Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

A gentle, tender love that had my heart bursting and lip quivering. Benny has a heart of gold, despite his insistence to the contrary, and Río is sheer patience and passion. Every element of this story, from the found family to exemplifying how queer, non-binary, fat, POC, and otherwise marginalized groups found community and lived during this time, is immaculate. You can tell the author put their heart and soul into this work.

And the art along the way? You’re in for a treat because the author provides illustrations they drew themselves, and they are spectacular.

LGBTQ+ Romance
Found Family/Merman
4.5 Stars ⭐️

I absolutely loved this book. I am a sucker for an oddity circus trope because there’s always a diverse group of characters and this book did not disappoint. It delivered in not only giving a beautiful love story but had an amazing found family vibe. I absolutely loved the odd cast of characters but the main couple Rio and Benny just stole my heart. Their relationship felt so innocent and pure despite the situation and I couldn’t get enough of their interactions especially the first time Benny goes in the tank. This is one of those books where I didn’t mind having no sex. Their small touches and soft kisses were enough to make me feel everything I wanted and more.

This book also has beautiful illustrations throughout it. I had the arc copy which had rushed to print graphics but I loved this so much I preordered the color illustrated hardback after seeing how gorgeous it was and used a credit on the audiobook. I haven’t bought a physical copy of a book in over 10 years but I loved this so much that I wanted a copy. This is a debut but the author does illustrative covers for queer authors like Alexis Hall and Casey McQuiston and I can’t wait to see the completed version in person because what I can see online is absolutely stunning.

This takes place in New York City in the year 1911 on Coney Island. The setting is everything in this book and I felt like I was there experiencing it myself. The basic plot of this book is that there are multiple competing theme parks and the owner of one hunts down and captures a merman to headline his show. This choice sets off a series of events that will forever change the lives of everyone in the oddity show and beyond.

I do want to make clear that I think the actual story is closer to 4 stars for me but I cannot say why I feel that way because of spoilers. There are just some things that happened near the end that I felt were a bit rushed and I would have loved to know more about certain things. However, I am giving this 5 stars because there is so much more to this book than just the story. The illustrations themselves are worth 10 stars especially once I saw the final versions on this author’s instagram. The preorder hardback was available through small queer bookshops around the US and I absolutely loved supporting a store like that instead of a big corporation. I will definitely be watching for anything else this author writes in the future as I absolutely loved all of the characters and this book felt like a balm to my soul. I was reading this while going through something utterly heartbreaking and anytime I could get back to this, it eased my anxiety. I can’t wait to reread it again via audio and with the beautiful illustrations once it releases in a few days.

I received an arc from netgalley and this is my honest review.

Highly recommend this to anyone looking for something whimsical and a bit different.

✨historical fantasy
✨queer romance
✨found family
✨mermaids / mermen

The Shape of Water meets The Greatest Showman but make it queer and poetic!

This was soooooo beautifully written 🥹🤍 The Greatest Showman vibes mixed w/ The Shape of Water (I’ve never seen TSoW, but when my girl explained it, I was like YUP- Those are literally the vibes!!) It was just such an amazing read- From the different ethnicities & sexualities, coming from a family who immigrated here ounce upon a time & being trans, I just totally connected w/ this story on levels!! Plus, Benny & Rio?! Theeeeee cutest, this was a fab read, I just loved the rep in this book overall. And the ART? Amazinggg, I wasn’t able to see some of them ‘cause it loaded so weirdly on my Kindle, but the ones I did see are gorg!! Overall, such an amazing read, esp if you loved TGS, vibessss fr, I wanted everyone to just bust out in song lmfao.

When The Tides Held The Moon is pure magic — set in 1910s New York, filled with circus performers, merfolk, and all the dreamy, vintage vibes you could ask for. I’m OBSESSED. And the illustrations? Absolutely gorgeous. Literal art.

The story follows Benigno, a queer Puerto Rican immigrant who gets swept up in a Menagerie crew’s wild plan to catch a mermaid. They actually manage to capture Río — a merman — who ends up imprisoned in a tank that Benigno himself builds. But instead of just captor and captive, something unexpected — and kind of beautiful — starts to bloom between them.

