Thank goodness for Stephanie Wrobel’s book Darling Rose Gold! I was waiting for a book to engage me and one that I could recommend to my friends. I suspect that many of them have added it to their summer reading lists.

I was so excited to read this one as it is outside my usual wheelhouse, but has such a compelling hook, how could I NOT want to know what happens? And I'm really glad I read it, even though there are many things I didn't like about it. It is indeed a book that is hard to put down because I wanted to know what would happen next. There were some great plot twists and turns, and I didn't predict all of them, so that was fun. However, in the end, what I had a hard time with was that this book doesn't contain any likeable characters. Patty, Rose Gold's mom, is awful, but she herself was abused and so a lot of what she did could be said to be trauma-related, and is it really fair that Rose Gold exacts such vicious revenge, especially since Patty has already served prison time? I don't know, honestly, but it was very hard to read about this revenge. I'm glad I read this book, but I also don't think I'd have the stomach to ever read it again! Looking forward to trying out more thrillers from Berkley though. Thanks for sharing this one with me!

I enjoyed this but not as much as I hoped. It read fast and was a page turner, but fella little short for me.

I flew through this, but didn't feel good about reading it if that makes sense. I definitely wanted to find out what happened, but the characters were just so awful (not awfully written, but awful people). I love psychological books and twists, but this one, while I enjoyed it while I read it, did not leave me wanting to tell others to read it

Munchausen by Proxy is at the heart of Darling Rose Gold by Stephanie Wrobel,

It's such a difficult topic to read or write about, but Stephanie Wrobel has done it in such a way that is absolutely riveting. It's such a dark psychological tale, less of a suspenseful thriller, but still keeps you flipping through page after page. The reader really does think that they have it all figured out, but Wrobel manages to through in enough twists, very believable ones at that, to keep the reader engaged in the story.

If you are an author or publisher seeking a review/blurb from me, please note I only provide those on the books I thoroughly enjoy and read cover-to-cover. If I don't give you one (as is the case here), it doesn't mean there was a problem with the book, it simply means the book wasn't for me or it may not resonate with my fan-base. I will, however, give you five-stars because I know EXACTLY how much work went into getting this particular title here and I'm not about to drag down your overall score just because it didn't hit for me. I wish you nothing but the best.
jd

I slowly trudged into this book expecting a dark, twisting road ahead of me and you can bet I found it with this one. This story mainly concerns two characters, Rose Gold and Patty Watts. The story moves back and forth through different time spans before or after one climactic event in this book that is told to the reader in the beginning. Patty, Rose Gold's mother, was imprisoned for abusing her daughter by intentionally making her sick for the majority of her childhood. This leads to untold doctor's appointments, community sympathy for a chronically ill child, and other things that come with having a sick child. As an adult, Rose Gold welcomes Patty back into her life after her prison release. Why, you think, after she's done such a horrible thing? Well, that's the basis of the whole story, so you'll have to read to find out. I'm sure you have a guess or two. The cause and the effects of this act unfold through alternating chapters told from Patty and Rose Gold's point of view. This really adds to the gaslighting and tense atmosphere as you are hearing both sides of the same story. It really amped up the intrigue and interest in the story for me.

This book reminds me of What Lies Between Us by John Marrs. Both great psychological thrillers told between mother and daughter in alternating points of view. Whereas What Lies Between Us is more about what lengths a family member will go through to protect another, Rose Gold is a tragic story that highlights the long and traumatic tendrils of the cycle of abuse. I don't think any character, main or side, escapes being affected in some way from varying forms of abuse and how they just seem to continue to perpetuate across time like ripples on a pond's surface. It seems like no one is untouched by mental health issues or the byproduct of their actions in this book. Which makes for a tense, nerve-racking read. It's hard to read at times, but adds a searing realism to mental health issues stemming from abuse, etc. The plot was a slow build but never stumbled or faltered for me. Just enough dark intrigue and "Wait a minute, I thought?" moments to keep you shuffling warily towards the end.

Like dark psychological suspense? Very complicated mother-daughter relationships? This may be more of a slow-burn with some easier twists to sleuth out, but it will most definitely have you questioning what you thought you knew. A slow-burn psychological thriller that lets you in on the secrets it holds in it's own sweet time. 4 out of 5 stars. Entertaining and was more enjoyable for me than your typical suspense.

I would like to thank NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC of this book.

It's like reading the prologue to Mommy Dead and Dearest. There are obvious parallels to the Gypsy Rose but this takes different twists and turns.

Great use of alternating timelines. The reader might think they know how the story ends because we are all familiar with the Gypsy Rose story. The relationship could have been a bit more developed.

We've been waiting for the next "Gone Girl", and I think this is it! Patty is just out of jail after spending 5 years for abusing her daughter, and her daughter (Rose Gold) is there to pick her up and take her home. Told in alternating chapters, we learn what really happened.....and what's really going on right now.

