5 stars

Did you watch The Shape Of Water and think, "I wish this was more gay"? Then this is the perfect book for you. I had so much fun reading this. The romance is sweet, the setting is super interesting, and the found family was so amazing. Honestly, anyone who knows me isn't surprised by how much I loved the found family here. The dynamics are unique and so real. The characters are so believable and somehow relatable despite the fantastical elements of the story. Benny was a great narrator, and I felt immersed into his POV. His character is layered, and the intersectionality of his identity (being Puerto Rican and gay in the early 20th century) was really interesting to see how it affected aspects of the story and his experiences. It felt real, raw, and genuine. His relationship development with Río was so endearing. I loved watching it evolve throughout the story alongside Benny's own personal character development. All in all, this was a great read. The writing is great, the story is amazing, and the characters are super well done. And that ending?! It really worked for me. It was somehow both very vague but also super specific. This is definitely worth checking out.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

This was a truly lovely story about “Benny” Caldera, a Boricua blacksmith in turn-of-the-20th century Brooklyn who’s asked to create a cage for a shady Coney Island showman. Before he knows it, Benny finds himself conscripted into the showman’s carnival of curiosities, joining a found family of sideshow acts, but he’s not the only newcomer as a voyage on the East River reveals who the cage will confine: a merman. This leads to a story about two "fish out of water" as Benny has to balance his growing camaraderie with the carnival acts with his feelings for the merman and desire to set him free.

This story fired on all cylinders for me. Benny was a compelling character with a clear character arc and a breathing disorder than worked on multiple levels. The writing was immersive and popped off the page. It felt like I was right there with Benny in turn of the twentieth century Brooklyn. Each carnival "act" had their own distinct personality and relationship with Benny. The pacing of the story was great, beautifully building to the thrilling conclusion. And Kelley's gorgeous illustrations were a beautiful bonus that took the book to the next level. Overall, this was a pleasure to read.

I was hesitant at first since period pieces aren’t always my thing, but this book surprised me. The plot, characters, and romance were all great.

Even though I’m not a fan of that time period, it worked for the story. Some parts were predictable, but I still really enjoyed it.

Five stars! The writing is engaging, the characters are unique, and the story is emotional.

Can’t wait for everyone to read it! Support Venessa, add it to your StoryGraph or Goodreads, and pre-order if you can!

this book has actually been on my radar for quite some time, ever since i discovered venessa vida kelley through their artwork! i’ve been very excited to get my hands on it.

first of all, i loved the overall setting and narrative. bringing a merman into new york in the 1910s isn’t exactly an everyday plot, but it worked very well! i always appreciate a really unique setup for a book, and even with all the supernatural/fantasies out there, there’s a surprising lack of merpeople represented. thankfully, río more than makes up for this! i loved both him and benny as characters, and the supporting cast were equally lovable.

one thing i will say is that i felt the narrative might’ve dragged on a bit too long. for the most part the pacing was good, but towards the ⅔ mark i felt like benny’s journey had stalled a little in terms of him going over the same things again and again. this didn’t last too long, but i think cutting some of that down would’ve been beneficial. at the end of the day, i still had a great time, and i look forward to reading and of their future works!

I'm very excited for this book to be in the world! I read another fantasy recently that had similar vibes, and if this is the year of the mermaid, I am here for it.

I will be interviewing Venessa in the coming weeks for a podcast episode, which will be coming out April 20th, and I am very much looking forward to chatting with such a talented woman!

While I was excited to read this, I didn't really connect with the writing. It felt more juvenile than it needed to be and clunky at times. However, I do like the premise of the story and I'm sure other people will enjoy it more than me! Also, like others have mentioned the art is really good! I like the style and the cross-hatching technique used. Sadly, this book was still a dnf for me.

To describe how beautiful this book would be an injustice because there aren’t sufficient words in my vocabulary that are powerful enough to convey that essence. 5 freaking stars because it’s THAT good. I normally get a little shy recommending books I like because I worry it may not be for others, but I truly feel everyone who picks this book up (of course given they like a historical fic romantasy!), will equally love it as much as I did.

