A HUGE thank you to NetGalley, Mia Sheridan, Harlequin Trade Publishing and Canary Street Press for an advanced reader's copy of this book!!

It's been a while since I could admit a book has pulled me in from the first chapter. My heart is still racing. It was so hard to put this book down. Every chapter left me on the edge of my seat wanting to know what would happen next.

Emily and Tuck are childhood friends/neighbors. They grew up next door to each other in the beautiful San Fernando Valley, surrounded by the family orange groves.

Tuck is faced with tragedy and veers off on the wrong path, to only land in jail at 19.
Emily, always wanting to sing, finally makes it big as a pop singer- living in LA now.

Its been years since they have seen each other, but Emily decides to give Tuck a second chance at life after being incarcerated for the last 6 years- as her body guard. The bickering immediately picks up where they left off, and so does the heat they both felt all those years ago-

What follows, after only a couple weeks, is what can only be described as hell.

As they travel across the country, to start what is the beginning of Emily's tour- a cataclysmic solar flare disrupts the electrical grid, and society is suddenly plunged into chaos and darkness.

You wont be able to put this book down- the idea that this could happen to us, at any point, had be in knots. (I was reading this as the fires were wreaking havoc on California.

Giving this book a 4.25- Loved!


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Highlights:
"It was always leading here with us, wasn't it?"
"Yes," I confirmed. "Always."

"It's from a collection of love songs from the nineties. Not exactly our decade but I thought maybe we could have that dance." (Oh Tuck, you romantic, you...)

A legacy is everlasting. That echo again.

My heart. Emily.

3.75 ⭐️ Thank you NetGallery for a chance to read this ARC! I love Mia Sheridan and this book was very cool. Loved the unique apocalypse plot and the characters growth. However it did take me a while to finish the book and some parts were slow or didn’t make sense fully. Overall, if you’re looking for a second chance, childhood friends to strangers to lovers book, this is it!

Romance and dystopian vibes? That book surprised me and I really enjoyed it. The journey the main characters took through an uncertain, new, and dangerous world was fascinating to read. The physical journey, romantic journey, self discovery journey… all of it worked well together. Definitely recommend!

What can I say about Mia Sheridan that everyone doesn’t already know. This author is AMAZING! She is a one click buy for me every single time. I was so excited about a new book from her and she did not disappoint. I could not put this down.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for allowing me to read and review the ARC edition of Heart of The Sun. This book was gripping in every way possible. Mia Sheridan often writes romance with heavy elements, but this was on a whole new level. Emily and Tuck were childhood best friends, but their lives separated after tragedy struck. As adults, they’re thrown back together. Tuck is now a felon, newly out of prison from a 6 year sentence. Emily is a famous musician, both of them so different from who they once were. All too suddenly, life changes fast for the entire world as solar flares take down the entire grid and leave everyone without electricity and food and water. Tuck and Emily are forced to work together to find their way back home, or to whatever is left of it. This story was CRAZY!!!! The romance was a very small part of this book and I truly was not upset about it. Every single page was filled with suspense and tragedy. Mia wrote this story so realistically to how our world would truly respond if such things were to happen in reality. The character growth and the depth of each character was so well thought out and written. I definitely think everyone will love this book when it comes out.

Wow this book was very different to most romantic books that I have ever read. It was so much better. It has the vibe of The Road by Cormac McCarthy built in with the enemies to lovers story. The redemption arc in this story was also very compelling. I really enjoyed this book. The only thing that I wish I had a conclusion a out was the ex.

Heart of the Sun was a second-chance romance for two former friends turned enemies whose paths cross just as the world as they know it falls apart. Emily Swanson, a now famous musician, is in need of a bodyguard and her mom has the perfect suggestion, Tuck Mattice, their former neighbor/friend and ex-con desperately in need of a job. The two have a rocky start upon their reunion but as disaster strikes and everything becomes life or death, they start to set aside those differences/biases and work together. And with time, they come to find they mean more to each other than they want to admit, but first they have to figure out how to make it back home in this end of days environment.

I was completely engrossed in Heart of the Sun and became frustrated every time I had to put it down! This was my fourth Mia Sheridan novel, and I can honestly say I am blown away by her. Every universe she creates is completely different, but her stories pull me in and I am hanging on the edge with the characters. Trying to follow the twist and turns, needing to see what happens next, and holding my breath through the dangerous scenes. Every town they came through or interaction they had with strangers had me worried for Tuck and Emily and not knowing what to expect. The dystopian storyline was just as enjoyable as the romance storyline was. The day-by-day struggle to survive kept me on the edge of my seat, reading way too late into the night. Tuck and Emily were also lovable and relatable as individuals as well. Tuck is strong, protective, caring, and selfless but still feels like he must prove himself and make up for wrongs of the past. Emily was initially caught up in her own world and fame, but you get to watch her let that part go and grow across the book, coming to terms with what is really meaningful in this world and the lengths you should go to protect it. The Heart of the Sun would make such a great movie or TV show!!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for a chance to read this ARC in exchange for my honest review!!

