Incredible! I love mermaid romances and this is beautiful! The ending for this was absolutely insane, I was reading on the edge of my seat, unable to stop.
The romance in this book was so heartfelt, I felt their love for each other and how much they cared. Benny and Río really grow on you while reading.

Summary:
Benny, a Puerto Rican immigrant blacksmith in New York, is approached by his boss with a special assignment: build a tank on wheels. Upon it's completion, Benny meets Sam Morgan and the Menagerie: a group of carnival performers who don't fit in anywhere else. Sam, an ambitious business man, asks Benny to help him capture the star of his upcoming exhibit, and the future inhabitant of the tank: a merman. Of course, no one, lest of all Benny, could predict what happens once Benny and the merman, Rio, get to know each other....

Review:
Wow wow wow! This book is for the dreamers - those who feel like they're a little out of step with the rest of the world, but want something from it for themselves anyways. I loved Rio in particular: his emotions and his hopes and dreams really spoke to me. This book did not feel like 500+ pages, in a good way. It was easy to eat up pages as I fell into the story. I will definitely be buying a copy of this once it is officially released to the public!

I loved the story and the artworks! The story was a bit slow in the beginning, and the writing was something I needed to get used to, but I was invested through the very end. Both MCs are mature and intelligent, which makes their love story so much more compelling and exciting. Their connection was built gradually from mutual understanding and appreciation, and I love that. The struggle Benny faced in early 1900s as an immigrant, a "queer" person, and a lower class in social status was also convincing and not overdone at all. Thank you so much to NetGalley, Kensington Publishing Corp., and the author for the opportunity to read and review an advanced copy of this book!

I put off starting this, and I wish I hadn't. It was beautifully written and an interesting story. I like Benny, but even though I doubt I'll forget any of the characters, I didn't have a particular favorite. The setting felt realistic, though 1910s- ish New York is not my usual perverted setting so not sure on that. But the setting was depicted well and seemed believable.

The art was a lovely addition. And the character description fit the imagine I formed before I saw them (But not for Morgan. He was referred to avocado man, so I pictured both the color and shape of an avocado.)

And though each character was decently unique name-wise - in the beginning they were not. There was like a McCoy, Martin, Mattias, Morgan, and possibly one other M name used. I struggled and had to flip back to check who was who. For goodness sake authors, please don't do that!

I do wish there was more explaining in the end. It left a fair amount open to the imagination. I don't know if explaining those things at the end would have made it better or not. Part of me is fine that it wasn't explained, the the other part is annoyed that I have to fill in the blanks myself.

the writing is gorgeous along with the illustrations ( which was a surprise) . The aesthetic and setting of the book was beautiful instantly transporting me into the world as soon as i started reading, the romance was beautifully written and the found family was heartwarming,
i will be looking forward to reading more books by the author in the future.

When the Tides Held the Moon is a captivating historical fantasy that blends epic romance with queer identity in early 20th-century New York City. Benny, a blacksmith from Puerto Rico, is invited to join a Coney Island sideshow after creating a stunning ironwork tank for an exhibit. He soon discovers that the exhibit holds a merman, Río, whom Benny befriends and falls deeply in love with. Their growing bond forces Benny to confront the moral dilemma of freeing Río, risking everything - including his newfound family. With lush illustrations and heartfelt prose, this tale of love, freedom, and sacrifice is both magical and poignant.

This was a beautiful novel about how to exist in a society that does not want you, and what life looks like once you find your sense of belonging. I loved the dynamic between each of the menagerie characters—each was so vivid and fleshed out. Enter Benigno, who even amongst human oddities, complicates the narrative. This novel explored so many layers of identity and self, racism and xenophobia, water and sexuality—it all came together with such astounding prose, I could not get enough of it.

In my mind, every little kid imagines themselves as a mermaid at least one time in their life. And with stories like The Little Mermaid in the forefront of pop culture, the myth of the sea creature with half the body of a human and half of a fish has only grown in infamy. I know that I pick up any book that I think will give me a sliver of the magic I felt while imagining myself speeding through the water with my fish friends.

