The plot concept was really interesting and caught my eye immediately. I saw so much potential there for fun and shenanigans, and was really looking forward to it. Unfortunately I was ultimately bored and confused with the jumbled plot and lackluster main character. Basically, the female main character ends up on a reality show that she thinks is survivor because she has not read the small print of the contract she signed, which tells her it could end up being another type of show instead. Well, shocker, it is another show. It’s actually a dating show survivor-style where contestants are paired with partners that they are literally attached with a piece of rope and then have to conduct their challenges, find shelter, make meals, etc. all attached to the person. They have to POOP with the person. Orie ends up being partnered with her old high school crush, Remy, which is a strange coincidence considering the show is cast from across all America. It just kind of goes downhill from there for me. I think if you’re a fan of the tv show Survivor, which this book is heavily based on, it would be more appealing, but I’ve watched probably one episode of it in my life so it was all kind of random to me.

This grown woman (barely) is very immature and insists on being called the nickname Piccadilly which is random and weird. She broke up with her lackluster boyfriend to go on the show and probably would never have done so otherwise because she’s meek and mild. She lives at home with her parents, works with (for) her sister and has the personality of a piece of cardboard (other than being extremely quirky which is mentioned several times by other characters in case we forgot it). She’s clueless but a least she recognizes that about herself.

All in all, cool plot concept, jumbled execution. I really saw potential in the pages and maybe with better character development for Orie it would have been more enjoyable for me.

I've never watched an episode of Survivor. The only reality TV we watch at home is cooking shows, that's it. So when I picked up this book, I wasn't sure what to expect. But I ended up really enjoying it. Even though it's labeled as a romance, I feel like the focus is more on learning to love yourself and coming out of your shell. I found myself laughing at some of the funny lines and getting really into how each challenge played out. I also liked that the story didn't drag out every single detail of the 21 days on the island, just the highlights.

Do I think the book's concept could happen in real life? No way, especially the idea of having "private" conversations with someone not tied to you. I also didn't quite get the whole "love match" thing, as the focus seemed more on surviving on the island than finding love, even though there's some romance at the end. I loved the surprise ending, but I kinda wished for that one-month follow-up mentioned in the final episode to see where the characters ended up. Overall, the story is set in a reality TV show where characters compete for a million dollars and maybe a love match. There are only 4 characters that get any real development, and not enough for a strong attachment. There are a lot of clichéd bits borrowed from other TV/literature, but I think it's intentional as the main character is obsessed with movies and books. This might not be for everyone; it fits in the New Adult category but reads more like YA with a few swear words thrown in. Still, it's worth reading for some happy moments and witty dialogue.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martins’s press for this read. I found this book to be a good read. I like reality tv , enjoying both Survivor and Bachelor ( a bit) and this book was all that in one. Orie has been living for her HEA all her life and here is her change to get it via an experimental reality tv show. It was cute and the character had growth during the book.

As a sucker for reality shows, I DEVOURED this. The book is so addictive and perfect for summer. The romance also had a build up and had just the right amount of chemistry. 💘

Thank you to Wednesday Books for my complimentary eARC and to MacMillan Audio for my complimentary audiobook. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Attached At The Hip is an adventurous high stake Survivor-type story. I can honestly say I have never watched that particular reality show, but I enjoyed
this book very much. While many of the scenarios seemed far fetched, I just kept saying to myself “it’s entertainment it’s not real”.

I was shocked at the unveiling of Ori’s family troubles but I see how it was needed for the sake of the story.
I never really trusted any of the players in the game, but I think that was intended.

I paired the eARC with the audiobook.
Brittany Pressley did an amazing job with the narration. She is very enthusiastic and you can tell she’s enjoying the story.

This is a YA book. The players are all in their early 20’s and it shows in their (lack of) maturity. But if you enjoy Survivor I think you will like this one. Great for a pool or beach day.

Survivor meets The Bachelor in Attached at the Hip, an irresistible romantic adventure. The novel follows Orie Lennox having spent most of her life prepping for her happily ever after. Now that she’s graduated, she’s low-key wondering, when the heck is it gonna hit. Her life is not quite what she envisioned it to be. So, on a whim she applies for a reality show to play a game of human chess for a shot at a million dollars. After being casted for the show Orie discovers it’s 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.

I really enjoyed reading this book it was fun, adventurous, and filled with humor. Building on a unique premise Riccio crafted the perfect rom-com I could barely put it down. Making the book reflect a reality tv show was also perfectly executed. Everything had an even flow from Orie’s personal life to the way the author wove the game show and the scripting into the story. You really feel like you’re watching everything take place right in front of you. The dialogue was witty, the pacing is steady, the characters are all well-developed, and the writing was so descriptive.

Orie was a lovable character just a little annoying at times especially when she called Remy by his WHOLE NAME Remy Orlando Lasorsa!!! But I love that the author gave Orie this co-dependent personality and we actually see growth in her character by the end of the book. Now when it came to the romance I liked the way the author changed up the dynamics with Orie having two potential love interests which allowed things to fall in the hands of fate. Remy seemed like Orie’s perfect match because their chemistry was palpable from the beginning. But when she’s partnered with Osprey we get a more authentic connection between the two.

