This story was absolutely riveting!! Once again, Mia Sheridan created characters so intriguing with such depth that I was instantly and completely invested in their journeys. This story really begs the question of value — what do you value, and what value would you have as a person when all worldly things are stripped away? It really got me thinking if I would be able to survive in a situation like this (and it got me inventorying my doomsday supplies). Add in the slow burn romance with all the angst? Incredible. Loved every second of it. And the audiobook narration was top notch. I really enjoyed hearing the narrators bring the characters to life. Will be recommending this one!

I....have no words. I'm not sure what I expected from this book, but this wasn't it. The first couple of chapters held a lot of promise, but then.....this just was not it. The plot fell very flat and drawn out, and most definitely should not be marketed as a love story. I mean, they truly despised each other for most of it. And the fact that "Nova" was so blind to Charlie's real personality super annoyed me. Also..like..what happened to Charlie? Maybe if this book had been marketed as something different, and I expected something different than a full blown romance going into this, then I could see a higher rating. I do feel like there was a lot of potential, but it just was not for me. The narrator for Tuck just wasn't fitting either.

Another spellbinding love story from Mia Sheridan. Fans of the dystopian trend of the mid 2000s will love this story! Emily and Tuck are childhood best friends separated by loss and poor life choices, until live changes and Tuck is hired to be Emily’s body guard. On a plane ride across the country the pair crash and are thrust into a world neither recognizes after a solar flare hits earth. A story of survival, humanity and most of all love. I absolutely adored this story, it pulled at my heartstrings and made my cry in only a way Sheridan can!

Not going to lie--this would've been five stars if it had given me more of a look into the future and also what caused the "flare". Otherwise, it was perfect and almost had me prepping a go bag.

4.75 ⭐️
.5 🌶️

The plotline for this book was an absolute 10/10 like???? I didn't realize how much I needed a dystopian/post apocalyptic romance until I started this

The slow burn between these two??? This was absolute *chefs kiss* and I adored this story, especially Emily & Tuck from start to finish.

Now the narrators???? They were both new to me narrators and I'm an instant fan of these two and the way they brought the story to life. I really enjoyed Tuck the most and the emotion he brought forth with his parts.

Thank you again Harlequin Audio for the alc *all thoughts are my own*

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Audio for the copy of this book.

I couldn’t wait to read/listen to this story! Mia Sheridan is a must read author and this book was so different than the others yet it has the love that Sheridan puts into each and every book.

Emily and Tuck knew each other a long time ago. Emily went onto be a star and Tuck, well he chose some wrong decisions in his life. But now Tuck, is Emily’s bodyguard. And then the unthinkable happens…the world goes dark. And everything changes. This was so entertaining, the narrators do well by keeping you glued to your headphones so you know what happens next. And through all the twists and turns these two find a love in this different world. Very enjoyable listen.

Took me by surprise. Went in blind and once the power went out it kinda lost me. Realized at that moment I don't think I'm into stories like that.

I wanted to like this one. But I couldn’t get myself to. I enjoyed the narrators but it’s the story I had no connection with. It lost me when the power went out and it became apocalyptic. It felt so out of place and out of the blue and so unrealistic I just couldn’t get past it. It felt like there was a hidden agenda behind the plot line.

This gave Walking Dead vibes (instead of zombies its a solar flare) which was slightly entertaining for a while, but we really missed a lot of character connections. I just didn't feel like the importance of the relationships was prevalent. It was more about the individual situations they kept finding themselves in. I didn't feel any real chemistry between Emily and Tucker. It was more like we were being told it was there, rather than seeing it develope. This one was just a miss for me unfortunately.

Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me this arch audio of Heart of the Sun! I am so excited to have my first arch! With that said, I wanted to love my first one so much, but just did not expect what I got from this book. It was a very, very slow burn. I am not even sure that we got a burn, it was more of a spark. I love Mia Sheridan’s writing, but was surprised by this story.

When I heard dystopian plane crash, I was thinking more of an abandoned romance. This gave more of The Walking Dead vibes with survival and world ending feelings. The beginning goes through how Tuck and Emily were childhood best friends and how life took them on drastically different life paths. They reconnect when Tuck is released from jail and in need of a job. He is hired to be Emily’s bodyguard because she is a successful popstar. I was really enjoying the book at this point. After the plane crash, it felt like a completely different book. I found it to get boring and was in search of the romance to keep me intrigued. You do not get the romance until literally the last 10% of the book. I was pretty disappointed in this one when I had such high expectations.

