"Maine Characters" by Hannah Orenstein tells the story of half-sisters Vivian Levy and Lucy Webster, who meet for the first time at their father's lake house in Maine following his unexpected death. While the premise shares a resemblance to "The Parent Trap," Orenstein crafts a more mature narrative that delves into the complexities of grief, family secrets, and the challenges of forging connections later in life.

Vivian, a driven sommelier from New York City, is grappling with a potentially career-derailing secret. She arrives at the lake house with the intention of quickly settling her father's affairs, a plan disrupted by Lucy's presence. Lucy, a high school English teacher rooted in the small Maine town, is also dealing with personal turmoil, including a crumbling marriage. The lake house, a place that held cherished memories for Lucy, becomes the unexpected stage for the sisters to confront not only their shared loss but also the hidden truths about their family history.

Orenstein's strength lies in her ability to create relatable characters and vividly depict the Maine setting. The descriptions of the lake, the surrounding nature, and the close-knit community immerse the reader in the atmosphere of lake house living. The author explores how the sisters' contrasting backgrounds and life experiences shape their initial perceptions of each other and their father. As they navigate their grief and unravel the circumstances surrounding their father's life, Vivian and Lucy are forced to confront their own vulnerabilities and re-evaluate their relationships.

"Maine Characters" is more than just a story about discovering a long-lost sibling. It's a nuanced exploration of how family secrets can impact individuals across generations. Orenstein delves into themes of forgiveness, acceptance, and the possibility of finding common ground even in the most unlikely of circumstances. While the novel touches on romantic relationships, the heart of the story lies in the evolving bond between Vivian and Lucy as they navigate their shared grief and forge a new understanding of sisterhood.

Excellent and atmospheric setting, two very well individuated and interesting main characters. This is a book that is definitely going to evoke summer feelings, as well as having a strong family story.

A heart wrenching and heartwarming story of two half sisters meeting for the first time after the sudden death of their father at his lake house, set in an idyllic small town in Maine.

Vivian, the daughter he raised in NYC with his wife, is anxious to sell the lake house to fund her entrepreneurial dreams, while Lucy, the secret daughter from his affair in the same small town, is frantically trying to keep the lake house along with the memories she has of staying there with her father in the summer.

It was so interesting to see how different Hank’s dynamic was with both his daughters, and as the story progresses, we see everyone’s strengths and flaws, along with the lasting repercussions of each decision made.

This book is also a love letter to Maine; the town was beautiful and reading it, you just want to be there on the lake reading alongside Lucy, or boating with the wind in your hair as Vivian drives. The food and wine descriptions were to die for.

This book is labeled a romance, but I would disagree with that. It’s more women’s fiction with a romance side plot, but it’s not the main storyline.

Thank you to Dutton Books and NetGalley for early access to this book in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 stars

Maine Characters is a story centered on identity and relationships and utilizes the (platonic) close proximity trope as fuel for that particular engine. Two half-sisters who grew up apart have to grapple with the death of their father as they gather at the one place where they both spent one-on-one time with him.

Overall, I thought the plot was interesting and the characters mostly relatable, yet uniquely flawed. Author Hannah Orenstein grapples with some interesting themes as she examines both Vivian and Lucy and the relationship they had with their father. It has all the markers of women’s fiction with some romantic subplots that I think readers will find enjoyable.

The one sticking point for me was how much space their dead father took up in this book. At times, it felt as if I was looking at both protagonists through a male-centric lens. Not to mention the fact that his death, in essence, gave him a pass to not resolve any of the conflicts he caused. But perhaps that was the point. And it definitely felt true to life.

Maine Characters is best enjoyed by a sparkling body of water and while I sadly did not get to experience it this way, the vibes of the book were a perfect substitute for the real thing.

Pitched as an adult Parent Trap, the premise of Maine Characters thrusts long lost half sisters Vivian and Lucy together after their father Hank passes away. Vivian — the daughter Hank raised in New York with his wife — wants to sell her family’s aging Maine lake house, while Lucy — the secret child from Hank’s affair — yearns to keep the house and the memories she shared with her dad in tact. The sisters spend the start of summer bickering and grieving the lives they thought they knew. But, as they uncover more of their father’s secrets, the truth slowly begins to bring them together.

I have followed Hannah Orenstein on social media for years and was so excited to finally read this book! There is a lot of Orenstein’s lived experience in these pages, and while the plot is wholly fictional, the setting is very real. Like the author, I have spent a few summers in Maine and the details she includes brought me through a sun-kissed kaleidoscope of memories. Blueberry farms, Allagash beer, Hannaford’s grocery stores — this book is unabashedly MAINE! The fictional town of Fox Hill is so beautifully crafted you can almost hear the sound of cicadas buzzing in your ears. It is clear that Oresntein holds this place dear with all the care she put into creating this world.

It wouldn’t be a proper New England story without delectable food and drink and the descriptions in this novel went above and beyond! Vivian is a sommelier and the wine-centric insight that she contributes felt natural with her character. Orenstein herself took a wine course to accurately portray Vivian’s knowledge and this attention to detail pays off. There are also amazing depictions of summertime dinners, my favorite of which was a classic lobster feast. I am a sucker for a proper seafood meal and these scenes made me wish I was sitting alongside the characters, digging into the buttery spread.

