Received an advanced reader's copy courtesy of NetGalley. If you want to think about something else other than the pandemic, then this is the book for you. You won't be able to put it down because you're trying to figure out where the author will take you next. This is a perfect summer or vacation read.

Told in dual distinct voices, one from the past, and one from the present, this dark exploration of a mother daughter relationship will satisfy readers with its suspense and twists. A dark psychological thriller, DARLING ROSE GOLD by Stephanie Wrobel, is the perfect balance of twisted obsession and determined revenge.

A dark side of Motherhood- the unbelievable becomes real in this pure, unadulterated adrenaline ride. This absolutely delicious thriller of a read holds you captive until the very end.
The writing flips between the two powerful voices...the mother, "Patty Watts", is newly released from prison for a crime she didn't commit. The daughter,"Rose Gold", is a new mom who is trying to make it on her own, after the very public tumultuous trial of her mom.
What happens in this book is explosive, harrowing...and deeply disturbing. It's a themepark ride you want to try but soon realize it's much more than you bargained for.
Being a good mom just got a whole lot harder.
5⭐
Thank you NetGalley, Simon & Schuster Canada and the author Ms. Stephanie Wrobel for the opportunity to read this Advanced Readers Copy of "Darling Rose Gold". The opinions expressed in this review are mine alone.

For eighteen years, Rose Gold believed she was very ill—in and out of the doctor’s offices and the hospital her whole life, she used a wheelchair and was allergic to everything. The community rallied around Rose Gold and her mom, Patty Watts, to raise money for medical procedures and became the family’s emotional support system. After discovering her mom was lying to Rose Gold about her health, Patty ends up in prison for five years and upon her release, Rose Gold shocks the community and agrees to take her abusive mother in. Has Patty changed, or is she back to take revenge on her daughter for putting her in jail…?

Wow! I can see why there is so much hype about this book because I couldn’t put it down!!! The relationship between Rose Gold and her mother was highly toxic, but also interesting. The story goes back and forth between present and past, and sometimes this can throw me for a loop, but this one is very easy to follow and actually enhanced the story. This story intrigued me because it reminded me of a similar story in the news—the story of Gypsy Rose Blanchard and her mother, Dee Dee. Although the story is not the same, Stephanie mentions in the acknowledgements that she studied the story of Gypsy Rose and Dee Dee. If you’re looking for a new kind of thriller, this is the book for you. I highly recommend this one!*

4.5/5 stars

*content warning: child abuse, abuse, and suicide*

Darling Rose Gold follows the story of a mother and daughter relationship, but nothing about it is typical. Rose Gold spent the first 18 years of her life believing she was chronically ill, only to discover that her mother had been purposefully making her ill. After serving 5 years in prison Patty Watts is free and begs her daughter to take her in. Rose happily obliges; she has been waiting a very long time for her mother to come home…

I really loved the premise of this book and was extremely intrigued by both Rose Gold and Patty. I found myself often unsure of which character was the unreliable narrator and which was the trustworthy one. I wish that there was more of a build-up of the final plot twist; I personally found that there was too much focus on plot points that did not impact the finale. I did love the use of both Rose Gold and Patty’s points of view and the timeline flipping from past to present.

Darling Rose Gold by Stephanie Wrobel is a psychological thriller that was really gripping! I read the majority of this book in one day! The story is told in alternating points of view between Patty in the present and her daughter Rose Gold in flashbacks. It was great how the two timelines intertwined to slowly reveal the twists in this novel.

DARLING ROSE GOLD begins the day Patty Watts is being released from prison.
She has served five years in jail for the child abuse. The victim was her daughter Rose Gold.
Five years earlier Rose Gold Watts was eighteen and she testified against her mother which resulted in Patty’s prison sentence.
Patty has no family other than Rose Gold. To everyone’s surprise Rose Gold has agreed to let Patty live with her after her release.
The story is told from the two female points of view. Patty narrates the present day storyline. Rose Gold’s story begins five years earlier just after the trial that sent her mother to jail. The two storylines eventually meet so at the end both voices are present day narratives.
Has Patty changed her ways or will she still try to control her adult daughter? Is Rose Gold still the weak daughter who acquiesces to her mother? Basically that is what the story is about. To learn the answers to these questions you must read the book. No spoilers.
I liked DARLING ROSE GOLD. I enjoy stories told from alternating perspectives. I found the book easy to read and it held my interest. I felt the story could have been a little bit more suspenseful but still a solid debut.
I would recommend it to readers who like “grip-lit”.

