There are so many beautiful elements to Venessa Vida Kelley's *When the Tides Held the Moon*: a stunning cover, a super cool setting, a wonderfully narrated audiobook, and beautiful art throughout. Yet, for some reason, this didn’t quite resonate as deeply with me as it has for a lot of other readers. I’m starting to wonder if I’m a little bit broken when it comes to wholesome romance stories, 'cause it seems like that's when I feel like I’m on another page compared to everyone else. Benigno (o...

It’s wild to think that maybe my asthma is because I actually have four lungs, and I can heal it through the power of fish sex after reading "When the Tides Held the Moon" by Venessa Vida Kelley. Seriously, if you're looking for unconventional healing journeys in book reviews, this might be it. I'm only half-kidding... maybe.

Rating: 3.5 𓇼 I had such high hopes for "When the Tides Held the Moon" by Venessa Vida Kelley, but honestly, it just didn't quite hit the mark for me. To be honest, as soon as I saw it was being compared to *The Greatest Showman* and *The Shape of Water*, I had a sinking feeling. Both of those movies put me to sleep! "When the Tides Held the Moon" had some fantastic elements: the historical setting, the whole sideshow family vibe, exploring the immigrant experience, a queer romance with a me...

Excuse me while I throw myself into the ocean. I'm going to need about 9 to 10 business days to float face-down and wallow in my feelings. Seriously.At first glance, When the Tides Held the Moon is a romance novel. A gorgeous, magical, seafoam-stained, historical romance. But dig a little deeper? It’s a story about what 'home' really means, and what it takes to find that feeling not only in other people, but inside yourself. It's about rediscovering who you really are after spending so long shap...

Named one of Book Riot’s Best Books of 2025:Fantasy! Romance! Historical Fiction! Found family! Stunning artwork! Venessa Vida Kelley's enchanting debut, When the Tides Held the Moon, offers something for everyone. Benny, a Puerto Rican blacksmith, is commissioned to build a massive glass tank. Upon delivering it to the Coney Island carnival sideshow in the 1910s that ordered it, he discovers it's intended for a real merman captured from the East River. As he falls for this merman, Benny underst...

A Puerto Rican blacksmith falls in love with a merman in 1911 New York. Sounds intriguing, right? But honestly, that short sentence basically sums up the entire plot of Venessa Vida Kelley's *When the Tides Held the Moon*, and for me, that just wasn't enough. It started promisingly enough. Twenty-two-year-old blacksmith Benigno Caldera is commissioned to build a glass tank for a Coney Island sideshow called "Morgan's Menagerie of Human Oddities." Benny quickly becomes entangled with the show's n...

I've really struggled with how to review "When the Tides Held the Moon" by Venessa Vida Kelley since finishing it last month. I was so highly anticipating this read, and when I finished, I felt really conflicted overall. The story itself is beautifully written with distinct and well-painted imagery. The artwork is stunning. I loved the romance. It’s a slow burn, and while it takes a little while to get there, Rio and Benny were really wonderful to read about. However, I was disappointed by asp...

Imagine if E.L. Massey's *Like Real People Do* met the historical backdrop of Shaun David Hutchinson's *Before We Disappear*. Now, layer in gorgeous prose and stunning illustrations, and you've got Venessa Vida Kelley's *When the Tides Held the Moon*. Told through Benigno's eyes (and I'm not calling him Benny!), interwoven with breathtaking illustrations and Rio's own perspective, this book is an absolutely remarkable debut. Benigno and Rio are both such beautifully realized characters: Benigno...

So, this book is about a metal worker from Puerto Rico who builds a massive fish tank for a merman in a sideshow. And yeah, I cried, like, multiple times. The merman is super grumpy (which, let's be real, is totally understandable since he's been fish-napped), and the metal worker is constantly dealing with ethical dilemmas, but not really because his moral compass is pretty solid. The whole band of misfits living on Coney Island is the most spot-on portrayal of found family I’ve ever come acros...

This was so good, I'm actually crying 😭Rating: 4 ⭐️This book has such an amazing vibe. It's 1910s New York, with circus performers and mermen. I'm obsessed. And there are pictures. Key scenes are illustrated and it's just *chef's kiss*!The story follows Benigno, a queer Puerto Rican immigrant in the 1910s whose luck is perpetually down, as he gets caught up in a scheme to capture a mermaid. Along with a circus troupe, they find and capture a merman who’s destined to become Benigno's star attrac...