Martha’s Vineyard Beach and Book Club is a delightful summer read filled with charm, friendship, and second chances. Martha Hall Kelly brings her signature emotional depth to this more contemporary story, centering around a group of women brought together by books—and the unexpected twists of life.

Set against the dreamy backdrop of Martha’s Vineyard, the setting is practically a character itself—lush, sun-soaked, and cozy in all the right ways. The characters each carry their own secrets and scars, but the way they grow, support one another, and reconnect through the book club felt honest and heartwarming.

There were a few moments where the pacing slowed and some storylines felt a bit tied up too neatly, but overall, it’s a feel-good novel with meaningful layers. The mix of bookish themes, personal growth, and a touch of romance made it a perfect escape.

A great pick for fans of women’s fiction, book club dramas, and stories about the healing power of friendship and storytelling. Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to preview and review this book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin RandomHouse for gifting me an advanced reader’s edition of Martha’s Vineyard Beach and Book Club. Martha Hall Kelly is my standard for outstanding historical fiction. I love her unique discoveries and really fleshing them out.

Martha’s Vineyard Beach and Book Club is what I would consider a “cozy” WW2 novel: heavy on the nostalgia and light on the destitution. Earlier this year I read The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Club which met my “cozy” WW2 novel needs. However, if lighter historical fiction is what you’re after, Martha’s Vineyard Beach and Book Club is an excellent choice.

The sisters in the story, Cadence and Briar, were strong characters with a unique voice in their POV. I felt that Kelly created a solid neurodivergent character who was brave, intelligent, and who stayed true to who she was. I’m sure there were many women like Briar who were just seen as “quirky” or “weird” years ago and I’m glad her viewpoint was represented.

All in all, Martha’s Vineyard Beach and Book Club is a solid choice but it was a little too light on the thrill for me. 3.5 stars.

An enjoyable read, set on beautiful Martha's Vineyard, following the story of what happens and happened to some residents during WWII. Based on a true story.

I love this dual-timeline WWII historical fiction. Love stories set on the East Coast, with its beautiful setting, truly come alive in the novel. I listened, and the narrators did a fantastic job. The author's note was an excellent addition.

Thank you NetGAlley and Random House Audio for an amazing ARC.

WWII historical fiction fans, here you go! This one has a different twist with the setting on Martha’s Vineyard. Mari travels to Martha’s Vineyard to seek out a very private artist, under the guise of taking painting classes. Her underlying motive is to find out why this artist’s name was among her late mother’s belongings. As they paint, Mari learns how her mother is connected to the island, two sisters who start a wartime book club, and a mysterious soldier who washed shore during war time. Is he a spy? Can they trust him? Is the German U boat in the distance there for him?

I love a good dual timeline with mystery & history. This book has it all. The setting and dilemma the sisters encounter are more unique than other WWII novels I’ve read. Same author as Lilac Girls!

I’m a big Martha Hall Kelly fan after reading Lilac Girls and knew I wanted to read the Martha’s Vineyard Beach and Book Club as soon as I could. I was quickly hooked by the first few chapters. We meet Mari Starwood, a California free spirit still reeling from the loss of her mom, when she arrives in Martha’s Vineyard. She’s there to meet a reclusive and famous painter, Elizabeth Devereaux, for a painting class. Elizabeth begins to tell her the story of the Smith sisters who lived in her house in the 1940s.

Nineteen year old Cadence Smith dreams of leaving home to move to New York and work in publishing. Sixteen year old Briar Smith is obsessed with war, spending her time making models and scouting German U-boats after the US Army arrives to town. They live on a farm with their grandmother and Cadence’s best friend, Bess, after their brother is send to war. When Briar discovered a soldier washed up on the beach by their home, the Smith women and Bess make a decision that will change the course of their lives forever. Can they trust this stranger? Is there actually a spy in Martha’s Vineyard as he suggests? And what does this have to do with Elizabeth and Mari?

