Heart of the Sun by Mia Sheridan completely pulled me in with its emotional depth and slow-burn intensity. I’ve always loved a story about second chances, and this one delivered in the most heartfelt way. The romance unfolded gradually, which made every small moment between the characters feel all the more powerful.

What really stood out to me were the characters themselves. They were layered, flawed, and so easy to root for. I felt like I was right there with them, experiencing every spark of connection and every step toward healing.

If you enjoy love stories that take their time and dive deep into the emotional lives of their characters, Heart of the Sun is absolutely worth reading. It stayed with me long after I turned the final page.

⭐️⭐️½

I really wanted to love Heart of the Sun, and there are definitely some bright spots worth mentioning. I especially enjoyed Tuck—such a grounded, likable character who brought a lot of heart to the story. The audiobook narration was also really well done; the narrators brought good emotion and depth to the characters, which kept me engaged even when the plot felt a bit overwhelming.

For me, the biggest challenge was the pacing and sheer volume of dramatic events. In just the first quarter of the book, there are about 17 major, life-altering moments, one after the other, without much breathing room. It became a little hard to suspend disbelief at times, and I struggled to fully connect with any single thread because new twists kept coming so quickly. There are definitely good ideas and compelling pieces here—it just felt like it could have been three separate books, each focusing on a few of the events, rather than everything packed into one.

Overall, while this one didn’t fully come together for me, I appreciated the narration and some of the emotional moments along the way.

::Review::
How do you think you would handle a solar flare taking out the power grid across the world?
The statistics say 90% of the population would be wiped out within a year if that were to happen (no seriously.. look it up) but for Tucker Mattice, he refuses to let himself and anyone who he comes across to fall to that statistic.
This story follows a dual POV between Tucker and Emily Swanson, childhood best friends until tragedy strikes. It takes Tuck away from everything he’s ever known and changes him into a person he barely recognizes himself. This causes the two friends to fall out of touch.. until one day they are brought back together by fate (or a meddling mother).. Tuck gets the job as Emily’s bodyguard.
Emily is living it up in the spotlight, a massive pop star “Nova”, dating one of the biggest named actors (Charlie) and as she brings Tuck into the team they are leaving for a world tour.
Halfway to their destination their plane suddenly loses power and plummets to the ground.. crash landing in the middle of nowhere. And here starts “Day 1” of many with no power, little food, no cell service and zero clue as to where they just landed.
Heart of the Sun turns into an emotional roller coaster of a story.. pure survival, seconds chances between first love’s and forgiveness.
If you are a fan of The Last of Us/The Walking Dead type settings but dislike the zombie part, this book is for you! The only kind of monsters in this book are of the human variety because the end of the world will bring on some of the strongest fears you’ve ever felt. And fear makes people do dangerous to survive.
A beautiful, heart tugging story from beginning to end.

A really well-written dystopian novel with romance crafted throughout. I'm not gonna lie to you, my Amazon "preparedness" list grew tenfold while reading this book. The scenes depicted in this very realistic story are not for the easily spooked. The story definitely encouraged me to consider "what would I do in this scenario?" on more than one occasion while reading and any time a book makes me stop and think and imagine, it's well done in my opinion. While the romance isn't the focal point, I really enjoyed it. A slow-burn second chance romance with great characters and a surprise twist I didn't see coming. This book felt real to me. It triggered real emotions and was thought provoking on every level. Highly recommend!

2.5⭐️

while the premise of this book was interesting and gripping, it saddens me to say that it fell a little flat at times throughout my read. i adore mia sheridan and her books so this truly bummed me out that i didn't connect to this story.

i really loved the idea of a dystopian slow-burn - i literally grew up reading those types of books! usually, this genre is considered fast-paced but the writing in "heart of the sun" was all over the place and most of all, painfully slow. i wasn't sure where we were even going but i could tell i wasn't going to be too fond of it.

thank you to harlequin trade publishing for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Let's just say that Heart of the Sun was not what I was expecting. Especially by the cover. And the tag line of "A Love Story". But it surprised me in a GOOD way and was such a unique take on what one might consider a love story. I honestly couldn't put it down. If Mia Sheridan writes it, I will read it, so I tend to go into her books blind. And I'm glad I did.

