This had the potential to be a 5-star read for me! I felt the ending drug on for a bit too long which dropped it to 4 stars, but still very enjoyable, well written, and interesting. I was immediately sucked into the Maine small-town setting and thoroughly enjoyed all the characters.

I loooooved this book! I think it’s Hannah Orenstein’s best novel to date. The world building she creates around a remote lake in Maine is dreamy, I only wish I could’ve read it in the summer by the water. Although both sisters have grief and struggles they’re working through, you can’t help but root for them both to find happiness.

I really liked this. Orenstein really makes you empathize with both Vivian and Lucy. I was invested in their stories and loved how Orenstein wrote their friendship. It felt realistic in timing, and heartfelt overall. 4/5 Stars!

This novel tells a charming tale about a complicated sister relationship, which is right up my alley. I especially loved the strong sense of place that Orenstein crafted for her readers. I enjoyed each of the sisters' stories and watching how their worlds were simultaneously separate but intertwined. This book has both the depth and the heart to appeal to a wide variety of readers.

Thank you to NetGalley and Dutton for the complimentary eARC in exchange for my honest feedback.

🪵🌲𝓑𝓸𝓸𝓴 𝓻𝓮𝓿𝓲𝓮𝔀🌲🪵

Can I just say, this cover is fantastic! The colors and scenery immediately drew my eye. This is a cover I’d love to display on my bookshelf. 😍

My review:
3.5🌟/5- Enjoyed it!!

This book is about two half sisters, Vivian and Lucy, finding each other and connecting over their father’s death. It is in dual POV, written in third person. It is a story about complicated family relationships, love and loss, complex grief, forgiveness, and sisterhood. There are strained father-daughter, mother-daughter, sister, and romantic relationships.

This isn’t a genre I typically read, but I found myself sucked into the story and wanting to know more. I loved the imagery of the cabin on the lake in Maine, learning more about wine from Vivian, and the development of Lucy and Vivian’s relationship as sisters. I really appreciated that their relationship took center stage over their romantic interests. I thought that the ending was perfect and came together beautifully. I think this book could be a big summer read! 🌲🚤🎣🪵🍷

💚dual POV
🩷love triangles
💚family secrets
🩷complex family dynamics
💚strained family relationships
🩷sisterhood
💚complex grief
🩷forgiveness

Big special thank you to netgalley and Penguin Group Dutton for this ARC in exchange for my honest review 🫶🏻🤗

Thank you to NetGalley for providing an advanced reader copy of this book, this is my objective review. After her father's sudden death, Vivian learns she has a secret half-sister (Lucy), and although she has long suspected that Lucy exists she still isn't exactly thrilled about it. Lucy knew about Vivian and, for a long time, she has spent the month of July with her father at his lake house in Maine, as a way for him to spend time with his secret daughter away from his family. But Lucy is shocked to learn that the reason her father didn't make it this year is because he died. Both Vivian and Lucy are wrestling with their own issues and traumas, while continuing to grapple with the consequences of their father's choices. Over the course of a summer, Vivian and Lucy learn to come to terms with each other's existence and must decide how to navigate life with their secrets out in the open.

It took me a while to get into this book, largely because I had a hard time liking Vivian or Lucy until maybe around 75% of the way into the book. I tried not to judge them too harshly, since their characters were struggling with a lot, but they just weren't all that easy to like. Thankfully they do get warmer as the story proceeds. Overall this felt more like women's fiction than romance, although there are romantic/relationship elements sprinkled throughout. The writing was engaging enough to keep reading to the end, and I was ultimately glad I stuck with the story. I gave it 3 stars but it's closer to 3.25 stars. Readers who like books about self-growth, troubled relationships, and challenging family dynamics will like this book. Publishes May 13, 2025, just in time for summer reading (which I think suits this book well, given the summer house/lake house vibe that prevails in the book, as well as the gorgeous and eye-catching cover).

When their father dies and Vivian and Lucy, two half sisters who have never met, wind up at the their dad's cabin in Maine, they discover that not only did they not know about each other, but really didn't know their dad either. Told in alternating voices, we learn of Hank's relationship with each of them as well as his relationship with their mothers. An interesting premise, Recommended for public libraries

This was my first time reading a book by this author and I’m so happy to say I’m a big fan. I loved the story of the two sisters and the journey they shared together throughout the book. The characters were unlikeable at first, yet very well written and well developed. By the end of the book I had come to appreciate them both. I always love a good family drama, so this book did not disappoint. I would absolutely recommend reading this book to others.

Thank you so much to the publisher and to NetGalley for the advanced reading copy.

This is the third book I’ve read from this author, and my favorite by far. All of the female characters were flawed but had redeeming storylines that felt believable.

Also, I’m dying to go to Maine now. Who’s in?

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group Dutton.

Thank you to Net Galley & Penguin Group for the ARC. It took me a bit to get into the book but after I did, I enjoyed it. The story is about two women who come together after their father’s death, neither meeting each other until then. The story follows each of their journeys to acceptance of their shared sisterhood as well as their next steps in their personal life. Definitely fitting for a summer read as it takes place at a lake house.

