Thank you to NetGalley and Erewhon Books for this *free* ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book feels like a fairytale told through a sepia lens. It’s part historical fiction, part queer romance, part magical realism, and somehow, despite my initial confusion as to how this could possibly come together, it certainly does. The setting, Coney Island in the 1910s, with sideshow performers and seaside strangeness, is so beautifully drawn that it feels like you’re walking through a memory someone is still grieving (if that makes sense?).

Benny and Río’s love story builds slowly. The merman tank setup might sound whimsical (and it is, a little), but the book doesn’t shy away from what’s dark or heavy: captivity, identity, belonging, and the ways we sometimes choose safety over truth. I felt for Benny constantly, his fear, his longing, his guilt, and I understood it, even when I wanted him to be braver, sooner. That hesitation made sense though, and it made the payoff feel earned.

The writing is gorgeous and there were moments where I had to stop and reread a line just to sit with it a little longer. That said, there were parts where the narrative lost a bit of momentum for me. Not because anything was lacking, exactly, but I found it hard to keep my grip on the thread from time to time. Still, the emotional payoff is there. The found family, the longing, and the rebellion of choosing love even when it’s impossible … I was hooked, even when the plot slowed, I cared enough to keep reading.

This is a story about love, yes, but more than that, it’s about freedom. The freedom to choose yourself. To make impossible decisions because they’re the right ones.

If you’re into queer historical fiction with circus / The Greatest Showman vibes, grumpy mermen (fair enough, he’s literally captive), tender writing, and the kind of found family that makes you ache a little—add this to your TBR. It didn’t fully break me, but it came pretty close.

Thank you Kensington Publishing and Netgalley for the ARC.

I have been following Vanessa Vida Kelley for years on instagram, admiring her magnificent art of other popular LGBTQ+ books (A Marvellous Light and A Lady For A Duke are personal favorites). So when I was honored with a chance to read her debut novel I jumped on the opportunity immediately.
Damn she did not disappoint! Beautiful writing, believable depictions of one of my favorite era in modern history, a fun case of characters and a beautiful love story that would touch your heart and blow your mind. And the illustration! What a treat!

If you loved Freya Marske and Allie Therin’s books, this one is certainly for you.

All my 3 favourite genres in one! Historical fiction, fantasy and romance.
This books aesthetic is top tier! I absolutely loved the plot line, it was giving me the greatest showman vibes! So if you loved that film this book is for you!

I found the characters well developed, I especially loved how inclusive this book was!

As a kindle girl, this one is definitely going on the trophy book self!

A swoon-worthy historical romantasy novel releasing just in time for MerMay!

When the Tides Held the Moon follows orphaned Puerto Rican blacksmith Benigno, who finds himself joining a Coney Island sideshow in 1911 after he's commissioned to build them a mysterious ironwork tank. It's only when he's brought along on a night-time excursion along the river that he discovers the truth - that the tank was built to cage their latest exhibit: a captured merman. Benigno has always kept his head down and stayed under the radar, but as he and the merman, Río, grow closer, Benigno finds his loyalties tested.

This was a fantastic read, and I loved everything about it: Kelley's lush prose and gorgeous illustrations; the liminal space setting of a closed fairground where two lovers meet in the dead of night; the found family bond between the various sideshow performers; the nuanced discussions of identity, freedom and belonging; the tooth-rotting sweetness of the romance between Benny and Río. All combined to make a pretty perfect stand-alone story.

Benigno and Río were well-rounded characters outside of their romance, as were many of the side characters, especially Sonia, whose sideplot was an unexpected part of the novel, but a very welcome addition. There were times when the characters did things I didn't like, but that's the sign of a well-written character in my opinion - they aren't always perfect.

I also loved that the novel featured the author's own illustrations - I've followed Venessa Vida Kelley's fanart for various fandoms for years, so it's a real treat to see their creations for their own characters.

Overall, a beautiful queer romance from a debut author I'm looking forward to reading much more from!

