Lucas Duran has been on the trip of a lifetime—six months traveling through Europe with his parents and two younger brothers. That is, the trip of a lifetime for someone else. Lucas wants nothing more than to be home in Austin, Texas, with his friends, and it shows in his schoolwork that he's been emailing to his teachers. He can't wait to get out of Rome, the last stop on their trip.

When his teachers give him an ultimatum—either turn in a phenomenal last project or you'll fail the eighth grade—Lucas has to decide whether to give up or give in to the mystery of Rome. And after a cryptic palm reader hands him a weird-looking coin to throw in the Trevi Fountain, Lucas finds himself transported to ancient Rome at each new tourist destination. As his hops back through time become more personal, it seems the magic of Rome is determined to help Lucas gain more than an A+ project. Can he fix his future before his time in the past is over?