When Maine Characters is released in May, it will definitely be a summer hit. It has already earned the fitting label of “The Parent Trap for adults.”

Lucy and Vivian (two half-sisters who were kept apart their entire lives) meet for the first time, as adults, at their dad’s lake house in Maine, after his passing.

This read slowly grew on me much like Lucy and Vivian’s character growth through the pages. This was one of my favorite parts- you could really see the women’s hearts change for each other and their surroundings.

The reason this gets 3.5 ⭐️ from me is that certain situations/writing style felt rushed. I love to wallow and be drowning in details, but this book probably wouldn’t work in that way. There wasn’t lack of depth, but I was curious for more of the emotions at times.

I appreciated the more closed-door romance elements within the different characters, while still leaving room for tension, sparks, and the relationship of a sister to shine at the forefront.

Overall, it’s a warm and tender read, like the blueberry pie Lucy makes after a berry picking date. The ending felt like the perfect scoop of ice cream to go with it.

side note: I am loving the resurgence (maybe it’s been around and I’m just now noticing?) of second chance/love in late 30s, 50s etc. happening in fiction and rom-com type genres. It’s fresh, relevant, and necessary!

Two half-sisters—who have never met and grew up in completely different worlds—retreat to their late father’s lake house, one to sell it and the other to heal from heartbreak. Beautifully written with well-developed characters, Maine Characters is like a grown-up version of The Parent Trap with more drama. Themes include family, sisterhood, grief, betrayal, privilege, romance and forgiveness.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!

* I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley. Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for this book. All thoughts are my own.

This is a character driven book which isn’t always my favorite; I prefer a plot driven, but I do think readers who enjoy characters more could really like this. I did like Vivian and Lucy, but I felt the book was a bit slow overall because there was not really much the way of the plot moving forward it’s just the way that they interacted with each other, their friends, and their moms.

The cover is absolutely stunning!

Genre: Women’s Contemporary Fiction
Tropes: family drama, long-lost sisters, platonic enemies to friends
Spice: 🌶️
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Cliffhanger (Y/N): No!

When Vivian Levy’s father dies she is tasked with selling his beloved lake house in Fox Hill, Maine. Leaving her job as a sommelier and boyfriend in NYC is the last thing she wants to do, she never expected to arrive at the lake and face her sister- a woman she suspected, but never confirmed, existed. Lucy Webster is looking for her father and gets blindsided by the news of his death from Vivian, the sister she’s always known of but never met. Will they be able to move through a relationship fraught with assumptions and resentment? Can they uncover betrayals and lies from their father and get to a place of peace and forgiveness?

There’s something so wonderful about a new beach (or lake) read. This novel reminded me of books I’ve read by Elin Hilderbrand and Kristin Hannah- from the thoughtful way the characters were crafted to the intricate threads of family, love, and loss being tied together so neatly. Vivian and Lucy aren’t without their flaws- perhaps we all have been or have known one or the other, but the way they’re able to process their grief and frustrations to come out on the other end full of such love and understanding is so beautiful. I’m so grateful to have read this book!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Penguin Group Dutton for a copy of this ARC!

This was such a fun read! I loved the premise and thought that Vivian and Lucy were interesting protagonists. They both had great character development and it made me happy to see how they grew in their relationships with themselves, each other, and their significant others. The side characters were also great and I liked how their mothers, Celeste and Dawn, were also included. Overall very cute and the perfect summer read!

Hannah Orenstein’s *Maine Characters* is a poignant story about family and identity, set in a cozy lakeside cabin in Maine. It explores the complicated relationship between two half-sisters, Vivian, a hardworking sommelier from New York City, and Lucy, a small-town high school teacher, who must confront each other and their shared past after their father's death.

Orenstein skillfully captures the sisters' mixed emotions—grief, jealousy, and curiosity—while revealing the emotional complexities of their lives. Their tumultuous relationship reflects the troubled history of their parents, adding depth to the themes of love and forgiveness throughout the story. The lake house serves as a powerful symbol of both their shared past and the possibilities that lie ahead, driving the plot forward.

The writing is vivid and immerses the reader in the beauty of Maine, creating a warm atmosphere that contrasts with the characters' struggles. The narrative flows smoothly between moments of self-reflection and intense confrontations, leading to a satisfying conclusion.

*Maine Characters* is a beautifully crafted family drama that illustrates how even deep wounds can heal with time and honesty. It’s a must-read for fans of books like *The Dutch House* and *The Paper Palace*.

