Having never read a book by Mia Sheridan, I wasn't sure what to expect. The primase of the book caught my attention, so I gave it a shot. The first quarter of the book set up the back story and built the characters. The rest of the book was the story of the journey home, love and redemption. It was fairly fast paced and kept my attention. Though the path home was a bit predictable, the arrival was not. The characters were well defined and I found myself routing for them repeatedly, especially throughout the last half of the book. If I could unread it to read it all over again, I would. It was that good. Many thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this advanced copy.

Tuck & Emily are childhood frienemies who grew up right next to each other. When they were young, they fell hard & fast for each other, but after a falling out, they hadn't spoken in years. Now, Tuck is hired to be the bodyguard of his childhood friend turned pop star. The two butt heads, but are forced to work together in the midst of a catastrophic solar flare that causes their plane to crash. In the midst of the world falling apart, they can only lean on each other.

this was an interesting book! i went into this blind, so i had no idea about the dystopian storyline. I think that it would be perfect for people who love "end of the world" type stories like Last of Us or Walking Dead! It is definitely important to note that even thought this is advertised as a "love story", the romance aspect definitely is a subplot rather than the main storyline. i was, however, pretty frustrated to read in the acknowledgments that this story wasn't Mia Sheridan's idea, she was just given an outline for the story. i feel like it made me feel even less connected to the story & characters. overall, this wasn't my favorite but i can definitely see it being a hit for fans of dystopian stories!

"The past was gone, the future was burning, but we had this, the here and the now, nestled in a desert hideaway."

🌶️🌶️

Thank you so much to Harlequin Trade Publishing, NetGalley & Mia Sheridan for an ARC of this book 🫶🏼

Heart of the Sun follows Tuck and Emily as childhood friends who ultimately go their separate ways due to unforeseen event only to cross paths once again in a post-apocalyptic world.

We live in such a privileged and technologically dependent world that we easily take for granted all of the resources and opportunities that nature has to offer in order to sustain life. This story goes beyond the superficial, it exposes each characters honor, integrity, determination and will to survive layer by layer and has us (the reader) questioning, “what would I do in that situation?”, “would I live by the code kill or be killed if the world was affected by a total grid wipeout?”. Tuck and Emily’s story had me asking questions, trying to decipher what “side” of the story I would be on in a real life Apocalyptic disaster and not so silently hoping that they made the right choices in this new world.
I was fully invested in their journey, I felt every hardship as if it were my own and I prayed that the good of the world outshined the evil within. Tuck was the perfect MMC and proved that even when “the world has gone to sh*t” one can still be honorable and do right by those they love. He is the epitome of the underdog who redeems himself through a hard earned second chance.

When Mia Sheridan graciously offered this ARC, I knew I had to read it! Mia Sheridan is the Queen of writing characters so beautifully and effortlessly that you don’t even realize they have cemented a permanent residence in your mind, heart and soul. Trust me, this isn’t a story you want to miss… Mia Sheridan has done it again-created a masterpiece that will make you thankful to have read it and grateful to be alive and able to do so.

•Childhood Best Friends
•Enemies to Lovers
•Second Chances
•Post-Apocalyptic
•Slowww burn

second chance is usually my bread and butter but tuck and emily fell a little flat for me. I LOVED archer’s voice and was so excited to start mia’s newest book, but unfortunately the pacing and lack of character development made it really hard for me to buy into this story completely. the dystopian setting was fun and the action scenes we did get were exciting.

thank you to harlequin trade publishing for the arc and chance to read this early!

I received an ARC from the publisher on NetGalley. I typically love Mia Sheridan and her books, and went into this one a little blind. I didn’t realize it would have more of a dystopian spin and that there really wouldn’t be much of a love story. I wouldn’t even consider the relationship as a slow burn. The story was intriguing, but slow at times and I found myself not excited to pick it back up. Overall, the writing was good, I think the story wasn’t for me.

This was my third book by Mia Sheridan and unfortunately it was not my favorite. I did really like the dystopian plot but didn’t like the romance plot. I sort of feel like the two genres were competing in this book and took away from the other, rather than working together as a dystopian romance novel. The MMC had a good character arc, but I didn’t care for the FMC quite as much. The MMC had character development but I didn’t really care for the FMC. Their romance didn’t feel all the believable to me, beyond reminiscing on their childhood love.

I still gave this 3 stars because I enjoyed the dystopian plot enough to want to see how it ended. Thank you to Net Galley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

A gripping tale of what ifs. A unique storyline that will capture you from the beginning and intrigue you until the end. Definitely worth the read.

This is definitely different from her other books but I liked it. Charlie was so annoying and I wish he was gone sooner. Tuck and Emily were cute and I liked their chemistry. He has so much guilt from everything in his life and he just needs to learn to let go. Emily will be there through it all. I do wish the epilogue was a little bit longer though. I needed to know more about this world.

