While I am outside the age range of this book's target audience, I have always enjoyed reading YA stories--especially when it includes characters who are flawed, or challenged, in ways some of us will never experience. Such voices are important to the YA canon and give a depth to the genre that can be appreciated at any age.

That said, I enjoyed reading the love story between Tessa and Weston.

Tessa is temporarily blind--after a horrific car accident--Weston lost his legs due to poor youthful decision-making. Kismet brings the two together, and love eventually blooms, but Weston isn't confident that a sighted Tessa will think him enough, once she knows the truth of his disability.

Make no mistake, this is written as a feel-good story. Tessa and Weston face personal challenges but neither is so broken as to make the reader feel uncertain they'll recover. Their coupling is more about two people making a spiritual journey, together, and finding common ground in the faith they begin to have in each other's ability to fill in the missing pieces.

The only questionable relationship is the one which exists between Weston and Rudy: I didn't think it was necessary to have them coming to blows--literally--as a way of establishing some semblance of a brotherhood. Especially since it was so clear how loving and wonderful Weston is to his brothers.

Also, with technology being as prevalent as it is today, it was sometimes hard to understand why Tessa wouldn't use her phone to dictate the poems she could no longer write--why bother with a notebook at all?

That was curious to me.

Overall, I enjoyed the story and I'm sure others will as well.

*Thank you to NetGalley and Abbie Emmons for this advanced eGalley. Opinions were not influenced by early receipt of the author's work

Today on the blog I’ll be reviewing Abbie Emmon’s debut novel, 100 Days of Sunlight. Thanks Abbie for sending me a copy of your book to review! Read on if you like sweet romances and waffles.


WHAT IS AN ARC?
Before we jump into the review I thought I’d do a quick explanation of what an ARC is for those of you who might be unsure!

On my blog I review a variety of books, across a broad range of genres. As well as reviewing books that have already been released for publication, I also review those that are due to be published in the upcoming months.

In exchange for an honest review, I receive a copy of a book from the author or publisher. My opinion is honest, and I will tell you if I liked a book or not. I haven’t been coerced into giving a positive review by the author in any way.

If you want to know more about ARC reviewing, feel free to ask a question in the comments below!

With that out of the way… Let’s get into todays review!

WHAT’S IT ABOUT?
100 Days of Sunlight by Abbie Emmons is about Tessa Dickinson, a sixteen year old poet, waffle lover and blogger. When Tessa is involved in a car accident and loses her eyesight for 100 days she feels like it’s not just her vision that she’s lost, but her whole world.

Scared that the loss of her vision may be permanent Tessa withdraws into herself, growing distant and cold from those she loves. So when her grandparents advertise in a local newspaper for a typist to help her regain her passion for writing, they’re surprised by who applies for the job.

Weston Ludovico is a boy with an enthusiasm for life, a penchant for fighting and no legs. He knows the first hand the fear and despair that can threaten to overtake when your life changes so drastically.

Determined to help Tessa see the world in a new way, despite her blindness, an unlikely friendship is formed. Tessa doesn’t know about Weston’s , disability and that’s the way he wants it. But as the teens grow closer what will happen when Tessa’s vision returns? Weston will have to choose, either he overcomes his fear of her seeing him, or he vanishes from her life.

WHAT I LIKED ABOUT THIS BOOK?
This book was such a sweet contemporary romance. Aimed at young adults (12 years plus) Emmons did a great job of highlighting the sweetness that is first love.

The anxiety and fear, but also joy and compassion that the characters felt was raw at times, beautifully written. I enjoyed (in a heartbreaking kind of way) seeing the determination of the characters to overcome the obstacles before them. Whether that be, physical limitations, social situations or family dynamics.

On a personal level, *LOOK OUT, it’s about to get mushy!* this book was so sweet because it reminded me of when my husband and I met. We were childhood sweethearts (we were fifteen when we got together which I now realise is super young haha!) the innocent fun Weston and Tessa got up to reminded me of my husband and I and how much joy there was in being friends before we were anything more. It’s nice to read a book that is so refreshingly sweet.

