This book was a lot of fun and was exactly what I was hoping it would be. I would consider myself a casual fan of Bravo's Real Housewives but I recognized so many references and jokes. I laughed throughout and had to keep reading to figure out what was going on. The mystery wasn't that deep but I was happy to be along for the ride with these over-the-top characters. The reality series background is the perfect set up and I loved how the chapters were separated with cast interviews.

This is one for fans of reality television. It's messy, it's chaotic, it's got a murder mystery and it's got a lot of unlikable (although I suspect consistent with the genre) characters. Eden, the show runner of Garden State Goddesses, must manage these women (and a man) who don't like one another or themselves and get the ratings up- and she's got to solve a murder. It's a fast read that's, to be honest, a popcorn book. Thanks to Netgalley for the arc, Will make a good beach read.

Shocking twists - reads just like a reality tv show!

To start, as soon as you crack the book - there's a character sheet with information. Just know that it's a lot at the start. You're intro'd to a whole family doing a reality tv show - and Eden, the director, has managed to get her cousin in the mix by one of the family falling for the cousin and marrying her.

This is the cousin's first day of filming (after their scheduled down time). The cousin, Hope, is not used to cameras, being miked up, or the drama of a large family. The wild times start there and completely derail soon after! The story is broken in 3 parts, each one more shocking than the last. As we got to each twist in part 2, my jaw was literally on the ground!

It really did hold my interest and kept me shocked and wondering what would happen next. Even though I guessed a few twists, and I didn't like a single character, I found myself sucked into the plot and where it was all going. It was a fun read, light and easy. I enjoyed it!

A huge thank you to the author and publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.

As much as I love all the House Wive shows, this book was not for me. There is a mystery element to this book but the overall concept wasn't executed well. There were way to may characters, especially for the length of this book. Thank you, NetGalley.

I don’t think I am the right audience for this particular book. I was just bored most of the time probably because I just didn’t love the satire aspect and found it annyoing and over the type. I can see the appeal for those who like that style of book.

Eden is a showrunner for a reality show called Garden State Goddesses. She sets her estranged cousin, Hope, up with one of the men from the show, meaning Hope will now be part of the series. She’s not super thrilled to be in the spotlight, and some of the women on the show share that sent sentiment as well; becoming instant enemies. The show is working to find its groove with the new addition, which results in a lot of catty manipulation and a dead body. And let’s just say, it won’t be the last.

I love reality tv and I love other people’s drama so this book seemed right up my alley! I appreciated that it was lighthearted and silly at times. What didn’t work for me was that the twists felt a bit obvious, and I would’ve preferred to see it go in another direction for the reveals. There was a scene or two that was absolutely shocking, but the rest fell a bit flat. If you prefer cozy mystery vibes instead of thrillers, I think this book would be great for you!

I tried to get into this one but it was too much for me. I think Bravo superfans will really love it though!

I love the Housewives series, so I jumped at the chance to check this one out. The characters are exactly what you expect. Dramatic and wild and fun. The murder mystery isn't that thrilling, so I rated this lower than I would have. The story itself is very entertaining though and I can see people really enjoying this when they need a break from more serious toned books.

If you’re a fan of The Real Housewives drama, The Dead Housewives of New Jersey by Astrid Dahl should be your next read!

This season, a doe-eyed church girl with a mysterious past shakes up the housewives’ world. Secrets unravel, scandals brew, and chaos ensues. Think infidelity, rivalries, and even a nail salon murder! 💅☠️

🔥 Expect twists, turns, arson, and a lot of drama. It’s a fun lighthearted thriller.

Who’s ready to join the Housewives drama? 👠📖

I’m going to be honest and admit that I only picked this up because it is set in New Jersey and I couldn’t resist a Housewife-inspired murder mystery.

This is so over-the-top while still including the iconic Housewives inspiration fans of the show will recognize. I personally loved that the author mixed in fictional Jersey towns with some real ones (every North Jersey cameo made me smile). Thankfully, the real-life show has way less murder, but I think the book did a decent job of giving you reality show vibes. The confessionals were a nice touch and the actual Housewife quotes at the beginning of each Part were a fun touch as well—I actually looked forward to them!

