I really enjoyed this! Although once the death happened it happened really fast … and all at once … it felt excessive but I think it was supposed to? I also wish there were more tie ins to New Jersey outside of the tittle and the stereotypical Italian.

It has it all; glamour, humor, trash reality. It’s campy and over the top and I loved every minute of it. Did I guess a lot of the thrillers twists? Yes. But did I care? No because I was having too much fun with the characters. I myself, never dabbled too deeply into any of the real housewives franchises but always have seen the viral moments and understood the references.

This book mirrors the experience of watching reality TV—it's flashy, a bit outrageous, and you don’t necessarily have to pay full attention to stay engaged. Imagine the vibe of a low-stakes reality show, one that’s entertaining yet allows you to fold laundry in the background without missing much. The characters, plot, and murder mystery are about as deep as a kiddie pool. But while the depth may be lacking, the superficial charm of the story captures the absurdity of wealthy housewives navigating a social world full of envy, drama, and power plays.

Although the murder mystery doesn’t take center stage, it does add a splash of intrigue amidst all the interpersonal drama, arriving a bit late in the storyline and without any shocking twists. The culprit is easy to spot, so don’t expect any plot surprises that would make Agatha Christie proud. Still, the story holds a campy, guilty-pleasure appeal, particularly if you enjoy watching shows like Jersey Shore or The Real Housewives. It might not be a highbrow read, but it's a fun one, and it hints at a sequel, which fans of breezy drama might find tempting.

This was a fun read with some themes and actions taken from the actual television show based on New Jersey Housewives. That show is my guilty pleasure. Eden was a character that I did not love, and most times she annoyed me but if this turns into a series, she will be the main character throughout, it seems. Since this book is coming out in January, the author and editor have time to take out any references to Sean Combs and should do so immediately.

The reality show trope has been done a LOT over the years. Thus, in order for one to stand out, it needs to be well-thought out, unique, and plausible, with fantastic characters that we love or loathe. For me, the characters were of of no consequence—I did not care about them, which is just as well, as they got picked off pretty regularly. I really could not tell the point of the reality show, this, something more I didn't care about. It was a humorous story and the ridiculousness of it propelled me forward. The one character I did enjoy was Birdie. I appreciate the advanced copy from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you to Net Galley and Simon & Schuster for the ARC. This was a really fun read. This book follows a reality tv show that Eden is the showrunner for. The cast of the show is full of different personalities that clash in the way you want people to clash on reality tv, making this a really fun read. I loved all the POVs, it was fun to figure out the secrets by putting the pieces from the POVs together. This was a really fun and dramatic read and I enjoyed the murder mystery aspect too.

This book was a sort of interesting blend of Real Housewives and Desperate Housewives. I was expecting it to be so much more but instead felt let down with almost too many characters and a plot that seemed to go nowhere. I didn't care for any of the characters and the humor was lacking.

This book somehow encapsulated everything I enjoy about reality TV housewives with a sprinkle of murder mystery. This story had a large cast but since everyone had such different personalities it was easy to keep straight who was who. This was messy, petty, and over the top as it should be. I found the mystery element to be a bit predictable but I had so much fun reading I really couldn't care. I cannot wait to read more by Anna Dorn ;)

p.s. If you haven't read Perfume and Pain?? what are you waiting for?

I love messy women lol!
This book is packed full of shallow people, living shallow lives, and saying shallow things. Reality TV in a nutshell, basically. I will say that I guessed the killer quite early on and a lot of the twists were predictable but it was still a fun read and easy to get through.

The Really Dead Wives of New Jersey is a wildly entertaining thriller perfect for fans of reality TV! With a cast of eccentric characters like the bold Carmela Fontana, glamorous Birdie St. Clair, and fierce Renee Ricci, this book feels like you’re watching the juiciest season of your favorite reality show—but with a deadly twist. When Hope Bennett marries into the infamous Fontana family and joins the cast of Garden State Goddesses, secrets come to light, rivalries explode, and a shocking murder shakes things up.

Eden, the show’s producer, takes us on a suspenseful, thrilling quest to uncover the truth while navigating the drama and chaos behind the scenes. This fast-paced, page-turning mystery is full of twists, making it hard to put down. If you love high-stakes drama, campy humor, and a thrilling whodunit, you won’t want to miss this!

