Wow. This book absolutely blew me away, and Heart of the Sun has left its mark on *my* heart forever.

I've been a fan of Mia Sheridan's writing since the beginning of her career, and no one writes childhood friends to lovers like Mia can. She knows *exactly* how to write the tension, longing, and life experience that can bring two people together, even if they've been apart for years.

This book follows Emily and Tuck, two childhood best friends brought together again (he's her bodyguard, she's a popstar) - and then shoved into an apocalyptic situation I wouldn't wish on anyone. This book had a contemporary romance plus dystopian sci-fi genre mix, and it was incredibly unique. I found myself having to take breaks because coming from someone who has a "prepper" family, this was a little too real at times.

I was lucky I could take breaks, but the characters were shoved into life-and-death situations that all centered on making it somewhere safe... if that existed after all the lights went out.

I may need to think about more to say on this one but all I can say is that I will be recommending it to everyone I know AND buying the physical copy once it comes out. Six stars... Mia absolutely knocked it out of the park with this one!

5⭐️ 2🌶️

Wow! This was one of the most unique childhood best friend/ second chance romances I’ve read. The plot gave apocalypse vibes. Tuck is sweet, smart and has a heart of gold! Emily is lost in a way I think a lot of us can relate to. So worth the read!

I really like Mia Sheridan’s other books, but this one and the dystopian turn it took was not for me. I liked the idea of the plane crash and the budding romance between Tuck and Emily, who were childhood friends. I was confused at many points, and truly had no idea what was happening with the plot. When they were traveling back to California, it became repetitive and boring. I love Mia Sheridan’s writing, but I enjoy her other books so much more.

*Thank you to The Hive, Canary Street Press, and Mia Sheridan for providing me with an ARC to this book. I greatly appreciate!!

4.25⭐️/ 2🌶️

Imagine the world was ending…or more so something catastrophic occurred, and you were left to fend for yourself as everything around you crumbled. For Tuck and Emily, they were faced with an unknown event that literally had them trying to survive in the midst of the world collapsing all due to a strange occurrence in the sky, and everything around them. Mia Sheridan wrote a slow burn romance in the midst of this Sci-Fi type of storyline. Tuck was a man who had a dark past, and wanted a second chance to make things better for himself, and an opportunity brought him back to his old childhood friend, Emily, who was now known as a famous singer, Nova. Emily had always loved singing, music, and pouring her emotions into her songs. As a famous singer, Emily’s life had changed in a multitude of ways, but she never thought she’d get the chance to see Tuck again especially considering their friendship ended years previously. Emily and Tuck were once again reunited as pop star/ bodyguard, and what was originally suppose to be a regular day in the life for Emily, turned into a nightmare as she and Tuck faced a heavy road ahead of them.

I think the thing to keep in mind with this story is that, it was definitely a slow burn romance, and focused more on the character development, as well as the storyline being set up. The beginning half of the story highlighted how Emily and Tuck knew each other as kids, how they were reunited, and how they were then faced with this situation that meant life or death for them. Through the dual point of view chapters, I got to understand each Tuck and Emily as they went through the events that transpired in the story, but also how they weren’t necessarily the same person they knew to be from each other’s past. The beginning also showed how Emily and Tuck got off on a rocky start that had them seeing each other in a different light that wasn’t necessarily accurate to how they truly were. Despite all that, I could tell that despite the years apart, there was still a small connection between Tuck and Emily.

I’m a big fan of Mia Sheridan and her books so, when I saw she was writing a book that had elements of Sci-Fi, and being depicted as trying to survive, I thought, “why not? I’m sure it’ll be good”. Mia wrote this book that relied more on the character driven storyline as the characters journey through all that occurred. I will say that out of all the characters, Tuck was my favorite. The way Tuck had always been a bit of a bookworm was a green flag for me, but more importantly the way Tuck read a variety of books that gave him the knowledge on an array of different subjects that actually helped him along the way in the story. Despite the initial judgment Tuck suffered from his past, like it or not, his knowledge and abilities to survive, and make use of the things around him are a big part of how Emily and Charlie survived. In other words, Tuck was a great character, and I really respected him.

