This book was an odd little ride, to say the least. While the title promises quirky fun, the story itself lacked a clear direction, often feeling scattered and unsure of its path. The premise had potential, but the execution left me wanting more in terms of plot cohesion and character development.

That said, there were flashes of wit and creativity that kept me turning the pages. The author’s style shows promise, and while this book didn’t fully deliver for me, I’d be open to reading more from them in the future. A decent read, but it fell short of its intriguing title.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

This was such a witty read! It is extremely rare that a book will both keep me intrigued and guessing at the same time, and this one did both!!! Being a huge fan of reality tv, combined with my loved for reading, this was an absolute perfect combo!!!

3.75 stars- I have been an OG housewives fan since the days of Vicki Gunvalson and Gena Keough took over Bravo while I was watch reruns of The West Wing…anyways, I digress. This is a great mystery palette cleanser for anyone who also loves watching any show in the Bravo universe. It’s campy, funny, and full of nods to the Bravo wives.
Other than that reason, I read Perfume & Pain last year and it was one of my favorite books of the year. When I got approved for this arc I literally was jumping up and down in full fan girl mode. I am here for anything Anna or Astrid writes.

Thank you to NetGalley & Simon & Schuster for my digital arc of this in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced digital copy of this book.

Where do I begin? This is supposed to be a takeoff on all the "Real Housewives" shows, and, in a way, it is. There are all the usual characters: the bully, the shy one, the dumb one, the drunk one, the one with all the money she can ever spend (and rumors about how she got it), the one who is poorer than the others, even the one with a prosthetic (this time a foot)! Oh, and of course, the mouthy one who loudly proclaims that the only things in life worth having are all Italian (but is she GREEK?).

When a new, young girl marries into the family of two of the Golden Goddesses, no one knows much about her and her sisters-in-law don't know what to think of her. She comes from California, but not the glamorous part, she sings and writes songs, but not the showy ones they like, and worst of all, she is NOT Italian!! But she is the new flavor of the month on THEIR reality show, so they want to find out everything.

When she is murdered, the race is on to find the killer. Then there are a couple more murders, and rumors of two more in the past, and who is this mysterious woman who shows up, presenting herself as a hometown friend of the murdered housewife? Add in a couple (or more?) lesbian love affairs, and you have a real mess.

I am not the target audience for this book, but I slogged through it just to finish and find out if there had been any point to it. There hadn't.

The Really Dead Wives of New Jersey is a darkly comedic and suspenseful mystery that will keep readers on the edge of their seats while laughing out loud. Astrid Dahl's debut novel serves up a delicious mix of mystery, wit, and sharp social commentary, wrapped in a fast-paced, twist-filled narrative.

Set in the upper crust of New Jersey's suburban elite, the book follows a group of seemingly perfect housewives who are bound by their shared history, friendship, and the one thing they can’t quite shake: the fact that they’re all dead. Or, at least, mostly dead. The novel opens with the murder of one of the wives in a particularly grisly and dramatic fashion, and from there, Dahl takes readers through a series of complex, twisty revelations that uncover secrets, betrayals, and a whole lot of hidden skeletons in the closets of New Jersey’s wealthiest.

What makes The Really Dead Wives of New Jersey so compelling is its rich characterization and the unique blend of humor and horror. Dahl’s sharp prose is often laced with dark humor, making it easy to sympathize with characters who are far from perfect, yet incredibly relatable. The "dead wives" are far from your typical ghosts; they are complex, multidimensional women with unresolved issues from their lives—and deaths—that they can’t quite escape. Through these characters, Dahl delivers biting critiques of the pressures of suburban life, the illusion of perfection, and the secrets we all keep.

The pacing of the book is incredibly tight, with each chapter revealing just enough to keep the mystery rolling while also peeling back layers of personal history and relationships. Dahl’s talent for building suspense is clear, and her ability to blend the supernatural with the mundane is masterful. Even when the plot takes outlandish turns, it never feels contrived or forced.

One of the novel's standout aspects is its exploration of female friendship and rivalry. The relationships between the dead wives feel real—complicated, messy, and filled with both affection and competition. It’s a fun, yet poignant, commentary on how women navigate power, envy, and loyalty in a world that constantly expects them to fit a certain mold.

However, while The Really Dead Wives of New Jersey is a page-turner full of sharp humor, it’s also a story about redemption and finding peace with the past. Dahl expertly balances the humor and suspense with deeper emotional moments, allowing the characters to grow—even from beyond the grave.

Final Verdict: For fans of quirky mysteries with a dark edge, The Really Dead Wives of New Jersey is a must-read. Dahl's inventive storytelling, memorable characters, and clever twists will leave readers eagerly flipping the pages. It’s a book that doesn’t take itself too seriously, but beneath its humor lies a smart, thrilling tale about life, death, and everything in between.

As a Housewives fan, this was such a delightful read -- I loved the plentiful Easter eggs peppered throughout! The format made it super un-put-downable, between the varying perspectives plus the talking head interviews...just a super fun book.

