Thank you so much to NetGalley and Kensington Publishing for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

This book was absolutely stunning. It broke my heart and put it back together so tenderly.

While at times it was clear where the plot was heading, I still thoroughly enjoyed every single second of it. Personally, I loved the slow pacing as it really allowed for the both the main and side characters to shine.

I especially loved the thoughtful, nuanced exploration of Benigno's journey - from his struggle as a Puerto Rican immigrant to learning, slowly, to find his own voice and strength. The way he had to learn to blend in, by impersonating accents and staying small, to stay hidden as a matter of survival.

"I'd lost track of all the times I had melted myself down just to recast myself as someone with a slightly better shot at belonging someplace..."

"But it was kind of you... And kindness is its own food."

The illustrations throughout were also an incredible treat, along with the heartwarming found family and slow burn romance.

What a delicious read.

This historical fantasy had the best longing and angst and I ate it up.

Benny is a young Puerto Rican blacksmith who falls in love with Rio, the merman he is tasked to care for.
I really enjoyed the slow progression of their romance. How when Rio realized he was falling in love with Benny, he forgot he wanted to be set free. I was also falling in love with Benny as I was reading along.

But how can they be together when Rio wants to be set free and Benny needs him to stay to restore the waning business of the sideshow?
And how can a human and a creature be together?
You'll have to read to find out.

"don't waste your damn life trying to smother spark that want's to be a blaze"

"I think I am the fish and he is the net"

"the more I learn about Benigno the more he teaches me to swim"

The art is stunning, the story is beautiful, the characters are perfectly flawed and relatable. I loved this story and was in awe of the art the entire time.

I was drawn to When the Tides Held the Moon by its lush premise: a Boricua blacksmith in 1910s New York, a mythical merman caged in Coney Island, and a love story steeped in longing and impossible choices. The ingredients were all there for something magical, lyrical, and emotionally rich. But sadly, this one didn’t hold me, and I had to set it aside around the one-third mark.

The writing is undeniably poetic—sometimes beautifully so—but often leaned so heavily into its lyrical style that it lost narrative momentum. I found myself rereading passages to grasp the meaning, not because they were complex in a rewarding way, but because the prose felt overwrought and meandering. The atmosphere was rich, yet the pacing dragged, and the story struggled to find its footing beneath the weight of its language.

Benny is a character with depth, and his connection to Río has the makings of something powerful and tender. But even as their bond began to form, the emotional resonance didn’t fully land for me. The romance, while thematically strong, felt distant—more told than shown—and I didn’t feel anchored enough in their relationship or the surrounding plot to push through the slow unfolding of events.

This is the kind of book that might work better for readers who love slow, dreamlike historical fiction and don’t mind prioritizing mood and metaphor over plot. But for me, When the Tides Held the Moon felt like wading through poetic fog—beautiful at a glance, but hard to navigate.

DNF.

A beautifully written and atmospheric debut, When the Tides Held the Moon draws you in with its lyrical prose and vivid sense of place.

While the “fated mates” romance leaned a bit too sappy for my taste, it fits the genre and will appeal to readers who enjoy intense, destined love stories. The plot was a bit predictable and the ending slightly rushed, but the smooth pacing and stunning illustrations made the experience feel magical.

Overall, a heartfelt and immersive read I’d definitely recommend.

What a beautiful story this is! It was my first with merman & blacksmith trope which was a unique idea for me. Although Benny (the blacksmith) which turns into the caretaker of Rio (merman) it was well-written with gorgeous illustrations.
It took me a while to get into it but when I found my pace, I was in a whole new world where we get to see a circus and Rio is made point of attraction while benny taking care & falling in love with him.
The way they fight for each other & for their love is heart wrenching!!

There's a lot to love in this book: intriguing characters, passions, secrets and it could be a page turner but it's also very slow at times and I struggled as my adhd was not happy.
A good read in any case, recommended
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

“Before I left, I put my hand against the glass. A promise to return. He came and placed an argentine palm on the glass against mine. A promise to wait.”
🌊
When the Tides Held the Moon is a historical fiction set in 1910’s New York City, where our main character Benny works as a black smith scraping by. He is commissioned to create the iron frame of a giant tank for an eccentric amusement park owner. An odd request, made odder when Benny is roped into catching the tanks new inhabitant: a merman.
Through catching a merman called Rio, to preparing the attraction for opening night, we get such a lovely story of loneliness, love, forgiveness, and a reminder we have the ability to choose our own paths.
🌊
This book is the perfect mix of lighthearted and tragic! The found family is messy and thoroughly entertaining, and the queer rep was diverse and such an important part of the story! If you are a sucker for nicknames you are going to DIE reading this.
🌊
5/5 stars!
Thank you to Erewhon Books and Venessa Vida Kelley for the ARC copy! 💙

