This was such a beautiful story. This will definitely be a comfort book I go back to to read. I wasn’t aware of the tale so there were surprises. This was beautifully written and had a good amount of mystery and thrill with it.

A Sweet Sting of Salt is a sapphic retelling of the Selkie Wife that leans toward being historical fiction with a bit of a speculative element. I'll be up front and say that I often find historical fiction boring, and that did somewhat affect my experience with this book.

The scenes that were focused on the relationship between Jean and Muiren, Muiren's controlling and abusive husband, and the secret Muiren is keeping I loved. A lot of the rest of it I found to be pretty slow and often dry. I think if this had been shorter- more like 200-250 pages, I probably would have loved it. That said, I imagine fans of historical fiction may love this. Jean is a midwife in a small fishing village in Nova Scotia, living on the outskirts of town. One night, she hears someone crying outside her house and finds a pregnant woman in labor, headed towards the sea. She helps her, births the baby, and discovers that she is the wife of her closest neighbor- Tobias. The woman who speaks Gaelic and very little English and her husband is a hard and controlling man who is very possessive and keeps her locked up in the house.

My heart broke for Jean and her past, but I loved where this book ended up. I just wish it had been a shorter story, more focused on that central relationship. I received a copy of this book for review via NetGalley, all opinions are my own.

Thanks to Random House/Ballantine for providing me with an early copy of this book!

I was so excited about this read. Selkies are not the most popular folklore to work with and I think Sutherland did a great job. It was a bit flow for me at times and I found myself guessing what would happen to keep myself reading but I was ultimately happy with how thihgs played out. Will definitely look forward to more of this authors work.

Gorgeously written and a true page turner that reminded me of how much I love gothic novels. The characters are drawn well and I was gripped from the first page.

Covered in more detail on the Queerly Recommended podcast.

A Sweet Sting of Salt is a retelling of the Selkie’s Wife. It embarks the reader on a chilling voyage, setting sail in 19th century Nova Scotia, that traverses through the mystical and foggy waters of Celtic folklore and ends with a discovery of love so deep it survives even the most harrowing circumstances and unforgiving environments.

Jean Langille is the main character and the village midwife. She lives on a more secluded rocky outcrop of the island, away from prying eyes and wagging mouths belonging to the voracious gossip mill in town, and that’s just how she likes it. She has accepted her lot as the town pariah because of social disgrace directly linked to the unfortunate detection of the true nature of her friendship with Josephine Keddy, her childhood best friend and first lover. They were swiftly and cruelly separated, and Jo was immediately married off while Jean was left to bear the burden of rebuilding her life and reputation. Despite her circumstances, Jean has decided to at least command the respect she deserves by wielding expertise in her chosen profession and endeavoring to stay in her lane, never letting the townspeople see how much their cutting words and her own self-imposed isolation stings. She is content with the life she has shaped for herself until one tempestuous night, a scream slices through the howling wind and roaring waves of a wrathful sea. Jean is summoned into the storm to investigate, discovering a strange, ethereal woman locked in the throes of childbirth, seemingly borne from the sea herself.

By morning, Jean has safely delivered a new baby and logically concluded this dark and mysterious woman, who only speaks a growling, wild sounding language, must be the new wife of Tobias Silber, a sailor who lives sort of close by. Jean sets off to fetch Tobias to demand why his wife, Muirin, would be in such a way in the middle of the night and why he hadn’t bothered to bring her earlier to be evaluated. Once back at Jean’s cabin with Tobias in tow, she immediately starts to pick up on an unnerving energy between husband and wife. The woman is noticeably silent and reserved in her husband’s presence, and her haunted eyes communicate to Jean what her words cannot---there is a monstrous truth prowling just below the surface of normality. Ostensibly Jean inserts herself into their lives as a concerned neighbor and experienced midwife to monitor and manage Muirin’s condition and the baby’s progress, but she’s really trying to sniff out the secrets Tobias is so clearly trying to keep. Despite an initial language barrier, Jean starts to fall for Muirin the more time she gets to spend with her. Jean’s burgeoning love inevitably commences a dangerous dalliance with a married woman, churning forth turbulent events that imperil her efforts to safely execute a plan to deliver her friend from a life of nightmarish captivity. She once again finds herself in a situation where all she loves most dearly could be painfully cut from her grasp, but this time Jean is steeled for the impending battle to salvage her friendship, her home, and their freedom.

I really did not know what I was getting myself into when I started this book! I was delighted to find a reimagining of Celtic folklore, salted with queer love stories and historical pearls to find along the way. There were moments in the book where I was honestly mad at Jean for risking it all to steal a few desperate moments with Muirin. The suspense in these moments had me sitting on pins and needles, knowing fatal discovery and disaster were potentially just seconds away! This book is propulsive and horrifying in equal measure, but I love that the women in this story are tenacious, resourceful, and determined to thwart the patriarchy by any means necessary. This tale has lessons that echo into the present day. With woman’s rights regressing in the most recent years, these valuable lessons are needed more than ever. Men who hide behind patriarchal social constructs and refuse accountability in the continued oppression and transgression against their female counterparts, beware the women who dare to want more than what’s assigned and challenge what they’re told. There will come a time where they just might dare to take back what has been wrongfully purloined…Powerful and unanticipated thoughts to be left with from this book! I very much recommend this book to anyone in the mood for historical fiction. Since this book has a touch of the supernatural and surprising contemporary relevance, be prepared to ruminate on this story for a while!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group-Ballantine for the ARC and the opportunity to share what I think! All opinions are my own. I have posted this review to my Goodreads account, in addition to my FB group, The Book Banquet, and retailer websites.

