This book was fantastic. If you loved Five Feet Apart, you will also love this. Due to it being a YA book, it was a quick read. However, the depth of the characters and their relationships was astonishing. This book examined so many different facets of love. A parents’ love for their children, a grandparents ‘ love for their granddaughter, a love between friends, and a first love between two young people.

This was super cute! I went into this expecting a John Green-esque story, but what I got was even better! Tessa and Weston's unexpected friendship was refreshing, and Weston's life perspectives are beneficial to any reader. Highly recommend this!

100 DAYS OF SUNLIGHT is, by far, one of my favorite books of all time! Not only is it a real, bright, (at times brooding), emotional rollercoaster. But it is, for me, deeply relatable and personal. While there are books out there in the ether with themes of overcoming and bravery in the face of a daily challenge such as disability... I haven't felt quite like a story "gets me" as much as 1DOS. The author, Abbie Emmons, delves into the gritty emotions of struggling day to day when you think you'll never see or walk again. Her main characters, Tessa and Weston, help each other realize the potential that Life has all around them -- even when you're faced with the loss of one or more of your senses.

Tessa, blogger, neat-freak, and writer extraordinare, is blind -- injured in a car accident. Weston, daredevil, big brother, and all-around good guy, is an amputee -- injured in a moment of playful daring-do with his friends and brother. Together, they navigate the little triumphs and pitfalls of adapting to new life. What do you do when Life has beaten you down and you have no choice but to keep going? You adapt and keep going. I understand this all too well, met with challenges all my life. Though not an amputee, a condition called Cerebral Palsy has more or less broken the nerve signals between my brain and legs... Making it difficult and nigh impossible to walk. I am wheelchair bound after a lifetime of medical problems and personal choices... But I do not let it stop me. I live alone, pay my own bills, see my friends, graduated college, and even published my own Novel... All because I refuse to let one small lack in my Life define me. As Weston says, "You're not your asthma... or your diabetes or your depression or your anorexia or your social anxiety. You see, most people would look at me and say that I have every right to be miserable. But I don't. I have no right. And neither do you... You have a life."

I constantly have to remind myself to keep going, even when my own mind turns against me. I am a perpetual worrier and I overthink everything. I regularly get stiff legs and am in pain often. I have to crawl in my house sometimes to get from point A to point B. Then I'm in a wheelchair the rest of the time. Some days, the struggle to get up or get out is so tough I cry. I get scared when I wonder why my Life unfolded the way it has. I have anxiety, I have Cerebral Palsy, but I am not these diagnoses. And I Refuse, just like Weston and Tessa, to let them Define Me.

Anyway... If you want a cozy, happy, sad, fun, wild, relatable-as-fuck read... Look no further than 100 DAYS OF SUNLIGHT by Abbie Emmons.

The Quick Cut: A teen girl who blogs her poetry reluctantly allows a teen boy help her keep posting after an accident has left her temporarily blind. Drama ensues when emotions get real and secrets come out.

A Real Review:
Thank you to Abbie Emmons for providing the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

What would you do if you were left temporarily blind? Would you spend your days wallowing in the short term loss or doing your best to continue life as normal? Is loss, even when it's not permanent one, as painful as when there's no going back? These and more are the questions explored in the story of Tessa and Weston.

Tessa has spent her life being raised by her grandparents, barely knowing her mom and never knowing who her dad is. She was happy with the way things were until a drink driver hit her unique family and left her temporarily blind for 100 days. In order to help her cope, her Grandpa attempted to help by putting an ad out for a typist to continue her ability to post her on her poetry blog. However, when Tessa shuts it down and he calls to cancel the ad - Weston hears her story and fills the role... VERY MUCH to Tessa's displeasure at first. What she doesn't know though is that he knows where she's coming from because he's a double leg amputee (& he made her grandparents promise not to say a word).

