What a fantastic storyline. I’ll admit that the setting of this novel is typically not my cup of tea, but, this novel may have convinced me otherwise. The characters had depth and diversity, the plot was enticing, the main love interest was beautifully written, and the main villain made me want to throw the book at the wall. It was awesome. The only hesitation I had was that I felt the beginning was a bit slow, but once the story picked up I could not put it down. Go read this one ASAP!

A delightful story about finding finding family, home, and where you belong while remembering where you came from.

The slow tension was absolutely delicious. I actually kept putting the book down to savor it and think about what I just read.

Short bits of dialogue and narration are in Spanish and it's fairly easy from context to guess their translation/purpose (from the perspective of someone who knows comically little spanish). But there is a handy translation guide in the back! ...Which I discovered upon finishing, and will dutifully make use of in my re-read!

Absolutely adored the assemble of performers and the diverse cast! And the queer rep!

MM romances that feature women with fleshed out personalities, wants, challenges, and contribute to the plot have a special place in my heart.

What a beautiful book. Set in an era and location we don’t see often in romance or fantasy - an era and location rich with opportunities for world building and creative antics. And a merman as one of our romantic leads? Delightfully unique and charming. There’s lush magic, social justice, a rag tag bunch of carnies, and an evil capitalist villain, which, touché. Beneath the magic and wonder, this is a story about found family, about learning to trust, to be who you are, and to let someone love you for all of your complicated failings. A complete delight.

The cover had me hooked! I'm not familiar with the author, but the title, description and again, the COVER! So pretty.

- historical fantasy (20th century urban fantasy)
- romance
- queer mmcs
- found family
- lyrical writing
- great world building
- merman <3
- merman trapped by a circus crew, forms friendship with the man who constructs the tank that entraps him
- emotional, tragic, heartwrenching
- amazing illustrations and art within the story

Uh-mazing!

Now, I'm usually not a historical romance reader, or any historical story reader, but I was pulled in by the concept (and the cover!) so even though it took me a bit to get started, once I did, I was swept up in the lyrical writing, and emotions of the characters. That feeling of being trapped, in more ways then one, was so well expressed.

x

it’s really hard for me to write this… Because there’s so many fantastic things about this book and the reason i ultimately DNF’d it is absolutely a “me issue”…. though I would prefer to say I paused this… Because I really wanna pick it up again eventually.

The cover and the artwork throughout this whole book are absolutely stunning! And it’s what Venessa is known for!
The story was so intriguing and I wanted to keep reading but my personal issue is the period appropriate writing… Which is probably something other people love about this book! But I was not at a point where my brain could process it and I could feel it drag me down… So I ultimately had to pause reading it for now…

Which in no way means that this was badly written or is a bad book… I really do want to pick it up again eventually!

Can we just hold space for the beautiful cover!!
This book is a truly beautiful queer book about love, family and identity and a perfect book to just lose yourself in especially if you’re looking for your next book that shoots you into a rollercoaster of emotions!!

"Your emotions are not madness. Nor are you broken. Everyone else - the cowards who taught you that keep your heart safe meant caging it - they are broken."

This book made me sob in all the best ways. A pairing and backdrop that I would have never imagined. A scrappy Puerto Rican immigrant who unknowingly built a cage for an enchanting and determined merman in NYC 1910s. Not to mention and amazing array of side character who form this Puerto Rican's new found family?

As a queer Puerto Rican, I wish I could have handed this book to me ten years ago. The want to escape to NYC for the American dream is still something that holds very true, 100 years after this book is set. And the fact this was a queer love story but everyone who mattered did not negatively react upon finding out that our main character prefers men, warmed my heart. They welcomed him, all aspects, with open arms.

And we do have a villain in this story, the head of the circus performers who captured the merman. However, I think the author did a good job and not just telling us he's a bad man, but showing us as the story developed until I was sneering any time this man appeared on stage. You really begin rooting for this couple and feel just as helpless and just as much heartbreak as they do at times.

I also loved the ending that all the characters had. If you love a queer love story as much as I do, Puerto Rican representation, and mermen - this one is definitely for you.

This book had such a poetic feel to it. It truly swept me away - pun intended! - on a romantic, lush ride.

3.5 stars rounded up! As a fan of Venessa’s art for years, I was SO delighted to get the chance to read their debut novel.

This books was lovely. Very well written, incredible illustrations (I wonder if these are temp art pieces or if the final release will look different? regardless SO stunning).

Pacing could use some work, the first half was pretty slow. And I often had to pretend I didn’t see a perfectly good solution to every one of Benny and Río’s problems lol but they were very cute and the ending was 🙏❤️ so cute

very excited to read what comes next from Venessa! ty Netgalley etc for the ARC!

I recently read an e-ARC of When the Tides Held the Moon by Venessa Vida Kelley. (Thank you to NetGalley!) It was an amazing read! There were a bunch of things I liked about the book:

- Beautiful illustrations
- A lot of great disability representation
- Found family
- Enemies to lovers
- GAY! MERMAIDS!!!!!

