Late late ARC review; thanks to NetGalley, Kensington Publishing, and Erewhon Books for the access to this ebook.

This was a nice, gay fantasy romance between a Boricua blacksmith and a merman, and it explores the immigrant experience and what it's like to be othered. I enjoyed my time with it, but what you see is what you get. There aren't many big surprises in the way the story develops, so it's very straightforward, not super exciting, and the worldbuilding was a little lacking, but the characters were likable, and I thought they were very sweet together, though I wasn't super emotionally invested. I wish this had more intense fairytale vibes or something a bit more substantial about it. I wouldn't say it's highly memorable, but I liked it while I read it, and it had great elements. I just wish things were fleshed out more, or I connected more with it. As it is, I think it's a solid 3-star book, and I recommend checking it out.

An incredible new york fairy tale that reads similarly to 'The Shape of Water'. Not only is the romance swoon worthy, but the very real and human depth to the characters was apparent.

This was such an interesting read. It is very reminiscent of THE SHAPE OF WATER. And who doesn't love a hot, grumpy merman to swoon over! The queer representation in this book is also positive and great. And the 1900's NY vibe was so fun. Thanks to Venessa, Kensington Publishing, and NetGalley for giving me an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Goddamn beautiful. If you watched The Shape of Water and thought to yourself “What a beautiful exploration of loneliness, exploitation, and the definitions of monstrosity and humanity … but I still want more. I wish it also tackled themes of race, found family, queer identity and the American Dream,” then this book is for you. I cannot wait to see what this author puts out next. She truly has a gift.

A mermaid romance set in a Greatest Showman dream-like show, with questions of identity, finding found families and true love, all set in the 1910s? This was a book I never knew I needed. Following Benigno, a queer Puetro Rican immigrant, and the mysterious merman, Rio, as they fight against the dark mechanisms of Dreamland and a world that won't accept either.

Venessa Vida Kelley creates a dream-like romance that weaves in themes of found family, connections deeper than appearances, fighting for what's right and the aching wish of belonging (which fits exceptionally well with an LGBTQ+ story). I fell in love with the story from the first page, with how she handles each theme and intertwines them so seamlessly that it feels real. The romance between Benny and Rio was so sweet and beautiful that I wished the book went on longer just to read more about them. The ending has me in tears.

The illustrations are also a delight to see, adding to the fantastic nature of the story, but also grounding it as they show each character's individuality in their personalities, bringing a new dimension to the story. They also add to the theme of found family as they show how each character fits into the group to create a family of friends and supporters.

Overall, When The Tides Held The Moon is a beautiful, cosy fantasy romance that pulls you in from the first page with its romance, magical realism and the realness of each character and how you feel like you found a new family with the characters.

Thank you, NetGalley and Kensington Publishing, for sending me an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

A gay mermaid romance, what more could I ask for? This one took me a little while to get into, but once that happened, I was hooked and it flew by. This story is set in 1910s New York and follows Benigno, a queer Puerto Rican immigrant, and Rio, a merman. The themes of finding a home within yourself and others hit hard, and I loved the diversity of the characters. This was a highly enjoyable story that I will most likely be putting on my reread list!
Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Publishing for the opportunity to read this ARC, opinions are my own and given freely!

I’m not usually into period pieces, but this one completely pulled me in and I enjoyed quite a lot
A queer Puerto Rican blacksmith and a grumpy merman falling in love in 1910s New York? Very unexpected but ended up being very tender, emotional and story full of heart that i didnt expect liking as much as i did
I very much enjoyed how it leaned into found family, quiet connection, and the ache of belonging which fit very well with the lgbtq+ story.

It has been an honor to watch this story grow up--from inception to aspiration to release date; from plot tangles and rough sketches and research research research--into such a lyrical, emotional, magnificently illustrated debut of a book.

The era and setting felt like a faithful rendering; the characters and their dynamics were intriguing, delightful; and the multilingual text flowed easily across the page. But most of all, I adored Benny's determination and Río's empathy, and both of their beautifully kind hearts.

And when I finally closed the book, I clutched it to my chest and cried like a proud tia at the wedding of her favorite sobrinos.

Perfecto. Perfectísimo.

