Cover Image: Attached at the Hip

Attached at the Hip

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Member Reviews

Early twenty-something, acroyoga influencer Orie Lennox is feeling stuck. She’s not quite sure what her grand plans are for the rest of her life; her acroyoga business with her sister is fine but not something she’s especially passionate about; and her longterm boyfriend doesn’t exactly give her butterflies (and maybe never did).

When she sees an open audition for Survivor, her all-time favorite show, she submits an application without a second thought. She expects the opportunity to be for both herself and her sister, but as it turns out, the producers want her to come on the show solo.

And there’s a romantic twist to this Survivor spinoff that Orie is not expecting.

I found Orie, who is described by a fellow contestant as “look[ing] like a cross between a butterfly and a golden retriever,” to be very relatable. She’s in that “now what?” just out of college phase. She’s adorable, bubbly, and has anxiety that knocks her off-kilter. She’s determined, intelligent, and passionate. She just has to open herself up enough to acknowledge what she’s truly passionate about.

There are romantic elements to this one, but there are also a strong character growth arc and fierce friendships that are developed in that pressure-cooker environment in Fiji. Ultimately, it’s about not being confined by preconceived notions, facing your fears, and finding yourself (plus falling in love).

5⭐️

I received an advance copy of the book from Wednesday Books and NetGalley. All review opinions are my own.

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As someone who grew up on reality game shows like Survivor, I knew this was a book I aboslutely had to read. I thought the take that Christine took on turning Survivor into a somewhat dating show wound up being absolute gold. It led to so many tropetastic moments, such as only-one-bed moments and literally being attached at the hip.

The characters, especially the main character of Orie, were all relatable in their own ways. For me, I think I really connected with Orie because she was lost, trying to find out who she was outside others and the life she was floating through previously. I thought that Christine did an excellent job creating foil characters for her in the secondary ones, which allowed her to have that room to grow and discover on the page.

Also, the romance was really surprising. I obviously knew to expect a romance, but it totally went in a direction I didn’t even see coming, and I think Christine did an excellent job with that.

Overall, this was a 4.5 star read for me, and I would definitely recommend to other reality game show loving romance readers out there!

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Rating: 4.5/5
I received an ARC for my honest opinion.

If you love rom coms, Young Adult, that have a love triangle, great characters, great character development, fast paced and has a Survivor spin on it you will love this book.

I really loved this book; I thought the author did an amazing job with the plot and giving a little spin on Survivor meets love island. The plot was well developed, and the pace of the book was fast. I found myself laughing so much and being able to relate to Osprey in this book. I am a fan of Survivor so when I read the synopsis of this book, I knew that I loved it, and I am so happy that I was able to read this ARC/Audio of this book.

This book you be taken away and, on a spin-off of Survivor, with a twist you have up to three contests that are a possible love match with. The lucky people that were chosen to be on the first season find out that they will be attached to another contest during their downtime, they will have to hunt for food and make shelters and who knows maybe fall in love. They will have challenges that they have to complete, lucky they’re not attached when they do the challenges, but it really does have a Survivor feel throughout the book. I found the way that the author wrote was great, she had attention to details that had me flying through the book and about ¾ I found myself trying to slow down because I didn’t want it to end. The characters were great, and well developed.

Orie, she is a young adult that really isn’t sure what she wants in life, but when she sees that she has a chance at being on Survivor she jumps on it because it has been a dream of hers since she was little. Little does she know it’s a spin-off of Survivor and she is shocked to find all this out once she gets to the island. She is funny, book loving, unsure and unapologetically herself. However, that is the problem, the more and more she is on the show she is starting to understand that she really doesn’t know herself too well and wants to make sure that she does. I loved this character right away; she is just so likeable to me. If she was real, I would love to be friends with her because girl, I hate spiders too with a passion.

I found that the more and more I got into the book I was curious to see how she would adapt to the island and learn more about herself. I am happy that she was able to get her happily ever after in the book and that she finally said screw it and took a chance for herself.

This book will give you all the joy and happiness that you want in a romance book. The humor is great, and the narrator of this book was amazing. I found myself at times closing my eyes and listening to the narrator so I could picture the scenes playing out. I loved that the narrator helped to bring Orie to life for me.

I want to thank NetGalley and St. Martin Press for the opportunity to review this book.

