I have heard really good reviews for this author's previous work, so I was excited to receive an ARC for this book. When I read the synopsis of this book I was excited and couldn't wait to dive in. Sadly, it didn't work for me because I had trouble getting into the story. The pace dragged and the romance between the main characters was so tiresome that I didn't care if they were together or not. Thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for this ARC.

*Heart of the Sun* by Mia Sheridan blends second-chance romance with a post-apocalyptic adventure. It follows childhood friends Emily, a pop star, and Tuck, an ex-con, who reunite when Emily hires Tuck as her bodyguard after a solar flare plunges the world into chaos. As they fight for survival, their slow-burn romance builds beneath the surface, though Tuck’s emotional walls and self-blame keep them apart for much of the story.

The plot explores second chances, particularly for Tuck, as he seeks redemption after prison. However, I felt the FMC’s behavior was frustrating, and the romance, while compelling, was a bit too slow to develop. The story wrapped up quickly, leaving me wanting more between Tuck and Emily. Despite these issues, the book’s suspense and character development were strong, making it a solid read. I gave it 3.75 stars

I had some mild critiques in the beginning but it continued downhill with a completely unlikable FMC and snowballed into major issues with structure and plot and every single choice made through to the end. I barely finished it and wish I had quit before I even started.

Also, tell me you don’t understand Southern California roadways without telling me you don’t understand Southern California roadways… *points to this book*

I’m a big fan of this author’s romantic suspense novels, so I was curious to see her take on dystopian fiction.

While the book promised a variety of tropes, not all of them quite fit. The heroine was hard to warm up to, while the hero had a noble, self-sacrificing nature. The premise—Earth plunged into darkness after a solar flare wipes out power—was gripping and eerily plausible.

If I had to categorize it, I’d call it dystopian with a side of romance, though the heroine does have a boyfriend for the majority of the book.

** spoiler alert ** 3.5 ⭐⭐⭐

I've read Mia Sheridan books previously and was really excited for this! Thank you to Netgalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for this ARC.

A rockstar and an ex-con rekindle their childhood friendship in this dystopian romance. Embarking on a journey home after their plane goes down due to a solar flare, they must learn to trust each other to survive the aftermath.

This is a slow-burn romance - after reading some other reviews saying this isn't really a romance, I have to say I don't really agree. While it is not the entire focus, if you're paying attention to clues and dialogue, Mia paints beautiful character depth that continues to grow throughout the story.

The reason for my 3.5 rating is because I felt that for how long and detailed the book was, it ends so suddenly. I did not feel enough closure in regards to the following that could have been mentioned in the epilogue or could have come full circle:
1. Did it impact the entire globe (my assumption is yes, but this was never verified)?
2. Any sort of update regarding Hosea? Or the percentage of how much of the population had survived so far? The statistic was repeated a few times so I expected to learn something further later in the book.
3. Tuck had seen the article about the solar flare early in the book, but when it was happening it didn't seem to ever dawn on him. So I don't quite understand why this was mentioned, unless just to have the reader feel it's what is happening?

Overall, this was an enjoyable read and I'd recommend it to anyone who loves a slow-burn love story with some action!

As a pretty fervent Mia Sheridan fan, I was so excited and honored to receive an e-ARC for this book. Apocalyptic love stories are my jam, and I had such high hopes for this story! All in all, I enjoyed the book, but it definitely isn’t my favorite Mia Sheridan work, and beyond that, the I found myself a little disappointed with the love story.

I loved the general layout of the book; reading about Tuck and Emily embarking on a dangerous quest across the United States without technology was very interesting! I thought this was a great way to allow Tuck to shine, and I always enjoy forced proximity.

I’m not an expert on solar flares, but it feels like Mia did a good job of creating a country affected by one. I thought the breakdown of society was realistic, albeit it depressing. The apocalyptic portions of this book were well done, imo.

Tuck is an amazing MMC. I really enjoyed him as a character and thought that his personal growth arc was incredible. In my opinion, he is absolutely the star of this book and in the end, I adored him.

