This is a historical story of sisters during WWII on Martha’s Vineyard.The story begins with a daughter of a deceased woman coming to the island to find out about her mother’s relationship to the island. The painter she visits tells her the story of the two sisters. The younger sister, Briar, is a curious teen engaged in detecting who is the German spy on the island. Her sister dreams of a publishing career away from the island. Both face dangers that could cause them to be jailed.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of the book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Loved this book. It was a twisty tale of a time that most of us cannot even imagine. It was enlightening to find out more about Martha's Vineyard's role in the war efforts and how it affected everyone in some way or fashion. So many tragic tales of separated families and the aftermath. I loved the characters and how you were rooting for them even with all those human flaws that made them make choices you wouldn't. It also spoke to how much women really did do to keep families together (and in some cases tear them apart) and how resilient you had to be. Great read!

I enjoyed reading a WWIi book set in the US. That definitely intrigued me. The historical aspect of the book was well crafted and really interesting. It was a bit odd that the book started in 2016 and didn't get back there until the end. By the time we circled back it was fairly obvious what the connection between the two stories would be. And there did seem to be a few too many minor characters to keep track of. But overall this was a good book that held my interest and kept me guessing.

This book moved slow and based on enjoying previous books by this author, I was expecting so much more. After reading the reviews from people who loved this book, I continued reading , but could never get into it. It seemed there were too many people who didn't necessarily matter to the overall plot. Some of the characters were annoying at best. This book just wasn't for me.

Don’t let the title fool you. This is not your typical beach read. It has all the drama, intrigue, and romance we’ve come to expect from a Martha Hall Kelly book. Left me hanging on the edge of my seat until the last pages! Thank you to Net.Galley and the publisher for the early read.

I was very excited to read this historical fiction, but it unfortunately fell flat for me :(

The story felt very disjointed with the dual timelines and multiple first person POVs. The first chapter started off in 2016 and was really fun and hooked me in. But the story then switched to 1942 timeline until almost the halfway mark. It felt like there was no point to the 2016 timeline since the story barely went back to that timeline until the end. There was also a bit of a mystery tied in with the U-boat and spy and it just didn’t grab me. It honestly felt like the story I was reading and the title of the book didn’t correlate at all. We barely read anything about the book club once Peter’s character arrives.

All in all, I was bored and disappointed throughout. However, I enjoyed the Author’s Note at the end - I honestly enjoyed it more than the entire book! I wish the author’s personal connections and obvious knowledge about Martha’s Vineyard and WWII were fleshed out better in this story.

I enjoyed the back and forth between the past and present story with the main focus on the girls during the war. I found this to be a good read and the story flowed easily.

I really enjoyed this book and liked the setting of Martha's Vineyard during WWII. It was a more unique, American setting for a WWII book that gave a different viewpoint.

This wasn't my favorite from Martha Hall Kelly, but it was still enjoyable. I think the story seemed a bit unrealistic at parts that made it difficult to connect. Overall I would recommend to others looking for a WWII historical book.

I loved the story. This is the first time I’ve read a WWII book set in Martha’s Vineyard, and the writing painted the complete picture for me. I felt transported to the Smith family farm, and almost couldn’t put this book down. The character development was critical to the success of the novel - you could really feel Cadence’s pine for bigger and better things, Briar’s sixth sense that something was up, and Bess’s desire to escape from her entitled life into something simple and loved.

Thanks to Random House Ballentine and NetGalley for a digital advance reader copy. All comments and opinions are my own.

Loved this from the first page! I couldn’t decide whether to read it fast or slow – I wanted to find out what would happen next, yet I didn’t want it to end because I loved the characters, the story, and the mystery.

This is the type of book with twists and turns that all come together eventually, told from a few different points of view. Just when something is about to happen, the chapter ends and the next one begins with another character narrating – so I just had to keep reading. If you need an example of “and the plot thickens” or “what could possibly happen next” – this is the book.

