A Sweet Sting of Salt

A Sweet Sting of Salt

Rose Sutherland

Enjoyment: 3.5Quality: 4.0Characters: 3.5Plot: 3.0

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. When a sharp cry wakes Jean in the middle of the night during a terrible tempest, she’s convinced it must have been a dream. But when the cry comes again, Jean ventures outside and is shocked by what she discovers—a young woman in labor, already drenched to the bone in the freezing cold and barely able to speak a word of English. Although Jean is the only midwife in the village and for miles around, she’s at a loss as to who this woman is or where she’s from; Jean can only assume she must be the new wife of the neighbor up the road, Tobias. And when Tobias does indeed arrive at her cabin in search of his wife, Muirin, Jean’s questions continue to grow. Why has he kept his wife’s pregnancy a secret? And why does Muirin’s open demeanor change completely the moment she’s in his presence? Though Jean learned long ago that she should stay out of other people’s business, her growing concern—and growing feelings—for Muirin mean she can’t simply set 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. Will she be able to put things right and save the woman she loves before it’s too late, or will someone have to pay for Jean’s actions with their life?


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  • booksgamesvinyl
    Jan 03, 2025
    Enjoyment: Quality: Characters: Plot:

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  • jasmaurelia
    Jan 17, 2025
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  • lizzy
    Mar 09, 2025
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    A Sweet Sting of Salt is an entrancing debut that snared me from the beginning, crafting a potent air of mystery surrounding the main characters’ circumstances. 
     
    When we’re first introduced to one of the MC’s, Muirin, there’s an undeniable atmosphere of mystery that draws you into the story and keeps you turning the pages as quickly as possible. Then, dig a little deeper into the story and you see the heartwarming friendship develop between Jean and Muirin, creating an emotional anchor of sorts. Seeing their relationship progress also made me, as a reader, feel a fierce protectiveness over Muirin and her newborn baby, Kiel, as their lives with Jean become more and more intertwined. 
     
    Spoilers ahead! Although if you’re familiar with the folktale that this novel is inspired by, perhaps you won’t be too spoiled. 
     
    <spoiler>Muirin’s husband, Tobias, is a somewhat one-dimensional villain, but the ease in which I found myself rooting against him says wonders about the author’s ability to elicit strong emotions. I felt a very strong connection to Muirin, Jean and Kiel, and it was so easy to root for their happy ending. 
     
    Unfortunately, I also felt that the climactic moments of the book were underwhelming, with an already anticipated reveal eliminating the element of surprise. Despite this, the resolution to Jean and Muirin’s was relatively satisfying and definitely well-earned.</spoiler>
     
    Overall, A Sweet Sting of Salt is an impressive debut novel that seamlessly blends dark atmospheric elements with nuanced, authentic character development & relationships.

    Thank you so much to NetGalley, the publisher and author for this ARC! 

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