I have read a couple of Mia’s books before and enjoyed them, but this one did not do it for me. None of the characters were likeable, especially the main female character. The story felt very broken up and the pacing seemed weird too. Sadly I did not enjoy this book and would not recommend it.

Huge thanks to the publisher for the audiobook and ebook ARCs—because I devoured both and loved every second of this gritty, emotional, second-chance romance.

Mia Sheridan delivers a powerful blend of sizzling tension, post-apocalyptic grit, and heart-wrenching connection in a story that had me hooked from the first sun-drenched memory to the final breathless moment.

Tuck is the brooding ex-con we all fall for too fast, and Emily is the popstar whose glow never dimmed in his eyes. When a solar flare plunges the world into chaos, these childhood best friends turned enemies have to navigate survival, simmering feelings, and years of unresolved pain—all while rediscovering the kind of love that never really left.

🎤 Enemies to lovers
🛑 Second chances
🌅 Childhood best friends
🔥 Bodyguard x Popstar
🌍 The Last of Us-style dystopian edge
💥 Slow burn with a capital S

The audiobook is perfection—every bit of snark, heat, and vulnerability is felt in the narration. And the ebook had me highlighting lines like a madwoman. I couldn’t put either version down.

If you’re looking for a romance that hurts in the best way and shines with survival, healing, and undeniable chemistry—Heart of the Sun is the one.

Heart of the Sun was a wild ride, and I have to say I enjoyed it thoroughly!

Readers will definitely need to suspend belief in some regards and not think too hard into the minutia. In my opinion, the book leans more heavily on the dystopia themes than the romance, but with that being said, it's a fun journey that isn't trying to be more than it is.

I LOVED the action elements and being a Midwest native, I loved seeing some of the familiar locations (like St. Louis) through a dystopian lens. The romance did take a back seat for me but it added warmth and interest to the story. I will say I felt like the first half of the book was stronger than the second, although the epilogue at the end was fun and sweet.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for access to this eARC.

I am a fan of Mia Sheridan’s work, however, this book was not what I was expecting it to be. I feel like it should’ve picked one route and stuck with it. The dystopian setting and extremely slow burn romance didn’t mix well in this book. The FMC was not it for me. She wasn’t likable in my opinion. I loved the MMC. He was the only part that kept the book moving.

Heart of the Sun is about childhood friends Tuck and Emily that have a strong bond and friendship. Fast forward to later in life as adults Emily is a pop star and Tuck an ex-con is hired as her bodyguard. Despite a lot of bickering and differing personalities the spark they once shared is rekindled. A solar flare disrupts the electrical grid and society becomes chaos, it’s every man for himself. Tuck stays by Emily’s side taking care of her and protecting her through this massive event.

Mia Sheridan has written some of my favorites like “Archer’s Voice”, and the Acadia duology. I recently loved “All the Little Raindrops” and have recommended all these books to friends. She does a great job of evoking strong emotions and connections to her characters. This cover in particular is quite stunning too.
Unfortunately this book didn’t work for me. I felt confused while reading because this book tried so hard to be emotional and sadly I couldn’t connect to the characters. The plot didn’t flow well, having trouble meshing romance and dystopian survival. The lack of chemistry between the two main characters left me frustrated because I so badly wanted to root for them to find love.

In the future I will give this author more chances because generally I have a positive experience reading her books.

I WAS NOT PREPARED. the angst! it took me awayyy. I started this one with my eyeballs but switch to audio and loved every bit of it. body guard x celebrity will forever be a trope I’m weak for, but throw in Mia’s second chance angst AND dystopian suspense?! glued to the pages and unwell.

I feel like I enjoyed this more than a lot of people. I honestly think it's because it missed its intended audience. Mia normally sticks to the romance genre pretty well and this, to me, felt like it came out of that. Heart of the Sun is more of a dystopian novel with a side plot of romance and the romance is VERY slow burn.

I connected a lot with Tuck, I could empathize with what he lost growing up and how that ultimately shaped him. Now Emily....... I couldn't with her. She was insufferable. She was raised a farm girl, and she turns into an entitled, shallow "pick me" girl.

I feel like this book could have been a little shorter but overall, I enjoyed this read.

