Abby Jimenez

“Abby Jimenez has proven time and time again to be one of our must-read writers.”―Cosmopolitan
 
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.

Say You’ll Remember Me

This adorable, barely spicy, but very sweet book was such an easy read. A veterinarian + social media guru- it works. 

Kristen Savage

Erinn Costa

As someone who has experienced dementia with a close family member, this book was very significant for me.

My grandmother had it, and it seemed to start after she had to be put under for a surgery after a fall, as she no longer was herself when she woke up.

I loved the yearning of the main romance, and I also loved the close family bond and all of the side characters.

What a cute romance, one that had such a deep bond and had no need for descriptive love scenes, because you could feel it's love within it's pages.

I thought that this was beautiful and also heartbreaking.

My mom was my grandmother's caregiver until we couldn't handle all of the heavy lifting anymore, so this was an important read for me as it discussed the guilt on if you have to put them in a home, and the difficulty with money issues as you feel abandoned and left before. This is a book that I will have fond memories about forever.

Sarah Campbell

As someone who has experienced dementia with a close family member, this book was very significant for me.
My grandmother had it, and it seemed to start after she had to be put under for a surgery after a fall, as she no longer was herself when she woke up.
I loved the yearning of the main romance, and I also loved the close family bond and all of the side characters.
What a cute romance, one that had such a deep bond and had no need for descriptive love scenes, because you could feel it's love within it's pages.
I thought that this was beautiful and also heartbreaking.
My mom was my grandmother's caregiver until we couldn't handle all of the heavy lifting anymore, so this was an important read for me as it discussed the guilt on if you have to put them in a home, and the difficulty with money issues as you feel abandoned and left before. This is a book that I will have fond memories about forever.

i- i didn’t care from the jump and was hoping it would get better… it did not 

julie reads

Felt kind of Tik Tokish in a way I didn’t enjoy. I’ve realized I like books with romance and good plot, not just romance 

Emily Lucie

I feel like you could’ve conveyed abusive parenting without strangling several litters of puppies and the MMC still could’ve been a believable, rescue focused vet. 

Zoe Peace

DNF, ZERO STARS 

I feel like you could’ve conveyed abusive parenting without strangling several litters of puppies and the MMC still could’ve been a believable, rescue focused vet. 

Another hit from the queen herself. Book was very eventful for the beginning. But the dual narration did it for me!!!!!

Leidy Ramirez

✨I wasn’t social. I wasn’t an introvert so much as people just irritated me. I didn’t like dealing with humans I didn’t know. I didn’t like parties unless they were intimate and I knew everyone there.

✨I was convinced that nothing and nobody would ever make me feel as comforted and protected as being near him. Everything about him calmed me. His tone of voice, his smell, the warmth of his body. He had imprinted on me.

✨“You didn’t remember to forget me,” I said, quietly. “No,” he said. “I did not.”

✨“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. I want that.”

✨“A witness to your life?” “Yeah. I want someone who knows everything there is to know about me, and I want to know everything about them. I want to be able to say one out-of-context comment to someone and they get what it means and they laugh and it’s just some stupid joke from like eleven years ago that means nothing to anyone else.”

✨The gnawing discontent of the last two months was finally quiet, and all I could think in this moment of relief was that I was kissing my wife. I couldn’t tell you how I knew this. A pristine realization on a dim porch in the middle of the night. The scent of her perfume bringing up memories of a beach under the moon, the sound of crashing waves, a kitten with fur that smelled like her, a shitty hotel room or a UFO that was the only place in the world I wanted to be, simply because she was in it.

✨This was what they meant when they talked about the one who got away. She’s the woman you never stop remembering, the one who haunts you. The one who stays at the front of your mind even when decades pass. And I had to figure out how to make this work. I had to. I didn’t have any choice.

✨It’s weird knowing what’s going to be in your end-of-life montage, as it’s happening. But I already knew when my life flashed before my eyes, the best parts of it were going to be about her.

✨“Because if you were my wife you would be my world. Everything starts with you and ends with you. Anything else is just the stuff that happens in the middle.”