I really liked the main POV character, Benigno Caldera, and having some snippets from the point of view of the Merman, Rio, gave the book a fuller feel than a normal single POV romance. I also loved how the relationship between Benigno and Rio developed.

rating: 5/5

I want to preface this review quickly with a personal note. I got an ARC of this book (thank you Venessa and NetGalley) in mid-October, right in the midst of a busy Jewish holiday season. I started reading it, but didn’t really have the capacity to really focus in on the book. By early November, I was ready to jump in, when I got the news that my godmother had been taken off dialysis and was dying. What followed was a series of trips back and forth to Las Vegas (where I’m from and where my godmother lived) and NYC (where I live) as I spent my godmother’s final days with her, said goodbye, attended her funeral and then spent Thanksgiving with my family. It was an emotionally and physically (and financially) draining month.

Basically, I was wrecked when December rolled around. And then I picked up this book. This beautiful masterpiece of art. This incredible healing story of love and family. It was just what I needed. I was transported.

This book is so gorgeous. The prose is exquisite. The artwork is stunning (Venessa is truly an artist…she creates moments and magic with every brush of her pen). It was like sinking into the ocean (which is one of my favourite places in the world) and letting the waves crash over you. It is well-researched as well, and I felt like the early 1900s Coney Island came alive. The historical detail was fantastic. I spend a lot of time on Coney Island, and experiencing it through this book was pure magic.

A brief synopsis: Benigno (Benny) Caldera is an ironworker transplant from Puerto Rico keeping his head down and just trying to survive, despite bad lungs, when he builds an iron cage. That kicks off his journey to Coney Island, where he meets the “exhibits” in Morgan’s Menagerie of Oddities and finds himself with a family. This is after inadvertently helping trap a merman, Rio, who he slowly gets to know throughout the book. Their slow-burn friendship to love was everything. There’s a delightful cast of characters, a nefarious villain, gangsters, and of course, Coney Island. Everything felt so real and so urgent and just so magical.

I was really sad, and this book brought me so much comfort and love and joy. I love a love story, but even more, I love a story so full of love. Benny and his found family were more heartfelt than most anything I've held in a long time.

I cannot wait to hold a physical copy of this book in my hands. I can’t wait to listen to the audiobook. I can’t wait to read it again and savor the words…and let it heal me again and again. It was crafted with such care and I want every iteration in my life.

Bonus: Some of my favourite scenes (no spoilers) - When Benny goes on his first ride…I remember that feeling; Benny comforting Lulu (and really all of his little private moments with his new family - he was the glue holding them together when they didn’t even realise they were falling apart); “Let us take a turn together.” (my historical romance readers get this one…).

When The Tides Held The Moon Vanessa Vida Kelley
☀️☀️☀️⛅

Thank you to Netgalley for this ARC copy!

This queer historical romance paints a vivid picture of 1910's New York City woven in with lovely fantasy folklore concepts to form a predictable but enjoyable read.

Firstly, I must acknowledge the gorgeous illustrations dotted throughout this book. My first introduction to Kelley was as an illustrator so I'm thrilled that she's incorporated so many into her debut. They really helped me to visualise the characters during key scenes.

The writing is good overall, and I appreciate the presence of so much untranslated Spanish (translating it in real time spoils the vibe), but some of the period appropriate language did come to feel repetitive and gimmicky by the end.

The found family aspect was probably my favourite part of the story, with the romance being sweet but rushed. The twist at the end was entirely predictable - a bit too predictable for my liking - but I didn't dislike it. The structure of the epilogue was a great choice.

Overall I thought this was a good debut with very solid vision and execution. I can't say I was captivated but I did enjoy myself and would recommend this to someone wanting a more realistic style fantasy romance.

"How would it feel to wake up to the ocean of his eyes? To measure his perfect dimensions against my imperfect ones, breathe in the turquoise sea of his skin, and feel like home had come to find me instead of the other way around?"

"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."

When The Tides Held The Moon by Venessa Vida Kelley is a spellbinding masterpiece that seamlessly weaves historical fantasy, queer romance, and the vivid charm of early 20th-century New York City into an unforgettable tale. With lush, intricate illustrations complementing its buoyant prose, this book is as much a visual feast as it is an emotional journey.

At its heart is Benigno "Benny" Caldera, a Boricua blacksmith whose artistry is as striking as his struggles to find belonging in a city that often marginalizes him. Benny’s ironwork for Luna Park becomes the anchor for a narrative that dances between gritty realism and ethereal fantasy, centering on Río, a mesmerizing merman who is as complex as he is mythical. Their bond, born of necessity but blossoming into a profound and forbidden love, feels both tender and electric—a poignant exploration of identity, freedom, and the cost of love.

Kelley captures the vibrancy and contradictions of 1910s New York with astounding detail, infusing the novel with a lived-in sense of place. The sideshow performers who welcome Benny into their family are just as vividly drawn as the central romance, creating a tapestry of found family that feels warm and authentic. Yet, the story doesn’t shy away from tackling heavier themes—captivity, exploitation, and the courage it takes to fight for liberation, both personal and collective.