This story has so much soul, I'm surprised it didn't sing all on its own. I could not put this one down from the moment I started to read and I'm happy I didn't! Tessa's pain over her blindness feels so raw and real, especially since on top of that - she continues to experience PTSD of the accident that caused her situation via nightmares. That along with the headaches, her symptoms and responses feel visceral in a way that makes it easy to put yourself in her shoes.

Weston is a double leg amputee who lost his legs due to a MRSA infection turned necrotic after a skateboarding accident. It meant that in order to save his life, his legs from below his knees had to be cut off for his own safety. Because we go back in time and see what happened to him, you understand how he can be so positive even after losing so much of himself.

Weston's role is perfect with how he desires to feel normal and be treated like anyone else. Tessa's situation is perfect for him and these two fill a hole each of them have in their lives. As a reader, you learn so much about being in their headspaces after losing pieces of themselves.

It's well written, heart thumping story that will make you want to come back for more.

My rating: 5 out of 5

*I received a free ARC of this book via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.*

I read this book SO quickly. I was excited to read this, because I’m subscribed to Abbie on Youtube and she’s helped me with my writing. And listen, I haven’t read a book with a m/f couple in a while but 100 Days of Sunlight just changed it.

The story follows two main characters: Weston and Tessa. Weston has prosthetic legs and Tessa can’t see temporarily due a car crash. The book starts two weeks after Tessa’s accident and at first she’s obviously frustrated and wants to isolate herself, but when she meets Weston, even though she doesn’t know about him having no legs, she starts to appreciate what she has, instead of focusing on what she doesn’t.

While this book talks about disability, and that usually wouldn’t be my cup of tea, this book is a page turner and it was a really great read. The book is out August 7 and it’s available for preorder now.

I love reading a debut novel that makes me so excited for future works from the author! Tessa and Weston were surprisingly likable for me, and their little love & recovery story made me happy. The additions of poetry throughout the story were lovely, especially when one is put to song. I would LOVE to hear a rendition of that, anyone who has musical talent!!

What kept it from being higher rated was my difficulty in embracing the soul-deep "I love you"s from our 16-year-old main characters. The last few chapters fell into a bit of the usual trap, where one character pulls away because they fear they aren't good enough. I suppose I liked their chemistry building up to that more, and the exploration through the senses was awesome! I was so excited when I got to the first section and realized that's how it was going to be handled.

It's a good light read that you can get through in a day or two, and will make you smile and feel a bit more grateful for your own life. Find the sunlight in every day. :) Grab a copy on August 7, 2019!

Solid book. If you are looking for a good YA contemporary with sweet romance and strong family relationship, watch out for this.

<i> You're stronger than I thought you were. </i>

Simple, concise, yet extremely beautiful and moving, this turned out to be a wonderful read.

I must admit that even though “you can’t judge a book by its cover”, I totally requested this because of how stunning it was. That being said, I was a little bit reticent about the book summary, since it just sounded like another “The Fault in Our Stars”… I am glad that I still picked it up!

Yes, it is another story about sick or disabled teens. Yes, it is filled with the usual drama you’d expect from a novel like this. But, no, it doesn’t feel like a rip-off. ”100 Days of Sunlight” is original in its simplicity and hope shines through every page, every sentence. Despite its heavy theme, it made smile constantly! The thoughts, the dialogues and the poetry feel real coming from 16-year olds and (even thought they made me cringe from time to time) they’re very entertaining.

If you’re into YA books, do yourself a favour and read this when it comes out! Thank me later.

I received an ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

The 411 on this book: it's a cute book with a cute cover and a cute love story between the main characters - Tessa and Weston.

Emmons' grappling with disabilities is done with care in the book. There are elements of Christianity in the book, but I wouldn't necessarily label it as Christian fiction.

It's a heartfelt book that's made for summer.

Many thanks to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an unbiased review.

