Overall I enjoyed the story, the setting and plot. However, Lucy was driving me crazy to the point I considered DNF a few times.

Super cute book! I loved the characters, the sisters and their bond. It had great character development as well. Definitely a cute book for the summer.

4⭐️’s. Thank you NetGalley for this ARC. I was excited to read this as this is a new author for me as well. Took a few chapters to get into the book, but once I did I was hooked and read the rest in one sitting. The character growth of both Vivian and Lucy was great to read on the pages as the book progressed, and I was really happy with the ending and seeing how there was resolution to their story. How both Lucy and Vivian’s characters were in their relationships really showcased how they were impacted by how they each grew up. Definitely recommend to anyone this summer when it comes out.

Such terrific characters that i feel i know them. I'm a fan of Maine, loons and lobster so this hit home for me.
The story of sisters meeting later in life was interesting and touching.
The romances were realistic and equally awful and colorful
I enjoyed it start to finish. Thank you.

I loved the setting in this book. The main characters start off extremely unlikeable and slowly grow into better people with time. This book was definitely longer than it needed to be.

I loved this book so much! I'm a sucker for cabin on a lake books. The gorgeous cover drew me in right away. I assumed it was a romance, but it was so much more than that. Vivian is a city girl who returns to her recently deceased father's lake house to clear it out and sell, when she runs into Lucy, her long lost half-sister who lives in the small town in Maine. Personalities clash, secrets are revealed, and as the girls learn about their family, they slowly form a bond with each other.

As a city girl with a lake house myself, I couldn't have been more all in. Hannah Orenstein perfectly captures life on the lake -- antique fixtures, spotty service, the smell of the boat shed, the sunsets, the small town diner. The vibe is a little Beach Read, a little Parent Trap. I loved the dual POV as the girls get to know each other and go from judging to supporting each other. There are many serious life hurdles going on at the cabin this summer, but the tone of the story was always hopeful, sincere, and humorous. I hope this becomes the book of the summer in 2025, and I'm looking forward to diving into the author's backlist. I haven't been this excited to discover a new-to-me author since Abby Jimenez, and before her, Emily Henry.

I felt transported to Maine with the vivid descriptions and references to the local area. As a NH native I was comforted by the authentic New England characteristics that the author shared to connect the reader to the lake. That authenticity expanded to the complicated dynamics that existed amongst the characters. They felt like real people! Relationships were well developed and aided in overall character development. Overall, a good read that I would recommend to a friend.

Thank you to Netgalley and publishers!! "Maine Characters” by Hannah Orenstein offers an intriguing glimpse into the complexities of relationships, self-discovery, and the quiet beauty of life in Maine. The narrative is steeped in atmosphere, capturing the essence of both the place and its people. Orenstein’s prose is engaging, though at times it leaves you with more questions than answers about the characters’ deeper motivations. The novel’s pacing ebbs and flows, allowing moments of reflection to balance the more fast-paced developments. While the themes of family dynamics and personal growth resonate, the plot’s direction occasionally feels meandering, offering an experience that is as much about the journey as the destination. The characters are multifaceted, though some remain elusive, making it hard to fully connect at times. Overall, “Maine Characters” is a thought-provoking read that will appeal to those who enjoy introspective storytelling and a touch of unpredictability.

This was my first read by Hannah Orenstein, and it certainly won’t be my last! As soon as I heard this described as an "adult Parent Trap," I raced to NetGalley (thanks for the ARC bestie!) and had an amazing time with it. Although the story started on a more somber note, it featured strong character development and a well-paced narrative. Orenstein skillfully kept the sisterly bond at the forefront, with the romance serving as a delightful subplot. I have no doubt this book is going to be a major hit. If you love beautiful settings, themes of family, belonging, and a touch of romance, Maine Characters is a must-read!

This was such a cute story, it does kind of give parent trap vibes. I truly enjoyed it. It started out a little slow but it picked up and I absolutely loved the ending. I’ve never read any books by Hannah Orenstein, but I will definitely be checking out some others she has written.

Having just got back from a trip to Maine, this was a love letter to a beautiful state that found me at a perfect time. Maine is it's own character in the novel. The writing is visceral, you can almost smell the water outside Vivian and Lucy's house, you can smell the butter on the lobster roll, and you can taste Vivian's carefully selected wine. While the plot has conflict, it's paired with the beauty and serenity of small town life, two women trying to turn the page on family drama, and hope for the future. I loved this book.

