⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Tuck and Emily were childhood best friends, but haven't seen each other for thirteen years. Now, Emily is a rising popstar in need of a bodyguard which is how Tuck comes into the picture again. When their flight crashes as society is plunged into chaos, they both need to adapt to their new reality and learn how to survive.

This was so different from anything I've ever read! and i loved this so much. This book had everything - slow burn romance, angst, heartbreak and chemistry between the main characters. Seeing the character development, especially for Emily, was fantastic and they were both very well-rounded characters that I really enjoyed getting to know.

Heart of the Sun comes out on May 20, 2025.

Thank you Mia Sheridan, Harlequin Trade Publishing and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review❤️

This is for you if you love these tropes:

🩷childhood friends to lovers
🩷popstar x bodyguard
🩷slow burn romance
🩷second chance
🩷dystopian

Whatever I was expecting from this book with a beautiful cover...This. Was. NOT. It! I was completely Gobsmacked. If you love stories with grit, action and danger,this is your book!!!.

"Where were you when the lights went out?"

Even though I didn't expect this much verity from Mia Sheridan AT ALL. This is a BRILLIANT BOOK kept me glued for hours on end. Delicious slow burn, heartbreak, tension, angst and grumpy anti-hero, all essential ingredients to make it an immersive read are in perfect measure. Emotional depth of characters gives them multi-dimensional personalities. Every person is endowed with contrasting traits, making them believable and relatable all at once.

"I’d heard once—somewhere—that on any given day, New York City had less than a week’s worth of food for every man, woman, and child."

But be prepared to question your realities, your choices, and sometimes your surroundings. When the prose comes alive and jumps off the pages, so much that multiple times I had to check my house for power, water, food, check up on my loved ones, I knew this book was a phenomenon in itself. I don't know whether I'm glad or more scared than ever, that my life term might be an active participant in such contingency. The eerie, raw recount is chilling yet hope shines through by well placed twists. Stripping the farce, Mia creates Alpha man as God designed Adam to be. A Braveheart warrior.
Mia is a bankable author. We know when we pick up her book, 1)- it won't be a typical, formulaic story. And 2)- we get to peek into a different aspect of human psyche that we haven't seen before from her. Mia has thoroughly researched scientific aspect of solar glares or EMP eventualities in great detail. Through a fictional account, she manages to entrance and scare us at the same time as we get a glimpse of a definitely-probable future. I closed the book and let out a breath I didn't realize I was holding since I opened it.

“And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring; men’s hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken.”

The story starts with childhood friends Emily Swanson and Tucker Matice, whose happy-carefree innocent times are interrupted with progress encroaching their safe haven orange groves. Ripped apart, their fates catapult in opposing heights. She attains fame and popularity as a popstar. He gets incarcerated on felony counts. Fate gives them a second chance as Boss-employee. The strictly professional setup soon changes in a solar flare induced crash.

“The world’s gonna be different for a while,” he said. “You either adapt, or you die.”

The book changes course pretty early on. A crash, a wilderness and world gone haywire sets Nova, her boyfriend Charlie Cannon and Tuck on a hike spanning thousand miles across apocalyptic country.
Heroes change places with villains, humanity shakes faith, grace appears from in unexpected quarters. When technology becomes millstone and currency trades places with food, you know you're in deep, deep trouble. Government machinary has failed, violence dances on city streets, people hunker down in compounds and create their own sovereign parameters.

"there were a thousand unknowns and too many maybes that were bigger than us."

I'm shook by the probability of such a reality which might be just around the corner.
Anyways, there's so much to say, so much to warn about. If covid year hasn't taught us anything, then is what Mia imagined and wrote comes true, we are Royally Fucked.
Out of characters, Tuck stands out with backpack full of guilt and shame. Penance for redemption, to the point of self sacrifice drives him in danger everyday. His love for Emily /Nova is what is keeping him alive. She is a girl who lost her path for a while. Trading plastics for realism, the accident strips her artificial veneer away and resets her to original compassionate self pretty soon.
Charlie is every person in the world.
I can ramble on, but trust me when I say. Read this book in may, hold on to your thumping hearts, it's one hell of a ride!!
5 stars for Eternal Dawn, Forever Sunrise

