This is not an easy review for me. It’s always hard to judge/review a book if none of the main characters is likable. I’m not even talking about relatable, just likable in an average human way. But on the other hand the idea of the book and execution was great.

As I said, neither mother nor daughter were characters I would ever want to meet in RL. It’s scary to think that people like this even exist. At the same time the book was ridiculously well done. The idea alone. Munchausen syndrome by proxy is already fascinating, but combine that with a well written story and you got yourself a compelling read. And then the amazing audiobook narration on top of that. I actually found myself sitting with open mouth, disbelieving all the things I heard.

So, although I didn’t enjoy the mother/daughter duo on a human level, I must applaud the author for writing a very unique book. I always complain about the shortage of one-of-a-kind books, this one definitely delivered.

I’m not going to talk much about what’s going on in the book, just read the blurb and you get an idea of what it’s about. Although, I think you’ll get the biggest enjoyment from not even reading the blurb and just to dive into the book. Prepare yourself, and enjoy the craziness that comes with a mother/daughter combo that defines all rational thought.

Holy smokes!! Darling Rose Gold was a thrilling read that I devoured in 2 days. If you liked The Sun Down Motel in February, I'm pretty sure you'll love Darling Rose Gold, too.

Nothing is as it seems, and you cannot trust or like anyone in this novel. No one is the victim here.

Well-written, Darling Rose Gold will have you thinking and talking for days. From the moment the novel started, I had an ominous feeling. You know something bad is about to go down, but you aren't sure who will come out on top.

See my full review on The Uncorked Librarian here: https://theuncorkedlibrarian.com/march-2020-book-releases/

My Highly Caffeinated Thought: A look into the darker side of a mother and daughter’s relationship.

DARLING ROSE GOLD is one compulsively addictive read. This book just flew by as I became further absorbed in the drama and levels of duplicity between Patty and Rose Gold. Wrobel truly got into the minds of her characters and pulled no punches as they explored the darker sides of their personalities.

What I loved about this book were the dual perspectives. As the reader, I was able to understand the characters through their thoughts as well as their actions. The author so carefully plotted out and peeled back the layers to both Rose Gold and Patty. This is one twisted mother-daughter relationship. And let me tell you. Wrobel is not afraid to go there. She didn’t sugar coat anything and explored the true grit of human nature.

Honestly, this book was a quick read for me. I devoured every page and didn’t know how the story was going to end. It is a darkly entertaining, sinfully captivating, and fascinatingly disturbing book, but in all the best ways possible. What a debut!

For the first eighteen years of her life, Rose Gold Watts believed that she was seriously ill. She was allergic to practically everything, used a wheelchair, and visited the hospital on a regular basis. Rose Gold’s community came together to support her when times got tough by holding fundraisers and being a shoulder to cry on. Despite taking hundreds of tests and seeing multiple doctors, the cause of Rose Gold’s issues was never discovered.

It turns out that Rose Gold never had a thing wrong with her. She never had any of the diseases or ailments her mother said she had. Patty Watts is a gifted liar who convinced doctors that Rose Gold was going through things that she was causing by secretly drugging her daughter. After serving five years in prison, Patty is looking to reconcile with Rose Gold and it seems she’ll get her wish. The entire community is shocked when Rose Gold lets Patty move in, however, what they don’t see is that Rose Gold has changed. She’s never going to let Patty keep her down again.

DARLING ROSE GOLD is a story of Munchausen by Proxy, which is a syndrome where a caregiver makes up or causes an illness in a person in their care. This disorder recently became more widely known in the media through the Gypsy Rose Blanchard case and HBO’s adaptation of Gillian Flynn’s SHARP OBJECTS.

When I first started reading DARLING ROSE GOLD I could feel the inspiration from Gypsy Rose’s life pouring out of the pages. To be honest, I was a bit worried I wouldn’t end up loving this one because I was obsessed with this real life case. I’ve watched every show and documentary available. Wrobel sold me when she started to move further into the story of Rose Gold and Patty being reunited. For me this was the point where the characters started coming into their own and being more original.

