3 stars

I've seen Mia Sheridan's books all over TikTok and thought I'd give one a try. I should have read the description better, because I was not expecting a dystopian romance.. That's on me. We seem to be living in a dystopian novel these days, so reading about a devastating event on Earth is not my personal idea of enjoyable. Again, I take full responsibility for not reading the description more clearly and only going by the pretty cover.

That being said, I found it hard to suspend my disbelief that Tuck, Charlie, and Emily were able to survive all they did. I also found that the author is a little too fond of descriptors. Sometimes less is more. Then by the last twist at the end, I thought "Really? Haven't they gone through enough?" lol

One thing that really took me aback was that in the acknowledgments, the author stated that she did not create this story - she was given an outline by her publisher and asked to flesh out the details. I found that unusual, but maybe I'm naive and many books are written this way?

All in all, it wasn't a bad book, just not my genre and not my style. I'm sure there are many people out there who will enjoy it.

Thank you to Harlequin and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this digital ARC in return for an honest review.

Thank you to Harlequin Trade Publishing and Harlequin Audio for the eARC and ALC of Heart of Sun.

While the book had an intriguing premise blending sci-fi, adventure, and romance, it ultimately didn’t meet my expectations. Sheridan’s world-building is strong, with a vast yet personal universe full of mystery, and the plot starts off promising, but it eventually feels drawn out and repetitive.

The story is marketed as a romance, but the relationship between Nova and Charlie didn’t feel like a love story for most of the book—they seemed to despise each other.

Additionally, Charlie’s character felt underdeveloped and unclear.

The audiobook narration for Tuck also didn’t fit the character well, which detracted from the experience.

Despite its potential, Heart of Sun fell flat for me, and while others might appreciate the mix of genres, it just didn’t resonate with me. I’m giving it 3 stars—there were elements I enjoyed, but it wasn’t quite what I was expecting.

This may be one of my favorite books I’ve EVER read!!! 😭🔥 Mia Sheridan is and will ALWAYS be the QUEEN of love stories 👑💖 — I’ve loved her thrillers too, but nothing compares to how she writes romance that absolutely wrecks you in the best way 🥹💕 #myromanempire 🙌🏼

This story had EVERYTHING: post-apocalyptic ish suspense 🌍⚡, survival and chaos 😱, and a beautiful second-chance romance between childhood friends who found their way back to each other under the craziest circumstances 🫶. Tuck and Emily’s journey across the country was filled with fear, violence, heartbreak, and SO MUCH HOPE for humanity💔❤️. They fought for each other, and I felt every emotion throughout this whole book 😭🔥. {One scene had me in TEARS!} The slow burn was REAL 💨 and the spice was minimal yet perfection and oh so romantic and sweet ☺️.

I am SO grateful to NetGalley for letting me read this early 🙏✨… and YES, I pre-ordered this book months ago and I cannot WAIT to hold this beauty in my hands in just 2 short months!!! 🤩📚 COUNTING DOWN!!! ⏳ {I may have to do a video review when it releases}

The cover of this book says "A Love Story," and honestly, I’m not sure I completely agree with that.

The Heart of the Sun by Mia Sheridan IS technically a childhood friends-to-lovers and second-chance romance. But at its core, the main plot is a dystopian almost horror/thriller/suspense-feeling book about survival...about what humanity becomes when pushed to the brink. I wasn’t expecting that. Emotionally, it threw me into a black hole I had a hard time crawling out of. I went in anticipating an emotional, second-chance small-town romance as a bit of a palate cleanser, and I got the complete opposite.

That said, I love love stories that are driven by a bigger plot, and this one had me hooked from the start. It's been a while since I read a romance that wasn't driven by the relationship between the two characters. Mia Sheridan did an incredible job setting the scene - not just with the relationships and emotions, but also with the sheer horror of what they were facing after a solar flare wiped out electricity, throwing the world into chaos.

The book did feel overly wordy at times, and I don’t think it needed to be quite so long. But overall, I was gripped. I needed to know where these characters would end up and how the world would heal after such a traumatic event. I just wish it had been marketed as more than just a romance so I could have emotionally prepared myself. Still, it was unforgettable—and it shook me. This is not for the weak of heart.

3.5 stars for My Queen and Paragon who is so gifted, I don't think it's possible for her to write a bad book. I reserve my 4 and 5 star ratings for those books that I will definitely read again, so to be consistent with myself, I can't rate this one above a 3-star. Although I enjoyed this read and finished it in two sittings, it ultimately fell short for me for one reason: I really disliked the FMC.