** I received a free ARC of this book via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.**

Aaaagh! I’m in love with this book!—which is also the MOST adorablest book I have ever read. It could not get any cuter. End of discussion.

Dislikes:

The swearing wasn’t necessary. It wasn’t excessive, and it didn’t affect my overall opinion of the story. But it also added nothing to character development or plot. It was just unnecessary.

The beginning was a *little* convienent. Weston happens to find the ad at just the right time, he happens to be randomly interested, and he suddenly feels like he needs to talk to Tessa, just out not nowhere? It felt a little unrealistic/forced.. Especially since this story takes place in modern times, but people of today don’t really rely on newspaper ads.

Another neutral—I really didn’t like how Tessa was the homeschooler whose closest friends are Internet friends she’s never met... That’s not the reality for most of us...:)

Likes:
Mmmmkay, so Weston and Tessa were THE most adorablest.

Weston was such a vivid character—I was impressed by his authentic contradictory nature, his genuine emotion, and his transperancy to the reader—and, to an extent, to the other characters. His friendship was Rudy was fantastic! Strong guy friendships aren’t something that shows up a lot in fiction, but Emmons pulled it off so skillfully. I also loved watching Weston interact with his brothers.

Tessa was also phenomenal. Emmons shied away from nothing with Tessa. Tessa could be such a horrid character, but it was still impossible NOT to like her. The growth in her character was so gently painted and soo honest and genuine. It brought me so much joy to watch her grow!

*** SPOILERY ***

Her relationship with Weston, which was, I repeat, THE CUTEST THING EVER, also brought me so much joy :D Especially because of how sweetly innocent and clean it was! There was one scene Tessa feels Weston’s face and thinks about what it feels like, but that’s because she’s blind and Weston is being just so sweet and showing her to reconnect with her other senses— like touch! Other than that, they kiss at the end of the story without any details—that’s it. It was so refreshing to read such an adorable love story without any uncomfortable or weird aspects!

Lastly, the story was excellently paced. A little predictable at times, but it didn’t ruin the story. Generally, I just loved this sweet, original, adorable story so much. I can’t wait to see what else the author comes out with!

4,5/5

(Thanks to Netgalley for the copy in exchange for a sincere opinion)

100 days of sunlight is a beautiful story of love and self-improvement. Two young people who lose something important, Tessa her sight and Weston his legs. Weston wants to help Tessa getting out of the hole she is in, and at the same time wants to feel that someone treats him like a normal person. But Tessa will recover her sight at some point and Weston is afraid that everything will change between them.

I liked the cover of this book but it was the synopsis that caught all my attention. I loved the story from beginning to end. The relationship that is forged little by little among the main characters is wonderful, and the way in which Weston teaches the good things of the world to Tessa through the other four senses. No doubt it is one of my favorite characters, for his madness, his strength, his little mischief and those moments of weakness that have broken my heart.

I want to highlight the author's way of writting, fluid and sweet. It has surprised me for good, like the poems that appear throughout the book. They are really beautiful.

I sincerely recommend 100 days of sunlight if you like sweet romantic stories with no toxic content.

I really loved the premise of this book. What a unique story! Tessa Dickinson is a hard character to love at first, but you really need to remember what she's going through (and is a teenager). She's totally in the right to be that angry. Weston is such a positive and bright character, complete opposite of Tessa. I loved how this story unfolded with both Weston and Tessa's stories.

I wasn't sure what to expect when I first started this book. Honestly, I was in such a Mood for a nice YA contemporary, and when I saw this cover, I thought, let's give it a shot!

WOW did this book exceed my expectations.

Quick summary: Tessa becomes, what the doctors say, temporarily blind after a car accident affects the optic nerve in her brain. She's not handling it well, to say the least. But when Tessa's grandparents put an ad in the paper looking for someone to help her run her blog, Weston thinks this is a perfect opportunity to be around someone who doesn't judge him for his own disability, because Tessa can't see. We go back and forth between Tessa and Weston, seeing both the positive and negative perspective of dealing with life's hurdles, as Weston helps Tessa take control back over her life and Tessa helps Weston feel like a normal person.