Many thanks to Erewhon Books for providing a copy of When the Tides Held the Moon, which will be released on April 29th. The opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Publisher: Erewhon Books
Rating: 4.5 stars | ★★★★★
Review cross-posted to Paperback'd Reviews and Goodreads

Big fan of gay people and freaky fish romance, this was really cute. I don't love that there is a blurb by TJ Klune, a known anti-Indigenous guy, so that made me knock this down a star.

what a beautiful story.
a love story between a man and a merman.
with inspiration heavily taken from ‘the greatest showman’ this book has found family, oddities, curiosities, hard work and a whole lot of trust, love and betrayal.
this story follows benny and rio.
benny is from puerto rico and has made his way to new york after he looses everyone in his life. benny is the type of character you want to get to know and honestly just give him a big hug.
rio is a merman who is a long way from home. rio and benny form a bond like no other in this slow burn of a romance.
with minimal contact the main characters make their love known to each other through song and poetry.
i did find the story a little bit slow at first and it not being something i would usually read i found it a little challenging with a lot of the writing going from english to spanish i sometimes had no idea what they were saying but kind of got used to it by the end of the book.
now let me just mention how beautiful the art is throughout the book, definitely added such a special element throughout the story. i loved being able to visualise the characters better.
overall i enjoyed the book and the storyline and loved the characters so i rate this one 4 stars.
thank you to vanessa vida kelley, hambright pr and netgalley for the chance to read this arc and review it early!

I am absolutely blown away with how much I love this book. The story was stunning, the artwork really made the book come alive for me, and characters were so well done.

I'm speechless... I'll try to put into words how I feel about this book, but anything I write will likely fall short.

I loved the movie The Greatest Showman, so when I first heard premise of When the Tides Held the Moon, it quickly became one of my most anticipated reads of the year, and it was everything I wanted and more!

Venessa Vida Kelley's writing is absolutely beautiful -- poetic, even -- they created such a unique, vivid world with a full cast of vibrant and dynamic characters. Every page painted a picture. It was full of grit, intrigue, love, tenderness, and self-discovery, and I never wanted it to end. Benny and Río will stay with me for a long time.
I was not prepared for how emotional this book would make me... the part in the book that explains the meaning of the title absolutely wrecked me in the *best* way 😭🩵 This book will undoubtedly be one of my top reads of the year!

Let's not forget to mention the art they created to accompany the book! Stunning. I can't wait to have a physical copy for my shelves.

🗓 Pub date: April 29, 2025

Thank you, Kensington Publishing | Erewhon Books via NetGalley for the eARC!

An atmospheric, moving tale of found family and love in early 20th century NYC!

In 1907, Benny traveled from Puerto Rico to Brooklyn in search of the American dream. Four years later, the metalworker finds himself isolated by racism, xenophobia, and class structure. One day he is thrown into company with a Coney Island sideshow run by a man with a mission - to capture a mermaid. After the company instead snares a merMAN, Benny is increasingly drawn to the creature he names Río, and these two lonely souls form a bond that will be tested by the callousness of this world.

The grasp of language and setting is beautiful. Both in prose and dialogue, the use of multilingual words and phrases help paint the picture of this city of immigrants. I loved the found family of the performers, all social outcasts in their own way, but all bound together in their isolation. None of the characters are perfect, and the tale doesn’t shy away from the difficult realities of the world.

The romance between Benny and Río is heartfelt and sweet, building slowly through small moments of connection. There are no explicit scenes on page, just a lovely depiction of an increasing, deeply held intimacy. With an understated plot that is unfailingly compelling, I enjoyed every moment of this story and highly recommend to readers of queer romance, historical romance, and fantasy.

*I received an advanced reader copy from NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving my review*

This was such a beautiful story! Love, found family, standing up for what you believe in, and finding inner strength: this book had everything I was looking for.

I loved how it was written, with great descriptions of the carnival and Benigno's internal monologue interspersed with small sections from the merman in beautiful prose. The two were so different and yet they found so much common ground, and the ways in which the merman helped Benigno to grow as a person were so sweet.

I loved all of the members of the sideshow and the little family they formed. They were all so different but so fiercely loyal. "With it. For it. Never against it." All the scenes of them as a big group were the best.

It's a bit of a slower-paced book as you watch the relationship between the two grow, with an explosive ending!

Thanks to the publisher for the copy.

This book is everything 🥹 I did not know what I should expect.

I adore Kelley's art and when they announced their debut novel, I was over the moon! (pun intended) The setting was – hands down – not my forte though, even if the setting (early 20th century New York) isn't something you see all the time. And while it took time to warm up to the setting, this book reeled me in faster than I could turn my head! (sorry, nautical jokes will keep comin').

This book is BEAUTIFUL. Not only by virtue of the story, but also the cast – main and side – as they all got so much bite and character, that by the end I felt as much part of the company family as did our protagonist Benigno.

Our Benny boy is btw Puerto Rican, and seeing the world through his eyes, including his Spanish thinking and all, was done magnificently. 🥹🙏🏻 It gave him so much depth and believability which, as a bilingual person myself, I could feel down to my marrow.

