Rating: 1.5 stars (rounded down)

Reading this book was the equivalent of licking chalk.
You’re left with dry mouth, an uncomfortable residue, and confusion about your own actions. It’s a prime example of don’t judge a book by it’s cover.

The most I can say about the writing is that we might as well be playing light as a feather, stiff as a board. The very first page was so strange in its pacing. There are SO MANY instances where I could have sworn the author couldn’t think of a word, and just decided to put a hyphen between each word in a jumble of a description. I wish, as a reader, I got more opportunities to sit in a scene and feel with the characters. Instead, everything was told to me instead of shown.

I had really high hopes for the characters considering the title, but their depth goes about as far down as a sandbar. Vivienne is stuck up and guarded and Lucy, the long lost sister, is a soft spoken doormat that surprises herself when she utters the word “no”. And they pretty much show no potential beyond those roles.

The book is marketed as something similar to The Parent Trap. I disagree. There’s long lost twins, sure. However, the entire plot revolves around the father passing. Plus, the “career-ending” secret that Vivienne reveals made me physically raise a brow. All I can say is that it’s all a bit anti-climactic.

Overall, I found it lacked a compelling narrative and I, in fact, chose sleep over reading this book multiple times (a rarity for me).

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group Publishing for providing me with this arc. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I wanted to really like this book. The cover is pretty, the concept sounded good, I love The Parent Trap but I didn’t really love this book. The premise is that Hank Levy has 2 daughters, one with his wife that he lives with in New York and the other he had with a former girlfriend near his family cottage in Maine. Hank suddenly dies and his daughter Vivian goes to the cottage to sell it to find a woman there, not just any woman, the mysterious half sister that she didn’t know existed. Lucy, however, did know about Vivian, her mother and her father’s other life in New York. A lot of drama ensues and so many different subplots and fights but I will say the last 25% of the story helped boost my enjoyment. 3 ⭐️ Thank you NetGalley and Dutton Publishing for an ARC for an honest review.

Just from the description of the book saying it was like the parent trap, I knew it was would love this book. So many emotions reading this book but I recommend it.
Thank you Netgalley for an arc, I really appreciate it.

Oh how I loved this novel. I absolutely devoured over the course of one day, and nearly all of it in one sitting. A spin on the classic Parent Trap plot, I was totally enthralled. Orenstein's writing transported me to the idyllic lake in Maine where half-sisters Vivian and Lucy grappled with coming to terms about each other's existence, the death of their father, and the person he was to each.

This was an emotional book, but in the best way. Vivian and Lucy were so different and I loved how their sisterhood transcended those differences. Raised entirely separately and with little to no knowledge of the other, it was a stark look at nature versus nurture and the consequences of our choices.

In a way, Maine Characters is a coming of age novel. Only in death did Vivian and Lucy really get to know their father apart from the person he presented to each. It was hard to hear how he treated each daughter and how different their circumstances ended up being. Though with her father most of the year, privileged in wealth and prestige, Vivian had a frosty relationship with her father - never feeling adequate enough or close to him. Meanwhile, Lucy, though treated somewhat like an afterthought, only got one month a year with her father and sporadic visits and phone calls. While providing the basics for monetary support, Lucy and her father shared a special bond, one that was treasured each magical summer they spent together on the lake in Maine.

Orenstein's writing was captivating. I could feel the cool water on my skin, feel the heartbreak as each girl grappled with a devastating loss, and hear the sound of the waves and the boats on the lake.

This was a quick but impactful read and I very highly recommend. Thank you to Dutton for the copy.

This book was okay in the beginning but got better towards the middle of the book. I felt like I resonated with this book a lot with the family aspect of it all. Wouldn't mind reading more from this author.

Loved the setting and the character development in this book. Beautiful writing - the author really does a fantastic job of describing Maine and the magic that comes with it in the summer..

I was drawn to this book because I loved Maine and thought I would like this storyline. I really wanted to abandon this until about 50% of the book. I really didn’t care for the characters or the storyline. I enjoyed it more when it got into the sister’s love lives but the rest was pretty dry.

This review is based on an Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) provided by NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

This review may contain spoilers

The rollercoaster of emotions in this book swept me right into the story and I had a hard time putting it down! I did not want this to end! This was a 4 star read for me.

