I loved Hannah Orenstein's writing in this novel and the way she was able to explore the ups and downs of a sister relationship. I think Hannah really gets across the way the two sisters feel as they struggle with understanding their family dynamics, and I think it's her best novel yet. I look forward to everything she releases in the future once I emotionally recover from Maine Characters.

overall, I enjoyed this book. about two half-sisters who meet for the first time after the death of their father, it felt very real and broken. Lucy and Vivian were frustrating and selfish, but experienced a lot of growth (with a lot of setbacks). I liked how the ending turned out. My only real issue was with the pacing of the story. The first half felt pretty slow, then picked up a lot around the 50% and got pretty interesting after that.

This book was such a hard read for me. I can usually finish books within 2-5 days. This book took me almost 2 weeks to finish. Not because it was a bad book but because I had so many conflicting feelings towards all the characters. Literally not a single one of them was easy to like, for me personally. Again, not in a bad way. I just came from a divorced home where my dad lived in a more full time way with my step sisters so this book really hit some emotional notes.

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 The Parent Trap. 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.

Vivian was frankly a bit of a selfish bitch but I understand her hurt from being lied to her whole life. Lucy was a bit of a pushover who I just wanted to grow a damn spine but I understand that all she wanted was to feel loved since she grew up essentially knowing she was the second best daughter/family that her dad had.

Their dad, man, he is the villain in my story in the beginning but then I start to feel horrible for him. Did he make the right decision, obviously not, obviously! But also there was some key information that was being kept from him.

Lucy's mom I just want to cry with. Vivian's mom, psssh well no spoilers so hopefully you'll find out on your own.

The problem and what makes this book great in my opinion is that all the characters are flawed and in order to like them, you have to contend with the harder parts of them.

On side note- the book is split up between Vivian's and Lucy's POV but the POV is third person omnipresent narrator so I didn't really understand why it was sectioned off between dual POVs when you got all persons thoughts and feelings. Just maybe a me thing.

Thank you to NetGalley and Hannah Orenstein for the advanced reader copy of this book. Definitely recommend reading it

I really enjoyed this story and getting to know the characters. I loved the Maine setting and it really made me want to go spend summer on a lake in Maine. I also enjoyed the characters.

This story follows two half-sisters who meet for the first time at their father's lake house after his passing. Lucy and Vivian are very different people who have led very different lives and got a very different version of their dad than the other one knew and I liked that aspect. I really enjoyed all the twists and turns.

I've been a fan of Hannah Orenstein’s books for years and was so excited for Maine Characters! I’ve never been to Maine but have always wanted to visit, and I loved how vividly she brought the setting to life—it was easy to envision, especially with the personal touches she shares on Instagram.

The story follows half-sisters Vivian and Lucy, who have never met but are forced to spend a summer together after their father’s passing. While the beginning felt a bit slow, once the sisters finally connected, I was completely invested in their journey. Watching them navigate grief, family secrets, and their own personal struggles made for an emotional and rewarding read. Their individual love stories and new beginnings tied everything together beautifully.

This is a heartfelt, layered story about family, identity, and second chances

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!
This is my first read from Hannah Orenstein & it will not be my last! Vivian and Lucy end up being more alike than one would think. There were so many twists to this book I didn’t see coming. I loved the ending and how the importance of sisterhood was portrayed. I was not able to put this book down (clearly finishing it in one day). I’d love a sequel 😉

Maine Character was an original story about two half sisters who discover each other after their father’s death. The story kept my interest but the characters were frustrating. They blame each other for things that were not their fault, even as the story progressed there was a lot of taking and giving of blame for things that were not their fault.

I devoured this one, but I wanted to love it more than I did.

As someone who also spent every summer on a lake in Maine (admittedly as a Masshole), the setting was so perfect and transported me back to those days. I really connected with the deep nostalgia and desire to cling to those memories. That being said, neither Lucy nor Vivian were particularly likable characters. Which isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but I found myself frustrated at their choices and the way the author seemed to categorize them into archetypes.

