Listen- those of us drawn to the title of this book KNOW what we are hoping to sign-up for, and it’s not Anna Karenina.

The Really Dead Wives of New Jersey centers around the show-runner Eden and her cousin Hope. Hope has recently moved to New Jersey with her new husband -Eden being their point of connection- and has fallen into the cast of the reality program “Garden State Goddesses” It soon becomes apparent the Hope is running from her past and the cast members, each with their own drama, start digging. But it’s not long until they uncover information they wish they wouldn’t have.

This was a quick, campy, fun, entertaining read that infuses reality TV snark into a domestic thriller. I found the thriller aspect to be a bit too predictable but I had little trouble flying through the book and enjoying it overall.


Thank you to Simon & Schuster and NetGalley for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

Reading this book felt like watching reality TV in the best way possible. The characters and plot were wildly entertaining. Would recommend!

3.75 🌟 If this was what the actual Real Housewives shows were like, I’d be hooked! What a deliciously fun whodunnit! A pretty unlikeable cast that you do kind of fall for. A mysterious murder. So much drama!! This was a very entertaining book!

Some of you may know that I am a bit of a Real Housewives addict. This came on during the pandemic when I binged Beverly Hills, New Jersey, Salt Lake City, Potomac, and then Atlanta over the course of a year and a half. The petty fights and ridiculousness keep me coming back for more. Naturally, when I saw this book, I immediately requested it on NetGalley. Overall, it's a witty, campy take on reality television culture, packed with humor, drama, and a cast of over-the-top characters that feel like they've strutted straight off the set of The Real Housewives. But, while it begins as an engaging romp, it stumbles in the second half, losing some of its initial charm.

The story centers on the Sicilian-American Fontana family, whose lives are the focal point of Garden State Goddesses, one of Huzzah's (think Bravo) most popular reality shows. At the heart of the drama is the show's producer, Eden Bennett, who seeks to revamp the series by bringing her estranged cousin, Hope, into the spotlight. Hope and Eden were raised in a Northern Californian cult, and Hope's innocence is exactly what Eden feels will bump up their ratings and ensure her a top spot in a larger franchise. When Hope marries into the Fontana family after a whirlwind romance with bachelor Leo, she is immediately integrated into the cast which includes Carmela, the suspicious and sharp-tongued sister-in-law; Valerie, a lovable but hapless socialite; Birdie St. Clair, the regal and barely coherent grand dame; and Renée, a relatable single mom with a daughter who is determined to be the next Ariana Grande.

From the moment Hope steps into the chaos of the Fontana clan, the drama unfolds with rapid-fire dialogue, outrageous confrontations, and plenty of secrets. The first half of the novel feels like binge-watching a season of a juicy reality show. Dahl's writing captures the exaggerated personalities, power struggles, and performative interactions that define the Real Housewives franchise. The humor is sharp, the campiness dialed up to ten, and the pacing is swift. Readers are treated to absurdly hilarious moments that some may recognize as being lifted straight out of their favorite Real Housewives episodes.

However, the narrative takes a darker turn when one of the cast members collapses and dies at a gala hosted by Birdie, setting off a murder mystery that disrupts the show's manufactured drama. Eden, who has been content to manipulate the lives of her cast for ratings, finds herself drawn into the investigation, revealing long-held secrets that threaten the future of the show.
As I mentioned earlier, the first half of the book flies by, and I found myself laughing out loud many times at the campiness of it all. The author is obviously a Housewives fan and combines the personalities of several fan favorites from across the franchise to develop her characters. I loved tying their quirks back to some of my faves.

While the premise is intriguing, the execution falters in the second half. The humor and energy that characterize the opening chapters begin to wane, and the pacing becomes uneven. Though initially engaging, the mystery becomes predictable, with its resolution lacking the spark and cleverness of the book's opening. I saw it all coming from a mile away.

Ultimately, this book is a fun, campy read that captures the absurdity of reality TV while offering a murder mystery twist. It's a story bursting with unforgettable characters and biting humor, even if it loses some of its sparkle along the way. Fans of The Real Housewives franchise or anyone looking for an entertaining, over-the-top escape will find much to enjoy here—just be prepared for a second act that doesn't quite live up to the promise of the first.

With the premise of this being a reality show with murder being an unexpected plot point of the season, I was really hoping to enjoy this book more than I did. I will admit to not being the biggest fan of reality television, but I’ve dabbled and found entertainment in it enough that I thought this book would interest me - and I was wrong. I’m unsure if all of the drama felt flat, or that our main characters were the “normal” ones in the cast, making their parts feel more bland than normal, and I seriously considered DNF’ing this book multiple times.

