OBVIOUSLY you don’t HAVE to read perfume and pain to enjoy this book, but it makes it 10x more fun. Everytime some crazy event or twist happened I pictured drunk Astrid typing away like a maniac. It really truly made this such a fun experience.

Objectively, the book is still fun without that. Housewives gone ABSOLUTELY wild. This book has it all. Cheating, cults, murder, anonymous drama accounts. I fear this book may be too campy for some but the people who get it will get it and love it.

3.75 stars! If you love reality tv - you will love The Really Dead Wives of New Jersey!. Set on the fictional reality show Garden State Goddesses, it’s a crazy mix of secrets, lies, and no one trusting anyone. The pages are filled with wild characters, dramatic showdowns, and grudges that go wayyyy back. It might take you a moment to keep track of everyone, but once you do, the story races ahead and you won’t want to put it down. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC in exchange for an honest review!

This was a bit lengthy but overall, I enjoyed the murder mystery aspect. The characters and dialogue werefox funny and i never got bored with the plot.

The Really Dead Wives of New Jersey by Astrid Dahl is exactly as fabulous and over-the-top as it sounds. After falling for Dahl in Perfume and Pain by Anna Dorn, I couldn’t resist diving into her debut—a sharp, hilarious skewering (and loving homage) of the Real Housewives franchise.

This book is so. much. fun. It’s packed with all the drama, glitz, and backstabbing you’d expect, but with a dark, murder-mystery twist that takes it to the next level. Sure, the plot is pretty predictable—but let’s be real, part of the magic of Housewives is their salacious predictability. If you love campy satire with a side of high-stakes drama, this one’s for you!

Written under the pseudonym Astrid Dahl, Anna Dorn’s character from her novel Perfume & Pain, The Really Dead Wives of New Jersey is for the Bravoholics among us, like me. In a nutshell, this novel is a dark comedy thriller set during the filming of a reality show very similar to the Housewives franchise, except there’s also a murder mystery or two. Is this a perfect book? No. Is this a silly fun good time? Absolutely yes. I’m not entirely sure if this would be as enjoyable for those who are not Bravo fans as the novel is filled with hilarious Easter eggs. My only wish is that this novel had spent more time on some of the character developments. At one point, there is a time jump & we are told that some major character relationships have developed but we don’t really get to see any of it which ends up taking some of the punch out of some of the more climactic plot points. Overall though, if you’re a Bravo fan looking for a quick, fun read, I would still recommend this, just don’t expect anything life changing.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for this arc in exchange for an honest review. M

This book was A bit slow, but if you’re a fan of the housewives, you may be into it. It just wasn’t for me.

Unfortunately, I had to put this one down. I couldn’t get into it.. the story was a bit too slow for me and I lost interest in reading.

This is just good, snarky fun! If you are a fan of the reality tv franchise, ‘Real Housewives’ of anywhere, then this is the book for you! This story centers around the fictional reality show, Garden State Goddesses, where everyone has secrets, everyone is lying, and everyone is suspicious of everybody else. It is filled with kooky characters, loads of over the top drama, and decades of old grievances. The murder in this book does not create a thriller, it is more of a catalyst to cause these quirky people to pursue the truth. And that’s where it really gets messy and insane! The cast of characters is big and it took me a minute to get them all straight but after that it is a quick read; fast paced, and highly entertaining. This would be a perfect beach read!

Thank you Netgalley, Simon and Schuster, and the author for this eARC in exchange for my honest review. This book will be available for purchase on January 14, 2025

Garden State Goddesses is ready to shoot it’s new season, and the newest member of the group is none other than Carmela and Valeria’s new sister in law, Hope. They all know Hope is hiding some sort of secret, and Carmela is determined to find out what it is and tell the world. Meanwhile Hope has moved from California to be with her new husband in New Jersey, and just wants to find some social connection. Will it be possible when Queen Bee Carmela hates her so much?

To be honest, I could see this actually happening on the Real Housewives of New Jersey. I also have the give the caveat, please don’t judge all of NJ by The Jersey Shore and Housewives tv shows, central Jersey does exist, and it’s pork roll! Now that we have that out of the way! This book was insane. I loved the drama, the cat fights, and the manipulation used by producers to make it all happen. I did feel so hard for Hope though. I know she was a producer but the way Eden played her was so sad. She was supposed to be family and look out for her! This book was legit reading Bravo TV and I just loved every second of it! If you are a bravo fan look no further than The Really Dead Wives of New Jersey. You will be as obsessed with this book as you are the shows!

Thank you to @simonbooks for my gifted copy of this book!

There will be lots of people who will enjoy this book! Fans of reality tv shows will gobble it up! However, I am trying to remember why I even started reading this one. It wasn’t for me, but if you like drama, you may enjoy!

I obviously had to pick this up when I saw it was a cozy mystery take on the Real Housewives franchise. As a book itself, it was pretty objectively bad BUT it is full of Easter eggs for Bravo fans and kept me entertained so I’m not mad about it!

