3.5 ⭐️

This one started off a little hard to get into. I didn’t connect with Lucy or Vivian. Both at times annoyed me. But, as I got deeper into their story, their grief and the history of relationships they both had with their now dead father it became more clear why they were the way they were. I think because I have my own history of an absent father, I understood and related to Lucy more.

This story follows the grief two sisters of suddenly losing their father, but not finding out about each other until one shows up at their dad’s lake house to sell it and finds the other there. The shock and hurt of finding out a huge secret and now trying to reconcile that with the lies of the father they lost. As they talk and work their way through the loss they find that maybe out of this mess their dad left behind, that something good can come out of it.

Trigger warnings:
- death of parent (off page)
- infidelity
- divorce

Thank you NetGalley, Penguin Group Dutton and Hannah Orenstein for allowing me to read an advanced complimentary copy of the book. Opinions and thoughts expressed in this review are completely my own.

Following the death of her father, Vivian heads to his cabin in Maine and discovers a surprise guest in the home—a half sister, Lucy, she didn’t know existed. While Vivian wants to sell the cabin and use the money to open a wine bar, Lucy hopes to hold onto the house, and the two do not hit it off. As conflicts ensue, the two must figure out issues in their own lives, and how to come to an agreement on the house.

I was excited to read this book after loving the author’s novel “Head Over Heels”, and seeing this gorgeous cover! Unfortunately, this wasn’t quite the charming, small town, lakeside cabin read I anticipated. The characters were insufferable and immature, so it was hard to relate to them or invest in their stories. I continued to read in hopes that I would grow to like the characters, but between the bickering and pettiness, and their various messy relationships, it ultimately just didn’t work for me. I do think the ending was good and the story wraps up nicely, but it was difficult for me to get there.

Thank you to NetGalley and Dutton Books for my gifted e-copy!

*I received a copy of this book on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for this opportunity*

Alright, time to be honest, I totally read this book for the cover. I mean, come on, it's gorgeous right? And any book set in Maine will always hit my soft spot just right, especially since it's set so close to Portland (and a few of my favorite spots were actually mentioned in the book, which was an unexpected and sweet surprise!).

I think I would describe this book as an adult parent trap where the twins didn't meet each other until the death of one of the parents; there was a lot of sisterly tension, a lot of petty fights and hurt feelings, and, at the end of the day, a kind of familial love that can't easily be captured. I wasn't in love with either of the female protagonists (Lucy overplayed her "poor me" hand a little too often for my liking, and Vivian was a rude cheater), but I can also appreciate how flawed and well-developed they were as characters. Orenstein did a commendable job of crafting two women who felt very real, and whose stories felt genuine.

Gah when I say I wanted to love this book, trust me I wanted to adore it....I just didn't. I loved the whole premise of being an adult Parent Trap and the setting in Maine but that is where my love ends. I did not like the main characters at all. They were in their 30s I found them very whiney, selfish and just horrible. That was my main gripe with this book. I'm super bummed I didn't like it but it happens.

This one took a minute for me to get into and the sisters had to grow on me but once I settled in I LOVED it. I’m also obsessed with the cover! It definitely gives Parent Trap vibes with a side of grief and a secret family. I enjoyed witnessing these sisters come into their own as they grapple with their shared family, grief and realizing that neither of their lives look the way they thought it would.

This should absolutely be on your summer TBR!

Thank you to @Netgalley and @Duttonbooks for this advanced copy in exchange for my thoughts.

This was an enjoyable book. The characters have never met and feel betrayed. They both have things they are working through. Sister relationships can be hard to navigate. I enjoyed all the characters.
 
Thank you NetGalley and PENGUIN GROUP Dutton for the ARC.

#MaineCharacters #NetGalley

3.5

Vivian and Lucy are half-sisters who’ve never met—until their father’s death forces them to share his Maine lake house for one tense summer. As secrets surface and grief collides, they must navigate betrayal, inheritance, and the question of whether thirty years is too late to start being sisters.

I liked the lake house. I liked the mentions of Portland. I liked the sisters—their drama, their grief, their consequences. I liked the forgiveness and the nostalgia. I liked the story, but I didn’t love it. The voice feels like it almost nails every detail and emotion, but then falls just short. Kinda like a false breaker—a wave that looks ready to crash, only to flatten at the last second. Maybe that’s the point—this is a lake, not the ocean, after all. Either way, I don’t think you’ll regret spending time with these feuding sisters and their journey of self-exploration, but I wouldn’t start planning an annual trip.

The narration is excellent, despite my assumption that having both sisters' POVs read by the same actor would be too confusing.

Perfect for you if you like:
Slow-burning forgiveness
Sisters feuding
Family drama
The Parent Trap
Cottage-lake vibes

Similar to:
Meet Me at the Lake by Carley Fortune
The Identicals by Elon Hilderbrand (I have not read)
Same Time Next Year by Annabel Monaghan (I have not read)

⛔️closed door romance
⚠️loss of father, infidelity (like a lot)

thank you to netgalley for the e-arc. i always go into one of hannah's books being optimistic about the story she's writing and with the hope she got even stronger as a writer. i'm always at least half right because while her ability to write and weave a story from beginning to end keeps improving, the substance is disappointing. there were the 2 main character sisters and both were insufferable. how many chapters do we have to read about childish women not being able to come to an actual compromise and fight over it?

