Survivor meets Bachelor in this reality TV inspired novel, where our main character signs up to participate in Survivor, but gets put on a spin-off called Attached at the Hip. The contestants are literally attached at the hip and told to survive on an island together.

What I liked: I thought this was a cute concept and binged the first half. The reality show aspect of this book was the highlight and the plot really shined when this was the focus of the chapter. This chapters were so much fun to read. I also found the romance cute and the best part was Orie finally taking control of her life and living it the way she deserved. This is an easy to read book that is perfect for someone looking for a summer read.

Other thoughts: Orie is an incredibly immature character. Like, incredibly immature, and tries way too hard to be something she is not. The characters are written over-the-top to try and fit those typical reality tv tropes. I think the only character I really liked was Osprey.

Rating: 3⭐️ This book is the perfect summer read for being by the pool on vacation. It’s cute, predictable, and filled with tons of romance tropes. If you love reality tv competitions and cute romance, this is the book for you.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book to review prior to its release.

I could not put this book down! Attached at the hip made me laugh out loud and kept me on my toes.

I loved Orie, she could totally be me. Not the going-on-a-reality-tv-show-to-prove-a-point part, but the anxiety-makes-my-brain-malfunction part. I can also completely understand staying in the comfort of what you know (i.e. her relationship with Wes) and not wanting to venture outside this box.

I enjoyed the plot and the characters as well. I did expect the direction where the story was going but the twist was still done in a way I didn't expect.

The ending though felt a bit anticlimactic. I wish more would have happened at the end between Orie and the person she chooses. It fell a bit flat, but overall I had such a great time reading this story.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the advanced copy, I have voluntarily written this review.

Orie Lennox has spent most of her life dependent on others and rarely alone. Even in her adult life, postgrad she has found her "career" being tied to her older sister. One evening on a whim, she sends in an audition tape for what she believes is her all time favorite show, "Survivor." After surprisingly being chosen to be on the show, she's startled to learn when she gets to Fiji that the show is not indeed "Survivor." Instead it's a new spin-off show called "Attached at the Hip," which aims to include the survival aspect of "Survivor" but also add dating. She's surprised to find that her High School crush, Remy has been cast on the show and Orie is supposed to do a weird kind of survival speed dating with him and the other contestants.

The book's premise was very engaging, unique and promising however Orie as a character I felt was not one that was likeable enough for the reader. I didn't find her to be interesting, complex and although I feel the intent with her character was to "find" herself over the course of the show she mostly skated on through. Rather then her having agency and doing things, it just felt like things happened TO her. It felt like every other character was pushing her along and she didn't really any gain of independence? In fact it was really Remy who came up with what she was going to do after the show and in her life? And the book ends with her - already making money, being successful as an influencer - she wins the show, becoming a millionaire and gets offers to not one, but two film internships just because the host of the show likes her? It's just so frustrating, especially because she wasn't even a likeable character whose motivations just fell flat.

3.5

I grew up watching Christine Riccio's YouTube videos, but had never picked up one of her books until now, since contemporary romance isn't always my go-to genre. I'd also heard mixed things about her writing style, but the premise of Attached at the Hip sounded really interesting, so I decided to give it a shot. And I did enjoy it! I had some issues with certain things, but it got me out of a reading slump, which is why I rounded up to 4 stars.

To start with the things I enjoyed: I liked Orie's character development throughout the story. I think I relate a little too much to some of her flaws, and I think the changes she went through are very believable. I enjoyed Osprey and Kennedi's characters as well, and the relationship and chemistry between Orie and Osprey was really well done. Osprey is probably one of my favorite male leads in a contemporary romance. And even though we didn't get to see much of the other contestants, I appreciate the diversity of the cast of characters. While I may have predicted most of the plot twists, they still packed a punch and I felt angry and shocked right alongside the characters.

However, there were some things that really took me out of the story or that I think could've been executed differently. To start, I didn't like how all of Orie's family drama was revealed. We get some scenes before she's dropped on the island, but as soon as she's on the island, we're bombarded with all these important things that happened off screen. At first, I assumed we'd get some flashbacks to provide detail, but that never happened. Instead, we learn the details as Orie relates them to other characters, which felt awkward. This is probably my biggest issue with the plot and the pacing.