Woah. This book. Mia truly can tackle any genre/topic and execute it perfectly. This dystopian apocalyptic type story truly makes you think and put things in perspective. It’s crazy how much we rely on technology and how that makes us helpless in a lot of ways. But on the other hand there’s still always strength and hope we find in the love we have for our family and others.

And of course the slow burn romance was 10/10 and I ate it up. 🫶🏽🫶🏽 The only downside was I like everything tied up perfectly and there were some character stories I wanted resolutions on.

Thank you Netgalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for the arc.

A Gripping Dystopian Romance

Rating: 4/5 stars

Heart of the Sun, Mia Sheridan's latest novel combines a second-chance romance with a dystopian setting, creating a narrative that will keep you interested.

The story follows Emily and Tuck, childhood friends turned enemies, who find themselves reunited in a world torn apart by a catastrophic solar flare. As they navigate the treacherous landscape, they must confront their past and learn to trust each other in order to survive.

Sheridan's writing is engaging, and the dual POV narrative provides a deeper understanding of the characters' motivations and emotions. Emily's growth from a selfish, immature protagonist to a stronger, more empathetic individual is particularly noteworthy.

The dystopian world-building is believable and well-researched, adding a layer of grittiness to the story. The romance is sweet and tender, providing a beacon of hope in a world gone dark.

While some plot threads, such as Charlie's storyline, felt slightly unresolved, the overall narrative is satisfying and well-paced.

Heart of the Sun is a gripping, emotional ride that will appeal to fans of dystopian romance and second-chance love stories.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I appreciate Mia Sheridan's writing, but it's pretty predictable and the characters don't have a ton of variation. I feel like once you've read one Mia Sheridan, you've read them all -- and "Heart of the Sun" was a good example of that. I do appreciate the ARC, though - thank you NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing!

This was a great SLOW burn! I laughed out loud, felt bad at some points, Over all this was a four star book. It really was an amazing book!

All I can really think of with Heart of the Sun by Mia Sheridan is wow. This read was honestly so different than what I feel I have ever read before, and was smacked with the first sentence of this book, and the obsession with this book skyrocketed from there. I was definitely losing sleep, but it was so incredibly worth it for how interesting and captivating this book was!

Tuck was truly so amazing, and so incredibly selfless, protective, brave, and tugs on your heart so so much. I loved reading his POV so much, enjoyed every single page of his! The absolute staple of a green flag! No complaints when it comes to Tuck!

Emily was hard for me to love at first…while I loved her as she grew into the person she was underneath all that self centered nonsense, she ended up being some I felt I related to more after she discovered the truth and let walls down more and being herself! I just wished there was times she wasn’t so into how she felt, and focused on what Tuck had experienced rather than how it affected her and her alone. I am a huge empath though and always love considering other people, so maybe it was just a hard thing for me to grasp! I definitely loved her by the end of this book though!

Emily and Tuck had a rough start that continued on for a while. The bickering at time became sooo infuriating as I just wanted them happy and in love, but of course that was what made me craving more and more of this book. Made it so hard to put down..and boy did the ending make it all worth it. It was soo emotionally beautiful, my mascara was absolutely all over the place so I didn’t have to remove it before bed so thanks for that Mia! I just love them so so so much. I miss them dearly, I want more of them already.

I really loved the apocalyptic vibe, and I haven’t read much dystopian since my Hunger Games, Maze Runner, The Fifth Wave, and Divergent phases! At first I felt weary seeing Mia was writing a dystopian, as I’ve only read a handful of her romances novels and loved..but she executed the vibe perfectly! The plane crash? SOLAR FLARE? Wow! I was soo intrigued!! I also felt that the romance vibe wasn’t too overpowering, and that the apocalypse vibe of the story was so eerie and kept me so invested when the story felt a little slow for me in the middle! After getting through half the book though it picked up QUICKLY, feeling intense and anxiously on the edge of my seat with lots of action page after page! It was intense and crazy, but I loved the adrenaline like feeling it gave reading from the second half!

Tropes in this story:
Pop-star x Bodyguard
Second Chance
Childhood Friends to enemies to Lovers
Apocalyptic/ Dystopian!

Fav Quote:
So simple but it’s “You always did wear sunshine well.” UGHHH I LOVE IT!


I give this book 4 ⭐️’s and it’s a great kick off being my second read of the year! So excited when I can get my hands on this book physically and can have it on my shelf! Thank you Mia Sheridan, NetGalley, and Harlequin Trade Publishing for early access to this fantastic read! It did not disappoint 🩷

WOAH MIA SHERIDAN WHAT DID YOU PUT IN THIS??? This is SO unlike the books Mia Sheridan writes but did she cook it like it was the last meal she was serving? ABSOLUTELY. In fact I need the physical copy in my hands right now to put this front and center on my shelf. Like you get romance AND apocalyptic doom all in ONE? Emily and Tuck were EVERYTHING. Their angst had me swooning which is expected given it’s a second chance. I’m obsessed with a way Sheridan took a turn on how romance is normally projected to us. She never fails to truly think outside the box a provide a story worth turning the page for. Seeing Emily and Tuck have to get through not only their differences but work together for this world of survival was truly something that had me on the tip of my toes.