The relationship between the two main characters, Lucy and Vivian, left more to be desired. I wanted so badly to side with Lucy, but the character truly felt insufferable. I felt for her, given the circumstances, but quite honestly she was the one that came off seeming entitled and set in her ways. It was hard to find her like-able at all which made the ending seem skewed in her favor versus Vivians. I would have loved to see both of these women showing their vulnerable side and more developed as characters rather than one being a city girl and one being a lake girl.

I truly enjoyed this book! Such a good story of found family and forced proximity between two characters that couldn't be more different. I loved the way the characters were developed, and each of the two main female characters had so much depth to them and well crafted back stories that were extremely important to the story. As someone who spent my summers growing up at a family lake house, this was so nostalgic and brought me back to the days on the water with my sisters. I had only hoped for a little more of the story once we reached a resolution, and just wanted to be able to learn more about their lives after that. I did love the little bit of romance sprinkled in as well!

Cute story that readers of Elin Hilderbrand and similar authors will enjoy. This is in the Romance section but it's not really a romance, although there are two minor romance subplots that take a backseat to the relationship between the two half sisters who meet after their dad has just died.

While I loved the vibe and setting that Orenstein creates, Maine Characters has a bit of a hallmark feel to it that I didn't really connect with too deeply. I will say that I liked the back half of this book significantly better than the front half.

Readers that like complicated family dynamics, messy relationships, and themes of sisterhood wil enjoy.

3.25 stars

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin for the eARC.

I was so excited about the premise of this book being a Parent Trap retelling and it was one of my favorite childhood books. I’ve also really enjoyed Hannah’s previous books, especially Head Over Heels a few years ago.

This book honestly fell pretty flat for me from the beginning. I thought there could be a little more build up, and the girls meeting basically on the second page just led me to wonder why exactly I should care about these characters or their dad. I think we needed more back story to get any sort of investment from the get go rather than flashing back to bits and pieces of their childhood and retroactively explaining why things are the way they are and how things unfolded.

It also felt very jump to conclusions for a 14 year old to hear a girl on the phone with her dad and immediately assume for the next 16 years he has a secret other daughter.

My biggest harp on this book is the amount of love triangles. Every single character in this book was involved in a love triangle and it was just a lot to keep up with. Overall, I enjoyed the relationship between Vivian and Lucy, but this wasn’t a favorite of mine.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!

I really would have liked to finish this rom com but I ran out of time on my days to read it. I felt it could have been a least a 4 star with characters setting and plot development.

Keep this upcoming release on your radar, it will be perfect to read at the lake! (Or anywhere else while you dream of being lakeside.)

🌅 REVIEW: MAINE CHARACTERS 🌅

By Hannah Orenstein

📖 SUMMARY: Vivian, a career-focused New Yorker, arrives at her father’s lakeside cabin in Maine to spread his ashes and sell the property. She’s surprised to find her half-sister Lucy there — a sister, she didn’t know she had, and who didn’t know her father was dead. Turns out, they both grew up spending a different month with their dad at the cabin, and while Lucy wants to keep it for sentimental reasons, Vivian is desperate to sell for the easy cash. Can they try to form a relationship during the summer they spend together, or is a lifetime of being strangers too much to overcome?

💭 THOUGHTS: I’d been so excited to read this since finding out Hannah was writing a book inspired by her Maine summers. Please teleport me into the pages of this book immediately… I’ll happily be a background character! The premise of this is obviously a sticky situation for our two Maine Characters (😉) so I was interested to see how things would play out for them. What would their sister dynamic be? I was soooo frustrated with their interactions at certain parts of the book, but hey, that’s family, right? I also really liked the side characters and thought they added a lot to the story. Definitely pick this up in the summer!

Thank you to @ Dutton @ net galley for the ARC. This comes out May 12!

✨ MADE ME FEEL: obsessed with the idea of moving to Maine

🥰 YOU’LL ENJOY IF: you love The Parent Trap and similarly complex yet wholesome family dynamics

I found both Vivian and Lucy to be problematic characters for me. The book was only okay, IMO, because of them. They are both very one dimensional and do not change enough to make the storyline worthwhile. I couldn't connect with them. They're both insufferable, ungrateful, and immature.

Thank you Netgalley and publisher for this eARC!

