As the synopsis and other posted, it’s definitely survivor meets the bachelor. Orie Lennox applies to be on a reality tv show on a whim. She figures what better way to handle her break up and win some money, but little did she know it’s a romance edition. And she finds herself on some rocky fronts.


This was definitely funny and I enjoyed the synopsis as the plot kept my attention. The fact that it’s a second chance at romance made the story even more intriguing.

so, let me start off by saying that i love christine. polandbananasbooks was my favorite youtube channel growing up. in my darkest and loneliest times, my love of reading was kept ignited by this woman's spirit and energy (she is why i first started reading colleen hoover way way back in the day, before she blew up on tiktok). for that reason, i have held off of reading one of her books because i didn't want her talent to taint this image i have of her.

let me continue to say that i still adore this amazing woman BUT i dont particularly love her writing style which i think has more to do with the fact that i have a lot more knowledge on who christine is than i have knowledge on say who christina lauren are. i can contribute this to christine being a public figure which is really one of the evils of social media because without her sharing her life and interests to hundreds of thousands of people everyday, i would never be able to connect small character flaws to her.

so, let's get into it. the reason why i decided to read this one (besides the fact that i though a survivor style romcom was interesting especially considering the authors love for the show) was because i thought it was an adult romcom bc the cover is attractive if you have an adult audience in mind and bc THE MAIN CHARACTER IS 23 YEARS OLD! but it's young adult, probably because of the way it's written and because some of the supporting characters on this island looking for love and money are STILL IN HIGH SCHOOL! THEY ARE BARELY 18 YEARS OLD! major ick there because highschool ages and postgraduate college ages are two very different subsets of people. they do not need to be combined.

forgiving that, like i said, the writing style is very unforgiving. it reads a step too young which maybe they wanted to capture a younger demographic with this book but instead, the book just reads very silly. it's almost immature in a way, lot of random peepee and poopoo jokes which i thought the first rule of writing was to never mention bathroom breaks but whatever.

side note before we get into the meat of the story and why i disliked some of the characters but for being a story with a GenZ main character, this was riddled in millennial pop culture references which i have no problem with because even though i am the GenZ audience she had in mind, the references bring me back to my youth. my only problem is that our MC can't have a single conversation without bringing up some late aughts celebrity or popular tv show moment. and having the knowledge i do of christine, its very on brand for her but in book format, the constant name dropping is distracting and a little cringe.

going back to the main characters, my only real concern was with orie (which why is that her name???? why couldn't she have a normal name??) ((also, she kept asking everyone to call her piccadilly which okay cool whatever but please stop trying to make your characters quirky.)) i enjoyed seeing orie's character growth and seeing her come into her confidence. however, my main gripe is that the survivor loving-yoga loving-movie loving-noncoffee drinker that is orie is actually just christine. and i know people always say you should write what you know, but this is a little too on the nose for me. besides that, i just found her to be immature and a little weak. and she would say the most random things in an effort to be cute, awkward, and quirky but really, it just came off as annoying.

the other characters were pretty okay. they all had different, fun personalities that played off of each other really well. i particularly loved the villain reveal but wish it had more time to develop on page instead of off page.

last thing i really wanted to mention was that i listened to 50% of this via audiobook and the audiobook narrator had ONE JOB! and that was to make this arguably very stupid book sound less stupid. spoiler alert!! she didnt succeed. there was a scene that pisses me off still (one because of how stupid it is, two because of how often it happened, three because audiobook woman DO YOUR JOB) where the male love interest is told to sing to cover up the sound of our mc peeing (i hate this book, there was too much pee and poop talk) and the narrator has apparently never heard of MCR because she completely fucked up the rhythm to Welcome to the Black Parade. it goes "when i was..........a young boy.........my father...took me into the city.......to see a marching band" and you know what, this could have been a comedic moment if the narrator sang spoke it in this rhythm but nooooooooo she had to make it sound so stilted and awkward and it broke me. but besides that she did an okay job, wish she brought a bit more pep to it.

physically reading the whole mcr exchange wouldve been more funny but yeah, the pop culture references never ended. with the amount of times i read katy perry's name in this book, i hope she's receiving royalties. at this point, i'm convinced that woman cowrote this.

but yeah, this was an enjoyable read, i guess?? but i feel like christine could write a really funny comedy one day if she just removed herself from the equation. and you know what, i actually know she can write a banging comedy because i used to laugh my ass off watching her skits on youtube back in the day. she has so much potential in her. this just was a little too weird to be funny or relatable. and i didn't even touch on half the things i wanted to touch on in this review. i would recommend reading it because it is different and fun but yeah, don't expect to love it.

3.5 but rounding up to 4!

This book was fun! I don’t think I’ve read one quite like it!

I think it’s best to just dive into this one blind- it’s a book that’s basically if the bachelor and survivor had a baby, that’s all you need to know! 🤣

For those that like a little more details though, this one might be fire you if you like:

-reality TV show settings (especially survivor and the Bachelor)
-love triangles
-a million dollars and love on the line
-literally being attached at the hip
-character growth


The only thing that kept this from being a higher rating was I wanted more for the relationship that actually came to fruition. A lot of time was spent with one character vs another and I would have liked things a bit more even for me to really buy into the feelings!

