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.

Thank you Simon & Schuster for the copy of The Really Dead Wives of New Jersey by Astrid Dahl. This was a short, fun romp, but ultimately wasn’t for me. There were too many characters, so many we needed a “cast” list at the beginning, and not a single one was very personable. I think you will love this if you like “The Real Housewives Of” shows and gossipy women. 2.5 stars rounded up to 3.

This book had so much character!

Super fun and easy read.

This was my first time reading any novels by the author but will not be the last. I really enjoyed hose loveable and lively the characters were. This was a seamless read. I really enjoyed how I could relate to each character and loved and hated them at the same time.

A little predictable BUT it did not ruin the story for me.

Super entertaining and unlike any story that may be similar. This one is for the fans of real housewives or other likewise reality shows. I personally struggle with books with a lot of characters, so in that aspect, there was too many characters to keep track of given the storyline. Otherwise, the writing style was great and it was quite entertaining!

I could see the killer coming a little too early on and I wish it had leaned into the send-up a bit more, but this was adequately entertaining.

If you are wondering what this is about, it’s not the book for you.

“Garden State Goddesses” is a hit reality show on a second rate network. When Hope Bennet marries Valerie’s brother and Carmela’s (really?) brother-in-law Leo she doesn’t just become a member of the Fontana family, she also becomes a Goddess.

That’s because her cousin, Eden, produces the show and she’s the one who introduced Hope and Leo. Hope joins Valerie Dulce, Carmela Fontana, Renee Ricci and Birdie St. Clare on Huzzah network’s fifth most popular show. And this season, with the addition of Hope secrets and old rivalries will be revealed. These will lead up to a big finish….huge.

The book has a large cast, and the reader will likely guess a fair amount about what is going on. It’s relatively cute, even though there’s not much mystery to the mystery; it’s more a send up of the shows and how they are made. Fans of the Housewife ves will likely find it fun.

This is like The Real Housewives but in book form. It did not hit for me like I had hoped. I thought it was going to be a bit more of a thriller than a drama. I got confused by all the characters backgrounds at the beginning and then I just gave up on who was related to who by marriage or not. I did like drama, the backstabbing, and gossip. I liked the behind the scenes look and interviews too. Overall I give it a 3.5.

I read this in a day! This is the Queer, Guilty Pleasure, Trashy, Family, Romance, Oh SNAP, WTF book I have been waiting for!
Desperate to catapult her career, Eden convinces her naive cousin to join the Garden State Goddesses reality show.
Told from various perspectives, the vicious and loving plot keeps a hard pace. Intense attraction. Sapphic. I pre-ordered a copy I loved it so much.

The Really Dead Wives of New Jersey follows the cast of a reality TV show, Garden State Goddesses. The show (and book) has everything a hit reality show needs - friendship, rivalries, secrets, flashy cars, and cat fights. Oh, and murder.

This book is punchy and fast-paced. The cast of characters are over-the-top and surrounded by drama at all times. It's really everything a reality TV fan could ask for in a book. Sprinkle in a little murder mystery, and you have a fun, quick read on your hands. The confessionals format was really the icing on this reality TV themed cake.

Thank you to Simon & Schuster and NetGalley for the eArc of this book!

Raucous good time. Astrid Dahl has truly written a thought provoking yet hilarious look into reality TV. My favorite.

Thank you to Simon & Schuster and NetGalley for providing an eARC for a honest review.

(3.5/5, rounded up)

In case you've never read any of my reviews, I am in love with Anna Dorn's writing. I will recommend any and all of her books to anyone and anything that is able to absorb her words into their brains, don't care how.

Astrid Dahl, however, is sadly just not my jam.
Going into this I was already weary since I'm not a fan of any of The Real Housewives series, nor do I like KUWTK. I'm down for reality TV, that wasn't the problem. Like in the tv shows, you get 873645 characters thrown at you at once and are expected to be able to keep track of them all. (*I do want to note here that toward the front of the book there's a list of each cast member along with a snippet of info as to their relationships/backgrounds. That would have been so so so so helpful if I had the a physical copy, however I had a kindle version and wasn't able to jump to that page very easily. Yes, I'm lazy. Yes, that's perhaps more of a "me" problem than the book's problem. You know what opinions are like, right? Everybody has one? They all stink?) Ideally this will be resolved for the final, official copy - I can't imagine it wouldn't have a direct link like each chapter of a book often does.

Even without so many names though, I likely would still only give this 3.5/5. The "deadly" part of The Real Deadly felt like it was hardly mentioned. I'll give you a simile, "Deadly" is to the title as the 5sec teaser of a reality tv show's next ep that's really way more about random, pointless drama than anything having to do w said teaser is to RHOBH's full episodes.

The more I think about it the more I feel like this just wasn't for me personally, but could definitely be right on the mark for another brand of unhinged girlie.

PS Since this is by Astrid I can still say I'm obsessed w ALL of Anna's books, right? Ugh

{Thank you bunches to NetGalley, Astrid Dahl, Anna Dorn and publisher Simon & Schuster for the eARC in exchange for my honest review!}

The Really Dead Wives of New Jersey by Astrid Dahl is a wickedly fun murder mystery set against the backdrop of reality TV drama. When Hope Bennett marries into the powerful Fontana family and becomes part of the Garden State Goddesses, tensions flare, and long-buried secrets come to light. A sudden murder shakes things up, and the show's producer, Eden, scrambles to solve the crime while keeping the most dramatic season on air.

Packed with humor, scandal, and suspense, this book is an entertaining read that blends reality TV chaos with a whodunit twist. Fans of drama-filled mysteries will love it!

A fun and campy read! If you love the Real Housewives franchise, this book is going to win your heart! A pure gem of a read, satirical and entertaining.

I love a reality show but what I love even more is a behind the scenes story.
In Meet the Garden State Goddesses, we get both ! A very familiar story of wealthy vicious women who are
encouraged to partake in drugs and alcohol to fuel on screen drama.

Eden is the somewhat heartless show runner who has brought her cousin in as a ringer. Little does she know, the seemingly innocent Hope
has secrets of her own. I loved the beginning the book and could have read that story forever. But, as the title reveals, someone dies - I liked that portion as well but just not as much. Astrid Dahl has a great plotting pace and voice and I can't wait to read another book she writes!
#simon&shuster #thereallydeadwivesofnewjersey #astriddahl

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for gifting me this book for free in exchange for my review! All opinions are my own.

Wow! This was an amazing book ! I couldn't put it down. I needed to know how it was going to end. If it's possible, I may say that this book is even better than Perfume and Pain. This book was super addicting and juicy and I absolutely loved it! I hope Astrid Dahl writes more books in the future (and perhaps in collaboration with Anna Dorn??) ;)

Pick this book up January 14th 2025. You won't regret it!


Many Thanks again to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with this book in exchange for my honest review.

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The Anna Dorn literary universe has expanded once again with The Really Dead Wives of New Jersey. This was a fun book! Anna Dorn/Astrid Dahl is one of my favorite authors, and her newest novel did not disappoint. A fun thriller with a reality TV backdrop that’s perfect for people who crave good drama stories and piping hot tea. Dorn/Dahl is a master at writing really interesting characters and their interpersonal drama, and for someone who is a fan of her work, you will not be disappointed.