Brian Moylan knows a thing or two about being a Housewife, since he’s written more recaps about the franchise than there have been catfights, and he’s here to give us all the tea on the behind the scenes of the Real Housewives. As a pop culture writer and a fan of Bravo, he has a good handle on the women and their dramas, and he’s here to share all the joy, all the eye rolling, and all the schadenfreude with us in The Housewives.

Moylan takes us back to the very beginning, season one of The Real Housewives of Orange County, and on through all the iterations, even talking a little about the international ones (most of which did not fare well). He takes us through the development of each franchise, how the women are cast, how the seasons are shot, how the shows are edited, and how the producers occasionally manipulate the women to get the drama they want.

He also goes into the history of Bravo, of the production companies that got the franchise started, and even about both reality television and soap operas, since the Housewives shows are the perfect blend of both. Sprinkled liberally throughout these deep dives are stories about the women (and men) who we tune into each week, their struggles, their triumphs, and those outrageous moments that become the memes we spread all over social media.

With lists like their greatest dance hits, the hottest men, the biggest don’ts (do not go to a psychic!), and the all time-greatest episodes, Moylan cuts through the serious research with moments and memories that highlight all the best of the Housewives. And since you’re really here for the snark, the gossip, the secrets, and the catfights, he fills these pages with all of that too. Because he’s a fan and he’s here for it all, just like the rest of us.

The one thing that this book is missing is the voices of the Housewives themselves, but as you get deeper into the book you find out the reason behind that. Maybe despite that or maybe because of it, Moylan has done his research by reading what seems like every article ever written about Bravo, Andy Cohen, and the Housewives, as he frequently quotes from one of Cohen’s memoirs, various articles, or something from one of the Housewives’ blogs.

I got to listen to the audio version of this, where Moylan reads the book himself, injecting his own love of the franchise into every chapter. Although I will never watch any of the shows quite the same again, I was so happy to take this trip with Moylan through all his appreciation of the Housewives, their fellow fans, and the table-flipping times we love to watch, talk about, and watch again.

Do you have to already be a fan of the Housewives to enjoy the book? I don’t think so, but it does help to have some experience with the shows, as he references some of the women and their antics, and knowing even just some of the more famous wives makes it easier to follow along. Although he does offer a list of the most iconic episodes across the franchise if you need a place to get started.

Perfect for fans of the Housewives or anyone who loves a book about pop culture, The Housewives is the companion book we’ve been missing. This book will take Housewives novices and make them fans and wll take fans and make them superfans.

An early copy of the audiobook for The Housewives was provided by Macmillan audio through NetGalley, with many thanks.