When the Tides Held the Moon is about Benny, who finds himself in the center of a Coney Island oddities troop who has found a mer they want to include in their show. Benny ends up forming an unexpected relationship with the mer. My short blurb for friends has been MM The Shape of Water vibes. I loved the inclusion of other languages and how easily they switched. THE ART. Omg the art is such an added bonus. Given that the cover art drew me in first, I was so excited to see that more art was included throughout the story. So, so beautiful.

Thanks to Erewhon Books and NetGalley for an eARC of this book for an honest review.

This book was fantastic, the imagery was completely consuming and I loved it! Having the artwork through out the book was a great touch as well! it was a great, but slow, romance.

what a magically cute and exciting story! I couldn't put it down. I loved the wide variety of characters and how they grew with the storyline. The love between the two main characters had my heart melting! I enjoyed the Spanish and other languages that so easily fit in with the narrative and easy to understand.

When the Tides Held the Moon is one of those books that quietly wraps around your heart when you least expect it—like the ocean pulling at your ankles when you thought you were standing on solid ground.

Let’s start with the vibes. This book is dripping in aesthetic. We’re talking 1910s New York, queer circus performers, shadowy alleyways, a Puerto Rican immigrant protagonist, and—yes—a merman. Add in beautifully illustrated scenes (yes, actual art!) and I was hooked before page ten. It's like someone stitched together a vintage photo album, a sea-salted fairy tale, and a queer historical drama—and somehow made it work.

We follow Benigno, who’s down on his luck in about a hundred different ways. A queer Puerto Rican man in a time and place that is not kind to difference, Benigno gets pulled into a scheme to capture a mermaid. Except... it’s a merman. Río. And this mythical sea creature ends up locked in a tank Benigno designed, which is a very awkward setup for what turns out to be a slow, tender, unexpectedly swoony romance. (If you didn’t have “falling in love with a merman in your emotionally stunted immigrant era” on your 1910s bingo card, well... now you do.)

But here’s the thing—this book isn’t just a romance. At its core, it’s about belonging. About finding home—not a physical place necessarily, but people. The kind of home that sees you, even when you're still figuring yourself out. The side characters, a messy and lovable circus troupe, really drove that home for me. They are warm, chaotic, deeply loyal, and felt like the true soul of the story. I already miss them. I want to text them. I want to share snacks with them in a backstage tent somewhere.

Now, was it perfect? Not quite. I won’t lie—Benigno’s hesitation to act at certain moments had me whisper-yelling at the pages. Like, “my dude… now is the time!” But honestly, his fear felt real. Understandable. Painfully human. You just want to hug him and remind him that he deserves good things. Even (especially) if they come with gills and an attitude.

By the time I hit the midpoint, the pages started flying by. And by the end, I wasn’t reading—I was feeling. I closed the book with that strange ache we get when we’ve been seen in unexpected ways. Like maybe the parts of ourselves we think are too weird, too soft, too much… maybe those are exactly the parts that deserve love the most.

Would I recommend it? Wholeheartedly. Especially if you like your romance with a side of sea-tinged melancholy and your found family with a dash of glitter and sawdust.

Honestly,
the book itself is not bad. The build-up is rather slow paced and takes a bit to really get into the more thrilling filled obstacles. You will feel the sea spray, you will feel the sails beneath your hands. However, if you expect to a fast paced story, I'm terribly sorry. It will take some time but it is worth it.
I am just taking a star off as I was sadly not in the right mood to appreciate the book as I possibly should've.

On the surface, this story is about a merman and a human, both trapped in different ways, finding comfort and love with each other. But more than that, this story takes a deeper look at what it means to experience humanity in a world that is not made for everyone to belong in. But while humanity seems to grow under diversity, it is never able to truly bloom without safety and acceptance.
This is a low spice, high swoon, slow burn historical romance featuring a Puerto Rican immigrant in 1911 New York and a Merman that has been captured to be a part of a freak show on Coney Island.

For years, I have seen Vanessa Kelley's art as an indicator for next reads. I have picked up multiple books as a result of seeing her art alone, so it was exciting to see and original work.

