I requested this book due in part to a) the gorgeous cover and b) the interesting premise - two half sisters meet for the first time at their deceased dad's cabin in Maine. I haven't read this author before but went into it expecting lots of family drama which was delivered in spades. I will admit, I found it hard to bond initially with either sister, both Vivian and Lucy have their walls up for various reasons, but as the book went on and we as readers were drawn more and more into their lives I became utterly engrossed.

There is a bit of romance happening with both sisters, but the romance really takes a backseat to complicated family relationships and the untangling of three decades worth of lies, half truths and omissions their dad handed down to them. While the ending was a little too perfect (even though I did love how it all worked out), I do appreciate that both sisters got a chance to get to know each other and themselves by the end. I did want to shake their father Hank though, the author tried to paint him as a flawed individual (which he was) but he also give the short straw to both of his daughters (one for being the fun summer dad and one for being the absentee dad) and it showed.

Recommended for fans of both summer reads + low stakes family drama. It was enjoyable.

I really loved this book. It is so well-written and thought out. The characters are great with layers of emotion. It is well paced and heartfelt.

Thank you for the opportunity to read this arc.

“The Parent Trap for adults.”

The story centers around half-sisters, Vivian and Lucy, as they meet for the first time at their father’s Maine lake house after his untimely death. As these two very different women grapple with the loss, they attempt to form a relationship and work through some major life changes and decisions.

I honestly was not a fan of the FMCs but the writing in this book flowed seamlessly and it was easy to stay engaged in the story. Orenstein’s descriptions of Maine and small-town living made me want to book a trip there immediately. This would be a great read to take to the lake this summer. Also, isn’t this cover gorgeous? It’s one of my faves so far this year.

Thank you NetGalley and Penguin Books Dutton for the advance copy in exchange for my honest review. Will post my review on the publication date.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC opportunity!

This was really good. Its very much a reverse Parent Trap vibe, and i liked that. Its different than other things i have read before. It had a slow pace, but never a boring pace. I also felt the pacing was true to the events, and it paid off in the end. The writing in this is done so well, and its so emotional. It felt very human, and real.

My only real flaw with the story is the whole Oscar situation. I wish we had gotten something different with Vivian, especially with her knowing he was married, because girl, i cant root for you in that.

This was my first book by Hannah Orenstein. I was initially drawn to this book because of the gorgeous cover and reference to it being "an adult parent trap". This book draws you in from the moment Lucy and Vivian meet at the lake house. There are so many layers to this book from their dad, to each of their mom’s. I loved the ending of this book, but found myself wanting more. Thanks to Netgalley and Penguin Books Dutton for the arc in exchange for my honest review.

Vivian and Lucy find out they are half sisters who have been spending the summers at their lake house with their father separately after he dies unexpectedly. They decide to spend the summer there together trying to figure out how to move on and where to go with their lives, Vivian wants to sell the house to start her business and Lucy wants to keep it and preserve the memories she had with her father. I enjoyed the premise and the writing style and seeing the characters develop and change throughout the book. This is the perfect beach/summer read and will be looking to read Hannah Orensteins other books. I want to thank NetGalley and PENGUIN GROUP Dutton for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

This novel delivers a tender, emotionally rich story about family, grief, and the complicated ties that bind us. Set at a lake house in Maine, the story follows half-sisters Vivian and Lucy—strangers until their father’s unexpected death brings them together for the first time.

I found the character development to be a strong point in the novel. Both Vivian and Lucy are well-drawn, flawed, and believable, and their individual journeys felt genuine. The storyline was well thought out, with enough layers to keep things interesting as secrets unraveled and emotions simmered beneath the surface.

The pacing was a little slower than I typically prefer, but the emotional payoff made it worthwhile. There’s something quietly powerful about the way the story explores forgiveness, identity, and what it really means to be family.

Overall, I found this to be a heartfelt and enjoyable read—perfect for readers who enjoy introspective character-driven stories set against a serene summer backdrop.

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

As an only child who has vulnerably yearned for siblings, especially a sister, in my adulthood this book really hit me hard at times. This book follows Vivian who finds out her recently deceased father has been hiding his secret family, including her half-sister Lucy. We follow Vivian and Lucy as they navigate their new reality of sisterhood, their father's untimely death, and their other personal relationships. We cover family, love, and most importantly our relationship with ourselves.

I really enjoyed this book. The reviews are true, a lot of this book is a constant back and forth between Vivian and Lucy. They have very different worldviews and goals at the beginning of the novel, but I thought it was such a treat watching them not only grow together, but grow as individuals as well. There were seemingly a lot of plots happening throughout the story and I think Orenstein did an amazing job of weaving them into the main plot and wrapping everything up at the end. I thought the relationships were very raw and made the story very entertaining while also very realistic. This type of situation is a breeding ground for regret, anger, and confusion. The emotions captured in Vivian and Lucy's stories showcased the abilities of the author.

I never say this, but my main complaint about this book is that it should have been longer! Or at least given me a time skip epilogue! I really wanted to see where these relationships stood after more time. Other than that, a wonderful solid read and Lord knows that cover is gorgeous.

4⭐️

**Thank you Dutton and NetGalley for the eARC**

Vivian and Lucy are estranged half sisters. And their father has just died, thrusting them into a strange meeting at the summer lake house in Maine. They are both facing crossroads in their relationships and professional lives while trying to navigate and integrate their newfound sisterhood. Truths will come to the surface and rock them in many ways.

Orenstein paints beautifully vivid pictures of Maine in summer. She truly created images that helped me visualize where the characters were. There were some times that it felt like I was bogged down in wording whether from descriptions or just the exposition of the story, but overall, I enjoyed the journey and experience with the characters. I always love a story with good character growth and change. This would be a great summer beach/lake read!