Mia Sheridan pens a brand new dystopian romance standalone that reads like a movie and feels like a dream. Heart of the Sun follows Tuck Mattice and Emily Swanson, who were once childhood friends sharing their first kiss with each other until a tragic incident occurs that separates the two of them. In present times, Tuck is four months out of prison and struggling to find work. Emily is a rising pop star who eventually hires Tuck to become her bodyguard. While on the plane traveling from California to New York for Emily’s tour, Tuck and Emily, along with Charlie, Emily’s boyfriend, get hit by a solar flare, causing their plane to crash, leaving them stranded. From there, the three decide to travel on foot back to California. But the journey back causes tensions to rise, feelings to reemerge, and lessons to be learned.
 
This novel was so enthralling and captivating! From the characters to the plot to the suspense to the romance, everything kept me immersed in Tuck and Emily’s journey back home. Tuck was the main star of the book. He was the greenest flag in a field of green flags and protective of Emily. He was passionate, brave, and honorable, and despite everything that has happened to him, he remains selfless, persistent, and resilient, putting others before him and ensuring that everybody is safe. Emily, on the other hand, took a while for me to warm up to her, but reading her character development was gratifying and made up for it.
 
Heart of the Sun is a second-chance romance that focuses on redemption, love, and resilience. It’s a story of learning how to accept and learn from past mistakes and learning how to not be burdened by guilt and fear. It’s about two people overcoming their vulnerabilities and becoming strong as a result of it. But most of all, it’s a story of love and forgiveness and allowing oneself to accept love instead of running away from it in fear of having it taken away.
 
I loved this book, and this could easily be reimagined into a movie with the way Mia poetically wrote this tender and heartwarming novel. The ending was so wonderfully written and had me tearing me up. I always love Mia’s writings, and I’m excited to see what she writes next in the future.
 
Thank you so much to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review!
 
This review will be posted on 12/25/24 at Goodreads.

When Mia announced she was releasing this book, I was very excited. I am a huge fan of The Last of Us, and with the world in the state is in right now, I admit I have been watching all kinds of movies and shows that deal with what we would do as a society if a situation like this actually happened. And I am not embarrassed to admit I've taken several tips from some well known preppers on what we should all have on hand in case of a catastrophic event.

I'm usually not a big fan when the two main characters squabble the way Emily and Tuck did, but their history was such that it made sense why they did, and it even added to the tension and chemistry that was building between them. Tuck was a big, brooding hunk of man, and his recent past, being convicted and serving prison time actually added to the allure of his character. But the most important thing was he had a really good head on his shoulders and he was more than capable of taking care of Emily with the limited resources they had on hand.

Emily, right from the start I got the impression she lost her way when fame and fortune hit for her, and I loved the transformation she went through on the journey back to California from a spoiled brat to a selfless woman who gave her all and helped as many as she could.

I must admit, I really expected this book to be darker, more graphic if I am supposed to liken it to The Last of Us, and it really didn't head down that dark path. It alludes to some bad things happening to people, but off page. That is kind of good, I don't really need to read about more pain and suffering.

I was so happy with how this story ended. There were a few stragglers I wished I had answers to, like whether Charlie made it somewhere safely. He was such a big part of Emily's story in the beginning but then he just took off, so I think I needed to know how he ended up. Or I thought perhaps Emily and Tuck would encounter him again along the journey.

Mia has really been expanding her offerings lately and I am the first to say how excited I am at all the different tropes she is writing in now. I am here for all of it!

Archers Voice is one of my favorite romance novels so I jumped at the chance to read Mia’s new one. I really enjoyed this- so good!

I normally love this author and while the writing itself was well done, the story just didn’t gel for me. I didn’t really like or sympathize with the main characters, and the ending was just so unrealistic that it annoyed me. I was pretty disappointed in this as I really wanted to love it. Thanks for the ARC Netgalley.