The writing - no notes. Just immersive, charming, fills you all the feels.

The characters - diverse, layered, all have their own personalities, but essentially a found family you want to be part of.

The plot - ah, it’s so well told. The story is just rich with emotion, experiences told from an Afro-boricua man, and that feeling of being in the 1910s.

Excited for everyone to get to read this when it is released! Go support Venessa and add it to your StoryGraph or Goodreads, or pre order if you can, ask if your library will get it. Do it!

When the Tides Held the Moon has been one of my most anticipated books since I first heard about it in mid-2024. I've been looking forward to reading it for so long and been so excited about it that I actually got nervous when I sat down to finally start reading. What if my expectations were too high? Thankfully, I had nothing to worry about because this exceeded even my sky-high hopes.

When the Tides Held the Moon by Venessa Vida Kelley starts in 1911 with Benny, an immigrant from Puerto Rico, being offered a job to build a unique tank for a Coney Island businessman. He meets the performers of Luna Park and begins to find a place in the unique family of outcasts. Soon, he begins to befriend the merman, Rio, who is to be Luna Park's newest attraction. That new relationship soon leads to feelings and decisions that could turn Benny's and his new friends' lives upside down. 

The characters in this are loveable and layered. Benny and Rio are obvious highlights, but all of Luna Park's stage performers are diverse and endearing with interesting backstories. Their found family was one of the many highlights of the book. I loved all the characters in this so much that it hurt to finish the book! I wasn't ready to leave these characters that I grew to adore so much!

The relationship between Benny and Rio is beautifully romantic and emotional. Benny feels guilt about his role in Rio's imprisonment and wants to make that right. Rio is angry and grieving, but sees how kind Benny is and grows to care about him. Benny is a queer man of color in an incredibly racist and homophobic era. He feels caged by the world he is forced to live in and Rio, who is actually caged, sees the similarities in their circumstances. Their love story is incredible and had me crying many times. Some of the lines they say to and about each other are so incredibly romantic that they took my breath away! These two captured my heart so completely that felt every emotion they went through in this story.

The whole book is beautifully crafted and uses language skillfully. It captivated me so immensely that I purposely slowed down reading it to savor every line and chapter. I don't want to give too much away, but this is a heartfelt story about society's outcasts that feels especially powerful in the time we are currently living in. This story truly moved me and won't be one I ever forget.

The book is also full of gorgeous art. The digital ARC that I have access to includes early sketches of the art, so I am very excited to see the full art when I get my hardcover edition. The art helped bring this story and the characters to life. Though it may be tempting, I would recommend not flipping through the pages to look at the art before you read the story. Some of the best pieces of art are of pivotal moments in the book and may spoil big moments. 

When the Tides Held the Moon will 100% be on my list of the best books of 2025 list. It may even be #1! I've read some very good books so far this year but nothing I've read in a very long time has come close to how much this moved me. I laughed out loud, cried my eyes out, and highlighted so many lines in this book. I can't recommend and can't praise this enough. It's a new all-time favorite for me.

I was a bit apprehensive to read the book. I sometimes, have a hard time connecting to period pieces.

This book pleasantly surprised me. I enjoyed the overall plot as well as the characters. The romance was beautiful.

I am not a fan of circus and that time but it makes sense for the overall tone. I did find some parts predictable but I still enjoyed the story.

I thought that it ended well as well as something that wasn’t to drawn out.

I appreciated the glossary and the lyrics as well. I have learned and embraced this story of finding yourself.

Thank you so much Netgallay and Erewhon Books.

Thank you to Netgalley for the e-arc! This book was absolutely heart warming, particularly the ending. I loved the story and how it flowed it was so cute, the only thing I will say is that me personally I am not a fan of "gonna " "gotta" which I know is personal preference. It was so witty but also very moving. Considering the time is around 1920s its crazy to understand what Benny is going through. He is going THROUGH IT and learning to love at the same time, in a time where his love wouldnt be acceptable. The illustrations were absolutely stunning I ate it up. Also I did’nt bawl my eyes out but I did tear up at the end simply because its so touching and beautifully written.