This book also felt incredibly long, even when I was enjoying it, and yet there wasn't as much "Survivor" as I was expecting. Even when Orie is in exile, the stakes never felt very high. I also wish we could've gotten to know the other contestants better, even if just through bits of dialogue or interactions during challenges. Other parts felt very dragged out, like all the chapters after Orie returns from the island.

Also, I really dislike when books make a lot of pop culture references, and this one had a TON. I expected references to Survivor, obviously, but the constant Hannah Montana and Divergent references were annoying. Orie was also pretty annoying at times; her personality felt more obnoxious than endearing, and at times she really felt like a self-insert for the author.

But despite my issues with this book, I did enjoy it, and it made me curious enough to pick up Christine's other novels.

Attached at the Hip
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Author: Christine Riccio

I requested a digital advanced readers copy from NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press and Macmillan Audio and providing my opinion voluntarily and unbiased.

Synopsis: Orie Lennox has spent her entire life prepping for her happily ever after—and now that she’s graduated, she’s 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’ll 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 aren’t 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—literally—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.

My Thoughts: This was a cute, sweet romantic read. Orie Lennox has always wanted the fairytale life. Where she is today is not where she imagined her career, her love life, or family relationships would be. On a whim, she decides to sign up for her favorite reality show where she will be among strangers on a deserted island to play a game of strategy and endurance for a chance to be a millionaire. She envisioned this would be the break she needed to break out of herself. Abandon what she knows to be off the grid for a few weeks. Well, this also falls short of her expectations, she will be casted on an experimental romantic reality show, and as another twist, her old crush from high school, Remy, is also on the show. Ten contestants, attached by pairs (literally) to compete is strategy, food, and endurance challenges, while speed dating and in the middle of nowhere. She finds herself in the middle of alliances, love challenges, and friendships. This follows the tropes of friends to lovers, reality television, love triangle, and forced proximity.

The story is narrated by Orie in her POV. Orie is unsure of herself, she is quirky, still finding who she is, and desperately wants her happily ever after fairytale romance. There are several other characters but the two other potential MCs would be her love connections with Remy and Osprey. Kennedy plays an important role in this storyline. There was also the host Jaime. The pop culture references were amazing. Orie’s character really had tremendous character growth throughout the story. The characters were well developed, witty banter, some chemistry, and intriguing. The author’s writing style was complex, multilayered, funny, thought-provoking, and engaging. The plot was interesting and the plot twist was fabulous. The support of the supporting characters to Orie was one of my favorite parts.

I had the pleasure of having the digital and audio book ARCs. I would recommend to other readers.

First off, I want to apologize for the late review. Life got chaotic, and time got away from me.

This book though! I loved this book so much! It was such a fun and entertaining read! I devoured it, and refused to put it down.

I took my Kindle anywhere and everywhere while I was reading this story. I even made my sister drive most of the time because I refused to lose precious reading time in order to drive.

Again, I loved this book!

Did I purchase the physical book? You bet I did.

Some books you just know you'll think about over and over again, and that's this book for me.

I also know I'll be rereading this again in the future. I love rereading books that I absolutely adored. Thank you NetGalley and publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this wonderful book!

I enjoyed every second of this one. I laughed out loud so many times with all the pop culture references, reality show shenanigans and the character relationships = *chefs kiss*
I am going to have to give this one 5 stars because, again, I thoroughly enjoyed it. Did I mention I’m a reality show junkie/movie loving book nerd who writes? I’m pretty sure this was written for me.

If you are a fan of "The Bachelor" or "Survivor," then you are going to love this book! After a bit of a reading slump, it was just what I needed. There have been a few "reality show" books released recently, but the storyline was so fun and unique. Orie was a bit too quirky and naive at times, but overall she was a great main character. As a thriller lover, I was excited that there was a bit of a mystery to solve, and I thought the plot twist was well done. I was actually surprised to realize that this book was 400 pages because it was such an easy and quick read.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio for the gifted audiobook, and to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

📖 The Details
Attached at the Hip by Christine Riccio

⏱️ Quick Summary
After she realizes her life, job, and relationships are not really fulfilling her, Orie applies and gets cast on a Survivor-esque reality show. Turns out her high school crush is also there - and they are tied together literally.

💁‍♀️ My Take
Full disclosure, I am NOT a reality TV girlie. So that side of the story did not connect with me. The rest of it - also meh. Didn't love the characters, didn't buy the conflicts with her family and boyfriend, didn't really like the pacing. The writing was pretty solid and the plot and twists were actually unique and interesting. Maybe give it a try if you want something quick and also love reality TV. 2.5 stars for me!

