Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to read this in exchange for a review. If this were my first Mia Sheridan book, my review may have been higher. I have also read too many books a this point that unfortunately this one was missing a wow factor. I liked the idea of this book but it just didn’t deliver. Friends to lovers but a slow burn, I was left wanting more. It was just “ok” for me.

You’ll enjoy this book if you like:
🔥 Childhood Best Friends
🔥 Bodyguard
🔥 Popstar
🔥 Forced Proximity
🔥 Post-Apocalyptic/Dystopian
🔥 The Last of Us/The Walking Dead Vibes
🔥 Slowburn

Tuck Mattice is in desperate need of a fresh start. When his childhood friend, a now-famous popstar, Emily Swanson offers him a position as her bodyguard, things begin to look up. When solar flares send the world into darkness and society breaks down, Tuck and Emily have no choice but to turn to each other in order to survive and get home. Throughout the journey, they’re forced to face their past and grow closer and find that even in the dark, love can bloom.

I fell in love with Mia Sheridan’s writing back when I first read Archer’s Voice, and I was nervous about how I’d feel about Heart of the Sun with it being a dystopian romance. I can happily report that I really enjoyed it!

I adore Tuck. From the very first chapter, I’ve been his biggest cheerleader. I can confidently say this man is a MUCH better person than me though, because I would’ve ditched Charlie - and maybe considered leaving Emily - early on… His back has to hurt after absolutely carrying those two. He is such an honorable, caring guy - even when he didn’t want to be - and I love him for that.

I’ll admit, I wasn’t a huge fan of Emily for quite some time. Around the halfway point, I finally started to warm up to her, even more so when she really started to think about everything she’d seen and experienced since the solar flares hit and came to some eye-opening realizations. I’m really glad that she had such growth throughout the story and turned into a more lovable character by the end.

The pacing was a bit slow, but honestly I really liked that it was. It truly felt like I was sitting down watching a few episodes of “The Walking Dead” (obviously without the zombies) or “The Last of Us” (once again, obviously without the infected), seeing all the different locations and the people/interactions as they worked their way back home. It was really entertaining.

The final few chapters had me on a whole rollercoaster of emotions. Be prepared to have some tissues nearby because oh my gosh some of those chapters hurt. But the ending absolutely makes all the pain worth it. I am quite curious to know how Charlie’s doing though after everything…

Thank you so much to Mia Sheridan, Canary Street Press, HTP Hive, and NetGalley for the opportunity to ARC read this book. All thoughts are my own. 💗

(4.25 stars)
Heart of The Sun was my first Mia Sheridan book and I am now looking forward to checking out her earlier books. Heart of The Sun is a mix of genres: a dystopian second-chance romance and road trip. Maybe you’re thinking, “What??” I don’t blame you!

The book starts off with a vivid description of a small plane crash (not ideal, as I was reading/listening to this on a flight!!) as all systems suddenly become non responsive. It turns out that there was a major solar flare which took out virtually all electronic systems on earth.

We follow two main characters, Emily and Tuck (and a lot of side characters). They were childhood friends, having been raised on neighboring orange groves in California. Life took them in different directions and they haven’t seen each other in a long time. Emily is a pop star, while Tuck has been in prison (we eventually find out why) and has struggled to find employment. Emily hires Tuck as a bodyguard, which is why they are on the plane together, along with Emily’s current boyfriend, Charlie, a well-known actor. I could tell right away that Charlie would be totally clueless in this crisis.

The book follows the trio’s efforts to survive amid the chaos. The descriptions of how people reacted to these new circumstances was pretty realistic, in my opinion. It made me question how I would react, and whether I’d have enough smarts and skills to survive such a disaster. One of the encounters that really struck me was a father, desperate to find formula or a nursing mother to feedhis infant. My heart broke to think of that family. And of course, there’s violence, as society has totally broken down. But as Mr. Rogers would point out: Look for the helpers.

