Firstly, the cover on this is absolutely beautiful and I am absolutely obsessed with it !

The story was a whole vibe from start to finish and I loved it ! .

I would recommend this book to everyone and anyone who loves to read !!

This was such an outstanding read. From the beginning to end I was engrossed. This book was well written and kept me hooked. I enjoyed Benigno’s “Benny” character from the beginning and the romance between Benigno and Rio was so endearing.

Thank you to Erewhon Books and NetGalley for this ARC. Due to be released April 29, 2025.

3+

A merman is kidnapped to be the new big exhibit that will make Luna Park the star of Cony Island. Benigno, the designer of the tank the merman is kept in, forms a friendship with the merman that blossoms into love. But how can he save his love from drowning on dry land?

I am torn about how to rate this one. On the one hand, I thought the story was interesting, and for me something new and fresh. I liked both Benigno and Río, and especially the parts and the language written from Río’s perspective. There was beauty and passion here. But… I just personally did not at all connect with the Menagerie. It took me ages to be able to separate the characters from each other and remember who they were. And even when I did I just couldn’t bring myself to care. They didn’t come alive for me.

This is not necessarily a minus, but the story was really tense and stressful for me, because yes I did care about Río, and it took a long time for the climactic part to unfold. In fact at 95% we were still in the thick of it, which I felt didn’t give the story enough time to wrap up. It all happened a bit too quickly in the end.

With an average rating of almost 4.5 though, I am a bit of an outlier for not loving this. And I can see its appeal, I just couldn’t properly get into much of the story. The cover is gorgeous and the art is beautiful, the story is sweet and passionate, I’m sure many readers will love this, so I will by no means discourage anyone from picking this up. And I am not sorry to have read it. I’m just sorry it didn’t “fit” me better.

When I saw the premise of the book, I got so excited! I felt that this was exactly what I needed! And it most definitely was.

The imagery was amazing, and I really enjoyed the writers prose. The romance in this book was beautifully written too.

Thank you NetGalley for granting me access to this e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

I wanted to read Venessa Kelley’s book because I’m a huge fan of her artwork. And the artwork in this book is amazing as ever. The illustrations are so gorgeous my heart almost stopped.
But this is a novel, so I have to judge that. And this book has exceeded my expectations. It’s a deep story of love and friendship and found family. It’s feel a bit like YA if I have to be honest and it’s a little bit ingenue, but it’s a great story. It’s an excellent debut.
I fell in love with Rio and I recognise myself in Benny. Their love story is just beautiful. I can re-read this book forever, I promise!

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for the arc!

This book is a bit of a rollercoaster when you first start. The story is thrown at you pretty quickly. BUT when the ride evens out, you are presented with an absolutely beautiful story with fantastic prose. This book contains illustrations that only help bring the story to life. This is one of the most beautiful love stories I have ever read.

So excited to get an ARC for this! I saw the cover and it was love at first sight! So gorgeous, and then there are equally beautiful illustrations throughout.

I love the idea of a human x merman romance, and Venessa Vida Kelley definitely delivered a sweet relationship between two loveable characters.

The story was an unexpected mix of heavy themes, but with a YA feel.
Benigno went through a lot as a Porto Rican migrant with asthma, and my heart went out to him repeatedly. Rio was captured, held prisoner and exploited, but remained hopeful and kind.

At the same time, some things were too easy and quick, and I will be honest, the final plan was so far fetched that I'm really struggling to decide between rounding down to 3 or up to 4 stars.

It is a debut, and I really loved the illustrations, so I think I'll round it up, in the end.

All I need now is a gorgeous special edition of this book with sprayed edges!

An achingly beautiful story of love, self acceptance, and belonging enhanced by gorgeous illustrations done BY THE AUTHOR!

It's lowkey sad for a lot of the book and it took me longer to read it for that reason, but if you like to meander along with a yearning MC, this is the book for you! A hard fought ending for our main character, Benigno, who lost his memories during a flood when he was 10?? and immigrated to the US from Puerto Rico, learned English, got treated terribly by most people, but used his blacksmith skills to start building a life, until one day it took a turn he never could have imagined.

