The Night We Met

Say You'll Remember Me #2

by Abby Jimenez

From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Say You'll Remember Me comes a beautiful, compelling novel that revels in laughter, friendship, and the messy choices life can throw our way.

In everyone’s life, there’s a split-second decision that can change everything...

For Larissa, it came when choosing which guy to ride home with after a concert. That night, she had no idea she’d met the perfect man. She and Chris are great together, co-parenting a slightly unhinged rescue Yorkie, sharing their favorite books, and judging bread (pumpernickel for the win!). For the first time amid all her side hustles to scrape by, things finally feel easy.

But Chris isn't the one who drove Larissa home all those months ago—Chris is her boyfriend's best friend. All Chris wants is for Larissa to be happy. Standing by on the sidelines is slowly killing him, but making a move would destroy someone else. And he’s just not that guy.

Genres: Romance, Contemporary, Contemporary Romance, Fiction, Summer, Adult, Rom Com

400 pages, Paperback

Expected publication March 31, 2026

About the author

Abby Jimenez is a Food Network winner, #1 New York Times best selling author of Just for the Summer, and recipient of the 2022 Minnesota Book Award for her novel Life's Too Short. Her book Yours Truly was the first romance novel in the history of Book of the Month to win the coveted Dolly Award for Book of the Year. Abby founded Nadia Cakes out of her home kitchen back in 2007. The bakery has since gone on to win numerous Food Network competitions and, like her books, has amassed an international following.

Abby loves a good romance, coffee, doglets, and not leaving the house.

Reviews

[alana ☁️]

i don't even care what this is about... if abby jimenez writes it, i'm reading it!

[Delaney · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can’t stop thinking about this book, so what the heck… 5 stars 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

Abby does it again.
messy. complicated. emotional. beautiful. hilarious. HUMAN.

[chan ☆]

bitch, get READY for some grade A boyfriend's best friend PINING AND YEARNING

YEE FUCKING HAW

(this is my favorite micro trope)

[Clace]

I NEED THIS LIKE I NEED AIRRRR. The best part about her covers are the animals that she puts in them 😭 the kitty doggy is so cutee and the cover is sooo pretty .
__
I love how both the book are named after a song loll but I hopee I love it the same way I loved just for the summer because I NEED THATTT

[Maddy ✨ ~The Verse Vixen {AFK brb}]

Between wildest dreams and whispered goodbyes lies the spark that ignites the impossible..


~Premise:

One night. One choice. That’s all it took for Larissa’s life to shift forever. She was supposed to fall for one man, but it’s his best friend who makes her laugh at midnight, read dog-eared books by her side, and feel like the world finally fits.

Their story was never supposed to happen—wrong place, wrong time, wrong person. Yet every laugh, every stolen glance, every almost-touch feels like a lyric waiting to be sung. Because sometimes the love you shouldn’t have is the one that won’t let you go.Chris doesn’t date, and Larissa can’t afford another mistake—but how do you walk away from the kind of love that feels written in the stars?


➷ WHAT’S INSIDE:

🌌 That one night… one choice… that flips everything upside down.
📖 Remember Chris? The pharmacist. The bookworm. The quiet kind of good-looking. The one who seemed like background in a friend group of Instagram models?
💌 Yeah… this is his story now. And it’s about to wreck you.
🐶 He and Larissa are basically co-parenting a chaotic Yorkie.
📚 They trade books, share laughs, and judge bread (pumpernickel supremacy, obviously).and small joys tucked between heartbreaks.
🐾 A slightly feral but ridiculously adorable rescue Yorkie (who owns the story tbh).
🎀 Small problem: he’s her boyfriend’s best friend -A forbidden love—your boyfriend’s best friend kind of forbidden.we go from brother's bsf to bf's bsf very fast lol!
-This cover? Straight-up Wildest Dreams vibes!
👊🏻They both loves reading 🤍 def. Gonna get along!!
🤺 Yearning so heavy you’ll feel it in your bones. The “I want you but I can’t have you” slow burn that’ll eat you alive.
🔥 Longing glances, stolen moments, and the ache of almosts.
✨ All the messy choices life throws at you, wrapped in romance, laughter, and quiet devastation.


