Abby Jimenez’s “Say You’ll Remember Me” is a poignant tale about love, loss and the desire to never be forgotten.
The main characters and love interests, Samantha and Xavier, meet under less than optimal circumstances. The two become acquainted when Samantha goes to Xavier’s veterinary practice to receive help for her kitten and is told that her pet will likely not survive due to a congenital birth defect.
Samantha refuses to accept this without a fight, and she raises enough money for the surgery necessary to save her kitten’s life. Samantha returns to Xavier’s office for a follow-up and to show him that she had proven him wrong. Xavier asks Samantha out on a date, and she agrees.
Though they’ve only just met, the two feel as though they’ve known each other all their lives. Despite this connection, the blossoming couple is faced with a difficult situation: Samantha is moving to California the very next day.
The two initially decide that it would be best for them to forget about their date and move on with their lives. However, neither of them can seem to think of anything but each other.
They embark upon a difficult, long-distance relationship. Their time together, though short, is cherished by both. But soon, the relationship becomes difficult to maintain, nearly unsustainable.
Samantha struggles to balance her job in marketing with caring for her mother, while Xavier struggles to keep his head above water, working full time at his veterinary practice and picking up weekend shifts at emergency clinics to make enough money to visit Samantha in California.
Throughout the story, the characters must balance their love for one another with their personal and professional obligations. As in her other books, Jimenez balances a fun-filled romance with real-life, emotionally hard-hitting struggles.
Though there are strengths — strong subplots and three-dimensional side characters — and the story is good, this book lacks something in comparison to Jimenez’s other works. The plot feels rushed, even though the length of the book should provide ample time for the story to unfold.
The final portion of the story is tear-jerking, and it holds up emotionally to Jimenez’s other books. However, the rest of the book reads like a short story, and not in a good way. The story flies by, and it could have been stronger if the pacing were a bit slower.
Additionally, the romance seemed to take the backstage in comparison to the personal lives of the characters outside of their relationship with one another. While this is typical of some of Jimenez’s other works, it is more apparent in this book. The romance was not as intriguing as the other plots, and there was not much chemistry between the characters.