✨You think that it’s the big memories you should be chasing—and it is in a way. Birthdays and vacations and special occasions. 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.

✨“Some things are worth remembering, Samantha. No matter how much they hurt.”

✨“I know. I’ve always loved you,” he said simply. “I think I couldn’t forget you because I remember you from a different lifetime. And I loved you then too.”

✨“I’d like to look back on my life and remember every single thing. But if I don’t, I hope I remember that it was a love story. And that the love story was about you.”

✨Mom was standing in the door of the gazebo watching us. She was beaming from ear to ear. She knew. Something ingrained that told her she was seeing true love. Her heart remembering even though her brain had forgotten.

She didn’t know who I was or who he was. 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.

Mariaaa

✨I wasn’t social. I wasn’t an introvert so much as people just irritated me. I didn’t like dealing with humans I didn’t know. I didn’t like parties unless they were intimate and I knew everyone there.

✨I was convinced that nothing and nobody would ever make me feel as comforted and protected as being near him. Everything about him calmed me. His tone of voice, his smell, the warmth of his body. He had imprinted on me.

✨“You didn’t remember to forget me,” I said, quietly. “No,” he said. “I did not.”

✨“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. I want that.”

✨“A witness to your life?” “Yeah. I want someone who knows everything there is to know about me, and I want to know everything about them. I want to be able to say one out-of-context comment to someone and they get what it means and they laugh and it’s just some stupid joke from like eleven years ago that means nothing to anyone else.”

✨The gnawing discontent of the last two months was finally quiet, and all I could think in this moment of relief was that I was kissing my wife. I couldn’t tell you how I knew this. A pristine realization on a dim porch in the middle of the night. The scent of her perfume bringing up memories of a beach under the moon, the sound of crashing waves, a kitten with fur that smelled like her, a shitty hotel room or a UFO that was the only place in the world I wanted to be, simply because she was in it.

✨This was what they meant when they talked about the one who got away. She’s the woman you never stop remembering, the one who haunts you. The one who stays at the front of your mind even when decades pass. And I had to figure out how to make this work. I had to. I didn’t have any choice.

✨It’s weird knowing what’s going to be in your end-of-life montage, as it’s happening. But I already knew when my life flashed before my eyes, the best parts of it were going to be about her.

✨“Because if you were my wife you would be my world. Everything starts with you and ends with you. Anything else is just the stuff that happens in the middle.”

✨You think that it’s the big memories you should be chasing—and it is in a way. Birthdays and vacations and special occasions. 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.

✨“Some things are worth remembering, Samantha. No matter how much they hurt.”

✨“I know. I’ve always loved you,” he said simply. “I think I couldn’t forget you because I remember you from a different lifetime. And I loved you then too.”

✨“I’d like to look back on my life and remember every single thing. But if I don’t, I hope I remember that it was a love story. And that the love story was about you.”

✨Mom was standing in the door of the gazebo watching us. She was beaming from ear to ear. She knew. Something ingrained that told her she was seeing true love. Her heart remembering even though her brain had forgotten.

She didn’t know who I was or who he was. 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.



this one hits the long distance relationship right of the nose. It’s perfect. The detailed characters. The moments of joy. It’s amazing

ava 

Did this completely emotionally devastate me? Yes. Would I still recommend it to you? Absolutely. 

Abby I will be sending my therapy bills for the rest of time.

The writing is so beautiful in her books and I always feel so deeply connected with her characters - there is always trauma and heartache and this one was no different - but Abby makes us come back again and again 

Brittany Peterson

Abby I will be sending my therapy bills for the rest of time.

