Review: THE RISE OF SCARLETT HEROUX by Elizabeth Watson

ABOUT THE BOOK

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 reveals 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.

REVIEW

Elizabeth Watson’s Rise of Scarlett Heroux announces its arrival with a gut punch and never loosens its grip. Set in Soleil—a sleek, modern fantasy world where magic is outlawed and politics are lethal—the novel opens with Scarlett Heroux witnessing her father’s assassination and being forced into his parliamentary seat before she’s had time to grieve.

The Rise of Scarlett Heroux by Elizabeth Watson, publication February 25, 2026

“If I take his seat, I could help pass my father’s border legislation. I’ve been watching the news over the past few days. With my father dead, his legislation is in jeopardy. I could use whatever sympathy I have in the wake of his death to help. I know my vote is needed to preserve his legacy.” —Chapter 4.

What follows is a propulsive, emotionally charged story about power, legacy, and survival, as Scarlett dares to champion her father’s dream of opening Soleil’s borders to magic, even as that choice makes her a target. Watson’s world is rich and immersive, blending modern technology with banned magic, secret powers, and a political system rotting from the inside.

At the heart of the novel is the slow-burn, friends-to-lovers romance between Scarlett and Brayden Maddox—a connection so charged it practically hums on the page.

“I think I’ve loved you since we were kids—since that first time in the middle of the night when I saw you peering into the mirror looking so curious, with your gorgeous blonde hair wild around you. I think it’s safe to say you own my heart and my soul, and you always have,” he whispered. —Chapter 17.

Their fated bond, years of mutual pining in secret, and smoldering chemistry unfold in a series of razor-sharp emotional exchanges that feel both inevitable and devastating.

When magic finally push them together, the result is intoxicating. You don’t just watch them fall; you fall and burn with them, breathless and wanting more.

As she spoke, she noticed glittery, almost golden tendrils rising in streams above the people listening. She stopped talking and looked across the room, momentarily stunned by the sight. A couple of listeners had black smoke twisting into the air above them, including Ian Carmichael. One man with a thick mustache had both colors above his head. —Chapter 18.

An emotional masterpiece, "Rise of Scarlett Heroux" is the kind of romantasy that grabs you by the heart and pulls you into a glorious all-nighter. Scarlett is a destined heroine you can’t help but root for: plucky, determined, and desperate to leave her mark on a world reshaped by loss and treason. With magic tattoos, seething betrayals, and stakes that escalate to life-or-death, Watson delivers an exquisite debut filled with real characters who linger long after the final page. I need the next book—and if you’re a romantasy fan, you will too. Strong debut.

Elizabeth Watson, author

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Elizabeth was born and raised in Tempe, Arizona. After graduating from Arizona State University with a degree in Finance, she moved to Scotland for graduate school at the University of Glasgow, which she chose in part because it looks like Hogwarts. From there, she began her career at BlackRock’s Edinburgh office. BlackRock later relocated her to San Francisco and then to London. It was in London that she met her delightful husband, Marcus, on Tinder.

Most of her years at BlackRock were spent on the equity derivatives trading desk, where she made lifelong friends and was encouraged to be herself out loud among the wonderfully colorful personalities on the trading desk. After the birth of her first child in 2020, Elizabeth returned to Arizona to be closer to family. Two years later, she welcomed her second child. Feeling stressed out and overwhelmed by two small children and two full-on careers in the household, Elizabeth decided to leave her finance job with only a vague idea of what she wanted to do next. She chose to finish her second book before searching for a new job—and that’s how she accidentally became a full-time writer. Find Elizabeth via Instagram and her website.