I enjoyed this one. I thought it was going to be the same old same old mom poisoning daughter to get attention, but I was definitely surprised at the route this book took. I'm glad I got a chance to read this one early!

A sad tale of a dysfunctional mother/daughter relationship, abuse, and revenge. The mother is convicted of poisoning her daughter and making her sick throughout her childhood, a case of Munchausen by proxy syndrome. When mom gets out of prison, the daughter plots her revenge. But who exactly is the wronged person here? Both characters have psychological problems from past childhood traumas. Neither one of them is likable. Two stars for a depressing tale about two messed up people, but since it made me interested enough to read to the end, an extra star for that.

Wow. A book that will keep your mind spinning from start to finish. Who's the protagonist? Who's the antagonist? Is there either? When you compare the stories of two pathological liars, it's hard to discern.

5 years ago, Rose Gold Watts' mother, Patty, was sent to prison for aggressive abuse of her daughter. Upon her release, Rose Gold finds it in her heart to take her mother in while she gets on her feet...second chances and all. What ensues is a battle between two borderline psychopaths trying to outdo each other for their own, very different reasons. Poisonings, starvation, lies, mind-games, and brief moments of compassion and humor make this a book that's hard to put down and will make you question at every turn..."What is going on?!"

This book is easy to read and engaging, and while you want to wring both of the main characters' necks at some point, they are likable in their own ways, causing you to question all your ideas about justice and who deserves it and how it should be served.

Ripped from the headlines...yet it’s own twisted, dysfunctional story!! Loved everything about it. Never would have guessed the outcome until the very end! Fast paced couldn’t put done type of thriller...5 amazing stars for sure!

Darling Rose Gold is an instance in which an author has taken events that have happened in the real world and used some of those elements to write a story of their own that somewhat resembles events that really happened.
Rose Gold was lead to believe that she was sick for most of her life, but she quickly discovers that her mother was just a really good liar, and was making her sick the entire time. Her mother goes to jail for this and for the first time in her life Rose Gold is alone, she discovers that people whom she thought were her friends are not and that the father she thought was dead wants a relationship with her, only to ignore her when she does some things with questionable judgment.
As a result of being around her mother her entire life and being the ‘sick kid’, Rose Gold doesn't have any social skills, nor does she understand that some of the things she’s done to get people to like her are manipulative. Even with her mother in jail, she’s still ruining it.

Eventually, Patty Watts is let out of jail and comes to live with Rose Gold and her infant son. But Patty Watts is quite weary of her daughter and the choices she has made, she begins to worry that Rose Gold really is sick, and soon things begin to take a turn when Rose Gold fights back against her mom in subtle ways.

The ending of this book was quite unexpected, I really didn’t see it coming at all. I really enjoyed the revenge plot of this book. The writing and storytelling were super engaging, I couldn’t put it down.

3.5 stars. A great thriller is you're looking for a distraction.
**ARC provided by Berkley Publishing Group via NetGalley

Fast read. I finished and thought that it needed more. More answers, more showing and less telling, just more. It fell short. I will not recommend this book during readers advisory.

likes
- definitely gripping and I did want to continue to find out what was going to happen

dislikes
- this was too similar to the Gypsy Rose case - I know the author said she took inspiration from it but that was um.. a lot of inspiration.
- I guessed the twist probably about 40% of the way through the book
- did not really like the writing

overall, I can see why so many people are liking this one but it didn't really wow me!

First thing that caught my eye on this is the cover. It’s stunning. Then I read the synopsis and started seeing it on the bookstagram and knew it sounded familiar. This is for anyone who like me, watched The Act on Hulu and liked it. The main similarity is Gypsy Rose being poisoned by her mom. The book is very different from the show and I would definitely encourage others to read it. Both Gypsy Rose and Patty are seriously flawed individuals. While you feel bad about the treatment of each of them, they still make you shake your head at some of their thoughts and choices. I mean, who thinks like that?! You get the POV of Rose Gold and Patty. The reason I’m doing 3.5 stars on this one is because there was no shock value in the story for me. As I am an avid lover and reader of the thriller/mystery genre, this doesn’t hit those marks for me. Even though it’s wasn’t a page turner, I did enjoy the story, and I was satisfied by the overall story and ending.

