When the Tides Held the Moon

Praise

Praise for When the Tides Held the Moon

“I can’t believe Venessa Kelley exists. Here is an artist who is not only extraordinarily talented, but she can write too? We are so lucky to be around at the same time as her. WHEN THE TIDES HELD THE MOON may be a debut, but it reads like someone at the top of their game. Lush prose, diverse characters, and a love story to swoon over? This book has got it all. Venessa Kelley is a dynamic writer who understands that little details matter just as much as the narrative itself. A feast for the senses!” —TJ Klune, New York Times bestselling author of The House in the Cerulean Sea

“Kelley’s writing lands like music, infusing early 20th century Coney Island with palpable magic. I’m head over heels for Benny, Río, their unforgettable found family, and this love song of a book.” —Becky Albertalli, New York Times bestselling & award-winning author

“Venessa Vida Kelley’s debut novel proves she can achieve the same effortless luminosity with words as with her artwork, creating a page-turning story which brings 1911 New York and a vivid found family of characters equally to life. This is an achingly fantastical and painfully romantic book; it plunged me deep and took my breath away!” —Freya Marske, internationally bestselling author and New York Times Editors’ Choice Pick for A Marvelous Light and A Restless Truth

“Her prose is as beautiful as her art; her understanding of history and character, deep as the ocean. . . . Save some talent for the rest of us!” —Sarah Rees Brennan, USA Today bestselling author of Long Live Evil

“When the Tides Held the Moon made me fall in love with 1920s New York, with the scrappy circus, and with the beautiful central relationship at its heart. Gorgeously compelling and romantic right up to the last page.” —Everina Maxwell, Sunday Times bestselling author of Winter’s Orbit and Ocean’s Echo

“Steeped in the rasp of metalworks and the salt of the ocean, this novel is a delight for the senses and a balm for the heart. WHEN THE TIDES HELD THE MOON lives evocatively in the intersection of romance and justice, of land and sea.” —Eliot Schrefer, Two-time National Book Award Finalist and New York Times bestselling author

“A beautiful, lyrical love story between two fish out of water determined to save each other. WHEN THE TIDES HELD THE MOON is a stunning debut by a brilliant new voice in romantasy. It made me cry four times!” —Lex Croucher, New York Times bestselling author of Gwen & Art Are Not in Love

“Lush and romantic, WHEN THE TIDES HELD THE MOON is a love story unlike anything you’ve read before.” —Camryn Garrett, NAACP Image Award-nominated author

“A breathtaking and illuminating love song to culture, language, found families, and the depths of the heart, WHEN THE TIDES HELD THE MOON is the richly compelling historical fantasy romance readers have longed for. Venessa Vida Kelley’s melodic prose and enchanting characters will pull you under until the very last page!” —Julian Winters, award-winning author of Prince of the Palisades

“With a cast of characters to fall in love with and a sweet, slow-burning romance, WHEN THE TIDES HELD THE MOON evokes the magic and mystery of a lost New York with cinematic lushness.” —Alexandra Villasante, winner of the LAMBDA Literary Award for The Grief Keeper
 
“WHEN THE TIDES HELD THE MOON is at once a quiet love story between Benny, an orphaned blacksmith from Puerto Rico and Rio, the stubborn but soft-hearted merman he unknowingly helped capture, as well as an epic historical fantasy with a cast of diverse and loveable misfits. On Benny’s bumpy path to finding himself and his place in 1920’s New York City he stumbles upon found family and true love—which grounds him in a way he never could have expected. With luscious illustrations by Vida Kelley that accompany this truly heartfelt and original story, readers will find themselves easily immersed in Benny and Rio’s journey.” —Jackie Khalilieh, author of Something More

“With prose as lush and intricate as her illustrations, Venessa Vida Kelley’s romantic debut is sure to enchant and captivate readers.” —Mia García, author of Even if the Sky Falls

“A luminous and romantic fantasy from a gifted storyteller and illustrator… prepare to be swept off your feet!” —Sher Lee, author of Legend of the White Snake
 
“Venessa Vida Kelly’s beautiful illustrations and prose pulls us like an ocean current into a queer love story rich in history and myth.” —Marisel Vera, author of The Taste of Sugar
 
“Be prepared to be transported and transformed as you dive into Venessa Vida Kelley’s scintillating early 20th century historical fantasy that brims with glittering prose, swoon-worthy romance, and page-turning suspense. Venessa’s powerful debut is a gripping examination of immigration and the treatment of the “other” in American society that rewards readers with fairy-tale love, found family, and unrelenting hope for a world worthy of her protagonist Benito and his beloved Rio.” — NoNieqa Ramos, author of They Thought They Buried Us

“Venessa Vida Kelley’s WHEN THE TIDES HELD THE MOON is a triumph of tender and evocative storytelling that is as much a story about love and found family as it is a novel of place. Kelley transports the reader to Coney Island of the early 1900’s through the eyes of Benicio “Benny” Caldera, a Puerto Rican blacksmith who left his island in search of opportunity in New York City and stumbled on a miracle beyond his wildest dreams. Rich in enchantment, intrigue, and the kind of love that only happens once in many lifetimes, this novel draws you in like the waves of a salt-water estuary that carries the moon on its frothy current. It leaves you breathless with its stunning prose and the proposition that really seeing someone for all the things that they are is the most transformative kind of love. A true gem of a novel!” —Sera Taíno, author of A Delicious Dilemma

“This book was one that I wanted to savor while reading. The writing was so vivid and just immediately pulls you into the story. I really enjoyed the complexity of Benigno and Rio, whose romance was such a carefully crafted tale of forbidden love and finding a home with someone where you least expect it.  Found family was the centerpiece of this story and really highlighted the importance of doing the right thing for those you love despite the consequences. I also just LOVED Benigno’s journey of self-discovery and how big of a role Rio had in that. THE SWIMMING LESSONS!!!!” – Meghan Molinari, Lark & Owl Booksellers (Georgetown, TX)