This is a story of finding freedom in life and self, love & a family you choose.

This book has art throughout. I repeat, this book has art throughout!!!! & it’s all done by the author!! It helped me envision what was happening so much easier and made me feel engrossed in the book!!

Benigno is a Puerto Rican immigrant living in New York in the 1910’s. He faces SO much prejudice and racism in his life and just wants to crack on with his job as a blacksmith. He lost his family in a hurricane when he was a child and was rescued by his titi luz who he references a lot throughout the book.

This is also a love story, not just about benigno’s love with Rio the merman, but his love for the menagerie of outcasts who find family in each other.

Benigno is roped into building an enclosure for a merman that he ends up helping capture. He then ends up working closely with the merman and realising Rio is much more than meets the eye.
This book has a lot of trauma that is worked through, being a gay man in the 1910’s is something that is shunned and benigno had a taste of first hand homophobia at 13 which was another building block for his trauma in pushing everything down and accepting this is just how people treat him. Rio is a total heartthrob who literally doesn’t understand human ways and why they would be bothered about who loves who, he really made me laugh a lot with his bluntness 🤣

The romance isn’t smutty/spicy, that’s not what this book is for. It’s heart wrenching, world moving romance that makes you want to cry. I love them, I love how vulnerable they are together, I love that Rio helped benigno work through his trauma and be honest with who he truly is. There’s a few ‘coming out’ scenes that are truly beautiful.

The menagerie of oddities made this story so much more in so many ways, think greatest showman vibes! The found family was one of the best I’ve read in a stand alone, I loved every single person! Especially Matthias♥️ he was the shining star for me! ‘I think you can lift 2 thousand pounds’


I feel like any review I give won’t even encapsulate the way the author makes you feel like you’re in New York in this time period, her writing is so atmospheric it really pulls you in! There is a lot of detail to the world building/environment!

There were points I wanted benigno to stand up for himself more, but, because of the way of the world and how prejudice people are towards him and people of colour in general in this time period I understand how for benigno, staying quiet and ignoring it was sometimes the easier & safer route which broke my heart every time it happened. Every time someone was mean to him.

‘There will always be a yanquis calling you a mutt instead of a man’

I do wish the ending/epilogue would’ve been longer and in different pov’s, but I did love that we got a snippet of Matthias’s memoir 🤣

‘’With it, for it, never against it’’


There is a lot of Puerto Rican Spanish in this book and I unfortunately didn’t see the glossary until the end of the book( I believe this is an arc thing ) and my kindle doesn’t always translate for me so I struggled with a few phases but it didn’t impact the overall experience too much as some things I understood. I’ve never read anything like this and I adored every second. Thank you Venessa & NetGalley!

Thank you Netgalley and Kensington Publishing | Erewhon Books for the ARC

This was such a sweet story, with all the classics written with so much heart.

You have this sweet story with Benny and asthmatic Metal worker trying to make it in the American dream and only to find out that it means that he's left alone with no home. He comes to find a home though, with a cracking bunch at the local fun fair and something more. Of course no story is complete without a tophat wearing - moustache twirling villain and a daring escape.

I really don't want to say more for I fear I will spoil it. The relationship between Benny and Rio was so tooth achingly sweet.

This was also so well written, I could see everything in my minds eye, specially this being a period piece - it was very vividly written but it wasn't in any way pretentious.

I have no notes to give other than to thank the author for such a great book.

