This cover is so beautiful, and I love a sister story, and Maine. But, sadly, this book really didnt' work for me. The love triangles (familial and romantic) were too much and I found the two main characters (the sisters) were unlikable at every step. I had to DNF, but I hope to pick up a future book of Hannah's!

This is more family drama than anything else and frankly going back and forth between Vivian and Lucy’s POVs drove me mad. I didn’t find either sister the least bit entertaining or relatable, and frankly I thought Lucy was far too naive about what her presence and history with Hank would do and mean to Vivian, the girl is entirely tactless and it was really annoying.

The romantic elements were sooooo far behind in terms of important which I guess is fine if you know what you’re getting into, but for anyone expecting romance— move on as this has just the barest of crumbs. Ultimately I think it was a mistake to have both sisters splitting the POV because everything felt so much slower, every interaction has to be seen from both sides, preventing the story from moving forward.

Two half sister meet at their family cabin after their dad’s sudden death and have to wrestle with his secrets and what he left behind. I loved that both sister go through personal journeys and growth on their own terms, but also learn how to lean on each other for support and realize that neither of them quite got the best of their dad. Wonderful setting in rural Maine rounds out the great cast of characters!

While the ending of the story was predictable, the character growth and development was fantastic. The descriptions of the locations made you feel like you were there.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

I liked the premise of this- there is no surprise about the secret second daughter, you find out about that right away. It's more of building a relationship between the two who come from different backgrounds with a father who loved them but not always equally. Lucy and Vivien never met until after their father's passing and building their relationship was not an easy one. They did not always see eye to eye on certain matters and had a hard time deciding if they could have a relationship.

I loved both Lucy and Viven. They both struggled with their relationship with their father but also with their romantic life. I like that the romances was not the main focus- yes I loved hearing about them but at the same time the predictability of them was a comfort with all of the family drama going on.

This wasn't my first read by this author and it won't be my last!

This is such a fun premise, and I love the title and cover. I especially admire the author's attention to character development. There are no cardboard good or bad characters, but rather this novel is populated by characters who seem like real people. There is also an interesting treatment of generational trauma. The author includes a good balance of interiority combined with external plot. My one complaint is that the pacing is a bit slow. The book could have been tightened/shorter. This is a very minor criticism though, and the pacing did not ultimately detract from my enjoyment of the book. I will look forward to more from this author.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advance e-galley; all opinions in my review are 100% my own.

This is my first Hannah Orenstein book but it won’t be my last. I really enjoyed this read and look forward to reading it again when it comes out this summer. 5 stars

The writing of this story was very good! I like the story and following along with the characters as they navigate their new lives as secrets come to light.

The characters are especially likeable and I actually connected with Lucy really well. Vivian was a bit more cold, but her character was well designed.

The imagery of the town and various elements throughout the book was well written. I enjoyed this lighthearted story. It was a fun read!

3.5⭐️

Family drama, lake home, and working through the grief of losing a parent. I enjoyed this book and will definitely read more by this author!

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC! Rounding down from 3.5 stars.
Cover art and title - amazing!!
The story is so intriguing and the characters are very nuanced. It was kind of like a grown up parent trap which, if you think about it, would be a terrible situation for your parents to actually put you in! The "villains" were very nuanced - parents don't often seem bad from an outside perspective but to their children the damage comes from the build up through a lifetime and I felt like that was the case here. The "bad guys" were realistically bad.
The timeline was pretty hard to follow throughout, and I felt like I could have used a lot more insight into a characters thoughts at times, and a lot less in others. This all made it harder for me to connect with the characters and is the reason for the -2.5 stars.

Maine Characters was a refreshingly different story. It had an original plot line with good character development and I was always eager to find out what was going to happen next in the story of Lucy and Vivian.

I also loved the setting! Orenstein did an amazing job capturing the natural beauty of a cabin on a lake so that the reader can nearly feel the sunshine on their face and experience the rocking of the boat. It’ll make you jealous you’re not there.

My only criticism is that one relationship felt unnecessary to the plot. If it was removed, the story would not have changed and because of this, I didn’t have a deep interest in this part of the story.

After many predictable romance novels, this was a breath of fresh air 😌💖 I finished the book wishing I could find out what happens next in the main(e) characters’ lives. Thanks NetGalley for the ARC - so glad I chose this one. 🦞🚤☀️🍷

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC!

Maine Characters is a story about two sisters who have never met, thrown together when their dad dies unexpectedly. Vivian grew up with her dad Hank in New York City, while Lucy got one month a year at Hank's lake house in Maine. The premise drew me in immediately, but both sisters were tough to like in the beginning. Vivian is cold and spoiled, while Lucy is a bit of a pushover. In the beginning it was hard to root for either of them. They do have decent growth thoughout the book and I was happy with where they both ended, but their initial personalities made this a little tough to get into. I did love their cozy lake cabin. I could see this being a great beach read!