There is great character development: Emily really matured over the course of the story, and Tuck came to realize his strengths.

I mostly listened to the audiobook version of Heart of The Sun and it was so well done. We get two narrators, André Santana and Annalee Scott, each of them voicing different chapters from either Tuck’s or Emily’s POV.

Thank you to Canary Street Press and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advance reader copy of this book and to Harlequin Audio and NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to an advance copy of this audiobook. All opinions are my own.

A dystopian romance, focused on survival and a second chance at love between childhood friends turned strangers after time a part. The plot kept me engaged trying to figure out what was going to happen next, which is always a win for me. I read along and listened to the audio for this one and the narrators captured the characters well. I’m a Mia fan so I was looking forward to this one, which is definitely different than others I’ve read of hers. I’m not really a dystopian romance girlie but overall I did enjoy this one.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this eARC and 🎧 ARC.

I really enjoyed reading Mia Sheridan books, this one caught my attention because it wasn’t the topical romance story, and I really love that it had a little bit of everything ( romance, suspense, mystery).
However I think it was missing a lot of back story for Emily and Tuck I would’ve love for the story to be focused in their relationship prior the events and what really happened before. Overall it’s a good fast paced read, defined will recommend it to my friends!

Another hit from Mia!!

Heart of the Sun is a modern day setting up until a solar flare hits and sends the world into darkness. In this post-apocalyptic setting, Tuck and Emily are forced together trying to navigate this new, chaotic world. They navigate survival and and learn to priorize what’s really important.

I am a huge Mia fan, so there may be bias here - but I really enjoyed this story! It wasn’t the typical Mia love story, but it was impactful just the same. The storyline was unique, the characters were varied and showed impressive growth, and I was absolutely locked in for the duration of the book.

This is definitely a must read for fans of dystopian romance, high-stakes plot, and Mia lovers!

4.5 stars rounded up
Mia Sheridan’s stories are intense and emotional. There was always something big happening in this book. Lots to keep me on my toes.

The dystopian aspect kept my mind intrigued the entire time. Mia starts the book with a boom and I was hooked. Tuck and Emily’s story is a classic second chance romance…while the world is falling apart around them. I fell hard for Tuck and how amazing of a man he was.

The dual POV was top notch!

Thank you NetGalley!

Wow, this book. It was so unexpected and had so many twists and turns. Is apocalyptic romance a thing? I honestly had no idea, and I am here for it. This was my first Mia Sheridan book and now I cannot wait to read more of her stuff. This was a delightful slow, slow burn that started off as a bodyguard/popstar romance and then became SO MUCH MORE. When popstar Emily, her actor boyfriend, and bodyguard wind up in a plane crash stranded in the wilderness, they must navigate their survival and the unknown world without technology or any communication systems.

I loved this book, y'all. I loved Emily and Tucker. Their dual POVs and differing timelines between the present and their childhood was so fantastic. I stayed up long into the night to finish this one.

Heart of the Sun is the Bodyguard meets Mad Max meets World War Z. I could not love this one more. Thank you, thank you to HTP Books, The Hive, and Netgalley for this e-arc. I cannot wait to read more Mia Sheridan!

I received Heart of the sun from netgallery for an honest review. I absolutely loved survival/suspense novels, but this one was very slow. I felt that from the beginning, Emily was just annoying, constantly complaining and crying. Tuck was smart and knew how to survive. Don't get me started with Charlie... what was that about?

anyways... 3 Stars for keeping me interested.

𝗙𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁:

So I went into this one blind and wow 😱 that took a wild turn! I’m not usually a fan of post catastrophic societies but this one was done so well, it showed both the dark and good side of society. What an amazing book full of character growth, resilience, compassion, love and humanity. I binged this book and I want it made into a movie!