My one disconnect is with Lucy and Vivian’s characters arcs. I feel like there was a bit more telling than showing when it came to their growth. There was never really an ah-ha moment where they seemed like they changed viewpoints until all of a sudden they were getting along. I did like where they ended up by the book’s conclusion but I wish there had been a few more interactions where we saw them actively change their perceptions of each other.

Maine Characters is a juicy summer smash, with familial drama and lush, immersive descriptions. Fans of Elin Hilderbrand should definitely pick this one up!

Thank you Dutton and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review!

Thank you Penguin Group Dutton and Hannah Orenstein for this ARC of Maine Characters!
This book was a wild ride. It was most definitely more of a women's fiction than romance, although there was elements intertwined throughout the story. These characters are also DEEPLY flawed and sometimes flat out unlikable. For the first 50% of this book, I truly disliked both of the main characters and considered DNF'ing multiple times. They had their moments of good and then went right back to being selfish and honestly kind of awful.
The last 25-30% of this book did redeem them though. Watching them finally come together as not only friends, but sisters, and start to work through that generational trauma bestowed upon them both was healing and honestly made me cry.
I do believe it was the authors intent to show how messy and dysfunctional and toxic family units can be, so in the end their decisions and their growth made a bit more sense.
I do wish that Lucy had owned up to her faults a bit more? Vivian took full responsibility for her actions while Lucy just got to also be selfish and conniving and not really have any consequences.
I'm glad that in the end they both realized what they do and don't deserve and chased dreams that were authentic to them and men who actually appreciated and deserved them.

DNF- I couldn’t get into this one, the writing style was good. But the actual story was hard for me to stay engaged.

Thank you for the opportunity!

Make sure you have tissues ready when you read this book! There were a lot of tears. I liked the idea of this book - two sisters who do not meet until after their father passes away. It was very Parent Trap like in idea, but not really in execution.The location of this book in Maine is incredible. The descriptions transported me right onto the pages of the book. Unfortunately, I still struggled to find the interest to pick this up to read. The characters were really difficult to like - I felt like there were too many side stories woven throughout the book too, which felt distracting. This book was told in multiple POV and at times it was difficult to figure out which character was which. It was a very slow beginning, however it did drastically improve towards the end of the book. Overall, this book was fine. I did not feel like it was an incredible read, however I pushed through and found parts that were enjoyable.
Thank you netgalley for my advanced reader copy.

I wanted to like this book more than I did. The storyline was intriguing - half-sisters meeting for the first time (only one actually knew the other existed) after their dad passes away. There was a lot of opportunity for a deep dive into emotional turmoil which, when done right, is so gratifying to read. While there were moments I enjoyed, I couldn’t relate to Vivian & Lucy and I found them unlikable. The ending felt a bit rushed and wrapped things up a little too neatly.
3 1/2 ⭐️

This was a solid, emotional summer read with lots of heart, though it didn’t totally blow me away.

The premise is super compelling: two half-sisters who’ve never met are forced to spend the summer together at their dad’s lake house after he dies — cue the drama. Vivian and Lucy come from completely different worlds, and watching them clash, then slowly start to understand each other, is definitely one of the book’s strengths. The lake house setting is also dreamy and well-written — it gives off strong summer nostalgia vibes.

If you’re into messy family dynamics, sister tension, and a hint of healing in a beautiful lakeside setting, this one’s worth picking up. It’s emotional but still has enough warmth and charm to keep things balanced. Great for fans of Carley Fortune or Elin Hilderbrand looking for an easy, heartfelt read.

After seeing this stunning cover, I was excited to pick this up, but I was left a bit disappointed by this. Lucy and Vivian share the same dad, but grew up not knowing the other existed. After his sudden passing, they are shocked to meet at his cabin.

I usually like complex family dramas, but unfortunately the story was slow for me as the sisters continued to have the same petty drama and arguments over and over. I had a hard time distinguishing when Lucy or Vivian was sharing their perspective, and if it was a past memory or present day.

They eventually got around to softening to the other, but it was so drawn out and repetitive that I was losing interest. I liked the concept of new beginnings and loved the cabin in Maine setting but this wasn't a favorite for me.

This was a DNF for me early on.

Let me preface this with that this absolutely could have been me and not the authors work
But when I began reading it, I attempted more than 3 times, for more than 50 pages in and could not get into it.

The writing was subpar and the switching between characters was very hard. I had to go back to start of chapter to be like who is this again? I set the book down and came back to it, but eventually I decided on not finishing. First DNF of 2025. This book was not for me.

Thanks to NETGALLEY and the publisher for the ARC. I absolutely adored this book and I especially loved “The Parent Trap” references.
Mara Wilson shines as the audiobook narrator, and even though at first, I was wondering why she was a single narrator. I thought she did a great job narrating both sisters, voices, and point of view. Thanks to PRH audio for the ALC. I am very much looking forward to Hannah Orenstein’s next book. Pick this book up for a delightful summer read!