The writing is so beautiful in her books and I always feel so deeply connected with her characters - there is always trauma and heartache and this one was no different - but Abby makes us come back again and again 

this started so well, i loved the first date and that samantha and xavier spent the entire day together! loved the quirky mini golf and escape room date, it created a great meet cute between our two mc’s but that’s really where the good vibes of my review end. 

unfortunately the remainder of the book felt repetitive and quite frankly depressing. i understand the situation with samantha’s family is something that real people have to navigate in their lives when a loved one becomes diagnosed with a mental disease like dementia, however it took over the entire book and really brought down the mood of the story. 

the romance felt very insta love, that level of connection can’t be built in one date that two people are sooo miserable without spending time together, especially after not talking for 8 weeks between two visits. xavier also became cringe and pathetic when he started finding any way to see samantha. this can be romantic to a degree, but it was too much and gave me the ick. 

abby’s books have generally been a hit or miss for me, and so far i think i’m sitting evenly between books i loved and ones i didnt. 

thank you for the e-arc from netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Larissa Kirchberger

[dnf at 61%]

this started so well, i loved the first date and that samantha and xavier spent the entire day together! loved the quirky mini golf and escape room date, it created a great meet cute between our two mc’s but that’s really where the good vibes of my review end. 

unfortunately the remainder of the book felt repetitive and quite frankly depressing. i understand the situation with samantha’s family is something that real people have to navigate in their lives when a loved one becomes diagnosed with a mental disease like dementia, however it took over the entire book and really brought down the mood of the story. 

the romance felt very insta love, that level of connection can’t be built in one date that two people are sooo miserable without spending time together, especially after not talking for 8 weeks between two visits. xavier also became cringe and pathetic when he started finding any way to see samantha. this can be romantic to a degree, but it was too much and gave me the ick. 

abby’s books have generally been a hit or miss for me, and so far i think i’m sitting evenly between books i loved and ones i didnt. 

thank you for the e-arc from netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

my life without you would suck by kelly clarkson

thinking bout you by ariana grande - "at least i have the memory"

please don't say you love me by gabrielle aplin

i understand why a lot of people didn’t completely love this book, BUT THE DEMENTIA PLOTLINE GOT ME. the experiences the author depicts in this book about taking care of a loved one with dementia cut me deep. It hit TOO close to home that I thought "does abby have cameras in my house???"

how did abby perfectly put into writing the feeling of slowly losing someone who’s still alive. watching the person you love slowly lose themselves and a part of yourself through them. i also appreciate the representation of caretakers of dementia patients, especially their own families. it is such a severely underappreciated job with little reward

“I didn’t care that she remembered him. I was glad she did. I cared that she didn’t remember me.

What about me made me less permanent? Why did I fade to gray when everyone else was bright?” !!!!! this quote made me sob

love the theme of memories in this book and how precious memories are. with samantha's mom is slowly losing her identity through the loss of her memories. with both samantha and xavier savoring their memories of each other to survive their long distance relationship

didn't love the internet and gen z slang thrown in throughout the book . . just feel like that won't age well - lowkey made the book mid lol

the constant mention of xavier being described as rhysand in the beginning was kinda of irritating. i love abby jiminez but i hate that she had to mention another fictional character from another author as if that would add more value to her own character but girl your characters are already enough like just say he's hot and move on

now on to samanthaxavier !! aka spoilers!!!

abby is good at writing heartbreaking angst and tragic yearning, especially on the mmc’s part. (view spoiler)

the couple’s complicated circumstance did make me feel for them, but it was getting so painful to read. samanthaxavier were so insta lovey and i understand that's part of the book's plot but i thought their chemistry was okayyy. like what carried the romance for me was xavier's act of service personality.

xavier UGH HES A GOOD MAN SAVANNAH!!!! he's MY SHAYLAAA okay every time we learn more about his sad childhood, i cry more for him

samantha - she goes through so much in this book and i feel for her like give my girl a break.

[ anyways i felt like this book was building too much on samantha's situation, the tragic long-distance aspect, and xavier suffering - so much so that i couldn't fully enjoy reading this. i know abby writes gut-wrenching slice of life, but there was too much emphasis on the tragic aspects that i couldn't fully connect with the characters. i wish the author had given us more. for example, if samantha's whole world was her family, give us more of her family like i would've loved to learn more about her brother, sister, and her dad. like her brother seemed like an interesting character and i wonder how her sister feels about being a single mother raising her sons in this situation. how her relationship with everyone is like and how they changed. i felt we barely saw her relationship with her sister. now that i think about it, was there even any character development for samantha???then in the end, everything was all wrapped up into a bow which it felt like a cop-out. xavier giving up his entire life to move to california to be with samantha is romantic in a sense but then that just negates the entire plot of the book and don't get me started on the financial burden of it all. also i felt like the couple still didn't know each other well enough for this life-altering decision but i guess when you know you knowat least we got a hea tho. I'm sad that i didn't fully love this especially when the fmc share the same name ](hide spoiler)