The complexities of the sister's separate lives coming together and causing more issues and them having to work through their grief, jealously, and a whole slew of other emotions together really brought this story to life for me. I enjoyed that we were getting both of their POVs and that we were also getting the parents' stories. This added so much depth and showed the history so we got a bigger view of the why. The vibrant setting of coastal Maine and the lake house was like another character in itself. The author did an amazing job painting this picture for us so we could understand that this was not just a house, but really part of the sisters in different ways.

There was so much going on in this book but it was very easy to follow and just made me even more invested in this story. I really thought Hannah Orenstein did an amazing job of making Vivian and Lucy come alive, I was feeling all of their emotions, I was cheering for them the whole way. As a someone who grew up spending summers with my sisters at our grandparents' lake house this one really hit home for me. I highly recommend reading this to anyone looking to curl up a book about navigating relationships between family members and partners, life, grief, and love with some humor sprinkled in!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. #MaineCharacters #NetGalley.

This book was incredibly intriguing to me, hence the request to read. The State of Maine is very connected to my own childhood, and this did not disappoint. There was a struggle for me at the start to really dive into this book, but as the complex emotions and meanings began to weave through and come out to shine, I was hooked.

Both of the female leads are so incredibly complex in their own way. The way in which the truth came out was a genuine surprise, but also so anticipated as well.

This was a wonderful story that truly defined the chaos of family in every sense of the word and coming from a blended family – this resonated with me so much. So many instances my heart broke for these characters, only to have the pieces picked back up again.

Kudos to the author for painting a realistic picture of the lovely and often messy trials and tribulations of family. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this advanced copy and allowing me to give my thoughts and review.

Maine Characters by Hannah Orenstein is an absolutely delightful and heartwarming read. From the very beginning, I was drawn into the picturesque setting of Maine and the story of the protagonist, who returns to her hometown to rediscover herself and confront her past. This book blends romance, self-discovery, and family drama in a way that kept me turning the pages, eager to see what would happen next.

The setting itself is one of the highlights for me. The author does an amazing job of bringing Maine to life, capturing its beauty and charm in such a vivid way that I could practically feel the sea breeze. The small-town atmosphere added so much to the story and really grounded the emotional journey the characters go through.

The main character’s growth throughout the book is something I really connected with. Her struggles with family expectations, personal insecurities, and love felt so real and relatable. I loved how her journey wasn’t just about finding romance, but about learning to find her own path and identity. The relationships in the book, both romantic and familial, were complex and layered, making every emotional moment feel earned and authentic.

The romance in Maine Characters was also lovely. It’s not just a love story, but a journey of rediscovery, healing, and understanding between two people who have their own baggage and history. I really enjoyed how the relationship slowly built, with chemistry that felt natural and heartfelt.

Overall, I highly recommend Maine Characters to anyone looking for a charming, feel-good novel that’s both emotionally satisfying and thought-provoking. It’s a perfect mix of romance, personal growth, and the beauty of a small town. If you’re a fan of stories about finding your way and embracing both the past and future, this one will definitely resonate with you.

Thank you to Penguin Group Dutton and NetGalley for an early copy of this new release.

First of all, this cover is absolutely gorgeous and one of the things that drew me to this book initially. What also drew me in was the promise of “the parent trap for adults,” but I’d call that a little false advertising, as there is no trapping of the parents involved, just two sisters who grew up apart finally getting to know one another.

Honestly, I wanted to like this so much more than I did, I just didn’t find any of the characters very likable. It took me until about halfway through to feel any sort of investment in the story at all. I do think the story picked up during the second half, but the ending felt just a bit too good to be true, even if it was the best case scenario happy ending.

Overall, it was still an enjoyable read, just wished I had been a bit more excited to read it.

I loved Hannah Orenstein's writing in this novel and the way she was able to explore the ups and downs of a sister relationship. I think Hannah really gets across the way the two sisters feel as they struggle with understanding their family dynamics, and I think it's her best novel yet. I look forward to everything she releases in the future once I emotionally recover from Maine Characters.

overall, I enjoyed this book. about two half-sisters who meet for the first time after the death of their father, it felt very real and broken. Lucy and Vivian were frustrating and selfish, but experienced a lot of growth (with a lot of setbacks). I liked how the ending turned out. My only real issue was with the pacing of the story. The first half felt pretty slow, then picked up a lot around the 50% and got pretty interesting after that.