This is one of those books that I look back on and really enjoyed reading it. However while I read it I struggled with the pacing. I had trouble staying focused and it took me a long time to get through this book. Despite this it was a great read and I look forward to Sutherland's future books.

Just finished A Sweet Sting of Salt by Rose Sutherland and I can honestly say I’ve never read anything like this one before. I really enjoyed the queer representation and that these characters did have a support system. I’m also a sucker for a found family. 😍

I found that this book was very slow-paced and would have loved something more engaging to keep me entertained. I did have to encourage myself to continue picking it up for that reason. Unfortunately, I also guessed the ending pretty early on.

This book is not one of my favorites but I would definitely pick up a book from Rose Sutherland again!

This was a great debut novel that captivated me from the start. The deeply atmospheric vibe was so well done and I found the entirety of this story so interesting. It did move a little slow at parts but overall this was a wonderfully written book. Definitely recommend.

Eh, I think this one just wasn't for me.

I feel like I got hooked at the beginning and thought it would be fast paced but it was really slow through the middle to me. And that's totally fine but the ending was also kind of predictable.

It's very atmospheric and I think the author did a good job with the setting. I felt like I got a really good mental picture of Jean's house, the woods between her house and Tobias's, and even the coastline near them.

Overall, it just fell somewhere in the middle for me. I didn't have a bad time, but it wasn't a good time either.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

An absolutely phenomenal Gothic sapphic folklore retelling. I’m gobsmacked by the confirmation that this is Sutherland’s debut; I’ll be thinking about this book for a long time (and not just because Goodreads sold it to me on the premise of “never let your husband stop you from finding your wife”). As atmospheric and foreboding as the story can be, it still manages to be fantastical and hopeful and leave you feeling warmed over by the end. This is the version of the selkie myth that we all deserve.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this edition from the publisher via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This was such a beautiful, atmospheric novel and I’m thoroughly impressed to learn that it’s a debut! I was familiar with the tale of the selkie wife before I read this story, but I loved the author’s decision to turn this into a queer love story. Set in 1830s Nova Scotia, we follow Jean, the town midwife who is also a bit of an outcast. Her whole life changes when she stumbles upon a laboring woman in the woods one winter night.

Jean was a wonderful character to spend time with and I loved getting to know her. She has been through so much, but still refuses to back down, even when faced with threats from a potentially dangerous man. Muirin Is strong in her own way and fiercely protective of the ones she loves. The romance between her and Jean was a beautiful slow burn, and I just loved reading their story so much. I also loved the setting of Nova Scotia. Sutherland’s writing was absolutely transportive and it felt like I was in Jean’s little cottage by the sea.

Thank you to Dell and NetGalley for a review copy. I can’t wait to read more from this author and have already purchased a physical copy for my library.

4/5 Stars

I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed Rose Sutherland's A Sweet Sting of Salt. I typically read romantasy books, and while this does have both fantasy and romance parts in it, It felt like more of a Historical Fiction book to me. I thought this was a beautifully written story with selkies,

Our story follows Jean Langille, a young woman living in a small Nova Scotian town in the early 1800, serving as the only midwife for miles. One night, she hears a cry coming from outside, and goes to investigate. She encounters a pregnant woman in labor, and helps her, despite a language barrier. Thus begins our tale of mystery, love, and self-discovery. This was a beautiful debut novel for readers who love folklore.

Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced reader copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This is a sapphic historical fantasy based on the folktale of “The Selkie Wife.” It could also be considered fantasy romance, because Jean's relation to Muirin is central to the plot.

Unlike most traditional versions of "The Selkie Wife," this retelling highlights the disturbing aspects of the story. (It is, for example, much darker than the retelling of the story in The Secret of Roan Inish.) Tobias’s behavior, rooted in the original folk tale, also fits twenty-first century definitions of spousal abuse, starting with the way he isolates Muirin from her family and friends.

Because the story is clearly marketed as a retelling of “The Selkie Wife,” readers are likely to catch onto Muirin’s secret much faster than Jean herself does. There’s thus a level of dramatic irony, as we know exactly what Tobias is hiding and why Muirin needs it back.

What stands out most about the story is the beautifully describe but fiercely wild setting of the coast of Nova Scotia. The sea and the woods are both constant presences in the story. I don’t know if there’s such a thing as “seashore Gothic” or “Northwoods Gothic,” but if there is, this novel fits both categories. The mist, the snow, and the bitter cold all help add to the atmosphere of the novel.

Speaking as a college instructor, I could see A SWEET STING OF SALT fitting well into a literature class based on fairy tale retellings, or a class focused more generally on “twice told tales.” It has the much-prized quality of being both accessible to a wide range of readers and having enough depth and complexity to allow rewarding classroom discussions.

