Member Reviews

Friends to lovers
Dual POV
Flashbacks
Bodyguard ๐Ÿ‘€

Wow. I was not expecting this. A post apocalyptic romance?
I actually liked the dystopian element which surprised me. I enjoyed their journey through it all.

I have loved Miaโ€™s books! This one may not be for everyone but itโ€™s good. There is love a story, character development, plot, and it starts off strong.

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I did not find myself getting through this book easily, but that is entirely my fault. The writing and storytelling is beautiful, however, the subject matter is where it fell flat for me at no fault of the author.

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Something very different to one of the kindest and dearest authors - Mia Sheridan. Such a different vibe to my faves like Unwanted or Archer's Voice - not that it's wrong, but it does differ. Heart of the Sun is dystopian, and I did not expect that. It was a story filled with aspects so out of place of my usual reading preference, yet I think it was a nice refresher. Not my favourite Mia book yet, nothing can top my love of Archer. However I did enjoy it and would recommend it to those "The Last of Us" lovers out there!

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๐—›๐—ฒ๐—ฎ๐—ฟ๐˜ ๐—ข๐—ณ ๐—ง๐—ต๐—ฒ ๐—ฆ๐˜‚๐—ป follows pop star, Emily Swanson and the ex-con turned bodyguard, Tuck Mattice who happens to be her childhood bestfriend.

When life turns to fantasy and a solar flare makes electricity an impossible commodity, Tuck, Emily and her boyfriend decide to make the trek to California.... on foot.

~

Very apocalypse-y vibes.
Really liked the distopian feel. Felt like they were the only people alive (wasn't the case) and the rest of the world had gone up in flames.

But I thought the whole boyfriend tagging along and their relationship developing in the inbetween moments was icky.

And unfortunately Emily wasn't the most likeable. She definitely has some of her own maturing to do? achieve? Idk.

~

3.86 / 5 โ˜…

Thanks to Harlequin Trade Publishing and Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

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To be honest, I chose this book because of itโ€™s cover and sprayed edges. The mockups of the book are gorgeous, and I canโ€™t wait to get a physical copy. I really didnโ€™t know anything about the story, but that is common for me. I love choosing books by their covers. This was one a success and I canโ€™t stop thinking about it.
I pretty much went into this book blind, and it was a little confusing at first. I wasnโ€™t exactly sure where it was going. However, once it got to the main event I couldnโ€™t put the book down. If you like The Walking Dead, but arenโ€™t a huge fan of zombies, this book is for you.
I think Mia did a great job showing all of the facets of humankind during a crisis. I loved how we got to see peopleโ€™strue colors and realize that our world has a lot of grey in it. It isnโ€™t all as black and white as some people like to think. I also appreciated that she showed some people originally viewed as โ€œbadโ€ could be some kind of hero.
I will say it is touted as a romance, but I feel like that is a very small part of this book. It is more of a dystopian novel that slightly touches on romance in the last quarter of the book. Once it gets to the romance part there is a decent amount of it, but I didnโ€™t feel like there was a huge build up to it. However, I did enjoy Tuck and Emilyโ€™s story. It was sweet and a little bit tumultuous. There was some angst and longing, but I would have preferred more of a burn in the first three quarters of the book.
I love a book that makes me think and ponder what I would do in a situation like the one the characters were placed in. My husband can be a little bit of a conspiracy theorist and talks about things like solar flares and what would happen. I have never given much thought to such a thing happeningโ€ฆuntil now. Would I be able to survive? What skills do I have to offer? Would I do what needs to be done in case of an emergency? Would I drop everything to get to my loved ones? Should I start a garden? Should I get some chickens? These are some of the questions that I have been thinking about since I finished the book. I think this book is going to stay with me for quite some time.ย 
I do wish we knew what happened to some of the more influential side characters and the rest of the world. I feel like I was left with loose ends when I finished the book, which drives me crazy. I really would have liked some closure and knowing their destinies. However, the ending does make sense not knowing what happened to all the characters.
I listened to the ALC and the narrators did a great job. Annalee Scott reads with so much emotion. She really brought Emily to life for me.
If you like dystopian novels that will make you think this book is for you. If you are wanting a book with a slow burn and lots of romance you might want to skip this one.
Tropes:
๐Ÿงก Dystopian novel
๐Ÿฉท Second chance romance
๐Ÿงก Popstar
๐Ÿฉท Childhood friends

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Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing | Canary Street Press for the ARC!

Heart of the Sun had a very interesting and original storyline, which kept me engaged throughout. While I appreciated the uniqueness of the plot, Iโ€™m not sure I fully believed it, which made it a bit harder to connect with. As a longtime Mia Sheridan fan, Archerโ€™s Voice remains my favorite, and I find myself comparing all her books to itโ€”unfortunately, none have quite measured up for me.

