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

My Rating: 4 Stars, this would probably be higher if I'd read it at any other time, but I just handed in my thesis and I am a bit dead inside

That said

<spoiler>"Son of Neptune, I answer. I am your harmony."</spoiler>

I did still cry a bit, that was so sweet.

My brain is incapable of forming proper thoughts right know so I'll just leave it at this: the sweetest merman falling in love with the sweetest human and also there is found family and it is very sweet

I initially requested this book entirely for the coverage, but thankfully that decision didn't come back to bite me here, since I really enjoyed this debut.

I'm not always a huge fan of circus stories, since I think the aesthetic can often gloss over some of the more unsavory aspects of circuses as entertainment, but Kelley really leans into that here, by grappling with how a group of misfits and outcasts have found themselves in such a precarious situation. The found family vibes are excellent. Benigno's Puerto Rican heritage is also always at the forefront, and I thought this book was a fantastic example of how to blend a character's language and traditions into the main character and story in a meaningful way; I particularly love how Benigno communities in a messy mix of Spanish and English.

Perhaps my only complaint is that I would have liked a little more from Rio's point of view to balance out the romance plot, but overall I really enjoyed this book and will pick up whatever the author chooses to write next.

I have followed Kelly on social media for years and love her art, and she’s been posting about this story for a long time. I knew I had to read the book as soon as I could, and so requested it on NetGalley. I didn’t know what to expect - it’s her first book, and I’m not one to read romance books between anyone but two humans. But, I figured I’d give it a shot!

Things I liked about the book: Kelly’s writing was so descriptive and beautiful. I could really feel and see myself in 1910s Coney Island, with the motley crew of the sideshow and the rivalries that come with it. The characters were well-rounded and interesting (and so different!), and I loved the mix of English and Puerto Rican Spanish that Benny used. I’ve never read a book quite like this, and I know this one will be beloved by a lot of people.

Things I didn’t like: I really, really wish I could’ve gotten into the love story, but the whole non-human aspect of it just squicked me out, for whatever reason. Benny and Rio were very good to one another and were both so interesting and complex, but I just couldn’t get past the merman thing. I wish I felt differently!

Regardless, queer love stories, especially historical ones, are so important, and I’m grateful I got the opportunity to read this one. The illustrations of Kelly’s were incredible and made reading the book that much better.

Benigno “Benny” Caldera knows an orphaned Boricua blacksmith in 1910s New York City can’t call himself an artist, even when the ironwork tank he creates for famed Coney Island playground, Luna Park, astounds everyone. He joins the show’s eclectic crew of performers to cage the newest exhibit, a living, breathing, in-the-flesh merman. Benny comes to know Río as a kindred spirit more beautiful and 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. Can Benny find the courage--and love--to do what's right?

This story was absolute magic; an enthralling, heartfelt rollercoaster ride about finding a place you belong. The illustrations, peppered between pages, gave life to a few select scenes. This was an enjoyable rea.d I'm grateful for the author, publisher, and Netgalley for providing this ARC. My reviews are my own.

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Publishing for the E-Arc in exchange for my honest review!

When the blurb described this book as The Shape of Water meets The Greatest Showman, I was like...sign me up! I love both those movies! The cover was also beautiful, I couldn't resist! It looks so tragically romantic in a way.

Without giving too much away, I unfortunately found the pacing a bit slow, the conclusion abrupt, and the romance straight to the point. Especially when there are serious social issues happening within this book, pacing with information are bit off. Overall I thought it was a good book and was grateful to have read it early.

This was a very unique book and storyline. It has a bit of mixed media feel to it, with illustrations throughout that the author drew. They are absolutely gorgeous and really give us so much more to the story.

The book itself has a very magical feel to it, and at its heart is about found family.

The romance between the main character and the mer was very emotional, and all of the side characters in this book really make it special.

The pacing was great, and the author was very lyrical in their writing, especially the songs and how Rio talked. It definitely elevated the book to another level.

*When the Moon Held the Tides* is a beautifully written, emotional story that took me a bit to get into. As a mood reader, I struggled at first with the setting—it felt a little hard to grasp, which made it tough to fully dive in.

I also had some trouble with the frequent Spanish phrases. While they added depth and authenticity, they occasionally pulled me out of the story as I tried to figure out their meaning.

That said, I’m so glad I stuck with it. The *found family* trope was a personal favorite—I loved watching the characters grow close and support one another in such heartfelt ways. Once I connected with them, the story really hit home.

A slow start, but well worth it for readers who enjoy character-driven narratives with lyrical writing and quiet magic.

