I really enjoyed this book. What are two things guaranteed to create stress and conflict? Weddings and large family gatherings. Three generations of smart, strong women gather at the family estate at Marthas Vineyard to spend time together and prepare for a celebration. Cora, the family matriarch (grandmother) is getting remarried. Mickey (granddaughter) and Hedy(daughter) are dealing with their own feelings about the wedding, the marriage, their collective relationships and everything they left behind in their real lives off island and Cora has some secrets of her own to share as well. Told in current and past times, it’s a well written smart story that was quite the enjoyable read. So nice to read about women supporting each other and figuring it all out together. Have read both of this wonderful authors books and now I patiently (maybe not so much!) await what comes next.

A book about a family, and the women who have shaped its generation of living. Our Place on the Island takes the reader on a journey of one women's love story, past and present, one's ability to communicate and one's willingness to be open to love again. I'd welcome a trip for an overnight stay and wonderfully cooked meal.

This saga is sentimental and sweetly romantic.

Thank you St. Martin's Press for the complimentary copy.

Star Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
Genre: Women’s Fiction
Setting: Martha’s Vineyard, Baltimore
Time: 1948, 1999
Format: 📖
Release Date: June 13, 2023
Length: 320 Pages

Boy am I a sucker for books that take place in New England and even more so in Massachusetts.

Native New Englander Erika Montgomery wrote this beautiful, sweet novel about three generations of Campbell women: Grandmother Cora, daughter Hedy and granddaughter Mickey. They have all gathered at family estate home called Beech House located on Martha’s Vineyard to celebrate Cora, the family matriarch, second chance marriage to Max, the cabinet maker that renovated and designed the Beech House kitchen back in 1948.

Our Place on the Island is told in dual timelines; 1948 after WWII and 1999. It is the story of a young bride that is brought to Martha’s Vineyard in 1948; her struggles to fit in with a different class of people, her love for cooking and her time to say goodbye to a home she has come to love. It is a story of a mother daughter relationship that is in conflict. Hedy is struggling, acceptance of the upcoming nuptials between Cora and Max is not sitting well, she feels it is a betrayal to her deceased father. It is a story of a grandmother and granddaughter that both find joy in cooking. It was Cora’s influence that sent Mickey to culinary school an open her own restaurant in Baltimore. While Piquant had a successful write up in The Baltimore Sun, it is headed into financial failure. As these women wrangle with inner struggles, family secrets and coming to term with changes in their lives they learn to trust in each other to help them become a stronger bolder person … and maybe their last memorable summer at the Beech House.

This was my first Erika Montgomery novel and not my last. I so enjoyed her writing style, great realistic characters with a little family drama and setting at the beach. I recommend you throw this one n your beach bag.

Thank you, Erika Montgomery, St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for providing me with a digital ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed in this review are my own. This novel is due to be released on June 13, 2023.


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Unfortunately, this book was an overall let down. The set up and the characters were great, but the plot never really grew to what it could be. The “big reveal” was lack luster and the point of going between two time lines seemed pointless. I did really enjoy getting to know each character.

A beautiful love letter to cooking!

Centered around the power of food and set on the beaches of Martha’s Vineyard, this dual timeline is a delicious read.

If that isn’t enough of a reason for you, read on!

Author Erika Montgomery gives readers a glimpse of the life of a chef and restaurant owner and incorporates all the things we associate with summer and food: cocktails on the beach, a wedding, family secrets, and a summer romance.

I loved the opportunity of a second chance romance, the tension of a workplace romance, the growing pains of a blended family and owning a business, the small-town gossip, the love of cooking, and the intergenerational relationships. I loved the spotlight on doing what’s right, not what’s comfortable. In a me-centered society, this ‘old-fashioned value’ was refreshing. Most of all, I loved the atmosphere; the summer breezes, clambakes, and family being pulled together at a summer house.

“Beech House was the one place heartbreak and hurt couldn’t stick. Water to the world’s oil - the two refusing to mix. All these years later, does she dare to think its healing magic might still work?”

As you can see, I loved this book! I feel like I’ve dined at Piquant and experienced a 5-star meal.

Assembled in the perfect proportions and served with love, this is one book you’ll want to throw in your beach bag! Find out if Beech House still holds magic.

