ARC Review:

YES!! SHE WENT THERE.

The beginning of the book had me REELED in!

A different genre for typical fans of Mia Sheridan, and she did it so well!!! There is a massive solar flare that wipes out all technology, so the human race goes feral. Every day, every meal, every interaction is survival of the fittest. Morals change- societal norms change- people change. The second chance romance trope was written beautifully in this book and their conflicts had me teary eyed, wanting to throw my Kindle across the room because how do those conflicts get resolved?! Great job, Mia Sheridan 👏 The ending had me on the edge of my seat. I did wish we could have seen more of the bodyguard job the FMC gave the MMC before the flare, though.

Wow! I always knew Mia Sheridan was an outstanding romance author, but her dystopian novel left be absolutely stunned.

Normally, dystopian novels aren't my go-to, but I genuinely couldn't put this one down! It had me contemplating building a bunker and stocking up on emergency food supplies!

Initially, I assumed this would be a simple love story. Boy, was I wrong! It was SO much more!

Emily was a tough character to warm up to in the beginning, but her incredible character development had me rooting for her by the end!

And Tucker? He might be my new favorite book boyfriend! His character is absolutely perfect throughout the entire story, exactly the kind of person you'd want by your side in any crisis.

Thank you to Netgalley and The Hive/Harper Collins for this eARC, and to Mia Sheridan for crafting such an amazing and thought-provoking story. This one will definitely stay with me for a long time.

How Mia writes such a sweet love story while the actual world is imploding is mind boggling to me. Tuck and Emily grew up together, always in each other’s orbit, but never crossing that line and then tragedy strikes for Tuck and he is sent away. When the two reunite, it’s for a job and neither are truly happy the other is there. While traveling for said job, their plane falls from the sky (kinda like what happened in Jan 2025) and the world was quite literally on fire. Tuck makes it his mission to get Emily back to her parents in California but he doesn’t realize how desolate and dire the situation is going to get.

I was afraid I wasn’t going to like because dystopian isn’t something I naturally gravitate towards, but damn, I was glued to this. Tuck reminds me of “Bode Donovan” in Fire Country (IYKYK). Emily starts off insufferable but grows on you. You won’t want to put this one down !

“I’d find you in the dark.”

🤎Tropes: Enemies to Lovers, Second chance romance, Dystopian, Childhood friends, Survival.
🤎Spice: 2/5
🤎Plot and characterisation: 5/5
🤎Overall: 5/5

I don’t even know where to begin with this book other than it is a masterpiece.
It is so unlike anything I have ever read from Mia, and while I have always known that she is a PHENOMENAL writer, I really have never been as speechless from a book as she has left me with ‘Heart of the Sun’.

The story follows Tuck and Emily, who live among the idyllic sun-drenched orange groves of California. They have grown up together, however as they get older, their friendship turns into something more. Mia beautifully relates the mannerisms of young love and provides the backstory that shapes the behaviours and journey of Tuck and Emily.

Tuck is intelligent and noble, with a strong sense of purpose for his life. However, when tragedy strikes, he finds himself spiralling into all the decisions that have taken a smart boy with incredible potential, to complete destitution. During the years where Tuck steadily declines to ruin, Emily’s voice and talent take her to the heights of stardom and away from the small town in which she shared her happiest memories. However, when fate brings the Tuck back into her life, she has no option but to give him the new lease of life he so desperately needs. An ex-con becomes a rising singer’s bodyguard, and thus their second chance begins.

However, a cataclysmic solar flare wipes out the electrical grid and society begins to crumble immediately. Tuck and Emily find themselves in the impossible, dangerous situation of finding their way back to those orange groves where they hope to find safety and refuge.

In this story we see the worst of humanity displayed in its pages. With masterful prose, Mia crafts a new world that is filled with horror and danger. It is a place where no one can be trusted, and where death waits at every turn. There are many instances where I had to pause and take a breath, because of how realistic and terrifying this dsytopian world can be when pushed to a state of survival.

However within the suffering, terror, immorality, and horror, is hope and beauty. It comes in the form of small acts of kindness and sacrifice. It comes in the form of strength and resilience. It comes in the form of forgiveness and love.

The character arcs of Tuck and Emily brought literal tears to my eyes. Tuck, who is struggling with his sense of purpose and the weight of his guilt, sees him transform into someone who accepts his past, and creates purpose in leading others to a better and brighter future. On the other side, Emily who appears initially as selfish, ornery, and a shadow of her former self, finds herself through this book. She once more becomes the thoughtful, insightful, kind, girl she once was. Mia’s beautiful use of symbolism demonstrates Emily’s arc through this journey, with the loss of her material possessions, and the gaining of her own self.