Overall, loved the book highly recommend you guys read it especially if you’re a fan of reality tv. The way each chapter builds and compliments the next I swear you’re in for a fun reading experience . Special thanks to the author, @macmillan.audio for my gifted listening copy, & @Wednesdaybooks for my e-ARC‼️

This was really fun. I LOVE Survivor, and I really loved how much that inspired this and the bits of Survivor lore that the story incorporated. I didn't find any of the characters that compelling or relatable, but it was a fun escape and interesting story. The pace was really nice and consistent, maybe could have been a little shorter, but still, I'm happy. This was silly, entertaining, and just a good time. It's not the type of book I'm going to keep thinking about after I'm done or end up a regular reread, but I can also say I thoroughly enjoyed myself the entire time.

This book was good, but I don't think it was great. I like the idea behind it and I was glad for the way that it ended. But I just felt like there was some stuff missing and there could have been much more to the story.

The Bachelor meets Survivor in this exciting romantic comedy. I couldn’t put it down and absolutely devoured the story. The character growth was the main plot of the story which made it so compelling. The romance was juicy and ever evolving.

We follow Orie who has stumbled into AcroYoga influencing and doesn’t have a “thing” of her own. So obviously she applies for survivor and gets it! Or so she thinks. She’s brought on this wild ride of self discover and love that connects you to her. She is quirky and annoying but so self aware about it all it’s refreshing.

The reality survival aspect was so fun to read about and has quenched my thirst for survivor in between episodes.

The pacing was well done. I loved that we got some “before the show” and all throughout the show where Ories character growth is. I would’ve loved an epilogue of maybe 1 or 2 years later but I’m imagining it went well for her :)

If you love survivor (like me) then you’ll for sure like this

A quirky summer YA read about a survivor spinoff. Note this is a dating show with survivor esqe challenges, it is not survivor.

Attached At The Hip has an incredible premise - I was so intrigued by the idea of a dating show set in a more Survivor atmosphere and it really made me want to read it.

But Orie was impossible to like and it was honestly the hardest thing for me to read around. I think the author leaned too much the trope of codependency - I had a hard time believing the character was an adult rather than a ninth grader. It really ruined the atmosphere of the book. Overall I wouldn’t recommend without major revisions and rethinking.

If you are a fan of reality tv competition shows, this book is definitely one you are going to want to read this summer! Even though it is based on survivor, it will give you all of the Big Brother, Too Hot to Handle and other summer love shows that you need in your life! And just when you think you have it figured out, there is a twist and a love you will be cheering for! Oh, and this is surprisingly a YA book, but it does not feel like it at all!

Thank you so much to Wednesday Books for the gifted copy!

This is probably my favorite of Christine Riccio’s books, followed by her first book Again, But Better. I was drawn into the characters and the relationship dynamics and the story concept so quickly, and I just wanted to keep reading….which is why I have read my e-galley of this MONTHS before it is to be released. There were plenty of other galleys I should have prioritized, but the concept of Attached at the Hip just intrigued me so I couldn’t resist it as soon as I realized I had been approved for it on NetGalley.

Okay, so that was what I wrote as my brief thoughts on Goodreads when I finished reading this book at the end of January…yes, I read my e-galley of this book roughly four months before it was to be released.

And I want to say, in the moments after closing the file and opening up Goodreads to update my reading status, I definitely felt like this book was a 5 star read. So I want to explain why I only have it as a 4 star read now. I also want to state that this is just my personal thoughts on it, and I don’t expect this to apply to everyone else who reads it.

There is a scene where Orie is talking to a fellow contestant named Kennedi and talking about relationships and romance and desire, and Kennedi brings up Asexuality. Orie basically agrees that it’s something to consider and then….that’s it. Of course, we the reader can look back to the beginning of the book when Orie was still dating Wes and talking in the narration about how she wasn’t really attracted to him, and they were just together because it was expected or whatever. And I just….I was excited about the possibility of Orie looking more into Asexuality, perhaps after the show’s filming wrapped and she went home. But that didn’t happen. I don’t think it was intentional to be so queer-bait-like in this story, but that’s how it felt to me. And that is especially disappointing for me as an Ace person, because there is not a whole lot of Ace rep out there, not yet anyway, and it would have been great to have that representation gaining a bigger foothold for Young Adult/New Adult/Adult readers.

Aside from that, I honestly enjoyed the fun, chaotic, drama filled romantic-“Survivor” spin-off. There was the challenges and alliances and backstabbing that a fan of “Survivor” would expect from this kind of story.

While I have seen a number of other reviewers criticizing Orie’s decision/attempt to use the name Piccadilly on the show “in order to be more unique” when Orie is already a perfectly unique name, I understand that part of the reason Orie decides to do the show is because she’s trying to prove that she can do things without her sister or her family or her boyfriend…..and most know her online as Orie because of her social media work with her sister…so the attempt to be known as Piccadilly instead on the show is supposed to show that she’s trying to do it without the influence of being Orie. Or, at least, that’s how I view it.

