Very interesting story. Enjoyed the vigilance of these sisters & friends in being involved in the safety of their home during wartime.Their bravery & determination was uplifting.
Excellent writing in portraying the town & characters.

The Martha's Vineyard Beach and Book Club was created by the Smith sisters as a way to cope with WWII and the shipping of their brother Tom to fight the war. As a local farmer family where their grandmother is raising them, they are trying to survive with shortages of food and men labor. Cadence and Bess, Tom's soon to be fiance, work at a rich people club, where Cadence gets noticed by a group of women that work in publishing and praise the column she writes in the local newspaper. She gets offered her dream job in New York but can't seem to leave her family stranded on the island. Briar, the youngest sister, is too smart for her own good. She interns at a army intelligence office, where she seeks classified information that could be benefiting the enemy. She suspects people among them could be betraying their nation. The story was well paced and seemed accurate with the time setting, I found the family secrets storyline was particularly interesting. The ending was not shocking but still very well executed.

This was my first novel by Martha Hall Kelly, and now I’m excited to explore her other works. I was intrigued to learn that the author found inspiration for this novel in her own mother’s stories of growing up on Martha’s Vineyard during WWII. The story shifts between two timelines: in 1942, on Martha’s Vineyard, sisters Cadence and Briar Smith try to protect their home as WWII looms, and in 2016, Mari Starwood uncovers their story through painter Elizabeth Devereaux. The novel seamlessly blends mystery, history, and the unbreakable bonds of friendship.

Kelly’s vivid descriptions bring the Vineyard to life—from the book clubs that support women during wartime to the whispers of German U-boats offshore. It’s a story about bravery, heritage, and the enduring power of books to help us through tough times.

The Martha’s Vineyard Beach and Book Club captures everything I love about historical fiction, an immersive setting, hidden secrets, and resilient women. A must-read for fans of historical fiction!

Thank you NetGalley and Ballantine books for the digital review copy.

I've only visited Martha's Vineyard once, and that was years ago. This book makes me want to visit again. I loved the island community and support thread throughout the story, and enjoyed the several POVs of the Smith women. We have chapters from Mari's POV, a young woman trying to uncover answers about her mother's family, which leads her to the island where she's told the story of the Smith women. We have Briar, a rebellious teen who has a keen interest in playing detective while also focusing on the war that has pulled her beloved brother, Tom, away from the family. We have Cadence, Briar's older sister, who yearns to be a writer and leave the island.
The story focuses on the real struggles of families during WWII, the small-town support for fellow neighbors, and the bonds of family. I loved every page of the book! Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this wonderful historical fiction.

This story is set in both 2016 and 1942 on Martha’s Vineyard. in 1942, the global conflict is being felt on the Massachusetts island of Martha’s Vineyard. The island is the perfect place to train troops for a mock amphibious invasion exercise, and there’s growing concern that German U-boats are patrolling the coastline. Sisters Cadence and Briar Smith, aged nineteen and sixteen, live on a beachside property with their Gran and their adored brother, Tom. Cadence dreams of being a writer or editor in New York City, while Briar is increasingly concerned that there is a Nazi spy living in their community, but when Tom goes off to war, the sisters will need to come together to keep the family farm afloat. A secondary modern-day timeline (2016) also on Martha’s Vineyard, brings together a young woman from California, grieving the death of her mother and Elizabeth Devereaux a reclusive painter. What connects these two women and the story of the Smith sisters during the war?

The author has written a novel about female friendship and resilience, as well as a love letter to Martha’s Vineyard’s history.. There are plenty of intriguing historical details—from the publication of Armed Services Editions of books made on wafer thin paper so soldiers could find solace in books and some respite from war, to the growing of potatoes—as well as charming characters whose adventures, and misadventures, kept the pages turning for me. It gave me a glimpse of of Martha’s Vineyard.

3.25 stars

The Martha's Vineyard Beach and Book Club by Martha Hall Kelly is a historical fiction about life in Martha's Vineyard during World War II. Told between the modern day and 1942, three women's lives intersect in ways that could only happen during times of war.

