I enjoyed this book so much. The author filled the pages with a history lesson, building friendship, solving a mystery, sharing books, and learning how small things can really make a big difference in someone’s life. The characters in the story were so perfectly written that it felt like someone I would like to meet.
This is a book that needs to be read by so many people I know. I highly recommend this book. The cover is excellent!
Thank you NetGalley, Martha Hall Kelly and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine | Ballantine Books for the copy of the book The Martha's Vineyard Beach and Book Club. This is my personal review.

Just to hear author Martha Hall Kelly is writing a new novel and Martha’s Vineyard mentioned in the same sentence is enough to make a request for an ARC so many thanks to Ballantine Books for the privilege of reading and writing a review. The timeframe is 1942 and two sisters who could not be more different in looks, temperament and skills to result having a book club which meets on the beach which is not on the socialite side of the island. Yet one socialite and several of her friends are most anxious to have one sister move to NYC and pursue a career in the publishing industry. The other sister is intrigued by the idea that U-boats were in the shoreline and as her brother, Tom, heads off to the Army and then a regiment of soldiers descend upon their beach. What annd why are they practicing there on the beach? And, yes, the gals do read and discuss some classics. Then a different timeframe is captured throughout this book. for filling in some information on the girls. Truly, a book from a brilliant writer who adds a section of notes on how this story came to be written. The review is my honest opinion.

Martha Hall Kelly is back with another great story about Martha’s Vineyard during World War 2. As in her previous books, her newest novel looks at two sisters who grew up on Martha’s Vineyard during WW2 and whom have to help their gram on their family farm when their brother leaves to fight in the army as a ranger. Along with his soon to be wife they try to navigate running the farm, dealing with the troops assigned to their area, and even a German soldier they find trying to escape the German forces. The story is intriguing and has some history I personally was not aware of. I loved the book club the sisters had and their efforts during the war to try to bring books to the American troops.

Thank you to Netgalley and to the publishers for allowing me to read this advanced copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

3.5 stars
Great historical fiction. Unfocused.
This was yet another aspect of WWII in a decade packed with them. I did enjoy the homefront link and details of east coast involvement. However, many connections between characters were either thin or had too many unnecessary explanations.

I requested a copy of this book because I really liked the vibe of the cover and I love a Martha's Vineyard setting. Additionally, I was a big fan of the author's previous Lilac Girls.

This book is set in dual timelines of 2016 and WW2 Martha's Vineyard. Mari arrives in Martha's Vineyard in 2016 with the name Elizabeth Deveraux on a scrap of paper that she found. She doesn't have any additional information as to what exactly the meaning of this name is. What she finds is a story that dates back to WW2 and two sisters who lived on the island at that time - Cadence & Briar Smith. Most of the book takes place in the WW2 timeline, where the Smith girls are working hard to keep the family farm afloat after their brother was deployed. Martha's Vineyard has become a training grounds for the military and German U-boats are lurking off the coast.

Overall, I enjoyed learning more about Martha's Vineyard's role in WW2 training. I was not previously aware of this location of a military base and training site. I found the pace of this book to be slow, even for historical fiction. I was initially very intrigued by the first chapter and the promise of the story to come, but I did not feel that it lived up to my expectations. I feel that it was a bit of a stretch the tie the two timelines together. There was a lot of time spent in the WW2 timeline, not as much in the present day. Once the present day storyline unfolded, I felt it was a rush to try to tie everything together at the end.

I’ve read several Martha Hall Kelly books, and I’ve been a fan of them all! The Martha’s Vineyard Beach and Book Club was no different. Her writing style is lovely, and she creates characters that are so easy to get invested in. She is truly a gifted historical fiction writer, and I will continue to read everything of hers I can get my hands on!

In spite of reading a LOT of WWII fiction in my life, I haven’t read many set in America during that period. This was a fascinating look at what life could be like during that time. Alternating between the 1940s and 2016, we start the story in 2016 with Mari who arrives in Martha’s Vineyard to try to learn more about the mysterious name she found written on a slip of paper after her mother’s passing. From there, we are introduced to the story of the Smith sisters in 1942 as they navigate life after their older brother, Tom, departs for war. We are also introduced to Bess, Tom’s girlfriend, who plays her own role in moving the story along.

I loved this book so much! I was intrigued by the mystery, invested in the lives of the community members, and caught up in the Smith sisters and their stories. If you have any interest in historical fiction, I highly recommend this one. Or if not this one, one of Martha Hall Kelly’s many excellent books.

