First time reading this author and I'll definitely be picking up more of her work, a great pacy plot driven second chance romance, thought the blend of dystopian, romance and suspense was unique in this genre, fantastic!

This doomsday contemporary story was full of life-altering decisions. The dual-narrator perspective showed the development of Emily and Tuck's relationship as he tries to get them home to safety after a national power outage. With so little certainty and no communication with the outside world, Emily and her actor boyfriend Charlie have to trust their lives in the hands of Tuck, Emily's childhood best friend who is recently out of prison. With time, Emily's heart warms back up to the young man she once loved. Meanwhile Tuck struggles to reconcile his past wrongdoings with his future aspirations.
A sweet second-chance romance with a post-apocolyptic vibe, this story kept me interested from cover to cover.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing and Canary Street Press for providing this book, with my honest review below.

Heart of the Sun combined some of my favorite fiction scenarios, apocalyptic type circumstances with a romance that kept things from being all gloom and gave the necessary hope to this story. Set in the United States, a solar flare has wrought disaster and caused the electrical grid to completely fail. Our main characters, Tuck and Emily, are in a bad situation having survived a plane crash (with Emily’s movie star boyfriend) somewhere in Illinois and needing to journey across the US to Emily and Tuck’s home in California. Prior to the incident we learn about Emily’s pre-disaster vocation as a famous singer and her upbringing with Tuck, a reformed felon who she offers a job as a bodyguard in her entourage. Post disaster we see both Tuck and Emily’s perception of each other dispelled (wasn’t great to start) and how they come together to survive. The story also spends a great deal of time diving into the scenarios of what would happen to society and the goodness and badness of people that would emerge during survival. This gave Heart of the Sun a degree of believability and gritty adventure that kept the story from being too much of any one thing that might get to hard for a reader to really engage with given the circumstances.

It may not be for everyone, it can get depressing as one can assume, but I found the love story enough from spiraling too far into the disaster scenario and loved the balance overall.

A beautifully written book I love this Mia Sheridan is becoming one of my favorites. If you haven’t got a chance to read it, please do.

I enjoyed the way this was a second-chance romance novel, it had that feel that I was looking for and enjoyed how realistic it was. I was engaged with what was happening and thought the overall story was really well done. I enjoyed the way the characters were written and was glad I got to read this. Mia Sheridan has a strong writing style and am excited to read more.

Heart of the Sun is a blend of love and survival, offering a captivating twist on the dystopian genre. If you enjoyed the movie Leave the World Behind but crave a touch of romance, this is the book you should pick up. The story is told from dual POVs, following Emily (or Nova), a rising superstar, and Tuck, her former childhood crush turned bodyguard. Tuck is initially a serious, somewhat jaded character, burdened by his troubled past in prison and his difficult childhood. Beneath his tough exterior, though, he is a man healing from deep emotional scars. Emily, on the other hand, is adjusting to the sudden chaos of her new life in the public eye.

Their story takes a dramatic turn when Tuck, originally hired as Emily’s bodyguard, becomes her protector after a plane crash, as they struggle to survive in the aftermath of a catastrophic solar flare that devastates the planet.

I was immediately drawn to the premise of this story. Having followed Mia Sheridan’s thrilling suspense novels, this felt like a fresh departure—yet I was delighted to see how effortlessly she works across genres. The dystopian elements of Heart of the Sun are chilling and realistic, especially as the characters navigate the frightening and chaotic consequences of a solar flare. Sheridan does an excellent job of illustrating how such an event could radically alter the world.

I especially loved the tropes woven into the narrative—childhood best friends turned lovers, enemies-to-lovers, and second chances. They brought a richness to the characters' evolving relationship and added layers to the emotional stakes of the story. Sheridan's ability to blend romance with survival in a high-stakes scenario made this a unique and gripping read.

This book will be released on May 19th, 2025 . Thank you the publisher, Harlequin Trade Publishing, the author, and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review!

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for the ARC of this Mia Sheridan book in exchange for my honest review and opinions.

I’m a Mia Sheridan fan. I’ve always found her storylines outside of the “norm” of the romance genre. Heart of the Sun was no different. I enjoyed the different approach to a love story in the midst of a national emergency.

I withheld my 5-star rating because I wanted more character development leading up to the story of Tuck and Emily’s reunion and more of what happened “between”. It was a little disjointed for me. While this one didn’t shatter my heart and put it back together again like many of her others have, I did enjoy the read and it was a refreshing take on the lost love trope.

