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4.5 stars

Attached at the Hip by Christine Riccio was honestly a romance that took me completely by surprise. The concept, Survivor but make it romance had me wanting to read it immediately but I somehow loved it even more than I expected. Which took me by surprise because I already had a good feeling about it.

Orie and Remy’s interactions with one another literally had me laughing out loud. This was hands down my favourite part of this book because it had me cackling. As a fellow socially awkward hot mess, I could relate to Orie a little too much every time she opened her mouth around Remy. It was pure perfection. But honestly, with every new character Orie spent time with, I found myself enjoying each new person and the relationship that Orie built with them in their time together. It was so difficult to pick a clear favourite because I ended up feeling deeply for them all, a testament to how strong each individual character was and how important the characters were to the story.

There was so much about this book that made it impossible to put down and just hooks the reader in immediately. I love that as far as timeline it counts the days down essentially, but even more attention grabbing was the script-like confessionals etc. that followed chapters when the contestants were mid-competition. I love these little bits both as a break between chapters, and as the little bits of insight they gave into each contestants mindset and game plans. I knew I was going to very much enjoy this book immediately when I came across the first one.

There were so many aspects to this book that were pure perfection as far as I was concerned. Not only those points mentioned above, but also simply the fact that this was a spin on Survivor. As someone who loved this show when I was young, this book was both an awesome throwback, and a whole new experience at the same time with the twists to the competition. It just made it even better in my eyes (hello romance). Attached at the Hip was for sure the kind of book that I did not want to put down until I finished it because I got that hooked on it so quickly.

As I’ve mentioned, I loved the various relationships shown in the book, they each had their own aspects that made them so heartwarming, but beyond that, the character growth was so satisfying. And not just for Orie (although hers was obviously a stand out and both so real and important to her as a character). Without naming names, there were other beyond Orie who had such meaningful growth from the start of the competition to the reunion. It made all the struggles and uncertainty worth it and had me coming away from the book feeling like they got the resolution they all deserved.

To summarize, I really, REALLY enjoyed this read and quite frankly I was taken by surprise by just how much I loved it. This story still sits with me even after finishing and I low key wish that the author would write another Attached at the Hip story with new characters because the Survivor loving reality tv competition enjoyer in me wants to see another “season” so to speak. Please?

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Attached At The Hip by Christine Riccio I thought I would absolutely love this book as I seem to not be able to get enough of reality show tropes whether it be mystery or romance. Unfortunately the author deemed it fit to make the main character sound more like a cartoon with pin weelling arms and stuttering greetings when talking to strangers and not like an adult college graduate Instagram famous person at all. I get that in books things are hyperbolic and out of the box but I found Orea a.k.a. Piccadilly absolutely ridiculous from the fact she didn’t get that Jamie a.k.a. Lester Square was mocking her to the fact she called Remi by all three of his names and couldn’t talk because a grown man had his shirt off in front of her. Not to mention that both of these guys act as if they were over the moon for this clown not gonna lie though had the book been about her sister Lark I probably would’ve totally enjoyed it but she has a fiancé and it was about her stupid sister Orea also no spoilers but the ending was absolutely unbelievable as well not to mention a reality show for couples where only one of them win… OK whatever! One more thing before I go is there a secret contest to see what author can think up the most ridiculous names because I have been reading books with the most out of the box names I’m even reading one where they have a character name shield. Do people just throw darts at the dictionary and name the characters? Please forgive any mistakes as I am blind and dictate my review I want to thank the publisher and NetGalley for my free arc copy.

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This is such a perfect blend of a survivor type reality show and romance. I couldn’t wait to read about each new challenge. I loved that even though it was a romantic themed show, you could still get tied to (and fall in love!) with someone of the same gender. Don’t get it twisted: you couldn’t NOT pay me to be tied to someone else. That’s so great for them though. Tube Stop is wicked annoying in the beginning—I’m begging you to just stick with her for the character growth. I haven’t been so positively giddy reading the ending in a long time. The conflicts require them not getting as much page time together as a typical romance, but for me it was worth it. Kissing is the most spice for those interested.

Thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for an advanced copy to form an honest opinion.

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This was such a fun romance! I loved Orie as a protagonist! She was a quirky and smart character! I really didn't know how The Bachelor and Survivor shows were going to mash up for this book but the author did such a good job conveying the dating aspects while being on a Survivor like show!

I normally do not care for love triangle stoeylines but I really did like how the author depicted this one. Since the characters were on this survivor like show and we were able to see how well Orie formed alliances and relationships with the characters I already had a feeling she was going to end up with one of the love interest by the end. But this did not take away from my enjoyment of the book.

