It was an interesting story, and well written. It kept me reading and wanted to see what will happen in the end.
If you like mysteries, it has a different mother-daughter dynamic and I found it worth a read.

Thanks so much to the publisher and NG for this copy.

Patty Watts spent eighteen years fooling the medical professionals that her daughter was ill whilst making her sick. When finally Rose Gold testified against her she was jailed for five years. However now she is about to be released & amazingly Rose Gold has offered her a roof over her head. What are her motives? Patty doesn't really think about that, being totally self absorbed. She only thinks of how she has been wronged.

The book is told from both Patty & Rose Gold's perspective. Whilst there is no way I could feel any sympathy towards Patty, I began by being quite sympathetic towards Rose Gold. As the story progressed, even though I understood how she has become the person she is, I began to dislike her almost as much. For me this book was like watching a disaster- you didn't like it, but you had to see it through.

Thanks to Netgalley & the publisher for letting me read & review this book. I can understand why many people scored this one five stars, but for me it was just a three star read.

Wow .. this is an intense and absorbing read!

Rose Gold was a poorly child; her mother gave up everything to care for her. At least, that's what both Rose Gold and the rest of the world believed until her mom was sent to jail for poisoning her . . .

This is a really well written book which starts off as a nice, gentle read as we follow the stories of both Rose Gold and her mother, Patty Watts. Told in a clear and concise manner, it's a substantive read which really grabbed my attention from the off. What happened when Patty had served her sentence surprised me but the best was yet to come. A stunning read, cleverly plotted and slowly revealing, this held my attention to the very end - when I realised my mouth was gaping! If you are a reader who enjoys a psychological thriller, then this is a novel you really must add to you reading list. Quite awesome, and no less than five sparkling stars will do for such a highly original story!

My thanks to the publisher for my copy via NetGalley; this is - as always - my honest, original and unbiased review.

I like the synopsis of this book when I read it. It reminded me of a teenage story I read (fiction) of a mother who constantly insisted that her daughter has a life threatening illness or this book's case illnesses. For this one though, I can't make it clear which it is.... the daughter making the symptoms up or if the mother is making up the symptoms. There are examples of both in the story.

It is rather good plot though if you stick with it. You just don't know who to feel sorry for. A rollercoaster of emotions is put across and you have to try and keep up.

A different story line which caught my attention so give it a go

It's hard to believe that The Recovery of Rose Gold is a debut as it is a brilliant and accomplished novel. Well written, original, with multifaceted characters (even the secondary ones), it kept me turning the pages late into the night.
Many thanks to Netgalley and Michael Joseph publishers for the ARC..

I went into this book knowing very little about it except that it was about a complex and difficult mother-daughter relationship.

Adding a wee disclaimer that I acknowledge some people have mentioned this is inspired by a true story, and also that this centres around a mental illness (Munchausen's by proxy). My review is purely focused on the book as a fictional story.

I did absolutely fly through this book - the main character Rose Gold was so intriguing and I felt her side of the story was told really well. Rose Gold grew up being abused by her mother - being poisoned and spending her childhood in hospitals, having no friends (impacted further by being homeschooled) - and is now living with the long-term effects, both mental and physical. This book tells the story of what happens when her mother is released from prison and Rose Gold takes her into her home. Is this an act of forgiveness?

I really enjoyed the story but it could have been more compelling to me. The ending, although really interesting, felt rushed and I would have loved to have known more about the detail of what happened.

Rose Gold spent her childhood thinking she was always sick, but beloved and cared for by her adoring mother, Patty. Now she's an adult, with a baby of her own, and her mother is about to be released from prison, where she served a sentence for child abuse. Patty wants to take care of Rose Gold and her grandson, and is invited to move in with them, but is all as it seems?

I really enjoyed this, the characters were complex and some of the situations were both funny and horrifying!

This would make a great reading group book, there's loads to discuss.

