Generally, I enjoyed the book and felt it was lighthearted with a good amount of emotion. The story made you feel sorry for both girls and hopeful that they could work it all out and become the sister each needed. THIS is where I think the author fumbled the plot. Rather than focusing more on the sisterly bond and how it flourishes as the women come to terms with their past, we are instead given self-pitying parties around the men in their lives, and constantly too. If Vivian isn't thinking about the whole Lucy situation, she is thinking about Oscar and how he isn't texting back and how they can finally start their lives once she sells the lakehouse. If Lucy isn't hating Vivian for the potential sale of the house, she is trying to find where her relationship with whatever his name is went wrong. It got really old, really quick. To add, we received a lot of emotion and details when reading from Lucy's POV, but I feel like we fell short on Vivian's POV. It could speak to just how different their emotional capacities are, but I think it was more lack of development by the author for Vivian's character. Most of the characters in the story felt very underdeveloped if I am being honest, with exception to Lucy. Clearly there is a favorite character to the author.

Maine Characters follows two half-siblings, that meet for the first time as adults after their father passes.

Vivian is the daughter that Hank had with his wife, Celeste. She had school paid for and lived with Hank year round. Lucy, didn't have the same childhood. She only saw Hank every July at Hank's lake house, when he said he was away for work.

After Hank passes, Celeste lets Vivian take care of what to do with the lake house, she decides that she will make it ready to sell and put it on the market to help start her restaurant. When there, Lucy comes to check on her dad since she hadn't heard from him, and it is July, their month together. Not having a place to stay since she is going through a divorce, she and Vivian meet and decide to stay together for the summer and figure out what to do.

Hannah makes the story feel as though you are healing from this pain with the sisters. They each have their own demons and things that they're struggling with and their own side love stories. This is perfect for anyone who loves the Parent Trap, Carley Fortune, or any story set with growing as a person and healing past issues with family members. I felt like I was at the lake house with them! I really enjoyed this story.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced copy!

⭐⭐⭐⭐= 4/5 stars!

Hannah Ornstein books have been on my TBR for a while. I’ve heard great things! Maine Characters was my first book by her though. I read the brief synopsis and saw the amazing cover and it sounded right up my alley. This story is about Lucy and Vivienne, half sisters who share the same father, but they only meet at the lake house in Maine after their father has passed away. Vivienne comes from a life of luxury in New York with a famous author for a mother. On the other hand, Lucy, is the local girl from the same town as the lake house who’s a teacher and lives a very average life. The story progresses as they reveal secrets about their parents’ past lives, the two grow closer, and their love lives unfold as well. There was quite a bit of drama and some emotional parts. Not a lot of romance and very low spice (nonexistent actually). Although I read the synopsis prior to reading, I still half expected a bit more romance. Despite that, it was still an enjoyable read. I will definitely read more books by this author in the future.

Thank you NetGalley and Penguin Books Dutton for the eArc in exchange for my honest review.

The stunning cover is what initially drew me to this book, but I’m so glad it did because the story was just as beautiful! I absolutely loved it!

The book hooked me right away with the drama of two sisters arriving simultaneously at their father’s vacation cabin after his death, but only one sister knew of the others’ existence. Vivian and Lucy are both struggling in their own ways, and they both felt so real and raw. They decide to spend the summer together at the cabin. The way their relationship builds is painful at times, but so captivating. Both women also have complicated romantic relationships. While this book is not a romance, I enjoyed that the romance sub-plots were included because they gave a full picture of each woman’s life.

This is a book about grief and loss, family relationships, privilege, forgiveness, and new beginnings. It is an emotional but heartwarming read that I highly recommend!

Thank you to Hannah Orenstein, Dutton, and NetGalley for this e-ARC; all opinions are my own.

Read if you like:
💕 Family secrets
💕 Lake vacations
💕 Maine cabin setting
💕 The Parent Trap

A light, summer read that was sweet but also very predictable and cringey at times. It’s part family story, part romance and I only really enjoyed the Maine lake setting and descriptions of food and wine.

Thank you Dutton and NetGalley for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Picked this book up because I saw it was described as The Parent Trap for adults. I feel like we’re watching the parent trap a few times a month so I thought this might be right up my alley. It sounded like a fun read full of unexpected sisterly bonding and emotional twists. Unfortunately, that’s not quite what happened.

Yeah the story centers on two half sisters discovering each other later in life, which sets the stage for an emotional journey. But the plot felt more like a parallel exploration of their individual lives rather than any shared experiences. Their paths rarely felt truly intertwined, and I kept waiting for that deeper connection or meaningful bonding moment that never fully came.

Each of the sister’s story had interesting elements, and I appreciated the different perspectives. But without a strong central arc tying them together, I found myself wondering what the book was really about?? The emotional payoff I hoped for just didn’t land and I’m just left feeling a bit disappointed.