At its heart, this book is about finding home — about the family you choose, not the one you’re born into. It’s about belonging, even when you feel like you don’t fit anywhere else.

Was it perfect? Not exactly — a few parts wrapped up a little too neatly. But honestly? I didn’t even mind once I was hooked.

If you love mermaids, found family, or queer romance, you NEED to add this to your TBR.

Venessa Vida Kelley is 100% an author to watch. I already loved her illustrations, but now I’m obsessed with her storytelling too.
And seriously — get a physical copy if you can. The artwork is STUNNING and brings so much extra magic to the story. Trust me.

”𝙰𝚒𝚗’𝚝 𝚗𝚘 𝚋𝚎𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚏𝚛𝚎𝚎 𝚘𝚗 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚘𝚞𝚝𝚜𝚒𝚍𝚎 𝚞𝚗𝚕𝚎𝚜𝚜 𝚢𝚘𝚞’𝚛𝚎 𝚏𝚛𝚎𝚎 𝚘𝚗 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚒𝚗𝚜𝚒𝚍𝚎.”

I've said from the start that this book just exudes Vanessa's talent and passion. You can tell throughout this whole book that it's a love letter to the cultures and lives of the characters she created. In addition to this she has such a beautiful writing style that was able to fully immerse me into this world. I love the characters in this so much. I'm a sucker for a good found family and that's what this story gave me. I adore Benny. So. Much. I'm in a bit of a book hangover because I already miss having this book to look forward to every day. AND THE ART OF THE BOOK??? I'd be happy just to have a stick figure drawn by Vanessa in my book if it meant I was to be blessed with the ability to look at one more of her art pieces. I'm so excited to see what Vanessa writes next. Definitely check this book out!

Listen, I DEVOURED this book. Not since The Little Mermaid has a tale about mermaids captivated me so much like When the Tides Held the Moon by Venessa Vida Kelley. Set in NYC during the 1910s, we meet Benny, a queer blacksmith taking it day by day when he comes across an unexpected opportunity. Benny is tasked by Sam to make an iron tank and soon discovers what’s meant to be held within it when he meets Rio. As he navigates with life with his new family of “misfits,“ he discovers all is not what it seems and people can surprise you. Venessa’s writing is stellar and witnessing the bond flourish between Benny and Rio was beautiful.
All the characters are written so well, they have their backstories and you truly care about them (and others not so much). The story keeps you engaged the entire way, I truly did not want this to end. I loved seeing the drawings throughout the chapters, this should happen more in books.
Read this for the romance, the found family, and the magic of the moon.
There’s something about being able to experience those moments of desire, vulnerability and acceptance that make a story great and this is one of those stories.

Fave line: “Don’t waste your damn life trying to smother a spark what wants to be a blaze.”

I truly cannot recommend this book enough and cannot wait to own this. Pick yours up on 04/29 friends, can’t wait for everyone to meet Benny and Rio.

Thank you to Hambright PR and Venessa Vida Kelly for providing me with an ARC.

Fall in love with Benny, Río, and the colorful cast of characters who inhabit the Albemarle and Luna Park in this magical, romantic-fantasy.
Author Vanessa Vida Kelley not only paints beautiful scenes with rich description, she also illustrated all twenty-seven drawings included throughout the novel- not to mention the gorgeous end pages. A total “must see”!
••••••••••
Benny, a young Puerto Rican man, is seeking a new life with new opportunities in New York. He finds himself in the mix of a wonderful group of Coney Island menagerie performers. I loved how characters became such a tight knit family; society may treat them one way but safe inside LuLu’s home, they’re free to be themselves.
Benny, however, finds true comfort and peace with Río, a merman he unexpectedly helped capture. Benny and Río form such a special bond; they are connected emotionally, both tied down with invisible weights of sorrow and loss. I loved the moment RÍo began to trust Benny and realize he wasn’t so different from himself.
I found such comfort in the fact that Benny held tight to his Tití Luz, often hearing her voice in times of need; remembering her important life messages.
••••••••••
Dive into When the Tides Held the Moon, and follow along on a journey of resilience, trust, and self discovery!
••••••••••
Thank you Vanessa Vida Kelley, Hambright PR, and Kensington Books for the opportunity to enjoy this ARC and share my honest thoughts.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for this ARC in exchange for my honest review!!

