First off, "Darling Rose Gold" is undeniably, 100% a fictionalized version of the Gypsy Rose/Dee Dee Blancharde case. Even from just a quick skim of the book blurb makes that clear, even though the author and publisher make no mention of it at all. But was this a bad novel? No. The author did a great job of capturing the absolute dislike that Rose Gold has for her mother, Patty--and rightly so with all the abuse and mistreatment she was put through. I also think she did a good job of getting into the mind of someone with Münchausen syndrome by proxy. For the most part, the plot and pacing were great, right up until the last 15-20%, then it became quite predictable and felt rushed. Overall, "Darling Rose Gold" is good for a dark but quick read, but not the most original when it comes to plot (basically ripped off the Blanchardes' lives) or even for fiction about Munchausen (I feel "Sharp Objects" by Gillian Flynn would be a better go-to on the subject).

This is a great read, hard to put down. A mother that poisons her daughter, a daughter who helps put her mother behind bars. You never expect her to let her mother back into her life when she is released, but there is a reason and you really need to read this book to see what happens.

Stephanie Wrobel’s debut novel depicts Rose Gold, her mother Patty’s victim of munchausen-by-proxy. Patty has served a 5-year prison sentence and to the town’s astonishment, moves in with Rose Gold and her newborn baby. Alternating between time periods, the story reveals how Rose Gold came to be where she is and Patty’s nefarious future intentions.

This was a very quick read and moved at a frenetic pace. This subject has been explored by other authors of this genre, but not exactly in this format. There were several twists, which I had deduced on my own, but still made the plot pleasurable. An excellent debut and definitely an author to watch!

Many thanks to Netgalley, Berkley and Stephanie Wrobel for my complimentary e-copy ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

I’m obsessed w books about munchausen, so I loved this bizarre and twisted cat-and-mouse story about a woman who’s mother may have purposely made her sick when she was younger. If you dig Jennifer Hillier or Alice Feeny, you’re going to dig this. WORTH IT.

Darling Rose Gold is an incredibly well crafted debut psychological thriller! Ever fascinated with Munchhausen's by proxy, I knew I needed to read this novel. I've read so many in the past that were either just okay or, completely off the rails. Wrobel does something completely different (and fantastic!) in this table turning, twisted tale of mother and daughter. I could not put this down!

I'm into true crime, and fiction inspired by true crime but abuse stories are hard to bear so I tend to avoid them.

I made an exception for Darling Rose Gold because the blurb made it sound different and interesting enough with the abused child all grown up and possibility of revenge.

I'm glad I did so! It's a quick, enrapturing read. I didn't want to put it down. Every chapter started with a surprise and ended with a hook, landing every red herring perfectly and left me gasping until the very end.

The only thing is she got rotting teeth only partly right. The flinching and staring and reactions from people were all spot on. But not having pain, sensitivity, or problems eating? Bullshit. Bull. Fucking. Shit. Been there. Done that. And I WISH it was that easy.

Also, Rose Gold would've qualified for dental care through the state while she was a kid, so it should've been mostly moot. But even if that wasn't a possibility, she didn't have to wait for a bridge or implants or have it all at once. I've all my teeth pulled & full dentures at 25. I know what I'm talking about.

This doesn't seem like a big deal, but it's brought up like every damn chapter of Rose Gold's. And the last line that's supposed to mean something falls flat because of it. I'm seriously having phantom teeth pain from reading this & just thinking about a jawbreaker? *shudder*


Highlighted Quotes:
No eye contact, bowed head: I was starting to learn how to read body language. I wasn't the only liar in the room.

I'd have to space them out, maybe one text per day. I couldn't risk scaring him away.


"You deserve every rotten thing you got."

That's what separates the sane from the not: knowing madness is an option but declining to choose it.

It's hard to be a little girl when you're not little.

His drink could use more than a few drops from the small brown bottle with the white cap in my purse.

But nobody wants to hear the truth from a liar.

This one kept me guessing! Creepy in the best possible way, I am amazed that this is the author's debut.

Thank you Netgalley and Berkley Publishing Group for an advanced copy of this book. All opinions stated below are my own.

A parent would do anything to protect and keep their child happy. There is an instinct deep within most adults to do anything and everything they can for the sake of their beloved offspring. Unfortunately, sometimes things go wrong in a person's mind. Having had an unhappy childhood herself, Patty is determined to have a child of her own, resulting in the birth of Rose Gold. All through Rose Gold's infancy, Patty is there hovering. She counts every breath, finds every fault, convinces herself of every diagnosis she can think of as a CNA. There is obviously something very wrong with Patty's mental health and poor Rose Gold is the victim of it. After being released from jail after serving her time for everything she put Rose Gold through for nearly two decades, she cannot wait to get back into her daughter's life and take care of her once more.
The perspective switches between Patty in the present and Rose Gold in the past. Their intertwining stories weave their tangled web of lies and deceit up to the present day of the novel. Both women are incredibly intelligent and strong willed. Will Rose Gold get her revenge for what her mother did? Will Patty ever feel regret for harming her own child? This is a gritty, dark, amusing ride of a thriller where not everyone is as innocent as you believe. This was a real page turner and a must read for those who enjoy seriously messed up characters.

Rose Gold Watts grew up believing she was sick, affected by Chronic Fatigue, and a chromosone disorder, and any number of ailments. A chance internet friendship she secretly strikes up leads at age 15 leads her to question all she knows - could her mother, her nursemaid and companion, be responsible for the issues? Told alternately by Rose Gold and her mother, Patty, we meet the two as Patty is released from prison after serving 5 years for Aggravated Child Abuse. Through flashbacks and current narration, the reader learns the history of hte little family, and how her childhood subjected to Munchausen by Proxy impacted Rose Gold, and wonders alternately who is the victim and who the agressor in the current day. Until the final few chapterss, we're not sure who is to be feared and who is to be ptiyed, or is a little of both with each woman?

