"Mothers never forget. Daughters never forgive"

This book will be released in March 2020 and I was fortunate enough to get an advanced reader copy from NetGalley. Fans of Gone Girl and The Act will find much to love in this compulsively suspenseful read.

For the first eighteen years of her life Rose Gold Watts thought she was seriously ill. She suffered from allergies to most everything, used a wheel chair and a feeding tube but no one could isolate and treat whatever was wrong with her. It turned out that her problem was that her mother Peggy was a very good liar. Peggy is sentenced to prison for what she did to Rose and then is released after five years with nowhere to go. Everyone is shocked when Rose Gold takes her in. Is it altruism, forgiveness or something far darker? I stayed up late reading this one and highly recommend it. It's one of the best psychological suspense books I've read in a very long time.

If you have seen The Act on Hulu, you will start reading this book and think it sounds just like the show. It is not until more towards the middle of the book you realize things are not as they seem to be. Both Rose Gold and her mother are secretly plotting against each other, but who will prevail in the end?

have to admit this is not normally the type of book I read, and now I can say I know why. Although well written, the subject matter is so disturbing to me I found it hard to read. Rose Gold has suffered for years due to her mother making her sick, which in fact, was Munchausen’s. Both characters are mentally ill and diabolical, and I was too disturbed to really like the book. I can’t recommend bu thank Netgalley for the ARC.

I went into this book with uncertainty. I was skeptical that the book was basically just a retelling of the Gypsy Blanchard story. And while, yes, the author probably drew inspiration from Gypsy’s real life experience of munchausen by proxy, this book stands all on its own.

I was hooked from the very beginning. Rose Gold and her mom, Patty, are quite the characters! Reading about them was wild. The lines of good and evil are blurred when it comes to those two. I found myself, and I hate to admit this, feeling some sort of empathy towards Patty at times. Don’t get me wrong, she’s a seriously shady lady, but the author does a nice job of adding humanity to her character.

Another thing the author executed well was the plot twists. They felt intentional. What I mean is, the twists didn’t feel like they were there simply for shock value. There was just the right amount of foreshadowing sprinkled in. Which is tricky, because when an author drops too many hints it’s predictable, but not enough and the story line becomes unbelievable.

Overall, Darling Rose Gold is a solid debut novel. It is a story of obsession, relationships gone wrong, spite, and revenge. It is so much more than I expected. I definitely see this book doing well when it is released next year.

The premise of this book was super intriguing to me whenever I read it. However, the execution was extremely disappointing.

I expected to read a book that had been loaded up with some interesting information of Munchausen by proxy, but instead it was just a novel about a mother / daughter conflict and revenge that was strongly over-exaggerated. 

I do really like how the story line was twisted up and then reversed but ultimately, it could have went about 2,395,423 different ways and been way better than what it ended up being.

The timeline structure just wasn't that great IMO. The back and forth and the past and present didn't end up being tightly put together, it was just kind of all over the place. The plot wasn't strong enough. If the author wanted to make this out to be a vengeance story I feel like the vengeance and revenge could have been made to be much stronger and put together.

Highly recommend for fans of Hulu's The Act, true crime, and psychological character driven titles. Wrobel has given new life to a hot topic: muchausen by proxy. With all the media buzz surrounding Gypsy Rose Blanchard this could have easily felt like a knock-off, but it has its own appeal for readers who enjoy peaking into the dark.

Thanks so much to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to review Darling Rose Gold.

A psychological family drama that keeps you wondering -- what is Rose Gold planning? Similar to the small town ganging up against Patty, you quickly realize that the apple doesn't fall far from the tree.

5 stars! This is my kind of twisted, disturbing read I just love! It kept me up way too late on a couple occasions, but I loved it! Highly, highly recommend! Well written, intriguing, riveting, disturbing, twisted, and absolutely shocking! A must read for those who love a good disturbing book that’s sure to keep you up late flipping pages! Unputdownable!

What a twisted story!! The book kept me wondering what was coming next. Even though I didn't like the characters I liked the book. The author did a good job depicting dysfunctional and twisted people.

I give this a 4 star rating

The overall plot to this story is told by two basically unreliable narrators. One side is from the daughter, Rose Gold, and the other from her mother Patty.

