Thank you to Simon and Schuster Publishing as well as Netgalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for a review. Honestly, I did not have super high expectations for this book as I am not a Real Housewives fan but the description piqued my interest enough for me to pick it up. I am happy to say I was very wrong. The Really Dead Wives of New Jersey is a funny, fast paced, satire of reality tv, and the lives these real housewife types have to portray to maintain a modicum of fame.

While the end does wrap up a bit quickly and a bit too neatly, I think the absurdity of it all is excused by the fact that the book is supposed to be a satire. If you are looking for something quick, funny, with a hint of mystery, I think you will enjoy this.

I recently finished reading Perfume & Pain by Anna Dorn, which is the fictional story of…Astrid Dahl! What better than to follow that read up with a book published by “Astrid”? Seriously, kudos to Dorn for doing something this fun!

This is THE BOOK for fans of Bravo’s Real Housewives shows. I mean it’s basically a literary riff on the shows, but add murder!

🍸 The cast of characters are cringey in a way you can’t look away from.
🍸 The secrets are lurking around every corner.
🍸 The drama is top notch.

There are even excerpts from the confessionals for readers to get that insider feel of watching a reality TV show.

My favorite part is how self-aware some of the characters are with knowing that their actions are cringe, but admitting they’re there for the money.

If you’re looking for fun and entertainment, this is it!

one of my most anticipated read of the year!!!! i LOVED perfume and pain and was so excited to see this book from 'astrid dahl'! it was a fun satire, PERFECT for real housewives fans!

This book is a perfect escape for anyone that is a fan of the Real Housewives franchises. There are so many fun nods to some of the craziest moments on reality television, It's fun to see how the author took that inspiration and spun it into a wild murder mystery tale. The outcome was a bit predictable for me, but I enjoyed the book and was entertained by the crazy characters. Would definitely read more like this.

So this book is a page turner, filled with lots of secrets and rivalries which leads a producer on a quest for the truth after a murder. Hope Bennett marries into the wrong family. With the marriage so many rivalries come to a boil which leads to a sudden murder. A murder no one was expecting. Eden is the show producer, and she wants to catch the killer. I would definitely recommend,

If you like campy thrillers like "Patricia Wants to Cuddle" by Samantha Leigh Allen or the TV show "Unreal," I think you would enjoy "The Really Dead Wives of New Jersey." I also love the meta-ness of Astrid Dahl being the author protagonist from my favorite "Perfume and Pain!" adding to the Anna Dorn literary universe...

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this eARC.

Astrid Dahl’s "The Really Dead Wives of New Jersey" doesn’t just grab your attention—it sinks its meticulously manicured claws in and doesn’t let go. Dahl offers a satirical exploration of suburbia that’s equal parts macabre and hilarious, sending her readers on a wild ride through the gilded chaos of cul-de-sacs and wine nights, where facades hide secrets far darker than a bad Botox session.

The novel centers on a group of women whose lives seem to revolve around their picture-perfect, high-society existence in New Jersey. However, when a neighbor turns up dead—under bizarre and suspicious circumstances—their carefully constructed reality begins to crack. What unfolds is an outrageous yet sharp commentary on status, privilege, and the lengths people will go to protect their image. Dahl blends dark humor with gripping suspense, resulting in a plot that’s as unpredictable as it is engaging.

The characters are a highlight—exaggerated, larger-than-life personas who feel like they’ve leapt straight out of a reality TV show (or your darkest nightmares). From the queen bee who rules the neighborhood HOA to the eccentric newcomer with secrets of her own, each character brims with personality. Dahl masterfully peels back their layers, revealing depths that range from relatable insecurities to shocking depravity. And as their friendships are tested and alliances shift, readers are left wondering just how far these women will go to save themselves—or each other.

What makes "The Really Dead Wives of New Jersey" stand out is Dahl’s voice. Her sharp wit and razor-edged prose elevate the novel from being merely an entertaining whodunit to a trenchant satire of modern suburbia. She captures the absurdities of luxury living and social hierarchies with precision, weaving in moments of laugh-out-loud humor alongside genuinely chilling twists.

For those who enjoy murder mysteries with a healthy dose of sass, social commentary, and surprises at every turn, Dahl’s novel is a must-read. Imagine "Desperate Housewives" colliding with "Big Little Lies", but with a ghostly (and gloriously over-the-top) twist that keeps you guessing until the very last page.

