I loved this book even more than I thought I would — it was an almost perfect blend of historical fiction, lesbian romance, folklore, and gothic horror. The romance between Jean and Muirin was so sweet and very believable despite the language barrier, and I loved the creeping sense of unease as we learn more about Muirin’s background and her husband. The romance and gothic elements played off each other really well. The author also did a great job with place setting — I have such a clear picture in my mind of Jean’s home, without the text getting too bogged down with description. Really an incredibly debut novel, I will definitely be reading whatever Rose Sutherland writes next!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC!

4 Stars!

A wonderfully sapphic take on the old selkie folklore.

Jean is a talented midwife who keeps to herself in her little cottage above the sea. Her reputation was tarnished years ago by the mother of the girl she loved, and now Jean's only friends are her mentor, Anneke, and fair-weather Laurie, who winters in the South. Her lonliness is a silent badge she wears, along with the guilt of believing her lost love was pushed into a marriage to save her family reputation.

One night Jean stumbles upon Muirin, heavily pregnant and desperately trying to get to the sea. She takes her in, nursing her and her young babe, who comes with expediency, in her cottage until she realizes that this is the mysterious wife of Tobias Silber, the man who returned from a fishing trip with a quiet and mild mannered young wife.

But to Jeans surpise and delight, and despite a hefty language barrier, Muirin is anything but mild mannered. Curious and firey and fiercely protective, she comes off incredibly intelligent and aware -- until her husband shows up. Smiling, relieved Tobias Silber who is nothing but utterly grateful that Jean found his wife, who immediately silences and clams up in his presence. Jean can't help but feel something is off about the relationship and insists Tobias allow Muirin to stay and recover.

As Jean and Muirin become closer, even as Tobias takes her home, Jean's instincts and growing feelings for Muirin can't help but spur her in her quest to find out what's really going on beneath the shiny veneer of the Silber household. Especially when Tobias reveals a much darker nature underneath that smile.

I thought this book was absolutely lovely. A small town filled with people of all sorts of backgrounds, a protagonist with both a spine and a level head, tension and thrill and a dash of romance -- not to mention an adorable baby. The beginning lingers in quiet places, letting us into the life and mind of our Jean, who has resigned herself to a life of near-solitude after her childhood love was whisked away. It was a little slow in places, some scenes that I could have done without as they did not move nor add much to the situation, but by the middle of the book the game is on, and the tension between Jean and Tobias really steamrolls into the climax of the story.

The ending was also lovely, a neat little wrap up with a bow, but I found myself wanting a little more substance there. And considering the folklore basis, I would have loved to have been able to explore that aspect. I felt like in our endeavor to get to the happy ending we left out a lot of the mystery and beauty of selklie lore.

All in all an absolutely gorgeous read!

I had the pleasure of receiving an ARC of this book, and it was a pleasant surprise for me. I am not the biggest fan of historical fiction, but this book was both gripping and, perhaps shockingly, whimsical enough to delight me until the end.

I want to compliment the author on a beautifully written story first of all. Every scene and interaction was vivid and my responding emotions were called forth so easily. Reading this felt effortless for me and I could not put it down!

I went into this one fairly blind, only armed with the fact that it was something of a historical sapphic romance. Honestly? I recommend doing it that way. So I won't be spoiling a darn thing. It made the mystery a bit better in my opinion. Though I had a slight suspicion of what was going on, I found myself teetering between "could it be this?" and "no...it couldn't be" until all was revealed.

As for the romance, there is no spice but plenty of feels. The are perhaps a few mentions of triggering situations (animal death 😅, forced marriage, a bit of violence- to name a few), so be sure to check for those warnings!

Thank you NetGalley and Random House for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Wowowowow - what a piece of sheer beauty. I did struggle at times with how slow it moved along (hence the four stars), but upon reflection I feel like with it's pacing I was able to get to know EACH character intimately than usual. I was deeply invested in each of their stories, and deeply invested in Jean's life, as well as her and Muirin's relationship. Oh, and sweet baby Kiel.

With this pacing I was able to watch what felt like a very natural progression of Jean and Muirin's relationship, them learning how to communicate with one another (the literal language barrier), and their eventual foundation of trust. Books with romance so often aren't realistic in that sense -they meet they kiss they want marriage after a week- and that was not the case here, which was refreshing.

