Girl with the Rose Tattoo

Star Twins Thriller

By: Larry Weiss

Narrated by: Hillary Huber

Length: 11 hrs and 53 mins

Publisher's summary

Being Rob Crawley’s old lady requires an inner strength that Tina Douglas lacks. The perfect, red Mary Magdalene rose inked on the nape of her neck becomes a touchstone in times of stress and anxiety, which are many.

Tina views her future as bleak and dire and sees herself trapped “in a web of her own making”. Rob, a full-patch member of the Cascade Warriors MC, dominates almost every aspect of her life, but he allows Tina one freedom: the opportunity to attend Valley Secondary School and complete her high school education, which she believes will lead to a brighter future.

By commencement day, Rob regrets his decision and takes Tina’s graduation as an affront. He perceives his image with fellow gang members tarnished and plots his revenge.

On the evening of the graduation dinner dance, Rob insists they leave the party early. He spirits Tina off to an isolated cabin in the hills at the south end of Stoney Lake. What transpires there sends her life into a tailspin until fate intervenes, and she crosses paths with Jenny Travis. Jenny becomes Tina’s protector, ally, mentor, and best friend, helping her face the unrelenting vengeance of Rob and his henchmen.

©2020 L. A. Weiss (P)2021 L. A. Weiss

Four stars

Tina got mixed up in a terrible relationship at a young age and her bad luck and poor relationships just continued. The story weaves through a lot of dramatic and traumatic events. So much of the story seems so sad but also quite relatable as well. There’s some mature and possibly triggering content, but it is well written. The narrator for the audiobook did a great job. I breezed through this entire audiobook and less than two days!

Riveting Edge of Your Seat Listen!

I absolutely loved this audiobook! The author surely hit it out of the ballpark with this being his debut novel!! Everything that you could possibly want, is in this book! I absolutely love how the author transitions from subject to subject. His characters are so realistic and quickly drag you into their world. The narrator did an absolutely fantastic job with this novel and depicting each character. I never once got lost on which character was speaking... which happens sometimes with audiobooks. The creativity and depth of this novel still has me reeling. There is so much more room for growth and branching out from this particular novel itself. I hope to see some spin off novels in the future! I would highly recommend this book for the mature adult. There are twists and turns and mature content that even the advanced teen mind wouldn’t quite be able to comprehend wholeheartedly.

A wild ride

Larry Weiss' debut novel, "Girl with the rose tattoo" is a fantastic audiobook that is sure to have you on the edge of your seat. Set in the Canada in the 1980s, we take a quick trip back in time to teenage punk girls and biker gangs. Christina "Tina" Douglas has been on her own since her mother threw her out at 16. Taking a cue from her older sister Jewel, Tina gets herself mixed up in a local biker gang as the "old lady" of Robert "Bugs" Crawley. After many wrong turns, Tina is finally graduating from High School and hoping to make something of herself. But after the drunken and abusive graduation party Rob planned, Tina finds herself pregnant and on the street. Time flies and Tina is in the hospital in labor and makes friends with her roommate, Jenny, another teen mom. The girls form a strong connection and when Rob tries to force himself back into the picture after the baby is born, Tina moves in with Jenny and her family. Together the girls navigate their next steps to keep Tina safe, jobs and sexuality.
Girl with the Rose Tattoo is full of twists and turns that will take you by surprise and keep you wanting more. I enjoyed listening to the narrator and I thought she did a wonderful job of changing her voice for the characters and giving life to the teenage girls. Sometimes it's easy to get lost in which character is speaking, but not in this case! One reviewer wrote that he felt the narrator over acted a lot of dialog, but infact, I believe she was portraying exactly how a teenage girl would... and sometime they overreact. (Having been one, I'd know). Overall, I thought this was a fantastic audiobook and highly recommend it. Due to language, strong sexual content, and abusive situations, I feel this book is best suited for a very mature audience. I hope you enjoy the audiobook as much as I did. Happy Listening!

