I love the lgbtq rep, but the setting just didn't interest me as much as I thought it would. I appreciate the advance copy!

Sweet, very slow burn. I was hoping for something that would really grab me but it never quite got there. The overly delayed reveal was kind of annoying because it’s a retelling, we already know…so why drag it out like a big mystery? But still, I did enjoy overall and think it was worth the read.

“A Sweet Sting of Salt” by Rose Sutherland - 4 stars (SPOILERS CONTAINED) (Pub Date: Out Now!) is an urgent and mystical queer love story, exploring what it means to find a soul mate in an unexpected place with an unexpected person, and the bravery required to take what you want from life.

Good things: “Salty” as the author refers to her work in the notes, is a fun story to read for the most part, recalling all the stories of mysteriousness from the Irish and Scottish folklore I grew up reading. The idea of an idyllic community where not one but two same-sex couples can live comfortably and openly in a community that still requires that women wear dresses and call for the midwife is a particularly pleasant one.

Opportunities: I spent a longer time than I wanted waiting to care about the characters… meaning that the supernatural surprise wasn’t very surprising based on the book jacket summary, and I would have preferred the pacing to move a little faster in the beginning. I also know quite a few variations of the silkie myth/story (google Ducktales Murder Ponies for the most recent one that made me laugh), but many people do not. More silky lead-up probably would have helped the less broadly informed reader.

Final Thoughts: This is an entertaining, quick read that allows for love, longing, mythology, and good old fashioned bad guy all in one story. The scenery is also gorgeously described, which is one of my least-secret favorite things. It’s nice to have another variation of the queer love story presented in a general-audience format as well. Fees like a good story that just so happens to have same-sex protagonists, rather than a same-sex love story about mythical shapeshifting seals. I appreciate the recent change I’m seeing in lit.

I appreciate the opportunity afforded me to have an early read of this story by netgalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine | Dell . The opinions in this review are expressly those of ButIDigressBookClub and are intended for use by my followers and friends when choosing their next book. #butidigress #butidigressbookclub #asweetstingofsalt #rosesutherland #netgalley #netgalleyreviewer #arc #arcs

Details
Review Shared on Goodreads - www.goodreads.com/leah_cyphert_butidigressbookclub
Publishing Review 5/26/2024

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for granting me free access to the advanced digital copy of this book.

A Sweet Sting of Salt is a queer historical romance with fantasy elements set in a coastal town in Nova Scotia. It is quiet in tone, although that is not to suggest nothing happens. In fact, quite a bit happens, but it never felt harried or rushed. It's a winter novel in a fishing village. The tone is quiet like winter is quiet, and deep like the sea is deep. Jean, our protagonist, is responsible and forthright. She works as a midwife for the people of the village and is respected for her skill even if she also feels she's on the outside of polite society. When she wakes in the middle of the night to screams and finds a woman about the give birth in the woods, she has to help. The characters and the world are knowable and compelling. I thought the ending sidestepped the issue of acceptance in the broader village a bit, which caught at my thoughts, but what a small critique. This is a fantastic debut.

As soon as I started reading this book I was pulled in and didn’t want to stop. It’s mysterious and familiar and reminds me so much of a folktale passed down through the family. The story is well told and has a happy ending; if you’re not expecting it, the ending can be weird but I already knew where the story was going and loved it!

Hooray to more stories featuring female main characters getting what they want/deserve and queer storylines!

3.5stars!
As much as I enjoyed this book, it was very slow going for me. However, I will always adore good girl power vibe story and this has it! The characters are both likable and hate worthy in a good kind of way!
A Sting of Salt is a story that for me is good up to the part I close the back cover and I will forget what its about unless I read it again.
Thank you Netgalley for the copy!

Quick and Dirty
-19th Century Nova Scotia setting
-slow burn sapphic romance
-steeped in Scottish folklore
-highly character-driven
-door ajar, 🌶️/5 steam

Headstrong midwife, Jean awakens to find a mysterious stranger outside her home one stormy night. The woman is nearing giving birth, speaks little English, and resists help. After much persuasion, Jean safely delivers a son for the stranger, later discovering they are the wife and child of a reclusive neighbor. Jean befriends the woman over the next several months, but she discovers there is more to the stranger’s story than she bargained for.