Can we just pause for a sec—
because this cover?? this cover is so Dreamy so damn pretty I can't!!- The fireworks, the golden pink sky, the couple sitting by the water with their little Yorkie third-wheeling—it’s giving dreamy, romantic, and heartbreak-in-the-softest-light vibes.—Tell me it’s not “say you’ll remember me, standing in a nice dress, staring at the sunset, babe…”energy. It’s giving romance, longing, nostalgia, and that ache of loving someone you shouldn’t. It’s literally whispering “this is the kind of love that feels like summer but hurts like forever.”

🎯 THE Mood!?
Alexa, play The Night We Met by Lord Huron.. 🎶🌌

It’s sitting under fireworks with someone you can’t have.
It’s laughing until your chest hurts, but crying when no one sees.
It’s love, timing, loyalty, and the ache of what if? wrapped in golden-hour sunsets.


"Buckle up, buttercup – this love story is anything but simple, but it sure is a wild ride!"🌺 Get ready for 300+ pages of "we shouldn’t"… followed by “we did.”

This isn’t just a book—it’s a whole moment.
Pretty cover, devastating premise, Yorkie chaos, forbidden longing…
Abby Jimenez said romance but make it hurt (in the prettiest way possible). 🌸✨

[ଘRory]

A gorgeous cover?✔︎Check.
The boyfriend's best friend trope?✔︎ Double-check.
I am so ready for this! Someone please tell me it's already out, I need it now! 😭

[Ali L · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was a beta reader for this so let me ease your mind with a checklist of things this book has:

Peanuts ✔️
A cute dog ✔️
A ne’er-do-well friend ✔️
A long-suffering friend ✔️
Bitter, bone-deep regret over mistakes of the past that threaten to haunt you with a lifetime of unhappiness ✔️
Portable charcuterie boards ✔️

Do you love love? Me too! Especially when it’s messy and Minnesotan. I normally don’t post early reviews until closer to pub day to drum up more hype but I don’t think this author needs my help so here are my five stars several months before release day, do with them what you will.

[kim ౨ৎ]

does this mean we have a new AJ series?? brb im screaming 🙂‍↕️🙂‍↕️

[manas (traveling)]

we got a cover!!

[April (s.i. work is busy)]

WHAT??? The cover is so pretty 😍 Have I read Say You'll Remember Me? Not yet but I need this one now!! 🤭💗 Why do we have to wait sooo long for it 😫

[✨Julie✨]

If Abby writes it, I’m reading it.

(This will be Chris’s story)

[ashlyn]

2026🥲… girl just put the book on a flash drive and slide it under the table, i won’t tell😏

[Erin Potter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yearning, angsty, comedic, tragic and full of slow burn tension – another Abby Jimenez masterpiece!

Meet Larissa, hustling to make ends meet, taking care of her mother while her dead-beat father is constantly digging a hole she can’t outclimb. Larissa is full of passion, grit and good intentions. Insert Chris, a WALKING GREEN FLAG – whose wants nothing more than to make sure Larissa is safe and cared for. He’s stable and they have so much in common. The problem? Larissa is Chris’ best friend Mike’s, girlfriend.

Along the way on this wild ride, we get so many hysterical moments including a seriously unhinged yorkie causing chaos. Abby brilliantly mixes her heavier themes including severe allergies, alcoholism, and poverty alongside humor and heartfelt moments. Throughout this story the way Chris lifts up Larissa and cares for her, someone who can never be more than a friend to him – and that genuine compassion is what truly will stick with me long after this book has closed.

Alexa, play Wi$h Li$t by Taylor Swift, seriously…. If you love that song you will love this book. It perfectly encapsulates all that is this romance between Larissa and Chris in The Night We Met; sweet, heartfelt, raw, longing and genuine. That’s exactly how I would describe this book.

Abby Jimenez books are so easy to pick up and so hard to put down! One amazing thing about Abby’s books is that the characters she writes are so autthentic and feel like truly real people. To write romance and incorporate what real life looks like to real people who have real problems, and make it interesting... that take skill and Abby has that skill! This book really shows Abby at her best, which with such a nuisanced plot (a love triangle!) is a real challenge! Abby always has a way of getting her characters into SUCH A MESS, and I’m always screaming in my head in that third act… how are they going to find their way out of this mess and get their happy-ever-after they deserve? And yet again, she wrapped it up beautifully, with such grace. I can’t wait to see what’s next in this series!

