Rose Gold spent nearly 2 decades of her life believing she suffered from a chromosomal abnormality that kept her debilitated. She suffered from chronic pain, debilitating dizziness that kept her bound to a wheelchair, unexplained nausea that necessitated a feeding tube and hair loss that prompted a shaved head. Rose Gold was completely dependent on her mother, Patty, who was her sole caretaker. Unfortunately, as Rose Gold grew older she also realized that her mother was responsible for her illness.

With the help of Rose Gold’s testimony, Patty was convicted put behind bars for 5 years. Rose Gold tries to move on her life, on her own for the first time ever without her mother controlling her every move.

Upon her release, Patty is ready to pick up where she left off with her darling Rose Gold and her new grandson. Even better, Rose Gold welcomes her with open arms...or does she???

Oh, what a tangled web of secrets and deceit these two women weave! This story was twisted and I enjoyed every bit of it. It was a perfect case study for the age old "nature vs nurture" debate. Did these women ever stand a chance at normalcy given their upbringings or were they straight out of the pages of a book entitled "How to Raise a Sociopath"?

This was a dark tale of revenge and retribution. Munchausen by Proxy plays a small part here but don't be fooled - this is not a simple story of a cruel mother and her victim daughter. The real star is the dysfunctional and toxic relationship between this mother-daughter duo. Ultimately, this is a tale that will have you trying to figure out who is the the real monster as you quickly see that nothing is as clear cut as it seems.

I loved the sinister psychological journey this book took me on. I binged it in one day - unable to tear myself away from the disturbing tale.

This is a unique addition to the crowded psychological thriller genre. Mother and daughter face off through alternating points of view about the alleged child abuse through Munchausen by Proxy Syndrome on behalf of the mother. The intensifying pace and disturbing behavior of both mother and daughter are both entertaining and troubling and keep the pages turning. The quick reveals at the end come hot and fast and uncover long-awaited motives and truths that will leave readers' head spinning. Great weekend read.

This book “jumps the shark.” Rose and her mother reuniting strains the credibility of the story and I feel the plot is convoluted merely to serve the plot twists. Which are in the predictable side.

Twisted and unhinged, Rose Gold is bitter when her mother Patty refuses to admit and apologize for making her sick and dependent her entire childhood. When Patty rejoins society after serving years in prison for child abuse, she struggles to understand her daughter’s newfound independence while working to regain her trust. Let’s just say the poison left a bad taste in Rose Gold’s mouth.
Great read for those who love psychological thrillers.

Whew, where to even start with this book? This was a wild roller-coaster, and I loved every part of it.

It goes back and forth between Rose Gold in the past, while her mother is in prison, and Patty once she's been released and is living with Rose Gold again. It's such a fun and twisted take on mother-daughter relationships, particularly with Patty going several steps too far to show what a dedicated and excellent mother she is.

I wasn't sure what direction the novel was taking for a while--I didn't know how the past Rose Gold POVs would catch up with the present Patty POVs. But it was never boring, or predictable. I really liked seeing Rose Gold as a girl whose actions can only be excusable to a certain point, as a result of her mother's abuse. But Rose Gold crosses a line too often, expecting or demanding far too much, and showing that perhaps she's as vindictive and twisted as the mother she's put away in prison.

Overall, it was an incredibly satisfying story. I caught onto a major twist a chapter before it was revealed, and I tore through the rest of the story to see where it'd go. Rose Gold and Patty are devastating characters--they will tear anyone down in their way, and are pretty resolute in how they see the world. Patty forever wants to be the mother with a dependent child, while Rose Gold wants someone to actually care about her. A thoroughly excellent read.

"Darling Rose Gold" started of quiet. I thought I could tell where the story was going to go and slowly took my time reading. A little ways in I discovered I did not know the whole story and I took longer and longer lunch breaks racing through the pages. This book had several major twists that kept me intrigued and interested. A mother/daughter thriller that makes me grateful for my loving mom!

I will buy this book for my high school library. My students are always fascinated by these kinds of stories & Munchhausen By Proxy is a interesting and difficult disorder to understand. I did wonder about the connection with the HBO documentary, Mommy Dead & Dearest, but did not see any mention by the author about the inspiration for the story. Several details were very, very similar, then the story took quite a different turn. At first you want to have sympathy for Rose Gold but I had a very hard time feeling a connection with any of the characters. Rose Gold's actions certainly seem justified and one can't help but feel that her childhood warped her but I still could not feel much sympathy for her desire for revenge.

Wow! This thriller-told in alternating voices of Rose Gold and her mother Patty-explores the depths of sickness and darkest desires of motherhood-Munchausen by proxy syndrome. Wrobel draws the readers into the isolated world of this mother daughter duo in startling detail and the plot is perfectly paced. I couldn't put it down and can't wait to give it to my devoted thriller readers! It's a refreshing departure from tandard domestic thrillers.

