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.

"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.