5.0 stars
HIGHLY recommend

Wow! What a beautifully written book about WWII life on Martha's Vineyard. This is loosely based on true people and events which occurred in 1942, along with another timeline in 2016.

The writing is superb, the characters are well-developed, and the plot is fantastic. It had me flip-flopping on characters and guessing to the end of the book, which always makes me happy. I only figured out a small piece, but Martha kept the tension until the end!

Read this book - it is so good, especially if you like historical fiction like I do!

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/7150779051 - posted 4/27/2025
The StoryGraph: https://app.thestorygraph.com/reviews/52b8fd34-9405-437d-8c12-4be2f6131f2d?redirect=true - posted 4/27/2025
booksbydorothea Blog: https://booksbydorothea.blogspot.com/2025/04/review-marthas-vineyard-beach-and-book.html - posted 4/27/2025

I’ve loved Marta Hall Kelly’s previous books and was excited to delve into a different WWII novel. The book is told in first person but from several narrators. This style interrupted my flow of the book. As I often had to refer back to the chapter title to figure out out who was telling the story now. Although fun concept with endearing well developed characters, some the writing was repetitive with the long descriptions of settings and character internal thoughts.
This novel is part well researched history of the USArmy and lives of islanders on Martha’s Vineyard during WWII and part romance / with some intrigue.
I was hoping for more book club and that is really just a vehicle to bring the narrators together on occasion. The book club is not central to the novel. While this was an easy read it was also easy to put down. Thank you Nathalie for the arc.

In a dual timeline story, follow the Smith family through on Martha’s Vineyard. Mari is making a quick trip to follow up on a name found among her mother’s things after her passing. Under the pretext of taking a painting class, from Mrs. Deveraoux, she finds herself hearing the story from WWII of Tom, the charismatic brother who went to war, Cadence, the older sister who wanted to work in publishing in New York, Briar, the younger sister who had a nose for mysteries, Bess, Tom’s girlfriend, and Gram who held the family together. In addition to a host of other characters who enrich the story. The Smiths are a farming family who are struggling to survive. To be like the rich ladies who summered there, the girls started a book club, having to share books because of a paper shortage.

The Martha’s Vineyard Beach and Book Club, by Martha Hall Kelly, is a war story filled with family love, community, unexpected opportunities, spy mysteries, and an occasional laugh. I thoroughly enjoyed the read.

The Martha vineyard beach in book club is a beautifully written story taken place in 1942 and 2016. A young girl named Mary travels to Martha’s Vineyard after her mother‘s funeral. She is still very upset after losing her mother and she has to watch every penny, she has. When she finally gets to the vineyard, she meets Elizabeth Devereaux and becomes one of her students in painting. Elizabeth is a famous artist that has been on the venue for many many years and she starts telling mary of the stories of her life on the vineyard.

The year is 1942 and we are introduced to two sisters Briar and Cadence. Cadence has dreams of pursuing a job in the publishing world and has visions of leaving the island so she can pursue this. If she does leave the island this would leave.Briar alone to help keep the family going. The story continues with the stories of WWll. How the young men were being shipped out and families, not knowing if their loved ones will be returning.

In wildest turmoil, the Smith sisters along with best a friend started giving books away each month to someone to read and then pass it on. This is a really beautifully written story about family about love. What families went through during.
This tough time. The Smith sisters try to do something nice but yet there was a mystery about them. What was the connection? I’d like to thank Niki and penguin. Random house for the ARC. The characters were enjoyable. The story was beautifully written. Four stars.

The Martha’s. Vineyard Beach and Book Club was unlike any book club I have ever been. Founded in 1942 they manage to read some books but also share their limited books with everyone on the island, come up with an idea to get books to servicemen, hide a German defector and uncover a spy. The women of this book club showed how they could manage a farm, cope with the death of a loved one and also find love during a horrible time in our country’s history. There are so many great characters- my favorites being Gram (everyone’s grandmother) and Briar (a no holds barred tomboy). I thoroughly enjoyed this story but I knew I would since I loved Ms Kelly’s previous books.


Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an advanced copy in return for my honest opinion.

It's 2016, and Mari Starwood is mourning the loss of her mother. Discovering an address for the renowned painter Elizabeth Deveraux on Martha's Vineyard among her mother's possessions, Mari journeys from California to uncover more. The elderly artist, living on a large dairy farm, shares with Mari the story of the Smith sisters, Cadence and Briar. During WWII, a Naval Auxiliary Air Station was located at the island's north end, sparking the curiosity of sixteen-year-old Briar, who frequently reported sightings of German U-boats, though she was taken seriously. Nineteen-year-old Cadence aspired to become a writer. Their older brother Tom was serving as an Army Ranger, and his girlfriend Bess, from an upper-crust family, was living at the Smith farm. When an ailing soldier washes ashore, his presence puts everyone in danger. Mari is captivated by the tale of the Smith family and will discover why her mother had planned to travel to Martha's Vineyard before her sudden death.

