Maine Characters is a new novel by Hannah Orenstein, available 5/13!

The story follows sisters Lucy and Vivian who meet for the first time — The Parent Trap style — at their dad’s cabin in Maine, following his death. Lucy was raised by a single mom in a small town near the lake house, while Vivian was raised with their father and her mother in a luxurious Upper West Side brownstone in NYC. One-by-one, Lucy and Vivian uncover layers of their dad’s life they never knew existed.

Will Lucy and Vivian come to find common ground or will their resentments for one another cement their estrangement? That’s for you to find out!

My opinion:
This book was a nice pallet cleanser from the rom coms I had been reading. I love Portland, ME and NYC, so it was easy for me to picture the settings of the story. Living in Minnesota, I also have a lifelong love of going to the cabin and that made this book even more accessible to me.

I loved the ending and how everything tied up neatly. There was clear growth you could see in all of the characters and it felt appropriately paced as the story spans the months of the summer.

I wasn’t a fan of Vivian and her mom. That was probably by the author’s design, but I still didn’t appreciate their choices or justifications for their actions. I found Lucy and her mom to be more of the underdogs you naturally want to root for, despite their flaws.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group Dutton for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

#mainecharacters #maine #portland #novel #beachread #cabin #literature #bookstagram #booksta #bookreview #NYC #parenttrap #ad

Thank you to Netgalley and Hannah Orenstein for the opportunity to read an advanced copy.

I have been following and reading Hannah Orenstein’s work since her days at Seventeen magazine, and she has done it again with Maine Characters. While different from her previous novels in that it’s not a romance by genre, it would be wrong to count it out for that reason. This book is full of things that are uniquely her own, and her love for her own time in Maine comes through spectacularly. Overall, I’m extremely grateful to have gotten to read this book early, and I can only wait to see what she does next!

2⭐️

————-
Thank you to NetGalley for providing an early copy in exchange for my honest review.

I had decently high hopes for Maine Characters, expecting a cute, heartfelt summer read about two half-sisters reconnecting after the death of their father. The premise sounded promising, and the cover is absolutely stunning—it truly drew me in. Unfortunately, the content didn’t live up to the aesthetic or the pitch.

The story was marketed as having a Parent Trap-style vibe, but it completely missed the mark. The pacing was painfully slow, and it felt like nothing of significance happened until the very end. The chapters were very long and disjointed, made more difficult to follow by abrupt POV changes that could have easily been structured as separate chapters.

Both main characters lacked depth and likability. Their conversations mostly revolved around how their father lied to them and how much they disliked each other. It became repetitive quickly, and I found myself not really caring how their relationship would evolve.

Another downside for me was how the book seemed to casually glorify cheating—both in the backstory involving their father and in Vivian’s own choices. That’s a trope I personally don’t enjoy, and it left a sour taste.

Sadly, this wasn’t the light, breezy Maine summer read I was hoping for.

really enjoyed this book. First of all, I am a sucker for a summertime book, this time on a scenic lake in Maine. (I also made sure to read this book while I was on a road trip in Maine, which set the vibe perfectly.) What I really enjoyed about this book is that while there is romance, it is a book about sisterhood and friendship. Lucy and Vivian are half sisters with a very complicated relationship. There’s definitely a parent trap vibe but what I like most about this book was how these two women learned how to communicate with each other and build a sister relationship that they had been denied by their father. I really really enjoyed this book. I don’t think it should be marketed as a romance, but rather a story of female friendship and sisterhood.

Thank you #netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest

4.5 ⭐️
Maine Characters by Hannah Orenstein was such a delight to read. This novel has the most idyllic summer setting, and honestly it’s worth the read just for that. Maine Characters explores themes of grief, complicated and messy family relationships, healing and changing as people, leaving the types of relationships that hold a woman back, mothers and daughters, and above all sisterhood.

This book follows Lucy and Vivian, two half sisters with a complicated relationship with their recently deceased father. Maine Characters was marketed as “the Parent Trap for adults” and since that is one of my favorite movies, this definitely appealed to me.

Orenstein has such a dazzling writing style that I absolutely adored. This book is definitely character driven and fairly slow-paced and for most of it, the characters irritated me with some of their actions, but the growth that every single character went through made it so worth it in the end. The end of this book made me SO happy and I’m honestly so attached to these characters that I forget they aren’t real people! I can guarantee that each person who reads this will connect more deeply with one of the sisters at the start and be really irritated with the other (for me, I’m a Lucy girl but I know so many will be the reverse), but by the end you will love them both! Although the book is definitely focused on the sisters, the bits of romance in this story had me swooning. This was such an emotionally impactful story and I truly loved this book.

