Vibes: sapphic fairy tales, selkies, feminine rage, small magical towns by the sea

Heat Index: 2/10

As the village midwife, practical and prickly Jean lives a lonely existence--until the night she finds a young woman by the sea, hours from giving birth. Her name is Muirin, and after Jean helps her deliver a son, their connection seems natural. Less natural? Muirin's relationship with her odd, domineering husband. As Jean becomes convinced that Muirin is in danger, she hatches a plan to help her escape--not realizing that there is much more to her new love's presence than a bad marriage.

I love selkies--always have. They're very much a part of my childhood, which is why it's so frustrating to see them, very frequently, done wrong... And it's such a relief to see them done right. This is a lyrical fantasy romance rooted in history (think a nineteenth century fishing village) and folklore. It's queer--and not just in the sense that it's about two women falling in love--and longing is braided into the narrative.

Along with a heavy dose of rage against men who would trap and control women. Which. Is something I think a lot of us can relate to.

This is the kind of story that sucks you in, to the point that you can feel the sea salt, the stolen kisses and unraveling secrets. It's simple, but lovely--and I'd like to see more of its type.

Quick Takes:

--There's something delightfully whimsical and angsty all at once to Muirin and Jean's romance. Like, the framing is obviously angsty. They meet when Jean delivers Muirin's baby, so it's clear from the jump that Muirin is married to a man she doesn't want to be with. The novel doesn't shy away from subjects like domestic violence (though you see very little of it on the page), marital rape (though it's only alluded to), and homophobia.

Yet for all that, this isn't a story about suffering. It's ultimately a story about love--not just Muirin and Jean's though that's a gorgeous, sweet romance that feels like it's as much solace for Jean as it is for Muirin. it's also about the love between Jean and her found family, like the midwife who mentored her, and her friend who happens to be a gay fisherman. (The queer found family vibes are stroooong in this one.) It's also a story about reclaiming agency and throwing off oppression, and that is so deeply, deeply satisfying. "Satisfying" is literally how I would describe this narrative. Towards the end, I was just nodding along like "YES".

--Going back to the romance aspect... Yes, there's caretaking, there's solace found, there's catharsis. But there's also a lot of playfulness to it. Muirin is super flirty and openly interested in Jean. While Jean is understandably hesitant to engage at first, Muirin is just inherently endearing. You definitely get a bit of grumpy/sunshine here. Jean is never grumpy towards Muirin, but she's so guarded and frosty towards the world in general (with good reason) and Muirin is just so bright and charismatic and desperate to connect with her on every level.

And there is such a deep... womanliness to this romance. Like, this is obviously a book about two women falling in love. But it goes into the societal roles of women in this book's world. The midwife, the wife, the initial meet cute being a labor scene. There's a very real depiction of the kind of husband who is inherently afraid of his wife just like--making friends with another woman. Because even if Jean and Muirin weren't falling in love, Jean would represent an alternate life, options and a path beyond him.

--Another aspect I found immensely compelling was the midwifery of it all. You don't ever get the sense that there's anything twee about birth, but it's also not a ridiculously melodramatic horror show. It's a fact of life, and Jean's good at her job, and she treats it like a job. She cares, but she's also as practical as ever. Her practicality--and the way it melts away as she falls in love with Muirin, and really as soon as she becomes emotionally invested in her--is so endearing.

--Obviously, a baby is born almost immediately in this novel. Sutherland keeps the baby in it enough for him to be cute, but not so much that he takes away from the story. He adds to the stakes--he is not the only part of the stakes. What is happening to Muirin isn't just important because she has a baby. The baby is just another person impacted by what is happening to her.

--The selkie lore is great. One scene in particular towards the end had me clutching my face. it was just so beautifully done. Apparently, this all kicked off with an ancient Tumblr post I'm pretty sure I saw back in the day? Huh! Who knew? Yet another thing Tumblr has contributed to society. I do kind of wish that the lore side of the story had unfurled a little faster, but I get why it played out the way it did.

The Sex:

There is sex; it is entirely closed door. I could've done with some stuff on the page (always) but I didn't feel robbed.

At last, those crying out for a lesbian selkie story have found their hero. Read on any day, but especially a day when it's storming outside, or you're close to the sea, or both. Keep your eye out for mysterious seals who may or may not be beautiful women in disguise.

Thanks to NetGalley and Dell for providing me with a copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

A lovely re-telling of the Selkie Wife. Jean wakes in the dead of night during a storm to screams outside her door. A woman in labor, soaked through and barely speaking English has found Jean, the only midwife for miles, Jean believes her to be the wife of the new neighbor, Tobias. Tobias does show up at Jean's cabin to search for his wife, Muirin, who clams up in his presence. Why would he keep her pregnancy a secret? Jean tries to stay out of their business but her growing concern, and feelings, for Muirin prevent her from setting her worries aside. But when the answers she finds are more harrowing than she ever could have imagined, she fears she may have endangered herself, Muirin, and the baby.

