“I could never just walk away from you. I would never even want to.”
In a word: Read the thing! I loved this book but man is it not for anyone looking for a fluffy romance story, or light reading. John and Caleb first met eight years ago, when they were 23 and 15 respectively. John, a police officer, pulled Caleb’s broken and battered body out of a repurposed water tank, saving his life. Caleb had spent the past 10 years in an abusive cult, which left him with a lot of physical and mental damage. Present-day Caleb is no longer that battered teen, but he is a man who will never fully recover from the traumas inflicted on him as a child. John is the only (third-person) narrator in the book, so we’re only getting his insights into the whole situation. One of the first things we learn is that he loves Caleb deeply and unconditionally. The other thing we learn, with Caleb’s introduction, is that loving Caleb isn’t easy or simple. Caleb is, to put it bluntly, a disaster. He suffers from PTSD and anxiety (and probably other things) due to his experiences and at this point it’s unclear whether he’ll ever be able to live without having someone to support him. The books deals heavily with that, as Caleb has many triggers and his responses to them have the potential to be catastrophic. The story doesn’t shy away from how difficult Caleb finds it to live. Though that’s not to say that the book is totally dark. I could never categorize this as fluff, but there are some sweet moments involving Caleb with John, his father, or John’s family. John and Caleb’s romance will never be smooth or straightforward, but neither of them will want for love while they’re together. Outside the romance, there’s another subplot involving Caleb’s former abusers, who have just been released on parole. I honestly didn’t expect that side of things to get as much plot time as it did, but I was glad of it as it was an exciting ride and added to John and Caleb’s story. This story is a bit in the same vein as When All the World Sleeps (by Lisa Henry and J.A. Rock, and which is probably one of my favourite romances), so if you enjoyed that one, you’ll enjoy this one. The writing here is great, the characters are compelling, the relationship are heartbreaking and lovely, and the suspense is on point. I really loved reading this.
The Summary: (from Goodreads) The past never stays buried forever.
John Faimu is an Australian-Samoan police officer who deals with hurt kids every day. He loves what he does, but he’s tired of the grind of shift work, and of trying to find a balance between his job, his family, and the young man who straddles the increasingly blurry line between both.
Caleb Fletcher was the teenager John saved from a cult eight long years ago, and he’s now the young man John wants in ways that neither of them should risk.
Eight years after his rescue, Caleb is still struggling with PTSD and self-harm. John has always been his rock, but now Caleb wants more. Can he convince John to cross a line and love him the way they both crave? And when the monsters from Caleb’s past come back seeking to silence him for good, will John’s love be enough to save him?
The Parable of the Mustard Seed is an mm gay romance featuring hurt/comfort, first times, found family, and angst with a happy ending.
[available for purchase at Amazon.ca]
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