The importance of family is a strong theme in this book. Without giving away any spoilers the relationship the characters have to their families in this book is refreshing in a genre that can at times rely too heavily on broken family dynamics.

The cover of this book is stunning! Abbie Emmon’s designed it herself which I am in awe of. It’s lovely and pretty and YELLOW. Yellow is an awesome colour. Once you read the book you notice all the little details she has incorporated into the cover like waffles, flowers, ukulele and birds that all link into the story.


WHAT I LIKED LEAST ABOUT THIS STORY?
This book could be accused by some as being a titchy bit predictable. But I think overall it did some great things with character and prose that any predictability that it could potentially be accused of is forgivable. That being said, without giving away spoilers the ending of this book was really well done.

Readers should be aware there is some mild swearing in this book, but it didn’t bother me personally as it was very mild and occasional. Everyone has their own preference when it comes to cussing in books.

I wish I could talk more about this book… but you’ll just have to wait till it comes out! And you don’t have to wait long, thankfully!

WHEN AND WHERE CAN I GET MY HANDS ON THIS BOOK?
100 Days of Sunlight by Abbie Emmons will be published on August 7th 2019. If you have a Goodreads account be sure to put it on your ‘Want to read’ list so you don’t miss it!

You can pre-order digital copies of this book from Amazon, but for hardback or paperback copies you’ll have to wait til August friends.

If you enjoyed this review and want to know more about this book please do go and check out Abbies website here. Support indie authors!

LET’S CONNECT
Thanks for reading todays post guys! I hope you enjoyed it.

What books are coming out soon that you’re excited about? Let me know in the comments below!

This is one of those debut novels that has a fresh flavor to it that reminds me of wattpad: an original story that although not perfect can be forgiven because you can feel the author's love and excitement in every page.
What I liked the most about this book was the characters, more specifically the fact that they have to live with a disability and that is not a theme we see much in YA books.
Tessa is a writer that has lost her sight and although the doctors tell her it is probable that she will get it back in a 100 days, that still leaves her to learn how to be blind.
Weston is no stranger to living with a disability so when he hears about Tessa he immediately offers to help her. That help not being wanted does not stop him at all.
This was a very interesting book to read because we get to learn how Tessa has to navigate her life when she can't see: how she bathes, how she dresses, how she writes, how she finds her phone and knows the time, ...
Weston could be a little too intense and his flashbacks were not my favorite and Tessa could be a drama queen but both characters behaved with a lot more maturity than their sixteen years (with the great exception of when it came to each other).
Although this was a bit beneath my expectations for this book, I will definitely be keeping an eye on Abbie Emmons and whatever she comes up with next.

“So once upon a time... there was this bird.”

Wow, this book was amazing. Tessa had an accident and went temporarily blind and then Weston comes into her life. He knows what it’s like to think that you cannot do anything anymore, or at least not be able to do things that you used to love to do. He lost his legs but he believed he could do anything and he did. Of course, Tessa doesn’t know he lost his legs because he had her grandparents promise him that they wouldn’t tell her and a friendship was formed.

This story is about hope and believing in yourself. If Weston can fight for what he wants and be able to rise above everything that happened to him, we sure as hell can too. he taught not only Tessa but me too.

This book comes out August 7 and I highly suggest picking it up.

this was such a great coming of age story. I absolutely love Tessa and Warren. Their personalities jump off the page and the descriptive life lessons will stick with me for a long time. This story had me laughing, crying, cheering and every other emotion I can think of. I could not put this book down and read it in one day! I look forward to more from this author. One of my new favorite books of all time.

Disclaimer: I was given an advance reading copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thanks to Abbie Emmons for the opportunity!

OH MY GOD, WHERE DO I START?

When I first saw this book on NetGalley, I've never heard about Abbie Emmons before. But I was so drawn to the story and the cover was so perfect. I thought to myself that this could be one of my favorites of 2019 (no kidding!) because it was calling to me and guess what? IT DID NOT DISAPPOINT!