arc review | when the tides held the moon
4 ⭐️
~
Benigno “Benny” Caldera knows an orphaned Boricua blacksmith in 1910s New York City can’t call himself an artist. But the ironwork tank he creates for famed Coney Island playground, Luna Park, astounds the eccentric sideshow proprietor who commissioned it. He invites Benny to join the show’s eclectic cast and share in their shocking secret: the tank will cage their newest exhibit, a live merman stolen from the salty banks of the East River. More than a mythic marvel, Benny soon comes to know the merman Río as a kindred spirit, wise and more compassionate than any human he’s ever met. Despite their different worlds, what begins as a friendship of necessity deepens to love, leading Benny’s heart into uncharted waters where he can no longer ignore the agonizing truth of Río’s captivity—and his own.
~
Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Publishing for giving me an opportunity to read this ARC.
~
The Greatest Showman x The Little Mermaid x Water For Elephants — that is how I would describe this book. I really enjoyed it. I came for the romance but stayed for the found family. The diverse cast of characters were so unique and loveable and it was so fun getting to know each of them individually, but also how they interact as a group. Obviously I have a soft spot for Benigno, but I really loved Sonia, Eli & Em, & Río.
~
The internal conflict — having to choose between his love for Río and his devotion to his new family — was done so well. I was so stressed for Benny the whole time. I really liked that there weren’t any EASY decisions for Benny, and that there is a lot he has to overcome throughout the story. I also really love the magical, circus atmosphere contrasted with the dark realities of what the menagerie have to deal with. And oh my gosh, the illustrations were absolutely GORGEOUS. I loved having these additions, I feel like they really enhanced the reading experience.
~
My only complaint is that it was slow to start, and there were some moments throughout the book that seemed to drag. But other than that, I was really hooked and invested in where the story was headed!
~
Release date: April 29

5 stars, a very enjoyable queer romance. This book is about love, but it is also about being true to yourself and finding the courage to stand up for yourself and your family (whether by blood or by choice).

Benigno is an orphaned Puerto Rican blacksmith who traveled to New York to pursue the American dream and create a life for himself. Instead he finds himself trapped working for an ironworks and then for a shady circus, while constantly being looked down upon for his heritage. He soon finds his attention captured by the newest circus attraction, a merman. But what does it mean to care about someone being trapped against their will?

I really enjoyed the romance in this book. It felt very real and deserved as the characters grew closer and started to fall for each other.

The rest of the cast and plot made a fun and coherent background story that elevated the stakes of the romance. Plus a cute found family aspect and lots of Puerto Rican culture interwoven into the story.

If I had a single complaint it would be about the way the Spanish words and phrases were handled. There is a glossary at the end of the book but I had no way of knowing it was there until I had already finished the book. I think I would have preferred footnotes with translations. Thankfully I was reading a ebook version with a handy translator, but without it I might have felt a bit lost or disconnected from the text.

An amazing book though and one I would very much recommend

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

As someone who's followed the author's art for a while now, this quickly became one of my most anticipated reads of this year. And boy, it did not disappoint. I'm always a sucker for found family, and the one we get in this book, ugh I love every single one of them. Rio, my beloved, was probably my favorite character out of the lot and the way his POV was written, I loved it. The artwork only added to the story, and helped with picturing out certain scenes, it was a nice addition to see.

I can't wait to see what else Venessa comes up with, every book will be an auto-buy after this one.

Thank you to Netgalley and Erewhon Books for the e-arc!

Finished within less than 10 hours! Which should be enough to tell you that this book was a HUGE page turner! >_<

By the end of this book, i was wrecked and mended in ways that i could never believed a book will ever done to me. This changed the whole trajectory of my life and changed me into a different person. I once thought that romantasy book could never healed me but Vanessa is such a genius writer.

Reading this book had me gone through different kind of emotions, there is just something about how Vanessa deliver the story with raw and heartfelt writing, almost felt like this whole book was a broken heart that we could rip apart and see what were the reasons behind all of the struggles it bears.

Oh, and let me tell you about how well written each characters is. Our mc, Benigno, was not perfect, in fact he has a lot of ‘flaws’, he’s been telling himself that he doesn’t deserves better things than he had already achieved.
He’s broken, but that’s what makes him beautiful. That’s what, our merman, Rio had been telling him. Rio was so kind, so understanding, and his love for Benigno is so pure i couldn’t help but to bawl my eyes out of how beautiful their love is.

If you’re looking for merman fantasy with family found, heart-wrenching and emotional romance, you definitely should check this book out.

2 1/2 stars

Thank you to NetGalley for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

Firstly, many people know this was a Snowbaz fanfic but I read that at the time and if that’s the only thing putting you off reading this then I can confirm it does not read like Snowbaz fic to me.

