Billed as The Parent Trap for adults, this novel hooked me with its promise of twisty family drama, a Maine summer setting, and a juicy premise. I’m a sucker for sister stories and messy relationships, and this one delivered on the drama: betrayals, secrets, and emotional baggage galore.

However, I really struggled to connect with the characters. Vivian and Lucy were frustratingly mean to each other, and their repeated cruelty made it hard to root for either of them. The emotional moments didn’t land for me because I just didn’t like them, even a little.

That said, the writing was solid, and the setting was a highlight. I appreciated the character growth by the end, even if it took a long, bumpy road to get there. Romance subplots felt like an afterthought, and I could’ve done without them entirely.

Overall: if you’re into intense family drama, sibling tension, and secrets that won’t stay buried, this might be for you. I just wish the main characters had been even 10% more likable and that the book had been 20% shorter.

I love the cover of this book. With that being said I did not enjoy reading this book. I think I'm in a weird headspace right now and this book did not capture my love or attention. This is a messy family drama with annoying characters. I did not enjoy them or want to root for them. This book just wasn't the escape I've been craving.

I had trouble putting this done!! I loved the Maine setting: the lake sounded so refreshing and cozy! I also recently visited Portland, so I loved the Portland references. The plot was full of family drama but also love and growth!

There is dual POV, which I enjoyed, but I did sometimes have trouble remembering whose POV it was when both Vivian and Lucy were in the section. I think third person made it difficult.

Overall, I really enjoyed this one for the atmosphere and the story!! I highly recommend if you love:
🌄 cozy settings
👯‍♀️ sister stories
🔀 unexpected twists

I love Hannah Orenstein, but I was immediately drawn to the description as "the Parent Trap for adults. And I happen to know a few people...(Kirsten and Cassie) who love Maine.

Vivian heads to her lake house in Maine to spread her father’s ashes and finds Lucy in the cabin. She realizes  Lucy is her half-sister, whom her father had hidden from her for her entire life, despite the inkling that her father had a secret.

Now the two women are in the lake house. Lucy’s marriage has fallen apart, and she needs to stay in the cabin. She has wonderful memories of being there with her father every July and wants to keep the cabin. Vivian wants to sell it for the money to start a new business with her boyfriend, who happens to be married. This book is like a modern-day parent trap, but the stakes are a little higher. Can these two get over the past to have a future together as a family?

Why Jackie loves it

This book is the perfect pick for the summer. The characters grow and change, and the small romance within the pages adds just the right touch. #gifted by PRH Audio

Thank you Penguin Group, NetGalley and to the author for the ARC. I really enjoyed this novel! This is a perfect summer read to take to the lake or pool.

Vivian, a woman residing in New York, returns to Maine to deal with the passing of her father and his property. There she is key by her half sister Lucy whom is a teacher in a small town in Maine. Initially the sisters don’t get along however as time goes on that changes.

This is definitely a read for those who love The Parent Trap. I really loved the characters and their summer love for Maine!

<i>Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this eARC in exchange for my honest review.</i>

4.5 stars rounded down

Anything set in Maine always gets my attention and this managed to keep my attention the whole way through. There were so many layers of this, dealing with many different types of grief and working to come together in that grief. It felt unique and fun and will absolutely be checking out more from this author.

3-3.5 stars. Deciding how I felt about this read was complicated. I’m not sure what I was expecting going in, but it wasn’t that, whatever it was. However, there was a lot of complexity, nuance, and messy layers of family dynamics that provide a thought-provoking read that I could see being a great book club pick. There was a lot of fuel for lively discussions.

I didn’t really like Lucy or Vivian to be honest, especially in the first half of the book. Lucy was a brat. Vivian was harsh. They each have their reasons for their attitudes, but I was mostly just annoyed with them both for a long time. Once they both started showing signs of growth I did become more invested in the story. The second half of the book was a lot stronger for me.

This is a rare review for me because I don’t feel like I have much to say about the book. I didn’t love it, but I didn’t dislike it. I think there are absolutely people who will find this one, connect with it, and love it. I can genuinely seeing that being true. Thank you to Dutton via NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

The premise of Maine Characters is an interesting one and I really enjoyed Lucy and Vivian’s relationship arc. The hard part about this book for me is that they were grieving a man who seemed to have really no redeeming qualities, so it was hard for me to buy into the reminiscing and happy memories. The sisters’ romantic relationships could have taken more of a backseat as well, I thought—the tug of war between the relationships as to which one I should be focusing on was a bit hard to navigate at times. I enjoyed both mothers, Dawn and Celeste, and the different relationships they each had with their daughters and with Hank. I didn’t like the twist at the end, but I’m probably in the minority there. Overall, an enjoyable read. This was my first Hannah Orenstein book and I’m eager to read the rest of her catalog.

