Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC!

I LOVE this book!

First of all, I adore Benny. He isn't perfect and doesn't always make the right decisions, but it's easy to see where he's coming from and his flaws just make him all the more relatable.

My favourite part of this book is by far the romance! The way Benny and Río's relationship developed felt so natural and organic. I love their dynamic, and how tender and loving they are with each other!!!😭😭

I also loved the cast of the show and their found family. They are diverse and come from all walks of life. I appreciate that they have their own personalities and feel like individuals, and are not just token stereotypes. The romance is the main focus of this book, but Benny gets to spend one-on-one time with each of them, and we get to learn about each of their backstories and how they came to perform in the show. Benny doesn't exactly hit it off with them at first, but over the course of the story, they grow and come together.

The art is also really good! They are so detailed and fit the vibe of the story. My copy is an eARC, but I imagine the illustrations in the published physical copies would be so much better than the tiny pictures on my phone screen.

Overall, a fantastic debut. I can't wait to read more from this author!

This book has been getting a lot of love, and while I didn’t fully click with it myself, I can see why so many readers have embraced it.

When the Tides Held the Moon is a sweeping, wish-fulfilment fantasy in the best fairytale tradition, but this time reimagined to centre a BIPOC immigrant experience. That framing is significant — and overdue. While the plot hits some familiar beats and unfolds in a fairly predictable arc, that doesn’t mean it lacks heart or purpose. There’s something deeply meaningful about seeing this kind of lush, romantic storytelling given to characters who haven’t often been allowed centre stage in this genre.

Kelley’s research into 1911 New York is meticulous, especially the aspects of history that are often sidelined — tenement fires, workhouse abuses, and the slang of the time all bring texture and grit to the story. The dialogue made me smile, and at times, wince. It’s a richly imagined world.

That said, I didn’t find myself swept away the way I hoped to be. Maybe I’m just not the ideal reader for fairytale-style romances, but I still appreciated what the book was doing. And the illustrations — I cannot stress this enough — are breathtaking. They elevate the story completely. Honestly, I’d recommend the book for the artwork alone.

I may not have fallen in love, but I’m still very glad I read it.

3.75/5 rounded up
This book was adorable and I was so happy to read a queer YA romance featuring a Puerto Rican immigrant. I felt so seen and along with the illustrations thoroughly enjoyed watching this romance progress. Rio had beautiful lyrical writing and Benny was so honest and real their scenes together were my favorite. I do feel like their romance was rushed a tiny bit and would have liked some more tension considering their circumstances but maybe because Rio was literally stuck in an aquarium it could have just felt that way too me (power imbalance).

The side characters were nice and I definitely felt that 'Greatest Showman' comparison but I don't think I could agree with the comparison of 'The Shape of Water'.

It started to feel predictable towards the middle and unfortunately because of this I got a bit bored and didn't feel a sense of urgency to finish and find out the ending.
Thanks to the publisher for the early copy in exchange for an honest review!

A stunningly written historic Romantasy with beautiful art work.

Benny is a Puerto Rican blacksmith, emigrated to New York for a better life. He takes on a project which inadvertently pulls him into a Coney Island show. The show crew capture a Merman as the new member of their show. The Merman forces Benny to face some truths about himself and to make som difficult decisions. Does he save his new found family or his new found love?

This is different to other popular romantasy books at the moment but it was refreshing change. There was no big world building to get to grips with. Only the ability to accept Merpeople and some slight magic is needed to follow this story.

It's easy to develop a bond with these characters. Benny is a lost soul that finds his family in the other show acts. They don't all accept him but they all develop a love for each other and look out for one another. They are all unique with various backgrounds which are a joy to learn.

This book gives major Great Gadsby x Greatest Showman vibes and it's a joy to read.

I am at a loss to articulate how very much I loved this book. Set in the early 1900s in New York, it’s stunning in its balance of raw loneliness and poetic romance and resilient hope that’s threaded through all of the beautiful prose.

This book made me swoon and the messages of connection and found family and sheer bravery  tugged at my heart till all these characters made a home there. Specially Benigno and Rio! Benigno who we meet as a blacksmith and Rio the Merman - I absolutely loved them. They will stay with me forever.

The theme of being other, of being confined to a narrative, of your very soul being disregarded is heart wrenching. Finding solace and love and joy and belonging in the midst of that is almost miraculous, a gift of what should be a given.

It’s a beautiful story of the most unlikely of pairing meeting in the most unlikely of circumstances shouldering each others burdens together till they can be free, discovering the serendipitous turn of fate that made them ideal for each other, fighting with all their might to be together.

