This was such a good book. I loved the story and the writing so much. The characters were great and the story flowed smoothly. Will definitely read more books by this author in the future.

Since moving to Maine two and a half years ago, I am extra drawn to books set in this beautiful state. Maine Characters tells the story of a set of sisters who have the same biological father but were raised apart. One of the sisters has known of the other their whole life while the other had no idea until after the passing of their father. This story is filled with family drama, sister drama, secrets and of course, the sisterhood we wished for all along.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an ARC for review.

This is my first time reading this author, and while I did enjoy this novel, it moved a bit too slowly for me at the beginning. The story spun its wheels without going anywhere. This book follows Lucy and Vivian, two half-sisters who meet for the first time at their father's lake house, after their father's sudden death. I never got a full feel for his character, despite the focus on how he kept the two sisters in the dark. The second half of the book picks up, with better pacing and character development, and I did like it better as I finished it. It's an emotional story about grief and family drama.

3 stars for me. This isn’t my go-to genre, but I enjoy an emotional story from time to time. Unfortunately, this one didn’t stand out. I didn’t love the marketing as an ‘adult Parent Trap’—it made the book sound lighthearted, but it was anything but. The story was hard to get into, and it took me a week to get through the first 20%, which is unusual for me. The characters weren’t particularly likeable at first, making it a slow and difficult start. Around 40%, I began to connect with the characters and grew more interested, but even then, the pacing stayed slow. It was a reflective story about discovering someone isn’t perfect and grieving a loss, beautifully showcasing human flaws and relationships. Still, it wasn’t a page-turner. If you enjoy slow, introspective stories, it might resonate more for you.

This was a good read. The characters were complicated and the storyline gave us a good chance to examine those characters and unspool them a little. Both sisters are working through lots of hurt and their paralleled journeys with grief are narratively interesting as they foil one another.

When I read the punny title and the description that this was “The Parent Trap for adults,” I had really different expectations for this book. Maybe that’s on me and the cartoon cover? Because this book was a lot more serious than I expected it to be — which is certainly not a bad thing, it was well written — it took me a minute to catch up to what I was actually reading.

This isn’t a sunny book of silly pranks that bring a broken family back together, it’s more an examination of a lot of people making incredibly selfish decisions over and over, the fallout from that, and the role of forgiveness in the grieving process.

The book is good, but citing The Parent Trap almost feels unfair to both works?

Parent trap meets modern day. I was absolutely hooked from the first chapter. I picked this book to read initially because I loved the cover, and loved the story behind it. I found Hannah on instagram, and thought it was cool that the cabin was a rendering of her own place. This drew me to the book. The flow of the writing, and relatable characters kept me entertained from cover to cover. I love how Vivian was kept in the dark about Lucy. The meeting of the two was uncomfortable, and natural. I’m excited for this book to be published for everyone to read!

I’ve been a fan of Hannah Orenstein for years. I loved how so many of the details in this book come from her own summers at her family’s lake house in Maine. Maine Characters tells the story of two sisters who grew up apart and were kept apart by their father’s secrets. After their father’s untimely death everything comes to a head and Vivian and Lucy have to learn how to co-exist in their Maine lake house. Some of the details of their family conflict seem pretty far fetched and if you explore them too closely aspects of the plot begins to fall apart, but it’s easy to see beyond that because this story and these sisters have so much heart. I loved the exploration of Vivian and Lucy’s relationship with each other, their respective mothers and their father’s memory. If you are going on a lake or beach vacation this upcoming summer, Maine Characters will be a great book to bring with you.
Thank you to Netgalley and Dutton for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I received an ARC of this novel from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

The ending slayed me. I love the growing relationship between the sisters. I wish them well.

Very little makes me happier than a work of fiction that feels like home. Maine isn’t my home, but it’s close, and Fox Hill Lake feels like the lakes my family spent time on in my childhood. The story itself was enjoyable - there were aspects of Lucy and Vivian that I liked and disliked, and I rooted for them both not necessarily to get what they each thought they wanted, but to get what they needed. The end was wrapped up with a pretty little bow, which will certainly make some eyes roll, but which perfectly for me. Review to be shared on Instagram closer to pub date.

Thank you, NetGalley, Penquin Group Dutton and Hannah Orenstein for this ARC.

I have enjoyed other books by this author, not so much this one. I thought it would be interesting to read about 2 1/2 sisters who have never met, but accidently meet at their father's cabin after his passing. Vivian is the daughter that everyone knew about while Lucy is the one that he kept hidden. Vivian was also the one who was raised with the money while Lucy didn't have the same advantages. I wasn't a fan of Vivian, she came across as selfish and cold hearted at times. I can't say that I ever warmed up to her. I definitely never warmed up to her mother. Lucy was just annoying. I really felt for her mother. As for Hank, he should have been honest. So many lives messed up because of him.