I cannot speak highly enough of Mia’s writing. It is arguably her best work. The depth, the poetics, the call-backs, and the symbolism, is woven into a story that is thought provoking and inspiring. This story, the lessons it teaches, and the reminders it gives, will stay with me for a long, long time to come.

Thank you Mia, and thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Publishing for providing me with an e-ARC of this book. Truly, I cannot speak highly enough of this masterpiece.
🤎

is book was such a ride! Imagine a second-chance romance mixed with a total world meltdown, and you’ve got Heart of the Sun. It follows Emily, a rising pop star, and Tuck, her broody childhood best friend-turned-ex-convict (yep, drama). When Emily hires Tuck as her bodyguard, sparks fly, old feelings resurface, and just when things start getting really interesting—bam! A massive solar flare knocks out civilization as we know it. No phones, no power, no Uber Eats.

I loved the mix of romance and survival. Emily and Tuck’s chemistry is chef’s kiss, and the tension between them is perfection. Tuck is the ultimate grumpy protector, and Emily is way tougher than people give her credit for. Watching them navigate their complicated past and try to survive a literal apocalypse? So good.

If you love second-chance romance, forced proximity, and a little end-of-the-world chaos, you’ll eat this up. It’s got heart, steam, and just enough action to keep you hooked. Mia Sheridan did not miss with this one!

This was honestly such an interesting take on a dystopian romance. The premise of a solar flare is such a unique way to bring about a new world, especially in one that is currently so dependent on technology, and it was interesting to see how each character dealt with the aftermath. 

I did find it quite comical how deflated Charlie would get every time he came across someone who didn't immediately know who he was. He deserved to be knocked down a few pegs, especially after trying to pin the drugs on Tuck, and I wasnt even the slightest bit upset when he left.

I really enjoyed being a part of Emily and Tuck's physical journey to get to their families in California, as well as their mental and emotional journeys as they came to grips with their pasts, discovered who they were in the present and fell in love with their futures. 

While I do wish we might've received some closure on what became of the families they met that helped them during their travels, or those they didn't meet but whose amenities they utilized as is the case with the Garcia family, I also realize that it wouldn't have made much sense to tie them back in at the end. But I did love how those characters were utilized to aid in Emily and Tucks growth or served as a learning opportunity that they couldn't trust everyone they came across. 

Overall I really enjoyed this book and really loved how everything came full circle back to that loft in the barn. Their story began there and set the ball rolling and it was such a beautiful way to end it.

Mia Sheridan is a beautiful storyteller no matter the genre. This new one is simply amazing. Will be back with full review closer to publication

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Trading Publishing for this ARC.

This was an enjoyable dystopia read with some friends to lover romance in between. It had just enough drama and action to keep me engaged to find out what happens next.

Mia Sheridan’s Heart of the Sun is an engaging read with strong writing and emotionally compelling moments. However, the timeline throughout the book felt unrealistic, with events unfolding too quickly or too conveniently. This was especially evident in the epilogue, where an entire year had passed, yet an overwhelming amount of significant developments had occurred, making it difficult to fully believe in the story’s resolution. While the characters and romance had their strengths, the pacing and unrealistic progression of events took away from the overall impact. A decent read, but one that requires a lot of suspension of disbelief.

That being said, I still enjoyed the read and appreciated Sheridan’s wonderful storytelling. Thank you to Canary Street Press and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.

I really enjoyed this novel. My first read ever by Mia Sheridan was “Archers Voice.” So I knew this was a very different direction. I thought the premise was original and thought out. The main characters were great. I was happy to see them get their HEA after going through so much! Will definitely recommend!

I loved Archer’s Voice by Mia Sheridan and I was SO intrigued after reading the description of this book! So many of my favorite tropes but in such a unique story. I feel like romance books can feel very formulaic and predictable but this was so creative!! Dystopian storyline meets second chance romance? 10/10.

Set in a Dystopianish time that has second chance romance and friends to enemies to lovers...definitely not something I've read before. But I loved every minute of it. I was immediately sucked in and couldn't put it down. When I got to the last pages, I was so sad that it had ended! I need more!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my honest review. I was sucked into this book immediately, and drawn into the complex personalities of Emily and Tucker. Told from an alternating perspective, the book flows nicely and is easy to follow between the two characters. I had a really difficult time putting the book down, and was satisfied with the dystopian theme. It was like watching a movie, and found the ending to really wrap the book up nicely. I would absolutely recommend this book!

“Like a shooting star speeding through the galaxy—hot and dazzling—but destined to burn out. Something told me I needed to relish every blazing moment.”

✔️ bodyguard
✔️ forced proximity
✔️ a tense history
✔️ opposites attract
✔️ apocalyptic romance

The aftermath of a solar flare forces you to confront not only the fragility of human life and society in dire and unparalleled circumstances but also the strength and power of connections. Emily and Tuck are a testament to the power of those such connections in Mia’s apocalyptic romance, Heart of the Sun.