A dark and twisted novel that takes you into the lives of a twisted and sinister mother-daughter duo. Both Rose Gold and her mother Patty each have their own issues – they are dark, twisted, edgy, sinister, great liars, and so very devious. So… Who to believe? Do we believe Patty, that she did everything and anything possible that was needed to help her daughter be the healthiest and the best that she could be? Were all the lies about Patty just that – utter lies to destroy her? Did she have her daughters best interests at heart? Or do we believe Rose Gold? The poor innocent daughter of Patty who was a victim of so much heartache and mistreatment from her mother Patty over all of those years, from infancy to her teenage years?

This book had me HOOKED as I devoured the pages and I loved how the chapters went back and forth between Patty and Rose Gold’s point of view, and also varying timelines from past and present. It built up the suspense and gave in depth info of each character, and I loved the fast paced nature of this book. Their relationship was definitely full of drama, lies and betrayals, and I LOVED IT!! So, who would you believe? Is one truly innocent and one to blame? Are they each to blame in their own twisted ways? Are they both out for revenge? You’ll have to read this highly anticipated novel to find out and believe me, you will love it!!

I requested and received an e-ARC of this book from NetGalley and Simon & Schuster Canada in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this book. I found myself rooting for Rose Gold throughout the book, she made some mistakes in her personal life, but you still couldn’t help but feel for her. I loved the dual POV, hearing Patty’s and Rose’s version of things from the past and the present was interesting. I thought I knew how this would end but the author was able to throw a little surprise twist in there that I didn’t see coming.

This thriller featuring Rose Gold and her mother Patty, is more than the average mother-daughter story. How far will Rose Gold go to gain her independence? A great story, one in which I found myself rooting for Rose Gold, mentally high-fiving her every move.

I enjoyed it, but I found it mostly predictable. It's a Munchausen syndrome by proxy story and if you've read about MSBP or read/seen any fiction about MSBP, you can figure out where the story is going. There's also a big plothole at the end - or at least, something left unexplained that I felt was integral to the resolution.

Consider it a beach read, or when you're between books that require concentration. It's fun fluff.

If you have heard the wild true story of Gypsy Rose, you will love Darling Rose Gold. Very similar in my opinion and a turn pager. I was hooked from the beginning and finished this book in one sitting. Very interesting and entertaining.

This was a really interesting story that pulled me in right away. I think it made really good use of dual POV and time jumps, and it kept me hooked right up until the end.

Darling Rose Gold is a taut psychological thriller that offers readers a disturbingly close up perspective on the twisted relationship between a mother and daughter. Everyone thought that Rose Gold suffered from mysterious illnesses all through her childhood, but that wasn't it at all. She was being poisoned. By her mother. Rose Gold's testimony led to her mother's conviction and long jail sentence. When Patty is released, the community is shocked when Rose Gold takes her in, in an apparent act of forgiveness and reconciliation. But as it was in the past, all is not what it seems, and readers are positioned to question everything as the novel unfurls.

Stephanie Wrobel is great at ratcheting up the tension, adding layers to the characters so that we see aspects of victim and villain in both of the central players. The tone is unsettling from the start, and a claustrophobic mood builds throughout, leading to a super satisfying, can't-stop-reading, kind of feeling. The narration unfolds with alternating present / past perspectives. Darling Rose Gold is a exciting debut sure to please many thriller fans.

I have to say that this book ended up being what I’d classify as a bit of a guilty pleasure. Neither of the main characters were particularly likable, but I really wanted to figure out what they had up their sleeves the whole time. I definitely didn’t figure it out, not until just near the very end, so that was a plus. And, I was satisfied with the twist, although I do have to say that I felt there had to be some suspension of disbelief in place in order for this one to work. Definitely entertaining at the very least and quick and easy to read.

Twisty and turny, and absolutely gave me that creepy crawly feeling throughout. It was nail biting to try to figure out which of our characters was the main weirdo, and I think that might have been my favourite part. I’m a Murderino, so I do know quite a few Munchausen by Proxy stories, but this took that to the next level. To have both sides of the twisted tale, care giver and child, really added an extra level to the story, and made for a great read. 4.5 stars

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

“They say a grudge is a heavy thing to carry. Good thing we’re extra strong.”

If you thought your relationship with your mother was strained, wait until you read Darling Rose Gold by Stephanie Wrobel. All I knew going into this book was that it’s a psychological thriller, and that information alone did not prepare me for what I just read. This book was nuts, and I loved every minute of it.

