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Not All Diamonds and Rosé: The Inside Story of The Real Housewives from the People Who Lived It
Welcome to the ultimate Real Housewives reunion!
Not All Diamonds and Rosé is the definitive oral history of the hit television franchise, from its unlikely start in the gated communities of Orange County to the pop culture behemoth it has become—spanning eight cities, hundreds of cast members, and millions of fans.
What is it really like to be a housewife? We all want to know, but only the women we love to watch and the people who make the show have the whole story. Well, listen in close, because they’re about to tell all.
Nearly all the wives, producers, and network executives, as well as Andy Cohen himself, are on the record, unfiltered and unvarnished about what it really takes to have a tagline. This is your VIP pass to the lives behind the glam squads, testimonials, and tabloid feuds.
Life’s not all diamonds and rosé, but the truth is so much better, isn’t it?
Includes Color Photographs
Not All Diamonds and Rosé is the definitive oral history of the hit television franchise, from its unlikely start in the gated communities of Orange County to the pop culture behemoth it has become—spanning eight cities, hundreds of cast members, and millions of fans.
What is it really like to be a housewife? We all want to know, but only the women we love to watch and the people who make the show have the whole story. Well, listen in close, because they’re about to tell all.
Nearly all the wives, producers, and network executives, as well as Andy Cohen himself, are on the record, unfiltered and unvarnished about what it really takes to have a tagline. This is your VIP pass to the lives behind the glam squads, testimonials, and tabloid feuds.
Life’s not all diamonds and rosé, but the truth is so much better, isn’t it?
Includes Color Photographs
480 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 19, 2021
2511 people are currently reading
8691 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 985 reviews
March 1, 2022
4 stars!
Okay, so if you know me, you know I’m a Real Housewives addict. Yes, seriously, I friggin love these shows. These women make me feel normal! Plus they’re the perfect escape from reality. Just *muah* perfection. So when I heard about this tell all book from the housewives and producers themselves? I had to have it. This review will also be gif-tastic because you can’t read and review a housewives book without housewives gifs. It’s like, illegal or something.
(And if you can’t tell from my GIF choices, New York is my favorite of the franchises).
I enjoyed this book a lot, there was a lot of what was revealed that made sense. Like Dallas, it started as Charity Wives not Real Housewives and that makes sense because all of the first season was about charity and it was friggin annoying. One thing I didn’t realize because I didn’t watch the franchises in chronological order, Tamra Judge is the one who introduced conflict to a lifestyle show, making the other shows what they are today. You just don’t have housewives without stupid fights over stupid things, it’s just boring otherwise!
I do think this book was fairly biased. There were some very important housewives not interviewed that I think should have been, I understand that they may have declined it. But then all we got was one very skewed perspective. Nene Leakes and Bethenny Frankel are both women who really defined the franchise and weren’t included in this book. That made me sad because they’re my favorites and I would have loved to know their side of things. I also was laughing out loud at some point of some of the housewives I consider to be delusional (Kelly Bensimon and Monique Samuels) because their side of things was completely opposite of what everyone else was saying and it was almost comical how that was presented in this book.
Was this book biased? Hell yeah. Did I enjoy every single second of it? YES. And for transparency, I didn’t read the portions on DC or Miami because I haven’t watched those. But all of the other sections were fascinating to read. Very glad we got this book.
Okay, so if you know me, you know I’m a Real Housewives addict. Yes, seriously, I friggin love these shows. These women make me feel normal! Plus they’re the perfect escape from reality. Just *muah* perfection. So when I heard about this tell all book from the housewives and producers themselves? I had to have it. This review will also be gif-tastic because you can’t read and review a housewives book without housewives gifs. It’s like, illegal or something.
(And if you can’t tell from my GIF choices, New York is my favorite of the franchises).
I enjoyed this book a lot, there was a lot of what was revealed that made sense. Like Dallas, it started as Charity Wives not Real Housewives and that makes sense because all of the first season was about charity and it was friggin annoying. One thing I didn’t realize because I didn’t watch the franchises in chronological order, Tamra Judge is the one who introduced conflict to a lifestyle show, making the other shows what they are today. You just don’t have housewives without stupid fights over stupid things, it’s just boring otherwise!
I do think this book was fairly biased. There were some very important housewives not interviewed that I think should have been, I understand that they may have declined it. But then all we got was one very skewed perspective. Nene Leakes and Bethenny Frankel are both women who really defined the franchise and weren’t included in this book. That made me sad because they’re my favorites and I would have loved to know their side of things. I also was laughing out loud at some point of some of the housewives I consider to be delusional (Kelly Bensimon and Monique Samuels) because their side of things was completely opposite of what everyone else was saying and it was almost comical how that was presented in this book.
