I really enjoyed this book in spite of how much time I spent disliking the characters. All the characters are flawed (in a realistic and well written way) and go through an evolution to better themselves throughout the book. Hannah Orenstein’s ability to build believable characters, full of relatable motivations and ever changing emotions really sets this book apart and makes it shine.

Some example of the characters and their growth:
- Spoiled and selfish Vivian realizes the impact of her actions and takes big steps to right past wrongs
- Idealistic and jealous Lucy learns the grass isn’t always greener on the other side and learns to stand on her two feet alone and with confidence (while still having her friends and family at her side)
- Even side characters such as Dawn (lets her life pass her buy while she wallows in heartbreak), Celeste (allows her bitterness and the importance she puts on her reputation leave her in a love-less marriage), and Caleb (allows his attraction to Vivian to not be as good of a friend to Lucy at times) demonstrate growth while still helping build out the overall plot

One watch out for future readers, the story is a lot more emotionally draining than the beautiful cover might initially imply.

Thank you to Hannah Orenstein, Penguin Random House, and NetGalley for providing me with an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

Hannah Orenstein’s Maine Characters is a heartfelt and deeply emotional novel about family, grief, and the unexpected bonds that form when two strangers realize they share more than just DNA. Described as “The Parent Trap for adults,” this book delivers a compelling mix of tension, self-discovery, and summer nostalgia, all wrapped up in the picturesque setting of a Maine lake house.

A Tale of Two Sisters

Vivian Levy and Lucy Webster couldn’t be more different. Vivian, a sophisticated sommelier from New York City, has always believed she was her father’s only daughter. Lucy, a small-town English teacher in Maine, has known about Vivian for years—and resented her from afar. Their father kept them apart, carefully maintaining two separate lives, until his sudden death forces them together for the first time.

The novel begins with Vivian arriving at the lake house to spread their father’s ashes and finalize its sale, only to find Lucy already there—waiting for a man who will never return. What follows is a summer filled with grief, resentment, and ultimately, revelations about the tangled secrets of their parents’ past.

What Works
• Complex, Well-Developed Characters: Both Vivian and Lucy are flawed yet deeply relatable. Their dynamic is fraught with tension, but their journey toward understanding each other feels authentic and earned.
• A Beautifully Crafted Setting: Orenstein’s descriptions of lake life—the stillness of the water at sunrise, the smell of pine, the warmth of bonfires—create an immersive backdrop that adds to the novel’s emotional depth.
• A Fresh Take on Family Drama: While the estranged sibling trope isn’t new, Maine Characters brings a fresh perspective by exploring not just sisterhood but also identity, inheritance, and the weight of unspoken truths.

What Could Have Been Stronger
• Some Predictability: While the emotional beats are satisfying, certain plot points—like the eventual reconciliation—feel inevitable. A few more unexpected twists could have made the story even more gripping.
• A Slow Start: The first few chapters lean heavily into exposition, and it takes a bit of time before Vivian and Lucy’s interactions truly ignite. But once they do, the story is hard to put down.

Final Thoughts

Maine Characters is a beautifully written novel that captures the complexities of family, the pain of long-held secrets, and the healing power of shared history. If you love books about messy, complicated relationships (with a touch of lakeside charm), this one is well worth the read.

Would I recommend it? Absolutely—especially if you’re in the mood for a summer read with emotional depth and a satisfying (though slightly predictable) resolution.

I got this book as an ARC from NetGallery and I’m so glad I did. Vivian arrives in a very small Maine town, with the ashes of her father, set to sell his lake house and use the money to open a wine bar in New York City. When she arrives at the house, she’s shocked to find a half-sister she didn’t know she had. Lucy is the sister who was raised in the town, who didn’t know her father has died. The sisters spend the next weeks navigating each other, their loss, and problems in their own lives. This is a story of how secrets and deceit can get out of hand quickly change lives forever.

If her instagram story’s of sunsets didn’t make you jealous enough, the author paints a stunning picture of picturesque Maine that makes you wish you were there. Vivian and Lucy meet under the most trying of circumstances. Will the family home bring them together or tear them apart? It’s a delightful journey of a story that makes you yearn for what happens next for the two girls.

I was thrilled to receive approval for this ARC of Maine Characters by Hannah Orenstein from Dutton via NetGalley. Thank you for taking a chance on a brand new ARC reviewer!

