I first came across Mia Sheridan's work when I was still in school. I really enjoyed her book Archer's Voice. So, when I saw this book on NetGalley, I decided to apply for it without hesitation.

Tropes:
• Enemies to Lovers
• Childhood Best Friends
• Slow Burn Romance
• Second Chances
• Popstar + Bodyguard
• New Adult Dystopian fiction

This book tells the story of childhood friends who were separated by circumstances and reunited years later to help each other. Emily is a famous singer in need of protection, while Tak is a former convict in need of a job. As the world begins to crumble, they must work together to survive.

I appreciated the theme of second chances, and it's not about love but about a new life for a former convict. The doubts about this were well conveyed in the book. However, I felt that in this story, second chances should be earned by all characters, not just the MMC. The FMC's behavior really annoyed me, and I couldn't quite grow fond of her. The plot had a bit too much going on, but I think it could work well as a book adaptation.

Fans of The Last of Us might enjoy this book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Canary Street Press for providing this book in exchange for an honest review.

I was so excited for this ARC because I’ve read a couple of Mia Sheridan books but I just did not really enjoy this one. It starts off slow which I didn’t mind because it does end up picking up. I didn’t feel the romance between the FMC and the MMC. I honestly felt like the book was a bit too long. The story as a whole is great but I just don’t think it was executed well.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read this arc.

I am a Mia Sheridan girly. She is a must read for me.

This book, was just not it for me. It felt very different from her other books, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing in general but I was looking forward to a bit of a romance and there wasn’t much of it. I found the post apocalyptic aspect to be intriguing but got bored of it quickly. The FMC was also awful. I did not enjoy her character and anytime she was on the page- cringe.

3.5 for me but rounding up to 4 for the review.

Heart of the Sun had such an interesting premise as dystopian contemporary romance is not a prominent genre/trope. This book follows childhood friends who meet again as grown ups except their lives split off in completely different directions - one went to prison and is looking for a job to stay out and another is a mega famous pop star. Combine this with an apocalypse and watch the two slowly fall into love with one another.

I really wish I liked this but unfortunately this book was not for me. Although this was marketed as a romance… it felt more like a dystopian novel with a sub plot of romance. The characters especially the main girl and her boyfriend were so insufferable and made it hard to like “Nova” Emily to really want to see her fall in love with Tuck. Especially as she’s does so with her boyfriend still kinda in the picture…

Though we get to see past/present timelines of the two characters, I don’t feel as though they were rounded out enough. Tuck was a likable male character but Emily and her popstar ways was so shallow to me that it was a hard read experiencing them go through the middle of the book where they navigate trying to go back home.

I was incredibly surprised and excited when I was approved to receive an eARC of Mia Sheridan's Heart of the Sun novel.

This story had me so invested that I could not put it down. I took my Kindle everywhere for the couple of days it took to finish it. I read late into the night and early morning. It's that good!

Heart of the Sun is a post-apocalyptic -romance story of childhood best friends, Tuck and Emily, who were separated eleven years ago. Now, as adults, she's a rising pop star, and he's an ex felon who she has hired as her bodyguard.

Mia's breathtakingly beautiful words set the scene and take you on this thrilling and exciting albeit scary ride. When their plane crash lands and they're thrown into this new dystopian world, they must traverse the land not only physically to get back home, but their emotions and old feelings that come creeping back as well.

This love story is both heartbreaking and beautiful and unlike any romance novel I've ever read before.

I highly recommend this book.

A huge thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing.

I was so excited to see another Mia Sheridan book, and knew that I wanted to read it, after loving some of her other books such as Archer's Voice. However, I was not expecting for her to go into a different direction with her love story.

She delivers yet another compelling story with Heart of the Sun, blending a unique survival-driven dystopian world with a slow-burning, deeply emotional second-chance romance. The world-building is immersive, pulling readers into a harsh yet fascinating setting where resilience and hope intertwine. I liked it more than I thought I would once I got my head around the concept.

