This cover is beautiful and really draws you in. I found it hard to root for these characters. Vivian is awful. I liked Lucy at first but then she became exhausting as well and all of the adults in this situation behaved poorly. I was entertained by the read but it felt a bit too long.

Maine holds all kinds of special memories for me, so I was really interested in reading this story set there.

Two sisters, kept apart and secret by the father living two lives come together after his death as they build their relationship with each other and uncover more about who they really are.

This story was emotional, but empowering as these four women (the sisters and their respective mothers) evaluate what really matters in life. It’s full of love and loss and moving forward despite how someone else might have turned your life upside down.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin for providing me with a copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

Synopsis: After the unexpected death of their father, half-sisters Vivian and Lucy meet for the first time at his lake cabin in Maine where they are forced to spend the summer together.

Thoughts: First thought, I am obsessed with this cover and the setting! This is definitely the kind of book that is perfect to read at the beach or the lake. There are a lot of characters and storylines to keep up with, and I honestly did not care for either of the main characters at first, so it was hard for me to get into the story. That being said, I think it is a testament to how well the author writes characters that their development throughout the story had me growing to like them. This one definitely packs an emotional punch. If you thrive on family drama, you can’t miss this book!

Read this if you like:
🛶 Maine
🛶 family drama
🛶 found family
🛶 parent trap vibes
🛶 romance side plots

4 out of 5 Stars!

Every summer, Vivian Levy and Lucy Webster spend a month in Maine with their father at his lake house. But they don’t go up together like sisters would, they go separately. Vivian is a successful sommelier in New York City, hiding secrets that would hurt her future. While Lucy grew up in a small Maine town, where her marriage is unraveling. And they have never met. Until, Vivian arrives at the lake house to spread her father’s ashes and sell the cabin. She is shocked to find Lucy there, a sister she has never met. In a perfect world, they would help each other through their grief. But, they are not left to untangle their father’s world and the secrets he left behind. Will they be able to be a family, or has too much time passed?

Since traveling to Maine last year, “Maine Characters” by Hannah Orenstein has really hooked me. While there, I fell in love with Maine and the coastal/cabin vibes. So, what better way to reminisce about that vacation? I will admit, I was expecting more of a romance rather than women’s fiction. On Goodreads, romance is the first genre that pops up for this book, so that is what I was envisioning. I love women’s fiction though, so I didn’t have any problems enjoying this book, but it was heavy on fiction with a sprinkle of romance. If that is your jam too, you will enjoy this book like I did!

“Maine Characters” was an emotional, fast-paced book with tons of different themes that I think everyone would find something to enjoy. There is grief, sisterhood, romance, parental problems, and self-exploration, all set in the beautiful state of Maine. I think Orenstein did a great job at including all of these themes, while having the premise of the book stay clear. Vivican and Lucy are finding out about each other, while uncovering secrets about their dad. And the question is, will the lake house sell at the end of the summer? I will admit, some parts did feel a little slow, but there was that pull to figure out what was going to happen with the sisters and the cabin. I was able to read this book in less than 3 days, which was still a record time for me!

I really liked Lucy and Vivian. I thought they were strong female characters that were still figuring out what they wanted in life. Throughout the book, we get to hear both perspectives. They had a lot of depth and personality, along with similarities and differences you will uncover throughout the book. Other than them, you get to meet other characters like their mothers and their past/present lovers. I think the side characters were equally important, and really helped move the book along in an interesting way. Overall, this was a strong 4.75/5-star read. I did round it down to 4 stars because I would like a little faster pace with maybe a family twist or secret I didn’t see coming.

“Maine Characters” by Hannah Orenstein will be available on May 13th, 2025! This would be a PERFECT summer read by the lake! Pick up your copy today!

Thank you to Penguin Group Dutton, Dutton, Hannah Orenstein, and Netgalley for a digital ARC of this novel in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group Dutton for the eARC.

This book had me feeling all the feels. I loved all of the relationships Hannah Orenstein gave us in this book, but really was enamored with the sister dynamic. 4/5!

After their father’s sudden death, two half-sisters unexpectedly meet for the first time at their father’s lake house. Vivian and Lucy had very different childhoods and they immediately butt heads. Vivian wants to sell the house but Lucy wants to keep her father’s favorite place. How will they survive the summer together.