I adored the characters. Though I've never been in her exact position, Tessa's reaction to her sudden blindness was more than relatable. I easily put myself in her shoes and knew I would be acting almost exactly as she was given her situation. The dialogue was PERFECT. Realistic. Relatable. Super witty. I laughed out loud on multiple occasions, couldn't stop smiling when reading a passage from an online group chat because it was so SPOT. ON, and I—someone who rarely if ever cries reading a book—teared up TWICE because of the story coupled with words that felt so real.

The story itself was a great read in and of itself. The topic of either choosing to let life beat you down or fighting back despite the hardships really hit close to home, and I thought showing two perspectives to reflect one of each was not only, again, relatable, but also eye-opening, and a lot of what the characters went through put a lot into perspective.

This was also the first YA contemporary romance I've read in a long, long time that gave me butterflies. As a 27 year old, the last time I got all heart-racy over a 16 year old fictional boy was maybe 8 years ago. But let me tell you, Weston is the boy you want to be real. He's got the jokes. He's got the charisma. He's got the genuine heart. The ability to say the perfect thing even if it's not the perfect thing but is still the perfect thing. And though much more somber, Tessa was also a delight, even in her worst of times, because I understood her. Related to her. Sympathized with her. Both characters together had great book chemistry and the progression of their relationship stuffed into 300 pages was perfectly paced and believable.

100 DAYS OF SUNLIGHT was one of those stories that I just couldn't put down. Though a quieter, light-hearted book, I still could not wait to see what happened next, and I ended up finishing it well into the night/early morning hours. My only disappointment was that I have to wait until August for the book to come out to get some bonus goodness!

*Arc provided by NetGalley in exchanged for unbiased review.

The summary of this book suggests it will be a lighthearted read with a teen romance that also still deals important topics. The cover is absolutely gorgeous and I believe correlates well with the title and the story itself. The story alternates POV's between Tessa and Weston. Tessa's sections remain in the present while Weston's move from the present to his past as he explains what happened to him. Being able to read both character's POV's allowed me to gain a better understanding of what each character was thinking and feeling as the plot progressed. Allowing the reader to see Weston and Tessa speak about their experiences made for a strong view of their dynamic. The book itself is broken up into 5 parts that are represented with the 5 senses as Tessa adapts to her temporary blindness with the help of Weston. I loved the focus on the 5 senses as Tessa is learning to adjust to her surroundings. All of Weston's help was so sweet and touching to read. The 5 parts of the 5 senses is an incredible detail in the book that made me excited to get to the next sense.

After a car accident, Tessa is stuck with a temporary blindness that can last up to 100 days. Weston replies to an ad and becomes her helper, originally for her popular poetry blog, later to help her adjust and live her life freely. Weston's POV allows the reader to see the parts of him that Tessa cannot. The readers get to have a better understanding about Weston before Tessa gets to. The slow burn romance of the book is really great since neither character expects to fall for the other. Weston is an optimistic cheery character whose whole goal is to better Tessa's experience while Tessa seems more pessimistic due to her current circumstance. Weston truly makes this book incredibly enjoyable. He is a wonderful character that I would love to read more and more of. Through all the adversity he had to face he remains positive to others while still dealing with his inner demons privately. He reminds the reader and all the people around him just how brave and strong he is by always stating he's "never been better."

Abbie Emmons gives her readers two characters to root for in their individual journeys and for their relationship together. I cannot recommend this beautiful book enough.

Okay y’all, this book was pretty adorable! Tessa is in a car accident and becomes temporarily blind for 100 days. Weston knows what it’s like to have a disability because both his legs have been amputated. So he answers a newspaper ad to help Tessa, as long as no one will tell her about his disability. At first Tessa hates him, but it’s not long before they both begin to catch feels. This book was exactly what you want a YA romance to be, sweet and easy to read with well-developed characters.

