I was immediately hooked by the voice and main character of this book. I loved this grouchy spinster midwife in 1830s Nova Scotia. All the historical details about her quiet little cottage life and how she helped birth babies really created this cozy, old timey small village atmosphere that I could just sink into. Then it was all interwoven with selkie folklore in the most down to earth kind of way—this practical, no-nonsense main character mixed in with this otherworldly stuff and all the tense situations that ended up combining with it. I thought it was so great. The characters were all so enjoyable to read about and easy to get invested in, and I got really nervous for everyone toward the end. I just overall had a good time reading this and I definitely recommend it!

Beautiful book with wonderful prose. I really appreciate that, while poetic at times, it was a drag to read.

This story was good and I like the concept of it and the characters. I felt it was lacking something though I feel that it would still be a good read if you like fantasy.

When you want to read something that feels like <i>ivy</i> by Taylor Swift but in book form, this is for you. Such an atmospheric story that I couldn’t put down! I’ve read a few different reimaginings of The Selkie Wife, but this one is far and away my favorite so far!

It’s Nova Scotia in 1832…the sea is the lifeblood of Jean’s village. Although she’s a skilled midwife, Jean feels like an outsider - ever since ugly stories started circulating about her relationship with another girl. Apart from house calls, she keeps to herself in her isolated cottage outside town.

But one night a mysterious young woman in labor turns up on the shore in front of Jean’s house. She can’t speak a word of English, but some things transcend language - Jean saves her and her newborn baby boy, only to discover that this mystery woman is the wife of her nearest neighbor. Why does her husband’s arrival seem to strike fear in Muirin’s heart? Why does she suddenly become so quiet and withdrawn when he’s around? As Jean and Muirin’s friendship grows deeper, Jean can’t quite manage to set aside her concerns. Not when she suspects that something next door is horribly wrong…

I really loved the wild Nova Scotia setting…the woods and sea lend the perfect Gothic backdrop to Jean and Muirin’s story. Rose, the author, has deep roots there and you can feel it in every description she writes. Queer relationships in a historical setting can also be really challenging to write in a way that feels authentic to the time period, but Rose nailed it - especially considering this is her debut novel.

Thanks to Rose, Netgalley and Dell for a digital ARC in exchange for my honest thoughts!

This is not a perfect book and may not being for every reader, but this did so many things I like!! The vibe was immaculate- historical rural setting more concerned with the day to day life of Jean, the area midwife, and her new friend.

I love historical novels that aren’t so much about historical events, but just focused on the people of the time and how they lived their lives. This novel really does this well. I also really enjoyed the growing relationship between Jean and Muirin, and between Jean and her mentor and childhood friends. The main conflict was interesting and angering while managing to hold the story together. I do think the pacing suffered a bit in the 2nd half, though.

If you like this slow slice of life type of story, please give this a try!

I received an eARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Absolutely loved this sapphic retelling of the Selkie Bride. Set in 1820s Nova Scotia, it's told from the tight 3rd person limited perspective of Jean, the midwife of her small village. One night Muirin, a young bride in labor, shows up at Jean's home. When Tobias, Muirin's husband, comes to collect her, Jean worries that something is wrong: Muirin won't look at or speak to him. Jean and Muirin form a friendship - one that's something a little deeper on Jean's side. As they spend more time together, Jean starts to suspect something is really wrong, but she doesn't realize the extent of it...

This is an unsettling read, as Jean does her best to help Muirin while being stalked by Tobias, who's determined to maintain the status quo. The Selkie Bride retelling adds a sense of otherworldliness to the story, but Muirin's isolation and mistreatment at the hands of her husband are all too real. I loved the atmosphere of the book, which conveyed a real sense of isolation and confinement. Muirin and Jean's love story feels a bit sudden, but it also feels real. I especially loved the addition of Laurie, Jean's foster brother, who faces a similar situation to hers.

Recommended for anyone who loves dark fairy tale retellings, LGBTQIA+ themes, and an ultimate HEA.

This objective review is based on a complimentary copy of the novel.

