Attention Survivor lovers, fans of any dating show or reality show! You'll eat this rom-com book up and love it completely! It's witty, funny, swoon worthy and make you cheer for a fairy tale ending.

Thank you to NetGallery and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book was very unique - and I really enjoyed it. This felt like the perfect way for someone who loves to read, but doesn't watch reality tv to enjoy the drama and intrigue of reality tv through a book. There were a ton of pop culture references and reality tv components that would make this enjoyable for people who also generally enjoy watching reality tv. The premise of this setting was very fascinating - I could even see how it would make a good show in real life.

Read this book if you enjoy:
> Reality TV game shows
> Closed door romance
> Forced proximity
> Survival skills
> Social media influencers

The romantic triangle element was unexpected at first, but it was well crafted as the book went further and certain things were revealed. I did find Orie to be a bit immature at times, but that is fitting with the fact that this is essentially a YA book - with all of the main characters ranging from late teens to early 20s. As such, this one was light on the physical aspects of a romantic relationship which was fine - and perfect for folks who are especially looking for closed door romance plots.

I loved the backstories of some of the MCs - with a mix of social media influencers, parkour competitors and people working in Hollywood, the story highlights a lot of non-traditional career paths that are very relevant for young people in today's culture. Also, the Fiji setting was fun and really made me want a beach vacation (without the survival elements...). The survival aspects themselves were right out of the scripts of some of the most popular survival shows and definitely added to the story.

The audio is very well done - the narrator is excellent. She does a great job with distinguishing characters vocally so that they are distinct and recognizable throughout the story. Thank you to Macmillan for the ALC and NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC to read! This was a fun ride!

4.5 stars
Are you a fan of survivor and/or the bachelor? Then this might be the perfect book for you. It is a mix of both. Orie thinks she's being cast on survivor but really she's being cast on a survivor spin off with a romantic twist. I don't watch either of these shows, but I loved both aspects of the story. The survival aspect as well as the completion games were fun, but the romantic aspect was also great. I cannot tell you how hard I was laughing at the beginning of the book. It was so funny, but after that initial comedy, things took a different turn and got a bit more serious. There were still some funny moments but they changed given the development of the stories and characters. There were also some really cute moments, which I loved. I loved how the plot progressed because I did not see this story unfolding the way that it did. One thing that this book did really well was putting me in Orie's place because when she felt betrayed, I felt betrayed because her emotions became mine. This was my first book by this author and because of the ability to blind side me and make me feel betrayed the way that she did, I want to read more haha.

Audiobook specific: I really loved the narrator. She did a fantastic job bringing Orie to life. I do think a big reason I found the beginning portion of this book so funny was because of how this narrator read the book. Fantastic job. I will be looking for more narrated by her.

Content warning: gaslighting, mentions of addiction, fear of the ocean, bugs (including eating them), vomit

Thank you Netgalley for the arc of this book. It started a little bit slowly for me but as I got more into the book, the author's writing and the characters j was hooked. This was survivor meets the bachelor and it was a really fun twist of the two.
Orie was a great lead in this book. Some things were a little bit too convenient but it was still a fun adventure she goes on. She discovers herself and who she can truly trust.

First thing’s first: thank you Netgalley for the ALC of this book!
Attached At The Hip was about Orie, a survivor super fan who signs up to be on the show. She gets cast only to find out she’s on a new version of the show that combines survivor with a dating show.
I really enjoyed this one! The characters were fun, the game play aspect of this book put a new spin on the rom com genre. I can’t say I really loved the way it wrapped up, but it did certainly catch me off guard. This was a great summer read!
4⭐️

This was the first book I have listened to by Christine Riccio and OMG I absolutely love her writing. Brittany Pressley was the narrator of this book and kept me entertained through the whole book. Brittany is an amazing narrator and I love to listen to any book she narrates. This was a fun book that has very likable characters. I felt like all the characters were well written. I really liked how most of them helped one another instead of backstabbing each other. I loved the main character Orie and following her on her journey of self discovery. I did figure out the twistish moment but I didn't know how it was going to come together in the end. I had so many laugh out loud moments that people probably thought I was crazy while driving to work. I'm not a survive show fan but did enjoy listening about a survivor like reality show. This was super cute, fun and I had a good time listening to it. I would HIGHLY recommend this book. I look forward to reading more books by Christine Riccio.


Thank you Netgalley and Macmillan Audio | Macmillan Young Listeners for allowing me to read this ARC for my honest opinion.

