Gorgeous cover to match the setting coupled with family drama. What a great women's fiction novel! This was a little longer than I would normal like; plot had "Parent Trap" vibes but overall, very well-written and strong emotional content. 3.5 stars rounded up to 4. **I received a complimentary ARC from the author/publishing company via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts & opinions are my own.

This summer at the lake will be different

Hank Levy, a successful New York wealth manager, inherited his family's cabin on a lake in Fox Hill, Maine, when his parents died. He spent August there each year with his daughter Vivian...it wasn't the sort of place where his romance novelist wife Celeste felt comfortable. When he dies suddenly at the age of 54 the cabin passes to Celeste, who doesn't want to hang on to it. In the midst of her latest book tour, she doesn't even have the time to get it ready to sell, so she tasks Vivian with selling it. Since Vivian doesn't want to keep it either and is told she can keep the proceeds if she handles the details, she agrees. She can really use the money....her work situation in the city just became untenable, and she wants to open her own place...she heads up to Maine with her father's ashes in an urn to be scattered on the lake. The last thing she expects to find waiting for her at the cabin is...the half sister she never knew she had. Lucy is the product of a summer love affair between Hank and Dawn, a local woman he was involved with before he and Celeste were married. She know about Hank's "real" family and while jealous that Vivian gets to have her father in her life all the time, she at least has the month of July each year to spend at the cabin with him. She is in fact expecting to see him arrive when she sees his truck pull in to the driveway but it is Vivian at the wheel, and it is from Vivian that she discovers that Hank is dead. Lucy's life is also in turmoil...her husband has asked for a divorce, and she has moved back in with her mother. She wants desperately to keep the cabin, but its not her choice. The two sisters have every reason to dislike one another, and to be angry with the father that lied to one and hid the other from the world. They have very different lives and want very different things....this summer at the cabin on Fox Hill, where privacy is hard to come by but apparently secrets can be kept, will change the course of their lives.
Maine Characters is the story of two families linked together by a man who is no longer with them. Vivian and Lucy are flawed characters (and not altogether likable, to be honest) whose emotions are raw given the strain each is under. That they are fairly hostile to one another is understandable...each one represents to the other a failing of their shared father. Vivian suspected that his father was cheating on her mother but had no idea that he had a whole second family, while Lucy resented being the "secret" child who wasn't openly acknowledged in public. Lies, secrets, love, betrayal, and loss make for a toxic brew despite the beautifully evoked Maine atmosphere. As the two women struggle to forge new lives and wonder whether the biological fact of their connection could or should lead to an ongoing relationship, they will discover things about themselves, their mothers and their father. This is an engaging read, perfect for reading on a hot summer day (preferably with a lake or a beach in view and with a chilled bottle of wine at the ready). Fans of author Hannah Orenstein as well as readers of Georgia Clark, Carley Fortune and Kate Spencer will likely enjoy this tale of unanticipated family dynamics and raw emotions. The ending is fairly predictable and perhaps a bit too neat given the mess that Hank left behind for his daughters to sort through, but I would rate the book a solid 3.5 ⭐️ rounded up to 4. My thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Group Dutton/Dutton for allowing me access to Main Characters in exchange for my honest review,

Well described as the adult parent trap this was a messy family drama, where I didn’t really like the main characters. I did my best at enjoying the story and the setting, and in the end the resolution was satisfying.

As someone who lives in Maine, I loved reading this and recognizing so many places! Hannah did a fantastic job bringing Maine into the story. I loved the contrast between Vivian and Lucy with how different they were, very similar to The Parent Trap in how they’re raised so different.

The first half of the book felt a lot slower than the second half, though I really needed that built-up time to understand Hank and how he treated each of his girls and the backstory.

Hannah handled the grief in a heartbreaking but beautiful way with how Lucy and Vivian worked through it separately and together. I enjoyed the realistic way she wrote the romances that added to the character development. Thank you NetGalley and Penguin Random House for the review.

Hannah Orenstein's Maine Characters is a grown-up version of Parent Trap and I loved how for this book Hannah stepped outside of New York and transported her readers to the fictional town, Fox Hill, in Maine.

Vivian Levy and Lucy Webster are half-sisters who have never met before, but are brought together by their father's untimely death. Vivian and Lucy could not be more different--Vivian was raised in New York City and has a career as a sommelier; Lucy was raised in Fox Hill and is a high school English teacher. They have one thing in common though--their father kept both of them at an arm's length and never truly appreciated either of his daughters. Vivian arrives at her father's cabin to spread his ashes and sell the cabin in order to open her own business, but is shocked to discover Lucy at the cabin for her month that she would typically spend with her father. What ensues is an exploration of what makes a family and just how far one will go for family.

