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!

A Sweet Sting of Salt

Rose Sutherland