I had really high hopes for this one as the premise sounded really interesting, but the FMC- Orie- made it really hard for me.

Orie is extremely immature and annoying at times. Super dependent on everyone around her, not doing anything truly for herself and just expects others to do everything for her. Also- very unaware (by choice!) to everything that is going on around her with her family. Normally, I'm into flawed characters, but Orie was just A LOT and not in a good way.

The books is labeled as YA but I feel the characters and topics are definitely adult. However, Orie specifically feels like she's stuck in her brain as a teenager (if that makes sense!)

Because of all of this I DNF the book at 25%. However, I do believe the narrator was doing an incredible job and staying true to Orie's character- just the story didn't deliver as I wanted it to.

I’m a big fan of reality tv, it’s kind of my guilty pleasure. So when I got to pick it for an ALC I was excited.
Orie just graduated and works with her sister as an influencer. After a fight with her sister telling Orie she depends on other people she decides to apply for the reality show Survivor with her sister. When she gets a call that they just want her, she jumps on the opportunity. But when she gets there she finds out it’s a spin off to survivor and will have a dating theme to it. They will be attached to the hip by a rope with others for 72 hours.
While I enjoyed this, it was a bit YA and trying to have the characters be so quirky was cringy at times. I also didn’t feel much connection with any of the characters.
I enjoyed the narrator- she did a great job with the different voices.
Thank you for my audio MacMillan Audio!

ℝ𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕟𝕘:⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ | 𝔽𝕠𝕣𝕞𝕒𝕥: 𝒜𝓊𝒹𝒾𝑜𝒷𝑜𝑜𝓀

ℝ𝕖𝕧𝕚𝕖𝕨: 𝐀𝐫𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐤𝐢𝐝𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐦𝐞?! 𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐢𝐬 𝐇𝐈𝐋𝐀𝐑𝐈𝐎𝐔𝐒. 𝐈 𝐝𝐨𝐧’𝐭 𝐨𝐟𝐭𝐞𝐧 𝐥𝐚𝐮𝐠𝐡 𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐥𝐨𝐮𝐝 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠, 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐠𝐨𝐭 𝐦𝐞 𝐦𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐢𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞𝐬! 𝐅𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐚𝐥𝐥, 𝐈 𝐜𝐚𝐧𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐚𝐮𝐝𝐢𝐨𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐞𝐧𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡. 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐫𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐁𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐲 𝐏𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐥𝐞𝐲 𝐧𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐬 𝐢𝐭, 𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐧 𝐚𝐥𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐲-𝐟𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐜 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧 𝐛𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫. 𝐀𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐥𝐨𝐭? 𝐀 𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐭-𝐢𝐧-𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐞-𝟐𝟑-𝐲𝐞𝐚𝐫-𝐨𝐥𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐬𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐞𝐭𝐞 𝐨𝐧 𝐒𝐮𝐫𝐯𝐢𝐯𝐨𝐫 𝐨𝐧𝐥𝐲 𝐭𝐨 𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐝 𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐬𝐡𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐮𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐧 𝐚 𝐧𝐞𝐰 𝐒𝐮𝐫𝐯𝐢𝐯𝐨𝐫 𝐦𝐞𝐞𝐭𝐬 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐁𝐚𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐫 𝐠𝐚𝐦𝐞 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐰, 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐬𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐛𝐞 𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐚𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐝 𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐡𝐢𝐩 𝐛𝐲 𝐚 𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐡𝐢𝐠𝐡 𝐬𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐨𝐥 𝐜𝐫𝐮𝐬𝐡 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝟕𝟐 𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐬? 𝐏𝐞𝐫𝐟𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧. 𝐈 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐢𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐲 𝐡𝐨𝐨𝐤𝐞𝐝 𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤. 𝐈𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐞𝐧𝐣𝐨𝐲 (𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐥𝐲) 𝐛𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐒𝐮𝐫𝐯𝐢𝐯𝐨𝐫 𝐢𝐧 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐨𝐟 𝐢𝐭𝐬 𝐝𝐫𝐚𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐜 (𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞𝐬 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐬𝐞) 𝐠𝐥𝐨𝐫𝐲 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐈 𝐝𝐨, 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐚𝐥𝐬𝐨 𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐝 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐧 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐜 𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐟, 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐟𝐞𝐜𝐭 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐲𝐨𝐮. 𝐈𝐭’𝐬 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐈 𝐬𝐞𝐞 𝐦𝐲𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐟 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐠𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐚𝐠𝐚𝐢𝐧!

