Every summer, Vivian Levy and Lucy Webster spend a month with their father at his lake house — separately. Raised in New York City, Vivian is an ambitious sommelier with a secret that could derail her future. Lucy grew up in a tiny Maine town, where she now teaches high school English while watching her marriage unravel. They’ve never met. While Lucy envied her half-sister from afar, their father kept Vivian in the dark.

When Vivian arrives at the lake to spread his ashes and sell his cabin, she's shocked to find Lucy there, awaiting his return. In an ideal world, they’d help each other through their grief. Instead, forced to spend the summer together, they fight through a storm of suspicion and hostility to untangle the messy truth about their parents’ pasts. While Lucy is desperate to hold onto the house, Vivian is scrambling after a betrayal.

Who doesn't love The Parent Trap? This, and the gorgeous cover, drew me into this book. The lake and cabin feel like a character presence all its own, and the two women, while sometimes childish, felt realistic and relatable to me. I don't think I'll remember much of this in a year's time (I read a lot, and all but the most standout ones fade and blend in my mind), but this was a solid read and I enjoyed it very much! 4⭐

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the advanced digital reader's copy (ARC) in exchange for an honest review!

Two 30-something half-sisters, one from NYC and the other from a small town in Maine, meet for the first time at their father’s lake house in Maine after his sudden death. If you like Maine, lake life, pretty book covers, sisterhood, family drama, romance, and easy beach reads, this is for you.
Available 5/13/25.

Thanks to NetGalley and DuttonBooks for the eARC.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC of Maine Characters!

The cover artwork is gorgeous!!

Maine Characters follow 2 estranged sisters who come together over the death of their father. While they are sorting through family tragedy and financial decisions over their shared lake house, secrets and stories float to the surface.

Maine Characters is an easy read. I though that the pace of the story started off perfect in the beginning, lagged a bit halfway through and then was rushed towards the end. But if you are a family drama-trope kind of reader...would absolutely recommend!

Maine Characters is a heartfelt exploration of family, grief, and second chances, all set against the idyllic backdrop of a Maine summer. Vivian and Lucy are complex, relatable characters with clashing personalities and deep-seated wounds that make their forced coexistence as intriguing as it is emotional.
The novel excels in its depiction of sibling dynamics—equal parts biting tension and tentative connection. Watching Vivian, the polished sommelier, and Lucy, the down-to-earth teacher, navigate their shared grief and unravel the secrets of their father’s life is both touching and cathartic. The lake house setting is gorgeously rendered, almost a character itself, offering solace and space for reflection.
While the story occasionally leans into predictable territory, the emotional depth and humor keep it engaging. Fans of The Parent Trap for grown-ups will revel in the mix of witty banter and poignant moments, and the author's signature charm shines through in every page.
Main Characters is a love letter to lakeside summers and the power of family, imperfections and all. A must-read for anyone craving a story about healing, connection, and finding common ground in unexpected places.
Thank you to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

Maine Characters is a read that surprised me.

I picked it up and it was a slow start. I had picked it up wanting something that got me out of a reading slump, and it did just that. I found myself enjoying Lucy's chapters more than Vivan's because partly I identified with more of Lucy's story. I do think both characters went through character growth and the plot development was surprising for both of them.

I actually good see this book being a book of the month choice and will likely try to recommend this to my book club.

This grabbed my attention as being a grown up version of Parent Trap. While it had similar elements such as: finding an unknown sister, two different worlds, humor and antics, it was much deeper than I imagined from the cover and description.

The book deals with two women who didn’t get the dad they deserved as children. One idolizes him and the other resents him. The view him completely differently but the one thing that is true is the not dealing with the root is destroying both of their lives. It takes coming together and seeing not only him but each other from the other sister’s perspective to truly heal what he broke.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

First, the beautiful cover and description captured my attention. I read most books in a night or two. This one was a bit slow going, and unlike most books I read it didn’t make me want to pull an all nighter to finish. However, once I got about 30-50% through, it was a lot more interesting and captured my attention a bit more. I really liked the resolution to the book. I think the author tied everything up well, and there was good character development. Everything seemed believable.

The stunning cover of this book immediately caught my eye! The story revolves around two sisters who share the same father but have led very different lives. One sister was fortunate to grow up with their father, while the other only saw him for one month each year. After their father’s unexpected passing, the sisters meet at a lake house, setting the stage for a poignant exploration of family dynamics and healing.

While I appreciated Vivian and Lucy's individual backstories, I found some of their initial interactions frustrating. Vivian comes across as spoiled, while Lucy is understandably jaded and heartbroken over her limited relationship with their father. She struggles to form the bond with Vivian that she deeply desires. Watching their personal growth and discovering a long-buried family secret added depth to the narrative. The resolution was satisfying and tied the story together beautifully.

