**4.5-stars**

Patty Watts was arrested for and charged with poisoning her daughter, Rose Gold.
An alleged case of Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy, Patty was purported to have been abusing Rose Gold her entire life.
As a late teenager, Rose Gold confesses some things about her home life to a neighborhood friend and the adults around her end up putting the pieces of the puzzle together.
Ultimately, Rose Gold testified against her Mother in court and she was sentenced to five years. As you can imagine, this has led to an estranged relationship.
Darling Rose Gold follow two perspectives, both Patty and Rose Gold.
We follow Patty after she is released from serving her time and Rose Gold after her Mother is prosecuted up through the present day.
As Patty is released, she is picked up outside the prison gates by Rose Gold. It seems during the interim of her time away they have begun the process of healing their relationship.
Rose Gold is now a mother herself, of little Adam, and has purchased her own home. Since Patty has nowhere to go, it is decided that she will move in with them until she can get back on her feet.
This book is full of messed up twists and keeps its intensity throughout as the timelines come closer and closer to merging. I love this type of format. I always end up racing through so fast to get to that climatic scene at the end. About mid-way through I knew, hoped I knew, where this was going. It went there and I was hella happy about it. A revenge story is one of my favorite tropes of all time. This one satisfied me in that regard and was full of masterful manipulation.
I have often mentioned that I love a good long-game; this story had that in spades. Well played, Wrobel.
There were definitely parts that made me uncomfortable, particularly the focus on Rose Gold's ruined teeth, but I understand where the author was coming from in framing it that way.
Rose Gold and Patty definitely shared one of the most f*ed up relationships I have ever read. It's also one I remember for a long time.
Thank you so much to the publisher, Berkley Publishing Group and NetGalley, for providing me with a copy of this to read and review. I really enjoyed it and am looking forward to more from Stephanie Wrobel.

Be warned that this book is disturbing. But I really was fascinated with both these characters. I read it in one day because I could not put it down. I don’t want to say much more and ruin it but this book is as intriguing. And the cover is so gorgeous!

What a disturbing story this is in so many ways. Dealing with child abuse situations is always difficult. In this case, neither the abuser nor the abused is a likable character. (In fact, I didn't like any of the characters!) Mental health is an issue for both mother and daughter. And revenge becomes a main plot point of the novel. I'd say the emotional state of each main character is very well developed and leads to an interesting ending.

Thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for the ARC to read and review.

Rose Gold Watts has always been sick. She was sick as a baby, sick as a child, in fact sick till she was eighteen years old. Her mother always took such good care of her. It was just Rose and Patty, her loving mother. Patty sacrificed everything for her daughter, spending her whole life nursing Rose Gold. No matter how many tests, how many doctors no one knew why she was so sickly. Till Rose Gold found out why, till she learned what a liar her mother really was.
Five years have passed Rose Gold has a baby son now and is living on her own doing well when Patty returns. Everyone is shocked when she takes her mother back in. Even more shocked when she starts getting sick again. Is Patty up to her old tricks and can she be trusted with her grandson?
Revenge is in the air the question is, who has the most anger and who is the most devious? Like mother like daughter?
A debut novel that delves into the mind of a child who has suffered munchausen by proxy from her mother and as an adult takes her in under her own care. Chilling and thought provoking with characters that hide their true secrets till the bitter end. This was definitely a page turner and I can't wait to see what Wrobel writes next!

I don't often read a book where I don't like either of the main characters, but I just couldn't like either Patty or Rose Gold. I had periods of feeling sorry for each of them, but they were both rather despicable in their own ways. The writing is good with alternating points of view as the story unfolds. I have to admit, though, that I found myself bored through much of the book. And yet I kept turning the pages. I saw where it was going early on though there were a few surprises at the end. By the time of the big reveal, it was all rather anticlimactic.

This one was pretty good, although there were times when I didn't like either character. I liked how the author switched off between both Patty and Rose Gold. The suspense kept me reading and I'm glad I kept going. What a messed up family!

