The Accidental Italian

Theo flees New York to Positano for a quiet summer vacation, hoping to avoid reminders of a messy breakup.  Although estranged from his Italian heritage, he quickly discovers how seductive the coast, language, food, and men are, and gets swept up into the orbit of Raffaello, a handsome police officer lounging next to him on the beach. Their worlds collide when Theo overhears the details of a terrible crime and joins Raffaello in the search for the criminals. Both Theo and Raffaello are at a crossroads in their lives and fall under each other's spell, both wrestling with emotions and desires they thought they had buried ages ago. This steamy coming of age gay romance includes a gripping crime thriller subplot and an unexpected ending when another handsome Italian man enters both Raffaello and Theo's lives. The story showcases Hartwig's talent for transporting readers to other worlds — this one including the Amalfi Coast, Capri, Rome, and New York — as well as the interior terrain the characters traverse. Enjoy!