𝐻𝓊𝑔𝑒 𝓉𝒽𝒶𝓃𝓀 𝓎𝑜𝓊 𝓉𝑜 𝒞𝒽𝓇𝒾𝓈𝓉𝒾𝓃𝑒 𝑅𝒾𝒸𝒸𝒾𝑜, 𝑀𝒶𝒸𝓂𝒾𝓁𝓁𝒶𝓃 𝒜𝓊𝒹𝒾𝑜, & 𝒩𝑒𝓉𝒢𝒶𝓁𝓁𝑒𝓎 𝒻𝑜𝓇 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝒜𝑅𝒞! 𝒜𝓁𝓁 𝑜𝓅𝒾𝓃𝒾𝑜𝓃𝓈 𝒶𝓇𝑒 𝓂𝓎 𝑜𝓌𝓃.

Read this if you like:
•reality tv
•competition
•romance

This was such a fun book. I was rooting for Orie the whole time. The social media aspect was interesting too. This is out now!

Thank you Macmillan audio for ALC

"Attached at the Hip" by Christine Riccio is a fun and entertaining audiobook that blends elements of Survivor and The Bachelor. Narrated by Brittany Pressley, the story follows Orie Lennox, who impulsively joins a reality show in the South Pacific, only to find her high school crush, Remy, among the contestants. The characters, though not deeply memorable, keep things interesting with their antics and interactions.
I found the premise hilarious and enjoyed the unpredictable twists and turns. The audiobook kept me engaged with its light-hearted adventure and budding romances. Brittany Pressley's narration brings the story to life, making it an enjoyable listen.
While it’s not a book that will stick with me forever, "Attached at the Hip" was an entertaining escape.
It's perfect for readers looking for a humorous, romantic adventure in an exotic setting.

Very grateful to @macmillan.audio for this ALC, opinions are my own

Attached at the Hip by Christine Riccio is a delightful clean romance that intertwines the thrilling elements of a reality TV show with the charm of a love triangle. The plot revolves around a unique reality TV concept that combines the competitive spirit of Survivor with the romantic twists of a dating show, making it an engaging and entertaining read.

The depiction of the reality TV show is so vivid and well-crafted that it feels like a show you could genuinely tune into and enjoy. The detailed scenarios, behind-the-scenes drama, and competitive challenges are brought to life in a way that captures the essence of reality TV, making it both believable and captivating.

The main character, Orie, is a fellow bookworm, which adds a relatable and endearing layer to her personality. As Orie navigates the complexities of the reality show, she finds herself caught in a love triangle, adding a classic romantic tension that keeps readers hooked.

Riccio also peppers the story with fun pop culture references. These references not only enhance the reading experience but also create a connection with the contemporary audience.

The narration by Brittany Pressley deserves special mention. Her performance is exceptional, bringing the characters to life with distinct voices and emotions. Pressley's narration adds an extra layer of enjoyment to the story, making the audiobook a must-listen for fans of the genre.

Orie Lennox is out of college, living at home with her parents, and for work does acro-yoga with her sister. She’s still dating her high school boyfriend when she decides on a whim to apply for survivor. She is cast for the show and without reading the fine print ends up on a survivor spin off called Attached at the Hip. She is one of ten contestants who will be attached at the hip on the island in speed dating style while performing survivor challenges. Will Orie meet true love and learn to fight for her own dreams?!

Overall, I enjoyed both the book and the narrator. The survivor setting was extremely fun to follow along, though the concept of 10 contestants who each had three possible love matches seemed a little farfetched. I was really rooting for Orie, hoping she would find herself and figure out what she wants to do with her life.