Stephanie Wrobel introduces a fresh perspective into an exhausted topic with her novel Darling Rose Gold. The past few years has seen the market glutted with depictions of the fascinating and disturbing psychological disorder Munchausen By Proxy. In actuality an extremely rare disorder, it involves a primary caregiver who intentionally harms a child in order to gain attention and sympathy (a grossly oversimplified definition). Most of the popular stories are sensationalized accounts with a clear female perpetrator and a victimized child, low on nuance and high in shock value. Darling Rose Gold is both more original and interesting than the typical offerings and is well worth exploring as a result. Providing an interior view of both the mother and the child as a grown adult, Wrobel shows how the pathology emerges and the resulting long-term damage it inflicts on both characters. The novel begins as Patty, the mother, is being released from prison five years after her daughter Rose Gold has provided testimony against her. Surprisingly, Rose Gold has seemingly not only forgiven her, but is also accepting her back into her home despite the abuse she suffered. The emotional stakes are increased further by the presence of Rose Gold’s newborn-who the reader fears will fall prey to the unrepentant Patty. The author alternates between narration from both women’s points-of-view, using flashbacks to develop some background and provide insight about the intervening years. Wrobel thereby shows the genesis and extent of Patty’s unhinged thoughts in the context of her own childhood abuse and demonstrates Rose Gold’s stumbling entry into independent adulthood. The novel’s best chapters are those in which Rose Gold struggles to compensate for the external and internal scars she still carries while dealing with a lingering rage that she has no idea how to healthily express. Both women are treated cruelly by a community that cannot comprehend the monstrosity produced by this disorder and are confused by Rose Gold’s seeming naivete. Patty defiantly tries to insert herself back into her old environment without admitting guilt, and Rose Gold desperately attempts to be accepted but is challenged by others’ alternating pity and judgement. There are occasions in the book when the shifting perspectives and timeline jumps can be a bit confusing to the reader, but the resulting disorientation is satisfyingly resolved and helps to maintain a heightened sense of tension and suspense. Excellently plotted and climactic with some truly surprising elements, Darling Rose Gold is perceptive and empathetic in dealing with a topic that has suffered from too much attention with insufficient depth.

Thanks to the author, Berkley (Penguin) and NetGalley for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an unbiased review.

This was such a unique perspective on Munchhausen - the story tells us what happens after the parent is caught and punished... and how this impacts the survivor's life. The writing was great and the story was so compelling! Very original and un-put-down-able! Highly recommend!

Thanks to NetGalley and Berkley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

This was a dark and unsettling story, but very hard to put down. Munchausen By Proxy is a horrible form is abuse and made me feel so upset to think about. This is essentially a revenge story that will keep the reader white knuckling until the end.

As per usual, I want to thank NetGalley, the publishing house, and the author for allowing me an electronic copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I wish you could give half points. Because I say solid 4.5.
First of all the topic of Munchhausen by proxy often brings out strong emotions in most humans. The thought that a woman (or man) can intentionally harm their babies/children for the attention and affection of strangers is beyond what most can imagine. I knew this book would hold my attention well because I love trying to understand why people do the things they do and then how what they does affects others and how they deal with it. This book alternates between the mothers point of view and Rose Gold's point of view. The book begins after the abuse has been discovered and the daughter, Rose Gold, had to testify against her mother - the abuser. The "doting mother" who says she loves her daughter more than anything, everyone is exaggerating what happened and is making her out to be the monster. So now the mother is getting out of prison and the child is no longer a child but a grown woman who is. . . shall we say. . . disgruntled about her childhood.
The only reason this book was not a 5/5 is because the beginning reminded me so much of the Gypsy Rose Blanchard case and I was worried it was going to follow the story exactly. I later read that the Blanchard story was part of the authors inspiration so. . . fair enough.

For her entire childhood, Rose Gold thought she was sick until as a teenager she realized her mother was actually poisoning her. After five years in prison, Patty Watts walks out of prison and into Rose Gold's life again. Rose Gold is no longer a child and is now ready for her dear old mother. Wrobel's thriller is told from a split perspective: Patty's modern-day viewpoint and Rose Gold's story from the last five years. While Wrobel has some tricks up her sleeves, the story overall is too predictable. I wanted more suspense and more debate on Rose Gold's motives. Among the huge wave of exciting March 2020 book releases, this middle of the road thriller fails to stand out.

This book was a roller coaster. This book is based on the story of Dee Dee Blanchard and Gypsy Rose. Half of the book is written from Rose Gold's perspective in the past, right after she testifies against her mother, Patty Watts, and she is sent to jail for child abuse. Patty had been starving Rose Gold and poisoning her to make it look like she was severely ill.
The other half of the book is written from the perspective of Patty Watts after she is released from jail and picked up by her daughter, Rose Gold. Patty comes to live with Rose Gold and her infant son so she can save money to be on her own. Patty is determined to prove her innocence to everyone in town, but the town is convinced she's guilty and is keeping an eye on Rose Gold and her son.
The story grabbed my attention right away. The alternating perspectives increased the intensity of the book and it was very interesting to see how the characters play off each other. The book is very fast-paced and will keep the reader on the edge of their seat with all the twists and turns.

I did not finish reading this book. I should have read the synopsis more thoroughly before I requested it. This is totally and completely a case of "it's not you, it's me!"

