Thank you, net galley for advanced copy in exchange for an honest review. I am a huge Mia Sheridan fan, and love a lot of her books, so I went in with high expectations. However, this one fell a little flat for me. I wasn't crazy about the main characters and felt like they didn't have chemistry. I also felt that the book was too long, and found myself waiting until the end. I wasn't a huge fan of this one.

Heart of the Sun by Mia Sheridan is another unique love story, and I was truly enthralled by it.

Tuck and Emily are childhood friends who let some of life's tragedies get between them. When years have gone by and they've crossed each other's paths again, will they be able to find some common ground?

The idea of something like what happens in this story happening in real life is terrifying, but even in that event, Mia Sheridan was able to portray forgiveness, hope, and so much more!

Not my favorite book by this author. I went in blind, and boy, was I surprised at the dystopian factor.

The book was a bit slow to get into, and when the crazy twist happened, it became more interesting. Reading Tuck and Emily surviving what happened was a lot.

Honestly, the book was not my cup of tea. I felt like it was more survival than romance. It did make the book interesting to keep reading, but I was not vibing with the book.

Thought provoking, clever story that is more than a romance story!
In fact it’s unlike any story I’ve read in a very long time. I’m a huge fan of this author’s writing so I went into this story blindly and I have to admit, initially I struggled to like these characters and get into their story. There was a lot going on and I kept wandering how is this story going to unfold.
I’m so glad I continued to read on, because once again this author affirms her highly inventive style where she flawlessly incorporates different genres and makes it work!

Intense, emotional and intriguing, this story really made me think what would I do under similar circumstances when faced with life’s unpredictability’s.

Can this happen?

This is Tuck and Emily’s harrowing journey where reality and dystopia are fighting for space following a plane crash. They find themselves making the decision to travel through the country, escaping some mysterious events. As Tuck and Emily make their way home, they find that home is now a crumbling society. Traveling under unpredictable and dangerous conditions, they learn things about themselves and each other making their story an emotional and gripping story of second chances and not wasting time. They learn they’ve had feelings for each other since childhood but their struggle to act on those feelings, offered a unique perspective on slow burn sexual tension which sometimes felt too slow.
HOWEVER, as their story evolved and developed, the result was an epic emotional adventure they really had me glued to the pages and the ending was chefs kiss yummy!
4.5 stars!

Childhood friends Tuck and Emily survive a catastrophic solar flare and make their way across the country back to California. The premise of this book was very intriguing and also terrifying. This book is looooong and felt like it was dragging on. I had a difficult time finding the oomph to finish it and did not feel emotionally connected to either character. While this particular book was not the one for me I do love the author.

Thanks to netgalley and the publishers for this arc!

Just out of prison, Tuck is looking for a fresh start. He lands a job providing security to Emily, a rising pop star who was once his closest friend. Time and circumstances have left them as almost-strangers to one another. While on a private cross-country flight, their plane goes down, leaving Tuck, Emily, and Emily’s boyfriend to navigate a world that has changed in an instant. Thrust into survival mode, they negotiate their new reality – one filled with danger and uncertainty. While Emily struggles to adapt without the familiar trappings of money, fame, and creature comforts, Tuck quickly finds himself in a new role – a leader. Society quickly collapses around them, but amid the chaos, Tuck sees an opportunity for what he needs most. Redemption.

Mia Sheridan is a long time favorite author so I was excited to dive into her latest release. Mia Sheridan + a dystopian love story? Yes please and thank you. While I did enjoy the story overall, I found it didn’t pack the emotional punch of Sheridan’s other books. I liked Tuck, I tolerated Emily, there were a few intriguing secondary characters, and the plot was enough to keep me invested. I struggled to feel any connection with Tuck and Emily’s relationship. The emotion and depth I’ve come to expect from Sheridan seemed to be in short supply. Readers who want a dystopian tale full of adventure are sure to enjoy this one.

