gosh was this one absolutely amazing. i loved the romance, i loved the characters, all of them (well, mostly), and i loved the lyrical writing. the illustrations were nice too. 5 stars. tysm for the arc, netgalley and erewhon.

DNF at 20%

I was looking forward to read this book, firstly because the beautiful cover caught my attention and then when I read the synopsis of this queer mermaid story I couldn't wait to read it. But unfortunately it just wasn't for me, the characters felt two dimensional to me so I wasn't as invested in the story as I wish I was, and there was some unnecessary info dumping.

thank you to net galley for the arc

I think this book was good and I loved our two main characters. I think pacing was an issue in this novel though and I found myself bored around the 50 and 60% mark. Aside from that, it was a very refreshing and unique premise especially as a New Yorker.

This was so well done and just beautifully written! I thoroughly enjoyed all the diverse characters and personalities that were portrayed. I also thought the art was beautiful and it was fun to see the characters in action and not just in my imagination. Benny felt dynamic and real and multifaceted, which made following his journey even more interesting. I also enjoyed getting to learn some Spanish while I read!

This was an absolute delight. I found myself reading slowly to just take it in and make it last. The story reels you in so beautifully. I loved it.

ARC Review

I’ve been following Venessa since 2020 where I fell in love with her fanart and I feel so fortunate that I was able to receive an ARC of her debut novel!

This was just downright lovely. Such a beautifully written, intricate, and unique love story between Benny and RÍo. When the Tides Held the Moon is full of diverse characters, disability rep, LGBTQIA+ rep, and Puerto Rican culture.

I just absolutely loved this!

It's only the 3rd of January, and this is an ARC, but this may be my favorite book of 2025. Kelley does such a great job bringing 1910s New York to life from the perspective of a Puerto Rican immigrant, Benny. The hopes he held to restart his life only to forge his heart behind a wall by the heat and racism he experienced with his smithy job and existing in NY. It takes stealing a merman from the ocean with Sam Morgan and his Menagerie of Oddities for Benny to realize there's more to him than he's ever given himself credit. Rio, our precious merman, shows Benny he's worthy of love, not just from others, but from himself as well. This was so well written and each character fleshed out with their motivations, and they take you through the wringer of emotions. I loved this book so much, and I'm grateful for Netgalley and Kensington Publishing for the ARC. I will 100% be purchasing this when it's released.

This book was so good that I had to refrain myself from reading more of it halfway through just so I can purchase the book for myself once it's out and enjoy the rest of it while supporting the author (it's taking everything in me not to read the rest of it).

If you read or whatched the shape of water you are going to get really similar vibes from this book. Even the older time period will give you nostalgia. There is some really good Puerto Rican representation from the time period throughout this book involving hurricanes and lots of cultural significance sprinkled all through the book. The merman in this book you will come to grow into your heart and the soft journey these boys make in connecting to each other was a very enjoyable one to read. There is also a nice found family in this between the main character and the people in the sort of "freak show" circus he becomes a part of. You can just really feel the time period in this one, I honestly had to look up a lot of unfamiliar words but not so much it ripped me out of the story. But trust me if you love mermen or the shape of water you will love this book.

MLM historical, romantic fantasy!
1910s new york gothic fairy tale
Benny an orphaned blacksmith, does ironwork around the city for cash to feed and pay his family death
He builds a mysterious water tank for a Side Show Luna Park Owner and is invited to work with them at a better pay
Benny realizes hes building tank and cages for the captives of the side show
The captive of the tank is Rio the merman, a traveling philosopher and future main attraction of Luna Park
benny is part of rios capture and the ultimate death of rios mother but cant help but fall inlove with the merman he helped capture
heart wrenchingly beautiful! i cried at the preformance scenes and have the poems memorized! so sad and beautiful

This book did a number on me. It’s everything I could have ever wanted. I laughed, I cried, I fawned. Thank you so much for allowing me to read an ARC of this book, I can’t wait to buy a physical copy.

