Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for this ARC in exchange for my honest review!!

I love a good “monster” romance and mermen aren’t explored enough. This was an excellent blend of historical fiction and fantasy. All the characters were so sweet and this is the type of romance I love to read. A perfect debut!!

Unfortunately, this is another one of those cases where the cover and the description just don't live up to the title. The Tides Held the Moon promises a sweeping, emotional fantasy rich with longing and lunar magic, but delivers a slow, disjointed narrative that struggles to find its footing. The premise had potential, star-crossed lovers, ocean-bound destinies, and a mysterious curse. Still, the characters felt underdeveloped, their motivations murky, and the pacing dragged beneath waves of overwritten prose. While the imagery occasionally shimmered with promise, it never quite broke the surface tension enough to leave a lasting impression. A beautiful concept that sadly did not work.

First off, this book is /gorgeous/. The cover, the illustrations, the evocative writing, it's all rich and really brings the 1910s setting to life. The illustrations leave you stunned at each turn, lingering on them to absorb every detail and expression. You feel like you're on the streets of Brooklyn in the muggy summer.

However, unfortunately, this fell very flat for me. Part of it is that this isn't the type of found family I enjoy best - it's very "an established family of outsiders adopt another outsider thrust upon them, but a lot of the connection takes place off-page aside from when we see them all come together to fight to protect the newcomer". For all that there's talk about really "seeing" each person, rather than their sideshow appeal, we don't....know anything about them. Eli and Emmett we know the most about, and even then, that's what is in service to Benigno's own turmoil. The rest of the menagerie feel like their diverse stereotypes, despite the story trying to give them dimension in a city that would rather erase them. There's also a weird sense of modern sensibilities about society and progress and race, which gives the whole thing a very fanfiction/tumblr feeling that I couldn't quite get out of my head.

Benigno and Rio are cute enough together, but I would've liked more of a transition from the "this is an unknown mer whom I have been begged to save" to "we're in love but I can't set him free because reasons" to the ending. It all comes with a lot of worldbuilding and asides that are brushed upon but then moved past, despite having greater ramifications for everything else going on in the story.

I dunno. I feel like a lot of people will really like this, but it just didn't hit for me.

Thank you Kensington Publishing, Hambright Pr and NetGalley for the advanced reader copy 😍❤️ and Venessa Vida Kelley for the book mail.

I did not realize I would be crying over a book about a merman, but alas, here I am.

Benny, an immigrant from Puerto Rico trying to make his way in 1910’s New York, finds himself employed by a sideshow on Coney Island that has recently kidnapped a merman. And put him in a giant fish tank that Benny made himself.
As he gets to know the merman, they form an unlikely friendship, pour their heart and souls out to each other, and inevitably they fall in love.

Oh this book is so much more than a love story between a man and a fish. The Shape of Water has got nothing on this book. We get themes of found family and finding acceptance within yourself for being different than the “societal norms.” The issues were true to the time period, but also felt so modern and relatable in our current society.

The performers that become Benny’s family were amazing characters and all had the biggest hearts.
And Benny, while often scared to reveal his true self which led to making dumb decisions, was overall such a lovable character with a heart of gold and really crummy asthmatic lungs.
His love with Rio (the merman) was so pure!
The writing and cadence were lyrical, so well written.
And the book includes stunning illustrations! The book cover and all the illustrations in the book are done by the author which is AMAZING. She’s so talented 😍
Also why don’t more books have pictures?!!?

This was such a beautifully written and heartwarming story. It made me cry more than I’d like to admit. And I did not realize that this book would have as much depth as it did. It was pleasantly surprising and I absolutely adored it.

If you’ve ever thought to yourself that the Little Mermaid and The Shape of Water should have a baby with the Greatest Showman as a surrogate…Then you need to read this book. You need to read this book even if you’ve never thought those things. But you might think them afterwards 🤷🏼‍♀️

This was heartbreakingly beautiful. Struggling to survive in a cruel world, secrets reign, and entertainment sells. Fast paced, with quick wit and undeniable magic, this was so much fun to read!

cute romance story with a sprinkle of fantasy. I like their relationship gradually change to a romantic one. it's slow but hits me emotionally. the illustrations are so pretty! I like they're in between of paragraph. it helps build my imagination. it's very cozy and low stakes and have a happy ending!