Thank you so much to Random House, NetGalley, and Martha Hall Kelly for the free ARC in exchange for my review. The Martha’s Vineyard Beach and Book Club is out TODAY!

This book was a little out of the typical subject matter that I would normally go for, and I'm so glad that I just read it because I ended up absolutely loving it, and I plan to go into the authors backlog to read her other books this summer.
I learned a bit of history about Martha's Vineyard which was really cool since I reside in southern MA and have been to MV a few times. I am endlessly fascinated/interested in any literature having to do with WWII, so when I saw this book's description I figured that if you threw together WWII and some romance, I'd probably be into it. I ended up reading this within 24 hours because I couldn't put it down.
Reading this gave me a little bit of an Atonement vibe, maybe because sisters Cadence and Briar remind me a little bit of Cecilia and Briony from Atonement. The Smith sisters (Cadence and Briar) are faced with the task of keeping their family farm together during WWII as the US army arrives on the vineyard. When Briar spots German U-boats offshore and is considered by many island residents as the girl who cried wolf, she becomes frustrated with the fact that no one seems to take her claims seriously. Meanwhile, her older sister Cadence falls into an unlikely romance with someone she's not sure she can fully trust. As an attempt at normalcy, Cadence and her best friend Bess start a bookclub and attempt to distribute books to soldiers in a more compact format to boost morale. The book club grows in participants and influence and Cadence's dream of getting into the publishing world grows more by the day. A mysterious man washes ashore one evening, and upends the girls lives.
Simultaneously, the book also jumps to 'present day' 2016, where Mari Starwood is getting off on the ferry in Martha's Vineyard to meet an Elizabeth Devaraux under the guise of taking a painting class with her. Elizabeth and Mari begin to talk and Elizabeth begins to tell Mari the story of the Smith girls, and Mari begins to learn that her ties to the island are much deeper than she could have imagined.
I did some additional research after finishing the book/reading the author acknowledgments and thought that it was so cool that the author was inspired by her mother's life on the Vineyard during WWII. The suspense was next level in this book, and I truly couldn't put it down.
I'm trying to make it to an author signing in the next couple of weeks, and hopefully get to meet Martha. I already pre-ordered a personalized signed copy because I will definitely be re-reading this again very soon!

I loved this book! It was nothing like I expected and I am so glad. This is one of my favorites of 2025. Martha Hall Kelly has written an emotional historical fiction with memorable and remarkable characters. This book is written in a dual timeline from multiple viewpoints telling the story of a family that lives in a farm house on the coast of Martha´s Vineyard. The women of the house were left to fend for themselves after the last male ships off to war. Sisters Briar and Cadence along with their Grandma and Bess the girlfriend of their older brother Tom. This novel explores the hardships of running a farm during wartime and the struggle as women to want more, life beyond the home. Martha Hall Kelly also explores many of the issues of wartime, are my neighbors spies, the military taking over property, and friends placed in interment camps. Most importantly the book focuses on friendships and family, the relationships made trump all the hardships, and the special place books and book clubs have no matter what the circumstances.

I’m always excited when MHK drops a new book, and this, absolutely amazing, loved it!! How fascinating(!!) to learn Hall gained inspiration for this book from her own mother’s stories of growing up on Martha’s Vineyard during WWll. ❥
Told in dual timelines, this is an intergenerational tale that begins by dashing forward to 2016 when a curious Mari Starwood arrives in Martha's Vineyard looking for answers after finding the name Elizabeth Devereaux - a reclusive painter - on a piece of paper in her late mother’s possessions.
Then we travel back to 1942 and meet Cadence and Briar Smith and their concern over the survival of their family’s farm through war time on a now-ever-changing Martha’s Vineyard. Military training was taking place there on the island, and U-boats were seen and reported off the coast with only disbelief for her trouble.
This was such a delightful (and educational!) tale of family legacy, friendship and romance, including mystery-secrets, and I loved the book club aspect in relating to our servicemen. Solid 5 stars!!! Pub. 5/27/25

Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced reading copy in exchange for an honest review.

The Martha's Vineyard Beach and Book Club is the new novel by Martha Hall Kelly, set primarily in 1942. While the storyline was interesting enough, I found it hard to get engaged in the book because it was often difficult to tell which girl was narrating the section, which, to me, points to their voices not being distinctive enough for this reader.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. This book is available now.
Rounding up from 3.5 stars to 4 stars

✨ ARC Review ✨

Ahhh. I love this book and it’s out today!