The story was fun and fresh, the cast of characters diverse and the interspersing of Spanish in the middle of the text really made me feel like I was in Benny's head. It had me reaching for google alot (as I don't speak Spanish) but I liked that. It was a window into someone else's experience.

The art scattered throughout the book really elevates the story, and after seeing Kelley art of things that I have loved (The Darkness outside us, A Lady for Duke etc), it's so nice to see it telling an original story, and it just really lifted it for me.

I haven't rushed through this story, I have slowed down to savour it!

Thank you, Kensington Publishing | Erewhon Books and NetGalley, for the chance to read this book in exchange of an honest review.

Benigno "Benny" is an orphaned Boricua blacksmith and he doesn't see himself as an artist, but the ironwork tank he created for the famed playground, Luna Park, has impressed everyone and the side-show proprietor who commissioned it and Benny's work earns him an invitation to join the other performers. He will soon learn his tank is to be a cage for a merman captured from the bank of the East River. Benny starts to know the merman, called Rio, as more of a mythical creature, but as a clever, witty, smart kindred spirit, while their friendship morphs into something more during time and Benny will have to choose if betray his new performers family or to follow his own heart and do the right thing.

I got the pleasure to know Venessa Vida Kelley through her fantasy and romantic art and I couldn't wait to read this novel and it was absolutely perfect. It's lush, brilliant and illustrated historical romance between a Puerto Rican immigrant and a captured merman and if this incipit doesn't make you want to devour this book I don't know what will.
The story is wonderful, heartfelt, cozy and I was in love with every piece of art and every page. The love story between Benny and Rio is absolutely magical and I loved how the author talked about their struggles, their, different but still..., captivity, their love and bond. It was fantastic, unique and I truly recommend this book to everyone.

4.25 stars

Benny's life was irrevocably changed the moment he agreed to build a massive ironwork tank for Luna Park. it's both a blessing and a curse for him, because he just landed a better paying job, but also his handiwork directly led to the captivity of a majestic mythical sea creature: a merman.

thinking that it's already too late to change anything, Benny determined to at least ease the merman's living situation the best he could. eventually the merman soften to him, and even let Benny give him a name. as their friendship grows, something also started to bloom in Benny's heart.

I loved Benny and Rio's interspecies star-crossed lovers dynamic, their chemistry was unmatched, it would be thoroughly a lovely romantic read if it's not for MORGAN, Luna Park's owner. God I hate him so much. So the whole time reading I was half eager to see how their relationship turned out but half anxious about everything else.

There's also a band of human oddities under Luna Park employment that formed a wholesome found family despite their stark differences. I love that the narrator gave distinct accents to each of them, respectful to their backgrounds. it added soo much flavor to the narration.

Oh BTW the setting also captured the vibes perfectly, felt like I could see the scenes inside my head frame to frame. plus IT'S ILLUSTRATED by the author herself, how cool is that??? I'm obsessed.

I would easily give this a full 5 stars if it weren't for the ending. it's all so cryptic and too short, I mean yes I could interpret and imagine the ending by myself but after everything Benny & Rio were through I needed the aftermath to be spelled out clearly in the pages for me pleaseee. but overall I loved this book!

Thank you Hambright PR for the book holy crap, was it good.

First off, the illustrations were so good. This book is perfect for those who loved The Shape of Water movie. It’s filled with heartbreak and love, and I cried multiple times. The group of misfits from Coney Island builds a sideshow tank for a merman, and one of the metal workers falls in love with him. The story is just so beautiful. I really don’t want to spoil too much, but this is a must read book!

First of all, thank you to the author, NetGalley, and Kensington Books for providing the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

I love the era this book takes place in! I don't think I've read many from the 1910s. The whole atmosphere and aesthetic were definitely one of the biggest strengths of WTTHTM. Also, the black and white pencil illustrations that littered the text reminded me of the books of my childhood, and that made me feel very nostalgic! Additionally, I loved the Puerto Rican representation, the fact that the author is nonbinary, and the amusement park setting.

On the other hand, it developed a bit too slowly even for me. 70 pages in, we still haven't met the whole cast, and there were only two scenes with one of the main characters. The side characters are fun, but I didn't really care about them, and I found them to be taking up too much space in the narrative, while I just wanted to learn more about the merman and the protagonist's relationship. There's just too much going on on the side.

