The way I cancelled any plans to read other books in my TBR when I got pre-approved for this book. If you read Perfume and Pain by Anna Dorn, you'll know who Astrid Dahl is (and if you haven't read it, what are you waiting for???).

The Really Dead Wives of New Jersey is the story of the Fontana women who star the popular reality TV show Garden State Goddesses. These women are wealthy and have extravagant lifestyles that are exploited for public entertainment, but real drama starts when an outsider from California marries into the family and tries to adapt to their dynamics.

I don't want to give much away to avoid spoilers but the pacing of this comedy-drama-mystery is chef-kiss. Even though I'm not a big reality TV watcher, I found the writing very provocative and funny. I was pretty satisfied with the ending too. Highly recommend!

The Really Dead Wives of New Jersey takes a playful stab at reality TV culture with its campy and satirical tone. While not as laugh-out-loud funny or intricate as some of her other works, it still delivers a quirky, entertaining experience. For those who enjoy reality TV, this novel offers a fun, exaggerated glimpse into that world, but if you’re not a fan of the genre, the humor might not hit as hard. That said, Dorn's signature messy-girl energy remains, making it a quick and enjoyable read.

Thank you Simon & Schuster for emailing me this book in advance! Thanks netgalley, Anna Dorn and Astrid Dahl!!

Garden State Goddess is Huzzah’s third most popular show following the lives of Reneé Ricci, Birdie St. Clair, and Carmela Fontana. When Leo Fontana takes a new wife in Hope Bennett she quickly becomes not only a Fontana, but a Goddess too. And the cast seems very weary about this choice.

Much like any other reality show; secrets are revealed, feuds that have been festering for decades surface and a mysterious murder at a party leads the showrunner Eden to race to find the killer. Written by Astrid Dahl of Anna Dorn’s Perfume and Pain this book was the messy queer thriller of my dreams.

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. I did get into New York for a hot minute and do love Bethany, but that’s about as far as I’ve gotten. That being said, I KNOW this book embodies those women and is a love letter of sorts to the chaotic women that make up those shows. Paired with messy love affairs, queer and otherwise, and armchair detective work it really sets this thriller apart from anything I’ve ever read.

Thank you Simon & Schuster for emailing me this book in advanced. Thank you netgalley, Anna Dorn and Astrid Dahl 😉

Astrid Dahl was the lead of Anna Dorn's Perfume & Pain, one of my top new releases of 2024 (so far) and is high up on my list of favourite messy queer women protagonists. So ofc when I got the email inviting me to read her upcoming The Really Dead Wives of New Jersey, I said "uh, fuck yeah" to myself and immediately added it to my reader.

It came as no surprise that messy as fuck Astrid Dahl would write more messy as fuck queer women, and when you add on the fact that it's a murder mystery taking place during the filming of a trashy reality show, OF COURSE I'm going to love it.

I don't even care that the mystery wasn't all that mysterious bc I was having such a great time with the characters.

More, please.