If you love sapphic historical fiction as much as I do, then you will adore this book. Cannot wait to get my hands on a physical copy and reread it.

This was a solid debut. I had never heard of the folktale “The Selkie Wife”, so it was interesting to read this interpretation as the story unfolded. It's heartbreaking but beautifully written. The pacing is a bit slow and I wish I cared more about these characters than I did. Overall I still enjoyed it.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for this arc

Didn’t really enjoy this book. I was sent a widget and the description sounds good but I just couldn’t get into it. It’s not something I would normally request and it wasn’t really something I would wanna read again

This book was such a ride! The setting and most of the characters were so cozy and the plot moved at the best pace. I was caught up in the mystery despite already knowing (since "retelling of the selkie wife" was part of the description). You know I love a sassy goat and a happy ending, so this one had me hooked.

In this enthralling queer reinterpretation of The Selkie Wife, a young woman uncovers a dark secret about her neighbor and his mysterious new wife, compelling her to fiercely protect herself and her beloved.

Captivated by the alluring cover and its historical fiction label, the story seamlessly blends elements of fantasy, mystery, suspense, and a compelling love story, interwoven with feminist and LGBTQ+ themes. It begins with Jean, a midwife in a secluded town, aiding a mysterious woman in labor during a storm. Despite language barriers, Jean discovers the woman is married to her nearest neighbor in the remote area. Jean's character, with her intuitive nature, resonated with me as she navigates initial communication challenges to unravel the mystery.

The author adeptly weaves an atmospheric retelling of the Gaelic folktale, The Selkie Wife, crafting a lush narrative.

The author has fashioned an enchanting and beautifully written debut—I eagerly anticipate delving into anything she creates in the future!

Heartfelt thanks to Netgalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine.

Thank you to Net Galley and Random House Publishing for this arc. A Sweet Sting of Salt is a retelling of The Selkie Wife and follows Jean, queer midwife in a small coastal town in 1832. I was not familiar with The Selkie Wife before reading the blurb for this book, but I’m thrilled to have been introduced to this mythological tale, which I hope to see pop up in more books soon.

This book was incredibly immersive and atmospheric, as a result of the well researched writing and great pacing. The writing was lyrical and takes on a shimmering fairytale-esque quality after the brief initial introduction into the world, but manages to stay character focused and maintain a level of focus on the characters that I typically find to be lacking in fairytale or mythology inspired fiction.

Arguably, some of Jean’s decisions are reckless and a bit frustrating, but I still found myself endeared to her headstrong, loyal personality. I also loved all of the side characters and how well fleshed out they were. I can’t wait to see what Rose Sutherland does next.

This was a really good story, and I enjoyed it a lot! I haven't read as much about selkies, so it was really cool to delve into a myth that I don't know as much about. I will add this to my historical recs!

what a great book and i loved reading this author. . loved the romance and how the couple came to be. Loved that they worked through their issues and found love. Loved this mystery

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House Ballantine for the ARC!

I went into this book knowing basically nothing about it. Imagine my delight to find a cozy, chilling setting of 19th century Nova Scotia, a compassionate no-nonsense midwife protagonist, and a sapphic love story.
If you are looking for something cozy to warm you up, look no further. The author constructs the frigid atmosphere of a lonely costal town just on the cusp of winter, and then immediately lights a fire to warm it right up. Based on the folktale The Selkie Wife, the relationship between Jean and Muirin is the heart of the story and the two form a beautiful bond as Jean unravels the mystery of her neighbor.
The writing is gorgeous, Sutherland sets the scene perfectly to take you along on Jean’s story. The pacing is more slow burn, but has plenty of exciting moments as well. Overall, it was a very sweet story and I look forward to more books from this author!

I received this book for free for an honest review from netgalley.

Wow no words. Fantastic story line and setting.

4.5 stars
The book is described as a "queer reimagining of the classic folktale The Selkie Wife." I wasn't familiar with the folktale so I had no idea what was coming (I did know what a selkie was). I loved how the author captured the atmosphere of the coastal town and its inhabitants. I also appreciated how the characters gradually developed and exposed their true selves. The book was also surprisingly suspenseful. I find it hard to believe this is a debut novel--I will be looking for more by this author.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for a free e-ARC of this book.

I wanted to like this book, but I just couldn't get into the characters.
I couldn't get myself to care about them nor what was happening to them. Which upsets me since this was a book I was really looking forward to!