Thank you NetGalley for this arc! This book was so different than any other romance book I’ve read! The childhood friends to lovers is always one of my favorites. I was so captivated by this solar flare, 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. I do wish we could have had an update on the families that Emily & Tuck came across on their journey but overall, I absolutely loved this story and highly recommend everyone read this 🥹

Mia Sheridan delivers another masterpiece with Heart of the Sun, seamlessly blending romance, suspense, and dystopian intrigue in a way that is both gutwrenching and utterly captivating.

Set against the backdrop of sunlit orange groves and a world descending into chaos, Heart of the Sun explores the fragile beauty of love and resilience in the face of an unforgiving reality. Emily Swanson and Tuck Mattice’s journey from childhood best friends to enemies to lovers is a slow burn rollercoaster packed with tension, passion, and tender moments that had me rooting for them every step of the way.

Emily, a pop star struggling with the confines of fame, is a heroine I couldn’t help but love—her strength and vulnerability shine brightly even as the world crumbles around her. Tuck, the brooding ex con turned bodyguard, is an absolute standout. His blend of stoic protectiveness and raw yearning makes him the perfect complement to Emily’s fire. Their banter is electric, their chemistry palpable, and their emotional scars make their eventual reconnection all the more satisfying.

Sheridan’s vivid descriptions of a post-apocalyptic California are hauntingly beautiful. The chaos following the solar flare feels so realistic, adding a layer of tension and stakes that keep the pages flying. Fans of The Last of Us will feel right at home in this gritty yet hopeful dystopian world.

For readers who adore tropes like second chances, enemies to lovers, childhood best friends, and popstar and bodyguard romances, this book delivers them with perfection. The slow burn romance is packed with aching tension, and the emotional payoff is worth every moment of longing.

Heart of the Sun is more than a romance—it’s a story about survival, redemption, and rediscovering what truly matters. Mia Sheridan has created a poignant and unforgettable tale that will stay with me long after the final page. Highly recommended for anyone who loves their romance with a side of adventure and a dose of dystopian grit!

Thank you to NetGalley, Mia Sheridan, and Canary Street Press for the eARC of this book.

It doesn't matter what the book is about. If Sheridan is the author, I will read it! I fell fast for this title. The story was captivating and intense. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

Heart of the Sun is a standalone title written by Mia Sheridan.

Expected release date of May 2025.

*Childhood best friends
*Enemies to Lovers
*Dystopian

I am a sucker for a dystopian romance book, mainly because I know I would never be able to survive in a world without electricity and basic necessities.

Emily and Tuck grew up together, sharing a first kiss before life tore them apart for almost a decade. Now, Tuck is back in Emily’s life thanks to her mother and he is thrown into a life of celebrity mayhem as the FMC’s bodyguard.

On a flight a New York from California the world is hit with a solar flare that leaves everyone in the dark and struggling to adjust. The main couple survive the plane crash and are left trying to find their way back to California.

On their way, they find themselves reconnecting from their teen years and learning to trust each other in world that is turning to violence and hysteria.

No OW drama, slight OM drama in the form of Emily’s boyfriend. No spicy scenes between the FMC and boyfriend, only between the main characters. No third act breakup.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for the opportunity to read and review this title.

Format: NetGalley ebook
Genre: Contemporary fiction, Romance
Overall score:⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice level:🌶️🌶️🌶️
Characters: Emily (FMC) & Tuck (MMC)

Mia Sheridan has such a way with words creating such delicate and emotional stories that tug at your heart strings. Heart of the sun is an emotional second chance romance that takes dystopian elements in such a unique way. Childhood friends that turn to strangers and meet again but this time she's a pop princess and he's her new bodyguard but then the circumstance leads them to leaning on each other for survival and it is tension filled, emotional, palpable with angst. It is unique, emotional and full of suspense, fans of Mia Sheridan and suspenful romance will love this book!

Synopsis: Childhood neighbors reunite only for a solar flare to hit Earth and send them in to a dystopian, apocalyptic world. They must work together to get back home.
Thoughts: What a unique storyline! It was very detailed and did drag for me a bit/was long, but could play out as a cool movie!
Thank you to NetGalley for the arc! It will release in May.