The first chapter begins with the “shocking” reveal of the murder, and then we backtrack months earlier to get to that point, and I honestly feel like this made the book drag more than was necessary. The entire time I was mentally waiting to just get on with it and didn’t care one iota about the underlying plot. I feel like the reveal of who is murdered kind of ruined the suspense, because the entire time I was both waiting for her to die, and also keeping an eye out on who would kill her. Also, no spoilers, but the murdered character has a past that - quite literally - has nothing to do with the plot. I understand it’s there as a red herring, but when absolutely nothing would have changed had this section been removed I ended the book wondering why I even wasted my time with reading those parts.

This isn’t necessarily a terrible thing, but since we start the book knowing who will be murdered - the actual culprit is obvious the entire novel, so nothing - down to how she dies - is really a shock. As well, the romances within this book felt blank and unnecessary, especially considering there is a romance with the character who is murdered - but then, the person she is with immediately gets together with her cousin! And while the book tried to go with the “they trauma-bonded together” angle, it felt extremely off and ended the book with a bad taste in my mouth.

Overall, I felt the pacing of this book to be extremely slow, with a majority of the runtime focused on the non-existent reality television show, and only near the end remembering that there was supposed to be a murder mystery plot. The investigation felt stilted and unrealistic, as well as how they caught the ones responsible for the events of the novel. I never really connected with any of the characters - even those we were clearly supposed to - and I felt bored the majority of this book, with my only thoughts to how unrealistic things were going, or wondering why I even cared about specific events that unfolded.

Also, this isn’t a real complaint, but we begin the book with our producer - Eden - who is very clearly an aromantic bisexual, and yet her desire to not have any romantic attachments is, by the end of the novel, portrayed as a negative that she had to “change” with therapy. No. She didn’t. The only thing she needed to actually change was how she approached her relationships, and how clear she made her boundaries around romance to those she had relationships with. It left an EXTREMELY bad taste in my mouth to end the book with her in a both romantic and sexual relationship, and to look back on her previous actions as a form of psychopathy she needed intensive therapy to learn from, and to realize that the start of the book was intended to portray this behavior as “odd” and “wrong.” Up until the very end I was expecting her and the other producer she idolized, who also had strong aromantic energy, to enter into a lesbian aromantic relationship. Instead, I get Eden by the end of this novel insulting and thinking the other woman is a heartless freak for not having those emotions that Eden started the novel not having either. This didn’t really have any real impact on the story but it really bothered me, as you can tell by the lengthy paragraph I’ve written about it. I want to be clear, I don’t believe the author intended for it to come across this way, but (at least for me) it very much did.

Thank you to Netgalley and Simon and Schuster for providing this e-ARC.

This was pretty much like reading scripted reality TV, all the characters are awful and petty. It’s fun but nothing that will really stick with you. Popcorn thriller

Thank you to NetGalley, author Astrid Dahl, and Simon and Schuster for providing me with a free ARC in exchange for my honest opinion!

One of my favorite books of 2024 has been Perfume and Pain by Anna Dorn, a story about a writer named Astrid Dahl. So when I saw a book being published by an author named Astrid Dahl, I was intrigued to see if this was a book written by the character-- and it is! Love fun little surprises like this hehe. Unfortunately, I didn't quite love The Really Dead Wives of New Jersey as much. Don't get me wrong, this book is juicy, hilarious, and entertaining, much like actual reality tv! I flew through it, and I did have a mostly enjoyable time reading it, especially for the first 50% of the book. However, there's a reason it's called The Really Dead Wives of New Jersey, and even though I was expecting someone to turn up dead, I thought the book got a little too campy and ridiculous once the deaths started happening. It is very satirical in a lot of ways, but because it's such a short book, the deaths felt too rushed for my personal taste. I think I also didn't quite see the character of Astrid in Perfume and Pain writing this exact book per chance, but now I guess I need to reread both to compare better! Interested to see it end on a cliffhanger though-- wonder what Ms. Dahl/Ms. Dorn are up to with it? Overall though, this is a fun book to pick up if you just want an easy, entertaining read that is full of divas, catfights, and one-liners.

I have never watched any of these types of reality TV shows. But when I read the description and saw a character with my name, I thought I might enjoy it. People behaving badly and a side of murder. Sign me up!
Over the top and dramatic characters made for a fun read. Just because I’m more of a mystery and thriller reader, I wish the murder happened earlier. That is definitely a me issue though. I do think if you like this type of reality TV, you will enjoy this book. 3.5 stars.

I did not make it very far into this book before I had to DNF. Interesting premise but I couldn’t get into it. It was too outlandish but at the same time, bored me to tears.

Perfume & Pain by Anna Dorn was one of my favorite books this year about an author named Astrid Dahl. So when I found out Anna was writing a book AS Astrid, I was foaming at the mouth for a copy.

You’ll love The Really Dead Wives of New Jersey if you love any of the housewives shows, rich people acting insane and messy, soap opera-y drama.

This was a fun, quick read and I definitely had a good time reading it. I’ve never seen any of the house wife shows so I probably missed tons of inside jokes. The characters were insufferable in a fun way.

