This was a pretty good friends-to-lovers/fake dating contemporary novel. It started a bit slow, but I became invested in the characters, as it was a heavily character driven book.

Laniah was dealing with her and her mother’s shop potentially closing. She was a closed book, much unlike her artist/influencer best friend, Isaac, who came to visit often. When he found out about their lack of sales for hair care products, he came up with a mutually beneficial plan to fake date to help her sales on his platform and to stop rumors about his recent very public breakup.

While the plot seems like that of a lighthearted romcom, the book was definitely more serious and emotional – Laniah was very reluctant to mess up their friendship because he was incredibly important to her. He was a part of the family in some ways, although she never viewed him quite as a brother. It was clear that the stakes were high and whatever was happening was real with real world consequences.

Overall, I liked the book and I loved their friendship and relationship. I definitely recommend this if you’re looking for your favorite tropes, but in a book that feels just a little more character driven/serious.

All of my fave tropes! Childhood friends to lovers! Fake dating! Saving a family business! Love to see black love in such a beautiful and emotional tale. One of my faves.

he author has penned a thoughtful and deeply emotional story about the journey from childhood best friends to adult soulmates. I loved the deep connection between Laniah and Issac. It's clear from the beginning how much these two mean to one another. Even though they are now living on opposite coasts they have maintained their friendship through geographical distance, life's challenges, and other relationships.

When Laniah's business is tanking, Issac doesn't hesitate to jump in to help by lending his internet popularity to the cause with a fake-dating scheme. What happens next feels organic, relatable, and authentic to these characters. I understood Laniah's fears of changing their dynamic even though I felt it went on way too long. Can one person really be that oblivious? Issac's feelings came through loud and clear to me and I adored him for it. The deep, abiding love between these two was palpable. The brief flashbacks to various points in their friendship only solidified it. And, the slow transition from friends to lovers - with a few speed bumps along the way - convinced me these two would make it.

The challenges the author put in the paths of both Laniah and Issac gave the story depth and relatability. It was interesting to view all sides of Issac's rise to internet fame and I enjoyed watching him navigate the various aspects of it, especially when they impacted Laniah. And speaking of Laniah, there are many layers to this character which give her depth and flaws and relatability. In particular, a medical side story is one to which many women will be able to relate. It's an important issue that too many deal with.

While the story lagged in a few places, and at certain points I grew a bit weary of Laniah's insecurity, the writing, community of characters, Issac's steadfast support and love (did I mention I adored Issac?), plus Laniah's eventual growth kept me turning pages. A Love Like the Sun is a thought-provoking, heart-tugging, friends-to-lovers romance that I'm glad I read.

ARC received via NetGalley.
Fair and unbiased review.

✨𝗤𝘂𝗶𝗰𝗸 𝗧𝗮𝗸𝗲𝘀✨
• he fell first
• fake dating
• childhood BFFs to lovers
• Black romance; mixed MFC
• major health issues; dismissive healthcare provider
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

✨ 𝗢𝗡𝗘 𝗟𝗜𝗡𝗘 𝗥𝗘𝗩𝗜𝗘𝗪 ✨
Childhood best friends Laniah and Isaac conjure a fake dating scheme to help Laniah’s struggling natural hair and skin care business garner publicity using Isaac’s high profile social media presence.

✨ 𝗥𝗘𝗩𝗜𝗘𝗪 ✨
I felt warm and gooey reading this equally sweet and totally spicy story about childhood best friends who fake date their way into admitting their love for one another.

If the main reason for this book was to make usswoon at Isaac’s “he fell first” devotion, then that’s exactly what happened. You can’t help but root for our boy while we watch Laniah struggle with coming to terms with the attraction, she always felt.

This book is for anyone looking to add a gorgeous Black romance to their list, and to those who have felt the injustice of the medical system as a woman.

This was a thoroughly enjoyable read. It had the right amount of lightness and depth, complex and diverse characters, and the HEA that I required from its story :)

Thanks to Berkley and NetGalley for the DRC, and PRH Audio for the ALC.

✨ Review ✨ A Love Like the Sun by Riss M. Neilson

Thanks to Berkley and #netgalley for the gifted advanced copy/ies of this book!

So I got hooked on the idea of this book from the Summer Berkley Influencers event -- I was excited about it, but the author's sense of humor made me laugh and hyped it up even more!

Longtime besties Laniah (private, stays close to home) and Issac (famous social media influencer) come crashing back together one summer, when Isaac realizes Laniah and her mom's shop are in trouble. Laniah and her mom opened a storefront to sell their handcrafted hair and beauty supplies after operating out of their home for many years. Isaac tries to rescue them by pretending to date Laniah to hype up their business. As Laniah gets pulled into Isaac's fame, what will come of their growing feelings for each other?

This hits so many favorite tropes and themes:
✅ fake dating
✅ friends-to-lovers
✅ communication and mental health themes
✅ opposites attract
✅ great banter
✅ health and healthcare

And, I loved how it communicates the importance of Laniah and her mom's work in serving the community and giving their clients' hair some love. The book is really lovely, and while I'm not totally sold on the ending of the book, I do appreciate the importance of talking about these topics. (leaving it vague and spoiler free!)