With its biting humor, compelling characters, and unpredictable plot, "The Really Dead Wives of New Jersey" is an indulgent and thoroughly satisfying read that you won’t be able to put down. Dahl has carved out a niche in the world of dark comedy mysteries, and this book is a fabulous addition to her repertoire.

Whether you're craving laughs, chills, or just some delicious suburban drama, this novel delivers it all—with style.

This book nailed the feel of reality television. It is a little slow, and I think someone the pacing and shift in focuse might have been better handled but overall I really enjoyed it! It felt like watching a reality show and I started to become so compelled that I had to find out what happened. I was not expecting the turn of events that took place but it was fun to find out where we were going.

The Really Dead Wives of New Jersey🔪🍸

A big thank you to NetGalley, Astrid Dahl, Anna Dorn, and the publisher Simon & Schuster for the eARC in exchange for my honest thoughts 💫🧚

Reality tv fans, look no further - you’ve essentially arrived at The Real Housewives of New Jersey, but with dead bodies!

I dabble in watching reality tv but have never seen Real Housewives, which I think would’ve enhanced the reading experience here as there’s probably plenty of inside jokes that went over my head. Even so this was a fun, campy read that kept my attention throughout!

Perfume and Pain by Anna Dorn was one of my favorite reads of 2024, which is about a character/ author named Astrid Dahl. This book was written by Anna Dorn AS Astrid Dahl, which was spot on knowing everything we know about Astrid’s character from P&P.

If you’re in the mood for fun, messy drama a la trashy tv shows, keep an eye out for this one when it’s published on January 14 🙂‍↕️✨

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.

This book seemed super promising but missed the mark for me. It’s marketed as a thriller/murder mystery but neither of those things were present.
The characters were all awful and shallow and I couldn’t develop any kind of connection with them. I did like the character reference sheet provided in the beginning and the confessional transcripts. What should’ve been a quick easy read took a month because I couldn’t get into it.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for allowing me to read this eARC.

One of the most popular shows, Garden State Goddesses, was in need of a refresh...more or less. Eden, who is the showrunner, decides she's going to take things in a certain direction...and thus, chaos ensues. Whenever I read this, I really and truly felt like I was in a reality tv show, it was quite comical actually. 😂 This focuses on the Fontana family, who currently live in New Jersey.

Hope and Hope's new SIL, Carmela, are both on the tv show. However, Carmela could be less than enthused that Hope is with her and tries to make her as uncomfortable as she possibly can. Eventually, someone ends up dead. Now everyone is acting suspicious and you're left with more questions than answers at this point! I was never sure who actually did it and loved guessing what was actually going on the entire book! She kept me engaged the ENTIRE TIME and it truly felt like a rollercoaster ride.

I wasn't too happy with how it ended, but that is just my personal opinion and overall really enjoyed the book!

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for a copy of this digital ARC in exchange for my review.
All opinions are my own. ☺️

As soon as I heard this book revolved around a reality TV show - I jumped at a chance to read an advanced copy! I LOVE some good reality TV. This book did not disappoint either, I felt like not only did I get the sense of a reality TV show unfolding before me, but I loved getting to be a part of the behind-the-scenes action as well.

Compulsively readable, this felt like binging a season of a reality show. It was fun and silly and also rather dark and surprisingly sad. I loved how nasty the characters were. The one major fault, I think, is that this doesn’t really work as a mystery. Maybe it’s not intended to be one, but I did feel a little let down when the murderer was so glaringly obvious and also, kind of boring. Would read Astrid Dahl again though!

📚 SIMON BOOK BUDDY ARC BOOK REVIEW 📚

The Really Dead Wives of New Jersey
By Astrid Dahl
Publication Date: January 14, 2025
Publisher: Simon & Schuster

📚MY RATING: ⭐⭐⭐✨
(Rounded Up To 4⭐)

Thank you to Simon and Schuster for this #gifted book through their #SimonBookBuddy program, and to NetGalley for this #gifted e-ARC of the book in exchange for my honest review!

📚MY REVIEW:

The Really Dead Wives of New Jersey really piqued my interest, as I was excited about the prospect of a thriller/mystery with a reality TV flare. There was definitely a lot of salaciousness and over-the-top drama in this read, much like you'd find in any season of similar reality show housewife antics, which was fun.

