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Blurb
From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Just for the Summer comes a playful yet deeply emotional romance where one date is all it takes for two people to know they’re perfect for each other . . . until one of them moves 2,000 miles away the next day.
There’s no such thing as a perfect guy, but Xavier Rush comes disastrously close. A gorgeous veterinarian giving Greek god vibes—all while cuddling a tiny kitten? Immediate 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, 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 enough to forget what’s between them. And the only thing better than one single perfect memory is to make a life—and even a love—worth remembering.
Review
5 stars!
This is the most beautiful, hilarious, emotional, heartachingly real and romantic story. Abby Jimenez has once again smacked it out of the park with a book that had me hooked from start to finish, and I adored Xavier and Samantha’s long-distance love story.
During a highly entertaining first meeting, Xavier and Samantha do not get off on the right foot. Their second meeting goes a lot better, and when Xavier asks Samantha out, they proceed to have the most incredible first date that rocks both of their worlds. They’re on the verge of something magical, but Samantha is dealing with a heartbreak family situation, and she is about to move across the country to be with them. She asks Xavier to forget her so they can both move on with their lives, but that soon proves to be impossible.
“The promise of something can be so vibrant. And everything feels so dull after it’s gone.”
Unable to let the idea of each other go, they reconnect, they find ways to be together, and slowly and steadily, the fall wildly, madly, deeply in love. It’s natural and easy, honest and functional, and I loved every moment of watching it happen. Xavier is a people-hating grump with a heart of gold and I adored him instantly. Samantha loves a grumpy guy (and it doesn’t hurt that “he looks like the High Lord of the Night court”), and the two of them are just perfect together. He is the calm to her wild and extroverted nature, the steady, calm, dependable man that Samantha needs. Together they are playful, fun, passionate and emotional and their love for each other just shines.
“Life wouldn’t be worth living if I didn’t remember you.”
Like in real life, the separation makes those moments of reconnection all the more intense, and I read with so much excited anticipation waiting for them to have their moments together, and each and every time it’s worth the wait to see these two together.
“Everything starts with you and ends with you. Anything else is just the stuff that happens in the middle.”
Alongside the romance, we get to share Samantha’s experience in caring for a beloved family member with dementia. It is heartwrenching to read, but brings themes of love, family, sacrifice, the importance of making memories and fighting for the ones you love. I thought it tied in so beautifully to the romance, and the story as a whole bought so many feels, and I laughed and cried along with the characters, feeling it all right alongside them. I listened to this as an audiobook, and so many times while listening I laughed out loud, or caught myself with a massive smile on my face. I was captivated from start to finish and even though it hurt at times, I enjoyed every moment.
“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.”
Samantha’s family is absolutely fabulous. Real and flawed, they don’t always get along or do the right thing, but there’s so much love there. Their antics had me laughing more than once, and though I’m a romance junkie through and through, I loved watching the family together just as much as I loved seeing Xavier and Samantha fight hard to keep the relationship alive and find their happy ending.
I cannot gush enough about this story. It’s such an amazing read, and it’s a fave for 2025.
5 huge stars!
The audiobook is phenomenal, narrated duet-style by Christine Lakin and Matt Lanter, and they both do such an amazing job. I felt every moment of this book.