Christina Riccio's "Attached at the Hip" immerses readers in the captivating journey of Orie, whose impulsive decision to apply for her favorite show, "Survivor," takes her on an unexpected adventure. What sets this tale apart is the twist: Orie finds herself paired with her former high school crush, Remy, adding layers of complexity to both the game and their evolving relationship.

From the outset, the concept hooks readers, offering a fresh perspective on the familiar terrain of reality television. Riccio's narrative prowess shines as she deftly navigates Orie's emotional landscape, allowing readers to empathize with her fears, aspirations, and burgeoning feelings. Orie emerges as a relatable protagonist, her love for books and movies peppered throughout the story in a manner that feels effortlessly authentic.

As Orie grapples with the challenges of the game and confronts her own insecurities, readers are treated to a rollercoaster of twists and turns that keep them on the edge of their seats. The blurred lines between truth and deception mirror the uncertainty of reality television, immersing readers in a thrilling guessing game reminiscent of their own favorite shows.

However, beyond the adrenaline-fueled gameplay, "Attached at the Hip" excels in its portrayal of friendships. The bond Orie forms with her fellow contestants, particularly Osprey, is a testament to the power of genuine connections forged in adversity. Their unwavering support underscores the novel's heartwarming message of camaraderie and belonging.

Ultimately, Riccio's debut novel is a triumph of storytelling, seamlessly blending elements of romance, suspense, and friendship against the backdrop of reality television. With its engaging plot, well-drawn characters, and poignant themes, "Attached at the Hip" is a must-read for fans of contemporary fiction. Get ready to be swept away on a journey that will leave you eagerly anticipating the next twist in Orie's captivating adventure.

What a surprise! I was honestly so hesitant while going into this book, as I've never really seen Survivor and I've never had much of an interest in its concept. Despite this, the survival game/dating show was super engaging. I loved the concept of the contestants being forced together and the fact that they changed partners throughout the course of the show. It gave me a chance to get to know and care for all of the characters we met along the way.

Though I won't go into too many details, the character twists in this one completely took me by surprise! I thought it was quite creative and made me want to keep reading. I had only intended to read a couple pages last night but found myself unable to stop! I finished the book in about two sittings if that says anything about how hooking this was.

It took me about the first quarter of the book to fully get behind Orie as a main character. I didn't know how I felt about her, but she eventually won me over with her quirkiness. It wasn't too over-the-top (she didn't feel like a caricature), yet her traits made her stand out. I could relate to her fears a lot as well. She doesn't want to hurt anyone's feelings to the point where it negatively effects her own feelings. Orie came full circle and I appreciate her growth.

The love story in this was adorable as well. Some of the conversations between the love interests made me giggle at how cute they were! The ending bit at the bookstore was pretty great as well. A bit cheesy but fit well with the rest of the book's vibes. There were some more serious topics discussed in this novel, but they didn't overpower the upbeat tone of the book at all and balanced everything out well. These topics kept the book from feeling like it lacked substance.

The only thing holding me back from rating this higher or considering this a new favorite is the fact that it took me awhile to finally get into the story full. Also, the challenges were a bit hard for me to fully picture in my head. I kind of just kept reading past the explanation parts and jumped to the action bits to actually figure out what was going on. Though I was able to finally get the picture with the other ones, the question-answering challenge never totally clicked for me from words-to-imagination and it killed the tenseness of the scene, unfortunately.

I'm so happy I was able to read this early and I'm definitely going to have to pick up a copy of it when it comes out. I could see myself rereading this in the future when I need a cute pick-me-up.

This book is really interesting. I was never into Survivor, so all of the game play and alliances was fascinating. But like a good new adult book, this is all Orie’s story of finding and believing in herself. And the romance had a twist that I was not at all expecting. It helped keep the story fresh.

I received a copy of this book from Wednesday Books.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this book.

Christine Ricco is one if my go to authors and I was so excited for this book, but I was so disappointed.

I hated the characters, and the plot was so bad. I jyst found it hard to like anything about this book.

The presentation was bad, character so unbelievable and romance horrible. No slow burn, no getting to know you pages, just bad.

Sorry, had high hopes, but a no from me on this one.

Overall I thought this novel was well written and definitely fits inside the YA genre. While this wouldn’t typically be my go-to book I did enjoy it for what it was. I do believe it will be well-loved by those with interest in YA novels.
In general the characters were likeable and easy to follow. The reality show aspect added its own unique storyline that doesn’t seem to be overly done in YA.
While, as stated above, I do think it was well written, I did find the writing somewhat juvenile.

Have you ever wondered what it would be like if Survivor had a crossover with Love Island? Christine Ricci explores this in “Attached at the Hip.” It’s a fun ride of a rom-com with nods to the classic Survivor challenges, if you are a fan of the show. At times the amount of side plots can be hard to remember, since a theme of the reality show is missed connections. However, I found myself rooting for the main character as the book went on. It’s a good beachy summer read, especially if you like stories where the main character grows and falls in love. I was able to review this book thanks to an advance readers copy from Netgallery.