I don’t usually enjoy realistic books with human characters set in the modern world (I prefer fantasy) but I have to say I enjoyed this. I won’t give anything away, but I will definitely be buying this book and recommending it.

4.5 rounded up.

This is a book about complicated relationships, both romantic and familial. I wasn't sure what to expect going in, but this was lovely and unique. I loved how complicated the journey was for Vivian and Lucy. They had to navigate this new relationship with each other while grieving their imperfect father and also trying to learn from the mistakes their parents made. You can see how their father's decisions affected their decisions with the men in their lives and how healing from that isn't linear. I also like how it allowed Celeste and Dawn to have their moments of grief.

It's also just fun to read a book that's about a place you've lived. I love a book that makes me go, "Hey, I've been there!"

I usually love Hannah Orenstein’s books and find her to be a very underrated author. This was well written, but I found the sisters to be so immature for the age they were written to be. I never really got past that element of the book - it felt really distracting for me.

Maine Characters was such a fun read! The characters really seemed to make *human* decisions and weren't overly dramatized. I also felt like I was transported to Maine with how beautifully Hannah set the scene in this book. After reading the acknowledgements, it totally made sense that she has spent so much time there. This book was so sweet and would make a perfect summer read!

Thank you to NetGalley and @PenguinGroupDutton for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Maine Characters by Hannah Orenstein is like a grown-up version of The Parent Trap—but with more grief, more heart, and a lot more emotional baggage. The story kicks off when two half-sisters, Vivian and Lucy, unexpectedly end up at their late father's cabin in Maine. Vivian's there to pack it up and put it on the market; Lucy thinks she’s just arrived for another summer with her dad... until she finds out he’s gone—and that her sister (whom she barely knows) is suddenly sharing her space.

The tension? Real. The emotions? Messy. The setting? Peak summer escape vibes.

Watching these two women, strangers by blood, try to navigate their grief while figuring each other out was equal parts touching and frustrating. They fight—a lot—but given the circumstances, it makes sense. Still, I was hoping for a little more bonding and a little less bickering by the end.

It’s not a new all-time favorite for me, but I did enjoy it. If you like character-driven stories set against a gorgeous lakeside backdrop and have a soft spot for complicated family dynamics, this one’s worth throwing in your beach bag.

#NetGalley, #MaineCharacters, #HannahOrenstein

If you are a fan of messy family dramas, this one is for you.

The writing was well done, with wonderful descriptions of Maine, lake living and the cabin. Unfortunately for me, the two sisters, Lucy and Vivian just don't work for me. They bicker too often, and while it's understandable given the situation, it just pushed me to skim the pages.

As well, there are many messy love affairs ongoing and at times it was difficult to keep track of who's doing what to whom (and when).

The ending fits the story well.

Imagine dealing with your father's sudden death and the summer lake cabin he's left behind only to discover his "other family" a half-sister barely older than yourself, plus her mother and the news that everyone knew about her but you! How will you navigate this new reality and the inheritance you now must share?

This was a solid summer read! I love the setting so much, which made this so much more emotional for me too! My only struggle is there was a lot of characters and lots of stories to follow. It got a little complex!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for this ARC.

I liked seeing the sisterly relationship play out. This book was really just mid to me; didn't love it, didn't hate it.

I must admit, the cover art for this one is what drew me in - what a gorgeous book! Overall, I'm giving this one 3.5 stars rounded up. I struggled to connect with the main characters as they were both somewhat unlikeable and whiny, but I was invested enough to keep reading. This tackled some heavy topics but still would make for good summer reading - and I did enjoy the ending!

I loved this story! This book is marketed as the parent trap for adults and that totally sold me.

Two half sisters meet for the first time at their dad’s lake house after his passing, what could go wrong? Evidently a lot. The character growth in this book is amazing and it’s so well written. Both Lucy and Vivian have so much going on in their personal lives and we get to see them both navigate through their hardships while also trying to form a relationship with each other.

This story touches on so many different types of relationships including romantic, friendship, parent/child, and siblings. At the end of the day, I really loved how Lucy and Vivian’s story centered on their own growth and their relationship with each other and their moms rather than their relationships with the men in their lives. It really made them feel like such strong, independent characters.

Maine characters is truly a love letter to Maine, which holds a special place in my heart since that’s where I spent my summers as a kid! Everything about this book made me want to have a summer vacation by the lake again.

The reason I took .25 off my rating was the chapter length. At the beginning the chapters were so long that it felt like the story was dragging a little. Then at the end the chapters were shorter so the pacing felt a bit off.

I highly recommend this book I think it’s a perfect summer read! Thank you Dutton books and NetGalley for the eARC!

This was my first book by this author and it will definitely not be the last. Although this was a petty heavy book about topics like grief and loss and I enjoyed the story, it was hard for me to connect to either Vivian or Lucy’s story. Even still, I did enjoy the story and would definitely recommend it!

Thank you NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for the e-ARC.