*Special thanks to NetGalley and Dell for this e-arc.*

A Sweet Sting of Salt completely absorbed me and has possibly become a new favorite. Beautiful and descriptive, Sutherland's writing painted a clear picture in my mind and I loved reading the details of day to day life in 1830's Nova Scotia. Having grown up on folk lore and fairy tales, I found it immensely satisfying to read such a heartfelt queer retelling of the Selkie Wife. Jean and Muirin's connection was both heartwarming and heart wrenching, as they navigate the increasingly difficult presence of Tobias and the mysteries surrounding his marriage to Muirin. This story checked off so many boxes for me; a slow burn with a vibrant cast of characters, queer representation, and plenty of attention to detail.

Struggled to read this. Not my cup of tea. It didn’t hook me at the beginning so I could never really get into the story.

Sweet Sting of Salt is a sometimes eerie, often bittersweet, retelling of The Selkie Wife, with a strong heroine and enough yearning to fill a ghost ship. Always believable thanks to an excellent sense of place and time, the characters never act out of character, even when presented with the unimaginable. Haunting in the best sense.
Thanks to the publisher for the opportunity to read an advance copy!

I have mixed feelings on this book. While I enjoyed the overarching theme and the ending for the time, I also just couldn’t get into the story itself. It’s one of those times where I finish a book and while I didn’t enjoy the read itself, I could appreciate the story after the fact. If that makes any sense.

I really enjoyed this debut based on The Selkie Tale myth, but I'm especially glad that I didn't know much about that when I first started reading. The plot develops slowly and carefully, with a major focus on Jean and how her past experiences shaped her, which I thought was beautifully written. It is not often that you get tales that feature a happily ever after involving lesbian women in historical times and this was lovingly crafted with care shown to the central relationship. The character shift for the central antagonist did feel a little abrupt, but I appreciated the nuanced take of Muirin's experiences.

ARC provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

What I liked best about this novel is that even though it takes place in the 19th century and things aren't easy, it still made me giggle a few times. This is surprising because this is by no means a comedic level. I rushed through parts to see what would happen. I also reveled in the descriptions of being a midwife and living on the coast of Nova Scotia. On top of all of this, there is also intrigue, murder, and romance. Such an enjoyable novel! TRIGGER WARNING: Animal death
#NetGalley

I was incredibly excited to see a book about selkies, especially when I found out that it was a sapphic tale! Unfortunately, the book did drag on a bit too much for my liking, especially in the beginning, with Jean seeming to doubt herself and Muirin's situation almost too much for my taste. It admittedly was a bit hard for me to get through at first. That being said, I'm glad I stuck around, because the two main characters are incredibly sweet to one another. It was a joy to watch them grow closer and to cheer them on as they overcame their obstacles. That's where I think Rose Sutherland's strength lies: her unforgettable characters. And once the story really started to kick off about halfway through, it was hard to put down!

Overall, a delightful read, if not a bit slow at times, that is well worth picking up if anything about the summary interests you. If this is what the author can do with a debut, I can't wait to see what else she comes up with!

A Sweet Sting of Salt is a sapphic romantasy loosely based on The Selkie Wife folktale. While it isn’t a strict retelling, it embodies the themes and essence of the original story.

I was previously familiar with the tale of The Selkie Wife but this book can be read on its own without prior background knowledge. The author’s beautiful prose draws in readers from the beginning and continues to pluck at emotions until the very end. The story does have a bit of a slow build up but it's well worth the angst. I have never read such palpable longing in a historical novel before (which is saying a lot because no one loves slow burn like a historical romance).

This is author Rose Sutherland’s debut novel and I hope to read more of her work in the future.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you to Random House Publishing - Ballantine (Dell) and Netgalley!

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.

I thought this was a really solid book. It tells the story of Jean, a midwife who lives on her own outside of town when Muirin, a woman in labor shows up on her doorstep one day, and something feels off about her relationship with her husband.

I enjoyed the relationship that grew between the two main characters, it was a really slow burn and you could feel how much they cared for one another. The atmosphere was also well written and I could really picture Nova Scotia during this era as well as the windswept cliff where they lived.

I did have a hard time with the story itself which dragged at times. A lot of the story was taken up by Jean doubting herself, or being unable to act. Jean's communication with Muirin was hindered by a language barrier, which meant she didn't understand what was going on until the very end which sometimes felt frustrating. Overall though, I thought it was mostly handled well, and the actions of the characters did make sense in the context of the story.

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.