This had all of the potential and I picked it because it was giving me “The Fifth Wave” vibes which was a movie I really enjoyed when I was younger and so disappointed when it wasn’t continued. This one was a let down for me… the pacing was off and honestly a little bit all over the place and it really struggled to hold my attention. The entire time all I could think about was picking up another book. The romance? I just didn’t feel it and the chemistry was lacking. While I have only read one other Mia Sheridan book “Archer’s Voice” (and absolutely loved it!!!) this one was just a let down for me personally. I ended up DNF’ing the book because I just could not get myself to pick it up and get through it :(

This newest release by Mia was a little different from what I typically read. Dystopian and fantasy type genres are not what I usually gravitate to. With that said I really enjoyed this world that Mia created and the journey the main characters had to go on to get home was really interesting and engaging. Tuck, the main male character, was wonderful. He had a heart of gold and was so smart. The main female character, Emily, took a little longer for me to warm up to. She felt a little bratty, from flashbacks to their childhood to present day, but she did a lot of growing throughout the book and I enjoyed that. It was interesting as Tuck and Emily went on this journey to think about how I would respond in a catastrophic situation like they were in. There are definitely Tuck’s in the world who can be calm and respond with a level head and then there are Emily’s who are more focused on losing tangibles in their life. Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced copy of this book.

Heart of the Sun by Mia Sheridan ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Want some romance with your end-of-the-world survival story? Want a cross-country trek and a third-wheel situation? If yes, this is your book.

I was mostly intrigued and interested in this one but found the pacing lagged in many places. And as for the last 15% of the book, I could’ve done without it. I felt like it took so long to get to the romance that the last little bit wasted the momentum that was built up. In terms of romance, I’d say it came second to the dystopian survival story. This novel really focused in on the survival aspect.

I enjoyed the characters and loved how the FMC and MMC were friends growing up. I enjoyed how they pushed each others’ buttons, but when it mattered, they were a good team. The characters were cliche, but I didn’t really mind too much.

Fans of dystopian reads sprinkled with romance will enjoy this one.

A Dystopian style romance is a new one for me, but man I was not disappointed. Between Archer's Voice, All The Little Raindrops, and now Heart of the Sun. Mia Sheridan really knows how to write and hi you straight in your feelings. This book brings you through a second chance romance that you'd never really expect but are so happy it happened. Finding their way back to a new version of normal after a catastrophe really captivated me!

Easily a 5 star read.

j'ai été agacée par Emily dès le départ alors que j'ai trouvé Tuck vraiment génial, il ne dévie jamais de sa route ni de ses convictions et j'ai adoré la manière dont il remplit ses promesses. Elle est pour le moins agaçante, j'avais envie de la secouer un peu pour qu'elle ouvre les yeux ce qui finit par arriver assez tardivement. La romance prend vraiment vraiment son temps et elle nous livre quelques beaux moments sur la fin, j'ai apprécié la manière dont l'autrice nous fait réfléchir à nos propres réactions face à tout ce qu'ils vivent. Un chouette moment dans l'ensemble.

🌞 What happens when the world ends, and the romance never really starts?

Read if you like: childhood best friends, popstar/bodyguard dynamics, post-apocalyptic vibes, slow burn (emphasis on slow), and dystopian aesthetics with a dash of romance.

📚 Heart of the Sun had all the ingredients for a compelling story—fame, a tortured ex-con, end-of-the-world stakes, and a second-chance love—but somewhere along the way, the spark fizzled out.

👨‍👧 Tuck and Emily had potential as childhood best friends reuniting under tense circumstances. Tuck’s brooding protector energy had its moments, and Emily had glimpses of depth as a former golden girl navigating a crumbling world. But neither fully came to life on the page, and their emotional arc felt underdeveloped.

💞 The romance? It tried to be slow burn, but it was mostly just slow. For most of the book, it felt like the characters were walking (literally and emotionally), and the chemistry didn’t ignite until the final chapters—and even then, the heat barely flickered.