Thanks St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for this ARC! I loved this book. It was the perfect poolside read. I loved the characters, the setting, the TV show component. It was just so fun! I can't wait to share this title with my friends.

LOVE!I wasn't sure how I was going to feel going in, I haven't been a huge fan of this author in the past and in the first few chapters I wasn't sure she could make the jump the adult. And tbh, it doesn't read like adult--more like NA, but since that's the age her characters fall into, it still fits. The story is fresh, the characters are (mostly) fully fleshed out, and I wish this was a real spinoff of Survivor that I could watch!

Attached at the Hip is a fun, witty, romance-infused beach read you didn't know you needed in your life. The main character is down-to-earth and easily relatable. Her interactions with the MMC and the other characters are so so pleasant. If you're into Survivor-style reality shows and love romance, you need to read this book YESTERDAY!

Thank you Christine Riccio, St. Martine Press, and NetGalley for access to an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

I was so excited for this book. As a big fan of Survivor and romcoms, I couldn't imagine a more perfect read. however, after about 15-20% I realized this wasn't going to live up to all the hype I had built up. I really did not enjoy our main character. I found her to be a bit pick me and trying to hard to stand out which became a little obnoxious especially after she insisted on being called Picadilly. I really didn't feel the chemistry between our main characters and everything just felt surface level.

As the synopsis and other posted, it’s definitely survivor meets the bachelor. Orie Lennox applies to be on a reality tv show on a whim. She figures what better way to handle her break up and win some money, but little did she know it’s a romance edition. And she finds herself on some rocky fronts.


This was definitely funny and I enjoyed the synopsis as the plot kept my attention. The fact that it’s a second chance at romance made the story even more intriguing.

so, let me start off by saying that i love christine. polandbananasbooks was my favorite youtube channel growing up. in my darkest and loneliest times, my love of reading was kept ignited by this woman's spirit and energy (she is why i first started reading colleen hoover way way back in the day, before she blew up on tiktok). for that reason, i have held off of reading one of her books because i didn't want her talent to taint this image i have of her.

let me continue to say that i still adore this amazing woman BUT i dont particularly love her writing style which i think has more to do with the fact that i have a lot more knowledge on who christine is than i have knowledge on say who christina lauren are. i can contribute this to christine being a public figure which is really one of the evils of social media because without her sharing her life and interests to hundreds of thousands of people everyday, i would never be able to connect small character flaws to her.

so, let's get into it. the reason why i decided to read this one (besides the fact that i though a survivor style romcom was interesting especially considering the authors love for the show) was because i thought it was an adult romcom bc the cover is attractive if you have an adult audience in mind and bc THE MAIN CHARACTER IS 23 YEARS OLD! but it's young adult, probably because of the way it's written and because some of the supporting characters on this island looking for love and money are STILL IN HIGH SCHOOL! THEY ARE BARELY 18 YEARS OLD! major ick there because highschool ages and postgraduate college ages are two very different subsets of people. they do not need to be combined.

forgiving that, like i said, the writing style is very unforgiving. it reads a step too young which maybe they wanted to capture a younger demographic with this book but instead, the book just reads very silly. it's almost immature in a way, lot of random peepee and poopoo jokes which i thought the first rule of writing was to never mention bathroom breaks but whatever.

side note before we get into the meat of the story and why i disliked some of the characters but for being a story with a GenZ main character, this was riddled in millennial pop culture references which i have no problem with because even though i am the GenZ audience she had in mind, the references bring me back to my youth. my only problem is that our MC can't have a single conversation without bringing up some late aughts celebrity or popular tv show moment. and having the knowledge i do of christine, its very on brand for her but in book format, the constant name dropping is distracting and a little cringe.

going back to the main characters, my only real concern was with orie (which why is that her name???? why couldn't she have a normal name??) ((also, she kept asking everyone to call her piccadilly which okay cool whatever but please stop trying to make your characters quirky.)) i enjoyed seeing orie's character growth and seeing her come into her confidence. however, my main gripe is that the survivor loving-yoga loving-movie loving-noncoffee drinker that is orie is actually just christine. and i know people always say you should write what you know, but this is a little too on the nose for me. besides that, i just found her to be immature and a little weak. and she would say the most random things in an effort to be cute, awkward, and quirky but really, it just came off as annoying.