When the Tides Held the Moon is set on Coney Island, New York City in the 1910’s, where a metal-working Puerto Rican immigrant named Benny finds himself creating a giant tank for a seemingly wealthy client, unknowing of what it’s set to hold. His only instructions are to make it indestructible, which he does. So durable that no one could break in… or out.

The circus sideshow doesn’t have an act to be put into the tank yet. But with the help of a man who has spent his life searching for a creature he saw a glimpse of as a child, they are planning to find themselves a mermaid! And what they end up finding is a surly merman who refuses to sing. Well, for anyone but Benny, who nicknames him Río.

I’m so impressed that this is Venessa Vida Kelley’s debut novel and I can’t express how absolutely perfect it is. My favorite trope in queer romance is found family, because the biggest thing LGBTQIA+ people are good at is finding family in the most unlikely of places. Benny finds a community in the people of the circus. He finds friends who would do anything to help him, even though he’s gay in a time when you would never be able to admit that to anyone without ridicule.

My favorite part of this book is that the author is also an artist, so not only did she write the book, create the cover art, but she also has art throughout the book. So when a romantic scene pops up of Benny and Río holding eachother underwater, you’ll have a gorgeous corresponding artwork to be all googly eyed over (like me).

There is also a word glossary at the back, so for those of us who don’t speak Spanish (and are too lazy to google it), you have the meanings in the back. (Venessa, you are iconic for that!!!!)

If you are a fan of The Greatest Showman, Splash, The Little Mermaid, TJ Klune’s Found Families or all of the above, then you NEED this book in your life! Even if you aren’t, you really need to read this! I won’t be able to stop talking about it, so add it to your TBR!!!

This was such a beautiful book 🥹 It has found family and an impossible love - what more could you want!

Benigno is a blacksmith and designs a huge tank, commissioned by a showman for his new exhibit. Which turns out to be a merman. Benigno is tasked with looking after the tank and the merman - Rio - and both experience a pull towards each other.

I loved how Rio was described, the relationship between them both, all the cast members of the sideshow, and how Benigno learned to accept all of himself. I was drawn in from the beginning, and the plot kept me interested all the way through. The ending was a little bit short on details and left me with a few questions about what just happened though! Regardless, I loved it all!

Found family, grumpy merman, 😭😭, it has pictures! (lovely artwork), 🥰🥰

I'm recommending this book to everyone I know. It's such a loving story, beautifully written. New insta-buy author for me

The sweetness of E.L. Massey’s Like Real People Do meets Shaun David Hutchinson’s historical setting of Before We Disappear. Add beautiful prose and fantastic illustrations, and Vanessa Vida Kelly presents you When the Tide Held the Moon.

Told from Benigno’s perspective (I refuse to call him Benny), interspersed with amazing illustrations and Rio’s voice, this book is a remarkable debut. Benigno and Rio both were such beautiful persons: Benigno, the young Puertorican blacksmith, so gentle and caring, and Rio, the merman who kept his distance from people at first because they killed his mother and held him captive in the glass container that Benigno had made until Benigno gained his trust and something beautiful grew between the two of them.

Oh, and I simply love Matthias!

I already loved Venessa Vida Kelly’s illustrations, and now I want to read more of her writing. I can’t wait to see what they have in store for us next! Because of those illustrations, I recommend buying a physical copy of this book!

The biggest let down of this book is that the illustrations in the ARC copy didn't always render properly, but the ones that do are stunning. I know the physical copy is going to be one of the most beautiful non-special edition out there. I may have to buy it even though this wasn't a new favorite, even though I did enjoy it

That aside, the pacing was a little slow for my taste at the start. It took about half the book for me to feel connected to the characters. And that's my main complaint for this book, the pacing. When I did start to get to know the characters more, I loved all of them. Even the antagonist, he was a good character to hate, and someone that in a lot of ways reminded me of people I've met in my life.

