THE USA TODAY AND EDGAR AWARD NOMINATED BESTSELLER“If you enjoyed The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides, read Darling Rose Gold.”—Washington Post “Sensationally good – two complex characters power the story like a nuclear reaction…”—Lee Child A most anticipated book of 2020 by Newsweek ∙ Marie Claire ∙ Bustle ∙ Shondaland ∙ PopSugar ∙ Woman’s Day ∙ Good Housekeeping ∙ BookRiot ∙ She Reads … Marie Claire ∙ Bustle ∙ Shondaland ∙ PopSugar ∙ Woman’s Day ∙ Good Housekeeping ∙ BookRiot ∙ She Reads
Mothers never forget. Daughters never forgive.
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.
“Dazzling, dark and utterly delicious”—J. P. Delaney, New York Times bestselling author of The Girl Before
“One of the most captivating and disturbing thrillers I’ve read this year. An astonishing debut”—Samantha Downing, USA Today bestselling author of My Lovely Wife
more
would give this one 2.5
Darling Rose Gold is a twisted psychological thriller that held me captive from the first page. Wrobel used the sacred bond between mother and child to weave a creepy tale of what happens when that bond is abused. I enjoyed every word of this eerily realistic thriller, but it did slow down a little in the middle of the story. The most I can say about this ending, without giving you any spoilers, is that it left me with a feeling of both guilt and triumph.
Rose Gold was systematically poisoned during the first 18 years of her life. Her mother went to prison for the crime. Now her mother is due to be released, and Rose Gold allows her to come live with her and her baby boy, Adam. But not all is as it seems.
Through a series of flashbacks, the reader learns more about Rose Gold’s relationship with her mother, her friends, co-workers, and family. Who is the victim, really?
Disturbing!!
Thanks to Edelweiss+ for the copy of this book! Opinions are my own.
#DarlingRoseGold #StephanieWroebel
Spoiler alert. I’m on the fence on this one. I was enjoying it until the father showed up. The author wasn’t able to maintain the quality of the dialogue and it felt amateurish and annoyed me. Then when the fathers family entered the story it only grew worse. I found myself reading just a few pages at a time and struggle to finish. I know that many readers thoroughly enjoyed the book but, unfortunately, I wasn’t one of them. I almost gave it 2* but was swayed by popular opinion.
Darling Rose Gold by Stephanie Wrobel is a unique mother/daughter nail-biting psychological thriller that I found to be both captivating, disturbing and at times depressing. Without giving away any spoilers, the characters were masterfully created by the author and at times I found them to be dark and not very likable. Readers will find that this storyline takes a twisted mom/daughter relationship to a whole new level that will keep you on the edge of your seat until the very end. I rated it a four because at times it was hard to follow going back and forth from the mom/daughter perspectives.
Oh my, this book was harrowing! You may not like any of the characters, but the author sure makes you care what happens to them. Riveting.
Mother/daughter psychological thriller. Mother’s in prison for making her daughter an invalid for eighteen years – but that’s not enough punishment for Darling Rose Gold. Solid writing. A tale of evil.
What a wild book! This dark and twisted psychological thriller definitely keeps you on your toes!
Rose Gold was a victim of her mother’s munchausen by proxy disorder as child. Upon release from prison, Rose allows her mother to stay with her until she gets back on her feet. (because, well what’s the worst that could happen right?)
The alternating chapters flow easily between Rose, and her mother – Patty, giving insight into both women’s lives and obsessions. From start to finish, the mind games and suspense do not slow down. The complex characters kept me guessing until the end – who was more insane, Rose or Patty?
Chilling and disturbing, this novel will stun you.
This book was a page turner with sharply drawn, fascinated, twisted characters and an ending I didn’t see coming. Loved it.
This would have gotten A MUCH higher rating from me if not for the ending. I was very wary about buying this book because the summary just didn’t grab me, but I quickly found myself getting lost in the story and really enjoying it, which says a lot for the author because the whole concept of A Mother hurting her own child, sickens me but she wrote it well. Our was interesting reading from the eyes of both Rose Gold and her Mother and seeing the difference in how they perceive things. As much as I couldn’t stand Patty.. I still found her chapters interesting to read. The book doesn’t so much have suspense, because we know going in what it’s all about and the first three fourths of the book held my full attention and it had such potential to be a 5 star book but the ending was so out of sync with the rest of the story, as if the author threw in the 1st ending that came to mind to make a deadline or something. It was bad enough to ruin the whole book for me… Just to unbelievable. I do think this Author shows a lot of promise though
Very Good story
I tore through this book at lightning speed! Darling Rose Gold is about Munchausen by proxy, and what happens when a mother, convicted of child abuse, gets out of prison. The voice is strong, the plot moves quickly, and there are OMG moments a plenty.
Holy cannoli! What a debut! This book had me wondering who was the sneakier snake and who would was trying to get away with what. Mother / daughter relationships taken to the extreme and I loved it. Deliciously evil and genuinely surprising, Darling Rose Gold gets five giant fat shiny stars from me.
A real page turner couldn’t put it down
Weird
‘Darling Rose Gold’ by Stephanie Wrobel
Munchausen Syndrome By Proxy portrayed at its very best served in a plate of twisted revenge! Imagine living your 18 years of life in and out of hospitals only to find out that it was your very own mother who is taking care of you and loving you at the same time is also making you sick where you end up with a feeding tube, being in a wheelchair and in-and-out of hospitals all throughout your life.
Wrobel wrote an amazing revenge story you will not see coming full of twists and turns you will feel good about. The characters were written so well in their point of views and just enough cookie crumbs left in this brilliant suspenseful thrill of a read! This is one that I will continue to recommend for the amazing writing and great plot twists!