As Tuck and Emily navigate their new world, surviving as much as they can with what scarce resources they have, will their forced proximity to each other help clarify where they stand with each other, given their history, or will it complicate it further?

“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.”

Heart of the Sun is a deep story about the depth of human connections, the power of love and hope, and how even on the brink of collapse, empathy and understanding will persevere. Mia has crafted a beautiful novel that explores how perceptions can be harmful, that second chances can be warranted and how actions speak louder than words. With Emily and Tuck, we see their past bleed into their present, challenging times forcing them to depend on each other when there is so much lost time between them. Set against the backdrop of a society in the weeks following a devastating apocalyptic event, Heart of the Sun is so unique in what it shows and how it develops for Tuck and Emily as they fight to survive.

“And to face it all again, brief respites were necessary.”

I’m a massive lover of apocalyptic movies but am also a fan of romance books, so to see my favourite author combine these two genres in such a seamless and fitting way for Tuck and Emily shouldn’t come as a surprise and this surpassed every single expectation I had.

“And right then, it felt like a form of magic. It felt like—together—we could find that moment if it existed at all.”

What I loved is how seamlessly Mia intertwines both their past and their present, allowing us to experience Emily and Tuck’s first friendship and how it originally developed, and now into the present as they are thrown back together by perhaps fate or happenstance. Mia explores concepts that underpin society, our views of those in entertainment, and those who have been incarcerated, and how these perceptions can be prejudiced or glaringly incorrect. We, as members of society, view the world through our own lens, our own perspectives, but Mia opens our eyes and lets us experience other lives and other journeys which is something I’ve always admired about her characters and stories.

What stood out to me, that made me pause and take it in again and again was Mia’s lyrical prose. Not only beautiful but profound in the sense that it makes you contemplate the depth of her words and their meanings (to be expected) but to even be introspective. “The night had descended and a trillion stars blanked the sky, the moon sitting on Emily’s shoulder as though it too was leaning in to listen.” You can’t tell me this prose doesn’t make you feel so deeply and introspective about our place in the universe. We are but a speck of stardust in the galaxy. The universe is vast and we are so small in comparison, and even still, love and connection prevail—it makes you contemplate what you value and hold dear and prioritise.

Emily’s character is strong but also flawed, but I adored seeing her interact with Tuck after so long, and how she’s influenced by those around her. Tuck is trying to start his life over after being released from prison. The stigma of society is a barrier in his way to creating a new life for himself. But how Emily and others view Tuck because of this truly hit me and made me question my own initial and first impressions. And it’s not just me who questions this. Emily, after witnessing the true character of someone she holds dear, begins questioning her own perceptions and slowly starts to make amends and reevaluate how she views and treats others—and the importance of giving people a chance to show you who they are. Her character growth is not linear, but it shows that she cares enough to want to change—and then to follow through and change. Tuck’s character development is also so special to me but for a different reason. I love a tragic hero, and witnessing Tuck challenge his own perceptions of himself and his worth is hard to watch but also so powerful.

“If I could go back, I’d find you in the dark.”

The imagery of the sun is stunning and breathtaking and powerful and so fitting for Emily and Tuck. Nothing is more perfect and representative of them and the journey of their relationship. From dawn til sunrise. The beginning, their childhood or learning and thriving, and their present, their adulthood, their surviving and healing—their happiness together, once again. And while their connecting again and learning of each other was in such desperate times, “it’s been the best thing we ever did.” Tuck and Emily need each other like the world needs the sun— “I wanted her with a desperate aching neediness.” The yearning. The tension. The passion. Gah, gimme, gimme, gimme.

Mia writes: “It was we as individuals. We had everything society had told us would make us happy, and yet we were miserable.” Clearly an insightful commentary on contemporary society and the never-ending search for happiness.

I really enjoyed how Mia explored second chances, about how life can change people, about guilt and redemption, even when you don’t feel worthy. I truly connected with Tuck and Emily as individuals, and loved them even more fiercely as they found their way back to each other.

Heart of the Sun by Mia Sheridan is a beautifully written and emotionally captivating novel that draws readers into a compelling world of love, pain, and self-discovery. Sheridan's trademark ability to create rich, layered characters is on full display here, offering a slow burn romance that tugs at the heartstrings.

The story centers around two characters whose journeys of healing and connection are deeply intertwined, and Sheridan’s skill in portraying vulnerability and strength creates a poignant narrative that feels both raw and inspiring. The book touches on themes of redemption, the power of love, and the resilience of the human spirit, making it not only a love story but also a tale of personal growth.

The pacing of the story is deliberate, allowing for an emotional depth that unfolds gradually. While the romance is central, the novel also explores deeper emotional layers, such as overcoming past trauma and finding one's true self. There are moments of tension and heartache, but they are balanced by moments of sweetness and tenderness.