My rating has nothing to do with the author, or the skill the book was written with. The writing was good. The plot, pacing, and twists were all excellent. I liked where the author took it. There was just something about both main characters POVs that made me feel dirty. Darling Rose Gold is about two extremely damaged and broken women. They weren’t better for this history, they were the opposite. They were horrible. I knew that going in. That was the authors goal, and she achieved it.

I just didn’t anticipate my visceral reaction to being in that type of persons head. It succeeded in raising my internal anxiety level, and not in a good way. It was an anxiety based on feeling icky. I couldn’t handle it.

It was because of that gut reaction that I had to rate this story lesser. Please don’t let that stop you from reading Darling Rose Gold. There is an audience for this type of book. There are people out there who love to be in the head of morally deficient characters the entire time. That person is not me.

I was intrigued by the subject matter of Stepanie Wrobel's Darling Rose Gold and requested an ARC. As I was reading the first half of the book, it seemed to be written exactly like the Hulu TV mini-series The Act, which was based on Dee Dee and Gypsy Blanchard. There was little that was not an exact copy of the show, and although I thoroughly enjoyed the mini-series, i didn't enjoy its exact recall in this fictional book


The remainder of the book tackled Rose Gold's discovery of her father being alive & her efforts to join his family and her reconnecting with her mother upon her release from prison. I found these parts to be somewhat rushed and the story was all over the place and hard to follow.


As much as I anticipated reading Darling Rose Gold, I sadly.found it to be unfulfulling and a missed opportunity.
.

Rose Gold Watts had a harrowing childhood. Her mother, Patty, allegedly poisoned and starved her over a period of years. After Rose testifies against her mother in court, Patty goes to prison. Upon her release, Patty, now fifty-eight, hopes to "start over," and Rose, who has an infant, Adam, reluctantly allows Patty to move in with her. Stephanie Wrobel's "Darling Rose Gold" is a disquieting thriller in which the author masterfully depicts two warped women who narrate their tragic stories in alternating chapters. Although we may not always empathize with them, we grow to understand why they behave the way they do.

When she reaches her twenties, Rose, who works as a saleslady, is lonely and bitter; she is ashamed of her appearance (her teeth are disfigured); and she has nothing to look forward to and no one to love except Adam. When Patty comes to live with Rose in Deadwick, the dull Illinois town where they both grew up, the neighbors greet Patty with contempt. They despise her for what she did to Rose, and have no intention of letting bygones be bygones. Still, Rose puts up with her mother's presence, and Patty seems eager to bond with her adorable grandson.

There are a number of twists along the way, some of which readers will anticipate. Others, however, are genuinely clever, surprising, and poignant. Wrobel compellingly and effectively demonstrates the ways in which abusive parents inflict deep and long-lasting wounds on their unfortunate offspring. In the case of Rose Gold and Patty, there are old scores to settle, and the conclusion of this well-written and intense tale is downright unnerving.

I wasn't really sure what to expect going into this book but it was a really interesting and completely creepy book. The book is less of a thriller and more of a character study and look into Munchausen Syndrom By Proxy. While it was fascinating, and vaguely disturbing, it was also a bit slow and a bit predictable. That being said I did find it hard to put down and overall really enjoyed it.

Mother-daughter relationships are fragile. You are either best friends or tolerant of each other. In Rose Gold Watts case, her relationship with mother is complicated. For the first 18 years of her life, Rose Gold believed she was seriously ill. Allergic to everything, practically lived in the hospital and used a wheelchair. Neighbors held fundraisers to help with medical expenses. The whole community took on the burden because no one could figure out what was wrong. As it turns out, her mother, Patty Watts, was the cause.

The novel begins with Patty Watts being released from prison after five years. With nowhere to go, Rose Gold takes her in. Of course the entire community is against the idea and has not forgiven Patty. What kind of mother tortures and lies to her child? But they both want to reconcile and build a healthier mother-daughter relationship. But has Patty really forgiven her daughter for testifying against her? And is Rose Gold still the naive darling little girl?

Oh what a twisted tale this weaved! Darling Rose Gold is such a great debut novel. I admit that I do not give debuts a fair try sometimes. The book cover, synopsis and book blurbs have to catch my attention. All criteria met so I was excited to try someone new. And let me tell you, bookhearts, Stephanie Wrobel is now on my watchlist; Darling Rose Gold deserves a spot in my best books of 2020. She did that!

