I thought this book was the sweetest romance! It definitely gave me parent trap vibes and tapped me back into the 90s and one of my favorite movies growing up! From the first page to the last, I was hooked and couldn’t put it down!

I really just love Hannah Orenstein's writing. I read her book on gymnastics and truly enjoyed it, and knowing she writes a lot in Maine I was eager for this one. And it delivered! Eliza has left NY and returned to her childhood home in Maine a bit broken. When she reunited with Theo, I think we all know what's going to happen, but that's the pleasure of the romance genre. Orenstein's deftly constructed prose, light humor, and relatable characters are a joy to read, and I always love when a location is made a character as well, the way Maine is. I look forward to her books and this was no exception!

This book hit me really hard in the chest and I was emotional to the max.
What and amazing read I’ll definitely pick up the physical of this book when it’s released!

I loved this book so much!
The characters were wonderful and relatable and I found myself rooting for them. I adored the romance and wanted more in the end.

Tense and creative, Maine Characters is a story of love and loss, regrets and reconciliation. The strained relationship of half-sisters takes center stage as they come to terms with the death and trouble caused by their father. Lucy grew up with her single mother, knowing about her father’s other family and of her step sister. Vivian was in the dark about her sister’s existence, only guessing of the possibility. They grew up in completely opposite circumstances and come face to face when Vivian comes to her father’s Maine cabin and Lucy is there. Antagonism is everywhere as they face off and cannot come to terms about the cabin. Theirs is a shaky relationship fraught with difficulties. It is a difficult journey to trod.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of the book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I knew as soon as I saw the cover and read the overview this book would be for Me! The author paints a beautiful picture of small town lake life, and you wish you were visiting the cabin along with them.

Imagine spending one month every summer of your entire life in the family’s lakeside cabin with your Father, only to find out years later you have a sibling you never knew existed, doing the same thing- only in a different month.

Vivian was raised in the City, Enjoying the luxuries that come from wealthy parents. She never had to wonder if things could be afforded because she always had them. As an adult, She lives a fast paced life as a sommelier in a busy restaurant.

Lucy was raised in the tiny lakeside town, by her mother and they had to constantly pinch pennies to make ends meet. She ends up staying close to home, becoming a teacher and marrying her high school sweetheart.

So, what happens when Vivian and Lucy meet for the first time outside of the lake house where they both planned to spend their summer? *Cue the Parent trap* All jokes aside, these sisters are in for a summer they never saw coming.

The other Characters in this story play such big roles, I don’t want to give anything away too soon. But there will be secrets, laughter, tears, heartache, and love. I enjoyed this book until the very end.


Thank you NetGalley and Hannah Orenstein for this lovely ARC!

Okay I have to admit I was drawn into the beautiful cover of this book but flew through it in 24 hours. This is such a fun beach read that millennials who loved The Parent Trap will enjoy although this digs in much deeper. I have to admit I hated Vivian at first and felt so sad for Lucy but the character development was wonderful and I grew to love both characters. I wish there was an epilogue because I’m dying to know how things turned out but maybe a sequel will be in the works! My only reason for 4 starts vs 5 was that I don’t feel like the transported me to Maine like a summer book should. I wanted to feel more of the scenery and quaint town. Will recommend to my followers and friends!

This is like epitome of messy family drama but also like… not in a way that I like lol. I just needed Vivian and Lucy to be even 10% more likable. The story was good and kept me engaged but since I didn’t feel connected to the characters at all I wasn’t really affected by what they were going through emotionally! Could just be a me thing though!

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!

I was initially drawn to this because of the amazingly gorgeous cover. It held up to my expectations. I love the play on words in the title.

Maine characters was interesting from page 1! I’m not sure why I love lost family so much, but it is always a favorite of mine. I loved how realistic the anger was. This is a big secret and should cause some riff. The pain both of these sisters went through in their own life because of the secret was awful. The expectations (or lack of) Vivian had for other men was sad to me. The power people have over your own self worth is unreal! Learning both of the mom’s sides of the story was so interesting and your heart will hurt for them. Character growth was 10/10 and it was so fun to add some potential new starts to 3/4 of these women’s lives!

3.25⭐️
(ARC review) — Thank you to author Hannah Orenstein and her publisher Dutton Publishing. I received an Advanced Reader Copy for the May 2025 release of 𝑀𝘢𝑖𝘯𝑒 𝐶𝘩𝑎𝘳𝑎𝘤𝑡𝘦𝑟𝘴 in exchange for my honest review. Family drama in a great Maine setting in a cabin on the lake. This was entertaining and definitely lots of secrets unraveling but I had a hard time connecting with the characters. They just were hard to like. Easy read though and the ending did come together and I liked how it finished. The book has modern day “Parent Trap” vibes for sure. {P.S. cover is adorable… love it}

This unfortunately was not for me. I loved the cover but that was about it. I found the characters miserable and whiny, especially for their ages. This is my first book by this author and I unfortunately don't enjoy her writing style.

