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 positive and kink positive needs and fantasies.
Jensen Moriarty is desperate for a job. He can handle horses. In fact, he’s a pro at it. Too bad the BCR doesn’t deal with real horses. But they do have “ponies”.
If Jensen can wrap his head around what the BCR actually stands for, he may have the opportunity to expand his resumé and experience something completely unexpected in the process.
~ A BDSM cowboy story about men who like to play pony, and the trainers who indulge them.
Queer erotic romance. Incendiary encounters, stealthy romance, multiple genres. AE Lister is a Canadian non-binary/gender fluid author with a vivid imagination and a head full of unique and interesting characters. They write consent-based kink with a dash of romance.
I'm going to be generous simply because I kept coming back to it despite the fact that all three of the main characters are a strange brew of drama llama and boring AF.
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Seriously, I'm not sure how the two even coexist but they did and what's more the longer the story went on the less I cared about them!
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However, Kamal is one of the trainers and I kept wondering about him because he sounds like a card carrying member of #TeamPain so I have high hopes for the next one to be both kinkier and more engrossing.
I know it sounds like I'm the kinkiest mofo south of the Mason-Dixon since ménage + pony play but, trust me, it's not that kinky. On the kink scale I'll give it a 4 out of 10. Spanking, cock cages, prostate milking, very little pain, some humiliation... y'know.
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 all the senses, as the property includes a stable where men train to perform in the monthly pony shows.
A new hire stable hand for the BCR, Jensen arrives expecting real horses, and is thrown into a world of kink he never knew existed. Luke and Noah, however, are ponies who’ve paid to receive the training. What starts as a purely physical attraction builds into more as Luke and Noah guide Jensen in exploring his newfound desires.
Each of these characters are looking for something very different, and the way they respond to each other, asking for and taking what they need, is wonderful. The relationships between the ponies, the stable hands and the trainers are fascinating, and AE Lister goes to great depth in exploring their connections. For me, this is what AE Lister does best. Yes, it’s smoking hot erotica, but it’s their ability to truly know their characters, the deeply personal emotions, that makes Lister’s novels unique.
At the end of the book we’re treated to an excerpt from Ponyboy, the next episode in The Braided Crop Ranch series. With all the possibilities at the BCR I’m not surprised to see this one centered around completely different characters, but I hope we’ll be able to keep up with the romance of Jensen, Luke, and Noah. I’m also fascinated by the idea of the sister ranch across the lake which caters to ponygirls. Here’s sending up a prayer that AE Lister might grace us with a sapphic romance one day soon!
Some of this I really liked, but other bits felt a little rushed or more just put in to add drama.
I love the Ranch and the background for it, I loved the pony kink aspects.
The author also did well with the submission and the humiliation elements of Luke's need to be handled to the point of pain.
Noah was super cute and kinky too. For me, things fell down a bit with Jensen, who is the narrator of the story.
At times he felt like he was younger than 25, at others, like a man in his 40s. But overall I think I came down on the side of liking him mostly.
The dynamic between the three of them is also done well, it doesn't feel like two bringing in a third, but that each has equal involvement.
I'm interested to read more and I adored the puppy play stint at the end. I'd have liked to have seen a bit more interaction once they'd all declared themselves a throuple and more of what came after Luke and Noah had left when their stay was up.
“You know what they say? Save a horse, ride a cowboy?”
Stable Hand was my first time exploring the kinky world of pony play, and let me say it might not be my last…for research purposes, of course.
This was a wild ride from start to finish — pure erotica with a nice little dash of romance. It is told only from the POV of Jensen, new stable hand of the ranch, who actually thought he’d be working with real horses. Oh, sweet summer child.
The kink awakening and exploration was very nicely done, and the author does a great job of giving insight into the mechanics and reasoning behind animalistic role-playing and d/s dynamics in general. I really enjoyed the bit of role reversal going on between the characters, having one dynamic during the role-playing and the opposite dynamic outside of it.
I didn’t know for sure what i was getting into when I picked this up, but I’m pleasantly surprised.
Tropes and NSFW info (spoilers): - MMM - Erotica - Pony play/puppy play - D/s dynamics - Sharing and sexual acts with others (no intercourse) - Orgasm denial - Exhibitionism - Cock cage - Ruined orgasm
I received a copy of this book from Gay Romance Reviews, and this is my honest review.
A cowboy walks into a stable. Two pony boys fall in love with his hat. Basically that’s it.
Cowboy has feelings. Pony boys have feelings. There is a lot of sex. I have no idea where the feelings come from. I guess the hat is emitting them. The first talk about something other than sex between the MCs is at 96%. The book ends on a HFN. We don’t get to see any of the MCs outside the ranch. There is a certain vibe about the book (no plot just vibes. A kinky vacation story). It’s rather straight forward bordering on shallow. Overall I craved more relationship development.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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 hidden away, either.
