Attached at the Hip by Christine Riccio🎧 Narrated by Brittany Pressley

Synopsis (via Goodreads): 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.

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. My thoughts and opinions are my own. Any quotes I use are from an unpublished copy and may not reflect the finished product.

“When you turn something into your job, you have to start looking at it more critically. I want opening a book to always feel like coming home.”

I remember watching Survivor with my family and The Bachelor with my mom (my dad flat out refused to watch The Bachelor with us), so I couldn't resist when this book popped up on my radar. I've become less of a risktaker in my old age, but I thoroughly enjoyed the rollercoaster ride that was Attached at the Hip. The entire concept was so much fun, and I feel like marketing nailed it with those two comparisons. The challenges they had to compete in, being physically attached to another person for days at a time, and the toll it takes on a person mentally and physically - all wonderfully well done. 

The shows premise is that each contestant has several compatible partners on the island and one missed connection from their past. It was interesting to see how people chose to pair up and how alliances were made. I do wish the book had been slightly longer so we could have gotten to know all ten of the castmates, but we sadly only learn about four. Orie, Remy, Kennedy, and Osprey. I was hesitant about Kennedy at first, but she definitely grew on me by the end. Also, if you're worried about a love triangle, don't be. It's written incredibly well, and I enjoyed seeing legitimate friendships develop and people reacting realistically when learning something new about another contestant. 

Orie is embarrassingly awkward. She spirals and panics in a way that was relatable, although her word vomiting is something most of us have mastered by our 20's. We learn when a thought needs to remain private and unspoken, whereas Orie just starts saying anything and everything that pops into her head. It was somewhat endearing, but the secondhand embarrassment was real. I would also say this one is more NA than YA since most of the characters are in their 20's. (Boooo Christine Riccio for having her character say 24 is old. It's not! 🥲)

The ending was unexpected, and I like that we get to see Orie continue to grow in her personal life after the show ends. She can't interact with her castmates until the finale, and she can't talk about her experiences with anyone until all the episodes have aired, so she's left with her own thoughts and what she wants to do with her life. I liked this version of her way more than the one we started with.

I thought the last interaction she had with the other finalist was strange and out of character, and wish their side of the story had been explained. Instead we're left wondering what their motivations and intentions were.

The family dynamics were great. We see that pobody's nerfect and how even relationships we idolize have their hidden flaws. Orie has to deal with something traumatic that I wish the author had spent more time on, but instead it's left being a mistake that everyone forgives pretty easily. I know she had time away from it on the island to sort through her thoughts, but it was a big deal that was left mostly unaddressed. I think it would have been better had the incident been less intense. Maybe just getting caught with their hand in the cookie jar, so to speak, and not the horrific event that it was.

Overall, Attached at the Hip was a fun book that was wonderfully narrated. Brittany Pressley is amazing! Her female and male voices are different and I never confuse the two. Orie was an interesting character that reacted like a normal human being. If I was attached via rope to a cute guy on and island, I definitely would be thinking about how bowel movements would work. Orie just says them out loud — on camera — and in front of said cute guy. (★★★★☆)

PS: There are a lot of book, movie, and people references! A few of them went over my head, but a lot of them were familiar.