I felt that the narrative relied a bit too much on the characters not being able to figure out obvious truths, and that always frustrates me to no end. The story becomes more action-packed toward the end (last 50 pages), which is a negative for me, as I was more interested in the quiet romantic dynamics between the two main characters and didn't want a fast-moving plot and action scenes.

As for the romance and found family themes, a few parts were painfully cheesy, but it was still a fun read, despite the cons I just listed. These are very subjective issues, and none of them were dealbreakers. Merman/human romance is an instant yes for me, so there wasn't much that could have ruined it 😄 If that sounds appealing to you too, definitely give this one a chance!

I really liked the story although i had a hard time getting into it. Sometimes, the chosen language was difficult to understand and to have the translations of foreign languages used in the book as a list at the very end is more practical for a printed book than a digital one. A translation right by the used phrases would've been a better choice, in my opinion.
The story itself needed a little time to get on, then it's really catching onr with its suspense.
The end is still confusing me, I find it too closed to be an open end but with too many loose ends to be really closed. Also, I would've loved getting a bit more story of Benny and Rio after them disappearing into the sea.
I loved the side characters and am happy about the little time laps we got about them in the epilogue:)
Overall I liked the story, it's nice for everyone who likes slightly melancholic queer fantasy stories.

This book was so damn good. The plot twist at the end regarding Benny was EVERYTHING to me. I loved the side show aspect and how Rio was teaching Benny to swim. Every character felt fleshed out too. They all had back stories and distinctive personalities. I adored them!

I said earlier this year that I’m in my mermaid era, so it’s no surprise that Venessa Vida Kelley‘s debut novel, When the Tides Held the Moon, was high on my list of new releases. Set in 1911 on Coney Island, it showcases a cast of characters who perform in Morgan’s Menagerie of Human Oddities. The latest hire is Benny (Benigno) from Puerto Rico; his job is to care for the merman that was just captured. But Benny quickly finds he’s the only one who can communicate with the merman… and they’re falling in love. How can Benny and Río have a future together when they’re both trapped in this sideshow?

What I Liked:
- The sideshow atmosphere and characters. The world-building is immersive and feels so real! I felt transported to 1910s New York in such a visceral way. And I loved the diverse characters! As the author’s note explains at the end, a menagerie of curiosities was often a place where people who didn’t fit into society’s narrow confines would find acceptance. It wasn’t always pleasant, to be sure, but they could find connection with others with physical differences, queer identity, and so on. There’s a strong element of found family here!
- Themes of being true to yourself. Benny hides so much of himself: His gay identity, his Puerto Rican accent, his asthma, how little he remembers about life before the hurricane that tore his family apart. He needs people he can feel safe and whole with. To that end, the menagerie is a place he starts to feel more comfortable… but with Río, he finds deeper connection.
- Romance between Benny and Río. I loved the romance that neither of them saw coming! A human and a merman? The captor (somewhat) and captive? In world where neither has much control over their life (at least not now)? This was a tender love story that requires Benny to step up in a major way.
- Increasing sense of urgency. Speaking of, while the human world is getting more dangerous (debts and threats!), Río is becoming increasingly ill after being in captivity for so long. Freedom is the only thing that will save him, but getting him out would certainly put Benny’s life at risk, too.
- The beautiful illustrations! The ebook version I read had such amazing artwork done by the author! They really bring the character and scenes to life, making it easier to visualize everything else. I rarely see adult novels with illustrations, so this was a special treat.

Audiobook:
Lee Osorio and Joel de la Fuente narrate When the Tides Held the Moon. I loved the narration! Benny’s voice actor does a wonderful job of capturing a wide variety of accents: Brooklyn, Puerto Rican, Russian, Irish, and more. Quite impressive! This audiobook really captured the whole setting and brought everything into full color. This was a joy to listen to.

Final Thoughts
Both the audiobook and physical/ebook are so perfectly done! I recommend a combination of both to get the full experience of When the Tides Held the Moon. Though rooted in a realistic 1910s New York setting, this was a magical book. What a wonderful debut! I look forward to reading more from Venessa Vida Kelley.