What Worked
I love historical fiction laced with fantasy or magical realism, and this book delivered on that front. Lush, atmospheric, and easy to read, A Sweet Sting of Salt had a lot going for it. The story’s premise was interesting, captivating me for the duration of the story. It was highly immersive, with strong character development and story arcs. The romance was unexpected (I went in blind) but not unwelcome. The lyrical prose and suspense kept me engaged and eager to know what happened next.

What Didn’t Work
While much of this story worked for me, there was something off. Jean’s character development and internal dialogue sometimes felt very naive and young adult, yet the book has very adult themes. It created a bit of dissonance for me that I couldn’t shake. Did it ruin my reading experience? Not at all, but I did find it distracting.

What started as a historical fiction tale set in 1830s Nova Scotia, slowly became this engaging forbidden romance with a twist I didn't see coming!

"A Sweet Sting of Salt" by Rose Sutherland weaves folklore, romance, and untold dangers together in such a creative way. It took me about 45% of the way through to become fully engaged with the characters and storyline, but from that point onward I was hooked and could barely put the book down. Historical romances are generally not my cup of tea, but this book may have made me a convert -- at least as long as queer folklore/fantasy is included. Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Ballantine for the ARC!

This was a great book! I'm so sorry that it took me so long to get to it. It was so easy to fall into the world in this book with the characters and their lives. I wish there was more.

A Lovely Retelling Of "The Selkie Wife".

Jean happens to be the only midwife in a secluded village somewhere on the coast of nineteenth century Nova Scotia when during a tempest of a storm she hears mournful cries in the night. Barely able to see in the torrential downpour she finds a young woman whom she has never seen before in great distress and about to give birth. Jean helps her into her little house and tries to help her lie down as the woman continues to struggle with fear and pain. Jean suddenly realizes the woman speaks an unusual language that she can't understand but she must quickly prepare both of them for the birth.

The baby is born with a couple of oddities but otherwise a beautiful, healthy boy. Jean finds her neighbor, Tobias searching for his wife, Murin and assures him the baby and his wife are fine but when Tobias approaches Murin, Jean sees fear in her eyes and her body stiffen and uncomfortable when he picks up the newborn. Murin stays with Jean for a week to heal while Jean tries to understand what is wrong in their household since Tobias appears to adore his wife and just wants her home but Murin doesn't want to go back home, yet she has no choice in the matter. Jean tells her she will visit often to check on them. As the days and weeks go by Jean finds that Murin is trapped in her home against her will but she won't or can't tell Jean why but when Tobias forbids Jean to come around anymore she knows she must develop a plan to get Murin and the baby away from Tobias and send her back home to her family on another island. Murin's life will be in jeopardy if Tobias finds out Jean has been sneaking around behind his back visiting Murin and if and when he does discover Murin is planning on leaving him it will drive him into madness. What will happen when Jean finally discovers all the secrets behind Murin's unusual language and the strange tales of her family and how she became Tobias's wife!


This was a wonderful story of friendship, secrets and love and loyalty. I have never tired of hearing about Selkie tales and this was a lovely gem of a book. There were a few other main characters that were very important and helped make the story solid and believable. The novel couldn't have been more atmospheric and touching with the vivid descriptions of the land, community and the hard way of life that people were living during that time yet Jean was such a refreshing light in such a harsh world and her loneliness was evident but she was such a stalwart, young woman and a memorable heroine by the end of the book.

I truly enjoyed this novel and I highly recommend it to any reader looking for a different and satisfying read!

I want to thank the publisher "Random House Publishing - Ballantine" and Netgalley for granting my special book wish and any thoughts or opinions expressed are unbiased and mine alone!

I have given a rating of 4 SENSITIVE AND BELIEVABLE 🌟🌟🌟🌟 STARS!!