When I saw this book on NetGalley as an ARC I knew I needed to read it. I had my eye on it for
a while before it had an ARC and I am so glad that I was approved for this book. This story was
amazing and had me feeling all of the feels. Happy, sad, angry, hopeful, I felt it all and it was
such a beautiful story. The art that goes along with the book is also well illustrated and really
helps the story along. The romance between the 2 main characters is very well done and I was
curious how it was going to work between a human and a merman but it was handled beautifully
and I loved every second of this book. I literally couldn’t put it down; it had that much of a
chokehold on me.

When the Tides Held the Moon

🧜‍♂️Summary:

Benigno “Benny” is an orphan from Puerto Rico who traveled to New York to work as a blacksmith. He is talented and hardworking. When an order for a large tank comes in, his boss knows that Benny would be perfect for the job.

Little does he know that the tank that he helped create will be the home or rather cage to the newest sideshow act at Luna Park, Coney Island.

🎪Thoughts:

I was captivated while reading this story. As a fellow New Yorker, I enjoyed reading about the history of Coney Island that I didn’t know about. I visit the Coney Island sideshow years ago and was entranced by the history that still exists there.

This story was written so beautifully. From Benny’s native tongue and the songs that he wrote and sang for Rio, to the perspective of what Rio was going through behind the glass of his enclosure, I was glued each word that I read. I couldn’t put this book down. I need to read to find out what happened to them and if they lived HEA. I encourage you to read this if you want to be swept away in a unique love story.

The secondary characters were full of life and not space fillers. I loved how each of them cared for the two of them and became the family they both of them needed.

The artwork blew me away. I am a visually reader, so the illustrations just added so much more to this stunning story.

Thank you so much to Hambright PR, Kensington Publishing and Venessa Vida Kelley for allowing me to read this amazing ARC.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 1/2
🌶️🌶️
Book boyfriends: Benny and Rio 💓💓💓💓I loved their love for each other. From them speaking in Spanish to each other, the scenes inside the tank, and the song Benny wrote 🫠
Book vibes: 🧜‍♂️🎪🎡🎢🇵🇷🌊🐚🌙🌕🏳️‍🌈

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
48/125📚

Thank you @hambright_pr and @vkelleyart for my eARC of this beautiful book!

This was such a beautiful story (not to mention the illustrations-all designed by the author!!). This book is also set in the 1900s with reference to real historical moments.

We follow Benny who is a queer immigrant working a job who finds himself creating a cage for the merman they are set to capture. He looks after the merman, whom he calls Rio, and develops a bond with him and soon realizes that what he has done is wrong and wants to set him free.

This book is largely about found family and finding a place where you belong and are accepted. It's a beautiful closed door romantasy. I would have loved an Epilogue but I loved it nonetheless. I will definitely pick up the authors next book, amazing debut!

✨️Pub date: April 29, 2025✨️

When Beningo "Benny" Caldera, an illegal Puerto Rican immigrant in 1910s New York, is tasked with building an ironwork tank for a mysterious client, he can't imagine how it will change his life. Impressed with Benny's work, Sam Morgan, the proprietor of a sideshow at Luna Park on Coney Island, invites him to help capture the tank's intended inhabitant - a merman. But as Benny gets to know the merman, whom he names Rio, Benny might have to decide between keeping Rio captive or losing his newfound family and home.

I know a book is gonna be a 5-star read for me when it gets me crying! This was such a beautiful story about courage, redemption, and love, and the characters were so beautifully brought to life by the author. The relationship between Benny and Rio is a true slow burn with them getting to know each other and eventually express their feelings over the few months of Rio's captivity.

I also loved the found family in this book. Despite not being a performer, and even trying to keep himself at a bit of a distance, the menagerie company immediately accepts Benny as one of their own. Every character is so unique, and it was so much fun getting to know each and every one of them, and watch them develop a bond with Benny.

Although this book definitely isn't spicy, I did give it one pepper because there's plenty of longing expressed, as well as one on-page intimate scene. However, the actual physical intimacy described is fairly minimal as the scene focuses more on the emotional intimacy between the pair.

Read if you like:
Latin American rep
Queer rep
Found family
Merfolk
Redemption
Slow burn romance

LGBTQIAP+, amazing aesthetic, will definitely get you out of a book slump (if you're into the following):

1910's Coney Island, New York. Circus performers and mermen.

We follow Benigno (Benny) Caldera a queer Puerto Rican who finds himslef wrapped in a scheme to capture a merman (Río) with a circus troop that want to make him an attraction for the people. Will they only form a friendship or something more intimate?🧐

Sooo many quotes to choose from! Here's one🤗:
"Your heart in my keeping" he whispered, "would always be safe."

Found Family, mermen, and queer romance!
Need I say more?😂