This is an easy read, and fairly action packed, which will get you through the story quickly. The setting is very unique; I've never read anything set in Martha's Vineyard, much less a historical fiction. It really does feel atmospheric, especially if you happen to be reading this on the beach in Cape Cod.

There are several plot points that aren't super hard to guess, and the modern day timeline comes off as a bit shallow compared to the past one. I personally wouldn't have minded less interruptions from the present day storyline.

With that being said, I appreciate that I've learned something new about a time and place that hasn't been covered much in WWII fiction. If you're looking for a beach read, don't be intimidated by the fact that this is historical fiction. The story moves quickly after the first 20% and you will be met with a satisfying conclusion.

Special thanks to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for an e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

The Martha's Vineyard Beach and Book Club is available everywhere now.

Unfortunately I found this story to be slow and not extremely uninteresting. While I'm sure the story would be of extreme interest to some as I know the author has a large following, it was not as good as I'd hoped it would be.

Thank you for the advanced copy of The Martha’s Vineyard Beach and Book Club. I couldn’t wait to read each chapter due to the mix of mystery, history and romance. I recommend this book to anyone that loves historical fiction and loves book clubs.

Thank you to NetGalley for sending me an Advance Digital copy in exchange for my honest opinion of this book.

I really enjoyed this book. I"m usually not one for historical fiction, but I really enjoyed this story. There are two timelines. One is 2016, and the other is set between the war in 1942 through 1945.

Mari, in 2016, is grieving the death of her mother. She's now alone in the world and is feeling a little bit lost. She found a person's name written on a paper, and found them on Martha's Vineyard, so she traveled to meet this person. Ms. Devereaux is a famous painter who lives on Martha's Vineyard. She starts to tell Mari the story of two sisters who grew up on the island. They stay up all through the night, and Mari paints while Ms. Devereaux shares the story. In the morning, Mari shows what she has painted, a picture of her mother. Based on the reaction of Ms. Devereaux, Mari figures out that Ms. Devereaux is actually her grandmother!

I really enjoyed this story!

Set against the backdrop of WWII this family saga explores the true cost of war on those at home. Sisters Cadence and Briar couldn’t be more different, but along with their brother Tom, they’ve been raised on Martha’s Vineyard by their loving grandmother and are tight knit family. But with war comes changes and the desire to chase dreams and be seen. Tom heads to war, leaving behind his fiancée Bess, Cadence dreams of the New York publishing world, and Briar is mixed up in. German u-boats and spies. After the summer of 1942 none of them will ever be the same.

I so enjoyed this book by Martha Hall Kelly, featuring stories set during world war 2 on Martha’s Vineyard and set during 2016, on some events that happened in the 40’s. I don’t want to spoil too much but I hadn’t known that there had been practice drills for the armed forces on Martha’s Vineyard. If you enjoy historical fiction please pick up this novel. Thank you to NetGalley for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

I always enjoy reading Martha Hall Kelly's books and The Martha's Vineyard Beach and Book Club was no exception. The book follows the story of three girls on the island during WWII who form a book club all the while trying to determine if there is a German spy in their midst. The female characters are strong and this is an easy read/pageturner told in dual timelines. I found the historical story more compelling than the present day story, but that might have been the author's whole point! Enjoyed this one and think it would make a great summer beach read, but I didn't like it as much as some of Kelly's other books. The author's note at the end is not to be missed.

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

I loved the back story of Bess, Cadence and Briar and how it did eventually tie into the present story. I will admit I found Briar a bit immature for a girl of 16 during that time period. I liked the mystery surrounding who the spy was and the military exercises in Martha’s Vineyard because I had no clue about that part of WWII history.

The Martha's Vineyard Beach and Book Club is the perfect summery read for historical fiction fans. I have not read a lot of WWII historical fiction (or in this case, dual timeline) books based in the US. This one had a lot going on - family dynamics, mystery, romance, women in publishing, military training- but at the crux was about a family and their hardships and triumphs right after America joined the war. There were three main storylines - sisters Briar and Cadence in 1942 and Mari in 2016 with a reveal at the end that connected the storylines.