This is tale told in two timelines, but mostly 1942. We start in 2016 with broke, grieving Mari Starwood just arrived in Martha’s Vineyard to find out why a famous painter’s name was in her mother’s belongings. Elizabeth Devereaux is that painter and she lives on Copper Pond Farm.

She begins to tell Mari the story of the women who lived in the farmhouse in 1942. Cadence and Briar were sisters living with their Gram. Their older brother, Tom, has just shipped off to fight in the war. His almost-fiancée, Bess, lives with them too. And they all have a lot going on that summer.

Cadence wants nothing more than to read books and be an editor in NYC. Briar has a reputation because she keeps calling in submarine sightings and no one believes her. Bess is distraught that Tom is gone. And they’re all trying to keep the farm afloat while the Army practices war and calisthenics on their beach.

I don’t want to give too much detail because the wonder in books is the unraveling of the story. And @marthahallkelly is a master unraveler.

Highly recommended for fans of historical fiction especially WWII fiction and anyone be fascinated with the history of Martha’s Vineyard.

I received this eARC via #netgalley and @randomhouse. Allison thoughts are mine alone.

#contemporaryfiction #historicalfiction #marthasvineyardbeachandbookclub #marthahallkelly #bookrecs #bookreview #bookstagram #fivestarreads #fivestarbooks

The book title is a bit deceiving. The story focuses on the Smith family and their friends who live in Martha's Vineyard during the summer of 1942 as WWII escalates. Briar Smith, the youngest of the Smith's girls, believes there is a UBoat of the shore of the Vineyard. I found the book enjoyable and an easy read.

I like this book a lot, and I really love Martha Hall Kelly's writing. I think she writes in a similar style to Jeannette Walls, and somewhat reminiscent of Harper Lee. I did find a few moments in the book a little bit too predictable and on the nose (like the predictable happy ending). I also thought that the "book club" part was very minor and kind of shoehorned in. Also, I really had to pay attention to all the different POV narrations. They were almost indistinguisbanle - Briar being the slight exception. Overall, I loved stepping into the time period and enjoyed how the story progressed. We will definitely add it to the collection!

Opinions are my own.

“I opened the book and inhaled the new-book scent – my favorite. ‘I wish we could just sit around and talk books all day.’” 💞

The Cape and the islands are my home away from home. And although I have had some fatigue from all of the World War II books in the last few years, this one was so fresh and new! The juxtaposition of the beauty of an island like Martha’s Vineyard and the atrocities that happened during World War II brought something fresh and enjoyable to the genre.

So many of the plot points are based on real situations and many characters are based on real people. So in addition to an entertaining read you’re getting a history lesson without even realizing it.

Also books. Book clubs. Book publishers. The importance of books. Reading books. NEEDING books. This is truly such a great story. So grab a cocktail, your beach chair, and a nice sun hat and get ready for a great beach read!

“They [the soldiers] want books. Need them, I think. As much as food and water.” Books are magic. Truly. 📖 ❤️

Thank you to Netgalley, Random House Publishing/Ballantine, and the author for the ARC in exchange for my honest thoughts.

After loving Lilac Girls and Lost Roses, I was really excited about this one.
Martha Hall Kelly knows how to write historical fiction
Kelly writes with such incredible historical detail that it actually feels like you're transported back in time.
I love historical fiction and this one did not disappoint. I was hooked from the start and all of the storylines were so intriguing.
I look forward to whatever she writes next.

Another amazing historical fiction from Kelly, who turns her focus to Martha’s Vineyard where her own family comes from. The novel’s time frame shifts between present day and WWII, and opens with a grieving daughter, Mari Starwood, whose beloved mother died suddenly of an aneurysm in L.A. Going through her mom’s things, Mari comes across the name and address of an older famous painter, Elizabeth Devereaux, who lives on an estate on Martha’s Vineyard. Intrigued and unsure of the connection, Mari travels to the island under the pretext of wanting a painting lesson.

Elizabeth has agreed to meet with Mari as she has history of her own to share, that will eventually tie Mari to the island. Over the course of several days, Elizabeth shares the stories of two sisters growing up impoverished on a farm on the Vineyard: Cadence, a 19-year old aspiring writer and editor who has a beloved and humorous column in the island’s newspaper, and Briar, her 16-year-old brilliant sister who spots German U-boats off the island’s coast. There’s also their beloved older brother Tom, who enlists in the war as a front-guard ranger and leaves behind his posh and unexpectedly pregnant girlfriend who’s left her family to live on the farm with Cadence, Briar and their intrepid grandmother.