The fact that all non-english terms (there is BOATLOADS of culture representation in the company) had translations in the glossary just added to the quality and carefulness of this read! While I love lingual representation within literature, oftentimes I feel alienated when the language isn't my own, which makes it hard to connect and empathize. The fact Kelley went the extra mile to leave none felt excluded makes my eyes teary 🥹🥹🥹

And can we talk about how the title is a metaphor for the two MCs? 😭 Like, holy, this is just so gravitational and magnetic in that quiet, mythical way legends of epic love are made off. And the ending? Chef's kiss. I know this book'll stick with me and my heart.

Benny is an immigrant from Puerto Rico in New York at the turn of the century and struggling to survive and find his place and self in a world where his differences are constantly thrown in his face. When a series of events has him joining an oddities troupe for work, he helps capture a merman for the latest exhibit. Soon Benny realizes they’re both caged, and he realizes he has to find a way to free the merman before it’s too late.

The writing, the imagery and the illustrations; this entire book was an experience. Although there was little spice I was so in love with Benny and his menagerie of supporting characters I didn’t care. I was rooting for our gang of curiosities the moment each was introduced. I shed tears at multiple points. The insight Benny and our merman, Rio share into the ways of the world was poetic despite the sad realities tackled.

I’d describe the vibes as Brother Where Art Thou meets The Greatest Showman. I’d recommend this read to someone wanting a story to chew on.

I was given a free copy. I leaving my review voluntarily.

When the Tides Held the Moon
By: Venessa Vida Kelley
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.25



New York, 1910s. Benigno “Benny” Caldera is commissioned to make an ironwork tank for Luna Park’s newest marvel - a merman, stolen from the East River under a full moon. Benny’s skills earn him an invite from the show’s runner to join the diverse, multi-talented group of cast members.

One of Benny’s responsibilities includes taking care of the merman, whom he comes to know as Río. The two develop a friendship that deepens into love, forcing Benny to confront Río’s captivity and his own feeling of confinement. Benny is caught between freeing his love and bankrupting his found family.

I was so excited to receive this eARC and really enjoyed the story! The writing is beautiful and the story is paced pretty well. The relationships between the members of the cast held beautiful camaraderie and realistic tension, as found family should. It’s easy to question how it could all work out, given the MCs different needs oxygen-wise, but have a little faith in the author to take care of their characters.

Many people may know Kelley for their art, and this book includes their own gorgeous illustrations throughout. I will definitely be picking up a physical copy when it comes out next week - 4/29!

I received an eARC via @netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I was drawn in by this absolutely gorgeous cover and was pleasantly surprised to find additional illustrations throughout. This would be a perfect book to own as a physical copy, just to flip through! I can't believe the author also illustrated it. Very talented!

I found the description of historical Coney Island and NYC to be fascinating, as well as the mixing in of Puerto Rican history and culture. I loved Benigno as a character and enjoyed how much the book went into his life and history. The romance was fine--sweet, straightforward. I wish there had been a little more build up. For how slowly the rest of the plot moves along, it felt a little out of place to have Ben and Rio fall in love so quickly. A lot of the background plot was sad and challenging, so I do understand making the romance portion more friction-free. I also wish we had a bit more time with some of the various side characters to cement the found-family type vibes.

A unique concept and enjoyable read.

"All I know is that he misses the moon. If I could, l'd ride a rollercoaster to the sky just to steal it for him.”

Stop it right now I need to process 😭

WHAT DO YOU MEAN THIS IS A DEBUT?! This book was written by someone with multiple bestsellers (kidding but also based solely off of this book they absolutely will)

Vibe check? Think The Greatest Showman meets Merman.

I don’t think I can adequately put into words the feelings that I had while reading this story. The lyricism. The beauty of the artwork. The found family 😭


If you’re looking for a book that will make you think and will make you feel this is absolutely a must read. Immediately.




Thank you to Venessa Kelley, Hambright PR, and Kensington Publishing for a physical ARC of this stunning story

“When Tides Held the Moon” was a lovely historical fantasy romance about Benny, a young immigrant craftsman who gets swept up in a sideshow on Coney Island and finds family, and love, along the way. Fired from his job as a blacksmith, he accepts an offer to join the sideshow after helping them build an impenetrable tank, which he learns is being used to house a captured merman. As the only person who knows how to operate the tank, Benny and the merman grow closer, and he must decide if his newfound love is worth sacrificing the found family he has made with the rest of the cast.
I enjoyed this book quite a bit. The writing was lovely, the story really worked, and the setting was somewhat unusual. Benny and Rio’s love was so beautiful, and each character added something to the emotional core of the story. Overall a lovely read.