World War II on Martha’s Vineyard – sisters, friends, family – secrets and spies – the power of books to bring people together. Loved this heartwarming, edge-of-your seat historical fiction that had me laughing and crying. I highly recommend!

I loved this book. It’s so heartwarming. I learned a lot about Martha’s Vineyard and the role it played during WWII and the troops preparing for combat in Europe. The multi-generational and dual timeline kept you guessing and engaged. I enjoyed this author’s previous books and she didn’t disappoint here!
Thank you yo Random House group and NetGalley for the DRC. Opinions are my own.

A wonderful look at the depth of wonwna relationships and how circumstances can change things in an instant. Wonderdully plotted, detailed characterization, and a beautiful setting. Cheers to thr the power of female bonds. Not to be missed.

I love a world War Ii nivel, but having one set here in the US was a nice change- a different way of telling it and I love it- Mari is going Martha's Vinyard to meet a painter, but the story unfolds through the telling of the story both present Sammy and 1942, the story of two sisters who are left to take care of the family home and keep things going (with gma and brothers fiancé -who enlisted) the sister start a book club to get soldiers in a nearby base books is there more going on with that sub off ahore, who can be trusted, this was a great book!

Thank you net galley for the arc in exchange for an honest review

Martha Hall Kelly can do no wrong. She somehow makes you feel like you are in both timelines - 1942 & 2016. Well done!

A story in two timelines - with a wonderful twist at the end. The story of Cadence and Blair, two sisters that as different as night and day. But they have the love of books and family in common. The characters are well developed and keep you interested! I could not put it down!
Thanks to #NetGalley for the advance copy.

I have never actually wondered what happened on Martha’s Vineyard during WWII, so everything in this book was a complete surprise, and quite fascinating. Martha Hall Kelly took many diverse aspects of life in this period and how the war affected the lives of everyone, and wrapped them into an amazing story of love and friendship, determination, and resilience. It did take me a while to get into the story—there is a lot going on at the beginning—but once the action heated up it was exhilarating! While it is a dual timeline tale, the modern timeline is much briefer; everything comes together very well at the end. Highly recommended! Thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the ARC and the opportunity to provide an honest review.

I received a free copy of, The Martha's Vineyard Beach and Book Club, by Martha Hall Kelly, from the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Its 1942 WWII is going strong, and sisters Ginny and Briar are living in Martha's Vineyard. Its 2024 and Mari is on Martha's Vineyard to meet a painter, but thats not all she is there for. A really good read.

After Mari's mother passing, she discovers the well known artist's name; Elizabeth, in her mom's house. Her mom was planning to meet Elizabeth. Wondering why her mom wanted to travel to Martha's Vineyard to meet Elizabeth. Full of questions, Mari goes in her mother's place to find out some answers.
Upon arrival locals tell Mari that Elizabeth doesn't just teach anyone art. That it's a privilege that she was choosen. To Mari's surprise she is welcome with open arms from Elizabeth.
Elizabeth tells Mari the life story or two sisters who used to live in the very house they are at. War takes place and the sisters do their part to help the war effort. You meet a number of characters in Elizabeth's story. As the story continues, Mari has even more questions. Why is Elizabeth telling her this? From a previous family back in the 1940s to current times of 2016. Lives connected and questions answered.

I love Martha Hall Kelly’s precious books, but this one didn’t resonate with me as much. She wrote amazing characters and the plot was interesting, but something didn’t connect for me. It might have just been a timing issue. I’ll try again when it’s published.

Two sisters on Martha's Vineyard navigate life in World War II, dealing with fears for their brother overseas while trying to keep their grandmother's farm going and dealing with fears of spies, as well as potential romance. A modern-day thread ties the story together and fills in loose ends. Despite the serious subject matter, this had more humor than Kelly's previous works, and I enjoyed the look at Martha's Vineyard during the war.