I think it’s my own fault for going in expecting Anna Dorn because it didn’t feel like her writing. I did like it though and if you love the house wives shows or just messy trash reality tv, you’ll love it.

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC!

Man I’m an obsessed Jersey shore fan, so I thought hey why not with this book.. BUT I honestly didn’t like it as much as I thought I would have. The characters are shallow which is to be assumed since it’s about reality tv stars. But it was hard to connect with them.

The twists and turns aren’t really twisty and I figured who the killer was early on.

It was entertaining but not something I would recommend to my followers. I wanted a little bit more of deeper plots and characters.

3⭐
Genre ~ friendship/family drama
Setting ~ New Jersey
Publication date ~ January 14, 2025
Publisher ~ Simon & Schuster
Est Page Count ~ 287 (p+ 48 chapters +e)
Audio length ~ 8 hours 50 minutes
Narrators ~ Mia Barron, Sean Patrick, Emily Lawrence, Allyson Ryan, Devon Sorvari
POV ~ multiple 3rd
Featuring ~ debut, 4 parts, slow burn on the murder

There was a lot of craziness going on with a lot of crazy, shallow, awful, annoying characters. You know there might be a few too many when you are given a cast and crew list. I did appreciate it, though, so I could get a feel for who was who. Did I like any of the who's? Nope, not a one.

I have watched quite a few episodes of RHONJ. Haven't watched the latest season, though. Was I hoping for some crazy table flipping drama? Sure was! If ya know ya know 🤣
Happy to report ~ table flip ✔️ Seems Carmela is based on Teresa, since she's famous for doing that on the show. There was a woman on RHONY that has a prosthetic leg, so I'm guessing she was part of the inspiration for Valerie. The others are a mishmash of the other housewives.

So, overall, this was fine, but I do think it took a bit too long for the murder to happen. It will probably appeal to those that love shows like this because it reads just like the hot mess of one. There are even confessional transcripts to make it resonate more.

Narration notes:
I did not listen to this one, but am just giving the info above for reference. I am happy to see there are 5, so hopefully that worked out well.

The Really Dead Wives of New Jersey by Astrid Dahl just wasn't for me. If you're a fan of reality TV, especially shows like The Real Housewives, this might be the book for you. However, as someone who doesn't watch those shows and doesn't find them entertaining, I struggled to connect with the story. The book alternates between multiple points of view, but it often focuses on the idea that Hope just doesn’t fit in, which became a bit repetitive. If you’re not into reality TV, I’d recommend skipping this one. But if you love that genre, go ahead and give it a try!

As a seasoned Bravo fan, the idea for this is GENIUS. I mean, just imagine a season of Real Housewives with murder? And this was so obviously written by a RH super fan, because that aspect of the story was impeccably executed.

Honestly, this was a ton of fun. Simply a murder mystery set in a fictional reality show. Lots of twists and turns, fun lines, and the constant thought of ‘Imagine if this actually happened?’. Overall, if you’re a Bravo fan that loves this genre, I can’t recommend enough.

If you enjoy reality TV, you will probably enjoy this book. However, if you were hoping to read about a mystery to be solved within a reality TV setting, you will be disappointed - as I was - that the “page turning thriller” portion of the book doesn’t occur until you’ve read 60% of it.

The primary characters are as you would expect for reality TV stars - you’ve got the ditz, the mean girl, a rich old lady who seems drunk most of the time, the well-adjusted one, and the sensitive one. We really only get to know them in the context of the show so the characters seem shallow. But that is as expected.

Once the murder occurs, I was intrigued. But again, it happened so late, it was a slog to get there - for me.

The writing itself is very good. Never once did I have to stop and figure out what the author meant. Her descriptions are clear, and easily paint a picture of what is happening.

Thanks to NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this book.

My thanks to Net Galley and Simon and Shuster for allowing me to review this arc.

I really loved this book! Don't expect a literary masterpiece, but this was a fun, quick, easy murder mystery read!

Who killed a cast member of Garden State Godesses? That is the question. I felt like I was reading a reality TV show with the mystery thrown in and a cast of some unlikable characters. Really enjoyed this!

Really interesting take on the housewives industrial complex! I found the plot a bit hard to follow at times but in true housewives fashion, the reference guides were only a page away and the story wrapped up nicely at the end.

This is a fun quick read for fans of reality tv shows. I liked the behind the scenes look at the production of the Garden State Goddesses with Eden’s POV and a few of the scenes were over the top dramatic just like a real housewives episode. I wish there was a more in depth look into a few of the characters though, some character arcs felt incomplete

anna do--- oops! i mean astrid dahl! employs her humor and wit once again! as a real housewives fan of new york this book was right up my alley. however, it is no exalted if you ask me!!!

Unfortunately this didn’t hit the mark for me. I like bravo shows but it didn’t translate to the book unfortunately. Others may enjoy it more though!