When The Tides Held The Moon by Venessa Vida Kelley is an emotional tale of perseverance, freedom and finding family in the most unlikely of circumstances.

The main character, Benigno Caldera, is a Puerto Rican immigrant in 1910s New York City. He is faced with racism, prejudice and cruelty throughout the story. When he gets involved in capturing the merman Río, he finds a sense of belonging first with the crew of the sideshow and then with the merman himself.

The connection between Río and Benigno is as soft as the moon light on water. Seeing them fall in love was simultaneously a joy and heart-wrenching. Benigno’s internalized homophobia, his trauma and fear of rejection broke my heart.

The stories of the sideshow members also felt so real and gut-wrenching. Every last one of them has been through something and how they now react to things felt very realistic - from Emmett’s prickliness to Sonia’s crush on Benigno.

My only, rather minor, criticism was the pacing at times. I feel like some scenes dragged on a little too long, but I loved these characters so much that ultimately it didn’t really matter.

I highly recommend this book

This book hit me right in the found family feels. I adored everything about the characters and the journeys they went on. It takes a lot for a book to make me cry nowadays but this had me blubbering non stop. Big warm fuzzy feelings that make you want to tell the people close to you that you love them and appreciate them

Wow! What an incredible story! I am truly surprise at what I just read. This is not a book I would have picked for myself but I’m so thankful for have read it as an ARC because I’m here to tell you that it’s a must read! The kind of story that lingers long after the last page.

As a queer latina I resonated so much with Bennys (MMC) journey to finding freedom and his voice.

The layers of history, identity, and found family were so beautifully interwoven. The love story was also special and my heart still aches from it (in a positive way).

This debut reads like a love letter to misfits, dreamers, and those who’ve ever felt out of place. I especially loved all the Spanish!


Quotes:”Ain’t no being free on the outside unless you’re free on the inside.”

Spice:
🫑

Tropes:
-Fated mates
-Forbidden love
-Grumpy Sunshibe
-Adult Romantasy
-Found Family
-Queer Romance
-Merman + Monster
-Slow burn

Many will find reasons to love this book, other reasons to hate it. The tone of the story was excellent and the setting benefits from Venessa's writing style. However, the PACE was insane. Some parts would go insanely fast and others would go really slow. I enjoyed her descriptions as they were very enchanting and full of lush prose. I just think something overall didn't land with this story. Some of that may be attributed to the main character and some of his decisions. Overall a decent book for me.

First of all, the illustrations in this book are GORGEOUS! I actually found myself just staring at them for a while taking in all of the details, beautiful.
The story does not disappoint either. It was such a lovely tale of discovering yourself in the face of so much opposition and oppression, with a fantastical twist. The characters, and there is quite a few in the ensemble cast, were all so developed, even the ones that don't see as much page-time as others. The group that our MMC meets with are so so charming, and I really liked all of them.
The plot takes its time to get going, but there is never a boring moment where I would find myself skimming the pages or wishing for it to hurry up. There is some good backstory with our MMC that gets explained throughout, and though I was pretty much clued into the plot twists that were happening, they were executed very well and made complete sense with what we had been told previously.
The historical and cultural elements were wonderful as well, there was such a blend of culture going on and it was all delved into really nicely, and I even learned a lot.
Very easy to get through, doesn't feel like the 470 odd pages that it is. Highly recommend!

Just behind on my reviews so getting everything updated but,
I adored this book, I found the story line wonderous and really enjoyed the characters. Looking forward to more books from this author

My Rating: 4 Stars, this would probably be higher if I'd read it at any other time, but I just handed in my thesis and I am a bit dead inside

That said

<spoiler>"Son of Neptune, I answer. I am your harmony."</spoiler>

I did still cry a bit, that was so sweet.

My brain is incapable of forming proper thoughts right know so I'll just leave it at this: the sweetest merman falling in love with the sweetest human and also there is found family and it is very sweet

I initially requested this book entirely for the coverage, but thankfully that decision didn't come back to bite me here, since I really enjoyed this debut.

I'm not always a huge fan of circus stories, since I think the aesthetic can often gloss over some of the more unsavory aspects of circuses as entertainment, but Kelley really leans into that here, by grappling with how a group of misfits and outcasts have found themselves in such a precarious situation. The found family vibes are excellent. Benigno's Puerto Rican heritage is also always at the forefront, and I thought this book was a fantastic example of how to blend a character's language and traditions into the main character and story in a meaningful way; I particularly love how Benigno communities in a messy mix of Spanish and English.