That said, this book offers an intriguing mix of post-apocalyptic survival and second-chance romance, which will appeal to readers who enjoy those tropes. While it wasnโ€™t my favorite from Sheridan, it still carried her signature emotional depth and compelling character dynamics.

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Emily *AKA Nova* and Tuck started as childhood friends but in the story it is now 13 years later. Tuck freshly released from prison, has gone back home to ask Emily's parents for a job on their family farm. Unfortunately they aren't able to give him a job but they recommend he work as a body guard for Emily as she is on tour as Nova the popstar. Charlie, Emily's current boyfriend, Emily, and Tuck leave on a flight to her next stop. While in the air, their plane goes down for an unknown reason. When they crash land, they come to realize that solar flares took out all electrical grids. In the process of trying to get back home to make sure her family is ok, the three of them learn a lot about each other and how to survive in this new world. Having to go through a multitude of trials and hardships, Emily comes to find out who she is and who she wants to be. Could have happily read another couple hundred pages more of this book. I truly wasn't sure what was going to happen at the end but I think Mia wrapped up the book perfectly!

This is only my second Mia Sheridan book and am looking forward to reading more of them. Mia has a way of painting the scenes with words making you feel like you're there with the characters. Heart of the Sun was an amazing read and honestly I don't know what I would have done if I were in their shoes.

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Thanks to the publisher for the advanced digital copy! While this book wasnโ€™t for me, Iโ€™d still recommend it to those who love dystopian. I couldnโ€™t connect with these characters at all and I really, really tried! Both world building and romance just felt flat to me. I love Mia Sheridanโ€™s books but this one almost didnโ€™t feel like it was written by her if you know what I mean.

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Full disclosure- I generally avoid dystopian or apocalyptic themes when choosing books. But I made an exception for Heart of the Sun, simply put, because it's a Mia Sheridan book and I was hopeful that my love for her books would override my dislike of the theme. I'm happy to say, this book was absolutely worth it!

Emily and Tuck are childhood friends, who are just starting to explore their feelings for each other when life pulls them apart. They reunite years later, when Emily, now an emerging pop star, hires Tuck as her security guard. But shortly after, a solar flare hits the U.S., and they find themselves fighting for survival in its wake. As they face the the severe challenges of their situation, Emily and Tuck find themselves falling into the comfortable rhythms that made them such good friends years earlier.

These characters have so much going against them- both as a result of the situation they're in, and the deep hurt and emotional devastation that led to their separation as adolescents. Their journey is at times scary, physically and mentally exhausting, and yet they find pockets of joy and hope along the way as well Their chemistry is intense, but this is a slow burn romance, as they navigate their feelings as adults.

Mia Sheridan is one of my favorite authors, and this book was absolutely worth stepping out of my comfort zone!

Thank you to the author and NetGalley for the opportunity to review this ARC!

- Slow Burn
-Dystopian/End of World themes
-Childhood sweethearts
-Pop star FMC
-Intense, broody MMC

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I loved this book. The characters were well written and their storylines were thought out both individually but then as they came together too. I found myself wondering if this were to happen in real life, would I be as brave as these characters? This is a must read!

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This is the first book I have read of Ms. Sheridanโ€™s that I havenโ€™t absolutely loved and devoured. Iโ€™ve thought long and hard over what the reasons for that could be. All the mechanics are still there - an interesting set-up for our main characters, and the promise of a riveting and somewhat unique plot. So what exactly didnโ€™t work? Well, nothing specific really, itโ€™s just that the richly deep and emotional aspects I have come to love in Ms. Sheridanโ€™s writing arenโ€™t present in this storyโ€ฆ And thatโ€™s the very thing that I love about the author!

The story begins by showing us a bit of the childhood of both Emily and Tuck - two best friends growing up in the idyllic world of Southern Californiaโ€™s orange orchards. Then, it fast forwards to present day. Tuck is now recently out of prison and Emily has become a famous singer. This part is done beautifully. The writing expertly shows both the good and the bad in both worlds. Tuck is now hardened and canโ€™t catch a break, Emily is surrounded by sycophants and has become as self-centered yet insecure as celebrity can cause. Emilyโ€™s mother sees Tuckโ€™s struggles to overcome his past and strong arms Emily into hiring him as a bodyguard. The friction between the two is palpable in a sad way, as both see the other through the eyes of judgement and blame.
And, to add insult to injury, Tuck has to deal with Emilyโ€™s movie-star boyfriend!

The true conflict in the story hits, when a catastrophic event happens (trying not to spoil here), the plane they are on goes down and they all discover life as they know it is no more. From there we follow the characters as they must travel from Indiana back to California through various apocalyptic experiences. Itโ€™s interestingโ€ฆ just not riveting. I never really connected with the feelings and emotions beneath the surface. We are told they exist but never really experience it with them. That goes for almost every aspect of the story from then on, as well. It all rides the surface but never really gets under the skin enough that we are truly invested in the outcome and in their relationship.