The relationships we have with our parents are some of the most formative of our lives. From them we learn about love, respect, survival. They are the first people we trust implicitly. More than anything we want to believe they have our best interests at heart. Sometimes — usually — that’s true. But what happens when the people who hold the most power over us realize that power and use it against us? When to them a child is nothing more than a plaything to bend to their will because they know they can?

What happens to a child grown in manipulation? How much work does it take to break the cycle?
Stephanie Wrobel dissects these questions through the lens of a mother-daughter relationship built on Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy. Her whole life, Rose Gold had been in and out of hospitals, on several medications, and in the complete care of her mother. As far as she knows, she’d always been ill. Until her best friend called the police and she realized there had never been anything wrong at all. Her mother had been making her sick. Rose Gold testified against her mother and sent her to prison for 5 years.

But now her mother is getting out.

And Rose Gold wants revenge for her years of abuse and no apology.

n uncomfortably tense game of familial cat-and-mouse, Darling Rose Gold dives headfirst into the effects of lifelong manipulation and how far a victim is willing to go to get revenge on her abuser — no matter who else has to pay along the way. I squirmed in my seat and had to break it up, but loved every twisted minute of it. Wrobel writes with a sinister tone that feels soft and sharp all at once. Patty and Rose Gold seep under the skin and sit there, toying with our perceptions.

With a double helping of unreliable-because-untrustworthy narrators and a genuinely shocking twist, Darling Rose Gold propels you deeper into the damaged psyches of two women inextricably tied together in their paths for vengeance and belief.

I would like to thank Berkley Publishing Group and NetGalley for the free copy in exchange for an honest review.

Darling Rose Gold by Stephanie Wrobel⁣
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This book was CRAZY. ⁣
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Definitely a psychological thriller. ⁣
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There wasn’t a huge reveal at the end though, so if that’s something you’re expecting I would maybe readjust your viewpoint. ⁣
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But there were plenty of twists and turns in the book! ⁣
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You get 2 different perspectives within the novel, Patty and Rose Gold. ⁣
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I really enjoyed seeing both sides, but I couldn’t figure out who was crazier haha. ⁣
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The ending also wasn’t cut and dry. So I feel like I would have liked to have seen more. It’s what brought it down a star. ⁣
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I would still recommend though!⁣

The story of Gypsy Rose and DeeDee Blanchard has always fascinated me. So when I read the plot for Darling Rose Gold and saw that it was a riff on their story, but explores what could have happened if DeeDee didn't die, I was immediately on board. I loved the changing perspectives and timelines throughout the book. They helped provide just enough insight without giving away the twists and turns.

This book is a study in mind games. Both Rose Gold and Patty are fighting each other for control, and even at the very end, it's hard to say who's come out on top. I'll keep this review spoiler-free because a story like this deserves to be, but I will say there are no winners or heroes in this book. Both Rose Gold and Patty are pretty terrible, but it's not too hard to see why they ended up that way.

If you're looking for a twisty thriller, Darling Rose Gold is that, but more so it's a revenge story. It isn't pretty, and the revenge isn't sweet. But I kind of like a dark, mean story. I have no doubt that this book will be divisive. It's much less about justice being served, and more about a tit for tat fight for control., by any means necessary. There's really no darling in sight.

5 Stars: 5/5 Star Rating Scale
This book held me in its grip and yet, it was so intense, that I had to take breaks and put the book down to do something else for a while as I read. The level of emotion that Rose Gold has for Patty is matched only by the level of emotion that Patty has for her daughter, Rose Gold. Patty wanted desperately to make amends with her daughter but was she going about it the right way? Rose Gold longed for the love of her parents but she also had questionable motives. Is forgiveness and reconciliation possible for these two women whose lives have been so entwined in the sickest of ways?
I did find this book fascinating and it definitely left me shaking my head quite a few times. Check it out ! I dare you!
I received a digital ARC of this book from netgalley and Berkley Publishing. All opinions expressed are my own.

The apple doesn't fall far from the tree, or so it's been said. Whether that's a result of nature, nurture or a combination of both is, I guess, still up for discussion. After reading this book I'm not much closer to deciding which option I lean more toward, but however this mother-daughter pair got where they are, it's not a pretty place.