Was this book biased? Hell yeah. Did I enjoy every single second of it? YES. And for transparency, I didn’t read the portions on DC or Miami because I haven’t watched those. But all of the other sections were fascinating to read. Very glad we got this book.
November 10, 2021
First off I’d like to take a moment to acknowledge that this may very well end up being my one and only nonfiction selection for Nonfiction November. When presented the opportunity to pick up something important or to take a deep dive further into my trash addiction, I will most likely always choose the latter . . . .
^^^If you don’t know who that is/understand that reference this is probably NOT the book for you.
With that being said, let’s get to the main event . . . .
Oh, I assure you it is the most delicious kind. I didn’t realize when I requested that the library obtain a copy of this title that it was going to come in as a ginormo puppy squisher at nearly 500 pages. This is for the Housewives superfan. The ones like me who have missed nary an episode of any iteration in over a decade. The ones who decorate for the holidays as soon as the clock strikes midnight on November 1st and then scream things like this at their family until the New Year . . . .
I took a little gander at the first fistful of ratings and (aside from fairly obvious sockpuppetry) I was surprised to see how many low reviews I found. The main issue seems to be that Bravo had final say-so in what was said, but I ask you – why in the hell wouldn’t they do whatever they could to protect their cash cow? And as far as the complaints go about “favorites” being played with the various wives – again D.U.H. We all have our favorites – I’m not stupid enough to think that doesn’t go for Andy as well. As long as everyone agrees that Kandi Burruss is magic, I won’t have to cut a bitch ; )
At the end of the day, this is a Real Housewives compendium. Told in interview format, it rehashes some of the most memorable events city by city from the OC to Potomac. (Sadly, Salt Lake City isn’t included, but since it’s only in Season 2 it makes sense.) What struck me the most is how mind boggling it is that this franchise can continually metamorphosize itself whether through cast flipping or changing storylines and yet remain so successful. While not everything works for everyone, it’s pretty clear that as a whole this sucker simply works.
So if you want to hear play-by-play about moments such as . . . . .
Or . . . .
Or . . . .
Or . . . .
Or . . . .
Or what should go down as every superfans favorite moment of them all . . . .
This is the book for you. I'm giving it all the Stars (and I fully embrace the term guilty pleasure).
^^^If you don’t know who that is/understand that reference this is probably NOT the book for you.
With that being said, let’s get to the main event . . . .
Oh, I assure you it is the most delicious kind. I didn’t realize when I requested that the library obtain a copy of this title that it was going to come in as a ginormo puppy squisher at nearly 500 pages. This is for the Housewives superfan. The ones like me who have missed nary an episode of any iteration in over a decade. The ones who decorate for the holidays as soon as the clock strikes midnight on November 1st and then scream things like this at their family until the New Year . . . .
I took a little gander at the first fistful of ratings and (aside from fairly obvious sockpuppetry) I was surprised to see how many low reviews I found. The main issue seems to be that Bravo had final say-so in what was said, but I ask you – why in the hell wouldn’t they do whatever they could to protect their cash cow? And as far as the complaints go about “favorites” being played with the various wives – again D.U.H. We all have our favorites – I’m not stupid enough to think that doesn’t go for Andy as well. As long as everyone agrees that Kandi Burruss is magic, I won’t have to cut a bitch ; )
At the end of the day, this is a Real Housewives compendium. Told in interview format, it rehashes some of the most memorable events city by city from the OC to Potomac. (Sadly, Salt Lake City isn’t included, but since it’s only in Season 2 it makes sense.) What struck me the most is how mind boggling it is that this franchise can continually metamorphosize itself whether through cast flipping or changing storylines and yet remain so successful. While not everything works for everyone, it’s pretty clear that as a whole this sucker simply works.
So if you want to hear play-by-play about moments such as . . . . .
Or . . . .
Or . . . .
Or . . . .
Or . . . .
Or what should go down as every superfans favorite moment of them all . . . .
This is the book for you. I'm giving it all the Stars (and I fully embrace the term guilty pleasure).
October 20, 2021
This was a lot of fun, especially since so many housewives participated, but there is very little "tea" provided. I knew it would be "real housewives tea lite" as Andy Cohen is publishing the book, but figured it would be a fun ride. I'm not mad that I read it, but they didn't really dive too far into the juicy details that fans really want to know about.
September 12, 2025
4.5⭐️ if you are a Real Housewives super fan like myself: this is a must read!