[ on to the very personal niche issue as a girl named Samantha - maybe because everyone in my life calls me by a nickname instead of my government name so i thought it was kinda of weird that no one called the fmc Samantha by "Sam" or "Sammie". the nickname Sam does get mention by 80% but only by the fmc herself but that made me realize doesn't she want to be called Sam???? idk maybe its just me and I'm just so used to my name being shortened. ]

down bad and marjorie by taylor swift
my life without you would suck by kelly clarkson
thinking bout you by ariana grande - "at least i have the memory"
please don't say you love me by gabrielle aplin
ghost by justin bieber

i understand why a lot of people didn’t completely love this book, BUT THE DEMENTIA PLOTLINE GOT ME. the experiences the author depicts in this book about taking care of a loved one with dementia cut me deep. It hit TOO close to home that I thought "does abby have cameras in my house???"

how did abby perfectly put into writing the feeling of slowly losing someone who’s still alive. watching the person you love slowly lose themselves and a part of yourself through them. i also appreciate the representation of caretakers of dementia patients, especially their own families. it is such a severely underappreciated job with little reward

“I didn’t care that she remembered him. I was glad she did. I cared that she didn’t remember me.
What about me made me less permanent? Why did I fade to gray when everyone else was bright?” !!!!! this quote made me sob

love the theme of memories in this book and how precious memories are. with samantha's mom is slowly losing her identity through the loss of her memories. with both samantha and xavier savoring their memories of each other to survive their long distance relationship

didn't love the internet and gen z slang thrown in throughout the book . . just feel like that won't age well - lowkey made the book mid lol
the constant mention of xavier being described as rhysand in the beginning was kinda of irritating. i love abby jiminez but i hate that she had to mention another fictional character from another author as if that would add more value to her own character but girl your characters are already enough like just say he's hot and move on

now on to samanthaxavier !! aka spoilers!!!

abby is good at writing heartbreaking angst and tragic yearning, especially on the mmc’s part. (view spoiler)

the couple’s complicated circumstance did make me feel for them, but it was getting so painful to read. samanthaxavier were so insta lovey and i understand that's part of the book's plot but i thought their chemistry was okayyy. like what carried the romance for me was xavier's act of service personality.

xavier UGH HES A GOOD MAN SAVANNAH!!!! he's MY SHAYLAAA okay every time we learn more about his sad childhood, i cry more for him

samantha - she goes through so much in this book and i feel for her like give my girl a break.

[ anyways i felt like this book was building too much on samantha's situation, the tragic long-distance aspect, and xavier suffering - so much so that i couldn't fully enjoy reading this. i know abby writes gut-wrenching slice of life, but there was too much emphasis on the tragic aspects that i couldn't fully connect with the characters. i wish the author had given us more. for example, if samantha's whole world was her family, give us more of her family like i would've loved to learn more about her brother, sister, and her dad. like her brother seemed like an interesting character and i wonder how her sister feels about being a single mother raising her sons in this situation. how her relationship with everyone is like and how they changed. i felt we barely saw her relationship with her sister. now that i think about it, was there even any character development for samantha???then in the end, everything was all wrapped up into a bow which it felt like a cop-out. xavier giving up his entire life to move to california to be with samantha is romantic in a sense but then that just negates the entire plot of the book and don't get me started on the financial burden of it all. also i felt like the couple still didn't know each other well enough for this life-altering decision but i guess when you know you knowat least we got a hea tho. I'm sad that i didn't fully love this especially when the fmc share the same name ](hide spoiler)

