Brief chapters of modern day Mari lead us to the happenings of 1942 Martha's Vineyard. This was a little bit about a bookclub, but really so much more. The impact of war on this area was very interesting. Two sisters, their brother, their gram, and friends and new acquaintances made for wonderful reading. And that cover! I loved it. Thank you NetGalley for this ARC.

In The Martha's Vineyard Beach and Book Club we have a dual timeline piece of historical fiction. Mari Starwood, in 2016, is visiting Martha's Vineyard to meet Elizabeth Devereaux, trying to trace a bit of information left behind after her mother's recent death. The Smith girls, Briar and Cadence, in 1942, are helping to run the family farm on the island for their Grandmother Ginny with the help of their older brother's girlfriend Bess. The preponderance of the book takes place in the 1942 timeline and also alternates between Cadence and Briar as narrators. The island is being used by the military to train for the coming invasion of France by the Allied forces, and Briar is positive she is spotting German U-boats off the coast, but no one takes her seriously.
The premise of the "beach and book club" from the title is not a large focus of the book itself, with most of the plot showing the girls day to day life in the summer of 1942 as they try to keep the farm running, while dealing with the "war games" of the military and balance other stresses as well. In the 2016 timeline about Mari, Elizabeth is telling her about that summer and slowly Mari comes to understand how her and her mother are tied to these women from the past.
This was a lovely and heartwarming piece of historical fiction. There's not a whole lot of action, but it was an enjoyable exploration of a place and time in history while also developing the characters of Briar and Cadence and their lives.
Thank you to Random House Ballantine and NetGalley for the electronic ARC of this novel for review

In The Martha’s Vineyard Beach and Book Club, past and present intertwine as a woman’s journey to uncover family secrets leads her to an island steeped in history. After her mother’s passing, Mari Starwood arrives on Martha’s Vineyard with little more than a name—Elizabeth Devereaux, a reclusive painter who holds the key to Mari’s past. Under the guise of taking a painting class, Mari meets Elizabeth, who begins sharing the story of two sisters who lived on the island during World War II. As Mari listens, she realizes that the past isn’t as distant as she once thought and that her connection to this place runs deeper than she ever imagined.

In 1942, sisters Cadence and Briar Smith struggle to keep their family’s farm afloat as war reshapes their world. With soldiers arriving on the island, rumors of spies circulating, and a mysterious stranger washing ashore, their quiet lives take an unexpected turn. Amidst the uncertainty, Cadence and her best friend create a wartime book club, offering a sense of escape and connection. But as tensions rise, the sisters must navigate love, loss, and the risks that come with standing up for what they believe in.

Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced copy. This is one of the most engaging books I’ve read in quite a while! The alternating timelines kept me hooked, and each chapter ended in a way that made it impossible to stop reading. The writing was so immersive that I felt like I was right there on the island—feeling the ocean breeze, walking through the Smith sisters’ farm, and uncovering long-buried secrets alongside Mari. The way the past and present intertwined was beautifully done, and I loved how the book club became a symbol of resilience and hope. I couldn’t put it down!

The Martha’s Vineyard Beach and Book Club is a story told with alternating time lines; one in present day and the other during WWII. Mari’s mother has died and she travels from California to Martha’s Vineyard to find a woman, Elizabeth Devereaux, who may have had ties to her mother.
Elizabeth tells her the story of 3 woman, Cadence, her sister Briar, and Bess who is engaged to their brother, on Martha’s Vineyard during WWII. Cadence and Bess start a book club and they connect with women who come to the island during the summer. The military is doing training sessions on their beach and the women take books to the men for them to read. The story really isn’t so much a story about a book club but about the 3 women and their relationships with each other and their families. It is a very enjoyable book and easy to read and follow. Although it seems to veer off in a few directions it does come together at the end with Mari finding out how she fits in to all of it.

I received an ARC of this novel from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

The past meets the present in this novel of a WWII wartime storyline.

I received a free DRC of this book through Netgalley. I have read other books by this author and enjoy her work. This book focuses on a group of young women on Martha's Vineyard during WWII and has a smaller jump in time to present day. The women: Briar, Cadence, and Bess are the main characters IMO. They are all vastly different, but are committed to family whether by blood or friendship. I didn't always agree with the women's decisions, but obviously I am not them or in their positions. I found it to be an exciting book with lots going on and mysteries abounding throughout.

This book is A dual time line told in 1942 and present day 2024. A story about two sisters during World War II and their love of books while they create a wartime book club in Martha's Vineyard with Uboats and soldiers' presence. In 2024, a woman travels to Martha's Vineyard under the premise of taking a painting class. The stories intertwine beautifully.

I would highly recommend to readers that like of historical fiction, WWII era stories, and sisterhood.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher, I received this book in exchange for my honest review.