The suspense builds slowly, but steadily and the reader instantly knows that all is not as it seems. There are twists and turns at every corner, and I could not put this book down. It's not high quality literature, but who cares? This is what readers of Stephen King and Gillian Flynn look for -- non-stop action/suspense.

This was a page-turning read with a familiar story-line. Rose Gold was sick her entire childhood. Turns out her attention-seeking mother was deliberately making her ill. The mother ends up in prison for that and Rose Gold tries to rebuild her life. However, all the people close to her let her down and she decides to take her mother back in once she finished her prison term. The question for the reader: is this love for her mother or a desire for revenge?

Darling Rose Gold by Stephanie Wrobel is a 2020 Berkley publication.

Crazy, unhinged mind trip!!

Rose Gold Watts' testimony against her mother, Patty, for keeping her sick for the duration of her childhood, due to Munchausen Syndrome, helped send Patty to prison.

Rose, has a sheltered, and skewed view of things after all she's gone through. She's not only damaged physically, but mentally and emotionally, as well.

Rose is now a parent herself, to a little boy named Adam. She purchases the home her mother grew up in, and now that Patty is out of prison, Rose insists she come stay with her.

Thus, begins an incredible, insane, tightly wound, cat and mouse game between mother and daughter as they attempt to stay one foot in front of the other with their own diabolical plans.

This story is a non-stop roller coaster of suspense. It’s an edge of your seat psychological thriller, with a constant feeling of dread, that toys with one’s mind and emotions at the same time. The dual narration is splendidly done and paints a vivid portrait of Rose Gold and Patty Watts.

There are nuanced undercurrents that examine the mother and daughter bonds, "Nature vs. Nurture', and challenges the reader to determine who to believe, trust, or feel empathy towards.
These connotations require the reader to look beyond the suspense elements, at something deeper and more complex than what appears on the surface.

The novel is well executed, effective, and left me feeling conflicted and unsettled.

This might be one of my favorite novels of suspense for 2020- plus, it gets an extra star for being a debut novel!

*Note: I listened to parts of this book on audio- and the narration is very well done- especially Patty’s role.

This book was creepy. But creepy in a good way. The relationship between the mother and daughter is downright terrifying, and the twists this book took had my head spinning. Psychological, twisted, and dark are the words I would use to describe this book!

Rose Gold spent the first 18 years of her life childhood spent in and out of hospitals, undergoing surgeries and baffling physician and physician, seemingly suffering from illnesses that caused her to even rely on a wheelchair at times. Her mother Patty was the every-present Mom-of-the-Year, loving and comforting her daughter through it all, playing the part of uber-devoted parent. Rose Gold is only free of Patty after her testimony exposes Patty as a pathological liar as she is sent to prison for 5 years for child abuse. Once she is released from prison, she has nowhere to go and begs her daughter for a place to say, saying she wants forgiveness and reconciliation. Is Rose Gold really able to forgive and move past her mother's unforgivable acts? Or is revenge on her mind?
It’s a very memorable read that will undoubtedly stick with you - the amount of deception throughout makes it exciting and unpredictable. It tackles mental health issues, narcissism and the complications of mother-daughter relationships. I really enjoyed the two POVs - Patty’s perspective in the present day and Rose’s in the past. Awesome thriller that took some unexpected turns!
Thanks to Stephanie Wrobel, Berkley and NetGalley for the ARC.

I cannot believe I waited this long to read this book!!! Absolutely OUTSTANDING!! I kept reading way past my bedtime because I needed to know what was happening. Fantastically written from various points of view and definitely is on my recommendation list!

A very intriguing read, but that's because it's written directly from a story that dominated the headlines for weeks. However, the author never once acknowledges that fact. I thought the book was written pretty well and kept me turning pages, but it just felt like it was cheating. I couldn't give it any more than 3 stars because I needed the author to explain where the story came from and at least reference the real people involved. I understand in a historical fiction book that imagines what it was like because we don't have the ability to know the facts, but why not do the research and write an accurate, based on facts narrative non-fiction?

I cannot review this book as it included some personal triggers for me (in terms of anxiety) that were clear from the first 25%--however, I would buy this for my library as it comes highly recommended by others and the plot is quite "trendy" right now!

I wanted to like this book, but I was honestly disappointed in the ending. It’s a story we’re all familiar with and can’t help but be fascinated by. The author took some liberties which I didn’t personally care for.

This story is based on the real life of Gypsy Rose Blanchard, sort of aln alternate ending version. If you have seen The Act, it also tells Gypsys story.
I wasn't really hooked until more than halfway through. I definitely would not call this a psychological thriller. It was way too predictable for that.
I did finish and there were a few surprises, but not many.
Thank you to Netgalley for the pre-release ebook.

I received a digital copy of this book from Netgalley for an honest review.

Loved it! This was a fantastic, crazy, disturbing story on a toxic mother-daughter relationship. while this was inspired by the Gyspy Rose case, it definitely goes its own direction. The character writing is so good, you forget they aren't real people. Also, I highly recommend the audio because the narrators just do a phenomenal job of reading the characters.