Wrobel utilizes one of my favorite writing features with the use of alternating points of view between Rose Gold and Patty. She extended this formating by playing with the timeline a bit. Each of Patty’s sections are in the present day, whereas Rose Gold’s sections start in the past and lead to the present. This flip between timelines is what gives the reader a full look into how Rose Gold has evolved to be the person she is today through coping with her mother being sent to prison. I loved getting to know each of these characters and their many flaws as the story progressed and they two timelines converged.

DARLING ROSE GOLD is truly a perfect binge read in my opinion. The pacing isn’t insanely fast, but the material is intriguing and captivating. Wrobel makes sure to leave the reader wanting more information from each of our main characters as the narratives alternate, which inevitably leads to reading late into the night for answers! I love that Wrobel wrote this story with an underlying sense of tension throughout. You never knew what was going to happen because everyone was continuously avoiding the truth. If you’re in the mood for a crazy story about a mother and daughter, this is definitely the book for you!

A huge thank you to Berkley for my free copy of this book!

To most Rose Gold Watts is a victim. For years she was abused, drugged, and starved by her mother Patty. After being convicted of child abuse and sentenced to five years in prison, the town of Deadwick Indiana breathes a sigh of relief. After serving her time Patty is released from prison and lives with Rose Gold. The citizens of Deadwick see Rose Gold’s decision as further evidence of Patty’s control, however Rose Gold is not the same helpless little girl she was five years ago. Darling Rose Gold is a tangled and disturbing tale of a mother’s obsession and a daughter’s revenge.

The town of Deadwick plays a huge role in Rose Gold’s story. While she was “sick," the town stood by Rose Gold and Patty. Donating time to raise money for medical bills. Giving money and food to Patty so she could take care of her daughter rather than work. After learning what was really going on, the town felt betrayed. With Patty once again in their community they do not hide their displeasure. Patty was able to deceive a whole town. Wrobel describes a town which sees Rose Gold as their collective child and feel it is their duty to protect her. Wrobel uses the town of Deadwick to show how easily kindness can be exploited.

Upon first glance I thought I would not be able to relate to Patty or Rose Gold. However my assumption could not have been more wrong. When we meet Rose Gold she is eighteen, an awkward time when we are adults yet teenagers; expected to know what we want to do for the rest of our lives. Wanting independence but unclear how to get it. Rose Gold is feeling all these things as well as carrying the baggage that comes with a lifetime of physical and emotional abuse. Readers may not like her nor agree with some of her choices but most will understand and sympathize with Rose Gold.

Most shockingly I was able to understand Patty as well. I did not like her but all she wants is to be loved; by her daughter and her community. Unsurprisingly Patty is a victim of abuse. Although the cycle of abuse manifested itself in a different manner, the cycle is clear.

The subject manner in Darling Rose Gold is very dark but Wrobel does not place a lot of focus on what was done to Rose Gold as child. The story mostly revolves around the consequences of the abuse. Readers will know pretty early on that Rose Gold and Patty both have more sinister plans than just reconciling. The mystery readers must solve is who’s plan will fall into place first. Readers looking for an entertaining yet reflective read should add Darling Rose Gold to their list of must reads.

Murder and Moore Rating :

4.5 out of 5 Stars

Imagine thinking that you are ill when in reality, your mother was poisoning you. Darling Rose Gold by Stephanie Wrobel is a Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy story of Rose Gold, told in alternating chapters, Rose Gold and her mother Patty Watts, in this the reader learns what happened to Rose Gold in her childhood but also after her mother was arrested and jailed for 5 years. Most people know about Munchausen by Proxy and how it messes up a life.

Rose Gold's life after her childhood is not a very good one either, she purchases her mother's childhood home so she can take in her mother when she gets out of prison. Patty is not real pleased but she dearly wants to be a family with her daughter and her little boy, Adam, yes Rose Gold has a baby.

