This book was the definition of FUN. From start to finish, I found myself grinning and giggling and genuinely enjoying myself. I want to preface this review with a few facts:

1-I have never seen Survivor
2-I have read all of Christine Riccio's books
3-This was an ARC kindly provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review

Now with those three facts in mind I give this novel 10/10 stars. Our main character Orie, is struggling in life in that she is stagnant. Orie is living off her sister's coat tails and struggling to figure out her own life. The only thing that we as readers really see as being her own thing is her love for Survivor. Fortunately for her, after a cruel awakening, she does apply and end up on a romantic Survivor-esque spin off where we meet our diverse cast of characters-specifically, our love interest(s) as every participant is meant to have three other members who are a match for them.

Out of those characters, I actually enjoyed learning about every single one of them. They all had unique personalities and backgrounds and varying reasons for wanting to win the million dollar prize. I loved the concept of them being "Attached at the Hip" with a rope and was intrigued to see how that would impact the characters' decisions and interactions. Most of all, I actually just loved the writing of this novel. I loved how it was formatted/portrayed the passing of time and game show aspect. As someone who never has seen Survivor, I felt very comfortable understanding what was going on and now am inspired to watch it because I enjoyed this novel so much. I simply cannot wait to read the next novel provided by Christine Riccio and would LOVE to see some of these characters again (personally, I'm hoping there will be a massive cross-over style book bringing in her entire cast of characters from all of her novels).

A few things to note:
-The main character is very 2000's style quirky. I found her to be cute and fun and very relatable as she is figuring out her life, and while some may take her too seriously, I think Orie can be fantastic to simply enjoy her story
-This book has ALL OF THE TROPES and in the best way! The obvious one being forced proximity.
-There are so many pop culture references throughout and I loved it. I feel like many authors are very afraid of dating their books by making these references, but Riccio embraced them in a way that will help readers relate to her stories

Overall, this is one of the most fun reads I can remember having and even though I loved ABB and BT, I found Riccio's writing to mature/improve significantly in this one. I can't wait to read it again when it comes out officially.

Thank you to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for the ARC.

As a big Survivor fan, of course a rom-com where the main character is a contestant on a Survivor-esque dating show had me immediately intrigued. However, about 20% in I quickly remembered why I stopped reading this authors books.

The main character is so cringey and immature I truly do not know how anyone could find her enjoyable to read. She wanted to be nicknamed “Picadilly” for other characters to call her. This is such a cringe detail I really think an editor should have suggested taking it out. Why would readers receive that well when the author kept trying to make it funny when it just wasn’t. Also the pop culture references were ridiculous and I felt included for the authors enjoyment, which only made the book dull.

There is no chemistry between the characters and the overall plot was executed poorly.

The concept of the book and the way it is marketed make it seem like something I would love, but the writing fell flat.

I wanted to enjoy this, but sadly I can think of little that stood out as good.

This was a fun journey. I really did not enjoy Orie in the beginning of the book, she was just a little to juvenile but she really grew throughout the book and by the end I just loved her. Wow, the twists and betrayals were a bit tough.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's and Wendsday books for the chance to read this eARC!

copy provided by netgalley!

Orie's sister Lark tells her she's incapable of doing anything on her own. Which sparks a need to prove her sister wrong so she applies to what she believes is Survivor. However it turns to a spin off with a romantic twist. Orie set out to prove something to her family but ended up learning so much about herself and bargaining for more than what she bargained for.

I seriously loved this read! Ories character is so funny and likable. The other characters in the book help mold her into who she is in the end.

This was a cute bingeable read but the ending left me wanting more. I wish we had gotten more answers and perhaps a private conversation with Remy to find out the “why”. It felt like we were just supposed to accept it and move on.

I LOVED the concept of this book. As a big Survivor fan myself, I actually couldn’t believe I haven’t stumbled across a Survivor book before. This was definitely a fun read, nothing to take too seriously, but perfect for fans of reality TV competitions and love shows. If she wrote another book like this, I would read it!

