PLYMOUTH, Mich. (OSV News) – Detroit author Rebecca W. Martin has debuted her first novel, “Love in the Eternal City” (Chrism Press), a Catholic romance that not only tells the love story between a Swiss Guard and an American expat, but also serves as Martin’s own love letter to the city of Rome.
“Love in the Eternal City,” the first of Martin’s planned Swiss Guard romance trilogy, tells the story of Elena Gattino, an American from the Midwest who travels to Rome for a fresh start. There, she meets Benedikt Rechsteiner, a member of the Swiss Guard, and his sister Rianna. Throughout the novel, the reader can explore Rome through the eyes of Beni and Elena as their own friendship and romance blossom.
Martin, 31, a parishioner at Our Lady of Good Counsel Parish in Plymouth along with her husband, is a book editor at Our Sunday Visitor. “Love in the Eternal City” is her first novel and third book, having previously published “The Catholic Wedding Planner,” a guide for Catholic brides and grooms, and a children’s book, “Meet Sister Mary Margaret.”
The setting and sights in the novel are inspired by Martin’s own time in Rome.
“I was a student in Rome for three months, and I joke that this is my love letter to Rome,” Martin told Detroit Catholic, the online news outlet of the Detroit Archdiocese. “A lot of the visuals, the scenery, the experiences (of) my main character has reflected the time I spent in Rome both as a student and when I went back a few years ago. There are a lot of personal memories and emotions.”
Martin began drafting the book in 2022 during National Novel Writing Month, calling the final publication the result of a “bet with myself.”
“I had previously only written nonfiction and started dealing with some mental health things, and as a result of that, I accidentally opened up a whole other side of my brain,” Martin quipped.
While Elena’s struggles are more significant than her own, Martin said writing the book helped her work through her own story of her marriage and the connection between mental health and relationships.
“We often fall into the fallacy that as soon as we are married, it is going to fix all of our problems: ‘If I just find the right guy, then everything will be perfect.’ Part of Elena’s story is that, no, it’s not,” Martin said. “You (and your spouse) are both bringing whatever issues you are dealing with into your relationship, and so it is learning to deal with those.”
However, the love story had inspiration beyond Martin’s personal experience. To better understand the life of a Swiss Guard, Martin reached out to speaker and author Andreas Widmer, who served as a Swiss Guard under St. John Paul II.
Widmer, whose books include “The Pope and the CEO: John Paul II’s Leadership Lessons to a Young Swiss Guard,” helped Martin understand the guards’ mindset by answering her questions about the Swiss education system and daily routine and sharing personal anecdotes.
Additionally, Widmer, along with his wife, Michelle, answered questions about their own relationship, which began when they met in Rome while he was serving in the Swiss Guard and she was a student.
While Beni and Elena’s story is not identical to that of the Widmers, Martin said that coincidentally, Beni and Elena have their first date in the book at the same spot where the Widmers had theirs in real life: the Borghese Gardens.
Martin said feedback for the book has so far been positive and that it has captured the attention of many readers who do not normally gravitate toward the romance genre.
Romance through a Catholic lens is different, Martin explained. Catholics view and understand romance, marriage and the roles of men and women in a counter-cultural way, and she hopes readers finish the book understanding that Catholic love is the best love story because of its connection to the love story of our faith, which is Christ on the cross.
“I wanted to create a story that really showed what a good Catholic relationship can look like,” Martin explained to Detroit Catholic. “It is not idealistic; it’s not something where they never have any trouble, and it’s not love at first sight. I wanted to really show what it looks like when two humans who practice their faith are invested in figuring out a relationship together, discerning marriage, learning to talk about things, struggling together, and helping each other.”