Attached at the Hip is a funny and cute YA romantic adventure about a young adult, who isn’t ready to face the real world yet but after having a disagreement with her sister, decides to sign up to be a contestant on Survivor just to prove a point. Orie, is an anxious, quirky but funny, up and coming social media influencer but is oblivious when it comes to being an adult in the real world. She still lies with her parents, works for her sister, and is dating her childhood friend who lives next door only because it's convenient. She prefers her comfort zone and doesn’t realize how much she depends on others until her sister points it out. Trying to prove her wrong, she signs up to be on Survivor and makes the cut, and is 1 of 10 contestants heading off to Fiji. Once she gets there she finds out instead of being a competitor on Survivor, she’s a contestant on a Survivor spin off game that is a social experiment where the contestants are looking to gain friendship, love and a cash prize of a million dollars. It is similar to speed dating but the contestants are literally “Attached at the Hip” by an 8 foot tethered cord for 72 hours all while living in the elements and competing in challenges with some crazy twists along the way.

It seems like the Reality TV Trope has been done a lot lately, but Riccio put a fun spin on this one making it a little different than the others. I thought it was a super cute, funny, light, palette cleansing read. However, this one might not be for everyone. I think you have to be in the right frame of mind to enjoy this one, if not, I could see the FMC being very annoying. I knew going in that it was YA and knew there was a good chance of immature characters, awkward conversations and quirky banter, which there was. But I liked how we got to see Orie grow and mature over the course of the book, and I found the awkward conversation and quirky banter really funny with several things that made me giggle. I loved all the pop-culture references of books, songs, movies and TV shows!

This is my first audiobook narrated by Brittany Pressley and I adored it. Her voice was perfect for this story. I would have given the book 4 stars but Pressley’s narration enhanced the experience and pushed it to a 5 star read for me. There is a huge cast of characters, but she was able to give each character a unique, clearly distinguishable voice bringing the characters to life with impeccable tones and inflections while creating a believable narration. She delivered a spectacular performance from start to finish. I would definitely recommend the audiobook when reading this one.

Thank you NetGalley, Wednesday Books, Macmillan Audio and Christine Riccio for granting me early access to Attached at the Hip in exchange for an honest review.

What a cute book! This was the perfect fun, fluffy, hilarious summer read. Orie was a fun main character, and I really related to her fears and anxieties. I loved that, aside from the romance aspect, a big theme was her journey of finding herself and overcoming her fears. This is technically a YA romance, but it didn’t feel very YA to me, and the characters are mostly in their early 20’s. If you enjoy any type of reality tv, I think you’ll really enjoy this book. A note on the audio: LOVED. Brittany Pressley never disappoints - she is an absolutely fantastic narrator, and her ability to bring a different sound to differentiate each character is so impressive. This story was just so much fun on audio!

Read this if you like:
🏝️ Survivor
🏝️ reality dating shows
🏝️ rom-coms
🏝️ quirky fmc
🏝️ love triangle

Attached At The Hip by Christine Riccio is a ya contemporary romance. If you enjoyed watching Survivor or the Bachelor, then definitely pick up this book.

This story is about a young woman who is just starting out her adult life and wondering, what now? She's told that she never does things on her own and is always relying on people. So what does she do? She applies to a reality show where she's left on an island with strangers to try and win a million dollars.

The moment I read that this story had Survivor vibes, I wanted to read it. It definitely delivered on that aspect! I really enjoyed the twist it had on the reality show, and the drama was entertaining. However i do feel like that was the main reason I enjoyed the book. It was fast-paced and easy to read. One of the issues I had was that I didn't love any particular character. Everyone was just fine. I was more interested in the fmc's older sister, probably because she was more mature. The romance aspect was just ok.

I listened to this on audiobook, and the narrator portrayed the story well. Super easy to listen to and entertaining!

Following a frank conversation with her sister and feeling unsatisfied with her job, her relationships-romantic and otherwise-and the direction of her life in general, Orie Lennox impulsively applies for a reality television show that offers a chance to compete on an island with other contestants for a million dollar prize.

Little does she know that she’ll actually be participating in a romantic-themed reality series called Attached At The Hip and that being stranded in the wilderness without amenities may truly be the least of her worries.

