Sheree Whitfield’s novel is ’60 to 70 percent’ based on RHOA

Approximately 60 to 70 percent of Sheree Whitfield’s novel, Wives, Fiancees and Side-Chicks of Hotlanta is based on her life i.e. based on RHOA.

Sheree Whitfield, one of the resident Housewives on the ever-dramatic Atlanta installment, is spending her time off promoting her new novel, Wives, Fiancees and Side-Chicks of Hotlanta. With a title like that, it goes without saying that people are wondering how much of the fictional story is inspired by the mostly factual Real Housewives of Atlanta. The answer is about 60 to 70 percent, Whitfield told the Orlando Sentinel.

The novel follows Sasha Wellington, a fashion designer who moves from a small town to Atlanta and her subsequent romantic entanglements. Whitfield told the Sentinel:

"She came here as a girl, which a lot of us do. They meet someone, they totally lose themselves and forget about the things that are important to them. … We kind of put our dreams on the back burner. I would say to everyone, ‘You can still love that person and support that person, but follow your dreams as well.’"

And over at Amazon, the book’s blurb includes this fun game of who’s who:

"Before she knows it, Sasha’s befriended by two rival BFFs. First there’s Norman, savvy stylist to Atlanta’s stars, from the A-list on down. Then there’s Paris, an outrageous personality with a questionable nightlife. Between their antics, Sasha’s beyond grateful for her coworker, Casey. Married to an NBA player, Casey’s got class. But there’s more than meets the eye to being a baller’s wife. And the more time Sasha spends among the movers and shakers, the clearer it gets that just like on reality TV, the truth lies behind-the-scenes. Still, she’s not worried about getting caught up in the drama—until she’s romanced by a baller of her own."

Whitfield is certainly leaning into the fact vs. fiction intrigue. When she first posted the cover of the book on Instagram, she asked whether fans could “tell if it’s real or rumor.”

Well, the book is finally hitting shelves, and at the perfect time to fill the post-reunion show void for RHOA fans. While Phaedra Parks stole many of the headlines in the reunion’s aftermath, Whitfield also experienced pretty intense moments as she discussed her ex-husband’s abuse and the ultimate lack of any apology.

Whitfield was a regular on RHOA for the first four seasons before returning in season 9, in what she told the Sentinel was a much better place mentally and physically. She’s expected to return for season 10 as well — perhaps gathering fodder for Sasha Wellington’s sequel.