The romance unfolds at a gradual, almost poetic pace, allowing the connection between the characters to feel authentic and deeply rooted in trust and survival. The emotional depth is signature Sheridan—raw and heartfelt. While the pacing in certain areas felt a bit drawn out, the end result was worth it, making the love story all the more powerful.

Overall, this book is a captivating mix of survival, suspense, and passion. If you're a fan of slow-burn romance set against a dystopian backdrop, Heart of the Sun is definitely worth the read! I read and listened at the same time and appreciated the narrators and dual narration.

I was fortunate enough to receive an early copy from Harlequin Audio, Harlequin Trade Publishing, Canary Street Press, and NetGalley.

This is an epic love story mixed in with a thriller! Tuck and Emily grew up on neighboring orange groves. Life happened and they went their separate ways, but never forgot each other. When Tuck is released from prison and is struggling to find his way, he contacts Emily’s parents hoping to secure a job. That’s exactly what he gets, but not working the orange grove. Emily is a rising pop star who is coming to need security services. She reluctantly agrees to Tuck joining her team. What follows is utter chaos. I’m not usually into end of the world type scenarios, but this one took on a life of its own. When traveling for preparations for Emily’s upcoming tour, the jet that Emily, her boyfriend, and Tuck are on crashes. If that’s not harrowing enough, they come to realize the crash was caused by a large event that pulverized the grid. The three of them are left with finding a way to survive. The love that grows between Tuck and Emily as they navigate what has become reality is truly heartwarming. Their story is tragic, but gives one hope that even in the worst of times, love will see us through.

I unfortunately hated Emily. I kept waiting to change my mind but I couldn’t. The beginning focused on the back story and I felt like it was dragging on. I had to force myself to read it. I was so excited to read a Mia Sheridan arc, but I was so disappointed.. The premise was right up my alley. Post apocalyptic, childhood friends, enemies to lovers. I should have eaten this up. I didn’t feel like there was a real focus on the romance aspect, that may have been me because I had already written Emily off.
The whole thing felt.. wattpad-y.


a r c r e v i e w

When I saw Mia had a new book coming out, I was SO excited. I am a Mia stan and will read everything she writes. I had such high hopes going into this one and was quickly drawn in to the story. Where the story lost me is definitely my own fault. I went into this book blind (all I needed to know was that it was written by MIa), so things started to go downhill for me when we got to the post-apocalyptic stuff.

I was loving the small town, troubled guy with a past and the small town turned big star girl and couldn't put it down. Then it took a turn and it lost me. When I realized what was going on, I went back and read the synopsis and was like "oh, that makes sense." It was also here that I started to dislike Emily. I think I had built this picture of a free spirited girl who is an amazing, soulful singer in the background chapters, so it was hard to reconcile that with the high maintenance pop star she became. Don't get me wrong, I understand they all suffered trauma surrounding the plane crash and witnessing the remains of the area in which they crashed, but her and Charlie were a bit insufferable and it made it hard to get through this section and continue to read the story. By the time things began to change between Tuck and Emily, I just didn't feel at all invested in their story.

When the audio became available for this, I switched back and forth between physically reading it and listening. I loved the duet narration for the audio! Overall, I didn't connect with this story as much as I have with Mia's other books. I'm not sure if she was trying to go a different route with this one, but it just didn't feel that it had her signature stamp to it.

First, let me say I loved this book and haven’t been able to get it out of my head since the minute I finished. The characters and their situation felt so real, I’m struggling to process that it was just a book. Also, I am now hoarding water bottles.

Other than that, I don’t know how to review it without seriously spoiling it, so I’ll keep it short and highlight the most important things to know when deciding whether to read or buy this one:
- Heart of the Sun is an apocalyptic work of speculative fiction that was 5% what I expected and 95% “WTF”. While it features a love story and some romance elements, labeling it a romance is misleading.
- Read the TWs — there’s a lot of violence in this book.
- The middle dragged a little and could have been tightened without losing impact.