Attached At The Hip is a fun novel with a quirky, yet relatable main character, an interesting plot and even a twist or two to keep the reader guessing. I’ve never really watched reality television, but the challenges invented for the game seem appropriate-and particularly horrifying in one instance-and the moments written as “confessionals” help to provide insight into the secondary characters, as we see them only from Orie’s perspective otherwise.

The narration by Brittany Pressley was wonderful and she made some of the more ridiculous moments of Orie’s behavior more palpable and also gave the characters distinct voices. I did prefer one love interest over the others and I liked that the messiness of reality television relationships was shown, as opposed to just a happy ending. While the story does drag a bit in the middle, things pick up towards the end and I was strongly invested.

The romantic scenes are sweet and it is nice to see Orie grow as a character. There are also many pop culture references made, which may not be everyone’s cup of tea. But if you’re a fan of the-quite literal-forced proximity trope and of reality television-with all the cutthroat behaviors that accompany it-then Attached At The Hip will be a treat.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for providing access to this ALC.

ATTACHED AT THE HIP by Christine Rocio✨
arc review • pub date 05.21.24

Survivor meets The Bachelor with this story! Orie gets the chance of a lifetime when she’s invited to be cast on the show. However, when she gets there, she finds out she has to be attached by a rope to other contestants for three days at a time, and she knows one of them from her past.

This one had a major YA feel even though the characters were in their early twenties. Orie was super immature, which made me not want to listen at times. However, I did still want to know how the story panned out, and liked the ending. Brittany Pressley was the narrator, and is my all time favorite, so that was a big plus.

3.5⭐️

Thanks so much to NetGalley and MacMillan Audio for my ALC!

#MacAudio2024

It was a fun new story idea. I loved the premise. However, the book really felt like it didn’t know what genre it wanted to be. Some parts felt very childish. Some not so much.

I read Attached at the Hip during Winter Break and loved it, so when I saw there was an audiobook version, I had to give it a listen!

This one was exactly the right book for me. If you don't know, I am obsessed with reality tv and this one was exactly what it was described to be: a mix of survivor and the bachelor (surprisingly two reality shows I rarely watch but have seen). The story follows Orie, a young woman in her early 20s who is a survivor superfan and is cast on a spinoff where players live on an island in Fiji and try to survive and find love or friendship at the same time. It had lots of The Challenge, Big Brother and Love Island vibes as well, three reality shows I am obsessed with. I even felt a tiny bit of Hunger Games vibes (without the death) lol. I loved the character development, the strong female lead and of course the reality tv aspects. This is a MUST read for Reality TV fans, but I think anyone could enjoy this fun story!

The audiobook was well done and the narrator actually had the perfect voice for the main character. This book is out soon so grab your copy!

This book is great for fans of reality TV dating shows and survivor competitions. I got such a kick out of the premise in which contestants are coupled up and literally attached at the hip by a rope while roughing it. This book was entertaining but it was much more about unscripted production than romance. The contestants felt too young (18-23) for forever love, and I wasn’t really feeling a ton of chemistry especially when they only have a few days together at a time. Still, if you are a fan of Survivor and Bachelor in Paradise then this book will scratch an itch for sure.

I read this book because the author has an upcoming release event at Powell’s, and I was lucky to receive an advanced copy of the audiobook from NetGalley for review.

Listening to this book had me laughing so hard I may have snorted once or twice, I had no idea conversations about boobs and bodily functions could be so funny but this had me cracking up.

I'm just going to come out and say it, at times I could not stand Orie (our FMC) but there were other times I loved her and wanted to give her a big hug.

I felt like Orie grew up so much in so many ways during her time on the island, and it was a wild ride.

If you're looking for something to listen to this one would be in my top ten for rom-coms and I can't wait to listen to more books by Christine Riccio.

While we're on the subject of listening, I just have to take a moment to recognice how fantastic Brittany Pressley is, even in Ories most petulant moments Brittany made her likeable and funny and gave her a depth I wish more characters had.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio for providing a copy of this e-book, I have voluntarily listened to it and all thoughts and opinions are my own.

Thank you to Wednesday Books and Macmillan Audio for my advance copy!