I want to say it was the shiny, colorful cover that got me, but really, it was the losing eyesight part in the blurb. And the “no legs.” Because a YA contemporary novel starring two differently abled teens? Sign me up for sure, even if I have to receive a Word file, yes of course.

Given that, I had quite the expectations, and writing style-wise, they were mostly met. I liked the rhythm of the sentences, and in spite of the heavy themes, the tone just sang “everything’s going to be alright” to me. The plot could have been tighter and the dialogues cleaner, but also, I felt that the use of alternating POVs and flashbacks were the best way to go to tell a story like this, in which things get revealed slowly rather than right away.

It was very cute, and given this Pinterest board and Spotify playlist the author set up for this story which I found before I started reading*, I could imagine the setting and the feel of the scenes. Netflix adaptation, anyone?

A story that takes a hard look at what matters in life with a cute romance woven in.

I adored Weston. I felt he was a very well rounded character.

I was recently fortunate enough to receive an ARC of Abbie Emmon's debut novel 100 Days of Sunlight through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

100 Days of Sunlight is a sweet & humorous YA contemporary romance, & while contemporary novels are not what I usually gravitate towards, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It’s a poetic & easy read with clever use of formatting that does a good job of balancing difficult topics with inspiring themes & steady doses of humor. Besides, how absolutely stunning is this cover?

Abbie did a fantastic job of creating realistic characters, & I could empathize with both Tessa & Weston throughout the novel. I enjoyed reading from both perspectives, & feel Abbie did a good job of balancing both points of view. The use of the five senses throughout the novel was very clever & well executed!

In fact, this novel is built on well-crafted relationships between the characters & their family & friends. Tessa & Weston’s relationship grows through trust & mutual respect while providing space for the differences & similarities between temporary & physical disabilities. It’s also brimming with humor - one of my favorite elements - & I laughed out loud multiple times while reading.

I would recommend this for pre-teens & up. There is some minor mild language, but nothing strong, & it easily fit into the dialogue & personalities of the characters & the situations they’re going through. There are no graphic descriptions of injuries or medical situations related to said injuries. It’s also full of great themes, including: family, hope, forgiveness, perseverance, resilience, & figuring out the qualities you already have to be grateful for, not what you wish you had.

I’ve been following Abbie’s YouTube channel for quite some time now & love watching her writing advice videos. That being said, my admiration for Abbie’s channel in no way influenced my review, other than I believe she has followed the advice she shares with her online community. After reading her debut novel, I’m excited to see how her writing career progresses!

100 Days of Sunlight releases August 7th: ebook preorders are available now - paperback & hardcover versions are coming soon!

Thank you again to NetGalley and Abbie for the privilege of reviewing an ARC of 100 Days of Sunlight.

I was sent a copy of this (ebook) for free in return for an honest review.

Tessa is 16 years old, homeschooled and a poetry blogger. She lives at home with her grandparents who have raised her since birth. (Her father is unknown and her mother moved away to find work.) One day Tessa and her grandmother are involved in a car accident, being hit by a drunk driver and as a result of the accident Tessa experiences temporary blindness.
Her reaction, as I'm sure most peoples would be is panic, self hatred and a longing to stay safe, safe inside her home. She is unhappy and frustrated at not being able to see and do the things she used to do. Her grandparents think the best thing for her is to get her back blogging again, but how can she when she can't see? They go to place an ad in a local paper asking for an assistant, but Tessa finds out and makes them pull the ad before it's published.

Weston is also 16 years old and helping at his dad's workplace (the newspaper) when he hears about Tessa and sees the ad. He decides that if allowed, he feels like he could be the one to help Tessa through her darkest moments. He visits Tessa's house and speaks to her grandparents who agree to allow him to speak to Tessa.

