Thank you to NetGalley and Dell for the ARC in exchange for an honest review

I would recommend if you're looking for (SPOILERS)

This was such an atmospheric and queer read in the best way. I was immediately sucked into the world that Rose drew and on the edge of my seat in this story that was so quietly propulsive. How Jean belonged yet also was kept on the outside of society. How she instantly fell for Muirin yet also drawn in by Muirin's mystery. How Rose took a tale I knew and just made her so her own and imagined it from a new angle. This was smart, clever and so well written I cannot wait to pick up whatever Rose writes next.

A Sweet Sting of Salt is a work of queer historical fiction set in coastal Nova Scotia in the 1830’s, and retells the Scottish folktale, “The Selkie Wife,” as well as Selkie folklore more generally. While this does mean that one of the greatest mysteries at the heart of the novel is known to readers familiar with the folklore, it is not known to the protagonist Jean, a midwife, who wakes late in the night to find her neighbor’s new wife, Muirín, distraught and in labor at the edge of the salt marshes on her property.

Sutherland’s writing in A Sweet Sting of Salt is atmospheric and evocative, with a thematic emphasis on longing (from the topics for discussion at the end: longing for the sea, longing for home, longing for family, longing for a place to belong). Though initially slow in pace, there is a foreboding undercurrent to the narrative that helps to keep the novel engaging.

Jean and Muirín are both characterized quite well (as are the secondary and tertiary characters), which makes it easy to empathize with their individual choices, and to yearn for their pairing alongside them. However, Jean’s reaction to the moment of reveal did feel somewhat out-of-character, and at odds with what would be expected for a member of a seemingly superstitious fishing village (particularly given that Jean mentions knowledge of Selkie folklore). Even so, A Sweet Sting of Salt has a cathartic resolution (especially for Muirín) and a very sweet epilogue.

thank you to netgalley and the publisher for providing an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

this was a great debut! a sapphic historical fiction with gothic atmosphere and folklore. i did have a problem with the pacing as the story progressed very slow. this was definitely character driven which is where the book shined. the characters were everything! the development of both muirin and jean as individuals and then together with their relationship was done exceptionally well!

the YEARNING!! wow, talk about slow burn passion and heat. i'm so glad that there was a satisfying HEA because i simply could not handle anything else considering what both of these characters went through. i enjoyed this one!

This retelling of the selkie wife tale builds slowly, but in a lovely way. At times, I found Jess's actions frustrating, but it fit with what we knew about the character (age, isolation).

As much as I liked the way the story unfolded, the ending seemed---fast. I'm curious to know what readers unfamiliar with the selkie wife thought of it.

3.5 rounded up, because the build is really nice.

Thank you, Netgalley and Dell, for the eARC.

Wow, what a breathtaking debut novel! Jean, a midwife in a coastal town, forms an unlikely yet profound bond with Muirin, a Gaelic-speaking woman whose husband forbids her from learning English. As Jean navigates her growing affection for Muirin amidst societal judgments and her husband's increasing hostility, the story unfolds with atmospheric beauty and emotional depth.

Sutherland's writing is nothing short of mesmerizing, capturing the essence of the late 1800s setting and the complexities of human connection with grace. I devoured this book in one sitting, utterly captivated by the characters and their journey. It's hard to believe this is a debut; it's simply perfect.

I highly recommend this novel to anyone who appreciates a moving, beautifully crafted story. Sutherland is a talent to watch, and I eagerly anticipate her future works. Five stars without hesitation!

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this slow burn romance! Selkies have always captured my imagination, and this book does a lovely job of adding to the folklore. The mood of this book is rich and complex, and it would be a great book to curl up with warm tea on a winter’s day. I appreciated the sapphic representation.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an arc of this novel.

[THIS REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS]

Sapphic authors can't write "normal" romance novels. Their characters can't just like each other and kiss and say "I love you." It's always stuff like "If I was a lonely midwife who lived at the edge of a seaside village in the mid-1800s and I found you in labor in the middle of a storm in the marsh behind my house I would take you inside and help you deliver your baby even if you didn't speak my language and I would protect you and your baby if it was born looking markedly unhuman, and if your husband was abusive and creepy and weird I would help you escape, and if after all of that I found out you were a selkie I would give you back the sealskin your husband once stole from you so that you could return to your family and be free, and if you wanted me I would wait for you to return every time you went away to sea while caring for your son as if he were my own." And honestly, that's a 10/10 from me. Straight authors, take notes!

