A fun premise, but at times, poorly executed. A strange cross between adult and YA, falling closer to YA most of the time.

The romance happened way too late for me to be invested in it, the ending felt a little rushed. Some of the characters were leaning towards quirky but just came off as weird.

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for this ALC.

Things I liked: the story, Brittany Pressley’s wonderful narration, and the endgame!

Things I didn’t like: the liar.

I adored this book! I didn’t want to put it down, it was just such a fun read, and I loved the spin of the bachelor plus survivor feeling that it gave.

The main characters all had great back stories and I loved being able to learn more about each of them and even fall in love with the characters that you initially didn’t think that you were going to like.

It was just such a quick and entertaining read, and I definitely recommend it for anyone to check out!

I listened to the audiobook and it was SO well done. Excellent narration by Brittany Pressley!

Thank you MacMillan Audio for the opportunity to listen to this one prior to its release!

review: attached at the hip by christine riccio ✨🌴🥥

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✨ MY THOUGHTS ✨

⚠️ cw: addiction, gaslighting, alcoholism, & toxic relationships ⚠️ 

if you love survivor, bachelor in paradise, pop culture & book references, quirky inner monologues, unexpected twists, swoony drama & lots of laugh out loud moments this book might be for you!! ✨🩷

alexa play anti-hero by taylor swift 🎶

🌟 RATING: ★★★★.5/5
🥵 spice scale: 🌶️ (zero to no spice, closed door, fade to black)

honestly, if you're looking to dip your toes into new adult contemporary romance this might be the perfect book!! it's extremely character driven and honestly just such a fun time!! it was such an entertaining read!! i could not put it down & literally finished it in a day!! i really don't want to spoil anything so just know you'll swoon, laugh and audible gasp! the last one might just be me lol but i really did not see that twist coming! overall, it was just a great book about the beauty of finding yourself. 🩷☺️ as to the quality of the audiobook, @britpressley was a fantastic narrator!! just such a phenomenal job!! i cannot recommend it enough! thank you @xtinemay & @macmillan.audio for the advanced listener copy! 💕 🎧

I went into this book completely blind and I wasn’t sure what to expect. However, I absolutely had a blast reading this book. The characters are laugh out loud funny. The plot is so unique and I loved seeing the reality game show play out. I’m not an avid Survivor viewer but I love reality game shows like Big Brother and The Circle, so this was right up my alley! I had so much fun while reading this. It felt like a real game show. I was rooting for people, bummed when those I liked got voted off, it was a whole experience! Our main character Orie is so relatable and funny, one of the most interesting characters and I loved being in her point of view. The concept was super unique and it had me hooked the whole time. I literally could not wait to continue this book. It was like binging your favorite show, I needed more! I absolutely recommend reading this it’s so fun and something new and exciting! Seriously the most fun I’ve had reading in a while!

This book was a fun spin on Survivor with a twist. I read it in under a day. A great bingable read. Highly recommend to those who like reality tv shows and romance novels.

Survivor meets The Bachelor in Attached at the Hip, an irresistible romantic adventure. The novel follows Orie Lennox having spent most of her life prepping for her happily ever after. Now that she’s graduated, she’s low-key wondering, when the heck is it gonna hit. Her life is not quite what she envisioned it to be. So, on a whim she applies for a reality show to play a game of human chess for a shot at a million dollars. After being casted for the show Orie discovers it’s an experimental romantic edition of the show: and even more surprised to find that her old high school crush, Remy, has been cast as well.

I really enjoyed reading this book it was fun, adventurous, and filled with humor. Building on a unique premise Riccio crafted the perfect rom-com I could barely put it down. Making the book reflect a reality tv show was also perfectly executed. Everything had an even flow from Orie’s personal life to the way the author wove the game show and the scripting into the story. You really feel like you’re watching everything take place right in front of you. The dialogue was witty, the pacing is steady, the characters are all well-developed, and the writing was so descriptive.

Orie was a lovable character just a little annoying at times especially when she called Remy by his WHOLE NAME Remy Orlando Lasorsa!!! But I love that the author gave Orie this co-dependent personality and we actually see growth in her character by the end of the book. Now when it came to the romance I liked the way the author changed up the dynamics with Orie having two potential love interests which allowed things to fall in the hands of fate. Remy seemed like Orie’s perfect match because their chemistry was palpable from the beginning. But when she’s partnered with Osprey we get a more authentic connection between the two.

