When in Rome: A Novel

Amelia Rose is overwhelmed by her life as the music sensation Rae Rose. Despite her wealth and fame, Amelia feels hollow and lonely. When her manager Susan tells her the details about a tour she will be starting in three weeks, Amelia feels like she needs a break. When in distress, Amelia always turns to her favorite actor: Audrey Hepburn. Going through Hepburn’s filmography, Amelia realizes she relates to her character in Roman Holiday and knows a Roman holiday is exactly what she needs. However, Rome, Italy is too far from her home in Nashville, Tennessee, and could be too high profile, so Amelia takes her old car to the closest Rome she can find: Rome, Kentucky. That’s how Amelia finds herself in a broken-down and smoking car in a stranger’s yard off a deserted country back road. The house’s owner knocks on Amelia’s window to try to help, but she refuses to open her door, believing he could be a killer. He tells her that if she changes her mind he’ll be inside and leaves her alone.