Publisher: Berkley
Release Date: March 17, 2020
Source: Review copy from NetGalley
Rating: ★★★

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.

DARLING ROSE GOLD is a dark domestic suspense novel featuring a majorly twisted and unhealthy mother/daughter relationship. Mother Patty has just been released after five years in prison for abusing her daughter Rose Gold. She was accused of intentionally making Rose Gold sick her whole 18 years for…attention? Or to keep her daughter totally dependent on her? Whatever the reason, it was horrible, and of course Rose Gold suffered physically and mentally.

I don’t want to give away spoilers, so I’ll just quote the blurb to (sort of) summarize the plot: “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.” It seems Rose Gold still has a score to settle with her mother even after her incarceration. Fair enough. Suddenly we’re learning Patty’s tragic backstory and wondering just what Rose Gold has in store…

DARLING ROSE GOLD was a quick and suspenseful read, as the two main characters try to manipulate each other. I wish, though, that the book had delved deeper into the psychology of Munchausen by proxy. In this case it felt rushed and simplified so the characters could concentrate on their vengeance. I ended up feeling bad for the wrong person, which may have been the biggest twist!

Though I had some issues with this book, I think fans of dysfunctional family dramas and twisty stories of revenge will enjoy this chilling debut novel.

Disclosure: I received a copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.