Tuck and Emily were childhood friends until life separated them and they are literally living completely different lives. One as a pop star and one as an ex con. But who would you want on your side when the world turns upside down?

Even the hardest parts of our lives provided positives from which to draw

I don't know what I was expecting but what I call a "survival romance" was not it. When a plane goes down and Tuck (the ex con), Emily (aka pop star, Nova) and her boyfriend Charlie (Hollywood star) are the survivors looking to be rescued and survive, I had no idea where the story was going to take us. A love triangle perhaps, but surely not a 'end of the world' scenario. It was about survival and trust in the midst of a world "turning dark".

As Sheridan has written a little bit of everything, I knew she would take us on an unpredictable ride. From a crash, to surviving and making ends meet with so little, we get to see how humans react differently in a post apocalyptic world. How they come together, or how they ultimately sacrifice others for themselves. I appreciated the way Sheridan seamlessly brought those ideals into the story as we we get to better understand each character and see their growth or their downfall. I did find that one character was around for way too long, but it did help open the eyes of another character.

Not only was Heart of the Sun all about the characters and their growth and realizing what they had to offer this new world they were in, but obviously the setting and the cross country trek played a huge role in the overall plot. The connections along the way, the danger, the back stabbing and ultimately the love and trust you put into the hands of others. I wouldn't call it so much a love story as a story of survival.

While the beginning grabbed me right away, the middle was filled with A LOT. Maybe a bit much. Chaos, danger and a world all looking to survive by their own hands. I really wanted to see the love story come to fruition earlier than it did, but that's not to say that the tension didn't build and have me biting at the bit. I just wanted it sooner and more of it. With all the action and danger lurking around every corner, I liked the way the ending came together, although it did seem to wrap a little too quick. With so much middle, the end could've been a little stronger.

Overall, I really liked the character growth for Tuck and Emily in their own unique ways and what they came to offer the new world. The story surprised me and I enjoyed all the twists and action along the way. With the mix of danger, romance, suspense and survival, this was a story that kept me on my toes. I just wish we would've gotten more of Emily and Tuck as a couple and less of the chaotic middle.

This dystopian book finds a popstar crash landing in the middle of the woods after a flash of light brings them down. Only to find that all of the electricity is down, no phones, no technology what so ever is working. Pandemonium ensues and it every man for themselves. This book takes a look into humanity and how quickly we turn on each other and also how quickly others show kindness and human decency.

This is a gripping, slow-burn romance set in a world turned upside down by a cataclysmic solar flare. Emily Swanson, a rising pop star, and Tuck Mattice, her childhood best friend turned brooding ex-con, are reunited when she hires him as her bodyguard. Their reunion is charged with tension, and when disaster strikes, they must navigate a perilous journey back to California, confronting their past and rekindling their connection along the way.

Sheridan masterfully blends romance with dystopian elements, creating a narrative that's both heart-pounding and emotionally resonant. The chemistry between Emily and Tuck is palpable, and their journey is filled with moments of tenderness amidst the chaos. Fans of slow-burn romances and post-apocalyptic tales will find this novel to be a compelling and satisfying read.

Thank you to Harlequin Trade Publishing for an eARC of this book!

Um i’m sorry, what was that??????