Add into the mix an escapee from a German sub, a budding romance for Cadence during WWII with the Brit in charge of training troops on the island to prepare for the Normandy invasion, a suspicious FBI agent keeping a close watch on Briar, and a budding romance for Mari in present day Martha’s Vineyard, and the intrigue, thrills and secret revelations cascade together. Another phenomenal achievement by Kelly.

Thanks to Random House Publishing Group, Ballantine and NetGalley for an advanced reader’s copy.

This was my first book by Martha Kelly Hall. I really enjoyed "Martha’s Vineyard Beach and Book Club"—it’s the kind of historical fiction that drops you off in another era and keeps you there. The 1942 storyline was especially rich, with vivid details about life during WWII on the island, and the sisterly dynamic between the Smith girls was both believable and moving. I loved how the book club offered a sense of hope and normalcy in such uncertain times—all the literary references were an added bonus.

The 2016 timeline added an intriguing layer, especially as Mari unraveled her connection to the past. That said, I found myself wishing there had been just a bit more depth or time spent on Mari’s story. It felt like we only scratched the surface of her emotional arc compared to the wartime narrative.

Perfect for beach reading or a lazy day on the couch. If you love books about books—and resilient women—go get this one!

Thank you to Martha Kelly Hall, NetGalley, and Ballentine for the ARC!

THE MARTHA’S VINEYARD BEACH AND BOOK CLUB is the latest sweeping historical novel by Martha Hall Kelly. I have enjoyed all of this author’s books and this one is no exception. It is a dual timeline story set on Martha’s Vineyard during World War II. Inspired by true events and real people from the author’s own family, it is a story of family, friendship, love and loss with plenty of drama, romance and wartime intrigue. In 1942, Two sisters, Cadence and Briar Smith, are trying to keep the floundering family farm afloat, along with Cadence’s best friend, Bess, who is also their brother Tom’s fiancée. With Tom serving abroad, and the U.S. Army on the island for training, unlikely alliances form that will change the lives of all involved. And with German U-boats being spotted off-shore, a mysterious man found on the beach and rumors of a spy in their midst, everyone in this normally quiet community must decide who they can trust. In 2016, Mari Starwood is grieving the recent loss of her mother. Desperate to know more about her mother’s past, she travels from California to Martha’s Vineyard with only a name from a slip of paper - Elizabeth Deveraux, a famous but reclusive Martha’s Vineyard artist. How is the artist connected to her mother? As Elizabeth recounts the gripping tale of the Smith sisters, Mari learns of ties to the island that are deeper than she could ever have imagined. I really enjoyed this beautifully-written and engrossing story. Don’t miss the Author’s Note at the end that reveals the author’s own ties to the actual history behind the book. This is another winner from Martha Hall Kelly and I highly recommend it. Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the chance to read and review an early copy.

Calling all historical fiction and book lover- put this one on your TBR immediately.

I was able to do a combo of reading and listening and neither format disappointed.

The book is set in two timelines 1942 and 2016 both on Martha’s Vineyard. The 1942 timeline is the most prevalent with the more current timeline a conduit to tell an amazing story.

Two sisters, Briar and Cadence, are the main focus of the book. There is so much to this read. It is a family story, a story of how close the war felt on our American shores, and a story of friendship.

There is also a character named Bess, whose love is Briar’s and Cadence’s brother, Peter. Peter is off fighting the war. Bess’s part in this book is pivotal as well.

The author’s note at the back is very interesting as she tells her inspiration about this book.

Many thanks to NetGalley, Random House Publishing Group | Ballantine Books | Megan Beatie Books for gifting me a physical and digital ARC of the latest historical fiction novel by a favorite, Martha Hall Kelly. All opinions expressed in this review are my own - 5 stars!

In 1942, the Smith girls - aspiring writer Cadence and younger sister Briar - are trying to keep their family farm together during WWII as the US Army arrives on Martha's Vineyard. Their older brother, Tom, has gone off to war and their grandmother is in failing health. To keep things normal, Cadence and her best friend, Bess, start a book club that catches the attention of a NY publisher. But when a man washes ashore, their lives become filled with danger.

Martha Hall Kelly has done it again - made a gripping novel about true events that happened on Martha's Vineyard. Along with glimpses of the mystery continuing into 2016, we learn of the events during the war that shaped a family and an island. While there are hints at romance and mystery, this book centers on the strong women who do what they think is right, especially when that involves making hard choices. I like how the story played out, with characters in 2016 shining light onto what happened in the past and how it will affect the future. It's also a story of the power of books. Be sure and read the fascinating author's note at the end to see how much of this story is based in reality. Love the beautiful cover too - highly recommended!