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.