4.5 stars
This book was so funny. I picked it up because the synopsis sounded fun and I love Brittany Pressley (the audiobook narrator).
Our main character Orie is an social media influencer with her sister Lark and she has been in an unfulfilling relationship with her boyfriend for 10 years. After Lark accuses Orie of not being able to do anything for herself or make her own decisions, she decides to apply to be on Survivor. She gets accepted, but it turns out she is on a Survivor/Bachelor spin off series where you are attached to a partner at all times.
I really liked Orie. No, she wasn't perfect, but she loved her family fiercely and once Lark gave her a reality check, she really wanted to become someone better. The first person Orie is paired with on the show is Remy. They had actually gone to high school together and were kind of a "missed love opportunity" since Orie had a boyfriend all throughout high school. Remy is very charming and funny. Orie makes good friends with 2 other contestants, Kennedy and Osprey. Kennedy was a great female friend. She was loyal and a great competitor. Osprey was a (maybe?) interest? He was really great. He connected with Orie on a lot of different levels and was sweet and also an amazing competitor. I also really liked the family dynamic and Orie's parents and Lark. I feel like in YA especially parents are the bad guys or one parent or the other isn't around. However, this is a complete family, not without its flaws, but complete and wonderful.
The plot was very engaging. I immediately was ready to follow Orie around on this game show. I wanted to know how she would place and who she would be friends with and maybe make romantic connections with. The book does a good job of going between game related plot and the relationships these characters form. There was a lot of humor, I found myself laughing out loud a lot of the time. I think my favorite thing about this book was how many times Orie's dad referenced Hannah Montana.
As I said, one of the selling points for this book was the audiobook narrator Brittany Pressley. She did a great job. I had no problem following along in her narration and she really fit the part of Orie.

I loved this novel! The concept of the game show was unique but also familiar with survivor references. Orie's character was so likable and someone I could envision myself befriending in real life. The drama of this novel was just enough to be entertaining without being eye rolling obnoxious

When I requested this book I did not do enough due diligence. As I requested the audiobook, I saw MacMillan audio as the publisher. I did not realize this was a St Martin’s Press title. Here is where you can find out more about the boycott: https://r4acollective.org/

I have learned from this experience and will make sure to double check the next time I request an ARC. If/when the boycott ends I will likely pick this book back up.

I did really enjoy the narrator of the audiobook, though.

୨⎯ 𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒕𝒔 ⎯୧
rating: 3.5
narration: 3
plot: 3.75
characters: 4
writing: 3.75
romance: 3
spice: 0.5

⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧⋆｡˚ ⋆

°•*⁀➷ what to expect
survivor meets the bachelor
love triangle
social media influencer
many pop culture references
finding yourself
close family dynamic
live tv

⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧⋆｡˚ ⋆

°•*⁀➷ the plot
orie is a relatable 23 year old fresh out of college being an acroyoga instagram influencer with her older sister, but when she’s told she depends too much on everyone else she tries to get out of her comfort zone and audition for the new survivor series, or so she thought. she’s part of a spin off that connects everyone together as friends, potential love interests with challenged for a $1M prize! orie makes some friends, some enemies, conquers a lot of obstacles, finds love and unravels truths. this was such a fun read, i’ve never seen survival before but reading this made me want to give it a try.

*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ

°•*⁀➷ the characters
𝜗𝜚 orie:
she reminded me a lot of myself minus the childhood boyfriend but she was really relatable, pop culture references and all! she was a solid FMC and even managed to overcome her fears while also living out a lifetime dream/goal.

𝜗𝜚 remy:
ehhh. honestly still confused about his character because he seemed nice and genuine for the most part and djdnt really match him in the end.

𝜗𝜚 kennedi:
love her, she’s a girls girl and was another really great character addition. i feel like she was matched well with orie and osprey as a friend and someone else romantically that i’ve already forgotten their name, oops.

𝜗𝜚 osprey:
my favorite!!!!! osprey stole the show, let’s be honest. he was nerdy and fun and once he got to know orie he started to really connect with her and was respectful when orie was romantically with [redacted].

*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ

°•*⁀➷ the writing
i’ve read all of Christine Rocio books and have always enjoyed them, they’re quick reads that have you relating to the main character and are usually quirky and have loads of pop culture references which made it seem more realistic in my opinion. it flowed really well!