I’ve enjoyed this author’s previous work, but Heart of the Sun just didn’t work for me. I typically love a good dystopian story, but something about this one felt off—the world-building didn’t fully draw me in, and the pacing dragged more than I expected.

The romance, which I hoped would be a compelling slow burn, ended up just feeling slow. I kept waiting for the chemistry to spark, but it never really did. While I appreciate the premise, the execution fell flat, making it hard to stay engaged.

Unfortunately, this one wasn’t for me, but I’ll still check out future books from the author in hopes of finding the magic again.

Friends to lovers
Dual POV
Flashbacks
Bodyguard 👀

Wow. I was not expecting this. A post apocalyptic romance?
I actually liked the dystopian element which surprised me. I enjoyed their journey through it all.

I have loved Mia’s books! This one may not be for everyone but it’s good. There is love a story, character development, plot, and it starts off strong.

I did not find myself getting through this book easily, but that is entirely my fault. The writing and storytelling is beautiful, however, the subject matter is where it fell flat for me at no fault of the author.

Something very different to one of the kindest and dearest authors - Mia Sheridan. Such a different vibe to my faves like Unwanted or Archer's Voice - not that it's wrong, but it does differ. Heart of the Sun is dystopian, and I did not expect that. It was a story filled with aspects so out of place of my usual reading preference, yet I think it was a nice refresher. Not my favourite Mia book yet, nothing can top my love of Archer. However I did enjoy it and would recommend it to those "The Last of Us" lovers out there!

𝗛𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝗢𝗳 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝘂𝗻 follows pop star, Emily Swanson and the ex-con turned bodyguard, Tuck Mattice who happens to be her childhood bestfriend.

When life turns to fantasy and a solar flare makes electricity an impossible commodity, Tuck, Emily and her boyfriend decide to make the trek to California.... on foot.

~

Very apocalypse-y vibes.
Really liked the distopian feel. Felt like they were the only people alive (wasn't the case) and the rest of the world had gone up in flames.

But I thought the whole boyfriend tagging along and their relationship developing in the inbetween moments was icky.

And unfortunately Emily wasn't the most likeable. She definitely has some of her own maturing to do? achieve? Idk.

~

3.86 / 5 ★

Thanks to Harlequin Trade Publishing and Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

To be honest, I chose this book because of it’s cover and sprayed edges. The mockups of the book are gorgeous, and I can’t wait to get a physical copy. I really didn’t know anything about the story, but that is common for me. I love choosing books by their covers. This was one a success and I can’t stop thinking about it.
I pretty much went into this book blind, and it was a little confusing at first. I wasn’t exactly sure where it was going. However, once it got to the main event I couldn’t put the book down. If you like The Walking Dead, but aren’t a huge fan of zombies, this book is for you.
I think Mia did a great job showing all of the facets of humankind during a crisis. I loved how we got to see people’strue colors and realize that our world has a lot of grey in it. It isn’t all as black and white as some people like to think. I also appreciated that she showed some people originally viewed as “bad” could be some kind of hero.
I will say it is touted as a romance, but I feel like that is a very small part of this book. It is more of a dystopian novel that slightly touches on romance in the last quarter of the book. Once it gets to the romance part there is a decent amount of it, but I didn’t feel like there was a huge build up to it. However, I did enjoy Tuck and Emily’s story. It was sweet and a little bit tumultuous. There was some angst and longing, but I would have preferred more of a burn in the first three quarters of the book.
I love a book that makes me think and ponder what I would do in a situation like the one the characters were placed in. My husband can be a little bit of a conspiracy theorist and talks about things like solar flares and what would happen. I have never given much thought to such a thing happening…until now. Would I be able to survive? What skills do I have to offer? Would I do what needs to be done in case of an emergency? Would I drop everything to get to my loved ones? Should I start a garden? Should I get some chickens? These are some of the questions that I have been thinking about since I finished the book. I think this book is going to stay with me for quite some time. 
I do wish we knew what happened to some of the more influential side characters and the rest of the world. I feel like I was left with loose ends when I finished the book, which drives me crazy. I really would have liked some closure and knowing their destinies. However, the ending does make sense not knowing what happened to all the characters.
I listened to the ALC and the narrators did a great job. Annalee Scott reads with so much emotion. She really brought Emily to life for me.
If you like dystopian novels that will make you think this book is for you. If you are wanting a book with a slow burn and lots of romance you might want to skip this one.
Tropes:
🧡 Dystopian novel
🩷 Second chance romance
🧡 Popstar
🩷 Childhood friends

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing | Canary Street Press for the ARC!

