The Rise of Scarlett Heroux

The North Stars Saga, Book 1

By: Elizabeth Watson

Narrated by: Mary Jane Wells

Welcome to Soleil: magic is illegal, politics are deadly, and falling in love is the most dangerous act of all.

When Scarlett Heroux witnesses her father's assassination from mere inches away, her world shatters. The 22-year-old heiress to a political dynasty is thrust into her newly inherited seat in Parliament, compelled to fulfill her father's revolutionary dream of opening Soleil’s borders to a world of magic her people have long rejected.

After Scarlett announces her intention to open Soleil’s borders to magic, she is threatened, assaulted, and knocked unconscious. She flees to her mother's homeland where she discovers magic flowing through her veins and a fated bond she shares with her childhood friend, the handsome Brayden Maddox. Their smoldering connection—and years of mutual pining—ignites into a blaze when magic pushes them together. Yet as bodies and magic entwine, Scarlett resists surrendering to fate. How can she choose pleasure when the cost is leaving her country to the politicians behind her father’s murder?

With Brayden at her side, Scarlett returns to expose Soleil’s corrupt underbelly and open the borders. But another assault pushes Brayden to use his still-illegal magic to protect Scarlett, and the long arm of the law comes for them both. Scarlett must use her new powers to free Brayden and see her persecutors arrested by any means necessary—legal or not.

If she fails, she’ll pay with her life.

A sizzling romantasy full of seething betrayals and forbidden magic, perfect for fans of the modern fantasy worlds of Crescent City and Zodiac Academy.

Author's Note: For content warnings, please check the author’s website.

©2026 Elizabeth Watson Books (P)2026 Elizabeth Watson Books

Interesting modern world

I was instantly hooked into this world that the author created.
Scarlett is trying to cope with the sudden loss of her father.  Scarlett and her family must fight to control their legacy, and power from the parliament for their own survival.  While a possibility of a civil war is looming, Scarlett must seek refuge at her mothers’ homeland for her own survival. While there, she’s closer to her childhood friend Brayden. This is where the romance kicks up a notch and Scarlett and Brayden explore their feelings. I don’t want to tie out spoilers, but I enjoyed seeing their relationship flourish.
I enjoyed how the modern world was weaved into this fantasy world. So while there’s not a lot of world building, this is great for those that want to dip their toes into fantasy.
The mystery of who was behind everything also made my blood boil.  I loved watching Scarlett find her backbone. I also adore her grandmother and brother. I can’t wait yo see what happens next.

The narrator, Mary Jane Wells did a wonderful job portraying Scarlett and Brayden. I enjoyed her accent and she kept me engaged till the very end.

Favorite quotes:
“We’re forever linked.”
“She’s my North Star.”

Amazing narration

I had the privilege of listening to The Rise of Scarlet Heroux, and it truly stayed with me.

This story beautifully blends political intrigue, a murder mystery, and star-crossed romance, all set against a world grappling with fear and control. What stood out most to me was its exploration of healers and energy work in a city where magic has been banned. Through Scarlet, the author asks a powerful question: what if the very thing society fears could actually heal it?

As an energy practitioner myself, I felt deeply seen in the way intuition and inner knowing were portrayed. The emotional depth felt authentic and resonant.

There are also strong parallels to the political tensions and social divisions we’re witnessing in our own world, which made the story feel timely and impactful.

Scarlet’s journey — navigating privilege, responsibility, and the courage to challenge the system — made her rise compelling and inspiring to experience.

This is a story that doesn’t just entertain — it lingers.
I

Amazing debut novel

A huge thank you to @elizabeth_j_watson and @bookedwiththeemilys for the generous #gifted e-book and accompanying audiobook!

This debut novel is an absolute delight, blending romance, intrigue, magic, and politics into a compelling story.

Scarlett’s journey begins as she becomes the heir in Soleil, a land where magic is forbidden, after her father’s assassination. Threatened and desperate, she escapes to Clair de Lune, her mother's homeland, where she reconnects with her childhood friend, Brayden. Their bond deepens into love, and with Brayden’s support, Scarlett returns to Soleil to challenge corruption, seek her father's killer, and unite her people.