Thank you to Netgalley and Dutton for the advanced copy

This book hooked me with its gorgeous cover, premise—an adult Parent Trap—and the setting on a lake in Maine. Two half sisters raised separately meet after their Dad suddenly dies and they need to figure out what to do with their Dad’s lake house. It’s a story of family (and lots of complicated, messy family dynamics), forgiveness, and grief. Lucy and Vivian are both flawed, relatable characters and their antics, especially at the beginning, drew me in. I loved seeing their sibling relationship develop but I wanted more of their individual character development. While their father Hank isn’t on page, I was really frustrated with him! I wanted more of an explanation for why he did the things he did. Overall, it’s an entertaining read with some twists and turns I didn’t see coming.

4.5 ⭐️
During the first 45% of the book I was having a really difficult time putting up with all of the whining coming from Lucy but as I continued to read it was beautiful to watch the character development not only from her but all of the characters. It was also refreshing to see everyone acknowledge Hanks faults and how messed up the entire situation he started really was. Overall this was a great read and that I will definitely be recommending as a cute summery book. Thank you to NetGalley and Dutton for giving me the opportunity to read and review this ARC.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5 | ARC Review

I absolutely loved this one. Maine Characters by Hannah Orenstein explores themes of family, grief, and love in this contemporary fiction novel. Lucy and Vivian are half-sisters accidentally meeting for the first time at their dad’s lake house following his death a month prior. Cue a summer of fighting, loving, growing, and family secrets as they grieve for their late father.

This book comes out on May 13, and I need you all to add it to your TBRs 🙂‍↕️ Thank you to @duttonbooks and @netgalley for the early read. I seriously adored this & Hannah — you truly are a master at your craft.

Thank you Net Galley for my advanced copy of Maine Characters by Hannah Orenstein. Upon her father's death, Vivian Levy has to drive from NYC to Fox Hill, Maine in order to get his lake house ready for sale. Vivian used to spend time during the summers with her father there, but over the years her and her father's relationship became very strained and she spent less and less time there. She has great plans with the money she will make off the sale, but those plans become quite complicated when she arrives to find someone is already at the house - a half sister she suspected she had but never met. Lucy knows all about Vivian and has secretly stalked her on social media, wishing throughout her life that they could meet. Over the years, Vivian has had a very contemptuous relationship with both her father and mother, while Lucy adored the man she only spoke to on the phone occasionally and with whom she spent the month of July every year with at the lake house.
Lucy is recently separated from her husband and Vivian is involved with a married man, who also happens to be her boss, and who has promised to leave his wife for her. Vivian is intent on selling the lake house so that she and her lover can buy a wine bar together, while Lucy is equally intent on convincing Vivian not to sell, or at least share half of the sale proceedings with her.
I liked the back and forth perspectives of Lucy and Vivian, and the gradual relationship the sisters finally begin to build together. I especially liked how Lucy fought for her own rights, and developed into a much stronger woman because of it. Vivian was also able to throw off the shackles and resentments of her own life, opening up to a much more enriching future for her, as well as a more understanding relationship with her overbearing and self involved mother.
This was an enjoyable beach read to while away a few hours with.

Sometimes love isn't enough, and sometimes it complicates and confuses. This book had a variety of emotions, from different viewpoints, and was the perfect mix of grief, loss, hope, and happiness. All of the characters were individuals with their own challenges with a shared one to join them together.

This book made me long for warm summer days spending with family on the lake. I loved the vivid coastal setting in Maine, the cabin, the lake, and the small town charm. This story is about two half sisters that are complete opposites in personality. One sister knows about the other but one has no clue until she finds her at her dad’s lake house. A story that will make you laugh, cry, form a sisterhood bond with two girls as they each grieve. A story with drama, family secrets, and forgiveness. I really loved how the story unfolded.

(3.5 rounded down)
Maine Characters is a book that centers around self reinvention and past trauma. There is a romance aspect to this book, but it’s not the focus of the story. This book was definitely a tear jerker, and the ending hit really hard and close to home for me. The interactions that the characters have with each other and the way that their stories intertwine is masterfully written. Let me say, the cover on this book is also stunning, probably one of my favorites of this year's new releases.. As much as I did enjoy this book, there were a couple key issues that stood out to me, the first one being the character perspectives. Maine Characters contains a lot of flashbacks and reminiscing, but I found it hard to tell if it was past or present at parts because the whole book is written in present tense from a 3rd person POV. Along with this, I was having trouble relating to Vivian, especially with her whole cheating situation, but that mostly has to do with my morals. Overall, Maine Characters is an emotionally heavy book (in a good way) that navigates complex relationships and new beginnings.