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.

A dual timeline. Reading an historical WWll novel, set on Martha's Vineyard, was truly unique. I think this novel was unique and unpredictable.
Its fast pace held my interest and I loved the characters. Thank you Martha Hall Kelly, Net Galley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for the arc. All opinions and thoughts are my own.

I really enjoyed reading this book! It gave the perfect amount of historical fiction mixed with every day life! I loved the duel timelines, the details of 1942, and the education I felt I was getting in a FUN way! I have already told multiple people how much I liked this and to keep their eyes open for when it is released!

When California native Mari Starwood’s mother passes away, she finds notes that indicate her mother was perhaps planing a trip to a place in Martha’s Vineyard called Copper Pond Farm, with the name of Elizabeth Devereaux and Cadence and Briar written on an envelope. Trying to unravel the mystery, Mari contacts Mrs. Devereaux and decides to fly across the country to perhaps solve the mystery.

As Elizabeth tells her story - which takes place over several days - the time shifts from present day 2016 back to 1941. In Martha’s Vineyard, sisters Cadence and Briar and their brother Tom live on a small farm at Copper Pond with their grandmother. When Tom enlists, it’s up to the sisters, along with Tom’s girlfriend Bess to keep everything going. An aspiring writer, Cadence and Bess decide to form a book club, with a lending library. Along with their chatty friend Margaret, they decide the best way for them to contribute to the war efforts would be to send to the troops books written on very thin paper, so they would be small and portable.

But when an Army troop moves in for training and German U boats are spotted off the coast, their lives are turned upside down. In a time when everyone is under suspicion for harboring sympathies with the Nazis, the sisters must work together to keep their family safe. Although told in a dual timeline, there’s very little switching back and forth in the timelines. I was so absorbed in the family’s story that I forgot it was a story being told to Mari.

I love all of Martha Hall Kelly’s books, and this is another winner from her - I couldn’t put it down. Mystery, drama, family and love lost and gained - the book has so much to appeal to readers. And although I knew of the U boats off the Atlantic coasts in WWII (they were frighteningly close!) , I wasn’t aware of the of war drills that took place on the home shores, in prep for their real maneuvers in Europe. Highly recommend!

This is an interesting perspective of life during WWII, told from the viewpoint of two sisters who live on Martha's Vineyard. The sisters live with their Gran, and are trying to come to terms with their brother's recent enlistment. Briar is a numbers gal, keeps a close eye on the coastline, and is ridiculed each time she reports sightings of a German U-boat. Ginny is enamored with books and writing and would love a job in the publishing world, but feels the pull to support her Gran, their farm, and continue getting to know the British Navy Officer who is training nearby. Life gets exciting when a German soldier is found on the beach... and questions are raised about true intentions of those the sister know.

The Martha's Vineyard Beach and Book Club by Martha Hall Kelly is for me a strong 5 star read! The setting is Martha's Vineyard during WWII. and inspired by the author's family history of the time and place. The book is full of memorable characters with settings in 1942 and the present. Martha Hall Kelly is a masterful story teller.. It's a story you will have trouble putting down until you have finished the last page.

THE MARTHA'S VINEYARD BEACH AND BOOK CLUB
BY: MARTHA HALL KELLY

I have read and loved every single novel talented Author, Martha Hall Kelly has written. I had this to read and needed a real treat of a reading experience and so I moved Martha Hall Kelly's latest novel up in my queue sooner and this was an excellent written novel that be sure to read the Author's Note since this is inspired by a huge connection that she shares of family and her history with the area of Martha's Vineyard where by reading the title you will know where it takes place. "THE MARTHA'S VINEYARD BEACH AND BOOK CLUB," is a warm, huge hug that is endearing as it is serious which is a trademark of this author. It is about two timelines, that the majority of the novel is mostly in 1942, during which it centers around two sisters Cadence who is nineteen, who was inspired by Ms. Kelly's mother who with her younger sister Briar live with their Grandmother, a loving and nurturing woman who is known for her delicious home baked goods that she always has on hand.