A Sweet Sting of Salt is a fantastically written book with lots of ethereal imagery, female love, and tenacity. Jean is a lonely midwife who has taken residence in her father’s old cabin at the edge of the woods. She has resigned herself to solitude after a traumatic separation from Josephine Kelly. However, when she finds a tall, dark-haired woman about to give birth in the marsh, she finds that friendship, love, and courage are key when you fight for someone that she loves.

This book has a bunch of literary elements, which I thoroughly enjoyed throughout the book. The tense relationship between the townspeople and Jean is not only realistic for 1830’s Canada, but still kept me on my toes and guessing “what is going to happen next?”

Thank you NetGalley for this book in exchange for an honest review. You can get this book from Random House Publishing on April 9, 2024.

A historical slow paced story starting with our midwife Jean, as she meets Muirin and slowly setting the stage for a slow build sapphic love story.

Jean and Muirin are both likeable characters albeit Muirin was pretty underdeveloped . As a folktale retelling, the story lost me a bit with the loss of explanation and I don’t want to give away who the retelling of the fantasy is in regards as I then had to do research. Which I wish I had
not, as I did find contradictions as the author even admits to not really researching ahead of time and going off of memory. I contemplated DNFing this one.
Boy was this story all over the place and inconsistent. One minute, we’re gasping over a character saying the f word and the next, we’re laughing at a crude joke by same character that gasped. I really couldn’t figure out what this story was trying to accomplish- it’s over explaining in narration, feeling repetitive questions and the next, it’s jumping from a to z, completely missing any explanation at all. It almost feels like being written by two different people, with two different goals. I hope this finished copy feels better edited, as this just felt like a first draft to me.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for granting my wish to read this! That being said, I really wished that I liked this one, unfortunately it just couldn't hold my attention (definitely a me thing and not the book itself)

Had to put this one down for now. Just couldn’t get into it, but will attempt to pick up at another times do revise my feedback as appropriate.

This debut novel by Rose Sutherland was fantastic! I am afraid I can't say the right things to express how much I enjoyed it. It is beautiful, atmospheric, and suspenseful. The slower pacing is perfect for fully developing the setting and building tension. I never got bored or lost interest. I was on the edge of my seat throughout. I love the main characters and supporting actors as well. A Sweet Sting of Salt is a sapphic take on the Selkie Wife lore from a female perspective. I had never read about this before, so I went in with fresh eyes. I devoured it. There is solid found and birth family support and a strong sense of right and wrong. Formidable women fighting for love and justice drive the plot. The epilogue was a nice bow on top, and the author's notes a special bonus. The writing style and word/phrase choices drew me in and made this period piece believable. Despite the serious nature, there were also a few chuckles here and there.

"It wouldn’t do to trip over a root making her way up the slope, and go ass over teakettle in the dead leaves."

The editing was great, no blatant distractions. The MC's relationship grew organically over time and did not feel forced. This book is one that I highly recommend and have already added to my re-read list. Plus for bi, lesbian, gay, and indigenous representation.

Big thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publish Group for this arc by Rose Sutherland. Wow. A Sweet Sting of Salt is an amazing debut novel! I had never heard of the Selkie Wife folktale going into this and still absolutely LOVED it. It’s definitely not a fast read but one to be savored late into the night on a cold evening by a fire. This is a sapphic retelling of the Selkie Wife set in Nova Scotia and it’s angsty with a lot of tension while still feeling cozy. This was so good and I can’t wait to read more from this author.

A gorgeous tale of sapphic yearning laced with a slow-building sense of Gothic dread. Sutherland’s captivating debut is an intensely beautiful experience you won’t soon forget. I need a physical copy of this novel now!

Jean leads a quiet life in 19th century Nova Scotia: living out the outskirts of the village where she is the midwife, she keeps to herself and her small homestead. But one night, in the middle of a storm, a from outside cry wakes her, and Jean discovers a heavily pregnant woman with little English, lost in the marsh. After delivering a perfect (yet slightly odd) son, she learns that this women, Muirin, is the new wife to her equally reclusive neighbor. Despite the healthy mother and son, and happy and supportive husband, something doesn't sit right with Jean. Drawn to her new friend, and determined to make sure Muirin is safe, Jean ventures closer, and learns things she never expected,

This book lacks nothing. With strong friendship, found family, fighting for love, and a twist of myth, A Sweet Sting of Salt should be just your cup of tea. A sweet and gentle romance, reinforced by friendship and fierce loyalty, twines through this story of overcoming other's opinions of you to fight for those you love.

