Book Review: Attached at the Hip

Attached at the Hip by Christine Riccio ~ 400 pages ~ published on May 21, 2024 by Wednesday Books

Goodreads Synopsis:

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.

What I Thought:

*I received this book for free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. Thank you so much to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for this ARC!*

Disclosure: Some of the links below are affiliate links. This means that, at zero cost to you, I will earn an affiliate commission if you click through the link and finalize a purchase. 🥰

This book was a trip and a half, and in the best way! I really enjoyed the antics that Orie got up to on the island, and the relationships that she formed there. Being a younger sister myself, I really related to the struggles she went through in trying to find her own path, when her sister’s was so clearly laid out before her. This tale of falling in love and finding yourself was a zany, heart-warming journey that made me both laugh out loud and get all of the crazy butterflies.

I have never seen an episode of Survivor, but reading this book makes me feel like I have! I felt the atmosphere right away, and was on pins and needles to figure out what was going to happen next. I loved getting to see Orie try to figure out the puzzles of the game, both literal and figurative. It was like a little mystery seeing her try to decipher each contestant’s motives, whether they were good or bad. Seeing her form strong bonds, all while figuring out who she truly was, was such a fun ride!

The romances were fun, and a little cringy (again, in the best way). Orie is the most awkward human being, and it made me love her so much! As an awkward queen myself, I cringed along with her multiple times. Seeing the other characters, particularly Osprey and Kennedi, begin to care for her because of that endearing awkwardness made me feel better about myself too.

My main complaint is that there were some things that didn’t make sense. Orie’s insistence on some people calling her Piccadilly was confusing and inconsistent. It didn’t make much sense, and I kind of wish they had left that out. There were also a few plot holes that were never explained. However, none of these things took away from the overall great time I had reading this book!

I highly recommend reading Attached at the Hip if you are a fan of rom-coms, reality tv, forced proximity romance, and a story that doesn’t take itself too seriously. Such a fun read, and it is out just in time for summer, which is the perfect time to dive into this island tale!