Say You’ll Remember Me is a contemporary romance novel by Abby Jimenez, a #1 New York Times best-selling author. The novel follows the developing relationship between veterinarian Dr. Xavier Rush and social media manager Samantha Diaz as they navigate a long-distance relationship while Samantha cares for her mother with early-onset dementia. The narrative explores themes including The Interplay of Memory, Identity, and Connection, Navigating the Burdens and Sacrifices of Caregiving, and Reconciling Idealism With the Complexities of Reality.

Jimenez has received numerous accolades for her previous works, including a Good Morning America Book Club pick, the Book of the Month club’s Book of the Year award, and the Minnesota Book Award.

This guide refers to the April 2025 Forever (Hachette Book Group) first edition.

Content Warning: The source text and this guide feature depictions of sexual content, cursing, ableism, illness, addiction, death, child abuse, and animal cruelty and/or death.

Plot Summary

At Rush Veterinary Hospital in Minneapolis, Dr. Xavier Rush, a 29-year-old clinic owner with a poor bedside manner, refuses a woman’s request to euthanize her healthy dog. Instead, he pretends to put down the pet but secretly keeps it in the back room, risking his license. His vet techs, Maggie and Tina, admire his compassion despite his gruff demeanor. Estranged from his abusive parents since age 17, Xavier lives for his veterinary and volunteer work.

The same day, 28-year-old Samantha Diaz enters the clinic with a five-week-old stray kitten tucked in her bra. Xavier diagnoses the kitten with atresia ani, a congenital condition where the animal lacks a functional anus. The treatment requires a $5,000 to $10,000 surgery, and Xavier coldly recommends euthanasia. When Samantha refuses, he becomes irritated, prompting her to call him an “asshole” before leaving, distraught.

Samantha, who works remotely as a social media manager for Murkle’s Mustard, is preparing to move to California to help care for her mother Lisa, who has early-onset dementia at 54. The rest of her family, including her father Dan, sister Jeneva, brother Tristan, and grandmother live together in Glendale. Determined to save her kitten, Samantha creates a GoFundMe campaign and successfully raises over $10,000, including a $500 donation from Dr. Rush.

Six weeks later, after the kitten (who Samantha names Pooter) recovers from successful corrective surgery, Samantha returns to the clinic for an airline health certificate and a sedative. During the visit, she tells Xavier that she has accepted his donation as an apology, at which point he admits he was wrong and asks her on a date. Despite knowing she’s leaving Minnesota the next day, she eagerly accepts.

Their first date begins on a sunset adoption cruise on Lake Minnetonka for a dog rescue fundraiser. When Samantha accidentally drops her phone in the lake, Xavier dives in shirtless to retrieve it. After the cruise, they stop briefly at Xavier’s apartment, where Samantha meets the rescued dog formerly scheduled for euthanasia, now renamed Jake from State Farm.

Neither of them wants the date to end, so they decide to go to Mother Putters fun-plex. Upon arriving, they encounter Xavier’s friends Mike, Chris, Jesse, and Jesse’s girlfriend Becca, who all instantly adore Samantha. The group plays mini-golf, laser tag, and arcade games before Xavier and Samantha decide to try an alien-themed escape room. Though they solve the puzzle, the door remains locked, trapping them for four hours with the song “Come On Eileen” playing on loop. During this time, they share their life stories: Samantha’s reveals her upcoming move and her mother’s dementia, while Xavier opens up about his abusive childhood and his beloved dog Winnie. They form a deep emotional bond but refrain from kissing due to the room’s surveillance camera.

Early the next morning, the manager of the fun-plex unlocks the room and apologizes. With Samantha’s flight only two hours away, they rush to her apartment, which is empty of furniture. Samantha asks Xavier to deflate her air mattress while she showers quickly, packs, and retrieves Pooter. Confused, Xavier asks if she is moving. Samantha then admits her trip to California is permanent, and she leaves Xavier heartbroken at the airport as they part ways.

In California, Samantha moves into the apartment above her grandmother’s garage and begins daily caregiving for her mother; when she gets bored, she looks for the family jewelry, which her mother lost somewhere in the house. Her family includes her grandmother, a 77-year-old ex-hippie from Mexico; her sister Jeneva, a single mother of two boys; her wandering brother Tristan; and her father Dan. Her grandmother gives Samantha a teal 1966 Dodge Dart convertible for transportation. When she first gets the car, Samantha decides to take her mother for coffee, but her mom accidentally locks herself in the car and backs it down the driveway into the street. While no one is hurt, the incident opens Samantha’s eyes to the reality of her mother’s condition.  