I honestly wasn’t sure what I was expecting from this book! I was so blessed to have received an ARC! I’m such a huge fan of Mia’s, so I knew this book had to be amazing, right? Dystopian/end of the world is really not a genre of book I’d go for. However, thanks to Mia’s incredible way with words, I’m taking that thought back! What I think I enjoyed most about this book is that the journey Tuck and Emily (and Charlie) went on had given them the chance to exist in the quiet of their new world. They were able to see heartache and still grow as individuals. It really was such a moving story. I honestly was almost done with the book and didn’t feel particularly moved by the story. But then Mia was like, here hold my beer. Oh man! I was a goner with tears streaming done my face!Heart of the Sun is an absolute must read! You will not be disappointed!!!

I was so happy to get an ARC for one of my most anticipated releases of 2025. Honestly, Mia Sheridan simply never disappoints and I fell irresistibly in love with Heart of the Sun. The romance was to die for, Tuck and Emily's chemistry was palpable and I couldn't get enough of them. But seriously, what I loved most was the dystopian elements.
Overall, I feel like Heart of the Sun is the book I have longed for for a very long time. And I will definitely be re-reading this masterpiece.

Heart of the Sun by Mia Sheridan is a captivating blend of romance and dystopian fiction that keeps readers engaged from start to finish. Set against the backdrop of California's sun-drenched orange groves and a world transformed by a massive solar flare, this novel offers a unique twist on the childhood friends-to-lovers trope.

Sheridan's storytelling shines as she weaves together the lives of Tuck Mattice, an ex-con seeking redemption, and Emily Swanson, a pop star whose fame suddenly loses meaning in the face of global upheaval. The author skillfully explores themes of second chances, resilience, and the power of human connection in times of crisis.

The chemistry between Tuck and Emily is palpable, and their journey from stubborn resistance to irresistible attraction is both believable and heartwarming. Sheridan excels at character development, allowing readers to connect deeply with the protagonists and their struggles.

While the dystopian elements add an intriguing layer to the story, at times they can overshadow the romantic aspects that Sheridan's fans have come to expect. Additionally, some readers might find the pacing slightly uneven as the narrative balances between the characters' personal growth and the larger societal changes.

Despite these minor drawbacks, Heart of the Sun is a compelling read that successfully combines elements of romance and speculative fiction. Sheridan's ability to create emotionally resonant characters shines through, making this novel a solid addition to her body of work.

✨ARC Review✨
This book is truly unlike any book I’ve read! I’ve always really enjoyed Mia’s writing and the different story concepts she comes up with, and this one did not disappoint! The story brought together a great combination of childhood-friends-to-lovers romance, with Emily and Tuck, with some dystopian/sci-fi elements that I really enjoyed. The writing pulled you in lots of different directions and made you really feel so many different emotions. I do wish we got some closure about some of the side characters, but I really enjoyed reading this book! Thanks so much to Harlequin and NetGalley for the ARC!
4⭐️

Oh, do I love me some Mia Sheridan. Her latest, Heart of the Sun was great. I was so excited to be able to read this!

I have been CRAVING this type of story for so long! As a big fan of the walking dead, I’ve been wanting to read an apocalyptic type story and this one was fabulous. It was a wild, wild ride. Seeing Tuck and Emily come back together after their shared history, learn how to survive, and fall in love was wonderful.

4 STARS. I have always been a huge fan of Mia's work and once again I am blown away but how different this is from some of her other work. In a post-apocalyptic world, Tuck and Emily discover what is truly of value and importance. This childhood friends to lovers sci-fi mashup was one of a kind and I, myself, found myself attempting to visualize what the sky would look like. If you're looking for something filled with second chances, character growth, years of pining, and very minimal spice... this is 100% for you. I really enjoyed this.

WOW, i can’t believe i got an arc from one of my favorite authors!! This is a childhood friends to lovers (well almost) and i loved it! The bodyguard aspect really was intriguing to me. The dystopian aspect also really added to the story to me, i think it made the plot a lot stronger adding a little something different. Overall i really enjoyed it. While Archer’s Voice is still my all time favorite, this one really hit the mark for me as well!