Engaging & Captivating

Girl With The Rose Tattoo by L.A. Weiss was JUST the audiobook I was looking for.
I listened to it for an hour per day while I walked and wished the hour lasted longer because I wanted to keep hearing the story develop.
Young Tina finds herself in predicament after predicament but needs to find those she can depend upon - mostly herself.
Not my typical book - centering around a motorcycle club, the pitfalls of that life and some poor choices. But Tina navigates all obstacles.
I grew to love her character and felt a sense of pride as she developed through the book.
Kudos to the narrator as well - she did a nice job of “playing” our characters.

A story about survival

What an amazing journey I found this audiobook to be. Tina (the girl with the rose tattoo) is an amazing character in trapped relationship with Rob Crawley, a member of a motorcycle club named Cascade Warriors. It is just another bad decision in her brief life thus far. Finding herself pregnant, she flees Rob and his gang but they continually hunt her down. Now she must decide what to do going forward. During her journey she becomes friends with Jenny and her family. Jenny becomes Tina's protector and together they become survivors to the hell Rob has in store for Tina. I found the characters to be riveting and easily relatable. It's truly a coming of age story of survival and sexuality. So hard to believe this was the author's debut novel and I can't wait to read/listen to more.

A beautiful journey

Tina hasn’t had control over her own life for quite some time. After being pushed out to fend for herself, she becomes someone’s “old lady” before she knows it. She’s pushed until she can’t be pushed anymore, having to leave another life behind. She goes through a lot of trial and error in her young life and survives the unthinkable. My heart ached for her as she had to face a harsh reality. Things that most people wouldn’t even think twice about, she had to push past.

This was a really well-written, honest, raw, and at moments, emotional read. As the reader, you’re privy to the dark reality that happens in life, and especially for Tina. She’s a strong woman whom you find yourself cheering on. It’s a fantastic mix of unusual, yet intriguing moments that are well thought out. I would love to read more from the author.

The narration was well done and made for a beautiful transition within the chapters. loved it, and would listen again!

Coming of Age Story: Learn from Tina's Mistakes

"Girl with the Rose Tattoo" by Larry Weiss had so many twists and turns, by the end I felt like I'd been on this wild ride with Tina. Or maybe felt a little stressed like I imagine Tina (the main character) would be). Weiss did a great job of really setting the scene and making us feel like we are in this point in time with Douglas, Rob, Jewel, Jenny, etc.. It was a great escape from reality. I devoured it in two days, whenever I had a few minutes without little ears present. The story moves quickly, and flows perfectly. Tina feels like an 18-year-old trying to find her way. She is naive, stubborn, and determined to make it in her own way. She isn't always thinking with her head, which is part of the fun.

The narration was perfect for the book, Lunafreyava sounded like a true 18-year-old and I was never confused with who was speaking.

My only complaint was that I wished Tina would have just left. I wish she would have used a fake name if she really wanted to hide. She and Jenny seemed really naive when it came to dealing with the biker gangs, and really had some lucky breaks. I also wished we understood more about Jewell/Eric's relationship, Tina and Jewel's mom's background, and Nina. This book could have a sequel and I would read it just as quick.

A powerful coming of age novel

Girl with the Rose Tattoo is the debut contemporary novel of author Larry Weiss.

This is also the first book in the Star Twins series of thrillers. In Girl with the Rose Tattoo we make the acquaintance of Tina, a troubled 18 years old girl abused almost all the time by her biker partner.

After a series of dramatic events, she manages to find help and solace in a new friend. From now on, the two friends have to think of a way to get rid of the biker gangs and at the same time to discover their way in life.

Nicely written, filled with action, twists, turns, perfectly balanced with quieter moments that give us a glimpse into the struggles of these realistic characters that feel alive, Girl with the Rose Tattoo is a captivating and enthralling coming of age story and self-discovery.

The audiobook is expertly narrated by multiple award-winning and extremely talented voiceover artist Hillary Huber. She is a multiple Audie Finalist, Earphone Awards and SOVAS winner, drawing from her experience of having narrated over 600 audiobooks spanning a variety of genres to enhance this immersive production.