Happy Pub Day, Stephanie Wrobel! Darling Rose Gold is now available.

LiteraryMarie

Wow. What absolute craziness! These two put the "fun" in dysfunctional. They are both very unlikeable, sociopathic and delusional. I loved their twisty, turny story and their horrible ways. It's disturbing, yet you can't turn away when you step into the mind of a sociopath and watch their tale and their lives unravel. And you get two for the price of one here! You can read a zillion reviews that will give you highlights of the story you'll find in these pages. I will tell you that if you can handle reading something disturbing, with a nice twist in the end, you will more than enjoy Rose Gold and her mother, Patty!

Twisty and dark! Told from the viewpoints of Rose Gold and her mother Patty, we learn the story of how Patty ended up in prison for munchausen by proxy and follow the events that occur after her release. I was concerned that this was going to be too dark for me but it was just right. Perfectly paced and chilling conclusion.

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for allowing me to read a pre-release in exchange for my honest opinion.

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion & review. To be honest, I went into this book thinking it was the same story as 'The Act' - the true story about Gypsy Rose Blanchard, which may have distorted my opinion a little bit and I wish I hadn't felt that way.

Patty Watts has dedicated her entire life to caring for her daughter, Rose Gold. She spent years racing her daughter to the hospital with multiple illnesses and sicknesses, unexplained and constant, all while hosting fundraisers and being an outstanding community citizen. Until she isn't - until someone suggests Rose Gold was never sick and Patty's lies come undone. After she spend five years in jail for aggravated child abuse, she returns to her childhood home to live with Rose Gold to make amends with her daughter. But is Patty Watts really ready to forgive and forget? Is Rose Gold?

Darling Rose Gold is told between two perspectives - Patty in the current day, and Rose Gold's in the years Patty was in prison and leading up to current day. I had never heard of munchausen before, so I went down the rabbit hole after finishing this book to learn more about it. I will be honest again and say I didn't think this book would get more than 3 stars from me until about 60% of the way through. It was a lot of explaining, which I thought was just an overview of everything I already knew about Gypsy Rose Blanchard - which turns out this book is not about AT ALL. I was very interested in the minds of both Rose Gold and Patty, as they were both so unhinged in their thought process.

Patty and Rose Gold are extremely similar, both twisted and riddled with instability. It seems as though Patty and Rose Gold are in a dangerous battle of revenge, Patty thinking Rose Gold owes her life to her for everything she's done for her, and Rose Gold feeling as though Patty owes her years of her childhood back for everything she took from her. The last few chapters of the book really captured me, desperate to find out who wins the war.

Thank you to NetGalley, Stephanie Wrobel, Simon & Schuster Canada and Berkley Publishing for the free e-book in exchange for an honest review.

Sometimes I have a hard time with novels about things like this that happen in the real world and are in my field of work, so I was really concerned I would hate it. But it was the exact opposite, I was totally invested in this novel and found it quite the page-turner. I wanted to know what was going to happen and I loved having it go back and forth between Rose Gold and her mother. I loved the major twists thrown in toward the end of this novel; I was only shocked by one of them, but man! Was it ever good! I was compelled to keep reading this one until I was finished, definitely one that I was surprised by!

First off, I love a thriller with sick-o characters, the more twisted the better. However, I don’t know if it’s getting older or what, but I really hated the characters in this book.

This is not retelling of the Gypsy Rose Blanchard case, where her mother Dee Dee Blanchard falsely claimed that Gypsy Rose had all sorts of illnesses, probably stemming from Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy.

Even though the storyline is obviously similar and even the main character’s name is similar, this is the story of a fictional Rose Gold and her mother Patti.

Patti is about to be released from prison for abusing Rose Gold.

Rose Gold is still suffering lasting effects from ipecac syrup that her mother made her drink. The constant vomiting has ruined her teeth. She has no social skills.

What she does have is a desire to get even with her mother. She goes at great lengths to plot a revenge.