Heart of the Sun has all the ingredients of a 5-star Mia Sheridan romance, and I love dystopian fiction. I didn't know until the acknowledgments at the end that the plotline was actually developed by Temple Hill Publishing (https://www.templehillent.com), and that Mia was contracted to write it as a novel. This might explain why the FMC doesn't feel like a Mia creation. Tuck, the MMC, does, though, and that's why I was compelled to keep reading.

Tuck is honorable, strong, tender, and devoted, and I spent most of the book feeling frustrated because he deserves way more than Emily offers. As much as I tried to see Emily through Tuck's eyes, I found her to be an unsympathetic character, and even unlikeable for a good portion of the book. Tuck has loved Emily since childhood, and has put her on a pedestal based on his fond memories. In reality, she has grown up to be absurdly self-centered without any real strength of character or sense of self. She pales in comparison to Tuck in terms of her emotional intelligence.

While it is sweet that their mutual pining and unrequited love has stood the test of time, I wasn't particularly invested in the slow-burn romance, although it was well done. Mia is a master storyteller, and building exquisite and aching emotional tension is one of her true gifts as a writer. So I really hate to say that by the halfway point, I was kinda hoping Tuck would meet someone new along the journey and build a new life, while Emily went off to do the same elsewhere.

The novel is, of course, beautifully written, paced well, the characters are well drawn, there is a great climax, and the use of setting as Tuck and Emily traveled across the US helps tell the story effectively. Mia is just so, so good with angst, and I was in tears when the first act began and the twist about Tuck's adult life was revealed. I was not expecting it whatsoever, and I think it was brilliant.

I also love the art design, and the sprayed edges of the special edition are gorgeous. Although I doubt I will revisit this one, I want to buy a copy just because it's so pretty and would look amazing on my book shelf.

Thank you NetGalley and Harlequin/Canary Street Press for the opportunity to read and review this novel prior to publication. All opinions are my own, and I was not compensated in any way for my review.

thank you for the arc!

Gave it a 1.5 but rounded up.

Have read several of Mia’s books and loved them. This one fell short and it made sense why once I read the acknowledgments, it wasn’t her idea. It was hard to get through and was not my kind of book.
The second chance friends to lovers was just weird and didn’t come off as them having chemistry

Soft dnf
I’m not sure if this just isnt for me or if I just need to come back to it! I’ll try again after reading something else!!

This book was just beautiful and one I really enjoyed. I will for sure will be sharing this with others and hope people read this because the story was so well told and written. It flowed perfectly and I didn’t want to put it down.

My first book by Mia Sheridan and it definitely won't be the last.

I honestly was just excited to see this book and didn't really pay attention to what it was about. Overall, it was a love story, but it was also about the collapse of civilization and how things would play out. Usually stories like that do not interest me, and I didn't care for the ending of the book in the civilization aspect, but overall it was a solid story, somewhat depressing.

Emily and Tuck grew up together until Tuck's mother died and Tuck withdrew. He went to live with his uncle and ended up on the wrong side of the tracks.
Years later, Emily and Tuck end up crossing paths, as Emily is a superstar and Tuck is a felon. She needs a Security guard and Tuck ends up filling the role. Emily has a Hollywood star for a boyfriend.
The group ends up in a plane crash, all surviving except for the pilot.

From there, it is sheer survival as they piece together what happened and what their future looks like.

There is great character development as they progress through their journey and the reader falls in love with some characters and ends up hating others. There were several spots throughout the story where the reader was brought to tears.

(I debated between 3.5 and 4 stars, but eventually decided on 3.5 for the book)

Thank you to Harlequin Trade Publishing and Harlequin audio for the eARC/ALC!

I read about a quarter of this on ebook, then switched to the audiobook for the rest. I really enjoyed the audiobook and the story! I feel like the narrators did a great job portraying the tragedy and emotions of the characters.

At first, it did take me a while to warm up to the book. I didn’t feel attached to any of the characters, and Nova/Emily was irritating me. Then, I got to the dystopian/survivor part of the story, and I was hooked. The romance was a bit bland, but I honestly cared more about the survival aspect of the book. I was so eager to know what would happen next that I read the last 75% of the book within two days, when it had taken me wayyyy longer for the first 25%.

I really started to warm up to Emily about halfway through the book, and I feel like her character was very well-rounded towards the end. All in all, if you’re debating on physical/ebook vs. audio, I’d recommend the audio! It adds so much more depth to the characters and the story, and I think that’s what made me land on 4 stars over 3.5.