Weston and Tessa's characters are so relatable in the sense that even if this is not a usual happening in our daily lives, there are people who experience what both of them are experiencing. It's truly about how you make every second count by not giving up on things that matter. That sometimes, all you need is one big push (and that push might just be a person and not an instance).

I also love how family played a large role in the plot. From Tessa's grandparents, to Weston's brothers, you could see how love is shown in different aspects of the story. I also truly ship Weston and Rudy's relationship. It's the kind of bromance that's so cute yet so important.

I could go on and on, and we'll never finish. But I really couldn't recommend this book enough. I could see myself talking about this book and recommending it to the people I know.

Abbie Emmons definitely left an indelible mark on my heart. I'm not ashamed to say that.

100 Days of Sunlight by Abbie Emmons, 311 pages.
Abbie Emmons, 2019. $7.99
Language: R (95 swears, 0 “f”); Mature Content: PG; Violence: PG
BUYING ADVISORY: HS - ADVISABLE
AUDIENCE APPEAL: HIGH
What happens when life as you knew it is taken away from you? Weston and Tessa have both had this experience because of accidents that have taken away quintessential parts of themselves that made them who they are—legs and sight, respectively. But it’s during these points of life that they must make a difficult choice: how hard will they fight to live the lives they want?
The only reason that this book is “advisable” instead of “essential” is because of the swear count. Honestly, the romance is a little cheesy, and, at times while I was reading, I felt that Emmons was skimming over time and details that could have been expounded upon, but the meat of the story—the message—has hit me hard. Reading about Weston’s and Tessa’s experiences helps me feel like I can conquer the world—I want to be like them, to pinpoint the obstacles I let hold me back so that I can attack them head on. Right now, having just finished reading their story, I am seeing and feeling the world differently, and I never want that to go away. Emmons’s writing has changed me—and I hope it’s permanent.
Reviewer: Carolina Herdegen

Thanks to Netgalley and the author for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

4.5 ⭐️

16 year old poetry blogger Tessa Dickson goes temporarily blind after a tragic car accident. Her doctors tell her that her vision will return in roughly 12 weeks, or 100 days. Her grandparents put an ad in the paper for someone to come help her type for her blog, and 16 year old Weston Ludovico answers the call. But he’s got problems of his own, a double amputee who lost his legs in an accident as a young teenager. He NEEDS someone to not look at him with pity in their eyes, and Tessa is just the one to do it.

I really really really enjoyed this one. It was definitely super cute, with Weston’s sweet disposition and Tessa’s sass. I loved the grandparents and the dynamic between Weston and his friend Rudy. The familial relationships were some of the best writing in this book. This is the kind of romance I would have gobbled up as a teenager, chasing the high that I got after reading The Fault In Our Stars for the first time.

I did find some things sort of unlikable. For one, there was a scene where Weston makes Tessa sit in the front seat (which is a PTSD trigger for her) which she does willingly do after some hesitation, but it struck me as very “true love will cure your mental illness” and rubbed me the wrong way. I also felt that during the flashback scenes Weston talked and acted much more maturely than 13 years old. However this is a debut author and I think those are just nit picky things on my end.

I can’t say how accurately this depicts being blind if having your legs amputated, as I haven’t been through either experience and I don’t believe the author has either. I’d be curious to read a review from the viewpoint of someone who has gone through those things though to see if they feel it was accurate or not.

TW: ptsd, amputation, temporary blindness, car accident.