I’ve seen a few reviews say that Darling Rose Gold is loosely based off of the Gypsy Rose case and the murder of her mother in 2015. I had no idea what that was about so I looked it up after finishing the book and oh boy, what another wild ride! While Darling Rose Gold isn’t 100% the same, there are clear similarities. Murderinos, I think you’re going to love this book.

The book focuses on two main characters: Patty Watts, recently released from serving five years in prison for aggravated child abuse, and her daughter, Rose Gold. Chapters flip back and forth between Patty’s perspective in the present day, and Rose Gold’s perspective over the past five years while her mother was in jail.

Both of these characters are terrible, and complicated. They both grew up in abusive households, which explains their actions, but doesn’t forgive them. I kept asking myself whether or not I felt bad for them, but then would see what they were plotting next and was internally screaming, wishing I could call the police on a fictional character. These two women were incredibly intense, and I hope I never meet anyone like them in real life.

Some aspects of the plot were predictable, but others remained a mystery. I found myself constantly concerned about Rose Gold’s son, Adam. When details about him emerged I wanted to throw the book across my room, but I was using my Kobo and didn’t want it to break. The roller coaster of emotions throughout this story was absolutely wild, and helped keep the plot going.

I devoured this book in only a couple sittings. I was constantly torn between wanting to know more about the characters and what they were plotting, and wanting them to be taken away and locked up forever. It’s one of the better psychological thrillers I’ve read in a while. You know immediately that something isn’t right, but you’re not quite sure how exactly it’s all going to play out.

If you’re a fan of psychological or domestic thrillers, be sure to add Darling Rose Gold to your list. It also explores mother-daughter relationships, and how cruel they can sometimes be.

Thank you to the publisher (Simon & Schuster Canada) for an electronic copy of this book via NetGalley. Darling Rose Gold came out on March 17, 2020, and can be purchased wherever books are sold.

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!

I absolutely loved the concept of this book and it reminded me so much of the Gypsy Rose trial. I loved that this was a mother / daughter thriller with alternating points of view. This book really through me for a loop and the writing style was incredible. This was a really great book and I would highly recommend it.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I have been seeing Darling Rose Gold book all over Instagram and was curious about it. Besides, the cover is just absolute gorgeous! When I found out that this story is similar to the true case of Gypsy Rose Blanchard, I knew that I had to read it! And just to understand the story more, I also listened to a few podcast episodes on the case of Gypsy Rose before reading this book. Yup, down the rabbit hole I go!

For almost two decades, Rose Gold Watts believed that she was seriously ill. Her childhood was filled with doctors appointments, tests and surgeries, and yet the doctors were not able to help her feel better. As it turned out, it was her mother, Patty Watts, who has been making her ill. Rose Gold's testimony will later sent her mother to prison and now after serving five years for aggravated child abuse, Patty is released. To everyone's surprise, Rose Gold takes her mother in and they stay together in her newly purchased house. It appears to be true forgiveness and reconciliation between mother and daughter but each of them has their own agenda.

This is one dark, twisty, psychological thriller which had me binge read during the weekend! I really enjoyed reading from Patty and Rose Gold POV with Munchausen By Proxy Syndrome as the theme. Not condoning Patty's action, but when reading from her POV I did understand how this syndrome affects her choices. The mother-daughter relationship is so toxic that you cant' really root or trust any of them. They are both calculative, manipulative, and you won't be able to tell if anything they say or do is sincere or just pure evil. However, I was a little discombobulated by the jumpy timeline and had to re-read some parts to understand the story. I also guessed the plot towards the end but it did not make my reading experience any less pleasurable. With that being said, I highly recommend this disturbing, mind-bending thriller to everyone! A must read for sure!


Quotes/sayings:

"Coffee was a rite of adulthood - only a kid wouldn't drink it."

"Because that's what mothers do. We shelter the hardest truths from our children to keep them safe. We take the hit so they don't have to feel the pain."

"… : you would never love your mother as much as she loved you. She had formed memories of you since you were a poppy seed in her belly. You didn't begin making your own memories until three, four, five years old? She'd had a running start. She had known you before you even existed. How could we compete with that? We couldn't. We accepted that our mothers held their love over us, let them parade it around like a flashy trinket, because their love was superior to ours."

"But nobody wants to hear the truth from a liar."

"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."


Pub. Date: 17th March, 2020

***I received a complimentary digital copy of this book from Simon & Schuster Canada through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All views expressed in this review are my own and was not influenced by the author, publisher or any third party.***