❤️‍🔥 I went into Heart of the Sun expecting a romance—but what I got was a full-blown apocalyptic rollercoaster with emotional depth, survival grit, and one unforgettable second-chance love story. 🌞💥
.
Set against the chaos of a solar flare-ravaged world, childhood frenemies Emily and Tuck are forced together after a plane crash strands them in the middle of nowhere. What follows is part survival thriller, part slow-burn romance, and part gut-punching reflection on humanity, fame, and forgiveness.
.
The dystopian vibes were strong (seriously considering a bunker now), and while some pacing issues popped up in the second half, I was completely hooked. Tuck might just be the book boyfriend of my end-of-the-world dreams, and Emily’s character growth had me rooting for her by the end.
.
This was my first Mia Sheridan novel, and I’m officially intrigued—her writing is vivid, emotional, and cinematic. If you like your romance with grit, action, and a side of existential dread, this one’s worth the read.
.
Thank you @htpbooks and @miasheridanauthor for the ARC and ALC! @netgalley @htp_hive @htpbooks_audio
.
#HeartOfTheSun #MiaSheridan #DystopianRomance #SecondChanceRomance #BookReview #BookRecs #RomanticSuspense #PostApocalypticReads #EndOfTheWorldVibes #Bookstagram #ARCReview #SlowBurnRomance #BookishThoughts #RomanceReaders #TheHiveInfluencer #HTPBooks

This modern romantic dystopian was too close to real that it gave me end of the world anxiety. The story started off strong, but eventually moved too slow and dragged on. So many random things happened that I couldn’t help but laugh- it felt like the author was reaching for plot points to move the story. However, I did appreciate that the couple had a real relationship with depth and history.

Thank you Netgalley and Harlequin Audio for this advanced audiobook in exchange for a review.

3.5 stars

Oh man, I went into this one not knowing what to expect, and it certainly took me for a ride. When a solar flare knocks out all electronics, Tuck & Emily find themselves stranded in the midwest and embarking upon a long journey home to California. They were childhood friends, but life choices had created distance over the years, but years later Tuck finds himself as Emily's bodyguard when this catastrophe occurs. Unfortunately, they're also stuck with Emily's boyfriend for a good bit of the story.

This whole story was a journey, both physically and emotionally. Of course, Tuck was the hero, determined to redeem himself and help all he could. Emily was a bit annoying at times, and I kept wishing the boyfriend would exit the scene earlier than he did. Because of that, I wanted more romance between Emily and Tuck and for it to have occurred earlier in the novel. It was an interesting story, though I think it helped that I listened on audio. I may have struggled a bit more progressing had I physically read it.

Nevertheless, it was a lovely second chance story with Tuck and Emily working together to survive, rebuilding the friendship they once had, and discovering who they'd become as adults. The dual narration by André Santana and Annalee Scott was great. They kept me coming back to see what else lay in store for Tuck and Emily.

Thank you to the author, Harlequin Audio, and Netgalley for the ALC. All opinions are my own.

Heart of the Sun ☀️
by Mia Sheridan

Audiobook 🎧
3.75⭐️
2🌶️

“Heart Of the Sun” is post-apocalyptic romance , childhood friends-to-lovers (which I love) slow burn , second chance, Popstar / Bodyguard , but this book fell a little flat for me. Loved the beginning, the middle really dragged out. So I started to lose interest unfortunately.


The romance aspect between Tuck & Emily , to me I just didn’t feel that connection or spark . This story did focus more on the post-apocalyptic part, and I wish it focused more on their rekindled romance.
Wasn’t really a fan of Emily either. She just seemed very abrasive and cruel through Tuck.
Tuck on the other hand was a wonderful character and I wouldn’t mind being by his side if the world suddenly ended.

I did enjoy some aspects of this story especially in Audiobook form . It made me feel a little more engaged with the story.
It was a duel narrative and the narrators André Santana and Annalee Scott
did an amazing job!

Overall I love Mia Sheridan and I will definitely continue reading her work. But unfortunately this book didn’t do it for me.

Thank you NetGalley & Harlequin Audio for the audiobook in exchange for my honest review.

Mia Sheridan delivers a slow-burn love story with emotional depth and just the right amount of action. With themes of redemption, resilience, and reconnection, this book is perfect for fans of emotional romances set against high-stakes backdrops. A heartfelt, atmospheric read that lingers long after the final page. The audio was really good i really enjoyed the characters. I really enjoyed this book and I am ready to dive into more.

This book kept me sucked in the whole time! This is my new Roman Empire book! It has been one of my favorite friends to lovers I have read this year! It makes you really think about what you would do if the world stopped turning as you knew it. I truly enjoyed all parts of this book!

https://www.amazon.com/gp/customer-reviews/R37URGMO635T2N?ref=pf_ov_at_pdctrvw_srp

I did not know what to expect with this since it sounded more like romance based tropes rather than dystopian. That being said, I really liked it! I can appreciate that the world wasn’t apocalyptic throughout but rather this just happened which made the setup for the romance better, and have a bit of a slow burn. I didn’t really know where the ending was heading though and felt it could have been a bit more interesting. Overall, I’m very happy I picked this up.

