I’ve read from this author before. I think her earlier books are such a time capsule for the era that they were released. This book’s story is more timeless. I really enjoyed it.

I don't mind imperfect and real characters, but both of these women were extremely unlikable and just could not deal with it.

This is the first book I have read by Hannah Orenstein. Two women in their 30s discover they are half sisters only after their father has died. I didn't like either "maine" character in the beginning. I couldn't believe how old they were they acted like preteens. Eventually they grew on me and I did enjoy this book.

I love a story about the complicated relationship between sisters. Maine Characters was a quick read and kept me interested throughout the whole novel. I highly recommend!

I’m partial to books about sisters; somehow these always end up in the 4-5 star range. So you can consider this a disclosure.

In the backwoods of Maine there is a lake with a run-down cabin. The cabin holds memories, but it also holds secrets. We first meet Vivian - a successful sommelier from a wealthy Upper West Side family. She seems to have it all - beauty, wealth, loving parents; until her father suddenly dies and secrets begin to surface. As she’s sorting through the aftermath of her fathers passing, she makes her way up to the cabin where she spent so many of her childhood summers.

When she arrives at the cabin, she uncovers a secret that she had all but confirmed to be true. A girl- Lucy- is waiting for her. She’s been waiting her whole life.

Once Vivian has confirmed her suspicions - that is, her father’s affair and secret love child- she is reeling with accusations. This is not a story where the sisters meet and immediately become best friends. In fact, neither of them are particularly likable. Yet, you can’t help yourself from rooting for them. While Vivian deals with a messy affair long distance, Lucy is recovering from a recent divorce. They’re both hurting, in different ways. And most of the time, that hurt is taken out on each other. It’s a stark contrast to the serene setting of the lake. The tension is palpable through the writing. Between the lines, the sisters desire a deeper connection, but they can’t quite figure out how to forge it.

Despite the unlikable characters, it’s a likeable story. The story starts off strong, and the details come through at a pace that’s just quick enough that you don’t want to put it down. If anything is left to desire, it’s the atmosphere build- it lacked the ambience I expected from a cozy little cabin on a lake. However, there is no lack of drama- however messy and a bit chaotic. I enjoyed the romantic relationships as a secondary storyline, but I found they sometimes created dissonance with the tension between the sisters. Despite the chaos, the details manage to weave their way back together with a resolution that felt like it was worth the time invested.

Overall I found this very enjoyable as a vacation read - a good combination of drama, romance, and storytelling to escape with for a moment.

This book had a bit of a slow start, but it really grew on me as I read. I loved the “adult Parent Trap” premise, the lake setting, and the character development.

This book fell flat for me unfortunately! There was a lot going on with the various love triangles and drama. Sadly the two main characters were very unlikeable. Honestly most of the characters weren't likeable and hard to read about. I wish this gave more parent trap vibes and just a kinder story. I was annoyed reading the girls bullying and belittling each other too muc.

While I understand that Lucy feels slighted and is mildly in shock... She is so annoying to me. Cause Vivian is better than me. I would have had her arrested for trespassing. So for her to get snooty about which bed she is sleeping in all because Vivian makes more money, is so immature. You're not owed anything. If she said "I'm his daughter too" one more time, I was going to lose my shit. "It's July...." Little girl, if you don't get somewhere and sit down. If you want to be mad, be mad at your Daddy. He kept you a secret. He didn't make provisions for you in his will. Direct some of that ire towards him instead of romantising your relationship with him. Meanwhile, Vivian is equally as stupid. Trying to get seed money to start a business with a man not serious enough about her to leave his wife. So as mad as she is with her Dad for cheating on her Mom; you're the other woman too Boo. Plus she was cheated on too, so... What are you doing?

I wasn't invested in either of them. Actually none of the characters. Caleb's character really wasn't strong enough for me.

I kept waiting for one of these characters to do something I could get behind, but by the halfway point I was so steeped in disdain, it was irredeemable.

The sisterhood! This book requires some patience, understanding and time. It felt like o was grieving with them

3.5 stars ⭐️ Something about the characters just didn't click with me and draw me in. However, I still finished it and liked it.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Penguin Book for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Complicated family dynamics, grief and loss, and romance all in a lake house setting... What else could you want in a novel? I enjoyed reading this and felt like I was sitting right alongside the main characters throughout the book.

