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Stable Hand

(The Braided Crop Ranch #1)

A.E. Lister (Goodreads Author)

4.09 · Rating details · 46 ratings · 22 reviews

Book One in The Braided Crop Ranch series. BDSM/MMM/Erotic romance.

The Braided Crop Ranch is looking for stable hands. But this is no ordinary horse ranch. They cater to men with a certain interest. An interest involving harnesses, tails, and trainers.

Managed and expertly run by registered psychologist, Adam Marsland, the Ranch is a safe place for the expression of sex pos ...more

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Published November 2nd 2020 by NineStar Press

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· 46 ratings · 22 reviews

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Oct 29, 2020 Trio rated it really liked it

Shelves: arc-r2r, bdsm, mm-romance, netgalley, 2020-ng-reads-challenge, menage, mmf-mfm, specific-kink

Deliciously kinky, AE Lister’s Stable Hand is an erotic romance with a damn fine story to boot. A journey of awakenings, the ponies and their trainers explore their sexual desires in this first episode of Lister’s The Braided Crop Ranch series.

The Braided Crop Ranch, known by its patrons as the BCR, is located in a secluded area of Ontario, Canada. Surrounded by miles of lakes and farmland, the picturesque ranch is a popular tourist destination for lovers of kink. The resort is truly a feast for ...more

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Oct 26, 2020 Isaiah rated it really liked it

To see more reviews check out MI Book Reviews.

I got an ARC of this book.

I might just be a sucker for anything that can even slightly be labeled as a gay cowboy romance. This was close enough, it was more a gay cowboy erotica than a romance. The romance was so, so minimal that it made the ending just unbelievable for me. There was mild character development, but it was mostly sex and kink based not emotional growth. So if you are looking for a solid romance, this is not it. If you are looking for To see more reviews check out MI Book Reviews.

I got an ARC of this book.

I might just be a sucker for anything that can even slightly be labeled as a gay cowboy romance. This was close enough, it was more a gay cowboy erotica than a romance. The romance was so, so minimal that it made the ending just unbelievable for me. There was mild character development, but it was mostly sex and kink based not emotional growth. So if you are looking for a solid romance, this is not it. If you are looking for hot smut, this is a big yes.

The sex and kink was varied. There was talk of safe words and so many mentions of consent that I was pleased. There was an element of kink in every sex scene, even the more traditional oral and penetration scenes. This layer of kink really made the scenes stand out for me and made the book fun to read. I often find smut boring, since it gets repetitive very easily. This was far from repetitive.

The sex scenes and kink scenes were not perfect. There were no condoms for oral sex, despite just meeting each other. The author has lube described repeatedly and does an amazing job with that and even has rubber gloves used. So I was expecting condoms to be consistently and accurately. There is also the issue of how long the ponies wore their tails. That is a long time. I have no doubts it is possible, but it seems excessive for six weeks. The idea of six weeks being the magical number to get off of work is also odd. I do not get that much time off and there is no way I would be allowed to use that much time off in a row without a medical reason. So that element felt a bit fantastical, but not so much to bring me out of the story since it was revealed early enough in the book. All of this is personal problems as a sex educator, I often am alone in my complaints about condom use in media.

There were some writing issues for me. The book is not high literature writing for sure. The dialogue is stilted and awkward. There are info dumps like wild in the first couple of chapters. There is instalove with no emotional backing. There is really intense feelings talked about, but not really shown. The strength of this book is not the plot. The strength is very much the kink. So if you are just looking for kink, this really is an enjoyable read. If you skipped the plot and just went sex scene to sex scene, then the book wouldn’t be all that much different. The idea of the plot is wonderful, but if you read the book description then you have all of the plot, there really isn’t anything more that isn’t kink based. As someone in the kink world, I have never heard pet play people mention over and over again that pet play is not being into animals, it felt like the author was preaching to make sure no one missed the fact that these were people. It read as hollow and forced every time a character mentioned it. The point is correct, but how it was thrown in repeatedly just didn’t work well. This happened in the info dumps. Once in the opening when the MC was being introduced to the idea would have worked or as an explanation of why pony hoods weren’t used would have been good. Having it multiple times is the biggest issue on this point for me.