An atmospheric, mysterious queer love story involving selkies set in a historical seaside town- sign me up! I was very excited to get to this one, even though every time I looked at the cover I thought it was a faceless face, but it's actually a woman's chest. I can't unsee it!

I really enjoyed the first 30% of this book, it was mysterious and intriguing. I didn't know what was going on and I wanted to know more about Muirin and Jean and Tobias. Sutherland did a great job of keeping us hanging with just little tidbits of clues to keep us wondering about what was happening. However, for me, the book suffered from a pretty big slowdown between 30-80%. It just felt very repetitive to me and Jean's repeated thoughts and actions just started to make me wonder if we were going to get anywhere. Jean was obsessed with Muirin in a pretty unhealthy way and was willing to face danger to save her. This book is very character-driven rather than plot-driven so that may have been part of the issue for me.
Sutherland writes Jean's surroundings beautifully and I felt like I could see and feel the cold and the wet that overtook them during the winter. The scenery was portrayed with gorgeous writing.
Luckily around 80%, the story picked up again and we got a very eventful conclusion and satisfying ending to Jean and Muirin's story.
Thank you to Random House Ballantine and Net Galley for the e-ARC.

A Sweet Sting of Salt is a retelling of the Selkie’s Wife. It embarks the reader on a chilling voyage setting sail in 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.

Jean Langille is the main character and the village midwife. She lives on a more secluded rocky outcrop of the island, away from prying eyes and wagging mouths belonging to the voracious gossip mill in town, and that’s just how she likes it. She has accepted her lot as the town pariah because of social disgrace directly linked to the unfortunate detection of the true nature of her friendship with Josephine Keddy, her childhood best friend and first lover. They were swiftly and cruelly separated, and Jo was immediately married off while Jean was left to bear the burden of rebuilding her life and reputation. Despite her circumstances, Jean has decided to at least command the respect she deserves by wielding expertise in her chosen profession and endeavoring to stay in her lane, never letting the townspeople see how much their cutting words and her own self-imposed isolation stings. She is content with the life she has shaped for herself until one tempestuous night, a scream slices through the howling wind and roaring waves of a wrathful sea. Jean is summoned into the storm to investigate, discovering a strange, ethereal woman locked in the throes of childbirth, seemingly borne from the sea herself.

By morning, Jean has safely delivered a new baby and logically concluded this dark and mysterious woman, who only speaks a growling, wild sounding language, must be the new wife of Tobias Silber, a sailor who lives sort of close by. Jean sets off to fetch Tobias to demand why his wife, Muirin, would be in such a way in the middle of the night and why he hadn’t bothered to bring her earlier to be evaluated. Once back at Jean’s cabin with Tobias in tow, she immediately starts to pick up on an unnerving energy between husband and wife. The woman is noticeably silent and reserved in her husband’s presence, and her haunted eyes communicate to Jean what her words cannot---there is a monstrous truth prowling just below the surface of normality. Ostensibly Jean inserts herself into their lives as a concerned neighbor and experienced midwife to monitor and manage Muirin’s condition and the baby’s progress, but she’s really trying to sniff out the secrets Tobias is so clearly trying to keep. Despite an initial language barrier, Jean starts to fall for Muirin the more time she gets to spend with her. Jean’s burgeoning love inevitably commences a dangerous dalliance with a married woman, churning forth turbulent events that imperil her efforts to safely execute a plan to deliver her friend from a life of nightmarish captivity. She once again finds herself in a situation where all she loves most dearly could be painfully cut from her grasp, but this time Jean is steeled for the impending battle to salvage her friendship, her home, and their freedom.