This was sweet and cute and a really light read.
This book is about two teenagers called Tessa and Weston. Tessa writes poetry online and one day she got into a car accident which left her temporarily blind. Then, her grandparents advertised an ad about hiring someone to type Tessa's poetry and post them on her blog and Weston was that volunteer. Tessa was hostile towards Weston at first because she thought that he couldn't ever understand what she was going through, even though Weston is disabled (he has no legs) but Weston appreciated it because it made him feel normal. So, Weston made a system of taste, smell, hearing, touch for Tessa to experience.
This was such a fun and a great summer read. It's sweet and fluffy

I believe this novel would have a profound effect on its intended audience, as opposed to my response as an adult woman. It's a lovely story with great intentions and a lot of potential, it's heartbreaking and uplifting at the same time! But I found the story incredibly rushed. I wanted more backstory about Tessa's childhood and how she came to live with her grandparents. I also wanted to know more about Weston's life before his accident. That would have gone a long way to make me more compassionate toward the characters. I felt thrown into this trauma immediately and it was unsettling. Perhaps that was the intent, but it kept the emotions of the story superficial for me. The writing is simple, making for a quick, easy read I was engaged in from start to finish. I appreciate the message the author is sending, that one creates her own reality regardless of the circumstances and does not need to suffer even when it seems like that's the only option. I definitely liked this novel, and would recommend it for fans of the genre.

I managed to read a copy of this book through a NetGalley download, as I was refused a copy because I live outside of the U.S. and Abbie Emmons was unable to ship to the U.K.

Nevertheless, I loved the look of the cover via kindle and thought it brilliantly captured the essence of the book with the pictures of the guitar, waffles, flowers etc. that all appear in the story. The book is about Tessa a 16 year old blogger who loses her sight for 100 days and how terrified and unhappy it makes her feel. Enter Weston Ludovico a teenage boy with an engaging optimistic nature, the ability to make Tessa smile and even laugh and ultimately realise she has four other senses to explore and find beauty and joy in her world again (but he has a disability too which he wants everyone to keep from the blind Tessa).

It is probably written as a Young Adult book but as a 60 year old I was totally captured by the simplicity of the story, and the characters were so well written I felt I knew them and cheered them on. I read the book in only a day because I could not wait to get to the ending, which is superb.

This may be Abbie Emmons debut novel, but I would definitely read more from her.

I received a free copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for my honest opinion.

2.5

100 Days of Sunlight is a cute book that made me smile and feel the sunshine a little extra on my skin. I’ve been on a string of really good contemporary novels lately (shoutout to my girl Kasie West, and I was sure that 100 Days would continue that streak. I loved the story as described through the synopsis, and I always like to support people in the blog/vlog community. However, I have a lot of qualms about the story, characters, and writing that took away from my enjoyment of the novel as a whole.

I’m a little convinced that Abbie Emmons has been stalking me, or my high school self anyway. In high school, I was homeschooled, Christian, bookish, lived with other relatives instead of my parents from a young age, and ran a blog in my spare time. I should have related a lot to the main character, Tessa, but the sentence above pretty much describes everything we know about Tessa, besides the recent turn of events that rendered her blind. I never got a sense for who she was as a person. Her character was mainly defined by her reactions to Weston. We got tiny insights into her personality when she’s talking with her online friends through chat, but there were so many missed opportunities to go beneath the surface. I felt like more could have been explored concerning Tessa’s parents and her feelings about them, her relationship with her grandparents, even her faith and how it is affected by this period in her life, but everything stayed surface-level. Also, I cringe when I read books about homeschooled teens who don’t have deep friendships with other teens face-to-face. I’m all for connecting with friends over the internet, but sometimes you actually need to be with friends, physically, and I don’t care for the stereotype perpetuated here that homeschoolers don’t have friends outside of the digital world. Also that Christian teens don't have "inappropriate" thoughts about boys.

The story gave a little more depth to Weston, mainly through his flashbacks to his injury. Weston’s story about how his disability began and how he coped with it was the part of the book where I began to be more pulled in - I wanted to know what happened and how he got to be the lil ray of sunshine that he was. Prior to the flashbacks, I thought Weston was annoying and creepy (how about not stalking someone to their home and then refusing to leave when asked, yeah?), but hearing more about his life, his friendship with Rudy, and his ADORABLE three little brothers was really interesting. However, at a certain point, his sections started to become more of a motivational speech (literally at one point) that teetered on the edge of being sanctimonious. This became even more evident when he monologues about how he needs to “save” Tessa, and show her how to stand up to Life, which is where his character got some points shaved off the cute guy total.