I was captivated by Scarlett's transformation from a grieving daughter to a fierce force fighting for justice. The layered political intrigue kept me hooked, making every page a revelation.

The rich world-building, intricate political landscape, and heartfelt romance made this book unforgettable. I loved how the modern world intertwined seamlessly with the fantasy realm, and the characters felt truly alive. Watching Scarlett and Brayden’s love blossom was a highlight.

The audiobook narrated by @maryjanewellsstories is exceptional. Her vibrant voices and accents brought each character vividly to life, enhancing the listening experience.

If you’re a fan of political intrigue, mystery, and romance, this book belongs on your reading list. It’s available now, and you won’t want to miss it!

Fascinating urban romantasy full of political intrigue!

If you like political intrigue and urban romantasy this the book for you! I loved watching Scarlett and Brayden’s relationship development along with everything else they were fighting for. The ending left me satisfied but still intrigued to hear what comes next in their stories!

✨Friends-to-lovers
✨Star-crossed lovers
✨Destined heroine
✨Magic tattoos & secret powers
✨Modern technology in a fantasy world
✨Banned magic

Thanks so much to the author for the ALC of this audiobook!

EXCELLENT Narration, good story! Really enjoyed!

I received an advanced listening copy directly from the author and this is my honest review.

- ☝️ single narration
- 🎟️single POV
- ❤️childhood friends to lovers, fated mates
- 🙌 mature MCs- THEY COMMUNICATE 🙌
- 👩‍⚖️politics
- ⁉️mystery
- 🪄 illegal magic
- 🔥unique magic system with tattoos
- 🗣️ magical “soul lights” that talk & have their own personality
- 🪴blend of character growth, romance, & plot
- 🌎 modern fantasy world
- 🌶️well written spice

First, the narrator. She was super fun and did a fantastic job! She is by far one of my favorite female narrators. Right at the start of the book she voiced three different people, and she had such unique voices for each person. She had a lot of power behind her vocals when talking about something more intense. Or, when the MFC was thinking about how she was a people pleaser the narrator added the more vulnerable/embarrassment tone. She yelled when the characters yelled, or yawned when the characters yawned. She truly brought each character to life and matched the the specifics of what the author wrote. Well done!

❤️- Let’s start with my thoughts about the MFC. The MFC was more mature and I really really appreciated it. She had many intrusive thoughts that included the idea of lashing out but she was able to regulate herself and say the things she actually wanted to say, not the impulsive emotionally driven ones. FINALLY 🙌 We finally had an MFC that had a range of emotions, but was able to regulate them, most of the time, because she was more mature. Finally, an MFC that was not angry at everybody and everything all the time for small to big reasons. It was refreshing to have an MFC that was different from the standard MFC written in this genre. Don’t get me wrong, sometimes the MFC in this book couldn’t regulate her emotions well, which made her realistic. However, many times, she had the maturity and behavioral inhibition to not lash out at others simply because she was having an emotion. Many times, she had more nuanced thinking and could understand the context to explain the situation. Again, loved that we had a more mature MFC.

Further, I really appreciated how realistic and relatable this MFC was. She had just faced a ton of trauma and was able to escape further harm by fleeing to the lands where the MMC lived. She was meeting the MMC for the first time face-to-face. One of the things she was worried about was how dirty her hair was. She even acknowledged how silly her thought was because she was grateful to be alive, but yet her worry about her hair was so realistic. Many people, including myself, would have also wondered how greasy and dirty my hair was after weeks of not washing it and meeting a man for the first time whom I cared about.

Another thing that was refreshing in this book about the MFC was how she responded to trauma. This genre loves to describe trauma responses in one specific way, lacking diversity in how post trauma reactions can manifest. In this book, the MFC was hesitant to rethink about what happened to her and feel all the emotions related to that, yet she was not so avoidant that she became angry and lashed out when someone asked her about the trauma. For example, when the doctor asked the MFC how she was feeling and requested she share more trauma related details, the MFC did. When she had a flashback, she leaned into the MMC and cried, talking about her feelings. I really appreciated these experiences, as this is often how people cope, yet is not represented well in this genre. Great job to the author!

