Because sometimes all it takes to win me over is a tiny kitten and a man who loves her.
Another summer, another heart-warmer by Abby Jimenez. Grab your sunscreen, your beach towel, and your beverage of choice. We’re diving in to “Say You’ll Remember Me”.
The Premise (no spoilers, I promise):
Samantha runs the social media accounts for a national mustard brand, and the sense of humor that makes her so good at her job is also a source of major appeal for Xavier, a grumpy veterinarian who prefers animals to people. When Samantha adopts a kitten in need of life-saving surgery, the sparks between them are instant and intense.
But after a magical first date that puts all other first dates to shame, Samantha has to confess that she’s on her way out of town, moving from Minnesota back to California to help her family manage her mother’s rapidly-progressing dementia. Xavier, finally feeling as though he’s met someone to whom he can open up, refuses to entertain the idea of letting her go that easily.
What Worked for Me:
First of all, Xavier and the animals? A lethal combo. Who wouldn’t fall for a man who gives up every spare moment to help animals in need?
Samantha’s loyalty to her family, particularly her mother, is both admirable and heartbreaking, and the book never shies away from the emotional toll that caretaking can take on a person.
Also: Pooter. I won’t say much, but just know that this small ball of fluff steals the show more than once.
What Gave Me Pause:
I’ll admit that I’m not typically a fan of insta-love, and in this case, it felt especially unrealistic. While I don’t mind fast chemistry, and a few hours trapped in an escape room sounds romantic and exciting, these are people who were still practically strangers at the end of the night. I struggled to believe their one date was enough for Xavier, who seemed to not even know how to speak to people, to rearrange his life so that he could randomly fly 1500 miles across the country whenever he wanted just to spend a few days with a woman he barely knew.
That said, Abby Jimenez does a great job of giving their relationship space to deepen as the story unfolds, and their histories, their hurts and their scars are revealed, so I eventually bought in. And as always, she handles the gritty topics woven into her stories with realism and hope.
Final Thoughts:
If you love stories with big heart and characters who are trying really hard to get it right despite their circumstances, this one’s worth picking up. Come for the kitten, stay for the romance. I did.
As a person who sometimes struggles to deal with the darker parts of life I don’t always turn to Abby Jimenez for an escape. With her characters’ real-person anxieties, fears, wounds, and problems, it sometimes hits a little too close to home for me to truly lose myself in the story and enjoy. But they’re always full of hope that despite all that feels wrong, there’s always the chance that things can still go very, very right.
Have you read this one yet? What did you think? And more importantly—do we need to start a support group for readers who fall too hard for fictional pets?
