Thank you to NetGalley for sending me an early copy of this book in exchange for review.

I’m going to start out by saying that I was a major fan of Christine Riccio growing up. I watched her BookTube videos religiously and loved her content. I read her debut novel, Again but Better, when it released and liked it well enough. It didn’t stand out to me as incredible but it certainly wasn’t horrendous.

I’m very sad to say that Attached to the Hip was not good. I first want to say that I, like Christine, am a HUGE Survivor fan. I grew up watching the show with my parents, and I still watch with them to this day. I was thrilled to read a romance-Survivor novel!

That being said, I could barely finish this book. I absolutely hated the main character, Orie. She was probably the most insufferable character I’ve ever read, and I’ve read Fourth Wing. She was supposed to be this quirky-but-everyone-loves-her character but she was insanely annoying, extremely rude and selfish, LOUD, had no social abilities, and literally was any terrible trait you can think of wrapped up into one person. I could not STAND her. At about 10% maybe a bit more, Orie goes to Fiji and is doing the Survivor interview, and says she wants people to call her Piccadilly. I literally almost choked. Then the producer she is talking to says she loves that and wants to be called Leicester Square. Girl I’m gagged. Literally I’ve never read something more cringe, more embarrassing and that is 10% of the way through this novel. Orie also says her favourite word is “afoot.” This character is trying so hard to be quirky and different and is really just the most annoying girl you knew in high school that does not shut up. In fact, she is consistently screaming in this book, in caps lock for multiple pages in a row. Because she is SO quirky and SO different that she just cannot control her voice! I HATE THIS CHARACTER! HOW DO YOU LIKE CAPS LOCK NOW?

At about a quarter of the way through this novel I had to question if I even wanted to continue with it. The writing, the main character, and the self-insert of Riccio into this story was just ... embarrassing. I read a couple reviews on Goodreads from folks in the Ace community who also struggled with Orie's almost queer-bait of potentially being asexual that is never brought up again? I think that is one thing that should absolutely be fixed before this is published. Making Orie asexual would be great but it has to be done well and I'm not sure if Riccio is the person to write that story.

I also had issue with the "plot-twist" that was basically hand-fed to us from the start of the Survivor portion: Remy being the Bad Guy. I did skim the ending of the book because I was so bored and so embarrassed by this book, but I think Remy was stalking Orie for some reason? I genuinely do not know WHY anyone would stalk this character, other than the fact that she is somehow famous and has an Instagram following (all thanks to her sister, Lark, who she treats terribly throughout the novel). The most unrealistic thing about this book is that any of the people on this island would like her. Sorry, Survivor is not the place where weird, annoying, cringey people thrive. Annoying people are voted out as early as possible, or they are taken to the end because they have no shot at winning. Which leads me to another insanely unrealistic portion of this novel: Orie winning Attached at the Hip. Yes, I realize (because it was spoon fed to us) that AATH is different than Survivor, but how on earth could this girl win? Half of her time with people was spent saying she was old (she's 23) and the other half was her screaming, saying cringey things, talking about Divergent or some other 2014 pop culture reference, or talking about how she cannot under any circumstance go to the bathroom 8 feet away from Remy. I genuinely could not have hated her more. I feel bad for hating her, because she is so obviously a self-insert of Christine Riccio, but sorry girl... leave 2014 in 2014 and take some writing workshops. I really like Christine as a person and content creator, but I think (as with most other Booktube authors) that these people should just read. Peace and Love<3

I sincerely hope that the publishers read the reviews and put this book through some more edits, because it is truly horrifically awful.

Thanks to St. Martin's Press and Netgalley for an ARC of Attached at the Hip by Christine Riccio in exchange for an honest review.

Rating: 3/5

This book is perfect for those searching to boost their self-confidence. It has a comfortable and enjoyable style and pace, it is partially based on a woman's experience on a reality TV show. If you're a fan of competition reality TV like Survivor or dating competition shows, you'll definitely enjoy reading it. The book is full of surprises, making it an exciting and entertaining read.

I could not put this book down! It is everything I have ever dreamed of in a romance book — 1) Survivor/stranded on an island, 2) characters you cannot help falling in love with, and 3) a love triangle. It was the perfect blend of romance and dialogue, without being overly graphic. I would recommend this book to anyone who loves popular romance books!

