Thank you NetGalley, Penguin Group Dutton and Hannah Orenstein for the ARC.

I liked the idea of the book but didn’t love how often the POV changed. Not even every chapter but half way through each chapter. Too many story lines going at once and it didn’t seem to tie them all in a bow. But the overall book was decent.

“Maine Characters” is the story of Vivian and Lucy, two half sisters who don’t meet until their dad (who kept Lucy’s existence a secret from Vivian and her mom for 30+ years) suddenly dies. They’re forced to spend the summer together at the Maine lake house they both spent time at with their dad over the years as they get to know each other and see if they can build a sisterly bond despite the awkward circumstances.

I found the pacing to be a little odd (plot points and reveals that took place at the halfway point seemed better suited for the first third of the book) and the overall vibes to be fairly surface level, but there’s a strong sense of place and some nice character development that occurs before the end of the book.

While “Meant to Be Mine” remains my favorite Hannah Orenstein book, fans of “The Parent Trap” or those who love Portland, ME and lakeside getaways will enjoy reading this book over a summer long weekend getaway.

When half sisters Lucy and Vivian meet for the first time after their shared father's death, sparks fly and tempers rise. I loved getting to know the sisters as they got to know each other through out the book. The author does a beautiful job of portraying how imperfect families can be and how hard we sometimes have to fight to love each other through it. I really enjoyed how well rounded each character felt and exploring how deeply the years of heartbreak from one person's choices resonated.

Thank you NetGalley, Penguin Group Dutton and Hannah Orenstein for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I disliked these characters that I had a hard time in the beginning of the book. Both Vivian and Lucy eventually have some personal growth but TBH are still not my favorite people to read about.

Multiple instances of cheating were difficult to read about. I appreciated hearing why Vivian had come to expect it - even as twisted as that thought process is.

I loved this cover. That is 100% what drew me to this book. Then the description talks about Parent Trap - yes please!

That being said, the book was interesting but didn’t hit home the way I was hoping.

Side note - while there are romance relationships involved it’s much more focused on the sister relationship and even mother/daughter relationship. I would say it’s much more women’s fiction with like a child sized side of romance.

Vivian, a sommelier from NYC, travels to Maine to put her father’s lake house up for sale after he dies unexpectedly. When she gets there she finds the house already occupied… Lucy, a teacher and local to the area, has spent every July with her father at the lake house when he visits from the city. She hadn’t heard from him in a few weeks so she was relieved to see his truck finally pulling into the drive — except it isn’t him, it’s her half sister she’s never met. For the rest of the summer Vivian and Lucy must process their grief and hurt from a lifetime of their father’s secrets and come up with a plan for the future of the house as well as the rest of their lives.

I’m so torn about this book. On one hand, I loved the writing, the sisters, and the setting. You can tell the author has true Maine/lake life experience. But I could not get on board with the father and his actions. It just didn’t make any sense to me and that Lucy and Dawn would just go along with it. They didn’t seem like pushover characters so it was baffling to me. It would have made more sense if Lucy was in the dark about Vivian as well. But all said and done, I was always eager to pick it back up and that’s due to the writing. 3.5 stars. Thanks for the ARC NetGalley!

This story starts off with an intriguing premise - Vivian goes to her family's summer cabin in Maine to scatter her father's ashes, but Lucy is inside when Vivian shows up. Vivian soon finds out that Lucy is also her father's daughter and that she also spent summers here with him.

You can imagine what starts to unravel from there. Both women dislike one another, and Lucy disagrees with Vivian's decision to sell the cabin.

I really enjoyed watching Vivian especially work through this unknown part of her father's life. The time away from her busy Manhattan sommelier job in relaxing Maine helps her to put her life into perspective. Lucy on the other hand was a brat. She was constantly petty and jealous, and got on my nerves quite a bit.

Overall, I gave this book 3.5 stars. The main character is Maine and the author did a beautiful job of making the reader feel like they too are enjoying a gorgeous Maine summer. Also, the cover is gorgeous!

I would like to thank NetGalley and the author for this eARC, and all opinions are my own.

If The Parent Trap was a childhood fave for you, you won’t want to miss this book! The story follows Vivian Levy and Lucy Webster, two half-sisters who spend a month each summer with their father Hank at his Maine lake house—separately.

The two sisters lead vastly different lives: Vivian is a driven sommelier residing in NYC…and hiding a huge secret that could derail her dreams. Lucy is a high school English teacher in a tiny Maine town, but beyond the walls of her classroom, her marriage is falling apart. Lucy always knew about her glamorous half-sister, admiring her life from afar, while Vivian was kept in the dark. The two have never met…at least until Hank passes away suddenly, and Vivian makes the trip back to Maine, intending to sell the lake house. Instead, she finds Lucy there, awaiting her father’s return. Can the two sisters band together in their grief, unravel their parents’ complicated pasts, and finally, truly become family to each other?