Getting past my initial dislike of the idea that Weston has decided to swoop in uninvited to show Tessa how to live, I really liked the way the book is divided into five senses - smell, hearing, taste, touch, and sight. I really think this book would make a great rom-com movie. The way Weston tries to make Tessa happy through showing her how to experience things through the senses she still has is truly sweet, and makes for some adorable moments. This is where the story really grew on me, namely when Weston and Tessa watch Tessa’s favorite movie - I’m leaving this intentionally vague so you can enjoy the sweetness yourself first.

I thought that the obstacle to Tessa and Weston being together was pretty artificial. I didn’t buy that Weston would be afraid of Tessa knowing about his disability and wish that this point had been built to more. Finally, there were some aspects of the writing that I found a bit juvenile and irritating, like Tessa’s poetry (unless it was intentionally cringe-y, because I too wrote poetry like that in high school…), and the tendency of the author to emphasize things by doing this: I am blind.
I
am
b l i n d.

In a nutshell, I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a short, cute contemporary romance in the style of Me Before You or Five Feet Apart. I loved reading about Weston’s little brothers, Weston’s relationship with his best friend Rudy, and sweet portions of Tessa and Weston’s romance. I know that Abbie Emmons is a young indie author and that this is her debut novel, so I have high hopes that her next offerings will be more fleshed out and enjoyable. 100 Days of Sunlight is a great start.

Sweet, and full of optimism in the face of despair. Beautifully written, I couldn’t help but fall in love with Tessa and Weston. It was nice to read a truly hopeful and bright story in the midst of the damaged and broody reads I’ve had on my TBR of late. The message hit me deeply and personally. I highlighted more phrases in this one book than I have all year. If you’re looking for a book full of hope and sunlight. This is it.

Thank you Netgalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I'm not normally a fan of contemporary, but this story was so well written and so extremely sweet! It really is a book of sun light, and I appreciate that so much. Overcoming darkness and trials is hard, but this book has such a lovely theme of seeing the good, seeing the rays of sun in our lives even in hard times.
Weston and Tessa were two very real characters, and I adored them. I really enjoyed being able to get to know them both, and I liked how Abbie wrote not only Tessa's story of freedom but also Weston's. It was more impacting that way, I felt, because I could see where Weston was and where he was now and truly understand all the hard work and discipline he put himself through to get to where he was at when he met Tessa. I really don't have anything super negative to say about this book! I'm so glad to have gotten the privilege to read it early!
My only two comments would be that I wish there was less swearing (swearing in stories just really turns me off), and I really wish Rudy had a bigger part with Weston and Tessa. I would've loved if he had had the opportunity to meet and interact with Tessa and they became a close knit threesome. I just think it would've been a lot of fun and made a lot of sense since Weston and Rudy knew each other so well. I wondered several times where Rudy was and why he wasn't butting in (because I totally felt like he was the type to do that). When he did butt in at the end, it was a little...confusing, I guess, because there really was no prior mention of him knowing everything and being a part of Weston and Tessa.
But definitely really enjoyed this book--a perfect summer read, and I would highly recommend it!

"No one has ever seen the light by being told there are darker places out there."

Hoolyy shiiiiit this was so good!
I absolutely adore every single piece of this, from the cover and title, to the language, to every character trait - just all of it!
While this isn't written in verse, there are definite hints of poetry throughout the narration (excluding the actual poems, which were so good!)
The imagery of sunlight consistently scattered throughout the narrative was perfect, and Tessa being compared to a volcano? YES!
Honestly, the realness of the characters, I just cannot!!
And while, yes, this is a cutesy contemporary novel, there are also real issues, and real struggles. Of course, I don't know what it's like to lose your sight or your legs or have any other form of handicap, but the way Abbie Emmons has written it makes it feel real, not just like some trait added for extra drama. As Weston so succinctly put it; "You're not a handicap. You have a handicap."
While this is, to some extent, a story of recovery, there are also real and important set-backs. Tessa letting her depression and fear overwhelm her, Weston thinking he's lost some sort of worth along with his legs... I just want to give them both a hug!
Not only do I love the language and the characters and the story, but the skill it takes to write something like this? I can't even explain it.. Just the tiny detail that chapters taking place before the main storyline are written in past tense, while the rest is present? It took me a while to actually register, but it's such a small detail that actually makes a difference to how you read a story.
Honestly, I'm going to stop now, because I can ramble on about this forever, and everyone needs to read this book ASAP!