Not All Diamonds and Rosé provides a peek into the casting and producing of Real Housewives, loads of BTS tea we didn’t see on TV, as well as recaps of the most memorable moments from the OG franchises. all told by producers, executives, and the housewives who lived through it all.
id highly recommend listening via audiobook. narrator Amy Phillips nailed the impressions and truly deserves her flowers. I laughed out loud every time she read a quote from Erika Jayne or Ramona Singer 🤣
I enjoyed seeing some BTS from underrated franchises I havent watched yet like Dallas and DC.
+ we need a SLC addendum STAT 🙌
it would have been impossible to include every single moment, but overall this was a great oral history.
my only complaint? i want MORE!!!!
Not All Diamonds and Rosé provides a peek into the casting and producing of Real Housewives, loads of BTS tea we didn’t see on TV, as well as recaps of the most memorable moments from the OG franchises. all told by producers, executives, and the housewives who lived through it all.
id highly recommend listening via audiobook. narrator Amy Phillips nailed the impressions and truly deserves her flowers. I laughed out loud every time she read a quote from Erika Jayne or Ramona Singer 🤣
I enjoyed seeing some BTS from underrated franchises I havent watched yet like Dallas and DC.
+ we need a SLC addendum STAT 🙌
it would have been impossible to include every single moment, but overall this was a great oral history.
my only complaint? i want MORE!!!!
April 10, 2022
I'm conflicted about my rating for a few reasons:
- The author has friendships with several housewives; he doesn't hide this on social media. However, he is friends with some of the more problematic 'wives that fans would like to see questioned fairly about their behavior. This doesn't happen. If a cast member seemed to get off easy, I would bet you'll find a photo of the author and the cast member together within a ten-second Google.
- I love oral history/interview formats! The book honestly felt like scrolling through Twitter or (dating myself here) AIM transcripts. The format made the content feel more salacious; it felt like private conversations I shouldn't read... which, of course, was fun.
- I will admit, while Bravo had control over approval of the content, there's still some fun sketchy stories here. The trip to the DR in the RHONJ chapter was fun and shocking.
- The interviews are masterfully woven together, great editing. I thought the RHONJ chapter was especially well-edited. The author is also clearly very good at interviews and can ask the right questions to get a fun story.
- The RHONY chapter was probably my favorite; I think long-time fans will enjoy hearing the BTS details on Jill etc. Sonja is, of course, always a delight. I liked hearing more from Dorinda. Not getting a Bethenny interview is disappointing.
- I don't feel like there were enough women (or any at all?) in the room when this was being edited/published, though, because there is a gross accusation of assault and a woman standing by the assault then using it to make the other woman look bad. I don't want to use any triggering terms here, but you can find details by googling Heather and Sonja. Sonja is a gem and did not deserve this. I can't imagine another woman letting this allegation be published, mainly because we don't know what kind of trauma Sonja is dealing with from this moment etc.
- If you're looking for ANY RHOC wife to be held accountable for their disgusting behavior (including racism, misogyny, abuse, fat-shaming, I could go on), don't hold your breath.
All in all, I devoured the book because I love mess. Because of some of the points above, I feel conflicted. It's worth the read, but if you know someone with a hard copy, borrow it. If you expected a thoughtful exploration of these shows, these women, why we love them, etc., this isn't it. If you wanted some gossip and a fun read, but don't need your favorite 'wives to be held accountable– you'll like this. If you loved mess but were left wanting more analysis/depth, I'd recommend Brian Moylan's book and the Andy's Girls podcast.
[Edited a bit because I felt some guilt being too critical]
- The author has friendships with several housewives; he doesn't hide this on social media. However, he is friends with some of the more problematic 'wives that fans would like to see questioned fairly about their behavior. This doesn't happen. If a cast member seemed to get off easy, I would bet you'll find a photo of the author and the cast member together within a ten-second Google.
- I love oral history/interview formats! The book honestly felt like scrolling through Twitter or (dating myself here) AIM transcripts. The format made the content feel more salacious; it felt like private conversations I shouldn't read... which, of course, was fun.
- I will admit, while Bravo had control over approval of the content, there's still some fun sketchy stories here. The trip to the DR in the RHONJ chapter was fun and shocking.
- The interviews are masterfully woven together, great editing. I thought the RHONJ chapter was especially well-edited. The author is also clearly very good at interviews and can ask the right questions to get a fun story.
- The RHONY chapter was probably my favorite; I think long-time fans will enjoy hearing the BTS details on Jill etc. Sonja is, of course, always a delight. I liked hearing more from Dorinda. Not getting a Bethenny interview is disappointing.