I did both the ebook and audio editions of this book, and WOW MIA SHERIDAN what did you put in this? I was HOOKED like on the edge of my seat must keep reading hooked. Emily really grew on me, and Tuck, the MAN YOU ARE!! Love!

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for this advanced reader copy!

Mia Sheridan is here to remind us a lesson we all need: childhood enemies to lovers is the ultimate micro trope.

In this story, childhood friends Emily and Tuck are reunited after many formative years apart. After a disaster occurs, they’re forced into a new proximity and have to rely on each other in very new ways.

Love it or hate it, one thing you will always get in the writing of this book is that things are clearly addressed. Jokes are explained, metaphors are unpacked, and every thought is clearly tied to something. This can make the writing feel a little redundant and simple, but also creates some really beautiful imagery. You are never left wondering what a moment meant or what the characters were thinking or feeling.

A lot of this book didn’t land for me. The stakes were too high too fast, the boundary lines were really unclear, and the love story felt forced. I struggled with how much of this book had a third party involved in the love story.

But parts of it were also so lovely: the individual growth of the characters, the unusual plot, and the truth bombs that Sheridan is known for. This was definitely new for Sheridan, and while this isn't my favorite of hers, I do love the life lessons that she beautifully interweaves with her stories.

Overall:
⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️

I didn't read the synopsis for this one, so I was completely taken by surprise! I loved Tuck and Emily coming back together years later. Tuck was the perfect MC. I was rooting for him the entire time. This one had tons of adventure and action to keep you hooked. The romance was slow burn, but it was so worth it!

As a huge fan of Mia's other books, the romance in this book just wasn't what I hoped for.. I enjoyed it but the chemistry between these characters fizzled. Then add the dystopia aspect and it just didn't flow as amazing as I hoped for.

Thank you so much for an advance copy of this incredible book. I absolutely love Mia Sheridan’s writing style. Her ability to create such incredible characters that feel as though they could exist in reality is unparalleled.

Ok I went into this book blind and was absolutely shocked by the plot—- but pleasantly so. I saw the cover and was like oh this looks like a cute contemporary romance and instead got a bodyguard/celebrity trope in an apocalyptic setting. Like taking one of my favorite romance tropes, and dropping it right into The Stand. Again— not disappointed.
When I saw the direction this was going in I was even more intrigued. I think the scariest part of this book is how realistic it was. If a solar flare did hit, and sent an EMP wave and we suddenly didn’t have any power, I think society would really devolve that quickly. It’s different here in the South, when we lose our electricity because of hurricanes for weeks. We know it’s coming back.
In this situation, no one knows what happened— there’s no electricity, radio, etc to tell anyone what happened. Suddenly, you’re forced to fend for yourself and modern society was just not built for that.
As an ex-con (but for good reason), Tuck finally feels like he can prove his worth by keeping Emily alive. Meanwhile, Emily finds herself tapping back into her farmgirl roots before her rise to stardom.
I think this is a great read for those who love romance, but also like dystopian. It’s the best of both worlds.

Thank you Harlequin Audio for the ALC!

—childhood friends

—she's a hot singer; he's her new bodyguard... with a past

—solar flare dystopia

—us against the world (very literally)

Heat Index: 6/10

The Basics:

Rising pop star Emily does her former childhood friend, Tuck, a favor—by hiring him as her bodyguard when he's fresh out of jail. The gig seems fated to be short-lived... until Emily's plane goes down in the midst of a solar flare. With the world rocked by this catastrophic incident, Tuck and Emily are left with no one to truly rely upon but each other... and they might as well be strangers.

The Review:

First off, let me say—the premise of this book is wild, and it does get off to a great start in the midst of the action... and then it catapults you into the "before" times, rebuilding toward the solar flare. Which I get in theory, but I personally found to be a choice I would've advised against.

It does set the tone for the book, however, because this is... very much a dystopia-set romance. Buildup aside, the vast majority of it takes place after the plane crash, in this barren wasteland. It kind of gave me vibes reminiscent of Laura Thalassa's Four Horsemen series in that sense. Our hero and hero trekking across a dystopian world, running into problems.

Except... I found Tuck and Emily rather basic as people. It was a bit discombobulating to have this really different, wild plot, and then two people who felt very Hallmark, in a sense? Like, yes. Tuck has a tragic backstory that's on the dark-ish side, but there is very much a "uptown girl who was once a small town girl gets reminded of what's Authentic by the down home boy" thing here. Which isn't exactly my thing, personally. It felt a little condescending.