Attached at the Hip by Christine Riccio
Contemporary romance. New adult. Game show format Survivor meets The Bachelor.
Orie Lennox has always dreamed of a happily ever after. Orie’s long time boyfriend is more companion and friend and she doesn’t have any sexual feelings for him. Orie is a social influencer with her sister. When her sister says she doesn’t make any decisions on her own or make an effort on their platform, Orie decides to apply for a new survivor type show. She’s watched every version and episode and knows she can master the game play. When she’s called and gets on the show, she finds it’s a twist that means she’s literally attached by a rope to someone for three days at a time, as they do challenges on the island of Fiji. Her first match is a boy she had a crush on back in high school but neither could get past a hello. Winning a challenge, and a box of basic supplies they get to know each other on camera.

🎧 I alternated between an ebook and an audiobook. The narration is done by Brittany Pressley who is a pro and has done hundreds of audiobooks. She is able to do distinct and believable voices for male and female characters as well as several secondary characters in the story. Emotions are clear and make the story immersive and entertaining.
Between the audiobook and ecopy, I preferred the audiobook for this story for the survivor-esq antics.
I listened to this at my standard speed of 1.5.

Fun premise. Not sure the fourth day was the right timing for personal habits but I wouldn’t be in that situation no matter what the pay would be. The producers have said they did extensive research and that every player has at least two or three matches. So maybe that would be enough for future players.
The game play was amusing. The growth of Orie’s character is strong. The selected romance for me was too late in the story to still care although the twist was interesting and held throughout the ending. I was hoping for something different.
Amusing game play.
3.5

I received a copy of this from NetGalley and publisher Macmillan Audio.

OMG guys I wasn’t ready for this audio!! I’m not even kidding, I had to go home to listen to it so I could laugh out loud without people questioning my sanity and so I could cope with the ANXIETY I was feeling over the Survivor-esque aspects -- both physical and mental. This one was soooo much fun! A 5⭐️ read, no doubt about it. Christine Riccio freaking killed it!

Orie is my favorite protagonist now! She’s just so real, innocent, straight forward but in a word vomit/can’t control her mouth way and it just comes off so genuine and hilarious, I wish she was a real person! As marketed, it truly reads as a Survivor game show if it was mixed with The Bachelor. Honestly I don’t even LIKE reality TV but I freaking ate this up! I might even go watch both shows now. I feel like I can’t say too much without giving everything away because there are twists, drama and hilarity on basically every page that you need to experience for yourself. Everyone should read or listen to this ASAP (personally I like to do both and the audio makes it 10x better especially with a protagonist like Orie)! You’ll love some characters, strongly dislike others, live for the drama and question everything. Sounds like fun right? Right!

There are a lot of good lessons in this one that felt relatable in so many ways, truly something for everyone. As a fellow reader and lover of quotes, I felt very connected to Orie and Osprey as the book lovers on the show. If you like quotable books or books you wanna highlight the heck out of — this one is for you!

Brittany Pressley narrates and she’s truly phenomenal! She perfectly portrays Orie and I feel like I’ve listened to so many audiobooks narrated by her that my own inner monologue sounds like her now too🤣 Perfect pacing, emotional and engaging, Brittany really draws the listener in and doesn’t let you go until you’re finished — which is 100% why I was up until 2AM so thank you very much!

If you love forced proximity, reality tv, drama, and the idea of being stranded on an island with other hot people who might also be your perfect match then check this out!☀️⛺️⚓️🛥️🪢💛💖🌊🦀🐓🥥🌴🎥

Thank you Macmillan Audio for the ALC via NetGalley! All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This is a really fun story! The game aspect is enjoyable and I liked watching Orie find herself and grow up!

I warmed up to Orie as a character as the book went on. She was a bit naive and directionless to begin with but she learned from her experience. I liked watching her grow but seeing the mistakes she made along the way could be a bit painful at times.

I had mixed feelings about this book being YA. Orie is 23 and while she is still finding herself I do think this could have been an adult romance. However, I understand why this was YA as this has a bit of a Hunger Games meets romcom feel!

I listened to the audiobook and really enjoyed it! Brittany Pressley did the narration and did a great job! I have previously enjoyed her narration of Seven Year Slip and The Inheritance.

I LOVED THIS BOOK. I think part of the reason why I enjoyed it so much was because of how unexpected it was to me. I picked up a random book, not knowing anything about it, and it was absolutely delightful.