LOVED LOVED LOVED!! I love survivor and this is so so fun. I loved the romance and the characters. Christine has done it again

Pushed by her sister to do something for herself for once, Orie Lennox applies for Survivor. Once cast, she learns that this is new spinoff, one focused around romance that starts with her tied to a former crush from high school. Carrying more baggage than she’d like to admit to, Orie fights to win the cash prize and to find out if she is capable of love.

The premise of this book was enticing. I like the idea of game based romances with all these other moving pieces at play and opponents who can become friends. The survivor aspect of the show is something that Christine seemed very familiar with and excited to build off of to create her own version. There was care built into those moments and they created actual tension. I found those scenes to be by far the most entertaining.

The relationships carried this book as well. We have a variety of characters, all vying for a prize, while still attempting to make friends or even fall in love. The most enjoyable parts were with Osprey, which felt like a requirement, but I enjoyed watching Orie and Kennedi interact. For a story that required extended periods of waiting between the trials, it helped to forge the relationships necessary.

However, the relationship with Kennedi did put a microscope over Orie and her extreme childishness. This is both because Kennedi states it outright and also because of the age gap between them, with Kennedi being the younger of the pair. Orie seems young throughout the whole book, even called out by Osprey for being the youngest sibling. There’s a few times where it’s difficult to deal with her, and she’s the main character that we can’t escape.

There’s a few moments that are pivotal to understanding Orie’s character, likely the few that could have fixed the above mentioned problems, and we never get to see them on page. Christine is willing to use flashbacks for other moments, and I understand why they were chosen, but these bigger, more impactful moments are nothing more than her remembering them while sitting on an island. It reduced the emotional impact and created a distance between the reader and Orie that couldn’t be repaired.

Unfortunately, the chapter titles are spoilers. If you don’t look at them and go in blind, which Christine wants her readers to do, it’s mostly okay. Even still, it’s distracting. Things are still up in the air as we go into the chapter but it’s confirming our expectations, thereby eliminating any chance for surprise.

THE WRITING ITSELF

Christine as a writer put herself out to the world relatively early in her journey. She seems to learn about writing as she goes, attempting to piece together stories without the help of craft books or outside help that isn’t her doting friends. This is fine, I’m happy for her, but I think her writing could benefit from further critique.

Her reliance on media and other books to build up her characters personalities and create the world around them feels like a crutch. She’s made up of books and movies, so she doesn’t know how else to get people to understand her characters. It’s wildly distracting, especially when she’s referencing things that I personally don’t enjoy while attempting to make her main character more relatable or the love interest more lovable. In real life, I reference things all the time. I devour movies, tv shows, and books. However, I know how to write without pulling from other sources to support my world. It would be interesting to see her challenge herself into avoiding references in a future book.

There’s also an obsession with capitalization. I understand that she likes having her characters yell, Christine herself is loud and boisterous, but it losing impact on the page. Eventually, I wasn’t even processing it anymore. There was also a few that I caught that seemed out of place, where I paused to consider if that character was actually yelling or if Christine didn’t know how else to put emphasis on that word. A few times she capitalized AND italicized a word, which was wildly annoying.

I’m aware that Christine often writes dialogue first, using that as the basis of her scenes, but then there often isn’t anything else to fill in the gaps. It’s page after page of uncomfortable dialogue. This is especially obnoxious when Orie forgets how to speak and we are forced to watch her word vomit for a bit. I think a solid course on dialogue, action, and description could improve all of this.s

ROMANTIC COMEDY?

I don’t know if I’m comfortable categorizing this as a romance. That’s not to say that it doesn’t contain a romantic plot line and that Orie doesn’t find love, but more so that this love story is very much a B-plot. This is fine, I enjoy that, as it provides more space for Orie to figure herself out and grow as a person, but it does mess with the marketing a bit. Much of the romance is pushed aside for us to play the games, and then it’s avoided for a bit so that all the fallout can be handled.