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Overall: 3.5/5
Characters: 3/5
Plotline: 4/5

Romance: 3.5/5
Spice Factor: .5
Themes: 3.5/5
Writing: 3/5
Enjoyment Factor: 3.5/5
Review: I really enjoyed the plotline of this book. The Survivor-esque game show crossed with a dating show was clever and set up in such a fun way that I was rooting for multiple pairings as the story progressed like an actual reality TV show. However, the FMC was really annoying. She constantly used pop culture references and tried to be so different that it gave off early 2010's " I am not like other girls" vibes, and I just wanted her to shush. The side characters are really where the development shined. Osprey and Kenndi were my favorites; they were fun and competitive, and I felt like they had a lot of depth. I did love the twist at the end. While it was built up, I was still surprised by how it all played out. Overall, it was cute and fun.

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A fun and witty romcom where the two main characters enter a survivor like competition.

I’ve been a fan of Christine since early 2015 on YouTube. I used to watch her videos religiously and have read and devoured her previous books she has written and this book was no different! It was a perfect palate cleaner after reading a ton of fantasy and was just what I needed to get me out of a book slump.

I adored the main female character so much, and in many ways, she was an extremely relatable character to me!

I highly recommend this one of you’re in the mood for something a little more fun and lighthearted but that can still hit you in the feels every once in a while.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publishers for providing me with this e-arc in exchange for an honest review!

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This was an okay book. The premise is very fun and different from other contemporary romances coming out recently but unfortunately the execution wasn't the best. It felt a little too silly to take seriously but there wasn't enough chemistry with the characters to fully buy in to the goofiness.

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Thank you Macmillan Audio for this ALC, and St Martin’s and Wednesday Books for the eARC.

This was a really fun listen! I thought the narrators did a really great job differentiating the voices for each character, making it easily recognizable what character was speaking.

I enjoyed the concept of this one too!! It’s like Survivor and The Bachelor had a baby. It really took the forced proximity trope to the extreme when they had to be literally attached at the hip with the rope. Yes this one is a love triangle, but it’s also kind of really not, so if you don’t like that trope, don’t let it deter you from reading this one.
I enjoyed all the entertainment references made in this one (normally I’m not a fan), as it really embellished I think just what kind of work Orie wanted to do. It spoke to the entertainment need in me.
One of these men was an absolute doll. I won’t spoil who, but I loves him <3 things for really tense as the show continued on and you didn’t really know who to trust and what was true anymore. I understood Orie’s spiraling, and some of those confession tapes were just downright brutal!!

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Short synopsis: Orie Lennox gets cast on a reality TV show that’s Survivor mixed with the Bachelor hoping to win the million dollar prize to get her family out of debt.

My thoughts: Immediately from the first few chapters of this book I was obsessed. I used to watch Survivor and Bachelor all the time, and get so invested in each relationship and social aspect of both shows.

This was so incredibly fun! I loved Orie and her drive and determination. She was scrappy, and funny, and filled with so much heart.

I definitely had a favorite romantic interest for her, and was so happy when that was the person she chose!

Read this for a fun escape to a remote island with unexpected giant bugs, storms, scavenging for food, and competition!

Read if you love:
- Reality TV
- Finding romance
- Book and movie quotes
- Puzzles and competitions
- Social media

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This was such a fun book! Orie had to find herself to know what she wanted in life. She was unhappy,but didn't know it. I liked how her sister pushed her out ofbher comfort zone and then Orie found who she really was. Orie was a really likeable character. A great book!

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I absolutely loved this book. While comedy is implied in the Romcom genre, this book had me laughing out loud, repeatedly. The characters are perfectly imperfect. They have their flaws, but they all mesh together so well to make this amazing story.

The main character Orie, is a little lost, in that stage between being a dependent and an actual grown up. Not really sure what she wants to do after graduation just floating along. She sends in an audition tape for her and her sister to be on Survivor (something she’s been training for since the tender age of 8). Only she gets accepted. When she gets to Fiji, she finds out it is actually a spin-off show, that is also a dating show. The comedy that ensues is golden. I did not want to put it down.

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As a lover of "Survivor" and other reality competition shows, this was right up my alley! I actually had stumbled upon this book from Christine Riccio's TikTok account where she was talking about being inspired by Rob/Amber in Survivor when writing. I knew I had to request it on NetGalley after that and really enjoyed it! I look forward to checking out other books Riccio has wrote after this one.

