As a BRAVO fan, I enjoyed this! It gets 3 stars for the easter eggs from RHONJ and other shows, but overall the execution fell flat. The character development wasn't there, and none of the characters (or the plot) felt fully fleshed out. It was rushed, and there was a lot of tell and not show. The idea was great, but it needed more substance to make it a compelling story. Without the Bravo easter eggs, I would've probably DNFed it.

As someone who dislikes reality TV, this book probably wasn't for me but after reading the synopsis, I decided to give it a try. The unlikeable characters and ridiculous outings were entertaining, but I felt that many scenes were drawn out and the story really didn't progress until the murder at the end of the first half. The murder almost seemed like an afterthought and although I did enjoy the conclusion of the investigation, it was pretty obvious who the culprits were from the beginning of the investigation.

The ending of this book does open up the possibility of a sequel, but I believe I am finished with the series as I believe I am not this author's intended audience. However, if you are a fan of reality TV such as The Real Housewives and Jersey Shore and like murder mysteries, you might enjoy this book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster Publishing for the opportunity to review The Really Dead Wives of New Jersey. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I hated the writing. I disliked the characters. The whole thing was tacky to me. I'mm not sure if its because this was a debut or what but this was not for me.

🍸The Really Dead Housewives of New Jersey🍸
By Astrid Dahl

Pages: 288
Rating: 3️⃣.2️⃣5️⃣
Book Goal 2025: 16/130

✨Did you ever watch any of the housewives shows? If so, which was your favorite?✨

I received this free book on NetGalley and Libro from @simon&sch. Thanks guys!

I went into this book expecting a mystery with some thrilling elements which is what I got. I will say I thought that there would be MORE mystery and less… commentary? It felt like there was a lot of filler information and not as much happening as far as tragedy. I was really hoping when I went into it that I was going to get an edge of my seat thriller but I should have known better. This is VERY popcorn mystery/thriller and less trauma thriller. Which is honestly what I should have expected considering it’s a thriller based off reality Tv. 😆 so unfortunately I did it to myself.

The book was fun and cute. The writing was decent, I think as a mood reader, I just wasn’t in the mood as much as I should have been. If you’re into popcorn thrillers, you will probably enjoy this! If you’re looking for more drama and tragedy, this wouldn’t be ideal.

If The Real Housewives had a murder mystery spin-off, it would probably look a lot like The Really Dead Wives of New Jersey. This book leans into the absurdity of reality TV, giving us over-the-top drama, lavish lifestyles, and plenty of backstabbing—both literal and figurative.

Parts of this book made me actually laugh out loud, which isn’t always easy to pull off. The ridiculousness was exactly what I expected, and the satire of the Housewives world felt spot-on. That said, while the premise was fun, some of the characters felt a little too exaggerated, making it hard to connect with them beyond the surface-level drama.

The mystery itself kept me engaged, and the pacing was solid enough to hold my attention throughout. While it didn’t completely wow me, it was entertaining for what it was—a light, campy thriller that doesn’t take itself too seriously.

If you’re looking for something fun and ridiculous with a bit of murder thrown in, this might be worth picking up. Just don’t expect anything too deep.

(3.5/5 stars)

The Really Dead Wives of New Jersey is a queer contemporary mystery by "Astrid Dahl" (aka Anna Dorn).

The book follows a group of people who are creating and starring in a housewife reality tv series from the fictional Huzzah network. I thought that was pretty funny, as a nod to Bravo. In fact, I laughed out loud a few times while reading this book.

It was initially hyped to me as a thriller. In fact, the publisher blurb calls it "a propulsive page-turning thriller." However, it didn't have the pacing that I tend to find in thrillers, so I'd really call this one a mystery over a thriller. I really wish that this book wasn't mismarketed! If I went into it as a mystery, I may have upped the rating a bit, and that's why I'm rounding up for this one.

The beginning felt a little on the slower side for me, but I was absolutely on board for the back half of the book. Overall, the plot felt pretty messy, but I feel like that was at least partly on purpose due to the subject material. In the physical book, there's a cast of characters listed at the front that I found helpful to figure out what was going on.

I really liked the format of the book, which has interstitial chapters that are transcripts from "confessional" interviews. I love seeing mixed media in my reads, and it was especially well done with the audiobook version, which has multiple narrators performing.

If you're a fan of dramatic chaos or reality tv shows, you should give this one a try!

Thank you to Astrid Dahl and Simon Books (@simonandschuster) for my copy of The Real Dead Wives of New Jersey. This book combines so many things I love; my odd fascination with catty reality TV, murder mysteries, and Anna Dorn’s Perfume & Pain. It’s basically the perfect antidote to what’s been a very long work week lol. TheReal Dead Wives of New Jersey reminds me a bit of the old Lifetime show UnReal that was a dramatized Bachelor-style show. I was obsessed with that first season and I might be obsessed with this book.

Blurb:

A propulsive page-turning thriller following the hit reality TV show Garden State Goddesses where secrets are uncovered, intense rivalries surface, and a startling murder propels a producer on a riveting quest for the truth.