3.5 stars. While not a deep read, this one was quite fun. For any fans or reality tv, this one reads like you are watching a new season of Survivor/The Bachelor, from the contestants’ POV, and everything ridiculous and superficial that comes along with that. You will easily race through this book. The character names were really out there, but given the premise of the book I was okay with it (Oriole(Orie), Lark, Remy, and Osprey)

As you can imagine there are:

🍃Outrageous Challenges
🍃Formed Alliances
🍃Double Crossings
🍃And a Love Triangle Right at the Center of it All

The narrator of the main character did a great job of capturing all of her neurosis, which brought authenticity to the audio. Orie’s relationships with her sister and father were integral to the plot. These characters brought a little more heartfelt aspect to the book overall, as you got to dive into what were the driving reasons for the competition to begin with.

If you are looking for a fun summer read with some reality game show vibes, this one would be a good one to pick up

Think Survivor meets The Bachelor—this is the vibe of this engaging audiobook! The storyline grips you, offering an ideal mix of excitement and love. All in all, it's an easy, delightful listen that's difficult to stop.

The narrator did a great job with the audiobook, makes the story flow easily!

Attached at the Hip is a book made for summer with drama, self-discovery, and romance is a fun read.

The reality show aspect and the fact that I have been following Christine Riccio for years is what drew me to this book. I have read her other books and I enjoyed this one the most. It feels like her writing is getting better with each book she writes. There is a goofness that this book has but I felt that I needed that when I read it. It's just an easy and fun read. Not everything makes scenes, but this was a drama-filled story. You couldn't help but wonder how the game/show was going to unfold. Everything in this world is hyped up on drama and over the top, mixed in with some cringe. I listened to the audiobook, it was well done and narrated by Brittany Pressley who I felt did a great job of getting the voices of the characters right. I get that this will not be for everyone and the writing will not blow you away with deep poetic writing. But if you are looking for a summer read about a woman learning what she wants, bookish references, TV show setting, and drama on every page; then you might have fun with this book.

I ate this book up so fast! I loved it so much! I was starting to fall in a slump and this took me right out of it! You can tell when reading that this was Christine's passion project there's a lot of love behind this book. I loved everything about this! Its so fun! I have always loved Big Brother, Love Island and other shows like that and this totally had the same level of fun. The characters were great, I loved the little plot twist, the romance was so sweet. honestly 10/10 I need this to be turned into a movie or a show.

Thank you Netgalley and the publishers for a copy of the audiobook in exchange for an honest review!

Love love loved this book! I’m such a huge Survivor fan so it was great to read a book that takes place in the survivor world. Attached at the Hip took Survivor and mixed it with a Bachelor kind of feel. I really liked Orie and felt that I could relate to her character. I had so much fun listening to the challenges, the voting, and the players private confessionals with the producers. This is definitely a rom com with forced proximity and there were several points throughout the book that I was giggling out loud. It was just so fun!

Attached at the Hip had me hooked from the beginning, because Survivor, but also because I felt like I couldn’t stop because I needed to know what was going to happen next. This would be a great summer read to add to your list!

This was such a fun read. If your a fan of, well any reality show you will like this book.
Filled with humor, romance, and some survivor skills. A fun romantic book to start off your summer reading.
Throw this one in your pool bag.

Thank you netgalley and McMillan audio for my gifted copy.

If you're a die-hard Survivor fan or just love a good competition reality show, then boy do I have the book for you! I listened to the audiobook version of this baby (10/10, would recommend again), and it took the story to a whole new level. The narrator brought so much energy and excitement that had me on the edge of my seat the whole time. But it wasn't just the competition that kept me hooked - oh no, this book has it all. There's relationships both new and old, personal growth for the characters, juicy family drama - it's got it all! And don't even get me started on the comedic relief sprinkled throughout. It had me cracking up with some of the one-liners. You're also going to want to jot down some of the inspirational quotes because they really stuck with me. Trust me when I say this book is a keeper. It's going straight on the trophy shelf because I know for a fact I'm going to be loaning it out to all my friends and re-reading it over and over in the future. Highly recommend!

Why did I put off reading this for so long?? I didn't think I would like it, but it was SO cute!! The characters were so likeable. It was not what I was expecting, but in a good way!! I wish I could have more of Osprey and Ory!

Early twenty-something, acroyoga influencer Orie Lennox is feeling stuck. She’s not quite sure what her grand plans are for the rest of her life; her acroyoga business with her sister is fine but not something she’s especially passionate about; and her longterm boyfriend doesn’t exactly give her butterflies (and maybe never did).

