One Summer Day in Rome tells the story of three very different couples and the city that brings them together, in ways they never even know. Alice, an art student in New York City, has always played it safe, in life and love. But when she is discussing her summer plans with her thesis advisor, he has an unusual suggestion: to go somewhere different, and to find something voosh! So Alice sets out for Rome in search of adventure and inspiration before settling down with her perfectly adequate fiancé. Meg and Alec, busy parents and successful business people from LA, seem to have a picture-perfect life. But when Meg drags Alec to Rome on a mission to find her holy grail, a certain blue tile that will make their home renovation complete, it quickly becomes clear that their marriage needs a makeover as well. Constance and Lizzie are women of a certain age—“Sometimes I look at my laughter lines and wonder what on earth could have been that funny”—who are sisters-in-law and best friends. They have come from London to scatter the ashes of their beloved husband and brother in the city he adored. Both women are seemingly done with romance, but Rome has other ideas.

Guided by the novel’s irresistible narrator, Rome itself, we follow these characters on their journeys of discovery. Brimming with humor and charm (and gelato), One Summer Day in Rome is a witty, sophisticated, and bewitching novel about the greatest mystery of all—love.