The marketing for this book is what intrigued me the listed items as a cross between the bachelor and survivor and I must admit I was reeled into the concept, being a fan of both tv shows I wanted to love this and name it a guilty pleasure but it fell flat and I’m so disappointed. The his book needed major editing and to really be more fleshed out and thought thru it could’ve been such a good rom com with its premise but the main character ruined it. Orie is insufferable and so immature it’s cringeworthy., she gives me the ick and this is the first time I’ve ever read a book where the main character gets under my skin and annoys me so much I almost couldn’t read the book. I kept going though hoping it would level out and get better but it didn’t. This book is a jumble of things with words and filler and a bad attempt at banter that just did not work. There are constant pop culture references which seem out of place and totally random. This book seemed to try too hard at every turn and you can feel that it isn’t smooth and seamless. This is definitely a YA but I’m not even sure it would appeal to the typical YA reader it felt that jumbled, incomplete and immature. This is my first books by this author and honestly I wish I would’ve started with a different title because right now there’s a bad taste and I feel bad for that but truly don’t know how this made it past editing to be released.

There will be spoilers!

I loved this book! As a long time fan of Survivor and The Bachelor, I thought this book might be right up my alley. I loved how I was able to picture the challenges and what the characters were experiencing. Orie was a likeable and relatable character. The feelings of not knowing exactly what she wanted to do with her life, and not feeling confident enough to try, is something I'm sure many people can relate to.

The idea of two characters being attached at the hip was so clever. The characters each played their role on the island well. They fit with the Survivor game play. It was difficult not to root for Remy and Orie at the start, but then that all started to unravel when Orie overheard people working on the show that some of what Remy had been saying was a lie. I loved that this pushed Orie to take her game into her own hands, even after the show had finished filming. Orie was a likeable character and I loved seeing her grow and change. Remi on the other hand, once seeing his true colours, made my skin crawl. He gave me a creepy feeling, especially at the end, when he hugged Orie and was speaking in her ear. It was a great twist to the story and I appreciated his character, even if I didn't like how he played the game.

Overall, I didn't want the story to end. I want to know how the move to California for Osprey and Orie goes! I was still rooting for them even as I read the last line. They are an adorable couple. I loved this book and will definitely recommend it to others.

To be honest, I fell for the survivor meets the bachelor tv trope style marketing of the book. As a lover of both of those shows and a self proclaimed survivor superfan, I was so happy to get approved for an ARC.

This book unfortunately fell flat for me, though! Orie as a character gave me SO much anxiety and I could barely stand to read about her at some point. I didn't care to read about her growth because it took so long to even get there, and before she reaches the game you're hit with so much off-page content that leaves you confused. The first 20% was super choppy.

If you're a survivor fan, you will definitely be able to see where Christine takes inspiration from the games and challenges. An absolutely great concept, just a little more thought could've made it stand apart from other rom coms.

Overall, I believe that Christine is a really strong writer, but each of her books miss the mark every so slightly for me. I will keep coming back for more though, because I believe in her!

Thank you to the publisher and net galley for the e-arc and the chance to read this before release.

Reading the blurb I thought this book would be a different twist on a romcom and it was but I also kinda hated it? The premise was good- the FMC gets cast on a reality show where it’s a combo of Survivor and Are You The One? and wants to win the show to prove to herself that she’s more independent than everyone thinks she is or so she can save her family from financial ruin? It got a bit confusing because that plot was thrown in almost as an afterthought.

I found Orie extremely annoying, judgmental and slightly hypocritical since she claimed to be a girl’s girl yet threw every one of them to the side for a guy. She also (in my opinion) makes very poor decisions and cries a lot while playing the victim due to said bad choices. Imagine my shock when I found out she was 23 when she acted like a 16 year old throughout the whole book, just very immature all around. This book was such a hot mess that I really didn’t care who she ended up with in the end and didn’t feel the chemistry with either of the guys she was supposed to be interested in.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an advance copy of this book!