Maine Characters had so much potential for me. Sisters meeting for the first time (why do I love this?), the lake setting, it’s from an author whose previous book I LOVED. But, unfortunately, it didn’t work for me.

What I liked:
The setting - I never spent my summers on a lake, but it feels so nostalgic every time and it was done very well here
The sister bond - maybe it’s because I don’t have a sister, but I love reading about sisters bonding and learning how to love each other

What I didn’t like:
POV - This book is in third person and while that normally doesn’t bother me, for some reason it was all I could focus on here. It’s dual POV and I just wanted more from both of them. I had a hard time feeling connected to either sister.
Vivian - She drove me nuts and made a lot of pretty unethical decisions in her life that didn’t completely make sense to me.

As someone who lived in Maine I love that it takes place here! Overall was a great novel filled with so many emotions!

I had high hopes for this book based on the beautiful cover and the Maine setting but unfortunately it didn't quite work for me. I liked the dynamic between the sisters but the side romances felt really forced and it was all a bit overdramatic.

Vivian and Lucy are half sisters. But they've never met. Their father was once deeply in love with Lucy's mother, but he ended up marrying Vivian's mother, the "right" woman for him. Each girl spent a month with him each summer at his lakefront home in Maine. Vivian has lived an upscale life, whereas Lucy and her mother got by with checks.

He has unexpectedly and suddenly died. The girls finally meet. And they have completely different viewpoints, expectations, and life situations. They do not get along, but decide to share the house for at least a month. Meanwhile, life continues around them, with the changes that life sometimes brings.

I enjoyed the book, the evolving relationships, and the emotions expressed.

This might be my favorite book cover of the year 😍 I’ll definitely be bringing it up north to my lake cabin for some fun pictures this summer!

MAINE CHARACTERS is “The Parent Trap” for adults… two-half sisters meet for the first time at their father’s Maine cabin after his unexpected death.

Vivian was raised in New York City and is a sommelier with hopes of opening her own wine bar. Lucy grew up in small-town Maine and teaches high school English. The two women couldn’t be more different, but are forced to find common ground while living under the same roof, and figuring out the fate of their father’s cabin.

I loved Hannah Orenstein’s MEANT TO BE MINE, so I was thrilled to see that she was releasing a book this year!! These books are vastly different, but they are both well-written, have complex characters, and love letters to the city/town they take place in (NYC & small town Maine)!

As someone with a lake house, MAINE CHARACTERS couldn’t have had a more perfect setting. But this book is so much more than that—I was very intrigued by both Lucy and Vivian’s backstories and invested in them figuring out their sister dynamic. Both characters made some ✨choices✨ throughout the story, but it only showed that they were real, flawed characters trying to navigate life.

3.5! enjoyed it while reading, but i know won’t make a lasting impression on me. sweet romance/family drama combo

“It’s not a cohesive mix, but neither was he. People are complicated.”

Thank you Hannah Orenstein (@hannahorens), Penguin Random House (@penguinrandomhouse), Sarah Thegeby (PRH) for the advanced reader copy to experience this book that I absolutely loved. I could go on and on about the gorgeous depictions of Maine, the astute implementation of Vivian’s New York wine culture and the ‘Wine Girl’ experience, and the brilliance of the half-sisters perspective switches format that produces this whirlwind story. This is a novel about finding common ground, experiencing nature, and making the most of the human experience. Vivian (possibly the Wicked Witch of the West Village) and Lucy (the Queen of Maine Sunsets) experience some of the most exceptional character development I have read in a long time all while sipping a smooth Allagash beer and boating by the lake. It’s clear that Hannah wrote this story with a breadth of personal experience. The thoughtful dissection of romantic and familial relationships ultimately makes for an unforgettable novel that she gifts to us in all aspects “From Maine, With Love”.

The food and wine knowledge with humor in this novel is amazing. I understand Hannah took wine courses and utilized Victoria James’ ‘Wine Girl’ experience as inspiration but it really does take on a life of its own in this story: Highlighting Le Benardin, cloying wine, Walla Walla Washington (Drew Bledsoe), Allagash, Lucy not knowing if the wine is expensive or Franzia, Tension like a thick lobster bisque. As a food and wine enthusiast (with limited NYC knowledge overall) I absolutely ate all of it up. It makes you want to run to grab some Allagash beer and plan a trip to NYC/Maine.