Meanwhile in Minnesota, Xavier obsessively misses Samantha. His staff notices his deteriorating mood and lack of interest in dating. After weeks of no contact, Xavier calls Samantha and asks if he can fly to California to visit her for the weekend. She decides not to worry about the long distance for the moment and picks him up at the airport.

They spend a day in Santa Monica visiting the pier, riding the Ferris wheel despite Samantha’s fear of heights, and sharing their first passionate kiss on the beach at dusk. When they return to Samantha’s apartment above her parents’ garage, the passionate mood is interrupted first when their air mattress begins to deflate, and then when they hear someone moaning. Samantha runs outside and discovers her mother tangled in the piñata hanging from the avocado tree. With Xavier’s help, Samantha untangles her and gets her safely back inside. They decide to go to his hotel to sleep for the rest of the night.

On the drive back, when Samantha opens the car’s air vents, they’re bombarded with dry leaves and a dead mouse. The next day, Xavier meets the Diaz family in their newly remodeled kitchen. When Lisa becomes erratic, Xavier calms her with a gentle bear-hug technique. Later, they rescue an overheated pug dog left in a hot car at a grocery store parking lot, resulting in a viral TikTok video of the “hot veterinarian.” At the end of his visit, Xavier and Samantha agree to a long-distance relationship, though both feel the pain of separation.

As their relationship continues, Xavier overworks himself to afford trips to California, picking up overnight and emergency shifts. Samantha juggles her full-time job with escalating dementia care duties and joins her family in undertaking a massive kitchen and dining room remodel. Her brother Tristan returns home, creating family friction that is exacerbated by the siblings’ discovery that their father is leaving late at night to seek companionship outside his marriage.

As Christmas approaches, the family completes the kitchen remodel and begins preparations for the holiday. Tragedy strikes when Grandma dies overnight from a previously undisclosed heart condition. Samantha immediately calls Xavier, who buys a last-minute first-class ticket on Christmas Eve and arrives to support the family. He handles funeral logistics, feeds the household, serves as a pallbearer, and even finds a lost family bracelet while cleaning. Xavier introduces his dog Jake to the family, and the couple affirm their love while deciding to prioritize quality over quantity in their long-distance relationship.

The months following the funeral bring further challenges. Xavier plans to visit in February, but a burst pipe floods his clinic days before his flight, forcing him to cancel and leaving him with a significant financial setback as he puts repairs and staff payroll on credit cards. Samantha flies to Minneapolis for a surprise visit but misses him as he simultaneously flies to California. Upon his return, he’s hospitalized with double pneumonia, and Samantha stays at his bedside.

Samantha’s situation worsens when she’s laid off after Murkle’s Mustard merges with Heinz, leaving her financially strained and overwhelmed as her mother’s full-time caregiver. A turning point occurs when retired veterinarian Dr. Hank Brekken, who formerly employed Maggie and Tina, volunteers to work at Xavier’s clinic for free. Xavier eventually recognizes him as the vet who saved his childhood dog Winnie, and Dr. Hank counsels Xavier to value love over pride and possessions.

In spring, Samantha convenes a family meeting with Dan, Jeneva, and Tristan. She proposes to stay home as Lisa’s full-time caregiver if they split the finances and begin cooperating again. She confronts her father about his secret late-night outings, understanding they represent his way of coping with Lisa’s condition, and addresses the siblings’ resentment of each other. The family agrees to a unified care plan for Lisa, with nights rotating between members while Samantha works on her freelance business, writing viral pet adoption bios for a local rescue.

On their one-year anniversary, Xavier makes a life-changing decision. With Hank and other retired friends keeping his Minnesota clinic running three days a week, he liquidates his belongings, ends his apartment lease, and drives to California with Jake. He surprises Samantha with roses, announcing his permanent move. Though he faces bankruptcy and professional uncertainty, he proposes marriage, and Samantha joyfully accepts.

Eleven months later, Xavier has obtained his California veterinary license and is planning to open a second clinic, while the Minnesota location remains open part-time. Samantha thrives with her freelance social media work, and her social media adoption bios routinely go viral. The Diaz household has stabilized: Lisa now occupies Grandma’s old room, and, having reconciled their differences, Samantha’s family members help care for Lisa on a rotating schedule.

On Mother’s Day, the family takes Lisa for a ride in the Dart; Samantha drives while Dan and Tristan sit with Lisa in the back seat. As an Alanis Morissette tape plays, Samantha discovers all the missing family jewelry hidden inside a forgotten ashtray in the car. The novel closes with an image of Lisa smiling in the sunlight, as the family’s parallel lives finally find peace.