This book was such a wild ride.

I went into this book completely blind and after a few minutes I was like oh it’s a cute second chance romance between a bodyguard and a popstar! but plot twist!! It is so much more than that.

This book has honestly unlocked a new fear in me, and made me realize how incredibly unprepared I am for a disaster. (But in a mostly enjoyable way?) hahaha

I enjoyed this book, and it was also a little bit all over the place plot-wise. I got slightly overwhelmed at certain points from the amount of random plot points.

I preferred the audiobook and the duet narration. I feel like the mystery aspect of this book was even better through the audiobook, and both narrators played their roles incredibly well. I would highly recommend listening to this via audiobook.

Thank you Harper Collins & Harlequin for this ALC!

Not quite the genre for me. Well written and good to listen too, but I realized it is not my style .

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

This book was a wild ride that kept me on my toes. The second chance, slow burn romance was sweet and endearing. The plot felt unique and different. The audiobook narrators were a good choice and felt engaging. The only reason I gave it 3 stars was because it’s not my preferred genre in some ways and I didn’t always feel sucked in. That’s a reflection of me and not the book or writing though.

This was my first book by Mia Sheridan, and it absolutely won’t be my last! I wasn’t initially sure how I would enjoy this “apocalypse meets romance” story, however my attention was grabbed immediately and I couldn’t help continuously thinking “what happens next?”

Now I didn’t not particularly gravitate towards any of the characters, Emily was snobby, Tuck wouldn’t get over himself, and Charlie was probably one of the most selfish characters I’ve ever read about, but their dynamic kept me wanting more. I experienced so many emotions while listening to the audiobook, I was audibly reacting and stating my opinions out loud to myself.

I can’t say this book was perfect; it was a bit predictable (like many love stories), and I’m not sure if I would read another end of the world romance, however, I greatly enjoyed the adventure I and the characters went on together.

Format 🎧📖
Spice 🌶/5
Rating ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5/5

Mia Sheridan has a great writing style that keeps you interested and engaged from start to finish. The plot and concept of the book are both unique and executed well. I've yet to read a book similar to this!

Tuck and Em have great character development, a great backstory from childhood, and overall their both relatable to the real world.

The downfall of the book is that it's being advertised as "a love story" when only about 15% of this book contained something of even remotely love story related. If you're looking for a grand love story or a romcom, this isn't it.

ALC Audiobook Review~🎧

Is there anything Mia Sheridan can’t write?! I’ve read several Mia Sheridan books and she is easily one of my favorite authors, writing some of the most beautiful love stories I’ve ever read. This book is unlike any others I’ve read from her and is truly unique. I can’t really say anything about the plot without giving spoilers or ruining the story, except that you have to read this, or better yet, listen to it! I went into this audiobook completely blind and was shocked with the turn of events this story took and how fast everything was happening!

I can say that it is an epic love story between two childhood best friends Emily and Tuck, who lose touch as kids and reunite as adults, but it’s not your typical second chance romance story. This story hooks you from the beginning with events that you didn’t see coming and is about survival, resiliency, hope, friendship, love, self discovery, and remembering what’s truly important in life.

This audiobook truly felt like I was listening to a movie and the narrators brought all the action and emotions the characters went through to life! This has easily become one of my favorite love stories of Mia Sheridan and I can’t wait for others to experience Emily and Tuck’s extraordinary journey!

Thank you to Mia Sheridan, Harlenquin Audio, and NetGalley for this ALC! Emily and Tuck’s story was truly amazing! ❤️

Tropes:
-post-apocalyptic
-dual POV
-second chance
-childhood friends to lover
-slow burn
-pop star x bodyguard
-forced proximity
-protective MMC

So, full disclosure: if I had read the synopsis for this book, I wouldn’t have signed up for it. I am happy I did because it was way out of my usual wheelhouse, and I loved it. I am not usually a post-apocalyptic girl in books, and I usually save those for gaming and movies. I was pleasantly surprised with how well I enjoyed this.

The dynamic between Tuck and Emily was captivating. I was hooked on them getting their HEA. The tension between them was palpable from the moment they reunited. The amount of trauma and emotional damage they had to endure to get to where they were at the end was insane. This whole story felt like a zombie apocalypse situation without the zombies. It showed the best and worst of humanity when things get complicated. The good moments were fabulous and heartwarming. But the bad moments tore me apart. There were a lot of moments when I felt broken for these characters.

