Historical fiction is not usually a genera I gravitate towards but I loved the cover and am a fan of folklore, I’m glad I gave this book a chance! The characters and setting were well developed without being overly descriptive. One night, Jean the town’s midwife, wakes to find a strange woman outside in a storm about to give birth. The woman doesn’t speak English but Jean is eventually able to determine she is the neighbors new wife, Muirin. Immediately Jean senses something is wrong in their relationship. Jean has to decide if helping Muirin is worth putting herself in danger. If you are a fan of historical fiction, folklore, LGBTQIA +, feminism, or thrillers I would highly recommend this book.

A sweet Sting of Salt by Rose Sutherland is an enjoyable read with great pacing and excellent world building. Dialogue was a bit stilted but did not take away from the overall reading experience. I can not wait to acquire a physical copy when this book is released.

A Sweet Sting of Salt is a beautiful sapphic retelling of selkie legends set along the coast of Nova Scotia in the mid-1830s. When Jean, a midwife who lives in an isolated cottage, hears cries outside of her window one stormy night, she investigates and helps a strange woman named Muirin deliver a boy with webbed fingers and toes. Muirin is the wife of a fisherman named Tobias, and as the two women form a friendship, Jean discovers that Tobias has stolen Muirin from her family and forced her into wedlock. As Jean and Muirin grown closer, the midwife vows to save her friend and her child from their dire situation, discovering unbelievable secrets about the world around her.

The dedication to this novel reads: “To anyone who has ever been lonely. Keep searching; your people are out there,” and the plot of the book enforces this touching idea. Jean and her childhood friend Laurence are engaging characters who both feel like outsiders in the rocky landscape they call home. Muirin, who barely speaks English, is also an outsider looking for a way to return to her own home. The book turns on the power of choice in love and underscores the importance of freedom in defining the most essential facets of individuality. Tension rises as storms rip through Nova Scotia and the women make brave choices about their futures.

In addition to an engaging story line, the novel is filled with folklore, opening with a memory about The Young Teazer, a ship which burst into flames in the harbor in June of 1813 and continues to haunt the residents of the coastal villages. Selkie myths and legends are used to explore real world issues like post-partum depression, suicide, and autonomy, and fairy lore about protecting infants from becoming changelings casts a light on the darkest fears of new mothers, but the novel ends with a heartfelt conclusion that will have readers believing in the beauty of true love and the power of community. If you enjoy novels that will sweep you away and leave you searching the horizon for magic, then add Rose Sutherland’s debut A Sweet Sting of Salt to the top of your list. I loved it!

Thank you to NetGalley for a free copy of the book in exchange for a fair review.

Once a young woman uncovers a dark secret about her neighbor and his mysterious new wife, she’ll have to fight to keep herself—and the woman she loves—safe in this stunning queer reimagining of the classic folktale “The Selkie Wife.”

A Sweet Sting of Salt by Rose Sutherland was an outstanding debut.
A descriptive Sapphic historical fiction retelling of The Selkie Wife that captivated me and once I started I couldn’t stop.
Each character and event is skillfully portrayed, further enhancing the immersive experience.
Overall, this is a compelling novel that I found hard to put down.

Thank You NetGalley and Random House, Ballantine & Dell for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

“A Sweet Sting of Salt” by Rose Sutherland is a debut sapphic novel that takes place in a seaside village where fisherman folktales are abundant. The book follows Jean, the village mid-wife, and Muirin, the mysterious wife of Jean’s fisherman neighbor, Tobias. Their paths cross when Jean, finding Muirin in labor during a massive storm, helps deliver her baby. Muirin cannot speak English and seems as if she has been isolated since marrying Tobias. Jean takes a liking to Muirin quickly and upon Tobias coming to collect his wife and new child, notices that something isn’t right between the two. Jean is worried how Muirin will adjust in the seclusion of their home and with being a new mom. After convincing Tobias that Muirin and the baby staying with Jean for a bit is best for everyone, the two women form a strong bond and trust. As events unfold, Jean realizes that Muirin is in danger and does everything she can to help set Muirin free of the cage she has found herself in.

What I enjoyed most, is how Sutherland drops hints of folklore and foreshadowing throughout the story. It was nicely done and really rounded out the ending well. I felt that the pacing could have been better, as it seemed the first half was on the slower side. Overall, this was a solid debut novel, and I truly enjoyed it.

