Title: Picked Fresh
Series: Naked Organics #2
Author: Posy Roberts
Genre: M/M Romance
Publisher: Labyrinth Bound Press
Hudson Oliva loves stability. He was a throwaway teen before finding Kaleidoscope Gardens, but has since thrived at the commune. When Jude Garrity moves in, life gets even better, but Hudson still craves more. He knows he has to be satisfied with their exclusive status being temporary and that Jude will eventually navigate his full sexual awakening with their other housemates.
Hudson has a journey of his own to make. It might only require going home to settle his grandmother’s estate, but he plans to use his time away to figure out how to temper his feelings for Jude and bury his jealousy once and for all. But when Jude joins him on his trip, Hudson falls even deeper in love, especially after Jude stands by his side when he finally confronts his mother for rejecting him.
However, it’s not all hearts and flowers while they travel. They’re over two thousand miles from home when Hudson learns a ruthless corporate farm threatens the commune they both love. In order to save their way of life, Hudson must ask his mother for help. And if he wants a chance at a stable future with Jude, he has to tell him the truth about his feelings, no matter if it ruins the harmony he’s tried so hard to preserve.
Jude shifted in his seat and stared at Hudson. Hudson couldn’t take his eyes off the road, but the desire to turn toward Jude and mirror him was overwhelming. “What was your first impression of me when I met you at the farmers market?”
“Should I be diplomatic or honest?”
“Honest.”
Hudson ran that day over in his mind. It was crystal clear, still, even though it had been more than nine months ago. Jude had meandered from stand to stand. He initially stood out from the crowd because of what he was wearing: a bright blue, almost turquoise wool coat over a black turtleneck and tight black jeans. In the blur of quilted plaid flannel and fleece hoodies in various shades of drab, olive, and Carhartt, Jude was all Hudson could see.
“I couldn’t keep my eyes off you. You were… stunning.” He shook his head. “I don’t know another word for it. I was talking to some customer about how we raised our chickens, and when I saw you, I stopped midsentence. I stared, felt like a dirty old man because you looked so young, and when I turned back to the woman to carry on our conversation, I had no idea what we’d been talking about. Literally none. It was like looking at you sucked the words out of my throat and the thoughts right out of my head.”
Jude chuckled. “Seriously? Was it the coat?”
“It made you stand out, but no, it wasn’t the coat. It was everything about you. Your broad shoulders and your hair and your eyes and your f*cking lips.”
“You like my lips?” Jude pulled his rose-flavored lip stuff out of his front pocket and made a show of smearing it across the bottom one. Then he rubbed his lips together and licked them, all while staring at Hudson with soft bedroom eyes.
The bus vibrated, a jagged noise piercing Hudson’s ears as he drove too far to the right, edging his tires onto the rumble strip. “¡Coño!” He maneuvered back into the center of his lane.
Jude laughed. Hudson’s heart thundered against his rib cage.
“You’re evil,” Hudson said. “Evil, I tell you!”
“Maybe.” Jude bit at his bottom lip.
“Stop. Stop tempting me with your f*cking gorgeous mouth. I can’t have you doing that sh*t while I’m driving.”
“Okay.” Jude smirked but kept his tongue and teeth from doing anything else. He put away those hazel sex-eyes too. “So, how did you see this trip going down?”
“Just like that?” Hudson was incredulous.
“What?”
“You can just turn it on and off like a switch?”
“With you, sure.”
“Well, I can’t.” Hudson gestured to his crotch, where his d*ck was obvious, thick, and quickly moving on its way to fully hard, even though Jude had stopped the licking and the biting.
“Want me to touch you?” Jude’s voice was breathy as he slid his warm palm up Hudson’s inner thigh. He thumbed over the head of Hudson’s c*ck, and Hudson got harder. Jude played with just the head, moving back and forth, his touch light and delicious.
“Want me to drive off the road?” Hudson managed not to sound choked off.
“No.” Jude pulled his hand away and smiled like the devil. “I want you to drive. And I want you to tell me about what you want to do on this trip besides the obvious. And for the record, turning it off doesn’t happen like a switch. Turning me on with one look, easy!”
“You’re dangerous.”
“Damn right I am.”
First, be sure you've read Farm Fresh before starting Picked Fresh otherwise you'll probably be a bit lost as it builds on the events from the first story. That said, the Naked Organics series is a glimpse into what most people would classify as an unconventional living situation where a sustainable agriculture organic farm is the setting for what many would call a hippie sex commune. Yep, you read that right-and as atypical as this setting may be for a romance story, it's actually a perfect fit in the context of this series.
Here in Picked Fresh, we pick up right where the first book left off with Hudson and Jude heading off to confront both of their respective families (well, really their parents) to not only tie up loose ends from the past, but to also address some current issues that have cropped up. The unconditional support they show each other is amazing, and shows just how deeply both of their feelings are becoming. Their relationship has evolved from a menage-style with Charlie and Leo in the first story into just Hudson and Jude becoming totally wrapped up in just each other, falling deeper and deeper as the story continues on.
To watch both of their journeys is extremely satisfying as they search for answers and closure from their difficult and sometimes abusive pasts. As they each find the resolution they seek, their relationship becomes deeper and more intense both emotionally and sexually, leading to scenes that are continually more passionate and even a bit edgy, kinky and a bit unconventional.
There's a bit of extra drama when the farm they call home (as well as other organic farms in their area) is threatened by an outside company's interest in a neighboring farm, injecting tension into the story as Hudson and Jude are racing to help figure out a solution to protect the home they love.
Picked Fresh is a tremendously gratifying story that shows extensive character growth and development, giving us a much deeper look into not just Hudson and Jude, but Leo and Charlie as well (even though for most of the story they are thousands of miles away). There's plenty of heat and a bit of kink to spice things up, and in the end...well, it's really all about the love that develops between Hudson and Jude-which is honestly plenty to put a smile on readers' faces all on its own.
4.5 stars for Picked Fresh, and I'd highly recommend it to M/M romance fans 18+ (for adult language/situations, explicit sexual content and some kinkier sexual practices). Me? I'm excited about the future titles that were listed at the end for this series, I can't wait to see where things go from here!
Interested in reading how Hudson ended up living at Kaleidoscope Gardens? Read Naked Origins—Hudson for free. This is not a romance, but for those who want to dig a little deeper, this story covers much of Hudson’s history that is hinted at in Picked Fresh. Visit https://posyroberts.com/2016/02/02/free-read-naked-origins/ to read the summary and download it.
Title: Farm Fresh
Series: Naked Organics #1
Author: Posy Roberts
Genre: M/M Romance
Publisher: Labyrinth Bound Press
Posy Roberts writes about the realistic struggles of men looking for love. Whether her characters are family men, drag queens, or lonely men searching for connections, they all find a home in her stories.
Posy is a Jill of all trades and master of the drill and paintbrush. She’s married to a partner who makes sure she doesn’t forget to eat or sleep during her writing frenzies. Her daughter, a budding author and cinematographer, helps her come up with character names. For fun, Posy enjoys crafting, hiking, and singing spontaneously about the mundane, just to make regular life more interesting.
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