So, while it is an interesting read, it really doesnโ€™t rise above the average. And that lack is made more obvious because of the talent this author is truly capable of.

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Imagine the ๐‘ค๐‘œ๐‘Ÿ๐‘™๐‘‘ is ending (yikes) because of a solar flare that basically fries all tech in southern CA. Now picture two peopleโ€”stuck together in the chaos trying to surviveโ€ฆ and maybe ๐‘“๐‘Ž๐‘™๐‘™๐‘–๐‘›๐‘” in love? I ๐’๐’๐’—๐’†๐’… the idea. It gave ๐‘ฉ๐’๐’…๐’š๐’ˆ๐’–๐’‚๐’“๐’… meets ๐‘ซ๐’‚๐’š ๐‘จ๐’‡๐’•๐’†๐’“ ๐‘ป๐’๐’Ž๐’๐’“๐’“๐’๐’˜ vibes. โ˜€๏ธ๐ŸŒ…

But hereโ€™s the thing: ๐ข๐ญ ๐Ÿ๐ž๐ฅ๐ญโ€ฆ ๐จ๐Ÿ๐Ÿ. Like when your fave artist drops a song and you ๐’˜๐’‚๐’๐’• to love it, but it just doesnโ€™t hit like their old stuff. Thatโ€™s how this book felt to me. The writing didnโ€™t have Mia Sheridanโ€™s usual ๐‘š๐‘Ž๐‘”๐‘–๐‘ and emotional pull. The pacing was kind of uneven, the plot felt like it needed more polish, and honestlyโ€ฆ the FMC didnโ€™t vibe with me at all. She was cold in ways that didnโ€™t feel layeredโ€”just distant. ๐Ÿ˜ฉ๐Ÿ˜ฉ

I ๐‘ก๐‘œ๐‘ก๐‘Ž๐‘™๐‘™๐‘ฆ ๐‘Ÿ๐‘’๐‘ ๐‘๐‘’๐‘๐‘ก Mia for trying something newโ€”genre blending is so boldโ€”but this one read more like a rough draft than the final product.

๐“๐ซ๐จ๐ฉ๐ž ๐“๐ข๐ฆ๐ž!
โ€ข โ˜€๏ธ Friends to strangers forced together
โ€ข โณ Slow burn (like, really slow)
โ€ข ๐ŸŒ End-of-the-world vibes

๐–๐ก๐š๐ญ ๐ˆ ๐‹๐ข๐ค๐ž๐:
โ€ข โœจ The concept was super original
โ€ข ๐Ÿ’ž A few sweet moments + tender connections
โ€ข โค๏ธโ€๐Ÿ”ฅ The idea of love as a lifeline during chaos

๐–๐ก๐š๐ญ ๐ˆ ๐–๐ข๐ฌ๐ก ๐‡๐š๐ ๐๐ž๐ž๐ง ๐ƒ๐ข๐Ÿ๐Ÿ๐ž๐ซ๐ž๐ง๐ญ:
โ€ข โœ‚๏ธ Needed ๐‘ก๐‘–๐‘”โ„Ž๐‘ก๐‘’๐‘Ÿ ๐‘’๐‘‘๐‘–๐‘ก๐‘–๐‘›๐‘”
โ€ข โ„๏ธ More depth in characters, especially the FMC
โ€ข โŒ› Not enough chemistry to carry 500 pages

Still, if you love experimental stories and post-apocalyptic romance with stakes, this might totally be your jam. Mad respect to her trying something new! Other readers might love it more, it just wasnโ€™t the Mia Sheridan story ๐ผ fell in love with. ๐Ÿ’–

Crossing my fingers for a comeback with her next one!๐Ÿซถ๐Ÿผ๐Ÿซถ๐Ÿผ

๐“๐ก๐š๐ง๐ค ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ ๐‚๐š๐ง๐š๐ซ๐ฒ ๐’๐ญ๐ซ๐ž๐ž๐ญ ๐๐ซ๐ž๐ฌ๐ฌ, ๐ญ๐ก๐ž ๐š๐ฎ๐ญ๐ก๐จ๐ซ, & ๐๐ž๐ญ๐†๐š๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ž๐ฒ ๐Ÿ๐จ๐ซ ๐ฆ๐ฒ ๐š๐๐ฏ๐š๐ง๐œ๐ž๐ ๐ซ๐ž๐š๐๐ž๐ซ ๐œ๐จ๐ฉ๐ฒ ๐ข๐ง ๐ž๐ฑ๐œ๐ก๐š๐ง๐ ๐ž ๐Ÿ๐จ๐ซ ๐š๐ง ๐ก๐จ๐ง๐ž๐ฌ๐ญ ๐ซ๐ž๐ฏ๐ข๐ž๐ฐ ๐Ÿ’–

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This book was a wild ride! I thought the dystopian theme was something that really differentiated this book from Mia Sheridan's other novels as well as your standard "contemporary" romances. I honestly think I would have enjoyed this book more if I wasn't constantly considered if I would survive each situation that they were put into! It definitely was a more stressful read than I was anticipating but it kept me reaching for my kindle to read more and to see what happens. I thought the childhood friends to lovers trope was also done very well but did feel slighlty rushed in the epilogue. Overall, it was a good read and I would recommend if you are into dystopian romances! Thank you to Harlequin Trade for this arc in exchange for my honest review.