I’ll be honest - I was drawn to this book by its gorgeous cover! The description references the Parent Trap and I think it’s fair to say this is a more realistic, messier take on the estranged siblings premise! Two half-sisters, strangers to one another, meet at their recently deceased father’s lake house in Maine. As the book unfolds they reckon with their places in each other’s lives and their father’s life. They also reckon with where they are in life as a whole.

It would have been easy for these characters to turn into flat stereotypes - one from the city, one from the country and all of that. But the more I read, the more real they seemed - and the more I cared about them. The book also felt cozy and nostalgic for me, especially as someone who loves escaping into nature and married into a family with a special rural vacation spot that we visit year after year.

I had a couple minor issues that I’ll share. A few emotional conflicts toward the end felt too easily resolved in a way that didn’t hit home for me. And at times I found the present tense used in the writing a little distracting.

Overall, I’m glad I had the chance to read this book and get to know Vivian and Lucy. This will make a great summer read, which is perfect with a publication date of May 13!

A tantalising, heartwarming, melodramatic story accompanied by a delectable selection of wine!

First, I fell in love with the cover and title of this book. But, now I absolutely adore Hannah Orenstein‘s writing style that is evocative and engaging. The characters were absolutely credible, as they developed to my utmost satisfaction.

I loved the setting in Maine, the idyllic and charming portrayal.

As for the story, I really do not want to give away too much before the book publication in May 2025, but I want to give you an overview:

Dawn and Hank fall madly in love one summer in Maine. They’re young and hopeful. Little do they know that they will be entangled in a web of lies that ripple effects the lives of their daughters Vivian and Lucy.

Vivian is a spoiled ‚brat‘ from Upper West Side, NY who‘s a successful sommelier, but in a hopeless relationship. Her sister Lucy is a Maine-local who’s had limited opportunities in life and trapped in a loveless marriage. As their paths cross they’ll uncover the secrets that will change them forever!

Easy 5 stars!

Thanks to NetGalley and Hannah Orenstein for this fabulous ARC! I can’t wait to read from HO 😍

For lover of the parent trap, I think you would highly enjoy this book about two half sisters who lost their dad and happen to show up at his cabin one summer. One to sell it and the other to spend her summer with her dad so she thinks. When their father suddenly passes away and Vivian heads up to her father’s cabin in Maine to clean and prep it for an upcoming sale. When she arrives she comes face to face with her father’s other child she only knows little to nothing about. Lucy has come to her father’s cabin in hopes to spend another summer with her father like she has all her life and finally comes face to face with the sister she’s only heard stories about.
This emotional story goes through the grief of losing your father and the obstacles one must overcome. I enjoyed Lucy and Vivian’s story but it wasn’t my favorite. I think this would be a great summer read. I almost wanted more from the story instead of the two fight almost the entire book but their arguments were understandable. I enjoyed the setting and would love to read this on the lake this summer!
Thank you NetGalley and Penguin Group Dutton for sending over this advanced readers copy!

I was drawn to this book because of the stunning cover and the description of this book being the Parent Trap for adults. I will say the book was extremely slow to start, mainly due to the long chapters (the first 2 chapters takes you 1/5 of the way through the book!). However after that mark the book really picks up. I saw some similarities with Parent Trap mainly in the sister relationship. I appreciated seeing the relationship between Lucy and Vivian grow. However, their immature behavior at the begging is quite infuriating, I mean they're in their 30s acting like high schoolers. I appreciated the setting of Maine, growth of the characters, and the romance subplots. I think it will make the perfect summer read!

Thank you NetGalley & Hannah Orenstein for the E-ARC of 'Maine Characters'!

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Publication Date: May 13th, 2025


Maine Characters was my first Hannah Orenstein book and it definitely left me wanting to go read all of her other books! And listen , I know the saying goes "don't judge a book by its cover" but I totally picked this book for its cover because the cover is BEAUTIFUL and it's what initially drew me in. It was such a good story with a “Parent Trap” like twist.

"Every summer, Vivian Levy and Lucy Webster spend a month with their father at his lake house — separately."

The book is about two women: Lucy and Vivian. They are half sisters. Vivian lives with her mom and dad in NYC and Lucy lives with her mom in Maine only sees her dad for a month in July. It's essentially a take on The Parent Trap (immdediately hooked because, well, The Parent Trap, duh!). Lucy always knew about her dad's other family and her half sister but Vivian had no idea. They meet after the dad died and Vivian was going up to Maine to deal with her dad's vacation house on the lake.