Thank you to the publisher for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 stars

Maine Characters by Hannah Orenstein is a novel with Parent Trap vibes.

Lucy and Vivian both have the same dad — however, they don’t meet each other until they are in their 30s after their dad has died. The two of them end up at his lake house in northern Maine and start to uncover secrets. Vivian is a city girl from New York who was raised by their father along with her mother who is a best-selling romance author. Lucy was raised in the shadows growing up with her mom in Maine and spending time with her dad in secret throughout the year - mainly in July at the Lake House… he told Vivian and her mom that he was on a business trip during this time.

Vivian intends to sell the Lake House so that she can start a business with her boss/boyfriend who oh by the way is married… Lucy is going through a divorce and hopes that she can stay in the Lake House till she figures out her next move. The two of them spend the summer getting to know one another while also exploring other friendships and romances in good ol’ Maine.

I went to college up in Bangor so I was delighted to have a references to my favorite night club HALF ACRE. I would recommend this book to anyone looking for an emotional read filled with family drama.


Thank you so much to NetGalley and Penguin Books Dutton for the ARC in exchange for my honest review. Grab your copy on May 13, 2025.

This was an interesting read and take on being a Parent Trap for adults. This dealt really well with what happens when you are suddenly confronted with the kid you suspected your dad hid from you but didn’t really know about and how do you start on the right foot when only one of you actually knows about the other. I loved the evolution of their relationship and how they became a family. Both Lucy and Vivian grow as people and realize that the situations they are in romantically don’t work for them anymore.

Thanks to Dutton and Netgalley for the complimentary copy of this book. All opinions in this review are my own.

What I loved? The beautiful cover, the storyline, and the glorious setting of a cabin in Maine. What I didn't love? The insufferable sisters who acted like middle schoolers.

Thank you, NetGalley and Penguin Random House for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

"Maine Characters" is a dual-POV following two sisters, Vivien and Lucy, as they come to terms with their father's unexpected death. Lucy, the product of an affair, desperately wants a sister relationship with Vivien; however, she is rebuffed at every turn. Vivien, resenting her father for his affair, wants nothing to do with her sister and is only interested in selling her father's beloved lake house. While both of the sisters have great character arcs/development, they were both insufferable in their own ways. Lucy was especially frustrating as she placed most of the blame on Vivien and was almost incapable of understanding why her sister A) has a complicated relationship with their father and B) may not want a relationship with her. The plot was also predictable and sometimes cliche.

"Maine Characters" was overall enjoyable, and I would recommend it for readers who like feel-good, easy reads. (3.5)

This was one of my most anticipated reads of the year and ..... it was OK. There was Jewish rep which is why I came and why I like this author.

Definitely more women's fiction than romance, and the alternating POVs were very confusing at first.

Lucy and Vivian are half sisters who are shoved together after the death of their father at the Maine cabin he owned. Neither character is very likable. I didn't care about either of them or their drama. Or why they needed the money from the sale of the cabin.

There are romance subplots, mostly involving cheating and miscommunication but keep the story moving and entertaining. There are lots of wine references so if you're a cork dork you'll probably like this one.


TW: Cheating/infidelity, death of father

Again, another huge thank you to Net Galley for sending me this ARC!

I truly didn’t know how I would end up feeling when I finished this book. I was unsure of it until about halfway through but I was enchanted by the authors writing and how easy it was to read. I fell in love with the sisters and the relationship they ended up curating. The way the author wrote about grief of losing a parent, falling in and out of love, and going from selfish to selfless captured me and had me on the edge of my seat. This truly had the perfect ending, now I just need a book dedicated to each sister for how their lives have progressed and where they are now!!! And I also NEED a summer house in Maine!!!!

I love Orenstein's novels!!! I love the Maine lake house vibes, family drama dynamic, and parent trap vibes. Some of the plot points felt very predictable and some of the fights felt repetitive BUT the ending made up for it.

An easy 5 stars for this Hannah Orenstein novel! This book perfectly pairs with a glass of wine (or an Allagash beer!) and a chair by the lake (or pool or any body of water)!

Vivian and Lucy are half sisters, but have never met. When their dad Hank dies unexpectedly, the sisters are brought together and have to navigate their dad passing, a marriage in turmoil, a secret that could end one's career, and deciding if they want to know each other.

The way Orenstein perfectly describes the setting of the lake in Maine made me feel like I was right there with Vivian and Lucy on the dock with my feet in the water watching the loons swim by. Both of the main characters have an incredible character arc, and how they navigate and grieve their shared and separate losses is so well told by Orenstein. This book will make you want to move to the (sadly fictional) town of Fox Hill, Maine and befriend the great cast of characters!

Thank you Penguin Group Dutton and NetGalley for the advanced reader's copy in exchange for my review.