This was a good book! I definitely think the New Jersey stereotypes were overplayed in this book, but it was still entertaining. I like to use and mix of social media and influencer and TV in this book. It had some twists and turns and some unexpected situation, and it was really good.

Thank you to NetGalley, to the author, and to the publisher for this complementary ARC in exchange for my honest review!!!

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐
Genre: Mystery Thriller

The story is about a reality show, “Garden State Goddesses” that needs a makeover. When the showrunner, Eden, decides on the way that will give the show its much-needed facelift, things will get more chaotic and out of control.

I don’t want to reveal more about the plot, relationships, and the mystery in the book because I feel that might give away the interesting part of it which are not many. This story is less mystery thriller and more drama. The mystery part is hidden in the background and never manages to come to the forefront. The story has lots of drama, and by drama here I don’t mean it in a good way.

There are too many characters to follow for a short book. This is less than 300 pages, and having all these female characters made it more confusing. Unfortunately, the characters are not well developed. Yes, some of them are distinguishable from others, but even those needed more work to stay in my mind.

I think the story as a concept is quite interesting. The execution needs more work, though. I can’t pinpoint who will be the right audience for this book. I thought I was among them, but it ended up being an OK book. I hoped for something better reading the synopsis.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with the ARC of this book.

Thank you Simon & Schuster for the gifted digital ARC.

I'm sooo bummed to say I decided to DNF this one at 43%. As a big Real Housewives fan, this sounded so fun and very camp, but it ended up being a random hodgepodge of actual storylines from Housewives franchises and some actual dialogue, taglines, etc. mixed together in a way that just didn't work for me.

Ultimately it felt very derivative and unoriginal. An easter egg or two would have been fine, but it was definitely way more than that.

NetGalley is the only consumer site I will leave a rating or review for this book, I don't rate books that I don't finish.

This was a really fun thriller- housewives on the murder train. I really loved it! The characters were really entertaining.

Eden is the producer of a reality TV housewives of New Jersey show. When her California cousin marries into the Italian bloodline, the matriarch of the Ladies group cannot retract her claws. The story is engaging and enjoyable, although Eden is not the redeemable character we hope for all the time, she tries her hardest to solve the mystery of who killed her cousin and why.

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.