Thank you to Erewhon Books and NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I want to start out by saying how much I loved the premise of this book and Kelley did an incredible job of bringing it to life! In this historical fiction fantasy, Benny is an orphaned, immigrant from Puerto Rico who came as a dying wish to his adopted grandmother. He works as a blacksmith in New York, until he has a work accident which ends his employment. He’s given a new opportunity to build a giant tank for a side show in Luna Park, where he joins the crew and finds a found family that he never even dreamed of having.

The entire crew of the Menagerie are an eclectic group who all have different talents in their show, but they welcome Benny in to the fold. I loved getting to know all of these characters and how they truly are a family.

Río + Benny have my heart! I love them. It’s so easy to immediately feel this way, especially about Benny. He’s such a great MMC. He definitely is struggling throughout the book with his feelings for Río and coming out publicly about his sexuality. I think this part of Benny’s journey felt so realistic and authentic. And Río… a merman, the unlikely friend that Benny never saw coming. I love how their friendship and relationship slowly evolve through the book. Through their discussions, you really get to learn about each of them individually—learning about Río’s experience as a merman and being one with the sea and about Benny’s experience growing up in Puerto Rico with his grandmother, having asthma, and hiding his sexuality. You get some really beautiful, vulnerable moments just between the two of them, and I loved it. I especially loved when Río began teaching Benny how to swim. My heart!

Also— there needs to be a moment of silence for the artwork in this book!! I absolutely loved every illustration. I loved seeing certain scenes displayed so beautifully.

CW: racism, homophobia, kidnapping, racial slurs, injury/injury detail, gun violence, blood, sexual assault (off page, side character)

Definitely a must read! I read no idea what this book was about - well that's not true, l knew the book was set in New York 1910s, I knew there was possibly going to be a merman/mermaid (based on the cover and knew that this book was part of the LGBTQ2S+ family!
Fcking loved this book. It did take me a while to get through the first little bit, I honestly wasn't sure if I was going to finish as the writing style was one that was new to me but holy jesus read this book. Oh and one of the best parts in the book is the pop surprise Illustrations by Venessa! I also love that Venessa had the character be bilingual, it's a
"trope" a really love, probably cause I'm jealous they can speak two languages
We meet Benigno or as the Americans call him Benny, an orphan blacksmith in 1910s New York. It doesn't seem to matter what decade we are in, an immigrant of color always seems to be treated differently. Even the white immigrants treat him differently (how the hell does that work?), but an incident at work Benigno finds himself in the mix of sideshow performers. Who would have thought the tank Benigno built would hold a beautiful, mythical creature - a merman.
Guilty that he was part of stealing the merman from the East River, Benigno tries his best to befriend the merman. Rio is untrusting, aggressive and rightly so at first, but Benigno doesn't let that stop him from trying to make Rio's life more comfortable in the tank. An unforeseen friendship starts to bloom between the two, that I can't get over.
Never in his wildest dreams would Benigno have found himself working with sideshow performers, but the more he gets to know them and them, they form a beautiful found family from different walks of life, religion, body types and views on love.

Tropes
Found Family
Queer Romance & Merman
Slow Burn
• Beautiful Illustrations Throughout the Book by the Author
1910s New York Circus

5 out 5 stars
No spicy chilies

A gorgeous, lyrical and vibrant novel that has haunted me ever since I finished reading it. Kelley has created a masterpiece with vivid characters and a slice of the hot sticky heat of summer. A beautiful story about loneliness, isolation, and finding your way through adversity to the family that choose to love you. I adored this.

I loved the writing, plot, characters, and the illustrations! I didn't want the book to end so I took my time reading it
I enjoyed the messages throughout the book. This is definitely one of my favorite books! I love the family Benny made. I also enjoyed Rio's chapters! I loved reading his thoughts/messages to his mother. I love the lgbt content and background stories that the side characters. It was also interesting how the author wrote Morgan and his story line. Overall loved it!

This book was such a cool mix of queer romance, historical fiction, and fantasy. Benny and Río’s connection was so sweet and emotional, and the circus setting made it feel magical. A few slow spots, but overall a really touching, beautiful read. I also loved the little illustrations throughout ❤️

Thank you to NETGALLEY and the publisher for an E-Arc in exchange for an honest review 🥰

Completely and totally obsessed with this book and with Venessa Vida Kelley! I mean, gay mermaid love story -- need I say more? The "human curiosities" sideshow on historical Coney Island made for such a lush, immersive setting, and Kelley clearly weaved a ton of research into the rich details. And the illustrations make it all the more magical. It's a gorgeous queer romantasy that swept me off my feet.

