A sapphic retelling of The Selkie’s Wife. Jean is a midwife who lives out in the woods alone. She assists a woman out alone during a storm in labor and this is a catalyst for the rest of the story. I found it to be very predicable but, not in a bad way. It was still so mysterious, I had to keep reading to find out every secret. I was expecting a little bit more fantasy to be woven into the story. Still enjoyed it very much! I received a copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

✨ Review ✨ A Sweet Sting of Salt by Rose Sutherland

Thanks to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine | Dell and #netgalley for the gifted advanced copy/ies of this book!

If you enjoyed The Frozen River, this is another great historical fiction about a midwife in the colonial Atlantic (Nova Scotia) that brings in a gothic slow burn sort of mystery and some mythology around selkies. I loved how the slow unpeeling of the story really comes together in the last 10% of the book and it all really blew me away!

Jean, a midwife in this village, feels a bit isolated in both her distance from the town, living on the outskirts, as well as in the gossip that circulated after another girl left town to get married after getting too close to Jean. One night, Jean hears noises outside her home and finds a woman, Muirin, who's clearly in labor. She finds out it's the new mysterious wife of her neighbor Tobias, and feels protective of this woman who doesn't speak much of her language.

As she gets closer to Muirin, Tobias gets more suspicious and Jean finds herself in danger under Tobias's close watch. The mystery evolves from here and so does Jean's dedication to keeping Muirin safe. The story definitely moves slow and works its way up to a crescendo at the end, but I really enjoyed this journey!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 (4.5)
Genre: historical fiction, magical realism, LGBTQ representation
Setting: colonial era Nova Scotia
Reminds me of: The Frozen River
Pub Date: April 2024

Read this if you like:
⭕️ slow burn, gothic-ish historical fiction
⭕️ midwives and colonial era time periods
⭕️ integration of myths into stories

Jean, living in her family home after her father passed away keeps to herself. She is the village midwife after her old mentor has retired. We learn that the village, though they respect her, they gossip behind her back because of whom she kept company with. One night she hears a scream and goes to find a woman in labor near the marsh. After ushering her into her house and out of the cold, she helps birth the baby and asks her to stay in her house for a week. The husband comes to check on them before bringing his wife home, but Jean has a sense something isnt right.

Having never heard of Selkie folklore until this book, it was a fascinating read. A true love story between two characters and the lengths you'd go to keep your secrets safe.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC. Opinions are my own.

Unfortunately this was not the book for me. Too slow of a pacing . At times I wasn't understanding where the story was heading. To the point that I just couldn't read any longer. So yes, I DNFed this book at 40%. This book wasn't for me but it might be the perfect book for someone else therefore I'm rating it 3 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for the E-ARC.

All thoughts and opinions are honest and my own.

Thank you NetGalley and Ballantine - Dell for an eARC in exchange for an honest review!

Growing up, one of my favorite folktales was The Selkie Wife, so I was super eager to read a Gothic retelling, especially a queer one. The story was captivating and I really enjoyed Sutherland’s writing. One of the biggest highlights for me was her character work and the way the relationships were portrayed, and I really liked seeing Jean and Muirin interact. It’s definitely not a plot-forward read and it did feel slow for its ~350 pages, but it was so well done that I didn’t care very much. Also, despite the fact it was a slower read, I didn’t feel like the pacing suffered at all.

The twists were predictable, especially knowing that it’s a Selkie Wife retelling, but this didn’t take away from my enjoyment. I thought this world felt very lived in and real, and Sutherland did a fantastic job with the atmosphere. This was everything I had wanted from a gothic historical fantasy, and I’m definitely curious to see what Sutherland writes next.

Jean is a midwife and is no novice when it comes to women giving birth but she isn’t used to them showing up practically on her doorstep in full blown labor. One night she hears a cry from the yard and finds Muirin, her near neighbors new wife, ready to give birth. Jean jumps into action and does what she is good at in helping deliver this baby, but she doesn’t know the Pandora’s box of secrets she’s opening up. As Jean starts to discover who Muirin is and grow closer to her, she knows she needs to act before it’s too late. If she hesitates for a second things could go terribly long and Jean could end up losing the second woman she’s fallen for to the powers that be.

I didn’t know what to expect when I picked up this book, the description sounded interesting but this isn’t my typical read. I am more the cozy mystery and sweet romance type, but something about this book drew me in and I was hooked from the beginning. The suspense and twists in this book had me fully engaged and I enjoyed these moments. They made the story flow nicely and kept me wanting to read on. There are hints throughout the whole book about what will be discovered at the end, but it still kept me guessing and I like the way it was all delivered. II do wish we would have found out more about Muirin’s history a little earlier in the book, but I still like how everything was wrapped up in the end. Overall this was a good read and I really enjoyed the audiobook version of this book. If you are looking for something rooted in history and folklore with an intriguing storyline this book is a good choice.

This just simply wasn’t for me. Honestly, I was incredibly bored and never felt connected or invested. I didn’t make it past 100 pages as I just didn’t feel it was worth my time when I cared so little about anything. It was not at all what I was expecting, which could be my fault. Since I DNF’d fairly early on, I won’t be leaving a review anywhere. I just think I’m not the ideal audience for this story.

Beautiful writing with a lovely, mystical story. The middle dragged on some but stay for the lyrical prose and the wonderful characters.

I wanted to like this so bad, but I just couldn't get into it. I very quickly DNF'd this book, I just think the writing style wasn't for me. I am dedicated to giving this book a second chance eventually! I think the premise is so cool, I'd love to be wrong about my opinion.