This book follows Orie, who has a bit of decision paralysis and is a little bit co-dependent. After a confrontation with her sister who claims Orie isn't taking initiative in her own life, Orie signs up to become a contestant on this little show called Survivor. And gets in!! Only, she's surprised to learn that she's not on Survivor exactly, but rather a Survivor spin-off called Attached at the Hip, where she is attached to another human with an 8-foot-long piece of rope.

A rom com? About Survivor? But if Survivor was a dating show? Yes, yes, and yes! This book had so much heart and was so warm I wanted to give it a hug. I was smiling ear-to-ear and was on the edge of my seat waiting to see if Orie was going to ~survive~ the show. It was just downright fun.

Orie Lennox is a hopeless romantic and she has become very dependent on her family. Her sister Lark started a acro-yoga social media account and she is the base. She has been dating Wes for ten years but doesn't really love him. She sees a casting call for Survivor and applies.

I loved the narrator. She is one of my favorites. This book was hilarious and helped bring me out of a reading slump. This is Bachelor meets survivor romcom. I found this book fun and engaging I devoured it in one day.

I would watch the heck out of this reality show! It sounds so addictive and fascinating. I could absolutely see it being a real thing.

Orie Lennox is just so cute! She's definitely the type of girl everyone watching would root for, and I loved her journey of taking control of her life. Everything about this book was delightfully fun and so very entertaining. The thrill of each challenge and the romantic and friendship connections made were what made this story so great. I wanted Orie to succeed and find her path in life and love. She was a wonderfully relatable character that I couldn't get enough of!

Brittany Pressley narrated this audiobook and does a fantastic job bringing these characters to life. She was able to flawlessly capture the essence of the story and the humor, love, and hope that is so evident in Christine Riccio's writing.

Thank you, NetGalley and McMillan Audio for this ALC of Attached at the Hip.

This one was a 3 star experience for me. I was intrigued by the concept of this one - normally loving the reality TV sub-trope, but this one didn't hit right. Parts of the story just kept going when it didn't need to and I couldn't invest myself in any of the characters.
Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for the audiobook copy of this in exchange for my honest opinion.

I can totally see Attached At The Hip being a real-life reality show and I would watch every single second of it!

Orie Lennox is so relatable. Her journey from feeling stuck in her everyday life to taking a bold leap into the unknown is both inspiring and entertaining! The setting —a remote island in Fuji with no modern conveniences— adds a thrilling edge to the story, making each challenge and romantic encounter even more intense.

We are thrown into the dynamic of Orie and Remy right off the rip. Remy is Orie’s missed connection from high school and she has a second chance! Their chemistry is palpable and the tension of rekindling old feelings amidst the chaos of the competition will keep you hooked. Especially when Christine throws that massive curve ball at us!
Each character is written so well it makes you feel like you’re really watching them compete on your tv!

The narrator does a fantastic job bringing the characters to life, capturing the humor, heartache, and hope that permeates Christine Riccio’s writing. The pacing is perfect, and I found myself eagerly awaiting each new twist and turn that was throw at us!

Thank you NetGalley, Christine Riccio, and Macmillan Audio for this ALC of Attached At The Hip.

I’d say this is a 3.75 rounded up.

The Good:

If you love reality game shows and showmances, this is the book for you! It’s Survivor meets Fear Factor meets Love is Blind, and it’s a fun concept. This is also somewhat of a late-bloomer story, which are always fun to read, and the main character is incredibly sympathetic.

The “In-Between”:

Because the majority of the story takes place on a game show, it’s at times confusing to follow. While there aren’t a huge amount of contestants, it can be challenging to keep track of them all, and the challenge chapters can be a bit dizzying.

It’s a bit predictable. This isn’t a bad thing. In fact, I’m glad it was because otherwise I would have been wringing my hands in anger near the end, but I was certain that it would work out the way I hoped it would.

The Rest:

The biggest hurdle I had reading this was the over abundance of pop culture references from Hannah Montana to Teenage Dream. While I love and recognize all of those references, I can see it being a potential hindrance to other readers. And some of them were deep cuts.

