Say You'll Remember Me by Abby Jimenez Summary

Say You'll Remember Me follows veterinarian Xavier Rush and Samantha, who share an unforgettable first date before Samantha must move to California to care for her mother with early-onset Alzheimer's. Despite the 2,000-mile distance and overwhelming family obligations, Xavier refuses to let her go, flying across the country to maintain their connection. The novel blends romance with deeply emotional family drama as Samantha's household navigates her mother's devastating illness while Xavier and Samantha fight to build a relationship against impossible odds.

Abby Jimenez is a #1 New York Times bestselling author and Food Network winner who founded the successful bakery Nadia Cakes. Her romance novel Yours Truly made history as the first romance to win Book of the Month's Dolly Award for Book of the Year, and she received the 2022 Minnesota Book Award for Life's Too Short. Other popular titles include Just for the Summer, which also became a #1 bestseller. Jimenez is known for crafting emotionally resonant contemporary romances with depth and humor.

Say You'll Remember Me is ideal for readers who enjoy emotional contemporary romance with substantial depth beyond typical rom-com fare. Fans of Abby Jimenez's previous work will appreciate her signature writing style, though those expecting light romance should be prepared for heavy family drama themes. The book suits readers interested in long-distance relationships, caregiver narratives, and stories about family sacrifice. However, readers seeking purely escapist romance may find the Alzheimer's storyline and family crisis overwhelming compared to the romantic elements.

Say You'll Remember Me delivers Abby Jimenez's characteristically captivating writing and creates compelling, well-developed characters that make the instant connection believable. The book excels at portraying the devastating reality of early-onset Alzheimer's and family caregiving with emotional authenticity. However, readers should note this reads more as women's fiction than romance, with heavy dramatic elements outweighing the cute or sexy moments. Some readers found the excessive TikTok references and ACOTAR mentions distracting, though Jimenez's storytelling prowess makes it difficult to put down despite these issues.

Say You'll Remember Me explores family sacrifice, with Samantha giving up her own happiness in Minnesota to care for her mother suffering from dementia. The novel examines long-distance love and whether relationships can survive when external circumstances create seemingly insurmountable obstacles. Trauma and healing appear through Xavier's abusive childhood and his determination to prove his worth through success. The devastating impact of early-onset Alzheimer's on families serves as a central theme, showing how caregiving demands can consume entire households.

Say You'll Remember Me straddles the line between romance and women's fiction, leaning more heavily toward contemporary family drama than traditional rom-com. While it features romantic elements including a meet-cute and cinnamon roll male main character, the long-distance nature means readers get limited Xavier and Samantha content together. The family drama surrounding the mother's Alzheimer's disease often overshadows the romance, with the emotional toll of caregiving taking center stage. Multiple reviewers noted the book wasn't marketed accurately for those expecting a lighter romantic comedy experience.

The long-distance relationship in Say You'll Remember Me spans 2,000 miles between Minnesota and California, with Xavier flying repeatedly to see Samantha despite her insistence that the relationship won't work. After one incredible first date, Xavier refuses to accept their connection as just a perfect memory, making extraordinary efforts to maintain their bond. Samantha's caregiving responsibilities for her mother make relocation impossible, forcing Xavier to shoulder the burden of travel while managing his veterinary clinic. The distance creates tension as Samantha doubts whether love can survive when life is already overwhelming with family obligations.

Say You'll Remember Me portrays early-onset Alzheimer's with heart-wrenching authenticity, showing how Lisa loses pieces of herself daily while her family reorganizes their entire lives around her care. Abby Jimenez demonstrates thorough research into the devastating reality of having a loved one suffer from this disease and the toll it takes on family caregivers. The novel depicts Samantha's father on the verge of burnout from trying to hold everything together while the family sacrifices personal dreams to keep their mother home rather than in a facility. This storyline provides significant emotional depth but creates a heavy reading experience that some found overwhelming.

Xavier Rush is a gorgeous veterinarian described as a "Greek god" who's better with animals than people, initially coming across as grumpy and saying the wrong things. Underneath his tough exterior lies a "cinnamon roll" of a man—sweet, dependable, and unwavering in his devotion—shaped by years of trauma from abusive parents he no longer speaks to. His childhood abuse created lifelong trauma but also fueled his determination to succeed with his veterinary clinic and prove his parents wrong. Multiple reviewers called him the best book boyfriend Abby Jimenez has ever created, though some noted he felt almost too perfect at times.

The most common criticism of Say You'll Remember Me involves excessive TikTok language and repeated ACOTAR/Rhysand references that felt forced and took readers out of the story. Many reviewers noted the book's second half deteriorated with erratic decisions and constant manufactured conflicts that frustrated readers who were invested in the earlier chapters. Some felt the Gen Z commentary seemed mismatched for characters who appear to be younger millennials rather than Gen Z in age and career stage. Several readers found the book marketed misleadingly as romance when it functions more as heavy women's fiction with family drama overshadowing the romantic elements.

Say You'll Remember Me incorporates several popular romance tropes including a meet-cute when Samantha brings her rescue kitten to Xavier's veterinary clinic. The story features forced proximity during their extended first date, dual point of view alternating between Xavier and Samantha's perspectives, and a cinnamon roll male main character in Xavier. Long-distance relationship serves as the primary romantic obstacle as they navigate 2,000 miles of separation. The novel also includes complicated family dynamics on both sides—Samantha's family crisis with her mother's dementia and Xavier's traumatic past with abusive parents.

Say You'll Remember Me represents a departure from Abby Jimenez's typical balance of romance and humor, featuring significantly heavier themes than her previous works. While it maintains Jimenez's signature captivating writing style that sweeps readers into the story, many fans noted this installment fell short of expectations compared to beloved titles like Yours Truly or Just for the Summer. The book contains less of the cute or sexy content that characterized earlier Jimenez novels, with the family drama and Alzheimer's storyline taking precedence over romantic development. Some reviewers stated that despite disappointment, Jimenez's phenomenal writing still made the book impossible to put down, even when skipping other reads to finish it.