I love a good “monster” romance and mermen aren’t explored enough. This was an excellent blend of historical fiction and fantasy. All the characters were so sweet and this is the type of romance I love to read. A perfect debut!!

Unfortunately, this is another one of those cases where the cover and the description just don't live up to the title. The Tides Held the Moon promises a sweeping, emotional fantasy rich with longing and lunar magic, but delivers a slow, disjointed narrative that struggles to find its footing. The premise had potential, star-crossed lovers, ocean-bound destinies, and a mysterious curse. Still, the characters felt underdeveloped, their motivations murky, and the pacing dragged beneath waves of overwritten prose. While the imagery occasionally shimmered with promise, it never quite broke the surface tension enough to leave a lasting impression. A beautiful concept that sadly did not work.

First off, this book is /gorgeous/. The cover, the illustrations, the evocative writing, it's all rich and really brings the 1910s setting to life. The illustrations leave you stunned at each turn, lingering on them to absorb every detail and expression. You feel like you're on the streets of Brooklyn in the muggy summer.

However, unfortunately, this fell very flat for me. Part of it is that this isn't the type of found family I enjoy best - it's very "an established family of outsiders adopt another outsider thrust upon them, but a lot of the connection takes place off-page aside from when we see them all come together to fight to protect the newcomer". For all that there's talk about really "seeing" each person, rather than their sideshow appeal, we don't....know anything about them. Eli and Emmett we know the most about, and even then, that's what is in service to Benigno's own turmoil. The rest of the menagerie feel like their diverse stereotypes, despite the story trying to give them dimension in a city that would rather erase them. There's also a weird sense of modern sensibilities about society and progress and race, which gives the whole thing a very fanfiction/tumblr feeling that I couldn't quite get out of my head.

Benigno and Rio are cute enough together, but I would've liked more of a transition from the "this is an unknown mer whom I have been begged to save" to "we're in love but I can't set him free because reasons" to the ending. It all comes with a lot of worldbuilding and asides that are brushed upon but then moved past, despite having greater ramifications for everything else going on in the story.

I dunno. I feel like a lot of people will really like this, but it just didn't hit for me.

Thank you Kensington Publishing, Hambright Pr and NetGalley for the advanced reader copy 😍❤️ and Venessa Vida Kelley for the book mail.

I did not realize I would be crying over a book about a merman, but alas, here I am.

Benny, an immigrant from Puerto Rico trying to make his way in 1910’s New York, finds himself employed by a sideshow on Coney Island that has recently kidnapped a merman. And put him in a giant fish tank that Benny made himself.
As he gets to know the merman, they form an unlikely friendship, pour their heart and souls out to each other, and inevitably they fall in love.

Oh this book is so much more than a love story between a man and a fish. The Shape of Water has got nothing on this book. We get themes of found family and finding acceptance within yourself for being different than the “societal norms.” The issues were true to the time period, but also felt so modern and relatable in our current society.

The performers that become Benny’s family were amazing characters and all had the biggest hearts.
And Benny, while often scared to reveal his true self which led to making dumb decisions, was overall such a lovable character with a heart of gold and really crummy asthmatic lungs.
His love with Rio (the merman) was so pure!
The writing and cadence were lyrical, so well written.
And the book includes stunning illustrations! The book cover and all the illustrations in the book are done by the author which is AMAZING. She’s so talented 😍
Also why don’t more books have pictures?!!?

This was such a beautifully written and heartwarming story. It made me cry more than I’d like to admit. And I did not realize that this book would have as much depth as it did. It was pleasantly surprising and I absolutely adored it.