This was a delightful surprise! I've only ever read the debut novel from this author and whereas it was good and the writing showed a ton of potential for a new author I was not super inclined to read her other releases. That being said I went into this book with somewhat mid expectations and man.. they were blown out of the water! I am a huge fan of survivor and adore the premise of this story. It truly reflected the passions of the author and both leads were unique and had me wanting to know everything about them. All in all it was a great light read that hit on a lot of nostalgic notes.

I have never seen Survivor, But I loved this!!! I was in love with the characters. Osprey and Kennedi were wonderful and I loved Lark!!! Such a fun book.

What a fun rom-com. Orie signs up for the Survivor show and once chosen finds out the producers are doing a romance based social experiment to test relationships. On the island she finds Remy, whom she used to have a crush on, is there from her old high school. There are ten contestants altogether. In the beginning, Remy and Orie are tied together for 72 hours and have to find shelter and food. They talk and find they both would like to win the million dollar prize to help their families. Remy kisses Orie and says he could help her in Hollywood where he works supposedly. As the days pass, contestants are eliminated, Orie is teamed up with Osprey, and Orie overhears some disturbing news from the producers. Who ends up winning? What unsettling news does Orie find out?

Let me tell you right now: I can feel it in my bones that this is a Top 5 of 2024 for me. Attached at the Hip is a fresh, creative story that still has a hold on me and I can’t quite bring myself to start a new book because I’m still thinking about how much I enjoyed this one!

Attached at the Hip follows Orie, a young twenties adult, who applies to be a contestant on Survivor after her sister tells Orie that she is co-dependent. Orie’s submission is accepted and what ensues is the tale of a girl connecting with herself and others in this delightful read!

This is a must read from me! There are swoony moments, funny moments, heart wrenching moments, moments of bravery and tenderness. Plus there are a ton of pop culture, movie and book references that I always appreciate. The dialogue is delightful and not once did I skim over any paragraphs… 🤣

Mild language, clean romantic situations. Would recommend for college aged students and my mom. 😂

Thank you @stmartinspress, @Wednesdaybooks and @netgalley for the ARC!

Thank you to Netgalley and Wednesday Books for providing me with an e-galley of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I can't believe I'm finally done with this book, and unfortunately I mean that in a relieved way. Reading this book was agonizing. I do hope there is at least two more rounds of editing before this book is released because the writing definitely took away too much attention from the actual plot of the book. There was just too much of the bad parts that were rubbing me the wrong way that I ended up just skimming most of the book just so I could get it over with, which is kind of sad because there was definitely a lot of potential, especially with the way things unfolded.

First of all, the biggest thing that really bugged me was the fact that the contestants had to spend 72 hours attached to their partners, supposedly secluded from the other pairs of contestants. The emphasis here is 72 hours, not 3 days, there is no room for interpretation of what 72 hours is, BUT the days were not adding up. For example, when Orie is paired with and spend a lot of time with her THIRD partner, it is only DAY 6. If the 72 hour rule were true, then the math wouldn't add up. It also doesn't help that this was emphasized a couple times.

Secondly, there were sooooooooooooo many caps locks in this book. I know it's supposed to show that she was screaming but there was an excessive amount of caps locks and I think a mix of actual descriptive words and actions would've been greatly appreciated. Also, what is up with Orie insisting that she be called "Picadally" when:

1. Her name is already extremely unique
2. That name is literally not part of her actual name
3. It served no purpose at all in the story and character, other than provide the chance of her male counterpart to give her a unique nickname

I've also already finished the entirety of the book and still am so confused about the target audience. The age of the characters and the themes scream teen coming-of-age novel, but the writing felt like it was a 13 year old pretending to be a full grown adult while trying to buying beer.