- I don't feel like there were enough women (or any at all?) in the room when this was being edited/published, though, because there is a gross accusation of assault and a woman standing by the assault then using it to make the other woman look bad. I don't want to use any triggering terms here, but you can find details by googling Heather and Sonja. Sonja is a gem and did not deserve this. I can't imagine another woman letting this allegation be published, mainly because we don't know what kind of trauma Sonja is dealing with from this moment etc.
- If you're looking for ANY RHOC wife to be held accountable for their disgusting behavior (including racism, misogyny, abuse, fat-shaming, I could go on), don't hold your breath.
All in all, I devoured the book because I love mess. Because of some of the points above, I feel conflicted. It's worth the read, but if you know someone with a hard copy, borrow it. If you expected a thoughtful exploration of these shows, these women, why we love them, etc., this isn't it. If you wanted some gossip and a fun read, but don't need your favorite 'wives to be held accountable– you'll like this. If you loved mess but were left wanting more analysis/depth, I'd recommend Brian Moylan's book and the Andy's Girls podcast.
[Edited a bit because I felt some guilt being too critical]
December 25, 2023
This is the perfect book for true fans of all the Housewife franchises. I have enjoyed some of the ladies over the years but this was just maybe too much information for a sort-of fan. For the loyalist, tho, this would be enthralling. Well written and presented.
October 31, 2021
i like watching housewives and i get more invested in it than i would like (this review is proof of that), but this book is not the good kind of trash.
“it was so toxic and a very dark atmosphere to function in.”
content/trigger warnings; emotional manipulation, f slur, divorce discussed, cancer discussed, death and loss of loved one discussed, ableism and sanism, domestic abuse discussed, misogyny, infidelity discussed, antisemitism, racism, fatphobia, suicide discussed, eating disorders discussed, gendered slurs, alcoholism discussed, physical violence recounted, slut shaming, homophobic violence discussed, racist violence discussed, anxiety discussed, drug abuse discussed, dui discussed, miscarriage discussed, sexual assault discussed,
after finishing the book, i saw someone say that bravo had full control over what was in the book, which i believe, especially considering what a different author of a housewives book said about bravo wanting full control in exchange for setting up interviews and then basically blocked the author from interacting with anyone involved with the franchise for declining the deal.
the book is very clearly skewed in favor of certain women and the producers/bravo. some women are relentlessly criticized and just outright trashed, while other women who have done the same things or worse are barely even spoken about. some women are held accountable for things, while others do the same and excuses are made for them. (it really bothers me how some people’s physical violence and racism/bigotry was addressed seriously, while that of others was completely ignored or outright excused.) some of the production people who had a lot to say in the book are known for being shady, liars, and up the ass of the better treated women.
production loves to claim they never pull strings or interfere or fabricate situations, yet there are multiple instances in this book where they admit to doing just that. whether it’s encouraging the women to make up or confront each other, or speak about a certain topic (like bombarding a housewife who just had a cancer scare and didn’t want to get emotional on camera about it with questions about how she’d feel and what she’d miss about her family if she had terminal cancer to emotionally manipulate the kind of reaction they wanted out of her).
or they’d sit and watch the women take it upon themselves to create drama for the cameras, instead of being like “we want real shit, not manufactured bullshit”, which is what they’d do if they actually cared about the reality of it. but at the end of the day, it’s a tv show. these situations we watch on screen would not happen without the cameras, so there is always a level of fabrication, and i don’t know why the producers cling so hard to this idea that it’s all real and they never get involved or guide a storyline or pull strings. especially when we saw them doing exactly that on beverly hills with denise.
production in general comes off very gross in the book. along with the cancer thing i mentioned, they treat emotionally upsetting and potentially traumatizing or damaging moments and certain* physically violent moments as iconic, amazing, hilarious, etc. and just the way some of them talk about the women was iffy, like how andy talked about carole for example. a lot of the women come off very gross, too. it seems a lot of them took this book as an opportunity to further trash the other women, and the women who did not participate got trashed the most.
