This book is a treat for rom-com lovers and die-hard Survivor fans alike. You don't have to have read Riccio's other books to appreciate this one, although former characters do show up in the plot of this one. A basic premise of the Survivor television show is that away from civilization, people learn hard lessons about themselves that transform them long after the actual game is over. Such is the case for Orie, a new adult who, in reaction to some tough love from her older sister, is trying to forge a new life path for herself. She auditions and is accepted for what she thinks is albeit new era, regular Survivor. But this is a story of taking what works from your old life and molding it into something new, so any security Orie had going into the game is dashed pretty quickly. Orie has been cast in a Survivor spin-off in which competitors are "attached at the hip." Literally. About 9 feet apart and hooked at the waist.

There are many nods to the actual Survivor series that show me Christine Riccio did her homework. One thing production does seem to give the contestants relative privacy for is voiding your bowels, but sometimes contestants do bemoan the difficulties of going in the jungle with the tribe and crew nearby. Throughout this novel, I laughed out loud several times as Orie and her cast mates not only needed to go, but faced doing so while physically unable to truly get time alone. I howled and cringed as Orie navigated this dilemma throughout the game. Also, many seasons have a contestant who becomes known by only a nickname or last name. This past season, for example, one cast member wanted to be known only as Jelinsky because he thought it would establish his image as a super-player. Orie- who pretty early on falls almost into a stereotype Goldie Hawn kooky, pretty girl- insists on trying to get people to call her Picadilly. It so doesn't work, but one thing Orie does have going for her as a Survivor contestant is resilience. She even survives a major plot twist which hits during a typhoon- a nod to a real-life season of Survivor where they had to put the game on hold and evacuate for a brief time. But there's also the rom-com element of the game, and Orie is trying not only to win the million dollars, but also someone to stand by her as she forges a new life. Over the course of the game, two men end up vying for Orie's heart and attention. One the aforementioned high school crush from back home who makes from a great DESTINY love story, and the other is an extreme sports influencer who pushes Orie to try things that she thinks are out of her skill set. Will Orie win the million dollars? If not, who does? Will Orie find love? If so, with whom? You will speculate like social media does when watching the show in real time and become invested in the outcome. Hey CBS, this book also works as a great show pitch! Think about it! I'd watch it.

It just wasn’t for me. I wish it was but I couldn’t get on board with the story. I’m sure the book would be great for fans of this author.

This has so many elements that I knew I would love. A survivor themed show that is also a reality dating show. The potential was so high.

So I hate to say it, but it dragged. I think if the book was 100 pages shorter it would have packed more punch. It just felt like it kept going and the longer it went the more things bothered me.

I loved the concept and some of the characters and the overall story, it just felt like it needed a hard edit to get to what I wanted.

Pub day: May 21, 2024

This was a cute rom com about a low self esteem young woman who finds self worth through a survivor style dating show she participates in.

Attached at the Hip is probably meant for some one who's familiar with the reality show, Survivor - NOT ME. The absurdity of the offshoot show in this book was difficult to imagine actually happening. Also, the level of maturity for twenty-somethings didn't fit, as they acted incredibly younger.

I honestly couldn't finish the story.

Thank you, St. Martin's Press | Wednesday Books

I don’t DNF easily, especially when it’s an ARC but this was really intolerable. I love Survivor and was looking forward to reading this. I just could not force myself to read anymore. The writing was terrible and Orie is the most vapid MC I’ve read in a long time. I’m not posting this publicly and I appreciate the chance to have read it but it is definitely not for me.

4.5 Stars (Thank you to Wednesday Books/St Martin's Press for allowing me access to a digital ARC on Netgalley in exchange for an honest review).

When I first heard that Christine Riccio was writing a book with inspiration from Survivor and The Bachelor, I was immediately invested. I have been a longtime fan of Christine's now, and for years, followed her on book tube for her personality, comedic book videos, and book reviews and book talks. I also want to mention, this is her third book, and I still have yet to read her other releases, "Again, But Better" and "Better Together." As my first dive into Christine's writing style and how she crafts stories, I am very happy with the outcome, as I really enjoyed the story and characters.

We follow Orie, who lives a life where she's not as independent, doesn't put herself out there, and usually has someone by her side to guide her through her work adventures, social relationships, etc. At the beginning of the story, we see Orie's life begin to take a turn when her long time boyfriend from middle and high school has emotionally cheated on her with another woman and her sister has feelings wanting to strive away from their ACROyoga social media business. Orie is pushed by these and applies for Survivor, and lands a spot on the cast. One problem, the cast isn't for Survivor, it's for a Survivor spin-off dating show called Attached At The Hip, where contestants navigate a game show with survival and challenge dynamics like Survivor, but the relationship dynamics and compatibility structure of The Bachelor/Bachelor in Paradise.

As a long time Survivor fan, this book did everything it needed to. I was worried about the transfer of how Christine would write challenges and the dynamics of voting others off, but she did an amazing job of documenting scenes in a way that I was able to effortlessly visualize. One thing I absolutely adored about this was the ending and how Christine wrote the lead-up to the live finale, including the scenes of Orie adjusting back to normalcy outside the show.

If you are a fan of rom-coms with rivalry, banter, forced proximity, or just a fan of reality television in general, please pick this book up.

Also, Christine shouting out Boston Rob and Amber in the acknowledgments made my heart swell with joy.

If I could only use one word to describe this book, it would be fun. Everything about this book, the premise, characters, and dialogue, is fun!

Attached at the Hip is Survivor meets a RomCom. Our main character, Orie, signed up for the next season of Survivor only to find out she’s part of the first season of a Survivor spinoff show about dating and relationships thrown in with classic Survivor challenges. The catch is when you’re teamed up, you’re literally attached to each other. Orie’s first partner is her high school crush. *Enter major freak out*. Soon, Orie finds herself developing connections, platonic and romantic, with the other contestants while also trying to win the game and the million-dollar prize. 

I loved this book so much! It’s exactly what I needed—and it’s the perfect summer read! It’s everything people love about romcoms and reality TV all in one book! As one of the characters calls Orie, she is irritatingly likable. She’s quirky, and dramatic, and wears her heart on her sleeve. You can’t help but like her and root for her! I don’t want to spoil anything about the romance, but this love triangle was *chef’s kiss*. I was rooting for one guy the entire time, and he’s the one who got the girl! I love it when I’m right 😝. Plus, Orie’s emotional arc is extremely relatable. She’s struggling to figure out what she wants to do with her life now that she is officially a young adult and has finished college. I think a lot of us feel that way and shelve our true dreams if they seem out of our reach. I loved watching Orie find the courage to express what her dream is and go for it.

Attached at the Hip is such a fun book! This story is set in a Survivor type show with a twist, while Orie challenges herself in many personal areas. It addresses adventure, personal growth, family hardships, romance, friendships, and strength. I loved the growth of Orie, the main character, throughout the story, as well as the relationships she made. I highly recommend this story for all romance readers who would love some fun, adventure, and personal growth through friendships and romance.
Thank you to NetGalley, Christine Riccio, and St. Martin’s Press for this ARC, all opinions are my own.

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.

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!

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.

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.

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.

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.

*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!

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!

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

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

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.