To say their story is a wild ride would be an understatement; I was hooked from the beginning and reluctant to put it down. Likable characters? Oh heck no; but then, that's what makes this book so special. Mom is Patty Watts, who seriously mistreated her "beloved" daughter, Rose Gold, almost from the day she was born (apparently a severe case of Munchausen by Proxy). Somewhere around age 18, Rose Gold (her mother always objected to anyone who shortened her name to "Rose") figured out why she'd been so sickly and in and out of hospitals all her life. Her court testimony resulted in Patty's incarceration for five years, convicted of severe child abuse.

For almost all of those years, Rose Gold refused to have any contact with her mother. But then, as Patty is about to be released, Rose Gold begins to visit - claiming all is forgiven and that she wants nothing more than for them to be together from now on. Even though Rose Gold is now the mother of an infant son, she responds in the affirmative when her mother begs to stay with her after she's sprung from jail.

Needless to say, no one in their small town who knew what happened to Rose Gold is willing to forgive and forget what Patty did, and they're aghast that Rose Gold wants to be anywhere near her mother. But Rose Gold stands firm and mom moves in; but don't think for one second that everything from now on will come up roses (not even close). Chapters told from the perspectives of Patty and Rose Gold reveal what's going on in their hearts and minds. Some things have changed and others have stayed the same, but one thing is certain: neither has forgotten the past.

All told, it's a dark tale that pits the psychological manipulation of two women at loggerheads - leaving readers to wonder who will emerge triumphant right up to the end. It's a "wow" from me - and I heartily thank the publisher, via NetGalley, for the opportunity to read an advance copy.

From my blog: Always With a Book:

As soon as I heard of this book, I requested it. I am completely fascinated by
Munchausen syndrome by proxy and will read just about any book that touches upon it. And this one...WOW.

This is loosely based on the Gyspy Rose Blanchard case and one that I am somewhat familiar with, but not enough that I know the story inside and out, though I do plan on looking into it further after reading this book. But what sets this story apart from all the others on this topic is that it deals with the aftermath of everything. And buckle up because things are about to get bumpy and a little crazy!

I loved this book. Yes, it is dark and twisted and filled with characters you love to hate on, but isn't that what a good thriller is all about? One that has characters that you can't help but wonder about? One that has you wondering if you can trust their actions, even though you might be swept up in their backstories and made to feel sympathy for them.

I loved the way this story was told, alternating between two points of view - mom and daughter - and moving quite effortlessly back and forth between the present and the past so that you get a false sense of security with these characters. You will feel things for them - lots of emotions here - but can you trust those emotions? Getting to know Rose Gold you start to put together how she turned into such a complicated character...she's devious and complex for sure and you can see why she turned out the way she did.

This book will keep you on your toes and once you start reading it, you will be hard-pressed to put it down. I flew through the pages, not able to guess where it was going. It's a dark and disturbing cat and mouse game that is such a fun, thrilling read and I cannot recommend it enough! And for sure, I will be keeping an eye out for what Stephanie Wrobel writes next...this debut was quite impressive and I am eager to read more from you!!!

Thank you so much Berkley Pub for my free copy.

Stephanie Wrobel’s DARLING ROSE GOLD is a compulsive, thrilling debut. It’s a read-in-one-sitting, ignore-everything, forget-getting-any-sleep kind of a book.

Patty Watts is a single mother who raised her daughter, Rose Gold, the best she could. Rose Gold is chronically ill and wheelchair bound, and has been her entire life. Patty thinks she knows what’s best for her - you know the old adage “mother knows best”. That is until one day Rose Gold reports her to the authorities which lands Patty in prison for aggravated child abuse. She eventually testifies against her mother which puts her in prison for five years. Now that Patty is behind bars, Rose Gold decides to make a life with her infant son, and with the help of the community she renovates her mother’s childhood home for them to live in. After a five year sentence, Patty wants to mend fences and reunite with her family. I’m sure they will live happily ever after... The book covers past and present, split into two narratives: Rose Gold’s and Patty’s. Reading from the viewpoint of a master manipulator will keep you in questioning-and-tension-mode the entire novel. I COULD NOT STOP READING. It’s pure psychological warfare between this mother-daughter duo and I was hooked. And Wrobel does an excellent job showing the extent of the characters’ mindsets without giving away too much at once.

