The lake might be peaceful, but this family reunion that takes place there is anything but that.
To be honest this one hit me right in the heart. It's heartfelt, beautifully written, and full of the kind of emotional tension that keeps you up late at night way past your bedtime to read.
The story follows Vivian, a confident, NYC-based advice columnist whose life is polished on the outside but complicated underneath. She heads to her late father’s cabin in Maine expecting a quiet summer escape, but instead walks straight into Lucy, the half-sister she never knew existed. Yep, Seems daddy had a little secret, and by little I mean big like another kid big. Now these two women have to figure out what to do.
At its core, this book is about sisterhood, grief, and redefining family. Watching Vivian and Lucy go from awkward strangers to something resembling sisters was incredibly satisfying and as some moments deeply emotional. Vivian’s internal journey she goes through, rethinking her career, relationships, and who she wants to be I found so relatable for anyone in their late 20s or 30s trying to figure life out.

If you're into stories about complicated family dynamics, personal growth, and a touch of romance, this one's for you.

This was a book that I had started and was constantly trying to connect with the characters with each page I read. I instead found that there were no characters that I liked or could connect with what was happening with them.
I loved the location of the story. I did finish it just to give myself the satisfaction of how the family drama ended.
Thank you Penguin Group and Hannah Orenstein for the copy of Maine Characters. This is my personal review.

Bittersweet and full of quiet revelations, this story blends family drama with a hint of summer nostalgia. A thoughtful, layered look at what it means to start over.

Thank you to Dutton and PRH Audio for the review copies. I really appreciated the themes in this book, which were thoughtful and resonant, but at times the writing style left me feeling a bit distant from the story. It’s hard to pin down exactly why—the prose is solid—but something about the tone or the way the characters were portrayed felt somewhat reserved or passive. That distance may have been intentional, given that the characters themselves are on a journey to connect, but it left me feeling a bit uncertain about the overall experience.

I just love the cover so much!!

Well.. here comes some honesty on this one. This is a retelling of the parent trap. Oh my gosh... I could not stand the two main characters. Vivian was an absolute entitled b.tch. Lucy I also wasn't a fan of at all..... talk about acting like a child.

Such pettiness and bullying from both of these women and I was so annoyed at these two from the beginning. I, unforunately dnfed this one around the 25 percent mark.

I wasn't the right reader for this one... but doesn't mean that others won't love it!!

2/5 stars

I love a book set in an idyllic place, and Hannah Orenstein is great at painting the picture (see the gorgeous book cover) of Maine in the summertime. I enjoyed the character development of Lucy and Vivian. The pacing was a bit all over the place, with time jumps making a lot of telling and not showing type of writing. I also think there were a few plot holes that just didn't make sense, and I wish those questions had been answered.

Overall, this is a great summer read about family, but nothing super memorable!

Orenstein’s vivid depiction of the Maine setting is beautiful, it captures the tranquility of lake life with immersive detail. The emotional depth of the narrative, focusing on the evolving relationship between two estranged sisters, will resonate with readers who appreciate character-driven stories. The novel captures the complexities of family, the damage of secrets kept over many decades, and how the truth can help you heal.
This story was definitely a slow build, and while the character development was a touch predictable, they still created an attachment in me that made the book enjoyable.

After their shared father’s death, Lucy and Vivian come to know each other. This book was a beautiful tribute to Maine, but I struggled to get into the story. I struggled to find Lucy and Vivian relatable at times. Their love stories seemed to mirror each other at parts of the book - to the point that it felt like we were reading the same situation twice.

I wanted to like this so much but was so let down that I couldn't even finish. DNF @ 45% because I couldn't get onboard with the storyline.

I didn't connect with this book the way I'd hoped. Neither of the main characters were very likeable and so it made it hard to feel invested in their story. Additionally the amount description at the beginning of the book had the opposite of its intended effect. There was so much detail that it took me out of the story. I did like the concept and I felt like it was unique, it just wasn't for me.

Vivian and Lucy are the main characters in this story and they are sisters. Their story was so fun to follow and I was really rooting for both of them and how all of their relationships would end up. I loved how the relationship of the two sisters formed over time. The story teaches you about real life and makes some really good points! The ending wrapped up perfectly! Well worth the read.