Two women show up at the same lake house in Fox Hill, Maine, not realizing they’ve inherited more than just real estate. Lucy, a schoolteacher from town, is fresh out of a marriage and hasn’t yet grasped that her father has passed. Vivian, a young sommelier from New York with sharp instincts and a complicated dating life, arrives with plans to sell the house and use the money to open her own wine bar. Neither knows the other exists—not really—until they’re suddenly under the same roof, mid-grief, mid-summer.

They’re close in age, shockingly separated by a matter of months, but couldn’t be more different. Lucy grew up in Fox Hill, escaping to the house for a few weeks every summer to fish, read, and be the only apple of her father’s eye for a fleeting moment. Vivian, raised on the Upper East Side, saw her dad the rest of the time, but their relationship was strained and full of pressure. Both women are carrying around very different versions of the same man, and only heartbreakingly come to know the truth through one another’s stories.

Vivian wants a clean exit. Lucy doesn’t even have a place to go. Her mother, Dawn, still runs Miss Pancakes, the local diner, but Lucy is between homes, between lives. As the sisters begin to awkwardly circle each other, friends from town start filtering in. Caleb, who once shared a brief but memorable night with Vivian years ago, now works behind the bar and seems to resurface just as feelings are starting to shift. Lucy, meanwhile, meets someone new, unexpected and a little too charming. Even that simple connection brings more entanglement than either of them predicted.

The lake, the loons, the sunshine and the rain, and the slower pace of small-town Maine begin to soften some of the sharp edges. There are campfires, back porch wine, spontaneous swims, late-night talks, a little flirting with the locals, and some eventual shifts in perspective. Lucy always wanted to befriend her sister. Vivian just wants to feel like she belongs somewhere- for once.

Luckily, these girls learn to figure it out as they go. And by staying put, and by staying in each other’s way, they start to realize they might have more to offer each other than expected.

I picked this book up because the title grabbed me. I love Maine, so the chance to experience it through the eyes of multiple characters really drew me in.

The story centers around two half-sisters who sort of know the other exists, and you just know that setup is going to bring some emotional punches—and it definitely did. At first, I found Lucy super irritating. She leaned hard into the "underdog" narrative, and I honestly caught myself wishing she'd take a backseat so we could move on. Vivian, the NYC-raised, semi-privileged sister, had her flaws too, but her drive to do the right thing and her emotional depth really kept me rooting for her.

I loved how the story unfolded—new friendships, a bit of romance, career shifts, and fresh starts. It had a lot of heart and delivered some solid life lessons along the way. The ending wrapped things up in such a satisfying way. I’m definitely following this author now—I’d love to see what else she’s written.

Wow this was not at all what I was expecting from this!

I went into this one picturing an Emily Henry or Carley Fortune style coastal story, but found more of an Elin Hilderbrand style family drama.

Overall I found this to be very slow unfortunately and didn’t really connect with either of the main characters. I did still enjoy the story!

*Thank you to Penguin Group Dutton & NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!*

✨the first half was a bit of a slog to get through because from the start we have such caricatures of two sisters who literalllllllly could not be more different, look more different, or have more different experiences than the other. then whenever they interacted it was the same shock, annoyance, betrayal, etc.

✨after the 50% mark i flew through this story!!! the sister dynamic settled into something better, we learned more about motivations from everyone involved, there was romantic tension, familial tension, etc. none of which were fully explored in the beginning. i loved the ending. I couldn’t have wished for a better ending for the girls on all fronts. i was a little scared for Lucy there for a minute, but she eventually came to her senses. actually, Vivian too.

✨i did think the way things got resolved was a little too perfect with the finding of the letters, but I think that’s just a staple of the secret family trope. the dads who have been stepping out always leave some sort of letter behind. justice for Dawn though!!! that lady actually did deserve so much better and I hope she’s getting downnnnn now.

Prepare to be transported to the serene beauty of a Maine lake with Hannah Orenstein's "Maine Characters," an engaging novel that masterfully explores the complexities of family, secrets, and the unexpected paths that lead us to connection. This is a story that has been described as "the Parent Trap for adults," and it lives up to that comparison with its blend of drama, humor, and heartfelt emotion.

The premise is instantly captivating: two half-sisters, Vivian and Lucy, who have never met, find themselves sharing their recently deceased father's lake house. Vivian, a driven sommelier from New York City, arrives to scatter his ashes and sell the cabin, only to discover Lucy, a high school English teacher from a small Maine town, already there, unaware of their father's passing. What follows is a summer of forced proximity, simmering resentment, and the slow, often painful, unraveling of the messy truth about their parents' pasts.

Orenstein's writing is both evocative and engaging, drawing you into the lakeside setting with vivid descriptions of loons, sunsets, and the rhythm of the lapping waves. The characters are complex and relatable, each grappling with their own secrets and desires. Vivian's initial abrasiveness gives way to a deeper vulnerability, while Lucy's quiet strength is tested by the revelations that shake her understanding of her life and marriage.