Overall, loved the book highly recommend you guys read it especially if you’re a fan of reality tv. The way each chapter builds and compliments the next I swear you’re in for a fun reading experience . Special thanks to the author, @macmillan.audio for my gifted listening copy, & @Wednesdaybooks for my e-ARC‼️

This was really fun. I LOVE Survivor, and I really loved how much that inspired this and the bits of Survivor lore that the story incorporated. I didn't find any of the characters that compelling or relatable, but it was a fun escape and interesting story. The pace was really nice and consistent, maybe could have been a little shorter, but still, I'm happy. This was silly, entertaining, and just a good time. It's not the type of book I'm going to keep thinking about after I'm done or end up a regular reread, but I can also say I thoroughly enjoyed myself the entire time.

The audiobook was also very well done and the narrator was delightful.

I loved this story so much! The writing was so captivating and although I have never watched Survivor I now have the overwhelming urge to. I loved the romance, relationships, and the survival challenge aspects. Orie is a relatable character who is learning to grow independence. The writing was engaging and fast paced allowing me to fly through the story. This book is perfect for fans of Survivor, or the (Discovery Kids show Endurance), or people who love the romance of Ali Hazelwood's Check & Mate, the character development of Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell, and the tension and banter from Better than the Movies by Lynn Painter.

Listened at 2.5x narration speed with no issues. The narrator did a nice job.

Orie finds herself wanting to prove that she can be independent--and where better to do that than on national television. I enjoyed seeing Orie develop as a character, the facets of playing a game for a million dollar grand prize, and the truths/half truths/straight up lies that people tell as they try to maneuver their way to a win.

The love triangle works well to build a little tension. I found it fairly obvious who the "good guys" were early on, but didn't mind that it took the MC a little longer to figure out. It was a low-stress listen that I think many YA audience members would enjoy.

Overall: 4 stars (I really liked it)

**Thank you to NetGalley & Macmillan Audio | Macmillan Young Listeners for the free ALC. All opinions expressed are my own.**

If you've watched MTV's The Challenge and liked it, I think this is right up your alley. It felt exactly like watching that show. Entertaining and cringey but you're here for it. Vibe = Johnny Bananas for sure.

I really jived with the reality show concept of this book. I also appreciated that there's more to the plotline than I thought there'd be with family trauma and betrayal (somewhat expected with reality TV being the premise, but I liked it a lot). I appreciated Orie's (our FMC) character development. I also really liked her family's dynamic. The audiobook was a perfect way to consume this book. It brought the reality show dynamic to life. I enjoyed the narrator a lot. I did have a hard time depicting what was external vs internal dialog a few times, but that felt like a minor issue. I really I think this is a great book choice for anyone that likes a light-hearted rom-com and watches cringey reality tv competitions.

Thank you to NetGalley, Christine Riccio, Macmillian Audio, and Wednesday Books for this audiobook ARC.

In all honesty I haven't had time to finish this book as I received it close to the archive date. I'm about 30% through the book and this review is based on that.

I have been very into this book since I picked it up and I'm obsessed with the main character and all her flaws. Her sister tells her in the beginning that she is codependent on everyone and she goes on a journey to find herself. She picks a hard way with it being on national television. The main character is so relatable and there's so many thoughts that she has that I just giggle at. This is definitely a swoon worthy book that has me kicking my feet and thinking about the next time I get to pick it up. LOVE!

Attached At The Hip has an incredible premise - I was so intrigued by the idea of a dating show set in a more Survivor atmosphere and it really made me want to read it.

But Orie was impossible to like and it was honestly the hardest thing for me to read around. I think the author leaned too much the trope of codependency - I had a hard time believing the character was an adult rather than a ninth grader. It really ruined the atmosphere of the book. Overall I wouldn’t recommend without major revisions and rethinking.

The audio narrator was the redeeming part - she was easy to listen to and clear on faster speeds.

The main character was so awkward and kinda annoying at times. It reminded me of Head Over Feet aka the fanfic that became The Love Hypothesis. I don't mean that in a good way, unfortunately.

Otherwise, the Survivor vibes were very fun!!!! Very very thankful for this ARC, but the writing just wasn't for me.

This is an SMP publisher so I won’t be posting my review or promoting on my socials.

This book is so good!! By far one of my favorite books this year ! A big thank you to Macmillan audio for sending me this copy! I’m not usually a romcom fan, but this might be one of the best ones I’ve ever read! It takes place on a survivor spinoff dating TV series. The characters are put to the test. Connections are formed and lost . It has a great ending, and justice is served. I love the narrators voice and definitely puts the characters and full view.