Sheridan’s prose is lyrical and evocative, creating a vivid atmosphere that enhances the emotional beats of the story. The chemistry between the characters feels authentic and intense, and while the plot may follow familiar tropes, the way Sheridan delivers it makes the journey feel fresh and impactful.

If there is one small critique, it would be that at times the pacing can feel a bit slow, especially in the middle sections, but it’s a minor issue in an otherwise engrossing read.

Overall, Heart of the Sun is a beautifully crafted story that will resonate with fans of emotional contemporary romance. Sheridan's writing continues to impress, and this book is a solid addition to her body of work. I’d give it a solid four stars for its emotional depth, strong character development, and the way it lingers with you long after the final page.

"Heart of the Sun" by Mia Sheridan is a captivating blend of second-chance romance and post-apocalyptic survival. Emily, a pop star, and Tuck, an ex-con, reunite in a world ravaged by a solar flare. Forced to rely on each other, they confront their past and rekindle their love amidst the struggle for survival. Sheridan's writing beautifully captures their raw emotions and the intensity of their relationship in this changed world. A compelling story about second chances, love, and the resilience of the human spirit, perfect for fans of emotional romance and post-apocalyptic fiction.

A solid romance with a dystopian twist featuring child hood friends - strangers - lovers trope. I liked this but didn’t love it, the characters were on a journey and there wasn’t too much else happening..

5⭐ 2🌶️

Mia does it once again! Emily and Tuck’s story is gut wrenching, tragic, and tear filled…but it is also full of beauty, destiny, strength, fate, and hope. Very few can tug on my heartstrings quite like Mia can and when you mix it with her poised writing, attention to detail, and ability to chameleon into a multitude of settings without losing her voice (uhm, hello, I would have never expected dystopian to be her lane and it was INCREDIBLE), you get something as magical as Heart of the Sun. This is an absolute must read.

Emily and Tuck are what second chance romance and enemy to lovers dreams are made of. While they never had their “official” first go around, it was always there underneath all the pent up angst and hate that I love you vibes and when they get their chance this time, there’s no way it’s slipping through their fingers again. I loved the interwoven narrative of their childhood into the beginning of this book and seeing them reunite and the sparks start to fly once again? Everything.

The worldbuilding kept me just as invested in this one and I really enjoyed the dystopian aspects and the solar flare plotline. The subtle (and sometimes not so subtle) commentary on how people react when all hope seems to be lost and it’s coming down to kill or be killed felt so relevant and real. There were so many moments of heartache woven in with anger, forgiveness, and acceptance…I was on a rollercoaster of emotions the entire time but I truly never wanted it to end.

I loved these two and their development throughout their journey and I’ll be thinking about this story for a long time coming.

I was so intrigued by the premise of this book. A post-apocalyptic romance sounded incredibly interesting, but unfortunately I felt that the execution fell flat in several areas. Firstly, the pacing of this book was brutal. A large part of the book was backstory, but I didn’t feel any more connected to the characters from it. It just felt like it had dragged on and I was struggling to push through to the part where things began to happen. The romance took a back seat to the apocalypse, and I couldn’t find myself caring too much about the characters at all. Every predicament they were in felt like a slightly altered version of the one before, and they were happening constantly.
I will say that once the story took off, I was very invested in the plot and how they were going to survive. If this had been marketed more as a post apocalyptic/dystopian book with a subplot of romance, this might have been a 3-3.5 star. However, because this shown as primarly romance, I don’t feel as though I can rate it any higher.
This book had a lot of potential in the idea, but unfortunately just did not work for me.
Thank you to Netgalley, Harlequin Trade Publishing, and Mia Sheridan for providing me the arc in exchange for my honest review.

This was such an addicting and action packed love story I could not put it down if I tried. We start out in Tuck and Emily's childhood and we see where they started to jump to years later, Tucks life has taken a turn in the years since we’ve seen him last and he’s ready to move forward in life with the help of his childhood best friend he left years ago. Emily has finally reached her dream headlining as Nova but things aren’t always as they seem, getting swept away in the LA limelight. When their plane comes down.

I love the tension Mia created with the tension between them burning so bright even from their first scene together. We watch Tuck use his skills of survival and do what it takes to keep Emily safe. Emily has the biggest character growth in this book starting as Nova the LA pop star and finally finding herself and who she’s meant to be.

This book was so fast paced and action packed I had to devour it in less than 24 hours. I love that we get to see them slowly warming up to each other and opening up about what has happened to separate them all those years ago. I love having a character hate and the “villain” of this story. There was so many plot twists and really shows the grit of the end of the world. Such a beautiful story that only Mia could have made with equal parts heart break and heartwarming. Showing the dirty and gritty parts of society but reminding us of the good that can still be found.