The writing is vivid, descriptive, immersive. Graceful and weighted in pacing , grounding. Utterly fantastic reading experience. Also the art in the book is sublime 🥹

PRetty interesting. I had a nice time reading this. Unique world building and the characters were also written well. Looking forward to reading more
3.5 Stars

This was such a beautiful book! I’ve followed Venessas art for a while and was really looking forward to their debut novel and it did not disappoint! We’ve got queer and Puerto Rican rep, found family and absolutely gorgeous illustrations. Highly recommend and looking forward to seeing what Venessa does next!

Thanks to Netgalley and Kensington Publishing/Erewhon Books for the arc!

Thank you to NetGalley, Kensington Publishing, and Erewhon Books for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

Reading Venessa Vida Kelley's "When the Tides Held the Moon" was a magical experience and I really enjoyed my time with this book.
This book takes place in early 1900's New York City and follow Benny, a queer Puerto Rican immigrant as he discovers himself and finds love in the most unexpected of places. As a gifted ironworker he crafts a cage for a group of local circus performers to house their newest exhibit. Tired of his job in ironworking he joins the circus performers at Luna Park on Coney Island, and they welcome him with open arms.

Benny soon finds out that the cage he built was for capturing a merman from the sea, a mystical creature that most believe to be a mere fairytale. Benny and "Rico" the merman soon start to find comfort in one another that slowly builds into a beautiful romance.

I love the found family aspect of this book. The group of performers really hit it off with Benny and really start to care for him. This book is full of so many interesting and memorable characters. I will say that if you are not a fan of slow burns then this book may not be for you as this is one of the slowest burns I've read in a while but not in a bad way. The longing builds and builds until it bursts into a beautiful romance that was well worth the wait. There is no spice in this book but honestly it wasn't even needed and would have felt out of place to me anyway. This romance at least to me was meant to be more on the emotional side of things.

* Historical Fantasy
* Found Family
* Forbidden Love
* Slow Burn
* Queer Romance

This was a fantastic story that I'll be thinking about for a long time. Venessa Vida Kelley can really tell a wonderful story!

It needs to be said: the first chapters had me genuinely wondering if I was having a stroke. I, for one, finished the whole book and still don’t know what that prologue is about. Past that, you get to meet the MC, whose internal narration is randomly interspersed by words in Spanish. Of course, it’s quickly explained that he’s a Puerto Rican immigrant who had to learn English a few years ago to survive. But if his fluency was an issue, wouldn’t it make more sense for him to struggle with big English words during dialogue (which he barely does) rather than in his interior narration?
An example, Chapter 1: “Don’t ask how a flaquito like me wound up in here.” (note: no emphasis to differentiate both languages in the source either.)
How would he know what “wound up” means but not the translation of “flaquito”? Nonsense.

Its other fatal flaw is its pacing. The middle felt like it would never end—like being stuck in a cycle of longing between the MCs doomed to go nowhere. And when a solution is finally handed to the MC on a platter (because he’s not resourceful enough to figure something out himself), the climax and resolution take forever. This might be related, but the last “twist” (related to the MC’s asthma) took way too long to happen for how much foreshadowing there was throughout the story, even though it still ended up feeling like a huge chunk of lore was missing from this macguffin. All-in-all, I feel like the book could benefit from some trimming here and there, about 100 pages; but it also comes down to personal preferences.

What truly redeems it in my eyes is that it’s beautifully illustrated (the art is GORGEOUS, oh my!), and the sense of setting is so well done. It truly felt like being transported to early-1900s New York.

I also enjoyed learning about the side characters and their backstories—it made their sense of unity pop that much more off-page. The “villain” also has a compelling past that added a lot to his character.
On top of that, a word about the romance: the slow-burn, "enemies"-to-lovers dynamic between the two MCs delivered everything it promised. There was so much pining!

I know I complained a lot in this review, but I genuinely enjoyed the book overall. It reminded me of those 50+ chapter merfolk AUs I used to inhale back in the day. I’d definitely recommend this book it; it hit all the right buttons for me!

Loved this book! The writing is so smooth and instantly captured my attention. The illustrations were extremely well done and brought the story to an entirely different level. The connections between Rio & Benny is incredibly beautifully & filled with love. For anyone looking for a magical romantasy who loves playing mermaids when you were little, this book is for you.