Martha Hall Kelly became a must-read author with her debut, Lilac Girls. She has not disappointed since. The Martha's Vineyard Beach and Book Club, inspired by the author's family, who settled on Martha’s Vineyard in 1891, is another fabulous read. Several subplots, including espionage and publishing, are beautifully woven into this intriguing and heartfelt story. It was interesting to read a wartime story that takes place entirely in the U.S., showing its impact on American families. This well-researched book will send you off to learn more after finishing it.

The Martha’s Vineyard Beach and Book Club is a light, breezy read that delivers exactly what you’d expect from its title — a coastal setting, a group of women reuniting over books and beach walks, and plenty of heartwarming moments. The setting is charming, and there are some touching reflections on friendship, second chances, and the way life changes over time.

Martha's Vineyard Beach and Book Club, my inaugural read from Martha Hall Kelly, proved to be a truly delightful experience. The novel not only met but exceeded my expectations, showcasing the author's exceptional storytelling prowess. The narrative masterfully intertwines the storylines of the Smith girls, their determination to establish a book club, and their endeavors to supply books to the army, all while exploring the profound love they share and the romantic relationships that blossom throughout the book. Additionally, the tale of Mari's journey to Martha's Vineyard and her discovery of her connection to the island and the Smith girls is beautifully woven throughout. This book is a testament to Kelly's skillful storytelling, leaving the reader eager for more. I extend my gratitude to NetGalley and Ballentine Books for providing me with an advance review copy.

An excellent, well researched dual timeline piece of historical fiction! Most of the WWII historical fiction I’ve read takes place in Europe and it is refreshing to read one based in the states. The setting, Martha’s Vineyard, is almost another character along with Bess, Cadence and Briar.
I highly recommend to fans of historical fiction.

This is the first book I’ve read by Martha Hall Kelly and I look forward to reading many more.

Delving into World War II from the standpoint of the homeland shores of Martha’s Vineyard, is a much different take on any World War II historical fiction than I have seen before. I enjoyed the different perspective and the fact that the main characters were themselves teenagers as they struggled with the reality of the war and the possibility that it might even come to their hometown. Sometimes wise beyond their years, and sometimes acting like teenagers, as is to be expected, these girls represent many others who endured this trying time in history, I am sure. I enjoy this author, and enjoyed the book as a whole, but just not quite enough to give it five stars. Thank you to NetGalley for the advance read copy.

This was a very strange book. I felt like I'd been dropped in the middle of the story - I kept paging back to the beginning, certain I'd missed a chapter. Told by three narrators, two sisters in 1942 and a future character in the present, the stories felt completely unconnected and unrelated. The characters seem to lack motivation, their decisions are often without reason, and I didn't care about them at all. Everything wraps up in a tidy little unbelievable package. Give this one a skip.

This is the only time I have ever read two books in one month that I would rate 10 Stars if I could. I recommend this book to all those who love books that blend accurate history with fiction. The family in this book was real people, the war actions around Martha's Vineyard was a real thing, and all of this is blended to give you one hell of a superb story!

Although this book begins in 2016 with Mari Starwood, it quickly shifts to 1942 and the Smith girls. The main story is told in two different voices: Briar, who was 16, and Cadence, who was 19...with a mix of other voices thrown in.

This is a love story, an espionage story, and even a murder story. Wow, it really had it all. Oh, and don't forget books, book clubs, and making books for soldiers to carry in their backpacks. They also found books to read during the deprivation of the war years, often looking to the town dump for them.

This book has believable, compelling, and likable characters. It also has a plausible plot, for the most part.

This book took me out of a low point in my reading and catapulted me up to the stratosphere.

This is the perfect beach read and also an ideal book club read. I highly recommend this book.

*ARC supplied by the publisher Ballantine Books/Random House, the author, and NetGalley.

4.25 great character stars

A favorite author combined with a favorite setting? Why, thank you, I’ll read that book! This is my fifth read by Martha Hall Kelly, and I love that this one is set in Martha’s Vineyard.

We have two storylines. One is a modern storyline with Mari Starwood. She’s in Martha’s Vineyard trying to solve a mystery after her mother’s death. She’s visiting a reclusive painter, Elizabeth Devereaux, at an amazing farm with an ocean view.