This book was all over the place, truthfully. Maybe I just went into this with the wrong expectations. I was actually excited about the security team X pop star romance trope. It had potential but frankly there was too much emphasis on “apocalypse” for me and also it was just…bad. In no particular order, my gripes:

The writing was dry, somewhat repetitive, and overall the book was way too long. The main characters were INSUFFERABLE (the amount of times I cursed Emily under my breath is unmeasurable). Emily and Tuck each had the emotional awareness of a scavenging sewer rat, and the times they intimately interacted (way less than a normal romance book) they had the chemistry of sandpaper. Charlie was in this for way too long, I mean 60% of the way through and she’s just NOW fallen out of love with him? The scene with the old truck and consequently the buggy — sure, I get why they were necessary but WHY WERE THEY LIKE THAT?! I don’t even want to get into the spicy scene(s) (but really?) What happened to all the bikes? Did nobody own a bike anywhere? I understand by nature of the final book that was produced why we dropped characters and never heard from them again but we don’t even know what happened to San Diego and that group after Merrick.

I think the wording the cover used was “A Love Story” which I guess isn’t wrong. It was also classified as a Romance, which again, isn’t technically wrong, but it should be qualified as a dystopian survival adventure romance.

I’m sure there’s more i’m missing but this was the main stuff. I should’ve DNF’ed this.

I’m a huge Mia Sheridan fan, but I just could not get into this one. I’m so sorry. 💔 There wasn’t really anything strong enough to hook me in so it’s a DNF for me.

Heart of the Sun was an interesting read where I should have closely read the synopses and not "A Love Story" on the pretty cover as this was far from a love story or a romance book. It closely aligned with a dystopian apocalyptical book with underlying romance. Sure, there were familiar tropes you'd find in a romance novel, but I felt more like I was watching episodes of The Walking Dead, just without the zombies. More survival than anything. Many instances that Emily and Tuck face throughout this second chance body guard/pop star "romance" as they tried to get home crossing the states after a solar flare hit the earth were entertaining and kept me engaged, but wasn't really the story I wanted to read and just wanted to almost skip to the end to find out what ended up happening.

This book is great for anyone who wants the familiarity of romance tropes but set in a dystopian world trying to survive in the unknown of the future of the world.

Thank you Canery Street Press for an eARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

Truth be told, I had no idea what I was getting into with this book. As a trusted author, I one-clicked without reading the synopsis. So at first, I thought this was just a generic love triangle romance (not exactly something the author is known for). Silly me, I should have known better, as what started out like many Hollywood/rock star stories, abruptly changed to a dystopian timeline. If you've seen the movie "The End of the World", it sort of has that same problem, only way worse.
But let me back track . . .

This story features two teens, Tuck Mattice and Emily Swanson, who have a brief connection, but with their lives on different trajectories, end up separated and not on good terms. Emily is now a pop star on the rise, and Tuck is an ex con. Despite their differences, Emily offers Tuck an olive branch, hiring him as her bodyguard. But Emily's boyfriend ruins their reunion before trust was built. And then everything went to shit.

I won't go into too much detail, but just imagine if our country lost all electricity all at once. Fear, panic, desperation. It's all unavoidable. Somehow, Tuck, Emily and Charlie (her boyfriend) make the most of things, finding food and water to keep them going, making alliances where possible, and fighting threats when necessary. Parts of this story felt a bit dragged out as they make their trek across the US, but maybe editing it down would have made things less impactful.

While this is more a dystopian story than a romance, there are sweet moments that develop, but I won't spoil it due the aforementioned love triangle. I also think the end was a bit abrupt, with no clear resolution to what was next, but maybe that too was necessary since dystopian novels are all about survival and rebuilding.

Overall, another great read from this author. Her creativity knows no bounds.

ARC provided by the publisher - Harlequin Trade Publishing - in exchange for an honest review

i don’t even know where to start. i really loved archer’s voice—that book hit me so hard and made me fall in love with mia sheridan’s writing. so i was really excited for heart of the sun, especially with that whole post-apocalyptic twist. i thought it sounded so cool.

but honestly… i didn’t really enjoy it. i kept waiting to feel something, and it just never really happened. the world was interesting, but it didn’t feel super intense or dangerous, even though it was supposed to be. and emily and her boyfriend were seriously stressing me out. by the time she started actually seeing tuck for who he was, i just didn’t care anymore.

i hate saying this because i know mia can write beautiful, emotional stories. i’ve seen it!! i just don’t think this one worked for me. still love her and will 100% read anything she writes next—but this wasn’t it.