I love how both Vivian and Lucy had their own journeys throughout this book and felt the ending was perfect for the both of them. This book is perfect if you love messy families and small-town romances. Fair warning, you'll want to book a trip to Maine after reading it!

Thank you to Dutton for the e-ARC!

maine characters ARC 🌲🦞⛵️✨
3⭐️
Thank you to Net Galley, Dutton Books, and the author for the opportunity to read and review this book! this book is like the grown up version of the parent trap filled with drama. I LOVE the cover of this book! it is about two sisters who meet for the first time after their fathers death. this book was a little slow for me and I was bored a few times. this book would be perfect to read at the beach or the lake this summer! this book has little to no spice! I would definitely read more by this author in the future. this book comes out May 13, 2025!! Definitely check it out if you like summer reads, romance, and literary fiction!



Thank you so much to Netgalley and Penguin Group Dutton for the advanced copy for my honest review.

Unfortunately I didn’t love this one. I ended up DNFing this one around the 40% mark. It was a hit slow for me

Thank you NetGalley and Dutton Books for the ebook in exchange for an honest review.

An emotion-filled novel that pulled at my heart in the right places. I enjoyed all of the relationships explored here and I felt like they all ended in a place that was reasonable and resolute. Highly recommend!

I think this is a “it’s me not you” situation. I was sucked in by a pretty cover and confusing marketing.

Cheating in a romance is pretty much a hard no for me, but then again, I don’t think Maine Characters is a romance. Women’s Fiction? Yes. Fiction with romantic elements? Absolutely. Romance? Not in my book (heh). And is this way heavier than a Parent Trap romp.

I couldn’t get behind either of the main characters. Vivian is awful—hypocritical and angry. Lucy is awful—whiny and angry. These two 30-somethings act like spoiled teenagers, alternately arguing and pouting until I wanted to send them to their separate rooms for a time out. It wasn’t until about 75% that things began to turn around but by that point I was just reading to finish.

But wow, that cover really is gorgeous.

Thanks to NetGalley and Dutton for an eARC. Opinions are my own.

Vivian and Lucy are half sisters, but never met. Lucy knows about Vivian, yet Vivian doesn't know about Lucy. After their dad passed away out of the blue, Vivian shows up to the lake house to sell it and spread his ashes, but she finds finds Lucy already there. They end up spending the summer together in the lake house trying to navigate their past and each other.

I really loved this book! I enjoyed how we got to read about Lucy and Vivian and their story, but also got a look into both of their relationships they had. When they were growing with each other, it had an effect on how they made decisions in their own relationships.

3.5 stars. This is a love letter to summers in Maine and making your own family.

I really liked the overall premise: Vivian and Lucy are half sisters who have never met, only coming together once their father has died and leaving them to sort out the pieces. We see a good amount of character growth as the women get to know each other and piece together their juxtaposed childhoods.

This book felt too long though. The central action was really significant, and I was invested in it, but there were so many things happening around it that it pulled away from the story. The pacing got really bogged down with the repetitive side tangents.

Overall though it felt like reminiscing about a childhood summer.

Thank you to NetGalley, Hannah Orenstein, and Dutton Books for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Ugh. This review pains me.
I’ve really liked this author’s previous work, but this book was not for me.
First of all, I didn’t like a single character. I will say Lucy’s mom wasn’t completely insufferable, but oof…the other characters.
Vivian and Lucy were both immature. I didn’t like the story line, their choices, how they treated each other, so much did not work me for. There was not enough redeeming qualities to make up for their lack of likability.
This would have been a DNF if I wasn’t reading and reviewing for netgalley.
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I will say, the cover is gorgeous and it does give off summer vibes. I do think people will pick it up because of the cover, but not sure they will stick around for the story.
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Thank you netgalley and Dutton books for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

This was a sweet premise but honestly the characters didn’t really click for me. I liked the sister relationship but don’t feel like we got to know much about the sisters individually beyond their cliche personality traits and their love interests (and why did we spend so much time on their love interests.) An easy beach read but you don’t need to bump this one up your TBR.

I truly enjoyed this read! I love watching the character building and relationship form between Vivian and Lucy. Flawed characters that you learn to love and root for.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me the opportunity to have an arc of this book! 💗

This is my first book from Hannah Orenstein and it was certainly a messy, emotional, vulnerable ride.
When Vivian makes the trip from New York to Maine on a mission to sell her father's lake house, she runs into an unexpected problem: her half-sister, Lucy, whom she's never met. Maine Characters follows these two as they navigate their new reality.