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I have watched every season of Survivor, and this book was like Survivor and Love Island combined into a fun competition series in a book. Orie has been a lifelong Survivor fan, and when she gets picked for the show, she is so excited! However, she finds out that she is picked for a show called Attached At The Hip which is a spinoff of Survivor. They are still deserted on an island, but there is a dating show happening too. Everyone is single, and they have to be literally attached at the hip to another player.

I loved the descriptions of the challenges. They were so much fun to read, and it felt like I was there watching them compete. I liked all of the dynamics of the game play. I was happy to see that the story didn't fall into the stereotypical tropes. Orie genuinely connected with many of the other contestants, and it led to an interesting end to the book.

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This ARC was given to me in exchange for a review.

So, this book was super cute but I don't think I was the right audience for it. Here me out...

I am NOT a reality television fan, and I think if you are a fan of those types of shows, then you are going to LOVE this book. It was a cute love story, and I'm glad I read it, but I think it just wasn't for me.

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Thank you @netgalley & @stmartinspress for allowing me to read an early eARC of this book!

𝐎𝐫𝐢𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐚𝐧 𝐮𝐧𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐞, 𝐠𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐨𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬, 𝐠𝐢𝐫𝐥 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐢𝐬 𝐥𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐧 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐬𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐝𝐨𝐰. 𝐀𝐬 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐟𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐀𝐜𝐫𝐨𝐛𝐢𝐜𝐬 𝐢𝐧𝐟𝐥𝐮𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐫𝐬, 𝐎𝐫𝐢𝐞 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐝 𝐨𝐟 𝐝𝐨𝐞𝐬 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐬𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐬 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐨 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐬𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐬 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐨. 𝐀𝐟𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐛𝐞𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐛𝐲 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐬𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫, 𝐎𝐫𝐢𝐞 𝐝𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐥𝐲 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐞 𝐨𝐧 𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐯𝐢𝐯𝐨𝐫 & 𝐛𝐨𝐲 𝐢𝐬 𝐬𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐜𝐤𝐞𝐝 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐬𝐡𝐞 𝐠𝐞𝐭𝐬 𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐬𝐞𝐧. 𝐔𝐧𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 𝐛𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐧 𝐮𝐧𝐟𝐨𝐥𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐰𝐬 𝐛𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐬 𝐟𝐢𝐥𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐠. 𝐖𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐬𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐢𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐞𝐧𝐝 & 𝐠𝐞𝐭 𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐞 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐦𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐲 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐟𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐲?

I was absolutely transported inside of this book while reading. I was a huge fan of survivor back in the day so this book was just so absolutely unique and captivating. I have never read a book like this one.

A couple things I struggled with: the weird 𝓟𝓲𝓬𝓬𝓪𝓭𝓲𝓵𝓵𝔂 name thing (iykyk) that I truly feel could’ve been left out & the end Remy interactions were just awkward and tense in a way that left a sour feeling after I finished.

I will most definitely remember parts of this book often because it was just SO unique. Yes we get some love story, we get some friendship building, a little bit of ‘finding yourself’, and obviously adventure.

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*I received this book for free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. Thank you so much to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for this ARC!*

Disclosure: Some of the links below are affiliate links. This means that, at zero cost to you, I will earn an affiliate commission if you click through the link and finalize a purchase. 🥰

This book was a trip and a half, and in the best way! I really enjoyed the antics that Orie got up to on the island, and the relationships that she formed there. Being a younger sister myself, I really related to the struggles she went through in trying to find her own path, when her sister’s was so clearly laid out before her. This tale of falling in love and finding yourself was a zany, heart-warming journey that made me both laugh out loud and get all of the crazy butterflies.

I have never seen an episode of Survivor, but reading this book makes me feel like I have! I felt the atmosphere right away, and was on pins and needles to figure out what was going to happen next. I loved getting to see Orie try to figure out the puzzles of the game, both literal and figurative. It was like a little mystery seeing her try to decipher each contestant’s motives, whether they were good or bad. Seeing her form strong bonds, all while figuring out who she truly was, was such a fun ride!

The romances were fun, and a little cringy (again, in the best way). Orie is the most awkward human being, and it made me love her so much! As an awkward queen myself, I cringed along with her multiple times. Seeing the other characters, particularly Osprey and Kennedi, begin to care for her because of that endearing awkwardness made me feel better about myself too.