My biggest complaint is the romance. There was just so much missing from the love story and I think the biggest reason for that was Emily’s boyfriend. They remained together far too long, which didn’t leave enough time for Tuck and Emily to be together. Considering the complexity of their situation, this allowed for very, very little time for their romance to develop. The romance seemed to lean on the character’s prior history, but I was craving more present-day development.

I absolutely loved this book! Tuck's character had so much depth, and I couldn't help but fall in love with him. It was fascinating to see Emily/Nova's true self and the contrast between her and "Nova." I enjoyed the celebrity aspect of her character, and the twists in the story truly shocked me. The author's writing made me feel like I was right there with the characters. I loved every moment of it!

Before I even saw the option to request this on NetGalley I had this saved as an anticipated book to come out this year. I am so thankful for the opportunity to read it early. That being said... As someone who has previously enjoyed many books by this author, I am sad to report this book was not it for me. The book reads like any 2010's disaster movie, but even slower. The first 40% of the covered what would have been in the first 15 minutes of a movie. I'm not exaggerating. I am someone who LOVES disasters/post apocalyptic/dystopian books and movies, but there was little difference between this and every other one of it's kind out there. The characters felt like over exaggerated archtypes and did not garner any real emotional response from the reader. The romance felt weak and unauthentic. Our MMC was taciturn in both internal and external monologues. As for production, the ARC version of the e-book had some formatting and grammatical errors. Yea… I didn't DNF it, but I felt like I was wading through mud to finish it.

Okay, so let me start by saing that I’m a *huge* Mia Sheridan fan. I’ve loved every book of hers I’ve read… until this one. It just didn’t have that usual Mia magic, and I can’t quite put my finger on why, but it fell flat for me.

The concept was super intriguing, but the execution? Not so much. The romance felt all over the place, the pacing dragged forever and then suddenly sped through the ending, and overall, it just felt kind of shallow. It had potential, but it was missing that heart and emotion that usually makes her books so special.

That said, the whole dystopian, end-of-the-world vibe was cool, and some scenes even had a creepy, almost horror-like feel, which I actually liked. The way society unraveled after the solar flare felt *way* too realistic, and those parts really stuck with me. But the book just didn’t seem to know what it wanted to be. It wasn’t really a romance until the last third, and even then, it wasn’t great. Some characters, like Charlie, felt pointless (seriously, why was he even there?), and I just wanted *more*, more action, more depth, more of that gripping storytelling Mia usually delivers.

It just didn’t feel like her usual writing, and I think that’s why it lacked the passion I love in her books. It wasn’t bad, just… not great. Honestly, I think it would work better as a movie. Would I recommend it? Ehh… maybe, but with caution.

Thank you Netgalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for the ARC & ALC!

I liked the book. I am not a slow burn reader so that was hard for me, but Instill enjoyed it. This is different than Mia Sheridan book in have read, but as always I do love her writing. If you are into romance and fantasy, sci fi. I think you will enjoy it.

It has been so long since I've picked up a Mia Sheridan book and while it didn't learn more towards the romance, it was still an enjoyable read. I was really glad I was able to get the audio, it definitely helped with reading this one since it has been tough to read with my eyes.

I usually don't gravitate towards post-apocalyptic books because they terrify me. But this one definitely made it firm that I would not survive at all. Just take me, I don't even want to try!

The first quarter was a bit of a struggle because I just wasn't a fan of the FMC, Nova/Emily. And while I understand her reasonings for being untrustful with Tuck. With his introduction and everything, he just wasn't reading the way she imagined him to be after all that time. There's a certain scene that really set me off from liking her, but she came back enough by the end in my good graces.

Tuck was definitely a fave and just with everything he's been through, he really paved his way in this one. And I just loved seeing his character evolve from beginning to end.

I definitely missed more of the romance, but I think many might enjoy this one.

This was my first read by this author. The cover definitely drew me in - beautiful! I had a hard time getting into this story and didn't want to finish it. It definitely dragged and felt like it needed to be cut down.