When I first saw this book on NetGalley, there were so many things that drew me in! It’s about a girl named Tessa who loses her vision for 100 days. She writes poetry and is in need of her outlet, and that’s where Weston comes in. Weston is an amputee who understands some of what Tessa is going through, and comes to write the poetry Tessa dictates despite her not wanting him around. Weston stays because he enjoys someone treating him normally since Tessa can’t see his disability.

Doesn’t that synopsis sound wonderful? There were so many things that drew me in from that synopsis. I love books that center around disability, and so I requested this book. As I was reading, however, I became increasingly frustrated with the way things were handled, and I realized that part of my frustration came from having read other books that I thought handled things better. So I decided to write a review that would go through my issues with this book, and instead of just leaving it there, I’d also recommend a book that I thought handled that aspect well in its place.

When I started this book, I was actually enjoying myself. I highlighted a quote I liked, and although the writing never wowed me, I was happy to keep on reading. But slowly things started piling up. At first, I was willing to ignore some of my issues because I thought they would get resolved, but when I kept reading and matters were only getting worse instead of better, my opinion started to change.

The first thing that bothered me was the main character Tessa. She’s obviously going through a very difficult time, but I did not like how she reacted to Weston’s presence. Part of this had to do with how one-dimensionally I felt she reacted to things. I could see Tessa’s anger, and I could understand it at times, but I never quite felt it. I felt detached from Tessa’s emotions and that kept me from empathizing properly. This tended to be a big issue throughout the book, where the writing kept me from relating to characters, but it was strongest with Tessa.

Now, one of my favorite books follows an unlikable blind main character. Not If I See You First was quite possibly the first book with a blind character that I read. But while Parker’s not likable, I loved reading this book because I understood exactly why she was acting in such an unlikable manner. She was processing a myriad of emotions and I could feel them all throughout the book. If you’re looking for a book with a blind main character, or just a good book in general, I definitely recommend this one.

But still, I could have handled all of that, and still given this book 3 stars. But Weston’s journey was what really made this a one-star read for me, and so I’m going to spend the rest of this review focusing on him. Things might get a bit spoilery, but I don’t recommend reading this book, so I don’t mind leaving those bits in.

It first started going downhill once we started getting Weston’s backstory. Now, you learn how Weston loses his legs, and I’m not really going to comment much about that aspect. Weston is an adrenaline junkie that makes the worst decisions he can on a daily basis, so skateboarding off a roof may not have been the stupidest thing he did in this book.

What really bothered me about his story was his recovery. I have several quotes from the ARC that made me reaaaaally mad when I read them. I want to preface by saying that I am not an amputee. However, I am in college at the moment for biomedical engineering. One of my ideal careers is making prosthetics. Because of that, I’ve done quite a bit of research on the subject. So this topic feels very close to my heart.

It all starts when just days after surgery, Weston decides to have a positive outlook. While I was okay with this on its own, I disliked how that meant that Weston decided to be just as careless and stupid as possible, just without legs. Especially since I for one don’t see that as character development.

The first thing that bothered me was that Weston decided to completely disregard what his physical therapists told him. To the point where this was an actual quote from the e-arc.

“They gave me a piece of paper with safety guidelines on it. I crunched it up and tossed it out the window on the drive home.”

Ummm. What now? I understand that not everyone reads the directions their doctors give them, but to deliberately disregard what they said in that fashion didn’t sit well with me. And I was right to be worried.