This was my first Erika Montgomery book and I really enjoyed it. Martha's Vineyard and the family house make this the perfect setting for a summer read. I loved getting to know the three generations of Campbell women and seeing their relationships with one another evolve over the course of the book. This has delicious food, family, second chance romance, and a wedding - what more could you want in a summer book!

I have been excited about this one since the first time I heard it was coming out, and I have to say I was not disappointed. OUR PLACE ON THE ISLAND is a fantastic read I couldn’t tear myself away from. I fell in love with Cora, Heddy, Mickey, and Beech House. Food, family, and secrets… Erika Montgomery has created a story with so many wonderful parts that come together in a beautiful whole. Beech House and how the three generations are connected to each other and the island touched my heart and made me wish I could be a part of their lives. I may have shed some happy tears at the end. I highly recommend this one. Grab a lobster daquiri and find a spot to start your visit to the island.
#OurPlaceontheisland #erikamontgomery #stmartinspress #beachread

The perfect beach read for all food lovers! Set in Martha’s Vineyard, the re-marriage of matriarch Cora provides an opportunity for her to reveal secrets of the past. While Cora, daughter Hedy, and granddaughter Mickey often find themselves in the middle of some drama, the family connection has them coming together, often through their shared love of cooking.

Beech House is a family cottage and sanctuary on Oyster's Point in Martha's Vineyard. With Montgomery's vivid descriptions, the glorious setting itself is a central character in Our Place on the Island. This beautiful novel is the multi-generational story of Cora, her daughter Hedy, and granddaughter Mickey. It spans the decades from 1948 to 1999 with the history of the house within their family and the lives of the women.

A special kitchen in Beech House was re-designed when Cora moved to the Vineyard as a young bride in 1948. As events unfolded over the years, the sensory imagery surrounding the kitchen, the cottage, and the coast was stunning for me as a reader. I was intrigued and immersed in the mystery, secrets, and romance in the lives of the women from start to finish. Montgomery's writing is everything I savor and enjoy in an engaging summer read, lovely atmosphere and relationships of women connected as family and legacy.

Thank you to Net Galley and St. Martin's Press, St. Martin's Griffin for the advance reader's copy. My review is my own.

A great way to start summer. Three generations of women bound by blood and secrets all come together for a wedding and a second chance. Fun easy read set on a beautiful island.

I'm a bit late for publication, but I just finished this fun summer foodie read! Told in dual timelines, 1948 and 1999, the book is set in a long-held family house on Martha's Vineyard.
Usually when I read dual timelines, I like one timeframe more than the other. Not so with this one - I found myself excited for whichever year was stated at the start of the chapter. If you enjoy food and drinks, I think you'll like this book. I'm so glad it was my read of choice at a beer dinner the other night!
The characters in the book refer to "lobster daiquiris" and I was so bummed there wasn't a recipe for them! My mom always has a batch (or two!) of daiquiris in the freezer when I visit and reading this book made me want one! Usually, my summer drink of choice is a crisp Sauvignon Blanc or an Aperol Spritz.
The title has a fun double meaning: Beech House is the family's place on the island of Martha's Vineyard, but also Mickey and her grandmother Cora have their place working on the island in the kitchen of Beech House. I loved hearing about their experiences cooking together when Mickey was young, as well as cooking together in the 1999 timeline of the book, and even the backstory about the island being built in 1948.
I can't wait to read the author's previous release, A Summer to Remember, which I picked up recently - definitely planning to read it once school is finally out!
Thanks to St Martin's Press and St Martin's Griffin for the ARC via NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion. This one published 6/13 and I think it's foodie fun - definitely check it out!

Family drama, second chance, and more! I enjoyed this book very much. The character development was strong and I think it would make a great beach read for the summer!

This was such a fast read. The two timelines and 3 generations weaved together so well. I wanted to be on the island while reading this.

The characters were so well developed and had such interesting backgrounds to add to the book.

I highly disliked the nosy neighbours by the end but they still added to the story.

I'll definitely be checking out Montgomery's other book, A Summer to Remember.

Thanks to NetGalley & St Martin's Press for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review

I really enjoyed this story and how it wove Cora during her present day with her past self. It also wove in Mickey, her granddaughter, & Hedy, her daughter, in an interesting & seamless way. I enjoyed the setting at Beech House and all of the extra characters.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for free advanced copy, and I am leaving this review voluntarily

4.25 summer multi-generational stars

This is my second Erika Montgomery book and I think I like this one even more than her first. The author does such a fantastic job of describing the setting that I felt that I was at Beech House on Martha’s Vineyard with the characters.

