4.5 Stars!
Tuck Mattice grew up on an orange grove farm in the San Fernando Valley. It was his dream to one day carry on the family legacy, but after the loss of his mother he makes one bad decision after another and loses everything. Now as an ex-con, his future is uncertain. He’s carrying a lot of regret, and is confused and looking for purpose. He’s also in desperate need of work, and finds a job in the most unexpected place working for his childhood best friend Emily Swanson. She’d always been like family to him, but circumstances caused them to drift apart. She’d been hugely talented as a kid, and now was a famous pop star in need of security. He’s suddenly her new bodyguard, and part of her entourage. She’s like a stranger to him, and nothing like the girl he remembered.

Emily Swanson has found great success with her career. Music has always been her solace and her passion. She now lives in Los Angeles where all her dreams have come true. Then a blast from the past shows up in her world. It’s been thirteen years since she’s seen Tuck. They shared a history, but if he was going to work for her she had to keep things professional.

Tuck and Emily clash at every turn. Their relationship is complex, and then gets even more complicated when a solar flare takes out the electrical grid. It’s chaos all around them as they are faced with a crumbling society. They travel for miles as they witness a complete breakdown of civilization. As they set off on a road trip and fight for survival they realize what truly matters. One challenge after another forces them to face the unthinkable, and the harsh reality that the world has changed. When strong feelings resurface will they walk away or give in to fate?

Heart of the Sun by Mia Sheridan is an extremely unique, first loves, childhood best friends, enemies to lovers, neighbors, boss/employee, slow burn, new adult dystopian romance full of emotion, angst, action, suspense, danger and chemistry. It’s an original story about survival, redemption, second chances and love. I really enjoyed this book. I don’t think I’ve ever read anything quite like it before. It was captivating, different, and at one point I had a what am I reading moment because I thought it was a typical pop star/bodyguard romance, and then it takes a sharp detour into a post apocalyptic journey. I love everything Mia Sheridan writes! With Heart of the Sun she takes you on a wild ride where you feel fully immersed in the pages. It’s addictive and just fantastic! <333

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing/Canary Street Press for the ARC of Heart of the Sun by Mia Sheridan.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Unfortunately this was not a favorite for me. The description of this book sounded like something I’d really be interested in and the start of the book when Emily and Tuck were kids started off somewhat strong. But I found the character development somewhat forced and these characters were somewhat unlikeable. Unlikable in I just don’t connect and therefore my interest in the story was not there. I was excited to see how Mia Sheridan would combine the genres but one of the descriptors I saw used was fantasy and I didn’t get that vibe. If you are a fan of the world may be ending with a little bit of romance in there, this one’s for you.

I really enjoyed this book! It has second chance, friends to lovers. If you're a fan of The Walking Dead (without the zombies), you'll be a fan of this one.

Tuck just got out of prison. And to be honest, he has no direction and no job. When he returns to where his home was he goes to his neighbors house. Mrs Swanson mentions that her daughter, now a famous singer, needs a body guard.

When Tuck arrives to work for Emily, he doesn't find her. He finds Nova, a huge popstar who has a Hollywood boyfriend and is very different from the girl he left behind.

While traveling, their plane crashes, and it's only Tuck, Emily, and Charlie. Because the world is different. With no electricity, the world as we know it collapses. In its place is people who will do anything to survive. Mixed in with some people who are very generous and still carry their humanity.

How do you cross the country with no stable transportation? When the next person you meet just might want everything you have? Besides being a romance, this book was actually quite thrilling. And adventurous. We rely so much on these modern conveniences that when it's stripped away... it turns rough.

I loved the slow burn of it. Emily and Tuck had to get to know each other again. And rely on each other.

So if you like "post apocalyptic" novels mixed with some romance, this is your book.

