Wow. 🤯 I mean.. this book was utterly fabulous, which was to be expected since it was written by Mia Sheridan, but I didn’t expect to have it engrained into my soul as deeply as it did. It was part terrifying for me - playing the ‘what if’ game and imagining if a massive solar flare actually happened, and so thoroughly well written that I almost felt I didn’t have to play the ‘what if’ game because it felt like I was there with them. Honestly an absolute perfect read. 👌🏻

Thank you, Canary Street Press, for an advanced digital copy of this book!

Heart of the Sun is not your typical love story—it’s primarily a post-apocalyptic survival novel with a romantic subplot that doesn’t fully develop until about 70% in. If you’re expecting something like Archer’s Voice, you might be disappointed.

The story follows childhood friends Emily and Tuck, once bound by first love but separated by tragedy. Eleven years later, Emily is a famous singer, and Tuck is unexpectedly assigned as her bodyguard. Their reunion sparks emotional tension just as the world begins to unravel. While the dual timeline was initially hard to follow, it eventually made sense and enhanced the story’s impact.

Tuck, with his dark past and need for redemption, was a standout character. Emily took time to connect with, but her growth was compelling. The slow-burn romance was heartfelt and well-paced.
What sets this book apart is its blend of action, emotion, and real-world relevance. It explores themes of privilege, status, and equality under crisis—reminding us that, in the end, we’re all just trying to survive. Despite a few flaws, it’s a gripping, thought-provoking read. I hope Mia Sheridan continues writing in this genre.

This is not a romance novel. Do not read this unless you like dystopian and thriller. I cannot overstate how this is a trauma bond story without the typically promised bodyguard plot line.

TW guns, crime, violence, famine

3.5 ⭐️

Mia Sheridan is not afraid to write about unique topics that are outside of the box, and I like that! This book was memorable for sure! I’ve read books about EMPs, and I’ve read romances, but never a book that focuses on both. If you like science-y romances then check out this book!

Thank you Net Galley and publishers for the advanced copy!

If you are expecting a contemporary romcom like me, this was a lot more than that. A romcom with dystopian settings as solar flare causes chaos and it becomes a matter of survival now for Tuck and Emily. Calling it an enemies to lovers situation and slow burn romance would be apt. I wish the pacing was better and more character development would have helped connect more.

You cannot go wrong with a Mia Sheridan book! Once again she did not disappoint! This is a great summer read that everyone should be adding to their TBR.

🔹Childhood friends to lovers
🔹Second chances
🔹Post-apocalyptic/ dystopian
🔹Slow burn

Heart of the Sun is about two childhood best friends who have grown apart in adulthood but are reconnected after our MMC Tuck is out of prison and in need of work. He takes on a bodyguard position for our FMC Emily who is a rising pop star!💫
Things go amiss when tragedy strikes the country and they are thrown into survival mode while the world around them comes crashing down.
This is an intense story of reconnection, self discovery, and longing set in a high-stakes and emotional background.
I loved the concept of this story but I did feel that the characters fell flat for me and I didn’t have much emotional connection to them or their relationship.
Still a good story that was unique and keeps you dying to know what’s going to happen!!

*I read this as an ARC read, thank you to The Hive & NetGalley for the opportunity ❤️

Heart of the Sun is a dystopian, enemies to lovers, childhood friends, second chance romance. Emily is a pop star and in need of a bodyguard. Her mom talks her into hiring her childhood friend and neighbor, Tuck. I honestly struggled with everything in this book. I have decided that dystopian is not my thing. I also felt that the fmc was annoying and I felt no chemistry between her and the MMC. I felt like there wasn’t much romance and I didn’t feel connected to any of the characters. The narrators did a good job and I honestly probably would have given up if it hadn’t been for them.

I received an advanced reader copy of Heart of the Sun from Harlequin Trade Publishing via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Unfortunately, this book just wasn’t for me, and I ended up not being able to finish it. While the premise—a post-apocalyptic journey across the country after an EMP—was intriguing, I found the execution lacking. The pacing felt slow, and the characters didn’t resonate with me. Tuck and Emily’s story had potential, but I struggled to connect with their emotions or motivations, which made it hard to stay engaged.

