Darling Rose Gold

So I found this book awhile ago Goodreads. The second it became available on NetGalley, I requested an arc.

These are some of the worst characters ever.....

and that's why I LOVED it.

I could not put this book down. 

I initially wanted to read Darling Rose Gold because it sounded eerily similar to the Gypsy Rose Blanchard case. Turns out, I was right. While it doesn't follow Gypsy Rose's story to a t, it definitely had a lot in common. It's mostly based on Münchhausen Syndrome, which if you followed the Gypsy Rose case, you know what it is. For those who don't, Münchhausen Syndrome is when a caregiver creates or exaggerates symptoms of various illnesses for a child in their care. Keep that in mind while I talk about this book.
 

Darling Rose Gold is told in alternating perspectives through flashbacks following the daughter, Rose Gold and a present day story line for mother, Patty. In the flashback, Rose Gold leads us through her life after her abusive mother is put in prison. We get to see her grow into the young woman, fending for herself, getting a job, and moving on from her mother. We get to see her take the stand and testify. We see her building new relationships and becoming who she truly wants to be.
 

Then there's Patty.

Fresh out of prison and ready to start controlling her daughter again. She hasn't had control in 5 years,  but she's ready. She was born to be a mother. We see her hometown turning against her, and standing up for her daughter. We see her struggling to survive. We get to see her take on her newest task, being a grandmother to little Adam. But little does she know the woman her daughter has become. She believes she needs to get Adam out of her daughter's grasp and raise him on her own.
 
Her fantasies closely resemble the life she built for Rose Gold.

What intrigued me about this book was how unreliable both characters were and how they were playing each other. They each had a grand scheme, scheme's that wouldn't include the other. They were both portrayed as victim and villain, that alone is an incredible feat for any author. It's definitely going in my list of most anticipated reads of 2020!

Huge thanks to NetGalley, Penguin Random House, and of course, author Stephanie Wrobel!

Darling Rose Gold hits shelves March 17, 2020!

Looking for other books by Stephanie Wrobel?

This Might Hurt

Looking for other books featuring Münchhausen Syndrome?

Murder, Interrupted