the other characters were pretty okay. they all had different, fun personalities that played off of each other really well. i particularly loved the villain reveal but wish it had more time to develop on page instead of off page.

last thing i really wanted to mention was that i listened to 50% of this via audiobook and the audiobook narrator had ONE JOB! and that was to make this arguably very stupid book sound less stupid. spoiler alert!! she didnt succeed. there was a scene that pisses me off still (one because of how stupid it is, two because of how often it happened, three because audiobook woman DO YOUR JOB) where the male love interest is told to sing to cover up the sound of our mc peeing (i hate this book, there was too much pee and poop talk) and the narrator has apparently never heard of MCR because she completely fucked up the rhythm to Welcome to the Black Parade. it goes "when i was..........a young boy.........my father...took me into the city.......to see a marching band" and you know what, this could have been a comedic moment if the narrator sang spoke it in this rhythm but nooooooooo she had to make it sound so stilted and awkward and it broke me. but besides that she did an okay job, wish she brought a bit more pep to it.

physically reading the whole mcr exchange wouldve been more funny but yeah, the pop culture references never ended. with the amount of times i read katy perry's name in this book, i hope she's receiving royalties. at this point, i'm convinced that woman cowrote this.

but yeah, this was an enjoyable read, i guess?? but i feel like christine could write a really funny comedy one day if she just removed herself from the equation. and you know what, i actually know she can write a banging comedy because i used to laugh my ass off watching her skits on youtube back in the day. she has so much potential in her. this just was a little too weird to be funny or relatable. and i didn't even touch on half the things i wanted to touch on in this review. i would recommend reading it because it is different and fun but yeah, don't expect to love it.

3.5 but rounding up to 4!

This book was fun! I don’t think I’ve read one quite like it!

I think it’s best to just dive into this one blind- it’s a book that’s basically if the bachelor and survivor had a baby, that’s all you need to know! 🤣

For those that like a little more details though, this one might be fire you if you like:

-reality TV show settings (especially survivor and the Bachelor)
-love triangles
-a million dollars and love on the line
-literally being attached at the hip
-character growth


The only thing that kept this from being a higher rating was I wanted more for the relationship that actually came to fruition. A lot of time was spent with one character vs another and I would have liked things a bit more even for me to really buy into the feelings!

The show aspect was really fun though and the challenges were entertaining to read about! All in all, definitely one I’d recommend to Survivor fans, I think they will love the mind games!

Equal parts awkward and addicting, Attached at the Hip, is an entertaining story about a girl who has always wanted to live happily every after. She's in the love with the idea of love and belonging. This girl, Orie, a Survivor junkie, is chosen for a new Survivor spin-off, which turns out to be Attached at the Hip -- all about being connected, literally, and finding connection, figuratively. As she plays the game, things that seemed so clear and simple turn complicated and complex. What good story doesn't have a few unexpected twists?

I found Orie a little annoying at first, but she matures as the story progresses. She grows up and finds out more about who she is and who she wants to be. I am so happy for her choice in the end. I can't say more than that cause I'd give too much away.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press, Wednesday Books for a ARC. All opinions are my own.

If you’re a fan of rom-coms, reality tv, and chaos, this is the book for you.

Orie, a survivor super fan, gets cast in the new survivor spin off show. Growing up relatively naive with trouble “adulting,” Orie feels being on the show is a chance to prove people wrong.

Chaos ensues when the cast of the show finds out that it’s a survivor/dating show. As a reader, you will find yourself rooting for the characters as they compete on this fictional show.

As a fan of reality tv competition shows myself, I enjoyed the behind the scenes feel of this book. I am looking forward to what is next from Christine Riccio.

Thank you NetGalley, Christine Riccio, and Wednesday Books for this copy.

This is your next beach read! Super fun coming-of-age that’s both heartfelt and a wild ride! I’ve never watched Survivor but after reading this, I think I should!

Survivor meets your favorite rom com? SOLD. I ate this up!!!! I loved it from start to finish and literally binge read this in one sitting. The story was unique and so well developed. I loved the game show idea, the character development for *multiple* characters not just the main. I love the thrillery aspect of it, the forced proximity, the great reveal! 10/10 I recommend everyone read “Attached at the Hip” and Christine Riccio is now a must read for me, I will be binging all her novels. 5⭐️

Thank you to Wednesday Books for providing me with a copy of this title via NetGalley.