Review - The Accidental Italian by Michael Hartwig
The Accidental Italian
My rating: 
Heat level: 
Tags: Contemporary
Posted in Book Reviews on 31 May, 2026
When Theo’s best friend has to cancel her vacation, he agrees to use her hotel reservation in Positano. Theo needs some time away after breaking up with his husband. Despite having an Italian father, Theo has had a problematic relationship with his Italian heritage. Still, the scenery is beautiful, and that includes the very handsome, if apparently straight, man on the beach lounge next to him. When Theo overhears two criminals plotting in a nightclub, he discovers his beach crush is really a police officer named Raffaelo, and perhaps less straight than Theo thought. There’s no denying the mutual attraction, but can the two have anything more than a holiday romance?
“The Accidental Italian” has all the classic elements of a contemporary romance: Two men irresistibly attracted to each other, but with seemingly insurmountable barriers keeping them from having a relationship. The challenges are particularly daunting for Theo and Raffaelo. Theo has a life and career in New York while Raffaelo has a wife and children in Rome as well as his work for a homophobic police force. You’re left wondering what incredible turns of events will happen to allow them to be together. The twist, when it came, was completely unexpected for me.
The narration is almost entirely from Theo’s point of view, although a few paragraphs sometimes seems to switch points of view to other characters. Theo is quite a likable person. As is often the case in such stories, you have to wonder why such a nice guy has been left by his husband. But there wouldn’t be a story if that didn’t happen, so there you go. Theo’s actions through the story seem very reasonable and even admirable.
Raffaelo is a man in an almost impossible position. He denied his own feelings in exchange for the life and career he thought was expected of him. It’s a common situation many men find themselves in, especially in cultures which are less accepting of gay men. The regret is also common, sooner or later. The tenuous relationship between Theo and Raffaelo drives most of the story and keeps you guessing how it will turn out.
“The Accidental Italian” is available from Smashwords or see Bookshop.org to purchase from an independent bookseller.