Thank you to @netgalley and @duttonbooks for the ARC.

First, thank you to NetGally and the publishers for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I freaking loved this book! It was beautifully written and while there were love interests sprinkled throughout, I loved that the real love story was the one between sisters. I would definitely read a sequel. I am not ready to say goodbye to these characters.

This was such a feel good read. I really enjoyed getting to know that characters and seeing the development between then. This touched such strong life situations and I’m thrilled I had a chance to read!!

Two sisters who grew up completely apart are forced to come together after the unexpected passing of their father. This is a story of forgiveness, personal growth and asking for what you really need. Thank you so much to Netgalley and Penguin Group Dutton for the advanced copy for my honest review.

I enjoyed this one! I think it would make a good chick flick. Feels like we are at the center of the family drama. If you like Emily Henry, I think you’ll like this.

I had a hard time getting into Mane characters, which is disappointing because I was so excited when I received this ARC! I was drawn in by the beautiful cover and the promise of "The Parent Trap" but did not see any similarities other than sisters who grew up apart.

Maine Characters is about two half-sisters who are brought together after the death of their father. Lucy and Vivian share the same father, but Vivian has no idea Lucy exists. When Vivian travels to a small Maine town to settle her father’s estate, she meets Lucy, who is determined to stop her from selling their family lake house.

There was not a single likable character in this book. Lucy was whiny and complained entirely too much while Vivian was cold and inconsiderate and both sisters imo were selfish, petty, and bullies towards each other. I did enjoy the last 15-20% where they decided to start acting like adults and we saw their character growth and the setting sounded beautiful. I'm ready to move to Maine! This was very close to being a DNF for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC in exchange for my honest review.

Maine characters was a wonderful read so well written characters I really enjoyed spending time with.Hannah Orenstein is a wonderful author one I look forward to reading.#netgalley #duttonbooks

This book was a lot cuter than I expected. The writing was well thought out and the characters were well developed without it being tedious to read their back stories. Definitely a cute light read that I would recommend to others

This book completely pulled me in with its heartfelt exploration of family and the messy, beautiful complexities of sisterhood. I loved the way the story was told from both Vivian and Lucy’s perspectives—it made it easy to get invested in their lives and emotions. The plot was intriguing, with plenty of twists to keep me hooked.

The sisters couldn’t be more different: Vivian is ambitious and polished, while Lucy is down-to-earth and struggling with her unraveling marriage. Their clashing personalities made for some intense, but often meaningful, interactions. Honestly, I found Lucy a bit annoying at times—she was hard to empathize with, especially compared to Vivian, who I thought was going to be the 'villain' but turned out to be more relatable. Surprisingly, their father felt like the real main character, even in his absence. His secrets and choices linger over the entire story, shaping who they are and why they’re so different.

What I loved most was how real the relationship between the sisters felt. Their awkwardness, arguments, and small moments of connection all felt genuine—sometimes funny, sometimes heartbreaking. I found myself laughing out loud at a few scenes and tearing up at others. That balance of humor and emotion really worked for me.

The small-town Maine setting was so vivid it made me want to plan a trip there. And while the love stories in the background were sweet, for me, the real heart of the book was the evolving bond between Vivian and Lucy. It’s a beautifully written, emotional story that left me thinking about family and forgiveness long after I finished it.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

I was excited to receive this ARC because the cover is so beautiful and the premise of an "adult version" of The Parent Trap was so intriguing. The book was a little slow to start out, but I did end up enjoying it. At some points I had some difficulty picking it up and continuing it, but I think it was an overall good palette cleanser between books. Definitely for the fans of Carley Fortune as the vibes were very similar.

I enjoyed my read of Maine Characters and my first book by Hannah Orenstein. It was a poignant mixture of complex family dynamics, strong female main characters, and portraits of grief interspersed with splashes of romance. I think this will be an excellent late Summer read, preferably near water at sunset.

I rate this book 5 stars for its excellent character development and heart.

I received this book in exchange for my honest review. Thanks to the author and publisher for sharing this novel with me.

In the acknowledgements Hannah Orenstein says that this is her favorite book that she's written thus far, I have to agree! I've read all of Hannah's books and really enjoyed each one, this one though - AMAZING!

I love a good family drama full of big feelings and this book delivered! Lucy and Vivian's journey from strangers to acquaintances to friends to sisters was so fun to read. At one point in the book the girls watch the parent trap, Hallie and Annie's journey to sisterhood was the perfect parallel to Lucy and Vivian; in both stories, the parents made selfish decisions that hurt everyone involved. Watching the sisters in Maine Characters forgive and grow into better people made for a very enthralling read. I cannot wait for everyone to get to read this book, it's a keeper!

This was an overall enjoyable general fiction read about two sisters who do not meet until after their father’s death. While a little slow to start, the last half of the book goes by very quickly.