Their Grandmother Virginia is trying to keep their farm afloat which she has just bid her Grandson Tom farewell as he has joined the Army Rangers. Cadence, who is the literary granddaughter writes a column in the local Gazette which is the sister who came up with the idea of making pamphlet sized books so that every man in the military has room in his pack to fit a book. It's quite an innovative idea, and the book club that she starts with her best friend Bess who comes from a wealthy family, learns that she is pregnant with Cadence, and Briar's brother Tom's baby. Tom doesn't know this since he left to fight with the Rangers before Cadence took Bess to the doctor who tells her it's a high risk pregnancy. This leaves just Briar, Cadence and a fellow named Peter, who the family is harboring that was found washed up on the beach who tells them he's from Minneapolis, not a German spy.

Briar is the youngest in the family and she is always spotting German U-Boats off their beach, and calling in sightings to the Coast Guard who don't believe her. Her friend an older gentleman has just died, and she is the puzzle solver in the family that finds pictures, and a ring that is a token of Hitler's spy that makes this suspenseful with an element of mystery. It is rich with historical detail that I wasn't expecting to mirror factual history that is fascinating as much as it is spectacular storytelling.

Meanwhile the U.S. army arrives with an English man in charge that at first clashes with Cadence since he has no problem asking Cadence and her Grandmother the most direct route to the soldiers under his command where he plans on training the soldiers. This route happens to be through the Smith's garden which they depended on to sell. It was right through their Turnips. The man that washed up on the beach helps save Grams life by giving her a vinegar mixture to drink. I thought that he helped their farm by saving a new crop of potatoes that Tom had called the Burbanks, and he is knowledgeable about their need for watering to save the crop.

There is romance, mystery, history, love of family, love of friends, and love of community. The Author's Note is the cherry on top of the Sundae since it's quite extensive, and Martha Hall Kellly ties up the novel with her sharing more than I expected which shows her research, and all that she included enhances this novel which sparkles. I highly, highly recommend this which is so rewarding and deserves to reach as wide of an audience as possible. I really loved it, and she brings so much heart to this remarkable historical novel that I'm writing less so the reader can enjoy the journey which is rich and intriguing, but full of love for both the people who inspired it and the historically accurate setting.

Publication Date: May 27, 2025

Thank you to Net Galley, Random House Publishing Group--Ballantine Ballantine Books for generously providing me with my ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.

#TheMarthasVineyardBeachandBookClub #MarthaHallKelly #RandomHousePublishingGroupBallantineBallantineBooks #NetGalley

“The Martha’s Vineyard Beach and Book Club” by Martha Hall Kelly was a pleasurable read. With the history of the island’s role in preparing for the D-Day Invasion as the backdrop, Ms. Kelly weaves a riveting tale of mystery, intrigue, and romance.

What I love about historical fiction is that I can learn about places and history I might not have known about. I can travel to places I have never been to through these stories. That is how I felt reading Martha Hall Kelly’s latest book The Martha’s Vineyard Beach and Book Club. I have never been to Martha’s Vineyard and I loved the cover of this book which already swept me away to a beautiful beach with books being read, two of my favorite things. I then became engrossed in this dual-timeline book that made me feel like I had traveled to Martha’s Vineyard during World War II and again in 2016. Through Martha Hall Kelly’s characters whose relationships endure the trials and tribulations of war we are swept away into this captivating story.
In 2016 Mari Starwood comes to Martha’s Vineyard looking for artist Elizabeth Deveraux. When Mari finds her and starts taking a painting class she learns the story of the Smith sisters who had lived there and this eventually leads to Mari questioning her possible personal ties to this island.
I enjoyed the 1942 timeline where we learn the story of Cadence and Briar Smith and their determination in keeping their family farm during World War II. The sisters find romance and intrigue and Cadence and her best friend, Bess start a book club which flourishes despite the war.
I would highly recommend this book! Thank you to NetGalley and Random House—Ballantine books for the chance to read and review this book.
#TheMarthasVineyardBeachandBookClub #BallantineBooks #NetGalley