I was worried so much of the descriptions would be lost on me, but the illustrations sprinkled throughout the book are stunning. They made the story accessible to me, but also felt like I stumbled upon photos to someone's life and love story.

I've seen others call this a beautiful book, literally and figuratively and I'd have to agree. It felt as though Vanessa Vida Kelley took the proverb, "A bird and a fish may fall in love, but where would the live" and decided to create an answer where love conquers all.

Set against a backdrop of Brooklyn's immigrant and queer communities in 1911, Kelley's WHEN THE TIDES HELD THE MOON follows Benigno "Benny" Caldera and Río, the merman stolen from the East River to feature as a Coney Island freak show's new main attraction.

Although the romantic arc is slow to get started, the tension ratchets up nicely once Benny becomes conflicted between his promise to free Río and his desire to keep the merman close and, later, once we begin to see the effects of Río being trapped away from the ocean. Río's caging works nicely as a metaphorical mirror for the ways in which Benny has caged the truth of who he is, even from himself: "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." And I'd be remiss if I didn't mention Kelley's STUNNING illustrations, which add to the mythical feel of the story.

Where TIDES really shines for me, though, is its grounding in Brooklyn waterfront history, from Coney Island's freak shows, to references to queer history via iconic male impersonators, to the sinking of the General Slocum, to NYC immigrant history. Kelley has evoked such a strong sense of time and place, and it was such a delightful coincidence that I began reading this book while finishing up Hugh Ryan's "When Brooklyn Was Queer," which tells of the borough's forgotten queer history.

A few notable qualms—a somewhat underwhelming depiction of the early development of Benny and Río's feelings for each other and a disappointing lack of character depth for Lulu, whose fatness was not only her defining feature in relation to her act but also, ultimately, as a character—kept this book from being a home run for me.

Kelley's choice in epilogue was interesting and unexpected, in part because the shift in perspective shifts the story a bit more in a mythic/folklore fantasy direction. I enjoyed it, and am glad that we got to read some of the memoir Mighty Matthias referenced so many times, but it did leave me with a lingering craving for the emotional satisfaction and HEA conclusiveness a good epilogue provides.

Overall, however, the story worked really well for me as a romantic fantasy, and I definitely recommend it for fans of historical romance in atypical, interesting settings; queer romance fans; and readers who enjoy exploring history through fiction.

Thank you to Kensington Publishing & Erewhon Books for the advance copy of this title! WHEN THE TIDES HELD THE MOON is out now!

When I heard beloved bookish artist Venessa Vida Kelley was releasing a gay mermaid romance book of their own, I was intrigued. When I learned the book also had demisexual rep and illustrations throughout, I simply knew I had to read it. And for the most part, it lived up to my expectations!

This is a quietly beautiful book that unfurls, unhurried, into a story of found family, agency and control, love, and carving out a place for yourself in the world. Benny and Río are both "fish out of water"--the merman literally, the human because he is both brown and queer at a time when both identities were heavily stigmatized (even more so than they are now)--and yet they find kindred spirits in one another, bonding because they see each other as people, rather than as something "other." This theme of resilience and community in the face of oppression is one Kelley weaves throughout the novel, not just in the romance, but also in the many-faceted dynamics of the cast members, most of whom are also seeking solace from a world that would have otherwise stigmatized them, and all of whom are at once liberated from societal norms by their sideshow jobs and imprisoned by Morgan's domineering nature. And I would be remiss if I didn't mention two other great parts of this book: (1) Kelley clearly did a lot of research on this time period, which shines through both in the vibrant imagery conveyed by artful language and in the thoughtful author's note at the end, and (2) Kelley's blue-and-black illustrations throughout the text absolutely help to elevate the narrative even further (swipe to see an example of one!).
.
Now, as much as I enjoyed most of the book, I did have three minor issues with it. First, the pacing. The middle, in particular, dragged quite a bit, and I think the text would have benefited from some more tightening up there, while the end could have used just a beat longer to wind down (though the epilogue was perfect!). Second, the split narration between Benny (standard paragraphs) and Río (centered text, far more poetic) was a nice touch, but it would have been nice to have more, or longer, sections from Río to make him and Benny feel more like equals in the tale's telling. And third, the ending was ambiguous on a pretty significant plot detail, and every friend I have discussed the ending with has had the same point of confusion. There are at least two or three possible interpretations, and I think it alters the thematic resonance of the story depending on which one is correct. Alas.
.
That said, my overall impression of this book was still very much a positive one, and I'd still recommend it, especially to fans of queer romance, immigrant stories, and books that play with the conventions of both genre (historical fantasy queer romance for the win) and format (art throughout, chapter headers that gradually evolve, the narration style differences of Benny and Río).
.
P.S. there are a lot of languages spoken throughout the book, including Spanish, Punjabi, Russian, Italian, and more. Be smarter than me: there is a glossary in the back you can use!
.
Rep: demisexual homoromantic Puerto Rican immigrant MC with asthma, pansexual LI, Indian SC with dwarfism (or similar condition, not explicitly named), nonbinary/genderfluid SC, gay SCs
TW/CW: confinement, racism, xenophobia, allusions to sexual assault/r@pe, classism, fire, burn injury, gun violence, murder, bullying