Vivian and Lucy are living their very own Parent Trap situation, having just learned (or met) their sister - they're forced to spend the summer together at their deceased father's lake house. While one daughter is keen on celebrating the house to fund her next career steps, the other is clinging to the lake house as she tries to navigate a divorce. Conflict ensues, but so does growth, love, and an unraveling of the truth of their parent's messy past.

Are the characters loveable? Not exactly. But that is what makes this compelling. There is room for them both to grow, for them to better understand their own aspirations, motivations and dreams, and for them to come together. You can disagree with their actions, but as the novel unfolds and you better understand them, you're rooting for their growth. I struggled with some of the plot feeling like another twist to make the burden heavy, but somehow she makes it work. That's the lynch pin -- Orenstein is a terrific writer and challenges us to bring heart to a complex situation. Will absolutely be picking up her other books.

Thank you netgalley for this opportunity! 4 stars
This follows Lucy and Vivian after their father dies and Vivian is left to deal with the inheritance of a small home up in Maine. But the catch: Lucy is his 'love child' Vivian never met or knew. There is a ton of incredibly complicated family dynamics as you learn who knew what, their personalities and the traits they inherited from their mothers, their relationship with their father and the way in which they idolized him, and how they come into their own lives (both as sisters and women).
I won't lie, I grabbed this because of the cover (STUNNING), and felt a bit like I had to swim through the first few chapters to really get to the meat of the story. I empathized far more with Vivian than Lucy, and would ADORE a book about Vivian's life post 'Maine Characters'. Theres a bit of romance in here but it definitely is the supporting plot line, which I think works well. But by the midpoint, I think this story really flourished. This was really about two women finding themselves without their parents, and as sisters, and I really enjoyed that. This book was also so atmospheric: the Maine setting is almost a character within itself, and I LOVED that.

I was immediately drawn in by this gorgeous cover!

Really enjoyed this one - Parent Trap vibes and a story of coming home, waiting for secrets to come to light.

It could have been a little shorter - the squabbling and miscommunications could have been cut back some, but overall I enjoyed and would recommend.

At first, I thought this books started out very slowly with a lot of anger between Vivian and Lucy. But gradually, I understood why it seemed to go so slowly--so that the reader could be enveloped in the setting, in the characters, and the story. Sometimes, the next step was telegraphed (Harrison and Lucy) and sometimes there was a surprise (Patrick wanting Lucy back, I thought it was for the money, but as it turned out it was her maid service, which I guess is worse). Ms. Orenstein does not tie up the loose ends...Caleb is taking his 3 month trek, but the promise of happy endings all round is definitely there. I loved the fact that the girls (spoiler alert) could keep the house and fix it up together. It really brought a smile to my face.

This was the biggest up and down. I didnt like any of the characters in the begging then that change then it changed again and again. This was real and the characters were real and flawed and that made it really great in the end.
This story is about family, friendship and sisters and understanding that you can look at a situation and even a person differently. I loved how the story wrapped up with all the different characters getting included! It was wholesome and I even teared up at the end!! Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for this arc!

An enjoyable adult parent trap. I enjoyed that this focused on the sisters' relationship more than romantic relationships and those were woven in to the story well to help add depth to both Vivian and Lucy. The setting was a character in itself and made me wish I was reading the book lakeside in Maine. Overall, one I would recommend to people looking for a lighter family drama.

As someone who has found out about having a whole secret family and never knowing about it, this hits hard. This was such a fun read and really dives into family dynamics extensively.
As everyone else is saying, an adult parent trap recreated 🤩
Sisterhood is such a wonderful thing & this book dives right into it.

I'm imagining i(m thirty living my semi-functional life, only to find out I might have a secret family out there I have no clue they exist. Cue existential spiral: do they share my bad dancing, random TV trivia recall, and inability to remember birthdays? Am I their missing drama or are they mine? FUN! Also, made me miss Summer!!!

I had a lot of fun with this book — it was the perfect summer romance read. I very much enjoyed reading how the main characters handled their grieving process as well.

From the first sentence, I was hooked! I could not stop reading once I started. I was not sure what I expected with my first Hannah Orenstein book, but I can’t wait to see what she comes up with next!

I voluntarily reviewed this book.