My main complaint is that there were some things that didn’t make sense. Orie’s insistence on some people calling her Piccadilly was confusing and inconsistent. It didn’t make much sense, and I kind of wish they had left that out. There were also a few plot holes that were never explained. However, none of these things took away from the overall great time I had reading this book!

I highly recommend reading Attached at the Hip if you are a fan of rom-coms, reality tv, forced proximity romance, and a story that doesn’t take itself too seriously. Such a fun read, and it is out just in time for summer, which is the perfect time to dive into this island tale!

My Rating:
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 1/2

I gave Attached at the Hip 4.5 Stars!

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Orie Lennox is a wishy washy type young woman who is trying to postpone transitioning into adulthood. After an arguement with her family, she decides to apply for her favorite reality show, Survivor. But little did she know, the program is recruiting for a new show - a romantic version that hopes for a Bachelor-style tie-in

Before she knows it, Orie is in Fiji and tied to a man she thinks she might remember from high school. Like, literally tied with a rope and all…never “attached at the hip.”

Join Orie, the funniest heroine I have read in a while as she attacks the adult world in the wild jungles of Fiji! All die hard Survivor fans will love this book as will Bachelor and Love Island and, heck, any reality fans! Riccio really had me during the wild animal encounters and the puzzling! I just can't say enough about this awesome fun book!

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Attached at the hip is a cute story based on reality shows. It gave survivor, bachelor, and the circle vibes to me.
After Orie’s sister confronts her extreme codependency, Orie decides to prove her wrong by auditioning for Survivor, her favorite show. Orie is asked to join the cast, but the show will be a spin off of Survivor and she will have to enter the show single. She breaks up with her high school sweetheart, who she thinks she was only with out of convenience and afraid of being alone. She’s never had another relationship and she never felt the “spark” with her boyfriend.
The spin off of Survivor is actually a dating show where couples are stranded on an island and they are literally attached at the hip by a rope. The couples must make connections with each other, compete competitions, and avoid elimination…all to win a cash prize.
Orie’s first match is with an old crush from high school, Remy. They make a great connection! But as the game progresses, Orie begins to suspect Remy isn’t who he says he is…
This was a super cute story and I enjoyed the reality show vibe of it! I think Orie also had great character growth throughout the story.
Thank you @netgalley, st martins press, Wednesday books.
I will be posting on Goodreads and my Instagram @theexhaustedbookworm

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I received this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Copy provided by St. Martin's Press.

Orie Lennox has spent her entire life prepping for her happily ever after and now that she has graduated, she is low-key wondering, when the heck is it gonna hit. Her love life, her new job, her relationship with her sister: none of it is quite what she envisioned it to be.

One evening, on a whim, she applies for a reality show where she will be stranded on an island, with a bunch of strangers, to play a game of human chess for a shot at a million dollars. What better way to force herself to break up with the things that are not bringing her joy, than to abandon them all on short notice to live off the grid on a beach in the South Pacific!

Orie's shocked when she ends up cast in 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. Orie's one of ten contestants, set to compete in formidable challenges, while speed dating, in the wilderness: without deodorant, toilets, shaving cream, or showers. (How!?)

She finds herself tied up in a game of risky alliances as she navigates ever-growing feelings for her one that got away, alongside an exciting array of budding new relationships.

I was so excited about this one after reading the synopsis and it was so cool to see a spinoff of the TV show, survivor. It was definitely a very cool concept, but I felt the execution of the book was weak. I had an issue with some of the pacing and I thought this book that would have benefited from flashbacks and therefore I felt something was missing with Orie's life back home. I also did not get who the target audience of this book was genre of the book. Is it YA or adult? They just lacked maturity for their age. And also why was there so many pop culture references in the book, I just thought it was not necessary . The book could of definitely been shorter, over 400 pages for a romance was way too long imo. If you like watching reality tv survival or romance shows, you will probably like this one.

Rating: 2.5/5

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I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for a review.

Listen, I'm 100% the wrong demographic for this book. I've never seen <em>Survivor</em> (I have since watched a few clips and I still don't think it's my jam), I do see "influencer" as a real job, and I see the show concept of being tethered to someone for ANY amount of time is super sketch. There's NO WAY that can be turned romantic, though the author tried to portray it that way. I think if I were 20 years younger and single, I would totally have liked this, but as an old, crusty, cynical (and tired) mother, I just wanted Orie to grow the hell up and get a real job.

I did finish it, but probably closer to 2 1/2 stars. It's not the author's fault that I'm jaded.