Truly so honored to have received an Advanced copy of this book via the “traveling arc program” that Abby hosts – I’ll always remember this experience!

[zoë ˗ˏˋ ♡ ˎˊ˗]

having to wait until next year for my next abby jimenez book is HORRIBLE.

[Jill (readinginpjs)]

8/21 OMGGG WE HAVE A COVER AND IT'S SO PRETTY!!
(check out my post hereto see it next to SYRM)

a little nervous for the blurb - sounds like maybe a love triangle?!
I trust Abby and I know I'll love it 🥹 and sob for sure!
______
I am ALWAYS ready for another Abby Jimenez book! 😍

what we know so far:
• this will be Chris’ book - we meet him in SYRM, he’s part of Xavier’s friend group/found family 🥰
• Chris is a pharmacist

[Stephanie Wilen · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Night We Met is hilarious. I’m talking laugh out loud, kick your feet funny. Abby Jimenez’s humor lands every single time, and the banter alone made this an absolute joy to read.

And then there’s Woofarine. Absolute menace. Tiny rascal. Professional troublemaker. Every scene with this dog was pure entertainment.

Larissa completely won me over. She’s been dealt a rough hand, but she never gives up. She keeps going, works harder and claws her way out of financial debt. She’s resourceful, resilient, and determined. I loved her tenacity.

Chris is a top tier book boyfriend. He doesn’t just love Larissa, he loves her in a way that’s uniquely attuned to who she is. He wants to give her everything, but more importantly, he wants her to succeed on her own terms. He lifts her up and offers a helping hand without taking away her agency. He lets her do the work and fully own her accomplishments. This is what real support looks like.

I also enjoyed the focus on male friendship. So many books center female relationships, so it was refreshing to see the dynamics between Chris and Mike. Their conflicts, strained loyalty and resolution felt authentic. Jimenez did a fantastic job portraying how friendships evolve over time.

The Night We Met delivers humor with heart and characters you can’t help but root for. A standout romance that understands what it truly means to show up for the people who matter.

[Ri ♡ · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 stars rating is too generous for this book but whatever i don’t even wanna talk or think about this book 😔

[har]

COVER REVEAL!! omg it’s gorgeous i’m SAT. and the way it’s releasing one day after my bday 😩😩

[R.R.R]

OMGGGGGGGGGGG SCREAMINGGGGG

[Luce · Rating 5 out of 5]

THE YEARNING.

THE TENSION.

This book had me in a chokehold from the start. The Night We Met explores how one split-second decision can change everything.

After a concert, Larissa make the choices to ride home with Mike. They begin dating while she slowly develops a friendship with Mike's best friend, Chris.

The tension and longing in this book is my bread and butter. It's one of my favourite things about a slow burn romance.

Chris is perfect. This man spent an entire year doing things behind the scenes to make Mike a better boyfriend for her. That level of pining? That level of adoration? *Melts into a puddle*

Chris and Larissa's love was painful, full of yearning and devastatingly romantic.

I loved every second of this book.

If you're looking for a man who loves with his entire soul... here you go.

I received an advanced copy for free through the publisher (Little Brown Book Group) and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Paige]

I love when book themes are tied into a song 🥺 I can’t wait for this!! Say you’ll remember me didn’t hit for me but I was in a big slump so I’m planning to give it a a reread/second chance before this comes out

[Salma [HIATUS]]

I love this cover, but I'm HOPING we have ZERO pop-culture references in this book. The first book had way too many for my liking.

[megan ◡̈]

SAY YOU’LL REMEMBER ME #2???? OH HOW IM SAT

[jo 🏹 · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 ⭐️

ABBY JIMENEZ DELIVERED FOR THE GIRLS WHO LOVE MEN WHO YEARN!!!! MY GOSH, the chemistry and tension in this book kept me on my toes. Jimenez explores what real romantic love look like. GIRLS? If Chris has taught me anything is IF HE WANTED TO HE WOULD. One of my favorite things about Abby's books is how animals always play such an integral part in the story. Pets truly change our lives. This was so beautifully romantic and how love doesn't find us when we are ready, but when we need it the most. <3

check trigger warnings ‼️ I do believe that Abby handled addiction very carefully and well.

