I was initially drawn to this book for the STUNNING cover and the reference to it being the 'adult parent trap'. SOLD.

This was my first Hannah and definitely won't be my last. I found it hard to relate to the two FMCs because my sister is my very best friend, however I did sympathize for them and was rooting for their sisterhood. I love a complex & complicated family dynamic, because HELLO that is life!! And I do feel that was well executed.

While I wouldn't say this is going down as a 'favorite of all time', I did enjoy this and would recommend.

3.5-4

I wasn’t sure what to think going into this one - family drama isn’t my typical genre. But I was quickly hooked into the angst, grief, and animosity between the sisters. And they’re both so flawed, yet still likable, that I found myself cheering for both of them. A great summer read. Thanks to Dutton for the ARC.

Maine Characters is such a heartfelt story of sisters, betrayal, and grief!

Lucy and Vivian are both extremely well developed characters and narrators. It was easy to identify with pieces of each of them and to empathize with their struggles. I enjoyed watching them get to know each other and reckon with their unique relationships with their dad. The descriptions of Maine were a huge highlight of this story, and I felt like I was also at the lake alongside them.

Both characters show so much growth by the end of the story, and I loved how it all came together! I would recommend this book to anyone who loves complex family dynamics, relationship and work woes, and deep explorations of love and grief.

Thank you to NetGalley and PENGUIN GROUP Dutton for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

Vivian and Lucy are secret half-sisters with a Maine lake house in common. Vivian, seemingly successful in life, is the quintessential city girl, busy with work and future plans. She was only ever able to squeeze in one week of vacation a year with her father. Lucy, older and not much wiser, is finding discontent with her humdrum small town life. She would always have July to be with her dad and stay with him. The women come together for a summer of discovery. Discovery of each other and many (many) family secrets from both sides. Lucy strives to be more like Vivian and stand up for what she wants, but at the same time Vivian is trying to do the same.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the Publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Well written with a beautiful cover, but possibly just not the right book for me. I was bored the first half as it just felt so slow without much happening. The second half was definitely more interesting and the pace picked up a bit. I was left feeling that a lot happened, but also that not much happened at all.

very parent trappy (in fact they watch the movie in the book)! awesome vibes and strong characters. 5 stars. tysm for the arc.

I just finished Maine Characters by Hannah Orenstein, and I can’t stop thinking about it! This book hit me in all the right places. The story felt like a cozy yet profound exploration of self-discovery, family, and love, with the kind of raw honesty that makes you really connect with the characters. I absolutely loved how Orenstein created such a vivid, authentic sense of place in Maine—it almost felt like I was there, breathing in the salty air and watching the characters grow right before me.

The characters themselves felt so real and multidimensional. Their struggles were deeply relatable, and I found myself rooting for them through every twist and turn. The way the story weaves together personal growth and the complexities of relationships made it impossible to put down. I really appreciated the balance between lighthearted moments and the more serious themes, and the romance was sweet, but it didn’t overshadow the personal journeys of the characters.

Hannah Orenstein’s writing is beautifully crafted—emotional, witty, and so beautifully descriptive. I loved every moment of this book, and I’m already looking forward to reading more from her. If you’re a fan of character-driven stories that pull at your heartstrings, Maine Characters is an absolute must-read!

DNF at 30%
A book about unhappy people with mediocre decision-making skills who don't care about whether or not other people are happy. I didn't feel any desire to learn more about their stories. They are all very whiney. Writing is fine but not interesting.
Could be a hit for other readers.

Vivian arrives at her father's family house in Maine to sell it after his death. She doesn't expect to run into Lucy, who claims to be her long lost half sister. Can these two completely different people possibly form any type of relationship?