This story is twisted for sure, the treatment of Rose Gold and how life is after Patty gets out of prison and the living arrangement that is creepy at best. If you are interested in this type of story, pick this one up, I really loved the story, it reads fast and the cover is brilliant!

A Rose by any other name... would probably still be abused by her mother. Holy hell you guys. For those who were fascinated with the Dee Dee Blanchard/Gypsy Rose case, this is the book for you. I was absolutely fascinated with that case, watched The Act on Hulu and also the documentary, Mommy Dead and Dearest. This book *almost* feels like the sequel to that story.. only the mother is still alive, fresh out of prison and now living with her daughter, Rose Gold, again. WHAT.

Munchausen Syndrome By Proxy is when an illness is faked by the caregiver - typically the mother. In this case, Rose Gold has grown up, has testified against her mother, Patty, who has now served 5 years and is getting out of jail. Who is picking her up? Why Rose Gold of course. It is her mother after all. What comes next are backstories of what Rose Gold went through after her mother went to prison and also the POV of Patty, currently, trying to get back in Rose Gold's good graces while also proving her daughter absolutely still needs her.

This book will simultaneously fascinate and abhor you. I flew through these pages and was hooked from the very first page. I'm glad we get to see more of the aftermath of what could happen. Even when the perpetrator is caught, there are always lingering effects. I wasn't trying to figure out where the story was going to go - I was just living it with the characters. The ending was unexpected and I absolutely loved it. Highly recommend.

This is the first book I’ve read from Stephanie Wrobel and definitely won’t be the last! This thriller is fast paced from the get go filled with unlikable characters. I liked the unreliable narrators and the alternating perspectives from Rose Gold and her mother, Patty. They have such a messed up relationship that it was interesting to see the past versus the presence and how they got to where they were. If you’re a fan of psychological thrillers, I highly recommend picking this one up!

Rose Gold Watts believed she was sick for eighteen years. The feeding tubes, wheelchair and ailments the doctors just couldn't get to the bottom of. But as it happens, her mother lied.

As the novel opens, we see Patty Watts being released from prison and Rose Gold is collecting her. In fact, she has agreed to let her stay with her until she finds her own place. But as the story goes along, it is clear they both have scores to settle and as the synopsis indicates, a chilling tale of obsession, reconciliation and revenge unfolds.

This one was so twisted and although the subject matter was tough, being Munchausen syndrome by proxy, it wasn't emotional per se, as you are seeing the story afterwards mostly. It was definitely more of a mystery/suspense for me and while I did see some of the twists coming, I didn't know precisely what they all were and I enjoyed it so much.

Darling Rose Gold is a book embodying a classic game of cat and mouse. Patty has just been released from four years in prison for going to great lengths, year after year, to make her daughter, Rose Gold, ill with a plethora of “disorders.” Surprisingly, Rose Gold herself picks Patty up from prison and brings her home and this is where the fun begins. Neither woman can be trusted. Patty obviously has a track record of causing harm and does some odd things, but Rose Gold is just plain weird. Something is definitely off. I was never quite sure about either woman, didn’t know who I could trust, and I liked that! If you were a fan of My Lovely Wife by Samantha Downing (my review) then I think you will definitely enjoy Darling Rose Gold. (I also think this would be great on audio.)

Note: I received a copy of this book from Berkley (via NetGalley) in exchange for my honest thoughts.

Patty Watts was convicted of aggravated child abuse for which she served five years in prison. Debut author Stephanie Wrobel takes readers inside Patty's mind via her first-person narration that begins on the day she is released. The alternating narrative from her daughter, Rose Gold, commences earlier -- in November 2012 shortly after Patty has begun serving her sentence. While Patty's storyline proceeds in real time, Rose Gold's moves forward incrementally until the two finally merge in the present.