What followed were a series of just idiotic actions meant to show that Weston wasn’t letting his disability stop him. But I don’t think it’s brave to climb the stairs in your prosthetics for the first time in the dark with no one around. I think that’s stupid. And rock-climbing without a harness? A bad idea whether you’re an amputee or not. And for both of these things, he was applauded! No one told him what he did was dumb. And you’d think that after the stunts he had pulled to get him into this situation in the first place, it would come up!

But that’s another thing that bothered me. No one but Weston is affected by him losing his legs. His mother continues to let him do whatever he wants without ever even telling him to be safe or showing much worry at all. His brother who was there when he first sustained his injury gets over his guilt for his part in the situation after the two hug it out once. I was so confused by this because I didn’t see how Weston’s disability affected anything or anyone. No one changed, not even Weston! The only way we see Weston’s vulnerability is through his attempt to push away any girl who can see his disability. But this wasn’t developed well and was just out of character in a variety of ways whenever this plot point was put into play.

So what can you read with better amputee representation? I have two books for this one. The first is The Running Dream. It’s one of my favorite books, and I love how we follow the journey that Jessica takes after she loses her leg. I think this book had all the nuance that I was missing in 100 Days of Sunlight. It had the ups and downs and had a character move forward after she lost her leg, with the help and advice from those that cared about her.

Brave Enough is another one I’d recommend. This follows a dancer who loses her leg, and her recovery process as she falls in love with a former addict. Again, this book has nuance and development that I didn’t find in 100 Days of Sunlight.

Moving on from the amputee aspect, I also got very upset with the way consent was handled in this book. Normally, if consent isn’t written out but there are no issues, I don’t take much issue, although I’d like for consent to be verbalized more. What bothered me about the consent in this book, is how it was clearly stated that she didn’t give her consent, but he kissed her anyway.

“Then I whisper, “I’m gonna kiss you. Is that okay?”

It’s not fair, because I don’t give her any time to reply. Instead, I press my lips against hers. Without permission.”

It’s specified and written out that he was kissing her without permission. What I don’t understand is why include a part about asking her in the first place? Either you’re overcome with passion and kiss her, which has its issues, but I’m more comfortable with that than this scenario where he’s taking the time to ask and them not even waiting for an answer. I don’t see any excuse there. If you took the time to ask the question, you can take the time to wait for the answer.

What’s more than that, Tessa’s reaction was just to assume that someone asking for a kiss was a rhetorical question.

“He kissed me.

He literally kissed me.

I’ll never forget the way that felt. Soft, sweet, dizzying. He asked my permission, but didn’t wait for a reply—and even if he had, I don’t think I would have been able to reply. How do you reply when a boy asks if he can kiss you? Especially when you’ve never even seen the boy? Especially when you want to kiss him back?”

I would say that you should answer yes. And that you don’t just brush this off as an impassioned kiss. It’s a matter of consent. And I actually have a book with great consent to recommend to you. I’ve mentioned it before, but Coming Up for Air was one of the best books I’ve come across when it comes to consent, YA or otherwise. The characters make it a priority to discuss everything and listen to one another, and to make sure they’re comfortable with the direction their relationship is going. And of course, I think the book is pretty great in general.

Those were my biggest issues with the book. I have so many other little issues and quotes, but this already is a long, ranty review and I think mentioning any more is unnecessary at this point.

I did not enjoy this book and was a bit upset to see all the wonderful reviews it has been getting. I understand wanting to support an indie author, and I’m glad people enjoyed her book, but there were so many problematic elements in this book that I’m a little worried that so few people have mentioned them.

I normally end my reviews saying that I’d recommend a book, even if I didn’t enjoy it. That’s not the case here. I cannot recommend this book after seeing the way things were handled in this book. This is one of the very few books I’ve rated 1 star, but by the time I finished reading, I couldn’t see myself giving it any other rating.