Then we go back to the early 1940s when WWII is a harsh reality. Men on the island are shipping out, U-boats are spotted just offshore, and there’s fear of Japanese and German residents. The Smith girls are trying to keep the family farm going with their grandmother. Cadence loves to write and aspires to move to New York for a publishing job. Briar (my favorite character in the book) loves to dress in vintage clothing, is obsessed with models and military activities, and wonders if spies are on the island.

Cadence’s best friend, Bess, lives with them and is part of the book club that the girls have started. They extend their efforts to the army base on the island, providing books for the troops to read. I loved all the book references in this one.

Some secrets swirl on the island, and I loved how it all came together. With characters I definitely rooted for, this is my favorite Martha Hall Kelly book so far!

This book started out strong with great potential as a detailed historical fiction novel. It was entertaining with interesting characters that had the reader immediately invested. The descriptive details of Martha’s Vineyard painted a beautiful picture of the island in the 1940’s.

About midway the story changed direction and became more of a suspenseful, unrealistic drama. The author takes creative licensing and adds drama to the story. Some of the characters have true historical reference but there were just too many all jammed together in a short period of time and in one tiny island’s story. A German spy amongst the Vineyard residents, a murder of a shop keeper, an AWOL German that is kept and hidden by the residence that just so happens to have family in Minnesota, a local soldier that returns from the dead, a lieutenant love interest from England, a pregnancy whose baby gets stolen. It just seemed too far fetched, add in the split timelines all made it a bit of a disappointment for me, especially after the strong beginning.

There was a lot of historical research and time spent in the writing of this story. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced readers copy.

In 2016 Mari visits Martha's Vineyard to take a one day class with reclusive painter Elizabeth Devereaux, and the majority of the book is a flashback to 1942 as Elizabeth tells Mari the story of the Smith sisters, Cadence and Briar and their brother's girlfriend Bess and their experiences as the Army trains on the Martha's Vineyard beaches for the invasion of Europe and rumors of U-boats and spies sweep through the island. The girls struggle to keep their ailing grandmother's farm afloat and decide to start a book club to keep spirits high.

Mari's stay is extended as the story is told and she slowly begins to understand that her ties to the island run much deeper than she expected.

While the book club features prominently in the title, it is given very little space in the actual narrative. I wanted to like this book but found too much of the 1942 story to be unbelievable. 16 year old Briar seeks and finds U-boats and spies, 19 year old Cadence, a high school dropout who dreams of a literary career in New York becomes friends with a publishing executive who offers her several jobs, and when 19 year old Bess discovers she is pregnant, the baby is eagerly welcomed by everyone except her high society mother. The wartime story of life on Martha's Vineyard was very interesting but the modern timeline distracted. It allowed the author to explain what had become of all the main characters but I think the wartime story world have been stronger on its own, especially with more believable characters.

The Martha's Vineyard Beach and Book Club by Martha Hall Kelly

This story has a dual timeline which I didn't mind since the story focuses mostly on the WWII portion (1942) of the story with present day (2016) insertions playing a smaller role.. For me, the trips to the present day never took me away from the earlier part of the story and actually the present day informs us of some things I wanted to know about the past.

The story is steeped in book lovers although some of them, such as sixteen-year-old war-obsessed Briar, don't have time for fiction. Briar is made to attend her older sister, Cadence's, book club and the club is always reading fiction. Briar has better things to do, watching for signs of the enemy in the water or on land, her job making miniatures of enemy craft for ID training of the troops, spying on everyone for signs of those who might be backing the wrong side of the war and more. Briar has earned a very unsavory reputation as a liar because of the sightings of enemy craft she has reported. She has become a pariah among many of the folks in her community but she's not giving up her efforts to protect her homeland.

With their brother off to war, Cadence has more than ever on her shoulders. She responsible for their little farm, their ailing grandmother, Briar, her brother's fiancé, and her friends. Her responsibilities have kept her from moving on like so many of women her age would have done. No college for her, she is needed at home while she dreams that someday she can move to a big city and work in publishing.

The presence of troops on the island, training anywhere and everywhere, is a huge source of frustration. The farm's crops are trampled with no care for what they can garner for the family, crops will allow them to supplement scant rations and earn much needed money. The sharing of books with the troops might help relations between a grumpy officer and Cadence's family. Then there is the chance to help with the making of miniature paperbacks for the troops overseas. And of immediate importance is that grandmother needs surgery and there are not the funds for it.