The music references are excellent for setting a tone: Country bumpkin ‘Sam Hunt’, Lucy working to Dolly Parton’s 9 to 5, Creedence Clearwater Revival wafts. Good job creating the vibes and ‘soundtrack’ for me within the novel even before the novel playlist was released online.

The inclusion of romance novels being written by Celeste and read by Lucy within a romance novel was a really nice touch especially with them also being so impactful to the story! The knowing use of the Parent Trap VHS tape was a fun scene.

This novel was paced superbly never feeling like it was boring or that a chapter was meaningless to the overall story being told. It always felt like there was something else to move onto and it all culminated perfectly when the characters come together for the ending scenes with Oscar and the Maine crew and the mothers/daughters for the celebration of life for Henry "Hank" Levy.

This novel is so funny. Some of my favorites:
-Vivian Homewrecker Barbie, outfits and accessories included.
-“Who else did you invite?” Lucy asks, frowning.
“Hooray, it’s the third long-lost, secret child,” Vivian deadpans.
-“I actually don’t know anything about beer. I made that up” Vivian
-“Lucy’s heritage was never kept secret from her. She liked the Hanukkah episode of Rugrats.”

Actual rating: 3.5 rounded down

Maine Characters is loosely-based on the film The Parent Trap and follows half-sisters Vivian and Lucy who meet for the first time in their father’s cabin in Maine after he dies suddenly. Vivian wants to sell the cabin by the end of the summer—but Lucy doesn’t, leading to a standoff that forces them to finally learn more about each other and their father.

Firstly, I love this book’s cover! It perfectly captures the idyllic beauty of a New England summer. The setting heavily carries the story, but I didn’t mind this aspect. The coastal Maine backdrop felt like another character imbued with history and development.

I struggled to get through the first half of the book, but the second half was much more enjoyable! Both Vivian and Lucy were fleshed out, flawed characters (to put it lightly). The book positions one of the half-sisters to be the one who’s “in the right” morally, but I didn’t sympathize much with her character. She often came across as immature for a thirty-year old woman, even toward the end of the novel. Lucy and Vivian each have their own romantic arcs, but their messy family dynamic was the most compelling to read.

Thank you Dutton and Netgalley for the e-ARC!

We’ve established I love emotional stories with complex relationships, characters navigating grief and the best friend bond highlights bring me so much joy. This delivers on all fronts. Also, Maine is my happy place and this story is set there (swoon).

Vivian & Lucy are half sisters who have never met and meet when their father dies. They have to reckon with his decisions and navigate their grief and complex feelings about what to do with their dad’s lake house. Packed full of drama that made me laugh and cry, I highly recommend adding this book to your list!

Thanks @netgalley and @duttonbooks for this eARC

Vivian and Lucy both grew up as only children. They were from two different worlds, with two different upbringings. But the one thing they had in common? Their father. Despite their shared genes, the sisters never met - and Vivian did not know of Lucy’s existence. It isn’t until their father dies and Vivian discovers Lucy staying at the lake house she intends to sell. Selling is the last thing Lucy wants. They spend the next few weeks in the home, with Lucy doing everything she can to stop the sale.

I’m a sucker for a family drama, and I really loved this story. I appreciated how Vivian and Lucy were so different, yet more alike than they knew. They were just what each other needed - Vivian in need of some softening, and Lucy in need of strength and confidence in herself. I found the slow build-up of their relationship to be realistic, especially given their age and the trauma related to their dad and the vastly different relationships they each had with him. The story had a great mix of drama, lighthearted moments, romance, and tear-inducing scenes. YES, I cried on the plane while reading this. Crying in public is not in my nature 😂

Thank you Dutton Books and NetGalley for sending me this eARC! Maine Characters by Hannah Orenstein is a good summer read and family drama. You'll feel immersed in the setting, and for me it was especially great, because I just visited Maine for the first time this summer. What I liked about this book was the character growth Lucy and Vivian experience, but my only wish is that we got it a little sooner.