4 stars!

This was a fun, Survivor spin-off reality TV adventure story with a side of romance. I came in to this thinking there was going to be a lot more romance than there actually was, but still enjoyed the game show premise and the on air drama.

Ori enters to compete on Survivor after having an argument with her sister, Lark, who tells Ori that she's codependent and can't do anything on her own. After being cast on the show and flying out to Fiji, Ori discovers she's actually not on survivor, she's on a spin-off show called Attached at the Hip that has a lot of Survivor-esque elements, but with an added relationship/romance twist. Ori quickly makes a connection with Remy, a boy she went to high school and had a "missed connection" with, then a little bit later on makes another connection with Osprey.

I was hoping for a bit more of a love triangle once it became clear that Ori was interested in two of the guys on the show, but things on the island stayed pretty calm. A huge majority of the drama comes in the last 10% of the book, which I didn't love but also didn't hate. Another thing I didn't love but didn't hate was the entire opening of the book. We meet Ori and her family, then jump forward to her on the show and clearly miss some key things that are hinted at, but not fully reveled upfront. I haven't figured it out yet, but I know there was a better way to do that.

For what it is, this was a fun read, especially if you're a fan of reality tv. I felt like I was part of the game, and truly did not know what was coming up next.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a DRC of this book in exchange for my honest review!

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.

Well, this book was a hoot! I used to LOVE Survivor, so this book was a treat for me. There's nothing like jumping out of your comfort zone to shake things up a little! I really enjoyed watching Orie & Remy get to know each other through all the craziness. This might not be for everyone, but if you enjoy Survivor and/or the Bachelor, you'll love this!

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the advanced digital reader's copy (ARC) in exchange for an honest review!

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!

I knew of Christine Riccio from her days on booktube, and this is the second book I have read of hers (though it's the third she has written). I really enjoyed this one. A lot! I honestly was a little surprised, because Again, But Better (her first book) I thought was totally passable, but this book -- this book is pretty great.

Attached at the Hip is about a 23 year old young adult named Orie who is the younger sister and really floundering with who she is supposed to be. She is somewhat codependent and overly reliant on her parents, her sister, and her boyfriend of 10 years, Wes. All she has wanted since she was a little girl is to fall in love and have a fairy-tale-forever romance, and she thinks Wes is it for her. Though admittedly, there haven't been sparks in awhile--if at all. Then Orie decides to audition for a Survivor-type show, and lo-and-behold she gets a spot on the show! And her world is about to change forever. Right before she gets on the plane for filming in Fiji, Wes lets her know he's been emotionally cheating on her, and they break up.

Attached at the Hip is a new Survivor-style show where 10 individuals are cast to pair up and survive on a deserted island for 28 days. There are 2 catches -- the cast has been carefully curated because based on their backgrounds and histories there are prime chances for romance to fly, and when they are paired, the contestants are literally attached at the hip by an 8 foot rope. When Orie arrives, there is a familiar face -- Remy, a guy from her high school class. And there are lots of other contestants that she gets to know and bond with as well.

I really really enjoyed this story. Even though it's a bit long page-wise for a YA RomCom, the pacing is pretty well done. The game is plausible and I could vividly imagine watching this in a line up with The Bachelor or Love is Blind or Survivor. The characters are well-developed and diverse. There is also heart when some troubles in Orie's personal life come up, and she has to confront the fact that her parents are fallible humans as we all are (Pobody's Nerfect). There are times where the writing style and references are very contemporary to 2024, so I'm not sure if those references will "age" well, but I didn't mind them while reading. What was kind of strange are the descriptions when Orie finally does have physical connections with someone she actually has chemistry with. Descriptions like glitter exploding on the inside and gold dust storms inside or something like that were definitely very unique -- I've never read anything like that before, and in a way it works. Just was kinda weird.

Overall, if you are looking for a super fun medium-to-fast paced reality tv show based game of a book, this is it! Also thank you for no act three break up!!!

This book was such a fun read! The premise - a romantic comedy set on a Survival-like game show - was a fresh take on a common trope. The main character was well fleshed out and relatable. I enjoyed this book and would recommend it to lots of folks!

I'm a Survivor fanatic, but I detest dating shows, so I was a little conflicted about a book description that combined both. But I was very happily surprised--this "attached at the hip" concept was completely absurd and yet so very, very compelling. I liked that the concept was focused on relationships in general rather than purely romantic ones; I enjoyed the purely friendship stories as much as the romantic ones. And there was plenty of Survivor-style plotting, strategy, and challenges to make my geeky heart happy. Since it was marketed as YA, I was a little surprised that the main characters were actually early twenties--while the romantic content was pretty YA-level, the life conflicts they were dealing with were not. The conclusion, while not unexpected, was extremely satisfying. All in all, a fun concept well executed.

A survivor themed romance. This was new territory for me, I don’t even watch normal survivor but I can imagine if I did, I would want it to play out exactly like this book. Wow this was so much fun!