I was so very excited to be offered an ARC from NetGalley and the publisher. I have read every book by Martha Hall Kelly and this is an excellent addition, it is quite a bit lighter than her other books but very enjoyable. Having lived on The Vineyard for many years (although still considered a Wash A Shore) I found the author was very true to the locale and the community. I wish I had read the Author’s Notes before I read the book as it really gave context to the novel. As with all her books they are somehow linked to her family history, and specifically the strong women who preserved in the face of unimaginable circumstances. I also learned quite a bit about The Vineyard during WWII and am always impressed with the level of research and detail you find in her books. I look forward to where she will go next!

Taking place in Martha’s Vineyard, this is the story of a family during World War II and how the war affects them. Briar and Cadence Smith live with their grandmother on a farm on the island. Their older brother, Tom, has been shipped off to war overseas. His girlfriend, Bess, is also living with them. Money is tight and their grandmother has health problems. Soldiers are training nearby. Briar is constantly on the lookout for German U-Boats offshore and she fears that Germans could be infiltrating their island community. It is a difficult time for the family as they are trying to survive on little income and they are worried about their brother. The girls form a book club to help keep their minds off their troubles. (However, despite the title of this book, the book club actually plays a minor role in the story.)

The story is told in dual timelines (1942 and 2016), however, much of the story takes place during the war. In 2016, Mari has come to the island because her recently deceased mother had been planning to go there and meet a woman named Elizabeth Devereaux. It is very mysterious as to why her mother planned to go there and Mari gets the impression that somehow, she has a connection to the farm. Mrs. Devereaux tells Mari the story of the Smith family and their time during the war.

I have read many historical fiction titles set during World War II, however, most have been set in Europe. I have read very little about what was happening in the United States during this period. I had no idea that there was an army base on Martha’s Vineyard and that the army performed training missions on the beaches there. I didn’t realize that German U-Boats were so close to the U.S. shore. This is why I love historical fiction – I learn so much!

This novel is well-researched. The author’s note at the end explains how the book was inspired by real-life events in her own family.

This is the first book that I have read by Martha Hall Kelly, but it won’t be my last. I highly recommend it.

Thank you to Netgalley and to the publisher for providing me with an advanced review copy in exchange for an honest review.

Title: The Martha 's Vineyard Beach and Book Club
Author: Martha Hall Kelly
Genre: Historical Fiction
Pub Date: May 27, 2025
Publisher: Random House Publishing Group-Ballantine
Rating: 3.5 Stars
Pages: 336

Story is told in 1942 and 2024, featuring sisters Cadence and Brier Smith during WWII. Their brother Tom is in the military stationed at the Army base Briar. The Sister live with their Grandmother on Martha’s Vineyard; they as well as Tom’s fiancée are struggling to take care of the family farm.
The sisters form a book club as they love to read and also plan to donate books to give to the soldiers stationed on the island.

I read and loved Martha Hill Kelly’s "The Lilac Girls" so was looking forward to this story!
Although this wasn’t the Wow I was expecting, the ‘Author’s Note’ sure made up for as it was Great- a story in itself as were her Acknowledgements. I encourage you to read both!!

Want to thank NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group ~ Ballantine for this early eGalley.
Publishing Release Date scheduled for May 27, 2025.

While parts of this book were enjoyable, I never got the sense that it was cohesive. I wasn’t a big fan of the main characters, and I was hoping for more from the ending.

Inspired by true events taken from her family history, author Martha Hall Kelly has set this dual timeline WW2 historical fiction on beautiful Martha’s Vineyard, an island off the coast of Massachusetts which was used as a training ground for the Army. In 2016, thirty-four year old Mari Starwood travels from her California home to Martha’s Vineyard after her newly deceased mother instructed her to go there and meet famous painter Elizabeth Devereaux, who lived on a working Vineyard farm. Over the course of two days, Ms. Devereaux tells Mari about how in 1942, two teenage sisters, Cadence and Briar Smith were living on the farm when an army troop arrived to use their family property as a training ground. As the story of offshore U-boats, Nazi spies, and a mystery man washing up on the beach continues, Mari wonders why her mother sent her to the island and how the Smith family has anything to do with her.

As a lover of historical fiction, I was intrigued to learn how Martha’s Vineyard was used during the war. While I found the pace of the story to be slow at times, the characters were well developed as their inter-connectedness was discovered. Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine Books for the opportunity to be an early reader in exchange for my honest opinion.

