Mini Reviews: Historical Beach Reads

I enjoy beach reads that are set in the past, especially those that explore intriguing time periods like World War II. The books I'm highlighting today both feature captivating settings and provide entertaining summer reads for anyone who appreciates a mix of history and family sagas.

 

Where the Rivers Merge by Mary Alice Monroe

Pages: 352

Genre: Adult Historical Fiction

Pub. Date: May 13, 2025

Publisher: Harper Collins

Source: Publisher for review

Other Books By Author: Beach House for Rent,

On Ocean Boulevard, and The Summer of Lost and Found

My Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

 

 

Goodreads says, "1908: The Lowcountry of South Carolina is at the cusp of change. Mayfield, the grand estate held for generations by the Rivers family, is the treasured home of young Eliza. Free spirited, she refuses to be confined by societal norms. Instead, Eliza revels in exploring the golden fields and sparkling ponds of Mayfield, observing wildlife, and riding horses.

But her halcyon days are cut short by the Great War, coastal storms, and unexpected challenges to Mayfield. As Eliza battles personal pains and the ravages of family turmoil over the years, her love and devotion for the natural world puts her on a collision course with the patriarchal traditions of a bygone era.

1988: At 88, Eliza is the scion of the Rivers/DeLancey family. She’s fought a lifetime to save her beloved Mayfield and is too independent and committed to quietly retire and leave the fate of the estate to her greedy son. She must make decisions that will assure the future of the land and her family—or watch them both be split apart.  

Set against the evocative landscape of the twentieth-century low country, Where the Rivers Merge is a dramatic and sweeping multigenerational family story of unyielding love, lessons learned, profound sacrifices, and the indomitable spirit of a woman determined to persevere in the face of change in order to protect her family legacy and the land she loves."

 

 

It's 1988 and Eliza is 88 years old and plans to set up a conservation easement for Mayfield, her ancestral home and land. She grew up there as a girl and to preserve the land, there is only one way forward, much to her greedy son's dismay. Arthur, her son, wants to develop the land for money and even tries to take away her rights. Eliza is sharing with her granddaughters her memories of Mayfield and the importance of the land, which takes readers back to 1908 in the Lowcountry of South Carolina. Eliza is a tomboy; she loves working with horses in the barn, spending time in nature, and running amok, much to her mother's disapproval. Her mother has other plans for her, plans that don't include spending time outdoors at Mayfield. While growing up at Mayfield, Eliza has a group of friends, but she is especially close to Covey, a black girl who lives on the plantation. Their friendship is certainly unconventional, but as the years go by, it lasts. As Eliza shares her life story, readers are taken back to the early 1900s and all that comes with it. There's war, racial discrimination, family issues, and more. Where the Rivers Merge by Mary Alice Monroe is a sweeping family saga that fans of Monroe will thoroughly enjoy.
 
I was an instant fan of Eliza in Where the Rivers Merge. How could I not be? She is a spunky tomboy living in a world that wants her to be something else. I appreciated her love of nature, horses, and her loyalty to her friends. Her naivety did get old at times, but nonetheless, I enjoyed her. Her relationship with Covey was done well and I think Monroe respected the issues surrounding racism and portrayed it accurately. I also adored Monroe's descriptions of the South Carolina Lowcountry as this is where her writing really shines. The animals, the land, and vegetation depicted were all done vividly and truly added to the story's environmental themes. Where the Rivers Merge reminded me of an older sweeping classic involving generations along with a grand setting. I will definitely be reading book two in the series when it comes out.

 

 

The Martha's Vineyard Beach and Book Club by Martha Hall Kelly

Pages: 336

Genre: Adult Historical Fiction

Pub. Date: May 27, 2025

Publisher: Random House

Source: Publisher for review

Other Books By Author: Sunflower Girls,

Lilac Girls, and The Golden Doves

My Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

 

 

 

Goodreads says, "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?

 

 

 

Mari Starwood is going through her deceased mother's belongings and finds something very curious. She finds the name and address of Elizabeth Devereaux, a famous painter who lives on Martha's Vineyard. What is her mother's connection to this woman? Elizabeth, who is a known recluse, invites Mari to meet her on Martha's Vineyard and thus begins the journey of Mari learning more about her mother and her connection to the island. The story flashes back to two sisters, Cadence and Briar, who live on Martha's Vineyard during WWII. Their older brother, Tom, has been shipped off to the Navy, so it's up to the two women to run the family farm. Cadence is an aspiring writer and to raise spirits on Martha's Vineyard during the war, she starts a book club. Briar, on the other hand, is obsessed with locating German U-boats, which she spies off the coast of the island. There are many twists and turns in this novel as it isn't a light beach read, but rather, a heavier historical novel. Nonetheless, fans of historical fiction can't go wrong with Martha Hall Kelly and her latest, The Martha's Vineyard Beach and Book Club.
 
Kelly uses two storylines from different time periods to weave her story and for the most part it works, but I will say I found myself more interested in the WWII plot. Cadence and Briar are very interesting characters and I especially liked Briar's interest in spotting U-boats off the coast. No one is taking her seriously, but readers know she is telling the truth. The plot thickens in The Martha's Vineyard Beach and Book Club, especially concerning their brother Tom, and I was glued to the pages. While I usually like my beach reads heavy on the beach and low on stressful times in history, I will say this is a good option for those who like beach reads that include meaningful moments in history. Also, I recommend it to fans of Kate Quinn.

Do you have plans to read Where the Rivers Merge or The Martha's Vineyard Beach and Book Club? Are you a fan of Mary Alice Monroe or Martha Hall Kelly? Let me know in the comments below.