Maine Characters first caught my attention by the cover. Secondly, the title interested me as I love to visit Maine and I was hoping this would transport me to small-town, summer Maine life. When Vivian's father passes away, she is tasked with prepping his Maine cottage for sale, she is brought face to face with his other daughter, Lucy. The storyline wasn't wholly original and the pacing seemed off at some points. Some parts dragged while other parts felt rushed. Overall, this character driven novel is heartwarming and enjoyable. However, it didn't leave a lasting impression on me.

I went into Maine Characters blind, and honestly, I really enjoyed it. It’s a story about family, secrets, and what happens when two very different people are forced to figure out their connection.

Vivian is driving her father’s ashes to their summer cabin in Maine after he suddenly passes away on Father’s Day. When she gets there, she finds Lucy—who turns out to be the secret sister she always suspected but never had proof of. The problem? These two could not be more different, and they can’t seem to agree on much of anything. Their summer together ends up being a rollercoaster of emotions, discoveries, and unexpected bonding.

Both women are stubborn, which made me want to shake them at times. I found myself relating more to Lucy, while Vivian was harder for me to like—her questionable morals didn’t help. I also wished we got more of the backstory on their moms, especially Lucy’s mother, Dawn.

One thing that didn’t quite work for me was the title and cover. It has a rom-com feel, but the book itself is more about complicated family dynamics than lighthearted romance. A different design could have better captured the depth of the story.

Overall, I’d recommend this to anyone who loves women’s fiction with a mix of family drama and a little romance. If you’re a fan of Barbara O’Neal’s writing, you’ll probably enjoy Hannah Orenstein’s style too.

Thank you Hannah Orenstein, Penguin Group Dutton, and Net Galley for this early copy of Maine Characters in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

When I first saw this book marketed as “Parent Trap for adults” I was really excited and requested this immediately. I was so excited to read this. I can absolutely see how you could compare the two, but being that this is for adults it had a lot more emotion and grief and a lot less whimsy.

At first Vivian was pretty grating. I was appalled that she would knowingly be with a married man. No amount of justification can make that okay, but I was happy she did also come to that conclusion herself. I grew to like her as she softened.

Lucy was the character I could resonate with more. I could see how she would be upset about being hidden away even if she had the better relationship with their father. She was quick to judge Vivian, but learned her perceptions were wrong. She had the better life even though she didn’t really benefit her father’s wealth and privilege. I love her mom too.

I thought the story was really sweet and I am glad I read it. The ending brought the score up for me. It’s idyllic, which may be a problem for some, but I didn’t read this hoping for anything but a happy ending.

3.5 stars rounded up to 4.

This is a perfect summer read, as the story takes place on an idyllic lakeside house in Maine over the course of one summer. Thirty-year-old New Yorker Vivian has always suspected her father had a secret daughter after overhearing a strange conversation as a teenager. But when she goes to her family's Maine house after her father's death, she doesn't expect to come face to face with this unknown sister. Lucy grew up in the lakeside town of Fox Hill, looking forward to her July's with her father, jealous of the sister she never met, who didn't even know of her existence, who got to spend the rest of the year with him. As both Vivian and Lucy grieve the loss of their shared father, they also must learn to deal with each other, their mother's, their love lives. This book is very easy to get into, even in the moments when I wasn't sure if I really liked either of the main characters. I appreciate that the book is really about these women and their coming to terms with their family and that while. there are elements of romance in the book, it plays a back seat to the family drama that unfolds. I do think the book runs a little long.... a bit more editing down might have helped the pace..... but overall I really enjoyed this. 4* (rounded up from 3.5)
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a free advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

okay. interesting storyline but had the cheating trope? I mean vivian with owen? cheat much. it was okay. great

Every summer, Vivian Levy and Lucy Webster spend a month with their father at his lake house — separately. Raised in New York City, Vivian is an ambitious sommelier with a secret that could derail her future. Lucy grew up in a tiny Maine town, where she now teaches high school English while watching her marriage unravel. They’ve never met. While Lucy envied her half-sister from afar, their father kept Vivian in the dark.