Christine Riccio's "Attached at the Hip" is a fun rom-com that manages to charm even those who aren't fans of reality TV, myself included.

The author's wit and humor shine through in every page of this story. The premise alone is probably enough to hook many readers: Orie Lennox, stagnating in her post-college life, impulsively joins a reality show where she's marooned on an island with strangers, all for a shot at a million-dollar prize. But there's a twist—it's a dating show, and Orie's high school crush, Remy, is among the contestants. However, all is not as it initially seems...

I won't give more away, so I'll say thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for the opportunity to review a temporary digital ARC in exchange for an unbiased review.

Orie Lennox has now graduated and she's wondering when her life is supposed to start. She decides to apply for a reality show where she's going to be stranded on an island with a bunch of strangers having to perform challenges to win. She ends up finding herself in a new romantic version of that game where one of the contestants is somebody she already knew.

I was totally on board with a survivor type reality dating show book. I was here for it but this did not quite hit for me. And I feel badly about that. It was not necessarily a problem with the plot for me as it was with the character writing.

Technically speaking, the characters are young, but the way they're written it felt like they weren't in their early twenties and more like they were Middle School children and it got very annoying.

I did like the angle of the reality competition aspect of this book. That part was really fascinating and there was some really good scenes. It's just I was really annoyed by the characters for the majority of the book.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s press for the ARC !

This book was more of a 3.5 but since Goodreads doesn’t do half stars I’m going to push this down to a three. That said, there was a lot I enjoyed about this, contrary to my expectations then I first started it, and it made for a very quick and easy read, which I always love.

The premise of this — a reality show but in book form — was enough for me to be hooked, and I truly was invested in the game plot. As a sucker for reality TV, the competition aspect of this was right up my alley. I really enjoyed reading about the allies, bonds between the contestants, and the games they were playing. I breezed through those chapters so quick, and I also loved the literal “attached at the hip” component of the show; made for some interesting TV, I’m sure.

What I didn’t love about this, was the dialogue at some parts. The main character, Orie, wasn’t my favorite. At times I found her … a little juvenile. For a twenty-three year old, her inner monologue and even things she would say out loud, was very Wattpad teenage protagonist-esque, which was oftentimes slightly off-putting. I wish she was written as a more mature character, and I could’ve enjoyed the romance aspect of this a lot more. Also wasn’t the biggest fan of Osprey so the romantic element just really wasn’t doing it for me.

However, I loved the mind games in this. The ending with the characters I was expecting, but I was still surprised just because of how it went down. Reality gold, honestly.

Overall, Attached at the Hip was a light and easy read, that I believe I finished in about 2-3 hours once I got invested in the story. The characters weren’t my favorite, but the plot made it a refreshing read and I’m glad I decided to request this!

3.5 stars! Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, and Wednesday Books for this advanced copy! You can pick up Attached at the Hip on May 21, 2024.

This book was an absolute roller coaster. Some parts of it I really loved, and others made me want to put the book down and never pick it up again. This oscillation landed me at 3.5 stars, which feels fair given all that happens in the story.

First and foremost, this author's writing style is not for everyone. If you're not a fan of pop culture references and other generally millennial habits in contemporary romance, this is not your book. There were some truly cringe moments (cough AP Chemistry cough) that almost made me DNF. Also, there was no reason for the books to be over 430 pages. NO romance book needs to be that long.

However!! The main character, Orie, really grew on me, as did her companions on this Survivor/Bachelor mashup reality show. The premise of the show and the competition is what truly kept my attention for all 435 pages. I appreciated the romantic twist at the end, and I was happy with the main character's overall arc.

If you're a love triangle girlie and love reality TV shows like Survivor/Bachelor, I think you'll have a lot of fun with this one!

I received this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This is a funny beach read that is definitely targeted at teens.

Romance, reality tv and a beautiful setting... what more could we want?
The FMC definitely had a tendency to be dramatic, but I found that to be really fitting considering the reality tv setting.
I could see this being an actual reality show and it gave me some nostalgia from the survivor days. I thought the romance was done well and there were some reveals and resolutions I wasn't expecting. Overall enjoyable read!

Riccio's Attached at the Hip was a fun, chaotic blend of reality TV shenanigans and a taste of romantic adventures. The book is, in essence, a reflection of finding yourself amidst the unknown. Orie was a great character, she was humorous and heartfelt, and being thrust into a reality tv show with her high school crush created intriguing situations that kept me hooked to the story. I used to watch Survivor as a kid with my parents, and made me feel almost nostalgic. This was incredibly fun to read and thank you for the chance to do so!

I had a fun time reading this book. It kept me entertained through most of the book. There was a slower pace a little over halfway through, but it picked back up pretty quickly. Orie, the main character, was a fun character, but tended to be a bit dramatic and I rolled my eyes at some scenes with her. I still had fun seeing her interact with the other characters on the show.

I have to say, I was surprised at the last 20 percent of the book. I didn’t see some of the resolutions coming and I was pleasantly surprised. Overall, a fun and quick read that kept me hooked wanting to know the ending.