I think that as a third book, this is definitely could have been so much better and more polished. It would've also been nice to see Christine write a character that was a little further from her own personality and beliefs, instead of a carbon copy of herself (or at the very least her online personality). Unfortunately, this is probably the last time I will be reading another one of her books, unless something really intrigues me.

Disclaimer: I have followed Christine for a while from her BookTube days and have read 'Again, But Better', and thoroughly enjoyed it.

I like this book, but it’s definitely more YA. Orie felt kind of awkward and forced for the first half, but I think it’s because of the age range this novel is for. I think it’s a cute romance story, very fun. I like the adventure aspect, the story of survivor/bachelor! I enjoyed Ories growth by the end! The second half went by a lot faster

I really enjoyed this one, it's Christine Riccio at her best! The Bachelor + Survivor setting was unique (especially for a young adult romance novel) as it allowed the plot to progress in new and exciting ways. Orie is a great protagonist whose journey, both emotionally and through the game, felt complete and satisfying. An unexpectedly sweet romance that was developed well and ended in a great place, as well as an interesting familial dynamic.

If you haven't read any of Riccio's books, she has a sense of humor that is particularly reliant on pop culture references and millennial-style jokes. While it can (and does) occasionally cross the line into cringe, I found the humor to mostly work in this. It is definitely better executed than in her prior novels.

Riccio writes with such an unbelievably earnest voice that is impossible to not root for all of the characters. She brings relationships to life in a way that feels so carefully constructed and satisfying. If you are an reader struggling to find a young adult novel with an older protagonist, look no further. There's a lot to like in this.

One thing I found weird while reading this was the way chapters would end. I'm not sure if this was just a consequence of the early edition I read, but many chapters would end very suddenly, sometimes even in the middle of conversations. It made the reading experience a bit disjointed and undercut several emotional moments.

I read this book through NetGalley.

I felt like I couldn't really get into this book since I never watched a single episode of Survivor. I thought the overall story was OK, but I just could've really get into the whole story.

As a fan of reality TV, the premise of this book was enticing. The execution, however, fell flat in my opinion. Going in expecting a romance - while the romantic elements were a part of the story, they took a back burner to our FMC Orie finding herself. As a character, Orie annoyed me to no end. Her immaturity really pushed the fact that this is a YA novel. Also, her humor was so over-the-top that I found very little of it actually funny and mostly forced. The game show elements were cute and one of my favorite aspects of the book. Overall, it was an OK read but just not my cup of tea.

Thank you to NetGalley & SMP/Wednesday Books for the opportunity to read this digital ARC. All opinions are my own.

When her sister calls out her co-dependence and lack of drive, Orie signs them up to compete on "Survivor". She does it originally to prove a point but come on, it's their favorite reality show and one that they've been training for all their lives. What could go wrong? However, when Orie gets cast on a dating spin-off version of the show just days before her entire world turns upside down, she thinks she might be in over her head. Will her years of super-fandom and fire-starting lessons pay off? Will she actually fall for someone? And more importantly, can she prove to herself that she can stand on her own and face whatever the game (and the other players) will throw at her?

This was a fun read, especially as a fan of Survivor myself! I loved the inserts of the confessionals, especially when it provided insight about the other players. Orie was an endearing protagonist, if painfully and somewhat unbelievably awkward at points. While I liked her chemistry with some characters more than others, I really enjoyed the dynamic between she and her sister. Their conflict was a bit disjointed at times but overall, I found myself smiling while reading their scenes together.

Negatives for me were that it started a little slow. Once we got into the "game", I got much more into the story but I could have done with a little less set up. The modern-day pop culture references are EVERYWHERE so if that bothers you, this might not be your book. Honestly I think in a couple years, they won't even feel relevant but hey, that's part of the charm of reading a book in the moment it's released.

Overall, this was a fun read and nice change of pace from your typical rom-com novel.

Shout-out to Netgalley and Wednesday Books for the ARC!