This clever thriller reminds me of a “what if” to the Gypsy Rose case. What if she didn’t kill her mother? What if she followed the law and dealt with her mother in the aftermath. DARLING ROSE GOLD is twisty, suspenseful, and a MUST READ for any thriller or true crime reader out there! Ahhh heck, it’s a MUST READ for any reader.

And I find it kinda funny, I find it kinda sad
The dreams in which I'm dying are the best I've ever had
I find it hard to tell you, I find it hard to take
When people run in circles it's a very very
Mad world, mad world- Tears For Fears

crazier and crazier! This book was all kinds of twisted and disturbing... and I loved it! This is the story of mother and daughter, Patty and Rose Gold. Two unreliable unlikable narrators behaving questionably.

Rose gold spent the first 18 years of her life as a very sick child in and out of the hospital. Under the impression she had a very rare disease she spent most of her childhood isolated from other people and in the company of her doting mother Patty. Patty appear to be the perfect mother sacrificing everything for her sickly child. When Rose Gold is about 18 she begins to question how sick she really is? This leads to her turning her mother in and Patty ultimately going to jail for child abuse. The story bounces between the perspectives of both Patty and Rose Gold. It also jumps back-and-forth in time, we get a look into Rose Gold’s childhood, as well as her time away from her mother while Patty is in jail, and we also get to learn what happens after Patty is let out of jail.

I’m not certain what I was expecting, but I was not thinking this was going to be so darn demented. Rose Gold Who I really wanted to sympathize with, was such a hot mess. There’ll several times in this book I found myself saying, “oh no she didn’t!“ didn’t like Patty much but I had to agree with her that her daughter was up to something, just didn’t know what it was. This is one of those book that had me furiously turning the pages because I just needed to know what the characters could possibly be up to next. And believe me you will not be disappointed, the ending to this book, all I can say is... what? Bravo Stephanie Wrobel this is quite the twisted debut!

This book in emojis 👩‍👧 👀 🦷 💊 💉 🩸

*** Big thank you to Berkley for my gifted copy of this book. All opinions are my own. ***

Although I tried several times, I could not get into this book. The characters did not seem real and the plot was simplistic. I’m glad that others liked it even though I couldn’t finish reading it.

Darling Rose Gold was high on my 2020 TBR but I am sadly and unexpectedly unimpressed. I thought it would be an edge of my seat, OMG, "what will happen next" thriller. Instead, I was laid back, fighting off sleep, and wondering when it would be over. The writing style and character development were OK. I did find myself feeling sympathetic for Rose Gold for more than just her hideous name. Granted there were a few surprises and twists, but the alternating POVs and nonlinear timeline majorly dragged down the plot. If the story was tied up better it may have felt more realistic and suspenseful. Just one more instance of a good story that was failed by a flawed execution, riddled by swiss-cheese-like plot holes and loose ends.

Thank you to netgalley for providing me a copy to review.

What really intrigued me about this book was the medical aspect. From the synopsis I gathered that it was about Munchausen by proxy. This book, however, is not as simplistic as that example seems. There are some deep dynamics that go beyond that and some seriously disturbing events. I don’t think this book will be for everyone. I feel some are going to look too deeply for a message instead of an engaging read.

DARLING ROSE GOLD by Stephanie Wrobel (Berkley, $26.00) Rating: B+
Patty Watts is getting out of prison after her incarceration of five years. Her daughter, Rose Gold, is coming to pick her up. It seems that Patty has been convicted of starving her daughter, keeping her in a wheelchair and incessantly visiting physicians. In fact, it was Rose Gold’s testimony in court that put her mother away. Now, with nowhere to go, Patty begs her daughter to let her live with her, at least temporarily. Rose Gold agrees but in this new relationship, there is much more than meets the eye. Someone is going down!
These are two of the most odious characters I have come across in quite some time. Both are psychopaths and make for a perfect pair of totally unreliable narrators. Their interplay, as they subtly battle, is fun to watch. The suspense of the book centers on exactly what do each of them have in store for the other. Rose Gold is not the helpless little girl she was when her mother got put away. The twist at the end will surprise the reader and make reading the book very worthwhile. Highly recommended due to the character studies and the uniqueness of the plot.
Larry Gandle
Deadly Pleasures Mystery Magazine