While "Maine Characters" is a fluffy beach read at heart, it also tackles more serious issues like generational patterns, the impact of secrets on families, and the challenging process of redefining what home and family truly mean. The novel expertly balances these deeper themes with moments of humor and the blossoming of unexpected romances, creating a narrative that is both thought-provoking and thoroughly enjoyable.

For fans of authors like Carley Fortune and Elin Hilderbrand, "Maine Characters" offers a similar blend of emotional depth, engaging storytelling, and a strong sense of place. It's a perfect summer read that will leave you feeling connected to the characters and the beautiful Maine landscape. Orenstein has crafted a story about sisterhood that avoids sentimentality while embracing genuine emotion, reminding us that families, in all their forms, are as complex and ever-changing as the lake waters that frame this compelling narrative

Let me start by saying that the cover art is absolutely gorgeous. if you goal is to get me to notice this book and pick it up, BRAVO!

Vivian and Lucy are sisters who never meet (or even really kow about each other) until their shared dad suddenly and unexpectedly dies on Father's Day. The sisters are thrown together for the summer and forced to work out their differences and find something in common. This was a fun, sweet read - perfect for a sunny summer day by the water.

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

I love that this beach read focused on relationships and self-exploration. We get to watch many different characters change and evolve. Some themes included finding your voice, strength, secrets, new love, family, and grief. I really enjoyed this Thank you, NetGalley!

Maine Characters by Hannah Orenstein is a perfect summer read set in a charming Maine lake house. Blending family drama, long-held secrets, and emotional depth, it explores the evolving relationship between Vivian and Lucy in a story reminiscent of an adult Parent Trap. I would have loved a bit more romance throughout, but understand that those conflicts weren’t the central theme. Breezed through this one, dabbling in both the ebook and audio - narration was also good. If you have enjoyed Carley Fortune and Elin Hilderbrand books in the summer, this would be a great addition. Get me to the lake!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing access to a digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.

What first drew me to this book was the cover! (Cover art 5 stars!!) This is the perfect summer read! Think surprise sisters, small-town secrets, and a charming Maine lake house. Heartfelt, fun, and full of messy family feels—I couldn’t put it down.

Vivian’s father dies and when she goes to their lake house to prepare it for sale and to scatter his ashes, she discovers a half sister already at the house.

The best part of this book is the beautiful cover. Seriously, I really didn’t like this book. I almost DNF this one several times and I almost never do that. Like once a year. It was an arc and so I felt like I should keep pushing through.

I liked the setting of a Maine lake house but I couldn’t stand these characters. Lucy is one of my least likable characters ever. The secret half sister was so petulant, whiny and entitled and never got better throughout the story. The “privileged, rich, mean” daughter, Vivian, was actually nicer and more likable. So weird. There’s tons of cheating which is not something I love in books either.

Anyway, maybe it just wasn’t for me and there have been a good amount of positive reviews so give it a chance if you’re interested.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was a really beautifully written story about family, secrets, and what happens when all those secrets are finally exposed.

Vivian Levy goes to Maine to her father's lake house to spread his ashes at his favorite place. But, upon showing up, she finds Lucy at the house- Lucy, who claims to also be his daughter. Lucy knew all about Vivian, but Vivian only had suspicions that Lucy existed. Over the course of the summer, the two women work to forge a bond, even though it seems impossible. As they work to grow their relationship, the women both also must face their own personal battles and decide who they are and who they can be together.

Thank you to Dutton and NetGalley for the chance to read an early copy of this book!

To preface my review, Hannah Orenstein’s novels have always been hit or miss for me—I really enjoyed Meant to Be Mine but couldn’t get into Playing with Matches. I was intrigued by the premise of Maine Characters: two half-sisters meet for the first time at their father’s lake house after his unexpected death. I love the cover, and a lakeside setting seemed like a perfect read for the beginning of summer but unfortunately I struggled to feel invested in the character and their storylines and DNF’d after 22%.

I know other readers have loved this book, calling it an adult version of The Parent Trap, and I think I came to it at a bad time and in the middle of a reading slump. Because it jumped straight into the conflict without much preamble, I think I just struggled to find my footing within the story and didn’t find the characters particularly likeable within the first quarter of the book.

I was so excited to receive an ARC of this book! The cover instantly caught my eye & the description intrigued me! Maine Characters has the drama for sure! This is definitely more of a family feel good, navigating grief, & rollercoaster of emotions for the characters kind of book.

This book focuses on two women who are half sisters, but don’t ever meet until their father passes away. They have to navigate things in their own lives, as well as things together (like selling his house on the lake in Maine) which can be really hard when you’ve never met before. Throughout the book you learn more about their lives & the things they went through growing up. It’s definitely a beautiful story to read & fun to watch the FMC’s grow throughout the book & see where they end up.

Thank you to NetGalley, Hannah Orenstein & Dutton publishing for an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

Really liked the premise and loved the cover, but it fell a little flat for me! Not bad by any means, but it didnt feel really substancial or authentic.