[ on to the very personal niche issue as a girl named Samantha - maybe because everyone in my life calls me by a nickname instead of my government name so i thought it was kinda of weird that no one called the fmc Samantha by "Sam" or "Sammie". the nickname Sam does get mention by 80% but only by the fmc herself but that made me realize doesn't she want to be called Sam???? idk maybe its just me and I'm just so used to my name being shortened. ]

There is still a part of me that feels like this rating is still easy for what I could give it if I think about it too hard. To put it bluntly there was too much happening in this book. I understand having a lot happen to the characters but the amount of trauma dumping that had in here was pretty much the main premise of the book and not the romance. It also was instalove and had far too many pop culture references. I could have handled one maybe two rhysand comparisons but the amount it gave just gave me the ick. But with the amount of trauma dumping that happened I knew that it would be rushed and I was right about that. I think it would have made more sense to have this as a duet and maybe it would have been better. This first one would be all the bad and the second would have seen them actually come together after Al the bad. It hurts me that I didn’t like this one. I really wanted to and it had its moments with cute things but sadly the negatives outweigh the positives. Why I think this is an easy rating for everything I stated here. 

Priscilla Stanfield

3.5/5⭐️ • 2/5🌶️

There is still a part of me that feels like this rating is still easy for what I could give it if I think about it too hard. To put it bluntly there was too much happening in this book. I understand having a lot happen to the characters but the amount of trauma dumping that had in here was pretty much the main premise of the book and not the romance. It also was instalove and had far too many pop culture references. I could have handled one maybe two rhysand comparisons but the amount it gave just gave me the ick. But with the amount of trauma dumping that happened I knew that it would be rushed and I was right about that. I think it would have made more sense to have this as a duet and maybe it would have been better. This first one would be all the bad and the second would have seen them actually come together after Al the bad. It hurts me that I didn’t like this one. I really wanted to and it had its moments with cute things but sadly the negatives outweigh the positives. Why I think this is an easy rating for everything I stated here. 

"There is nothing more beautiful than being a witness to someone's life. To know them inside and out and be with through everything, share the same memories. Memories are everything. I want that."

I went into this book with very mixed feelings, I even contemplated not reading it at all. Abby Jimenez has quickly become one of my favourite romance authors, I feel like I can rely on her to write thought provoking, deeply emotional stories that carry a masterful balance of reality and fiction, seriousness and fun, and I really respected her opinions on a lot of topics. So I was disappointed when I heard she'd basically endorsed Sarah J Maas in this book by referencing ACOTAR multiple times. Jimenez is on Tiktok, I follow her there, so I know she has seen the discussions about Maas' actions, people's discourse about her history of harmful rhetoric, support of Israel, racial ambiguity in character writing, poor handling of LGBTQ+ representation, and the deeply troubling use of Breonna Taylor's death in her book promotion. So I was extremely wary heading into this book and I know some readers have chosen to avoid this book altogether because of the implications of that alignment. And honestly, I get it. Accountability matters, and it’s fair to question the choices authors make, especially when they uplift creators who’ve caused harm.

I hesitated too. I debated whether picking it up was a form of endorsement from myself and I want to preface this review by saying that it is not intended to be. In the end, I decided to read it with a critical eye because I wanted to come to my own conclusions after reading this book. That choice won’t sit right with everyone, and I respect that. But I also think it’s okay to read critically and take on what other people say and choose to find out for yourself how that sits with you. Quite simply, this book did not need those references to ACOTAR and to Rhysand. They are only used in the context of comparing the MMC's appearance and I think it was completely unnecessary, because Samantha then goes on to describe Xavier herself without requiring this reference. ACOTAR isn't held up as a favourite read by any of the characters, it's not spoken about reverently or in any other context other than as a modern pop culture reference to his demeanour, and this book is full of a pop culture references, too full almost. But it was extremely jarring to me how many times it was brought up. Three separate characters, who are not connected at the time, bring it up within the span of 20-30 pages, and aside from the social commentary regarding Maas' actions and ideology, that in itself is just weird and I would feel that way about any book/character that was mentioned so often. I've even felt that way about Mr Darcy being referenced so heavily, and honestly he would've been a much more fitting comparison to Xavier.