The book is a reality TV Rom com, and it worked for me. I don't watch reality TV, but I do like Rom comms and I definitely enjoyed this one. The main character Orie Lennox has always dreamed of a happily ever after. Orie’s long time boyfriend is more companion and friend, Orie is a social influencer with her sister. She is a reality TV/survivor lover and decides to apply for a new survivor type show. She’s watched every version and episode and knows she can master the game play. She thinks she is on the show, only to find there's a twist that means she’s literally attached by a rope to someone for three days at a time, as they do challenges on the island of Fiji. Her first match is a boy she had a crush on back in high school, but couldn't get past a hello. Winning a challenge, and a box of basic supplies they get to know each other on camera.
I listened to the audiobook with narration by Brittany Pressley who did a great job giving life to Orie and making a character who could have been annoying quirky and loveable. She is able to do distinct and believable voices for male and female characters, as well as several secondary characters in the story. Emotions are clear and make the story immersive and entertaining.
It was a fun premise and the game play was amusing. The growth of Orie’s character is strong, and overall I enjoyed the book. I twist with the first love interest was good but in the end I still didn't full understand why he did what he did, but it didn't ruin the book for me since it was a light-hearted fun read, nothing life shattering and I would recommend to others for a fun summer read.

Thank you to NetGalley and publisher Macmillan Audio for the arc audio copy.

I loved the concept of this book, especially because I have watched Survivor from the beginning. I also love a good dating show, so the fact that this book combined those two things was so much fun to read. I liked the growth shown by the FMC throughout the storyline. Thank you to Macmillan for the free audio. #MacAudio2024

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🏝️ Attached at the Hip by Christine Riccio🩷

Thank you NetGalley for this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

I actually received this about a week before it came out on the 21st but I didn’t get a chance to read it until a few days after it released!

This is the first audio from NetGalley that I listened to and I really enjoyed it! As someone who listens to over 150 audiobooks a year I know what a difference the narrator can make. I really enjoyed this narrator! She was easy to understand even sped up and the inflection in her voice kept me interested at every turn! Inflection is the narrators voice can make all the difference and she did a great job!

My only complaint has nothing to do with the narrator and is an issue with NetGalleys platform. The rewind function only goes back to the beginning of the chapter so I have to go into the app and select the previous chapter to change it. Which is slightly annoying when listening on the go. Additionally, some variation in the speed over 2x would be nice!

I am 1000% the target audience for this book and I ate this shit up 😍

In this survivor meets the bachelor with a twist, we follow our main character Orie as she gets more than she signed up for. After a blowout fight with her sister, Orie decides to apply for Survivor. But she should have read the fine print when she discovers she’s on a Survivor spinoff series where she is tethered to another person for several days 😮

This book really has it all. Forced proximity? They are literally TIED TOGETHER! One bed? Again literally tied together! One blanket, one pillow I mean they had to go to the bathroom in the wild together! This seriously had all the best tropes! ❤️

At first I was not a huge fan of the MC, Orie. She seemed a bit like a spoiled brat who just wanted to be an influence and not deal with real life. But I can happily say I was so wrong! Orie suffers from what most recent graduates struggle with, what the hell do I do with the rest of my life? Which felt super authentic and real. We see so much growth in her character throughout the book as she becomes more independent and really finds herself!

This book really took me by surprise by how addicted to it I was! I had a really hard time putting it down 📖 I absolutely recommend this if you like competitive shows like Big Brother or Survivor!

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you to Macmillan Audio for the ALC!

I was drawn to this book from a TikTok I saw from the author, the reality show premise intrigued me. Admittedly, I didn’t know this was a YA novel, which I tend to avoid just because they’re not usually my cup of tea. However, this book surprised me! It was definitely YA but that didn’t take away from my enjoyment. I loved the characters and the reality show & competition setting kept things fast-paced. The FMC definitely grew as an individual and matured, I loved her dynamic with her family and their bond.

This was such a great story, I read it in just a few hours. Brittany Pressley did an excellent job with narration, she’s become one of my favorite audiobook narrators and I tend to gravitate towards her work as she has a way of bringing the characters to life and gripping the listener. This would be a great Summer listen! Highly recommend!

Thank you to Macmillan for sending me an early copy of this audiobook! All opinions are my own!

If you're looking for a really fun summer read that will make you want to simultaneously binge Survivor and the Bachelorette, look no further!

I'm conflicted about this book because there were times where Orie was almost unlikable to me because of her sheer outrageousness (and that's coming from someone who is chaos herself). She became so ridiculous that she felt overly immature even past the point that people were trying to make to her about her co-dependance. Which I loved reading about because I feel like I was the same as her as far as the dependance goes. But it felt over done many times.

I loved the setting and how unique it all was in building up the romance and the friendships along the way. The romance was by far the best part, and I won't say too much to give it away, but I loved the way that this turned out. I was so uneasy at first, but here he came, swooping in to save the day and the entire book.

This was definitely a fun read and one that I would recommend as a beach read for sure!