Author: Rowan Wilder

Series: Fakari Islands

First Published: 21 August 2024

“You see what you do to me? You turn me into a mad man, Ocean. Not your anyone. You. Your body.”

I will start by saying that I was given an ARC copy in exchange for an honest review. These opinions are my own. Thank you so much to Rowan for sending a copy my way!

The Fakari Islands wolf pack has stayed safe by keeping the rest of the world out. But as trouble brews, the one thing they need may be the last person they’re expecting…

Maren has one last chance. Fresh off a string of short-lived careers, she arrives on the Fakaris with a mission: negotiate a deal with Saroan Salts, use it to secure a job back home, and finally live up to her mother’s expectations. But the salt company’s owner, Seb Greenleaf, isn’t interested in a business deal. And once he realizes who he’s dealing with—the daughter of the man who caused his father’s death—he’ll do anything to keep her as far from the islands as possible.

For the last three years, Seb has been a man possessed. Ever since the coming-of-age rite that disfigured his leg and nearly cost him his life, he’s been consumed by restoring the tradition that might have saved him. And this year, the stakes feel especially high: something is clearly affecting the magic of the islands.

When Maren works her way onto the Fakaris, the two find themselves in closer quarters than either of them want. But as she begins to uncover the islands’ secrets, they each realize that the person they’ve grown to hate may be the key to the thing they want most.

I love being back in this world. Small-town paranormal romance is a thing I didn’t know I needed before this year, and Worth His Salt is the perfect example of this. I adored seeing how Maren and Seb got together, especially after seeing them in the first published book, In Her Own Rite.

Maren is a little lost. She has spent the last few years bouncing from career to career as she tries to find where she belongs. But nothing seems to fit. Maren’s mother has lined up a job opportunity with a health and well-being company. Maren decides to lean into her father’s culture, and she must negotiate a distribution deal with Saroan Salts to get the job. This is Maren’s last chance to prove her worth as her mother threatens to cut her off. Maren arrives at the Fakari Islands hoping to talk to Saroan Salt’s business owner as her emails have gone ignored. However, the owner, Seb, is not interested. He wants nothing to do with the mainland and is more interested in preserving Fakari traditions. Things go bad to worse when Seb realises that Maren is the daughter of the man who caused his father’s death. Seb is waiting for Maren to run back home; however, Maren is invited onto the Islands and is given the chance to connect with her father’s culture and family. The pair are forced to work together and realise that the person they have grown to hate is the key to things they want and answers they need.

I adore Maren. She is so much fun! Her voice was so strong and left me giggling in sections. Especially, when she first comes to the islands and is convinced the Fakari people are part of a cult. There is this beautiful miscommunication as her cousin, Gabe, struggles to keep the secret that they are wolves, which, in Maren’s mind further proves her cult theory. Maren is a plus-size character. I adore that she does love her body and has worked hard to learn to love who she is despite the media and her mother’s demands that she be smaller and less loud. Maren dives headfirst into Island life, taking the time to learn the language and culture. The way she stood up to Seb’s prejudice against “mainlanders” and proved that she was correct was fantastic. It was a joy to watch Maren find where she belonged. It gave me all the warm and fuzzy feelings.

Seb is the grumpiest grump whoever did grump. He almost lost his life in the Elder rite ritual and is left with chronic pain and a damaged leg. He clings to his people’s traditions in hopes that he can cure his pain. At first, he rejects all of Maren’s suggestions because he’s worried that outsider influence will impact the salt’s healing ability. Seb quickly realises that Maren is correct. He owns up to his mistakes and apologies, which I appreciate. We love a man who is not afraid to admit he is wrong.

Thank god for Gabe or these two might not have got together. He helped each of them see the situation from the other person’s point of view. The pair find common ground as they both need to let go of their anger and let people help them. I adore that they can help each other heal and find their place in the world. The sexual tension between the two is there from the start — looking at you fit pit scene — and when they get together, it is explosive. I swooned when Seb halted them diving into bed because he wanted to apologies for acting like a dick and prove that he was worthy of her.

I adore this world. The Fakari Islands, while fictional, do give coastal Scandinavia vibes. These islands have limited interaction with North America to protect their secret, which is that they are werewolves. I don’t know what language Fakari is based on, but I adore how this language is woven into the dialogue. It is a beautiful touch that adds richness to the world. There are enough context clues for you to pick up on what the characters are saying, and Rowan has also included a dictionary in the back.

Worth His Salt was an absolute delight. I adore the island setting, which adds a cozy vibe to this shifter paranormal romance. The found family vibes here are immaculate. If you love the sounds of a shifter romance set on a small coastal island, with forced proximity, grumpy/sunshine vibes with an amazing found family, Worth His Salt is the book for you!