I listened to Hillary for hundreds of hours and she is always excellent in bringing complex stories to life with her unique style and passion. She is one of the best narrators in the Audiobooks industry and her skills transform any audio production into a completely immersive listening experience.

Girl with the Rose Tattoo deals with some very delicate situations and its characters navigate a lot of emotions. I really enjoyed the journey, the characters, and the well-written dialogue, and thanks to a top-notch performance by Hillary, this book and its characters will stay with me for a long time.

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A new voice in YA suspense

I’ve struggled a bit with this review, searching for the right words. I’ll start with what I loved about this book – the thriller aspect. I was on my seat for a good part of the book – especially the last quarter. And this book hasn’t been marketed as a romance, so I didn’t have a guaranteed happy ending. There were a few times I wondered which way it’d go.

This book takes place around 1984 to 1985. I was just about to become a teenager so all the pop culture references made sense to me. The book is also set in British Columbia’s Fraser Valley – where I live now. So, again, references that grounded me. Even if you’re not familiar with the area, Valley High School is like every other high school. The town is pretty average.

What wasn’t average was the characters. Christina Douglas – Tina to her friends – is one strong young woman. When she finds herself pregnant at just eighteen, she has to make some really tough decisions. The first is whether to stay with her jerk of a boyfriend. Well, he actually decides he doesn’t want her so she’s back on the streets. But she finds a way to deal.

Then, the night she’s giving birth, she meets Jenny. Their destinies are entwined because of a celestial event, and a strong friendship forms. Then there’s Tina’s case worker Nella. Nella is thirty-five to Tina’s eighteen. There’s a tremendous power imbalance and whatever relationship that forms is completely inappropriate. But each is using the other so I guess that makes it okay…? I was approached to review the book because I read and review LGBTQ books. There’s plenty of homophobia in this book – but there’s also Tina’s sexual awakening. I’m just not sure she’s with the right people to help her through this journey and I’m also never quite sure if she becomes a lesbian because she wants to or because she has to – for self-preservation.

Like I said, I wasn’t sure how the book was going to end. I found the ending satisfying, so that was something.

There were a few minor technical issues with the recording but they were minor. There were also some weird point of view shifts that didn’t work for me, but that’s an artistic choice.

I liked that Tina grew into her own despite her rough circumstances. This is a gritty coming of age story that I’m glad I took the time to listen to. I will say I thought Cat Protano was the perfect narrator for this story and I enjoyed her performance.

A young women's dangerous chase for her life.

Larry Weiss has written a very powerful storyline. It is action packed, full of difficult decisions and life altering events. Unfortunately Tina Douglas makes bad decision after bad decision that sends her down deep into a spiral tunnel. She is an 18 year old girl who is stuck. She is stuck in an abusive and dangerous relationship with Rob who is a member of a notorious biker gang named Cascade Warriors. She is controlled, dominated and has little freedom. After a horrible event that ends with Tina pregnant. She flees. But what is she to do. Go back to her mother or try to start a new life somewhere else. But Rob and his gang have revenge plans and hunt her at every turn. Tina meets and befriends Jenny. Jenny becomes her protector and allies against Rob. Tina has many choices to make. Does she sign her baby away to adoption, does she help the police catch the gang or does she just run and never look back. This story just pulls you in and takes you on a ride.
Weiss is a superb storyteller. He paints a very vivid picture with high quality work. He creates layers and layers of deceit and beautifully dictates how people can react to each other. He effortlessly develops each character and builds on their strengths and weaknesses. Although some characters need a little more of a backstory or a what happened to them part of the book in general I want more.

As much as I enjoyed this book I had mixed feelings about the narrator. At most points she sounded just like a 18 year old young and naïve. The different characters were easily distinguished but at certain moments during the story it seemed like she was over acting the scene and it changed the mood of the story. Maybe being too passionate about a turn in the story. It did not stop me from listening nor was it off putting. Just different and unusual. I would recommend this book. It has all the makings of a great story. Drama, action, martial arts, bikers, revenge and some romance. Something for everyone.