Once the slow burn romance ended and Tuck and Emily’s relationship became romantic, I really felt the love between them. There was a lot to deal with so, the romance was kind of a background thing that slowly progressed, and I’m glad for it. Once Emily and Tuck reformed their friendship, it gradually grew into something more profound and meaningful. Tuck was already a protective person, but when it came to ensuring Emily’s safety and getting her back to her parents home, this man was willing to do whatever was necessary to make sure Emily was ok. Even Emily got to see glimpses of the person she once knew how Tuck was, and I was happy to see her back beside Tuck. The romance in this story gave me the feeling of, nothing could keep Emily and Tuck apart, and even when they were temporarily separated, the determination to get back to each other was strong. I felt the chemistry between Emily and Tuck and their romance was worth the wait. I felt the butterflies, the passion they stole in between everything, and the beauty of their love. Tuck and Emily were great together and their romance was meaningful.

I never imagined reading a storyline quite like this one, but of course, Mia Sheridan wrote it perfectly. Tuck and Emily’s story was full of obstacles that often times challenged them in ways they never before. In addition, Tuck and Emily were forced to make hard choices in order to survive and witnessed some dark things along the way. Thankfully, Tuck and Emily had each other to rely on, and help each other through this difficult situation. Honestly, while some parts were a bit slow, and I honestly could care less for Charlie, the romance portion of this story really highlighted the bond between Emily and Tuck. As childhood friends, Emily and Tuck had always known each other growing up, but now as adults things were different, and were faced with a new world that was crumbling in many ways. Towards the end, the story took a bit of a turn that I wasn’t necessarily surprised with, but it did add a bit of drama to the story, as well as added to the high stakes of Emily and Tuck trying to get back together. In other words, this story was one that got better the more I read, the romance was lovely, Tuck and Emily had me feeling their love strongly, and my goodness those two together were just perfect. By the end of the story, and the epilogue I was happy with how Tuck and Emily were, but also given a bit of an idea how life for them in the aftermath. I’d like to think Tuck and Emily are doing good, remaining hopeful and optimistic. Good job to Mia Sheridan for writing this fascinating story, loved Tuck and Emily!

The post apocalyptic premise of this was really interesting because I’ve never read a book with a second chance trope in this setting. Archer’s Voice remains my favorite book by Sheridan and I can see this one was different from her usual style. So, that’s why I felt I couldn’t connect to it as much as I wanted to. I LOVED Tuck! But Emily was very frustrating at times. The “before” chapters set up their relationship and while I did enjoy how adorable they were and how their dynamic changed, the pacing of the romance felt off and it wasn’t as natural as I was hoping it to be. The plot was interesting enough because I was actually hooked on the dystopia setting as they are trying to get through the disaster and rediscovering each other. However, this book just didnt completely work out for me because it felt like there was too much going with the romance thrown into the midst of everything.

Thank you for the ARC. I was so excited to be chosen for this book as I’ve heard this author is great. I haven’t read anything by her yet so this was a first. It was a very slow burn. Good start, dragged on the middle and ok ending. This was not what I expected from this author but I will for sure try her other books in the future to see what all the hype is about.

A like for me! Typically love Mia Sheridan’s books but this one was just ok. I wasn’t hurrying to pick it up again but was invested in the story as a whole.

Thank you to @netgalley for a copy of Heart of the Sun by Mia Sheridan. The opinions expressed below are my own.

I really enjoy Mia Sheridan's books being that Archers Voice is one of my favorites. However, Heart of the Sun was a huge disappointment.

I reluctantly finished this book. The very beginning was great and held a lot of potential but around the 30% mark it just fell off for me. The plot was boring , I felt like I was just watching a very bad episode of an apocalyptic show. The FMC was boring, the MMC was boring, their relationship was boring and things didn't happen with them till like 75% in.

I mostly skimmed the last 30% of this book. It really was a waste of time for me.

“I’d find you in the dark.”

Listen, I am the worst at reading a synopsis, so this book was a rollercoaster ride for me. This is definitely one of the most unique romances I've ever read. It started off giving Reminders of Him vibes. The characters are childhood best friends, the MMC, Tuck, was just released from prison, and something seems to have gone down between them but you don't know what it is. Now, the FMC, Emily, is a famous popstar, who is giving Tuck a second chance by hiring him as her body guard. While in a plane, a solar flare hits the earth, sending the world into chaos. I haven't seen The Last of Us, so I kept picturing The Walking Dead minus the zombies. It almost felt like the author had an idea for three different books and thought, lets combine them all together. It actually works really well.