That said, I really enjoyed it and do recommend it to those who enjoy apocalyptic stories.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

As a fan of second-chance romance, I was excited for this book—it promised childhood best friends torn apart by life, only to be thrown back together in an intense, high-stakes setting. And while there were some aspects I really enjoyed, I ultimately found myself wanting more from both the romance and the plot.

The setup was compelling: Emily, now a famous pop star, needs protection, and Tuck, a former convict trying to rebuild his life, becomes her unlikely bodyguard. Their history is palpable from the start, and I enjoyed their fiery banter and the push-pull dynamic between them. The tension of their unresolved past, mixed with their undeniable chemistry, made for some great moments of slow-burn romance. However, while their rekindled connection had potential, I felt like their emotional development was somewhat lacking. There were glimpses of deep feelings, but the story often glossed over key moments that could have made their journey back to each other feel richer and more impactful.

The twist with the solar flare taking down the electrical grid added an interesting survivalist element to the story, shifting it from a standard second-chance romance into something much bigger. However, this aspect felt somewhat underdeveloped. The book introduces a post-apocalyptic scenario but doesn’t fully dive into the chaos or stakes of such a drastic shift. Emily’s struggle with losing her fame and privilege had potential, and Tuck’s ability to navigate the new world could have been a great way to showcase his growth, but I felt like these elements were touched upon rather than explored in depth.

I also wished for a stronger resolution between Emily and Tuck. While I enjoyed the second-chance romance aspect, their transition from past hurt to present love felt rushed in some places. There was plenty of tension, but I wanted more meaningful conversations and deeper emotional moments to make their reunion feel truly earned.

Overall, this was an interesting mix of second-chance romance, childhood friends-to-lovers, and survival drama. While the premise was engaging and the chemistry was there, I found myself wishing for more depth in both the romance and the world-building. Fans of slow-burn romance and forced proximity tropes may still enjoy this one, but it didn’t quite hit the emotional highs I was hoping for.

I am a sucker for a survival/dystopian/post apocalyptic story and when you add romance into it? I'm sold. I was intrigued with this story right from the get go and I could not put it down. Tuck was amazing right from the start and I really loved him throughout the book. Emily grew on me over time and I think her character progression was done very well. I personally think that the ending was rather quickly done but I was happy with it in any regard. I really wish there were more dystopian love stories on the market but this one was just what I have been searching for!

Thank you NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing | Canary Street Press for access to the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I unfortunately dnf’d this read…I felt zero connection to the characters and story. This is such a different genre than her other books so I think I expected more of a love story rather than survival. Maybe I will try it again another time!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.

Heart of the basin by Mia Sheridan features Tuck and Emily, who are neighbors growing up in sunny California. Life rips them apart and they meet up again over a decade later. Tuck is security for Emily, who now goes by Nova when she performs as a singer.
A solar flare occurs one day while Emily and Tuck are mid-flight to New York City, rendering all electrical systems disarmed.
Surviving the plane crash was the least of the challenges they would face as they make their way by foot from Illinois back to Emily’s parent’s house in California.

We first get to know Tuck and Emily as childhood friends. Then years later after not seeing each other, Emily is a famous pop star and Tuck is hired as her bodyguard. They bicker and argue as time has changed both of them from who they used to be when they were younger. When a solar flare destroys the electrical grid, they lean on each other trying to survive in this new world.

What an incredible journey into the unknown. This book was so different from anything I've ever read before. I never knew what was going to happen next. It made me feel nervous at times yet it was also thrilling. I just kept thinking, what if this ever happened in real life? There was an intensity to it just wondering which direction the author was going to take things.

