️I was excited to see that Hannah Orenstein had a new book coming out. Until now, I had only read Meant to Be Mine and Playing with Matches (which I enjoyed).

Maine Characters is about two half-sisters in their early thirties, Vivian and Lucy, who meet for the first time at their father’s cabin in Maine after his unexpected death. Between the sisters' separate lives/secrets and the family drama, I was hooked. Honestly, the book had no business being this messy. I LOVED it!

I could not stand Lucy; she was too whiny and childish. I liked Vivian more, even though she still had her faults.

The cover is gorgeous, and I loved the Maine setting.

Thank you to NetGalley, Penguin Group Dutton, and Hannah Orenstein for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!

This was a drama filled book with the best Maine vibes, but not the drama I wanted. The characters were early thirties and acted like my sister in high school lol Vivian and Lucy were so annoying I think they just needed to slap each other and call a truce. There were characters added in that would shine and then just like disappear? The story finished nearly which I’m fine with and honestly the drama was so annoying I was fine to finish the book because at least it wasn’t me going through that lol

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC!

2/5 stars. Vivian was SO unbelievably frustrating. Honestly both female characters were so childish and annoying. I did not feel anything for them. The writing was good but the chapters were long and Vivian was just so insufferable

*Maine Characters* by Hannah Orenstein is a heartfelt story about two half-sisters who meet for the first time after their father’s death. Vivian, a city girl, and Lucy, a small-town teacher, are total opposites, but as they spend time in their dad’s Maine cabin, they uncover family secrets and start to rethink what family really means.

The setting is super immersive, the characters feel real (even when they’re frustrating), and there’s just enough romance to keep things interesting. If you love stories about messy families and personal growth, this one’s a great pick!

Hannah Orenstein loves to write an unlikeable female main character but in this book, she managed to write two unlikable FMCs and that has to applauded for how difficult that must be. Crisp prose and a bit of a time hopping plot leaves you wanting to implore - no, demand - that Vivian and Lucy go to therapy. Please. For me? Just go to therapy. If not therapy can I recommend lobotomies? They do not call in an emergency therapist and thus hijinks ensue. They are both so hurt and mean that it was physically painful to read. I was twisted up in knots the whole time. Around the 75% mark, you start to think maybe these two women are not actually the worst people on earth. To her credit Orenstein sticks the landing, maybe wrapping it all up a little to cleanly and quickly but no matter, by the end you don't hate Vivian and Lucy, so I guess there's that.

For as much as I didn't like reading the first half of this book, I actually think I would recommend it to friends. But with the caveat that they have to give it two hours before they're allowed to DNF it. If you can make it two hours, you'll eventually be hooked and the payoff is, begrudgingly, worth it.

The Maine lakeside setting is the true winner in this story ready-made for your summer TBR pile.

The two main characters share a dad, and though the part-time daughter in Maine (Lucy) is fully aware of her half-sister (Vivian), the full-time daughter in New York City, Vivian has no real knowledge about Lucy, just a hunch that her dad has been keeping secrets. The two meet at the family’s lakeside cottage when Vivian arrives to clean out the cottage and prepare it for sale following her father’s death. Vivian shows up in July, typically Lucy’s month at the lake with her dad, startling Lucy and upending her entire world. Lucy doesn’t even know that her father has died, and now Vivian wants to sell the only tie Lucy has really had with the man she sees but once a year during this coveted, idyllic month each summer.

The girls have a contentious dynamic, learning to navigate their circumstances as well as the other’s relationship with their father. Each of the girls have complicated love lives that will be resolved in surprising ways for each of them by the end of this tumultuous summer. Along with their mothers and a circle of new and old friends, they ultimately form a small, unconventional family, who gather at the lake to say goodbye to the man that brought them together in the first place.

There are other dynamics at play throughout the story, making it a layered and complex telling that is not your typical light beach read, but the lakeside setting will still make for a satisfying summer escape.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group Dutton for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

Probably closer to 3.5 ⭐️ but I loved reading Maine Characters. It was predictable and cozy in the best way, I only wish I was at a lake house and it was currently Summer.

The title makes perfect sense for the story line and while it was predictable, I did really enjoy it and thought everything from character development to twists and turns were well done.

Once I was in the groove of reading it, I couldn’t put it down.

I’ll pick up any book compared to the Parent Trap. I loved all of the family drama and the ways everyone at the lake is intertwined. The multi-timelines and flashbacks were well done to give the story more depth. I also enjoyed all of the pop culture references tucked into the writing and Celeste’s book titles. My only critique is the ending tied up a little too perfectly for me, but that’s personal preference. Would be a great summer beach/lake read!


(Thank you to NetGalley for my eARC)

I honestly had such high hopes for this one because I’ve loved her other books AND the premise of this was so cute!! But honestly the writing just felt messy… It was split POV but the two characters interacted so much it was hard to keep straight whose mind we were in? There were some lines where the narrator would observe something so personal about the other sister that it took me a minute to remember whose perspective I was supposed to be in. And even though the story was super powerful and I loved it a lot, some of the characters were just so hard to like or understand and it really took away from the whole experience.