The romance in this book was really well done. It's slow burn in a sense, and a little bit hate to love. I thought how they connected to each other was done in a very organic way, and it didn't feel forced. It was sweet, and I liked seeing Benny accept himself.

This is a beautiful story of self acceptance and self discovery.

A Puerto Rican blacksmith trying to start over in New York lands a job building a huge water tank and gets swept up in a company of sideshow performers and their lives. The sideshow's frontman pays our protagonist, Benny, to help him catch a mermaid (or, as it turns out, merman).

This was a joy to read. Written in a way that makes it very easy to just devour this whole book as fast as possible. I especially enjoyed the lyrical writing in the merman's chapters and found myself wishing they were longer. I do think the author found a great balance in all of the characters and their relationships to each other.

This book feels nostalgic in a way, similar to a fairy tale.

I'm not a big fan of books where romance is the main focus, so I did like that there was a rather big focus on some side characters as well.
One thing that bothered me was that to me, it felt unrealistic how quickly Benny and the merman take a liking to each other. In any other context it would've made sense, but with Benny quite literally having a hand in capturing him it makes very little sense to me that he would forgive that so easily.
The ending felt slightly rushed, but not in a way that left me unsatisfied with it. Overall, I had fun reading this, but it felt somewhat shallow at times, too convenient.

When the Tides Held the Moon by Venessa Vida Kelley is a breathtaking historical fantasy that shimmers with heartache, wonder, and defiance. Set in the dazzling yet gritty world of 1910s New York City, this story weaves myth and history into a stunning love story that dares to ask what it means to be free in a world full of cages—both visible and invisible. Kelley’s writing doesn’t just tell a story—it submerges you in it, like waves pulling you under in the most beautiful way.

Benny Caldera is a protagonist you won’t soon forget. Orphaned, queer, and Boricua, he carries a quiet resilience that makes you ache for his dreams and cheer for his every act of courage. His work as a blacksmith—a craft both brutal and beautiful—is a powerful metaphor for his character. He shapes unyielding metal into something wondrous, much like he tries to carve a life for himself in a world that dismisses him at every turn. Benny’s artistic soul shines in the way he sees beauty where others only see survival.

Río, the captured merman at the center of the narrative, is mesmerizing. Kelley sidesteps the easy tropes of mythical creatures and creates a character who is more than a symbol or spectacle. Río is wise and enigmatic, but also deeply vulnerable—a being caught between fascination and tragedy. The love that blossoms between Benny and Río is quiet yet intense, filled with stolen moments and unspeakable longings. Their relationship isn’t just romantic—it’s a lifeline, a mutual recognition of what it means to be othered and imprisoned in different ways.

The setting of Coney Island’s Luna Park, with its glimmering lights and dark underbelly, is vividly rendered. Kelley captures the spectacle of turn-of-the-century freak shows and amusement parks without glamorizing the exploitation at their core. The side-show crew, with their eccentricities and quiet sorrows, feel like more than caricatures—they’re fully realized people who have built a found family in a world that shuns them. But the moral tension is palpable: how can they claim to understand the pain of being seen as "other" while holding a sentient being captive?

The novel’s themes—freedom, art, and identity—are woven with remarkable subtlety. Benny’s journey isn’t just about freeing Río; it’s about freeing himself from the chains of shame, invisibility, and self-doubt. The question of what is "right" is layered and complex. Kelley doesn’t offer simple answers because there aren’t any. But the love Benny and Río share isn’t just romantic—it’s a challenge to a world that treats wonder and difference as things to be exploited or feared.

Kelley’s prose is lyrical without being overwrought. Her descriptions of ironwork, moonlit waves, and the hum of the city are rich with sensory detail. You can almost feel the heat of Benny’s forge, hear the roar of the crowd at Luna Park, and taste the salt on Río’s skin. The emotional stakes build with exquisite tension, leading to a conclusion that is as heartbreaking as it is hopeful.

If there’s any minor critique, it’s that some of the side characters—while interesting—don’t always get as much exploration as they deserve. The dynamics within the sideshow crew could have been fleshed out a bit more, especially when their choices impact the central conflict. But this is a small quibble in an otherwise exceptional novel.

