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.

An amazing story. The found family in land and in the ocean made the entire book for me. The portrayal of hardships that south america immigrants had to go through in those times was beautiful written but hard to read. The treatment of the people that were part of freak shows was also heartbreaking specially thw treatment of Mary.

Thank you to Venessa for a beautiful story.

Benny doesn't belong anywhere. He's a Puerto Rican immigrant trying desperately to fulfill his aunt's dying wish by making it in New York City (in the early 1900s). He's a gifted craftsman, however, and one day his welding skills make him an asset to the mysterious leader of an oddities exhibit at Coney Island. Benny unwittingly becomes part of The Plan: to capture a mermaid and become the most successful company in the park. Soon they have their own merman. Initially, Benny is afraid, but quickly, he and the merman discover that they have more in common than they thought. What follows is a gorgeous and dangerous story of found family, tenderness, true love, and finding oneself. You will NOT want to miss it.

I can't remember the last time I read a book this EPIC. There have been comparisons made to the movies "The Greatest Showman" and "The Shape of Water", and I can understand why. Honestly, I felt like I was watching a movie the entire time I read this book. The author is a gifted storyteller, taking us to early 20th century New York City as seen through the eyes of a young Puerto Rican immigrant. They not only write, but ILLUSTRATE the book! I adored the pictures, along with the narration, done beautifully by Lee Osorio and Joel de la Fuente, who has the Herculean task of conveying more accents than you can shake a stick at! (Yes, I bought the book AND the audiobook, despite having the ARC, because I wanted to be fully immersed. I'm SO GLAD I did!)

There are many richly developed characters within these pages, and the story is stronger for it. We get to see flawed but beautiful people who try to hide the ugly parts of themselves in hopes of finding acceptance and success. We learn that often empathy, compassion, and love are the greatest gifts we can both give and receive. Scenes in which loyalties are tested become some of the most gripping of all. But, shining brightest, is the BEAUTIFUL bond between our heroes. It made me want to weep, and use a word like "weep", because no other word will do! To be clear, this is not "man and merman get it on". This is "two gorgeous souls find, uplift, and make one another whole through tenderness, care, and understanding". It's emotional, poignant, and unforgettable. 😭😭

Trigger warnings: shooting/being shot, blood, tuberculosis, asthma (severe), burns, sex trafficking, violence, assault, racism, neglect, homophobia

I'd like to thank Kensington Publishing and Netgalley for the eARC of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.

I have to say, THE WORLD BUILDING, phenomenal!
I was instantly captivated in the first chapter, and I couldn't put the book down.

Compared to another merfolk book I picked up, I thoroughly enjoyed this one, The depth of the characters, the relationship between Benigno and Rio, the development of the story... It had me right in the feels the entire time.

Benigno is a metal worker who is tasked to kidnap and frame a tank for Rio, a merman. The form an unlikely friendship that develops into something...more.

Found family is a weak spot for me in books. This is about finding home in the unlikeliest places, and I am 100% sure that it'll have you in tears.
Thank you Netgalley and the publishers for letting me read this work of art. I am so excited to see what else Venessa has in store!

i went into this thinking nothing more than “man, i love mermaids”. it helps that i was obsessed with the shape of water back when it came out, and i’ve felt like a fish out of water for most of my life, so there’s just something about stories like this/anything with mermaids that Get To Me in a way that other fantasy beasts could never do quite as deep. Benigno is a lonely and orphaned puerto rican metal worker in 1910s new york who builds a tank to trap a merman for a coney island circus show and oops! falls in love with him! and oops! finds himself a whole family in the process! this isn’t exactly low stakes but it’s sweet as hell, had me giggling and ooh-ing and aw-ing all over, and just about gave me everything i expected, even if it did take a while to hook line and sinker me in.
thank you to netgalley and erewhon books for this digital arc, and to Venessa Vida Kelley not only for the words but also for the breathtaking illustrations <3

Personally, the writing style of this just wasn't for me! This was an interesting take on the Greatest Showman, however that story didn't really resonate with me. I wanted to give it a chance though.