Heart of the Sun had a very interesting and original storyline, which kept me engaged throughout. While I appreciated the uniqueness of the plot, I’m not sure I fully believed it, which made it a bit harder to connect with. As a longtime Mia Sheridan fan, Archer’s Voice remains my favorite, and I find myself comparing all her books to it—unfortunately, none have quite measured up for me.

That said, this book offers an intriguing mix of post-apocalyptic survival and second-chance romance, which will appeal to readers who enjoy those tropes. While it wasn’t my favorite from Sheridan, it still carried her signature emotional depth and compelling character dynamics.

Emily *AKA Nova* and Tuck started as childhood friends but in the story it is now 13 years later. Tuck freshly released from prison, has gone back home to ask Emily's parents for a job on their family farm. Unfortunately they aren't able to give him a job but they recommend he work as a body guard for Emily as she is on tour as Nova the popstar. Charlie, Emily's current boyfriend, Emily, and Tuck leave on a flight to her next stop. While in the air, their plane goes down for an unknown reason. When they crash land, they come to realize that solar flares took out all electrical grids. In the process of trying to get back home to make sure her family is ok, the three of them learn a lot about each other and how to survive in this new world. Having to go through a multitude of trials and hardships, Emily comes to find out who she is and who she wants to be. Could have happily read another couple hundred pages more of this book. I truly wasn't sure what was going to happen at the end but I think Mia wrapped up the book perfectly!

This is only my second Mia Sheridan book and am looking forward to reading more of them. Mia has a way of painting the scenes with words making you feel like you're there with the characters. Heart of the Sun was an amazing read and honestly I don't know what I would have done if I were in their shoes.

Thanks to the publisher for the advanced digital copy! While this book wasn’t for me, I’d still recommend it to those who love dystopian. I couldn’t connect with these characters at all and I really, really tried! Both world building and romance just felt flat to me. I love Mia Sheridan’s books but this one almost didn’t feel like it was written by her if you know what I mean.

Full disclosure- I generally avoid dystopian or apocalyptic themes when choosing books. But I made an exception for Heart of the Sun, simply put, because it's a Mia Sheridan book and I was hopeful that my love for her books would override my dislike of the theme. I'm happy to say, this book was absolutely worth it!

Emily and Tuck are childhood friends, who are just starting to explore their feelings for each other when life pulls them apart. They reunite years later, when Emily, now an emerging pop star, hires Tuck as her security guard. But shortly after, a solar flare hits the U.S., and they find themselves fighting for survival in its wake. As they face the the severe challenges of their situation, Emily and Tuck find themselves falling into the comfortable rhythms that made them such good friends years earlier.

These characters have so much going against them- both as a result of the situation they're in, and the deep hurt and emotional devastation that led to their separation as adolescents. Their journey is at times scary, physically and mentally exhausting, and yet they find pockets of joy and hope along the way as well Their chemistry is intense, but this is a slow burn romance, as they navigate their feelings as adults.

Mia Sheridan is one of my favorite authors, and this book was absolutely worth stepping out of my comfort zone!

Thank you to the author and NetGalley for the opportunity to review this ARC!

- Slow Burn
-Dystopian/End of World themes
-Childhood sweethearts
-Pop star FMC
-Intense, broody MMC

I loved this book. The characters were well written and their storylines were thought out both individually but then as they came together too. I found myself wondering if this were to happen in real life, would I be as brave as these characters? This is a must read!

This is the first book I have read of Ms. Sheridan’s that I haven’t absolutely loved and devoured. I’ve thought long and hard over what the reasons for that could be. All the mechanics are still there - an interesting set-up for our main characters, and the promise of a riveting and somewhat unique plot. So what exactly didn’t work? Well, nothing specific really, it’s just that the richly deep and emotional aspects I have come to love in Ms. Sheridan’s writing aren’t present in this story… And that’s the very thing that I love about the author!