I really like Hannah Orenstein's writing and I was very excited for her new book. The cover is gorgeous, and I love the Maine setting. Vivian and Lucy were well-drawn characters and I felt for both of them as they managed the grief and disappointments of losing their (shitty) father and learned to understand each other.

3 1/2 stars I think… idk I really wanted to love this but the main character doing exactly what her dad did and being mad at her dad for it is crazy. I love the overall story line so much. I love a family book

-Maine Characters by @hannahorens
I really enjoyed this book. Vivian’s father has died and she heads to his vacation home in Maine to ready it for selling. When she arrives, she is greeted by a woman who turns out to be her half-sister that she had an idea existed, but could never get an answer out of her dad to confirm.
It takes place in July and August and the sisters have to learn to coexist together as Vivian is focused on selling and Lucy, her new sister, doesn’t want to. Both sisters navigate their betrayal, grief and their respective mom,s all while dealing with their own personal issues.
Maine was a great character and although the book seemed a little long, I still would recommend.

Thank you to @netgalley for the arc.

This was such a heartwarming story, I loved both Vivian and Lucy for different reasons but they were both amazing in their own way. There was a touch of romance added to the plot that really served the story well too. Overall, a great summer read

This story centers around two half-sisters who were hidden from each other growing up. They unexpectedly come together at their father's lake house following his unexpected death. This rural lake town in Maine was a beautiful setting. It nicely balanced out the struggles and conflict as the sisters try to connect and trust each other, as they uncover their father's deceit. Poor decisions abound - from the past to the present!
I enjoyed the story, and found myself pulling for happy endings for these "Maine Characters". This book would be a great choice for a summer beach (or lake) read.
Thank you to NetGalley for an advance copy.

A family drama that hits deep!

I went into Maine Characters expecting a lighthearted romcom when I saw the tagline "Parent Trap for adults." What I got instead was an emotionally beautiful deep-dive into family secrets, grief, and reconciliation.

This story hit closer to home than I anticipated, as someone with a half-sister who doesn't know I exist. Maybe that's why I connected so strongly with Lucy--or maybe it's just that Vivian was genuinely a tart for the first half of the book.

Don't get me wrong, it's a great story about coming together and making the best of a tragic situation, but there is cheating, which is a hard pass for me. I just wish I'd had a little warning before handing over my heart so willingly. I loved how the characters' lives wove together, and I devoured the audiobook in a single day--I had to know how it all ended, so I could sleep tonight.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group Dutton for the eARC. I really enjoyed this book. It pulled me in right away and kept me engaged throughout. The characters were compelling, and the story had a strong emotional core. That said, some of the arguments between characters felt repetitive and were revisited a few too many times, which slowed the momentum in places. Still, the overall experience was meaningful and well worth the read.

As someone from Maine, there’s something extra special about reading a book set in your home state—especially one that captures the charm and quiet strength of its people.

While there’s a lovely romance at the heart of this book (and I thoroughly enjoyed watching it unfold), the real foundation is something deeper: how to find your footing in a world that your parents have made harder than it needs to be. The author does a beautiful job exploring that ache—what it means to grow up carrying baggage that isn’t yours, and still find hope, connection, and maybe even love along the way.

This is a perfect summer read if you want something that makes you feel seen, gently breaks your heart, and puts it back together with a little more warmth.

I’m so sad to report that I really didn’t like this very much. I loved the concept of a grown-up Parent Trap, but sadly it just didn’t land. The two main characters were so immature and unlikable to the point that I could never get on board with the story or their relationship. It was also way too long. And repetitive. And, frankly, boring. Beautiful cover art. I wanted to love the cozy, lakeside Maine vibes so much! Great idea, poor execution.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Group Dutton for gifting me a digital ARC of the new book by Hannah Orenstein. All opinions expressed in this review are my own - 4.5 stars!

Vivian and Lucy are half-sisters who have never met. They each spent a month every summer with their father in Maine at his lake house, but separate months, and they had very different lives the rest of the year. When Vivian arrives at the cabin to spread her father's ashes and sell the cabin, she's shocked to find Lucy there, waiting for him and not knowing he died. They are each going through personal crises, and they have to figure out their future.

Told from both Vivian and Lucy's POV, this story pulled me in to explore the complexities of sisters and families, of secrets kept, of grief and longing. I enjoyed the small town Maine setting, and could picture the sunrises. It's a book filled with heart, a little romance, but mostly of family and how it's never too late to start anew.

Listen, even with books I LOVE I will knock down my rating if chapters are unbearably long. The first chapter here was about 10%! I found myself putting it down if I didn’t want to dedicate another half hour or more to reading a chapter.

The characters were not my favorite, I didn’t connect to either at all but the setting and most of the story line kept me going.

I think there is definitely a group of people who will love this book! If you loved The Parent Trap this is a spin on that but with a bit more challenging situations!

Thank you @netgalley and @duttonbooks for my copy of this one!

This book was pretty and the setting was awesome. I loved the feel of summer at the lake in Maine. But that’s about what I loved. Neither character was likable and I couldn’t get connected to them. I’d definitely try reading something by this author again but this one wasn’t for me.