Where the Nights Smell Like Bread

Dumped by his boyfriend and stranded abroad, math teacher Mark Anello is drawn into Europe’s glittering art world—where beauty hides drugs, lust, and even murder. Narrated by author Glen Peters.

At 34, math teacher Mark Anello thinks his life is on track—until his stand-up comedian boyfriend abruptly calls it quits. Restless and uninspired in Los Angeles, Mark heads to San Francisco, where a chance encounter with Alessandro, a charming, restless Italian tourist, ignites a romance that pulls Mark all the way to Rome. But passion fades, and when Alessandro drifts away, Mark is left heartbroken and alone in a foreign city. In his quest to belong, he’s swept into a world of Bohemians, aristocrats, and avant-garde artists… a seductive scene hiding an undercurrent of drugs, sex, and even murder.

Praise for “Where the Nights Smell Like Bread”

“If you think Henry James had the last word in American-European relationships, you've not read Glen Peters’ sweepingly romantic and realistically detailed Where the Nights Smell Like Bread. This propulsive, superbly written first novel is an exciting tour guide and a daunting gay romance primer on the varieties of Old World disturbia, where first impressions are anything but true.”

— Felice Picano, author of “Ambidextrous: The Secret Lives of Children”

“This sexy, sad, life-affirming story of love, friends, and family found when you least intend, will make you nostalgic for lost love, hungry for sensual pleasures, yet glad you’re old and out of the game…but not necessarily in that order.” — Sara Marchant, author of “Essential Planner for my Mother’s Huge Cult Following”

"A moving story of love lost and found, unfolding during adventures in Europe and under the encroaching shadow of the pandemic. Glen Peters’ writing is lyrical and haunting, as he

explores one man’s journey to create a meaningful life.". — Emily Dwass, author of “Diagnosis Female: How Medical Bias Endangers Women’s Health”

© 2025 Rattling Good Yarns Press, LLC (Lydbog): 9781955826969

Release date

Lydbog: 19. august 2025