I enjoyed getting a look inside how the war affected an already unique island town (with the poorer locals and wealthy summer visitors). Martha did an amazing job of transporting you to the Vineyard and how the war very uniquely impacted locals with army training camp that specifically trained for coastal attacks with amphibious vehicles and German U-boats off the shore.

Martha's authors note at the end should not be skipped. The level of research and detail that went into this book was amazing. And it was heavily based on her families history on Martha's Vineyard.

Loved this story and the WWII parallels to today - we should listen to women! The back and forth between years past and present day had me hooked and truly enjoying this one.

A WWII novel by author of the Lilac Girls, Martha Hall Kelly, based in part on her own family history. With spies and military training for D-Day on the small island, this story documented a little-known slice of history and was both charmingly told and well-researched for historical accuracy. The tale of sisters Patience and Briar Smith, who start a wartime mostly-family female book club, is told through the eyes of Mari from 2016. A mystery and a book about books; what's not to love?

“Books have a way of healing places we didn’t even know were hurting.”

Thank you to Ballantine Books and NetGalley for the Advanced Reader Copy of The Martha’s Vineyard Beach and Book Club by Martha Hall Kelly.

This uplifting multi-generational beach read follows a group of women whose bond is built through books, beachside gatherings, and shared pasts. It explores friendship, resilience, and healing after heartbreak with warm, comforting writing and a summery setting you’ll want to linger in. Perfect for fans of Mary Kay Andrews and Kristy Woodson Harvey.

I’ll be sharing this review on Goodreads, Instagram, StoryGraph, B&N, and Amazon.

Thank you the NetGalley and the publisher for gifted copy of this new title! I am the biggest Martha Hall Kelly, and maybe I am just comparing her too much to herself, but this title was my least favorite of her novels. I did not feel as connected with the characters as her other novels and felt some storylines hard to believe. That being said, it is a time period and history I was not familiar with, and as always, love her ability to transport me back to a different time and place! Of all of her books, this would be the best "beach read".

The Martha's Vineyard Beach and Book Club is a very enjoyable and well-researched historical fiction told from multiple points-of-view and with a dual timeline. Most of the timeline is set during WWII, the modern day seemed used more as an opening and closing to the story. The novel contains a great cast of characters, a beautiful setting, and a bit of mystery and romance. I've read many WWII novels yet was pleasantly surprised with the new-to-me material this covered. The author's note at the end of the book was a nice bonus for its historical information.. All-in-all this was a great story for kicking off my summer reading! I highly recommend this novel for those who enjoy historical fiction, WWII fiction, and for book clubs.

Thank you to Martha Hall Kelly, Ballantine Books, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this advance reader copy.

The Martha’s Vineyard Beach and Book Club is a light, breezy read—even though it weaves in a fair amount of history.
I loved the Martha’s Vineyard setting; it gives WWII fiction a refreshing twist. The historical elements felt mostly believable, though some parts of the plot definitely stretched reality... just super far fetched.

The wartime sisters, Cadence and Briar, were a highlight for me. Two orphaned teens on a struggling island farm—one clever and bookish, writing a charming column called Up-Island Happenings, the other a 16-year-old tree-climbing genius detective in men’s clothes.
The modern-day storyline with Mari didn’t land for me, though. I felt disconnected from her, and the writing in that part just didn’t feel convincing. Honestly, that timeline felt a bit cliché and uninspired. I needed to see more of her.

Luckily, the historical timeline dominates most of the book, and it has enough literary love and charm to keep things interesting. That said, I couldn’t quite get behind the way the two timelines came together, especially the tie-in with Elizabeth and Mari at the end.

This was a true “in-between” read for me. Not forgettable, but not a favorite either. Some parts I really enjoyed; others made me roll my eyes. I wouldn’t talk anyone out of reading it—but I wouldn’t be rushing to recommend it either. Solid three stars.