𝐒𝐲𝐧𝐨𝐩𝐬𝐢𝐬:

Tuck and Emily grew up in California on neighboring orange farms, and their moms were best friends. But in hs Tucks mom developed cancer and his world started to fall apart. Shortly after her death his dad sold the farm and it began his spiral. He went to live with his uncle and ended up serving 6 years behind bars.

Now he’s out and he’s realizing there is no place in society for a felon, no one will hire him. So he returns to Emily’s parent’s farm in hopes they will show him some kindness and give him a job. But they are struggling and can’t help him, however they had Emily hook him up with a bodyguard job.

Emily always loved to sing from a young age and she was preparing to go on her first tour as the superstar Nova. They are headed to the east coast when their plane falls from the sky. Emily, her boyfriend and Tuck miraculously survive.

Unsure of what happened they start their journey home. But the world is no longer the same and they will soon learn they will need to fight to survive on the path from IL back to CA.

𝙁𝙖𝙫 𝙌𝙪𝙤𝙩𝙚:

Tuck: “I promised you I’d keep you safe, didn’t I?”

Emily: “Yeah, but even you can’t protect me from everything.”

Tuck: “Watch me.”

𝑳𝒊𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒂𝒓𝒚 𝑻𝒉𝒆𝒎𝒆𝒔 𝒀𝒐𝒖’𝒍𝒍 𝑭𝒊𝒏𝒅:

* Second Chance - Childhood Neighbors
* Pop Star x BodyGaurd
* Then & Now Timelines
* Six Years in Prison - Involuntary Manslaughter
* Solar Flares - Plane Crash in IL💥
* Post Disaster Survival - Grid Collapse
* Finding Way Home Through Obstacles
* Home “Citrus Row” in California
* Dual POV - Slow Burn w/ Mild Spice

☀️⚡️✈️💥 ☀️⚡️✈️💥 ☀️⚡️✈️💥⚡️☀️

The concept of this book was so interesting, and honestly a little terrifying. It’s unlocked a whole new anxiety in me, so thanks a lot for that! But although I’m now terrified of a world where the whole electrical grid is broken and everyone is left to fend for their lives (I lived through covid and have no faith in people anymore when it comes to not hoarding and working together for the common good), I still really enjoyed this book. It was very reminiscent of The Walking Dead (without the zombies). It definitely gave me so much to think about when it comes to what would be valuable and important in a post-apocalyptic world and how a person can work to survive without losing their humanity along the way. I feel like the ending was rushed a bit, and I was starting to question if this was going to be the start of a series. It did wrap up in the end, but I still feel like it had some unanswered questions and could have ended a little more smoothly. Otherwise it was a good read and totally different than anything else I’ve read before. I recommend giving it a shot if you’re brave enough to temporarily live in a world with no phones, electricity, government, food and water sources, or modern conveniences of any kind!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Mia Sheridan is an absolute star at writing books that I cannot put down! I read this book in 24 hours and could have read it in less if I didn’t need sleep! The depth of the emotion woven into the story is amazing. I really enjoyed how the story progressed over the timeline and enjoyed the dystopian aspect.

Tuck is an ex-con looking for a new start. Emily/Nova is his childhood friend turned pop singing sensation. Emily's mother convinces her to hire him as her new new bodyguard. But on their way to her next concert, their plane suddenly crashes. Tuck, Emily, and her actor-boyfriend are the only survivors. Over the next few weeks they travel in search of answers. Why did their plane crash? What caused the power grid across the country to collapse? Will they survive and make it back home to California?

This was very different from any other Mia Sheridan book I have read. While it is a sweet love story at heart, it is also about surviving in a post-apocalyptic world. With so much talk lately of power grid failure, this made the novel a bit scary. I loved the characters of Tuck and Emily and their love story. But this story made me think about how me and my family would survive in the off chance something like this happened in real life. The story started off strong, but slowed down a bit after the plane crash. Midway through it picks up again, and I was invested in how their story would end.