CW to note:
• Post partum suicide (past-off page)
• Isolation
• Manipulation
• Marital rape (off-page-mentioned/inferred)
• Kidnapping
• Death, murder
• Violence
• Stalking, bullying, threats

I received this ARC from NetGalley for an honest review.

Thank you for this compelling period story of Jean, a midwife in Nova Scotia in the early 1800s who lives a pretty isolated life..until she discovers Marin, a woman in the marsh and helps her deliver her baby...things go off from there. This is a femaie driven story with some interesting themes....and a bit of folklore aspect sprinkled in! I liked the female characters and I liked the conflicts they faced. A very unique piece of storytelling.

This book was not for me. I hate giving bad reviews, but I did not enjoy it. I'm sure it is great for someone else

Strengths:

Compelling characters: Jean is a compassionate and resourceful midwife, while Muirin's vulnerability and hidden strength make her a compelling protagonist.

Atmospheric setting: The stormy backdrop adds an element of suspense and isolation to the story.

Intriguing plot: The mystery surrounding Muirin's past and the threat to her life keep the reader engaged from beginning to end.

Exploration of themes: The story delves into themes of loyalty, betrayal, and the power of love to protect and heal.

Weaknesses:

Pacing: The story could benefit from a slightly faster pace in some sections.

Character development: Some of the supporting characters could be more deeply developed.

Overall, Under a Tempest Sky is a captivating and heartwarming tale of love, resilience, and the courage to stand up for what is right. The characters are engaging, the setting is atmospheric, and the plot is full of suspense. Fans of historical fiction and women's fiction will find this novel to be a satisfying read.

A Sweet Sting of Salt' is a charming period piece that defies expectations with its captivating narrative and endearing characters, notably Jean and Muirin, whose slow-burning romance unfolds tenderly.

Thank you Netgalley for the e-ARC!

Rose Sutherland’s skillful retelling of the Scottish folk tale, “The Selkie Wife,” is intriguing, a woman-centered take on a familiar story. Jean is a midwife in Nova Scotia in 1832, living on the outskirts of town - a bit of self-imposed isolation to counteract a hint of scandal from a few years ago. One cold night she finds a woman in labor in the marsh, a woman who speaks a strange language and tries to drag Jean deeper into the marsh. Jean delivers the woman’s baby, a healthy baby boy with strangely webbed hands and feet. Jean feels strangely drawn to the woman, later discovering her name is Muirin, wife to Tobias Silber and supposedly from a Scottish settlement where Gaelic is spoken. But is that really Muirin’s whole story? Why is her husband so protective of her, isolating her from other people? As Jean becomes more involved with Muirin and her baby, the situation becomes more precarious, culminating in a daring plan.

Sutherland’s novel is suffused with longing - longing for home, longing for family, and, most of all, longing to belong somewhere, to belong with someone. Jean and Muirin live in a time where women are afforded few advantages, where the struggle to assume control over their lives is very real. Any reader of historical fiction who loves a dash of magical realism and strong women characters will appreciate Sutherland’s novel.

#ASweetStingofSalt #NetGalley

Another 10/10 debut with another 10/10 cover! LGBT romance, gothic vibes, with a great pace that will have you racing through it. I love the mysterious quality the whole book had, and I thought it dealt with some interesting themes that you don't see very often. Historical fiction with a touch of folklore, I would recommend this gorgeous book to all.

I'm a mythology and folktale fanatic, and selkie stories are some of my favorites, so I expected to enjoy A Sweet Sting of Salt just from its description. What actually happened was I got completely sucked into the story and finished over two evenings because I couldn't put it down, and now I want to go snuggle seals and live outside a little village by the sea.

Jean is a single woman in her twenties in the mid 1800's in Nova Scotia. Due to some embarrassing trauma in her past, she's outcast herself from the village, living alone near the beach with her two goats, flock of chickens, and a not-quite-tame vixen. She's the village midwife, a skill she learned so she'd be useful, because to her mind no matter how useful she becomes she can't erase the stain of gossip that swirls around her.