The progression of Emily and Tuck's love story was a slow burn. There was so much to navigate with their lives being completely different from what they could have ever imagined. But even still, that connection that formed when they were kids was always simmering. It grew into a passionate love and deep devotion to each other that I felt in my core. It was so beautiful how Emily's singing captured Tuck's heart.

Tuck would do absolutely anything to protect Emily. He was an honorable and strong man. I loved how Emily was fearless and determined to fight through anything that came their way. Deep down they knew each other in a way that no one else did.

I have read many Mia Sheridan books and unfortunately this did not hold my attention. While I loved Emily and Tuck finding each other again, the story line was extremely predictable.

Loved these characters and this plot! Definitely an enjoyable read!

Thank you NetGalley and Mia Sheridan!

Thank you so much to NetGalley, Mia Sheridan, Harlequin Trade Publishing and Canary Street Press for this eARC!

I'll be honest - I was not expecting this book to be about a 3 week cross-country adventure through alarming dystopian landscapes and events. Overall, I enjoyed the story. I never knew quite what sticky situation was going to present itself next. Definitely a SLOW burn romance story - Tuck and Em are so cute! You-know-who was completely insufferable and I enjoyed the story much more after he was no longer around.

A couple favorite quotes
-"I wanted to keep those feelings in place because underneath them was the deepest attraction I'd ever felt for any woman and the knowledge that I'd loved her my whole life, and no matter what she did or who she was with, I always would."
-"But then, you see the boy you used to dream about, and even though you're years older and everything about you has changed, and even though you're in a town full of the most beautiful people on the planet earth, he still makes you feel the same way you did back then - even more - and part of you hates it so much, and part of you doesn’t at all."

3.5 stars!

This book was very different than your typical romance novel. I was excited to read it based on the synopsis: two childhood best friends are reconnected as adults, bodyguard (MMC) x popstar (FMC) trope, and then add in an apocalypse type event (solar flare) that adds in a dystopian element to your typical romance book. When the electrical grid in the US is destroyed and everything goes dark, our MCs are on a plane and end up crashing. When they stumble out of the woods, they are outside of Springfield, IL and spend the rest of the book trying to make it back home to LA.

Unfortunately, I did not enjoy it. The MMC was really the only character I enjoyed. The popstar FMC was pretty insufferable and I really dislike when the FMC is narrow minded and rude. By the end, there was some character development but not enough to make up for all the mistakes and actions she made in most of the novel.
The romance was sub-par at best, I felt absolutely no connection between the main characters. This was marketed as a second chance but they were only childhood friends/neighbors and by the time they were teenagers, they hated each other. I would’ve loved to see more flashbacks from their childhood relationships but unfortunately, we only received a handful of flashbacks in the beginning, not enough for me to form any real connection with the characters. To me, the flashbacks we received did not enhance their relationship in any way. This was also marketed as a slow burn (which i typically love), but this was just slow, there was no burn.

Since we barely received any romance or flashbacks, the author did spend a majority of the story focusing on the dystopian aspect. Again, I was excited for this, I love a good dystopian concept. However, this plot was also disjointed and boring. The survival aspect was boring and felt wannabe Walking Dead/Last of Us (sans zombies). As someone who loves The Walking Dead, I could only keep seeing plot holes with the author’s concept of the “end of the world”. For as much time as the main characters were forced to spend together, you would then think the romance would make sense, but it just felt forced.

I have read Archer’s Voice by this author and it is one of my favorite novels....this feels like it was wrote by a completely different author. Which after reading the acknowledgments, I saw that this was not even her idea and was provided the outline/concept of the story from Temple Hill. Overall, I was disappointed with this "love story".

Thank you to NetGalley, The Hive, and the author for the eARC!

I read this ARC through NetGalley. This is a wonderful story about childhood friends who reconnect later in life where Tuck has a chance for redemption from the mistakes he’s made in his life. Mia Sheridan does a great job describing the different types of people there are in the world and how they’d respond to a catastrophic event. I highly recommend!