Patty is in prison for abusing Rose Gold for basically her whole childhood. She is poisoning Rose Gold to make her sick, and thrives off all the attention she gets from it. (Yes, this woman suffers from munchausen by proxy). Finally she is caught and goes to jail for it.

Fast forward about 5 years, and Patty is being released. And Rose Gold has offered Patty a place to stay. But after years of abuse, Rose Gold isn't herself so to speak. And that is what the whole rest of the story about.

I feel that Wrobel did a very good job getting into the details of munchausen by proxy in this story. Not only how it affects Rose Gold, but Patty herself. Both of these women are deeply traumatized by the life they led and by what is still happening to them. I can't say much more than that because this book just needs to be read and experienced without knowing more than that.

I would recommend this book.

This is a creepy disturbing page turning thriller . . Patty watts concludes her 5 year sentence for abusing and poisoning her daughter . But Rose Gold picks her up from prison and all seems to be forgiven or is it ? Told alternately through Rose Gold and Patty’s perspective., this story seems to be loosely based on Dee Blanchard and Gypsy Rose case. You will find yourself questioning and wondering about every moves these characters make. Like an extremely tense chess game you won’t be able to like away or put this book down

Having lived in Springfield where they Gyspy Rose murder took place, I felt this book relied a little heavily on that story line. I liked that it was told from Rose Gold and her mother's point of view. You were able to see the craziness from both ends. The twists and turns were surprising...especially the final one at the end. I would recommend this book to fans of psychological thrillers.

This is a really twisted story. It's the first I have read by Stephanie Wrobel, it hopefully not the last. She kept me guessing until the last page!!

Fun, thrilling read that was slightly predictable, but with a twist or two at the end that I definitely did not see coming. With all of the build-up, I felt like the end was a little too quick. Still enjoyed the story overall!

This is a beautifully written story about a young girl whose life is changed forever by her mother who is now in prison for poisoning her throughout her childhood. In fact, Rose Gold's poor body had been so tortured by eating and then getting sick that her teeth were now rotten. The story takes a turn when Patty, Rose Gold's mother, is released from prison and Rose Gold seemingly "forgives" her. In fact, she allows Patty to move into a house with her and her son Adam. The house, purchased by Rose Gold, is Patty's old childhood home, a place that Patty has horrid nightmares of. As the story unfolds, we learn that things aren't what they seem. This book is extremely satisfying as far as endings go. In fact, the whole story is very well done and put together. A must-read for fans of domestic thrillers.

Thank you to Netgalley, Stephanie Wrobel, and Berkley Publishing for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is an original, dark, disturbing novel. It’s gripping, but neither of the two main characters are likeable. Yes, you have empathy for them because of their terrible childhoods, but they make horrifying decisions that make your eyes goggle.

Rose Gold took the stand five years ago to put her mother away for a lifetime of child abuse, primarily through lack of nutrition and endless lies about her health. I’ve heard of Munchausen by Proxy from TV and movies like The Sixth Sense, but this is the first book I read in which the mother is ultimately incarcerated for five years for it.

The narrative bounces back and from when Patty is released from prison and Rose Gold takes her home with her and her baby son to during the time Patty is in prison to the events leading up to her going away. They don’t trust each other and you, the reader, aren’t exactly sure what’s true and what to trust.

I wouldn’t say this is a fun read, but it is compelling.

Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to review this novel, which RELEASES MARCH 17, 2020.

Rose Gold Watts' entire childhood was overshadowed by illness, with her world revolving around hospital visits and medical treatments. She was only in school for a short time before she was forced into a home-bound existence with her dutiful caretaker and single mom, Patty. Rose Gold was emaciated, with a shaved head and severely rotted teeth as a result of her constant childhood vomiting. As a result of her illness, she and Patty were often the recipients of charitable acts by their community. When it was discovered that Patty had been poisoning Rose Gold during her entire childhood, Patty was tried in court and sentenced to five years in prison. As "Poisonous Patty" gained national notoriety with her face featured on the grocery tabloids, eighteen-year-old Rose Gold was making up for lost time and learning how to exist on her own. Since she had been sequestered for her entire childhood and coddled by her overprotective mother, Rose Gold knew little of the world outside her home. In the five years that Patty was imprisoned, Rose Gold learned to drive, obtained a job, purchased a small home, and had a child of her own. She was a very different Rose Gold when Patty was released than the one Patty had manipulated and abused all of those years. When Patty asked to live with Rose Gold until she could get settled, Rose Gold agreed, going against the advice of everyone in Rose Gold’s small circle of acquaintances.