The beginning of the book was a little slow and tough to get into, and at first Lucy and Vivian weren't at all likable. I think I would have connected with them both more if we got to see them open up sooner and argue less. I felt a few other events in the book also felt rushed, and I would have loved spending a little more time on certain plot points, but I think everything resolved in a way that made sense by the end of the book.

This is a good summer read if you are into complicated families and not good men. The main characters, Vivian & Lucy, are half sisters that didn’t know each other growing up. Vivian grew up with their dad while Lucy only got to see him in the summer for a month. Their story is definitely complicated and takes a while to play out. Feels like most of the action is in the end.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for advanced copy, and I give my review freely

The reviews I’ve seen of this book so far have been mixed, so I have to confess that I approached reading it with a bit of trepidation - but I shouldn’t have worried, because I ended up really enjoying it! Maine Characters follows the story of Vivian and Lucy, two half sisters who meet for the first time after their father’s untimely passing. While Vivian grew up in the lap of luxury in New York City, Lucy lived with her single mom in rural Maine, hidden away and feeling like her dad’s shameful secret from a short-lived affair with her mother early in his marriage to Vivian’s mom. When their father passes away suddenly, the two sisters meet for the first time and they’re forced to grapple with how their father’s secrets have impacted both of their lives.

At its core, this book was a beautiful depiction of a complicated family and how they deal with the loss of a deeply imperfect father. The sister storyline was so compelling to me and I loved seeing how the two sisters each found the strength to take risks and ask for what they deserved independently while finding their footing as sisters. The writing was so atmospheric - it made me feel transported to a perfect summer day in Maine. I could practically taste the fresh lobster and feel the chilly lake water between my toes. I’m pretty much always in a state of wanting to take a trip to Maine, but this book increased that desire tenfold. This was a slow-paced read, as it should be - it’s meant to be savored like a sunny summer day. I’d say this book was more character-driven than plot-driven, but the plot moved enough that it kept my interest the entire time. It reminded me a bit of Emma Straub’s novels (which I love), so if you’re an Emma Straub fan you’d probably enjoy this one.

To me, this encapsulated everything I’m looking for in a summer read - it was contemplative and tender and gorgeously descriptive. At times I wanted a little more depth, but overall I thought it was a great read. I definitely recommend adding this to your summer TBR! It’s best enjoyed with an ice cold Sauvignon blanc (lakeside views optional but encouraged).

Thank you to NetGalley and Dutton Books for the ARC!

I’ve gone back and forth on how I feel about this one. I was really drawn to the idea of two half-sisters—who are basically strangers—meeting FOR THE FIRST TIME after their dad suddenly dies, and spending the summer at his lake house in Maine. It’s such a strong setup, and I was ready to feel alllllll the feelings.

There were definitely things I liked. The setting was stunning and had that perfect summer nostalgia, and I appreciated that the book tried to explore big emotions that come along with experiences like grief, complicated family dynamics, and starting over. But for a story with sooooo much weight, I felt kind of distant from the characters. I just didn’t like fully connect with either of the sisters, and their relationship didn’t really evolve in a way that felt satisfying in the end.

Also… there were a looooot of side plots and love “triangles”. Like, a lot. And I kept wishing we could just slow down and stay with the sisters more, really get into their connection instead of bouncing between so many characters.

Still, it had its moments. I think this could be a solid read if you’re looking for something that’s got family tension, grief, and summer vibes all wrapped into one. It didn’t totally hit for me, but I didn’t regret reading it.

Thank you to NetGalley and Dutton Books for the ARC!

2.5 stars

Terrible men and the women who loved them should be the actual title of this book because the men in this book (with little exception) were rough. Also, there were just so many relationships to keep track of in this book. We have the long lost half sisters meeting, each of them have a shitty relationship situation and start something new with different men. Each sister also has a complicated relationship with their mother. And of course we are navigating each girls’ relationship with their now deceased shared father. Had we abandoned the new romances in this book, I think it would’ve been better. Because those new relationships sure maybe technically can make the book a romance but I would not market this book as romance at all. As a romance novel, 2 stars. As women’s fiction without the new romances, 4 stars.

There was honestly just too much happening and too many terrible men. I don’t fully understand why both the mothers were so in love with the recently deceased because he treated both of them terribly. The writing was great though and I actually could see a lot of people enjoying this book.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this eARC.