*the fight between candiace and monique was the only physically violent moment discussed by production that was derisively compared to the bad girls club and love & hip hop, saying that’s not what series it and it’s a bad look. candiace put it nicely: “There’s only a stigma attached to our behavior because we’re Black. Because when they’re crackin’ glasses on the edge of tables in RHOBH, smacking camera down in RHOD, throwing wine in people’s faces in RHOC, or flipping tables and pulling ponytails in RHONJ, nobody says, “Wow, these white women are ghetto! They’re dangerous!” It’s not talked about as it is when Black women are being human and doing the same thing.”
and the main thing that really bothered me is the denise/brandi situation. i’ve had so many feelings about this for a while and nowhere to express them, so this review is going to be that outlet lmao. how that was handled on the show disgusted me. how denise was treated was awful. how the possibility of denise being outed was ignored pissed me off. how it 10000% played into the franchise’s habit of portraying queer women/sex between women as some shocking, scandalous thing really pissed me off.
and how it’s handled in the book is even fucking worse. there are eight pages of all the women and the producers speaking again on denise’s sex life. and rinna takes it even further by throwing in a new rumor she heard about denise’s sex life, and andy’s like, “omg how did i not hear about this?! why didn’t you mention it at the reunion?!” like it’s just some fun game, and not someone’s personal fucking business that has nothing to do with you. it’s cool for rinna to speak on others, but when someone insinuates her marriage isn’t what it seems, she gets violent (speaking of that; excuses are made for her, while the person who made the insinuation is immediately discredited. funny how that works).
i don’t remember if it was said on the show, but in the book brandi claims that kim referred to how denise was treating her as “abuse”, and no one says anything about it. like. are you kidding me? even if brandi’s story is true, having sex with someone, wanting it to be a secret/denying it, and wanting nothing to do with them is not abuse. just because brandi was in her feelings about it, does not make it abuse. the women and production will go wild if you call someone’s racist words/actions racist because “omg that’s inflammatory”, but brandi/kim can call denise abusive because she, in brandi’s words, “hit it and quit it”?
they keep harping on “it’s not about the sex, it’s about her lying” and like, aside from them very clearly being focused on the sex...how are you gonna tell a grown woman what her truth is, and how she has to speak about it? why are they entitled to know about her sex life? they also harp on “you can’t have secrets on the show” and aside from certain housewives being allowed to not talk about every rumor or accusation someone throws at them, the producers spoke about several housewives who refused to talk about things and they either demoted them or fired them, so why spend an entire season and reunion trying to force denise to talk about something she clearly didn’t want to talk about, instead of just demoting or firing her, like they’ve done with previous housewives?
another thing that’s mentioned several times was how unfair it was that brandi wasn’t at the reunion to tell her side of the story. but she spun her story on the show, in interviews, on social media, and in this book, so how is her not being at the reunion depriving her of the chance to tell her side? and it comes off as if denise demanded she not be there, but andy said they were worried denise would bail if brandi was there, and not ruining the chance for denise to come back for another season was more important than having brandi there. he also said elsewhere that she said all she had to say, so what was the point of her being there. but of course, the vibe is that denise was silencing brandi.
just like in the show, garcelle was the only one in the book to defend denise. and don’t think i didn’t notice how the producer’s treatment of denise (and fourth wall breaking) isn’t mentioned at all, but they made sure to turn their nose up at denise’s “unprofessionalism” and the “bravo bravo bravo” comments. the women also continue to spin the tale of “denise was shaming and vilifying us for talking about sex, even though she always talked about sex” when that was very clearly not what happened at all.
all in all. the book is longwinded, repetitive, boring, poorly edited, and not what it’s marketed as. how are you “telling-all” when you don’t have the full story?
“it was so toxic and a very dark atmosphere to function in.”
content/trigger warnings; emotional manipulation, f slur, divorce discussed, cancer discussed, death and loss of loved one discussed, ableism and sanism, domestic abuse discussed, misogyny, infidelity discussed, antisemitism, racism, fatphobia, suicide discussed, eating disorders discussed, gendered slurs, alcoholism discussed, physical violence recounted, slut shaming, homophobic violence discussed, racist violence discussed, anxiety discussed, drug abuse discussed, dui discussed, miscarriage discussed, sexual assault discussed,
after finishing the book, i saw someone say that bravo had full control over what was in the book, which i believe, especially considering what a different author of a housewives book said about bravo wanting full control in exchange for setting up interviews and then basically blocked the author from interacting with anyone involved with the franchise for declining the deal.
the book is very clearly skewed in favor of certain women and the producers/bravo. some women are relentlessly criticized and just outright trashed, while other women who have done the same things or worse are barely even spoken about. some women are held accountable for things, while others do the same and excuses are made for them. (it really bothers me how some people’s physical violence and racism/bigotry was addressed seriously, while that of others was completely ignored or outright excused.) some of the production people who had a lot to say in the book are known for being shady, liars, and up the ass of the better treated women.