The idea of a second chance romance blended with a post-apocalyptic thriller had me hooked, and add in Mia Sheridan, one of my favorite romance authors? This quickly skyrocketed to one of my most anticipated reads of 2025.

Unfortunately, I don’t think it is fully successful. There needed to be more action and more grittiness. Instead, the journey was meandering and monotonous, and despite mentions of danger, not enough of it is on the page. It needed more “apocalypse.”

Second, the chemistry was lacking between Tuck, the MMC, and Emily, the FMC. Emily’s boyfriend tags along past the 50% mark, an annoying third wheel who causes the relationship between the main characters to be delayed and underdeveloped. Also, Emily is absolutely insufferable for much of the book, and then has a personality switch, but it left me feeling lukewarm about the character.

All that being said, the concept is a good one, and it held my attention all the way through.

The novel starts as a plane hits turbulence and it is about to crash, meanwhile, Tuck is thinking about the girl during his childhood he once almost loved Emily, who is on the plane currently with him. Before the crash, the book immediately flips back to Tuck and Emily's childhood where they both grew up on citrus farms as neighbors. As we get a little information about their childhood, the novel then flips back to 10 days before the crash, where we meet Tuck again as an adult who was just released from jail. Down on his luck, trying to find a job, he heads to Emily's parents' farm to see if they need any hired help. Unfortunately, things aren't great at the Citrus farm, but Emily's mom recommends that he help out Emily as she is a huge pop star, and currently needs a security team.

Now we are back to the plane, Emily needs to go from California to New York, so she gets on a private plane with her boyfriend/actor Charlie, Tuck her bodyguard, and the pilot. All of a sudden a bright light appears, and the plane starts to crash. The pilot dies in the crash, but Tuck manages to get everyone out with their luggage. We follow along as these three trek across the US trying to get back to California. Through the journey, we learn that the solar flare has wiped out the electrical grid, and no one has access to anything. As the three travel further, it gets more dangerous with crime and lack of resources due to food places being looted.

I won't lie, but I was more interested in the solar flare/dystopian aspect of this book and wish that was flushed out even more. I felt like there was very little action and the book moved slowly. It didn't help that Charlie was a huge cock block on most of the journey getting in the way of the romance that was re-forming between Tuck and Emily. The romance was really sweet once it happened and we had been slow-burned to hell during the buildup. I do wish there would have been a better epilogue at the end, not that I wasn't happy, but I was really intrigued about what happened to everyone in the story - even that asshat Charlie.

This was my first Mia Sheridan book and I was pleasantly surprised. Honestly girl, you should go into writing dystopian novels, I think you have a good knack for it. I definitely give this book a 3.5 star!

Tuck and Emily grow up together and have a growing flirtation and fondness. When tragedy strikes it rips them apart.

Years later after being released from prison Tuck is hired as Emily's bodyguard. While traveling in a plane a massive solar flare hits earth and takes down their flight. Stranded in the woods and a scary world they have to fight for basic neccessities and survival. They have to fight to forgive their past while fighting for their lives. The attraction is still there but is it enough. The setting was really interesting and appreciate things we take for granted. Tuck really becomes endearing early on and takes a minute for Emily to become as loved. But the end of the book you are really rooting for their love story ❤️

Heart Of The Sun is a dystopian slow-burn, friends to enemies to lovers, second-chance romance. Enjoyed the dual POV and likeable characters. It was a little too slow for my liking but others who enjoy dystopian books may love this.

Mia is one of my favorite authors and this book didn’t disappoint. It was a great read from start to finish. This second chance enemies to lovers will have you ignoring all responsibility. I’m usually hit or miss on post apocalyptic books because authors always do the stereotypical storyline but this was good from the start.

Shoutout to NetGalley for this ARC! I was so excited to read it 🩷
I was honestly sucked in every time I picked up this book. I love Mia Sheridan’s writing style. It’s so easy to read and devour!
As for the storyline, prepare for it to be pretty heavy ❤️‍🩹 there were parts that were hard for me to read. But got to love a childhood friends to lovers trope! Knocked down a star just because I would’ve loved more focus on Tuck and Emily throughout the book vs the dystopian action. But overall a great storyline and intense read!

