I requested Attached at the Hip on Netgalley because I loved the premise. I have read both of Christine Riccio’s previous releases, and while I liked the first one, I didn’t really vibe with the second. I am always for giving authors another chance, and I was excited to read this one.

Attached at the Hip will be released on May 21, 2024.

Attached at the Hip by Christine Riccio
Published on May 21, 2024
Genres: Contemporary, Fiction, Romance
Pages: 400
Format: ARC
Buy on Amazon

Survivor meets The Bachelor in Attached at the Hip, an irresistible, romantic adventure by New York Times bestselling author Christine Riccio.

Orie Lennox has spent her entire life prepping for her happily ever after -- and now that she’s graduated, she’s low-key wondering, when the heck is it gonna hit. Her love life, her new job, her relationship with her sister: none of it is quite what she envisioned it to be.

One evening, on a whim, she applies for a reality show where she’ll be stranded on an island, with a bunch of strangers, to play a game of human chess for a shot at a million dollars. What better way to force herself to break up with the things that aren’t bringing her joy, than to abandon them all on short notice to live off the grid on a beach in the South Pacific!

Orie's shocked when she ends up cast in an experimental romantic edition of the show: and even more surprised to find that her old high school crush, Remy, has been cast as well. Orie's one of ten contestants, set to compete in formidable challenges, while speed dating, in the wilderness: without deodorant, toilets, shaving cream, or showers. (How!?)

She finds herself tied up — literally — in a game of risky alliances as she navigates ever-growing feelings for her one that got away, alongside an exciting array of budding new relationships.

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I am going to start off by saying I did not finish this book. I DNF’ed at around 42% because I knew I wasn’t going to enjoy it. While I will not be rating this book, I do want to talk about some of the issues I had. I DO think this book has an audience, but if you have issues with what I talk about, I’d suggest to skip this one.

The Plot

• One of my FAVORITE plots in a romance is when the characters are on reality TV shows. I don’t even watch reality TV shows in real life, but in a book? The tension makes the romance so much better. This was part of the reason I requested this book. A Survivor / The Bachelor mash-up? Say less. 

• Sadly, I just didn’t understand the concept of the show. I thought I was starting to figure out the logistics, but then something else would happen that would make me confused again.

• The biggest reason I did not connect with this book was Orie, the main character. While I can definitely see how some can relate to her, she was just a little too much for me. I think a lot of that had to do with the writing style though, which I will get in to down below.
• Also, the name Orie is so cool…she wanted to be called Piccadilly? Y’all, this book is so unserious.

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The writing

• While I appreciated the attempt at giving the character personality, Orie’s inner thoughts were so scattered and choppy. I also think there was too much inner monologue. I really think if the book was cut down (I’m talking 50 less pages), it would have been a lot stronger. I think Orie could have been such a strong character if she would have had a little more mystery and growth to her. 
• The story jump cuts around a lot, leaving out information that I think would have made the story a lot stronger. For example, when Orie and Remy win the first challenge, we don’t get to see it. How did they react? It would’ve been such a good time to develop their tension. Instead, it just said after the fact, “We won! We’re one of the two teams that won! We’re going to eat!” This also confused me because does no one else get to eat?? 
• I do not mind cultural references here and there (and I mind even less when I actually understand them), but even though I knew a lot of the references, there were just SO MANY OF THEM. One I couldn’t stop thinking about was “I’m Blake Lively in that random movie with a shark.” What?? How many people actually understand that reference? Was this a necessary metaphor? 
• There were so many words capitalized. I CAN’T FEEL COMFORTABLE READING A BOOK WHEN IT KEEPS SHOUTING AT ME OVER AND OVER (this might be a pet peeve of mine, but it did take me out of the book a lot).

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Overall Thoughts

While I enjoyed Christine’s first book, the last two books just haven’t been for me. I can see why some people would really enjoy this book, but sadly, I could not finish it. 

I have seen in other reviews that the plot gets stronger towards the end, so if none of the things I talked about bother you, I think you should give the book a try.

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Those are all of my thoughts on Attached at the Hip. I am so bummed I didn’t enjoy this one, but I hope Christine continues to write and grow. I am a big fan, and she has some fun ideas!

Be sure to also answer the question of the day! I love seeing what you guys are loving in the book world!

Question of the Day:

If you could be on any reality TV show, what show would it be?