Thank you to Netgalley for allowing me to have this ARC!

I really enjoyed this post apocolyptic story. This book follows Emily and Tuck. Once childhood friends that grew apart. Emily and Tuck are reunited in adulthood. Emily is a famous singer needing a security guard and offers Tuck the position. Shortly after they are reunited, they are forced into survival mode because of a solar flare hitting earth that wipes out the power grid. They have to depend on each other to survive.

This book started out a little slow in the beginning. Once it picked up, I couldn't put it down. The narrators did a fantastic job.

I was so excited to get my hands on this one but started questioning my excitement after reading a handful of reviews. After reading, it just reminded me of why I don’t let other people’s reviews influence how a book makes ME feel. HEART OF THE SUN held my attention from start to finish. It really makes you think about what you would do should a disaster hit the world today. The narrators did a beautiful job of bringing Tuck and Emily to life. The emotions in their voices really made you feel like you were there with them. I would have loved to see a bit more of their relationship when they were younger. Even though the epilogue did leave me hopeful for their future, I would’ve loved to have it been set a bit more into the future.

This was the first book I’ve ever read by Mia Sheridan and I enjoyed it! This was a good post-apocalyptic dystopian book but I just didn’t vibe with the romance sub-plot. I think it might be because I didn’t like Emily’s character that felt like a wanna-be Taylor Swift. I really enjoyed Tuck as a character, especially as you see his growth from getting out of prison through navigating the outside world again.

Overall, I really enjoyed Mia’s writing style but the plot of this one wasn’t my favorite.

However, I had been switching between the ebook and audiobook and this audiobook is phenomenal! It’s narrated by Andre Santana and Annalee Scott. I believe this was my first time listening to both of them and they did an incredible job! I truly felt like I was walking through this post-apocalyptic world with them.

Thank you to Canary Street Press for sending me an early copy!

I picked it up because I liked Archers Voice, and then I should have put it right back down when I saw the sub-genre change. I didn't see a dystopian romance working, and i was right. it didn't work. Their entire relationship was based on a crush from their childhood days, and it just didn't make sense or feel like a natural progression in 20 DAYS. There were multiple events that felt like fillers for some action points, like the entire ending was confusing and didn't add anything to the story. Not my cup of tea overall 🙃

The voice for Tuck was not the right fit and made it difficult to listen to.

I was very excited & intrigued when starting this book. I did enjoy it but it lacked plot. The premise was great, I just expected more. What kept me going was the fact that was dystopian. I also enjoyed the characters minus Emily’s boyfriend in the middle of the book 😭 Thank you Netgalley and the hive for this arc

This book gave me a perfect mix of romance, tension, and high stakes, This is definitely different from her other books but I liked it.

I just couldn’t lol. The storyline was typical dystopian, but even so the characters were painfully shallow w/ 0 chemistry at all.

The times I cringed every time Em opened her mouth.
Like she fr thought promising a girl tickets to her future concert was an equivalent to setting an injured boys arm? That she wasn’t entirely useless ‘cause that gave the girl comfort… Like 🙃 Nah babes, you & crackhead are still useless. Since the beginning… I would’ve been left them by the plane lol. Her constant outbursts are too childlike & a game of who’s better, when Tuck clearly doesn’t gaf who’s better… Just when they were gloating about how they’re above Tuck for being able to repurchase all their name brand stuff 👁️👄👁️

Charlie was your typical cookie cutter cocky celeb, & Tuck is just… He’a just there🧍🏽‍♂️Even after the disrespect. I don’t know, he’s better than me ‘cause I am not sticking around ✌🏽

Overall… Is this a bad book? Or is it a good book for making me feel a type of way lmfao. I have no clue, but I stopped at 46%. Right when they were talking about how it’s gonna be crazy on the outside & proceed to go up to two random men who clearly broke into a diner on horses… *Maybe I’ll finish it when I have enough patience lmfao. ‘Cause I clearly cannot right now w/ their airhead shenanigans.

Mia never lets me down, so I didn’t do much research into what the book was about and I think that helped. I was so open minded and wasn’t expecting anything. This is my first dystopian romance and the author did a great job painting what a world would look if an event like this occurred. I enjoyed the character’s background stories and how they were tied together. They were moments where I was screaming inside for them to run, hide or maybe not trust someone.

It has a super intriguing premise but the romance felt so disjointed, the plot pacing was inconsistent (slow for the majority of it and then way too fast towards the end), & the ending was a little underwhelming. It was lacking a little something. The whole story felt 2 dimensional.

Maybe this would be better as a movie or show. I actually got some “the walking dead” vibes from this (minus the zombies) with the whole end of the world element to this story. The parts which described how people were affected by the solar flare & collapse of society affected me most, because it felt like it could be real. Some scenes were borderline horror/thriller, and of course that got a reaction out of me. But I was bored with the majority of the book.

I still love Mia and will continue reading her backlist and taking a chance on her new releases, but this one wasn’t it.

