Samantha's family. They all had various personalities that were so enjoyable to read about, and just watching what they go through as a family was very moving to read about. Lowkey, I hope they get books. We talked a lot about Jeneva's situation with being a single mom with kids and a low-life baby father. I honestly wouldn't mind a Tristian book either. He was very interesting to read about.
Oh also, shout to Dr. Hank and Maggie and Tina especially Hank. He was amazing1
Now onto the cons (there aren't that many for me):
Cons:
- The Gen-Z lingo - Yeah, I understand why one would dislike; however, that stuff doesn't bother me as much as it does other people. Honestly, besides the Rhysand stuff (which only appears 4x in the book in the beginning and then never again), none of the other lingo bothered me. I thought it was a little funny.
- Now onto an actual con. This seems to be a lot of people's grievance with this book, and I understand. I wasn't a fan of how much Xavier was sacrificing. It felt like the scale was completely unbalanced. I kid you not, for the first half of this book, it's him doing all the heavy lifting and traveling back and forth. She sees him TWICE, and both times were paid for (not by her). She does try. It's not like she doesn't, and she does acknowledge that he does a lot for her, but STILL. This man literally was wrecking his HEALTH for her. And although I find it swoonworthy (like I said before, we love a devoted man), I also find it concerning because I don't like it when the effort isn't equal. She was dealing with a lot, and I get it, but it still doesn't change the fact that the pendulum was severely unbalanced between them.
- I wish we got to see more of his (Xavier's) friends and his life outside of his job and Samantha. Especially considering that the next book is Chris's book (the pharmacist). I feel like we didn't get enough of his friends to gauge their personality enough for me to be excited for a book about them. Like Chris, Mike, and Jesse all get mixed up to me cuz they have no distinguishing characteristics.
- I'm iffy on what the father did. Grieving and being the primary caregiver for your wife who's basically deteriorating right before your eyes, is probably one of the toughest challenges a human has to face. I couldn't imagine how heartbreaking it was for him.
But cheating on his wife is a weird way to cope. Like I get it, I do. He deserves to be happy, but the way he's doing it is a bit questionable.
Overall, loved this book! Abby Jimenez has literally become my favorite rom-com author. No one does it like her, and I'm excited to read more from her. Also, I don't know about anyone else, but for some reason, this book has a high chance of re-readability for me.
Spice Rating:🌶️.5/5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Terminal illness, Dementia, Grief
Moderate: Death, Medical content, Death of parent, Abandonment
Minor: Animal cruelty, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Gaslighting
emotional
hopeful
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:
Yes
Abby deals with the real world head on, with empathy and care while still hooking you in with a romance to root for. It’s emotional, frustrating at times and ultimately a very good read. And remember …. Google is free.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Terminal illness, Dementia, Death of parent
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Abandonment
Minor: Alcoholism, Animal death, Child abuse, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Medical content
emotional
funny
hopeful
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:
Yes
Once again, Abby Jimenez writes a contemporary romance novel deeper than just a romance. One of the characters lives with a mom who has early-onset dementia. Her descriptions of a family trying to handle the changing demands of a declining patient felt real. Abby always writes her characters with a lot of compassion and thoughtfulness. That's why I enjoy her books so much. Like most romance novels, I get bored waiting for the couple to get together. However, there is enough in the book outside the romance that I'm happy to keep reading.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Child abuse, Death, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Medical content, Dementia, Grief, Medical trauma, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Injury/Injury detail
challenging
emotional
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Loveable characters:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Chronic illness, Dementia, Grief
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Death, Sexual content, Medical content, Gaslighting
Minor: Child abuse, Infidelity
emotional
hopeful
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Cursing, Mental illness, Medical content, Dementia, Grief, Gaslighting
Moderate: Animal death, Bullying, Death, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Self harm, Sexual content, Abandonment, Alcohol
Minor: Addiction, Alcoholism, Cancer, Terminal illness, Violence, Medical trauma, Injury/Injury detail
emotional
funny
hopeful
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Content Warnings
Graphic: Dementia
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Child abuse, Sexual content, Grief
emotional
hopeful
sad
slow-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
The story has so many sad elements from incredibly hard long-distance to caring for a loved one with dementia , but still it manages to be incredibly hopeful. The events are very spaced out, taking place over many months, to showcase the slow reality the characters live: there are no quick fixes or solutions to their situation, but they need to work their way for their end game.
The slow narration didn't let me get as attached to the main characters as I have gotten in previous books by Jimenez, even though I learned a lot about Sam and Xavier, and their feelings got through to me.
This is not my favourite book by Jimenez, but I'd nevertheless recommend reading it.
The slow narration didn't let me get as attached to the main characters as I have gotten in previous books by Jimenez, even though I learned a lot about Sam and Xavier, and their feelings got through to me.
This is not my favourite book by Jimenez, but I'd nevertheless recommend reading it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Dementia
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Death, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Medical content, Grief, Gaslighting
Minor: Animal death, Child abuse, Sexual content
emotional
funny
hopeful
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship
Minor: Sexual content, Gaslighting