Published by Dell, Dell Genres: Fiction, Historical Fiction, LGBT, LGBTQ, Retelling, Romance
Format: ARC, eBook
A Sweet Sting of Salt is a gripping, tension filled and enchanting reimaging of the folktale “The Selkie Wife.” I was instantly swept away and found myself transported to a different time and place. This book combined many of the things that I enjoy in book – atmosphere, tension, longing, romance, a sense of danger, and strong female characters.
Jean hears a sharp cry coming from outside in the freezing cold and finds a young woman in labor. Luckily for the young woman, Jean is a midwife and jumps into action. When Tobias shows up and says the woman, Muirin, is his wife. Jean can’t help but notice that the woman barely speaks English and her mood and body language changes when Tobias is near. Jean can’t get the woman out of her mind. She worries for the woman and her infant. Plus, Jean can’t deny her growing feelings for Muirin.
I enjoyed how the tension mounted in this book. It was equaled by the sense of longing of both Jean and Muirin. This book was a little bit of a slow burn and normally I would have an issue with this, but the author did a beautiful job setting the stage in this riveting work of historical fiction. I felt for the characters while booing and hissing at one.
This was a wonderful debut novel and I look forward to reading more of Rose Sutherland’s books in the future. Speaking of the author, make sure to read the author’s note at the end of the book as well.
Thank you to Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine, Dell and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.
Read more of my reviews at www.openbookposts.com