When Mari's mother dies unexpectedly and she is going through her things, she runs across a name, Elizabeth Devereaux, on a piece of paper. Elizabeth is a reclusive painter who lives on Martha's Vineyard. Mari travels to the Vineyard in hopes of meeting this mysterious woman who somehow has ties to her mother. Once there, Elizabeth takes her back to 1942 during WWII when the U.S. Army arrives at Martha's Vineyard. The story goes back and forth between 2 sisters, Cadence, who is an aspiring writer, and Briar, who is obsessed with the war. Cadence & her best friend, Bess, start a book club that connects them with a New York publisher, who can make all of Cadence's dreams come true. All of that is put on hold, though, when Briar rescues a man who washes ashore & whispers of a spy in their midst. It becomes the girls' mission to figure out who the spy is. And in the meantime, Mari is trying to figure out how she is related to this family. I have enjoyed a number of this author's books and was excited to see that she released a new one & enjoyed this one as well.

Thank you to NetGalley & Ballantine Books for giving me the opportunity to read an early eARC in exchange for my honest opinions.

Suspenseful, set on Martha's Vineyard the story moves between past and present as modern day Mari is seeking answers, to Briar and Cadence, two sisters living on the island in the tumultuous war years of the 1940s.

The story is wrought with the drama of those war years when everyone feared Nazi takeover from the ocean. Cadence is an aspiring author, while Briar is more free spirited and longs for the comfort of her world to go back is it was before the war. Who on their island can be trusted? Modern day Mari comes from California with a name on a piece of paper, and she ensconces herself in the presence of Elizabeth Devereaux. Mari learns that her ties to the island are even deeper than she ever imagined.

Absolutely loved this book! The backdrop of the island and the friend old the characters draw you in. Emotional rollercoaster that you hate to see end!

I felt every single emotion while reading this book. I felt like I was actually there in 1942 and experiencing it all up close.

This was my first Martha Hall Kelly book and it most certainly will not be my last.

In 201, 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 to see: Elizabeth Devereaux, the famous but reclusive Vineyard painter. When Mari arrives, 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 about her relationship to this island. The story starts in 1942 when 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, 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.

I fell in love with Martha Hall Kelly after I read The Lilac Girls and have read others since then. She is adept in taking a period of history and some true facts and crafting a story around them--in this case U-Boats off the eastern coast during WWII. Her characters are always so believable and their characters so well described. I loved the story based on fact and will continue to read this author's books as they come out. Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for granting my request to read this excellent book. Anyone interested in WWII historical fiction will especially like it.

“The Martha’s Vineyard Beach and Book Club” is a WWII US historical fiction book by Martha Hall Kelly. This book has two timelines (1940s and 2016). In the past chapters, the reader follows Cadence (18 year old columnist for the local Martha’s Vineyard newspaper, who longs to go to NYC and be a real writer), her sister Briar (who is not your typical teenager at the age of 16), Tom (who is mostly off-page for a chunk of the book, but he’s Cadence and Briar’s brother, who goes off to fight in the war), and Bess (Tom’s sweetheart). In the 2016 chapters, the reader follows Mari, a mid-thirties woman who is dealing with the death of her mother but who comes to Martha’s Vineyard to paint with Elizabeth Devereaux, a famous reclusive painter. What I liked - how Ms. Kelly made the Martha’s Vineyard feel very real during the 1940s. I found her description of the military base - and the men stationed there - extremely realistic. I also found the part about the U-Boat sighting to be a new bit of history I didn’t know about (which lead down an internet rabbit hole, I must admit). I also really liked the Author’s Note and it was obvious, even before reading it, that Ms. Kelly had done her research. What I didn’t like as much were some of the minor plot points - the romance between two characters seemed rushed, another romance came out of left field (but maybe that was the point), someone knowing what to do to protect the crop seemed fortuitous, and a few other little things. I don’t think I liked this book as much as I wanted to - though there is a lot of mention of books - and I liked the idea of the thinner books for soldiers (something to pass the time). If you have read some of Ms. Kelly’s other books, this may be one to pick up. Additionally, if you like historical WWII fiction taking state-side and want to learn more about Martha’s Vineyard, this would also be a good book to pick up.

I’ve read a good deal of WWII historical fiction, mostly set in Europe though. It was interesting and refreshing to read a WWII book set in the US. Martha’s Vineyard was so well described that it felt like another character in the book. I loved all the plucky female characters—from Gram to the Smith sisters to Bess and the publishing ladies. As the title of the book, I was expecting more of the plot to involve the book club. What I liked best about this book was the portrayal of community, family bonds, and female friendships.

A new novel by Martha Hall Kelly is always a treat and this book doesn't disappoint. I was swept up in the fascinating story of two young women who band together and strive to change the outcome of WWII, when the U.S. Army suddenly appears near their home, on Martha's Vineyard. The parallel story of a young woman struggling to adjust to her mother's sudden death in 2016 kept me turning the pages as she learns the captivating story of Briar and Cadence in 1942. The mystery of her connection to these two sisters unravels throughout the story.
Being that this story involves a book club, on the beach no less, immediately drew me in. With suspense, mystery, accurate and fascinating history, and well-developed, loveable characters this book is a gem of a read.