A huge thank you to Penguin Group Dutton and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

There were some things about this book I felt really worked and some things that didn’t. I liked where Vivian and Lucy’s relationship ended up. They had difficulties, obviously, but ultimately they were both able to grow from this experience.

I also liked the setting. Never have I wanted to visit Maine more than after reading this book. I do wish there had been more small town exploring, but as people who were very familiar with the setting, I understand why there wasn’t more of that.

I liked how Hank’s behavior isn’t excused. He did some bad things and then did more bad things to cover up the first bad thing. Both girls struggled with how they felt about him often contrasting with their memories of him as a dad.

It was great that the romantic relationships took more of a backseat. This story isn’t about finding romantic love and I’m glad that we weren’t focused on it as readers. Though I did feel like the romantic subplots were incredibly obvious and eerily similar.

Something I didn’t love was the underutilization of secondary characters. I really felt like Paige should have been a much bigger part of the story. I also didn’t love the tidy little ending that appeared out of nowhere and solved everyone’s problems. They had their blueberry pie and got to eat it too.

Overall, I thought this book had a lot of really good things going for it, but some things that left me wanting as well. I also got confused at times since I’m reading One Golden Summer at the same time which is ALSO a lake book, but that’s really more of a me issue.

Note: I received an advanced copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you @duttonbooks and @netgalley for an ARC of Maine Characters by Hannah Orenstein! I hear about @hannahorens and her talent all the time on the @badonpaperpodcast so I was excited to check this one out.

This story is a more grown-up and drama-filled version of The Parent Trap, the story of two half-sisters who meet for the first time at their father’s cabin in Maine following his unexpected death. Vivian is a sommelier born and raised in NYC who grew up with her both mother and father. Lucy is a high school English teacher who lives in a tiny town in Maine and grew up with her single mother, only seeing her Dad for the month of July each year. Vivian is blind-sighted by Lucy’s existence and Lucy is disappointed her fantasy of meeting her mystery sister is less of a fairy tale than she had expected. Vivian is taking a leave an absence from her job at a very prestigious restaurant in NYC to prep and sell the house so she has the funding for her own wine bar. Lucy is going through a divorce and can’t bear another loss on top of her losing her dad. While grieving and processing betrayal, will they be able to find a way to move forward?

I really enjoy this one! I always enjoy a family drama and this is one done right. I enjoyed how well-developed the characters were, and while they in no way perfect and each had their negatives- they were real. I love how each of them learned more about themselves, made new friendships and had a side of romance as well. It was so well-rounded and had such emotional depth while also succeeding at being an enjoyable read appropriate for a summer day. Releasing next week on 5/13!

Pleasantly surprised by this one!

Vivian and Lucy meet unexpectedly at their dad’s lake house. Lucy has always known about Vivian, but their father never told Vivian about her sister - instead spending one month a year at the house with Lucy. Now they’re forced to grieve his together, no matter how much they don’t want to.

Grief, relationships, forgiveness and redemption are all examined under a beautiful Maine setting. A very solid contemporary fiction novel with great character development.

Thank you to Dutton and NetGalley.

𝐌𝐀𝐈𝐍𝐄 𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐑𝐀𝐂𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐒
Hannah Orenstein

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ // 5

Any book about sisters, sign me up for! 👯‍♀️ Being a younger sister, going through the phases of liking/disliking my own sister while growing up, and then becoming best friends as adults has made me love books about sisters.

This book is very parent trap style and I was allllll for it. Two women who kind of knew about each other are forced to finally meet once their dad dies and leaves a lake house behind. There are definitely a lot of topics covered in this book and at time I felt like it was information overload, but it was still a really seeet book that I feel like a lot of people would enjoy.

If you like romance with a twist of drama, this is for you!

Thank you to @netgalley and the publisher for this ARC. This book publishes 5/13/25 and it’s definitely worth buying!