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

Abby Jimenez has done it again. Thank you Forever publishing for the advanced reader copy of her new release The Night We Met!

Larissa recently gets in a new relationship with her boyfriend, Mike. At the same time, she is coparenting a dog with Mike’s best friend Chris. (might sound confusing for now but as soon as you read it, it’ll all make sense). Throughout the story, she’s realizing she has a lot more in common with Chris than she does with her own boyfriend, but both of them know they can never cross that line.

I’ve never read a book where it’s boyfriend’s best friend which I was so curious to see how she would execute this but I think given the circumstances she did it very well. I seriously loved everything about her writing, the storyline and the characters however, in the back of my mind, I couldn’t help but think about the emotional cheating that was going on which I wasn’t the biggest fan of. There’s so many factors that went into it to making it not as bad, but I think she pulled it off the best it possibly could’ve been.

Typical typically her books make me cry significantly however I only teared up at the very end for one or two pages. It was also nice seeing overlapping characters from her previous books. I always love that!

Immediate reaction is rating it 4.5 stars, but that might change the longer I sit on it.

Definitely add this to your 2026 TBR it was such a beautiful love story and the love between the characters was tangible and beautiful as per usual!

[Sarah Hutson · Rating 5 out of 5]

To be able to read this ARC is probably my favorite experience ever (THANK YOU CHRISTINA 😭). This book is AMAZING. Every single thing was *chef’s kiss* 💋 The level of YEARNING in this book had me crying several times. It has been a long time since a book had me wanting to keep reading way later than I feasibly could as a BUSY mom of 3 during the holidays. During the release of Stranger Things too, I’ll be honest—I wanted to read instead 😱 I can’t wait for the book to come out so I can have it for my shelves. Abby, you did it again. I love your heart and everything you try to represent when you write. You write about things that are real in a way that feels authentic. 10/10 Queen! 🙌🏻

[Vanessa Chan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Every AJ book I cry. Then laugh. Then shake my head, then swoon then cry again. Same here, Abby has done it again. Top tier, might be my favorite of all her books. Bonus: the dog's name is really funny.

[vanessa ⋆.☕︎ [semiᝰia]]

“In everyone’s life, there’s a split-second decision that can change everything…”
Abby Jimenez writes it, no words need to be spoken, GIVE IT TO ME. 💳

💎 What to Expect:
Love triangle → but not the messy, cheating kind—it sounds like it’s going to lean into loyalty vs. longing.
Right person, wrong time → Larissa and Chris clearly have the “meant to be” chemistry, but circumstances (her being with his best friend) complicate it.
Emotional angst → lots of suppressed feelings, lingering glances, and quiet sacrifices.
Found family element → co-parenting a rescue Yorkie (which I bet adds both humor and warmth).
Everyday intimacy → judging bread, sharing books… it’s about small, tender moments that reveal a deep connection.

You can expect this book to tug at your heart in the most bittersweet way. At its core, it’s about timing, choices, and that aching “what if” we all carry somewhere inside us. Larissa thinks she’s just living her life, scraping by with side hustles and clinging to the little joys—her quirky rescue Yorkie, trading book recommendations, even judging bread. On the surface, things feel good, even easy. But beneath it all is this quiet storm brewing, because the man who fits her so effortlessly, who makes her feel truly seen, isn’t the one she’s supposed to be with. He’s her boyfriend’s best friend. And that truth complicates everything.

The Vibe?
Tender, bittersweet, slow-burn → that aching kind of romance where you feel the chemistry but it keeps getting held back.
Soft domestic intimacy → the Yorkie, books, bread debates… those cozy little details that make it feel like a real relationship forming under the surface.
Angsty yearning → lots of “he looks at her when she isn’t watching” and “she doesn’t know why her heart races more around him than her actual boyfriend.”
Warm, slightly quirky rom-com energy → it’s not dark, more heartfelt with moments of humor woven through.
Right person, wrong time heartbreak → the universe clearly lined Larissa and Chris up, but that one split-second decision threw everything off.

So overall, the story’s vibes = soft, cozy, a little funny, but aching with suppressed love and inevitable heartbreak before the payoff.
I am already SAT.🪑

[poppy:)]

this looks and sounds effing BOMB. cannot wait to read it🥹💗