When Vivian arrives at the lake to spread his ashes and sell his cabin, she's shocked to find Lucy there, awaiting his return. In an ideal world, they’d help each other through their grief. Instead, forced to spend the summer together, they fight through a storm of suspicion and hostility to untangle the messy truth about their parents’ pasts. While Lucy is desperate to hold onto the house, Vivian is scrambling after a betrayal. After thirty years apart, is it too late for them to be a family?

Loved this book. It gave depth to both sisters and showed the wonder of family no matter how untraditional. These sisters need each other and the book does a wonderful job of showing both of them. You also get a lake setting, some romance and a lot of fun.

So glad I got an early copy of this book.

This is a messy family drama but not in my flavor, if that makes sense? I just needed the sisters to be 10% more likable or just slap each other and grow up. The story was good and I was committed to finishing but I didn't connect with them so I didn’t care what happened to them.

3.5 stars rounded up. My first book by Hannah Orenstein and hopefully not my last :)

Thank you Penguin Group Dutton and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this ARC.

Two half sisters brought together by the death of their father. One was aware of the other, while the other had suspicions her father was hiding something but was never told the truth. One grew up with wealth and opportunity in NYC, one in small town Maine with a single mother. One who had a very complex relationship with her father and believes their last communication caused his heart attack, the other who only has fond memories of her father and the summers they spent together at the cabin. One had a horrible relationship with her bestselling author mother, the other one was thick as thieves with her's.

I love a good family drama. Filled with grief, plenty of secrets, lots of outbursts between the two sisters, and some bending/growing/learning. However, I really didn't care for either character for a majority of the book. Vivian was spoiled and manipulative and selfish. Lucy played the victim card a lot and was so childish. The last 25% of the book, though, they did mature a bit and finally started getting along. The ending really came together so well.

Overall, I would recommend this book for lovers of family drama. It would be a great summer lake read, given the beautiful setting.

I am an absolute sucker for any book set in Maine, and having followed this author on Instagram I know she has deep ties to the state, so I was excited to read this early. The "Parent Trap" vibes also reeled me in quickly, and while this didn't totally work for me, I was entertained while reading it. Vivian and Lucy are half sisters who spend a week with their father at his lake house in Maine - but separately. The sisters couldn't be more different, and only Lucy knows about Vivian's existence, Vivian has been left in the dark. When he dies and Vivian travels to the lake house to spread his ashes, she meets Lucy for the first time. Things get messy, and a lot of family drama is unearthed. This will be a great summer read!

The cover of this book is absolutely gorgeous! The story of sisters finding each other in a time of grief was realistic, well thought out, and beyond relatable. However, I found the characters very 2 dimensional and I felt like it just didn’t quite hit the mark with the character development through the story. An over all good read!!

Maine Characters 🛶💥 📚
By: Hannah Orenstein
Story: ✨ ✨✨ 3.5 /5
Narration: N/A

I’d like to thank Penguin Group Dutton and NetGalley for an e-arc of Maine Characters by Hannah Orenstein.

Is it true? Can betrayal actually bring two people closer?

Vivian is a successful, well off city girl who spends her nights working as a Master Sommelier in a trendy A-list restaurant. She’s one of the youngest in her field to achieve such an accomplishment and dates the very attractive owner of her place of work.

Lucy works as an english teacher who’s currently working through a divorce from her childhood sweetheart. She craves the one summer a month she gets to spend at the lake with her dad.

The two have never met before. That is, until one day in July, when Lucy arrives for her yearly visit and Vivian is already there.

What do these two women have in common aside from being in the same place at the same time? Well for starters, they’re sisters. Follow Vivian and Lucy while they grieve the sudden loss of their father and how to navigate what’s to come in Maine Characters.

For those who don't know me, my name is Chanel and I'm everyone's favorite self-proclaimed Book Tea Spiller.

What did I think of this book? See below for my Final Sip ☕️:

First off, this was a stunning book cover that will immediately draw in the attention of many readers. The beginning of Maine Characters immediately sucks the reader in. Scandal, drama, grief and confusion usually makes for a reader’s favorite way to start a new book. What makes this story different is the way in which these elements are featured in the calmest way possible. Does that make sense? Sure, these two are pissed that they didn’t know about each other, yet as a reader, your blood pressure doesn’t rise with anxious anticipation. Instead, a hopefulness of a good outcome overcomes you.