Hannah Orenstein's wititing is wonderful. She not only tackles the complexities of both Vivian & Lucy's characters, but their relationship, so well. These two are layered and difficult. I found myself getting so frustrated and annoyed with both of them, but also sat back and understood their messiness. Both of them are battling a world of emotions neither one has been prepared for—grief, anger, jealousy, resentment. Some of the things they said to each other hurt ME. That being said, the character development is well done, believable, and genuine. The romance in this is minimal, a little messy, but I do really appreciate what Hannah Orenstein did with it. It was a catalyst for a lot of personal growth between Vivian & Lucy, and it was well done as a whole! The setting was lovely! So cozy & inviting, and definitely worked in contrast to the harsh nature of Vivian and Lucy's relationship.

The end of this book was beautifully done, emotional, and filled with so much vulnerability. I think it was a beautiful way to close out Vivian and Lucy's story, and all of the drama that existed in this book!!

Overall, I did enjoy this one, but I didn't connect with as strongly as I would have hoped & that is totally fine! The writing is great, the story is intriguing, the characters are frustrating but understandable. It was a story that I wanted to keep reading! I think this would be a great audio read. I do recommend checking this one out for yourself :)

A modern-day Parent Trap set in cozy Maine? I was liked it from the start!

Vivian and Lucy share the same dad - but they are worlds apart. After their dad's unexpected death, the half-sisters meet for the first time at his beloved lake cabin. Vivian is determined to sell the house and move on with her life, while Lucy is just as determined to hold onto the house and all its memories. Forced to spend the summer together, they confront old secrets and slowly begin to build a connection with each other. Plus, they do have some fun along the way. This was such a thoughtful look at blended families and the messy process of healing after a loss.

I rated it 4 stars because, at times, the characters fell a bit flat for me. You can only read so much about Vivian being the spoiled city girl and Lucy being the secret child before it starts to feel repetitive. Also, hated the various cheating tropes. The pacing also slowed with long setting descriptions. Honestly, I found myself wanting more development for the side characters and their relationships. I did love the ending, and overall, I enjoyed this - an easy, summer read!

Thanks to Net Galley, PENGUIN GROUP Dutton, and Hannah Orenstein for granting me access to this book. All opinions are my own.

This story revolves around half sisters who were made to come together after the death of their father. These women couldn’t be any more different from each other. There are secrets floating about and emotions running high. This is a great book to read on the beach! Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for the arc.

Upon their father’s unexpected death, two half-sisters had never met prior to finding themselves sharing more than just their father's lake house in Maine for the remainder of the summer. Both are quite different than the other due to how they were raised, and they now have a major conflict with the lake house. One wants to sell immediately-the other to keep it. The book deals with sister relationships, secrets, the loss of a parent and love triangles. I’m only scratching the surface, there is so much more to this story. I liked that it is more of a family drama than romance, and seeing the fruition of personal growth in both women with each learning more about themselves.. and I loved the lake setting, perfectly reminiscent of my own childhood. 3.5 rounded up — Pub. 5/13/25

If you're looking for a sweeping summer romance you won't find it in this book BUT if you like stories about sisters, family secrets and nostalgic lake homes set in rural Maine, this will be for you! Not to mention the cover is GORGEOUS!

Two half sisters, Lucy and Vivian are brought together after their father's sudden death and spend a summer getting to know one another and figuring out what they want to do with their lives going forward. They also have to negotiate their mother's complicated feelings and decide whether to keep or sell their father's vacation home.

There's some romance, a lot of self-realization, forgiveness and healing. Good on audio narrated by Mara Wilson and recommended for fans of Ali Brady or Favorite daughter by Morgan Dick. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy and @prhaudio for a complimentary ALC in exchange for my honest review.

CW: infidelity (a lot of it)

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for giving me a free eARC in exchange for an honest review!
⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
Maine Characters is the story of two half-sisters and the father/lake town in Maine that connects them both after his sudden passing. This story was very engaging; the plot moved well and the writing was well-paced and well-written! I enjoyed a lot about this, especially the Maine-vibes and the emotions in the relationships of our two main FMCs. However, I think this will suffer from a bit of mis-marketing. Dubbing this as a “parent trap for adults” and having a main genre as ‘romance’ feels misleading after finishing this book; this is a literary fiction story focused on grief and family that you didn’t know was family. Both Vivian and Lucy make questionable choices, and honestly were frustrating at times, but felt very real and relatable. I wish the plot had focused more on them than the men in their lives, and that the resolution had been more fleshed out (rounding down for this reason mostly). But overall, this is an enjoyable summer read, and I loved the vibes!!