production loves to claim they never pull strings or interfere or fabricate situations, yet there are multiple instances in this book where they admit to doing just that. whether it’s encouraging the women to make up or confront each other, or speak about a certain topic (like bombarding a housewife who just had a cancer scare and didn’t want to get emotional on camera about it with questions about how she’d feel and what she’d miss about her family if she had terminal cancer to emotionally manipulate the kind of reaction they wanted out of her).
or they’d sit and watch the women take it upon themselves to create drama for the cameras, instead of being like “we want real shit, not manufactured bullshit”, which is what they’d do if they actually cared about the reality of it. but at the end of the day, it’s a tv show. these situations we watch on screen would not happen without the cameras, so there is always a level of fabrication, and i don’t know why the producers cling so hard to this idea that it’s all real and they never get involved or guide a storyline or pull strings. especially when we saw them doing exactly that on beverly hills with denise.
production in general comes off very gross in the book. along with the cancer thing i mentioned, they treat emotionally upsetting and potentially traumatizing or damaging moments and certain* physically violent moments as iconic, amazing, hilarious, etc. and just the way some of them talk about the women was iffy, like how andy talked about carole for example. a lot of the women come off very gross, too. it seems a lot of them took this book as an opportunity to further trash the other women, and the women who did not participate got trashed the most.
*the fight between candiace and monique was the only physically violent moment discussed by production that was derisively compared to the bad girls club and love & hip hop, saying that’s not what series it and it’s a bad look. candiace put it nicely: “There’s only a stigma attached to our behavior because we’re Black. Because when they’re crackin’ glasses on the edge of tables in RHOBH, smacking camera down in RHOD, throwing wine in people’s faces in RHOC, or flipping tables and pulling ponytails in RHONJ, nobody says, “Wow, these white women are ghetto! They’re dangerous!” It’s not talked about as it is when Black women are being human and doing the same thing.”
and the main thing that really bothered me is the denise/brandi situation. i’ve had so many feelings about this for a while and nowhere to express them, so this review is going to be that outlet lmao. how that was handled on the show disgusted me. how denise was treated was awful. how the possibility of denise being outed was ignored pissed me off. how it 10000% played into the franchise’s habit of portraying queer women/sex between women as some shocking, scandalous thing really pissed me off.
and how it’s handled in the book is even fucking worse. there are eight pages of all the women and the producers speaking again on denise’s sex life. and rinna takes it even further by throwing in a new rumor she heard about denise’s sex life, and andy’s like, “omg how did i not hear about this?! why didn’t you mention it at the reunion?!” like it’s just some fun game, and not someone’s personal fucking business that has nothing to do with you. it’s cool for rinna to speak on others, but when someone insinuates her marriage isn’t what it seems, she gets violent (speaking of that; excuses are made for her, while the person who made the insinuation is immediately discredited. funny how that works).
i don’t remember if it was said on the show, but in the book brandi claims that kim referred to how denise was treating her as “abuse”, and no one says anything about it. like. are you kidding me? even if brandi’s story is true, having sex with someone, wanting it to be a secret/denying it, and wanting nothing to do with them is not abuse. just because brandi was in her feelings about it, does not make it abuse. the women and production will go wild if you call someone’s racist words/actions racist because “omg that’s inflammatory”, but brandi/kim can call denise abusive because she, in brandi’s words, “hit it and quit it”?
they keep harping on “it’s not about the sex, it’s about her lying” and like, aside from them very clearly being focused on the sex...how are you gonna tell a grown woman what her truth is, and how she has to speak about it? why are they entitled to know about her sex life? they also harp on “you can’t have secrets on the show” and aside from certain housewives being allowed to not talk about every rumor or accusation someone throws at them, the producers spoke about several housewives who refused to talk about things and they either demoted them or fired them, so why spend an entire season and reunion trying to force denise to talk about something she clearly didn’t want to talk about, instead of just demoting or firing her, like they’ve done with previous housewives?
another thing that’s mentioned several times was how unfair it was that brandi wasn’t at the reunion to tell her side of the story. but she spun her story on the show, in interviews, on social media, and in this book, so how is her not being at the reunion depriving her of the chance to tell her side? and it comes off as if denise demanded she not be there, but andy said they were worried denise would bail if brandi was there, and not ruining the chance for denise to come back for another season was more important than having brandi there. he also said elsewhere that she said all she had to say, so what was the point of her being there. but of course, the vibe is that denise was silencing brandi.
just like in the show, garcelle was the only one in the book to defend denise. and don’t think i didn’t notice how the producer’s treatment of denise (and fourth wall breaking) isn’t mentioned at all, but they made sure to turn their nose up at denise’s “unprofessionalism” and the “bravo bravo bravo” comments. the women also continue to spin the tale of “denise was shaming and vilifying us for talking about sex, even though she always talked about sex” when that was very clearly not what happened at all.
all in all. the book is longwinded, repetitive, boring, poorly edited, and not what it’s marketed as. how are you “telling-all” when you don’t have the full story?