To think I almost passed this gorgeous book up because I already had a lot on my plate. Inconcebible!

I shared some of the artwork in my stories as I was reading it, but there’s so much more. I’m absolutely dying for a physical copy. This is one where you’re going to want a shelf trophy.

It’s 1911 and Benny Caldera is a talented blacksmith working in Brooklyn. He landed this job when he was fresh from Puerto Rico four years earlier. He’s tasked with building a huge glass tank for an oddities show which he does beautifully, of course.

As things happen, he begins working for the show and is with the crew the night they catch a merman. A beautiful merman intended for that beautiful cage Benny created. Well shiiiit.

This story of Benigno and the merman he names Rio is a slow build to trust, as you can imagine. But it’s lovely and full of yearning. What else can it be when one of the pair is a captive?

Benigno and Rio steal time together. Our Benny is crafty. They learn each other’s souls in a way I’m not sure I’ve ever read before. I keep coming back to the word “beautiful” and it doesn’t feel like enough. These two souls go beyond beautiful.

And y’all- the setting of 1911 Coney Island is one of my favorite things ever. And all of the Menagerie, the show folk, are written so lovingly. You’ll come to know them and they’ll live in a tiny corner of your heart forever.

This book is the story of a man who has experienced great loss and terrible trials being loved by the most stunning being he’s ever known. And finding family he never thought he’d have again. The feeling I had when I read the last word is indescribable, but happy tears were shed.

Oh! And the incredible artwork was also created by the amazing author @vkelleyart.

Highly recommended! Especially if you love love stories and turn of the 20th century NYC.

I received the eARC via @hambright_pr. All thoughts are mine alone.

#booksbooksbooks #historicalromance #historicalfantasy #lgbtqia+ #lgbtqia+fantasy #lgbtquia+books #whenthetidesheldthemoon #venessavidakelley #bookreview #bookrecs #bookstagram

I really enjoyed this book however, I felt that it could have used some more editing to make it more concise. It sometimes felt a bit meandering. I really enjoyed the author's note at the end and of course the illustrations were gorgeous.

Puerto Rican immigrant Benny is a blacksmith tasked with building a tank to house the latest exhibit in Coney Island’s Luna Park. Benny is offered a job working on the exhibits at Luna Park, where he is befriended by the company of Morgan’s Menagerie of Human Oddities.
Over several weeks, Benny builds a relationship that develops into a romance, but eventually they must make very deep life decisions that impact the story.
I loved the slow-burn story, as it allowed their romance to develop naturally and tenderly without feeling rushed. I also appreciate the amount of backstory that we got, as it showed the homophobia and racism that Benny had to deal with on a regular basis, interspersed with moments of kindness. This is a meandering story, all character-driven with little plot. I enjoyed the diverse characters in this book and loved the found family aspect of the story.
The writing in When the Tides Held the Moon was charming and atmospheric. It’s a beautiful queer romance about love, family and being true to yourself. I was completely immersed in the story from beginning to end and recommend this to anyone who celebrates diversity and believes in the power of love.