Kelly is able to draw strong female protagonists in such a rewarding way. I also love how she blends historical accuracy with entertaining fiction. I had no idea about the US Army’s preparation in Martha’s Vineyard during WW2 and her research allows readers to learn, while also following fully fleshed out fictional characters. Given that, it’s also lighter than most WW2 fare. While this wasn’t my favorite book of hers, there’s no doubt it’s a solid historical fiction read. I flew through the final third of the book trying to get all of my questions answered. Thank you to Random House-Ballantine and Netgalley for providing me with this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Although another entry into World War II books by Martha Hall Kelly, this is, in many ways, a lighter story that many of her others. Perhaps because it is set against the magnificent backdrop of Martha's Vineyard. Focusing on two sisters; Cadence and Briar, we become part of the everyday non privileged life on the Island, There is a second, more current timeline, but it doesn't add or detract from the story other than to wrap it up and provide an update of what has happened since the War. There is plenty of tension with possible German u-boats off the coast, spies, collaborators, and military maneuvers. There is even some romance.

I thoroughly enjoyed this story and couldn't wait to see what would happen next. I was caught up with each of the characters and loved the description of life on the island. So many WWII stories take place in Europe and it was fascinating to see the backdrop of WWII in this location.

My thanks to NetGalley and RandomHouse for an ecopy. My opinion is my own.

Another gripping historical fiction from Martha Hall Kelly! I loved the dual story line and couldn’t wait to find out the plot twist.

I love a good historical fiction book this was what I was looking for a light easy read.

Mari is brought to Martha vineyard to paint with a famous artist that keeps her secrets to the rest of the resident of the island but welcomed in Mari with a story to tell.

During ww2 the island is taken over as a training facilities by the army. Where we meet the smith girls, Candace and Blair and Bess, Candace bestfriend. When Blair who is obsessed with anything war type see a German u boat off the coast she calls it in and is-consider a liar since it’s never saw. When Candace starts a book club with Bess to help the ladies keep there minds at bay and help the boys fighting, a mysterious guess washes ashore is he friend or foe and how the two intertwine help bring this book to light.

I LOVE Martha Hall Kelly's writing since I first read Lilac Girls. Her latest novel is a good beach read, even if you're not on Martha's Vineyard this summer.

The story marries WWII with the present day on the island. First, we meet the Smith sisters and their brother's fiancée. Of course, they are the haves and have-nots, with family pressures not to forget where you came from. The Smith's brother becomes a Ranger and goes off to fight. A U.S. military training unit is on the island, and one of the main characters spots a U-boat. The book club becomes a bonding for the women on the island. And book distribution to the soldiers is a tangible way for the women to contribute to the war effort.

The present-day artist Mari is about to get married, but she wants to have a last-minute painting class across the country before the big day, and solve a mystery about her recently deceased mother. Can you feel my sarcasm? Ms. Kelly lost me here!

The resolution to bring the past with the present was done fairly well; I expected more.

Thank you to the author and the publisher, Ballantine, for the ARC.

This historical fiction is much more than an book club! The reader is pulled into dual time lines, 2016 and WWII. Wonderfully written, good character development, nice balance of time lines. A very moving story. Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this one! I’ve been on World War II reading streak lately anyway, and this was a welcome addition. There was way more action and excitement than I was expecting!

The story is built around two sisters, Cadence and Briar, living with their grandmother on her farm on the island. Their brother is fighting in the war, and his pregnant sweetheart is there with them. There are many true-to-life details woven in, including the small versions of novels called Armed Services Editions. I also gained a heightened appreciation for the way those people needed to be constantly aware of the possibility of German spies in their midst. The battles went on in the homeland too!

There was a definite surprise at the end and I wasn’t expecting it. I’d like to read more from this author!

Four wonderful stars!

I received a copy of the digital ARC via the publisher and NetGalley. My review is voluntary.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review, and honestly, this was very entertaining! If you have read Martha Hall Kelly’s previous series, Lilac Girls, you will know that she wrote them based on the real life efforts of Caroline Ferriday to save a group of Polish women subjected to horrible medical experiments in WWII. This time, Kelly has turned her talents to the history or her own family, to excellent effect, weaving a tale populated by the generational residents of Martha’s Vineyard and the summer visitors against the backdrop of spies, lurking German u-boats and an Army encampment. The fact that there is a book club is just icing on the cake! It is also a coming of age story told from the perspective of dual timelines. Great summer read!

