I love everything Hannah Orenstein writes, and this title was no exception! I loved the vivid descriptions of the scenes in Maine, and it was super interesting to learn so much about wine from this book too.

Maine Characters is a Love Letter to lake life. But while there's a lot of love, there's also a lot of heartbreak. In Maine Characters Lucy and Vivian become an unlikely set of roommates as they pack up their Dad's cabin at the lake and prepare for the future. The story is frustrating at times and the characters don't always make the best choices, but I think that's what makes this book feel so real. If you're looking for a book to enjoy by the pool, ocean, or lake this summer I would recommend this one!

I've loved reading all of Hannah Orenstein's romance books, so I was excited to read Maine Characters. A perfect summer read, Hannah writes a story about love and family.

The only thing I liked about this book was the pretty cover…. I was over it before it even began. It was painful to finish it, and I am sad I wasted my time reading it.

Hannah Orenstein's "Maine Characters" is a captivating summer read that beautifully explores the complexities of family, grief, and self-discovery. This novel introduces us to Vivian and Lucy, two sisters who are strangers until a shared tragedy forces them together: the unexpected passing of their father.

Their first meeting takes place at their father's cherished summer home in rural Maine, a setting that instantly transports the reader. Vivian, who grew up with her father physically present for eleven months of the year in bustling New York City, always felt a mental distance from him. Their relationship, though constant, lacked true closeness. In contrast, Lucy, the product of a deep, youthful love affair her father had before marrying Vivian's mother, spent only one month a year with him in the idyllic town of Fox Hill, Maine. Despite the physical distance, Lucy and her father shared an incredibly strong and loving bond, built around their time at the beloved lake house.

Reeling from their profound loss, the sisters are thrust into a situation where they must make difficult decisions, confront long-held family secrets, and ultimately, embark on their own journeys of healing and self-rediscovery.

I absolutely adored this book. It exudes a wonderfully summery vibe, making it the perfect way to spend a summer afternoon. Orenstein's descriptions of small-town Maine are simply lovely and evoke a profound sense of peace, definitely inspiring a desire to visit. What truly resonated with me was the evolving relationship between Vivian and Lucy. Both characters are wonderfully flawed, making their growth throughout the narrative feel authentic and deeply satisfying. While not primarily a romance, the subtle touches of romantic development for both Lucy and Vivian add a delightful layer of richness to an already engaging plot.

"Maine Characters" is a heartfelt and immersive story that reminds us that even in loss, there's always room for new beginnings and unexpected connections. Highly recommended for anyone seeking a moving and beautifully written story of sisterhood and summer.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group Dutton for a copy of this book in exchange for a honest review.

MAINE CHARACTERS by Hannah Orenstein dropped me into a well-drawn, fully dimensioned world with characters that intrigued and spurred me to consider my own life. I don't know Maine well, but with this story, I feel like I have lived the experience of half-sisters mourning a complicated, compelling man. I believed the moments, the conversations, the twists and turns of managing grief, untruths, and uncomfortable discoveries. I thank the author and publisher for such a deeply satisfying story. I received a copy of this book and these opinions are my own, unbiased thoughts.

This is a heartfelt family drama with a secret daughter/sister and what will happen with their beloved vacation home.

I really enjoyed this. I have been hit or miss with Hannah Orenstein, but I really enjoyed the setting of this story. I felt connected to it based on her Instagram posting of her family's home in Maine every summer. I think those posts in addition to the imagery written into the story really put me in Maine.

"Maine Characters" was a cute story about 2 half sisters that meet for the first time at their dad's cabin after he passes away. One sister knew about the other, and the other had no idea her sister existed. I really enjoyed the dual POV.

Great title for this book as it takes place in Maine and the story is what it is because the characters are fabulous. Such great character development. Vivian and Lucy are half-sisters who have never met until they both show up at the summer house in Maine at the same time. While one knew bout the other, one was left in the dark. Why? This a great story of the sisters finding each other and learning to be sisters, discovering something they didn’t know they were missing. I would read this again and re ommend it. Thanks to #netgalley #mainecharacters for the opportunity to read nd review this book.

I took a trip to Maine this summer and then devoured this book! There are so many references to local Maine shops and stores. The story line flowed well and kept me on my toes! I highly recommend this read!

I really wanted to love this book but had a hard time with the shifting 3 person perspectives. I was often not sure whose perspective was who. Parts of the story felt very disconnected as well and I felt like more emphasis should have been given to Vivian and Lucy instead of focusing so much on their mothers.

For the first 50% of this book I wanted to reach out and strangle Vivian. She is the most self-absorbed and I likeable character while Lucy is quite literally just trying to hold sweet and precious self together by a string. As more details about each of these characters revealed themselves I loved Lucy even more and hated Vivian as if she had done me wrong personally. I truly found myself hurting for Lucy as she navigated life with the losses piling up while I wished Vivian could get it together for someone other than herself. Then in the second 50% of the book when Lucy convinces Vivian to give sisterhood a chance, I felt hope... For Lucy more than anything but for these two to discover found family. And for a few pages it was exactly that I told Vivian goes back to being a selfish snob and actually SWOONS over her boyfriend leaving his pregnant wife! Pregnant with twins that is! In the end, Vivian softens and learns to be a better person and life finally works out for Lucy. Celeste is the real piece of work in this book and truly influenced the future of the girls Hank fathered. I have to say that the themes of infidelity were soul crushing but overall it works in this story!