A Sweet Sting of Salt almost broke my 'going in blind' M.O. The cover made me think sensual and dark but this is not the dark romance I envisioned. Wonderfully pleasantly surprised in the end! 

This beautifully rendered novel is a reimagining of the classic, The Selkie Wife. With a twist of sapphic romance and touches of historical moments like the burning of the Young Teazer schooner in 1813, I fell in love with this light historical fiction.

Jean is the midwife of her small town. When Jean stops the neighbor's wife from running to the ocean in the midst of contractions, she's thrust into a story only darker fairy tales are made of. I loved the mix of history and magical realism. The realistic aspects of a husband's seclusion of his wife, squashing her ability to ask for help by not teaching her the local language and wanting the fairy tale marriage to the point of destruction brought out my quiet female rage. 

The audiobook is read by Aven Shore. The cadence of the character voices and the atmospheric narration of the scenes made this a wonderful audiobook to listen too.

I adored the romance and liked how there was a mix of queer and sapphic elements. The way these elements were handled during that period was well dome and realistic. Overall an engrossing and captivating read that's I'd recommend to my historical fairy tale lovers!

A Sweet Sting of Salt is a reimagining of the folktale of “The Selkie Wife”. In it we follow Jean, the village midwife in small village by the sea where everyone knows each other and superstitions are built into the fabric of their lives. On night during a storm she encounters a mysterious woman in labor who does not speak the local language. It turns out she’s the new wife of a fisherman who has been keeping to themselves lately and has been the topic of gossip and speculation among the people of the village. But questions start to add up about her husbands strange behavior and how Muirin behaves in his presence and the answers are not reassuring. Jean soon realizes her involvement and trying to help Muirin has put them all in danger.

Look, we’ve all read the folktale of “The Selkie Wife” and thought to ourselves how messed up it is that we are supposed to feel sorry for the fisherman. This story addresses and confronts the horror of the situation of a woman being kidnapped by a so called “nice guy” and at the same time weaves a beautiful story of mystery, romance, and suspense. I loved everything about this novel. The setting and period of time it takes place in and atmosphere of local legends and superstitions in a seaside town really sets the mood. Jean and Muirin are both so lovely and strong, and the supporting characters like Jean’s mentor Anneke and childhood friend Lauren, and even the irascible Kicker are a delight. The tension we feel as things come together and we fear for our protagonists really ups the stakes as well. The writing is quite beautiful and atmospheric, with an air of mystery. This is a really beautiful debut novel.

Would definitely recommend for people who are looking for cottage core by the seaside aesthetic, slow burn romance, and who are into folklore in a historical setting.

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This was such a surprise! A gothic, thriller with queer rep, beautiful writing, and a great plot. I was hooked from the first page. Lovely debut novel!

I loved the vibes here! This sapphic retelling of The Selkie Wife is atmospheric, eerie, and lovely. Sutherland’s prose is evocative and straightforward, vividly painting a picture of 19th century Nova Scotia and the people living there.

Jean is the midwife and a damn good one, which has kept her from being a total pariah when the town becomes aware her relationship with her former childhood best friend was a bit too close for their comfort. Though close with her mentor, Anneke, and Anneke’s family, Jean lives a solitary life outside of town. When she finds her nearest neighbor’s mysterious new wife in labor outside her home, she brings her home and assists her birth. As she and the bride, Muirin, quickly form a bond, Jean can sense all is not as it seems with her and her husband, Tobias.

An examination of community, family, gender roles, sexuality, and love, the story holds up well under its weighty themes. The sense of foreboding and isolation throughout was delicious, and I loved the imagery the author used. Jean is an engaging protagonist, and vibrant side characters round things out - especially Laurie, Anneke’s son and friend to Jean. While the pace slowed down a bit in the middle, I was hooked the whole time, unable to put this down. I highly recommend for readers of this genre and tropes, this is an impressive debut novel!

Thank you to Netgalley and Dell for providing me with an arc.

I DNFed at 4% in. The writing didn't work for me and I am learning I am just not a historical person. It is rare a historical book works for me and sadly this was one of the times it didn't. I think the story was interesting I just couldn't get into the writing style or era.

