Say You’ll Remember Me by Abby Jimenez

Narrated by Christine Lakin and Matt Lanter

Emotional Romance. Stands Alone.

Before I wrote my review, I wanted to sit with Say You’ll Remember Me by Abby Jimenez. I needed the emotions to settle a bit before I felt like I could be objective. It didn’t help. I am still as torn on this book as I was when I finished. I loved it and kind of hated it at the same time. Check out my TikTok or Instagram to see my reaction right after finishing.

Say You’ll Remember Me was a super difficult read for me, and it wasn’t just the emotions about her mom’s dementia that made it so hard to read, it was the impossibility of the situation they were in. There may be some minor spoilers in this review because I don’t think I can write it without them.

Samantha and Xavier had an amazing meet-cute and first date. I was swooning and completely in love with the couple. She’s an online brand manager (I loved her job), and he’s a grumpy veterinarian with a tragic past. But after one perfect (well, kind of) first date, Samantha lets him know she’s moving for good the next day to care for her mother with advanced dementia.

I believe that love can develop after one date; I met my husband on vacation and we continued a long-distance relationship until he quit his job and moved to me. I enjoyed the way the romance mostly developed long distance. Nowadays with Facetime and busy lives, I don’t think long distance is as hard as it used to be. But their individual lives were hard to read about. Honestly, they spent more time apart, living their own lives in misery, than they did together.

Samantha’s family dealing with her mom’s advanced dementia was so difficult to read. It hit so hard that I’ve been looking into long-term care policies just in case this ever happens to me. I never want to burden my kids when I wouldn’t even know the difference. I think that she needed professional care and her family wasn’t equipped to handle it, and the day-to-day care was depressing and difficult to read about, especially how Samantha’s father dealt with it.

Xavier’s story wasn’t any easier. He was killing himself working multiple jobs to make ends meet and still be able to visit Samantha. Their situation seemed so hopeless and impossible the whole time that it just started getting me depressed, the exact opposite of the feel-good romances that made me fall in love with Abby’s writing.

I had a love/hate relationship with Say You’ll Remember Me. It was so good in so many ways, but the balance tipped a little too far into heavy for me. The emotional weight overshadowed the romance and made the story feel depressing overall. While I can see the rest of the family possibly getting their own books, I’m not sure I’ll be able to read them if the dementia storyline continues as a backdrop.

I usually work favorite quotes throughout my review, but I think I will let them stand alone here:

“None of the fear and worry I had was because I didn’t think it would work. The fear and worry was because I knew it would. I was going to fall in love with this man.”

“But the small memories are the fabric of your life, the ones so inconsequential that you don’t even remember them. You just remember how you felt when you were making them.”

“That there is nothing more beautiful than being a witness to someone’s life. To know them inside and out and be with them through everything, share the same memories. Memories are everything.”

“But she still knew what love was. Maybe that’s the last thing we forget. Or we never forget it at all. Not really. We lose the words to say it. We lose the ability to show it. But we never lose the ability to feel it or recognize it when we see it. Love is the brightest color in a gray world.”

Likes:

I loved the main characters so much.
The meet-cute and first date were perfect.
The funny stuff lightened the heavy a little.
The natural caretaker in Xavier. Her entire family needed him.
I like Abby’s writing. It sucked me in and never let go.
I bookmarked so many amazing quotes.
The ending.

Dislikes:

Most of the book was depressing AF.
Too much booktok trendiness (he was compared to Rhysand from ACOTAR at least 5 times, once would have been fine).
The way the father handled his wife’s dementia. While I agree the man needed a life, the way he got one was unacceptable.
I felt the hopelessness the whole time. I like a book that makes me have hope, not lose it.
There was a little more telling than showing, especially with the romance.

The Narration:

Christine Lakin and Matt Lanter were both absolutely incredible. The duet style narration made this book even better. They added even more emotional depth to the story.

The Down & Dirty:

I loved Say You’ll Remember Me by Abby Jimenez when I finished it. But I can’t say I truly enjoyed the ride. I bought the book without reading the blurb or triggers (I don’t really have triggers) so I expected a romcom with some heavier backstories like Abby’s other books. Instead, I’d call this sad women’s fiction with light elements and a romance thread. It was written beautifully and never lost my attention, but it didn’t give me the warm fuzzies I’ve come to expect. It just felt so hopeless. I was almost a little mad while listening because I felt tricked into buying a sad book that opened a new fear for me (dementia). I adored the couple and rooted so hard for them, which is why I can say I loved the beginning and the end, and why I’m giving it 4 stars. Abby’s writing always hooks me, but this time, there were just too many obstacles to happiness for me to call it amazing.