First, I wanted to extend a thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to be an early reader of Heart of the Sun. The only other Mia Sheridan book I’ve read is Archer’s Voice and absolutely loved it.
This book was so different from any other books I’ve read before. While this story is noted as romance, I would say its a bit of a blend of romance and dystopian fiction with romance a bit of a subplot. Like I said, so completely different from anything I’ve ever read, but glad that I did. It’s a childhood friends to lovers romance about both Tuck and Emily.
Tuck is very protective and thrives within his environment, and reading about him will pull on your heart strings. Then there is Emily, who struggles to come to terms with her feelings regarding Tuck.
Together, their story was so captivating, with a solar flare and crazy, making it very hard to put the book down. This book came full circle towards the end in a way that had it all tying together so perfectly since the beginning of the book. The story showcases betrayal with the dark side of humanity, and that chaos that emerges with society, but also you can feel a hint of kindness. It really was a beautiful story, so I’ll be recommending this book to anyone who will listen and read it.

Tuck and Emily are childhood friends. Life happens, and tears them apart. But a new job opportunity has them rekindling that friendship and learning how much each other has changed over the years.

Emily was not my favorite. She was judgmental and annoying for more than half of the book. Eventually, she learned to be herself, and not who everyone wanted her to be, which made her more interesting and likable.

Tuck was a total mystery. But, once he opened up about his past, he became my favorite character. Knowing what he went through, and how he blamed himself for things outside of his control, made my heart break for him.

Emily has to learn how to trust Tuck again, even though she doesn’t think very highly of him. Meanwhile, Tuck has to deal with judgements of everyone around him, including his boss.

The global blackout storyline of this book was intriguing. Never knowing what would happen next, gave me so much anxiety. I never expected so much heart break, mystery, and love to be present in this book.

Heart of the Sun (a Love Story) by Mia Sheridan completely surprised me. I enjoy going into a read blind, especially if the book is by an author I haven’t experienced yet. I assumed this read was going to be a classic, second chance romance with witty banter. Enter a post apocalyptic, the grid is down, society is crumbling type of vibe. Surprise!

Emily, a pop star, links up with her childhood neighbor Tuck as he is in need of a job. With his incredible build, of course, he’s hired as her security team. While noticing unsavory choices made by Emily’s mega moviestar boyfriend Charlie, Tuck realizes that Emily’s world is filled with falsehoods.

The three are stuck together as they try to make their way home while in the middle of chaos. Normal, everyday comforts are gone. People in towns all around them shift to survival mode. Truths are revealed. If you like dystopian romances, this one is for you!

I absolutely loved the pivot this book took. Thank you NetGalley, Mia Sheridan, and Harlequin Trade Publishing for sharing an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

This was not my first rodeo with Mia Sheridan’s book. I absolutely adored Archer’s Voice years ago. Thus, this made me try to read this new book of hers.

First, I would like thank The Hive for this opportunity to read this book! When I read the blurb it was promising. Although I had a hard time getting into it. The beginning was off, because Emily seemed degrading towards Tuck. Her attitude was not appealing, it was giving subtle mean-girl, bully vibes. As I tried to continue, it seems worse on how judgmental Emily was.

I think that this book will work out to some readers. I refrained from going into further details on my review so that others can have a chance to have a feel on this book. It’s just that this was not the book for me.

Thank you, net galley for advanced copy in exchange for an honest review. I am a huge Mia Sheridan fan, and love a lot of her books, so I went in with high expectations. However, this one fell a little flat for me. I wasn't crazy about the main characters and felt like they didn't have chemistry. I also felt that the book was too long, and found myself waiting until the end. I wasn't a huge fan of this one.

Heart of the Sun by Mia Sheridan is another unique love story, and I was truly enthralled by it.

Tuck and Emily are childhood friends who let some of life's tragedies get between them. When years have gone by and they've crossed each other's paths again, will they be able to find some common ground?

The idea of something like what happens in this story happening in real life is terrifying, but even in that event, Mia Sheridan was able to portray forgiveness, hope, and so much more!

Not my favorite book by this author. I went in blind, and boy, was I surprised at the dystopian factor.

The book was a bit slow to get into, and when the crazy twist happened, it became more interesting. Reading Tuck and Emily surviving what happened was a lot.

Honestly, the book was not my cup of tea. I felt like it was more survival than romance. It did make the book interesting to keep reading, but I was not vibing with the book.

