Tessa and Weston

The Best Christmas Ever

De: Abbie Emmons

Narrado por: Abbie Emmons

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?

The Best Christmas Ever is a heartwarming holiday follow-up to 100 Days of Sunlight by Abbie Emmons. You’ll love this touching story of forgiveness, family, and first love.

This book is rated PG for mild language and thematic elements. No strong language. Recommended for ages 13+.

©2021 Abbie Emmons (P)2021 Abbie Emmons

Can I pull a Weston and be brutally honest here?

(Contains spoilers)

I do want to paraphrase by saying that despite the criticism that will follow, I did enjoy listening to the audiobook. The voice acting was amazing, and most of the book was great. It really added to the holiday atmosphere.

But some of the middle chapters annoyed me a little bit. I kept waiting for the male protagonist to realize that he didn't have any right to pressure his girlfriend into forgiving her mom. While I could emphasize with his anger at being used by Tessa as a means to avoid her mother, his insistence that she must do as he says because it was the only way for her to "be happy" (which, as I see it, he had no sufficient reason to assume, and ended up being right by pure luck), was way too much for me. And it would all be fine if he ended up regretting it, but no. Instead, we're led to the conclusion that he was right all along, and his only flaw was his low self-esteem. Which would be great if his actions towards his girlfriend really were perfect, but they weren't. He "saved her from herself" by invalidating her completely understandable feelings and involving himself in a situation which she rightfully asked him to keep his nose out of? Don't get me wrong, I'm glad she ended up forgiving her mom, but I wish it didn't feel like she just broke under the pressure and caved in to what everyone else wanted from her. Because let's be honest, you don't "forgive someone with all your heart" if you're only doing it after your boyfriend made you feel like he'd keep bullying you about it until you do it. Not to mention that the mother barely did anything to deserve the forgiveness, all she had to do was wait for Weston to torment Tessa into having an epiphany.

The happy ending felt unrealistic to me because of all that, which I guess is fine for a Christmas book, but I just thought I'd share my unfiltered opinion.

Better than 100 days of sunlight but still not great

This book is better than 100 Days of Sunlight, but I still have significant issues with it. My main problem is how Tessa treats her mom. She only realizes her mistake after Weston calls her out, which felt realistic, but frustrating. I’m disabled (deaf and dyslexic), so I relate to some of the themes, but I’m not an amputee. Weston’s anger and honesty were fair, but Tessa’s behavior felt cruel and unjustified. Her pain doesn’t excuse how she treats others.

Weston also has flaws. His “men don’t cry, I’m strong” attitude is irritating, especially since it literally put him in danger in the first book. His insecurities—like believing girls don’t like him or only stare at him because he’s an amputee—are understandable but clash with his bravado. Both he and Tessa need self-reflection and growth.

Some of Weston’s fears about disability are real and relatable. I’m insecure about my deaf accent and often avoid speaking to strangers, so I understand the fear of being a burden. Those parts felt authentic. But the book still reads like the author never consulted the disability community. Writing about a community you don’t belong to requires involving that community to avoid harm and stereotypes.

Lastly, the romance origins are problematic. In the first book, Weston essentially stalks Tessa—ignoring her “no” repeatedly—yet the sequel frames it as cute. In the end, this book is better than the first but still not great, with frustrating character behavior and a lack of authentic representation.

Phenomenal performance

Abbie absolutely killed that!! I could genuinely feel all the emotions through her voice. I genuinely loved that! Thank you Abbie for such a fun reading experience!