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This book ended up being much better than I expected! Imagine if Survivor was a dating game where you are tethered to a potential love match. You must survive with your teammate for a few days, compete in challenges, and vote off players or love matches- strategically! I’m not even a big fan of Survivor, however, I have watched it back in the early years of its airing.

I enjoyed the characters, although, I wish we could’ve seen more from the main male characters’ POV. Or at least, had more scenes with both. This book was more heavy on the Survivor show aspect, and not as much on the romance. I loved seeing the FMC’s growth though.

I think if you liked Survivor, and like YA/NA books, you would probably enjoy this one. I found myself not wanting to put the book down because I really did enjoy reading the challenges for all the characters- and the drama! I also loved the nod to Delaware! *Waves from Delaware*

I received this arc in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

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If you enjoy reality tv competition shows and influencer culture, you definitely want to check this one out! I thought it was such a cute book, I was able to receive the ARC + ALC and really enjoyed both. I enjoyed the writing and thought that Christine did a really good job at storytelling, mixing romance with a little suspense from reality tv world.

This is the first time I've read this author and I am impressed. Can't wait to read more!

Many thanks to the St. Martin's Press for providing an Advanced Reader Copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

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TW/CW: Language, talk of addiction

REVIEW: I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley and am voluntarily writing an honest review.

Attached at the Hip is the story of Orie, a young woman just out of college who is trying to make sense of her life. After a disagreement with her sister, she auditions for Survivor - only to find herself competing on a romance-centered spin off that will force her to find herself or (not literally) die trying.

This was an incredibly charming book. It was fun to read about the game and the challenges, but even more fun to read about Orie coming into her own and discovering important things about herself. I loved the characters we meet along the way - Remy, Osprey, Kennedi, and all the others.

At first this seemed like a very light book - and it definitely isn’t anything heavy - but there are some pretty profound messages about growing up and finding yourself - this is a deeper book than it pretends to be at the beginning.

I gad never read anything by this author before, but I will definitely be looking for her books in the future!

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Thank you to Net Galley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review. I have been following Christine Riccio for years, and watched as she wrote her first book. This is definitely on brand for her, with a Survivor-themed story, and this is the perfect summer read.

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This is a really fun story! The game aspect is enjoyable and I liked watching Orie find herself and grow up!

I warmed up to Orie as a character as the book went on. She was a bit naive and directionless to begin with but she learned from her experience. I liked watching her grow but seeing the mistakes she made along the way could be a bit painful at times.

I had mixed feelings about this book being YA. Orie is 23 and while she is still finding herself I do think this could have been an adult romance. However, I understand why this was YA as this has a bit of a Hunger Games meets romcom feel!

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I know I talk about book blurbs a lot in my reviews, but I have a reader confession: Once I read a book, I don’t think about the blurb again until I’m done with it. So it was a huge surprise for me that the main character, Orie, is cast in a romantic version of a reality TV show in ATTACHED AT THE HIP by Christine Riccio, even though it was right there on the back cover. But it was such a good surprise!

ATTACHED AT THE HIP is described as a romantic adventure that is Survivor meets The Bachelor, and I have to say that I agree. From the beginning, I found myself giggling and enjoying every second of the book. It seems like Riccio had so much fun writing this book and including all her favorite things to make an epic story.

I’ve come to realize that I really like books that are deemed “romantic adventure.” I’ve only read a few, but I want this genre to be the next big thing. Even though Orie and the other contestants were on a reality TV show, it was so neat to see them “survive.” I think I like this genre because I’m cozy in bed reading it, lol.

And Orie’s mind!?!? I love seeing someone as obsessed about something as I get and who overthinks, too. So, I felt right at home in her head. She’s a different character, but I really liked her.

This book has been one of my favorites of the year! It will be a reread for me in the future. If you are a romantic adventure fan like me, I definitely recommend ATTACHED AT THE HIP.

Thanks, Wednesday Books, for the arc!

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i've read a book by this author in the past and this one gave me the same feelings even though they don't really relate to each other at all. the writing is pretty good and the ideas a there but i just don't know if this is the writing style for me. a lot was happening and this was kinda long, i think if i came back to this in the summer, when i'm watching the new season of love island, i may like it better. still good over all and very original which was fun!

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If you;re a fan of survivor - specifically the strategy aspect - you might like this. However, the romance is truly secondary to the plot and the main character is ultimately a bit passive in her own story. It's a frustrating read, but not altogether unenjoyable.

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