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

A Love Like the Sun is a beautiful, moving, friends-to-lovers romance set in Providence, RI between two 20-somethings who first met at age 13, bonding over being bullied for being poor and then over the loss of their parents at too young an age. They are each other’s champions, and the healthy need Issac and Laniah have for each other keeps them connected even when he moves to Los Angeles and becomes a major influencer and model with videos in which he talks about finding his soulmate while working on his mixed media art. Given how handsome and personable he is, it’s no wonder that his star rises to the point that he’s a paparazzi magnet and has millions of adoring fans. In the meantime, the natural homemade beauty care store Laniah and her mother opened three years ago is closing, so Issac announces on his platform that he and Laniah are dating, confident that it’ll help save their business and attract investors. Will these best friends be able to resist the growing spark between them and can Laniah handle the (often hostile) fandom and media attention?

Although I’m not a fan of the trope where one of the couple resists crossing the friends boundary for fear of being hurt in the future or, worse, makes a decision to end a relationship prematurely to protect their friend rather than letting them have agency, Neilson handles it well. Both Issac and Laniah have struggled with the grief over their parents’ deaths, and Laniah has health concerns that her doctor attributes to anxiety, making her feel like a hypochondriac (which Neilson expands on in her author’s note), but their love for and commitment to each other is solid if she can just get out of her own way. Fans of Kennedy Ryan and Tia Williams will love this! Highly recommended.

I received a complimentary ARC of this book from Berkley through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed are completely my own.

I’m not a huge fan of friends to lovers but this story gradually intensifies their dynamic chemistry with a delicious slow burn I couldn’t resist.

🌿 Longtime best friends fake date and end up reevaluating their friendship. 🌿

I loved the tight bond between Laniah and Issac. Growing up together and being by each other’s sides through many trials and tribulations made me love them more.

The reason for their fake dating wasnt far fetched. Using Issac’s celebrity status to help Laniahs faltering business made sense and having a stable girlfriend in return would help Issac’s image.

I couldn’t wait for them to explore the different feelings they were having for one another and was happy with the level of spice.

There was an added layer to this story that was unexpected. Laniahs fight over her health complications was a welcomed look into what it’s like for women in the healthcare system especially women of color.

Go meet Issac, your new book boyfriend! 🩵

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

💝 Friends to Lovers
🌹 Fake Dating
📸 Celebrity
🩻 Health Advocacy
🥵 Hot Chemistry
📝 Lyrical Writing Style

Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️/5

👉🏼 #bookstackcityreviews

🎁 A big thank you to @berkleypub @berkleyromance for this #gifted copy of #ALoveLikeTheSun !!

❓ Who would you choose for a partner in a love story: the hero, your childhood bestfriend or the enigmatic stranger?

A Love Like the Sun is the debut adult novel by Riss M. Neilson, and I will be back for more.

Laniah and Isaac have been best friends since childhood and have loved each other from afar, even if they failed to recognize or put a name to their feelings throughout the years. Each has things in their childhoods to get past that made them run from love or a deeper connection. The story goes from the past to the present and back again, and there is a lot of reminiscing in the present. Memories often get the characters through difficult times and situations. Isaac is always there for Ni, and they are good together, whether best friends, lovers or more. There is a richness to the story, and I loved the chapter titles. The title played a surprising role throughout, and a light was shone on it at the end.

I love the depth of the characters, their friendships, and familial love and relationships. However, the story sometimes moved slowly and was often repetitive, especially when Ni held back from expressing herself or kept secrets. There is a happily ever after and closure with the epilogue, but the ending seemed rushed, so I couldn’t savor what transpired. The discussion questions were thoughtful and a nice addition.

A Love Like the Sun is set in Providence and Los Angeles, and it was easy to visualize the settings. The twists and turns had me rooting for the main characters and for their relationship as best friends to become more as we got caught up in their lives.

The review is posted on NovelsAlive.

4.5 - Wow wow wow. This will definitely be one of my favorite romance books of the year, and I am SO GLAD I finally read one of Riss's books, because I am such a fan!! The way that this book made me feel, cry, the TENSION between Issac and Ni was just *chef's kiss*.

A Love Like the Sun follows Laniah, a small business owner, and her best friend, Issac Jordan. Laniah and Issac couldn't be more different on paper, Laniah still lives in her hometown with her mom and her closest friends, and Issac is a world famous artist. When Laniah's business is on the brink of shutting down, Issac steps in to try and save it, pitching the idea that he and Laniah can start dating to draw attention to her business. And instantly, Issac and Ni are brought into unfamiliar territory: the possibility of being intimate, spending more time together than in recent years, and what that could mean for their relationship.

