Genre 📚: YA Contemporary, Romance, Short Stories
Tropes 💁♀️: First job, Prom night, Jealous boyfriend, Big brother shenanigans, Small town mystery
Rep ✔️: Disabled main character
CW ⚠️: Ableism, bullying, sexual assault (non-consensual kissing), house fire
Rating ⭐️: 3/5
Abbie Emmons is keeping us well-fed with the Westess content, and I’m here for it. I enjoyed Abbie’s debut 100 Days of Sunlight, a grumpy-sunshine romance between the prickly poet Tessa and the optimistic amputee Weston. And I enjoyed the festive followup The Best Christmas Ever. In this short story collection, we get to see more of the couple as they go through the typical high school experiences — first-time jobs, first-time dances. They even get to solve their first mystery.
It’s not often you get so much bonus content after the initial happily-ever-after, so I appreciate these snapshots into these characters’ lives. The book as a whole was very slice-of-life, very warm and comforting. And, of course, very romantic. There’s a loooot of kissing. Like… damn. 😏 My main issue is the constant struggle with communication. It’s been an issue since book one, as Tessa and Weston often get into frustrating fights. I get that it’s a part of their dynamic, but after two years (and now three books) together, you’d think they’d learn.
I think the final story “Fire on Forsythia Lane” is my favorite. It was a solid mystery (albeit a little predictable), and Tessa and Weston made quite the adorable detective duo. ‘Cause I mean, yeah. They frustrate me at times, but I still love ‘em. I’ll definitely come back for their fourth and final installment.
**Much thanks to BookFunnel and Abbie Emmons for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Snapshots of Sunlight will be released on February 24, 2026.
Sara Bechtol 