The story begins by showing us a bit of the childhood of both Emily and Tuck - two best friends growing up in the idyllic world of Southern California’s orange orchards. Then, it fast forwards to present day. Tuck is now recently out of prison and Emily has become a famous singer. This part is done beautifully. The writing expertly shows both the good and the bad in both worlds. Tuck is now hardened and can’t catch a break, Emily is surrounded by sycophants and has become as self-centered yet insecure as celebrity can cause. Emily’s mother sees Tuck’s struggles to overcome his past and strong arms Emily into hiring him as a bodyguard. The friction between the two is palpable in a sad way, as both see the other through the eyes of judgement and blame.
And, to add insult to injury, Tuck has to deal with Emily’s movie-star boyfriend!

The true conflict in the story hits, when a catastrophic event happens (trying not to spoil here), the plane they are on goes down and they all discover life as they know it is no more. From there we follow the characters as they must travel from Indiana back to California through various apocalyptic experiences. It’s interesting… just not riveting. I never really connected with the feelings and emotions beneath the surface. We are told they exist but never really experience it with them. That goes for almost every aspect of the story from then on, as well. It all rides the surface but never really gets under the skin enough that we are truly invested in the outcome and in their relationship.

So, while it is an interesting read, it really doesn’t rise above the average. And that lack is made more obvious because of the talent this author is truly capable of.

Imagine the 𝑤𝑜𝑟𝑙𝑑 is ending (yikes) because of a solar flare that basically fries all tech in southern CA. Now picture two people—stuck together in the chaos trying to survive… and maybe 𝑓𝑎𝑙𝑙𝑖𝑛𝑔 in love? I 𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆𝒅 the idea. It gave 𝑩𝒐𝒅𝒚𝒈𝒖𝒂𝒓𝒅 meets 𝑫𝒂𝒚 𝑨𝒇𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝑻𝒐𝒎𝒐𝒓𝒓𝒐𝒘 vibes. ☀️🌅

But here’s the thing: 𝐢𝐭 𝐟𝐞𝐥𝐭… 𝐨𝐟𝐟. Like when your fave artist drops a song and you 𝒘𝒂𝒏𝒕 to love it, but it just doesn’t hit like their old stuff. That’s how this book felt to me. The writing didn’t have Mia Sheridan’s usual 𝑚𝑎𝑔𝑖𝑐 and emotional pull. The pacing was kind of uneven, the plot felt like it needed more polish, and honestly… the FMC didn’t vibe with me at all. She was cold in ways that didn’t feel layered—just distant. 😩😩

I 𝑡𝑜𝑡𝑎𝑙𝑙𝑦 𝑟𝑒𝑠𝑝𝑒𝑐𝑡 Mia for trying something new—genre blending is so bold—but this one read more like a rough draft than the final product.

𝐓𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐞 𝐓𝐢𝐦𝐞!
• ☀️ Friends to strangers forced together
• ⏳ Slow burn (like, really slow)
• 🌍 End-of-the-world vibes

𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐈 𝐋𝐢𝐤𝐞𝐝:
• ✨ The concept was super original
• 💞 A few sweet moments + tender connections
• ❤️‍🔥 The idea of love as a lifeline during chaos

𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐈 𝐖𝐢𝐬𝐡 𝐇𝐚𝐝 𝐁𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐃𝐢𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐭:
• ✂️ Needed 𝑡𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡𝑒𝑟 𝑒𝑑𝑖𝑡𝑖𝑛𝑔
• ❄️ More depth in characters, especially the FMC
• ⌛ Not enough chemistry to carry 500 pages

Still, if you love experimental stories and post-apocalyptic romance with stakes, this might totally be your jam. Mad respect to her trying something new! Other readers might love it more, it just wasn’t the Mia Sheridan story 𝐼 fell in love with. 💖

Crossing my fingers for a comeback with her next one!🫶🏼🫶🏼

𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐤 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐂𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐭 𝐏𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬, 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐚𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫, & 𝐍𝐞𝐭𝐆𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐲 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐦𝐲 𝐚𝐝𝐯𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐝 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐜𝐨𝐩𝐲 𝐢𝐧 𝐞𝐱𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐚𝐧 𝐡𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰 💖