This book had EVERYTHING that I love in a romance. First of all, best friends to lovers AND fake dating?? That is all I could ever want. The best friends to lovers hit different in this romance. I could literally feel the tension seeping off the pages, being able to see as the reader how obviously both Issac and Ni wanted each other, but also how much they were both pining for each other. Issac was such a dream man, I loved how he constantly showed up for Ni whenever she needed him, even if she didn't want to let him see the scary and bad parts of her life. I love a man who is down bad, and Issac surely was!! Most of all, I loved the undercurrents of such important themes: this book addressed chronic illness, grief and loss of loved ones, and so many other often neglected topics. It made me so happy to see a character as badass as Ni, who suffered from chronic illnesses and chronic pain and symptoms, who was neglected by her doctors, but refused to stop listening to her body! While this wasn't the main topic of the book, it was fleshed out so beautifully and realistically, in a painful but hopeful way. The conclusion of this book was so perfect and I honestly cried for the last 50 pages, praying that Issac and Ni would figure their shit out and get together.

Congrats Riss on a stunning adult romance debut!! I cannot wait to read more of your work! Thank you to Berkley Romance and NetGalley for providing me with this advanced reader's copy in exchange for my honest review!!

This book gave me all the happy-lovey feelings I wanted. The romance that blooms between these two is so heartwarming. I love watching them fall in love and it was clear that these two were made for each other.

This was a slow burn, but when it came time to get down to business Issac took care of Laniah! Think I’ll be claiming him as my summer book BF!

The writing and short chapters made this so easy to read and get lost in. It’s full of love, tension (the good kind), and tenderness! This is a feel-good, happy-tears kind of read and I will recommend this to everyone looking for the perfect summer romance.

Readers should be advised to check content warnings for possible triggers. The characters deal with grief (off-page) and chronic illness.

Special thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Romance for the advanced copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

First let me thank Netgalley and Berkley for the ARC of A Love Like the Sun by Riss M. Neilson.

This story had two of my favorite tropes, fake dating and friends to lovers so I had high hopes for it. However it just didn't grab me. I had a problem with some of the dialogue and while I could see the direction and intent Neilson was going for, it just didn't resonate with me. Considering it was friends to lovers, it gave me more of an insta love vibe since Ni's feelings just appeared after her dream of Isaac even though she had never thought of him that way before. By 40% I wasn't excited to pick it up anymore.

I will say that I liked the chronic illness rep and bringing the misdiagnosis issue to light for people who may not be aware. Not sure if it was me of the book but I'm giving this 2.5 stars. I really wanted to like this more but I had more things I disliked about the book than I liked.

A Love Like the Sun by Riss M Neilson
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Laniah is having a rough go of things right now, and the shop she runs with her mother is in serious trouble. When her best friend Isaac comes into town and asks to help she refuses to take his money. Which leaves him with no choice but to help in a much more public way.
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What I liked:
-This was a beautiful Friends-to-Lovers story. Laniah and Isaac have this amazing friendship and they know each other so well. Fake dating is such a fun trope, and I loved every minute of it for Laniah and Isaac. Their banter was so much fun to read and always put a smile on my face.
-Lots of big emotions! Niether one of our main characters have had an easy childhood, so there were some complex back stories to unpack that really made me FEEL both characters feelings and challenges they were working within. I cried quite a bit during the last third of the book.
-Laniah has a lot of great healthcare conversations in the story due to some symptoms she is worried about.
-I loved Isaac’s video at the end. 🥹😭🥰
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4⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ A Love Like the Sun is not just a gorgeous cover (although that cover IS gorgeous 😍), it’s a sweet and powerful book about friendship, going for your dreams, and finding your own love story.

3.5/5 stars This book is so heartwarming and i really connected with the 2 main characters - even if the trope used was quite typical. I do think, however this book could use some more editing.

A romance about childhood friends, one who is now famous and the other who is struggling to keep her family's business afloat, who decide to explore if they can be more than friends. Isaac is Black and Laniah is biracial. There really aren't any surprises and despite some childhood loss and trauma, the book is pretty light. A good, easy romantic escape read.

𝐴 𝐿𝑜𝑣𝑒 𝐿𝑖𝑘𝑒 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑆𝑢𝑛 was real, raw, and gave the vibes exactly like the title says. This romance novel gave me vibes like lying on a blanket in a lush green grassy field with my eyes closed soaking up the beautiful sun rays. It was warm, radiant, and a feel good love story.

I loved Laniah and Issac’s road to romance. Longtime best friends reunited after months of being apart. Isaac uses his success to help Laniah and her mom’s business get back on its feet by using his success and pretending to fake date Laniah. The power of social media and how fast news travels, Lol. But… are the feelings really fake?

I loved how cautious both Laniah and Isaac were with one another and their feelings because they didn’t want to harm their longtime friendship. They took it slow and made sure the time was right before coming clean with each other. I say that, but I was in the background saying “just tell him” or “just tell her!” I loved the pacing they took with each other, especially Isaac!😏