After the sudden death of her father, Vivian is tasked with selling her father's beloved lake house. Only, when she goes to sell it, she discovers a half sister she never knew about. Vivian and her half sister, Lucy, are far from sharing a happy sisterly bond, and Lucy is outraged that Vivian wants to heartlessly sell their sanctuary, but Vivian needs the money. Throughout the summer, the sisters navigate the death of their father and their relationships with each other, their moms, and others.

I loved the concept of this book. I found both Vivian and Lucy likably unlikable at first, and grew to love them. I understood where they were coming from, but also understood why they didn't like each other. This novel did an amazing job navigating the complex feelings and relationships. Vacation towns/lakes are my favorite book setting, and I loved the amazing descriptions of the lake, sunsets, and Maine. I really enjoyed seeing the sisters grow together, as well as individually.

I can't wait for the release day of this book and see it being a big hit next summer!

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Random House for the advanced reader's copy!

I very much enjoyed this book, by far my favorite of Hannah’s! It really took me to Maine, which is now a top destination to visit and I loved the family drama!

Liked this a lot! Probably my fave of this author's books. Great setting and interesting characters. I love reading about restaurants and wine stuff too.

Thank you to PENGUIN GROUP Dutton and NetGalley for the free e-arc.

If you're someone who loves diving into stories filled with rich wine discussions, the complexities of mother-daughter relationships, and the emotional journey of families untangling long-buried secrets, this book might be perfect for you. With a sommelier as its central character, it offers a blend of heartfelt drama, nuanced relationships, and the vibrant world of wine culture, making for an engaging and layered read.

While I was expecting this book to be lighter and more fun based on the Parent Trap description, it made me nostalgic for summers at the lake while learning about the lives of the main characters. I loved seeing Vivian and Lucy reconcile with their father’s death in different ways and connect with each other in spite of the obstacles in their way. While it wasn’t light and fun, the story went in depth and you felt the emotions of the characters. I would recommend this book for a good summer read.

Thank you Hannah Orenstein, NetGalley and Dutton for the advanced copy of Maine Characters in exchange for an honest review.

Hannah's writing and story telling here were great. I felt very immersed in the story, and the setting of the story was beautiful. I absolutely love Maine, which is a large part of why requested this book. Unfortunately, I think this book just wasn't the right one for me. I'd classify this more as fiction than romance, as the romance sub-plots were a very small part of the book, and I was looking for a romance novel. I just wasn't sure it was a story I wanted to be in with characters I wasn't too fond of. I would definitely read more from Hannah.

A good book about love and forgiveness with a fascinating dynamic between Lucy and Vivian. .I expected the romantic storylines to be more of the primary storyline, but appreciated the storyline between the sisters although I didn't like either very much. Overall though, a good read and a fantastic cover.

First off can we talk about how beautiful this cover is? Even though I read the arc copy I can’t wait to get a physical copy for my bookshelf 10/10. The book was basically parent trap with a dead dad in Maine. Loved all of it.

”Spending time with Lucy might be the most meaningful interaction she’s had with—family?—in a long time… It feels like a tiny slice of sisterhood.”

If I’m being honest, I have to admit that I picked Maine Characters because of the cover. I was drawn in by those bright, beautiful colors and the gorgeous lakehouse illustration. Plot-wise, I went into the story totally blind. I thought it was a safe assumption that any book with such a fun, cute, romantic cover would include a fun, cute, romantic story to match.

That was not the case at all. Maine Characters is best described as a domestic drama. It’s a churning, roiling sea of emotional turbulence, filled with conflicts, lies, betrayal, and infidelity. Talk about misaligned expectations.

”I hate to even suggest this, but you’re the only two people who are fully going to get what the other is going through. Maybe it’s worth giving her another shot?”

This story is primarily character-driven, and I did enjoy getting to know Lucy and Vivian despite all the hard things happening in their lives. I loved watching them grow as individuals and as sisters, and seeing their relationship evolve through the story. The lakeside setting was beautifully crafted and had me feeling like I was right there among the lobster rolls and capsized kayaks.

”Thirty feet away, Hank’s boat sways as waves lap at the dock. He got what he wanted: his two girls at the lake for the summer.”

I found myself struggling to stay engaged in the story at times, because so many of the characters were deeply unlikeable, and I had a visceral reaction to how much I hated them. The women are bad, but the men are worse. (Seriously, if you need a book to remind you why men are a terrible idea, this is that book.) It’s basically the opposite of a light and cheerful romance.

Readers who enjoy family dramas that are heavy on sibling dynamics, will appreciate this one, especially fans of The Parent Trap. A 3.5-star read for me!

”These are the summer days she lives for…”

——

A huge thank you to Hannah Orenstein, Penguin / Dutton, and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Beautiful cover and interesting plot. Enjoyed the setting but felt like there was some character development missing. Good writing but also a lot of characters to keep track of that I didn’t love