The Recovery of Rose Gold is Ms Wrobel’s debut novel and like many others, I am always concerned that the hype machine becomes a books downfall before it's even published. I needn't have worried though as this is one hell of a thriller and Wrobel is an incredibly gifted writer. It's refreshing original which means it definitely won't be for everyone, but I loved it. It begins with Patty Watts’s release from prison having served time, five years, for Munchausen By Proxy and effectively making her daughter ill for close to two decades. Even though this has happened Rose Gold still wants her mother to come and reside with her and her newborn baby. She has forgiven her for making her life a real misery in her formative years. Can mother and daughter mend their relationship? Can Rose really forgive Patty for all of the unnecessary medical procedures, surgeries and being wheelchair-bound when she could walk perfectly fine?

Wow, this is one of the most deliciously disturbing books I’ve ever read and you really feel for Rose Gold despite her being rather unlikeable. There is a real case of this, the case of Gypsy Rose Blanchard, who was subjected to Munchausen By Proxy where the mother convinced the daughter she was very poorly. Later on Gypsy stabbed her mother to death because she realised what she’d done. I wonder if that case inspired this story. It is a compulsive and utterly chilling read that explores mother-daughter relationships and I found myself under its spell rapidly. It’s a very memorable read that will undoubtedly stick in your mind and the amount of deception and lies throughout makes it exciting and unpredictable. A clever, masterful and powerful story which explores narcissism and other mental health issues. Told from Patty’s perspective in the present day and Rose’s in the past, this is horrifying and unsettling in equal measure. Many thanks to Michael Joseph for an ARC.

I really enjoyed 'The Recovery of Rose Gold'. It's cleverly written, with a slow unfolding of clues which gives very little away definitively until the very end, sustaining intrigue and raising questions at just the right pace. The story opens up on the day that Patty Watts is released from prison for her crime of aggravated child abuse, and takes place over the weeks that follow as her daughter Rose Gold surprises everyone in the community by taking her mother into her home.

I love that the author has asked questions that we would all have asked, and then explored the answers: if your mother does that to you, what kind of person do you become? And if you have done that to your child, can you ever redeem yourself? 'The Recovery of Rose Gold' answers those questions and more.

The Recovery of Rose Gold is an unusual story because it begins with the aftermath of a crime, rather than the crime itself. Patty Watts is about to be released from prison, to return to live with Rose Gold, the daughter she abused.

Patty, was convicted of Munchhausen's by proxy and sentenced to five years for the crime. She had effectively slowly poisoned Rose Gold and made her ill for most of her childhood. Eventually she withdrew Rose Gold from school so she was even more isolated. Patty was a former nursing assistant who enjoyed the attention of medical professionals.

Given this backstory, it might seem surprising that Rose Gold has agreed to have her mother back home with her and her new baby. The narrative follows the points of view of the two women as they deal with their new life and the shifting balance of power between them.

Despite her traumatic past, Rose Gold has made many positive changes. She has a job and has saved up enough money to buy a home for her and the baby. When Patty is released, she realises that Rose Gold’s new house is actually her childhood home, one where she experienced her own nightmares.

The voices of the two characters are compelling and the story is very readable. You want to learn what has happened to each of them, how they have been changed by their experiences. Clearly you hope that Rose Gold has made a recovery and is moving on from her traumatic past, while fearing that her mother will continue to manipulate her.

Rose Gold and Patty both have a nice line in humour and observation. Patty has an easy charm which is disconcerting to the reader, but it demonstrates why she was able to get away with her crimes for so long, and persuade seasoned professionals and well-meaning neighbours that her daughter’s illnesses were genuine.

Elements of Rose Gold’s story are cleverly withheld. Who is the father of her baby? What is the truth about the online friend who finally enabled her to escape her mother’s influence? Will she be able to stand up to her mother now?

There is a tension in the story between psychological realism and the more melodramatic elements. In particular there are frequent references to the basement and Patty’s fear of it, which have a touch of ‘something in the woodshed’ about them. You feel that the story could go either way. The ending wasn’t quite what I’d hoped, but that’s probably just me. It’s a very readable story with two distinctive voices and a perceptive examination of the relationship between a deeply damaged mother and her daughter.