I knew this was going to be good. I knew it was going to be excellent, really, but this level of perfection?
Insane. I sometimes truly had to put the book down because my own feelings overwhelmed me so much. The writing is beautiful and expressive and so full of emotion. The world that Venessa Vida Kelley has crafted is magnificent. Horrifying and wondrous. I am so in awe of her immense talent, be it for writing or for illustrating because those illustrations? I RAN to get a physical copy for my shelf because getting to hold these pictures in my hand is so very needed. 10/10, cannot wait for more stories.

5⭐️ 0🌶️ 5 🎧

Wow! Just wow! Literally everything about this book was stunningly beautiful.

Not only did Venessa write the most amazingly cinematic book filled with so much love, compassion and resilience, she filled it with gorgeous illustrations and topped it off with one of the most beautiful covers I’ve ever seen!

Even the audiobook was a work of art! Lee Osorio and Joel de la Fuente gave outstanding performances! The number of accents in Beningo’s chapters was astounding and the lyrical way Rio’s chapters were brought to life both left me in awe.

I loved this book so much! At the heart of it this book was about family and love. Not just the romantic love between Benny and Rio but also the amazing family that the Menagerie found with each other. The no holds barred, sacrifice anything kind of love.

But of course finding yourself and that family doesn’t come without challenges and the Menagerie faced more challenges than usual. While my heart ached for the racism, homophobia, and othering these characters faced, their acceptance of each other, love and resilience brought me so much joy.

I savored this book and took my time reading it and was so sad when it was over. I wanted more!

🧜‍♂️ Slow Burn
🌙 MM Romance
🧜‍♂️ Found Family
🌙 Coney Island Setting
🧜‍♂️ Poetic

4.5 ⭐️

So, this was absolutely enchanting. It's a slow-burn story following Benny (Benigno) as he grapples with his own mortality after he signs on to assist with the capture and exhibition of a merman at the popular (and failing) Coney Island Luna Park.

Benny has fought his way to America and is in a constant battle with systemic oppression and outright racism as a Puerto Rican (and closeted gay) man. This story tells the tale of the relationship that develops between him and the Merman, Rio, in the early 1900s of New York.

The Coney Island Setting, the cast of characters, the poetry of the prose, and the burn romance were so beautifully done. The story definitely has a found-family vibe that develops between Benny and the odd cast of characters that make up the Luna Park sideshow. As far as character development, this story quite frankly knocks it out of the park. With robust and multi-faceted characters, the struggles that are faced feel very realistic and poignant despite the fantasy spin.

The author has created such an evocative tale with vivid imagery that thrusts the reader right into the story setting. I did find, at times, that the story was predictable, but it's still beautifully crafted with SO much heart that it's hard not to get lost within the pages. There's a definite scrutiny of the false promise of the American dream here, and it's also a tale of overcoming prejudices despite the world working against you.

The one thing that held me back from giving this five stars is that the plot feels a little bit slow and meandering. It definitely fits the cozy romantic fantasy vibe but isn't necessarily reflective of my personal taste. I did find, at times, I lost interest as a result of this slow pacing. Despite the minor personal pacing issue, I can't help but point out that this was an absolutely gorgeous story that will stick with me for a while. There are so many wonderful quotable passages, and overall, it's a very soul-soothing read, even with some of the darknessesses we encounter.

It is a beautiful story with gorgeous artistic illustrations and heart; I think this one will be a genre stand-out.