That being said, I just don't think the writing style is my cup of tea. I’m not a big fan of heavy repetitive metaphor & simile usage, which the first half of this book is made up of. I also don’t think it works here with the 1st person POV—Benny's thoughts are very purple prose but his speech does not match this. It makes both feel inconsistent and it kept pulling me out of the story.

Rio’s initial trusting of Benny did not feel earned to me either, and it happened very quickly after Benny literally <spoiler>used his own bare hands to put Rio in the tank himself.</spoiler> I would have liked to have seen more building of trust from Benny before they became (even fledgling) friends. A lot of beginning filler could have been sacrificed for more time to develop this, I think, given their romance is such a big focus.

I also think the side characters could do with another pass through from sensitivity readers. Often they feel stereotypical. I understand why this would be so on-stage, but I’m talking about out-of-persona here.

The second half of the book almost redeemed it, but I had already kind of become disillusioned with it by the time we got to where the romance started to feel earned and the plot/action became interesting.

I appreciate everyone saying the writing is pretty and there is a lot of that, in the first half of the book especially, so if you enjoy purple prose you’ll be set! Unfortunately, for me, the pretty words weren't enough for me to enjoy it outside of my other issues with the book.

Venessa Vida Kelley’s “When the Tides Held the Moon” is a stunning novel that swept me away with its breathtaking prose, unforgettable characters, and deeply moving exploration of love, identity, and belonging. Set in the early 20th century, the story follows Benny Caldera, a Puerto Rican blacksmith whose talent earns him a place among an eccentric found family of sideshow performers at Coney Island’s Luna Park. But nothing could prepare him for Río, the living, breathing merman trapped inside the iron tank Benny built—a being as mesmerizing as he is otherworldly. Their connection is immediate and undeniable, setting Benny on a journey of self-discovery and love that feels as magical as a fairytale and as heartbreaking as real life.

Benny’s story is one of resilience, navigating the challenges of being a brown Puerto Rican man in 1910s New York while also coming to terms with his queer identity. His tenderness, sensitivity, and quiet strength made him such an easy character to love, and experiencing his world through his eyes—his first time away from home, the racism he endures, and the joy of finding community—was both beautiful and cathartic. Kelley’s attention to Puerto Rican culture is nothing short of outstanding, from the inclusion of the “cuatro” (Puerto Rico’s national instrument) to the accurate Puerto Rican slang and phrases that felt like a love letter to our heritage. Every detail warmed my heart, and I found myself tearing up more than once at the sheer authenticity of it all. And then there’s Río—mystical, hypnotic, and full of wisdom—who is the perfect counterpart to Benny, their love unfolding in a way that is tender, poetic, and unforgettable.

This book gave me “The Shape of Water” vibes with the heart of “The Greatest Showman” and even a touch of “Free Willy”. It’s a story of love, freedom, and the courage it takes to do what’s right, even when it means risking everything. The found family aspect was just as strong as the romance, with Benny’s sideshow companions bringing so much warmth and richness to the narrative. The gorgeous illustrations scattered throughout only enhanced the experience, making the world feel even more vivid. Finding queer books with authentic Puerto Rican representation is rare, and “When the Tides Held the Moon” is an absolute treasure. I loved every second of it, and I know this story will stay with me for a long, long time.

A Puerto Rican blacksmith falls in love with a merman in 1910s New York. Takes place as part of a sideshow at Coney Island during the off season. All the performers form a found family that sometimes felt like it had too many characters to keep track of. The plot felt a little overly complex at the end for what needed to happen as the end result. The illustrations were beautiful. Surprisingly heartfelt read that I would absolutely recommend.

ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

disappointed i couldn't finish this one, but it just didn't grab me? i think i was just the wrong reader or at the wrong time. incredibly voicy, and i'm sure it would be majorly compelling if i could get past the first 10% or so. also i think i am just not really into reading a guy slowly realising that trapping a mermaid is not a good thing to do? unfortunate really, but maybe someday i will come back to it and love it! a girl can dream.