I absolutely loved Maine Characters by Hannah Orenstein-an easy 5 stars. The emotional depth was beautiful; it made my heart ache in the best way. I usually struggle with third-person narration, but I felt so connected to the characters that I didn't mind at all. The writing is vivid and cozy, capturing the essence of a July in Maine with its lake house warmth. Every sentence felt intentional, pulling me deeper into the story. Beautifully written, deeply felt-I didn't want it to end.

Thank you to NetGalley, Penguin Random House, and Hannah Orenstein & her team for the ARC. Maine Characters comes out May 13, 2025!

If the title doesn't capture your attention like it did me, let me assure you this is worth the read. A man has two daughters that both spend separate months with him at a lake house in the middle of nowhere Maine. He passes away unexpectedly and the daughters end up discovering each other at the house. Typical Parent Trap-like stuff happens and there is a lot of extra drama going on with both sisters that kept me reading and I needed to know how everything wrapped up. Thank you NetGalley and Penguin Group Dutton for a chance to read this one early in exchange for an honest review.

I did like this book but I didn’t love it! The setting is amazing but I could not stand the two main characters fighting the whole time (even when the fights were understandable for their situation).

Maine Characters publishes next month, just in time for summer reading.

The story is about Vivian and Lucy, two previously unknown sisters staying at their father's lakeside vacation home for the summer. They must work through their grief over their father's death while also getting to know each other.

Family relationships are at the center of this book, with a few romantic subplots. The lakeside Maine setting is idyllic. It's an emotional read, but still a great pick for vacation!

Hailed as a reverse parent trap, two sisters meet up at their father's lake house. Neither Lucy or Vivienne know about the other, so it's quite a shock when Vivienne shows up and sees Lucy in HER dad's house. Through the confusion, Vivienne tells Lucy their dad is dead and she will be selling the lake house. Lucy's world is upended...her father she only saw once a year has died, she is in the middle of getting divorced, has lost her job and will now be homeless. Vivienne is unmoved by Lucy's plight, and stubbornly refuses to budge on the sale of the house.

But Vivienne's life isn't rosy either. She's in a relationship with a married man who promises he's leaving his wife, she needs the money from the sale of the house to open her own wine bar in NYC, and shes furious with her dead father for keeping so many secrets. As both girls are forced to spend more and more time together at the lake house, they begin to thaw towards each other and realize how hurt they both were in different ways by their father's secrets.

Can they come to an arrangement that will work for everyone AND manage to become sisters? Or will the pain of the past ruin any hope for the future?

Maine Characters is a highly anticipated summer read for 2025.

Vivian, a rising star in the NYC wine industry, and Lucy, an English teacher from rural Maine, make an unlikely pair when they are forced to share a lake house for the summer. The house belongs to Vivian's dad who recently passed away, taking with him a major family secret - he had a secret daughter near his summer house in Maine (Lucy). Vivian doesn't find out about Lucy until she is faced with settling her dad's affairs following his death, which includes what to do with the lake house. Lucy has always felt attached to the house, which was the only place she got to spend time with her father when she was growing up every July. For Vivian, the house represents the complicated and disappointing relationship she had with her father, and she wants to move on.

I really wanted to like this book. However, I found Vivian and Lucy to be unlikable (nearly insufferable) characters. The way they treat each other for the majority of the book was ugly, and we didn't really get to see a redeemable or relatable side to either of them. While reading, I just felt like I was rooting for both of them to lose.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Absolutely obsessed with this one! The cover and storyline is adorable. I have been recommending this one to all my friends now that it is out.

A beautiful story of a lake and two sisters learning to have a relationship with one another after not growing up together. It’s truly the adult version of The Parent Trap.

I really enjoyed this story of how being human can affect those around you. Vivian and Lucy’s dad never let them meet and it’s from his one choice that everything spirals. The angst, the learning to move past the errors of his ways made for a wonderful story.

The one thing I couldn’t get behind was Vivian and her relationship with Oscar. I HATE when women decide to be the side piece, fully knowing the man is in a marriage. It just grinded my gears. Plus her mom Celeste? Goodness. To keep so much from her? UGH.

Overall loved the journey of this novel. Thank you NetGalley, Dutton and Hannah Orenstein for the ARC in exchange of an honest review.

3.5 stars Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the copy. Maine Characters follow two sisters, Lucy and Vivian, as they navigate a new relationship between them. They share the same father, but never knew each other. After the sudden passing of their father, Vivian leaves New York to sell their lake house in Maine. When she arrives, she finds Lucy a sister that she thought existed, but wasn’t sure. Lucy does not want to sell the house and is not going to let Vivian sell it without a fight. I enjoyed the storyline. Based on the cover, I thought it would be more upbeat, but there were heavy themes found in the novel. I didn’t care for Vivian at the beginning, but she redeemed herself. It took me a bit to get into the story, but once I was interested, it flowed pretty well.

This story was more than I expected, in the best way possible! It was more than just a story about two sisters connecting for the first time after thirty years, it was also a story of female friendship, grief and loss, relationships, and what to do when life flips the script on you. There were times when I wanted to scream at the main characters, others where I wanted to hug them, and isn’t that the human experience? The writing was so incredible the characters felt three dimensional. I cried along with them as information was revealed about their father and secrets they, or their mothers, had been keeping.

And, completely unrelated to the writing, the cover design is absolutely gorgeous!!

Thank you Hannah Orenstein, Netgalley, and Penguin Books Dutton for the eARC in exchange for my honest opinion!

I was curious what inspired by the parent trap meant, but this book nailed it. I love the two stories running in parallel with each other. Lucy already knowing about her half sister was the perfect slight difference. Plus being set in a lake house in Maine. Would definitely recommend this read.