I think this book is going to stay with me for a while. It's a little heavier than my usual fare, and was filled with introspection, emotion, and ultimately, love.

I did not read the synopsis before I started, but understood right away that this was about two childhood friends who grew up together, got ripped apart by life, and reconnected, with Tuck as Emily's bodyguard. So I thought this was a second chance story, and then it became a wilderness survival story, which I love, and I was so pleasantly surprised. Then it became an apocalyptic story, and things started getting real very quickly.

The bulk of the story takes place over the course of 3 weeks, and it's amazing and terrifying what they experienced in those 3 weeks. It was a combination of survival and travel, moments of connection, and absolute horror.

I felt the pacing was a bit slow in some places, with a lot of internal monologue as both Emily and Tuck reflected on their individual and combined history. It felt maybe a bit too much emotional explanation, considering they were starving, dehydrated, and exhausted for much of the story.

I do enjoy when I can't predict the end of a story, and this one, even though I thought I knew what *should* happen, really kept me guessing, as it could easily have gone either way. And I think that would have been ok. Mia Sheridan gave us plenty of food for thought with this one.

✨️Arc Review✨️

Wow! Mia has blown me away with this one!

Popstar Princess and ExCon romance but add in childhood friends, enemies to lovers and a post apocalyptic event that leaves our leads far from home and you have Heart of the Sun. This book absolutely blew me away I was not prepared to fall so deeply in love with Tuck and Em.

Childhood friends that meet up years later when Tucker Mattice is released from prison and down on his luck looking for redemption and a chance. Emily Swanson (Nova) our popstar princess is in need of a bodyguard and is persuaded by her mom to hire her old best friend. Tragedy and life tore them apart years ago but will a solar flare that brings on societal collapse bring them back together? Only time will tell.
Highly recommend this book if you love a slow burn with childhood best friends and enemies to lovers becaude this is for you!

Thanks to Netgalley, Harlequin books and Mia Sheridan for the arc ♥︎

After reading the prologue, I expected this book to go in a completely different direction, but I was pleasantly surprised by where the story led. I’ve never read anything quite like this before, and I found myself enjoying most of it! The eerie atmosphere in parts of the town reminded me of *A Quiet Place*, which added an unexpected but intriguing layer to the story.

Mia Sheridan takes childhood best friends, first love, and second chances to a whole new level in this book. I felt fully immersed in their world and was genuinely sad when the story ended. Living in Illinois during the winter made certain aspects of the book especially relatable. With the winter storms here and the recent California fires, the events in the story felt even more real and timely.

That being said, while I enjoyed the book and saw it through to the end, it wasn’t my favorite Mia Sheridan novel. I didn’t feel that overwhelming urge to keep reading at all costs, but rather picked it up in my free moments. It was a solid read, but not one that completely consumed me.

Overall, this was an engaging story with a unique atmosphere, and while it may not be my top Mia Sheridan book, it was still worth the read!

Thank you NetGalley for this arc! This book was so different than any other romance book l've read! The childhood friends to lovers is always one of my favorites. I couldn't wait to keep reading to see what craziness was going to happen on Tuck & Emily's adventure. Tuck is so protective and his story really hits your heart.

This book was very different from the other romance books I’ve read. I really liked this dystopian element to this book,
At times I found myself more interested in the solar flare and the world ending??
How I thought of it was was kind of like The Last Of Us with the world collapsing and the eerie vibes it gave.
It starts off very strong and towards the middle I felt it slowed down a little bit.

Thank you to NetGalley & Harlequin Trade Publishing for providing me with this ARC copy to read and review!

Love Love Loveeee this book! Second chance romance keeps my heart so happy and full! It was beautifully written with all of the strings you need to keep it in your hands until you are finished! Thank you Mia Sheridan for another 5 Star read!

I love any kind of apocalypse, suspenseful romance and I love Mia Sheridan’s books, so I was so excited for this one!

After a solar flare brings down the electrical grid, former childhood friends and present day popstar & bodyguard are caught thousands of miles from home and must make the trek from the midwest back to california amidst the chaos and destruction of a rapidly collapsing society.

It has second chance vibes, though they were never together as kids, they certainly had feelings as teens but their opportunity was ripped away after a tragedy. Reunited, they immediately start to bicker and feel old feelings again. The problem? Emily’s movie star boyfriend is right there with them in the wreckage.

Emily and Tuck were both great characters - Emily is a rising pop star, trying to figure out who she is and how she can be useful in this new world. Tuck was a broody ex-con, determined to make amends for his past mistake and keep the woman he grew up with safe.

The bones of this were so good, and I genuinely loved the idea, but ultimately it was a little boring. The beginning was very interesting as things fell apart, and the end was also great and face paced, but the middle just dragged for me. Maybe it’s because she has a boyfriend for most of it so I wasn’t invested in the romance between Emily and Tuck, but I didn’t find myself wanting to pick this up and find out what happened. Also, and this is nitpicky, but there were some minor factual inaccuracies (there ARE amish people in Missouri, no one from St Louis would call it the Gateway Arch, etc) that most probably wouldn’t notice.

Overall it was okay and I definitely give credit to the author for trying something new! Just not a new favorite for me.