This was a fun take on The Parent Trap!

It really took me a while to warm up to both characters but the unique plot and interesting family dynamics made it an interesting read. I love seeing flawed characters who realize they have the ability to change!

the cover of this book is so pretty. the content of the book? not so pretty. i'll start by saying all the characters, with the exception of maybe one, are all insufferable and frustrating. I didn't like the basis behind the book at all either, father's secret life yada yada yada. just was not interested in that. this book is marketed at an "adult parent trap" and it honestly couldn't be farther from that. the only thing that made me think about the parent trap in this book is the scene where they watch the movie. there were also just too many love triangles that then seemed forgotten in the end.

for a book that has such a beautiful cover, I was disappointed in this one and couldn't wait for it to be over. the ending, while pretty happy, seems so unbelievable and sudden that it's just ridiculous. however, I did enjoy the maine/summer setting and visualizing that. some people will definitely enjoy this novel as a sweet little summer beach read, but it wasn't for me.

thank you to netgalley and penguin group dutton for this ARC! out 5/13/25.

This is my second Hannah Orenstein book and she is quickly becoming an auto buy! This book is being compared to the parent trap which was my favorite movie when I was young (Lindsey Lohan can do no wrong). This book did not disappoint.

Maine Characters follows two step-sisters navigating life after the loss of their father in the small lake town of Fox Hill. To make matters more complicated, they had never met prior and find themselves sharing more than just their father’s cabin for the remainder of the summer.

Vivian is a strong-willed, sassy New Yorker who had the privilege of growing up with both of her parents and all the benefits you could imagine. Lucy, on the other hand, grew up with the struggles of single parenthood and was forced to savor one measly month a year with her father in July.

Since their father kept them separate and Lucy hidden from Vivian and his wife, the two had quite a bit of catching up to do throughout the summer. Needless to say, it was not what either of them had in mind. Lucy was more optimistic about their relationship as sisters whereas Vivian wanted to essentially sell the house and move on without a second thought. Their sisterhood blossoms before your very eyes but not without a fair share of drama first. There are love interests, mama drama, small town antics and plenty of secrets that unravel as these sisters begin learn more about one another.

I honestly would’ve picked up this book based off of the gorgeous cover alone—yes, I do judge books off of their cover (everyone does and if they don’t they’re lying). But Orenstein writes with such ease and makes you fall in love with more than just the cover.
Watching Vivian and Lucy find themselves along with a renewed sense of hope in life and love is the kind of character development I crave in every book. She even makes Fox Hill seem to be a character of its own, and if it were a real place I’d probably be booking my trip right now for a little R&R on the lake.

If you’re looking for the perfect summer read, be sure to add this to the top of your list this year!🚤🌊🌅🌲

This is my favorite of Hannah Orenstein’s novels yet. The book explores complex family dynamics and complex relationships overall, but particularly revolves around half sisters. The setting is absolutely gorgeous and reminds me of my own summer happy place. It feels like a hug. While reading, I was also reminded of the feeling of how no matter how much your family annoys you, only you can talk badly about them. I personally enjoyed that the main characters were flawed. I loved the discussions about wine, too. Overall, this is a light-hearted family drama with just a touch of romance and an enjoyable read that I finished quickly.

Thank you to Penguin Group Dutton and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advance copy!

An adult parent trap? Yeah sign me up! This cover is absolutely gorgeous and immediately drew me in! From there the author's prose captured my heart and I never looked back! Great character development, wonderful plot and some on point summer vibes.

Rating: 1.5 stars (rounded down)

Reading this book was the equivalent of licking chalk.
You’re left with dry mouth, an uncomfortable residue, and confusion about your own actions. It’s a prime example of don’t judge a book by it’s cover.

The most I can say about the writing is that we might as well be playing light as a feather, stiff as a board. The very first page was so strange in its pacing. There are SO MANY instances where I could have sworn the author couldn’t think of a word, and just decided to put a hyphen between each word in a jumble of a description. I wish, as a reader, I got more opportunities to sit in a scene and feel with the characters. Instead, everything was told to me instead of shown.

I had really high hopes for the characters considering the title, but their depth goes about as far down as a sandbar. Vivienne is stuck up and guarded and Lucy, the long lost sister, is a soft spoken doormat that surprises herself when she utters the word “no”. And they pretty much show no potential beyond those roles.

The book is marketed as something similar to The Parent Trap. I disagree. There’s long lost twins, sure. However, the entire plot revolves around the father passing. Plus, the “career-ending” secret that Vivienne reveals made me physically raise a brow. All I can say is that it’s all a bit anti-climactic.

Overall, I found it lacked a compelling narrative and I, in fact, chose sleep over reading this book multiple times (a rarity for me).

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group Publishing for providing me with this arc. All thoughts and opinions are my own.