I went into this book with no knowledge and no expectations. Having known the plots of her previous books, I was very interested in seeing where this one went.

Unfortunately, this book fell a bit flat for me. It was hard to keep focused, the pacing was all off for me, and I just wanted more from the romance.
I ended up switching between the ebook and audiobook (which I enjoyed), but ended up with a DNF around halfway.

I will still love to give the rest of her books a try!

Thanks to Harlequin Trade Publishing & Canary Street Press for the eARC.

3.5 stars rounded up!

This was a decent read! I was very intrigued by the premise and thought the characters and their development fit the plot well. My biggest hang up, though, is that this definitely wasn’t a romance. The core of the story was surviving this unexpected change in the world, leading to a dystopian landscape; the romance was a very VERY minimal sub plot.

Overall with the right expectations this would be a solid read.

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for this ARC audiobook for an honest review.

This started off well with Emily and Tuck as childhood friends which is one of my favorite tropes. There is separation and circumstances that takes their lives in vastly different directions. Emily now a famous singer and Tuck an ex-con who is hired as her bodyguard. This is kind of a dystopian storyline of survival, mixed with a second chance romance. However, I never became fully invested in our couple. Emily has a (horrible) boyfriend for a lot of the book. Sadly, I just didn't feel a true connection, love story for the two.

I have enjoyed other Mia Sheridan books so I will still check those out!

2.5 stars

#HeartoftheSun #NetGalley
I could see how the premise of the story had merit and some promise of intrigue, but it just fell flat for me as did the romance. It seemed as if Mia Sheridan wrote these characters with no real attachment to them and therefore granting us, the reader, no real attachment to the story.

3.5 Stars

I picked this one because I loved Archer's Voice and this sounded like an interesting mix of romance and dystopian. However, this was VERY light on romance and heavy on the dystopian.

Emily aka Nova and Tuck grew up next door to each other but they're lives took very different turns. When emerging pop singer Emily is in need of a bodyguard, her mom suggests she hire Tuck, who has recently been released from serving 6 years in prison. While flying to a show, the plane their on suddenly falls from the sky and the story quickly becomes one of survival as they meet obstacle after obstacle on their way back to California.

I was hoping for more romance and tension, but it was pretty minimal. However, I was still invested in their story of survival so I kept on reading! Overall entertaining, just not what I was expecting.

Definitely one of my favorite reads of 2025 so far! I couldn’t put the book down once I started reading it.. It fully sucked me in and the author really did such a great job on this. I can’t wait to tell all of my friends to check it out!!

Mia Sheridan is bringing back dystopian fiction with Heart of the Sun. It had fast-paced action, stressful survival scenarios, and an emotionally charged, sweet second chance romance. Tuck and Emily grew up on neighboring orange groves, but lost touch after Tuck’s family was struck by tragedy. He made some bad choices, but years later, is looking to get his life back on course. Emily has become a famous pop star, and at the urging of her mother, hires Tuck to be her bodyguard. While on a cross-country flight, the earth is struck by a solar flare, resulting in the collapse of society as they know it. Tuck adapts quickly to the new, brutal world and keeps Emily safe and alive as he fights to return her home. As they spend more time together, they get to know each other all over again and slowly fall in love as they learn to accept their new reality. I had a good time with it, especially the audiobook. André Santana and Annalee Scott did a great job voicing Emily and Tuck. They really brought the emotions and longing that these characters feel for each other to life and helped make this a compelling read.

Thank you to The Hive, Canary Street Press, Harlequin Trade Publishing, HTP Audio, Harper Collins, Mia Sheridan, and NetGalley for the ARC and ALC.

📔Heart of the Sun
✏️ Mia Sheridan
📆 May 20, 2025
⭐️⭐️⭐️

READ IF YOU LIKE:
🎤high stakes dystopian fiction
🎤bodyguard x pop-star
🎤childhood neighbors and friends
🎤second chance romance
🎤dual POV