Tessa is reluctant, rude, stubborn and initially will not allow Weston into her life. She fights his every word, but he too is stubborn and persists, coming around to the house day after day, giving Tessa no choice to but listen to what he has to say. He takes Tessa on a journey showing her that losing her sight isn't as bad as she first thought, that there are other ways that she can experience the world, through her other senses, with him at her side.

The things he does for Tessa are so sweet and so well thought out, the flowers, the polaroid, the support. It's inevitable where the story leads, yes they fall in love with each other even though Tessa never sees Weston until the very end. The romance in this story is naive and lovely, that first love feeling and the story is beautifully written by Abbie Emmons. Yes, there are some swear words in it but in contrast to the situations they are describing, I don't think they are out of context at all.

Even though the story focuses on Tessa's situation, it was Weston's story that got me, I may have cried a few tears at his story and why he feels it so important to help Tessa. He is put across as a cheeky teenage boy, overly confident, popular, full of life but underneath it all he hides a very different person.

This book is beautifully written and is aimed at young adults and teens, but is also suitable for adults. I loved it, it was very emotive which I don't get with a lot of books, but this one I definitely did! Have the tissues ready when you're reading it, it won't disappoint. A cleverly thought out plot line, great characters and a fantastic story.

I gave this book 5 stars on Goodreads.

Thank you to ARC publishers and Netgalley for giving me this free copy.

101 Days of Sunlight is available from the 8th August 2019.

Terrified that her vision might never return, Tessa feels like she has nothing left to be happy about. But when her grandparents place an ad in the local newspaper looking for a typist to help Tessa continue writing and blogging, an unlikely answer knocks at their door: Weston Ludovico, a boy her age with bright eyes, an optimistic smile…and no legs.

Knowing how angry and afraid Tessa is feeling, Weston thinks he can help her. But he has one condition — no one can tell Tessa about his disability. And because she can’t see him, she treats him with contempt: screaming at him to get out of her house and never come back. But for Weston, it’s the most amazing feeling: to be treated like a normal person, not just a sob story. So he comes back. Again and again and again.

Tessa spurns Weston’s “obnoxious optimism”, convinced that he has no idea what she’s going through. But Weston knows exactly how she feels and reaches into her darkness to show her that there is more than one way to experience the world. As Tessa grows closer to Weston, she finds it harder and harder to imagine life without him — and Weston can’t imagine life without her. But he still hasn’t told her the truth, and when Tessa’s sight returns he’ll have to make the hardest decision of his life: vanish from Tessa’s world…or overcome his fear of being seen.- Goodreads

I don’t really read contemporary especially contemporary romances. However, I won’t lie this cover and the title really caught my attention and let me just say this book was so freaking adorable.
Seriously adorable and I loved so much about this.
Tessa is feeling it; as she should. She is a hermit that doesn’t go out often and when she does unfortunately, she gets into an accident that makes her blind for a 100 days. The fact that she may get her sight back doesn’t exactly help because it is a big MIGHT and she doesn’t have much faith in things right now.
Enter Weston and he is determined to make sure Tessa doesn’t fall down a dark hole because he knows that it is a very easy thing.
One of the most important parts of this book that I loved is the fact that it is told in both of their point of views AND you also get to read about Weston’s past first hand. It was just raw honesty. I appreciate the author taking the time and care to dig into Weston as opposed to making this book only about Tessa.
Speaking about that. I strongly believe that this book favors Weston more than Tessa. Yes, she is a focal point but something about the way the author writes, the digging of Weston’s past nothing in me believes this book is about Tessa but about Weston and how he helps someone overcome the darkness growing inside him and how he pretty much does the same for himself.
But out of everything I read, the best part of the book was the ending. It broke my heart. It really broke my heart and Weston is perfect. He is such an adult for a 16 year old well actually all the surrounding characters appear to be older than they actually are.
Overall, this was a good book and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
4 Pickles