The book was slow but I did like a lot of the characters. I had assumed it would be more of a romance, and while there were romantic subplots, in the end it was a book about family relationships. I enjoyed it even more for that reason I think. I would definitely recommend it to people who like family relationships and slow, sweet books.

Hannah Orenstein proves she’s mastered family love stories. It’s refreshing to have a summer beach read about two female main characters who find resolution not based on a romantic relationship. Maine characters involved deep topics without being too heavy. I enjoyed it and would recommend!

Maine Characters is a tender, layered, and beautifully written story about grief, sisterhood, and the complicated legacies we inherit from our parents—wrapped up in a dreamy lakeside setting that I never wanted to leave.

From the very first page, I was hooked by the quiet tension between Lucy and Vivian—two women who should’ve been strangers forever but are suddenly thrown into the most emotionally charged summer of their lives. Their dynamic is the heart of this novel, and Hannah Orenstein writes it with such empathy and nuance. The slow unraveling of their shared history, the raw conversations, the cautious trust—it all felt incredibly real and emotionally satisfying.

Orenstein’s writing shines brightest in the little details: the sound of the lake, the clink of a wine glass, the stillness of a cabin that’s held decades of secrets. There’s a richness to the atmosphere that made me feel like I was right there, barefoot on the dock, holding my breath through every hard truth.

Yes, it’s “Parent Trap for adults,” but it’s also a meditation on identity, forgiveness, and what it really means to belong to a family. There are moments of heartbreak, warmth, unexpected humor, and even a hint of romance—but at its core, this is a story about two women learning to see each other for the first time.

I was so lucky to receive an early copy of this, and I already know I’ll be recommending it to everyone come summer. Thoughtful, evocative, and deeply moving—this one’s going to stay with me.

Such a beautiful summer read. The setting, the characters, the drama, all so perfect. I really enjoyed both POVs. You really get so much from this book. It has love and romance, loss and grief, infidelity, second chances, and new beginnings.

I have so many thoughts—and not a single one is good.

I wanted to love this book. I was fully prepared to make it my entire summer personality. A Maine lake setting? A Parent Trap retelling? Sign me all the way up. But instead of witty and compelling family drama, I got a chaotic mess that tried to do way too much and somehow accomplished nothing.

I almost DNF’d so many times, but once I hit the 75% mark, I was too deep to quit. From there I skimmed like I was speed-reading for survival.

➡️ Lucy and Vivian were so unlikeable it hurt. They acted as though they were petulant teens and not 30 years old grieving the loss of their father, no matter how f'd up their situation is.
➡️ The flip-flopping romances gave me whiplash and served absolutely no purpose to the overall plot. Vivian's sneaky relationship with a married man was a mess. Lucy whined about her failed marriage too much. Both these women couldn't find their backbone until I wasted (what felt like) 100 pages of them taking back their lovers at the mere hint of attention - gross. There was no need to throw Caleb and Harrison into the mix either. I would HATE to be in a room with Vivian and Lucy trying to make a decision. Flip flopping all over the place.
➡️ Never mind the fact that everyone KNEW what was happening to some degree, why are we waiting 30 years to hash this out??
➡️ And as someone who grew up summering on a lake, the vibes were off. I wanted golden hour nostalgia and tranquility, but it ended up being more tell than show.

I'm annoyed.

⭐️⭐️⭐️💫3.5

Thank you to Penguin group, NetGalley, and PRH Audio for an ARC/ALC of this book, in exchange for my honest opinion.

This was a great novel to kick off my summer reading, because the dreamy Maine lake town just screams summer! This book was in third person POV, which isn’t really my favorite, but I still enjoyed it.

It covers lots of heavy topics though so beware if you’re looking for a light fun read, it’s not this. It deals with parental death (suddenly), parental cheating, siblings found later in life, grief, and divorce. But I will say with all the heavy topics a lot of healing happens as well, and that was heartwarming to see.

I just feel like the end was kind of abrupt, and I would have liked to see what life looked like after summer for Vivian and Lucy.

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