This was probably closer to 3.75 stars rounded up for me. There was a lot I loved about this book, while certain aspects unfortunately fell flat. I’ve read and enjoyed a couple of Hannah Orenstein’s other books, and I always love her writing style! She also does such a great job of developing the Maine setting. I’ve always wanted to visit, and the story really made me feel as if I were there, with every vivid detail.

Overall, the character development is so well-done, too. Vivian and Lucy are not necessarily these instantly likable characters—there were moments where I completely sympathized with them, and other times where I felt more frustrated with them. Still, I think Orenstein really conveys why they make the choices they do, why they are who they are, why they eventually change and evolve. Their growth, both as individuals and in their sisterly relationship, was wonderful to see!

Despite really enjoying the book overall, there were a couple of areas I wanted more from. I felt like even though the sisters’ character growth was overall really strong, it almost happens too late in the story, along with the resolution of their romantic arcs. Up until about 75% into the book, both Vivian and Lucy are still stuck in their old mindsets/negative patterns in their lives, and are pursuing guys who aren’t right for them (which isn’t super unrealistic, but it did make the ending feel a little bit rushed, because a lot of their growth happens pretty quickly). This is also just more of a personal preference, but I wished that the sisters’ POVs had been divided up by chapter instead of having multiple POV switches in one chapter. That might have broken up the chapters a bit more/made the story flow a little more naturally. Still, I enjoyed this one and would definitely read more from Orenstein in the future! Thank you to NetGalley and Dutton for the ARC.

3.5 Stars, rounded up!

Dear Hannah,
How in the world is there no epilogue?!
Love, Stephanie

I'm kidding, but not really. These characters made such major changes at the very end of the book and I NEED to know how they turned out. How did they adjust? Are they happy? Thriving? I am left to sit and ponder. *Sigh*

Vivian heads to her Dad's summer house after he passes away to pack up and get it listed for sale, what she finds upon her arrival is shocking. Lucy is at her Dads summer house, waiting for him to show up for their annual month long vacation, when a car she doesn't recognize pulls into the driveway. Two half Sisters, a Dad with secrets and a very old lake house. What could go wrong?

I enjoyed getting to know Vivian and Lucy. They are both at a crossroad, drained and confused about their futures. Their first few weeks together were rough as they judged either hard and frequently but as they got to know one another, a story of friendship and forgiveness unfolds. Maine Characters is full of love, loss, new found strength and sisterhood.

Not sure if I've ever read about such frustrating characters! I love books set in summertime, books about sister relationships, and finding yourself. I really enjoyed those aspects of the story, but I could not connect or love the characters. Both sisters were so frustrating and mean to each other, said some really ugly things, that I just couldn't look past it. I tried! The writing was good, the setting was amazing, and I loved the character growth by the end of the story, I'll admit. But it was a JOURNEY to get there. I lived for the family drama, betrayals, and reveals. The romance subplots were not my favorite and I would've enjoyed the story without them! Vivian also made some choices in her love life that I could NOTTTT be okay with. Overall a fun summer read but not a favorite!

I loved the setting and how it was described, I want to visit Maine again so badly. I enjoyed this book, I know a lot of my friends would enjoy it as well.

Thank you NetGalley for this arc! The story of two-half sisters meeting for the first time after their dad’s unexpected death.

Vivian, raised in New York City, is a sommelier and has a complicated relationship with her boyfriend, Oscar. Her mother, Celeste is a famous, best-selling romance author.

Lucy, a teacher born and raised in small town Fox Hill, has a marriage that’s unraveling. Her mother, Dawn, has worked at a diner in Fox Hill her whole life.

Lucy goes to the cabin to prepare for her annual month with her dad and away from her other problems only to stumble across Vivian. Lucy has watched Vivian from afar her whole life, while Vivian has no idea who she is. When Lucy discovers her dad has passed, she’s devastated, and even more so once she finds out about Vivian’s plans

This novel gives parent-trap vibes, except with numerous messy relationships for every character even though they’re grown adults. Due to this, I think some of the side characters and plots that I really enjoyed didn’t get the depth they should have. I loved the setting of Maine and being on the lake in the summer (and the cover!), but this book didn’t quite meet my expectations.

I chose this book because of the title, then the description of the plot. I want to move to Maine in the future, and having a chance to experience life in the beautiful state through many characters was intriguing. The story, built on two half-sisters who maybe-kinda-sorta knew about each other's existence, was sure to present several poignant moments. And did it ever. At first, Lucy was super annoying; she overplayed the under-privileged sister role, and I found myself hoping she's encounter a tragedy so we didn't have too many scenes with her. Vivian, the one who grew up in NYC with moderate wealth, had some not-so-great qualities but her passion and underlying desire to do the right thing continuously made me feel connected to her plight. I loved how everything progressed and ultimately came together in the end... new friendships, romance, a different career trajectory and a move to a different local helped bring a lot of teachable moments too. Adding the author to my follow list and want to learn more about her offerings.

Thanks to PENGUIN GROUP Dutton and NetGalley for providing me with an early copy to read and review.

What a lovely book. I quickly devoured this family drama in a beautifully described setting. Emotional, and each main character showed growth.