Darling Rose Gold is a chilling dark tale of a mother-daughter relationship that delves into the very complicated aspects of Munchausen by Proxy. This book will have you thinking long after you put it down; how a mother, whose primary role is to love and care for their child, could be so cruel and self-absorbed. I found this story very similar to the real-life story of Gypsy Rose Blanchard and her mother, Dee Dee Blanchard. However, the similarities are superficial. Ms. Wrobel does not hide the fact that she studied many real-life cases of Munchausen by Proxy, referring to this in her Author’s Note.
The telling of Darling Rose Gold will horrify and shock you to your very core. This is a character-driven story, delving into the twisted relationship between Rose Gold and her mother, Patty. On the outside, Patty was the perfect mother, dedicating her life to her sick child, always putting her child above everything in her own life. Through all this, Rose Gold worshiped her mother’s attention. However, all is not perfect; at eighteen, Rose figures out that it’s her mother that is making her sick, and it’s Rose Gold’s testimony that sends Patty to jail for five years.
“My daughter didn’t have to testify against me. She chose to. It’s Rose Gold’s fault I went to prison, but she is not the only one to blame.”
Patty Watts’ character will disgust and repulse you, a horrible person. Still, after all, she did to Rose Gold, Rose Gold was there to pick Patty up from prison. It seems pretty crazy, right? Well, maybe all is not as it seems. Over the last five years, Rose has grown up, bought a house of her own, and now living as a single mother. At the beginning of this novel, my heart hurt for Rose Gold. But as time went on, some things weren’t quite right with her. When Rose shows her mother to her new room, Patty looks to the ceiling, and creepy doesn’t even begin to describe the scene.
“I follow her gaze upward. Painted on the ceiling are two giant lifelike eyes. I yelp and jump back. The eyes are blue and watery, like they’re upset with me.”
Darling Rose Gold is a novel that immerses the reader in the complicated relationship between mother and daughter. And then adds a hefty dose of manipulation, deceit, and revenge and wraps it all up in a disturbing well-written story. This book is full of mind games, played by both Patty and Rose Gold. This novel is full of surprises, some I saw coming, some I did not. I don’t want to say too much more about the plot, no spoilers for this reviewer!
In the writing of Darling Rose Gold, Ms. Wrobel has found the right balance between elements of non- fiction with a touch of realistic fiction and added a psychological thriller component that not only enhances the enjoyment of this book but also keeps the reader on edge. Darling Rose Gold is Stephanie Wrobel’s debut novel, and as far as debut novels go, I thought this one was well done and would recommend it.
* Please note the quotes in my review are subject to change once the book is published. *
** I kindly received an ARC of this book by way of Edelweiss/publisher/author. I was not contacted, asked, or required to leave a review. I received no compensation, financial or otherwise. I have voluntarily read this book, and this review is my honest opinion. **
The book kept me engrossed almost the entire time, with only a modicum of unneeded elaboration.
I usually read historical or literary fiction, and this provided an exciting, fast-paced break. The premise is unique, which is one reason I enjoyed it. Not once is Munchhausens Syndrome by Proxy mentioned in the narrative, but it was interesting to go inside the head of a mother afflicted with this disorder. I wish we could’ve heard more about Patty’s childhood in terms of her relationship with her father and mother both, along with the brother. I won’t say more due to spoilers.
I loved the twist at the end; I figured out some of it, but not entirely. It was also a different take on many stories and memoirs of abused children who grow up and are guilt-tripped into caring for the parent who abused them. Rose Gold was a pitiful character, but one smart, clever cookie. This book is quite a ride!
BOOK REVIEW
Darling Rose by Stephanie Wrobel
Pub Date: March 17, 2020
320 pages
-DESCRIPTION-
We meet Rose Gold, a girl who’s mother is about to get out of prison for child abuse. The abused child is Rose Gold. When Patty Watts gets out of prison, it is Rose Gold who picks her up and allows her to stay at her home.
The story has differing timelines (One when Patty first goes to prison and the other when Patty gets out of prison) and points of view (Rose Gold & Patty).
-THOUGHTS-
I don’t know if I can say this…but I’ll say it…watch that Gypsy Rose Blanchard movie on Hulu first. It’s the perfect set up to this book. The characters were right there for me to take from. Now the ending of the real story is different…and in the book Patty goes to jail and the story begins there. So watching the movie based on those real people doesn’t give anything away. I think having watched that movie and then read the book…made me enjoy the book even more.
I LOVED the differing timelines and points of view. The author did a superb job. We get Rose Gold as this victim who has lost everyone in her life, has been poisoned and lied to, really take charge of her life in the only way she’s ever been taught to. We also have Patty who we hate…but can also see how her charms had worked on people for so long. These are two characters you’ll love and love to hate.
-RATING-
4/5 stars
I recommend this book!
-SIMILAR RECOMMENDED READS-
If You Tell
Glass Castle
The Book of Essie
Rose Gold spent the first eighteen years of her life believing that she was ill, going to appointment after appointment with no cure in sight. Her mom was by her side, taking care of all her needs, trying to figure out what was wrong with her daughter. Doctors could never figure out just what was wrong with Rose, her illness a mystery to them. When it comes to light that her mom had started faking her illnesses from an early age the community along with Rose were stunned. Party was arrested, tried, and sent to jail for her misdeeds. After serving five years Patty is getting out and looks to Rose to take her in. She believes it’s her daughter’s fault that she ended up in jail and for that she should help her out. Rose takes her in and the way things unfolds after that is an amazing tale to read. Is Rose still the weak child that Patty raised, will she fall under her mother’s spell again or has Rose changed and become someone her mother should fear? I couldn’t put this book down, from the moment I read the first words I was pulled in and couldn’t wait to figure out just what was going on.