But here’s the thing: this book? It’s actually really beautiful. It's not perfect, I felt it dragged out some of the plot lines to absolute breaking point and I found the writing a tad superficial at points, considering how serious some of the subject matters were in this book. I wish I could've given this book a better rating because it honestly moved me to tears, I was genuinely sobbing by the end of this book and it touched me in ways I didn't expect it to. It made me miss my mum so very, very much. She's healthy, she just lives on the other side of the world. But it brought up and handled some really fascinating and important messages regarding dementia, handling the care of an unwell or disabled family member and the impacts that has on a family, as well as touching on childhood abuse and how it continues to affect victims of it long into their adulthood, also cheating, long distance relationships, financial issues, mental and physical burn out etc so yes, you do need to check your trigger warnings before reading this, but I thought it was a really wonderful read. It did have an aspect of insta-love that is 100% not my favourite trope, and never will be, but it redeemed itself with how it handled Sam and Xavier's relationship in the end. But it just couldn't redeem the other things I mentioned previously.

This all makes the experience very bittersweet - because while the story itself stands strong, the repeated nods to that other work are just too much. They pull you out of the moment, reminding you of the industry politics and the casual perpetuation of harm that so often go unacknowledged. It raises the question: how much do we separate the art from its references? And what does it mean when something beautiful still gives space to something so harmful? I chose to read this book despite those references because I wanted to see for myself and can appreciate that something can be both flawed and valuable. That we can enjoy a story while still critiquing the systems and choices behind it. And this one, while imperfect, had enough heart to make me glad I picked it up. But that being said, I just can't stand behind Jimenez' decisions to endorse SJM in this way, and while I respect that Maas is her colleague and likely a friend of hers, and probably knows far more about SJM's personal opinions then we ever could, I just can't get behind and recommend this book in good faith, and I am truly saddened to say that.

Genevieve 

"There is nothing more beautiful than being a witness to someone's life. To know them inside and out and be with through everything, share the same memories. Memories are everything. I want that."

3.5 ⭐

I went into this book with very mixed feelings, I even contemplated not reading it at all. Abby Jimenez has quickly become one of my favourite romance authors, I feel like I can rely on her to write thought provoking, deeply emotional stories that carry a masterful balance of reality and fiction, seriousness and fun, and I really respected her opinions on a lot of topics. So I was disappointed when I heard she'd basically endorsed Sarah J Maas in this book by referencing ACOTAR multiple times. Jimenez is on Tiktok, I follow her there, so I know she has seen the discussions about Maas' actions, people's discourse about her history of harmful rhetoric, support of Israel, racial ambiguity in character writing, poor handling of LGBTQ+ representation, and the deeply troubling use of Breonna Taylor's death in her book promotion. So I was extremely wary heading into this book and I know some readers have chosen to avoid this book altogether because of the implications of that alignment. And honestly, I get it. Accountability matters, and it’s fair to question the choices authors make, especially when they uplift creators who’ve caused harm.

I hesitated too. I debated whether picking it up was a form of endorsement from myself and I want to preface this review by saying that it is not intended to be. In the end, I decided to read it with a critical eye because I wanted to come to my own conclusions after reading this book. That choice won’t sit right with everyone, and I respect that. But I also think it’s okay to read critically and take on what other people say and choose to find out for yourself how that sits with you. Quite simply, this book did not need those references to ACOTAR and to Rhysand. They are only used in the context of comparing the MMC's appearance and I think it was completely unnecessary, because Samantha then goes on to describe Xavier herself without requiring this reference. ACOTAR isn't held up as a favourite read by any of the characters, it's not spoken about reverently or in any other context other than as a modern pop culture reference to his demeanour, and this book is full of a pop culture references, too full almost. But it was extremely jarring to me how many times it was brought up. Three separate characters, who are not connected at the time, bring it up within the span of 20-30 pages, and aside from the social commentary regarding Maas' actions and ideology, that in itself is just weird and I would feel that way about any book/character that was mentioned so often. I've even felt that way about Mr Darcy being referenced so heavily, and honestly he would've been a much more fitting comparison to Xavier.