Great writing and a fantastic adult debut!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 (4.5)
Genre: m/f romance
Pub Date: Jun 11 2024

A Love Like the Sun follows childhood friends who find themselves at a crossroads as adults when fame and fortune present the need for a fake dating scenario. As feelings intensify, it becomes apparent that they cannot go back to being just friends.

Many thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for sharing this book with me. All thoughts are my own.

This was such a sweet yet raw love story and I am so glad I chose this one. This is also a new author for this new year for me and this author did not disappoint. I always say I prefer enemies to lovers trope, but a best friends to lovers trope is also so so good and I always enjoy a fake dating situation as well. I was super invested in the characters and I felt the angst and all the feels. This is a perfect summer romance – so please do check it out as it was a 4 star experience for me. Such a great story.

A Love Like the Sun
⭐️⭐️⭐️

“But being with you under a sky, all my stress, my fears fall away. It’s just me and you, and a comforting quiet that I don’t get anywhere else. From anyone other than you.”

Thanks so much to @berkleyromance for the free book! #BerkleyPartner #Berkley

The cover of this is super pretty and I was immediately excited because I tend to love stories where the characters were childhood friends.
With that being said, I tend to struggle with books where a character is famous. I am not sure exactly why, but I just do not typically like a celebrity aspect.
In this book, Laniah is an introvert who loves to stay home, but her best friend Issac is famous.
This book is written well, and there are many beautiful quotes. Some of the phrasing felt a bit too poetic, but it was still a nice change of pace.
I appreciate the goal of this book, and while it was still good, there were a few things that fell flat for me. I felt like the timeline was a bit confusing, and the romance was zero to one hundred too quickly.
There was also a lot of talk about the main characters' business endeavors. This was fun but got somewhat repetitive.
One of the things I really liked about this book was the chronic illness representation. I thought the author did a great job of showing how difficult it can be to get a proper medical diagnosis, it felt very real.
There are also a few fun little sections in the book that show flashbacks of specific memories from Laniah’s past. These were very sweet and beautiful to read.
While this book wasn’t my favorite, I still think many readers will enjoy this love story! I encourage you to check it out and read other reviews for more perspectives!

Read If You Like:
🌻celebrity romance
🌻opposites attract
🌻fake dating
🌻childhood friends
🌻chronic illness representation

A Love Like the Sun is the perfect summer read. It has tons of romantic sparks, sweet, ever-changing dynamics, and all the feels!

Growing up, Laniah and Issac were inseparable. Now, while they both lead very different lives—Issac is a famous artist, and Laniah struggling to keep her dream afloat, they always find their way back to each other. But when a gesture at helping her small business by telling the world they're dating turns into confronting conflicting emotions that have been brewing for years, will they cross the line from friends into something more?

Whew! This book was ADORABLE. You can feel the connection between Laniah and Issac instantly, and it’s SO sweet and undeniable. I loved seeing their story grow and develop into a tender and passionate romance.

*Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for sending me an eARC in exchange for an honest review.*

Many thanks to @berkleyromance and @prhaudio for the free audio and digital copies of this lovely friends-to-lovers romance.

Laniah Thompson and Issac Jordan grew up as neighbors and best friends in Providence. Bonded through joy and sadness, their friendship is integral to their lives even as they’ve evolved in very different ways. Laniah remains in Providence, owns a struggling small business with her mother, and is happiest during low-key nights at home. Issac is in California, where his art and modeling career has skyrocketed into a global personal brand. When Issac is home, he discovers that Lanaih’s business is struggling. While she refuses to accept financial support, Issac devises a plan - if he declares she is his girlfriend, his popularity could boost sales. And it does. They agree to keep up the ruse through the summer as it takes the pressure off him in the celebrity “Who’s dating who?” gossip columns. But as a summer of fake dating evolves, they both hunger for more while being fearful of risking their friendship.

Friends to lovers is one of my favorite tropes, and Neilson does a fantastic job detailing the depth and meaning of their friendship, allowing us to truly see how they are woven into each other’s lives. A super slow-burn romance that combusts when they give into their feelings, there are also a lot of important plot lines related to leaning on those we love when things get hard, trusting our instincts, and fighting for what we believe.

The audiobook is a single narrator format, narrated by Fannie Corzo (The Long Game).

I love this book. It’s fun and refreshing. It’s sunny and sweet. It’s a love letter to Providence and Federal Hill. It’s friends to lovers - childhood friends who fake date to help with each other’s careers and then realize they love each other. It’s about growth in a relationship, building your community, injustice in healthcare, and hair care.

Laniah and Isaac were so swoony and I loved seeing them figure out their love amidst challenges externally (society) and internally (Laniah’s chronic health issues). The chronic illness rep was so good primarily because you see how Laniah’s community rallies around her, to support and fight.

I also need Laniah and her mom’s hair care store IMMEDIATELY. I drove down Broadway yesterday and was like…. What if Wildly Green was real?! The Providence love in this (Heartleaf! Seven Sisters!) was phenomenal.

