This one was almost DNF. Didn't really enjoy the story at all, it was well written but not for me. I prefer to read books where I actually like at least one character. Even that can work sometimes if there's an element of sick fascination, but there wasn't any of that. It was all just a bit dismal.

This striking novel is inspired by a true story of a case of Munchausen's syndrome by proxy but follows a path of its own.
Narrated alternatively by mother and daughter, lies and deceit abound and the worst of human nature is highlighted in the portrayal of both major and minor characters... making it unsettling yet compelling reading.
Patty has served her time for the childhood abuse of Rose Gold are the pair are reunited: but the past hasn't been forgotten and tensions run high.
Flashbacks reveal all may not have been as it seemed and there are also fears history may repeat itself.

I was excited to read this because it sounded like it was at least partly inspired by what happened to Gypsy Rose Blanchard which I just find horrific and fascinating in equal measure. I loved the book and really warmed to Rose Gold and rooted for her! It’s very well written and the characters are well developed. Overall an interesting read that I’ll be recommending to friends.

spoiler alert ** I breezed through this,turning pages quickly to try find out the truth in the story.
You can't help but feel sympathy for Rose Gold,who was abused and starved by her mother for her whole childhood... 
But also,you wonder about the mother Party,is she aware how badly she damaged her child? Because she talks like there is no greater love than hers for Rose Gold.
The best bit for me however,was the creeping realisation that Rose God has a plan,and she isn't going to let anyone stop her..... 
Slowly the truth trickled in,and I was all "WHAT?" at the planning and the madness of it all.
Proper page turner.

This is a deliciously dark and twisty psychological tale with not one but 2 devilishly complex and flawed female leads.

Rose Gold, who is now an adult, but when she was a child she was treated appallingly by her Mom Patty, who has served time for attempting to poison her only child. Although what she really seems to have done is poisoned her mind. For one woman is as bad as the other and you never quite know who is telling the absolute truth... who to have a little sympathy for... who is the most unreliable narrator... who is the sickest in the head!

It would seem that having served her time Patty is desperate to make amends with her daughter, denying the abuse she is accused of and insisting everything she has ever done was for the love of her daughter.

Rose Gold would appear to be ready to forgive and forget, but it's probably not as easy as that. She is alone, a single parent with a baby boy. How can she ever trust Patty around him?

OMG this is one warped and sick, fiendishly twisty and utterly compelling read. I thoroughly enjoyed it and it had a devilish twist I can't believe I didn't see coming.

A good story with some twists in it. Some of it is a little obvious but a nice twist that I didn't see coming close to the end

The Recovery of Rose Gold by Stephanie Wrobel is the story of a toxic relationship between a mother and daughter.
Rose Gold has been ill and sickly since she was a baby. Her mother was always taking her to doctors and hospitals. Rose Gold was undernourished and kept at home by her mother.
When Rose Gold was eighteenth her mother was sent to prison for five years for abusing her daughter but always pleaded her innocence.
It was hard to tell what was truly going on in this story both main characters seemed very damaged and had serious issues.
Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin UK - Michael Joseph for my e-copy in exchange for an honest review.

Loved this book. Brilliant! Enjoyed it immensely. Easy to read and unputdownable. Thank you netgalley for a copy in return for an honest review.

**4.5 stars **

“I will hurt you for this. I don't know how yet, but give me time. A day will come when you think yourself safe and happy, and suddenly your joy will turn to ashes in your mouth, and you'll know the debt is paid.”
― George R.R. Martin, A Clash of Kings

Let me say straight off the bat that neither of our protagonists - mother Patty Watts, and daughter Rose Gold Watts are in the least bit likeable, but are they readable? Hell yes!

Rose Gold spent nearly two decades of her life believing she was ill - a chromosomal abnormality is how mother Patty described it, but when Patty has the Internet installed, Rose Gold begins researching her illness and soon comes to the conclusion that her darling mother is also the person responsible for her illnesses!

With the help of Rose Gold’s testimony, Patty is convicted of aggressive child abuse and put behind bars for 5 years.

On her release, Patty hopes to take over where she left off, that is to gain control over her daughter’s life just like she always did. Rose Gold has other ideas though - she’s happy to let her mother move in with her, but she has her own secret agenda. Who’s going to win this battle of two truly sick and damaged individuals? Well hold on tight, cos you’re in for a riveting read discovering where it all ends.

How terrifying it was to have two such strong and devious protagonists, each with their own agenda, and both utterly vengeful individuals - this, together with a terrific plot, makes it an unforgettable and compelling read!