October 23, 2021
Too much of what was written has been biased for certain housewives while trying too hard to discredit others. Boring read that was obviously slanted towards the author's favorite HW's. Many things fed to him have already been touted as falsehoods. I'll wait for Andy's next book.
October 25, 2024
Excellent Entertainment
It's a shame all books must end. This was a good one and I'm so glad I read it. The years have really gone by and many changes have shaped and reshaped the housewives and their life stories. The reality remains interesting and definitely entertaining. I learned many, many things, big and small, throughout the chapters (housewife city). Some questions I had were answered and I love that; exactly what I wanted!
If you love watching Housewives, you'll likely love this book.
It's a shame all books must end. This was a good one and I'm so glad I read it. The years have really gone by and many changes have shaped and reshaped the housewives and their life stories. The reality remains interesting and definitely entertaining. I learned many, many things, big and small, throughout the chapters (housewife city). Some questions I had were answered and I love that; exactly what I wanted!
If you love watching Housewives, you'll likely love this book.
January 9, 2022
What was most interesting to me:
🍊 How the franchise started
🍊 Gretchen’s backstory
🍊 Everything about Kelly
🍊 Seeing how people remember things differently
💎 Taylor’s story
💎 Lisa Vanderpump’s manipulation
🤠 Surprised and shocked at the Brandi bashing and disappointed she didn’t participate in the book
If you like Real Housewives this book is for you! I’m a big fan of OC, BH, Dallas, and SLC so I loved hearing all the behind the scenes stuff. I was a little worried about it not being juicy enough because it’s an authorized book, but that wasn’t the case at all.
🍊 How the franchise started
🍊 Gretchen’s backstory
🍊 Everything about Kelly
🍊 Seeing how people remember things differently
💎 Taylor’s story
💎 Lisa Vanderpump’s manipulation
🤠 Surprised and shocked at the Brandi bashing and disappointed she didn’t participate in the book
If you like Real Housewives this book is for you! I’m a big fan of OC, BH, Dallas, and SLC so I loved hearing all the behind the scenes stuff. I was a little worried about it not being juicy enough because it’s an authorized book, but that wasn’t the case at all.
January 12, 2022
2.5⭐️
It was fun to read how the Housewives franchise started but became receptive breaking down every city and every season. A lot of he said she said. At the end of the day all these women are assholes 🤷🏻♀️
It was fun to read how the Housewives franchise started but became receptive breaking down every city and every season. A lot of he said she said. At the end of the day all these women are assholes 🤷🏻♀️
November 8, 2021
Not as much “tea” as I’d hoped for but throughly enjoyed walking down memory lane with these ladies.
Also happy to hit my 45 book goal for 2021 with this one!
Also happy to hit my 45 book goal for 2021 with this one!
November 10, 2021
Brian Moylan's book about the Housewives made me appreciate and love the franchises more, whereas this book made me like them less. Not a very enjoyable read.
December 17, 2021
You know when you say that call could have been an email? That is this book. It could have been a quick essay.
May 15, 2023
I SLURPED up this tea like I was stranded and parched in the desert. Loved it.
March 23, 2023
I mean it was cute. With my love of the reality shows, a lot of the things said weren't anything new, but not upset about it. Fun little read!
May 12, 2024
Actually a terrible book. But I loved it. It was like reading a scripted episode. I especially like the franchises I haven’t watched. I know there names but not there stories so that was fun to read.
December 25, 2021
Listen. This book isn’t going to win a Pulitzer (it’s not Sweet Valley High for heavens sake) but if you like the Real Housewives franchisees- it is delicious!
I want to go back and rewatch New York City all over after being reminded of Alex and Simon and I think I might need to put in more effort with Potomac, they seem like a REAL shitshow!
This book was nice because, much like watching the show, the problems are SO asinine (yeah I mean you puppy-gate), it feels real warm and fuzzy considering the state of the actual world! With some exceptions of course, the prison sentences were tough. Anyway. Recommended to fans of Bravo!
I want to go back and rewatch New York City all over after being reminded of Alex and Simon and I think I might need to put in more effort with Potomac, they seem like a REAL shitshow!
This book was nice because, much like watching the show, the problems are SO asinine (yeah I mean you puppy-gate), it feels real warm and fuzzy considering the state of the actual world! With some exceptions of course, the prison sentences were tough. Anyway. Recommended to fans of Bravo!