Don't get me wrong—there were moments when I was feeling it. I do think Tuck and Emily had chemistry, and I appreciate the risks Sheridan took. I've never read her books before, but based on what I'm seeing, this was a bigger swing for her?

But it felt like she fell back on some small scale tropes and cadences when writing a big world story. Like, for example, the character of Charlie—Emily's boyfriend, who may as well have been made of cardboard.

The Sex:

It takes a good while for the sex to get going in this book—it lives up to the slow burn claims. Once we got there, it was pretty good. The sex felt true to Emily and Tuck, which is to say, not bad but quite vanilla.

Conclusion:

I wish this had gone all in on the freaky premise. It was a swing, and for me, it was a miss. But I have a feeling that those who want something on the milder end of dystopia will enjoy it more. I know Mia Sheridan has a large readership—it's also possible that if you are really into her books already, this could suit you perfectly.

Thanks to Canary Street Press and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I....have no words. I'm not sure what I expected from this book, but this wasn't it. The first couple of chapters held a lot of promise, but then.....this just was not it. The plot fell very flat and drawn out, and most definitely should not be marketed as a love story. I mean, they truly despised each other for most of it. And the fact that "Nova" was so blind to Charlie's real personality super annoyed me. Also..like..what happened to Charlie? Maybe if this book had been marketed as something different, and I expected something different than a full blown romance going into this, then I could see a higher rating. I do feel like there was a lot of potential, but it just was not for me.

Tuck and Emily are childhood friends, living on neighboring citrus farms in Southern California. Emily has big dreams of becoming a famous singer and Tuck has a love of reading and wants to learn as much as he can. As their lives unfold, they both go down different paths in their later teenage years. Emily finds her fame, but circumstances in Tuck’s life find him imprisoned for six years. When an opportunity arises for Emily to put together a security team for her new found fame, Tuck gets a second chance to prove himself, and possibly the opportunity to rekindle their friendship. But a catastrophic weather event puts them in impossible situations, and as they struggle to return home to California, they will have to fight for their friendship, their morality, and their survival.

I found Heart of the Sun to be an interesting dystopian story. It’s not new in terms of the events that unfold, with the collapse of society and fight for survival, but I was invested in the storyline of Emily and Tuck being childhood friends, now thrown together as adults under dire circumstances. The story did remind me of The Stand at times, with Emily and Tuck having to travel the country to return home.

I liked Emily and Tuck’s characters, and Sheridan gives both of them some great character growth throughout the story. Emily is initially still caught up in the materialism of being a celebrity, but comes to value what is important as they encounter others that are affected by the weather disaster. Tuck deals with a lot of guilt from his past choices and the events that led to his imprisonment, so he’s constantly looking for ways to atone for the mistakes he made. But, he is eventually able to come to terms with his past.

I did enjoy the dystopian feel of the story, and if you like The Last of Us, Sweet Tooth, and Fallout, then I think you would enjoy Heart of the Sun. Sheridan delivers a haunting account of what a catastrophic event like this, would mean for the world, and shows the complexities of human nature when presented with a fight for survival.

If you enjoy dystopian settings, with suspense, romance, action, and the good and bad of humanity, then I would definitely recommend Heart of the Sun.

Heart of the Sun was a very unexpected read. I didn’t know the impact the solar flare would have on the entirety of the book. I expected it to be part of the rising action but not the plot. However, it was intriguing as I do not typically read sci-fi. It led me to reflect on what I would do if I were in the same situation. The slow burn between the main characters seemed prolonged at times but when they finally came together, it was chef’s kiss! I felt that it was written perfectly. The ending left me with many questions. For instance, what happened to Charlie (I know he’s the worst but I still want to know what happened to him!)? What happened to the other people Tuck and Emily encountered on their journey- Hosea? The Goodfellows? Lavina and Abram? Etc… Does Tuck ever reunite and make amends with his father? Also, we see how everyone is surviving one year out from the solar flare, but long term, are they ever able to get things up and running as before? Perhaps the author left the ending ambiguous on purpose. The author gave me a lot to think about, mostly due to the state of the country. However, I really enjoyed reading the development of Tuck and Emily’s love story from childhood to adulthood and all the ups and downs in-between.

Thank you to NetGalley, Mia Sheridan, and Harlequin Trade Publishing for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 ⭐️’s