👧 The supporting characters were sparse and forgettable. A few were hinted at, but none truly added tension or emotional weight to the journey. A love triangle setup was teased but lacked substance.

✍️ Mia Sheridan is known for heart-tugging romance, so it’s hard not to compare this to Archer’s Voice or Leo. Unfortunately, Heart of the Sun read more like a Wattpad throwback than a polished dystopian love story. The world-building felt like an afterthought, and the tension—whether romantic or survival-based—never truly gripped me.

🌟 Overall, this felt like a missed opportunity. The concept was intriguing, but both the romance and the dystopian survival elements fell flat. I wanted heart-pounding moments, emotional reconnection, or something to root for—but it stayed lukewarm the whole way through.

Thank you to Harlequin Trade Publishing | Canary Street Press for the eARC.

Mia Sheridan takes us on a ride...

So buckle up for a twist on Mia's writing and I am here for it.
Emily and Tuck were once friends, when they were young. So close, until life happened and their paths diverged in a chasm of ways. Emily went on to be a pop star. Tuck went to prison and is filled with conflict of what could have been. Years later, Emily hires Tuck to be her bodyguard and then the world changes in an instant. Post apocalyptic, Emily has zero survival skills, like zero. Thankfully, this is Tuck's time to shine, with special survival skills honed in prison, he gets to be the hero in this alternative universe from what once was.
I'm down for this story and can recommend it for a very different Mia Sheridan, and that's a good thing.
Recommend.

Heart of the Sun was a great blend of second chance romance mixed with dystopian vibes. I loved meeting Emily and Tuck when they were young, and then seeing them in the present as a pop star/bodyguard combo. I’ve always been interested in post-apocalyptic, dystopian settings, and I thought the mystery of the “how” really added to the intrigue.
Though Emily definitely grated on my nerves at first, I feel like that’s exactly what she was supposed to do. I really enjoyed her overall growth in the book and I appreciated the slow pace of the romance between her and Tuck. It felt more realistic as survival would probably take the forefront over romance in this situation.
Thank you to Harlequin Trade Publishing and Netgalley for the arc!

3 ⭐️
As a fan of Mia’s writing, I was very excited to receive this ARC! I was intrigued by the combination of a second-chance romance and an dystopian plot. That being said, I didn’t connect with this book as much as I had hoped, which was disappointing because I truly adore Mia’s writing.

Although I didn’t feel as connected to the FMC and MMC in this story, the apocalyptic setting kept me engaged. I’m a lover of apocalyptic movies, so exploring how people’s survival instincts kick in—including turning on one another—definitely held my interest.

Thank you to Harlequin Trade Publishing & NetGalley for providing me an ARC!


I love Mia Sheridan and everything she writes, but this is the probably one of the books I’ve enjoyed the least. Which was disappointing.

I found the book rather slow and repetitive when it comes to the plot. So it seemed to drag and drag throughout the story.

But just like her typical writing style it was easy and fast to get through.

I love the cover of this one and have previously enjoyed Mia Sheridan's works so I was super excited when I got approved for this! My friend Hannah and I were going to buddy read together but she messaged me and said I was not the prime audience for this book. I was expecting a contemporary romance and this was not it. Thanks to Canary Street Press for allowing me to be an early reader. All thoughts are my own.

Heart of the Sun mixes second-chance romance with a dystopian twist. Emily and Tuck reconnect just as a massive solar flare throws the world into chaos. As they fight to survive, they also face their complicated past. It’s emotional, intense, and full of heart—perfect if you like love stories with a dramatic edge.

It was a slow start but had a decent middle and i really liked the end ! Different then anything else I’ve read of hers ! The pacing was not super great either .

Loved the second chance romance and the friends to enemies to lovers! Emily and Tucks story was told through dual POVs. They grew up together and then grew apart. Thirteen years later they are back in each other’s lives. Emily seemed a little selfish and immature at times. She did have character growth though.

Thank you NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for the arc of this book.