The diversity in relationships is excellent, however I would have enjoyed for the MC to have had a female romantic encounter as well, even if it wasn’t an endgame. Because she was confused and indecisive and open to learning new things about herself, I felt like there was a missed opportunity for a story there.

Overall, this is a quick, fun summer read as you go through Survivor and Big Brother, and I think you’ll find Ori to be charming and easy to root for.

This was a cute book. I adorable books about reality tv. I found a lot of myself in the main character. I found myself rooting for her, tho. Sometimes, she was a bit annoying, especially trying to change her name to Piccadilly. I wish the secondary characters gave a little more. Overall, this is a cute summer read on the beach. It was hard for me to put down. It was a solid 4 stars. i can't read more from this author.

Lifelong Survivor TV fan applies to be a contestant and finds herself on a Survivor spinoff. Highly entertaining and well thought out. Thie world and character development is superb. Author did an good job pulling you into their well described “reality show”
I loved the dynamics between the characters. It’s hard not to be a “fan”
Britney Pressley leant her voice to the audiobook version. Flawless performance. She was the voice of every character and made each one distinctive.
Book is a solid 5/5.

I love a good rom-com, but I love them even more when they're heavy on the com! Attached At The Hip is a hilarious romance comedy that will have you laughing nonstop!

Orie is quite the character. She is fun, she is quirky, she is so care-free, but she is also anxious all the time, fearful of new experiences, and heavily dependent on others. She has been in the same relationship with her boyfriend, Wes, for the past 10 years, not because she is in love with him, but because she is comfortable. She does acroyoga with her sister, Lark, and although she loves it, it is not her passion. But as you can guess, she stays because she is comfortable. She has difficulty making decisions, and it is not until her sister brings it up to her that she decides to do something about it.
Orie decides to apply for a game show! She thinks she's applying for Survivor, but it turns out it's actually a spinoff, with a romantic twist. This doesn't deter her however- Orie is still confident she can win the $1M prize.. until she finds out her high school crush is one of the opponents. From there, things get crazy!

Attached At The Hip is such a hilarious rom-com! I loved the premise of it - the game show idea was perfect, especially for a character like Orie's. Orie has anxiety mouth with a (very generous) splash of brain farts so almost everything she says is funny! The game show experience is a very significant one for her, one which changes her drastically by the end of it. (Don't worry, she doesn't abandon her quirky, silly ways!) The relationships she builds and strengthen along the way were truly ones to cherish- her relationship with the other opponents, her relationship with her sister, her relationship with her parents, and her relationship with herself.
This is a wonderful book about self-discovery, challenging oneself, appreciating with you have in front of you, all the while supplying an endless amount of fun and laughs! (The audio is highly recommended! With Brittany Pressley's narration, I had to constantly remind myself to come up for air! Lol. So funny and perfect!) 4.5 stars!

Thank you NetGalley, MacMillan Audio, Christine Riccio, and Brittany Pressley for this ARC!

Orie Lennox is 23 and has happily had everything done for her until this point. Her boyfriend of ten (!) years drives her everywhere, her Dad cooks for her, her sister Lark does all the heavy-lifting with their acro-yoga influencing career…her mom even gives her books to read. When she and Lark have a spat about this one night, Orie is seemingly blindsided, and before she can talk herself out of it, she’s applied to be on Survivor (she and Lark have seen every season and it’s been a dream of theirs to compete). Orie is shocked when she’s chosen to appear on the show sans Lark - and even more surprised when the producers insist she come single. Right before she leaves for the show, she finds out about some family issues that make the $1 million prize even more important.

This was described as Survivor meets The Bachelor. I’ve never watched Survivor but am a big Bachelor Nation fan, so I was hoping I’d love this one. I listened to the audiobook and the narration by Brittany Presley was great as always. Unfortunately I didn’t love the story or the main character. The writing felt very YA to me, and the characters all felt much less mature than their ages - although Orie was the oldest at 23, she definitely felt the most immature. I did love the shoutouts to my home state of Delaware and my Alma mater, the University of Delaware! I also loved the bond that Orie shared with her parents and sister - she was a sweet character. I think I was just looking for something more here with the romance aspect.

Thank you to the publisher for my ALC! This one publishes today! #MacAudio2024