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Thanks to Harlequin Trade publishing for access to this ARC! This is my second Mia Sheridan book (Uneanted was my first). I like the unique story lines that this author provides. Unfortunately this book fell a little flat for me. I didnโ€™t have a large interest in the characters or the story line. The apocalyptic pieces were kinda fun but not enough to keep me engaged. I will still continue to read Mia Sheridan though!

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Mia Sheridan's novels have been a little hit-or-miss for me, so I was a little nervous to start reading Heart of the Sun despite a premise that sounded fantastic. I should not have worried, as this novel has it all, childhood best friends, adult enemies who now work together, a natural disaster that creates a new world order, and romantic tension that is off the charts.

This novel had me questioning my own ability to survive if the grid went down. The idea of what would happen to societal norms if suddenly our way of living was disrupted with no solution and no authorities assisting was mindboggling. I must have asked myself a hundred times what I would do in a situation, and unfortunately, I am not sure I would survive! Tuck and Emily are a wonderful romantic duo, and I definitely was rooting for them to find their way and to realize their feelings for each other. The plot dragged a little in parts, but overall the tension was wonderfully suspenseful throughout.

I listened to the audio version of the book, narrated by Andrรฉ Santana and Annalee Scott. Audio was a great choice for the book, as the story is told in alternating POV between the two main characters, and their voices made it easy to keep track of who was telling their story.

Thank you to Netgalley, HTP books and Harlequin Audio for the digital and audio ARCs of Heart of the Sun by Mia Sheridan. The opinions in this review are my own.

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pretty good romance with some strong aspects but it felt a bit rote, and the side characters especially were a bit flat. 3.25 stars, rounded up. tysm for the arc.

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When I say you need to be prepared to read this book, I mean that you need to be prepared to read this book!! The story starts with a sweet prologue between childhood friends , Tuck and Emily. Things take a turn and we fast forward several years where the main story takes place. Emily is a famous pop star and Tuck, recently out of jail, is hired to be her bodyguard. Then, I kid you not, a NATURAL DISASTER (while they're on a plane, no less) takes place and Tuck and Emily have to survive in a world that is vastly different than the are used to.

The reason I say that you need to be prepared to read this book is because I could TOTALLY see this happening in real life. It was absolutely eerie and I think Mia Sheridan did a really great job depicting the different kinds of people and their actions in crises. I loved the book but honestly, it stressed me the hell out because it felt TOO real. That's the mark of a great author.

Thanks to Canary Street Press via Net Galley for an early copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

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Tuck & Emily grow up on neighboring farms. After Tuckโ€™s mom dies, he moves in with his uncle and they lose touch, Tuck gets in with a rough crowd and finds himself in prison. After getting out, he has trouble finding work and returns to the one place he called home. Emilyโ€™s parents suggest she employees him. She is a pop singer and looking for security. While theyโ€™re out of town, the electricity goes outโ€ฆ a solar flare, effecting the entire country. Tuck, Emily and Emilyโ€™s actor boyfriend Charlie, begin their journey home, experience how the world has changed in the absence of electricity. As resources dwindle, chaos ensues.

I went into this blind, thinking it was more of a second chance romance. The electric grid/solar flare caught me off guard and I justโ€ฆ didnโ€™t vibe with it. The entire thing felt unrealistic, uneventful and forced. The horse and buggy thing? Like come onโ€ฆ and who is walking across the country in only 2 weeks?! The characters were unlikeable, there was barely any romance for a romance novel, and the action was not there either. I felt like it left me with unanswered questions at the end and was just not my cup of tea. 1.5 stars rounded up, solely because I didnโ€™t completely dread picking it up like I do with my 1 star books.

Thanks for NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

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Iโ€™ve really enjoyed other Mia Sheridan books but maybe it was my mood when starting it or that I was in a reading slump but this one just didnโ€™t capture my attention as much as I would have like and as much as past books by the same author has.

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Thanks for the opportunity to review! Iโ€™m unable to review because my copy has an issue with formatting and itโ€™s difficult to read.

I expected this one would be a 3.5-4 star read, hence the rating.

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