Thought provoking, clever story that is more than a romance story!
In fact it’s unlike any story I’ve read in a very long time. I’m a huge fan of this author’s writing so I went into this story blindly and I have to admit, initially I struggled to like these characters and get into their story. There was a lot going on and I kept wandering how is this story going to unfold.
I’m so glad I continued to read on, because once again this author affirms her highly inventive style where she flawlessly incorporates different genres and makes it work!

Intense, emotional and intriguing, this story really made me think what would I do under similar circumstances when faced with life’s unpredictability’s.

Can this happen?

This is Tuck and Emily’s harrowing journey where reality and dystopia are fighting for space following a plane crash. They find themselves making the decision to travel through the country, escaping some mysterious events. As Tuck and Emily make their way home, they find that home is now a crumbling society. Traveling under unpredictable and dangerous conditions, they learn things about themselves and each other making their story an emotional and gripping story of second chances and not wasting time. They learn they’ve had feelings for each other since childhood but their struggle to act on those feelings, offered a unique perspective on slow burn sexual tension which sometimes felt too slow.
HOWEVER, as their story evolved and developed, the result was an epic emotional adventure they really had me glued to the pages and the ending was chefs kiss yummy!
4.5 stars!

Childhood friends Tuck and Emily survive a catastrophic solar flare and make their way across the country back to California. The premise of this book was very intriguing and also terrifying. This book is looooong and felt like it was dragging on. I had a difficult time finding the oomph to finish it and did not feel emotionally connected to either character. While this particular book was not the one for me I do love the author.

Thanks to netgalley and the publishers for this arc!

Just out of prison, Tuck is looking for a fresh start. He lands a job providing security to Emily, a rising pop star who was once his closest friend. Time and circumstances have left them as almost-strangers to one another. While on a private cross-country flight, their plane goes down, leaving Tuck, Emily, and Emily’s boyfriend to navigate a world that has changed in an instant. Thrust into survival mode, they negotiate their new reality – one filled with danger and uncertainty. While Emily struggles to adapt without the familiar trappings of money, fame, and creature comforts, Tuck quickly finds himself in a new role – a leader. Society quickly collapses around them, but amid the chaos, Tuck sees an opportunity for what he needs most. Redemption.

Mia Sheridan is a long time favorite author so I was excited to dive into her latest release. Mia Sheridan + a dystopian love story? Yes please and thank you. While I did enjoy the story overall, I found it didn’t pack the emotional punch of Sheridan’s other books. I liked Tuck, I tolerated Emily, there were a few intriguing secondary characters, and the plot was enough to keep me invested. I struggled to feel any connection with Tuck and Emily’s relationship. The emotion and depth I’ve come to expect from Sheridan seemed to be in short supply. Readers who want a dystopian tale full of adventure are sure to enjoy this one.

This had all of the potential and I picked it because it was giving me “The Fifth Wave” vibes which was a movie I really enjoyed when I was younger and so disappointed when it wasn’t continued. This one was a let down for me… the pacing was off and honestly a little bit all over the place and it really struggled to hold my attention. The entire time all I could think about was picking up another book. The romance? I just didn’t feel it and the chemistry was lacking. While I have only read one other Mia Sheridan book “Archer’s Voice” (and absolutely loved it!!!) this one was just a let down for me personally. I ended up DNF’ing the book because I just could not get myself to pick it up and get through it :(

This newest release by Mia was a little different from what I typically read. Dystopian and fantasy type genres are not what I usually gravitate to. With that said I really enjoyed this world that Mia created and the journey the main characters had to go on to get home was really interesting and engaging. Tuck, the main male character, was wonderful. He had a heart of gold and was so smart. The main female character, Emily, took a little longer for me to warm up to. She felt a little bratty, from flashbacks to their childhood to present day, but she did a lot of growing throughout the book and I enjoyed that. It was interesting as Tuck and Emily went on this journey to think about how I would respond in a catastrophic situation like they were in. There are definitely Tuck’s in the world who can be calm and respond with a level head and then there are Emily’s who are more focused on losing tangibles in their life. Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced copy of this book.