This was such a complex and nuanced look at families. Vivian and Lucy go through so much in their summer together and their journeys were so well done. I really loved the look at each girl’s perspective and relationship with their dad and how it differed from the other. I will say, there were definitely times I wanted to shake both of them because they were being either incredibly self righteous or petulant, but at the same time, with a situation like the one they were in, I couldn’t help but give them grace. I also liked how both women looked at the romantic relationships in their lives and realized what they wanted and just as important, what they didn’t want. This was a very emotional book, dealing with grief and lifelong secrets, but I think both were handled so well and really allowed there to be room for complex feelings about loved ones. Also, the setting was written so incredibly atmospheric. I’ve only visited Maine once, but now I am clamoring to go back! Really glad I read this book and I think a lot of readers will enjoy it so much.
CW: death of a parent, infidelity

Thank you to Dutton Books for the digital reader’s copy!

The cover of the book and blurb drew me to this book right away. Lucy and Vivian are half siblings from their dad, Hank, who reunite at Hank’s lake house after his death. The book starts off with them navigating this newfound relationship and the impending sale of the house. The majority of the book does a deep dive into both characters and their various relationships (which were very messy, but definitely gave it a more realistic factor). The characters and plot took a really long time to develop but the last 20% really took the story for a turn. I appreciated the way their friendship/sisterhood developed and the people they grew to become at the end. Really felt like the end of the story was only the beginning.

Thank you NetGalley for the e-ARC in exchange for this honest review.

ARC review: Maine Characters by Hannah Orenstein ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 🌶️.5

Thank you to NetGalley and Dutton Publishing for the opportunity to read this e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

I was surprised how much I enjoyed this story. Maine Characters is a dual POV story between Vivian and Lucy - half sisters who’ve never met until the dad they share suddenly dies. Lucy and Vivian enter a battle of wills regarding whether to sell their father’s waterfront cabin in Maine. I enjoyed how Vivian and Lucy had such different experiences with their dad and grew up in different circumstances- it really helped their dynamic and their personalities develop. I don’t have too many notes, other than I really disliked Vivian’s mom, and almost wished she added more drama to the plot. But overall it was an enjoyable read and I will definitely read more by Hannah Orenstein.

Maine Characters released May 13th 2025!

Maine Characters by Hannah Orenstein is a great summer read about family drama, heartbreak and healing. Early reviews that I have seen are calling this women's fiction novel a grown up Parent Trap.

Vivian Levy and Lucy Webster each spend a month during the summer with their father at his lake house in Maine. Even though the two are half sisters, Vivian has no clue Lucy even exists. After her father's unexpected death, Vivian goes to the lake house to spread his ashes and deal with the sale of the cabin, but finds Lucy there waiting for his return. Faced with uncomfortable questions about their past and their father, can these two sisters help each other heal from not only the grief of their loss, but from the truth about their parents past?

This is going to be a great summer read! The vivid detail of Maine and the emotional depth and humor that fans of Orenstein love, this book will resonate with people looking for a messy family drama. I really liked the way Orenstein handled the theme of grief in such a beautiful way and how Vivian and Lucy were working through it, both together and separately. Vivian and Lucy, while not always likable, are flawed and vulnerable characters that people can relate to. Overall a summer read that is perfect for fans of Carley Fortune and Kate Spencer!!

Thank you to NetGalley, Hannah Orenstein, and Penguin Group Dutton for this ARC!! Publication date is May 13th 2025.

It was a bit of a slow start for me being I’m not the biggest fan of third person pov…but once the book picked up for me (around the 35-40% mark), I could not put it down.

These 400 pages took me for a RIDE. I grieved alongside all the women in this story. I felt their pain & held onto their resentment toward Hank, Oscar, Caleb, Harrison, and Patrick for all their shortcomings—big and small. I hated, and understood, and empathized with Vivian and Celeste. I cried for Lucy, Dawn, and what could have been. I celebrated all the small victories our “Maine” characters experienced from beginning to end.

