Can two friends renew their friendship after 10 years of not seeing each other? That question is answered in Sweet Salt Air by Barbara Delinsky with good and bad vibes from each friend. The secrets abound between husband and wife, between a hermit islander and a traveling adventurer, and a blogger and an interiewer. This happened on the coastal island Ouinnipeague in Maine.
I enjoyed reading this saga, especially learning about the foods, the herbs grown, and the making of a new cookbook by these two supposedly friends. All this said, Barbara Delinsky has always been one of my favorite authors and Sweet Salt Air is no exception with a can't put down read! Loved the characters, the setting, and the magical telling of this story! ( )

“Clams served on Quinnipeague were dug from the from the flats hours before cooking, and the batter, which was exquisitely light, held bits of parsley and thyme. Other fried clams couldn't compare.”

Barbara Delinsky-Sweet Salt Air

This is a book about friendship. And marriage. And love.

And it also takes place on a beautiful island in the beautiful state of Maine (The way life should be.) All Mainers will get that reference.

I do not live in Maine but have been there many times. It is magnificent and it was a pleasure to read this book, aptly titled "Sweet Salt Air", that takes place there.

I liked the book very much but did not love it. I did find it to be interesting and I loved the writing, particularly the descriptiveness around this beautiful little Maine island. I wanted to go there! That is what kept me reading.

But the reason I did not love this is because of my dislike for one of the main characters which I could not get over and which dulled my enjoyment of the book a bit. For spoiler reasons I will not say which character. But suffice to say that had much to do with why I struggled.

I also enjoyed reading about one lady more then the other. I did not skim this one but there were moments honestly when it moved a bit slowly, although I'd still call it a very good read. I just preferred to read about some characters over others.

Oh..if you choose to read this..bring your appetite. That may seem an odd thing to write but one of the main characters is a food blogger..and..well..suffice to say there are many a reference to food. Also, because this takes place in Maine, Seafood capital of the USA, there are many references to Seafood, as seen in the quote I chose to use. Yes, this book may make one eat more then usual, I must say.

I'd recommend it. The main reason for that is the beautifully descriptive writing. The story is interwoven with the tranquil coastal island in Maine and the prose, particularly about said island, is delightful and it wasn't all that hard to keep on reading. This is my first book by this author and I will certainly look for more of her books in the future. ( )

I haven't read Barbara Delinsky in a few years but the premise and cover of "Sweet Salt Air" intrigued me since it seemed like the perfect beach book for the summer.

Two women, long-time friends reconnect after not seeing each other in a decade. Charlotte, is a travel writer and Nicole, is a stay at home wife and recent internet blogger. Due to Nicole's successful blogging about organic food and the island of Quinnipeague where she details in her blog; she is offered a publishing deal to turn her blog into a book. Nicole asks for Charlotte's help with writing the book and she reluctantly returns to Quinnipeague for the summer to help out Nicole. In the first few pages we found out why Charlotte has made herself scarce from Nicole's life and that ultimately both women are hiding secrets from one another.

I really think that Delinsky writes both women very well. I felt for Charlotte at points in the novel and at other times became frustrated with her as well as Nicole. I think that Delinsky manages to make you understand where both women are coming from at certain times in the novel and you don't walk away feeling as if one is the villain and one the heroine.

I also loved the characters of Leo and Julian though I really did prefer Leo more. Delinsky manages to provide enough details to make the reader and Charlotte intrigued with him and I was totally surprised by the ending since for a while I thought Delinsky was heading in another way (a welcome surprise).

Also the way that Delinsky writes about Quinnipeague, the people, the beach, food, just the way she describes smells is just artful. I felt as if I was on Quinnipeague with the characters and am now craving seafood potpie.

The only reason that I lowered my review by half a star was that the only thing that really didn't work for me was the quickness of the resolution between the two main characters. There was another plot element that I really care for at all as well, but I don't want to go into details here since it will spoil it for other readers.

I would also suggest that next time, the author, if she wants to detail food in her novels so much, please, please, please, include the recipes at the end of the novel or end of every chapter. That seems to be the new thing these days and I do appreciate it when the recipes are organic to the book. I was fascinated by many of the herbs she mentioned and the food that was being prepared that I would love to make some of the dishes myself one day.

I received this novel for free via the Amazon Vine Program ( )

Longtime best friends Nicole and Charlotte are reuniting for the first time in ten years on the coastal Maine island of Quinnipeague, where they spent every summer as young girls. Charlotte’s a writer who never settles in one place, and Nicole is a wife and step-mother, as well as food blogger and aspiring cookbook writer. It’s the cookbook that prompts Nicole to invite Charlotte back to Quinnipeague for the summer. She knows Charlotte is the perfect writer to link all the island recipes together.

Nicole lives in Philadelphia with her husband, a renowned pediatric heart surgeon who was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis four years ago. They've kept it a secret from everyone and the pressure is beginning to affect Nicole. Charlotte has a secret of her own, and if Nicole learns of it, might actually destroy the women’s friendship.

I really liked the way the author let us know her characters. She included their backstories in a way that made me interested in how things were going to work out for them. The island was a character of its own, filled with unique people with their own culture. The writing was quite beautiful and very atmospheric. I thought it started a bit slowly and because it's a contemporary romance the story is going to be a bit predictable. I was in the mood for a nice, calm love story and this definitely hit the mark for me. It you're in the mood for a light and sweet summer read this is perfect for you. All the discussion of food and recipes will definitely make you hungry. ( )

With it being a Barbara Delinsky book, I knew I would like the story line but was also drawn to the characters. I was impressed with the way she made herbs a character too. And the descriptions – I’d find myself taking deep breathes thinking I could enjoy the smells as well but unfortunately that just isn’t possible. I would also find myself wanting to eat while reading – I think if it took me longer to read the book I would have gained 10 pounds. I also enjoyed how reading and writing played such a large role in the novel – I always find it fun when an author does that.

Although this is a love story, it isn’t “sappy” at all. And I don’t think it is just a single love story – there is the love between a man a woman, the love between a man and his home/privacy, and the love between two best friends. There are many emotions throughout the story that draw you in.

I think this is going to be a great book to take along during summer vacations so the timing of the release is perfect.

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