Heart of the Sun by Mia Sheridan ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Want some romance with your end-of-the-world survival story? Want a cross-country trek and a third-wheel situation? If yes, this is your book.

I was mostly intrigued and interested in this one but found the pacing lagged in many places. And as for the last 15% of the book, I could’ve done without it. I felt like it took so long to get to the romance that the last little bit wasted the momentum that was built up. In terms of romance, I’d say it came second to the dystopian survival story. This novel really focused in on the survival aspect.

I enjoyed the characters and loved how the FMC and MMC were friends growing up. I enjoyed how they pushed each others’ buttons, but when it mattered, they were a good team. The characters were cliche, but I didn’t really mind too much.

Fans of dystopian reads sprinkled with romance will enjoy this one.

A Dystopian style romance is a new one for me, but man I was not disappointed. Between Archer's Voice, All The Little Raindrops, and now Heart of the Sun. Mia Sheridan really knows how to write and hi you straight in your feelings. This book brings you through a second chance romance that you'd never really expect but are so happy it happened. Finding their way back to a new version of normal after a catastrophe really captivated me!

Easily a 5 star read.

j'ai été agacée par Emily dès le départ alors que j'ai trouvé Tuck vraiment génial, il ne dévie jamais de sa route ni de ses convictions et j'ai adoré la manière dont il remplit ses promesses. Elle est pour le moins agaçante, j'avais envie de la secouer un peu pour qu'elle ouvre les yeux ce qui finit par arriver assez tardivement. La romance prend vraiment vraiment son temps et elle nous livre quelques beaux moments sur la fin, j'ai apprécié la manière dont l'autrice nous fait réfléchir à nos propres réactions face à tout ce qu'ils vivent. Un chouette moment dans l'ensemble.

🌞 What happens when the world ends, and the romance never really starts?

Read if you like: childhood best friends, popstar/bodyguard dynamics, post-apocalyptic vibes, slow burn (emphasis on slow), and dystopian aesthetics with a dash of romance.

📚 Heart of the Sun had all the ingredients for a compelling story—fame, a tortured ex-con, end-of-the-world stakes, and a second-chance love—but somewhere along the way, the spark fizzled out.

👨‍👧 Tuck and Emily had potential as childhood best friends reuniting under tense circumstances. Tuck’s brooding protector energy had its moments, and Emily had glimpses of depth as a former golden girl navigating a crumbling world. But neither fully came to life on the page, and their emotional arc felt underdeveloped.

💞 The romance? It tried to be slow burn, but it was mostly just slow. For most of the book, it felt like the characters were walking (literally and emotionally), and the chemistry didn’t ignite until the final chapters—and even then, the heat barely flickered.

👧 The supporting characters were sparse and forgettable. A few were hinted at, but none truly added tension or emotional weight to the journey. A love triangle setup was teased but lacked substance.

✍️ Mia Sheridan is known for heart-tugging romance, so it’s hard not to compare this to Archer’s Voice or Leo. Unfortunately, Heart of the Sun read more like a Wattpad throwback than a polished dystopian love story. The world-building felt like an afterthought, and the tension—whether romantic or survival-based—never truly gripped me.

🌟 Overall, this felt like a missed opportunity. The concept was intriguing, but both the romance and the dystopian survival elements fell flat. I wanted heart-pounding moments, emotional reconnection, or something to root for—but it stayed lukewarm the whole way through.

Thank you to Harlequin Trade Publishing | Canary Street Press for the eARC.

Mia Sheridan takes us on a ride...

So buckle up for a twist on Mia's writing and I am here for it.
Emily and Tuck were once friends, when they were young. So close, until life happened and their paths diverged in a chasm of ways. Emily went on to be a pop star. Tuck went to prison and is filled with conflict of what could have been. Years later, Emily hires Tuck to be her bodyguard and then the world changes in an instant. Post apocalyptic, Emily has zero survival skills, like zero. Thankfully, this is Tuck's time to shine, with special survival skills honed in prison, he gets to be the hero in this alternative universe from what once was.
I'm down for this story and can recommend it for a very different Mia Sheridan, and that's a good thing.
Recommend.