Overall, I enjoyed reading it. I will not claim it is the best book I have ever read, but it was the best book about ponies that I have ever read. It read like a better written version of my NanoWriMo from last year (though I did puppies. not ponies). I will be checking out the second book, because kinky cowboys are apparently my thing and Lister delivers on kink in a wonderful way. ...more

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Feb 09, 2021 Pam rated it liked it

Shelves: kink, own-epub, poly, gb-21q1

2.75 stars

Hmmmm.... I thought the setup was going to be the hard part to buy into, but that actually went really well. I was almost 100% on board with everything involving the ranch. The romance? Not so much.

The whole relationship is sex. It's hard to believe there's an emotional connection when they never have a conversation about anything else.

Also, this was my third book involving pony play (Manties in a Twist/Saddled), but the first that didn't have a POV from the ponies. Not sure it would h ...more

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Feb 21, 2021 Elaine White rated it it was amazing

Shelves: 100-200-pages, bdsm-domsub, contemporary, comedy-humour, couple-mm, disability-mental-health, heat-hot-with-plot, heat-insta-love, kink-taboo, pov-1st-person

KINKS: pony play, puppy play, spanking, Dom/sub, power play, control, voyeurism, sharing, cowboy kink, and mentions of potential off-page golden showers.

At only 30% in, this book is hilariously funny, super sexy, and I haven't even gotten to the relationship yet. It's a super gentle introduction to pony play, exposing a newbie to the kink in a warm, friendly environment, where I can be gradually led into it along with the MC, Jensen. It's not overwhelming, it's not in-your-face, but it's not hid ...more

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Oct 15, 2020 Liz104 rated it really liked it

I read this almost in one sitting, it wasn't my kink, I'm not in all the pony play scene, but that part wasn't the most important, the submission and dominance were, and the chemistry between Jensen, Noah and Luke was amazing. Their scenes were really hot. I would love to read more of them outside the ranch. ...more

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Oct 27, 2020 RACHEL REED rated it really liked it

This was one hot, steamy read.
Though the plot was solid and the characters were well fleshed out, I would say this is more of a hot cowboy BDSM erotica.
I wasn't expecting it to be so intense, and I absolutely loved it.
This book was so well written.
A definite recommend! ...more

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Nov 02, 2020 Jeannie Zelos rated it liked it

Stable Hand, The Braided Crop Ranch Book One, AE Lister

Review from Jeannie Zelos book reviews

Genre: LGBTQIA, Romance

Well, I wasn't entirely sure what to expect, but TBH whats in the description is pretty much the whole plot. Its fun kink erotica, not deep, sensual romance.
Jensen, that interview. That made the whole book worth it, somehow I could just see this slightly naive cowboy expecting some fancy horses, “ Arabians? No? Maybe you have Lusitanos?”...or something like that while poor Adam an Stable Hand, The Braided Crop Ranch Book One, AE Lister

Review from Jeannie Zelos book reviews

Genre: LGBTQIA, Romance

Well, I wasn't entirely sure what to expect, but TBH whats in the description is pretty much the whole plot. Its fun kink erotica, not deep, sensual romance.
Jensen, that interview. That made the whole book worth it, somehow I could just see this slightly naive cowboy expecting some fancy horses, “ Arabians? No? Maybe you have Lusitanos?”...or something like that while poor Adam and Connor are barely able to hold back sniggers.....

The rest is really Jensen's journey into kink, and real “hands on” education. I'm not sure six weeks holiday is as realistic as the author makes it sound but hey, its fiction. Consent was the order of the day, all the time, not just in training, and that's very important IMO. If both parties consent and its harming no one then that's fine, if there's no fully informed consent at all times then its a No Go for me. I was bothered that it was gloves and lube all the while, but a real lack of condoms for oral work, especially as Jensen can't have been tested yet? A big hole there I think. Hopefully to be filled in later books. ( and her I am sniggering about holes and fillings. One day I'll grow up!)