I received an arc through netgalley.

This is an emotional, slow-burn romance set in a world turned upside down. Mia Sheridan blends childhood friendship, second chances, and survival into a story that's both heartbreaking and hopeful.

Tuck and Emily’s connection jumps off the page, full of tension, longing, and the kind of love that feels both fierce and fragile. As society falls apart after a devastating solar flare, they have to fight for more than just their relationship, they have to fight for their future.

This story delivers all the feels: the angst, the tenderness, the raw moments of survival. If you love enemies to lovers, bodyguard romance, second chances, and post-apocalyptic settings, you’ll devour this one.

Heart of the Sun by Mia Sheridan fell a bit flat for me, landing somewhere in the middle of the road. Despite its title, I wouldn’t categorize it as a romance; the romantic elements are sparse and don’t truly materialize until the end.

The story centers around Emily, now a famous music star, and Tuck, recently released from prison. Their connection is rooted in a shared past spent together on their families’ orchards. When a catastrophic global event occurs, the two are reunited and must navigate their journey to safety together.

While the premise held promise, I found the execution lacking. As a devoted fan of Mia Sheridan’s work, I missed the emotional depth and signature writing style that typically make her stories so compelling. This book deviated from her usual strengths, and the absence of romance for most of the story only added to the underwhelming experience.

That said, Heart of the Sun still offers a unique backdrop and explores themes of resilience and survival, which some readers may appreciate. However, for those seeking the romance and heart-tugging intensity Sheridan is known for, this one might not fully deliver.

3.5 stars

This book is a lot to unpack. Coming from the romance category and reading other Mia books, I expected a bit more in the romance department. Especially when given keywords such as enemies to lovers, second chances. A slow burn was definitely the right word to use, and definitely more on the slow side. Also not your typical enemy standard, more ex-friends, growing apart/different paths.

Tuck + Emily are former neighbors who took two different paths in life and are reunited when Emily, turned Nova pop star, was in need of security detail. Before the plane crash and throughout the first part of the road trip journey, I felt Emily to be almost unbearable-entitled to be more exact. As the book went on, I did find my opinions changing and rooting for her. Tuck took the ex-con, misunderstood boy role well and used his past to want to right wrongs helping others on their trek to finding home.
Throughout this book, I found myself often thinking what would I do in these situations, if the world basically shuts down-how am I to survive. While this wasn’t my favorite read of 2025, I did enjoy the storyline and playing the what-if game.

“Do you think there’s such a thing as creating a moment that rights everything that’s gone so horribly wrong? If one moment can ruin everything, maybe one moment can fix it too.”

Wow, this story is complex and dives into a lot of challenges.
We are first introduced to Emily and Tuck as children and the bond they share growing up together as neighbors. When tragedy strikes and Tuck has a falling out with his father, he leaves everything behind and falls into some trouble. One moment, one decision, changes everything for him. He feels he must seek retribution and doesn’t feel as if he should be happy, that he must spend his life trying to make up for his wrongs. Emily becomes the famous singer she always hoped to become. Years later they are brought back together and from here, everything changes. Life as everyone knows it transforms in an instant when a solar flare knocks out all civilization. The events that ensue are heartbreaking, fearful, and terrifying, yet hopeful and endearing.

This story hits you hard as you are struck by the realization this could very well become a reality. What would you do with no food, water supply, electricity, fuel, etc. and having to start over from scratch? Having to fend off gangs and people pillaging, trying to keep your family fed and safe and having to survive day to day? Watching Emily and Tuck evolve is heartfelt and beautiful. It’s a slow burn you feel in every interaction.

This story sheds light on a harsh reality filled with danger, sacrifice, hope, and love. It’s thought provoking, gripping, and captivating. What a story!

This was not my favorite read by her but apocalyptic storylines have never been my favorite. The build and the backstory were done well and I did like the second chance part of the story. I did enjoy the story I just personally struggle connecting with the dystopian part.

Thank you so much for the opportunity to read this book.

Thank you to Harlequin for the early copy, all opinions are my own.

I really enjoy dystopian apocalyptic books so I signed up for this as soon as I could. The idea that a solar flare can take out the entire power grid instead turned this into a horror story.

We start with Tuck and Emily, neighbors and frenemies. They part ways after Tuck’s mom suddenly dies. After a few bad decisions, Tuck lands in jail. Once getting back out, he reconnects with Emily’s family and ends up being her bodyguard since she’s a budding superstar. After their plane crashes, including Charlie, Emily’s boyfriend, they must find their way back to California from Indiana.

This book was a little too real with how the world is going.