The novel alternates between Patty's and Rose Gold's perspectives, telling the story of their lives following sentencing and after Patty's eventual release from prison five years later. The novel explores the ideas of forgiveness and revenge in this fictional case of Münchhausen Syndrome by Proxy. Was Rose Gold able to forgive and forget and move on? Has Patty changed for the better? The novel guides readers through a sometimes shocking labyrinth of and twists and turns that keeps them surprised and guessing until the very end.

"Most people don't like holding on to anger. They feel it crushing and consuming them, so they let it go. They try to forget the ways they've been wronged. But some of us cannot forget and will never forgive. We keep our axes sharp, ready to grind. We hold pleas for mercy between our teeth like jawbreakers. They say a grudge is a heavy thing to carry. Good thing we're extra strong."

Saddle up and buckle in folks, we have a new popcorn thriller on the horizon! True, this book isn't released in the US until March of 2020, but when approached with the opportunity to read an early copy of a novel that sounds suspiciously like a fictionalized account of the DeeDee Blanchard and Gypsy Rose story, what's a girl to do? I had the pleasure of buddy reading this one with Dennis of @scaredstraightreads , and we're both proud to announce that we fully endorse reading this book.

Darling Rose Gold is less of a mystery and more claustrophobic psychological suspense, which I found myself surprisingly grateful for. If you read the synopsis for this book, then you probably have an inkling of the epic flaming drama that will ensue at the end, but the beauty of this tale is basking in the satisfying conclusion of revenge. We know from the beginning that Patty Watts has concluded her 5 year sentence after being convicted of poisoning her daughter Rose Gold for the majority of her life, and that RG has seemingly forgiven her mother and decided to take her back in upon her prison release. What we don't know are all of the things that have happened in those 5 years that Patty and RG have been apart, as well as Patty's horrific upbringing and childhood secrets. These things unfold in dual perspectives, flipping flawlessly between past and present.

If you're looking for a fast paced and engrossing tale of suspense that's sole job is to provide the entertainment factor, look no further. Seriously, Darling Rose Gold is the type of breezy read that, given the time, a reader could complete in a single sitting. While I found most of the outcomes fairly predictable, mainly due to the nature of this type of story, it didn't inhibit my enjoyment factor in the slightest. Whether you are lounging on the beach or curled up next to the fireplace with a cuppa, Darling Rose Gold is the type of read that will be enjoyed regardless of the season.

Darling Rose Gold by Stephanie Wrobel. While the premise was interesting and story was well written. It was a disturbing look into how far a person will go to get revenge. Rose Gold and Patty were not very likeable or relatable.

Thank you to the publisher, author, and NetGalley for the opportunity to preview the book.

"My daughter should never have been left to fend for herself. A few years without me, and she winds up pregnant and abandoned. Our neighbors can grouse all they want about my controlling ways, my dubious mothering. But they don't understand how much she needs me, how lucky she is to have me here to run her life for her. I'll right this sinking ship in no time."

Patty abused her child from the beginning. Making her sick, taking advantage of her innocence, and a child’s love for their parent. Years go by and finally Patty is arrested for the abuse of her daughter, Rose Gold. Can Rose ever forgive her mother? Prison changes people. Not just Patty, but Rose as well.

The town is shocked that Rose would take her mother in when she leaves prison. Is there a secret reason these two are together again? Maybe they can move on from the past. Everyone is watching, including Rose's co-workers, the neighbors, old friends, even strangers at the grocery store.

Shocking, but with traces of familiarity to real cases in the news, mothers guilty of “Munchausen by Proxy.” Rose has suffered in ways that changes her view of the world. It changes the way most people would deal with everyday situations. Now that Rose is grown, how does she see this childhood?

A carefully planned twist that makes the story even more disturbing. Patty and Rose will find their lives changed forever. I found the book a fascinating read. As a parent, shocked by the behavior of a mother. Even though this book is a work of fiction, there are far too many real cases that have occurred. A riveting read you'll find hard to put down.

Thank you Stephanie Wrobel, Netgalley, and Berkley Publishing Group
#michellesbookends #netgalley #berkleypublishinggroup #darlingrosegold