Here’s a debut that has had a big buzz around it pre-publication. Stephanie Wrobel is a Chicago born writer now living in the UK who has ditched her advertising agency copywriting work to concentrate on fiction and the feel is that this could very much be one of the biggest thrillers of the year. I was determined to get in before the hype and find out if this buzz is deserving. I’ve already mentioned it in my Looking Back Looking Forward post so I know I’m adding to that hype but now I’ve read it I’m more than delighted to build up a bit of anticipation for readers. It is very good.
Taking as its theme (although I don’t think it’s actually mentioned by name in the text) Munchausen By Proxy, which is a fascinating idea ripe with dramatic potential the novel opens with Patty Watts being released from her prison sentence for child abuse which was sustained over a number of years treating her daughter as if she was seriously ill. On release she (and this is such a good idea for gripping fiction) goes back to live with the daughter, Rose Gold, now in her twenties with a family of her own. I’m saying little more about the plot but it wouldn’t take too much conjecturing to realise the potential. These two damaged women attempt to put together the pieces of their fractured relationship. Is this going to be a second chance for them or will they not be able to escape the traumas of the past?
The author uses an effective structure of two first-person narratives from the main characters with different time settings. Mother Patty focuses on the time from her release and Rose Gold’s narrative is interspersed moving from the time of the mother’s conviction towards Patty’s present day. Given the context of the plot this works sublimely.
It has an under the surface darkness which I love and it builds beautifully. This is certainly a read to look out for.
The Recovery Of Rose Gold is published in hardback by Michael Joseph on 5th March 2020. Many thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for the advance review copy.

The Recovery of Rose Gold - Stephanie Wrobel

Ok, boy was this a wild ride.

First off, to avoid any confusion, this book appears to have two names, it is also known as Darling Rose Gold... I think the title is different depending on whether you're in the UK or the US... Or maybe the title was changed for the release? Who knows, but basically, they are the same book and in my opinion, the Recovery of Rose Gold works so much better when you get to grips with the story. Basically, this is one hell of a mother vs daughter story. I actually requested this because it reminded me of the Gypsy Rose Blanchard story and I had just finished watching The Act on Amazon Prime when an email about this book being available popped into my inbox. The fact that Netgalley recommended that I download the Recovery of Rose Gold almost immediately after I finished The Act sounds like the beginning of a thriller in itself. But anyway, enough about me, let me tell you about this book.

Sharp Objects meets My Lovely Wife in this tightly drawn debut that peels back the layers of the most complicated of mother-daughter relationships...

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.

Ok, so first things first - I don't read an awful lot of thrillers, not for any particular reason I just never seem to pick them up. This was exactly the kind of thriller that I like though, its the kind of one that sneaks into your brain and plays on your mind rather than the kind that makes you jump while reading. Maybe I don't read thrillers that often because I tend to read in public and that can be embarrassing...
If you watched The Act or know anything about Gypsy Rose Blanchard's case, the concept of Manchausen by Proxy won't be new to you, but even if you are going into this with no prior knowledge, you won't feel like you're missing something. While it doesn't info dump, it also doesn't talk down to you and you very quickly figure out the history between Patty and Rose Gold. The scheme and the nitty gritty of the story though comes slowly and in pieces and really leaves you wondering who the real villain is here. I think this is probably the book's strongest point, for me, I hated all the characters, Patty is clearly messed up and how she treated Rose Gold and deceived so many people was awful, like she deserved it, but also Rose Gold was pretty manipulative and cruel too. Was that behaviour learned or was she just very much like her mother?

This begins with Patty's release from prison having served a five year sentence for child abuse, her chapters are in the present, adjusting to life on the outside and trying to regain her control over her daughter who has changed a lot in the past five years. The backstory and the scheming we get from Rose Gold's chapters, most of which take place in the past, from the day her mum was sentenced to the intervening years before we get to this point. I raced through this because I honestly couldn't tell who was going to come off worse or who I wanted to come off worse. Ultimately this is a story about revenge and well... They do say it is best served cold.

The Recovery of Rose Gold / Darling Rose Gold is out this week and just in case you were wondering, here's the alternative cover:

The other cover...