Whole i thought this book had potential, it didn't do much for me. Fans of the housewives would like it, but I'm not sure anyone else would get the same enjoyment. I enjoyed the housewife references, and I thought the story could be pretty good. But the sentences were either too short and choppy, or too long and boring. I think if the writer worked on showing instead of telling, the book would have worked much better. Also, the build-up to the climax was all over the place. Honestly, I'm not even sure what the climax was sup,
posed to be. It was like she didn't know where to end it, so she kept adding more things to cushion the story. Sometimes that works, but again, it just fell flat for me. I'd be curious to see if she does a second one, as I would like to give it a second chance and see where the story leads us.

This book was not what I was expecting (not sure what I was expecting lol) but it was very fun and drama filled! I am a sucked for reality tv and loved the way this felt like I was watching it all play out, similar to watching a real housewives show. I feel like this would be a very good audiobook! While I was entertained, I also felt like it moved a bit slow at times and I didn't ache to pick it back up once I put it down. I still will recommend this and think people will love it!

4⭐️

Eden Bennet will do anything to get ahead at Huzzah, including talking her cousin who just left a cult to do a reality show. That's how Hope found herself on Garden State Goddesses with her new sister-in-laws, Valeria and Carmela along with a few other New Jersey royalty. While Hope is just trying to make new friends and build a life away from her ultra religious family, her new family doesn't trust her motives.

I'm not really a Real Housewives fan, but I do love drama from out of touch rich people and this fit that definition to a T! I really enjoyed the way this book looked at the way fame can change a person. Eden grew up just as sheltered as Hope but had no problem talking her into a reality show because she knew that the views Hope would bring would advance Eden's career. it was nice to see the way that Eden tried to make things better in the end.

I loved Renee; she seemed like a down to earth person who knew how to ramp up her personality to fit in with the rest of the housewives. She remained on the show for her daughter who wanted to be a singer and who can fault a mother doing what they can to give her kid an advantage? I also loved that she was an out and proud bisexual and that it wasn't some dirty little secret hinted at by the show. Without being a reality tv fan, this book was all around a blast!

Thanks Netgalley and Simon & Schuster for providing this ARC to me!

*in the tone of marie kondo* i love drama

i looked at some of the reviews and way too many people said this book felt like watching reality tv as if that is not the exact point of it. that being said i ate this book up and could use ten different spin-offs to keep accuracy going

This book intrigued me as I grew up in New Jersey. However, its gave me reality TV/jersey shore vibes which I never was a fan for. I don't think the book was bad just not for me ! Thanks NetGalley and Simon & Schuster

I read an ARC of Perfume and Pain and was given the opportunity to read this novel written by Miss Astrid Dahl herself. I knew what I was getting into— a satirical blend of reality TV drama with mystery. Perfect for fans of the "Real Housewives" franchise.

The book centers on five women on a reality show called *Garden State Goddesses* with an introduction of Hope, a new cast member from California. Hope joins the show after marrying Leo Fontana, whose family is already involved—his sister Valerie and sister-in-law Carmela are on the show. The drama ramps up when a cast member collapses during filming, forcing Hope’s cousin Eden, the show’s producer, to unravel the mystery while also confronting the fallout from her own manipulative actions.

This book is as over-the-top as you’d expect from a *Real Housewives* parody, packed with the kind of absurd drama that makes reality TV so addictive. The murder mystery takes a backseat to the satirical exploration of fame and how reality TV can change people—sometimes for the worse. While the plot isn’t deep or complex, it's a fun and fast-paced read, especially for fans of trashy reality TV. If you’re looking for a guilty pleasure read full of twists and laughs, this one hits the mark.

The Really Dead Wives of New Jersey
by Astrid Dahl was full of secrets, deception and lies. I enjoyed the storyline and the writing. The only thing that was a bit of a problem for me was there are alot of characters. Once I got the characters down and remembered each of the stories and background info, I was good to go! It was a fun. and addictive book to read. The author did a great job of wrapping up the loose ends and the conclusion was satisfying. Would definitely recommend this book to others!

Thanks to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster to the ARC

This book was exactly what you'd expect from a thriller based on <i>The Real Housewives </i> franchise--a ton of drama, ridiculous characters, rich people, extravagant events, and manipulative producers.

While I'm not a Real Housewives viewer, I am a reality competition TV show fan, so I found the producer perspective/aspect really interesting. The book alternated between narrative chapters and producer-led interviews, and I enjoyed the behind-the-scenes look at the edited video interviews I often see.

There was quite a large cast of characters and a network of relationships between them. There was a short description of the cast and their personalities and relationships with the other cast members at the start of the book which was a helpful reference. I was quite confused at several parts and found that referring back to that first page was very necessary.

Other reviewers said that the culprit of the murder was obvious to them. However, the crazy drama obscured that for me. Looking back, the signs were there and it should have been clear, but my view was fully obstructed by the ridiculous (and hilarious) shenanigans of the rich grown women.

Overall, this was a silly read and will be fun for reality TV show watchers.

Thank you to NetGalley + Simon & Schuster for this ARC!

A must-read for fans of Real Housewives. My newly gained addiction to RHOSLC made this book such a fun read. Dahl makes reference to true events that have happened in several of the franchises while also adding her own flavor. The story and characters quickly pulled me in. I will just say that the wrap-up took a bit longer than I felt it needed. My other bump is that with the chosen subject material and cast of characters, there's a certain barrier to entry emotionally. The writing and substance of the novel are fun but given the reality TV show lens means it's harder for me to get invested in the insane (compliment) plot and characters.