It definitely will not be the last time I pick up a book by this author.

Thank you for my Arc copy Net Galley.
Maine Characters has been compared to The Parent Trap but for adults. Which is how I went into reading this. I was hoping to enjoy this book a bit more than I did. But it wasn’t bad. The characters took me until the end of the book to like (I enjoyed the secondary characters more).

Imagine if The Parent Trap grew up, moved to Maine, developed a complicated relationship with grief, wine, and inherited real estate… and then got a guest feature in an Elin Hilderbrand novel. That’s Maine Characters in a nutshell—and I mean that in the best way. Thanks to NetGalley and Dutton Books for the early copy!

The story follows two half-sisters—Vivian, a NYC sommelier, and Lucy, a high school English teacher in Maine—who meet for the first time ever after their dad dies and leaves them his beloved (and very rustic) lake house. What follows is awkwardness, family secrets, emotional landmines, and unexpected bonding moments that will hit you right in the feels.

The lakeside setting is fully a “Maine Character” - see what I did there!? The kind of book that makes you want to sit on a dock with your feet in the water.

If you’re a fan of books about sisters, self-discovery, and the minefield that is returning to your childhood summer home… this one’s for you. It’s smart, warm, layered, and should 100% be in your beach bag this summer.

It comes out May 13!

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I really wanted to love Maine Characters, but unfortunately, I just couldn’t get into it. It’s always tough for me to put down a book, especially when I’m hoping it’ll click, but this one just didn’t.

The premise was intriguing, and I liked the idea of a story set in Maine, with its natural beauty and small-town vibe. I was excited for the potential of interesting characters and some real emotional depth. But, for me, it felt like something was missing. The pacing was off, and I struggled to connect with the characters. I just didn’t find myself invested in their journey. The writing, while not bad, didn’t quite pull me in the way I was hoping it would.

Lucy and Vivian — sisters who have never met, but often wondered about the other — finally meet after their father’s sudden passing. Their summer is filled with discoveries, not only about themselves, but others they hold dear as well. Love, longing, lies, and betrayal that have lasting effects over 30 years.

I struggled to get started on this book, but became hooked shortly after. This was a great story filled with every emotion with each twist and turn.

ARC through NetGalley

This book made me want to drop everything and spend three months in Maine. The setting is impeccable and the story is heartwarming. Our two main characters, half sisters Vivian and Lucy, are complicated women on arcs of self discovery and growth. Lucy was a bit too self righteous for my taste but I was still rooting for both of them. I liked that they each got a taste of romance alongside developing career aspirations. This one will make for a perfect beach read. Pick up this book if you like stories about summer Romances, long lost family, and sisterhood.

**Thank you to Dutton for this free digital review copy.**

Maine Characters is a punny title for a not-so-punny book. We open with our first protagonist, Vivian, arriving at her late father's lake house to clear it out and get it ready to sell. She hopes to use the money to start a wine bar with her current boss and secret boyfriend (he's married, oof). But Vivian is surprised by the presence of our second protagonist, Lucy, Vivian's secret half-sister. While Lucy has known about Vivian for most of her life, Vivian suspected her father of having an affair but could never get him to admit anything. And if that's not enough, recently-separated-from-her-husband Lucy hasn't even heard about the death of their father, so Vivian is the one who has to break the news.

It feels like I may have spoiled something there, but you learn all of that information quickly as you begin the novel. It's clearly the set up for a LOT of drama, and it's honestly really sad a lot of the time. There were sweet moments, but most of the time I just felt frustrated at the characters and their decisions. The relationships were messy in an almost unbelievable way and I felt that both women were rushing into things unnecessarily. While somewhat predictable, I was pleasantly surprised that the book didn't follow exactly the path I anticipated.

What really shone in this story was the small town Maine lake house setting. It was so easy to feel like you were there experiencing the summer with Vivian and Lucy, going for a ride on the boat, drinking wine and reading on the back porch, watching the sun set. It was beautiful and made me want to visit Maine in the summertime!

3.5 stars

I was excited to check out Hannah Orenstein's latest after loving one of her earlier novels, Head Over Heels. Maine Characters leans far more family drama than romance, centering on two half-sisters who come together in a surprising way after the death of their father.

While I was generally interested in seeing how this crazy story was going to play out, I had trouble rooting for anyone until the very end of the book, largely because I felt we only got to see the bad qualities of each of the characters. I found Vivian to be cold and hypocritical, and I thought Lucy was incredibly whiny and immature. I honestly didn't like either of them until the last 20% of the book. I wish there had been more character development on the front end so I could have had reasons to like them through all of their (understandable, considering the circumstances) bad behaviors.

The Maine setting was nice, though the writing didn't transport me to the lake in the same way that a Carley Fortune novel does. For me, the best part of this novel was the end, when all four women finally got together and we saw some real vulnerability from all of them. Up until that point, this novel stayed a bit too close to surface-level, leaving me feeling a little underwhelmed. It's a bummer that it wasn't until the very end that I was finally invested in the characters and what was going to happen next for them.