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📚 #BOOKREVIEW 📚
Attached at the Hip by Christine Riccio
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ / Pages: 400 / Genre: Romcom
Release Date: May 21, 2024

Orie has been coasting along, not really doing anything on her own her whole life. On a whim, she applies for what she thinks is Survivor, the reality game show, which has been an obsession of hers since she was young. She’s elated when she’s cast but is shocked when she finds out it’s actually a Survivor-themed dating show. But she needs that million dollar prize money so she does it.

This was a super fun romcom. I especially loved the reality show part of it with all the game play action and alliance strategy. And I always like it when characters learn how to believe in themselves and start fighting for what they want. Another great beach read for the summer.

Thank you @netgalley, @wednesdaybooks, and @christinericciobooks for my gifted copy.

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I had high hopes for this book because I love the show survivor. I thought mixing the survivor show with romance would make for a great book but I was wrong. My main issue is with the writing style and characters. I immediately couldn’t connect with the main character because she was WAY over the top. The writing style felt extremely basic and the author tells rather than shows which makes the reader feel disconnected. It’s important to note that this is a YA book and it felt very YA. I don’t mean that in a bad way it just means if you’re a fan of YA or around that age then this one might be for you. Overall, not sure if I would recommend as there are better reality tv dating books out there.

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*I received this book (Via eArc by Netgalley) for free from the Publisher (St. Martin's Press / Wednesday Books ) in exchange for an honest review*

Honestly I will read any book that Christine comes out with cause it so fun to read, I have enjoyed every bit of this novel even thought I am not that entirely familiar with reality tv shows like Survivor or even other reality tv shows but it was a fun idea to explore. If you don't know her how she is personality wise, this is not for you, she is a ball of energy and you can defiantly feel her bubbly and chaotic personality in Orie and its a style that I gotten so used to and it is very authentically Christine. I think it is fun and lighthearted and the point is that there is a moment of worry when you wish Orie is alright but you know deep down that this is like a rom-com in a novel form and something that is a blend of things and it is different for sure.

RELEASE DATE: May 21, 2024

Thank you so much to St. Martin's Press / Wednesday Books and NetGalley for the ARC and I am instantly gonna purchase this when it releases.

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I have to come to the conclusion that Christine's books are just not for me. After this 3rd disappointment from this author, I have to accept that Christine writes her own personality in such an obvious and obnoxious way, that I cannot disconnect her online persona from her characers. I do believe though, that this book will be a success with an audience who might not know her from Booktube.

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This book has a really fun concept! Survivor mixed with a dating show? I was so excited to get into it. For me personally, it just didn't work. Before I get into the critiques, I will start with the good stuff. The beginning of Orie arriving to the island, doing her intake interview and first initial days of being on the show felt super interesting to me. I was really intrigued and excited to see how the show would continue. But it ended there. I wasn't a fan of the writing style. It felt over run with pop culture reference after pop culture reference and it got to be too much. I don't mind pop culture references in books, but not as constant as it was here. The all caps were incredibly overboard. Orie as a character is quirky and interesting, but a little over the top. She also came off immature for a 23 year old. I'm not one to give up on books. I finish every single book I pick up to read, but I could not continue with this one.

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Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 (5 Stars)

No spoiler review 👇🏻

Ahh this was such a fun read! I feel this is the perfect summer book! It’s a book that’s set on a survivor based romance show! A survivor romcom! Two things I absolutely love.

This book was amazing and I had so much fun reading this! It was fast paced, twisty, funny and just made me smile. A fun overall light romance read! I really enjoyed this! (Swipe to photo 2 for a full summary)

This is my first book by this author, however, I’ve been a huge fan of her book tube channel (Polandbananasbooks) since I was a teenager in 2014. So it was fun to read one of her books.

CW: talk of alcohol abuse and gambling abuse

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The book I didn’t know was missing in my life!

I absolutely loved this! As a life long fan of Survivor this just touched that part of my soul. If you or anyone you know is a hard core fan of the show you know we’re cut from a different cloth, a buff cloth specifically. So many of us dream about going on the show but for more than just winning the money, to win the title and to see if we really have what it takes within ourselves.