I was very surprised that I enjoyed this book, given that the subject matter is quite sensitive. I found it quite an easy read and liked how the chapters were set out, alternating between Rose Gold and her mother. The ending surprised me, even though it was going where I thought, the twist at the end surprised me.

This was a very quick read, which is just what is needed sometimes.

I thought, from the blurb, it may have been quite similar to the marvellous "Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine", and although similar themes (child abuse, coming-of-age, disillusionment etc.) there is plenty here to differentiate the two. However, I think those who enjoyed "Eleanor Oliphant..." will probably enjoy this one also.

This is very readable but the plot itself is rather unbelievable. For instance, how come not a single doctor questioned Ruby Gold's sickness and believed Patty and all her insane suggestions? Seems rather far-fetched that this could have gone on for 18 years. There is also not much explanation about how Patty was found out. We are given snippets but not enough to actually sink our teeth into.

Personally, I disliked every character in this book. I can only sympathise with Ruby Gold to a certain extent, but she is generally an awful human being, and there is only so much blame her terrible upbringing can be blamed upon. Patty is marcissistic and manipulative throughout; Rose Gold has the social grace of a cockroach, and her father is an abominable human being.

Despite not liking any of the characters, I did enjoy reading this book. It's fast paced enough to not get boring, and there are a few little red herrings scattered within that keeps the interest.

Twisty and gripping, The Recovery of Rose Gold is unlike any other book I've read on this topic. Patty is sentenced to five years in prison after abusing her daughter for 18 years. Alone for the first time, Rose Gold is forced to navigate the world alone, but the lines between recovery and revenge soon become blurred.

Deliciously abhorrently different!

Patty is about to be released from prison
Rose Gold, her daughter, cant wait
Patty has Munchausen by proxy and made Rose’s life a living hell for 18 years
Rose has forgiven her and wants to help in her rehabilitation, maybe just not quite in the way Patty expects

A flourishingly deceptive book that had me on page 1 right up until the last word with no filler, no sideline to fill out, just pure full on story

Party is monstrous, in every way, her narcissism is a terrible joy to read, I detested her yet she played a wonderful role

Rose Gold is one of the most disturbed characters out there, maybe a psychopath with reason but still she evokes sympathy

The story is clever, calculated and written in a brilliant narrative way in the past and present by both

I think anyone reading this book will be affected by it and will remember it for a long time

Wonderfully horrific!

10/10
5 Stars

The Recovery of Rose Gold is a great debut novel. I absolutely loved this book and raced through it. If you love a twisty psychological thriller then I recommend you pick this one up.

From being uncertain as to whether yet another psychological domestic thriller could stand out from the rest of the genre, i confess to being absolutely hooked. It broke completely from the traditional husband wife situation byhaving a mother daughter situation. The story starts with the mother leaving prison on completing her 5 year sentence for child abuse. Surprisingly,, she is picked up by her daughter who is going to give her a home. . The story is told from both mother and daughters perspective. It is fascinating,pacy and very, very addictive.

Thanks to NetGalley and The Publisher for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Disturbingly twisted and I totally loved it. I think the blurb does a great job of saying what this book is about without giving anything away. If like me your interest is piqued, you won't be disappointed. I loved the dual narration and liked the characterisation although not necessarily the characters themselves but that the whole point and the author writes some truly awful characters without putting you off the story and wanting to sick with it.

While it deals with a really horrible subject and may be triggering for some, this is fiction and was happy to enjoy it as such.

Very entertaining

As soon as I read the synopsis of this book I was intrigued and I knew instantly that I was going to enjoy it and i was not wrong.

Rose Gold Watts has spent 18 years of her life believing that she was incredibly ill because thas what her mother told her so why would she question it. After discovering that Patty Watts, mother to Rose is in fact behind the fake illnesses she is sentenced to five years in jail. We pick up with Patty's release where we alternate between the point of view from present-day Patty fresh out of prison. and Rose Gold during the years her mother was incarcerated.

This was such a great debut from Stephanie Wrobel and if you're looking for a different kind of thriller this spring then this is the book for you.