Is it an accidental plane crash that Tuck Mattice and Emily Swanson miraculously survived? Or was there more to it? Tuck, Emily, and her boyfriend Charlie managed to escape the crash and are determined to walk as far as necessary to find help. Despite their history together, Emily and Tuck’s history together clearly prove that Charlie is a liability. But they press on.

Survival becomes paramount for the trio, especially when it seems that every mile they take leads them nowhere. As they grapple with the aftermath of the crash, they gradually comprehend the magnitude of the situation and their uncertain futures.

From the very beginning, I was captivated by this story. The sense of urgency was palpable, and the narrators delivered fantastic performances. Another intriguing aspect of the narrative was the alternating points of view between Emily and Tuck. It was fascinating to witness the profound impact of the sudden changes on their lives.

Although dystopian novels aren’t my preferred genre, I occasionally find myself drawn to them based on their intriguing descriptions. In this case, a world plunged into darkness, offering little hope of finding their homes, captivated me. Meanwhile, Emily and Tuck are forced to confront their past and reconcile it with the present, all while being accompanied by Charlie. This thrilling story boasts excellent character development and an intriguing plot. I highly recommend it.

Many thanks to Canary Street Press and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.

I really enjoyed this book. I do want to say if youre expecting something like Archers Voice, then you may want to reassess your expectations. BUT if you’re looking for an angsty, childhood friends, second chance, bodyguard/famous singer, dystopian with a slow burn romance then this one is it. I had peeked at some of the reviews prior to reading this book, and then while reading I was completely confused on why the ratings were so low. Then I remembered that Archers Voice is a very emotional, and angsty book (While I havent read the others in that world yet, I assume they would be emotional, and angsty as well). Archers Voice isnt super suspenseful, thrilling, and definitely doesnt have a ton of action (or survivial scenes. Whatever you’d prefer to refer to them as). So if people are going into this book expecting that book (or rather something along those lines), I can see how they are disappointed. If you take away those expectations, and look at the book for what it is, I think it is great. This book for me was good. This book has a lot of action, and is exciting. Which is to be expected with a dystopian romance. I like the character development of Emily. l love how her, and Tucks relationship builds. The dystopian world is set in contemporary times, but has the “real world” feel of what if this happened. I actually loved that aspect. The story is actually great.

I did do the audio version of this book as well.

This book is a gripping Contemporary Dystopian Romance. The romance is this book is a slow burn, and second chance. The book does have some mild spice, and the spicy scenes are descriptive. The book moves at a steady pace following Emily, and Tuck as their world implodes. Emily, and Tuck are childhood friends who have grown apart, and are recently reacquainted. When their plane crashes they learn the world as theyve known it has changed forever. Both Emily, and Tuck want to get home. Getting home is going to be harder than they ever expected. Especially with Emilys movie star boyfriend in tow, and the dangers lurking. This is a gripping story of survival when disaster strikes, and romance all in one book.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️

Emily and Tuck were once childhood friends, their properties side by side and their parents' friends with a dream for their community. Life doesn't happen the way these two imagined as children though and several years go by before they meet again. Tuck is looking for a second chance at life, Emily is looking for a bodyguard, they couldn't be at more different places, but their needs align. The two hold harsh judgements against each other, but a solar flare finds them relying on one another in desperation. As the realities of their situation sinks in, the two find that the chemistry that once burned between them is still there, burning just as the world is.

I had the absolute pleasure of getting to listen and flip the pages at the same time, which found me totally immersed in Heart of the Sun. It was novel I usually wouldn't have picked up, but as a longtime obsessive fan of Mia Sheridan I am so glad I did. I'm a huge fan of romantic suspense and major angst, but wasn't sure I'd be into a more modern dystopian romance. Sheridan proved me wrong though, as I fell in love with this second chance high stakes romance.

Emily and Tuck are both relatable, while being totally unrelatable. Their childhoods so idyllic and their adult lives so different, but a catastrophe brings them together in a way that only a crisis can. They've both been hiding themselves for so long, but as they band together to survive, to get home, their true selves come forth. I love a good second chance romance, especially one where the characters have a bit of enemy drama. The storyline was so different for me that I couldn't predict what was going to happen next, which found me flipping the pages as quickly as I could to know if these two would ever admit they carried feelings still. This wasn't just a pop star and her bodyguard romance, this is a book of survival, with excellent detail into the new dystopian they are dropped into and a complex study of two characters discovering themselves again.

The narration was excellent, I was totally thrilled there were two narrators and their voices became one with the words on the pages for me. Truly popped off the page like I was watching a show. I read in 1.5x speed and it never got roboticy.

I went into this book thinking that I would love it. Honestly it was okay but not my favorite for sure. I listened to this and switched between the audio and kindle version. I felt wanting for more. The story starts with Tuck showing up to his old family farms needing a job. Emily’s mom thinks this is the perfect opportunity for Tuck to work as security for Emily, an up and coming singer. Next thing we know, there’s a plane crash. Everything was decent until this happened. I genuinely could not stand Emily. I felt stuck did everything from then on out. But other than those few things the books was good!

Thank you NetGalley, Harlequin Audio, Canary Street Press, Harlequin Trade Publishing, and Mia Sheridan for copies of the arc and alc!