DESCRIPTION:
From mega-bestseller and TikTok sensation Mia Sheridan, an all-new epic, angsty second-chance romance with an unexpected and gritty speculative twist; think: Carley Fortune’s Every Summer After meets Station Eleven.
Tuck and Emily grew up together in their neighboring California orange groves and nearly gave their hearts to each other, but life pulled them apart and set them on very different paths. Now, 13 years later, stubborn, sunny Emily is a pop star and brooding Tuck is an ex-con in need of a job. When Emily hires him to be her bodyguard, they naturally butt heads, even as both try to ignore the heat rekindling between them.
When a massive solar flare hits Earth, knocking out the electrical grid and all satellites, the world changes forever instantly. Tuck and Emily are forced to come together to fight for their lives and find a new place in this post-apocalyptic world—one where everything Emily has worked so hard for has crumbled, but also one where Tuck can start over and maybe even thrive.
Heart of the Sun is a bullseye Mia Sheridan new adult romance with a post-apocalyptic backdrop that tests the characters to be their better selves.
Title: Heart of the Sun
Author: Mia Sheridan
Publisher: Canary Street Press
Genre: Dystopian; Romance
Format: Audio ALC and Kindle ARC
Length: 14 hrs 47 mins
Narrators: André Santana and Annalee Scott
No. of Pages: 464
Date of Publication: May 20, 2025
My Rating: 5 Stars
MY THOUGHTS:
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.
Please enjoy the following excerpt:
prologue
Tuck
Now
Holy shit. What the hell is happening?
Cold sweat broke out across my back as the lights inside the small, chartered plane blinked off and the engine went quiet. I could hear the pilot, Russell, behind the curtain to the cockpit, speaking into the radio with what sounded like growing alarm. I rose from my seat and took a few unsteady steps to the cockpit doorway where I slid the curtain open to see Russell furiously pushing buttons and moving dials. I grabbed the wall to hold myself steady as the plane bumped and jerked, sudden flares of lightning pulsing through the darkened cabin.
“What’s going on?” I asked, voice as shaky as the rest of me.
“The engines and the navigation equipment went down,” Russell said. “Air traffic control cut out and I can’t get them back on the line.”
My heart dipped along with the plane, and I heard a small squeal of fear from behind me where Emily and Charlie were sitting.
“Isn’t there a backup system?”
“That’s out too! Copy! Copy!” he called into his headpiece, but again there was no reply. “Shit.”
I ignored Emily’s quiet cries; there was nothing I could do. I had no idea what the hell was going on, and my own fear was mounting as the plane made another small drop. A bead of sweat rolled down the side of Russell’s cheek, punctuating the fact that he was panicked as well.
“Sit down and buckle up. I’ll use the manual controls,” he said, obviously trying to insert a note of confidence in his tone. “We can still glide, but I’ll need to get us down quickly. Brace for impact.” My heart was racing as I turned back toward my seat. “What’s happening?” Emily asked, eyes wide with fear.
“Something knocked out the engine and navigation system and air traffic control isn’t answering,” I said, my eyes sweeping over her to verify she was buckled in. “He says to brace for impact.” I glanced out the window. The sky had dimmed, and I could see zigzags of lightning in the distance. An unexpected electric storm?
Emily looked straight ahead, grasping the armrests as the plane gave a groaning shiver.
I sat down and buckled myself in just as the plane dipped and then dipped again, my stomach rising and falling quickly as a small piece of luggage went flying past my face. Then the plane took on a bumpy flight pattern and strange milky clouds streaked past my window, splintered by a spidery bolt of white lightning right next to us.
I could hear the muted blast of the wind outside, highlighting the dead silence of the engine.
Brace for impact, the pilot had said. But I didn’t know how to do that other than sitting still and silent, terror pounding through my body.
We plunged yet again, the force jolting and lifting me and causing the seat belt to bite harshly into my hips. For a minute I was afraid the belt would break against the immense pressure. When I turned my eyes toward Emily, she was still gripping the armrests, her face ashen, eyes clenched tight. Next to her, Charlie had his eyes squeezed shut as well and looked to be hyperventilating. The plane began to shake, making a long, shrieking sound as though it was at risk of being torn apart by the rapid descent. My heart slammed, the hair rising on my nape and arms.
Just get us on the ground, Russell. Please get us on the ground.
We bumped and shook and for a moment, the sky went even darker, then seemed to split. The plane lowered again and this time didn’t straighten out for several long seconds. My breath lodged in my throat. The aircraft straightened, and as the nose rose, the sky parted once more, and I glimpsed the ground. It was red and fiery, smoke billowing everywhere. I swallowed heavily, the bony fingers of terror gripping my lungs.
I closed my eyes, focusing on my breath, conjuring the one place on earth that had always brought peace to my soul. I was a child again, the air tinged with the scent of orange blossoms. I lifted my face to feel the kiss of dry heat upon my skin and listened for the ringing echo of my mother’s laugh.
“Tuck.” Her voice. Emily. Not who she’d later come to be, the woman she was now, but the girl she once was. The one I’d loved. “Tuck.” That whisper again, my name floating over her shoulder as she ran through the groves of my memory, dirty knees and tangled hair, her quickened breath interrupted by bursts of giggles, spirit as radiant as the California sunshine. Another dip, another swerve, my memories dissolving in the surge of adrenaline shooting through my veins. My eyes shot open, and I leaned forward, watching helplessly out the window as we descended straight into hell.
Excerpted from HEART OF THE SUN by Mia Sheridan. Copyright © 2025 by Mia Sheridan. Published by Canary Street Press, an imprint of HarperCollins.
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