In this contemporary, polyamorous fantasy story – a romance, with Icelandic folklore and magical flora thrown into the mix – Ethan Shaw is a lighthouse keeper, who is also a witch who saves the life of a sea captain, Peter Vásquez. They fall in love and marry. Several years later, Peter brings home a wounded seal after a storm, and Ethan, who is struggling with his own insecurities and the idea that he might be infertile, finds himself taking care of a lost selkie named Nico Locke, with whom the couple forms an intimate, magical bond. Fantasy is not really my cup of tea; it has to be extremely well done for me to immerse myself in it and this one did not ever pull me in all the way. ( )

I’m surprised it took me so long to read this novella, but it did need to be slowly savored for all its depth. The world created was amazing and fell into a strange liminal space of modern times blended with magical lore, and I was here for all of it. It was gorgeous to see how Ethan, Peter, and Nico built a relationship together; the end note was beautiful, and it would be lovely to see how it continued to grow. ( )