That being said, the romance itself was fine. Emphasis on fine. It didn’t take my breath away, make me swoon, or give my goosebumps, but I liked them together well enough. Overall, the story could have benefited from spending more time on the pair who end up together. It also desperately needed for them to not fix their one and only problem immediately at the end of the book. It was introduced, solved, and done in less than 30 pages.

We also briefly get a discussion surrounding the idea that Orie may be ace. This appears in one chapter and never returns. I appreciate that Christine wanted to share this identity with the world, but this isn’t how you do it. If this was going to be part of Orie’s story, something that seemed apparent in the beginning, then it should have continued throughout the book. We never see her realize that she’s not though it could have easily been a few lines thrown in to some of the romantic scenes. It was disappointing to see.

As for the comedy aspect of this book, I’m aware that Christine and I have different senses of humor. I try not to hold it against her. It’s fine for the most part, often times over focusing on something that wasn’t funny to begin with or relying on the “quirky girl” aspects of her main character to force it, but it’s fine. I never laughed out loud or considered sharing a joke with a friend, but I wasn’t miserable. This may more have to do with the adjustment period. By this point there’s enough out there by Christine that I know what to expect and can temper my expectations accordingly.

OVERALL

Attached at the Hip was just okay. I wish I could give it a more glowing review. Christine’s writing playlist was a great motivator while writing first drafts of my various stories and I wish that I could walk away saying that all that effort and time she put in created a masterpiece. Really, all that matters, is that she likes it.

It’s a quick, easy read with some fun adventures based on the survivor like game play. Sometimes that’s all a book needs to be.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the e-arc.

I've read Christine's debut Again, But Better and while that one had a charm to it I enjoyed, this book has to be my favourite of Christine's so far. There's no magical elements like her previous books but being set on a Survivor-style TV show was gripping enough.

Ori was hard to like in the beginning but she does really grow throughout the book and I genuinely found myself rooting for her. I loved the suspense created between the other players of the game show and Ori worrying who she could trust. Honestly, the entire setting was killer good.

It was a fun rom-com and would 100% recommend this.

Christine has really improved her craft with each book. This one was funny and engaging and so creative in its premise. I thoroughly enjoyed it from cover to cover.

This book wasn't a favorite for me, it was probably closer to a 2.5 stars but I rounded up. It was a fine book and the premise was fun enough, it just wasn't a favorite. It was a light read with a lot of reality tv and such scattered throughout. It went fine and the characters were good enough, just not a lot of depth to all of it. It was still a light read, the writing style wasn't my favorite as a whole, it seemed a little lackluster. It was a fine enough read, just not a favorite.

Thanks to NetGalley & Edelweiss for the ARC!

I’m having trouble summarizing a blurb for this book. It’s marketed as “Survivor” meets “The Bachelor”, but I have grievances with that.

When I first saw the tagline for this book, I was foaming at the mouth. I. LOVE. SURVIVOR. It is THE best reality TV show (next to Love Island, but that’s because it’s the best kind of trash) and there are some high expectations with that. I was tempted to do a search to see just how many times “Survivor” was mentioned in the book. (Hint: a lot) And, yet we find out early on that our MC, Orie, has not been cast on “Survivor”, but on an offshoot called “Attached at the Hip”. Also, it’s less “The Bachelor” and more generic reality show. I truly believe it would benefit to change the marketing. Maybe a new experimental dating show on the beach?

Hidden in this book is a good story, some legit misdirects, a hint of romance, and a journey of growth. It is sadly greatly overshadowed by how unlikeable and immature Orie, the MC, is written. The dialogue is atrocious. At one point, Orie wonders if her crush “likes words”. Sorry, what? That’s after asking his favorite color. She’s twenty-three years old. There are conversations like this in the first 50% of the book that are so jarringly unnatural it made me look up from the book in shock. The meme/pop culture/music references are overwhelming and dated, more the authors actual age than Orie’s. I almost DNF’d but I was determined to finish what I started. The story picks up after the halfway mark, but it’s too little too late. Overall, I felt pretty let down.

Attached at the Hip is out May 21st, 2024.

Thanks to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Such a cute book. I'm obsessed with the inspiration from Survivor. I've been following Christine Riccio for years and am always captivated by her quirky writing style!

LOVED THIS BOOK!! I loved the Survivor/Bachelor aspect and I loved the characters. Orie was the perfect MC. She was so relatable and going on this journey with her was the best time. This book gets all the stars.