*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ

°•*⁀➷ the romance
i was kinda iffy on the romance, especially with remy because he just didn’t seem to match well with orie, she clung to him because he showed interest and it definitely felt relatable as i’ve done that before. osprey, however, had such a great connection with orie, i knew they would match well! i was surprised with the friendships that bonded between orie and kennedi, i had her pegged as a mean girl at first but she was a great friend.

*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ

°•*⁀➷ in conclusion,
it was a great read, really fast paced, with a little bit of mystery sprinkled in and some self reflection with the main character and finding friends and romance. also a good coming of age as a young/new adult.

*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ

𓇢𓆸 do i recommend? — yeah!

3.75 stars. I listened to the audio version of this book narrated by Brittany Pressley. The narration was light and fun.

I enjoyed this audiobook that was based on the premise of a young woman who is on a reality show (Survivor type) branch off that is trying to pair people into couples. I had fun with the basis of the story. Right from the beginning, I went into it as a light and fairly ridiculous read. If you go into it and are expecting to have everything fall into line, you will be disappointed. The sexuality of some of the characters isn't always clear, and some of the situations aren't fully developed. However, I just let it all go and just embraced the absurdity of what is similar to reality TV.

Thanks to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for the audiobook. All thoughts are my own.

I absolutely DEVOURED Attached at the Hip. We follow Orie as she enters a season of Survivor, with a new twist of being romantically and platonically compatible with fellow castmates. I grew up watching The Challenge on MTV, and I had so much fun listening to the different challenges and hardships Orie faced throughout the show. Full of interesting characters, witty banter, and twists, Attached at the Hip is entertaining from start to finish. Brittany Pressley is a fantastic narrator, and I highly enjoyed her performance.

Perfect for fans of reality tv shows like Survivor, Big Brother, and the Challenge.

I received an ALC from Macmillan Audio | Macmillan Young Listeners via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

*Thank you, Macmillan, for the audiobook copy!*

Attached at the Hip is a fun rom-com that focuses on a spin-off show of Survivor that makes it a romantic connection show. Orie, the MC, has had a bit of a life crisis after her sister leads her to a realization she heavily relies on others to make decisions in her life. Orie gets chosen to be on the romantic Survivor spin-off show, and is confronted with a missed love connection from her past. But maybe things aren't as they seem, as people will do anything to make themselves likable on a reality show.

I went into this story hoping it would be light and fun, especially with the game show premise. Unlike some other rom-coms I have read recently, this one reads more on a YA level even though the characters are a bit older than in most YA stories. The only intimacy is kissing and light touching. Which was not a problem for me, especially with Orie's past with relationships. I felt like the pacing was done well and there was just enough focus on the game show itself and the behind the scenes of the characters as they played.

I really liked how nerdy but also smart Orie's character was, and buckle up for a lot of pop culture references! I felt like these were appropriate in the story because of Orie's personality, which she says many times she loves books and movies and finding others that connect with her in this way. I also liked having a main character in a rom-com who was a little older but not very experienced with love and relationships since she was in the same one since she was 13. I feel like a lot of the time in rom-coms, the MCs always have been in multiples of relationships, and that isn't the case for every reader.

Since I went into this with the expectation of it being fun, light, and fluffy, I feel like that helped with my star rating. Was it eye-opening and life changing? No. But was it engaging, and I had a fun time listening? Absolutely!

I would recommend to anyone who enjoys light, no smut rom-coms and a liking for reality tv.

Absolutely loved this book from Riccio! Orie is at a standstill when her sister Lark tells her she needs to be less attached and more into her own self identity. Her identity as of late has been pinned to her sister sister social media account that she has with Lark, while being in a relationship with someone she's not entirely sure she likes or feels attraction to! In a fit, Orie signs up for one of her favorite tv shows "Survivor" and her tape is such a hit that she gets chosen! Embarking on the journey, she soon realizes that it's not quite 'Survivor' but it has elements of 'Survivor' with the twist that it's actually also a dating competition and she is taking part of the first season! There are a slew of other characters that fit in various reality television tropes including the villain that I swear to I DID NOT see coming from a mile away and my jaw dropped from all of the twists and ends. All I can say is Remy is the worst and finding that Orie does come into her own was SUCH a delight and treat! For a fun, fast-paced, and thrilling rom-com I would definitely recommend this read!

This is a delightfully cute romcom about our main characters finding love on a reality survivor type dating show. It’s full of witty banter! The amount of times I literally laughed out loud or was just smiling and shaking my head like a goof!!! Highly recommend and love seeing the progress the author has shown in her writing and story telling. Highly recommend the audio of this, it was so fun!