The stakes are high, and Benny’s inner conflict is palpable as he must choose between loyalty to his newfound community and his love for Río. The result is a story as turbulent as the tides themselves, delivering an emotional punch that lingers long after the final page.

Kelley’s signature illustrations elevate the reading experience to something truly extraordinary. From the striking chapter headers to the detailed depictions of key moments in the story, the artwork adds depth and dimension, immersing the reader further into Benny and Río’s world. The use of aqua blue and black inks creates an enchanting visual aesthetic, perfectly echoing the story’s maritime themes.

Fans of TJ Klune’s The House in the Cerulean Sea will appreciate Kelley's unique blend of whimsy and poignancy, but make no mistake—this novel stands wholly on its own as a luminous tale of resilience, love, and the power of liberation.

When The Tides Held The Moon is a triumph, destined to be a cherished favorite among readers of queer fantasy and romance. Kelley has crafted a breathtaking ode to finding your voice, your family, and the courage to be free—no matter the cost.

Thank you to NetGalley, Venessa Vida Kelley, and Erewhon Books for the eARC of this book.

Thanks to NetGalley and Kensington Publishing for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

This book is what you get if you combined the Shape of Water with the Greatest Showman. It’s an unexpected romance with a side of found family. It approaches a conversation about ethics and morality in the face of evil and wrongdoing. It talks about learning to accept and appreciate that which is different. All in all I enjoyed this read, but it did feel slow at parts. The artwork throughout the book was beautiful.

I really was not expecting this book. nor was I expecting to love it as much as I did. From the first chapter I was hooked by beautiful writing and then I learned about the characters and plot and it just got better and better.

When the Tides Held the Moon tells the story of Benny, an ironworker from Puerto Rico, who's trying to make a place for himself in New York. He hasn't had much success when things change after he is charged to make an unusual cage for an unusual man his Coney Island sideshow.

Caught up in the plot of capturing a real, live merman, and meeting the colourful characters that make up the Luna Park company, Benny starts to find his place in this odd little family. And in the kindness of Rio, the merman yearning for his freedom, Benny begins to find something more.

Reading about them finding love, peace, and home with each other, and knowing it's not enough when they're both still caged. Seeing them choose each other and fight for each other, and be brave because of it, despise it all - this is really a lovely tale about two kindred hearts.


Thank you to NetGalley, Kensington Publishing, and, Vanessa Vida Kelley for the ARC of this wonderful book in exchange for an honest review.

Benny+Rio 🩵

This beautiful story is set in New York in the early 1900’s, which follows the Puerto Rican immigrant Benny as his life changes completely when he is tasked to create an unusual water tank that he finds out later is for the imprisonment of a merman. From this moment on, he finds a home with the rambunctious crew of the Luna Park menagerie as he also tries to fulfil a promise to the merman’s mother.

I really enjoyed this! I loved learning about Benny and the other characters within the menagerie and all of their different backgrounds and how they came to be at Luna Park. The story is so incredibly beautiful, both plot wise and how it is written with the characters bringing this story to life and there are a few little twists along the way.

The only slight downside was that there was some Puerto Rican Spanish that is present within the story but there are translations at the end of the book so it definitely wasn’t a deal breaker for me but it may make it difficult for some readers.

If you enjoy found family of outcasts, fated romance, and mermen - then I’d highly recommend this book - plus there are incredible illustrations that are scattered throughout that make this book even more enjoyable.

This was such a cute fantastical book fill with adventures and heartfelt characters that you can all relate with. It was interesting to read the only reason it look me longer than normal to finish was the fact I don’t normally read or speak Spanish . But other than that it was beautiful written,

I would definitely recommend this to anyone that is in of a new adventure !

Thank you net gallary for letting me read and fall in love with this magical story.

This was such a good book. I loved the story and the writing so much. The characters were great and the story flowed smoothly. Will definitely read more books by this author in the future.

Beautifully written and extremely atmospheric! Between the romance and the vibes, this was like a warm hug of a book. Really recommend curling up and losing yourself in this!

When the Tides Held the Moon is a beautiful book featuring Benny, a Puerto Rican in New York desperately trying to survive and live, and Rio, a merman who was captured the same night that he lost his mother, along with a found family circus troupe that really fill out the story. This book is heart-warming, has incredibly lush world-building, and is an absolute tear-jerker.

I loved this book and especially the illustrations that accompany it. The slang and descriptions of Benny's circus family really brought 1910s New York to life for me, someone who didn't know much about the setting before reading this book. I also really loved the lore of mermaids and the descriptions of Rio- they were truly beautiful and really put me in the world of this book.

Without spoilers, I will say that I wish the ending had been explained a bit better and explored a bit more. I also loved the found family aspect of this book, but I wanted just a bit more personality from the members of this family. I fell in love with them and wanted more!

Over all this book was beautiful and I had a delightful time reading it and I do recommend this book!