There is everyday life during war time here and also the mystery of a rumored spy in their midst. Briar is an extremely smart young lady and she knows so much more than others will credit her with knowing. I love the cover of this book with the girls/women enjoying time on the beach but at this time in their lives, there is very little time to be carefree.

Of the four novels and one short story that I've read by Martha Hall Kelly, I think this is my favorite one. I'm a fan of WWII stories and this book touches on parts of that time that fascinate me. It has been through historical fiction that I came to know that people living in that area had to endure rumors of enemy presence and the very real presence of Allied troops living and training in the area. I also enjoyed the mention of making sure the service men had access to books on the island which actually morphed into a connection to the real life miniature paperback books for the troops project.

Thank you to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine | Ballantine Books and NetGalley for this ARC.

Super interesting, the setting of WW2 in Martha’s Vineyard, mostly from the perspective of two teenage sisters and their friends and family, and Cadence’s love of books and writing.

The characters of Briar and Cadence were well done had a great compliment to each other - Briar with her quirky, determined, and sleuthing mind, and Cadence as ambitious, family-centered, and levelheadedness - as they tried to keep their farm afloat and manage unexpected war-related curveballs.

I enjoyed the mystery and tension of U-boats off the New England coast, potential defectors and spies, Army camps and invasion drills along with family tensions with the sisters’ story, and how the women in the current timeline played into it all. And of course the books. Loved the thread of the books throughout!

Thanks to Netgalley for the advanced copy of this book. All opinions are mine.

I have enjoyed two of Martha Hall Kelly's books quite a bit, so I had high hopes for this book, despite the fact that it's another WWII historical, a field I feel is oversaturated. I can't say that I loved this book, but I did like it. However, it wasn't quite the book I was expecting it to be. I was anticipating it to be more about the book club, but there wasn't much of that to be honest. I was able to guess a couple of the main plot points early on, which is fine, but I do like it when I'm taken by surprise. I found the friendship with Winnie to be stretching it a bit, and I did not buy the romance element at all between Cadence and Gil. That just came out of nowhere. As for the characters, I liked Cadence probably the most. I liked her columns that were interspersed, and would have liked more of those. Briar was someone I didn't connect with at all, and I found her to be really annoying. It's apparent without it ever being said that she's neurodivergent, and I felt that at times that was used to excuse her. Oh, and the whole Tyson story line (and its ending) I found wildly improbable.

Still, I think a lot of people who enjoy a beach read will really like this book. I just found it not quite beachy-read enough for me, and instead trying to throw in a mystery that only gets resolved in a 3 years later kind of chapter, which made the ending feel rushed for me.

Martha Stewart Beach and Book Club is a beautifully layered story that weaves together two timelines—2016 and 1942—on the evocative shores of Martha’s Vineyard. With atmospheric writing and richly drawn characters, this novel explores how the echoes of the past can shape the present in unexpected ways.

In the modern timeline, Mari Starwood is a woman adrift, grieving her mother and searching for answers that lead her to the enigmatic Elizabeth Devereaux. As Elizabeth slowly unspools the story of the Smith sisters, Mari begins to understand that her connection to the island runs deeper than she ever imagined.

The 1942 storyline is where the book really shines. Cadence and Briar Smith are compelling and vividly rendered—young women forced to grow up quickly during the pressures of World War II. The historical details feel authentic without being heavy-handed, and the idea of a small-town book club blossoming into something meaningful and powerful during wartime adds a heartwarming layer of hope. The romance, tension, and whispers of espionage keep the pace engaging.

The dual narrative is mostly well-balanced, though the modern storyline sometimes lags behind the emotional intensity of the historical one. Mari's arc, while touching, feels more subdued in comparison to the high stakes of the 1940s thread. Still, both stories come together in a satisfying, emotional conclusion.

Perfect for fans of The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society or The Paris Library, this novel is a tribute to the power of books, brave women, and the healing ties of family.

A heart-warming story about a family and the struggles and trial of living during WWII. I really enjoyed the connection between the sisters and their grandmother, townspeople, etc. Hearing about the servicemen being on the beaches and the camp being on the island…it really made the wartime seem real. The island itself was a wonderful character of simplicity and really depicted the joy of reading a book at the beach and enjoying days without all the modern technical influences that fill our world today. This book was a peak into the past and Martha Hall Kelly did an amazing job bringing the feeling of this time period to life—days without busy roads and the sounds of cars and days without modern disruptions. This is my second book I’ve ready from Martha Hall Kelly and she didn’t disappoint. I absolutely love the easiness of her writing and would highly recommend this book to any WWII fans.
P.S. It has a cute mystery in it, and that adds a super fun twist!