Review: Maine Characters by Hannah Orenstein
Thank you Dutton Books for my copy! All thoughts are my own.
I’ve been a fan of Hannah Orenstein for a while and loved her last release. I couldn’t be happier to see this title pop up. I love the cover and setting so much. It’s a solid, enjoyable summer read for fans of Elin Hilderbrand and Annabel Monaghan!
Synopsis:
“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?
For fans of Carley Fortune and Elin Hilderbrand, this sister story set on a lush lake brims with the undeniable heart, depth, charm, and humor that have endeared Hannah Orenstein to legions of readers.” —NetGalley
What I Liked:
The Setting—I love a lake house setting. The moment I saw the cover I added it to my TBR. I really thought Orenstein captured the feeling and nostalgia of a Summer home.
The Visceral Writing—The writing is incredibly descriptive, which allows the reader to feel, taste, and hear the sights and sounds of Maine.
What Didn’t Work for Me:
Disconnect to Characters—While the setting and descriptions were extremely descriptive, I didn’t feel a strong connection to the characters. I didn’t feel their relationship blossom and change throughout, though the story told me that happened.
Character Authenticity: 3/5 Spice Rating: 0/5 Overall Rating: 3.5/5
Content Warnings:
Infidelity, grief, death of a parent