First off, I want to apologize for the late review. Life got chaotic, and time got away from me.

This book though! I loved this book so much! It was such a fun and entertaining read! I devoured it, and refused to put it down.

I took my Kindle anywhere and everywhere while I was reading this story. I even made my sister drive most of the time because I refused to lose precious reading time in order to drive.

Again, I loved this book!

Did I purchase the physical book? You bet I did.

Some books you just know you'll think about over and over again, and that's this book for me.

I also know I'll be rereading this again in the future. I love rereading books that I absolutely adored. Thank you NetGalley and publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this wonderful book!

I enjoyed every second of this one. I laughed out loud so many times with all the pop culture references, reality show shenanigans and the character relationships = *chefs kiss*
I am going to have to give this one 5 stars because, again, I thoroughly enjoyed it. Did I mention I’m a reality show junkie/movie loving book nerd who writes? I’m pretty sure this was written for me.

If you are a fan of "The Bachelor" or "Survivor," then you are going to love this book! After a bit of a reading slump, it was just what I needed. There have been a few "reality show" books released recently, but the storyline was so fun and unique. Orie was a bit too quirky and naive at times, but overall she was a great main character. As a thriller lover, I was excited that there was a bit of a mystery to solve, and I thought the plot twist was well done. I was actually surprised to realize that this book was 400 pages because it was such an easy and quick read.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio for the gifted audiobook, and to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

📖 The Details
Attached at the Hip by Christine Riccio

⏱️ Quick Summary
After she realizes her life, job, and relationships are not really fulfilling her, Orie applies and gets cast on a Survivor-esque reality show. Turns out her high school crush is also there - and they are tied together literally.

💁‍♀️ My Take
Full disclosure, I am NOT a reality TV girlie. So that side of the story did not connect with me. The rest of it - also meh. Didn't love the characters, didn't buy the conflicts with her family and boyfriend, didn't really like the pacing. The writing was pretty solid and the plot and twists were actually unique and interesting. Maybe give it a try if you want something quick and also love reality TV. 2.5 stars for me!

Thanks St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for this ARC! I loved this book. It was the perfect poolside read. I loved the characters, the setting, the TV show component. It was just so fun! I can't wait to share this title with my friends.

LOVE!I wasn't sure how I was going to feel going in, I haven't been a huge fan of this author in the past and in the first few chapters I wasn't sure she could make the jump the adult. And tbh, it doesn't read like adult--more like NA, but since that's the age her characters fall into, it still fits. The story is fresh, the characters are (mostly) fully fleshed out, and I wish this was a real spinoff of Survivor that I could watch!

Attached at the Hip is a fun, witty, romance-infused beach read you didn't know you needed in your life. The main character is down-to-earth and easily relatable. Her interactions with the MMC and the other characters are so so pleasant. If you're into Survivor-style reality shows and love romance, you need to read this book YESTERDAY!

Thank you Christine Riccio, St. Martine Press, and NetGalley for access to an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

I was so excited for this book. As a big fan of Survivor and romcoms, I couldn't imagine a more perfect read. however, after about 15-20% I realized this wasn't going to live up to all the hype I had built up. I really did not enjoy our main character. I found her to be a bit pick me and trying to hard to stand out which became a little obnoxious especially after she insisted on being called Picadilly. I really didn't feel the chemistry between our main characters and everything just felt surface level.

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. 🩷☺️