You know, sometimes you start a book and it just feels like it might become a favourite of the year. The writing style draws you in, the characters intrigue you, the world calls to you. This is what happened with <i>When the Tides Held the Moon</i>. I really really enjoyed this one when I started it because it had so many things I adore: historical setting with fantastical elements (merpeople!!), carneval/amusement park/freak show vibes, intriguing main character and a flowery kind of writing style. I loved it, I was into it.
I enjoyed getting to know Benigno and was immediately captivated by his plight, and I couldn't stop reading once Rio the merman got involved. It was heartbreaking, it was exciting and I couldn't wait to witness their relationship blossom.
The amazement did fizzle out a little the more I read on, though. The pacing is rather slow, the story is predictable from start to finish, the love story happens wayyyyy too quickly for my liking and the side characters, which I very much enjoyed despite some stereotypical ideas, where for the most part completely sidelined until they were needed for the story progression again. Which is why the found family aspects never worked so well. The author also chose to simply glaze over central conflicts in the story, especially regarding the romance: There should have been so much more conflict between the Benigno and Rio based on the fact that Benigno wasn't just a part of Rio's capture and death of his mother, but instrumental in it by building the cage that traps him. But Rio more or less forgives after a single conversation and it felt like two pages later they were in love already. Where is the nuance, the conflict, the struggle, the organic development of feelings rooted in such a traumatic event? That was the interesting stuff and it was simply pushed to the side for instant romance instead. Which is, more or less, when my enjoyment of the story quickly fizzled out.
Benigno is also just a bit toooo perfect to stay interesting for the whole book. He basically has no flaws other than maybe being a little naive. I also personally didn't enjoy the ending "twist". Yes, it allowed for the perfect happy ending (which I know most people will enjoy) but it also took away the more interesting, dramatic aspects of the relationship. It was magical, at least.
So in the end? There is beauty in this novel. It's a cute, magical love story with stakes that never really do feel like stakes, with villains that are little less than caricatures, with sprinklings of found family and a saccharine romance that I know will speak to a lot of people, especially romantasy fans. It's a good little read for a rainy weekend though probably won't stay with you for longer than that.
2,5 stars, I think, rounding up mostly for the strong beginning.

Beautifully written! I enjoyed the story though there were moments that seemed to lag for me. I enjoyed the family that Benny found within the troop and I enjoyed each one of their characters. The ending leaves a lot to interpretation, but you get a sense of everything even though the author doesn't tell you exactly what happened. I still have questions that weren't answered in the way that made things clear, but dang was that ending cute! And very intense! My heart!

I really enjoyed how whimsical this book was! I’m such a sucker for historical fiction mixed with magical realism, and I think this book pulled it off beautifully. The way the author blended the historical New york with a touch of fantastical made the world feel rich and vivid, and I was completely drawn in.

Benny is such a well-crafted character — I loved getting his perspective on things, especially because he’s not a straightforward “good guy.” He’s still involved in capturing Rio, and you can see his flaws and the compromises he makes, but his personal journey throughout the book really made me root for him. He’s complex, layered, and his growth felt authentic.

The found family element was also chef’s kiss — it gave the story so much warmth and heart. I love when a group of misfits comes together and builds something stronger than blood ties. That said, I did feel like a few of the side characters fell into somewhat stereotypical roles, and I wish they had been given a bit more depth or nuance. Still, they were enjoyable and served the story well overall.

In short, this book was a delightful mix of charm, magic, and emotional depth, and I’d definitely recommend it to anyone who loves historical books with a touch of magical realism. I can’t wait to read more from this author!

Lovely work of art. The illustrations alone make the book worth reading. I loved the romance and I loved the found family even more.

Thank you NetGalley and Erewhon Books for giving me access to an e-arc for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

1911, Coney Island. Benigno "Benny" Caldera is a Puerto Rican immigrant, a steel worker with asthma hoping to make a life for himself in a new country. When showman Sam Morgan commissions a giant iron and glass cage, Benny is the one who makes it, and is then recruited to the side show as a general handyman. But what's going into the cage? A genuine merman, torn from the sea. Benny slowly earns Rio's trust and they fall in love. As Benny gets close to both Rio and the rest of the show cast, he has to make some horrible decisions: if he frees Rio, he loses his love and destroys the show and the new family he has. If he doesn't free Rio, he will die and worse things even may happen.
I really loved this. Benny was wonderful, and so was the rest of the cast. I wish there had been more Rio chapters, but the chapters we did have were really well-written and had this dreamy, inhuman quality that emphasized that he wasn't human, but was so human at the same time? On the topic of the side show crew: there are a pair of "conjoined" "twins," a giant grieving Russian man, an Indian little madam who was maybe my favorite, a contortionist with hidden depths, a fat lady who mothers the whole crew, and an Irish firebreather. They stole the show. I loved it. The setting, 1911 New York, was also such an underrated setting. I would read dozens of books set in this time and place. Just very good. A very stellar book.