This is a funny romcom about a younger sister who’s always just been in the shadows following everyone’s lead and although I’m personally the oldest of my siblings I connected with her struggle to commit to one “passion project” - Orie (FMC) applies for survivor to prove to her older sister that she CAN do things on her own. Turns out to be a spinoff survivor show and includes a bit of The Bachelor. It’s so fun to read, not to mention all the movie and book references! Although it is light and funny it also touches on a loved one who struggles with addiction, another part of the story that I connected with since it’s something that one of my loved ones struggles with as well.

“Pobodies Nerfect” 🫶🏼

𝘐𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶’𝘳𝘦 𝘢 𝘣𝘪𝘳𝘥, 𝘐’𝘮 𝘢 𝘣𝘪𝘳𝘥 ...𝘐𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘫𝘶𝘮𝘱, 𝘐 𝘫𝘶𝘮𝘱

Thank you NetGalley and Christine Riccio for the ARC and ALC in exchange for an honest review

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Much thanks to NetGalley and Wednesday Books/St. Martins Publishing for the ARC of "Attached at the Hip" in exchange for an honest review.
To start, let me credit Christine Riccio right away for drawing me into this book, even though I am no great fan of reality game shows and never bothered to watch any of them.
But if I ever came across one these shows that actually featured characters and situations depicted in this book, I'd be sprawled on the couch with a tub of buttered popcorn.
The adorable lead contestant, Orie Lennox, is beset with a host of relatable issues and worries. Unable to break out of the status quo she dwells in at 23, she's aware of the second-hand life she's settled for.. With a longtime boyfriend she's more comfortable with than passionate about and a dead end job assisting her influencer sister, Orie longs to figure out what she wants for herself and how to achieve it. Impulsively to seek out new adventures, she applies for and is selected for a season of 'Survivor'.
But it's not that show she finds herself on, but a romance spinoff version 'Attached at the hip', where couples endure similar tropical island abandonment.......but tethered to each other to see how much chemistry sparks fly.
Under the endlessly complicated reality show rules (one of the reasons I never watched them), contestant partners change based on their various wins and losses.......and Orie ends up in a romantic triangle with Remy, an unrequited high school crush and Osprey, a fierce competitor. That makes playing the game quite a challenge since Orie's fallen hard for the boys and they with her. Especially since they're forced to use Machiavellian strategies to outlast the other players and claim the million dollar prize that can only go to one of them.
Christine Riccio somehow makes all of this fun and exciting even for a reader (like me) who wouldn't touch a reality show with a ten foot coconut tree. You can't help cheering on Orie, not just for the sometimes hilarious ways she soldiers through the game's challenges, but for her own personal quest for a future to call her own.
So it came as a total surprise as to how much I enjoyed this book. Never thought I'd cozy up to a romance featuring tarantulas, crab hunting and tethered sweethearts stuck together with no bathrooms anywhere in sight. What can I say.....I got attached to "Attached".

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Thank you Wednesday Books for my #gifted copy of Attached At The Hip!

𝐓𝐢𝐭𝐥𝐞: 𝐀𝐭𝐭𝐚𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐝 𝐀𝐭 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐇𝐢𝐩
𝐀𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫: 𝐂𝐡𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐑𝐢𝐜𝐜𝐢𝐨
𝐏𝐮𝐛 𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐞: 𝐌𝐚𝐲 𝟐𝟏, 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟒

★★★★

Attached At The Hip was such a fun one! I found myself unable to stop once I started, and dare I say it was as addicting as reality TV? While this falls under a Young Adult imprint, I totally think it is one of those books that can easily be marketed and enjoyed by adults too. This would be perfect for the pool or beach this summer!

This book had a survivor and Bachelor feel to it and I loved it. If you love either of those shows, I think you will love this book. Even if you have never seen those shows, I think you will fall in love with Orie, the FMC and enjoy this one so much. She is so fun and unique and I think she really made me enjoy this book so much. On top of that, this book was so fast paced that I felt like I was so engaged the entire time! I could not get enough of this book and the amazing characters and I did not want it to end!

🌴Friends to Lovers
🌴Survivor x The Bachelor
🌴Closed Door Romance
🌴Love Triangle
🌴Forced Proximity
🌴Pop Culture References

Posted on Goodreads on May 15, 2024: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/144922955?ref=nav_profile_l
**Posted on Instagram - Full Review- on or around May 16, 2024: http://www.instagram.com/nobookmark_noproblem
**Posted on Amazon on May 21, 2024
**-will post on designated date

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