Their relationship arch also wasn’t super believable, I think their immediate dislike was a little immature. All that to say, it was a very sweet story and the final scenes were heartwarming, and I like the way the story unraveled.

What an adorable book! ‘Maine Characters’ by Hannah Orenstein follows two sisters (who don’t know the other one exists) as they navigate their father’s death. It is giving the adult version of The Parent Trap and I absolutely loved every second of it!

Thank you to NetGalley.com for allowing me to read this book!!

I really enjoyed reading this book. It was such a different pace from everything I’ve been reading lately. I definitely cried.

It took me a minute to get used to the third person and her writing style but overall I really loved the story. It kind of felt like reading someone's recollections of what happened that summer. Like someone was telling not showing and I didn't feel like I was in it. Which is absolutely okay. I just had an adjustment period.

I was so invested to see how it would all pan out. There were so many times where I was frustrated with Vivian or Lucy or both 😅 It definitely added to the drama. All in all, I’m really glad I read it!

thank you netgalley so much for the opportunity to read this book as an arc in exchange for an honest review

this was a book about sisterhood and women... while also being fun and keeping the reader interested
the beggining reminded me of the parent trap and i was having so much fun. i loved the atmosphere and the ending, would really reccomed this book

This book started out wonderful but it seems that the+author lost her way about half way through the book and never found it.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for this title. This is the first time I read a book by this author, and sadly, it was not for me. I found the two main characters unlikable and childish. And while the premise, a rewrite of the parent trap was good, it fell flat for me.

I really enjoyed Vivian and Lucy. Vivian, an ambitious sommelier from New York City, arrives with plans to spread her father's ashes and sell the cabin. She's shocked to find Lucy, a high school teacher from a small town in Maine, already there, waiting for their father. While they've lived entirely separate lives, this unexpected reunion forces them to confront their shared past. In an ideal world, they'd support each other through their grief, but instead, they face a summer of suspicion, hostility, and the unraveling of long-held secrets. As they navigate the choppy waters of their parents' pasts, they must decide whether to hold onto the house or let it go. Vivian is desperate to escape the betrayal she's experienced, while Lucy clings to the hope of preserving the only home she’s ever known.
Through witty banter, heartfelt moments, and a beautiful lakeside setting, the author weaves a story brimming with undeniable heart, depth, charm, and humor. Will Vivian and Lucy find a way to become a family after thirty years apart?

Dive into this charming lakeside story and find out!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Penguin Group Dutton for the opportunity to read Maine Characters, by author Hannah Orenstein. At first, I had a difficult time sticking with the book due to feeling rushed into the story. Eventually the writing and plot calmed down a bit, enough to get to know each of the characters and even identify with their journeys of loss and love. The storyline is sweet, relatable, and endearing. Orenstein’s writing gives definite Emily Henry vibes, making this an enjoyable, easy read.

This was so cute! Gave me Emily Henry vibes. If you love chick flick movies with feel good themes, this is for you!

The beautiful cover originally drew me to this book, but the story ended up being better than anticipated. Vivian and Lucy are sisters, but they’ve never met. Vivian lives with her mother and father in New York, while Lucy lives with her mother in Maine and spends the month of July with their father at his lake house. After he dies, Lucy shows up for her summer visit and has no idea he has passed away. Vivian comes to get the house ready to sell and they finally meet for the first time. The sisters can’t be more different and have grown up in completely different worlds but they slowly come to terms with each other.
I really enjoyed this book and look forward to reading more from this author.

I really wanted to love this book more than I ended up liking it. I love Maine and liked the story of finding a sibling that wasn't known to exist but the two women in this book were just annoying and childish and so hard to relate to. I think it would have been better to get to know each of the sisters a BIT before throwing them together.

This cover was beautiful and it is my first book by Hannah Orenstein! It took me a while to get into the book (about 1/4 of the way) but once I got that far I really enjoyed it! Thank you NetGalley for the arc!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Penguin Group Dutton for the opportunity to read Maine Characters by Hannah Orenstein. The setting was so perfect, i wanted to be there. Character development was amazing; i ended up caring a great deal about characters I started out not even liking. A terrific story.