I received this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Gritty, terrifying, and brilliant. If you followed the story of Gypsy Blancharde, then you will love this story. This is in an incredible sick and twisted spin of it. This needs to be the book of the year.

Patty has been in prison for five years. She is now free. The daughter she poisoned and starved is picking her up from prison. Rose Gold is picking up her mother from prison. She has so many surprises for her.
Rose Gold testified at her mother's trial. She is the reason her mother is convicted.
Now mother and daughter meet again. Patty can't wait to get into her controlling ways again. Her daughter needs to apologize for her being imprisoned.
Rose Gold needs to hear her mother admit she starved and poisoned her. Her mother has never admitted that.
Two women pitted against each other. One the master, one the apprentice of lies and manipulation. Who will win?

Rose Gold's mother Patty was sent to prison for 5 years for child abuse - slowly poisoning her daughter to make her sick enough for lots of doctor and hospital visits, as well as sympathy from practically everyone in the town they live in. Now Patty is getting out of prison and it appears that Rose Gold wants to repair their relationship and offers Patty a place to stay with her. But does Rose Gold have ulterior motives? Hmmmm....

The story is told from Patty's POV in present day, and Rose Gold's POV starting 5 years prior when she testified against her mother, ultimately sending her to prison.

This story will give you the creeps. A psychological thriller that will keep you guessing, but by the end you probably won't have sympathy for either of them. Somewhat predictable with a few surprises.

A Munchausen-by-proxy take that alternates smoothly between the perspective of the mother and the daughter. The character development, particularly in the sections dealing with the aftermath is excellent. Great attention to socioeconomic class. The final twist is, perhaps, unnecessary.

This is a dark and twisted, yet highly entertaining read. Rose Gold's mother has literally tortured her daughter both physically and psychologically all her life via Munchausen by Proxy. Patty ends up in jail for a time after Rose Gold testifies against her and cuts her out of her life. So why does Rose Gold pick her up from the jail and invite her mom to live with her when the sentence is served? The psychological twists and turns begin as Patty and Rose Gold trust or don't trust each other, and who will come out on top in the power struggle between them. Very interesting read with some very good twists and turns.

I regularly watch “Dateline,” “48 Hours,” and “20/20,” so am pretty familiar with Munchausen by Proxy cases that have been in the media. One of the most recent that comes to mind is that of Gypsy Rose Blanchard and her mother, Dee Dee.
This brings me to reading the advanced copy of “Darling Rose Gold.” I can’t help but think that the main character’s name was intentional, in order to make the connection with a victim of Munchausen by proxy, at the hands of her mother, Patty. In this book, we get alternating voices. Rose Gold’s starts out while her mother was incarcerated, and Patty’s starts when she is released from prison. The book is mainly about the maintaining of an innocent plea, and revenge.
I had hoped we’d get a little bit more of how the Munchausen by proxy started, what treatment the victim was getting, etc. That wasn’t the case. We got some messed up people with lots of evil thoughts and ideas. I really like psychological thrillers, but this didn’t quite read like that. There wasn’t much suspense, it was a bit on the predictable side, and topped with a quick finish. It felt like watching a train wreck.
It was a quick, somewhat entertaining read, and definitely has commercial appeal. Thank you to Berkley Publish Group and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

I really liked this fast paced thriller. The characters are not likeable but their voices are very interesting and keep you engaged. The twist is fantastic. A very well written book. Definitely recommend.

I would like to thank NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my honest review.

Rose Gold spent her childhood sick and from a mysterious illness that no doctor could figure out--until it turned out that her mother was causing the symptoms all along. When the mom gets out of prison, it seems odd that Rose Gold invites her to live with her and help care for her infant, but perhaps the mother daughter bond is too strong.

This was a fast, entertaining story that skipped around in time giving glimpses into Rose Gold's horrible childhood and the repercussions she suffers as an adult--with a few juicy twists to keep the reader guessing.

This was a great book dealing with a fictional story o a really difficult topi - Munchausen by Proxy, a mental health disorder where parents or caregivers harm their children or a person under their care, usually for the attention they get.

Rose Gold Watts thought she was very sick for the first 18 years of her life, turns out her mother suffers from this condition. Patty Watts was convicted and sent to prison for five years for child abuse. When she gets out everyone is shocked in their home town when Rose Gold not only speaks to her but takes her in. You see, Rose Gold’s testimony is what sent Patty to prison.

But Patty said she forgives her. Does she really? But is Rose Gold still the weak little girl Patty remembers?

This was a very good book, we see things from both Patty and Rose’s point of view with some flash backs to what was going on while Patty was in prison and what Rose’s life was really like. No spoilers but as you can imagine, with Rose’s childhood, she isn’t exactly the picture of perfect mental health.

As we see these two broken women and what happens to them you don’t really want to root for ether of them but you do want to keep reading. Because you will not expect what happens at the end.

This was a great debut book and I will look for more from this author. I thank Berkeley Publishing and Net Galley for an Ebook review copy.

This book immediately grabbed my attention and didn't let go. This was so wildly entertaining to read. This is perfect for anyone who is fascinated by munchausen by proxy. It's pretty similar to the DeeDee/Gypsy Rose case, but there are times that I gasped out loud. I genuinely enjoyed this.

This was a complete rip off of Gypsy Rose Blanacharde’s situation with her mom DeeDee. Nothing about this was original except for the terrible ending. I do not recommend this I’m surprised then author doesn’t get in trouble for the complete copy.