I think Benny and Rio could have used some more of their own buildup because it kind of felt like they fell in love quickly? Or like, the connection could have been deeper? Or maybe they needed more conflict, but Benny was dealing with so much other conflict in his life that I suppose he deserved that.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC!

Firstly, the cover on this is absolutely beautiful as are the illustrations throughout the book. They really added something whimsical and delightful to the story and vibe as a whole.

This was an poignant and emotional queer love story that is beautifully told throughout. I did find it a little slow in places but it always picked up again and the ending was lovely. I really enjoyed this and found the romance very sweet.

Thank you NetGalley for this arc!

You mean to tell me this book is greatest showman but make it queer? Sign me up! I couldn’t run fast enough o request it! It was such a great story filled with great characters! I couldn’t recommend this enough

I was waiting with glee to get started on this one, but it didn't quite hit the mark for me.

Let me start off with the technical issues, at least in my version of the ebook: almost all of the gorgeous illustrations were broken, squished into straggly vertical lines and impossible to see. I ended up going back to the NetGalley website and quickly running through the entire book, to see what I'd missed. What a nightmare! I do hope that this was simply a "galley copy issue," although I'm puzzled about why that would matter. I can tell you that this dampened my will to continue reading. Always invest in a technical check!

On to the story ... this is a tale as old as time, one part coming-of-age, one part immigrant tale, one part "The Little Mermaid," but featuring a merman. The social justice angle is strong here. Our lead is a gay Mexican immigrant with asthma, who joins a sideshow as a hired hand. The characters are treated with deference, even while they're subjected to all sorts of judgments and abuse. Here, I was a bit puzzled. One character falls prey to the gay romance trope of being a heterosexual woman who's interested in the gay lead but doesn't grok he's gay. We have some strange subplot where she's being leased (?) to a group of thugs to pay off the head of the troupe's loans (?). I was confused by the lack of detail here, which gave me the sense of an oddly placed YA undercurrent ... the implication is first or second base, but if this was reality, it would obviously be all the way. This rather juvenile thread underscored a lot of what happened (and didn't happen) along the way. But this was a book meant for adults. I think.

The romance ... was what I was looking forward to, but ultimately played out in a way against my hopes. I did enjoy the pace ... there's no insta-love here. At the same time, the merman love interest was kidnapped and kept in captivity the entire time ... living in a cage of his beau's making. In short, the whole love story just bludgeoned me with Stockholm Syndrome vibes. Taking of my rose-tinted glasses, I couldn't help but imagine a scenario where merman Río was merely pulling a Siren move, disarming and influencing Benny simply to make his escape. Finally, there was some implication that Benny had history with the mer people ... or maybe something more ingrained than that ... but this was left unresolved.

Altogether, there were a few too many disappointments and a bit too much of an ick factor for me to dive too deeply into this one.

This novel is a beautiful, gritty exploration of the experiences of a Puerto Rican immigrant, Benigno Caldera, new to Nueva York, but not to feeling like a stranger inside his own skin. After building a crowning achievement of iron work, Benny finds himself drawn into the schemes of the mysterious Sam Morgan, owner of Morgan's Menagerie of Oddities. After finding out he inadvertently built a cage for the mysterious El Triton, Benny joins the menagerie in an attempt to right his wrongs. In his attempt to liberate the merman known as Rio, the lines start to become blurred as to who is actually freeing who.

Spice Level: One chili pepper - conservatively.

Tropes: Found Family (and this novel has the most swoon worthy found family!)
LGBTQIA+ Representation
Historical Fantasy
Enemies to Lovers (but more delicious and tender than typical of this trope)


This novel was amazing. For the first few chapters were a bit slow for me, but once we found out some backstory to our main character Benny, things start to move fast. This novel is a beautiful example of found family, and how before we can sometimes help others, we must first help ourselves. With the help of his newfound "Oddities" such as a strong man, a bearded lady, a 'giant', and more, we see Benny come to terms with what it means to actually be free. This story gave me such strong warm and fuzzy vibes from the comradery between our cast of characters. If you're looking for a non-traditional love story that will make you laugh, sigh with yearning, shed tears, and make your heart feel like it's going to burst from happiness from the romance and friendship, look no further than "When the Tides Held the Moon". Also, fun fact: this book has amazing drawings interspersed all through it that help perfectly convey scenes contained within the novel. While these were gorgeous on an e-reader screen, I can't wait to see how much more amazing these are going to look printed out into a hard copy of the novel.