🪄Of note, at times, the MFC coped poorly (e.g., running away when the MMC said he didn’t want to be her rebound and she was embarrassed), which was annoying (come on MFC, face your emotions and the MMC!): YET, it was so realistic to not always cope the healthiest. Then, after she experienced her emotions, she later returned to the conversation with the MMC and was direct with her questions, she didn’t cower away. This was AMAZING!!!

❤️- the MMC was our walking green light. He was mature, thoughtful, supportive, and patient. He was a constant kind presence in the MFC’s life. He was willing to compromise, put the MFC first, and engage in healthy dialogue. Despite all of these golden retriever and green flag signs, he was possessive and protective. I absolutely loved this MMC. I look forward to learning more about the in our next book, as this book focused on the MFC and who she was. Therefore, I hope to have more depth added to the MMC in the next book.

💗- Now, the MC’s relationship. I LOVE a good fated mates that choose each other and stick together story. I just read an ARC where the MFC cheated and then gaslit the MMC. So, to read this beautiful love story where the MCs were loyal to each other no matter what made me so happy.

I also loved that the MCs were friends since childhood through a mirror and distance. This created a unique twist to the story. It also allowed for the development of a true relationship filled with depth without the complications that can come from a romance when less mature during childhood/adolescence. It also made sense that, when they finally met, they moved quicker than slower, they had a whole foundation underneath each other. Yes, there was a lot of lust at the current point in the relationship (which some reviewers complained about), but having over ten years of a long distance relationship that was made up of a deep connection made sense why it turned lustful when they finally met in person. He also had just helped her escape two huge traumas, again made sense why things didn’t go too slow. Additionally, the author didn’t neglect the fact that it moved quickly. The MC’s talked about the quick pace, and multiple times people in their lives or the public commented on how quickly they moved. That told me the author was attentive to details and incredibly mindful and thoughtful about the choices she was making while writing.

Other things I really loved:
- I found it cool that the MFC got to see the future MMC when getting her power. Really challenged the MFC’s doubting thoughts and pushed her to be honest with the MFC.

- I also enjoyed the MMC and his brother, fun camaraderie.

- the last 20% was fast paced and so much was happening, I couldn’t stop listening.

- this book did not end on a cliffhanger, yet it did end in a way that’s gonna set up book 2 for an excellent plot. I really look forward to this.

- This book had a well developed political system that created the plot. There was murder that was obviously politically driven and so much political scheming. There was also several mystery components and I had a lot of questions throughout the book. I found the difference in acceptance of magic in different parts of the world, which created bigotry and violence, as well written and quite detailed. It added so much to the story. The political corruption had me super invested in the story, I wanted to see how this was solved and how justice was served. it was nice to see the MFC grow in regards to her politics.

- some of the betrayals were predictable, yet one was not. I’m guessing that some people will see that specific one coming that I missed, but I am happy I did not predict it.

- the pacing ebbed and flowed. Overall, no major complaints. Again, the ending picked up, and I was hooked.

- the spice was well written. The MMC sure is attentive 😉

- the MMC‘s family and friends were lovely and supportive of the two.


Cons to this book:

In regards to the story, I unfortunately was not initially pulled into the story. I was bored for the first few chapters. It took a while for me to feel hooked in. Once the plot started to pick up, I wanted to keep listening. Also, much of the moments from the MC’s childhoods that connected them we were told about, not necessarily shown. In some ways we were shown, but not a lot.

- What got a bit annoying was the MFC’s self doubt, which I read other reviews were annoyed with too. The MMC declared his love for her and made it clear to her they were fated mates; yet, she continued to have all these self deprecating and doubting thoughts. I get that people can have “what if” thoughts about everything and anything; yet, her character growth was slow and the rate of her thoughts despite the clear evidence he loved her more than anything got a bit tedious. Seriously, it never ended, I don’t know how many times he had to explain he devotion to her. In the end, literally in the last chapter, the MFC finally grew.