An author having the ability to evoke strong emotions in a reader is what makes them an auto-buy author for me and Hannah Orenstein did not disappoint. I loved every moment of this book and devoured it in 24 hours.

I ended up enjoying this book A LOT more than I thought I would have considering how much I disliked all of the characters at the beginning. I liked Lucy the least. Vivian did not owe Lucy anything in my opinion. Lucy was in the situation she was in because of her father and Vivian was not at fault for his life choices. The sense of entitlement coming off of Lucy at the beginning was petulant and childish. The fact that she knew about Vivian at all made it all the worse because she was old enough to analyze and understand the situation at hand. Yes, she lost a parent and yes, she was also getting the short end of the stick when it came to her dad all the time, but she was resenting and Vivian for something that was out of Vivian's control.

Vivian was a hot mess. Even though she grew up in the family that Lucy might have wanted for herself, she was unhappy and I don't blame her, but I also cannot defend her. Her choices were her own. Oscar was all red flags from across the country, and yet...she has made the common mistakes most of us have committed when we believe ourselves to be in love. I think her coming around to Lucy and forgiving herself for what she thinks she did to her dad was lovely to see on paper.

Celeste was trash, but I am glad she came around and redeemed herself. Dawn, oh Dawn. I think she was the only character I liked. I wish she would have had her happy ending. She held onto so much hurt and pain and guilt too and it wasn't fair to her character.

The ending was what turned me around to this book and boosted it up a full star. The four women coming together over their own grief, owning up to their mistakes and working towards healing and just love was beautiful.

Main Characters is described as “The Parent Trap for adults.” I found it to be an emotionally layered novel following two half-sisters meeting for the first time at their late father’s cabin in Maine. What unfolds is a compelling exploration of grief, family secrets, and the complexities of sisterhood. The tension feels authentic; at one point I even found myself shouting at the page, bracing for a disastrous choice.

While the book could have been tighter in places, and a few character arcs felt unresolved, the emotional depth and messy, believable drama kept me engaged throughout. This was a satisfying, if slightly uneven, family story.

3.5 rounded down

Hannah Orenstein’s Maine Characters is a poignant and layered exploration of two half-sisters, Vivian Levy and Lucy Webster, who meet for the first time at their late father’s cabin in Fox Hill, Maine. What begins as a tense, reluctant cohabitation evolves into a compelling journey of reckoning with the past and redefining family.

Fox Hill Lake isn’t just a backdrop, it’s a living, breathing presence. Orenstein’s intimate knowledge of southern Maine infuses the novel with sensory richness: the slap of screen doors, the loons gliding across the water, the forty-seven steps down to the dock. The lake house becomes a representation of memory and meaning, anchoring the sisters as they navigate their fractured histories.

Told through alternating viewpoints, the novel allows readers to inhabit both Vivian’s polished, urban world and Lucy’s small-town resilience. Vivian, a sommelier with a secret and a plan to sell the cabin, arrives with emotional armor. Lucy, a high school teacher with a crumbling marriage, clings to the house as a symbol of stability. Their conflicting desires—and the secrets their father kept—create a storm of suspicion, grief, and reluctant empathy.

Orenstein excels at crafting characters who are beautifully imperfect. Vivian’s entitlement and Lucy’s quiet bitterness are tempered by vulnerability and growth. Their late father, Hank, emerges as a complex figure whose emotional immaturity shaped both daughters’ lives. The discovery of his undelivered letters adds a haunting layer of regret and missed connection.

If you enjoy Contemporary fiction romance with a Summer flair, you'll want to add this to your TBR.

The Parent Trap for Adults...
This is like The Parent trap retelling only for adults. The storyline was about two sisters who shared the same father but grew up apart and meet at their father's lake house set in Maine. To me the characters were unlikable and i didn't feel connected to the story.

I LOVED "Maine Characters" by Hannah Orenstein! Great characters, blended family forced together, and the ups and down of meshing as well as finding new futures. Was enjoyable, uplifting and entertaining. Thank you NetGalley, the author and publisher for the review copy. All opinions are my own.

I was SO excited for this one because I know the author has a lake house on the lake that my best friend and I grew up going to our whole lives, so I couldn't wait to read a story that was based around that lake...but I was so disappointed. I didn't know a lot about the story going in, so it might be more on me than the book itself since I think I was more expecting a romance rather than a lit fic story, but I ended up being SO bored. I listened to this on audio and found myself just kind of zoning out a lot or speeding up the narration just so I could finish it faster. I'd still read other books by this author since I did enjoy her writing style, but unfortunately this story fell flat for me.

Maine Characters is a family drama centering on two sistersm Vivian and Lucy, in their 30s who sort of just find each other. Their father has recently died and Vivian who was raised by her late4 and Mom goes to their second home in Maine and meets Lucy, her half sister. What follows is tale of the two sisters getting to know each other and discovering the truth about the relationships their Dad had with their respective Moms. At times, the book read like a YA novel. Mostly, Ms Orenstein did an excellent job telling the family drama that played out for over 30 years. I particularly love the title which is a play on the word "Main". I received this ARC from Dutton Publishing in exchange for my honest opinion.