Seductive and clever, this creepy, unputdownable story has hints of ‘Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?’ When Rose Gold was a child, her mother Patty subjected her to Munchausen’s by proxy. Now Patty is out of prison, who’s making who sick?

A thoroughly enjoyable, if rather disturbing, tale full of twists along the way. I changed my mind numerous times throughout the book as to whether or not Patty was guilty of the crime she went to prison for. Wickedly horrid characters playing out this dark thriller.

This is a psychological drama at its best.... who is telling the truth, whose side should you be on..... I found this book entirely uncomfortable to read, in a good way. It’s not often you want to shout at the characters in a book but this book made me want to!

Thanks for letting me review this book

The Recovery of Rose Gold is a very good and extremely readable thriller. I normally find crime/thriller reads to be similar and predictable, but this kept me guessing until the conclusion, and I raced through it as it was so compulsive. It really made me think about the kind of crime that Rose’s mother committed; who the real victims are; and how long the repercussions will reverberate. So more intelligent than your average thriller. Would definitely recommend and I’m excited to read more from Stephanie Wrobel.

Munchausen by Proxy storyline - the story of Rose Gold and her mother Patty. Patty has just been released from prison where she was incarcerated for her ill treatment of Rose.
Rose brings her mother to live with her and her child.
A struggle between these two characters, Rose and Patty, forms the main plot of the book - showing the impact of what Rose suffered and how she tried to overcome it.
My only problem was that I didn’t like either of them but the many twists and turns in the storyline are well written and it moves from one perspective to the other well - in current time and the past.
I would give this book 4 stars as I like to identify with at least one of the main characters and need to like/respect them.

A disturbing read with many twists and turns with an unexpected ending. The two main characters (needy Rose Gold and controlling Patty) are not at all likeable but somewhat enthralling with a great many issues. With building suspense the book alternates between narrative from Rose Gold and Patty. A dark tale that's worth a read.

I voluntarily read this ARC for an honest review - all thoughts and opinions are mine and unbiased

This is dark, very dark and disturbing
Lots of twists and turns, very unpredictable

Well written with good character development told from both points of view which I found interesting

In all, I enjoyed this very much, thought provoking

This is book which deals with the issue of Munchausen syndrome by proxy - but with a twist (or few)! The story is told from the two main characters, Rose Gold and her mother, Patty. For eighteen years Rose Gold was led to believe that she was ill, far too ill to ever experience and enjoy life in the way others of her age had. The story begins with her mother being released from prison, having served her time for what she had done to Rose Gold over the years. Rose Gold now has a child of her own and takes her mother in to live with them as she begins to try and build, what her mother believes, are bridges between them both. The story is told from the viewpoint of each of these characters, jumping from the 'Then' and 'now' to help us piece together events that have previously happened, leading up to her mother's arrest, and to the present day. However, things may not appear to be as they seem. We learn from the events how her mother's actions over the years have left Rose Gold scarred, emotionally and mentally in many ways, in particular with her desire to be part of a loving family unit. We feel a real empathy for Rose Gold for what she has been subjected to and how unnecessarily miserable her mother made her as she grew up. However, as the past story and current day events unfold we begin to realise that Rose Gold is not a force to be reckoned with. Although I found the book could have been slightly pacier at times, the twists and turns of the book kept me drawn in, wanting to know more and how this would end between Rose Gold and her mother. A plot with twists I never saw coming that will keep you wanting to read more and try and find out the real relationship between Rose Gold and her mother. I would most definitely recommend. My thanks go out to Penguin UK - Michael Joseph and netgalley for the opportunity to read and review an ARC of this.

Wow what a story about 2 really messed up people. Very twisted, unusual and readable, I read it very quickly. Highly recommend.

This is a good one - twisty and dark and compelling. Rose Gold Watts has been sick all her life, cared for by her saintly mother Patty. Until it turns out that, actually, Patty had been poisoning her daughter all along, fooling her and her doctors into thinking she was seriously ill. There have been a few novels and TV programmes in recent years exploring this sort of Munchausen-by-proxy sort of situation, so I thought I know what to expect from this book - but it’s really different.

The book opens several years after the whole situation was exposed, with Patty coming to the end of her prison sentence and Rose Gold still trying to adjust to her new life. As the mother and daughter try to rebuild their relationship, the reader gradually realises that each of them has an ulterior motive.

The characters are delightfully complex and, as each is given the chance to narrate in the first person, the reader gets a great look inside their minds. It makes for a great exploration of the themes of forgiveness, anger, and what it means to be a victim.

This was another book which I read the first few chapters of one night, then never went back to it. I’m sure it will entertain lots of people, the storyline just didn’t keep me hooked.