Perhaps my only complaint is that I would have liked a little more from Rio's point of view to balance out the romance plot, but overall I really enjoyed this book and will pick up whatever the author chooses to write next.

I have followed Kelly on social media for years and love her art, and she’s been posting about this story for a long time. I knew I had to read the book as soon as I could, and so requested it on NetGalley. I didn’t know what to expect - it’s her first book, and I’m not one to read romance books between anyone but two humans. But, I figured I’d give it a shot!

Things I liked about the book: Kelly’s writing was so descriptive and beautiful. I could really feel and see myself in 1910s Coney Island, with the motley crew of the sideshow and the rivalries that come with it. The characters were well-rounded and interesting (and so different!), and I loved the mix of English and Puerto Rican Spanish that Benny used. I’ve never read a book quite like this, and I know this one will be beloved by a lot of people.

Things I didn’t like: I really, really wish I could’ve gotten into the love story, but the whole non-human aspect of it just squicked me out, for whatever reason. Benny and Rio were very good to one another and were both so interesting and complex, but I just couldn’t get past the merman thing. I wish I felt differently!

Regardless, queer love stories, especially historical ones, are so important, and I’m grateful I got the opportunity to read this one. The illustrations of Kelly’s were incredible and made reading the book that much better.

Benigno “Benny” Caldera knows an orphaned Boricua blacksmith in 1910s New York City can’t call himself an artist, even when the ironwork tank he creates for famed Coney Island playground, Luna Park, astounds everyone. He joins the show’s eclectic crew of performers to cage the newest exhibit, a living, breathing, in-the-flesh merman. Benny comes to know Río as a kindred spirit more beautiful and compassionate than any human he’s ever met. Despite their different worlds, what begins as a friendship of necessity deepens to love, leading Benny’s heart into uncharted waters where he can no longer ignore the agonizing truth of Río’s captivity—and his own. Can Benny find the courage--and love--to do what's right?

This story was absolute magic; an enthralling, heartfelt rollercoaster ride about finding a place you belong. The illustrations, peppered between pages, gave life to a few select scenes. This was an enjoyable rea.d I'm grateful for the author, publisher, and Netgalley for providing this ARC. My reviews are my own.

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Publishing for the E-Arc in exchange for my honest review!

When the blurb described this book as The Shape of Water meets The Greatest Showman, I was like...sign me up! I love both those movies! The cover was also beautiful, I couldn't resist! It looks so tragically romantic in a way.

Without giving too much away, I unfortunately found the pacing a bit slow, the conclusion abrupt, and the romance straight to the point. Especially when there are serious social issues happening within this book, pacing with information are bit off. Overall I thought it was a good book and was grateful to have read it early.

This was a very unique book and storyline. It has a bit of mixed media feel to it, with illustrations throughout that the author drew. They are absolutely gorgeous and really give us so much more to the story.

The book itself has a very magical feel to it, and at its heart is about found family.

The romance between the main character and the mer was very emotional, and all of the side characters in this book really make it special.

The pacing was great, and the author was very lyrical in their writing, especially the songs and how Rio talked. It definitely elevated the book to another level.

*When the Moon Held the Tides* is a beautifully written, emotional story that took me a bit to get into. As a mood reader, I struggled at first with the setting—it felt a little hard to grasp, which made it tough to fully dive in.

I also had some trouble with the frequent Spanish phrases. While they added depth and authenticity, they occasionally pulled me out of the story as I tried to figure out their meaning.

That said, I’m so glad I stuck with it. The *found family* trope was a personal favorite—I loved watching the characters grow close and support one another in such heartfelt ways. Once I connected with them, the story really hit home.

A slow start, but well worth it for readers who enjoy character-driven narratives with lyrical writing and quiet magic.

When I saw this book on NetGalley as an ARC I knew I needed to read it. I had my eye on it for
a while before it had an ARC and I am so glad that I was approved for this book. This story was
amazing and had me feeling all of the feels. Happy, sad, angry, hopeful, I felt it all and it was
such a beautiful story. The art that goes along with the book is also well illustrated and really
helps the story along. The romance between the 2 main characters is very well done and I was
curious how it was going to work between a human and a merman but it was handled beautifully
and I loved every second of this book. I literally couldn’t put it down; it had that much of a
chokehold on me.