This book was such a hard read for me. I can usually finish books within 2-5 days. This book took me almost 2 weeks to finish. Not because it was a bad book but because I had so many conflicting feelings towards all the characters. Literally not a single one of them was easy to like, for me personally. Again, not in a bad way. I just came from a divorced home where my dad lived in a more full time way with my step sisters so this book really hit some emotional notes.

The book is about two women: Lucy and Vivian. They are half sisters. Vivian lives with her mom and dad in NYC and Lucy lives with her mom in Maine only sees her dad for a month in July. It's essentially a take The Parent Trap. Lucy always knew about her dad's other family and her half sister but Vivian had no idea. They meet after the dad died and Vivian was going up to Maine to deal with her dad's vacation house on the lake.

Vivian was frankly a bit of a selfish bitch but I understand her hurt from being lied to her whole life. Lucy was a bit of a pushover who I just wanted to grow a damn spine but I understand that all she wanted was to feel loved since she grew up essentially knowing she was the second best daughter/family that her dad had.

Their dad, man, he is the villain in my story in the beginning but then I start to feel horrible for him. Did he make the right decision, obviously not, obviously! But also there was some key information that was being kept from him.

Lucy's mom I just want to cry with. Vivian's mom, psssh well no spoilers so hopefully you'll find out on your own.

The problem and what makes this book great in my opinion is that all the characters are flawed and in order to like them, you have to contend with the harder parts of them.

On side note- the book is split up between Vivian's and Lucy's POV but the POV is third person omnipresent narrator so I didn't really understand why it was sectioned off between dual POVs when you got all persons thoughts and feelings. Just maybe a me thing.

Thank you to NetGalley and Hannah Orenstein for the advanced reader copy of this book. Definitely recommend reading it

I really enjoyed this story and getting to know the characters. I loved the Maine setting and it really made me want to go spend summer on a lake in Maine. I also enjoyed the characters.

This story follows two half-sisters who meet for the first time at their father's lake house after his passing. Lucy and Vivian are very different people who have led very different lives and got a very different version of their dad than the other one knew and I liked that aspect. I really enjoyed all the twists and turns.

I've been a fan of Hannah Orenstein’s books for years and was so excited for Maine Characters! I’ve never been to Maine but have always wanted to visit, and I loved how vividly she brought the setting to life—it was easy to envision, especially with the personal touches she shares on Instagram.

The story follows half-sisters Vivian and Lucy, who have never met but are forced to spend a summer together after their father’s passing. While the beginning felt a bit slow, once the sisters finally connected, I was completely invested in their journey. Watching them navigate grief, family secrets, and their own personal struggles made for an emotional and rewarding read. Their individual love stories and new beginnings tied everything together beautifully.

This is a heartfelt, layered story about family, identity, and second chances

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!
This is my first read from Hannah Orenstein & it will not be my last! Vivian and Lucy end up being more alike than one would think. There were so many twists to this book I didn’t see coming. I loved the ending and how the importance of sisterhood was portrayed. I was not able to put this book down (clearly finishing it in one day). I’d love a sequel 😉

Maine Character was an original story about two half sisters who discover each other after their father’s death. The story kept my interest but the characters were frustrating. They blame each other for things that were not their fault, even as the story progressed there was a lot of taking and giving of blame for things that were not their fault.

I devoured this one, but I wanted to love it more than I did.

As someone who also spent every summer on a lake in Maine (admittedly as a Masshole), the setting was so perfect and transported me back to those days. I really connected with the deep nostalgia and desire to cling to those memories. That being said, neither Lucy nor Vivian were particularly likable characters. Which isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but I found myself frustrated at their choices and the way the author seemed to categorize them into archetypes.

Their relationship arch also wasn’t super believable, I think their immediate dislike was a little immature. All that to say, it was a very sweet story and the final scenes were heartwarming, and I like the way the story unraveled.

What an adorable book! ‘Maine Characters’ by Hannah Orenstein follows two sisters (who don’t know the other one exists) as they navigate their father’s death. It is giving the adult version of The Parent Trap and I absolutely loved every second of it!

Thank you to NetGalley.com for allowing me to read this book!!