Muirin appears on her property in the middle of a storm, barefoot and in her nightgown, unable to speak much English. She's in active labor. She could only be the mysterious new wife of Jean's neighbor up the hill, Tobias, a fisherman who suddenly bragged to the whole village that he found his fairytale wife. During Muirin's recovery at Jean's cabin her English improves and, as they communicate better, Jean begins to suspect all is not well in Muirin and Tobias's home. As Jean's feelings for Muirin grow, she becomes more sure that something is amiss, and she's determined to help, even when helping becomes truly dangerous.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I will say, since the promotional copy includes that it's a retelling of The Selkie Wife, I knew what Muirin was from the start. I rather wish it was a thing to discover, because Rose Sutherland's foreshadowing was wonderful and it would've been an excellent twist. If the reader isn't familiar with the story, I hope the twist gets them, because it was set up and executed with style. Sutherland's prose is both practical and lyrical, depending on the situation's needs, which makes it a lovely blend of folktale magic and earthy pragmatism.

The world Sutherland developed is a mix of historical fact, fairy tale, and straight up fiction. The peripheral characters clearly have their own backstories and motivations, and the magical elements are woven in without jarring believability. I hope the author has other stories in the same universe, because I could easily see a legacy series built from Muirin's family. A Sweet Sting of Salt was well worth the read. I highly recommend it and plan to pick up a copy when it's released in April, 2024, for my library.

This debut from Rose Sutherland is riveting and beautifully told. The prose is wonderful and the characters are well developed and intriguing.

This was so lovely, I really enjoyed it. I don’t read many period pieces cause they usually don’t do it for me but this was a hit. I loved Jean’s character and her relationship with Muirin and how it slowly developed. Muirin was such a cute character that you couldn’t help but love and the way Jean treated her was so endearing. Really satisfied with the ending as well.

Thank you to Netgalley for the free copy!

Oh wow, this book is everything I could want in a novel! The writing was lush and evocative and the story so compelling I really had trouble putting it down once I started reading it. It begins like a lot of fairy tales, sweet and tender before taking a sinister turn—and I was here for all of it. Jean is such an incredible heroine, fierce and tender and her love for Muirin so intense. I was rooting for these two on every page. It’s a perfect feminist, gothic folklore retelling and will be living rent free in my head from here on.

Also literally cheered when Tobias was killed. Dude had it coming and I’d never been happier!

Rounding this up to a 4.5 but this is seriously one of the best sapphic books that I’ve read in a while. It was incredibly atmospheric and endearing. It was just overall a wonderful story but I think my favorite thing about it was the way it was written. From the onset I felt gripped by the author’s storytelling ability and the believability of the romance. It’s not an easy feat!

The author weaves a tales as good as any of the old storytellers could in front of a fire wintertime of yore. Making listeners wait with bated breath from between sit down time after dinner then to bed installments for both young and old. This book is a complete joy of a world you can almost see. The level of concern & unease for the characters was higher in this book than any I can remember from the beginning. It was a sheer joy regardless or any trauma! Both Nordic & Celtic seafarers naturally as well as other workers of the land fleshed out the scenery. Mainly Irish & Highland Scot & Faroes & Iceland have the strongest tales of Kelpies & Selkies all of them beautiful & usually sad & infuriating are known legends. The Faroes have two statues one dedicated to a legendary seal wife the other to a water horse. Nova Scotia was a north American landing to many Scots from the highlands as well as for Nordic fishermen. I could just picture the characters one & all. This historical fiction fairy tale is an exemplary modern tome along the lines of the best.

I’m not sure if I should say that I was rooting for Muirin to kill him the whole book but like I was so there’s that.
This was written so well and had me completely captivated. I was pining for her with Jean (we love a gay disaster). My heart was racing as we snuck around Tobias and I felt so much joy when Jo came to finally speak to her.
All in all I really enjoyed this book, I’m glad to have read it. And I loved the way everything wrapped up in the end and the epilogue was so cute!!

A Sweet Sting of Salt is an atmospheric and haunting debut. Light with its depictions of friendship, motherhood, and love, while also dark and disturbing at the same time. A fairytale-esque story tinged with a bit of horror. It’s amazing to me today how many fairytales, when looked through a modern lens, have these themes of both love and violence, light and dark, horror and beauty.

I loved the inclusion of the queer relationships set during a time when these relationships were hidden or not spoken about. It’s rare still to see them in historical fiction novels and I appreciated the author centering them in her story. Jean, Muirin, and Laurie were all well-developed and beautifully-written characters. This was a slow burn, but worth every page for a beautiful new take on a rather dark story.

Thank you to Netgalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review.