Trigger warnings for spousal abusive, homophobic bullying/harassment by antagonistic characters, animal death (off page), and scenes in which the leads are in physical danger.

Disclaimer: I received a digital ARC from Netgalley, but I am freely giving my honest opinion.

Thanks to NetGalley for an eARC of this book. It was a twisted fairy tale that I am not familiar with, but I did enjoy this version. We meet Jean, a midwife in a small village who is somewhat of an outcast. While people trust her as a midwife, she has no friends other than her mentor and mentor's son. A cry awakens her one night, and she finds a woman in labor. The woman turns out to be her neighbor's wife, and they live even farther from the village than Jean, so much so that they are very isolated. Muirin speaks very little English, so it is challenging for Jean to communicate with her at first. As Jeans gets to know Muirin she knows something is wrong between Muirin and her husband, Tobias, but she isn't sure what. Even though she knows that she should keep out of their business, she just can't help herself and lands herself in hot water with Tobias. Jean just can't leave the situation alone and does her best to solve this mystery and rescue Muirin from what she is pretty sure is a bad home situation. However, Tobias wants her to stay out of their business and threatens Jean. Will Jean be able to figure out what is really going on? Or will Tobias make good on his threat, causing great harm to Jean?

I hated this book so much.

I hated Jean. Since the first moment Jean sees Muirin she's completely obsessed with her. The book tries to sell it as love. But it is obsession driven by curiosity, vengeance, and lust. Since the book is primarily about this relationship, since I couldn't see any relationship. It was Jean obsessed and Muirin "loving" Jean as a means of escape - it's pretty obvious from the start what's going on, and I didn't even know it was a retelling. It was excrutiating being in her head. Muirin could be an interesting character. But she is just a prop, this idealized version for Jean of a perfect woman (even when she criticizes Tobias for doing this, she does the exactly same thing). Tobias was such a weak villain.

I saw an SNL skit once criticizing how historical fiction movies about two women in love are always such a torment with them walking around, raining, and talking simbolicly whilst the husband is an abusive partner. This book is exactly that. I hated it so much

Thank you Netgalley, author, and publisher for the ARC.

A Sweet Sting of Salt is a magical queer retelling of the Selkie Wife that stays true to the original story while at the same time coming across as wholly original. I loved the strong willed character of Jean and how even though she lived alone, she was well respected as a knowledgable midwife. Too many times the recluse is viewed in stories as a witch and I liked the change of pace for once. The author did a wonderful job of a slow burn reveal of Muirin and Tobias' true circumstances and the ending was completely satisfying.

My only complaint is that overall, the pacing of the book was a bit slow for me. I'm a mood reader though, so it should not stop anyone else from enjoying this wonderful LGBTQIA+ affirmative story.

Thank you to NetGalley, Rose Sutherland, and Dell for an advanced reader's copy in exchange for an honest review.

A Sweet Sting of Salt is an impressive debut novel by Rose Sutherland. It is a retelling of the fairy tale The Selkie Wife set in 1830s Nova Scotia. We meet Jean who is the midwife of her small village. She mostly keeps to herself except for attending to her new mothers and seeing her mentor, Anneke. One night Jean is woken up by a strange sound and sees a woman, about to give birth, heading toward the sea. After Jean helps deliver Muirin's baby boy, everything in Jean's lonely world begins to change.

The story explores the lengths we will go to in order to protect the ones we love. Dark, yet hopeful, and feels very real despite the fantasy elements. A suspenseful, heartfelt, and beautifully written debut novel!

Thank you to Net Galley for providing me with this ebook.

This was a beautifully written queer retelling of the selkie wife. It's slow paced tense and darkly atmospheric. I love the blending of historical fiction and fantasy, and this was seamlessly blended. I enjoyed the pacing of the book with the rising tension. You could clearly feel the danger and urgency of the situation.

The romance between Jean and Muirin was tender and really quite lovely. Rooting for them was easy as both characters seemed so vibrantly brought to life. Even if you aren't familiar with selkie lore, this is an excellent book to read. It's a wonderful love story with a bit of mystery and gothic vibes.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are my own.

This retelling/reworking of the selkie wife is so well done. The story unfolds slowly and creates a really moody atmosphere that drives the story. The rising tension and pacing create an almost locked room feel to the story that makes every encounter and danger more urgent. I love Jean's roll as the town midwife and her relationship to the town as an either revered or feared outsider. I will always read a queer retelling of a classic story and I was so happy to see this one not only hold up to the original tale in it's storytelling but adds a layer of interest and reality because lets be honest, there were plenty of queer people in the 1800s if you're willing to look for them.

I was really excited to read this book. The premise is really fun and it’s executed in a really interesting and entertaining way. The characters are well-written and fit the story. The plot develops in a satisfying and enjoyable way. Unfortunately, I had the hardest time staying engaged with this book. I found it really struggled with pacing at points and I lacked interest, despite the enjoyable plot. It was really lacking in energy through the first half of the story. Overall, I think this book’s high points were really high, but it did not fully soar.