Here's why not reading a synopsis worked against me though... I was looking to read a cozy romance with a little bit of drama like Archer's Voice. The world is crazy right now and I was looking for a little bit of an escape. This was not that, however I did really enjoy this book outside of the existential dread it added to my life. Every day I try to tell myself I don't need a "go-bag" or an apocalypse kit, but this book chipped away at my refrain.

Tropes: Slow burn, childhood friends to enemies to lovers, popstar x body guard, dystopian/ post apocalyptic

Thank you to NetGalley, Harlequin Trade Publishing, and Harlequin Audio for the opportunity to read the ebook/audiobook in exchange for my honest review.

📖 Book Review 📖 How much of the part of childhood “you” do you still carry with you today? Emily and Tuck were thick as thieves growing up but a tragedy upended Tuck’s life and separated them. Thirteen years later, their paths finally cross again when pop singer Emily hires Tuck as her bodyguard, offering him a second chance after he has served time. But time and experiences change us and it quickly becomes clear that these two are not the same pair they were as teenagers. Could an apocalyptic solar flare that brings down their plane force the two to find the common ground they once shared? Heart of the Sun is a survivalist adventure paired with a second chance romance that hits all of the right notes.

Thanks Harlequin for the eARC/ALC!

I really loved the beginning of the book and was super excited to read more about Em and Tuck’s story but the longer it went on the more bored I got. 😅

I love second chance romance and that plot line was great but the entire dystopian journey home was SO boring. It felt like they were just doing the same thing over and over again just with different people.
The ending felt rushed - it seemed like an ending just to end. 🤷🏻‍♀️

Maybe this one wasn’t for me.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

Mia is one of my top favorite authors, and I get excited every time she has a new book coming! She has a way of writing a book that sucks me in from the beginning and has me engaged till the end.

And of course I just knew I had to see about reviewing this one early after I had read the description. As soon as I picked up Heart Of The Sun I couldn’t put it down, it was just that good. Even though it was a slow burn (which I’m a little iffy about sometimes) I still thoroughly enjoyed it!

Mia is an author who brings us amazing characters who are such strong people that struggle with things that happen with real people. Every character she has written I have fallen in love with and I think each and every one of them are strong, Tuck and Emily included. They both had some good character growth overall, the span of the story.

A little about them is that both Tuck and Emily were childhood friends who found their way back to each other during a cataclysmic solar flare. This particular story is something I’ve never read before so I was a little skeptical going into it, but after giving it a chance I enjoyed it. Tuck is an ex-con while Emily is a rising pop star in need of security, where she brings on Tuck (talk about interesting). Their bond and relationship truly grows throughout the story, which is exciting (due to the slow burn of it all)

Overall I enjoyed the suspense as well as the emotional rollercoaster this story had on me. I highly recommend Heart Of The Sun, who is looking for a good read from Mia Sheridan that is unlike her other books!

I just want to say a huge thank you to both NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for this eArc in exchange for my honest review!

Thank you for allowing me to read the ARC for this book.

I love Mia Sheridan as an author and was excited to read something a little bit different from her. This was a book about second chance romance in a dystopian world. I enjoyed the ride this book took me on and the connection between Tuck and Emily, I look forward to reading more of MIa Sheridan's books!

Tropes for this book include:
• Enemies to Lovers
• Childhood Best Friends
• Slow Burn Romance
• Second Chances
• Popstar + Bodyguard
• New Adult Dystopian fiction
• The HBO show The Last of U

ARC Review

I absolutely love Mia Sheridan, she is an auto buy author for me. Sadly, I just do not vibe with her suspense/non romance books.

This post apocalyptic story had a love aspect but it took a back seat. The main characters survive a plane crash to find the world is much different than when they took off and thet have to make their way home.

Unfortunately, this was very anticlimactic and kind of a snooze. I’m so sad that this wasn’t for me.

Huge thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review!

This one didn't really work for me. I have loved every book of Mia's to date but this one felt like a hodgepodge of things that were never fully executed. Pains me to rate on her books 3 (even though 3 is not bad in my eyes - it's just not the standard I'm used to from Mia). The story was very interesting and I was intrigued from the start but I wasn't bought into the love story or the dystopian. I saw it through thinking it had to end up being a 5 star but in the end I just didn't love it.

Im a big fan of Mia Sheridan's work and also of the Last of Us, so this was a surprise! I enjoyed this book and will definitely be adding it to my library's collection. I did thing the middle got a little muddy but overall it was very good! Sheridan's writing is a true gem.

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.