When the Tides Held the Moon by Venessa Vida Kelley
LGBTQ+ Fantasy Romance
April 29, 2025, by Erewhon Books
ARC

Review by Angela

I think the first time this book hit my radar was when I was scrolling through social media and saw a post by the author. Everyone knows I’m a sucker for a beautiful cover, and this one is gorgeous. So, when I realized the author was also the illustrator, I knew I had to add this book to my TBR.

When the Tides Held the Moon takes place in 1910 and introduces Benigno “Benny” Caldera, an immigrant from Puerto Rico living in New York City and working as a blacksmith. He works under harsh conditions and with some truly horrible people. Then one day he is offered a job working on a special commission, which might help him move to a better position within the company. Before he knows it, he’s embroiled in a scheme to trap a merman and caught up with a band of sideshow misfits.

This is one of those stories that kind of draws you in as the story unfolds. The book is told mainly from Benny’s POV, but there are sporadic outtakes of Rio’s thoughts and feelings during his captivity. It doesn’t take long to realize that Benny is down on his luck, having survived a hurricane in Puerto Rico as a child as well as the loss of his parents and the woman who acted as his caregiver, yet has still maintained his gentleness, kindness, and moral compass. The capture of Rio, the merman and newest attraction at Luna Park, haunts him. The death of Rio’s mother during the capture weighs heavily on his mind and ultimately leads him to making a trip to Luna Park and then a new job as Rio’s caretaker.

The gentle buildup of Benny and Rio’s relationship was lovely. Rio is understandably angry and mistrustful at first, but it doesn’t take long before the two begin a tentative friendship. Their relationship felt so soft and pure. I reveled in their chemistry and growing intimacy, even as I worried how a human man with asthma and a merman could ultimately make a HEA work. I was also at times frustrated with Benny and his indecision as to how to reconcile his relationships with his newly found family and their livelihood with Rio’s continued captivity. But in the end, I was utterly charmed and thrilled by how this story wrapped up.

Speaking of found families, this book has a wonderful cast of truly original secondary characters. Each play a special role in Benny’s growing into his own and accepting himself. Despite their differences these characters are truly a tight-knit group who love each other and stick together through thick and thin. I’m desperately hoping to see each of them in future stories in this world.

All in all, this is an achingly lovely romance. I love the setting, characters, and love story. The author’s prose is divine, and their illustrations scattered throughout are enchanting. I believe this is also a debut, which makes it that much more remarkable. Highly recommend.

Final grade- A

Content notes- scenes of violence and kidnapping, mentions of sexual assault