Maine Characters by Hannah Orenstein

Maine Characters by Hannah Orenstein
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley and Dutton for providing me with an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review!
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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.
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I was initially drawn to this book because I am someone who spent time each summer in Maine in my formative years, so books that take place there call to me. When I read in the description that it would appeal to fans of Carley Fortune and Elin Hilderbrand, I was even more intrigued because those are two of my auto-buy authors. Well, I am so glad that I got the chance to read this book! It is filled with rich characters, a beautiful setting, and plenty of action. I love reading books about sisters, and the story of the relationship between Vivian and Lucy is complex and beautifully written. There is complexity and nuance to the plot, and just when you think that something predictable has happened, a pleasant surprise comes along, and suddenly a bit of a twist has occurred. I had never read this author before, but I will certainly check out her back catalog. This is a great summer read for someone who is looking for an escape to the lake!

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