I was so excited to read this one and escape into summer in Maine. Unfortunately, it didn’t really work for me as I truly did not like either of the main characters. I like flawed characters, but Lucy and Vivian both annoyed me so much!! Yes they were grieving, but they were also entitled and whiny. I also feel like the conflicts got wrapped up and I didn’t really understand how/why we got where we ended up. On the positive side, I did like the place making in the book and enjoyed the descriptions of the house, lake and town. thank you to Netflix and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review!

Wow. This is such a beautiful book of grief, found family, love, and the feeling of home. This is my first Hannah Orenstein book and I really enjoyed it!! The characters were messy and real and there were secrets until the last few chapters. Maine Characters felt authentically human and perfectly displayed the messiest of family and rediscovering who you are in the aftermath of grief.

Thank you Netgalley and Penguin Group Dutton for this ARC!

I loved this! The book is compared to the Parent Trap movie for adults, and that’s the perfect way to describe it. I love the format of the book as it flips back and forth between the two sisters points of view. Two half sisters meet as adults after the passing of their father, but neither had the opportunity to know about each other from their dad himself. Vivian was the legitimate child, growing up with her mother and father in the city and vacationed with her dad at his cabin in Maine one month of the summer. Lucy was born to a local woman in Maine and never got to experience a complete family, but had a sheltered relationship with her dad only. Lucy arrives at the cabin to spend her summer month with her dad…only to find Vivian. The book shows the struggles of reconciling their family, their relationships with their dad, decades of secrets and how to move forward. Is this the opportunity to build a relationship with each other or is it far too late for these polar opposites? ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

I’m always a sucker for books that take place in Maine (since I’m a local), and the second I read the summary of this book I knew I had to get my hands on a copy of this arc.

It’s like The Parent Traps but for adults. You’re hooked, aren’t you? So was I. The whole book!

This book is about sisters and mothers with secrets, love and falling out of love, and what life is all about—family, the truth always coming out, and always knowing you can start over. This book made me laugh, cry, and hate men on and off throughout. Yet it also made me feel warm inside at the ending. I thoroughly enjoyed this book!

Thank you, NetGalley for a copy of an arc in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review. I really enjoyed Maine Characters, as Lucy and Vivian navigate grief, family secrets, and moving on. Great character development and story. This is a perfect summer/beach read.

3.5⭐️

Parent trap and lake house setting drew me in! There’s a lot I liked about this book - the pacing was great, the side characters were sweet, and the setting was perfect.

The story follows two half sisters who find themselves at their fathers lake house. One sister grew up with her dad and the other was hidden her whole life. Both Vivian and Lucy aren’t extremely likable main characters but Lucy bugged me with her accusations of Vivian growing up with money when their father supported Lucy financially as well. Also in general Lucy is upset at Vivian the whole time when it’s their father she should be mad at.

As it goes along we meet their mothers and learn the full story. Would recommend to people who like family drama, messy relationships, and a beautiful setting.

Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC!

I will start by saying that I feel terrible leaving a bad review, but I had such a hard time with this book. This story is about two thirty some years old who cannot have a mature conversation until halfway through the book. The book felt extremely long because it was so many unnecessary descriptions like how well the chicken was cooked and seasoned at dinner (literally 2-4 pages of that!!!) The pacing also felt a little off and I probably would have enjoyed and understood the two main characters better if it was written in their point of views.

A fun and easy read about family, secrets, growth, and change. Completely enjoyable.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/217453225

While I liked the premise of the book, I didn’t care for the execution. I’m usually a fast reader and this book took me days to get through. The writing felt overly detailed and very drawn out. For example, we don’t need to know every detail of each meal and who ordered what. It was a lot of fluff. This was definitely more women’s fiction / drama versus a romance. I think with some editing, this could be pretty good, but as it stands, this is a pass for me.

Thank you Penguin Group Dutton for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

I really enjoyed Maine Characters. There was family drama, secrets and lies, and a little romance. I couldn't put this book down. I had to know how it was going to end. I was not disappointed. It was a great ending.

Review: Maine Characters by Hannah Orenstein. When Vivian pulls up to her family’s Maine summer house, the last thing she expects occurs: it’s inhabited and the occupant is the half sister she never knew existed, Lucy.

Lucy, who grew up in the same town as the house, couldn’t be more different than savvy New York City dweller Vivian, is utterly bereft that their shared father has died. She is constantly miffed that Vivian barely seems ruffled.

I really enjoyed this book, though many of the situations the characters find themselves in feel contrived, created just to add tension, though this didn’t make me like the story any less. When Vivian repeatedly and continually struggles with whether or not to sell her father’s vacation home I begin to feel antsy, just waiting for another situation to occur that will make her change her mind for the umpteenth time. Nevertheless, it’s a sweet book and one you should pick up if you are in the mood for a “Parent Trap-esque story with two completely opposite characters that have to work together for the good of both of their lives.

Both women serve as clear character. In Lucy we see the floundering heroine while Vivian sticks more closely to the villain role. Many of the other characters (Celeste/Caleb/Oscar) are stand-ins for the villain role and White Knight role. Cleary outlining who’s who would give too much away, so you’ll just have to read to find out which protagonist is which. I encourage you to do so, this is a fun read and thanks to an end of book twist, it stays interesting.

I received this advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review and feedback.

This was a sweet story about two sisters set against the dreamy, beautiful backdrop of lakeside Maine. I found the alternating third person narration a little harder to connect with each character.

Maine Characters was so beautifully written and for a little bit, I was trying to recall which one of my friends recently discovered their half sister 🤦🏼‍♀️ lol

This is a captivating story of grief, discovering our parent’s imperfections and friendship. Highly recommend and can’t wait for you to read it.

Maine Characters comes out May 13,2025 so go pre-order and put it in the calendar because you will not want to miss it!

i loved this book. it truly was the parent trap but for adults. so much fun. thank you netgalley and pengiun group

I really enjoyed Maine Characters. The story was interesting and engaging. The characters were flawed and likeable. The ending was fairly predictable but that's ok. If you want a slightly dramatic family story with strife and redemption, this is the book for you.

The cover is absolutely gorgeous and my reason for picking it. Then you through in there that it is like the parent trap?! Im in. We all loved parent trap as kids, right?

This was a cute read, although it could have been a little shorter. It touches on tough issues we go through in life which makes the characters very relatable. There is a love story to be seen here. But this is more about the found family and working their way through those challenges, so its not a typical romance book. This was my first book by Hannah, and I loved it. I cant wait to read more by her in the

4.5! this book is a beautiful story of sisterhood and family, and it’s set on a beautiful lake in Maine. This book was so atmospheric and really took me to Fox Hill in Maine… Although it’s not a real place, I want to go there immediately. This is such a good summer read, both because of its setting and because of the feel good ending. It’s not all sunshine and rainbows by any mean, but I loved seeing the growth all of the characters had. This book had a little bit of everything some romance, some mystery some family drama and it was, very well written.

The cover and the premise drew me right in; I love The Parent Trap plus Maine is a great setting for a summer story! I’d recommend this book if you love family drama, secrets, and messy relationships. Overall I wish the book was shorter and that the two main characters were more likable (the cheating bit was unnecessary), but it was entertaining and would be a good beach read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group Dutton for a copy of this eARC!

To start, this cover is stunning and is the whole reason I requested this book. Overall, this book wasn’t for me. I should have read the description better and skipped. It's not my type of story but the author did a nice job with what she was trying to do.

I don’t think I’ve ever read a book like this one. So original and The depictions of grief, sisterhood, and love, were so important. The characters were so well out and multi layered I loved it.