I bounced back and forth on this book. Orie was not a main character I really liked. I enjoyed the premise of the book and I liked all of the side characters we got to meet. But the fmc just kept making me want to pause and not come back.

Overall, I would probably try to read another book by this author. I liked the writing and the pacing.

4.5 ⭐️

The suspense in this one! I was on the edge of my seat just as if I was watching a real reality tv show and watching all the twists and turns. The deeper I got into this the more that I wanted to read and I couldn’t put it down!!!

I loved the whole bachelor in paradise meets survivor concept. It was so fun to read! And Orie’s character development throughout the book was so good and natural. The pacing of it all was just really on point. Orie was a littleee annoying at first but you really do grow to love her, and she’s EXACTLY like Christine.

I also loved the ending, and all the themes of family and sibling relationships. This was just a super well-rounded, super balanced, and super fun rom-com that gives you everything you could want in a book.

As someone who just recently got into watching Survivor, the concept of this book immediately pulled me in! I’ve been following Christine for years and have read both of her other books. I can say, for certain, that this is her best work yet!

I am not going to go into too much detail because I don’t want to spoil anything. Christine does a fantastic job setting up the story without feeling too info-dumpy. But just enough to make you not want to put the book down.

Going into the aspect of Survivor, she nailed it! During the challenges and daily life of someone living on an island, it felt just like I was reading an actually season of Survivor with a mix in of the bachelor. You can 100% feel her love of both of these shows.

Each character felt like they were different, and fleshed out, in their own unique way. Introducing as many characters as Christine had to, I was nervous that they each wouldn’t have their own “voice” but that fear was quickly overcome as she introduced each one.

Overall, if you love a good RomCom or enjoyed either of her previous books, I would recommend picking this up as soon as it’s released!

This book was bachelor nation but better than bad reality tv....it gives an interesting mix between Love Island and The Bachelor.

I liked it tho.

I loved this book with my entire being. I think this is the best book Christine Riccio has written so far, and I thoroughly enjoyed her previous two books. This book made me laugh out loud, sweat with anxiety, and cringe at the same things Orie was cringing at. I feel like I went through the entire spectrum of emotions. As a person who has a sister, I LOVED reading the dialogue between Orie and Lark. As a person who has family members who struggle with addiction, I related so strongly to the emotions Orie was grappling with. As a person who loves reality shows and books, I got a lot out of this story. I think anyone who is trying to figure out who they are, what they want to be, loves reality TV, and just fun romance books as a whole, then I think they will love this book.

Wow I absolutely devoured this book. This book is about a survivor spin-off in which characters and connected to each other and must compete to win 1 million dollars. Orie is the main character, competing with Remy, her long-lost high school crush.
Honestly this book read just like a season of a reality tv show, and for that I loved it!
I understand some people’s negative feedback of the main character, Orie, she’s kind of quirky, but it didn’t take away from the story for me! She has some moments where she says some “random” things but it wasn’t overwhelming.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me an ARC of this book! I

I'm not a fan of dating shows, but I love watching Survivor. The idea of a combination of those two types of reality shows could only lead to some hilarity. I laughed out loud several times as I read about Orie, with her lack of self-confidence and fear of spiders as she braved the adventure. As much fun as watching her compete in the game was watching the relationships and alliances develop and play out.

Funny and romantic, this book belongs on your shelf. I can’t wait to read more by Christine Riccio!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for this complimentary ARC. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I wanted to love this and just...couldn't. I thought the survior mixup forced proximity could have been interesting, and I love the idea of an influencer trying to find herself was a really interesting concept. But man...the portrayal of asexuality here was weird? I felt like everything was mansplaining....even if it wasn't by a male figure? The entire pacing just felt strange and really disjointed.
Most importantly, I read later that the author does a lot of self-insertion into characters, and after some googling I realized how much THAT is what influenced me to not like the female lead. So for me this is just...meh.

A new Christine Riccio book? Say no more. Vibrant, swoon-worthy, and voice-driven, Attached at the Hip offers everything we've grown to love about Christine's books from the very first page. This is a perfect summery read (or wishing for summer!)