I really did not know what I was getting myself into when I started this book! I was delighted to find a reimagining of Celtic folklore, salted with queer love stories and historical pearls to find along the way. There were moments in the book where I was honestly mad at Jean for risking it all to steal a few desperate moments with Muirin. The suspense in these moments had me sitting on pins and needles, knowing fatal discovery and disaster were potentially just seconds away! This book is propulsive and horrifying in equal measure, but I love that the women in this story are tenacious, resourceful, and determined to thwart the patriarchy by any means necessary. This tale has lessons that echo into the present day. With woman’s rights regressing in the most recent years, these valuable lessons are needed more than ever. Men who hide behind patriarchal social constructs and refuse accountability in the continued oppression and transgression against their female counterparts, beware the women who dare to want more than what’s assigned and challenge what they’re told. There will come a time where they just might dare to take back what has been wrongfully purloined…Powerful and unanticipated thoughts to be left with from this book! I very much recommend this book to anyone in the mood for historical fiction. Since this book has a touch of the supernatural and surprising contemporary relevance, be prepared to ruminate on this story for a while!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group-Ballantine for the ARC and the opportunity to share what I think! All opinions are my own. I have posted this review to my Goodreads account, in addition to my FB group, The Book Banquet, and retailer websites.

This was absolutely stunning. This author did an amazing job of transporting me to this place and time and I felt every emotion right there with the MC. I loved the mystery and fantastical elements woven in, but that the author let the story of the characters take the forefront.

"A Sweet Sting of Salt" weaves a tale of mystery, compassion, and sacrifice. Jean, the protagonist, finds herself thrust into a whirlwind of events when she encounters a young woman in labor. What follows delves into the complexities of human relationships, secrets, and the lengths one will go to protect those they love.

Rose Sutherland paints a vivid picture of rural life, where the neighbors are few, but bonds run deep. Jean's character is portrayed with depth and nuance. She is conflicted as she navigates the murky waters of suspicion and affection for Muirin, who was the young woman in labor.
As the plot unfolds, layers of deception are peeled away, revealing shocking truths that challenge Jean's understanding of loyalty and morality.

I would recommend this book. "A Sweet Sting of Salt" is an exploration of love in various forms: maternal, platonic, and romantic. Through Jean's journey, we witness the transformative poser of love and the lengths one will go to protect those they hold dear.

I would like to thank NetGalley for an advanced copy of "A Sweet Sting of Salt" in return for an honest review. #NetGalley #ASweetStingofSalt #RoseSutherland

Whilst I loved this book, the writing style was not for me. I had to really push through to read the book. That being said, in the end, it was amazingly written and I loved the whole premise, the characters and just everything about this book.

This was such a beautiful story. This will definitely be a comfort book I go back to to read. I wasn’t aware of the tale so there were surprises. This was beautifully written and had a good amount of mystery and thrill with it.

A Sweet Sting of Salt is a sapphic retelling of the Selkie Wife that leans toward being historical fiction with a bit of a speculative element. I'll be up front and say that I often find historical fiction boring, and that did somewhat affect my experience with this book.

The scenes that were focused on the relationship between Jean and Muiren, Muiren's controlling and abusive husband, and the secret Muiren is keeping I loved. A lot of the rest of it I found to be pretty slow and often dry. I think if this had been shorter- more like 200-250 pages, I probably would have loved it. That said, I imagine fans of historical fiction may love this. Jean is a midwife in a small fishing village in Nova Scotia, living on the outskirts of town. One night, she hears someone crying outside her house and finds a pregnant woman in labor, headed towards the sea. She helps her, births the baby, and discovers that she is the wife of her closest neighbor- Tobias. The woman who speaks Gaelic and very little English and her husband is a hard and controlling man who is very possessive and keeps her locked up in the house.

My heart broke for Jean and her past, but I loved where this book ended up. I just wish it had been a shorter story, more focused on that central relationship. I received a copy of this book for review via NetGalley, all opinions are my own.

Thanks to Random House/Ballantine for providing me with an early copy of this book!

I was so excited about this read. Selkies are not the most popular folklore to work with and I think Sutherland did a great job. It was a bit flow for me at times and I found myself guessing what would happen to keep myself reading but I was ultimately happy with how thihgs played out. Will definitely look forward to more of this authors work.

Gorgeously written and a true page turner that reminded me of how much I love gothic novels. The characters are drawn well and I was gripped from the first page.

Covered in more detail on the Queerly Recommended podcast.