Wonderful story that jumps from WW2 on Martha’s Vineyard to today. I learned so much about the role the island played in training our soldiers for the invasions in Normandy. This book had it all! Mystery, romance, history and a cast of fabulous characters. The author’s note was so interesting. It was like another book in itself. It’s been a while since I’ve read a historical fiction book I’ve enjoyed this much. I think I’ll go back and re-read Lilac Girls.

Many thanks to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I'm not normally a huge fan of historical fiction, but I've been trying to branch out to new genres. I'm so glad I did because this book was wonderful. It definitely made me want to read more books in this genre.

Full disclosure- I read this book while I was anchored in a bay off Oak Bluffs, Martha’s Vineyard. That said, I do believe I would have loved this book no matter where I read it!

2016: Thirty-four-year-old Mari Starwood is still grieving after her mother’s death as she travels to the storied island of Martha’s Vineyard, off the coast of Massachusetts. She’s come all the way from California with nothing but a name on a piece of paper: Elizabeth Devereaux, the famous but reclusive Vineyard painter. When Mari makes it to Mrs. Devereaux’s stunning waterfront farm under the guise of taking a painting class with her, Mrs. Devereaux begins to tell her the story of the Smith sisters, who once lived there. As the tale unfolds, Mari is shocked to learn that her relationship to this island runs deeper than she ever thought possible.

1942: The Smith girls—nineteen-year-old aspiring writer Cadence and sixteen-year-old war-obsessed Briar—are faced with the impossible task of holding their failing family farm together during World War II as the U.S. Army arrives on Martha’s Vineyard. When Briar spots German U-boats lurking off the island’s shores, and Cadence falls into an unlikely romance with a sworn enemy, their quiet lives are officially upended. In an attempt at normalcy, Cadence and her best friend, Bess, start a book club, which grows both in members and influence as they connect with a fabulous New York publisher who could make all of Cadence’s dreams come true. But all that is put at risk by a mysterious man who washes ashore—and whispers of a spy in their midst. Who in their tight-knit island community can they trust? Could this little book club change the course of the war . . . before it’s too late?
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I really liked this historical fiction book. It took me a little bit to get the different perspectives figured out but once I did I found all of their stories interesting. I had a hunch how the present day characters would tie in, but that story ended up being much smaller than the main one. I liked learning about the history of WWII in relation to Martha's Vineyard. The book was pretty fast paced and I ended up reading it all in one afternoon!

I really loved The Martha's Vineyard Beach and Book Club! I'm adding a visit to the Martha's Vineyard Museum to my bucket list.

The book begins in 2016 when Mari takes a trip to visit a reclusive painter on Martha's Vineyard (as a result of finding some info after her mother passed away). The painter retells some wartime history to Mari, that brings alive sisters Briar and Cadence from Copper Pond Farm from the 1940's; most chapters alternate between these two sisters ... with an occasional chapter from Mari.

I've heard about German submarines on the east coast, but this book brings those stories to life.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine | Ballantine Books for approving my request to read the advance read copy of
The Martha's Vineyard Beach and Book Club
A Novel
by Martha Hall Kelly
in exchange for an honest review.

approx 336 pages, published June 2025

Also many thanks to Jane in my local non-fiction book club for pointing out to me that this book was written by the author of Lilac Girls. I had missed that.

Also ... in the afterward or acknowledgement, a friend of Martha Hall Kelly mother said her mother would have loved this book. I agree.

What a pleasant story! While the end was not overly surprising, the content of the story was entertaining enough to want to finish quickly. Being based in Martha’s Vineyard, definitely gave an accurately descriptive setting. The relationship with the sisters and Bess was just wonderful and definitely one people can relate to.
Thank you NetGalley for sharing this book.