What would you do if your mother poisoned you? What should Rose Gold do when the only caregiver she has ever known is released from prison and her attempts to get to know her father while her mom has been put away don't go as planned?

When Rose Gold's mother is released from prison for abuse of Rose Gold, she comes to live with Rose Gold, much to the dismay and surprise of those who love Rose Gold. Rose Gold and her mother have forgiven each other (her mother never really admits that she did anything wrong - she only tried to help Rose Gold, in her mind.) and they decide to start anew. Rose Gold has grown up. In fact, she saved up and bought a house, which just happens to be the one her mother grew up in (and carries horrible memories). She has also become a mother herself! Rose Gold has no real friends, but has been trying to develop a relationship with her father's family, but that hasn't really worked out well. Rose Gold seems innocent, lonely, pitiful, and gullible. But is she really? Who is really the victim is this story? Who has perfected the art of revenge - mother or daughter?

This book is the definition of a perfect psychological thriller. The story is dark, disturbing, and unsettling; I loved everything about it.

Rose Gold was raised by her mom, Patty, and she grew up with a lot of health issues. She threw up all the time and she had to use a feeding tube. Due to health complications, her hair would fall out and her mom eventually shaved her head. She was always small for her age and her teeth were yellow and rotten. What she didn’t know was that her mom had been poisoning her for nearly eighteen years.
Rose only figures it out when they get internet in their house and she starts talking to a friend online. Her friend starts getting suspicious and eventually Rose puts the pieces together. The police come for Patty and she serves 5 years in jail.

Patty has Munchausen syndrome by proxy, a mental health condition that is a form of abuse, where a caregiver makes the person in their care ill so that they continue to depend on them.

When she gets out of jail, Patty has no other choice but to stay with her daughter. To her surprise, Rose bought the house where she grew up and went through that horrible ordeal as a child. Rose bought the house on purpose; she wants to make her mom go through the same hell she did. Rose had 5 years to prepare for her delightful revenge.

Both of the characters are crazy. It is insane how their minds work and the things that they do. When I found out the book is based on a true story that got very famous in 2015 (Gypsy Rose and Dee Dee Blanchard), I started reading everything I could find about it. I highly recommend you do the same after reading the book!

I recommend this book for everyone that is looking for a deranged story and I think it’s a great book to bring someone back from a book slump.

I received an ARC of Darling Rose Gold from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. It will be published on March 17.

I was drawn to the book because the description sounded like it had some similarities to the Gypsy Rose Blanchard case. If you don’t know about that case, it was pretty famous and they even made a TV show on Hulu called “The Act” about it. It was about the mother of Gypsy Rose pretending that her daughter had all of these illnesses when she really didn’t. In the real life story, Gypsy realizes what’s going on and her and her boyfriend murdered the mom and ran away together until they were caught. Now what about Darling Rose Gold?

This story had a lot of similarities to the Gypsy Rose Blanchard case as I mentioned, but it was also so different. I was really excited about reading this book, because while it was similar in a lot of ways it was also in my opinion kind of like a retelling. Like what if the mom wasn’t murdered and was sent to prison instead. In Darling Rose Gold, the mom is sent to prison and then gets out five years later and wants to reconnect with her daughter Rose Gold. It was kind of an interesting twist to the real story. I know this book has nothing to do with the real Gypsy Rose case, but it just really reminded me of it and a lot of the time that’s all I could think about as I read this story.

Darling Rose Gold was really great and I enjoyed reading it. It’s crazy and so heartbreaking that a parent could ever do that to their child. There’s lots of deception and twisted things in this story, but that’s what made it so hard to put down. There were lots of back story as well, which was nice. I liked the flashbacks, because I felt like they needed to be there to really understand everything going on. I don’t want to say a whole lot because I don’t want to risk spoilers, but I really enjoyed this story. I loved all the dark twisted things that were happening, but I wasn’t very satisfied with the way that the story ended. I’m not sure what I was expecting for the outcome at the end, but I was a bit disappointed with it. It was a little predictable, but I didn’t think it took too much away from the story. Overall, great thriller novel and I would definitely recommend.

***I received a free copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Darling Rose Gold by Stephanie Wrobel is an interesting story about Munchausen syndrome by proxy. Rose Gold has suffered for her first 18 years due to her mother, Patty, making her sick. At 18 Rose Gold testifies against Patty and Patty goes to jail.

The story is told in a dual timeline. Rose Gold tells the story in the past and Patty tells the story in the present.

Up to the age of 18 this story very closely resembles the real life story of Gypsy Rose Blancharde and her mother, Dee Dee Blancharde. The author does note that she studied the Gypsy Rose case while researching for this book.

The main part of this book is after Patty is released from jail. Rose Gold is still angry with Patty for making her sick. Patty blames Rose Gold for being out in jail. Can they live together and forgive each other? Does one or both want revenge?

While I did not find either of the main characters to be likeable, I did find the story interesting. How would it affect a child to have their mother be the reason they were sick? Can that child grow up to be normal?

Thank you to Netgalley, Goodreads, and Berkley Publishing for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Mystery & Thrillers
Release Date: March 17, 2020