Welcome to the Sweet Reads Society (our book club)— where we read swoony romances, devour cupcakes, and shamelessly drool over fictional boyfriends. We’re a low-pressure book club because, let’s face it, reading should never feel like homework. So whether you read along or just pop in for the tea, you’re always welcome here! And yes, I will be reviewing our picks with spoilers — you’ve been warned.
For April, we chose Say You’ll Remember Me by Abby Jimenez, one of the reigning queens of contemporary romance. Abby is beloved for her relatable characters, hilarious dialogue, emotional gut punches, and her signature happily-ever-afters that leave your heart feeling full. So, let’s talk about it!
Details
⭐️ 4.5 / 5 stars
🌶️ Spice Level: Mild
⚠️ CW: Dementia, grief, depression, caregiving burnout, job loss, long-distance struggles, animal abuse
🎶 Playlist: Spotify
📖 Standalone: Yes, but set in the beloved “Abby-verse”
👀Character connections: Samantha and Lisa appear in Just for the Summer; Jafar the parrot squawks his way in from Yours Truly.
Highlights
🐶 Animal lovers
☀️ Grumpy x Sunshine
💥 Insta-love-ish
🧠 Dementia rep
✈️ Long-distance challenges
💘 He falls first
🌻 Summer vibes
💔 Heavy emotional themes
👀 Dual POV
Synopsis
When Samantha brings her kitten to the vet, she’s met with a man who is both swoon-worthy and cranky: Xavier. Their first meeting is a mess, but sparks still fly. After a life-changing night together, Samantha drops a bombshell — she’s leaving for a job across the country the next morning and asks Xavier to forget her. Naturally, he does the opposite.
Reader Poll 💬
I went into this book expecting to love it — and I did. But, if I’m honest, it’s not my favorite Abby Jimenez book (Part of Your World and Yours Truly still top my list). Even so, Say You’ll Remember Me stands out as one of the most emotionally resonant romance novels I’ve read — this isn’t just a love story; it’s a life story.
Say You’ll Remember Me is both familiar and fresh for an Abby Jimenez novel. It has all the hallmarks we love — witty banter, lovable pets, quick pacing, and a friend group you want to grab drinks with. But this book also digs deep into grief, caregiving, sacrifice, and the messy, enduring nature of love. It’s about clinging to the bright moments when everything else feels dark.
💖 What Worked For Me
1. The Characters
A gorgeous veterinarian giving full Rhysand vibes while cuddling a kitten? Say less. Xavier is the soft-hearted, emotionally complex, slow-to-open grump that romance dreams are made of. And Samantha was an absolute gem—resilient, funny, relatable, and full of heart. I saw pieces of myself in both of them, which is always a telltale sign I’m going to get emotionally attached (and then emotionally wrecked).
2. The Banter & Writing Style
Abby’s trademark blend of laugh-out-loud wit and emotional gut punches is alive and well here. The banter sparkled, the dialogue never felt forced, and the quiet moments between characters made it all feel lived in and real.
3. Emotional Depth & Realism
This book doesn’t shy away from the hard. Dementia, depression, and the toll caregiving takes aren’t just side plots—they are the plot. And yet, Jimenez never strips her characters of dignity. The message is clear: even in your darkest, most overwhelmed moments, you still deserve love. Not just romantic love, but enduring, ride-or-die, hold-your-hand-through-the-wreckage love.
This is a book about what love really looks like: not sweeping romantic gestures or glamorous dates, but showing up day after day. It’s about being a witness to someone’s life — the heartbreak, the mess, the small victories — and standing beside them through it all. It’s about clinging to the bright moments when everything else feels dark.
4. Long-Distance Done Right
As someone who did long distance with my now-husband, I felt this one in my bones. The ache, the challenges, the longing—it was all so accurate. And like Samantha and Xavier, we endured. Because when it’s the right person, you make it work. You fight for the future, even when it’s uncertain.
5. The Little Things
The Easter eggs! I loved the Dart, inspired by Abby’s real-life car growing up — all the hilarious chaos it brought gave me such nostalgia for my own first car, a tiny Dodge Neon hand-me-down that was cute, perfect, and yes, just as temperamental. It’s those personal touches that make the story world feel so vivid.
And of course, Jafar — the foul-mouthed parrot who keeps popping up in Abby’s books. His cameo was short but hilarious, like a little inside joke for readers.
Then there’s the sweet, older vet who quietly stole my heart. He barely had page time, yet his final life lesson to Xavier — to put love above all else — was exactly the nudge Xavier needed to finally (FINALLY!) go to California and be with Samantha. I also loved the full-circle moment that this was the same vet who inspired Xavier’s career in the first place.
The relatable lines were perfection too: “I can’t stand people who are rude to grocery workers. Best litmus test there is,” and the genius “Carmuda Triangle.” I cannot tell you how many things I’ve lost to the black hole between my car seats. Samantha not only gets it — she names it, and in the funniest way. It’s these little observational gems that make Abby’s writing sparkle.
⚡ What Didn’t Quite Work
1. The Pacing
The opening spark between Samantha and Xavier was undeniable… but their jump to “I’ll wait forever” felt a bit rushed. I wanted more time to marinate in their connection before the long-distance angst hit. And after all the emotional buildup, the ending reunion felt a little too fast — like, we earned more pages of happiness, didn’t we?
2. The Sacrifices
Samantha giving up her career gutted me. I get it — family comes first sometimes — but part of me wanted her to have both somehow. And the dad sneaking out at night? Ugh. I get that it was realistic, but it left a sour taste and didn’t feel necessary to drive the plot forward.
💭 Final Thoughts
Say You’ll Remember Me is for anyone who’s ever felt crushed under life’s weight — and kept going. It’s about messy timing, bone-deep love, grief, sacrifice, and finding light in the darkest moments. It’s heavier than Abby’s usual books, so check your headspace before diving in, but if you’re ready? It will break you and put you back together.
I laughed. I cried. I wanted to throw the book across the room — and I’d do it all over again.
Normally, I’d pair something sweet to match our book club pick, but since Abby’s already one step ahead (hello, baker-author goals) with her own cupcake for the book, it only felt right to feature hers! Enter: the Guava cupcake with cream cheese frosting from Nadia Cakes. Not only was it ridiculously good, but it also ties perfectly to one of Samantha’s favorite treats in the story — the guava cheese strudel that Xavier surprises her with. And good news: if you’re not near a Nadia Cakes, you can snag these on Goldbelly!
A good read but, like you, not my favorite Abby Jimenez book. I felt sorry for Xavier, working so hard and not making much money to pay off huge loans. That part was painful for me.