I really tried to push through since I rarely DNF books, but ultimately, I had to set it aside. This was my first Mia Sheridan novel, which made the experience even more disappointing given how many readers have praised her previous work. That said, I haven’t ruled her out entirely—I’m still open to trying another of her books in the future.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for an eARC in exchange for my honest opinion. Unfortunately, I didn’t connect with this book and DNF around the 30% mark. I must have missed this was a dystopian romance and I found it to be a little odd. Personally, it wasn’t for me.

Emily and Tuck grew up next door to each other. When Tuck's mom dies, his life spirals and he ends up doing time in prison. Emily goes after her dream and becomes a pop star. Flash forward to now, Tuck is fresh out of prison and needs a job. He reaches out to Emily's parents and he ends up with a job as Emily's security. Then on a plane ride, they crash. Thrust into a post disaster world with no electricity, no Internet, and desperate people, they begin the path to get back to California.

I'm not sure why but I must've missed the part in the description about the post apocalyptic aspect of this story and it just isn't for me. The story is very predictable: bad boy with a heart of gold, girl who is a "sell out" to be famous who returns to her roots. They've always been in love and they find their way back to each other. I was bored reading, and maybe this just isn't my style of a story.

thank you netgalley for the arc !!

this book started and ended a lot differently. personally i do blame myself bc i don’t read synopsis’ i just know that i loved archers voice so i had to get my hands on this book

i’d like to preface by saying it is a very dystopian love story. it’s second chance and it has that romance in it but a lot of what it was, was also recovering from a natural disaster and trying to get back home / surviving

personally i just don’t think this book was my cup of tea. i think i could see people really liking that dystopian survival trekking across the country kind of book but not me per say

also i didn’t really connect w the characters both individually and as a couple i kind of felt like the pacing of their love story was so sudden even though they were trying to build it up throughout the book. i just didn’t feel like the payoff was worth it.

i also think i would have liked to see more about the characters individually like their life before everything had happened. i feel like we only got such brief snippets before everything (literally) came crashing down

i think ive come to realize that mia sheridan does write love stories but the books are very deep and a lot more fleshed out than just the romance and that’s always something that pulls me in

although not my favorite of hers i’d say this is my first dystopian sort of romance

- if the world was ending
- say don’t go
- till forever falls apart
- high tops

Heart of the Sun
This one was a wild ride. Tuck, an ex con needing a job gets a security gig with Emily; an old friend that is now a popstar. He is quickly thrown into a life of so many material things just being thrown at him. It's surreal. His first real assignment is when they board a plane to their first stop. The plane suddenly begins to lose control mid flight and crashes in an unknown area. The pilot didn't make it and Tuck, Emily and her boyfriend Charlie are on their own to find civilization. Things start to get weird when the realize their phones won't work at all. Like all the cell towers are down. When they come upon civilization a few days later they learn that no one really knows what is going on but this is a whole new world that none of them expected to happen so quickly.

Emily and Tuck have a past and it doesn't take long before they both remember that pulling feeling between the two of them.
Is this the time for a love story? Can they find safety? Will they figure out what is going on in their new world?

This was definitely a unique read for me. A love story, a post-apocalyptic world, suspense and romance. The story worked pretty well. It was a unique background for a love story. This will be a good read for people that like The Last of Us.

Sadly this book just didn’t grab as much as I hoped it would. I put it down and picked it up multiple times but I just couldn’t connect with it. Super bummed.

ia Sheridan blends second-chance romance with dystopian grit in Heart of the Sun. Emily Swanson, a rising star, and Tuck Mattice, her childhood best friend turned ex-con, reunite just as a solar flare throws the world into chaos. The emotional tension between them is raw and real, especially as past wounds resurface while they fight to survive.