3.5 ⭐️
This was a story about two sisters who didn’t know about each other until their father dies and they go to his lake house at the same time. They spend the summer together and end up living through many big life moments during that summer.

Thank you NetGalley and Penguin Books Dutton for this ARC.

Maine has always intrigued me. I have always wanted to travel there and see what it’s like. With this story I got an idea of how it would be. (Does the author live there..?)

At first Lucy was so annoying with the not so privileged sister role. But she did grow on me. Vivian grew up in NYC with money and had some not so amazing qualities but I connected with her because of her passions.

Everything came together in the end—new friendships and love.

I’m definitely keeping an eye out for more from this author.

The premise of two half-sisters meeting after their father’s death and building a relationship at his lake house had a lot of potential, unfortunately I was unable to finish this book at only 26% because both POVs were hard to read with both 30ish year old women acting more like immature teenagers who just learned that their dad had an affair when in actuality they both were aware since adolescence. I’m okay with my characters being flawed, but when their internal dialogue is such a drag it makes the book hard to enjoy. Also the few romances introduced showed more red flags for the sisters than it did for their partners. I hope these two half-sisters grow through the story, but I won’t be reading to find out.

Thank you to NetGalley for my eARC.

Maine Characters is the story of two half sisters who were raised apart, and the summer they spend picking up the pieces after their father's unexpected death. I didn't particularly like either main character initially , but I understood them and found their dynamic fascinating. The setting was what really won me over, I loved reading about the small lake town in Maine and each of the girls' special ties to the home. The complicated family dynamics were well executed and left me struggling to figure out who to root for. I liked that the found family aspects were. the main focus of the book, and the romantic relationships were a secondary storyline. There was some wonderful character development over the course of the story, and by the end I found myself coming around to both the main characters. I really enjoyed this book and think it is a great summer read!

Thank you so much to Netgalley and Penguin Group Dutton for the e-arc.

Every summer, Vivian Levy and Lucy Webster spend a month with their father at his lake house — separately. Raised in New York City, Vivian is an ambitious sommelier with a secret that could derail her future. Lucy grew up in a tiny Maine town, where she now teaches high school English while watching her marriage unravel. They’ve never met. While Lucy envied her half-sister from afar, their father kept Vivian in the dark.

When Vivian arrives at the lake to spread his ashes and sell his cabin, she's shocked to find Lucy there, awaiting his return. In an ideal world, they’d help each other through their grief. Instead, forced to spend the summer together, they fight through a storm of suspicion and hostility to untangle the messy truth about their parents’ pasts. While Lucy is desperate to hold onto the house, Vivian is scrambling after a betrayal. After thirty years apart, is it too late for them to be a family?

For fans of Carley Fortune and Elin Hilderbrand, this sister story set on a lush lake brims with the undeniable heart, depth, charm, and humor that have endeared Hannah Orenstein to legions of readers.

I've never read anything like this, and I ended up thoroughly enjoying it! I might pick up something by Orenstein in the future :)

The Parent Trap is one of my all-time favorite movies, so I was immediately intrigued by the blurb calling this “the Parent Trap for adults”… plus that cover!! It’s not a Parent Trap retelling by any means, but it does give a bit of those vibes with the lake setting and the surprise of encountering a half-sister there.

- sister enemies to friends
- nostalgic lake vibes
- female bonding and growth
- gaslighting galore

Vivian is the big-city sommelier who was her wealthy dad’s acknowledged daughter, and Lucy is the small-town teacher who was her dad’s hidden daughter from a dalliance just before he married Vivian’s mom. Lucy has grown up getting to spend only one month a year and the occasional weekend with her dad, but she knew all about his other family and had been following Vivian’s life from afar. When their father dies suddenly, they encounter each other at his Fox Lake house, which Vivian wants to sell immediately. The story is told in alternating POVs between the sisters as they navigate the fallout from his death and their feelings about it and each other. Each of them is also of course dealing with romantic drama, Lucy is newly separated from the only man she’d ever kissed and Vivian is in a toxic hidden relationship with an older man.

The hits - the Maine setting was the best part, Fox Hill Lake had all the idyllic lake nostalgia I wanted in a summer book! The complicated relationship of surprise half sisters also hooked me in, it’s a refreshing change to read a book like this not entirely focused on the romance (although that is definitely there too). And Vivian’s sommelier occupation brought the love and appreciation of wine into the story, really enjoyed that - you could tell the author did some good research!

The misses - I didn’t really like either sister a lot of the time and I thought their personal life drama, especially Vivian’s, was well over the top and made me want to shake some sense into her many, many times. Plus all the cheating and gaslighting started to really turn me off in the middle.

Thank you NetGalley and Penguin Group Dutton Publishing for sending this DRC for review consideration.

I was so excited to receive an advance copy of Maine Characters by Hannah Orenstein! I’ve loved Hannah’s books and Maine Characters did not disappoint!

Maine Characters was like diving into a Elin Hilderbrand novel: the characters, writing style, setting, and food descriptions. I adored it all!

I can’t wait to recommend Maine Characters to anyone looking for a beach read this summer! I can’t wait to read whatever Hannah writes next!

Thank you to NetGalley and Dutton for an advanced copy of this book!