An all star cast that has secrets, throws shade, gossips and behaves badly. But when one is murdered leads to things that no one is prepared for. Some humor, but overall a fast read.

2.5 rounded up. I should start off saying that I'm not a fan of "reality TV", which is exactly how this book read. I think that it was cute but very far fetched.

3.5/5

This was such a unique book!

I decided to read it because the title sounded interesting and the premise sounded like so much fun...and I was right!

I especially appreciated how this book read like a script outline for a reality tv show (which it is based upon) and how there were moments intercut from the characters doing their talking heads (or confessionals) moments. I thought that was a really nice touch and really added to the vibe and what was going on with this story.

Think Real Housewives but then there's a mysterious murder and even more dramatic secrets (alongside the usual drama you'd find in that type of show).

This was such a fun and easy read and, weirdly, a sort of palate cleanser of a thriller.

Thanks to NetGalley for the e-ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review! My Goodreads review is up and my TikTok (Zoe_Lipman) review will be up at the end of the month with my monthly reading wrap-up.

This novel was like turning on Bravo in book form and binging until you hit the last page. Easy, fun, queer, and satisfying read!

I was intrigued by the premise of this one but ultimately not for me. Too many characters and surprisingly a slow paced plot. I expected it to be quick and witty.

The world of reality television is fascinating to me, so I was intrigued by the concept of the book. It revolves around the cast and crew of their version of The Real Housewives of New Jersey. I enjoyed the drama that took place in it, but it took way too long to get there. It got a bit cartoonish towards the end as well.

Thanks as always to NetGalley for the ARC.

The story follows producer Eden Bennett as she navigates secrets, intense rivalries and a shocking murder that propels her on a guest for the truth. My full review has been post to my Goodreads which I have linked below! Great read!

This book had some of my favorite things: reality TV, drama, insane characters, and lots and lots of mess. I love the Real Housewives franchise, and Anna Dorn's writing, so this was the perfect combo for me. I loved the crazy personalities, the subtle Bravo references, and the general plot. This was truly an ode to reality tv - I could tell what traits were taken from real reality personalities. It was a super fun read that kept me entertained and laughing in the way only AD can do.

Thank you to Simon & Schuster and NetGalley for the ARC.

It's probably no surprise when I say that reading this book is a lot like watching a reality TV show. Not one of the really exciting ones à la the original Temptation Island from the early 2000s, but something more like Sister Wives where you can leave it playing in the background while you do something else and not really feel that you're missing anything. It's entertaining and it's interesting enough, but ultimately there's not really a whole lot of depth to it.

Expect lots of shallow. The characters are shallow, the murder mystery is shallow, and the plot itself is pretty shallow. That doesn't necessarily mean that it's not worth reading, however. I mean, it is a book about rich housewives from New Jersey – no one is expecting a Crime and Punishment level storyline here. It's trashy and overly dramatic and ridiculous and a good portion of the characters are awful people, but it never really could have been anything else. I've never watched any of the Real Housewives franchise, but this book is exactly what I imagine watching one of those shows would be like … although as far as I know, none of the actresses from The Real Housewives of Orange County/New York City/Atlanta/New Jersey/etc. were ever murdered while filming.

The murder mystery honestly takes up a lot less of the plot than I imagined it would, though. I don't remember exactly when the murder actually takes place, but it's definitely in the second half of the book. And don't expect any Agatha Christie-level twists and turns – it's pretty obvious who did the deed from the very beginning, and Eden is definitely not Hercule Poirot.

But, yeah. If you like reality TV of the Jersey Shore variety, there's a decent chance you'll like this book. It's not fine literature by any means and it's certainly not deep, but it's kind of campy and entertaining. It's obviously set up for there to be a sequel, and while this wasn't my favorite read of all time or anything, I'll probably check out the next book just out of curiosity.

My overall rating: 3.45 stars, rounded down.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for providing me with an advance copy of this book to review. Its expected publication date is January 14, 2025.

This had everything that I wanted from this type of book, I enjoyed the concept a lot and that the characters worked well overall. It was written in a unique way and that the characters had that element of belonging that worked. I enjoyed the way Astrid Dahl wrote this and it left me wanting to read more from them.