Description
By Rebecca W. Martin
Rome—once the heart of an empire, now the heart of the Catholic Church—has witnessed many love stories. When the Eternal City draws together a Swiss Guard and an American expat, a modern-day romance blooms in the shadow of Saint Peter’s Basilica.
Haunted by a broken engagement and betrayed by her best friend, Elena Gattino travels to Rome for a new job and the hope of a new life. Fueled by pasta and bolstered by prayer, she becomes brave enough to forge new friendships with the Rechsteiner siblings as she explores Rome and finds her footing at work.
Benedikt Rechsteiner is comfortable serving in the Swiss Guard, even if he recognizes his life lacks a special something…or someone. Simmering family tensions and uncertainty about his future have left Beni wary of relationships, but his unexpected feelings for Elena challenge him to face his fears.
Soon, Beni and Elena’s friendship turns into more, thanks to the matchmaking meddling of a Vatican spymaster, a Swiss Guard comrade-in-arms, and Beni’s overenthusiastic yet lovable sister. But then Elena’s past follows her to Rome, putting her in danger that even Beni may not be able to save her from. And if Beni wants to be with Elena, he’ll need to discern where his own future lies—and reconcile with his father after years of bitterness. Can the two forge a relationship strong enough to withstand the suffering that comes their way? Or will the tensions of their own lives pull them apart?
Barb Szyszkiewicz (verified owner) –
At last: a heroine who isn’t perfect and doesn’t try to pretend she is! Elena’s fiance and best friend betrayed her professionally and romantically, and her confidence is shaken by continuing panic attacks after a terrifying cyberstalking situation. Seeking a new start, she heads to Rome with a scrubbed social media profile and a new job, only to meet Benedikt (Beni), a Swiss Guard who’s spent his life failing to measure up to his father’s expectations.
Working in the Vatican, Elena and Beni are in frequent contact with highly-ranked clergy, including the pope, and both the pope and Elena’s boss inject wisdom and humor in difficult situations. Those two characters charmed me from their first mention, and one of them has made it his mission to get the Elena and Beni together.
There’s a surprising espionage subplot, a couple of kindly landlords, and a not-so-little stepsister who becomes a BFF to Elena and a friend to her older brother Beni.
All in all, this is a charming novel with engaging characters–and I guarantee you’ll be hoping those characters get engaged, pretty much as soon as you meet them. It’s a lovely read.
Elizabeth Baruzzini (verified owner) –
Let me say, first and foremost, that I am not usually a romcom reader. I’m not sure why, but that genre just hasn’t grabbed me in the past. But this book! This book absolutely, 100% grabbed me. This book deserves all the exclamation points, all the praise, and all the emphasis on the genuine delight of this story and characters! “Love in the Eternal City” is a new favorite; it will be a comfort read for me, one I’ll return to time and again. The setting — Rome sweet home — is perfect, and the author describes everything in a way that so clearly echoes lived experience and excellent research. Throughout the novel, and in various locales around the Eternal City, there’s a steady, realistic sense of place. On a related note, the bits and pieces of information about the Swiss Guards, Church history, and the like were both interesting and organic to the flow of the plot. This is a story that feels truly, authentically Catholic, and not just because of the setting. The main characters, Beni and Elena, are authentic, multifaceted, and strong in their faith; their friendship and love story is the kind of literary example I’d like to see more often. They’re written as real people with real baggage, but with the moral backbone to pursue virtue and the good nature to see the lighter side of life along the way. I also appreciated and related to plot points involving past mistakes/trials, mental health struggles, and the necessity of trust in God’s plan no matter what. The story has well-crafted themes, but at the same time, it doesn’t try to say everything about everything (which is a very good thing). Instead, the author tells the story in a way that’s always engaging, heartfelt, and meaningful — and the result is a wonderful novel that will certainly be loved by newcomers to the genre (like myself) as well as long-time romcom fans. I can’t wait to see what’s next for this series!
*I voluntarily read and reviewed a copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.*