Book Tour: Farm Fresh by Posy Roberts

Author: Posy Roberts

Book: Farm Fresh

Release Date: January 28, 2016

Pages or Words: 202 pages, 63,000 words

Categories: Contemporary, Fiction, Gay Fiction, M/M Romance, Ménage/Poly, Romance

Goodreads Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/28432092-farm-fresh

Publisher: Labyritnh Bound Press

Cover Artist: Natasha Snow

Jude Garrity visits the farmers market every Saturday. As an environmental engineering student, he’s curious about living off the grid and sustainable agriculture.

And one particular farmer.

Hudson Oliva has worked hard to support his commune, where queer people live without fear of harm or retribution. When Jude asks pointed questions about living there, Hudson realizes he needs to be honest about his home. Few people know what the farm is actually about, but Jude is insistent.

Jude moves to Kaleidoscope Gardens, however, his sexual hang-ups make it hard to adjust. He’s an uptight virgin living among people who have sex freely and with multiple partners. When Jude finally loosens up, Hudson is flooded with emotions. Falling for Jude wasn’t part of Hudson’s life plan. But when vindictive rumors about the commune begin to spread, love might be all he has left.

Seeing Posy Roberts’ name on a book is an automatic invitation for me to read it. She takes good care of her characters and situations. I knew going in that this book could be triggering for me, but I chose it anyway because I have trust in her to provide a safe and loving journey. I was not disappointed.

This is a beautiful and hopeful story about two very broken souls finding each other in a less traditional way. It’s not your typical erotic menage novel. I often don’t choose poly/menage books because they can occasionally venture into feeling exploitative of complex relationships. What I loved about the relationships here is how they never delved into that territory. The scenes involving multiples were well done and never felt over-the-top or like they were there for show. Every part had an importance in the story, much like the lives of the people on the commune.

I spent about 2/3 of the book disliking Hudson and wondering if he was ever going to own his issues (spoiler alert: he does, and the resolution is hot and gorgeous and loving and plain wonderful). Meanwhile, I slowly fell in love with the other characters. I adored Jude and was awed and inspired by his journey out of his fears and painful past. Leo is essentially what I consider an ideal man, and Charlie delighted me. I found myself wanting to know more about the other houses, too, about Laci and Freya and about Molly and her family. I loved how all of them jumped off the page, full and well-drawn people from the few glimpses we saw in this story, even though it centered on Jude and Hudson.

At the end, I was left with the pleasure of a happy-for-now while still knowing there are more stories to be told about these people and their community. I ended up with more questions than I had answers for, such as wanting more about the relationships between the women and wondering how transgender people are woven into the communal fabric. Not that I necessarily expect those questions to be answered—I think it’s a sign of having created a marvelous world when readers can imagine how other scenarios might play out that resemble their lives and loves.

This is an incredibly detailed, well-written novel in which the flow of the story and the underlying themes juxtapose perfectly with the narrative. Reading it was an incredibly deep and healing experience for me, and I’m certain I’m not alone in that.

I give it 10/10 fountain pens for expert writing, lush sensuality, and the loving touch of an author who cares about both her characters and her readers.

Amazon Universal link: myBook.to/FarmFresh

Amazon US: http://www.amazon.com/Farm-Fresh-Naked-Organics-Book-ebook/dp/B01A2PHDPW/

“You wanted to know where I’m from,” Hudson said. Jude nodded but remained tight-lipped. “I grew up north of Miami in a small city. I couldn’t wait to get out, so I tried to hitch a ride to Seattle. Didn’t get that far.”

“How far did you get?” Jude looked surprised as he asked, so Hudson reached out and pressed his palm to the center of Jude’s chest.

“About five miles away. I’ve been here ever since.”

“What made you run? I mean… maybe that’s too personal.”

Hudson coasted his hand over the slight swell of Jude’s pec and thumbed over his nipple, which stood at attention, pert and flushed, like his lips and cheeks. It was a good color on him.

“My parents sent me away to one of those ‘pray away the gay’ places, which obviously didn’t work, but it probably saved my life since my mom had to haul Papi off me when she told him why I needed to go there. He had so much pride, and having a gay son wasn’t something he could live with. It was as if me being gay made him gay. I was accosted by religion and hatred for who I was from that day until I left, so I became an expert at being secretive and learned to lie through my teeth while living with them. My eighteenth birthday Papi and I fought, and I ended up with another black eye. I packed a bag and snuck out of the house while they were sleeping.”

“Did they call the cops or anything?”

Hudson shook his head and knew his smile was pathetic. He still held hope he and his father could reconcile. He knew Papi would be proud of him and what he’d accomplished on the commune. “I left a note and eventually let them know my address, but in all the years, I’ve gotten one letter.”

“I’ve talked to my parents twice since I left, and both times left me feeling shredded inside.”

“I’m sorry.” Hudson scooted closer and pulled Jude into a tight embrace. The feel of Jude’s warm skin against his own had Hudson’s body responding in no time flat. He kissed Jude’s neck and the sharp line of his jaw. He thrust his fingers into Jude’s spun-gold hair and drew their mouths together.

Jude moved his lips, pressing chaste kisses to Hudson’s, and then he snaked his arm between their bodies. Jude splayed his fingers across Hudson’s chest and pushed him away. He hung his head, looking down at the mattress in what appeared to be shame.

Hudson took the sting out of the rejection by thumbing over Jude’s bottom lip, shiny with saliva. “You have a delectable mouth, like it’s made for kissing.”

Jude laughed. “So do you.” Then he bit his lip and made brief eye contact before scooting back a few inches.

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 married to a man who makes sure she doesn’t forget to eat or sleep. Her daughter, a budding author and dedicated Whovian, helps her come up with character names. When Posy’s not writing, she enjoys crafting, hiking, and singing spontaneously about the mundane, just to make normal seem more interesting.