Jean, a midwife, gets woken up by a cry outside her home in the middle of the night. It is raining heavily, and she can't believe her eyes... a young woman in labor is standing there, and she can barely speak any English. Jean has no idea who she is or where she came from, and the woman is unable to communicate that to her. Jean helps her deliver the baby boy. A few hours later, a neighbor up the road by the name of Tobias shows up and claims his wife and son. Muirin, who had just started to relax and learn to say a few words, immediately withdrew and became silent again. Jean knows she should stay out of their business, but she is worried about Muirin, so she begins checking on her regularly. The more time she spends with her, the more worried she becomes. As she promises to help Muirin escape, she is not only putting Muirin in danger but herself as well.

This book kept me on the edge of my seat. Tobias was a piece of work, let me tell you. He was an awful person, & it left me with a sense of dread for most of the book, just waiting to see how he was going to retaliate next. I am not going to spoil it by telling you who Muirin really was or where she came from, because I want you to discover that for yourself when you read it. If you enjoy books with a bit of a fantasy or a mythological element to them, then you will enjoy this one.

4.5 stars

I love folktales and mythologies and I particularly love it when an author reimagines the story so that it's not a retelling, but rather an "inspired by" story. The selkie folktale is one that I've read a few times, but it's not one that I have come across often in modern tales. The story has always been on the disturbing side, with the fisherman basically keeping the selkie woman against her will, so I liked the take on this one. The sapphic romance was a slow-burn on, one that was built on friendship first, and that worked very well with the slow unfolding of the tale. I thought the author did a fantastic job of laying out the different threads of past and present and weaving them together into a satisfying tapestry. I also liked that while queer love was not exactly accepted at that time, that Jean and Laurie each had some close supportive friends, as well as each other, and that although the way Jean was treated by the town was terrible (because of that horrid woman), things did change over time. It seemed realistic to me that she assumed they tolerated her only because of what she could do for them, but that it was more complex than that and that as she let some of them in, things started to change.

I loved Laurie's character especially, because while he didn't always agree with Jean's decisions, he fully supported her and would just try to keep an extra out for her, even in the midst of her not so stellar decisions. I loved their friendship and how they each knew when to push and when to let things be. I cheered when his partner showed up! But the author did a great job with Jean as well, because even as she made bad decisions, you were rooting for her and yelling at her to hurry up.

Kicker was another side character that I loved. Besides being hilarious, she was brilliant and I love the role she took on at the end. Booyah!

Thinking back, there was so much I loved about this story. It might be a bit slow for some, but I thought it was perfect and really set the scene for a historical folktale. I loved the setting of Nova Scotia in the 1800s. I loved how she incorporated the burning of the privateer schooner Young Teazer. I loved how Jean was basically adopted into Anneke's family. I loved Jean's stubbornness, her desire to make it on her own, her pride in doing her job with excellence. I loved the vixen and the role she played in the story. I loved the seal-like traits that Muirin showed early on and how their love story grew slowly but surely. I loved that Jean "held her love in an open hand".

I would recommend this to fans of folktales, sapphic romances, historical fiction, and happily ever after stories.

Overall, this was a fabulous debut novel and I look forward to reading future books by Sutherland.

I received an advance review copy from Netgalley for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I enjoyed this book so much. It was hard to put down, especially during those last chapters. They were packed with so much information and action. First as Muirin and Jean try to escape a pursuing Tobias. Then as Muirin tells the story of her life and how Tobias managed to steal her away from her family. Tobias became quite unhinged toward the end and I wondered how Muirin would get away from him.
I loved all of the other characters in the book except for Tobias and Mrs. Keddy. And I wanted to know more Dal.

Jean is the village midwife. The only one around for miles.
One stormy night a sharp cry awakens her in the middle of the night. At first, she was convinced it was a dream until the cry came again. She discovered a young woman in labor and drenched to the bone.

Communication is a little difficult, as the woman barely speaks English. So Jean is left to wonder where she came from. She can only assume that the woman is the new wife of her closest neighbor Tobias. When he arrives in the morning looking for his wife Muirin, Jean has even more questions regarding the couple, especially when Muirin's demeanor changes upon her husband's arrival.

When she shares her concerns about the couple with her mentor, she is reminded to keep a little distance from the couple, for fear that he will further isolate his wife and child.

When she sees the couple in town, Jean is glad to see Tobias has taken her advice, to get his wife out and about. When she spots her former best friend's mother whispering to Tobias, she knows exactly what gossip she is spreading.

When to tries to visit again, he warns her to stay away from his wife. And when she sneaks back later after he leaves, she finds her friend locked in the house. She has to help Muirin and her baby get away before things get worse.