I went into this very excited. I've heard great things about this author and her books, and the synopsis for this was intriguing. But this was a bit of a mess. My biggest issue was that it couldn't seem to decide if it wanted to be a romance or a dystopian book. While both can exist within the same book, usually you find that it's a dystopian book with a romance subplot or vice versa, but this one wanted to be both at the same time.
I actually think this would've been better as just a romance novel. The setup for the dynamic between the characters was good and not something I've seen before, but any sort of chemistry build up between them or chances for character development was squashed by the almost random-feeling inclusion of the solar flare/dystopian plot line that happens at about 25% of the way through the book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for this ARC!

I went into this one not knowing anything about it, other than that is was written by Mia Sheridan. I really liked Asher's Voice. I read romance, but have never read a dystopian romance, but I really enjoyed this!

Emily and Tuck knew one another when they were younger, so this is a second chance novel. Emily became a famous singer, and Tuck became... Well, a felon. Emily's mom talked her into hiring Tuck to be security for her.

Emily, Tuck, and her boyfriend, Charlie, were flying to New York. Mid-flight, all of the electrical components of the plane went down, and so did the plane. They miraculously survived, and soon found out that all of the electrical devices had also stopped working.

They were somewhere in Illinois, and had to make it back to California, and manage to survive as people started to realize that the grid wouldn't be coming back anytime soon.

While this was not my chosen genre, I was entertained, and couldn't wait to find out what happened next. It's a bit dark, but not so dark that I struggled.

Thank you to Canary Street Press of the advanced E-ARC of this title.

Mia Sheridan sucks me into every story she writes! This is a dystopian novel about childhood friends who both went completely separate ways, one a pop star, the other recently released from prison.
The dynamics of this were perfectly executed, highlighting their completely different walks of life after they last saw each other. The initial distrust of the person they have become, but the memories of who they each were.
The story takes a path towards desperation where humanity is tested, and true heroes emerge. I found myself smiling at the lack of survival skill of the celebrities. When push comes to shove, the Louis Vuitton purse isn't going to save anything.
As a reader you start to put yourself into the scenario, and I would 100% be Charlie. Throwing a fit with zero survival instincts. Leave me behind.

I did feel like the story lulled about 50% and it was losing the firm grip it had on me in the beginning.
However, Tuck and Emily have a fire in them and a palpable chemistry that was enough to keep me invested.

Thank you for the ARC.

This is not my favorite Mia Sheridan read. I have read her other works and loved them. This one feels like a copy of One Second After by William R. Forstchen meets a second chance contemporary romance which was not executed well. Besides the MMC, the other characters are not very likable. The general survival plot is not really unique to this specific story. With One Second After, you are enlightened to how the country would respond in a disaster. In this book, the story and romance feels incomplete.

Heart of the Sun is difficult to review without spoiling too much. I went into this fully expecting a romance and while there is a romantic aspect to it there’s so much more. This turned out to be something I never would have picked up but overall a thought-provoking and decent read.

At times the pacing of the book felt off. It dragged in places and at times I was bored. It did turn around and by the last quarter I was on the edge of my seat and my mind was racing with “What would I do in this situation?” thoughts.

Overall, a fun read if you know what you are getting into. If you like end of the world, sci-fi vibes if would be a good fit.

Title: Heart of the Sun
Author: Mia Sheridan
Genre: Romance, fantasy
Rating: 4 out of 5

When the world is plunged into darkness, who would you turn to?

Amid the sun-drenched orange groves of California, childhood friends Tuck Mattice and Emily Swanson shared a bond that seemed unbreakable—until life ripped them apart.

Thirteen years later, Emily is a rising pop sensation in need of security, and Tuck, a brooding ex-con, is in need of a fresh start. When fate brings them together once again, Emily hires him on as her new bodyguard. They butt heads and bicker, just like the old days—yet neither can deny the heat rekindling between them.

But when a cataclysmic solar flare disrupts the electrical grid, society is suddenly plunged into chaos and darkness. For Emily, the familiar comforts of fame and fortune crumble, but for Tuck, this stark new reality could be the chance he needs to finally prove himself. As they come to terms with all they've lost and the bitterness that's kept them apart, they must find their way back to one another and discover a new place, under the sun.

I enjoyed this read, although the childhood scenes did not make it seem like Tuck and Emily “shared a bond that seemed unbreakable.” It just seemed like the barely tolerated each other. I generally like dystopian novels, so I enjoyed that part, although Tuck and Emily seem much more trusting of people they meet than I would have been. This was a solid read, but I never really felt the characters were in danger.

Mia Sheridan is a bestselling author. Heart of the Sun is her newest novel.

(Galley courtesy of Harlequin/Canary Street Press in exchange for an honest review.)

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