I really enjoyed Maine Characters! The writing style was super engaging! I thought it was clever without trying too hard. The characters felt real and layered. I found myself totally wrapped up in their world. It’s one of those books that’s both fun to read and leaves you thinking about the people long after you finish. Definitely recommend!

As a kid who spent her summers at Maine camps, I knew I had to read this book based on the title alone — and it did not disappoint. This heartfelt love letter to lake life is basically The Parent Trap for grown-ups, set against a vivid backdrop of small-town Maine charm, sibling rivalry, and second chances.

After the death of their shared father, half-sisters Vivian and Lucy — raised in totally separate worlds — meet for the first time at his lakeside cabin. One wants to sell the house; the other is desperate to keep it. What follows is a summer of clashing, grieving, uncovering family secrets… and maybe, finding sisterhood.

🍷🦞 From blueberry farms and Allagash beer to seafood spreads and sommelier-deep wine knowledge, Hannah Orenstein makes you feel summer in every detail. The fictional town of Fox Hill buzzes with life, and I was transported right back to my own Maine memories.

My only quibble? I wish the emotional growth between Lucy and Vivian had been more shown than told. Their eventual connection felt a bit rushed — but the journey was still a page-turner.

If you’re craving a summery family drama with depth, flavor, and a strong sense of place, this one’s for you. Fans of Elin Hilderbrand, take note!

A fine book but on the more forgettable side, for me. I smiled at parts but felt it dragged a bit. May hit the spot if the reader is in the right mood (vacation?). 3 Stars.

This story was sweet and heartfelt and for the most part worked. There were just a few things that diminished my enjoyment of the book. A big one was the two FMCs (Vivian and Lucy).. These two characters drove me crazy and I regularly wanted to shake them. Neither one of them could think about anyone else besides themselves. All I thought the whole book was that I wished they would grow up and have a conversation. While I spent about 70% of the book annoyed at the characters, I will say that I loved the ending and how it all came together!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an earc in exchange for my honest thoughts.

this book was marketed as “the parent trap for adults” and unfortunately i disagree. the characters were so unlikable and lacked depth, and the writing style just didn’t work for me- it was more telling rather than showing. i can see how some may like this story but it just didn’t wow me!

I’m a sucker for a good family story, and the cover was way too pretty to pass this one up! Unfortunately, I just couldn’t get into it. I felt like both Vivian and Lucy went back and forth too much on whether or not they wanted to be friends. The story was also just lacking in that heartwarming feel that I usually find so endearing about these stories. Very slow to get started as well.

While I didn't love this book as much as some of Hannah's others, I did enjoy it. I thought it started a bit slow and took some time to grab my interest. Overall, I did like the book, just wasn't amazed by it.

I have long been a fan of Orenstein, but Maine Characters did not land for me. This was very similar to The Beach Trap by Ali Brady and the changing perspectives were too hard to follow. I hope Orenstein's next read will be a better fit for me.

2.5 stars rounded up

The characters in this are so obnoxious and immature - they deserve each other as family. I don’t think there was much character growth in this so much as circumstances around the characters improved and they were able to adjust with it.

My favorite part of this was the depiction of true Maine local summer - not just the tourist “summer people” narrative most novels offer.

(Thanks to Netgalley for my ARC!) Maine Characters is described as a version of Parent Trap but for adults, and that feels right. Vivian is a sommalier, who is taking time off work and spending time at her family’s cabin at the lake after her father unexpectedly passes away. Except when she gets there, she finds out someone is already there… Lucy, the half-sister she didn’t know existed. The two agree to spend a month together while they decide what to do with the house, and while they get off on the wrong foot, they slowly start warming to each other. This one wasn’t my favorite – the characters didn’t quite work for me – but I did love that the romance was secondary to the sisters, and how gorgeous the Maine setting was depicted as.

This book did not work for me and I’m so sad about it!! Everything about this - sisters. Dad grief, Summer in Maine, rom-com - should’ve worked. But unfortunately, I just COULD NOT find anything redeeming about these characters. A weird me-thing is that, as a therapist, I absolutely cannot read a book where the characters have problems that would so obviously be solved by therapy and some self work, and yet they act as if counseling doesn’t exist. It makes the book feel like actual work to me, and unfortunately, that is squarely where this one landed. I’m bummed, as I’ve enjoyed Orenstein’s work in the past, but this one was not for me.

I really wanted to like this book way more than I actually did. None of the characters were likeable and I didn't want to root for any of them to get their happy ending. There was just a lot of going back and forth and both sisters thinking they were in the right with everything, and despising the other sister.