Living on her own for the first time at the age of eighteen, Rose Gold, at the outset, resides in a rundown apartment and works as a cashier at Gadget World. Initially taken in by Patty's best friend, Mary Stone, Rose is now learning to navigate the world independently. Unable to tolerate food for most of her life, she learns what foods she likes and how to prepare them. Her only friend, Alex (Mary's daughter), has moved away, but they remain in touch. Rose has a boyfriend who lives in Colorado. She met Phil online and they have never met, but text regularly and she looks forward to seeing him in person so that she can experience her first kiss. Before that happens, however, she wants to undergo dental treatment for which she is saving her money. Her misshapen, discolored teeth are a result of years of stomach acid eating away the enamel surfaces. So she is extremely self-conscious, holding her hand in front of her face. And Rose is, of course, infamous in the little town of Deadwick where she has lived her entire life. She tells herself that she is "not disgusting," but she doesn't believe it. It was, in fact, Phil who helped Rose Gold figure out what her mother was doing to her. "It's odd that hospital food never makes you sick. Only your mom's food," Phil told her. Still, it took Rose Gold another six months to piece it all together and finally seek help.

By the time Patty is released, much has happened to Rose Gold. Her friendship with Alex has changed dramatically, she has purchased and moved into her mother's childhood home, and arrives at the prison with her two month old son, Adam.

The two women take up residence in the family home and begin a tense game of cat and mouse. Wrobel reveals Patty's plan to regain Rose Gold's trust and hear Rose Gold ask forgiveness for having testified at Patty's trial. After all, it was Rose Gold's testimony that secured her conviction. Little by little, Patty seeks more time alone with Adam . . . and to exert control over Rose Gold's life as she did for so many years.

The two women's inner dialogues are diabolically entertaining and full of surprising twists. Wrobel slowly reveals the depth of harm that a lifetime of mistreatment has caused Rose Gold through her naive, but calculating interactions with others. Rose simultaneously engenders sympathy and anger, ultimately describing how she arrived at the realization that she was utterly alone in the world and finally decided to visit her mother in prison for the first time.

Wrobel keeps the two story lines advancing at a steady pace until they converge and the action accelerates. Shocking revelations about the women's goals and motivations lead to a jaw-dropping conclusion.

Darling Rose Gold sets itself apart from other fictional stories about Munchausen syndrome by proxy. In those tales, the mystery is usually about what is actually happening to the child or which parent is the perpetrator. But Wrobel set out to write a story that is "more about the why. Not only does the reader know what Patty has done, but they’re also forced to live inside her head and watch her rationalize these actions."

And that is precisely why Darling Rose Gold is such an impressive debut. It succeeds as an in-depth, disturbing character study about a tragically dysfunctional mother-daughter relationship. Each woman wants to be loved and accepted by the other. Both want to be celebrated for their individuality and, in Patty's case, she wants to be appreciated for the great sacrifices she contends she made for her daughter. Yes, she maintains her innocence -- even to herself -- even though she fails to deceive anyone, including the townspeople who refuse to welcome her back and her former best friend, Mary who is convinced from the moment she arrives back in Deadwick that no good will come from her return.

Darling Rose Gold demonstrates that Wrobel is a gifted and promising writer with the ability to develop multi-layered, complex characters while examining controversial topics that do not lend themselves to definitive conclusions. In Darling Rose Gold she has done so with sensitivity and compassion, while sustaining reader interest with unexpected, expertly-timed plot twists. Psychological thriller fans will find it impossible to put down . . . and contemplate it long after reading the last page.

This one was a hit and a miss all in one. I loved Patty and Rose Gold and the alternating chapters. However, this book kind of creeped and grossed me out just a smidge. It was a love/hate relationship and I just don't know how to review this one. If you are ready for your head to spin I would say pick it up and check it out!! The story pacing was well done, the dual POV was also done very well too. The time line was also done well. I have to really say that although this one was somewhat ugh (nasty) and creepy that it really gripped me. Man o Man after writing this up. I think I do need a finished copy of this one. #WhyDoIDoThisToMyself?


Go Into This One Knowing: Creepy!!