I recommend for those who enjoy a good family drama and complicated sibling dynamics. There's also plenty here for the romance lovers and even for the skeptics. Just be prepared to roll your eyes a few times in the beginning, and then later on: to tear up and feel genuine pride for Vivian and Lucy's individual journeys!

This cover is so beautiful, and I love a sister story, and Maine. But, sadly, this book really didnt' work for me. The love triangles (familial and romantic) were too much and I found the two main characters (the sisters) were unlikable at every step. I had to DNF, but I hope to pick up a future book of Hannah's!

This is more family drama than anything else and frankly going back and forth between Vivian and Lucy’s POVs drove me mad. I didn’t find either sister the least bit entertaining or relatable, and frankly I thought Lucy was far too naive about what her presence and history with Hank would do and mean to Vivian, the girl is entirely tactless and it was really annoying.

The romantic elements were sooooo far behind in terms of important which I guess is fine if you know what you’re getting into, but for anyone expecting romance— move on as this has just the barest of crumbs. Ultimately I think it was a mistake to have both sisters splitting the POV because everything felt so much slower, every interaction has to be seen from both sides, preventing the story from moving forward.

Two half sister meet at their family cabin after their dad’s sudden death and have to wrestle with his secrets and what he left behind. I loved that both sister go through personal journeys and growth on their own terms, but also learn how to lean on each other for support and realize that neither of them quite got the best of their dad. Wonderful setting in rural Maine rounds out the great cast of characters!

While the ending of the story was predictable, the character growth and development was fantastic. The descriptions of the locations made you feel like you were there.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

I liked the premise of this- there is no surprise about the secret second daughter, you find out about that right away. It's more of building a relationship between the two who come from different backgrounds with a father who loved them but not always equally. Lucy and Vivien never met until after their father's passing and building their relationship was not an easy one. They did not always see eye to eye on certain matters and had a hard time deciding if they could have a relationship.

I loved both Lucy and Viven. They both struggled with their relationship with their father but also with their romantic life. I like that the romances was not the main focus- yes I loved hearing about them but at the same time the predictability of them was a comfort with all of the family drama going on.

This wasn't my first read by this author and it won't be my last!

This is such a fun premise, and I love the title and cover. I especially admire the author's attention to character development. There are no cardboard good or bad characters, but rather this novel is populated by characters who seem like real people. There is also an interesting treatment of generational trauma. The author includes a good balance of interiority combined with external plot. My one complaint is that the pacing is a bit slow. The book could have been tightened/shorter. This is a very minor criticism though, and the pacing did not ultimately detract from my enjoyment of the book. I will look forward to more from this author.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advance e-galley; all opinions in my review are 100% my own.

This is my first Hannah Orenstein book but it won’t be my last. I really enjoyed this read and look forward to reading it again when it comes out this summer. 5 stars

The writing of this story was very good! I like the story and following along with the characters as they navigate their new lives as secrets come to light.

The characters are especially likeable and I actually connected with Lucy really well. Vivian was a bit more cold, but her character was well designed.

The imagery of the town and various elements throughout the book was well written. I enjoyed this lighthearted story. It was a fun read!

3.5⭐️

Family drama, lake home, and working through the grief of losing a parent. I enjoyed this book and will definitely read more by this author!

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC! Rounding down from 3.5 stars.
Cover art and title - amazing!!
The story is so intriguing and the characters are very nuanced. It was kind of like a grown up parent trap which, if you think about it, would be a terrible situation for your parents to actually put you in! The "villains" were very nuanced - parents don't often seem bad from an outside perspective but to their children the damage comes from the build up through a lifetime and I felt like that was the case here. The "bad guys" were realistically bad.
The timeline was pretty hard to follow throughout, and I felt like I could have used a lot more insight into a characters thoughts at times, and a lot less in others. This all made it harder for me to connect with the characters and is the reason for the -2.5 stars.

Maine Characters was a refreshingly different story. It had an original plot line with good character development and I was always eager to find out what was going to happen next in the story of Lucy and Vivian.

I also loved the setting! Orenstein did an amazing job capturing the natural beauty of a cabin on a lake so that the reader can nearly feel the sunshine on their face and experience the rocking of the boat. It’ll make you jealous you’re not there.

My only criticism is that one relationship felt unnecessary to the plot. If it was removed, the story would not have changed and because of this, I didn’t have a deep interest in this part of the story.