But here’s the thing: this book? It’s actually really beautiful. It's not perfect, I felt it dragged out some of the plot lines to absolute breaking point and I found the writing a tad superficial at points, considering how serious some of the subject matters were in this book. I wish I could've given this book a better rating because it honestly moved me to tears, I was genuinely sobbing by the end of this book and it touched me in ways I didn't expect it to. It made me miss my mum so very, very much. She's healthy, she just lives on the other side of the world. But it brought up and handled some really fascinating and important messages regarding dementia, handling the care of an unwell or disabled family member and the impacts that has on a family, as well as touching on childhood abuse and how it continues to affect victims of it long into their adulthood, also cheating, long distance relationships, financial issues, mental and physical burn out etc so yes, you do need to check your trigger warnings before reading this, but I thought it was a really wonderful read. It did have an aspect of insta-love that is 100% not my favourite trope, and never will be, but it redeemed itself with how it handled Sam and Xavier's relationship in the end. But it just couldn't redeem the other things I mentioned previously.

This all makes the experience very bittersweet - because while the story itself stands strong, the repeated nods to that other work are just too much. They pull you out of the moment, reminding you of the industry politics and the casual perpetuation of harm that so often go unacknowledged. It raises the question: how much do we separate the art from its references? And what does it mean when something beautiful still gives space to something so harmful? I chose to read this book despite those references because I wanted to see for myself and can appreciate that something can be both flawed and valuable. That we can enjoy a story while still critiquing the systems and choices behind it. And this one, while imperfect, had enough heart to make me glad I picked it up. But that being said, I just can't stand behind Jimenez' decisions to endorse SJM in this way, and while I respect that Maas is her colleague and likely a friend of hers, and probably knows far more about SJM's personal opinions then we ever could, I just can't get behind and recommend this book in good faith, and I am truly saddened to say that.

all the things wrong with this book (not in any particular order):

theres probably more but you get my point. a couple of things i did like:

their individual lives. everything the fmc’s family was going through was so real. it can be pretty relatable for a lot of people. and xavier with his practice and his abusive family situation. i didn’t feel 100% connected to the characters but this did help a little. while i did think the mmc was a little too perfect i did think some of the things he did were really sweet. i also really liked how bingeable this was. i really flew through it. overall, i didn’t really have high expectations for this but it was still disappointing. 

millie

2.75⭐️

all the things wrong with this book (not in any particular order):

the mmc being compared to rhysand 5 times in the first like 4 chapters.  

the “fucked off to his motherland” line. i know it was taken out but why was it there in the first place??

the dad cheating on the mom while she has dementia bc “it was too much” 

insta love on steroids

so much telling instead of SHOWING. bc of this i didn’t feel connected to the mc’s

 all the modern references actually pmo. 

the mmc being a little too perfect. 

theres probably more but you get my point. a couple of things i did like:

their individual lives. everything the fmc’s family was going through was so real. it can be pretty relatable for a lot of people. and xavier with his practice and his abusive family situation. i didn’t feel 100% connected to the characters but this did help a little. while i did think the mmc was a little too perfect i did think some of the things he did were really sweet. i also really liked how bingeable this was. i really flew through it. overall, i didn’t really have high expectations for this but it was still disappointing. 

love seeing mcs with the same job or field as me #WomenInDigitalMarketing 🤓☝️ hmmm, i like that it didnt have a third act break up. also liked how they were mature adults w/ the way they communicated with e/o. book just felt flat? didn’t connect THAT hard with either of them & some parts just felt like they were lacking… n i wanted more depth :] but still a good book from abby jimenez either way. 

⭐️⭐️⭐️.25

love seeing mcs with the same job or field as me #WomenInDigitalMarketing 🤓☝️ hmmm, i like that it didnt have a third act break up. also liked how they were mature adults w/ the way they communicated with e/o. book just felt flat? didn’t connect THAT hard with either of them & some parts just felt like they were lacking… n i wanted more depth :] but still a good book from abby jimenez either way. 