This follows Vivian and Lucy in a parent trap inspired twist where the dad passes and they find themselves at their family beach house together. Vivian is the “main” daughter that gets all the benefits of benefits of being the rich kid growing up and Lucy gets one month every summer with her dad and gets a more loving version of him than Vivian knows.

Definitely a story about found family and coming together after many years of pent up anger from the secrets their dad was keeping.

There’s drama, secrets, love, heartbreak and closure in this and definitely worth picking up

I've been in a reading slump and Maine Characters brought me right out! This story is of two women who, after the passing of their father, are brought together and find out they are sisters. As the story unfolds, they uncover how messy their family history really was but ultimately find the sisterly bonds they were missing.

What I enjoyed most about this book, is the author Hannah Orenstein, created a story about two half sisters, that had never met, until their father passed away. Hannah told their story, the way it would probably play out in life. The day they meet, with the distrust of each other, the not liking each other, to them ending up sharing the camp together, and all the ups and downs, that comes with it. I saw the girls relationships with their mothers, because each one had created the person they are because of the things that had happened, there are many different points of views.
As the summer moves forward, so do the girls, but in life, they second guess themselves, and sometimes, tries to go back to fix something that didn't end the way they thought they wanted. Hannah takes us through it all, and life goes on, their life starts to look a little different. At the end of summer, they discover who they are now, because of all they have gone through, they have made plans for the future, but life would still test them to see if they were sure.
The details, the author showed us, and as they moved on in life, there is always doubt and wondering about what ifs, and the author included it all in their story. I enjoyed this book, because for me, this is the way life would be for them.
I received an ARC from Dutton through NetGalley, and this definitely was a book worth fighting for. When you read the book, you will know why I wrote this.

Two half sisters finally meet as adults because their father has died, which leads to the "Parent Trap for adults" description only insofar as they are sisters of about the same age who did not grow up together (well maybe in one other way that would be a spoiler). You have the relationship between the sisters as well as each of their relationships with their dad, his house, their moms, and past and present love interests. The character dynamics lead to perfectly messy moments, but what I really loved were the author's foodie descriptions of wines and foods, as well as her detailed location descriptions of restaurants, bars, and Fox Hill Lake, which I would like to visit except for it being fictional. Thanks to NetGalley for the advance copy!

My family has an old lake house, and that’s the main reason I chose to read this book. I related a lot to the characters in terms of their relationship to the lake and the house, and I totally understand tough sibling dynamics, though I admit this is not a situation I have ever found myself to be in. This was a cute book but serious when it had to be, and I quite enjoyed reading it.

I love the Parent Trap like everyone else but I wished that we could’ve found out more about the characters story lines earlier in the book. It would’ve helped me connect with them better

The ending saved the book for me! The author did a great job of changing my views of the entire read and the last 25% of the book was a 5 star read.

I wanted to read this book because of the Parent Trap reference but there was nothing Parent Trap about this book. For the first 75% of the book I found myself hating both Lucy and Vivian. I thought there were both self-centered spoiled brats. The last 25% I realized that while life led them in two directions, they were truly sisters, soulmates.

The book wasn't my favorite but was a great sit on your couch with no expectations kind of read to get you through a cold day in January. (And it did make me want to go to the winery tomorrow).

Thank you NetGalley and Penguin Group Dalton for providing me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book is such a fun summer read! The two main characters of this book are Lucy and Vivian, and they are half-sisters. They find out about each other when they both visit their deceased father's cabin in Maine. Vivian goes to Maine to sell the cabin. Lucy goes to the cabin to visit her father, who she thought was alive. The book delves into the story about how each of them process finding out they have a half sister, the grief of losing their father, and what to do next with the cabin. I enjoyed how the author described the setting and made it seem like you were there in Maine. I also enjoyed learning more about Lucy and Vivian outside of them finding out they had a half-sister. I enjoyed reading the parts about their backstory. I do think the book was a little too long in places. I also thought the book became a little too cliche in places as well. Overall, I would give it a 3.5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group Dutton for the arc in exchange for a free review!

I liked the two main characters and their journey to acceptance of their family issues, but. I found the way that it ended a little convenient and predictable.