I love The Real Housewives. I don't know. I guess I expected a little more out of this one. It was super shallow (yes, I know, but still... I wanted to like at least one character!!). It wasn't even just the characters that were shallow. It was everything really. It was just very surface level. Nothing scratched beneath the surface from characters to plot to setting even—kind of a bummer.

It’s best to go into this book with manageable expectations—if you’re looking for a serious literary mystery, look elsewhere. If you’re looking for a fun afternoon with lots of reality tv hat tips, you’ll be happy with this. I think there are a few too many characters to introduce in a book of this length and the plot is pretty shallow and predictable. That said, it’s a silly, simple romp for Housewives loyals.

Taking place on the set of a reality TV show, The Really Dead Wives of New Jersey was not what I was expecting. There was plenty of drama throughout the book, but it just wasn't very attention grabbing.

This was such a good time! As a housewives fan I was thoroughly entertained. It took me way too long to realize that this is the Astrid Dahl from Dorn's previous novel. Once this realization hit me I started enjoying the book more since I was aware of Astrid as a character.

Let me start by saying that a three-star rating in my book is not a bad one - I genuinely had a good time with this! As a MASSIVE reality TV fan, especially of The Real Housewives franchises, this felt tailor-made for Bravoholics. The little nods sprinkled throughout were such a treat—the network being called Huzzah (a cheeky Bravo reference), the taglines, the Italian cookie drama, and a housewife calling herself the Grand Dame. Every character had their own quirks, drama, and baggage, just like our favorite reality stars, making them distinct and entertaining to follow.

That said, the pacing threw me off a bit. I expected the story to focus mostly on solving the murder, but instead, the first half built up all the events leading to the crime, and the second half was where the mystery really kicked in. While I enjoyed the buildup, there were moments that dragged, and then suddenly twist after twist after twist in rapid succession. Some were predictable, some were totally over-the-top and soap opera-esque for my taste, and others were genuinely fun surprises. But maybe that’s the point? As a satire, it leans into the exaggerated, over-the-top chaos of reality TV, and in that sense, it works.

If you’re looking for a high-stakes thriller with a deeply layered mystery, this isn’t the book for you. But if you love reality TV, appreciate a quick and entertaining read, and don’t mind a little absurdity mixed in with the drama, The Really Dead Wives of New Jersey is a fun, easy ride.

I really enjoyed the first 35% of this book but then the rest fell flat for me. I absolutely loved the reality tv vibes - it really did feel as if I was just reading a Bravo TV series of trashy reality nonsense. But the way the book jumped from murder to back in time to present was choppy, and there were so many side characters and motives that it started to become boring. Nothing was developed, nothing went deep, and there were a ton of opportunities to do so. Overall just an underwhelming read.

It tried too much to be like the tv show. Yet it also didn’t always flow like it would be on a the show. It did keep my attention somewhat and I finished the book

If you are a housewives fan, this is absolutely the book for you. TRDEONJ is pure camp and absolute fun. This is a very fast read with characters who make you want to laugh and scream at the same time. This book veered and took a turn I wasn’t expecting and it made me enjoy the book even more.

Combine a Bravo franchise with a murder mystery and you get The Really Dead Wives of New Jersey. Very heavy on the Real Housewives lore with a murder or two mixed in the middle. What worked for me was the background on how reality tv works. The editing, the manipulation, and of course the drama. The crimes were just ok. Very easy to figure out who done it. Additionally, I’m not sure why this was penned by Astrid. Her voice was nowhere to be found. Overall a quick, easy fun read.

While this wasn't the best book I've ever read, it was FUN. As a Real Housewives fan, I had fun getting seeing all of Astrid Dahl's nods to the franchise, the confessionals, and her version of a "behind the scenes" look at her New Jersey women.

The writing was quick, captivating, and for the most part, very readable. There were a few moments of dialogue that felt unnatural and out-of-place. The characters were just the right amount of unlikable and would make for perfect television.

My biggest complaint with the novel is that Dahl tried to do *too* much. I understand that with this ensemble of cast, you have several different story lines. But it just felt like we'd wrap one thing up and then something more unbelievable would happen...and then the next....and then the next. Around the last 1/3 of the book, I kept expecting to be closer to the end than I was.

Overall, it was still a fun, campy read—if not a little unnecessarily long.

3.5 stars rounded down to 3 stars.

Trashy reality TV shows are my guilty pleasure, so of course I had to read this book. At just 288 pages, it was a quick and easy read. I really liked the format of the book and enjoyed the multiple POVs. It was a bit of a slow burn, taking awhile to get to the murder. The murder mystery kind of took a backseat to the rest of the drama. The twists were pretty good, but nothing super mind-blowing. Overall, it was an entertaining read. It wasn't my favorite mystery/thriller of the year, but I liked it enough that I would definitely read more from this author.

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for the gifted ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I love Anna Dorn, but I don’t think I love Anna Dorn as Astrid Dahl. This story was frustratingly vapid and campy but not in a fun way.

I loved Really Dead Wives of NJ. It's great for any housewives fan, but it dealt with queerness, reinventing yourself, and more.