Wow! I did not know what to expect when I picked up 𝘋𝘢𝘳𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘙𝘰𝘴𝘦 𝘎𝘰𝘭𝘥. I was a little nervous because of the hype surrounding it. But I was pleasantly surprised. The writing is brilliant. I was immediately hooked. ⁣
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This is a story told from two perspectives: Rose Gold from the past, and her mother Patty in the present. The writing style is fast-paced and easy to read. We are privy to every disturbing thought that takes place inside the character's heads. Patty is sent to prison for child abuse until she is released a few years later. Will she and Rose Gold be reconciled? Will her daughter and the rest of the town be able to put the past behind them? Is her mom a new person or is she the same as she has always been?⁣
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This disorder, Munchausen by Proxy, is both fascinating and heartbreaking. There are moments in this story where I inwardly cringed for Rose Gold. Yet, there were other times I felt equally bad for her mother. Both characters where unlikable. It takes a talented author to make you feel for both the victim and the villain. I was constantly intrigued and appalled by both mother and daughter. ⁣
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This is one twisted story. The ending shocked me. If you are in the mood for a twisted psychological thriller, this one will keep you on your toes.⁣
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There were a few things that didn’t sit right with me, so I am giving it 4.5⭐️. At the same time, this is a thriller, so I wouldn’t expect a detailed exploration of mental illness.

Thanks to the publisher for my gifted copy.

Ever since it was a minor plot point in the movie The Sixth Sense, Munchausen syndrome by proxy (MSBP) has been a popular subject in fiction and nonfiction. While Gillian Flynn’s Strange Objects, recently the subject of an HBO miniseries, may be the most well-known story to hinge upon that reveal, other works do not play the twist so close to the vest. In author Stephanie Wrobel’s well-received debut, Darling Rose Gold, the syndrome is front and center as the author demonstrates the type of person who would deliberately sicken their child for attention, and what happens to the child who was tortured in this way. The result is a twisted work from which the reader cannot look away.

Read the complete review by clicking on the link below.

Told from two people's point of view we learn that Rose Gold believed she was seriously ill for 18 years, but turned out her mother wasn't honest about that. Patty, Rose Gold's mother, ends up in prison for five years for making her daughter sick and Rose Gold testified against her. Fast forward five years and Patty is getting out of prison and surprisingly will be staying with Rose Gold. What will happen now? Has Rose Gold forgiven her mother? Has her mother forgiven Rose Gold for testifying again. Or are they both up to something? An interesting, sometimes disturbing read but holds your attention! Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for an ARC copy in exchange for an honest review.

I recently watched The Act on Hulu. So as I was reading this book I had images of Joey King and Patricia Arquette's characters playing out this book. It was not hard to make the comparisons. I was hooked watching the television series. Plus, the fact that this book was getting a lot of hype made me want to read it. Therefore, my expectations were high.

Things started out fine with the book but I will admit it was slow reading. To the point that I only read a few chapters at a time. As the story went on I kept wondering when it would pick up and where the story was going. At the halfway point, is when the pacing picked up. My interest did get peaked. Yet, I expected Rose Gold's mother to revert back to her old ways once back in the real world or at least put up a fight. She was meek. Overall, my feelings were not as hyped as I expected.

Stories of Munchausen syndrome by proxy in real life are tragic, but as a fiction, this case was fascinating. When Rose Gold finally gets access to the Internet, warning bells start to go off. Are her symptoms real, and if they are, what is causing them? The key witness in her mother Patty's trial is Rose Gold, but despite that Rose Gold allows her mother to stay with her when she gets out of prison 5 years later. You'll love Patty's quirky phrasing, and how Rose Gold develops some of her mother's habits. Now a (more) healthy young woman with a child of her own, Rose Gold appears to forgive her mother. But her mother starts to suspect Rose Gold's intentions aren't all good, and after being shunned by the townsfolk, Patty sets up her plan to get out of Dodge...and thus the plot thickens....

The only problem with this book was that it ended too quickly - I wanted more!

Thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for a fascinating review copy!

Amazon: https://smile.amazon.com/review/R33UEE277MWWAM/ref=pe_1098610_137716200_cm_rv_eml_rv0_rv

The cover design made me think this was going to be a delightful story. After reading it and studying the cover, I saw that there was more than I thought. There are cracks in this mother-daughter story. There was no false advertising in the cover design. If they give awards for cover design this should be among the top designs. Diabolical in its presentation of Munchausen syndrome, you wonder right up to the end who is reliable and who isn’t. Told from the perspectives of mother and daughter, this is truly a psychological story. Be prepared to stay up half the night to finish reading it, although there are times you want to close the book because you don’t want to know what’s going to happen. It has been listed in many different Best books of 2020 and well deserves it.

So admittedly I don't read a ton of thrillers, but obviously being stuck in self-quarantine for Lord knows how long during a global pandemic seems like as good a time as any to expand some horizons.

I ripped through Stephanie Wrobel's Darling Rose Gold in a single sitting. The dueling narratives between Rose Gold and her mother Patty were well-done, and even though I put the pieces together before the end, it was still satisfying to watch them coalesce. It's a 3.5 stars one for me.

This novel has been getting a lot of hype on social media. It’s Stephanie Wrobel’s debut novel and it sounds dark and addicting. Which is exactly why I wanted to review it.

I mean, I am not going to lie, the main character’s name was Rose Gold and that was made clear in the summary and all I could think of was ‘gag me!’

I honestly wasn’t sure I could get past the name situation but I was eager to read this one all the same because it had all the complicated mother/daughter issues mixed with some psychologically thrilling elements so I was willing ot at least try and look past the name ‘Rose Gold’.

Summary
For the first eighteen years of her life, Rose Gold Watts believed she was seriously ill. She was allergic to everything, used a wheelchair, and practically lived at the hospital. Neighbors did all they could, holding fundraisers and offering shoulders to cry on, but no matter how many doctors, tests, or surgeries, no one could figure out what was wrong with Rose Gold.

Turns out her mom, Patty Watts, was just a really good liar.

After serving five years in prison, Patty gets out with nowhere to go and begs her daughter to take her in. The entire community is shocked when Rose Gold says yes.

Patty insists all she wants is to reconcile their differences. She says she’s forgiven Rose Gold for turning her in and testifying against her. But Rose Gold knows her mother. Patty Watts always settles a score.

Unfortunately for Patty, Rose Gold is no longer her weak little darling…

And she’s waited such a long time for her mother to come home. (summary from Goodreads)

Review
Right off the bat let me put this out there, this book is disturbing. If you want a thriller that’s more complex and dark, this is that thriller. I mean, I didn’t really like any of the characters….like not even a little bit but that added to the overall feel of instability and disturbing terror. I felt uneasy and on edge all at the same time. The characters are very very very f-ed up and have lots of issues so if you like your thrillers with less damaged characters this might not be the book for you but I did enjoy the level of crazy the author went to for these two characters.

This book was compelling and I found myself excited to read it even if the subject matter was darker and more serious, I still had a hard time putting it down. But I will say that about 3/4 of the way through we start wrapping things up leaving the rest of the book as mostly fluff filler which was a little disappointing. I mean it wasn’t bad but I just hoped that the ending would have come a little later or maybe been developed a little more rather than adding filler at the end, if that makes sense.

Overall I really liked the premise of this story and it is a true blue psychological thriller, there is no disputing that. Fans of psychological thriller will definitely want this one on their radar. For a debut novel this one is a solid read and I am looking forward to more by this author. Though I will say that I hoped for more of a solid ending, especially considering how strong this one started out. In the end, I went with 4 stars. A great debut!

Book Info and Rating
Paperback, 320 pages
Expected publication: March 17th 2020 by Simon & Schuster
ISBN13 9781982135041
Free review copy provided by publisher, Simon and Schuster, in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own and in no way influenced.
Rating: 4 stars
Genre: psychological thriller