At 4.75 stars, When the Tides Held the Moon is a masterwork of historical fantasy, filled with profound questions, unforgettable characters, and a love story that will break your heart and put it back together again. Kelley’s novel is a celebration of those who dare to be themselves in a world determined to cage them—and a reminder that true freedom is not just about escape, but about the courage to hold on to who you are. This is a story that lingers like moonlight on water, reflecting something beautiful, tragic, and true.

(Thanks to NetGalley and Kensington Publishing Corp. for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.)

Okay, I’ll admit it. I originally requested this book because of the cover. I don’t think I even read the description. It’s just so gorgeous.🧜🏻‍♂️🌊

I was so happy to find out that the actual content lived up to the hype of the cover. This was a sweet, queer, “monster” romance. Kelley’s portrayal of 1910’s NYC was awesome, and I loved the Puerto Rican representation. Benny was a joy of a protagonist, who wears his huge heart on his sleeve.

For fans of circuses, “The Shape of Water”, and soft love interests.

I’m super excited for this release and plan to purchase a physical copy for my at-home library!

An Emotional Masterpiece!!

⭐️4.75/5 stars ⭐️

I am in AWE of this author. I have always been a fan of their artwork, and I have to say, they did NOT disappoint with their debut book. I can’t wait to buy the hardcover (already preordered) and see what art they included!!

As for the story itself, I could not step away. I was invested through the very end. Benny and Río were a beautiful couple and I loved seeing their relationship grow. I also enjoyed the side couples, too! I won’t spoil it, but I’m hoping for some side stories to come later!!

Kelley’s handling of the struggles in 1911 of immigrants, the LGTBQ+ community, and the lower class was absolutely astonishing. It didn’t come across as “overdone” or “fake”. They wrote it with feeling and I could really empathize with the characters and their situations.

Without spoilers, my biggest gripe with the story (albeit a small thing) is that I wished the mythology was a little more flushed out. I felt that, in a way, the ending was a tad rushed, and a few events could’ve been explained more.

Overall, I can NOT WAIT for my physical copy, as I will be rereading this again and again!

Magic is more real than ever on Vanessa V Kelley's debut novel. She brings her own Hispanic heritage to life on the page, making Benny feel like a lifelong friend. She clearly did her research, the life of a young man in 1910's NY was very believable. When the mystical Río is introduced, it doesn't feel campy or corny--his existence just makes sense. Their friendship develops naturally, their love grows realistically, and the story feels so real that I literally gasped aloud at one point. I can't wait to purchase this when it's published.

this was my first book of the year and it was absolutely phenomenal. it took me a moment to get going with this book but i am so glad i didnt dnf it prematurely. i am obsessed with it, have recommended it to at least 5 people already who are all dying to buy it when it comes out in april.

4 stars!

This was a really great blend of romance, historical, and fantasy and it was so heartwarming I spent half the book smiling!

I've been following the author for ages for their art so when I heard they were writing a book and it was going to be a mermaid romance I was so ready for it. What I didn't expect was the depth of historical research that clearly went into this and I thought the setting was very well done. Admittedly, my favorite parts were the domestic found family type moments between the members of the menagerie. There's just something about a group of lovable misfits that gets me. The romance was also very sweet and the scenes between Rio and Benny of them just bonding were super well done. I think the plot felt a little rougher towards the climax of the book and there were definitely some parts that dragged a bit but as a whole I really enjoyed it.

This is a great start for Venessa Vida Kelley! Can't wait to see what her next project looking like.

Thank you to Venessa Vida Kelley and Erewhon Books for this ARC in exchange for my full, honest review!

Happy reading!

This book deserves so much more hype!

If you have heard the soundtrack for The Warriors by Lin Manuel this book very much gives " A light or something" and I adored every second of it. The story is unique and engaging, kept me glued to the page and I fell in love with the characters. There are no tricks or gimmicks here, just beautiful writing and a wonderful story. Could not believe this was a debut author, Venessa did their thing!!