When she sees an open audition for Survivor, her all-time favorite show, she submits an application without a second thought. She expects the opportunity to be for both herself and her sister, but as it turns out, the producers want her to come on the show solo.

And there’s a romantic twist to this Survivor spinoff that Orie is not expecting.

I found Orie, who is described by a fellow contestant as “look[ing] like a cross between a butterfly and a golden retriever,” to be very relatable. She’s in that “now what?” just out of college phase. She’s adorable, bubbly, and has anxiety that knocks her off-kilter. She’s determined, intelligent, and passionate. She just has to open herself up enough to acknowledge what she’s truly passionate about.

There are romantic elements to this one, but there are also a strong character growth arc and fierce friendships that are developed in that pressure-cooker environment in Fiji. Ultimately, it’s about not being confined by preconceived notions, facing your fears, and finding yourself (plus falling in love).

Brittany Pressley’s narration is fantastic. She really captures Orie’s personality, and I enjoyed her vocal choices for the other characters as well.

5⭐️

I received an advance copy of the audiobook from Macmillan Audio. All review opinions are my own.

Rating: 4.5/5
I received an ARC for my honest opinion.

If you love rom coms, Young Adult, that have a love triangle, great characters, great character development, fast paced and has a Survivor spin on it you will love this book.

I really loved this book; I thought the author did an amazing job with the plot and giving a little spin on Survivor meets love island. The plot was well developed, and the pace of the book was fast. I found myself laughing so much and being able to relate to Osprey in this book. I am a fan of Survivor so when I read the synopsis of this book, I knew that I loved it, and I am so happy that I was able to read this ARC/Audio of this book.

This book you be taken away and, on a spin-off of Survivor, with a twist you have up to three contests that are a possible love match with. The lucky people that were chosen to be on the first season find out that they will be attached to another contest during their downtime, they will have to hunt for food and make shelters and who knows maybe fall in love. They will have challenges that they have to complete, lucky they’re not attached when they do the challenges, but it really does have a Survivor feel throughout the book. I found the way that the author wrote was great, she had attention to details that had me flying through the book and about ¾ I found myself trying to slow down because I didn’t want it to end. The characters were great, and well developed.

Orie, she is a young adult that really isn’t sure what she wants in life, but when she sees that she has a chance at being on Survivor she jumps on it because it has been a dream of hers since she was little. Little does she know it’s a spin-off of Survivor and she is shocked to find all this out once she gets to the island. She is funny, book loving, unsure and unapologetically herself. However, that is the problem, the more and more she is on the show she is starting to understand that she really doesn’t know herself too well and wants to make sure that she does. I loved this character right away; she is just so likeable to me. If she was real, I would love to be friends with her because girl, I hate spiders too with a passion.

I found that the more and more I got into the book I was curious to see how she would adapt to the island and learn more about herself. I am happy that she was able to get her happily ever after in the book and that she finally said screw it and took a chance for herself.

This book will give you all the joy and happiness that you want in a romance book. The humor is great, and the narrator of this book was amazing. I found myself at times closing my eyes and listening to the narrator so I could picture the scenes playing out. I loved that the narrator helped to bring Orie to life for me.

I want to thank NetGalley and Macmillan for the opportunity to review this book.

I have watched every season of Survivor, and this book was like Survivor and Love Island combined into a fun competition series in a book. Orie has been a lifelong Survivor fan, and when she gets picked for the show, she is so excited! However, she finds out that she is picked for a show called Attached At The Hip which is a spinoff of Survivor. They are still deserted on an island, but there is a dating show happening too. Everyone is single, and they have to be literally attached at the hip to another player.

I loved the descriptions of the challenges. They were so much fun to read, and it felt like I was there watching them compete. I liked all of the dynamics of the game play. I was happy to see that the story didn't fall into the stereotypical tropes. Orie genuinely connected with many of the other contestants, and it led to an interesting end to the book.

The audiobook made the story even more fun. The narrator, Brittany Pressley, did a great job with bringing Orie and all of the characters to life. She added so much to the story, especially in the competition and challenge parts of the book.

Thanks to NetGalley and MacMillan Audio for the ALC of this book.