I recommend this one if you want to try something different. I listened to the audiobook; the narrators, Andre Santana and Annalee Scott were fantastic. This book and audiobook will be available on May 20. I received an ALC from Netgalley.

Quotes:
"It was always leading here with us, wasn't it?"
"Yes," I confirmed. "Always."

4 🌟 I never know what I’m going to get with Mia Sheridan and I love that! 💕
This is an intense speculative fiction with a full romance plot.
This definitely gave post apocalyptic vibes and was such an intense ride starting about the 20% mark. This is an ARC review so I’m going to keep this spoiler free!
Plot-was mostly predictable once you knew where the plot was going but I will say that didn’t prevent me from wanting to read. I was still fully invested!
Characters- I loved Tuck! He was a touch self deprecating sometimes but he had a huge heart. His only flaw to me was his choice in women. 🫠 Emily…. She was my least favorite type of FMC. 🤦🏻‍♀️ self absorbed, oblivious to other people. Even since kids Tuck had out her first. That didn’t stop as adults. I’m all for character develop but she developed far too slow for me. She should cut Charlie’s character loose WAY sooner.
The romance— despite how I did not like Emily even in the slightest, I think the romance progressed at a good pace and intertwined with the plot well. I will say…. The plot is the reason they got together anyway. It’s easy to cling to the person that’s saving your life.

The narrators…. LOVE! They did so good. Sometimes narrators can take you out of the story. But they never did! They really put on a true performance.

Overall, I had a good time! Mia Sheridan always hits!

Title: Heart of the Sun

Series: n/a

Author(s): Mia Sheridan

Genre: Romance/Second Chance/Sci-Fi/Fantasy

Publication Date: May 20, 2025

Publishing Co.: Harlequin Trade Publishing/Canary Street Publishing

Length: 464 pages/ 53 chapters

Rating: 4⭐️ / 🌶️



Trigger Warnings:

*Death
*Murder/Mayhem
*Parent Loss

Tropes:
* Second Chance Romance
* Friends/Enemies to Lovers
* Slow Burn



Whoa! I was thrilled to obtain an advance copy of Heart of the Sun in exchange for an honest review since, first and foremost, I love Mia Sheridan's books. If you want the vibe of Archer's Voice this isn't the vibe you're going to get. 

Emily (FMC) and Tuck (MMC), childhood best friends, find their worlds intersecting after 13 years apart in Heart of the Sun, a post-apocalyptic novel featuring Walking Dead-like elements. Emily is a rising pop artist in California, while Tuck has served time for a crime he didn't commit. Emily needs a bodyguard, while he needs a job after being released from prison.

The world falls dark as an EMP crashes their airplane. Realizing they aren't the enemies that they've convinced themselves they are but rather that they were destined to be, Emily and Tuck fight for their lives in order to reach their loved ones.


I'd like to thank Netgalley, Harlequin Audio for an advanced copy of Heart of the Sun in exchange for an honest review.


*I received a copy of this book from NetGalley. This review is my own opinion*

Book Review: Heart of the Sun by Mia Sheridan

Wow—this book was phenomenal! Set in a post-apocalyptic world after a devastating solar flare wipes out all electronics, Heart of the Sun delivers an unforgettable mix of romance, action, and survival.

At its core, this is a story about two childhood best friends who were once inseparable—until betrayal and heartbreak tore them apart. Now, years later, they find themselves thrust back together in a world that has completely changed. One is a pop star, used to the spotlight but suddenly powerless in this new reality. The other is the bodyguard assigned to protect them, carrying the weight of old wounds and unresolved feelings. As they fight to survive, the tension between them simmers, turning into a slow-burning romance that had me completely hooked.

The longing, the angst, the undeniable chemistry—it all came together beautifully in this second-chance love story. Every moment was packed with emotion, making the romance feel raw and deeply satisfying.

I had the privilege of receiving both the digital ARC and the audiobook (huge thanks to The Hive and NetGalley!), and I can confidently say that the dual narration brings this story to life in the best way. I listened on my commute and read at home, completely immersed in this world.

If you love intense, emotional romances set against a gripping backdrop of survival and second chances, Heart of the Sun is a must-read. It releases on May 20—don’t miss it!