Thoughts 💭
This book was hard to get into at first, but I'm glad I stuck with it. In the beginning, neither sister was really likable. Both of them were extremely immature for women in their thirties. But, they had just enough redeeming qualities for me to push through, and in the end, they both showed some growth. Some things were also hard for me to believe. Vivian shows up to the house, and a complete stranger announces she's her half-sister, and then they stay in the house together without verifying in any way that this is true. Also, no one in the small town that was described as gossipy told either sister about each other? But, the drama between all the characters had me coming back to the story. The sisters were good foils of each other as one was raised in NYC and the other in the slower-paced Maine. Even their mothers and their romantic interests were fun. This story was emotionally complex with a lot of moving parts, and that's what really invested me in this story. The house on the lake in Maine alone kept me coming back and sounds like absolute paradise to me.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

3.5 STARS
The first thing that drew me to Maine Characters by Hannah Orenstein was its gorgeous cover, and the story inside was a quick read. Set on a serene Maine lake during the summer, the novel perfectly embodies a dreamy summer read.
The story has a bit of an adult Parent Trap vibe, following two women in their 30s who, after their father’s passing, retreat to his cabin in the woods—only to discover they are sisters. As they navigate their newfound relationship, they also begin to unravel long-buried family secrets that kept them apart for 30 years. Alongside this emotional journey, both women have their own romantic storylines, adding even more depth to the plot.
While I found the book to be a fast and engaging read, I did struggle with the main characters in the first half. Their behavior frustrated me at times, and I found them difficult to like. However, I was fully invested in their journey and enjoyed watching them grow and evolve throughout the story.
Overall, Maine Characters is an entertaining and quick read with a stunning setting and a strong emotional arc. I'd rate it 3.5 stars, deducting -.5 due to my initial frustration with the protagonists. If you’re looking for a heartfelt, drama-filled summer novel, this one is worth picking up! Thank you Netgalley and Penguin Group Dutton for the digital ARC so I could give my honest review

This was such a wonderful story of grief, sisterly love and a coming to terms with a relationship that you may not have felt ready for at first but ended up truly needing and leaning on. I absolutely loved this book and would recommend it!

3.75⭐️

Vivian and Lucy are half sisters who each spend one month with their dad at his cabin in Maine every summer, one in July and one in August. Vivian doesn’t know she has a sister, but Lucy knows about Vivian. Lucy is from the small town where the cabin is, whereas Vivian is from the upper echelons in New York City. After their dads sudden death, Vivian shows up to the cabin to find Lucy and discovers she has a sister, who she also has to tell that their dad just died. Vivian decides she is going to sell the cabin, but to Lucy, it’s her home and one safe place while she is also going through a divorce.

At the beginning, Vivian and Lucy cannot stand each other. They purposely do things to be mean to the other. Vivian really irritated me - trying to get rid of their dads stuff without consulting Lucy, not giving her space to be with her friends, and her relationship with a married man.

One both of their lives have crashed and burned, Vivian and Lucy come to a sort of truce- they will both stay in the house for the rest of the summer and try to get to know each other.

I really enjoyed the slow burn of Lucy and Vivian coming to not only accept, but also love, one another. I wasn’t sure if Vivian’s character could be redeemed for me, but I did end up liking her at the end - she goes through a lot of character growth. The romance side plots were also very sweet and I liked how they didn’t take over the main storyline, but you also root for them to continue after the conclusion of the book. Overall, this was an emotional but delightful read!

As a Mainer, I absolutely loved seeing such a loving portrayal of not just Portland, but small town Maine, too! It's clear that Hannah Orenstein has spent a lot of time in Maine and understands how Mainers live and why we live here. I loved that aspect of the book. Setting aside, Maine Characters started out super strong but eventually fizzled for me by the middle. Half-sisters Vivian and Lucy must confront one another and their relationships to their father after his sudden passing and they need to deal with the lakehouse he separately shared with each of them. The premise is strong and I was intrigued to learn more about the sisters and their complex relationships, but eventually, Vivian and Lucy began to feel more like caricatures and less like fully fleshed out characters. Their growth felt rushed and too easily won. All that being said, it was an enjoyable read with a beautiful setting, but maybe I'm biased!