What I did like, though at times it was repeated a little too much, was the psychology of kink, that Adam was actually a qualified therapist, and oversaw all training plans. Playing, even just through kinky sex, with peoples different issues and backgrounds, can cause real harm, and needs careful thought.
I like that there wasn't the typical stereotyping that often happens in erotic fiction, where the dominant folk always are obvious, always dominant, never have their own issues, and always have the answers. Luke was a complex personality, in that he was naturally dominant, yet also had the submissive need but that he seemed to fight. Noah was one of these folk who are happiest when able to let go and someone else make all the decisions. The others were somewhere in between these two. We're all complex people, some like Noah, have more simple needs, while others take more work to see what they really want, what issues they have that may be causing problems.
I really like human and animal psychology, and that part of this book resonated with me, the explanations how animals are just into “now” unlike us who mull over the past constantly, and worry about tomorrow. If you don't know animals well, and how they work you may not understand why some things are so freeing to people.
It covers a short space of time and the romance, such as it was, was more HFN rather than HEA and I felt that's more realistic. It wasn't heavy on romantic emotion and connection, more the physical side, where I'd like more emotion and romance. But I hate when there's insta-love and all is well, even though they've only known each other a few days or weeks so given the time constraints this works better for me. Ideally I'd like more romance but for everything to cover a longer time-span, which simply isn't possible given the immersion therapy type of set up here.

Stars: Three, it made me laugh so much at Jensen's interview, but as I said its kind of light on the romance side even though I understand why. I thought there would be more romance though. Its a good book, hot smut and fun, some real issues but not wholly what I was expecting, that's why its three.

ARC supplied by Netgalley and publishers
...more

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Dec 07, 2020 Shee Reader rated it it was amazing

Stable Hand (braided Crop Ranch book 1) by AE Lister

Reviewed by Shee Reader for Boy Meets Boy Reviews

Find us on the web at WWW.BoyMeetsBoyReviews.com

Rating: 5 Hearts

Blurb:

The Braided Crop Ranch is looking for stable hands. But this is no ordinary horse ranch. They cater to men with a certain interest. An interest involving harnesses, tails, and trainers.

Managed and expertly run by registered psychologist, Adam Marsland, the Ranch is a safe place for the expression of sex positive and kink positi ...more

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Oct 17, 2020 Thieving Magpie rated it really liked it

I absolutely loved this one. Like Jensen, I wasn't exactly aware of what I ended up with, but just like him I got used to it. I have been reading multiple BDSM books over time, but Ponyplay was a first for me. But it was amazingly done. You know that the person who's writing this series knows exactly what she is doing. This isn't just some wannabe BDSM, this is good and real stuff.
I noticed a couple of minor errors, though - Jensen was written twice where it should have been I since it's a firs ...more

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Oct 28, 2020 Autumn Breeze rated it it was amazing

Shelves: wine-drunk-book-reviews

To read more reviews check out Wine Drunk Book Reviews

I wasn't sure what the hell I'd gotten myself into when I agreed to review Stable Hand by A.E Lister because I've never read a pony play book but I laughed so hard and had the biggest smile by the end of chapter one that I immediately called my friend just to tell her about the situation I was in and how excited I was—kind of like Jensen.

Jensen was adorably clueless and I knew this was going to be a wild and hilarious read as soon as Adam int ...more

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Nov 21, 2020 Aimee rated it really liked it

I’ve never read ponyplay before so I was a little excited to read this. While I absolutely LOVED the story that played out I was hoping for a bit more description and actual pony play. The story was more about Jenson’s journey onto the ranch and he wasn’t a ponyboy. I kinda wanted to “experience” ponyplay...does that make sense?

I loved Jenson’s discovery of himself and a new kink. I loved that he was brave and willing to continue even though he was taken by surprise. His character development w ...more

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Nov 02, 2020 Sarah Mitcham rated it it was amazing

Jenson had been to College and got a business degree like his parents wanted, now he's left with student debt and no interest in working with numbers day and night.
All he wants is to work with horses again and this job at the Braided Crop Ranch his friend had told him about sounds perfect for him.
When he finds out from the ranch manager Adam that there are no horses, in fact no livestock at all at the B C Ranch, Jenson is confused and when Adam explains to him that his job would infact involve l ...more

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Nov 08, 2020 Phoebe rated it it was amazing

Shelves: bdsm, bisexuality, lgbt-fiction, lgbt-series, lgbt-sidekicks, m-m-romance, polyromance

Stable Hand is a culturally diverse novel as there are all types of humans involved in the BDSM world. Lister also gives us the humor along with the pleasure and pain. There is plenty of steam and mental self-exploration.