A good overall vibe for a fantasy book, not my usual cup of tea especially with the found home/family tropes but it was an enjoyable read for me overall which is why I have given it 4 stars.

As a girl who grew up watching fairy-tale films and reading mystical books, I am a huge fan of mermaids. As soon as I hear about this book, I knew it was going to be something I want to pick up and read. Everyone I know had been talking about its release!

I really enjoyed the author writing style. Vanessa Vida Kelly’s debut blends lyrical prose with stunning visuals to tell a deeply emotional story of a queer Puerto Rican blacksmith and a captive merman discovering trust, family, and home.

This is a delightful, heartfelt read with a huge amount of emotional depth. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone interested in mermaids or found family. This year has been a really strong queer year with so many new books coming out and this is there competing for a top spot.

Such a beautiful book. I absolutely adored this book. The beautiful, lyrical writing was captivating. I highly recommend this for all fantasy romance lovers.

When the Tides Held the Moon is, and probably will be, one of my top reads of 2025. First, the author is an absolutely gifted artist and their illustrations throughout the book really bring the characters to life. As we get to know Benigno (Benny), we learn about what brought him to America, and how (like many of us), see that the American Dream isn't the reality that he found. The slow-burn romance between Benny and Rio is heartwarming to experience, and the tenderness and care that they have for each other just shows that they're a perfect pair.

I really loved the way that the author wove in real events that happened in American history, and not only highlighted but uplifted marginalized communities and voices in the book. Found family plays such an integral role throughout the story, and through Benny's eyes we get to see just how crucial it is to find representation and community.

I absolutely adored this book, and I cannot wait to see what Venessa Vida Kelley has in store for us in the future - I've found a new auto-buy author, for sure.

“The moon and the ocean are lovers. Companions in the night,” he murmured. “When the moon is full and the sea is calm, it hangs so large and luminous in the sky; I would go to the surface just to bathe in the silver glow and feel the tides rise to greet it.”

Beautiful writing, engaging story, likeable characters, an adorable found family - I just can't find it in me to love the circus in general. However, the historical setting is rich and vividly depicted, the relationship between the main characters is sweet and lovely, though there were times when I wanted to shake Benny lovingly to wake him up and stop dragging his feet.

"I’d gotten so used to being treated like I couldn’t feel pain; I was a machine meant to labor until the gears failed and I became just another punchline to a white man’s joke. But I was one of Río’s seashells in his hands— treasured, precious, apt to shatter if pressed too hard."

This was a beautiful story. I loved the illustrations in between chapters, the elements of found family, the diverse group of performers, the descriptiveness of people and the theme park, the inner thoughts of Rio, and watching two people slowly realize they’re in love. I enjoyed the soft moments, and the exciting action packed moments. If you’re a fan of The Greatest Showman, this one is for you.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review!

Benny is an asthmatic Puerto Rican orphan, barely surviving his blacksmith job in New York City when he is given the opportunity to create an ironwork tank for a Coney Island attraction. He never expects that the work of art he’s created to catch the eye of the sideshow manager who commissioned it, nor for the manager to offer him a job with the sideshow. He definitely doesn’t expect for the tank to hold a mermaid, and he absolutely did not plan to fall in love with him.

At the surface this book is a romance about a man and a merman, but it’s so much more. This book is about what it means to be a family, self-acceptance, and finding your home in the world. I absolutely adored When the Tides Held the Moon. Benny and Rio’s romance was beautiful to watch unfold. All of the characters, even side characters were planned out with their own backgrounds and stories that made this really cohesive. The use of Spanish phrases was beautifully done and the glossary was comprehensive. This book also had absolutely gorgeous illustrations.

🔥M/M romance
🔥found family
🔥 BIPOC representation
🔥 merman
🔥 sideshow setting!

This was a 5 star read and I’ll be thinking about it for a long while.

This was an absolutely stunning read. I came for the merman, stayed for the found family. As someone who has struggled with a sense of belonging many times in life, this story resonated with me in such a delightful way. I found myself attached to every character and absolutely LOVED Rio and Benigno. I also ended up buying a physical copy on release day and the thoughtful design of the entire book is absolutely GORGEOUS.