A Puerto Rican immigrant unknowingly builds a gilded cage for a merman. Benigno is a sweetheart who tries to make up for the fact that he had a hand in capturing this innocent merman and in the process the two form a special bond. This Queer paranormal historical romance has vivid characters that come to life and a diverse and rich story of love and belonging . With all the gorgeous illustrations throughout , I already know I'll be getting a copy for my shelves.

This is definitely going to be someone’s five-star read—I can just feel it.

Set in 1910s New York circus, the story follows Benigno “Benny” Caldera, a young Puerto Rican blacksmith trying to carve out a place for himself in America. When his ironwork earns him a spot at the iconic Luna Park, Benny finds not just community among the show’s performers, but also a secret that changes everything: the tank he built houses a living, breathing merman named Río.

What begins as a strange and cautious acquaintance soon deepens into a beautifully tender bond. Río isn’t just a mythical marvel—he’s observant, thoughtful, and kind, and their growing relationship is the emotional heart of the book. But as Benny falls in love, he’s faced with an impossible choice: protect the found family he’s finally discovered, or free the one soul who truly understands him.

I’m a sucker for beautifully written books, and this one absolutely delivered. It’s hard to believe it’s a debut with the atmosphere Vanessa created. It was rich and immersive, striking the perfect balance between gritty historical detail and gentle fantasy.

The found family element is another standout. These characters are diverse, lovable, and full of quirks. The kind you grow attached to quickly. They’re outcasts who found a family and a place they can call home.

And of course, Benigno and Río was the hightlight. Their relationship is tender, grounded, and full of longing. The way the story explores love, grief, identity, and sacrifice is done with so much care and emotional depth.

Finally, the illustrations scattered throughout the novel are the cherry on top. They’re gorgeous and add an extra layer of magic to an already enchanting story.

If you love character-driven historical fantasy with emotional resonance, a touch of magic, and a big beating heart, When the Tides Held the Moon is one you don’t want to miss. I think many of you will love the story of the Boy Named Kind and Rio, a river that is both devastating and beautiful.

Thank you Hambright PR for sending me this ARC.

🧜🏽‍♂️ 4 shimmering stars.

If someone told me I’d be sobbing over a merman in a steampunk tank this year, I would’ve laughed politely and continued sipping my coffee.

And yet here I am, weeping salty tears into my café con leche, absolutely wrecked (in the best way) by When the Tides Held the Moon.

Set in the gritty-glamorous swirl of 1910s Coney Island, Venessa Vida Kelley's debut reads like a historical fever dream, lush, lyrical, and laced with seawater and sorrow.

Benigno “Benny” Caldera, an orphaned Boricua blacksmith with an artist’s soul and callused hands. He's a man tethered to iron and fire, both literally and emotionally, until the Luna Park sideshow draws him into its glittering, chaotic embrace.

The plot turns when Benny is commissioned to build a spectacular tank, only to discover it’s meant to house not a mechanical marvel… but a living, breathing merman. Río is not the mythical siren of sailor tales, he’s kind, poetic, furious, and full of quiet magic. And yes, he’s also devastatingly handsome in a "might-drown-you-with-a-glance" kind of way.

What follows is a tender, aching love story that unfolds through stolen glances, underwater conversations, and the kind of emotional intimacy that makes your chest feel too tight. Their connection is slow-burning but powerful, with all the tension of a locked cage and all the hope of a moonlit escape.

Besties, this isn’t just a romance…it’s a tale of identity, chosen family, and the quiet rebellion of love in the face of exploitation. Kelley's prose flows like waves, rhythmic, lush, sometimes wild..AND her world building? is as immersive as a sideshow dream sequence!.

The cast of characters around Benny and Río are vibrant, weird, and fully human (even when they aren’t).

My only complaint? I wanted more. More pages, more merman lore, more of that slow-dance energy between Benny and Río. But maybe that’s the magic: Kelley gives us just enough to ache for freedom alongside her characters.


For readers such as myself, who love their historical fiction soaked in whimsy, queerness, found family, and a little bit of saltwater heartbreak. A haunting, hopeful read that proves even iron bars can’t hold back the tide of true love.

this was so sweet :’)

while the very colloquial dialogue took a little while for me to grow used to, and the story itself took some time to settle in, once it got going this book was so excellent. the atmosphere of 1910 new york was incredible, and the drawings interspersed throughout were a pleasant surprise that improved the experience even more.

i loved the dynamic and interactions between benny and río so much, and the found family of the other performers added an extra element of enjoyment for me!