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

Thank you Netgalley for this arc. I loved Archer's voice and Travis, so I knew I wanted to read this early. I knew I would like this book, it had enemies to lovers, childhood best friends, second chance romance, and it was a slow burn. All the tropes I love in a romance book. I was rooting for Tuck and Emily and this book left me wanted more. I absolutely will be rereading this book when I get a physical copy.

I love a good disaster story. Stories where the power grid goes down usually makes for a thrilling, if alarming, tale. Heart of the Sun kept me reading until the wee hours of the morning, far past the time I should have put away the book until daylight came.

Although a fascinating story, Heart of the Sun has its faults. Nothing really happens TO the main character and her love interest. They crash land in a small plan into a field- a scratch on one person. They’re put into presumably dangerous situations- no harm to them. The tension rises in those situation, but I learned that they were fortunate and the main character’s charm would ease the way. Food and water appears as needed. Maybe I’m comparing too much to other books that really try to show the trauma of survival and that 90% die rate. This is a romance after all. Other issues with the book include a miraculous ability to meet people from the past, even far from home or in the middle of gang-held LA (gang held in the story).

The romance was more of an afterthought for me. I wanted the survival against all odds story. I got that result so I liked the book. I liked that Tuck and Emily shared a common past and liked that Tuck redeemed himself.

All this to say, read the book. If you’re a dystopian fan like me, you’ll enjoy it even if it is dystopian lite.

This was a different type of book for me, but I did enjoy it. The end of the world/apocalyptic vibes were strong and likely represented that type of world accurately. It did get a bit redundant, however.

I did appreciate the backstory and second chance story for the MMC.

Thank you to NetGalley, Mia Sheridan, and Canary Street Press for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC. This book focused on two individuals who knew each other as children reunited in a world turned on its ear by an EMP that strikes the United States. The main characters reunite as adults in a situation that challenges what they believe about each other. A good dystopian book that was realistic in terms of what conditions could be like. It alternates between the points of view of the two main characters and is handled well.

I tried to get into this story but I really couldn't. It was too slow of a start. I did not finish despite the pretty cover.

2.5 stars. I have incredibly mixed feelings about this. It’s a. Interesting premise and had potential for the plot to POP, but then fell flat. Aside from their initial terrifying ordeal things seemed to come almost too easily for our MCs as they made their way through this new landscape. The timeline didn’t make a lot of sense to me either as it seemed things happened too fast.

My biggest gripe is that Heart of the Sun just didn’t sound like Mia’s voice, and that kills me because I LOVE her writing. In the acknowledgments she does credit Temple Hill for the general outline, so perhaps that was it?

Overall, this book had pretty much everything. A sprinkle of Bromance, and a ton of mystery, suspense and friction. I highly recommend this book. If you like something that keeps you on your toes, but isn’t too much to handle.

There are trigger warnings such as murder, world, apocalypse, type events, death, and more

Unexpectedly gripping

First I need to say that though I read this very quickly, I had to let it sit before I could come up with words to describe how it made me feel.

I was hooked from the beginning and was both in awe of the authors imagination and scared to think can this really happen and if so is this what it would be like.

Tuck Mattice's life is turned upside down when he unexpectedly loses the life he loved. His bond with his childhood friend Emily Swanson was strong but he turned from them.

When fate once again has him crossing path with Emily and her family the bond strengthens and amid the chaos of the world they cling to that bond to survive.


There are many unexpected twists in this story and many moments that question humanity but then you also see so much kindness and genuine compassion among the survivors that it gives you hope.

Tuck who has felt so lost for so long feels like he has much to prove and make up for. First he feels a debt to the family who were like a second family to him and to his uncle who took him in as a troubled teen.

Tuck's resourcefulness and determination will certainly hook you but it took me a minute to like adult Emily, loved her as the childhood friend but not so much when he first re-unites with her.

The story that develops shows the best and worst of humanity and I hope if such a cataclysmic event were to happen we would be better prepared and help one another.

Very gripping book, totally recommend.