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Publishing (Erewhon) for providing me with an ARC copy of this novel to read.

Excuse me while I try to compose myself…This book was so beautifully written. It was full of love, pain, joy, togetherness and so much more. Cultural richness poured from the seams of this book. I found myself teary-eyed multiple times throughout this book not just because I could fully connect with each character but also because I was so happy to read a story from an author whose writing showed so much pride from where they come from. If you’re looking for a comparison to other works, this story reminded me of Water For Elephants and The Shape of Water. The only complaint was purely a complaint for myself as a reader, damn me for not being bilingual! Vanessa did such a marvelous job of easily switching from English to Spanish throughout this story! As a reader (and a person that only speaks English) I found myself wondering, “Is this how a person who does not have English as their native language feels?” While the states aren’t as kind, Vanessa provides a glossary (so graciously I might add) in the back of the book of all the translations. This book was an absolutely beautiful story full of love that I will not soon forget. Thank you for this beautiful piece with such lovely characters that I know will steal many readers hearts. Also, thank you NetGalley for this wonderful ARC.

I enjoyed this, but I had expected to enjoy it more.

I was really glad to be reading it on kindle so I could easily translate the Spanish phrases! Although I did discover a glossary in the back of the book when I finished it.

I enjoyed the chosen family element and the time period it was set in. And of course, the mer/human romance was good!

Thanks to netgalley for the ARC!

“Saltwater has healing properties. That is why our tears are made of it. Why should you hold them in?”

It took me a little time to get into When the Tides Held the Moon but it was so worth it in the end! The depiction of 1910s New York is just *chef kiss*, it felt like wandering in the streets, then into Luna Park. I loved how V.V.K. wrote all of this, beautiful and immersive.
One of my favorite parts is the “Freak Show” Found Family description. They all have different backgrounds, making a harlequin puzzle, and each of them is different (on several levels), but it is pictured in a quite original way that I loved. They all are complementary and help Benny to find himself while revealing part of their stories and making it a great character ARC. Even though he is the character who “carries” the story, it also feels balanced, with space for everyone. I loved seeing Benny opening himself, and how he finally chooses rebellion when stakes become taller than he is. It was a great evolution, especially when each characters’ “weaknesses” became strengths for them.
I hope this book will be adapted as an audiobook, because many of the characters are immigrants and the author made the choice to picture that in the dialogues, writing them a bit phonetically. I love this choice –even though it was the reason I had trouble getting into the book (English isn’t my language, and I don’t “hear” when I read, I see images)– and I believe it could shine even more in audio.
But what I want to enhance the most is one of the main messages. Benny’s acts of kindness are full of tenderness and seeing him acting as “a normal human being” (when no-one else does) made this book a very comforting story. Rio is a support for that, and so is their relationship, even though it’s a little bit difficult for him to shine as he’s stuck in his tank.
I’ve read an advanced copy so the illustrations I saw were “just” sketches, but I can already tell you they are very beautiful, and I can’t wait to see the final result. They help with the immersion and add magic to the story.
If you are looking for a magical story, queer, comforting and that will make you travel through time, When the Tides Held The Moon can be the right book for you.

Thank you to the author and Kensington Publishing for the eARC sent via NetGalley. My opinions are my own.

Rate 4.5/5

3.5⭐️


Benigno es un hombre optimista que se mudó a Nueva York en busca de una vida mejor. Sin embargo, por más que lo intenta, es despedido de varios trabajos hasta que lo contratan para capturar una sirena. Acepta el trabajo, aunque no cree en la existencia de tal criatura, pero para su sorpresa, logran atrapar a un tritón.
Lo que no esperaba es que lograría comunicarse con el tritón, llamado Río, y que establecería una conexión profunda, algo que nunca había experimentado con nadie. A medida que pasan más tiempo juntos, Benigno se da cuenta de que está mal tenerlo encerrado y debe idear un plan para liberarlo.

Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I'm so broken. I loved this book so much. Vanessa, how did you manage to take so many things I love and put them into a book? (OK ok I know this wasn't just written for me 🤣🤣🤣🤣)

If you all haven't pre-ordered When the Tides Held the Moon by Venessa Kelley, what are you even doing with your life?

This was so beautiful. The drawings, the characters. It gave me all the Shape of Water, Greatest Showman vibes, while also being unique and completely its own thing. Beyond that, a story of a Puerto Rican immigrant in New York, fighting his way just to survive, with an abundance of untranslated language that gives so much depth and character that made me want to learn more about the culture.

This book is so needed right now. #resist

Thank you kensington books, Vanessa Kelley, and netgalley for the chance to read the advanced copy of this book.

I received a n e-ARC and am giving my honest review, thank you to NetGalley and the author for the opportunity!

I don’t know if I can properly express how much I enjoyed this book. From the get-go, Benny’s character was charismatic and intriguing. I wanted to know more about him, his background, etc. His view on life felt so real. Real in a way that feels unique compared to other books I’ve read before. I loved reading of his work ethic, how headstrong he was, strong in general. It felt a bit refreshing.
And then, Rio. Obviously, the moment he was described I was completely at this book’s mercy. The imagery we were given, Rio truly seemed to dazzle based off of simply words on a page. It felt as if the reader was also there, taking in the beauty of Rio right in front of us, in a way not dissimilar to how he would describe the Currents. Maybe that sounds a bit dramatic, but he truly did feel magical.
Rio and Benny’s relationship was one I will treasure for a long time. Their initial meeting being so violent, given Benny was, in fact, part of the crew that stole Rio from the sea, was incredibly well done. It was put in a way that allowed for growth from both parties. The initial writing for the both of them was just done in a very genius way where the power dynamics weren’t as off as it’s easy to allow it to be. But, still mentioning it here and there so the reader knows that they are still a bit off. It really helped me to feel more comfortable not only with the characters but the story as a whole.
The mini chapters from Rio’s POV really added to the romance as well, giving both sides of yearning even though it was from Benny’s POV.
The found family aspect was also just so cute. I loved how intricate it was, not just being 100% good together, but having their ups and downs. Every character felt well fleshed out and explained. The characters were so unique and different from what I’ve read before. Or, what I’ve read that was done well. The author did a fantastic job with all of the characters and not writing them to be caricatures. And I loved how they were both involved in the story and the romance.
I also am so obsessed with the artwork!! Hello??? It was placed Perfectly every time, exactly in a great place for it.
Funnily enough, I read almost 50% of this book while in the waiting room of Urgent Care due to respiratory distress, what a silly little coincidence, haha!

With thanks to Kensington Publishing and NetGalley for the ARC!

This was an enjoyable, quick read! I loved our characters immediately, and was rooting for them the whole time. This book is set against the beautiful scenery of 1910s New York, with circus performers and Coney Island! The author really helps bring this to life with gorgeous descriptions and illustrations! The illustrations are lovely and bring so much to the story.

This book, as well as following Río and Benigno's story, is about finding home, and creating a home for yourself. The side characters in this book are well developed and I loved seeing them interact with Benigno and show him the ropes.

I had a good time reading this book and I would strongly recommend it to people who want to read anything with historical romance and merfolk!

first… i am thankful as always that i was lucky enough to receive this arc.

i really wasn’t expecting to love this book the way i did and i certainly didn’t expect to cry either but lo and behold… this was so beautiful from start to finish, an incredibly tender story about family, hardships and love beyond just a surface level. honestly, i feel like i NEED to have the physical copy now to hold close to me. the illustrations were phenomenal and i haven’t felt so attached to characters in quite a while the way i have while reading this… literally couldn’t put this down from the second i picked it up and so obviously i finished it all in just a few hours. i have absolutely no regrets.