Lister factually and sensitively explains this side of the fetish world to Jensen and to readers who are not familiar with pony play and other forms of BDSM. I applaud Lister for including safe words, safe sex, and safe practices. This is not a how-to, but a romance between thre ...more

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Oct 13, 2020 Elizabeth rated it really liked it

What to do when a job interview isn't what you expected? You won't know unless you give it a try. That's what Jensen encounters when a friend recommends he apply for a position at BCR. He ends up on a journey of self discovery and the chance at a beginning of something good.

AE Lister writes an erotic story of a man exploring kinks he didn't know he had. While I found it enjoyable and was rooting for the characters, I was left wanting just a little more character and relationship development outs ...more

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Nov 01, 2020 Tonje rated it really liked it

This was my first book by A.E. Lister and my second ponyplay-book.
It's clear the author has done research on ponyplay.
This is a hot and steamy book, almost more erotica than romance. I enjoyed reading the book and read it in one sitting. I really liked how accepting Jensen was, both of his own (newly discoverd) kink and others kink.
I missed more depth in the characters, especially Jensens lovers. Not enough background (or getting it too late in the story)made me dislike some of them. There wer ...more

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Nov 08, 2020 Annette rated it it was amazing

Jensen arrived to this special ranch with a totally different job description in his mind. That first meeting with the boss was shocking and a turn on all rolled into one. I am happy that he decided to stay and work with these “ponies” and give the reader another view of a different kink. The at work scenes/sex were just as hot and sexy as the after work scenes/sex. This is a book that you wish was a picture book or at the very least included pictures of the “ponies” in all their finery from sta ...more

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Oct 31, 2020 Ana Nimity rated it really liked it

Stable Hand was my first pony play book and I have to say, it was an excellent introduction, in my opinion. I've not read any of A.E. Lister's books before, but I'm eager for the second book in this series because I was immediately drawn in to the story, the location, and I fell in love with the characters.

There's lots of open kink and tons of hot, hot, kinky sex, but there's also a sweet love story, too, a MMM romance that made me swoon a bit. It's well written with excellent pacing. I read it ...more

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Jan 24, 2021 Cat rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

5 stars!

I was expecting this book to be spicy, but I wasn't expecting an engaging plot. Plus there's a little twist. I loved the relationship and I thought the psychology of the role play was explained well. I highly recommend! ...more

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Jan 04, 2021 A.E. Lister added it · (Review from the author)

In case you aren't aware, I have a FREE SHORT connected to this novel. It's a kind of Christmas epilogue that you can find at my website: https://www.aelister.com/sample-the-g... or at Prolific Works: https://claims.prolificworks.com/free...

Available in PDF, ePub and Mobi. ...more

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Mar 04, 2021 Courtney Pinelli rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Best book I have read this year hands down!

Excellent pacing. Plenty of sex that never felt repetitive. Believable Characters. I can't even think of anything I didn't like in this book! ...more

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Feb 15, 2021 ... rated it it was amazing

Shelves: kink-pony-play, m-m-romance, mmm-triad

🎉🎉🎉

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Nov 23, 2020 Elizabeth Burrell rated it really liked it

When Jensen Moriarty arrives at the Braided Crop Ranch for his interview for the stable hand position, he thinks he’s well prepared: he has extensive experience with horses and is prepared to ‘muck in’ wherever required. Little did he know that the Braided Crop Ranch doesn’t trade in horses – rather they cater for several ponyboys.

After the initial shock wears off, Jensen agrees to work with the ‘ponies’, which involves a lot of rather intimate tasks. Soon enough, Jensen finds himself particular ...more

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About A.E. Lister

A.E. Lister

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AE Lister/Elizabeth Lister is a Canadian non-binary/gender fluid author with a vivid imagination and a head full of unique and interesting characters. They have published 10 books with MLR Press, one of which (Beyond the Edge) received an Honorable Mention from the National Leather Association – International for excellence in SM/Leather/Fetish writing.