Reviewed by Kathryn Bennett for Readers' Favorite The Yugoslavian, In Search of Mara Jovanovic by The Black Rose takes place during the siege of Sarajevo and brings the reader into a world of adventure and intrigue. Two people from different worlds come together: Ivan, a fighter known as the Black Rebel, and Tess, who sets out for the war zone, all in the name of a missing orphan. Ivan gets news that there will be a female spy trying to ID who the Black Rebel is and, when he comes across Tess in Belgrade, he is unsure of who she is and what she truly wants. However, he volunteers to take her to Sarajevo and this places her firmly in his hands for the rest of the adventure.This is the second book by The Black Rose that I have read and I am really enjoying this author's style. This is a gripping story with a lot of adventure and “meat” to it. Ivan has to be my favourite character although I really enjoy Tess as well; there is something about a true rebel that keeps me interested. He is a man who is doing the right thing with bad situations and I can totally understand and appreciate that. If you want a book that has mystery and adventure, this is a great read. Once I picked it up I had trouble setting it down; it flows well and is a solid and enjoyable book. I would recommend this one to any of my reading friends. Katelyn Hensel The Yugoslavian, In Search of Mara Jovanovic is an intriguing historical fiction that has you wondering what really happened in the past and, if history is written by the victors, what happens to the losers? Written by the mysterious author known as "The Black Rose," this story is very detailed and intricate. Meshing two characters’ lives together is a difficult feat, but when a single-minded goal is shared, particularly one as devastatingly real as finding a missing orphan, you know that there's going to be lots of fireworks. Tess, the founder of a children's writing competition, receives a manuscript from a child missing in the war. Intrigued, she sets out to find out what she can and in the process she becomes involved with Ivan, a freedom fighter known as The Black Rebel to some, and simply as a humanitarian to others. Though both are suspicious of the other, they team up to meet their goals.I liked Tess a lot. Main characters, particularly in historical fiction, tend to be a bit one-sided. Tess has spirit and personality, as well as smarts and the ability to figure out mysteries and read other characters to use for her purposes. She was very tricky and I really enjoyed traveling along with her. Ivan was a good character as well. A little aloof, a little dangerous, and all around well-developed. Dialogue between the two characters seemed a bit stiff at first, but then warmed up as the book went on so I eventually came to enjoy their interactions. Plot wise, The Yugoslavian is a very interesting story. There wasn't so much of a twist, but the story still held your attention and kept you paying close attention until all the plot threads unraveled. I would gladly read another book by The Black Rose. Lisa Jones The Yugoslavian: In Search of Mara Jovanovic by The Black Rose is a beautiful yet deadly novel of war, love and hope. It depicts the cold hard reality of a bloody war that the people of Yugoslavia faced, and it brings to light the thousands of innocent casualties, many being orphaned children. When a young girl named Mara enters a writing competition, her words touch the founder of the organisation so deeply that it changes her life forever. Against the wishes of her closest friends, Tess travels into the heart of the war in search of the little girl who has won her heart. Ivan fights for his beliefs and people and he is the renowned Black Rebel. He does not take a side in this war, but he gives hope to the suffering people and children. When he meets Tess, his life changes forever and although he has no choice but to hide the truth from Tess, he has indeed found his soul mate. The Author delivers a wonderful yet powerful novel in The Yugoslavian. This story is unique and it brought to light the struggle that people of this country faced. I have often seen images of such a war on my TV screen. I felt sadness at the time but then was able to go on with my life, forgetting much of what had been reported. This story captured my heart completely and made me realize the impact of such a man-made atrocity. How many cries of forgotten people and orphaned children go unheard? I felt this novel in some way gave them a voice to be heard. I was deeply touched and I loved the Black Rebel and all that he stood for. The author is very talented in how she portrayed her story; the characters were well thought out and developed. I cannot wait until the next book in this series is released. I would strongly recommend this to all. It has changed my perception on a lot of issues and I am sure it would do the same for many others. A book not to be missed. . Sarah Butfield from Goodreads It is no mean feat to write a book that is so heavily reliant on extensive and thorough research in order to provide a realistic and believable backdrop for a story of intrigue, suspense and adventure. The Black Rose has achieved this seemingly effortlessly in The Yugoslavian. The reward for the precise attention to detail is that the reader becomes totally immersed in the human emotions and tragedy of a war-torn country. The precision applied to the development of the main characters, Ivan and Tess, complements the pace at which the plot is revealed. The appropriate and ingenious use of vocabulary throughout is flawlessly executed and this enhances the reading experience. A story that manages to encompass the true depth of not only love but war made a refreshing change. I would highly recommend this book and with one of the best closing