4.25 This book is a great start to the new year! I am completely & utterly shocked by how this read drew me in. The backstory of the FMC & MMC was so unique & it definitely gives off the feeling of “everything happens for a reason.” It was a sci-fi/dystopian read which I honestly thoroughly enjoyed. It was hard to stop reading because it kept getting to these “what ifs” of how the world could be if something happens to the electrical grid. It reminded me of the movie “Leave the World Behind”, and I’ve read others say it reminded them of “The Last of Us” but more of a romance aspect of course (I can’t speak for that since I only watched the first movie mentioned.) It’s scary that reality could change at any second with how dependent we are on technology & electricity. I do have to add, there were some questions that were left unanswered, a couple parts of the timeframe didn’t make sense, as well as a description of an event got a tiny bit tangled. Other than that, it was THE PERFECT SLOW BURN. I love a good slow burn & this absolutely delivered. I can see this book turning into a movie.

Thank you NetGalley, The Hive & Harlequin Trade Publishing for this eARC!

Mia Sheridan knows exactly how to get a reader hooked into the book. Some back story, some drama, some semi-dark history with the MMC. I never knew what or how the solar flare was going to impact the story, so my anticipation was off the roof and it was executed perfectly. I enjoyed having dual POV as it always keeps the story moving, and the chemistry between Emily and Tuck had me awe struck. With watching survival shows (i would not compare this to The Last of Us) it's a one time know it all thing for me. With survival romance, about 55% I was sorta feeling how this was going to go. The story didn't need to be as long as it should be? It's Mia Sheridan thought and she knows how to make twisty and connected stories that catch you off guard. I love it and I cannot wait for the realse date! Also those who are interested in the spice chapters, there was two worthy chapters ! Two other chapters where semi-tease, easy to pass through (32- kinda spicy,33 at day 10 tease, 34, 35)

Thank you Netgalley!

Tuck and Emily are childhood friends who went on different paths. But, when Emily needs a bodyguard and Tuck is fresh out of prison and desperate for a job, they’re reunited. Shortly after, a solar flare hits earth and wipes out the grid, thrusting society into a dystopia. They survive a plane crash and must make their way from Illinois back to California. While I felt the first 30% went slow (the backstory and lead up could have been shortened), I LOVED this story. By the end, I couldn’t believe how much happened throughout. Although part of the story / approach, I did find myself wondering what happened to so many of the characters they let along the way (and, Charlie, as much as I couldn’t stand him). I would definitely recommend this book when it comes out in May 2025!

Amid California’s sun-drenched orange groves, Tuck and Emily were inseparable childhood friends—until life tore them apart. Thirteen years later, Emily is a rising pop sensation in need of security, and Tuck, an ex-con searching for redemption, becomes her reluctant bodyguard. Sparks fly as old tensions and buried emotions resurface. Still, when a catastrophic solar flare plunges the world into darkness, the two must navigate a chaotic, dystopian world while confronting the scars of their past.

What I Liked:
The premise was undeniably intriguing. The mix of a second-chance romance with a dystopian setting promised a unique take on both genres. The slow burn and the dynamic between Emily and Tuck—complete with "enemies"-to-lovers banter—kept me curious about where their story would go.

What Didn’t Work for Me:
I struggled to connect with the characters for the majority of the book. While the setting was intense and full of potential, Emily and Tuck’s emotional depth didn’t fully resonate with me until a pivotal moment at around the 80% mark, when Tuck’s true vulnerability emerged. Until then, I felt detached from their struggles and the romance felt flat.

While compelling in theory, the post-apocalyptic elements often felt like “The Walking Dead” without zombies, with a sense of monotony rather than urgency. While I appreciate Sheridan’s attempt at blending genres, the execution didn’t fully hit the mark for me.

Final Thoughts:
This book might be a hit for fans of Mia Sheridan’s signature style—layered relationships and introspection against dramatic backdrops. However, as someone who has struggled to connect with her characters in the past, I’m realizing her writing style may not be for me. That said, if you enjoy slow-burn second chances, childhood-friends-to-lovers, and a touch of dystopian grit, this could be an enjoyable read for you.

I love Mia Sheridan and I could not wait to read Heart of the Sun. That being said it just fell short for me. The first 250 pages were very difficult to get through.

If dystopian romance is something you enjoy then I still 100% recommend reading it.

Thank you so much to Netgalley, The Hive, and to the author for allowing me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review!

While I’m so grateful for the opportunity to get to read an advanced copy of one of Mia Sheridan’s books, this one just wasn’t for me. The pacing felt very very slow, and I struggled with finding any sense of connection to the characters or the storyline. Maybe this type of storytelling just had me out of my usual element!

I am a big Mia Sheridan fan but I am just not sure where this book was going knowing her previous writing. She usually ropes me in and keeps me going with her stories. The beginning was great- I was definitely roped in- but then I feel like the characters got lost in the middle of the story- the development seemed shallow. I was very surprised with this one and wanted a lot more from it.