After a messy breakup, Theo flees New York for the sun-drenched village of Positano, hoping the Amalfi Coast can provide needed distance from his ex and a respite from the complications of a vacation in a gay resort where his friends are always pushing eligible men in his direction.

But vacations have a way of surprising us, inviting us to discover new worlds we never imagined, ones that reside deep inside. Theo's time in Italy is no exception, as his sojourn brings to the surface long-hidden family secrets. Despite an antipathy for all things Italian, Theo is swept off his feet by the intoxicating beauty of the Amalfi Coast — the lyrical sound of Italian, the magnificent landscape that plunges into the Mediterranean Sea, delicious food served overlooking the stunning beach, and the alluring presence of a strikingly handsome man, Raffaello, lounging on the sunbed next to him.

Raffaello and Theo's worlds collide when Theo overhears two men plotting a terrible crime. Theo reports what he has overheard to the local police only to discover that the Adonis on the beach is the police sergeant tasked with monitoring criminal activity during the summer holiday. Raffaello recruits Theo to assist him in pursuing the criminals. As the investigation deepens, so do the entanglements between them. Both try to resist the powerful forces drawing them together, but realize destiny has something else in mind. Theo stirs up the subterranean desires Raffaello thought he had buried years ago when he married his wife, and their unfolding relationship forces Theo to face troubling memories of his first male crush, souvenirs that have haunted him since adolescence.

From Positano to Capri, and Rome to New York, this tender, sensual coming-of-age romance includes lots of eye candy, intrigue, and soul-searching. The Accidental Italian celebrates the crosscurrents of life, the way fate forces a reckoning, and how eros draws us to people we need at particular moments in our lives.