A good solid story that takes on the selkie myth. Loved it and kept my interest for the whole evening.

Thank you Ballantine/Dell for my free ARC of A Sweet Sting of Salt by Rose Sutherland — available Apr 9!

Read this if you:
🧜‍♀️ are a fan of folktale retellings
💛 love strong women and their stories
🐢 don't mind a relaxed pace with a lot of detail

Jean is an accomplished midwife, though the town keeps her at arm's length because of her past. When she finds an unknown laboring woman outside her cottage in the middle of the freezing cold night, she is shocked but takes her in and helps with the birth. Things only get stranger when Jean finds that Muirin knows basically no English, despite being married to a local man. And why does Muirin act so odd in his presence? Is something sinister going on up at their house? Jean feels compelled to intervene and protect Muirin, no matter the cost to her own personal safety.

This was an interesting retelling of selkie folklore, which isn't super common so I enjoyed that aspect. It did, however, feel absolutely interminable in the middle section of the book, and then the climactic action of "good versus evil" was incredibly swift and kind of a letdown. Despite that, I loved Jean and Muirin as characters, and I love how things worked out for them in the end. Snap this one up if you don't mind a slower pace in your books! The detail is lovely, there was just too much of it for me.

⭐️⭐️⭐️

I absolutely adored this Sapphic retelling of The Selkie Wife. It has a historical fantasy/gothic feel to it that is chef's kiss. The characters are fully fleshed and the writing is impressive. Every history/fantasy lover will enjoy this.

I really liked this book. I thought it was a sweet, slow-burn sapphic love story, and none of the queer characters die! The one thing I don't like is that, because of the blurb and synopsis, as the reader, you know the story has selkies in it, but any magical realism isn't until the last bit of the book. I felt like the overall novel could have benefited from Jean understanding there was a bigger picture. I also felt like Jean was a little oblivious in general, but I quite enjoyed that. She was a little cinnamon roll that just wanted to protect people.

Jean meets Muirin while Muirin is in labor outside in a storm. Muirin basically ends up on Jean's doorstep while fleeing. After Jean helps her deliver a healthy son, Jean can sense something isn't right, but can't get answers to her questions because Muirin doesn't speak English. When Muirin's husband, Tobias, shows up, Jean doubles down and insists Muirin stay with her while recovering from birth. Tobias relents, only wanting what's best for his son and his wife. Over the course of a week, Jean watches Muirin blossom into motherhood and helps her learn English.

When Tobias comes to get Muirin and their son, Muirin closes up. Jean realizes Tobias is what's wrong in the picture. From there, a beautiful gothic love story unfolds. The author did her research and included some historical events and included indigenous people in the story. I love when authors take care with their characters and history. This story is just so full of detail, I felt the longing and I felt the isolation.

This was a good story built on longing and the power of women; there could have been more awareness in the main character and a quicker reveal of magical elements. Overall, a good read.

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine and Dell Books.

A historical fiction with a dash of magical realism (selkies) that features a beautiful sapphic love story. I ended up enjoying the slow pacing of this and was glad for the happy ending.

A strong 3.5.

This story was very clearly lovingly created. I knew a little of the myth that it is based on, which something that I think not too many people these days will actually know without having to look it up first. That's not a bad thing. You can go into this story knowing the basic premise or rules, or you can go in blind, and either way you're in for a beautiful story.

The true strength of this story is the tension that Sutherland is able to build throughout. Many of the beats of this tale are obvious, but the journey through them is filled with moments of acute unease. The setting of this story helps tremendously to add to the tension and Sutherland does an excellent job at setting the stakes and slowly but surely raising the heat. It is at times uncomfortable, but in the best of ways.

The romance at the heart of the story is obvious from the outset, but it does feel earned in the end. Its also important that the story and myth speaks to the need for acceptance of others, of autonomy of person, especially women, in a way that is unique (given the circumstances) and how the ideal can turn a good person inside out in order to achieve it, and keep it.