A review by foxfic
A Sweet Sting of Salt by Rose Sutherland

adventurous hopeful mysterious medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

This is a sapphic retelling of The Selkie Wife, wherein a small village’s midwife becomes embroiled with her reclusive neighbors following the middle of the night birth of their child.

This was a clever, fun read. It has a cozy feel to it — I didn’t at any point doubt that we were going to get our happy ending, but the route taken to get there did have a few surprises.

Even though the novel is contained within the banks of the home village, the world is vibrant and ever-present, and there’s a palpable sense of community even for our somewhat isolated midwife, and for the selkie once more of her kind make themselves known.