Tag Archives: Psychological

Darling Rose Gold, by Stephanie Wrobel

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“They don’t know the depths of this mother’s love.”

Does forgiveness come with limitations or should it be unconditional? Should mitigating factors be considered when speculating harmful behavior? The story starts out with Rose picking up her mom, Patty, from prison. Patty, imprisoned for aggravated child abuse of Rose, has caused a strain on their relationship and Rose’s future to be thwarted. But, is Patty the only one to blame? Where do they go from here now that she is out from prison? And, is Rose willing to look past the years of abuse her from mother…?

I really loved this one! I found both narrators so hard to trust, and as lies began to unfold the thrill of what was to come had me rapidly turning the pages. Nearly every chapter revealed a new lie or added a new element to one of the characters that seemed to put a twist on things.

The relationship between Rose and Patty is emotionally draining at times. Both characters are messy, and their story is not one that I would describe as a happy one. Rose’s life in particular unveils the superficial mask that society often has, and we see her frequently hurt by others around her. Patty’s background comes in bits and pieces, but also demonstrates a past reflecting a lifetime of pain.

I am not an expert on Munchausens syndrome, so I can’t attest to the validity of this illness as it is presented in one of the characters. If you work in the medical field, you might find fault within this presentation and might take this into consideration.

Darling Rose Gold is author Stephanie Wrobel’s debut novel. Visit Stephanie Wrobel’s website to learn more.

Publisher’s Weekly review of Darling Rose Gold calls Patty the “Mother From Hell”.

Go to this Popsugar page to read this first chapter of Darling Rose Gold for free!

Read BookTrib’s review of Darling Rose Gold.

Darling Rose Gold is also published under the title The Recovery of Rose Gold depending on your location.

Stephanie Wrobel, photo from Penguin Random House website.

Follow Stephanie Wrobel on Twitter.

Darling Rose Gold was selected as a March 2020 Library Reads book. To learn more, click here.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy. Opinions are my own.

|Purchase on Amazon| Goodreads Review|

When I Was You, by Minka Kent

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Synopsis provided by the publisher:

This is a light thriller divided into 3 parts. The first part, which is Part 1 for Brienne, moved slower than the rest of the novel. This first part last from 1%-41% (on a Kindle) and caused the beginning to drag. It’s her repeating constantly how she is scared and how she wants to confront the person who took her identity but never really acts upon it…..other than that she only talks about how she thinks her roommate is cute. So, that made it repetitive and uneventful. Also, there were several obvious clues dropped during that time that gave away the twist.

I liked the story okay, but I really had to suspend belief for the majority of it. There was quite a lot that was hard to believe. It is an easy read and okay if you are looking for something lighter and don’t mind suspending belief.

There is no sex, but there is some cursing. 

Minka Kent is a best selling author for psychological thrillers. Visit author Minka Kent’s website to learn more about her books.

Her book, The Thinnest Air, made the best thriller book list for the year 2018. Read more here.

Follow Minka Kent on Facebook.

|Purchase on Amazon | Goodreads Review|

The Other Mrs., by Mary Kubica

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“If it wasn’t for you, I said, leaning in to whisper the words in his ear, I’d be dead.”

A lot of twists and turns in The Other Mrs. takes readers on a thrilling ride. Within the first three chapters, Sadie and her family move into her husband’s sister’s house in Maine to take guardianship of her husband’s niece because his sister committed suicide. (Yes, they move into the house his sister killed herself in.) Sadie thinks about how her husband was having an affair back in Chicago and is grateful for the move, but then uneasiness creeps into her life as events begin to unfold. She wakes up in the morning to find the word “DIE” written on her car. They find out the neighbor has been murdered, a case is opened, and Sadie is on edge. ALL WITHIN THE FIRST 3 CHAPTERS!

I kept trying to figure this one out, but there were so many twists it really made me keep guessing. Did Sadie just black out?! What is up with her son’s behavior? Did Sadie’s husband murder their neighbor Morgan? Did Camille? Was he cheating again or was it Morgan’s suspicious husband who killed her? Who the heck is Mouse…which girl is it?!?

Netflix has recently signed a film deal for The Other Mrs. Read more about this here!

Visit Mary Kubica’s website to learn more.

Thank you to the publisher for an advanced copy. Opinions are my own.

|Purchase on Amazon | Goodreads Review |