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Say You'll Remember Me by Abby Jimenez

 

Summary (from the publisher): There might be no such a thing as a perfect guy, but Xavier Rush comes disastrously close. A gorgeous veterinarian giving Greek god vibes—all while cuddling a tiny kitten? Immediately yes. That is until Xavier opens his mouth and proves that even sculpted gods can say the absolute wrong thing. Like, really wrong. Of course, there’s nothing Samantha loves more than proving an asshole wrong…

. . . unless, of course, he can admit he made a mistake. But after one incredible and seemingly endless date—possibly the best in living history—Samantha is forced to admit the truth, that her family is in crisis and any kind of relationship would be impossible. Samantha begs Xavier to forget her. To remember their night together as a perfect moment, as crushing as that may be.

Only no amount of distance or time is nearly enough to forget that something between them. And the only thing better than one single perfect memory is to make a life—and even a love—worth remembering.

Review: This had so many of the hallmarks of Abby Jimenez's novels - a dreamy leading man, great banter, complicated family dynamics, and a deep love story. But unlike her other works, this was not a mostly feel-good read. Samantha and Xavier have considerable obstacles roadblocking their relationship. However, I did think it made this book feel more realistic and I still really enjoyed their story!

I don't think I've read any other romance where the couple has more terrible odds stacked against what should be a simple love story! After an incredible first date, Samantha drops the bomb that she is moving from Minnesota back home to California to help care for her mother, who is suffering from advanced dementia. Despite being willing to move closer to one another, there are serious reasons why neither can do that easily. 

In addition to the long-distance aspect of their relationship, there were a lot of heavy subplots in this book. Xavier is estranged from his parents, for very good reasons. They both love their jobs but are struggling in a variety of ways. In particular, this was an interesting insight into the challenges of being a practicing veterinarian. But heaviest of all was Samantha's mom, who is experiencing advanced dementia. While her family is committed to keeping her at home, this puts a tremendous strain on the whole family. I really appreciated this depiction of dementia, having experienced that with one of my own loved ones. Samantha's family goes through a lot of emotional turmoil and grief due to this. It felt very heavy and dark but also is very much something many people face and I loved the realistic portrayal of a real family crisis. 

That being said, I do think Samantha's family sacrifices too much in the interest of keeping her mother at home. This did not feel realistic. It was too much of a burden on the family, especially Samantha, who makes huge career and relationship sacrifices to make this possible. It just was too much to ask. I also question how safe their mom really was, without any outside help and just a few people juggling her care and numerous other responsibilities. I feel that it would have been both more realistic and more relatable if they had chosen to put her in a care facility. Perhaps this is cruel of me to say! But the family just kills themselves on the altar of keeping their mother at home, making tremendous sacrifices, even when their mother no longer recognizes any of them. I could also see where it might be hard for people to read this if they had had to make the difficult choice to put a family member in a care facility, which is not an easy decision to make. 

Xavier and Samantha have amazing chemistry and a strong bond that helps them endure a very grueling and punishing first year together. It was hard to watch them suffer and I kept wanting Jimenez to just give them a break. But this was a realistic, true to life love story and not a fairy tale! Ultimately, their love was stronger than everything they faced. 

Finally, a note that Pooter is a terrible cat name and I hated having to hear it over and over and over thanks to the cat being what brought the pair together. 

A beautiful, duet narration. This was wonderful on audio. 

Stars: 4

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