Say You’ll Remember Me by Abby Jimenez Book Review

Trigger Warning: This book includes themes of dementia and the challenges of caregiving, which may be difficult for some readers.

Title: Say You’ll Remember Me
Author: Abby Jimenez
Publisher: Forever (US) / Piatkus (UK)
Genre: Romance / Women’s Fiction
Year of Publication: 2025
Date of Publication: April 1, 2025
Pages: 368 pages
ISBN-13: (US edition) 978-1538759196
Audiobook Read by: Christine Lakin and Matt Lanter

Our Rating of This Book

Summary of Say You’ll Remember Me by Abby Jimenez

The story follows a woman named Samantha Diaz. Samantha is a marketing manager who at the start of the book is living in Minnesota. One day, she takes a kitten she rescued to a vet owned by Dr. Xavier Rush. Xavier is a vet and is usually the first to push against putting down animals. But on that particular day, he already had to deal with a difficult situation and so their first encounter does not go perfectly, although there was a little spark between the two of them. He tells Samantha that the cat cannot be saved as it requires a very expensive surgery.

Feeling irritated and challenged, Samantha lunches a social media campaign that goes viral and raises the funds for the surgery. Xavier, feeling guilty and somewhat impressed with Samantha’s determination, makes a donation to the campaign. When Samantha brings the kitten back for a check up, he asks to take Samantha on a date. They end up going on a date and it’s the perfect date but there’s a catch! Samantha is moving back to California the next day.

Samantha’s life is very complicated. Her mother, Lisa, has early-onset dementia, and is starting to forget who Samantha is. This in addition to the care needed, forces Samantha to make the move to California. Realizing that a romantic relationship may not be possible given the distance and amidst the caregiving responsibilities, Samantha asks Xavier to forget her.

Despite the distance, Xavier is unable to forget her. The novel follows how Samantha and Xavier try to maintain their connection long-distance and how they balance love, duty, family, and also their personal and professional commitments. On the one side, Samantha’s family is deeply involved in the caregiving and each family member is needed to reduce the burden on each other, and on the other side Xavier is balancing his responsibilities to keep his new clinic running, financial pressures, past trauma, and enjoy his new relationship.

This is not just a love story but a story of whether love can endure when major life challenges pull people in different directions.

Main Plot & Characters

Samantha (Sam) Diaz — She is caught between what her heart wants and what her responsibilities to her family demand. She’s extremely caring and is taking care of her mom who has dementia, with the help of her family.
Xavier Rush —He is completely drawn to Samantha but their relationship is challenged by the logistics, distance, and personal obligations. He is also dealing with the effects of things that happened to him in the past especially as it relates to his parents.
Lisa — She is Samantha’s mom.
Dr. Hank Brekken (Hank) — An older vet who works with Xavier.
Tina and Maggie — They are Xavier’s staff at his vet practice.
Tristan — He is Samantha’s brother.
Jeneva — She is Samantha’s sister.
Dan — He is Lisa’s husband and Samantha and Tristan’s father.
Mike Chris, Jessie and Becca — They are Xavier’s circle of friends. Becca is Jessie’s girlfriend.

Writing Style

A large portion of the story feels like a well-researched and really mature true to life experience. There’s banter, humor, and everyday interactions but with that said, some part of the book are heavy. Samantha’s mother is dealing with dementia and the book does not sugar coat the difficulty of caring for a loved one with serious illness. It also does not shy away from highlighting the challenges of long distance relationships.

If you are looking for a boy meets girl and sizzing romance kicks off, this is not the book. Instead, Abby Jimenez gives us two main characters that are everyday people, who you can’t help but root for. There are parts of the book where you may questions whether the relationship is worth all the stress and some references to Xavier looking like Rhysand from ACOTAR series, that may be just a little too much.

We also loved how the author roped in the song “Come On Eileen” by Dexys Midnight Runners, throughout the book. After reading the book, we decided to listen to the song and smiled throughout while remembering Xavier and Samantha’s experience at the Escape Room.

Listening to Say You’ll Remember Me by Abby Jimenez

Memorable Quotes

“We were a bonded pair, separated by cages two thousand miles apart.” — Xavier
“Less stressed, better outcomes. Bonded pairs suffer apart.” — Hank
“Embrace your inner Rhysand.”— Becca (Jessie’s girlfriend)
“Loneliness in a relationship is the deepest loneliness of all.” — Samantha
“Sometimes never is enough.”
“Come on, Eileen, I’m sure you’ve had much more memorable nights than that one.” — Xavier

Final Thoughts on Say You’ll Remember Me by Abby Jimenez

Say You’ll Remember Me is both heartfelt and bittersweet. Abby Jimenez doesn’t just give us a love story; she shows us how complicated love can be when weighed against responsibility, family, and distance. The novel captures the push and pull of wanting to follow your heart while also carrying the weight of duty. It asks an important question: can love survive when life keeps pulling you in different directions? This book will definitely appeal to readers who enjoy books that are more true to real-life.

Rating

Characters ★★★⯪☆ (3.5/5)

Plot ★★★⯪☆ (3.5/5)

Writing ★★★★☆ (4/5)

Book Cover ★★★★☆ (4/5)

Audiobook (Narration only) ★★★★⯪ (4.5/5)

Overall ★★★★☆ (4/5)

Have you read Say You’ll Remember Me yet? If so, I’d love to hear what you thought of how the author handles Samantha’s caregiving burden and the long-distance tension.

Authors

Ufuoma Akpotaire

Ufuoma Akpotaire is a passionate book, movie and music reviewer with a love for travel and culture. She combines her enthusiasm for storytelling with her experience exploring new places and stories. Through her reviews, she celebrates creativity and inspires readers to appreciate the connections between books, movies, music, travel, and global cultures.
Nathaniel Adebayo

Nathaniel is a Media Content Specialist at Verayea, where he specializes in curating content and gathering data for the company’s extensive book library. He is also dedicated to writing insightful reviews, offering thoughtful perspectives on a range of media. His work ensures that Verayea’s library is comprehensive, well-organized, and informative, providing valuable resources for its audience.