Read this book if you want summer vibes, great Black romance, friends to lovers, and swoons. Congrats @rissmneilson on your amazing romance!!!

This was one of those books that I absolutely could not put down. The writing was beautiful. The Characters were mesmerizing. I felt like I was there with Laniah. I adore friends to lovers and fake dating so this was as huge hit for me. But more than my favorite tropes there was a beautiful deepness to this book because it also dealt with loss and more serious issues. This book had me waking up at 4 am to finish.

Such a sweet best friends to lovers story! The plot felt exactly how the book looks, if that makes sense. Warm, bright and heartfelt. The growth that both MC's portrayed and the love the share for each other knows no bounds.

Since they were young children, Laniah and Isaac have been the greatest of friends, made even closer by the deaths of her father and his parents. They prioritize sharing all they accomplish, and they serve as one other's greatest supporters and safe haven at the highs and lows of life. The three of them are like family, along with Laniah's mother, Vanessa. Even though they are adults, their paths have diverged despite their continued love and support for one another. Isaac is currently based in California, where he is becoming well-known for his modeling and popular YouTube art videos, while Laniah "Ni" uses her business degree to assist her mother in managing Wildly Green, a natural beauty products store in Rhode Island. These days, Ni feels their estrangement more. When Isaac learns that their store may close permanently, he devises a scheme to leverage his online notoriety and stage a fictitious date with Ni in order to raise awareness of the establishment.

Dreams of friendships are created of the kind she has with Isaac. They are only friends, yet they know each other inside and out and have been there for one other through everything. Their story is so endearing. The medical component surprised me the most, but it's the feature I value the most. The experiences that Laniyah has are remarkably authentic. When you consider her grieving process, it becomes even more genuine. I'm so appreciative to the author for addressing this very real problem that many women face in the medical field.

I love love love this book! It was so cute and heartwarming, I don't think I have ever connected wth characters so much before!

This book had me feeling soooo many different emotions. This author has an incredible gift for writing romance. And there were so many aspects included, I couldn’t decide which storyline I actually cared about the most. Childhood friends to lovers, chronic illness, running a small business, loss of a loved one…it was all done so well.

Laniah and Issac were such a perfect couple. The chemistry was amazing and their bond as best friends was so comforting to read about. It was like being given a nice warm hug while reading.

I did struggle quite a bit with the fact that Laniah has concerning medical symptoms and experiences anxiety over them, not knowing if it’s just an anxiety issue or if they’re real symptoms. I think that representation is incredibly important, and I appreciated the author telling her own story through this FMC. It was just hard for me because I have pretty severe medical anxiety (I constantly think I’m dying of some sort of illness), so there were moments that I needed to be kind to myself and take a break.

Overall, this was a great read and I recommend you check it out if you’re a romance reader. Just be aware that a lot of difficult topics are discussed throughout the book.

Thank you Berkley Publishing for my gifted copy!

(4.25⭐️) Now I’m not a big friends-to-lovers person, ESPECIALLY childhood friends-to-lovers, but something about this one just clicked for me. Laniah and Isaac are both such charming characters with enough angst and longing between them to power a city. However, my favorite aspects of this story by far were the discussions of medical gaslighting and the trauma of losing a loved one to sickness. Kudos to the author, because she wrote so much vulnerability and authenticity into this book that just really set it apart. The romance wasn’t my all-time favorite by any means, but the story as a whole was definitely something special.

***I received both an ARC and finished review copy from Berkley Publishing for free and am leaving an honest review***

In A Love Like The Sun, lifelong best friends, Laniah and Issac, start fake dating to save Laniah’s family hair and body care company and obviously, true feelings emerge. What a sweet summer romance. There are fun looks at the Hollywood lifestyle, family dynamics, raw emotions of grief and illness, sheer determination and just swoonworthy long time crushes coming to fruition in the friends to lovers trope. A perfect summer read. I just wish the hair and body care company was real because it sounded amazing.

Rating: 3.5/5 stars

Laniah and Issac have been best friends forever, but when he hatches a fake dating plan to save her business, their friendship may finally turn into more.

I loved that this book tackled a number of important topics, including medical discrimination (against women and especially women of color), revenge porn, toxic media, the importance of natural hair in Black culture, mixed race identity/colorism, and chronic illness. That said, I did feel like the book was trying to cover a bit TOO much, and it left me struggling to see where the plot was going or what the “key” through-lines would be until close to the end.

As for the romance itself, Laniah and Issac made a sweet couple and I am a sucker for a cute friends-to-lovers story. But if you know me, you know I’m picky about third act conflicts and this one was very much *not it* for me. In fact, it went so far that it affected my ability to truly root for the HEA even as I knew it was coming.

All of that said, all readers are different, and I think this is a story with a lot of of important messages that may resonate with a lot of readers, particularly those looking for representation on any or all of the topics I mentioned above. The writing itself was also really lovely and poetic, and I thought the author used flashbacks in an excellent way to further the story. If this one sounds good to you, I’d say check it out!

CW: Chronic illness; death of parent; grief; medical trauma/discrimination; sexual harassment