She had me at Parent Trap for adults! Indeed, this was a twisty sister story with meaty drama and character growth, but it’s also a transportive ode to Maine and lake living, whispering on a dock with wine. Hannah’s prose builds quietly and is drenched in detail that brings the sisters to life. I loved the pacing and the POV shifts, always done strategically. There’s hints of romance, but this is ultimately a story about family, and all of the mess and joy that comes with it. A juicy, evocative, very millennial beach read.

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

Thanks @netgalley @duttonbooks and @hannahorens for the chance to read Hannah's next book, Maine Characters. It releases on May 13, 2025.

First of all, is this not the MOST BEAUTIFUL cover you have ever seen? As soon as Hannah announced the title of her new book, I was hooked after seeing her posts about her idyllic summers spent at a tiny lake in Maine. I have been a fan of Hannah for many years and have to say that she completely knocked this one out of the park. It's a beautifully complex sister story coupled with a very real exploration of grief set in the most atmospheric setting imaginable.

After the unexpected loss of her father, Vivian returns to their summer lake house in Maine determined to sell it and go back to NYC as soon as possible. She didn't count on discovering Lucy, her secret half-sister, waiting for her father to join her at the house. Forced to spend the summer together, they untangle the messy truth about their father and how the secrets and lies influenced both of their lives. Has too much happened for them to be family?

This book was such an emotional ride! Two half-sisters meet for the first time after their dad passes away, and they’re forced to spend the summer together at his cabin in Maine. I’ll be honest, I didn’t like most of the characters — they’re messy, flawed, and kind of frustrating. But honestly, that’s what made it feel real. It’s all about family, forgiveness, and figuring out what you need to move forward, even if it’s messy. Definitely not a light read, but it’ll stick with you.

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for the eARC!

First off, this cover is gorgeous! I went into this hoping there would be some humor mixed in with the emotions, especially since it was marketed as The Parent Trap for Adults. Unfortunately, it lacked humor. The setting of Fox Hill Lake and the overall plot of meeting your long-lost half sister was interesting. Vivian and Lucy however were not particularly interesting or likeable characters so I never felt fully invested in their story. It was overall readable, but just not a story that will stick with me.

thank you to the publishers for an arc in exchange for an honest review!

i wanted to like this book and there were some really good pieces of it. i loved the plot concept, thought the setting was strong and really liked hannah orenstein's writing style. BUT the biggest thing i couldn't fully get past was that the narrators were just... not very likable? i guess i related more to vivian despite her making what feel like bigger, more serious mistakes, but lucy was so unbearably whiny and self-righteous that it was almost impossible for me to root for her. ultimately i started to get through it pretty quickly after about the 1/3 point and the conclusion did feel satisfying, but it was not as much of a hit as i wanted it to be!

as a smaller, nitpicky thing, i find the chapter organization to be fully baffling. it would've worked much better, in my opinion, to break up the chapters whenever there's a pov switch rather than having long chapters with constant pov switches between two characters. i am a short chapter lover in general, but it was weird and i think part of the reason why it took me a while to get into it.

overall, i'd read something by hannah orenstein again. but this was just ok for me!

Unfortunately this was a case of "hooked by the cover, disappointed by the book".

Being a 30 something myself, I had a very hard time with Vivian and Lucy being in their 30's but acting like they were snotty 17 year olds. I know people age differently, but man their characters were very unlikable to me, despite all the growth. I did however like the premise of the story which is what kept me going, but even that didn't win me over. This book is forgettable, and I don't know that I would recommend, but boy the artwork is beautiful.

3.5/5 stars.

I was so excited to read this one. I absolutely loved this story and was sucked in almost immediately. I found the character development deep, however it was a fairly predictable story which left me at the 3.5 stars. I definitely will recommend this one to my friends and family !