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Sign up todayDarling Rose Gold
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Learn moreBookseller recommendation
“The tragic cycle of child abuse twists and turns this disturbing thriller from beginning to end. It’s hard to distinguish the perpetrator from the victim. Told in alternating voices between Rose Gold and her mother, the two narrators kept me riveted.”
— Becky • Rediscovered Books
Bookseller recommendation
“I listened to the audio version and read the ebook as well, that was how un-put-downable this book was. It was so unique and intriguing and suspenseful up until the very end. You never knew who was telling the truth or who wasn't. I highly recommend this title”
— Amy • As the Page Turns
Bookseller recommendation
“For almost two decades, Rose Gold spent her life believing that she was very ill. The diagnosis is never given a name. Her mother, Patti is serving five years in prison for child abuse. The medical term for Patti's deeds is Munchausen by Proxy. When she is released after her jail term, Rose Gold picks her up and offers to take her Mom into her home until Patti figures out a living and work situation. Rose Gold now has an infant son and the father is not in the picture. Meanwhile, Patti settles into her new domestic life by cooking, cleaning, and taking care of her new grandson. The story is told in Rose Gold's voice as well as Patti's. Both characters are entertaining with shadows of biting wit. There are plenty of twists and turns in this rollercoaster of a novel. As a warning, keep your seatbelt fastened because there is a major plot twist in the last pages. Both narrators were very talented and brought color to the story.”
— Melinda • Buttonwood Books and Toys
Bookseller recommendation
“Rose Gold’s mother is being released from prison and has asked her daughter for temporary shelter. Despite having been the target of her mother’s abuse, Rose Gold decides to give it a try. Has she really forgiven her mother for past crimes? This is a roller coaster of a story! Loved it!”
— Marcia Vanderford • Vanderford's Books & Office Products
Bookseller recommendation
“An excellent audiobook listen. The narrative alternates between Rose Gold and her mother Patty. We learn about how Rose Gold's life unfolds after her mother is placed in prison for child abuse and neglect for causing Rose Gold's life of illness. Her narrative moves toward the present day where she welcomes her mother back into her life after her release from prison. Meanwhile, we hear from Patty and what she is experiencing after her release while she strives to achieve reconciliation with her estranged daughter. Neither character is particularly likeable, and they are filled with suspicion about each other's motives and actions. The tension and pacing increases as the two story lines begin to intersect raising questions about what is really going on. What is reality and when are perceptions being colored by the impact of each woman's childhood scars? Who is the victim and who is the perpetrator? This cat and mouse revenge story will keep you on the edge of your seat until the end.”
— Cori • Bright Side Bookshop
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
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
Stephanie Wrobel grew up in Chicago but has been living in the UK for the last three years with her husband and dog, Moose Barkwinkle. She has an MFA from Emerson College and has had short fiction published in Bellevue Literary Review. Before turning to fiction, she worked as a creative copywriter at various advertising agencies.
Reviews
“Sure to be one of the most unique books of the new year.”—Newsweek“Perfect for fans of Gone Girl and The Girl on the Train...set to be next year's biggest thriller.”—Stylist
“Ingenious...a maelstrom of a suspense story.”—Maureen Corrigan, The Washington Post
“[An] excellent debut…Darling Rose Gold briskly moves with surprising twists as Wrobel delivers assured character studies.”—Associated Press
"A taut tale that will keep you guessing until the very end."—Kirkus Reviews
“[A] diabolically plotted debut...Propulsive pacing, a claustrophobic setting, and vividly sketched characters who are equal parts victim and villain conspire to create an anxious, unsettling narrative. Psychological suspense fans will be well satisfied.”—Publishers Weekly
“Sensationally good—two complex characters power the story like a nuclear reaction, and won’t let you forget them. Wrobel is one to watch.”—Lee Child, #1 New York Times bestselling author
“Darling Rose Gold is an absolutely brilliant book; funny, dark, authentic and a total page turner. I loved it.”—Lisa Jewell, New York Times bestselling author of The Family Upstairs
“It’s rare for something genuinely fresh to come along in this genre, but this book has it all—a killer premise, twisty plotting, crisp writing and compelling characters. Dazzling, dark and utterly delicious.”—JP Delaney, New York Times bestselling author of The Girl Before
“Two extraordinary narrators drive the nail-biting action in this sensational, compulsively readable debut. A tour de force of captivating psychological suspense.”—Gilly Macmillan, New York Times bestselling author of The Perfect Nanny
“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
“I absolutely devoured Darling Rose Gold!...I couldn’t get enough of Patty and Rose Gold, alternating my opinion of them at the same speed that I was turning the pages! A fabulous read!"—Sandie Jones, author of Reese Witherspoon book club pick The Other Woman
“Darling Rose Gold is an original, stunning debut! Masterful crafting of a split time-frame and utterly compelling characters will hook readers from the very first page until they finally learn the truth hiding within this chilling mother-daughter relationship. An intelligent, beguiling read that should be at the top of every reader’s list.”—Wendy Walker, USA Today bestselling author of The Night Before
“Takes twisted mum and daughter relationships to a whole new level. Think Misery meets Sharp Objects.”—CJ Tudor, Sunday Times bestselling author of The Chalk Man
“Wrobel writes a fascinating and thrilling debut that looks deeply into the complicated reasons a mother and daughter choose to hurt each other. A psychological twister that had me completely captivated until the end.”—Diane Les Bescquets, National bestselling author of Breaking Wild
"More than a page-turner—although it's undoubtedly that—Darling Rose Gold plumbs the depths of this poisoned mother-daughter relationship, asking probing questions about why we all hurt the ones we love. An explosive debut from a thrilling new voice.”—Kirstin Chen, author of Bury What We Cannot Take
“I inhaled this book. Darling Rose Gold delves so deep into family dysfunction that we are left gasping as the last pages turn. Compelling, intriguing, beautifully written and paced like a roller coaster ride, cancel all your plans when you pick up this terrific book.”—Liz Nugent, bestselling author of Unraveling Oliver and Lying in Wait
“I love it. Fascinating, immersive, whip-smart, with a supremely clever ending that left me gasping.”—Melanie Golding, author of Little Darlings
“Wrobel's debut explores a fresh premise in a story that does not shy away from dark and disturbing scenes. Patty and Rose Gold are complicated, well-developed characters whose motivations are subtle and difficult to foresee. This dynamic results in a story that leaves readers guessing to the end and should be a draw for fans of psychological thrillers.”—Booklist
“An utterly unpredictable and deliciously disturbing tale of revenge in all its brutal glory.”—Crimereads
“[A] gripping mystery.”—Good Housekeeping
"A thorough and delectable novel about class, interfamilial relationships, and the limits of forgiveness."—Shondaland
One of PureWow's 13 books every book club shoud read Expand reviews
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