I unfortunately didn’t love this one! The writing was different and quite an unusual style to what I’m used to, it felt to me quite conversational in tone and I haven’t read a romance book with this type of style and I think it made it harder for me to connect to the story or root for the characters throughout! Lovely premise though and it was sweet it’s just not one that I personally enjoyed

beautiful beautiful beautiful. more black love representation please and thank you!!!!!! i am truly blown away by this gorgeous story of love, so full of compassion, heat, and respect i am positively giddy. these characters have stolen my heart

Thank you to Orion and NetGalley for my advanced reader copy of this book in return for an honest review.

Perhaps I’m going to have to finally admit that I am a romance reader, but only when it’s done right. A Love Like The Sun is a heartwarming friends-to-lovers romance. Lanisha (Ni) Thompson has been unlucky in love and, along with her mother, struggling to make ends meet at their new store. Her best friend Issac has finally landed on his feet as an artist, blowing up Instagram and living it up in LA. She’s thrilled whenever he jets home to surprise her: Issac has been her main comfort since childhood. When the media start to latch onto Issac’s recent breakup, he decides to fake a relationship with Ni. Of course, this spirals into Ni realising she has feelings for her best friend.

This is a really beautiful novel, not least for the soft and gentle love story, but for wonderfully fleshed out characters and sub-plots that felt important. Ni’s focused efforts on helping fellow Black women feel beautiful, Issac’s childhood traumas, important looks at medical practice and Black women, an exploration of what friendship truly means, and a highlight of revenge porn. I thoroughly enjoyed this one, it was a wonderful summer holiday read, although worth noting there’s a fair few spicy chapters, in case that’s not your bag.

This book gave me such a warm glow.
It was slightly cheesy in some places, but I loved it.
I really enjoyed the story and how it made me feel. I wanted to keep reading and it's a great feel good book.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

What an absolutely beautiful read. I just loved everything about this. This was a book I couldn't put down.

This was a lovely childhood friends to lovers book - Laniah and Isaac have known each other FOREVER. They've dated other people, even. But somehow there has always been something they couldn't define between them. In order to help out with her business, Isaac (who is now this super famous hot guy on social media from doing art half-nude - okay but like tastefully!!!!) decides to fake-date her and help boost her small business reach/marketable aspects. THE BEST KIND OF TROPE!!!

Gorgeous setting in a small town. They legit have less than 10k population!!! I love the mutual pining (but especially pining from Isaac and the whole "but we're just friends right? let's make rules so it doesn't get messy"—it's my kryptonite.) All the side characters such as Laniah's mother, Lex, Bridget, Wilma are all so quirky and charming in their own ways. Appreciated the exploration of chronic illness and women's health!!! I say this as someone who has a complicated relationship with my body lmao. This story has a vibe I can only describe as "gentle silences" where you are so comfortable with someone that you're happy just to be in the same space as them. You follow the journey of Laniah and Isaac strengthening their existing bond and falling in love. Only thing is—I'm someone who does enjoy lots of twisting emotions, excitement and heart-pumping sort of tension in my romances, so it was a little on the slower side for me (this is 100% a preference/subjective thing and a "me" problem lol.) Still really enjoyed this, best kind of thing to read during the summer always and I'm looking forward to the next book by Riss Neilson!

Thank you again to to the author, Netgalley and Orion Publishing Group for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

**A Love Like the Sun** by Riss M. Neilson is a beautifully crafted novel that weaves together themes of love, resilience, and self-discovery in a way that is both heartwarming and poignant. The author's lyrical prose and vivid descriptions transport readers to a world where emotions run deep and the sun's warmth can be felt on every page.

This slow burn book follows the journey of its protagonist, navigating the complexities of love and loss while uncovering the strength within herself. Neilson's characters are well-developed and relatable, each with their own unique struggles and growth throughout the narrative. Isaac, in particular, stands out and has quickly become one of my top three male characters. His depth and authenticity add a compelling layer to the story.