What an incredible debut novel from Rose Sutherland. The prose drew me in immediately and the imagery kept me captivated. I’m unfamiliar with the original Selkie’s Wife folklore so I can’t speak to how good of a retelling this book is. I can, however, say that this story was beautiful and angsty with a gothic atmosphere. Jean is one of those characters that feels tangible, and I found it so easy to connect with her. Muirin was also a great character, I enjoyed the mystery surrounding her and the slow revealing of that mystery. The pacing was slow but not so much so that it bothered me. With a debut like this I’m very much looking forward to seeing what this author does next! Thank you to Random House Publishing Group-Ballantine for providing an eARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

While I'm sure this was a beautiful story, it just wasn't for me. I should learn to read the synopsis before I accept a book. It sounded like it was right up my alley, but it was more of a historical fiction.

This spooky atmosphere and beautiful writing I was hooked from the first pages. This haunting fairytale es que story follows Jean an ostracized midwife who enjoys her life of solitude her peaceful life is disrupted one evening when a pregnant woman mysteriously ends up outside her cabin. Murin the woman who appeared outside Jeans cabin seems to be more than she seems as the baby has some unique features. Murin confides in Jean that her husband Tobais is holding her there against her will. Jean makes it her mission to save her.

The writing in this book was so descriptive and beautiful I really enjoyed the fairy tale folk lore vibe to this book it was very atmospheric and was exactly what I was in the mood for. The story while a bit predictable was still entertaining and left me wanting to know what was going to happen next. I hope to read more from this author soon. I would like to thank NetGalley and the publishers for a chance to read this book for an honest review.

Incredibly atmospheric and moody. The setting alone had a chokehold on me. It embarks the reader on a chilling voyage setting sail from 19th century Nova Scotia that traverses through the mystical and foggy waters of Celtic folklore and ends with a discovery of love so deep it survives even the most harrowing circumstances and unforgiving environments.

I find atmospheric historical fiction to be a fascinating genre, when we focus more on the daily lives of characters and the impact the setting has on their lives. Jean lives on the edge of town, removed both by distance and her romantic inclinations. Her life separate from the rest of society plays a major role in this story and getting to experience it alongside her as a reader made Jean such a vivid character. Everything from her daily chores to her trek out to Muirin’s house to going into town to check on expectant mothers added to the visceral atmosphere of the novel.

A part of me wishes this was not advertised as a reimagining of The Selkie Wife simply because it’s treated as a mystery throughout the novel and it would have been super interesting as a reader to be in the dark as well. I found the beginning of this book to drag slightly because I already knew the outcome. It also would have been interesting to delve more into the local mythology/ folktales as a lead up to the reveal, rather than mere shallow mentions.

Adding Jean to my redhead lesbian collection!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for allowing me the opportunity to preview A Sweet Sting of Salt by Rose Sutherland in exchange for my honest review. This was such a lovely story. I am a sucker for retellings of folklore from around the world. I wasn't familiar with The Selkie Wife folktale, so I didn't know where the story was going from the start. I love that Sutherland added a queer love story within her adaptation of the tale. She did a wonderful job developing the characters and the setting in 19th century Nova Scotia. I will absolutely be picking up her works in the future.

Selkie stories have always intrigued me, and I was excited to read this new version. I enjoyed the writing style and the overall story, but the pacing dragged in the middle, and I wish it had some more substance outside just the main character, Jean.

Thank you to NetGalley and Dell Publishing for a copy in exchange of a review.

A Sweet Sting of Salt is a lovely retelling of the selkie wife folk story. It follows the journey of Jean, the mid-wife of a small village, and Muirin, the new wife of a local fisherman. Jean and Muirin meet unexpectedly when Muirin is in labor and they have to navigate a language barrier during the birth and build trust with each other. Jean becomes suspicious when her husband arrives and Muirin’s demeanor changes- and she has to decide to trust her gut and help Muirin even when the situation becomes dangerous for everyone.

This sweet novel balances quick readability and lovely writing well. I felt like I knew all of the characters - including side characters. I understood the position that Jean found herself in and why she wanted to act. And it was lovely watching the love story develop between our heroines.

Would definitely recommend for cold winter nights when you need some warmth.

Good book interesting selkie story. I really liked the setting and time period but I had a hard time staying in the story, I can't exactly pinpoint what didn't work for me but it might have been the character development or just the voice.

When Jean, a midwife in Nova Scotia in the Early 1800's discovers Muirin in labor in her yard, she quickly goes into action and gets her indoors just in time to deliver the baby. Although Muirin speaks in an unknown language that Jean assumes to be Gaelic, the two women learn to communicate as Muirin recovers. Jean soon become suspicious that Muirin’s husband Tobias is holding her captive. Since Jean and Muirin have secretly become close, Jean begins to plan a way to free Muirin with the help of her friend, Laurie who has secrets of his own. And of course, Muirin is unlike anyone that Jean has ever met for a reason.
I really enjoyed this very different magical realism story. The characters were well developed and likable. I liked the strong females and the way the minor characters seemed to accept who they were. Muirin’s story was so good and magical. This is definitely not a typical silly romance book. Very engaging and entertaining. Highly recommend for readers who enjoy magical realism!

Sutherland's debut novel takes the classic myth of The Selkie Wife and reimagines it through a historical fiction lens, infusing the story with both richness and depth. The result is tense, dramatic, and very queer.

This book's shining star is Jean - she's fierce and intelligent, and really embodies the sapphic yearning that comes after just a few days of knowing someone. Her relationship with Muirin is gentle, and reading it feels like being wrapped up in a warm blanket. The plot felt circular at times; I found myself skimming a few parts because I felt like I had already read them, and there were some plot points that I wish had been expanded on more.

While not my personal favorite, I always have room in my heart for a queer romance, and the integration of Celtic folklore makes this a great choice for those looking for a vivid and hopeful historical fiction.