Thanks to Net Galley and the publisher for approving this ARC. I rated the book three stars. It features five women on a reality show called "Garden State Goddesses." I liked most of the characters, but the character development could have been better. Also, there needed to be more development for the plot in general. The entire concept was really interesting and the author really brought the drama. The murder occurs in the second half of the story and I felt it should have happened much sooner. I appreciated the overall message about how fame can change people. I would like to see more from the author in future.

Will add review to goodreads soon. I really enjoyed this one.

“The truth always comes out and trust me, this convo is full of it…there will be two signed books to giveaway too! Because who doesn’t want a little more truth (and maybe a few more secrets) delivered right to your door?”

My trashy reality tv loving heart absolutely ate this book up! Omg it was like The Real Housewives meets Jerseylicious! I was loving the drama, the mystery and the true crime. The goddesses were so fun, and I loved seeing all of their different personalities. Meeting the show runner, Eden and the crew was an added bonus. I wish we got a little more character development from the goddesses, as well as a deeper look into Hope and Renee’s relationship. I felt like we skipped a bunch that could have been fun to read. I also wished the ending was wrapped up nicer. It kind of left off as a cliffhanger. Overall I thought it was a fun read, and definitely paid homage to reality tv.

Thank you Simon Books and Netgalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I had a lot of fun with this one being a huge fan of all of the "Real Housewives" shows. I really enjoyed the characters, they were just as bitchy and delusional as I expected/wanted them to be. I loved that Eden was a producer and all that happened....oh boy! I thought the writing was really great and I loved the parts where they were in the confessional. I will be recommending this to so many people.

I am an avid housewife watcher. I love everything Bravo. Getting an ARC for this book felt like a real win. Unfortunately, I did not love this story. I felt like it was over the top and almost parody-like. Maybe if I had gone in expecting that my outlook would be different, but I felt it was farcical and didn't hit the thriller notes the way I anticipated. The plot took awhile to pick up and then I felt that a lot of it was predictable.

Overall, not a poorly written book but definitely not my cup of tea.

Thank you to Simon & Schuster and NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

As someone who once loved the trash TV that was the Real Housewives franchises, I naturally had to read Astrid Dahl’s BravoTV-inspired novel, The Really Dead Wives of New Jersey. Dahl takes everything that you love (and hate!) about reality TV and spins a murder mystery around it, creating a novel that fans of the Housewives franchises will find a lot of fun to read.

Clearly inspired by one of the Housewives’ more stunning series - the Real Housewives of New Jersey - this book focuses on a group of closely connected Italian-American women starring in the Huzzah network’s hit series, Garden State Goddesses. As you can imagine if you have ever watched RHONJ, more than one cast member is related, and they don’t take kindly to strangers. So when a new Housewife marries into the family and joins the show, the claws come out. Someone is obviously going to wind up dead, drumming up more scandal and publicity than the Huzzah network execs could ever manufacture on their own.

After reading this novel, I can’t help but wonder why no one dreamt up a Housewives-inspired novel before now, as it a prime breeding ground for juicy, page-turning reading. This book is just as gossipy as your favorite Housewives’ franchises, and even comes complete with “Confessional” transcripts where the Housewives dish out the dirt and stab each other in the back.

The Really Dead Wives of New Jersey is first and foremost written for Housewives fans, as they will appreciate the various nods to the “real” Real Housewives and their nefarious machinations. This book has jaw-dropping table flips, all-out family wars, ingenue outcasts, and bratty children aspiring to their own star. Add in an honest-to-goodness murder and you have all the makings of compelling reality TV.

There are some things that don’t work with this novel, however, including the fact that once the murder takes place, the book feels rushed, quickly pulling together bits and pieces from various sources to create a narrative that is neither surprising nor shocking. Things happen quickly and without warning in this story, and I found myself having to go back and re-read passages several times because I missed the introduction of a new plot point. I think this novel could have used a more fleshed out plot, as well as tighter editing, but it is still a fun read. Reality TV isn’t perfect, nor is it believable, so why should this book, rooted in reality TV, be any different?

Recommended to fans of the Real Housewives franchise!

Garden State Goddesses is one of the top rated shows on Huzzah: fan favorite Renee is an openly bisexual single mom; Carmella is the network’s dream villain; Birdie has several late husbands to her name, each one wealthier than the last. But for the upcoming third season, show runner Eden needs something truly special.

Hope’s Californian childhood was less surfing and sand and more Bible studies and choir practice. Her father was a founder of the Brother God community and it took to adulthood for Hope to leave. A call from her cousin Eden is her escape — a chance encounter blossoms into romance and now Hope is the newest Goddess. Eden’s betting big on her naive, outsider cousin winning over the hearts of viewers.

But when one of the cast collapses while filming, it quickly becomes evident the drama isn’t only on-screen. An anonymous Instagram account gleefully spilling ALL the tea, possible mob connections, and multiple pasts coming to light are only the beginning.