Enough of the characters, the plot was interesting and there were so many side stories. Some felt rushed and made this book longer than it needed to be. I would have liked .more of the relationship with the sisters than the side characters. Both girls were wronged by their father and needed to heal, it would have been great to see more of them healing together.

This book is the story of two half sisters who meet for the first time after the unexpected death of their father.

There were elements of the story I really enjoyed - the relationship that developed between the sisters - but there were too many side plots that made the book drag on and feel much longer than necessary.

In the end I did like it, but would have found it more enjoyable had it been more focused.

Thanks to the publishers and NetGalley for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

*Maine Characters* by Hanna Orenstein is a captivating, character-driven novel that explores the complexities of family, identity, and self-discovery. Set in the picturesque yet emotionally charged backdrop of coastal Maine, the story intertwines multiple perspectives to unravel deep-seated secrets and evolving relationships. Ornstein’s prose is rich and evocative, drawing readers into a layered narrative filled with both tenderness and tension. A compelling read for fans of literary fiction with a focus on human connection. Absolutely loved this!!

Thank you for this ARC!

A solid read set in one of my favorite places, Maine, made this an easy and enjoyable read. This book will definitely be a forgettable one, but nevertheless a nice diversion.

The setting in this book is so gorgeous and nostalgic , you will instantly get swept back to your youth. As we follow Vivian and Lucy, two sisters who don’t really know that they’re sisters, we watch family secrets unravel lives. Both girls used to spend a summer month with their dad Hank at the lake. But when Vivian goes to clean the house up after his death in July, she finds Lucy there waiting for her dad to show up. She didn’t even know that he died. As the girls try to come to terms with who their dad was, they also get to know each other. There are ups and downs as they fight over selling the lake house of not, but it ultimately brings them together in a bond of true sisterhood. I highly enjoyed this and my only critique would be that it was a little drawn out. Otherwise, I loved it!

If you like the cover - you'll love the book. Orenstein deliciously describes the beauty of Maine, and I gobbled it up!

What I enjoyed most about this read was the way Orenstein wove her way between the A-plot (sisterhood/ family complexities) & the B-plot (romance!!), supplemented generously by the C-plot (friendship). Main Characters is a nuanced masterclass on the lesson that many children learn as they grow up: our parents are human people too and, as such, they are much more than they show us and are certainly not perfect. Allowing love to creep through and grow in the midst of what appears to be the ruins of a once picture-perfect family, two half-sisters and their mothers pick up the pieces, and just might be building something even more beautiful.

Described as a grown-up Parent Trap, Orenstein delivered that, and more. Each character revealed layers upon layers, the storyline twisted then turned, and yet Orenstein deftly described each and every color upon the palette of lake-living in Maine. A resounding 5-stars! Can't wait to pick up a physical copy in May.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book! It started off a little slow but as the friendship and connection grew between Lucy and Vivian, I became more invested. I loved how the two of them came together and really struggled through all of their problems. I also liked that it had a little bit of romance but the focus of the book was on the family relationships.

This was good but not great. A lot seemed pretty unbelievable and I just really hated Vivian and Celeste. The entire time. I was never once rooting for them. The level of self awareness was unreal for adt humans. And Vivian doing the same thing she was such a brat to her dad about… I just really didn’t care about what happened to anyone.

Maybe it’s that I’ve lived in Maine for years, but this was such a cute, fun, detailed read. It was delightful to know about all of the classic “Maine”/Portland things that Hannah Orenstein wrote about, and I definitely can imagine many towns like Fox Hill. I found myself both relating to and growing frustrated with all of the characters, above all Lucy, but that made them seem all the more real. I think this was a book that did a lot of fan service to people who are in the know about Maine, but I ate it up. I do feel like some things were repetitive/it could have been tightened up and shortened a bit, but since I enjoyed it so much I liked that it was a bit longer.

I was mainly interested in this book because of the description of “parent trap for adults”, but that fell flat for me. I see where the author is coming from, but the fun part about parent trap, that was missing, is them switching places and the high jinks that follow. So yes we have sisters that didn’t know about each other meet for the first time after their dad’s death. I LOVED the setting of Maine in the summer at a lake in a cute lake house, but that was about it. The characters were kinda meh and the plot just didn’t hit. The focus was on the sisters, but the romances were just kind of there. I like the set up for the relationships being complicated with cheating and lost loves etc. but by the end I was over it.
So I don’t know.. save your money, but also I want to go vacation there?

I wasn't sure what to expect with Maine Characters but it quickly drew me in. Vivian and Lucy are half sisters who have never met but are now thrown together after their father passed away. This was a beautifully written novel focusing on the themes of forgiveness, connection, and growth. This book tackles some hard emotions and Orenstein did that with care.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!