While Rose Gold is clearly the victim here, she is not a likable character. Her level of meanness and craziness rival her mothers.

Not a pleasant book, but like watching a train wreck, I read it with morbid fascination.

I received an ARC of the book.

I can already tell that this is going to be a marmite book—some people will love it and love it instantly, others will dislike it greatly after a chapter or two.
If your first question is something like “Oh, is this based on the Gypsy Rose Blancharde case? (https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/michelledean/dee-dee-wanted-her-daughter-to-be-sick-gypsy-wanted-her-mom)” then yes, this book is probably for you (and the answer is yes—the author mentions the case in the acknowledgements, though the premise here is what if the two women lived together after the mother went to jail, rather than being murdered by her daughter’s online boyfriend).
This book also deals heavily with the psychology of abusers and the abused… and neither character is a great individual. You already know if you’re into the lurid—and if you want to see if these two destroy each other.

Rose Gold was raised by her mother, Patty, and she was seriously ill her whole life. Doctors could never figure out what was wrong with her, and Rose Gold eventually discovered that her mother was behind her illnesses. Patty went to prison, but it's time for her release. She doesn't have anywhere to go, and Rose Gold agrees to take her in. They say they forgive one another, but both have twisted plans.

Rose Gold was always weak due to her illnesses and missed out on experiences due to her controlling mother. Patty appeared to be a pillar of the community, and seemed a doting mother. Turns out, she secretly abused Rose Gold her entire life. Rose Gold was 18 years old when she testified against Patty in court. It's a surprise when Rose Gold picks Patty up from prison when she is released 5 years later, and even more surprising that she lets Patty move in with her. Rose Gold is now a single mother herself, and doesn't quite trust Patty with her two-month-old son.

Told with the alternating points of view of Rose Gold and Patty. Both are unreliable narrators, and make for unlikable characters. In fact, even the secondary characters are unlikable. It makes for an entertaining read, and one that kept me turning the pages late into the night.

A psychological thriller about a twisted mother-daughter relationship. Clever, dark, and gripping.

I received a free digital copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

A plucked from the headlines gripping read!

The story opens as Patty Watts aka “Poisonous Patty” is being released from prison after serving five years for aggravated child abuse. Patty has always maintained that she is innocent. She doesn’t blame Rose Gold even though her daughter testified against her. Instead, she blames the prosecutor, the jury, and the reporters who just wanted their story. If she did all of those terrible things to her daughter why would Rose Gold offer to pick her up today?

Patty waits outside the prison for Rose Gold who is late picking her up. Eventually, Patty sees her old maroon van headed towards her. She is excited to see her now twenty-three-year-old daughter. She is also excited about seeing the other passenger in the van.

Patty needs to find someplace to live and also needs to find a job. She hopes that Rose Gold will offer to let her stay with her. Rose Gold tells Patty that she’s recently bought a house and that her mother is welcome to stay. Patty is surprised and has trouble hiding her shock when she sees where they'll be living.

Patty wants things to return to the way they used to be, but Rose Gold has other ideas.

Have they really forgiven each other? Who is telling the truth now?


I was so excited to read this novel! I couldn’t wait to get my hands on it.

Although the story has some similarities to a true-life story, it is still very different. Even though I knew the story it was partially based on, I still really enjoyed this novel.

The story is told from both Patty and Rose Gold’s point of view alternating back and forth between past and present. We learn what happened in the years they lived together prior to Patty going to jail, what happened during the years they were apart, Patty’s past and childhood, and their time together once Patty is released.

I thought this was an entertaining and easy read although it does deal with some very disturbing topics. Some parts of the novel may be unbelievable but many things about the true story were hard to believe as well.

I flew through this novel taking very few breaks. I really didn’t like having to put it down. It may not be for everyone, but I thought it was a great read!!

I look forward to reading more from Stephanie Wrobel.



I'd like to thank the publisher for providing me with a copy of this novel. All opinions are my own.

Ever wondered what thoughts float around in a crazy persons head?
If you read this one you can stop wondering.
It's super messed up and extremely well written!
Much love to NetGalley & Berkley Publishing Group for my DRC.