Vivian was my least favorite sister, mainly because of her whole situation, being angry at her father for cheating on her mother, and then putting herself into a situation where she's the other woman in an affair for years, and happily willing to do that in the hopes that he will leave his wife for her. Then Lucy. I lost what little respect I had for her, as soon as she went back to her husband that treated her like absolute garbage, leaving behind an absolute green flag that she had met later on. Granted, she left him (again) and gave her new relationship a chance, I just gave up on actually liking her at all.

Then, throughout the whole book, these grown woman in their 30s acted like they were still in middle school and were constantly at each other's throats. It just kind of annoyed me way too much and I couldn't even actually want to pay attention to the rest of the book.

Thank you to Hannah Orenstein, Penguin Group, and NetGalley for the eARC of this book. This is my honest review.

I really enjoyed reading Head over heels by the same author and when I heard the description for this book I was excited!

This was described as The Parent Trap for adults set on a lake in Maine. I think that is a stretch. The book involved two sisters, who had never met, united after their shared father's death. this book describes some interesting family dynamics and developments with minimal lake setting.

I loved this book! I thought there was something almost nostalgic about about this story, I’m not sure why. Vivian was incredibly unlikable at first, but I found her growing on me throughout the story and she surprised me by the end. Lucy was a little more relateable, and I loved the New England vibes so much!

I hated both main characters for the first 75% of the book, and I hated the ending and everybody suddenly getting what they wanted. It felt too easy. I liked the setting, though, and it kept me reading, so.

⭐️⭐️⭐️

Maine Characters is a charming, breezy summer read set on a picturesque lake. I’m always drawn to stories that take place in the same setting each summer, and this one delivers on that front. Hannah Orenstein does a lovely job crafting well-rounded, compelling characters, and by the end of the book, I was fully invested in their relationships and dynamics.

I didn’t find the plot quite as engaging as I’d hoped, and it took until about 65% of the way through for me to really connect with the story. Once the character connections became clearer, I appreciated it more. That’s more about personal preference than a flaw in the writing.

I’d recommend this to readers who enjoy light, nostalgic summer reads, especially those who liked The Parent Trap or stories set by the lake with a strong sense of place.

Thank you for this advance copy! I loved this story. The lake setting in Maine built my travel list. A cute story of second chances and finding yourself with your closest friends. Lucy has a half sister. One she never spent time with. She wants to spend the summer at the cabin, she was not expecting to find her sister there also wanting to spend the summer at the cabin. As Lucy comes to terms with how her father was with her and how different he was with his other daughter she realizes parts of her childhood weren’t what they seemed. She goes from being a part time visitor to a part of a community. I like the flow of the story. It has the right amount of angst. Definitely a must for summer.

Vivian and Lucy are brought together when their father dies. The only problem is that one didn’t know the other existed. The two half sisters are left to settle their dad’s home and belongings in Maine.

I loved the Maine setting. The author did a great job of setting the location. I wasn’t crazy about either sister and thought no one in the book worked through their problems in a healthy way.

This book literally made me book a trip to Maine. I got half way through and told my friend in Portland that I was coming to visit. A perfect summer boat day read!

🚤 For my friends who want a comfortable sisterly drama at the lake.

MAINE CHARACTERS by Hannah Orenstein

🎧Thanks, PENGUIN GROUP Dutton | Dutton for the review copy via #NetGalley and @prhaudio, for the #gifted audiobook. #PRHAudioPartner #sponsored

Half sisters Vivian and Lucy meet at their father’s lakeside cabin after his death. Only one sister knew of the existence of the other, and that’s where the drama begins.

There are summery books perfect for your beach bag: thrillers, steamy romances, and the latest buzzy hit. Then there are books to read on the dock at the lake, slouched back in an Adirondack, beverage of choice in a Mason jar within easy reach. They’re books that engage, but don’t stress you out. They fascinate without overwhelming. It’s drama without being heavy. They’re books that keep you company. Bonus points if they make you crave a perfectly cooked lobster. Extra bonus points if you want to message the author to ask for the list of wines mentioned.

I’m a sucker for a book set in Maine. After all, I spent 22 years of my life there! And summer meant “Head for the Lake!” Whether with friends or relatives, a fancy “we live here year-round” house or a ramshackle camp, the structure didn’t matter. It was all about the lake. Sleeping with the windows open, listening to the loons call. Slapping on sunscreen during the day and bug repellent at night. Knowing which way the window fans should face, depending on what time of day it is. Scrambling to close said windows when a summer storm rolled in. Campfires, boating, and swimming in water so clear you can see the fish. That’s summer at the lake in Maine.

Even though she’s “from away,” 😉 Hannah captured that feeling perfectly for me.