A story of self-discovery, disillusionment, and coming of age, Mario’s newest book, Forbidden Rome, follows Kevin and Anthony’s journey to find themselves and each other in the 80s.

Forbidden Rome takes you on a journey to Rome where two friends discover the meaning of love. Anthony ends up falling for Kevin, and they must choose to either live with this secret or risk the consequences from those around them. The fervor of passions realized, and the frustration of unreturned love washes over the hearts of Anthony and Kevin as they wrestle with what they truly desire.

From clandestine sexual escapades to heartfelt expressions of love, each man must choose their own path forward. With escalating pressures from both home and their religion, Anthony and Kevin’s love is tested, and they must both decide if their love is worth risking everything they’ve built for themselves, their future career, dreams of inspiring others, and their new-found relationship.

How do they come to terms with being gay in the 1980s? Can their love survive the onslaught of homophobia? Packed with raw emotion, Forbidden Rome will rile you out of your comfort zone to root for these young men as they discover what’s most important in life: love.

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Three passionate young men travel to Rome eager to begin an exciting new chapter of their lives. International studies amid ancient ruins and romantic fountains expose them to an extraordinary new world. Wonderment, homesickness, and adventure transform into the need for human touch and comfort. Anthony falls in love with Kevin leading to a passionate affair that can only endure in secret.

Fearing the consequences of being discovered, they cling to each other and their newfound love. Can their clandestine love affair survive the foolishness of youth? Will their newly discovered passions win out over their ambitions? Journey with them as their forbidden love is tested by passion, prejudice, and ambition.

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Forbidden Rome is a rewrite and retelling of the critically acclaimed LGBTQ+ biographical fiction romance "New Men: Bonds of Brotherhood: A Romantic Journey of Self-Discovery Inspired by True Stories." In this brand-new edition, chapters have been rearranged, a few scenes were deleted, and new scenes were added. It contains a new beginning and a previously-unseen and exciting new ending that differs from the original book. The characters, general idea, and location of the story stayed true to the original.

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