This one has three strong women – Cora is the matriarch and a master cook. This summer is different though because her husband won’t be there by her side when everyone gathers. He died three years ago. The other women are Cora’s daughter, Hedy – she keenly misses her father and can’t seem to connect with Cora. The final woman is Mickey, Cora’s granddaughter, who owns a lauded Baltimore restaurant with her partner Wes. She’s keeping a big secret though; the restaurant is in serious debt trouble.

The Campbell women are all gathering back at The Beech House for Cora’s wedding to local carpenter Max. From time on the beach, clam bakes, and Cora and Mickey cooking together, we feel the magic of the place.
I loved the chapters from Cora’s first introduction to the island contrasted with the modern chapters. I really liked these characters and rooted for them each to find happiness in their own way.

Themes of returning home, second chance love, and family run through this one. I can’t wait to read the next book from this author!

This book is about finding your right place in the world. Mickey does find what is best for her in life with both her relationships and her career. It was a nice thing to read about the past and the present. It was interesting to remember that it was the late 90s so no cell phones. Take your summer back to a more relaxed time on the island and enjoy the read.

Mickey Campbell's new restaurant is a hit with everyone even the critics but she has let herself down by getting behind on bills. When she gets an unexpected phone call saying her grandmother is getting married she takes off hoping she'll be able to come up with a solution to her problems. While there with her mother and grandmother the three revisit history hoping to make things right between them. Each wants something to help them change the way things are but will they be able to trust themselves enough to move forward? Follow along on this heartfelt journey these women take its definitely worth the emotional ride.

I enjoyed parts of the story and found other parts just ok.
The food element along with the family dynamics was interesting.
Overall, a enjoyable and easy read.
Many thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and author for the opportunity to read this book for my honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Mothers and Daughters Reveal Secrets at a Summer Wedding

Three women, mothers and daughters, come together in their island home on Martha’s Vineyard. The occasion is the wedding of grandmother, Cora, to Max, a man she was rumored to have feeling for during her marriage. Hedy, her daughter, is still grief stricken by the death of her beloved father, three years ago. Mickey, Hedy’s daughter, is a chef. She and her partner, also a chef, have a restaurant earning rave reviews, but due to Mickey’s mismanagement, the restaurant is in the red.

Summer on the island is full of clambakes, parties on the beach and relaxed living. Since both Cora and Mickey love to cook, the summer is also full of delicious food and the delights of cooking with someone you love. The story is told in two timelines. Cora’s story, which holds the plot in place, begins in 1948 with her recent marriage to Henry and her attempt to fit into his circle of friends. The 1999 timeline belongs to Mickey and her problems with the restaurant and her desire to work things out with her partner.

The book is an excellent beach read. You can feel the sun, smell the salt air and feel the sand between your toes. I thought the author did a good job presenting the delights of Martha’s Vineyard without taking away from the stories of the three women.

I received this book from St. Martin’s Press for this review.

What an absolute surprise this book was reader friends! Grab Our Place On The Island, your best sunnies, a cool drink, a floppy hat, and settle into a comfortable chair in the shade! This is the weekend read you’re packing on your next vacay…or your backyard/park/pool! ☀️ I loved multigenerational, immersive romance with a touch of mystery set at Martha’s Vineyard. It’s the perfect summer read to take you away, even if you’re not on the water.

Mickey worked hard her entire life to make her dream of running and owning a restaurant come true. Working side by side with her partner and boyfriend Wes seemed a perfect fit. Somewhere something went wrong and now she’s no longer in the kitchen, and behind on the bills. She’s delayed telling him, not wanting to spoil the glowing reviews being published. Before she can she receives a call from her mother, Hedy. Her grandmother, Cora is getting married in SIX days at their family home, Beech House.

Told from multiple points of view, and going back in time, we learn the complicated history of these three women. This is the story of how people make sacrifices within their relationships, about social hierarchy, and the cost of choosing not to adhere to those norms. It’s the story of women connected by their love of cooking and food, a common language deeply rooted in a home and place, the salt, and earth. It’s about reconnecting, second chances, at any age.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press @stmartinspress Erika Montgomery @erikamontgomeryauthor and Netgalley @Netgalley for the advanced copy.