Tuck’s character development was a standout, and I loved how the story balanced action with heart. Some pacing felt uneven and Emily’s arc could’ve used more depth, but overall, it was gripping, heartfelt, and totally unique.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I’ve loved every book Mia’s written, and Under the Sun is no exception—just a totally different vibe than usual! It’s a mix of slow-burn romance, best friends-to-lovers, and survival after the world basically falls apart. Tuck and Emily’s story pulled me in right away, and even though it’s a big shift from Mia’s usual books, I’m really into where she’s heading with it. Can’t wait to see what she does next!

For someone who loves all things Mia Sheridan, I was so excited to receive a copy of Heart of the Sun. This is a story of second chance romance and we even get a few twists thrown in. Slow burn, enemies to lovers- this one was so good!!

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, & the publisher for an ARC copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

What to expect from this book:
☀️ Dual first-person POV
☀️ Childhood friends, but now "enemies" to lovers
☀️ Pop star and an ex-con bodyguard
☀️ Dystopian timeline (similar to the likes of The Leftovers and The Last of Us [minus the scary creatures])
☀️ She's already in a relationship
☀️ Slow burn (1-2 open-door spicy scenes)

Tuck and Emily's families own beautiful orange groves in sunny California. They've grown up with family bonfires and game nights, and often nearly cross the line between friends and "more than friends." But when tragedy strikes, their worlds are separated, and they fall out of touch.

Thirteen years later, their paths cross again when Emily, who is now a pop star named "Nova," hires Tuck as a bodyguard. Tuck, whose life has not been sunshine and roses, is now looking for another chance to make more out of life, to make his future brighter than his past. That is until Nova's boyfriend, Charlie, accuses Tuck of something that he didn't do, but Emily believes he did, so she fires him a few hours into a flight from CA to NY...a flight that doesn't make it all the way to NYC.

The three of them find themselves in a truly bizarre situation. Sudden flares and fires pop up and scramble all technology leaving them without a way to comfortably get to safety. They set out for a cross-country journey that uncovers not only the materialistic side of humanity but also becomes a test of the survival of the fittest.

------------------------------------
(Possible spoilers ahead)
Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for an eARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

I just don't think that I am the demographic for this book? I have read a few of this author's books, but this book deviated from what I know of their work, and it wasn't for me. I don't feel that proper foundation was laid for either the relationship between Emily and Tuck nor the whole premise of the dystopian theme. The two genres clashed instead of played off of each other. I feel like, as a reader, I'm just dropped into the middle of a thought and basically told that these two had a connection as kids and now the world is going to crap and to believe that love will conquer all. Usually with a dystopian book, there is a moral of the story. In this book, I got that humans can be awful (and some can be wonderful), but aside from that, I didn't get any "lessons learned," other than I supposed it's possible to be randy while also fearing for your life and the lives of your loved ones.

I love a good take on how self-centered and selfish our society is and how awful it would be to be in this situation, but the cover literally says "A Love Story." I love a slow burn as much as the next reader, but this did not hit either mark for me. Again, I think it's because I don't feel like I got to really know or like either of the main characters due to lack of foundation. It lacked the yearning that makes a slow-burn romance successful *for me*.

All of this to say, however, that the book wasn't *for me* and I could see this being for someone else.

This was excellent. This seems very “futuristic”, but the reality is it may not be too far away. We like to think that we b and together when things happen, like the Swansons community does, but in reality I believe it’s more like the San Diego area and the Los Angeles area written about here.

Mia Sheridan did a great job with these characters and this subject matter. I’m a reader who likes to place myself in the story and truly experience it, and the way the author describes the things happening and the way the characters react, its exactly what I was able to do. I thoroughly enjoyed this and will read it again when it’s released. Mia Sheridan has a new reader here.

Heart of the Sun is a dystopian romance that was unique and kept me intrigued. It had a bit of a slow start, but once it picked up, I couldn’t put it down.

Emily and Tuck were neighbors and childhood friends. They’ve not seen each other in years, but Tuck is in need of a job after a hard time and Emily’s mother talks her into hiring him for her security (she’s a pop star). It’s the smartest thing she could have done. Without Tuck, she would have been a goner and I mean that in the kindest way.

I wish we would have gotten more of their romance earlier in the book and I definitely wish the Charlie thing would have been resolved earlier in the book, but as a whole, I enjoyed this!