I know I talk about book blurbs a lot in my reviews, but I have a reader confession: Once I read a book, I don’t think about the blurb again until I’m done with it. So it was a huge surprise for me that the main character, Orie, is cast in a romantic version of a reality TV show in ATTACHED AT THE HIP by Christine Riccio, even though it was right there on the back cover. But it was such a good surprise!

ATTACHED AT THE HIP is described as a romantic adventure that is Survivor meets The Bachelor, and I have to say that I agree. From the beginning, I found myself giggling and enjoying every second of the book. It seems like Riccio had so much fun writing this book and including all her favorite things to make an epic story.

I’ve come to realize that I really like books that are deemed “romantic adventure.” I’ve only read a few, but I want this genre to be the next big thing. Even though Orie and the other contestants were on a reality TV show, it was so neat to see them “survive.” I think I like this genre because I’m cozy in bed reading it, lol.

And Orie’s mind!?!? I love seeing someone as obsessed about something as I get and who overthinks, too. So, I felt right at home in her head. She’s a different character, but I really liked her.

Reading Orie was fun, but listening to Orie was 1000x times better! Brittany Pressley brought her to life perfectly. Then again, Presley is an exceptional narrator on my favorites list. I can’t think of anyone who would better narrate ATTACHED AT THE HIP to get the cadence, excitement, and feelings to that level of perfection.

This book has been one of my favorites of the year! It will be a reread for me in the future. If you are a romantic adventure fan like me, I definitely recommend ATTACHED AT THE HIP.

Thanks, Macmillian Audio, for the alc!

It took me a little to get into this because of the main character. She was absolutely insufferable, but that’s how she’s meant to be portrayed. Some parts felt really rushed and other parts felt really strung out. Overall, a good coming to age story with some reality tv drama mixed in.

Attached at the Hip by Christine Riccio was a fun and flirty romance with Survivor mixed with Bachelor vibes. Brittany Pressley narrated this audiobook, and she was perfect as Orie. She did a fantastic job elevating Orie’s story. The story itself has me a little confused because I didn’t see the almost love triangle coming and the plot moved a little to slow for me. Plus, it was a bittersweet HEA that wasn’t 100 percent believable. The audiobook itself was enjoyable because the narration was great.

Attached at the Hip is described as a crossover between Survivor and The Bachelor. This is exactly what you’ll get with the story. Orie, the FMC, is chosen to compete on a romantic version of a survivor reality show where the contestants are chosen specifically to be connections for the other plays whether romantically or as friends. I absolutely loved the challenges, puzzles, alliances, and getting to know you portions of the book. Really, that’s rhetorical sole reason I enjoyed it as much as I did. I struggled with the romantic pairings. They were so over the top that it felt like the trash TV shows that are bad, you know they’re bad, but you can’t stop watching. Also, I’m a little bitter because I was all in on the all girl alliance that quickly dissolved. I read this via audiobook, and I felt like the narrator, Brittany Pressley, did a solid job of conveying the emotions and internal struggles Orie dealt with. Given the reality TV show tie in, I feel like this is a book best experienced via audiobook. It helps dial into the confessionals and overall vibe of the book. If you like reality TV shows with puzzles, competitions, and just general quirkiness, this book will likely be perfect for you.

Life seems to be crumbling around Ori. Her boyfriend isn’t the love of her life. Her sister wants her to pull her weight or step down as her Acro-yoga partner. Her dad made some big mistakes and her parent’s business isn’t running. One email may have just set in motion the chance to take her life in her own hands and change everything.

Ori applies for a season of survivor that is being cast locally. She gets a call. Then is signed onto the show. Upon arrival after her quarantine she finds during an interview that the show isn’t survivor after all… it’s a brand new spinoff that is running its first season. She is taken to a remote part of a beautiful island of Fiji and removes her blindfold to realize that she’s attached to her secret high school crush, Remi, via an 8 ft rope. She needs to compete with 9 other cast-mates to win one million dollars to help her parents. This competition puts these people at odds with their relationships and the cash prize. Can Ori make it to the end of the competition, win the money and find herself along the way? Will she fall for Remi? Will there be another possible love match? Will she be taken advantage of?

Christine Riccio, I freaking loved this.
This was a cozy rom-com that still had me on the edge of my seat.