The chemistry between Isaac and Laniah is palpable and beautifully depicted, making it easy for readers to become emotionally invested in their relationship. However, Laniah's character comes across as a bit immature at times, which adds a realistic touch to her development but can be slightly frustrating.

One of the standout aspects of this novel is its setting. Neilson's attention to detail and ability to create a sense of place make the backdrop of the story come alive, almost becoming a character in its own right. The book's pacing is well-balanced, allowing for moments of reflection and introspection without ever feeling slow or dragging.

While the novel shines in many areas, there are moments where the plot can feel a bit predictable. Additionally, the happy ending is only revealed in the final chapter, leaving me wishing for a glimpse into more of their life together post-resolution. I also would have loved the book to be from both Isaac's and Laniah's points of view, rather than just Laniah's, to gain deeper insights into Isaac's thoughts and feelings. However, these are minor flaws in an otherwise compelling story that celebrates the enduring power of love and the human spirit.

Overall, **A Love Like the Sun** is a captivating read that will leave you feeling inspired and hopeful. Riss M. Neilson has crafted a heartfelt tale that is sure to resonate with anyone who has ever experienced the transformative power of love. Highly recommended for fans of contemporary romance and literary fiction.

Thank you Netgalley and Orion Publishing Group for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review.

this book was just an okay read for me. if you're into friends-to-lovers and fake dating tropes, you might enjoy it. while I typically love the friends to lovers dynamic, this one didn't quite hit the mark. I felt disconnected to it, unable to connect with the characters and the story. i think there was too much telling and not enough showing. additionally, as I've come to expect in the romance genre, I didn't care for the third-act breakup. overall, I can see how some people might like this, and the author has potential, but this one just didn't work for me personally.

The beginning of A Love Like the Sun was promising: friends-to-lovers and fake-dating usually work very well for me.
As it went along though, I grew more and more frustrated with the story, and with Laniah. She came across as a completely oblivious character, especially about the most important things in her life: her health and Issac's feelings for her. This character trait was even called out by Issac, and this felt kind of a cop-out to me.
The storytelling was also not my favorite kind: lots of telling vs showing, and most of the time I felt like someone outside looking in - I did not feel completely immersed in the story.
I did like the parts with Issac and Laniah, however I needed more Issac on page. It felt like he wasn't present most of the time.
Although this one was not completely my jam, I think many people will love it.

Thank you to the publisher for the ARC via Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

This was mostly a good balance of sweet and angsty, but overall it was just okay.

I absolutely loved the shop, Laniah's medical issues and the struggle to get her doctor to listen, instead of gaslighting her. The side characters were also wonderful.

But it's a short book, and it felt like Laniah took so long to act on her love towards Isaac. They had such a solid foundation with their friendship, and it was understandable that neither of them wanted to ruin that, but even with a slow burn, it just got frustrating. It's a book like this where I need a dual POV, I want to know all about the guy's pining too!

There was smut, which was not to my taste at all, and honestly, the dialogue in general was not my favourite. The third act break up was unnecessary in this story.

It wasn't bad, but it didn't wow me either.

I’ve been hearing about this book for months and super excited to read it! I love childhood best friends to lovers and it just sounded amazing overall but unfortunately I had a bit of a hard time getting through it.

My biggest issue with this book is that it didn’t feel like a romance to me, maybe because the slow burn was a bit too slow. Even now, after finishing it, I’m not 100% convinced Laniah was in love with Issac even though I know she loved him (they’d been best friends for ages after all). And although Issac was a lot clearer about his feelings, because the whole book was in Laniah’s POV, you didn’t get to know what he was thinking or feeling very often.

Laniah’s medical journey, always in the background, was an interesting addition but I feel like the actual diagnosis came a bit too late in the book and though I understand why it happen and the whole medical descrimination/malpractice aspect of it, I wish we’d learned more about the illness and how it would affect the rest of Laniah’s life.

Overall, not my cup of tea but if you like slow burns, childhood friends to lovers and diverse and complex characters, check this one out.