October 22, 2021
This was an incredibly comprehensive look at the Real Housewives and I really enjoyed it! I was surprised at how much information Dave was able to get from the housewives themselves, and there was plenty of juicy details that will forever change how I view the shows.
October 19, 2021
MUST READ for any housewives fan.
November 19, 2021
Very good book if you’re a bravo fan like me! I loved learning more about the housewives and the behind the scenes drama. I think my favorite chapters were for OC and NJ.
December 31, 2021
Some interesting tidbits but some parts dragged on too long and others didnt last long enough! Overall am interesting read for any housewives fans.
January 5, 2022
As a housewives head I was living for this
February 24, 2022
"Say it, forget it. Write it, regret it."
Reviewing a book all about The Real Housewives, told by the Housewives and producers themselves, will always be a little biased. The Real Housewives is without a doubt the best TV franchise on this planet, spawning so many iconic moments in pop culture and making up the basis of my daily vernacular. It was always going to be incredible to me.
Part retelling of the storylines from the show, part behind the scenes tea on what went down in the production side of things, the book sheds light on some interesting tidbits that even a longtime fan of the franchises didn't know. It's enlightening, but I wish there had been more focus on the juicy stuff that we had seen, rather than some Housewives recounting the exact scenes from TV and not adding anything new. You can't tell me Carlton Gebbia, iconic witch, didn't have any dirt on that famous screensaver witchcraft from season 4 of RHOBH.
The book is let down by certain Housewives having too much of an ego to participate (looking at you Nene and Bethenny) and others shying away from talking about anything meaningful (Vanderpump...) but others came to spill it all. Brandi in particular sheds some light on the behind the scenes information that lead her to be the villain in many of the seasons and shows her in a new, more sympathetic light.
It's hard to find a copy of, but if you are a fan of these women, it's well worth a search. I believe in an excess of everything... even Housewives.
Reviewing a book all about The Real Housewives, told by the Housewives and producers themselves, will always be a little biased. The Real Housewives is without a doubt the best TV franchise on this planet, spawning so many iconic moments in pop culture and making up the basis of my daily vernacular. It was always going to be incredible to me.
Part retelling of the storylines from the show, part behind the scenes tea on what went down in the production side of things, the book sheds light on some interesting tidbits that even a longtime fan of the franchises didn't know. It's enlightening, but I wish there had been more focus on the juicy stuff that we had seen, rather than some Housewives recounting the exact scenes from TV and not adding anything new. You can't tell me Carlton Gebbia, iconic witch, didn't have any dirt on that famous screensaver witchcraft from season 4 of RHOBH.
The book is let down by certain Housewives having too much of an ego to participate (looking at you Nene and Bethenny) and others shying away from talking about anything meaningful (Vanderpump...) but others came to spill it all. Brandi in particular sheds some light on the behind the scenes information that lead her to be the villain in many of the seasons and shows her in a new, more sympathetic light.
It's hard to find a copy of, but if you are a fan of these women, it's well worth a search. I believe in an excess of everything... even Housewives.
July 13, 2025
Ok, this book was a tough one for me to rate. To be clear, I DEF enjoyed reading it. It was basically just a recap of all the seasons of every real housewives franchise (except SLC cjcjcbckckcjfjcjc), and since I loved it the first time, I loved it the second time. But, that also meant i could only read about 15% of the book because I had to avoid spoilers. I also don’t think a book was the right format for this. Bravo does reality tv, and this READ like reality tv, but in a sort of jarring way. Do you know how hard it is to read the speech-to-text words of Teresa Giudice?? I also don’t know that it added that much extra info, but it was fun to see where production was coming from when they added and removed housewives.
March 31, 2025
I thoroughly enjoyed this book, but you'd have to be a day one die-hard Bravo/Housewives fan to like this. I loved how it was written and the way it was broken up by city, and I was surprised there was some tea spilled that I didn't know before. Interestingly enough, I don't really watch Housewives anymore because I feel like it's not what it used to be, so this book made me nostalgic for the good old days with the OGs. Four stars!
December 24, 2022
My name is Breanna Walker and I’m a real housewives addict.
December 30, 2023
2.5/5
The sad thing is I already knew pretty much everything this book talked about lmfao I need help
The sad thing is I already knew pretty much everything this book talked about lmfao I need help
October 10, 2022
I hate to say I read a literal book on the real housewives but what can I say !
February 8, 2024
As a housewife fan it was cool to get the behind the scenes on how each franchise started. Love all the production stories to add to the story lines we have seen on the shows.
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