If you’ve ever thought to yourself that the Little Mermaid and The Shape of Water should have a baby with the Greatest Showman as a surrogate…Then you need to read this book. You need to read this book even if you’ve never thought those things. But you might think them afterwards 🤷🏼‍♀️

This was heartbreakingly beautiful. Struggling to survive in a cruel world, secrets reign, and entertainment sells. Fast paced, with quick wit and undeniable magic, this was so much fun to read!

cute romance story with a sprinkle of fantasy. I like their relationship gradually change to a romantic one. it's slow but hits me emotionally. the illustrations are so pretty! I like they're in between of paragraph. it helps build my imagination. it's very cozy and low stakes and have a happy ending!

When The Tides Held The Moon by Venessa Vida Kelley is an emotional tale of perseverance, freedom and finding family in the most unlikely of circumstances.

The main character, Benigno Caldera, is a Puerto Rican immigrant in 1910s New York City. He is faced with racism, prejudice and cruelty throughout the story. When he gets involved in capturing the merman Río, he finds a sense of belonging first with the crew of the sideshow and then with the merman himself.

The connection between Río and Benigno is as soft as the moon light on water. Seeing them fall in love was simultaneously a joy and heart-wrenching. Benigno’s internalized homophobia, his trauma and fear of rejection broke my heart.

The stories of the sideshow members also felt so real and gut-wrenching. Every last one of them has been through something and how they now react to things felt very realistic - from Emmett’s prickliness to Sonia’s crush on Benigno.

My only, rather minor, criticism was the pacing at times. I feel like some scenes dragged on a little too long, but I loved these characters so much that ultimately it didn’t really matter.

I highly recommend this book

This book hit me right in the found family feels. I adored everything about the characters and the journeys they went on. It takes a lot for a book to make me cry nowadays but this had me blubbering non stop. Big warm fuzzy feelings that make you want to tell the people close to you that you love them and appreciate them

Wow! What an incredible story! I am truly surprise at what I just read. This is not a book I would have picked for myself but I’m so thankful for have read it as an ARC because I’m here to tell you that it’s a must read! The kind of story that lingers long after the last page.

As a queer latina I resonated so much with Bennys (MMC) journey to finding freedom and his voice.

The layers of history, identity, and found family were so beautifully interwoven. The love story was also special and my heart still aches from it (in a positive way).

This debut reads like a love letter to misfits, dreamers, and those who’ve ever felt out of place. I especially loved all the Spanish!


Quotes:”Ain’t no being free on the outside unless you’re free on the inside.”

Spice:
🫑

Tropes:
-Fated mates
-Forbidden love
-Grumpy Sunshibe
-Adult Romantasy
-Found Family
-Queer Romance
-Merman + Monster
-Slow burn

Many will find reasons to love this book, other reasons to hate it. The tone of the story was excellent and the setting benefits from Venessa's writing style. However, the PACE was insane. Some parts would go insanely fast and others would go really slow. I enjoyed her descriptions as they were very enchanting and full of lush prose. I just think something overall didn't land with this story. Some of that may be attributed to the main character and some of his decisions. Overall a decent book for me.

First of all, the illustrations in this book are GORGEOUS! I actually found myself just staring at them for a while taking in all of the details, beautiful.
The story does not disappoint either. It was such a lovely tale of discovering yourself in the face of so much opposition and oppression, with a fantastical twist. The characters, and there is quite a few in the ensemble cast, were all so developed, even the ones that don't see as much page-time as others. The group that our MMC meets with are so so charming, and I really liked all of them.
The plot takes its time to get going, but there is never a boring moment where I would find myself skimming the pages or wishing for it to hurry up. There is some good backstory with our MMC that gets explained throughout, and though I was pretty much clued into the plot twists that were happening, they were executed very well and made complete sense with what we had been told previously.
The historical and cultural elements were wonderful as well, there was such a blend of culture going on and it was all delved into really nicely, and I even learned a lot.
Very easy to get through, doesn't feel like the 470 odd pages that it is. Highly recommend!

Just behind on my reviews so getting everything updated but,
I adored this book, I found the story line wonderous and really enjoyed the characters. Looking forward to more books from this author