𝓣𝓱𝓪𝓷𝓴 𝔂𝓸𝓾 𝓽𝓸 𝓝𝓮𝓽𝓰𝓪𝓵𝓵𝓮𝔂 𝓪𝓷𝓭 𝓚𝓮𝓷𝓼𝓲𝓷𝓰𝓽𝓸𝓷 𝓟𝓾𝓫𝓵𝓲𝓼𝓱𝓲𝓷𝓰 𝓯𝓸𝓻 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓐𝓡𝓒 𝓸𝓯 𝓽𝓱𝓲𝓼 𝓫𝓸𝓸𝓴. 𝓐𝓵𝓵 𝓽𝓱𝓸𝓾𝓰𝓱𝓽𝓼 𝓪𝓷𝓭 𝓯𝓮𝓮𝓭𝓫𝓪𝓬𝓴 𝓬𝓸𝓷𝓽𝓪𝓲𝓷𝓮𝓭 𝔀𝓲𝓽𝓱𝓲𝓷 𝓽𝓱𝓲𝓼 𝓻𝓮𝓿𝓲𝓮𝔀 𝓪𝓻𝓮 𝓶𝔂 𝓸𝔀𝓷.

Book 17 of 2025 - ✅! Thank you to NetGalley, Kensington Publishing | Erewhon Books & Venessa Vida Kelley for an ARC of When the Tides Held the Moon, in exchange for my honest review.

When the Tides Held the Moon was described as Shape of Water meets The Greatest Showman. Combine that with an absolutely stunning cover and artwork — say less. Prior to this book, it was my understanding that Kelley was mostly known for her gorgeous art within the book community.

The novel centers on Benigno “Benny” Caldera, a Puerto Rican immigrant living in 1910s NYC, working as a blacksmith. Brilliant, though underutilized, under-appreciated and underestimated, Benny (unknowingly) builds a tank for the newest exhibit at Coney Island’s Luna Park side show: Río, a merman. Benny and Río slowly start to form a bond, which turns into a friendship, and then ultimately falling in love.

As a lover of historical fiction, and because I have been interested in this particular era thanks to my American Studies classes at UT (I remember a lecture about circuses and sideshows from the early 1900s that’s thankfully seared in my memory) I was intrigued. The love story was sweetly done; there’s something about people falling for each other amidst chaos, disaster and constantly being told to hide who they are, that is so hopeful and necessary for readers to see.

When the Tides Held the Moon feels like it borders on YA & NA - 0.5/5 on the 🌶️ scale, and 4/5 ⭐️ overall. While I thought the book could have been a bit shorter, Kelley’s debut novel is strong, and I’ll definitely be reading more of her work. #NetGalley #WhenTheTidesHeldTheMoon 🌙 🌊 🧜‍♂️

An absolutely beautiful love story that feels like a fairy tale. Merpeople have been my favorite fantasy creatures ever since I was a little girl, who fell in love with Disney’s The Little Mermaid. Benigno and Río’s story holds as much magic as that story always has for me.

Venessa is an incredible writer along with being a remarkable artist. Their artwork stands out on the page. They made Benigno and Río’s world come alive in a way I will never forget. I’m thankful to be able to read a story like this with characters that feel so real. It is a story I know I will never forget and I cannot recommend it enough. To those who love mermaids, a beautiful LGBT romance, and a story that feels like magic: read this novel. I look forward to reading more of Venessa’s work in the future.

I will be picking up a copy for my own library. I cannot wait to see the beautiful illustrations in person.

This book is an absolute masterpiece. The plot line, the character development, the diversity, the challenges. All of it is spectacular. I laughed, I cried, and found so much inspiration within this story. I saw pieces of myself within many of the main characters, and their experiences and the love and acceptance they found within each other healed parts of my soul. This book is so much more than just a historical romance. It’s a work of art.
Not to mention the book is absolutely stunning as well, with gorgeous sketches throughout it showing scenes from the book!
~ historical romantasy, mermaids/mermen, lgbtqia+, yearning, love and sacrifice, found family ~
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ | 💋💋| 🌶️


Reviews published on Storygraph, Goodreads, and Tome. Review pending on Amazon and post going up on Instagram this week.

Thank you so much for the opportunity to read and review this book!