Overall, I thought the storyline was a little predictable in spots and there is a full cast of characters to keep up with, but if you’re a fan, it’s a campy book to enjoy with a glass of wine and some popcorn.

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for the opportunity to read a copy of this. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This definitely played out like watching a reality TV show. While I love reality tv shows - I wasn't incredibly addicted to this one. It was entertaining and it's interesting enough, but not much more. There is a a murder mystery and the plot felt subpar. It's a very solid book about trashy housewives/ladies so if this is what you are looking for - then it's your book.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for this eARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

The Garden State Goddesses is one of the Huzzah network’s top reality shows. When showrunner Eden masterminds the marriage of her cousin Hope to one of the Goddesses’ brothers and lands her a spot on the show, some stuff is about to go down. Secrets, lies, and rivalries will all be revealed – with deadly consequences.

This one might resonate with Real Housewives fans, but it missed the mark for me. Since I’m not one for reality tv (or much tv at all actually), maybe I just wasn’t the right audience for this one. The characters are mostly vapid and unlikeable, and the plot (just like reality tv) is fairly shallow and lacking in substance. As a thriller lover, I was drawn to the “Really Dead” part of this book, but the mystery is pretty light and it takes a really long time for anyone to die – and the culprit isn’t much of a surprise either. But if you’re looking for a soapy, campy send-up of a certain subset of reality tv, this might be the book for you!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for providing me an advance copy of this book.

If you’re a Real Housewives fanatic, I mean a true fanatic and love a lot of chaos, this is for you!

This was so messy and chaotic in the best way. I’m talking more chaotic than Nene’s Pillow Talk night. More chaotic than Joe and Joe tussling at the baby’s christening. More chaotic than Kelly on Scary Island.More chaotic than Shannon falling in her spanx into the hot tub while drinking with the Tres Amigas. More chaotic than Heather showing up at the breakfast table with that unexplainable black eye. More chaotic than Lisa Rinna ready to chop off Kim’s head behind Harry Hamlin. More chaotic than Dorinda screaming at the girls about how she “cooked, cleaned, and made it nice!” If you understood most of these references, this book is for you!

Talk about a fun read! I had a good time spotting all the housewives references while trying to play detective. The author is a woman after my own heart and I hope they continue to write stories based around reality television because I loved the merging of two of my favorite things. I thought the characters were dynamic and the plot was plotting.

There were a few parts that I wished the author had explored a little more when it came to the mystery. Not having those details didn’t take away from the story, but I felt like it would given it an extra something something. Aside from that, it was a solid read and it tickled my pop culture fancy.

The Really Dead Wives of New Jersey by Astrid Dahl ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Starting 2025 with this campy, dramatic, over-the-top read that was what I imagined the Real Housewives tv shows to be like. (I’ve never actually watched them.) This would be a perfect palate cleanser book. It was easy to read, predictable in the best way, and full of characters you love to hate. The first half of the novel was character driven with the second half focusing on plot and mystery, which was a little jarring but it did give it some substance. It was funny; it was scandalous; it was entertaining.

Fans of reality television, all the drama, and books with lots going on will love this one.

As a big fan of Perfume & Pain, once I saw the author I knew I needed to read it.

This book is murder mystery meets Real Housewives, and I immediately was drawn in. While I enjoyed the premise, I didn’t particularly like any of the characters (they were kind of all bad people???) so I found myself taking a bit longer to get through the book than I normally would.

That being said, I did enjoy this read and have been recommending it to all my Bravo-loving besties!

Thank you to Simon & Schuster for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion!

I am not a Real Housewives fan but I can definitely say that if I was then this book would be great! The Really Dead Wives of New Jersey is a fun romp that blends reality TV drama with murder creating a fun look behind the scenes of one of TV’s favorite franchises.