I do think that certain sections of the story could have been drawn out a little more. It felt like the set-up took way longer to get through than the actual “Attached at the Hip” show filming portion.

But I read this very quickly, and it held my interest. I suppose I should say that I did miss some of the cameos of previous Christine Riccio character’s (like I noticed Shane’s cameo, but totally missed out on most of the characters from Better Together because I didn’t enjoy that book as much.

Anyway…it was an overall enjoyable story…and part of me hopes that Christine Riccio will address the Ace queerbaiting from her story, I doubt it will happen.

Perhaps this is just more reason for me to focus on getting my own Ace novels finished. I can’t say that my representation of the Ace community will be accurate for all on the Ace spectrum, but it will at least be accurate for my lived experience.

The dialogue was cringey, the characters absurd. I was a fan of Christine's YouTube videos but it seems she hasn't matured past that stage of her life. 2 stars because the action did keep me going.

Attached at the Hip is a great summer read! I loved the journey Orie goes on from starting as an insecure younger sister who feels a bit left behind by her older sister's passions. Then when she finally makes her own decision to apply for a reality TV show and does something on her own, Orie breaks free and becomes a new woman. Having read Christine Riccio's previous novels, it's been lovely to see her writing style evolve over the last few years - and this was by far her most enjoyable story yet! I'm a huge fan of all things reality TV competition shows, and this book nailed it on all fronts. I definitely recommend this for a fun summer reading list addition!

3.75
Christine Ricco's new book gives exactly what it promised. The story is a survivor themed rom-com, with a dating show twist. Personally, I think Riccio's writing style is very hit or miss- people either love it or hate it. It's a more young adult, spoken style, rather than trying to go for dramatic prose, and I enjoy it for what it is. The largest issue I had with this book was that sometimes this style or tone would get to be a bit much, with things such as excessive stylized all-caps. But if I'm being honest, that is exactly how my brain thinks, and it was represented well in written form. The romantic twists and turns of Orie's life were so real and relatable, and I love the calls to Riccio's other books hidden in Attached at the Hip. As a fan of reality TV, the drama of these shows comes across so well in this story, which I enjoyed as well. Overall, this book was fun and when it hits about the halfway point and the real plot starts to be revealed, I think it hits its stride and becomes addicting. I would absolutely recommend this to my audience!

I want to start off by saying that I really enjoyed the Survivor aspects of this book. The different challenges and the cast of characters working together and forming alliances were right up my alley. Unfortunately, I didn't vibe with the characters at all. I normally love a good quirky main female character but Orie on a 10 scale was like a 50 at all times, and for me, it got annoying fast. I enjoyed parts like when Orie first arrives on the island blindfolded and tethered to her partner, game challenge aspects, and some parts towards the end where we get to see how much Orie has grown throughout the story. But the rest of the time I was kind of going huh? that's really what's happening tight now? okay?.
All in all this book was just okay for me, but a lot of others seemed to have really enjoyed it, so if it sounds interesting you should definitely give it a read.

Attached at the Hip by Christine Riccio

This book was a pleasant surprise. It was a delightful story revolving around a Survivor spin off reality show. I am a huge survivor fan so I was actually all for this, but it might not be ideal for anyone who isn’t a fan of it or other reality competition shows.

I thought a lot of it was absolutely hilarious, had me laughing out loud multiple times.

There was plenty of cheesy parts and I’m not entirely sure if it was YA or not as the characters were quite immature but they were adults. I didn’t completely buy in to the serious parts of the characters back story either.

Was it a brilliant book? No. But was it fun? Absolutely.

Thank you to @macmillan.audio for the audio and @wednesdaybooks for the ebook!

#bookreview #bookrecommendations #bookstagram #canadianbookstagrammer #bookish #bookthoughts

Attached at the Hip by Christine Riccio follows Orie Lennox through her adventures in a reality tv show. It’s a fun coming of age story, that caught my self laughing out loud in all the right parts. I will say it did take me few chapters to commit to the book. I found myself annoyed with Orie more often than not. As the book went on thought I could see a shift in writing tone that really brought the characters to life for me.

This was my first read by Christine Riccio and I will definitely give her another go. Her writing style really made me feel like I could really sense the characters growing as the book progresses. Not something that I normally feel in such a “fun” book.

This book is a great read for fans of Kasie West and Jenny Han. Although this book is classed as Young Adult don’t let that label stop you. It definitely felt more new adult and trying to figure out the post college life.

You cant make claims like SURVIVOR meets the BACHELOR and expect people not to be disappointed when it doesnt hit. I feel misled.

I was excited for this romantic reality TV-inspired trope. Unfortunately, the execution fell short, and the book struggled to find its footing. While the concept was fresh and exciting, the story suffered from a lack of genre identity, making it hard to market and connect with readers. Despite some enjoyable moments, the book ultimately didn't live up to my expectations. The 2 MCs lacked chemistry for me. I kept reading hoping that this would change or there would be a AHA moment, but there wasn't.

I think the primary reason is that the synopsis really hyped it up too much and when it did not deliver it made it all much worse