Thank you Orion Publishing Group for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review

I wanted to like this book, but sadly it was lacking. Although supposed to be an adult book, and the characters being adults, the writing style was more like a book for teens and so it was hard to gel with the characters. Also the way the author wrote the dialogue made it at times hard to follow who was saying what. I got bored part way through as there was so much dialogue with nothing really happening, so I thought I’d skip to the end and see if it was worth persevering, but the ending seemed so unfinished that I just gave up on the book altogether

This is a slow burn romance. Perfect for the summer, it’s cute, sweet and fun. But unfortunately I didn’t connect to to relationship or the characters. I didn’t feel they had any real chemistry. It was well written and the story was overall good so if you want a fun slow burn romance you might enjoy this more than I did.

1.25 stars

A Love Like the Sun begins with a promising setup which is childhood-friends to lovers with some drama sprinkled in here and there. I found myself enjoying the first few chapters quite a lot, but then it started to get boring. This is due to the lack of an actual plot and no real character development. There was nothing driving the story or the characters who could’ve been so interesting if they had more substance to themselves! Another thing that began to bother me was the pacing because there is none—for all I know this book happened over the course of a few weeks or years. This unfortunately led me to skim large chunks of the book because it was just that boring and even cringy at times. Lastly, if you’re going to write explicit scenes, at least write them well… otherwise, leave it at the fade-to-black approach, and we’ll all be much happier.

I did find the very end to be quite cute and satisfying, but overall, I would say don’t waste precious time on this unless you’re looking for a quick filler book, mediocre writing, no plot, and undeveloped characters.

Oh my heart. I still have tears on my cheeks having just finished this beautiful, tender, and heartfelt book from Riss M Nielson.

I totally fell in love with the depth and complexities of Laniah and Isaac, and exploration and development of their connection. The book weaves such a beautiful tapestry of deep tenderness, and sizzling chemistry. I found myself smiling ear to ear reading it - and with tears streaming down my face by the end. I can't remember the last time a book moved me like this.

Such perfect, loveable characterisation and narration - I loved the journey through time that it took us on too. I will be recommending this book to everyone I love - 5 glowing stars!

A special thank you to Orion Publishing Group, Riss M Neilson & NetGalley for an advanced reader copy in exchange for my review.

What an absolutely beautiful read. I just loved everything about this. This was a book I couldn't put down.

A Love Iike the Sun is Laniah and Isaac's story and sees childhood friends turning Lovers. It has the butterflies of first love, giddiness of 2 people lovesick and al the feels of a smitten, all involving love story.

A couple of years ago, I fell in love with Riss M. Neilson’s YA books, especially with her writing, so of course, I wanted to read her adult debut, too. While her YA books are raw and imbued with magic, A Love Like the Sun is a contemporary romance, a slow burn, and much lighter.
 
Two people, already feeling so comfortable with each other, and then starting to fake a date. I love friends-to-lovers and fake dating tropes, but combined, those tropes are even more powerful. Laniah and Issac only needed to add a little more touching each other, and suddenly, their love splashed off the pages. At least for other people and us readers. They themselves were completely oblivious. Or afraid that the other only had friendly feelings. Or afraid they would lose their bond if a romantic relationship wouldn’t work. Even though this story is written from Laniah’s POV, I felt Issac’s pining for Laniah throughout the story, and I loved their flirting. It was so clear that Issac was in love with Laniah (Ni), and he was such a sweet guy.
 
This story rippled along like a gentle stream, and sometimes, that's exactly what I need. The sun on my face, rustling trees, the soothing of water, and a book that makes me smile. This book meets all those conditions except for the plot twist and the third-act breakup. I really could do without the last one, especially so late in the story. Unnecessary in my opinion. But even with that third-act and the plot twist, I’d rate this one a solid four stars. I still had tears in my eyes reading the last pages.

Stunning gorgeous and so beautiful. I felt every on these pages. It really was a love like the sun! I can’t wait to own a physical copy of this.

So excited for this beautiful beautiful novel! I love the childhood friends/lovers aspect as well as the Hollywood event as well. I look forward to sharing my full review and thoughts very soon. I apologize I’m catching up on reviews due to an unexpected health issue. Thank you .