lines I have read in a very long time, I am looking forward to reading more from The Black Rose. Kathryn from Goodreads There are a lot of words you can use to describe a book you truly enjoyed. Wonderful, fun, unable to put down - and I think, singular to this book, a romp through war time Sarajevo. What is a true testament to a good book is not just saying nice words about it, but missing one's train stop while reading it. Three times. Tess is a fascinating and complex character. I really liked that she was a writer. The Black Rebel is romantic and mysterious and a total bad ass. He's like the Robin Hood of Yugoslavia. I was really impressed with the authors ability to regularly change the stories point of view seamlessly. It wasn't hard to keep up. My only complaint is that the will they or won't they bit goes on for a touch too long. I would have liked to seem them actually together a bit more. Overall this was a fantastic read that made me miss my stop and gave me a total disregard for the following morning. I would definitely recommend it to others. Michael DeStefano from Goodreads The breakup of Yugoslavia provides the backdrop for this tale born of war, but driven toward redemption, mainly for the two principal characters; the roguishly handsome rebel leader named Ivan Đurić and the head of an American-based Children’s Writing Foundation, celebrated novelist, Tess Fordel. In the process of reviewing submissions for a writing contest, Tess comes across a lengthy, but poignant story penned by a 7-year-old Croatian girl caught in the middle of the conflict. Since the little girl, Mara Jovanović writes no English, the story is translated and submitted—along with a cover letter—by the girl’s protector, a man called Iđy. Touched by Mara’s story, Tess decides Mara is not only the winner, but that she must present the prize to Mara in person. Against the advice of her publisher, she ventures to Belgrade to find Mara before the deadline. That’s her bit. Ivan Đurić, on the other hand, is introduced as the non-Nationalist resistance fighter with a demonstrated ability to dispatch his enemies, if needs must, without a second thought. Ivan hates war and hates killing, but his leadership and God-fearing conscience guides his compassion as he prosecutes the war against the Nationalists and, by proxy, the outside influences of other nations. (On only one occasion, he executes a prostrated prisoner, but for a very specific reason.) Before Tess’ arrival to Belgrade, Ivan is informed that a very beautiful American woman—a spy—is coming to try to locate and identify The Black Rebel (a.k.a. Ivan, a.k.a. Iđy). Ivan decides to intercept this woman, and if necessary, do what is required to ensure the safety of himself, his men and his Cause. This woman says she’s only here to inform Mara she won the writing competition and to present the little girl with her prize. In offering to help Tess find Mara, Ivan does his best to prevent that meeting from happening until he can determine if Tess is either the spy he was warned about or she is what she says she is. He never thought meeting Tess would awaken feelings he thought long dormant within his heart. That’s his bit. From their initial meeting, Tess and Ivan gravitate towards each other, not fully knowing each other’s motives. The author’s use of omniscient third person helps the reader understand each character’s motivation, yet at times, the actions of the two main characters are in direct conflict with their respective trains of thought. This especially occurs each time Ivan and Tess commence an argument. As Ivan and Tess’ relationship grows, the overuse of this technique tends to get a bit maudlin and unnatural. Of course, it would be, if their budding relationship didn’t occur smack dab in the middle of a shooting war. When each character’s respective back story comes into focus, we can better appreciate their reticence to fully commit to feelings they can no longer deny. There were times, when each got angry with the other for what appeared to be no logical reason, I wanted to climb into the pages and box their ears, myself. Upon reflection, it’s a true testament to the author’s ability to engender strong feelings within the reader for—or against—a character. Corinne from Amazon I fell in love with the 'black rebel' immediately within the first few ... I fell in love with the 'black rebel' immediately within the first few pages not only because he seems so strong and handsome but mainly for his morals. The story line moves fast and easy. I brought it on vacation and unfortunate for my husband and family, I didn't want to put it down to go do other things! I always love reading books where there's sexual tension between the two main characters especially when I really like their personalities which I did immediately in this book. A well thought out story line, I could visualize everything clearly and actually enjoyed learning history along the way too. This is a book you can recommend to both your female and male friends. I plan to give a copy to my Mom and once she's finished reading, we will talk about it I'm sure. Look forward to reading anything else The Black Rose has written. Carole Brown from Amazon Loved The Yugoslavian Loved The Yugoslavian. The characters are like family. There is an immediate rapport. The story is endearing, and the scenes of the war are enlightening. We get a view of the war and it's repercussions that we would not otherwise see. Tess and Ivan have an interesting relationship. Tess is a strong woman, not afraid to stand back and let Ivan take the lead in his province.. She is intuitive and principled. Ivan is a man for everyone. The book is worth reading more than once. I have read it twice, so far. Waiting for the sequel!!

THE YUGOSLAVIAN IN SEARCH OF MARA JOVANOVIĆ