Item: Tessa & Weston: The Best Christmas Ever
Rating: 4
Author: The Candid Cover

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Tessa & Weston: The Best Christmas Ever by Abbie Emmons is a charming Christmas story highlighting family and forgiveness. This one takes place shortly after the events of 100 Days of Sunlight, and I enjoyed getting back into the story with its lovable main characters. As a holiday romance, this one promises plenty of winter fun, and I loved all the festive activities throughout the book. This is the perfect book to curl up with over the holidays.

Review: Tessa & Weston: The Best Christmas Ever

Title: Tessa & Weston: The Best Christmas Ever
Series: 100 Days of Sunlight #2
Author: Abbie Emmons
Also by this author: 100 Days of Sunlight
Genres: Contemporary, Young Adult Fiction
Publication Date: November 1, 2021
Rating: four-stars

Series Rating: four-stars

Summary (from Goodreads):

It’s Tessa and Weston’s first Christmas together, and Tessa is determined to make it the best holiday ever. But when her estranged mother shows up with a suitcase and plans to stay for two weeks, Tessa’s hopes are shattered.

Bitter from the past and still holding a grudge, Tessa is in no mood to give her mother a second chance. The holiday season may be a time of reconciliation with family, but Tessa believes her mother will never change. Why get close when she’s just going to leave again? Tessa realizes there is only one way to save this Christmas: avoid her mother as much as possible.

With the best intentions in mind, Tessa chooses to not tell her mother about Weston’s disability. But when they meet face-to-face, Tessa is mortified and ashamed by her mother’s insensitive remarks. Weston begins to think he is the real cause of Tessa’s shame. His old demons resurrect to haunt him with doubts: What if, one day, Tessa stops loving him because of his disability?

Determined to prove his love for her, Weston makes it his mission to be the best boyfriend ever and works to reunite Tessa with her mother. Meanwhile, Tessa plots elaborate ways to avoid “mother-daughter time” at all costs. One scheme leads to another, until Tessa finds herself tangled in a web of deceit — and, worst of all, lying to Weston.

When the secrets between them force Tessa and Weston to face their greatest fears, they must confront the inescapable question: Is true love worth the risk of heartbreak? Is it ever too late to forgive and start over?

Tessa & Weston: The Best Christmas Ever, Abbie Emmons

Set three months after 100 Days of Sunlight, this companion novel depicts Tessa and Weston’s first Christmas together. Tessa plans on making this the best Christmas ever, but her plans are foiled when her mom comes to town. Because Tessa doesn’t have the strongest relationship with her mom, she plans a busy schedule of festive activities in an attempt to avoid spending time with her. However, as Tessa ends up keeping secrets from Weston in the process, the idea of their best Christmas ever is thrown into question.

❀ Lovable Main Characters

Both Tessa and Weston are as lovable as I remember, and I enjoyed the chance to dive deeper their new relationship that was established at the end of 100 Days of Sunlight. I especially felt for Tessa, who has her vision of a perfect Christmas shattered by the arrival of her mom. While Tessa does some pretty hurtful things to her mom, I understand that she is coming from a place of pain, and I enjoyed reading about the two of them slowly mending their relationship. Weston is also a well-developed character, and I enjoyed getting a glimpse into his own insecurities as he tries hard to be a good boyfriend for Tessa. I think this might also be the first Christmas book I’ve read with representation for disabilities, so I especially appreciated this aspect.

❀ Lots of Festive Activities

One of my favourite parts about this book is the abundance of festive activities throughout it. As part of Tessa’s plans, she and Weston cover a lot of ground, from holiday baking to snowball fights. I loved all of these cozy scenes, and these make for the perfect book to get readers in the holiday spirit.

❀ A Heartwarming Holiday Romance

Tessa & Weston: The Best Christmas Ever by Abbie Emmons is a heartwarming holiday romance that is sure to leave readers with a smile on their face. Both main characters are well-developed, and the wintry activities throughout the book make this one a great read to curl up with this winter. While this is a companion novel to 100 Days of Sunlight, I believe that the story can still be enjoyed as a standalone.

About Abbie Emmons

Abbie Emmons has been writing stories ever since she could hold a pencil. What started out as an intrinsic love for storytelling has turned into her lifelong passion. There's nothing Abbie likes better than writing (and reading) stories that are both heartrending and humorous, with a touch of cute romance and a poignant streak of truth running through them. Abbie is also a YouTuber, singer/songwriter, blogger, traveler, filmmaker, big dreamer, and professional waffle-eater. When she's not writing or dreaming up new stories, you can find her road-tripping to national parks or binge-watching BBC Masterpiece dramas in her cozy Vermont home with a cup of tea and her fluffy white lap dog, Pearl.

If you want to see Abbie in her element (ranting about stories) just type her name into YouTube and search.

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