Picture, our younger selves learning that Annie and Halle are twins in The Parent Trap as adults. The younger version of ourselves would panic, while our older selves hope they get along by the end. This was an enjoyable night read. It doesn’t keep you up, yet has the smallest amount of suspense that keeps one wondering what the ending will be.

I did not like this writing right from the start. I’m not sure why, maybe most because it is in third person!? Might work better for others.

Maine Characters is a great summer read, set against the beautiful backdrop of a lake in Maine. The story carries a Parent Trap vibe but with a unique twist that keeps things fresh. While some characters were downright insufferable at times, the complicated situation they found themselves in made it somewhat understandable. It’s an easy, fast-paced read — perfect for a lazy afternoon.

Thank you to NetGalley and Dutton for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

I truly enjoyed this book! It went deeper than a typical light hearted women’s fiction- a happy ending sure, but bittersweet. Great characters- flawed and honest yet incredibly likable. I would definitely recommend this book. You want to keep reading!

There was so much drama, It was such a fun read!

The MCs started out hating each other, and throughout the book we get to see their relationship progress. I loved seeing that natural sisterly bond between them. The characters were well developed, and easy to follow. I instantly connected to them. The story gives off major summer vibes, and the writing is so good, I felt like I was actually there. The house and town gave off such a charming setting, I absolutely adored it. Definitely a great book when you need a little refresher!

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the free ebook!

DNF @ 35%
As someone whose favorite movie has been The Parent Trap since childhood, I really wanted to love this book. However, I couldn’t get past the premise and the main characters’ reactions and processing of the news that the other existed seemed way too downplayed. The pacing was also way too slow for me.
Thanks to the publisher and Net Galley for providing an advance copy in exchange for my honest feedback.

A beautiful and, at times, difficult story about love in multiple forms.

There are several story threads here but the central thread revolves around half-sisters Vivian and Lucy, who meet for the first time after their father’s death. While things get off to a contentious start, they eventually grow closer, all while unraveling their shared history and dealing with their own messy romantic pursuits. I loved each sister’s character arc equally and found them both to be strong, well-written characters.

Conten-wise, this leans more towards Women’s Fiction than Romance. Yes, there are romantic plotlines, but they take the backseat to Vivian and Lucy’s relationship.

I will say that it took me a while to get into the book, largely due to the fact it was written in the third person, present tense. Like many other readers, I find that this writing style can be incredibly distracting. In a book like this one, with various storylines outlining complicated relationships, it seemed like a particularly poor choice. Still, the other elements of the book were strong enough to warrant a high rating.

Thanks so much to NetGalley and Penguin Group Dutton for the advanced reader copy of this book, provided in exchange for my honest and unbiased opinion.

Ah. I tried so hard to love this and I’m sorry to be writing this. It just was not for me.

I felt like so much happened; but at the same time not really anything at all? All the spots where I anticipated a bigger plot twist fell flat. But maybe that’s kinda the point? If something like this was to happen in real life, everything wouldn’t be ironed out and tied up with a bow - if someone dies, a lot is left unsaid and incomplete. All this to say, I do wish that some of the bigger scenes were longer. It felt like there was so much description in the slower scenes and the bigger scenes were lacking, where those were the ones I wanted more of.

The writing style was also a bit strange to me, I didn’t get why the chapters were broken down into POV of a specific sister but was all in 3rd person. It felt unnecessary and odd. If it was in first person, I’d get it completely.

Some people may love this found sisters storyline! It just wasn’t my speed.

Thank you so much to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I really loved this book!! It was written so well and I really enjoyed the authors narrative voice. It was super engaging and I loved being part of the characters world. Definitely couldn’t put it down!!

Maine Characters tells the story of two half-sisters who met at the family cabin in a Maine lake after their father's death, one knowing of the other's existence, one whose suspicions become confirmed. The characters are flawed and lovable, the story a twist on the enemies to friends/lovers trope, the result an endearing book with plenty of twists and surprises along the way to a hopefully happy ending. Much thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Group Dutton for the opportunity to read this fun eArc in exchange for my honest opinion. 3.75/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️