When the Tides Held the Moon is a historical fantasy set in 1910s New York City that captures themes like romance, found family, and discovering your identity. The descriptions are lush and detailed, and the setting is perfect. The cover is gorgeous, and I'm sure will be stunning in person. I love the font choice and the color schemes chosen, which I think really bring out the time period the story takes place in. Benny, our main character, is a Puerto Rican immigrant and blacksmith who is drawn into a new career as a carney, where he is tasked with taking care of a merman called Rio. Their bond strengthens in ways I didn't expect, but I was extremely intrigued. I really appreciated the ideas of finding love even when it's not easy, of learning to love despite differences and struggle, and the diverse and unique relationship dynamic. As a history lover, I truly enjoyed all the little references to historical events in New York City that really grounded the story. I flew through the beginning but the end felt a little out of pace for me. Despite that, I had a great time the whole way through. I hope that Kelley is able to continue developing her talent for historical fiction and thoughtful, deep romance. I am looking forward to purchasing a copy of this one for my own collection and recommending it to friends. Thank you so much!

Thank you so much to the author, Venessa Vida Kelley, the publisher, and NetGalley for allowing me to read When the Tides Held the Moon. I will share my review to Goodreads, Amazon, and Barnes & Noble upon release.

When the Tides Held the Moon is the sort of book that deserves a review written while the tears from finishing it are still burring my vision. Tender, haunting, and sincerely loving, this novel perfectly captures the strength we find through the families we choose and the freedom that comes from discovering who we are for ourselves.

Venessa Kelley’s writing also does an incredible job of illuminating the way that tentative trust grows into such a deep love between Benigno and Río; The romance is chest-achingly gorgeous, and I found myself yearning for the moments the two of them shared nearly as much as the characters themselves did.

I can’t thank this author enough for sharing their captivating writing & illustration work with us. I’ll be keeping an eager eye out for her next project (with plenty of tissues on hand)!

I was pleasantly surprised by this book! It started off super slow and the writing style is not my favorite; it's something I cannot put my finger on, but by the end I was enraptured. About 25% in is when I got invested, which is a bit of a slog, but once I was in, I finished the rest of the book in one sitting.

The heart and characters are what make this book. The plot is comfortable and cozy, not exactly unpredictable, but still engaging. This is a found family, and finding yourself book at its heart. I loved the relationship between Benigno and Rio. Their connection and trajectory was believable and my heart was full of the warm fuzzies reading them help each other and bond.

The found family and slew of side show characters were a little flat at first, but they evolved with Benny and were lovable to the end. The atmosphere of this book does feel like one of those noir films about this time period. It was very fun and spunky!

Overall I give this a 3.75 star rounded up to 4~

Thank you to Netgalley and Kensington Publishing for this eARC.

I did not finish this for the simple fact I could not get over the writing style. Only a few pages in to the first chapter and the author has already used Spanish words instead of English where it’s not needed. I understand what the usage of Spanish like that is supposed to imply or whatever, but hair is an easy English word, why are you using that Spanish word for it. It would be different if it was hard words, but its simple words. And don’t get me started on the info dumping. It’s giving too much details for people we’re not going to see after the next chapter. The cover is absolutely beautiful though. And the characters were intriguing. But I really couldn’t get over the writing style. I might try reading this again in the future, but right now it’s not working for me.

*When the Tides Held the Moon* by Vanessa Vida Kelley is a captivating read that really grew on me as I went along. The setting—a small coastal town steeped in myth—is immersive, and the blend of magical realism with family drama made the story feel both otherworldly and deeply human. Lena's search for answers about her ancestry and her connection to the tides is compelling, and the writing itself is beautiful, almost poetic at times.

That said, there were a few moments where the pacing felt a little slow, especially in the middle, and I found myself wishing for a bit more action. Still, the emotional depth and the way Kelley weaves nature and identity together had me hooked by the end. Overall, I’d give it 4 stars—it’s a thoughtful, atmospheric novel that left me thinking long after I finished it.