Benigno, a talented ironworker, is assigned to make a giant tank, framed in iron and with unbreakable glass walls; as he learns too late, it's intended to house a captured merman, whom we come to know under the name Rio. The kidnappers' leader murders Rio's mother, who with her last breath asks Benigno to save her son -- and so he does, helped by the members of the "freak show" of which Rio is intended as the star. Of course Benigno and Rio fall in love on the way.

The historical background here is wonderful -- VVK has not only done her research (about Puerto Rican independence movements, about labor conditions in early 20th century NYC, about Coney Island amusement parks of the era), but also assimilated it, so the world Benigno moves through is thickly described and fully realized. I caught a few possible anachronisms in vocabulary, and that's all. The supporting characters -- the fake conjoined twins, the fat lady, the strong man, the firebreather, the tiny woman who has banned use of the m-word, the giant, and the contortionist -- aren't as fleshed out as Benigno, but each of them got enough page time to emerge as people rather than collections of attributes.

Notice I left Rio out of that list. I felt for him, I wanted him to get free and get his man, but ... unlike all the human characters, he's perfect. Merpeople in general are perfect. They're nonviolent, they live in harmony with the Current, they are healed by water and they heal it in return, etc. etc. Whereas shock! horror! human beings are capable of great stupidity and cruelty. I balked at all that mer perfection, which struck me as a lingering trace of the Noble Savage myth.

Kelley misses a few steps in worldbuilding -- sometimes Rio is familiar with an English idiom, sometimes not, in no consistent pattern. (Problems seem never to arise when he and Benigno are communicating in Spanish, though there's no apparent reason for Rio to know one culture better than the other.) I don't think it would ever have occurred to me to wonder why Rio knew so much about human life and language if Kelley hadn't made a point of his being baffled a couple of times. Oops. It's a minor point, really, but I did snag on it, so.

Saving dessert for last: My goodness, but the illustrations are lovely, even as seen in a PDF on Kindle. There's one on the author's website that I don't think appears in the ARC, of Benigno dreaming of Rio: do take a look. I'd like to get my hands on a physical copy of the book just to look at them all properly.

4.5 stars happily rounded up. Thanks to Kensington/Erewhon and NetGalley for the ARC.

When the Tides Held the Moon is an historical fantasy story set in early 1910s New York. The main character is 22 year old Benny who came to New York from Puerto Rico. Benny becomes involved with a Coney Island carnival after he helps them capture a merman named Rio. As Rio remains in captivity, an unexpected romance develops between them.

I liked the early 1910s New York setting, especially the descriptions of Coney Island. There were a lot of great side characters that created a nice found family dynamic. The love story between Benny and Rio was beautiful and complicated. The pacing dragged a bit in the middle for me and I found myself wishing things would move along faster at times. Things picked back up toward the end and the ending was very satisfying!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Beautiful prose and even more breathtaking setting. However, the pacing of this book makes the reader's enjoyment very difficult. I liked the characters but the fated mates felt way too rushed to me. I would have liked to have seen the romance more flushed out than just the inner monologue sappiness.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

Easily a 5 star read. I loved this book. Might be my top read of the year so far. I love the characters and I love the story. I was obsessed with The Greatest Showman when it came out and this kind of gave me that circus vibe. There’s love, there’s found family and there’s characters just trying to belong in a world where they are not fully accepted. So stinking good. Pick this up.

Premise:

A man, fired from his job and evicted from his house, is lured in to a circus in hopes to find a new home. The ringleader is trying to keep the circus afloat by taking sketchy deals and capturing a mythical creature for a new exhibit in his show.

Rep:
LGBT Rep

Mermen, circus folk, and found family.

I had such a good time reading this book!
It did take me a little while to read it, I kept putting it down, but I think that I just wasn't in the mood for a circus/sideshow setting.
Other than that, the found family was great, the romance was so sweet, some of the things Rio and Benny would say to each other made me tear up multiple times.
It was beautifully written, I would really recommend it for anyone that loves a good merman story, or a circus setting.