THE REALLY DEAD WIVES OF NEW JERSEY is gossipy and capital-D Drama, exactly the book I wanted to sink into during a snowy weekend! There’s backstabbing galore and cast confessionals, secret lovers and scandals. While this one won’t be lauded by the literary crowd, fans of reality tv will have a blast.

I tried really hard to get into this one, and while I'm really thankful to Simon Books, Netgalley, and Astrid Dahl for granting me advanced access to this title, I think I'd much rather hand it off to a friend for them to take a stab at it.

The Really Dead Wives of New Jersey explores the world of reality TV and gives readers a sneak peak into the backend of the fictional world of the reality show of the Goddesses of the Garden State. To me this book was a nice break from my typical reads and brings something to the market that I haven’t seen before. My biggest qualm with the book is the pacing - I feel like the author should have spread out the main plot points over the entire book instead of having them all pretty much occur within a few chapters. It just felt like a lot happening all at once. That being said, I do understand the beginning of the book needed to “world build” for the show. Overall this was a quick, easy read! I think it is a good read for reality TV lovers or anyone who wants the drama of reality TV, but in a book.

Thank you to NetGalley & Simon & Schuster for the eARC.

I love any book set in a reality TV show setting, and this one was no different. So much drama packed into this, I loved it.

For fans of the Real Housewives Series and thrillers, this book is for you! A fast paced thriller trying to find who the dead body may be and who may have done it! Filled with fun Housewives Easter eggs, this book is hilarious with fan favorite moments. A great, witty, fast paced read.

I will say, the one thing that bothered me the most is that most sentences started with someone’s name. I don’t know if it’s something that is always there but I just noticed it more in this book. I kept telling myself to look past it and to read on. Did wish the ending was a little faster, once we learned who the killer was the story after could have been wrapped up much faster.

As a reality TV fan, reading The Really Dead Wives of New Jersey felt exactly like that — watching an entertaining, wildly dramatic TV franchise. Though I am a stranger to the Real Housewives, it was obvious to me that Astrid Dahl was riffing off the Real Housewives of New Jersey.

The novel follows five women, four season regulars and Hope, the showrunner's cousin who she brought in as the "outsider"/girl-next-door character. Prior to the show's filming, we see Hope's wedding to Leo Fontana, a member of the show's infamous, super Italian Fontana family. The series regulars are also related or have married into the family, and half of them make it clear early on that they don't approve of Hope's addition to the show. As the story progresses, we learn the truth about Hope's past and many other secrets the members have been hiding.

Although there were multiple characters (we are talking about a reality TV show cast and crew), it wasn't hard to follow. Each member of the show fit their assigned reality show personality, and the story moved quickly. However, I will say that it was a little too easy to solve the murder mystery. Maybe it was just me that expected a huge twist and because there wasn't one, the novel read more as a drama than a thriller. After reading it, I'd give it a solid 3.5/5.

Thank you to Simon & Schuster and NetGalley for the ARC.

Thank you to Simon & Schuster for the #gifted copy and to Simon Audio for the ALC to review.

Oh my I loved this book so much. Full disclosure, I am a huge Real Housewives fan, so I was able to relate to a lot of what was in here and super enjoyed the actual housewives quotes at the front of each chapter. This was off the rails in the best way, but that is to be expected from the title and topic, and as such, I thoroughly enjoyed it. I loved this via audio, and thought the banter in the ‘confessionals’ was hilarious, and probably not that far off in how it really goes on the actual show tbh (minus the murder of course.) If you can suspend disbelief knowing what you are in for, OR if you are a Bravo fan, then you will definitely be entertained and enjoy this book.

I don’t watch a ton of reality television. I just didn’t grow up watching it and so it’s just not something I think to watch as an adult. The only shows I tend to watch are the Bachelor (when we have girl’s night), Design and Home shows, Big Brother (because my husband’s family are die hard fans), and now The Secret Lives of Morman Wives. I’ve watched a few others, and honestly I’m not sure why I don’t watch more, I love me some messy drammaaaa!

Coming off my binge of The Secret Lives of Morman Wives, I was so ready to jump into The Really Dead Wives of New Jersey. Catty drama AND a murder mystery, YES PLEASE! & just like you would expect from a Housewives season, this sure was messy and not necessarily in the best way.

Things I loved, catty housewives, a peep behind the scenes of reality TV, and Birdie. Things I didn’t: swallow character development, extremely unlikable characters, the plot is hanging on by a thread, and overall trying to ‘do’ to many things. Plus, for having ‘Dead’ in the title, the murder(s) are flimsy.

Reading this book was the equivalent of turning on trash tv in the background while your focus is on something else entirely. Even at only 288 pages, it was entirely too long. It could have used some additional editing as it skipped a few natural points to end the story but instead kept going and even set it up to potentially have a sequel. If you like reality TV or soap operas, you might give this one a go. It’s not my favorite book and I don’t think I’d read a sequel.

The Really Dead Wives of New Jersey is out now! Huge thank you to Simon & Schuster for my advanced copy in exchange for my honest opinion. If you liked this review, please let me know either by commenting below or by visiting my
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