This was a heartbreaking story that beautifully illustrated how different people have their own unique experiences with (and thus varying perspectives on) the same person; how parents make mistakes too; how children carry the burden of unlearning and breaking cycles of intergenerational trauma; and how, in order to move on, sometimes you have to learn to forgive those who never had the decency to be sorry in the first place. The varied timelines & dual perspectives from each sister, unearthing of secret after secret, and little dashes of romance had me hooked. A perfect book to add to your summer TBR 🌞

Thank you Hannah Orenstein and Dutton Books for my #gifted copy of Maine Characters and the adorable wine label sticker and thank you PRH Audio for my #gifted listening copy! #PRHAudioPartner #PRHAInfluencer #DuttonBooks #PRHPartner #MaineCharacters #hannahorenstein

𝐓𝐢𝐭𝐥𝐞: 𝐌𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬
𝐀𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫: 𝐇𝐚𝐧𝐧𝐚𝐡 𝐎𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐢𝐧
𝐍𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐨𝐫: 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐚 𝐖𝐢𝐥𝐬𝐨𝐧
𝐏𝐮𝐛 𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐞: 𝐌𝐚𝐲 𝟏𝟑, 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟓

When I read the description and saw this one was set in Maine and was like The Parent Trap for adults, I knew I had to read it. Each year, Vivian Levy and Lucy Webster spend a month with their father at his lake house. Separately. The two have never met. Vivian is a sommelier and Lucy is an English teacher with a marriage that is about to explode. While Lucy knew about Vivian and kept tabs on her from afar, Vivian never knew about Lucy. Now, after her father has died suddenly, Vivian has returned to the lake house to spread his ashes on the lake and sell the cabin, and is surprised to find Lucy there, waiting for her father to return to spend their scheduled month together. Instead of grieve the death of their father, the two go head to head because Lucy does not want to sell the house and Vivian is set on making the sale as quickly as possible. After an entire lifetime apart, can these two half-sisters find a way to reconcile their differences?

This was a cute book with characters that had lots of secrets and family drama. I definitely enjoyed watching Lucy and Vivian and their relationship change throughout the course of the book. There was a lot of character growth and this would definitely make a great summer read!

🍷Parent Trap Vibes -
🍷Family Drama
🍷Maine Setting
🍷Lake House
🍷Heavy Topics (Grief, Divorce, Cheating)
🍷Dual POV

🎧I read both the physical book and listened to the audiobook, which was narrated by the talented Mara Wilson. I always love when I get to listen to Wilson narrate a book, and I thought she did such an amazing job as the voice of Lucy and Vivian. She brought the right amount of emotion and energy to her role and I thought she was just perfect for this book!

Posted on Goodreads on May 12, 2025: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/144922955?ref=nav_profile_l
**Posted on Instagram - Full Review- on or around May 12, 2025: http://www.instagram.com/nobookmark_noproblem
**Posted on Amazon on May 13, 2025
**-will post on designated date

This is an adult take on The Parent Trap, and I really liked it. I’d label it more of a family drama than a romance, though there is some of that, too.

I liked the premise, half sisters who have never met are connected (much to their dismay) following the death of their father. One’s eager to sell his house and move on, and one’s holding onto it at all costs.

This is a story of grief, family, childhood, sisterhood, love, divorce, and more.

3.5 stars rounded up!
I’m a sucker for a summery book set on the lakes! This one was filled with heaps of emotion, grief, drama, family secrets, and an abundance of character growth.
I cried through the end of it and was so pleased with the character development for both FMCs. I definitely didn’t find either of them too likable in the beginning, but I truly loved them by the end. I also don’t typically enjoy reading third person narration, but Orenstein executed it in a way that kept me interested and wanting more! Her writing was lovely and she conveyed so much in these pages. This isn’t your typical summery lake novel, it’s so much more!

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group Dutton for the advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

Lots of old pain and new pain in here. Several characters were difficult to like and made awful decisions but I appreciated their growth throughout. A quick read.
Thanks to Netgalley via publisher invite for the free advanced copy in exchange for an honest review, book publishes 5/13

This story of two sisters, one who didn't know the other existed, isn't a romance. Sure there is a little of that here, but it is only background to the fall out from secrets long held. I loved the back and forth between Vivian and Lucy and the clash of their two worlds. I really liked how each sister had an entire life full of issues unrelated to the new problem of an inheritance, an unknown relation, and what to do about both. The character development was excellent and it was great to see them grow, despite already being adults. I also appreciated that the author did not take the easy way out and let her characters continue to be human. This will make a great vacation read with the descriptions of the lake and small town life.

Maine Characters makes my Maine girl heart happy. Reading it is like a warm summer day, where you can just picture yourself at the lake, can practically smell the sunscreen. I loved this story of two sisters getting to know each other and developing a relationship, of finding themselves and what truly makes them happy. I hope this book is in beach bags everywhere this summer, because it's the perfect warm-weather read, whether you find yourself lucky enough to be in Maine or not.