The show aspect was really fun though and the challenges were entertaining to read about! All in all, definitely one I’d recommend to Survivor fans, I think they will love the mind games!

Equal parts awkward and addicting, Attached at the Hip, is an entertaining story about a girl who has always wanted to live happily every after. She's in the love with the idea of love and belonging. This girl, Orie, a Survivor junkie, is chosen for a new Survivor spin-off, which turns out to be Attached at the Hip -- all about being connected, literally, and finding connection, figuratively. As she plays the game, things that seemed so clear and simple turn complicated and complex. What good story doesn't have a few unexpected twists?

I found Orie a little annoying at first, but she matures as the story progresses. She grows up and finds out more about who she is and who she wants to be. I am so happy for her choice in the end. I can't say more than that cause I'd give too much away.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press, Wednesday Books for a ARC. All opinions are my own.

If you’re a fan of rom-coms, reality tv, and chaos, this is the book for you.

Orie, a survivor super fan, gets cast in the new survivor spin off show. Growing up relatively naive with trouble “adulting,” Orie feels being on the show is a chance to prove people wrong.

Chaos ensues when the cast of the show finds out that it’s a survivor/dating show. As a reader, you will find yourself rooting for the characters as they compete on this fictional show.

As a fan of reality tv competition shows myself, I enjoyed the behind the scenes feel of this book. I am looking forward to what is next from Christine Riccio.

Thank you NetGalley, Christine Riccio, and Wednesday Books for this copy.

This is your next beach read! Super fun coming-of-age that’s both heartfelt and a wild ride! I’ve never watched Survivor but after reading this, I think I should!

Survivor meets your favorite rom com? SOLD. I ate this up!!!! I loved it from start to finish and literally binge read this in one sitting. The story was unique and so well developed. I loved the game show idea, the character development for *multiple* characters not just the main. I love the thrillery aspect of it, the forced proximity, the great reveal! 10/10 I recommend everyone read “Attached at the Hip” and Christine Riccio is now a must read for me, I will be binging all her novels. 5⭐️

Thank you to Wednesday Books for providing me with a copy of this title via NetGalley.

Did I love this book - no. Did I hate this book - also no. I do feel like this book has a place - maybe pick this up if you need something light and breezy, silly and quirky, and don't want to have to think too hard. The concept is fun - survivor-esque dating reality show, and although I personally don't care about any of the characters, they do fit the "mold" of what you would probably find on such a show if one existed. The writing style for me felt a little on the juvenile side but some of the content crept a bit up to almost new adult. Depth was attempted, but to me didn't feel fully fleshed out. Overall, I was entertained and that was enough for me.

Oh my god. What an amazing book!!! The plot structure was perfect. The character flaws were perfect. Everything was done so perfect!!! Five stars! The only thing I didn’t like was why the heck would you want your nick name to be Piccadilly?!?! And who names their child Osprey?! What is it with these weird names? Was it a part of the rom com genre? Not the first time I’ve come across this but I loved the book none the less! I was cackling out loud so much!!

Fun read. I was not a huge fan of Orie and that was really hard for me because I need that connection. She was really neurotic and the way she talked.... ARGHHHHH.... The whole plot was brilliant. Well executed and it was a blast to read.

I just think the characters needed more or maybe they needed to be a bit... less.

3.5 stars rounded to 4

23 year old Orie is an acro-yoga influencer with her sister, who serves her up some tough love and asks her to pull her weight more. In a fit of hurt feelings and independence, Orie decides to apply for Survivor, the show she and her sister grew up obsessing over. Orie gets on the show and learns it’s a dating show with people from your past and you have to, you guessed it, be attached at the hip by a cable. Orie has to dodge hunger pains, romantic crushes old and new, unrelenting rain, and daring challenges for immunity in order to win $1 million.

I really loved the premise of the book and flew through the first half. It slowed a little around then and I found myself getting annoyed with the early 20s characters. But that’s because I’m old and it’s a New Adult book👵🏻😅
I did like a few of the twists so if you can make it through the slowish middle, I think you’ll like how the book ends up.

review: attached at the hip by christine riccio ✨🌴🥥

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✨ MY THOUGHTS ✨

⚠️ cw: addiction, gaslighting, alcoholism, & toxic relationships ⚠️ 

if you love survivor, bachelor in paradise, pop culture & book references, quirky inner monologues, unexpected twists, swoony drama & lots of laugh out loud moments this book might be for you!! ✨🩷

alexa play anti-hero by taylor swift 🎶

🌟 RATING: ★★★★.5/5
🥵 spice scale: 🌶️ (zero to no spice, closed door, fade to black)

honestly, if you're looking to dip your toes into new adult contemporary romance this might be the perfect book!! it's extremely character driven and honestly just such a fun time!! it was such an entertaining read!! i could not put it down & literally finished it in a day!! i really don't want to spoil anything so just know you'll swoon, laugh and audible gasp! the last one might just be me lol but i really did not see that twist coming! overall, it was just a great book about the beauty of finding yourself. 🩷☺️

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.