Definitely fun summer parent trap vibes though! Although it did feel like the same issues were just repeating themselves, with all of the back and forth about selling vs not selling the house, and eventually it got kind of stale.

All in all it wasn’t terrible but it did not meet expectations, and felt a bit all over the place :(

(That being said, I'll still buy it when it comes out, and will recommend it to my friends, because the premise of the story was fun!)

Two half sisters must come to terms with the existence of each other and their inheritance after their father dies unexpectedly.
This book was somewhat reminiscent of The Parent Trap, but make the girls grown-ups and kind of a hot mess. Overall I thought this was a cute read but I think I wanted a bit more character development that we got. Each character felt sort of stereotyped in a way that didn’t make me invest in them enough. I would definitely read more from this author though, I enjoyed the book!
Thank you to the author, publisher, and Netgalley for this ARC!

Maine Characters, the latest novel by Hannah Orenstein, is the story of two estranged sisters who are reunited after their shared father's death. Lucy knew her sister existed, but Vivian did not. You may already guess that their relationship begins with contempt and, as with most similar novels, ends with love. What sets this book apart, though, is Ms. Orenstein's clever attention to detail and character development, as well as everything that happens within the chapters leading from beginning to end. If you are in the mood for a lighthearted story with lovely protagonists and the beautiful backdrop of the great state of Maine, this may very well be the book for you.

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC!
3.5 STARS
This story follows Vivian and Lucy who find out they share the same father and it takes you on a journey from there. While I didn’t like either FMCs too much - their “family” dynamic was so intriguing to see develop through out the story. I hated their father throughout the entire book, haha. I think him a coward and I can’t respect it at allll. I also want it to be noted that the way Hannah describes this small town in Maine made me appreciate the small town I live in. I will gladly read another book by Hannah O.

I admit I was drawn in by this beautiful cover and did not realize that this was definitely not a fun romance like I usually read. This was very emotional and I did enjoy it, just would have preferred more levity in my books. Thank you to Net Galley for the chance to read this early.

I absolutely adored this book! The cover art is stunning—truly captivating from the moment I first saw it. And the parent trap by the lake concept? My inner 90s child couldn’t have been more excited. I was immediately hooked and ready for the journey. The title also drew me in—it was perfect! Hannah Orenstein crafted an emotionally resonant story that weaves together the lives of Lucy and Vivian beautifully. I’m a sucker for books that dive into complex family dynamics, and this one delivered that in spades. It definitely earned extra points for the depth of the family drama it explored.

Great summer book! A heartwarming novel about friends and family, even if it’s a less than perfect situation. Enjoy watching Lucy and Vivian grow throughout the book. Would definitely recommend!

One of the tag lines for the books is "the Parent Trap for adults" and thats exactly what it was. The cover is gorgeous. The characters and story are well though out and well paced.

This was a fun, cozy read - a type of adult parent trap. The author planned this story well, including enough details to make this realistic (which is important to me, even in a rom com).

I could truly imagine the setting and wish I could be there, sitting at the lake with a nice glass of wine. I would definitely recommend!!

Every July, Lucy spends a month with her father at his lake cabin. Every August, Vivian spends a month with her father at the cabin. The two girls have never met. After his unexpected death Vivian goes to the lake to spread his ashes and sell his cabin and finds Lucy there waiting for his return. The two women spend an emotional summer together as they process their grief and struggle to untangle the messy truth about their parents.

I found this story very intriguing. The wealth of emotions a daughter would experience in this situation: anger, sadness, betrayal. The author did a great job portraying these feelings in her characters. And while I found Vivian to be insufferably spoiled and entitled, I did eventually warm to her and appreciated her character arc. I liked Lucy a lot and enjoyed her warm relationship with her mother. This was a good family drama that I thought was really well done.

The gorgeous cover art immediately drew me in, and the description hooked me!

Nostalgic summertime vibes, wine, and water — there were certainly great qualities in this book.

Both Vivian and Lucy were so insanely unlikable. An adultery storyline will always be an immediate no for me. Not a lot happened, and everything felt too neatly tied up. There was promise in the premise, but the execution left a lot to be desired.

Maine Characters is a compelling novel about two half-sisters, Lucy & Vivian, that share a father and only meet each other in person only after their father's untimely passing. The novel navigates through the complexity of family dynamics while dealing with grief and relationships with significant others. The sisters' bickering occur through 3/4 of the novel until they try to get to know each other and make connections. At times, it felt like the love triangles plot overshadowed the sisters' relationship.

Themes of the story include trying to find yourself & know you do not have to be in a relationship to be successful, how to grieve while navigating a messy family, and the consequences of actions by others.

Thank you NetGalley & Dutton for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. Maine Character comes out May 13, 2025.