I loved this action packed sci fi romance! I admire the tenacity, strength and resiliency of the main characters as they navigated a changed world. There were many suspenseful and harrowing moments throughout the story which made it impossible to put down.

I was really excited for this read. In the beginning, I was intrigued and wanted to see where this book was heading. Then it kind of got weird and I just couldn’t get into it. I really wanted to love this but it kind of fell flat for me. I skimmed the book from halfway through all the way to the end.

Thank you to Harlequin Audio for the early access to listen and review!

I wanted to love this book. I’m such a fan of a good second chance romance, enemies to lovers type deal, but this was not it…

The story itself was super slow. I felt like it took forever to get to anything remotely interesting to me. The two main characters had like no chemistry the entire way through the book. Even when they reconnected I felt like it was lacking passion in any way.

I liked the overall plot of the book, the idea of this happening is wild to think about. The execution of the book was just a bit too dry for me. I kept walking away from the book and had trouble wanting to finish it, but in the type of reader who would just wonder if the ending brought it all together and made it amazing…it did not happen.

I have read several books by Mia Sheridan, and Heart of the Sun is the first one I can honestly say I haven't loved. She is such a wonderful writer and has a way with words and an ability to convey emotion, but I felt like that did not translate as much in this novel.

Emily Swanson and Tuck Mattice were childhood best friends in California. They were practically inseparable until life happened and they end up being separated. Now in the present day, Emily is a rising pop star and Tuck has just finished a six year sentence in prison. Tuck is trying to find his place in the world, but he's been hardened by his experiences and Emily has also been changed, but in a very different way given she is now the center of attention and has everything she could ever imagine right at her fingertips. Emily's mother sees that Tuck needs a break and she asks Emily to hire him to work for her as a bodyguard. The tension between Emily and Tuck is palpable and to add to this, Tuck also has to deal with Emily's boyfriend, Charlie, who happens to be a movie star.

When the plane Emily, Tuck and Charlie are traveling on goes down, the three of them are suddenly thrust into trying to survive as life as they know it is no more. They begin walking from Indiana where the plane went down in hopes of getting back home to California. They encounter many things along the way, both good and bad, as they try to navigate their new normal.

I really wanted to like this more than I did. I felt like we never really felt what any of the characters were feeling, which I believe would have helped the reader connect more. While I did find the premise of this to be very interesting, I just didn't connect with it the way I had hoped.

**I voluntarily read an early copy of this title courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review**

Mia Sheridan has been an auto buy for me, for years. I was thrilled to get this eARC from @netgalley and @harpercollins and @htp

Heart of the Sun was a very different read. If you like a bit of romance with a dystopian story, this one is for you. It definitely did its job in freaking me out and hoping this does not happen any time soon! I honestly don’t think I would be one of the survivors 😂

The story follows Tuck and Emily from their childhood frenemies years to their twenties. Then the main plot actually takes place over about a month of time. I loved the slow burn between the two, but I do not love a triangle which happens for more than half the novel. I was also a little curious about Charlie, as we don’t really know what happened to his sorry ass (the narcissistic movie star).

I was thankful for the epilogue, as my romance reader heart needed to feel the hope as only Mia Sheridan can deliver.

rating: 4
spice: 0.5

this was so different than any mia sheridan book i’ve read before, but i loved it! it has post-apocalyptic vibes and it was such a refreshing love story. 🥹 i loved tuck and emily!

- pop star fmc
- felon mmc
- childhood friends to lovers
- survival

I’m a huge fan of Mia Sheridan as an author. I find her so easy to read and overall just very enjoyable. This wasn’t my favorite of hers, but I also didn’t not like it either.

I don’t usually gravitate towards anything dystopian but I liked the overall premise of the book. I did find parts of their journey a little mundane and boring. I loved Emily and Tuck though and was rooting for them and survivors and a couple. The end gave the perfect amount of closure and I loved the epilogue.