When the Tides Held the Moon by Venessa Vida Kelley is a wonderful, fun, and ambitious debut. I loved the setting (1911ish, NYC) and the wide range of diverse characters.

This book follows Benny, an immigrant from Puerto Rico, who accidentally stumbles into a ringleader’s plan to capture a merman for his oddities collection (very P.T. Barnum-esque). Benny joins the show as the merman’s caretaker and connects with the creature, both men similarly longing for home.

In short, this is a fantastic and immersive book. The world is well built and accessible while each character is thought out and uniquely motivated. The love story is sweet and nicely developed. Overall, I am impressed that this is a debut and can’t wait to see what the author writes next.

My only minor gripe is the pacing. It felt a bit slow at times, especially towards the end. Some scenes dragged on, and the stakes didn't always feel high enough. Still, I was hooked enough to finish it, even if I skipped a few pages here and there (oops!).

I recommend this to anyone who loves a good romance, wants to see more Hispanic representation, or enjoys period pieces. (I loved the reference to the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire)

The illustrations are stunning and I can’t wait to see this book in the stores sometime in the near future! Fingers crossed that TikTok gets a hold of this book because it deserves to go viral.

Thank you NetGalley and the publishers for the ARC!

4.5 stars rounded up to 5
This was such a fun read, and an incredible debut for Venessa Vida Kelley! The characters were executed incredibly well. I think with a circus/”freak show” cast it could be difficult to have characters who play into harmful stereotypes without letting those characters be defined by them, but Kelley gave all these characters enough depth that they were engaging, and felt like real people. Personally I loved the relationship between Emmet and Benny. I think it was a great example of how being part of a minority group doesn’t prevent you from being ignorant about other minorities. I also loved the queerness and queer acceptance in this book. Of course, it is a gay romance, so I knew the protagonist and love interest would be queer, but it was nice to see some other queer/trans characters too.
I really appreciated the glossary including definitions of all of the non-english words/phrases. Since I was reading on kindle I was able to look up some phrases while I was reading, but sometimes Google translate doesn’t accurately translate things, especially slang.
Additionally, I would be remiss to review this book without even mentioning the gorgeous illustrations. Because this was a digital arc, the images on my copy were in black and white, but I follow the author on instagram where they’ve posted some of the dual tone versions. I absolutely adore when books have illustrations in them, I always think they help bring more life to the book, and Kelley's art style matched with the book’s environment incredibly well.
Thank you so much to the author and publishers for the pleasure of reading this digital arc!

The concept of this book is gorgeous, The cover is gorgeous. There are turns-of-phrases that are gorgeous,

I thought this book was good.

It is a good book. Unique and original, while still being familiar enough to make it easily palatable, even as it delves into some very dark and uncomfortable topics. (What else would you call a period of time where it was not uncommon to find living human beings on display at fairs?) Anyone who likes grounded urban fantasy will like this one, and appreciate some part of it, I like the emphasis on finding your place in the world, finding your people. It's a narrative theme that never fails to get at me.

The pacing was a little uneven, but I find that to be the case with most debut novels. It's easily forgivable here. There are lots of moments that need to sit with you to have their whole impact. Lots of things that need to be fully digested before you can move on. So if it is a little slow in places, it feels right in the moment when reading, regardless of how it feels looking back at the whole picture.

I felt this was thoughtful and thought provoking and I am glad I read it, even if I didn't wholly love it.

Rounding up on 3.5 stars. This is an ambitious story for a debut. I loved the idea and the characters, the setting was interesting, and the illustrations are a lovely addition, although I found the execution uneven. I really wanted to love this book because the author seems wonderful and I have been enjoying her fan art and illustrations for a while. The writing style didn't really work for me and it pulled me out of the story enough that it was a bit of a slog. But I'm glad I stuck with it because it was nice to see how it all played out. Again, I think it's a great story and worth reading and probably more enjoyable for people who jive with the author's voice better.