In the Really Dead Wives of New Jersey by Astrid Dahl we follow a reality tv show and its cast, Garden State Goddesses. If you like reality tv like Real Housewives this may be a murder mystery for you. Show runner, Eden Bennett, our FMC, needs to recast one of the roles on the show, and she finds that in her first cousin, Hope Bennett. Eden introduces Hope to Leo Fontana, the brother and brother-in-law of two of the cast and they quickly marry and settle down in Shady Pond, New Jersey near the rest of the cast. Carmela takes and instant dislike to the beautiful Hope. But, why? Hope, Carmela, Valeria, Birdie and Renee are the cast of the show and it isn't long before the fighting and table flipping, fake pregnancy, fake will and murder happens. Only the police don't believe it is a murder because healthy 32 year old women die all the time, right? Then there are a couple more murders and Eden with the help of a couple cast members begins to investigate. This was an entertaining read for the most part. It is a little long and a little unhinged - although I think that is the idea. I give this book 3.5 stars and I want to thank Net Galley and Simon & Schuster for my advance reader copy.

Quick synopsis: A re-imaging of the real housewives, but with a murder mystery subplot. A book “written” by Astrid Dahl, the MC in perfume and pain written by Anna Dorn.
Review: I’ll be honest, it took me about the first 18% of this book to care or get into it at all and I almost put it down. It always takes a while to get the hand of so many characters when there’s going to be a mystery at play. But then I really got invested. I decided to have fun and play out the whole thing in my head with actors I associated with the characters and I got hooked and flew through it. It was messy and fun and felt exactly how I think it intended to feel, like a messy reality tv show. I thought it was fun and interesting because I felt like I got insight to the behind the scenes as well as the front of the scenes. This is no super deep read but I didn’t expect that. It’s just fun. I will admit the story dragged a lot in some places and it was long for what it was; but I was having fun in this little world so I didn’t mind at all. The murder mystery is actually quite a small subplot and happens more in the second half, and I feel like the answer to who did it was pretty obvious from the get go but the fun was in follow in along the characters trying to figure it out. Lots of secrets and truths were being uncovered. There was a lot of story packed in this book and the sapphic side flings definitely are a plus. I thoroughly enjoyed and appreciated the lesbian romances (aka more than one!!) All in all, super fun messy read. Don’t go into it expecting some great and deeply provoking story, go into it with the intention of a fun messy satirical story and you’ll love it!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨
This was such a fun read, perfect for anyone who loves the drama reality tv brings with a touch of murder. I like how the book was split up into parts, and i loved the character development, especially the part of the storyline following eden. I appreciated the twists and how layered the story was, while still being decently easy to follow. Thank you so much to NetGalley, Simon & Schuster and Astrid Dahl for the eARC in exchange for an honest review!!

The Really Dead Wives of New Jersey by Astrid Dahl
Publication Date: January 14, 2025
Four Stars- ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Thank you to NetGalley, Simon & Schuster, and Astrid Dahl for providing an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

“These bitches are so insular, so obsessed with family and loyalty and the right kind of cookies at Christmas”. (Nod to Sprinkle Cookie Gate)

As a huge fan of Bravo and all things Housewives, I was very excited to dive into The Really Dead Wives of New Jersey. This book blends mystery with a satirical nod to reality TV. The author’s use of familiar references—$25,000 sunglasses, dramatic fights over rooms, a housewife’s prosthetic leg, and even the infamous table flip—keeps the reader engaged, especially those who adore the Housewives series.
The storyline itself was entertaining, though I found the pacing a bit slow at the start. While I initially struggled to fully invest in the characters, the plot picked up midway through. The mystery's resolution felt a little too predictable to me; I had a strong sense of who “did it” from the beginning, which took away some of the suspense.

One aspect I struggled with was keeping track of the characters, particularly in the early chapters. Dahl doesn’t provide much physical description, which makes it hard to visualize the characters and understand their relationships. I often found myself picturing the characters as actual Housewives, like Eden Sassoon or drawing parallels to figures like Sonia, Teresa, Dorit, and Melissa. A bit more detail in this area would have helped make the story clearer and more immersive.

Overall, The Really Dead Wives of New Jersey is a fun, quick read that will delight fans of both mystery and reality TV. While it had its flaws, particularly with pacing and character development, it’s still an entertaining choice.