I don’t know how I miss it, but this book wasn’t fantasy like the books that I usually read. I felt so confused why I read the few chapters in the beginning of the book. And as I kept reading the story, I felt more confused than I thought. I just don’t know what I read. Confuse girly over here.

This is an impressive and engaging debut from Sutherland. The story is atmospheric and draws you in from the beginning. It’s both slow paced, yet steeped with a tension that keeps you turning the page. The combination of the mystery of Muirin and the dread of what Tobias is capable of never lets up. I loved the development of the relationship between Jean and Muirin. I also adored Laurie and his care for Jean and his own mystery.
The climax of the book had me on the edge of my seat. And I absolutely loved the resolution of all the storylines. I finally feel I can breathe easily!
I would definitely recommend this book!

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the preview. All opinions are my own.

No quotes because ARC, set to be released April of 2024.

One Line Review: Midwife Jean learned long ago to mind her business, and when secrets come to light surrounding her neighbor and the wife, she didn’t know he had, she does everything in her power to keep herself and the person she now cares for deeply, safe.

Synopsis: Jean is awoken in the middle of the night to the sounds she knows well, but is in shock to discover a woman, Muirin, she has never seen before in active labor and unable to speak almost any English. She later learns that Muirin is Tobias’ wife… and that she doesn’t seem comfortable leaving with him to return home. Managing to convince Tobias that she needs additional care, Jean and Muirin evolve into a deeper and meaningful space, even within the circumstances. Seemingly the concerned husband, Tobias’ true nature gradually shows leaving a sense of unease into who he truly is.

My Thoughts: I came into the ARC having not read or known about the folktale origin of The Selkie Wife, and if anyone ever asks, this is how I will tell the tale. Poignant, tender, and yearning for something that couldn’t necessarily be hers, Jean navigates the realm of love and the dangers associated with her feelings. This moved at a slower pace than I think I would’ve liked, but such is life sometimes, when a deeper story is being built. Such an incredible debut and will be keeping Rose on my short list to reach for when another book is released!

I want to scream. If I could give this 10 stars I would. If I could erase my memory to read this for the first time again I would.

Jean, the only midwife in the village, awakens one cold stormy night to the sound of wailing. When she ventures outside she finds her neighbor’s new mysterious wife drenched in the freezing cold and… in labor. Turns out she doesn’t speak English either.
With her husband no where in sight and time running out Jean ushers her inside. Why has her husband kept her pregnancy a secret? And why at his arrival does the wife’s demeanor completely change?

This is a tale of YEARNING, sweet sweet sapphic yearning. A lovely slow burn kindling under such intense mysterious circumstances. You squeal at the romance but at the same time are panicking for whats to come.

If you love mystical folklore tales with courageous women please give this one a read. I also need more people to scream with about this book.

Also the fact that this is a debut novel!!! Hello!! I can’t wait to see what more Rose Sutherland will come up with. It will be an instant read from me.

When I first received the email from the publisher letting me know I was pre-approved to read this through NetGalley, I honestly hesitated to claim it. The premise didn't initially grab my attention; however I am glad I decided to go for it, and I enthusiastically endorse this updated take on the Selkie mythology.
Jean is a young midwife in a small harbor town in Nova Scotia, living alone after the recent death of her father. She is struggling to find her place in the town and acceptance from the other villagers after a nasty rumor circulated about her and her childhood best friend Josephine. One night, she is shocked to wake up and find her next closest neighbor's new wife in labor outside her door, inexplicably attempting to reach the sea. She comes to her aid, and helps to deliver the woman, Muirin's baby. From this one night, their lives become entwined as it quickly becomes clear that all is not as it appears between Muirin and her husband Tobias.
From the other reviews and summaries, I was able to gather that this book had a Sapphic premise and was an updated take on the Selkie mythology common to the Scots and Irish. Jean must rely on her own wits and instincts to try to help Muirin, but eventually is able to enlist the help of her mentor Anneke and Anneke's son Laurie. I enjoyed the character and world building presented in this novel, as well as the lyrical prose style of the author. Jean in particular developed and grew as a character, trusting herself and her friends and becoming stronger over the course of the novel. This book reads very quickly, and in fact I finished it from cover to cover in a single sitting, it so pulled me in.
Thank you to Random House Ballantine Books and NetGalley for the electronic ARC of this novel for review.