I loved this book!
It was so sweet, I absolutely adored both characters and their perspectives. I thought integrating Westons past experiences with the current timeline was really well done and I just want to give them both a huge hug.
This was a great read for summer, interesting and engaging and a super fast read.

100 Days of Summer by Abbie Emmons is a beautiful tale of trust, love, and forgiveness — because sometimes we need to learn to forgive ourselves. In many ways, it’s harder to forgive ourselves than to forgive others.
I liked both Tessa and Weston, but I especially loved their families. They were refreshingly real and supportive.
I loved the back and forth through time so the reader got to get a full picture of these characters before and after. Well done!

DISCLAIMER: <i>I was provided a free advanced copy of this book via NetGalley and the publisher</i>

This story was cute!

Going into a self published novel, I didn't have high expectations, and given that I would say I was pleasantly surprised.

100 Days of Sunlight tells the story of a girl named Tessa who has temporarily lost her eyesight after a car accident caused her some brain damage. Her sight is supposed to return around 100 days. Before she lost her sight, she ran a poetry blog in her free time and it was her passion. After losing her sight, she is no longer able to do what she loved, so her grandparents (who she lives with) attempt to help and get her someone to write the poetry she says. Tessa decides not to follow through with the idea, but the ad still ends up in the hands of Weston. Weston is an amputee who lost his legs in an accident, but Tessa doesn't know that. When he comes to help her, he is determined to pull her out of the metaphorical darkness, all the while keeping the fact he doesn't have legs a secret.

This story definitely developed in writing style after a while. The beginning was very repetitive as a way to bring emphasis but it felt just a tad underdeveloped and unnecessary. I really enjoyed the family dynamic presented in this book. Tessa, being raised by her grandparents, and Weston, having a TON of younger brothers, I enjoyed seeing this family connection and bond they each had respectively. I also enjoyed the friendship dynamics we had at times and I wish there was more.

The love story presented felt very hate-to-lovers wannabe, if that makes sense. Then, once we liked each other it was like BOOM insta-love. I think this is written for a younger audience than myself, which is fair.

Overall, the book was good and I enjoyed it, just a it slow (or cringey) at parts and I found myself wanting more. For a self-published book and debut, I did enjoy it, though and thought it was well done.

Oh, how my heart swells! The clue is in the title and Abbie Emmon's debut novel 100 Days of Sunlight is both pure and uplifting and the perfect antidote for today's trying times. It has poetry, sunlight and victory over adversity, a character-driven plot and a story so beautiful that it makes the heart soar. Recommended for fans of Wonder, this is the young adult breakout hit of the summer and I'm prepared to stand on rooftops singing its praises.

Sixteen-year-old Tessa Dickinson can no longer see. She was involved in a car accident which blessedly took no lives but Tessa has lost her eyesight as a consequence. Her doctors are optimistic that her sight might return but the truth is that nobody knows. Keen to establish a link to Tessa's former life, her grandparents take out an advertisement for a typist to enable Tessa to continue writing and updating her poetry blog.

The problem is that they don't consult Tessa and she certainly does not approve, forcing them to cancel the ad. Still, Weston Ludovico turns up on Tessa's doorstep, unwanted and optimistic to a fault. Tessa takes an instant disliking to him but she cannot see the one thing Weston asks to be kept secret from her. Weston has a disability and unlike Tessa, his condition is certainly not temporary.

As we delve deep into Weston's backstory and explore Tessa's reaction to the world around her, we're gifted with surprisingly complex characters and intense character development. Despite this depth, the novel remains light (yes, like sunlight) and was an absolute joy to read. I really didn't want to put it down and spent a couple of late nights reading into the early hours.

100 Days of Sunlight is one of those books that makes you fall in love with life again and it inspires a desire to truly live one's best life. It is absolute, pure, sunny magic. I very much hope that Abbie Emmons has more books planned for the very near future.

I give 100 Days of Sunlight a superb five out of five stars and recommend to absolutely everyone. I'd especially recommend to those seeking superior young adult fiction with good character development as well as younger teens seeking clean YA fiction with no sexual content.

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