Thanks so much to the author, Penguin Random House and NetGalley for this ARC to review.

A Sweet Sting of Salt by Rose Sutherland is a tale that has been told many times before, but Sutherland is able to make it into a lyrical sapphic romance, combined with a mystery that slowly unfolds. The writing was so magical that the slower pace was welcomed so I could enjoy the beautiful way the author conjured up her retelling of the story.

For being a debut novel, Sutherland was able to create realistic characters, a fantastic(al) setting, a palpable feeling of yearning, and just the right amount of tension to have me wanting to keep reading to see what will happen next… even though I already knew from previous versions of the story.

I am very impressed with Sutherland and interested to see what they come up with next!

I read this in one sitting, and it was no burden whatsoever. Historic fantasy fiction, pretty firmly and lovingly set in time and place and tradition, with more than one lovely lgbtqia romance. One of those books where you, the reader, know exactly what fantastical stuff is going on, yet the main character doesn't figure it out until it's explicitly revealed at the last possible second—but somehow it's not actually annoying here at all! A true feat.

I’ve always loved folktales and the stories with mermaids and selkies are a favorite of mine. This book was just.. perfection. The author weaves an extraordinary tale with characters I actually cared about. I was SO invested in what was going on, it really had my heart pounding.

Jean is the village midwife. She lives alone and an hour outside the village. She works hard at her profession because she feels that if she doesn’t, no one will like her or respect her. The rumor that she likes girls instead of boys follows her, even years after her only relationship ended. One night during a storm, Jean hears screaming outside her home and rushes outside to help. She finds a woman in a nightgown in labor by the marsh. She brings her inside and helps deliver her baby. The two form a fast friendship but as the woman’s husband comes to retrieve his wife, Jean can sense that something is very wrong.

This is a book that will keep you turning pages. It does have a few slower parts, but that wasn’t an issue for me. The romance in this book is beautiful. It is just so natural and there’s so much yearning. I couldn’t get enough. This was easily a 5 star read for me. I will be thinking about this story for a long time. Thank you so much to Netgalley and Random House Ballantine for the ARC.

Besides the stunning cover, the first thing that drew me to A Sweet Sting of Salt was its allusions to the Scottish folktale, “The Selkie Wife.” I haven’t read that folktale, but I have heard it referenced in several books over the past few years. I was excited to read this reimagining of the story, now from the perspective of women and with a sapphic love story at its heart.

A Sweet Sting of Salt takes us to Nova Scotia in 1832, where a midwife named Jean will help a stranger, Muirin, deliver her baby one November night. But when Muirin’s husband Tobias comes by to find her, Jean starts noticing red flags right away. Why is Muirin, who speaks basically no English, so uncomfortable around her husband? Why is Tobias so cagey about how he and Muirin got together? And why did he never warn Jean—the only midwife around—that his wife was pregnant?

On the one hand, A Sweet Sting of Salt has a Gothic, eerie vibe that grows stronger as the book progresses. Tobias might seem like a nice guy… but something bad seems to be going on behind closed doors. The middle and later parts of the novel feel as tense as a thriller, propelling the reader forward.

Adding to all that is the hint of magic and mystery throughout. Why was baby Kiel born with webbed hands and feet? What is this unfamiliar language Muirin speaks? What is this secret item she wants back before she can consider leaving her husband?

However, beyond all the suspense and thrills, A Sweet Sting of Salt is also a love story between two women at a time when such relationships weren’t as widely accepted. Jean has history with another local woman, and things ended badly. Jean is terrified to make the same mistakes again, so despite her deepening feelings for Muirin, she’s hesitant to act on them. Of course, Muirin’s increasingly threatening husband only adds to the risk there. I love how Jean and Muirin grow to trust and care for one another, even despite the language barrier and the possible danger they’re in.

I enjoyed the way the story unfolds here, the characters (including side characters like Laurie and the goat, Kicker), and the way everything culminates in a magical ending.

A Sweet Sting of Salt is a beautifully written and atmospheric novel of romance, suspense, and a folktale given new life. This is an arresting debut, and I look forward to reading more from Rose Sutherland.

I absolutely loved this novel. Despite being more of a medium paced book, there was no point where I was bored. The pacing was absolutely perfect! I'd never heard of the Selkie wife before, so this was a great introduction to the myth. Though I'm convinced this will just replace it's spot in my head. This is actually the whole myth.

I can't wait to read more by Sutherland.