Unfortunately, there were absolutely no thriller components to this book, and its mystery was pretty minimal and buried within the same reality show writing style contained in the rest of the book. Listed as humor/satire, mystery/thriller, and women's fiction, it's probably true that the book is a little bit of all three of those genres. In my opinion, it's primarily satire, with a whole lot of reality TV sort-of drama.

The book features alternating chapters told from multiple POVs, and there's a mixed media component with confessional transcripts interspersed throughout the story. I didn't really enjoy many of the characters in the book, and their unlikeability didn't contribute to a better plotline. There were occasional laughs and biting one-liners, but meh. For me overall, the characters were either one-dimensional or so far over-the-top that I wanted to just skim through their involvement and move on to the next page.

If you're a fan of the Real Housewives franchise, you're probably going to LOVE this read! If you're not a fan of that kind-of reality show and you're picking this book up because you're hoping for a thriller set within a reality show storyline, this may not be your jam. I think if you go into this one knowing this is a satirical book that reads as if you're watching an episode of your favorite reality show, you'll enjoy this over-the-top ride!

#TheReallyDeadWivesOfNewJersey #AstridDahl #SimonBookBuddies #partner #ARC #NetGalley #NetGalleyReviews #thrilleraddict #thrillerlover #mysteryreads #booklover #bookreviews #bookrecs #bookrecommendations

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC of The Really Dead Wives of New Jersey by Astrid Dahl.

This is a beautiful intersection where murder mysteries and trashy reality TV combine, so if you like both, you're in luck!

The Garden State Goddesses has everything, thick NJ accents, family loyalties, ties to the mafia, and murder. But who is at the bottom of these crimes? And why would anyone want such entertaining broads to die?

It's catty, it's fun, it's silly. Definitely not a bad way to burn through while doing laundry. I recommend the audiobook for all the accents!

For those Housewife of (name a city) fans, this book should be a must read! It is hilarious, dramatic, filled with hate, deceit, egos and murder. It is so very good! The housewives in the story are composites of some of the real housewives. The most fun I had was trying to piece together which real character each character was based on! The book will catapult the reader into the dizziness of the multiple story lines of these well-developed pretty narcissistic characters with an ending made for television!

Hope Bennett is the newest cast member of the Garden State Goddess cast set in New Jersey. She is also the cousin of the producer of the series. She has recently married another cast member's brother, Leo. Carmela, the sister of Leo who is an original cast member and known for causing trouble is not pleased with the casting and will make sure Hope knows it every chance she can get.

The saga starts immediately when one of the housewives is found dead. The reader has no idea which, but that sets the story to go back in time which leads up to who the late cast member is.

Thus begins the story of each housewife, their backstory, their secrets, their drinking and drug problems and much, much more! At the end of each chapter, you will get a taste of each member's "confessional" and what it takes to get something out of each of them.

The story itself is a wild ride you won't want to get off and the ending will make you feel as if you were in an actual season of Real Housewives where there is hairpulling and lying, shock and horror and make-up and hair and drunk women galore! It was a very fun read!

Thank you #NetGalley #Simon&Schuester #AstridDahl #TheReallyDeadWivesofNewJersey for the advanced copy.

The Really Dead Wives of New Jersey takes us behind the scenes of the hit reality show Garden State Goddesses. To boost ratings, showrunner Eden Bennett brings her naive cousin, Hope, into the spotlight by orchestrating her marriage to Leo Fontana, a member of the show’s central family. As Hope navigates the treacherous waters of reality TV fame, tensions rise among the cast, leading to a shocking murder that turns the show—and their lives—upside down.

MUST READ for:
🎥 hilarious satire of reality TV culture
🕵️‍♀️ murder mystery
👯‍♀️ messy characters

This one wasn't a five star for me because I think I'm just not as into reality TV culture as I thought I was. But a reality TV fan would probably love it!
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC! All opinions are my own. 😊

Thank you to Netgalley and the Publishing Company for this Advanced Readers copy of The Really Dead Wives of New Jersey by Astrid Dahl!

Reality TV can be deadly, you just have to know where to look.

The Really Dead Wives of New Jersey follows a murder while filming one of those trashy wives of wherever reality show, which immediately tells you that there will be over the top drama, characters, and situations, which is all you need for a fun and thrilling book.

The characters are queer, dramatic, and oh love wonderful to love/hate.