The story of a blacksmith named Benny who unwittingly designs a tank to hold a merman. As the latter is held captive by a sideshow owner, Benny slowly grows closer to him.
I loved the queer love story in this, it was told in such a beautiful way and was what kept me invested.
I also really appreciated the found family in, with the performers in the sideshow all being compelling in their own ways.
The author illustrated the book, and the artwork was gorgeous, perfect for the story, and helped it come alive for me.
A delightful read that took me by surprise.

Devoured this!! what a great story! What a beautiful story. I do love a good mermaid/merman story and there is not enough of them out there. This was done so incredibly well and for it being set int he early 1900s it truley was great! I finished it in 24 hours.

I really liked this story - it’s this great mix of historical fiction and queer fantasy romance and found family that just works. It’s beautiful and funny and heartbreaking and I couldn’t put it down.

We meet these amazingly quirky and endearing characters. Benny has such a sweet soul and when he meets Río the merman, his life is changed in ways he never could have expected. Río is smart and compassionate and his story is heartbreaking.

Benny and Río come from completely different worlds…but they develop this beautiful friendship…and eventually something more….but where does that leave them?

I cant tell you anything else - I highly recommend avoiding spoilers with this book!

Also - This book is so pretty in person. From the cover to the full color endpapers to the beautiful illustrations, this is a book you are going to want a physical copy of for your shelves!

✨What To Expect:
⚔️Adult Romantasy
🐚Found Family
🏳️‍🌈Queer Romance
🧜‍♂️Merman + Monster
🔥Slow Burn
🌦️Grumpy/Sunshine
❤️‍🩹Hurt/Comfort
🗽Early 20th Century New York
🎠Coney Island Carnival

This book is magical! The author created a world full of fascinating characters, cruel villains, and an absolutely brilliant romance. I loved the re-creation of early 1900's New York. It was gritty, dark and hopeful all at the same time. The found family of the troupe was so deeply and compassionately drawn. Benny was a heartbreaking character whose redemption felt so deserved. I loved this book and will recommend it to all readers of fantasy, romantasy, and LGBTQIA romance.

Thank you so much to the publisher and NetGalley for this ARC!

This book is everything that I hoped it to be.
It was such a fun read and it felt like a nice a comforting hug and the love story was really wel written.

This one started off a little slow and built up well. Might have to do a reread in the future as I wasn’t able to be fully engrossed as I would have liked. But still worth checking out.

I wasn’t sure what to expect going into this, but it ended up being such a tender, imaginative read. The Puerto Rican Spanish woven into the prose gives it so much texture and life and the glossary at the back is a great touch to contextualize the words for the reader.

The romance is powerful: slow-building, vulnerable, and full of longing. It’s set against a backdrop of historical injustice, queerness, found family, and otherness, all in this dreamlike 1910s fantasy setting.

The illustrations are stunning and add to the almost fairytale quality of the story. That said, the pacing did feel uneven at times and a few side characters leaned a little too hard into their tropes for me. There were moments I wanted more depth or clarity, especially at the end.

Still, this book has a lot of heart, and it stayed with me. If you like gentle love stories, lush language, and themes of belonging and identity, it’s definitely worth picking up.

When the Tides Held the Moon is a heartwarming queer historical romantasy set in the heyday of the bright lights and grit of Coney Island’s early 1900s decadence. Overflowing with beautiful sideshow/menagerie found family acceptance moments, the story sings of the power and resilience of believing in oneself and, of course, merlove.

The cast of characters is so endearing that you root for each of them (except the villians! Booo! Hiss! Scoundrels!) and through the writing you are exposed to new colorful phrases from each of their many native tongues. While the book does explore some weighty themes, it remains lighthearted throughout and ultimately leaves you feeling uplifted. Highly recommended!

Much appreciation goes out to author, Venessa Vida Kelley, and Erewhon Books (Kensington Publishing) for the opportunity to experience When the Tides Held the Moon in advance of its April, 29th 2025 release.

A super cute Merman and monster romance! It felt a little slow/ not plot heavy at times but overall an adorable read.

Thank you to Kensington Publishing and Erewhon Books for the ARC of this beautiful book!

3.5 rounded down to 3.

This was the most beautifully illustrated book and impressively, all of the illustrations were drawn by the author! I was so impressed! Sadly, I wasn't as impressed by the overall story. It felt a bit juvenile. We got a lot about Benny's story, but got next to nothing about Rio. While the cast of quirky characters was fun, they weren't quite enough to carry the overall story. I so wanted to love this book. If you do read it, do not skip those illustrations! They are everything!