What happens when the lights go out—literally and metaphorically? Heart of the Sun, the latest emotional rollercoaster by Mia Sheridan, answers that question with lyrical prose, harrowing circumstances, and a love story that refuses to die, even when the world does.
Known for tugging heartstrings with novels like Archer’s Voice and Kyland, Sheridan infuses her newest release with speculative grit and romantic electricity. Here, she explores the fragility of civilization and the tenacity of the human heart—all while reviving a bond torn apart by time and tragedy.
Synopsis: Of Orange Groves, Stardom, and Solar Flares
Tuck Mattice and Emily Swanson once roamed orange groves as inseparable childhood best friends. Thirteen years later, that sun-soaked innocence is long gone. Emily has reinvented herself as “Nova,” a global pop sensation, while Tuck bears the scars of a wrongful prison sentence and a shattered past.
When Emily hires Tuck as her bodyguard, sparks fly—not just the romantic kind, but the messy, unresolved tension of years lost and hearts bruised. Just as they begin to reckon with their unfinished story, a massive solar flare devastates the global electrical grid, plunging society into chaos. The world darkens, and with it, the illusions both have clung to.
In this new reality, stripped of glamour and technology, Emily and Tuck must decide whether love—raw, imperfect, and rekindled—is enough to illuminate their way forward.
Emotional Terrain: Sheridan’s Signature Core
Sheridan’s greatest talent lies in crafting emotionally resonant narratives. Heart of the Sun is not just a romance set in a dystopian world—it is a deep character excavation set against a crumbling civilization.
Rather than relying on grand romantic gestures, Sheridan leans into the small, intimate moments: a look exchanged in silence, a touch amidst fear, a truth finally spoken. This is where the novel shines brightest—underneath its speculative exterior lies a vulnerable human story about love lost and found again.
Character Study: Complicated, Relatable, Real
Tuck Mattice: Conviction Meets Compassion
A former mechanic and wrongly imprisoned ex-con, Tuck is built like a tank but feels like a poem. He carries the guilt of a broken past and the burden of never feeling ‘enough’—especially for Emily. His instincts as a protector are not only physical but deeply emotional. Tuck doesn’t just guard Emily from physical harm—he shields her from the world’s harsh truths while empowering her to confront them.
He’s one of Sheridan’s most grounded and morally complex male leads to date.
Emily Swanson / Nova: From Spotlight to Shadow
Emily starts the story as a woman caught in the web of fame, her identity fractured between public perception and private longing. Her arc—perhaps the novel’s most compelling—transforms her from a polished pop brand into a woman of fierce autonomy and emotional bravery.
Though she initially resists her past, the apocalypse strips her down to her essence. What emerges is a heroine not defined by her career but by her capacity to adapt, forgive, and fight for love.
Supporting Players:
Charlie, Emily’s boyfriend, plays a critical antagonist role—not by force, but by manipulation. His descent into toxicity provides sharp contrast to Tuck’s integrity.
Russell, the pilot, serves as an emotional pivot point. His tragic loss emphasizes the stakes.
Emily’s mother, though more peripheral, adds generational grounding and a semblance of pre-collapse reality.
Themes that Echo Beyond the Page
Sheridan packs the novel with thematic weight—each layer unveiling a deeper existential question.
Survival vs. Humanity: The collapse of technology doesn’t just challenge physical survival; it tests the very essence of human ethics, loyalty, and emotional endurance.
Identity and Reinvention: Emily’s duality as Nova and Emily mirrors the societal collapse—what is authentic, and what is manufactured?
Forgiveness and Redemption: Tuck’s journey is not just external. His arc symbolizes the long road to self-acceptance and the transformative power of being seen and believed.
Power, Fame, and Exploitation: Before the solar flare, Emily is commodified. After, she is human again. Sheridan uses dystopia to critique celebrity culture with sharp insight.
Romantic Tension: A Love Reignited by Fire
This isn’t your average second-chance romance. Tuck and Emily’s bond is decades-deep, forged in childhood, fractured by betrayal, and rekindled amidst ruin. Their chemistry is slow-building but magnetic—each encounter crackling with history and longing.
Sheridan avoids clichés. There’s no easy forgiveness, no love-at-first-reunion. Instead, the romance unfolds through:
Protective acts that blur the lines between duty and desire.
Hard conversations about blame, pain, and choice.
Soft moments where shared laughter becomes more intimate than a kiss.
The final romantic payoff feels fully earned—a culmination of trust, vulnerability, and survival.
Narrative Structure & Pacing
The book balances two distinct narrative halves:
Part One: Fame and Friction
Set in L.A. and tour circuits, this segment is fast-paced and sharp-tongued. Sheridan builds the tension between Tuck and Emily with clever banter, layered flashbacks, and industry satire.
Part Two: Collapse and Clarity
After the solar flare, the tone shifts dramatically. The world slows down, but emotions intensify. Nature becomes both adversary and sanctuary. While some readers might find the mid-section slightly sluggish, it mirrors the disorientation of a world resetting.
Notably, the climax delivers a gripping blend of action and catharsis, tying personal stakes to global ones.
Writing Style: Elegant, Lush, and Anchored in Emotion
Mia Sheridan’s prose is rich without being overwrought. Her language often serves a dual purpose—advancing the plot while deepening character psychology.
Highlights include:
Sunlight metaphors that symbolize hope and vulnerability.
Minimalist dialogue that says volumes between silences.
Evocative setting descriptions that make even devastation feel beautiful.
Critically, she avoids the melodrama pitfall that many romance-dystopia hybrids fall into. The emotional beats are authentic, not manipulative.
Critical Reflection: Strengths and Shortcomings
Strengths:
Fresh blend of romance and dystopia.
Richly drawn, mature protagonists.
Philosophical depth beneath a page-turning plot.
Poetic prose that enhances rather than distracts.
Weaknesses:
Middle pacing lags during prolonged travel sequences.
Some repetitive emotional beats between Tuck and Emily.
Charlie’s villainy becomes overly telegraphed toward the end.
Minor plot conveniences around their survival could’ve been tightened.
Similar Titles & Recommendations
If you loved:
The Light We Lost by Jill Santopolo – for its emotional parallel timelines
After by Anna Todd – for fame + bodyguard heat
The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey – for romantic dystopian survival
All Your Perfects by Colleen Hoover – for deep emotional repair arcs
Then Heart of the Sun belongs on your bookshelf.
Mia Sheridan’s Literary Legacy
This novel is a clear evolution of Sheridan’s storytelling. While books like Archer’s Voice, Grayson’s Vow, and Savaged showcased her mastery of contemporary romance, Heart of the Sun proves she can seamlessly integrate speculative elements without sacrificing emotional complexity.
Sheridan doesn’t just write love stories—she writes emotional recoveries. Heart of the Sun is no different.
Final Rating
Heart of the Sun is a courageous narrative experiment that pays off. It may not be Sheridan’s most polished work, but it’s arguably her most ambitious. With its dystopian edge and emotionally sincere core, it offers readers both a thrilling escape and a cathartic return to what truly matters: connection, forgiveness, and the hope that love—even when scorched—can still bloom beneath the ruins.