I honestly couldn't have asked for a better intro to the concept, as it slowly builds intensity and heat. I was having a really stressful week, with my chronic fatigue smacking me hard out of whack, and this book was everything I needed to give me a mental break from life. It was funny, engaging, smart and sweet, with a whole lot of hotness sprinkled on top.
Knowing what the mix-up is from the blurb, the entire first chapter in Jensen's POV was the most hilarious second-hand embarrassment. Throughout the book, his learning took me along for the ride and let me fall into this “newbie's first time” experience.
I loved the joviality and friendliness of the ponyboys, and their behaviour when Jensen first met him. I loved the well-thought-out rules, set-up and business quality of the Ranch. I loved that the boys and stable hands had free reign, within the bounds of consent, while the people in authority had boundaries. I loved that close relationships between ponyboys and the stable hands was encouraged, due to the intimacy they shared. I also loved the consistency of the rules being addressed and enforced throughout the book, and that there was instant therapy on hand, and aftercare addressed at multiple times.
Before starting the book, I knew it was MMM, and at multiple points in the book, my plans for who to include in that MMM changed drastically. At first, I wanted anything that included Jensen/Adam, and then once I met Luke, it *had* to include him. When we met Noah, I was settled, I didn't want any story but Jensen/Luke and Noah.
Jensen is a naive, sheltered guy; 25 but inexperienced with kink, who is finding all his buttons unexpectedly pushed by the ranch. I find him a little *too* naive, at times, and more immature than the others of similar/younger age. He basically falls for Luke at first glance and nothing can shake that insta-love for him, not even when Luke acts like a jerk. Luke is your typical wounded soul, who is all soft and squishy on the inside but who would rather rip your balls off than admit it. I loved him, instantly. I love a good snarky character with an inner gentleness and I utterly ADORED the way he was with Noah. Noah was, for some reason I can't completely pinpoint, the shining light of the book, for me. Though neither Luke nor Noah got their POV on page - something I would dearly have LOVED to see - Noah was the one who captured my heart.
If Luke is the brash arrogance, Noah is the squishy cinnamon roll, and Jensen is the balance between the two. Together, all three were perfect, offering something the others didn't have. While Luke is typically the reckless one, who is the Dom and in charge at all times, when he needs to be vulnerable, Jensen (mostly a laidback cowboy pushover, in the most endearing way) can step up to the plate and fill that role for him, within certain parameters, and when he can't get that within their three, he can go to the trainers, who know how to handle him. Noah is the cuddly, slutty, obedient submissive who glues them together and softens them both.
Sure, the book is about 80% sex...but so what. It managed to explore both the emotional and physical needs of all three, providing balance and learning through experience. It showed Jensen falling into the deep-end and learning how to swim. Though I do feel Jensen was quick to become emotionally attached to both Noah and Luke for no real logical reason - as he barely knew them, at that point - the entire story took place over 6 weeks, and I understood the intense intimacy of the situation was the kind that encouraged, developed and forged strong bonds quickly. When two people rely on each other for the intimate experiences and power exchange that happen in the book, it's understandable the heart would get a little tangled up in there, at some point. I really liked how that was explored with these three, and how it gave me time to bond with each individually.
I was so relieved that the book didn't just give a Prologue to get Jensen into the ranch and then skip ahead to weeks/months ahead. I loved exploring that introduction phase with Jensen. Being new to pony play, it was a great way to ease me into something I unfamiliar with, and nervous about.
I only had one or two niggles, but the overall story overshadowed them. I found Jensen and Luke sometimes didn't act like they were 25 and 28, a little too immature at times and emotionally stunted at others. Jensen fell really easily into the whole life, basically led there by his dick, and he seemed to fall insta-love with everyone he met, especially his triad. And, in the end, I feel it ended a little abruptly. There are things I'd liked to have seen, to have explored with these boys, that I never got.
I'm hoping that because it's part of a series, the abrupt ending means there will be a continuing, if background, resolution for these characters. It also delved into a few too many kinks, feeling a little disorientating and like the author was trying to include absolutely every kink possible. I'd like to continue the series, but it depends on what kinks it touches on, because at this point it could be anything, and there are some things I don't read.
-
Favourite Quote
“Never in a million years would I have believed I would be called upon to insert a butt-plug horse tail into a complete stranger's ass, by another complete stranger, during a job interview.”
“I hoped I never got so used to the ranch I didn't even glance at naked men anymore.”
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 have worked as well as it did if I hadn't read the others first.
Yeah, you can't find well done kink beyond BDSM 101 outside of fandom. I keep trying and it just never, ever works out. I even got a sample chapter this time to make sure beforehand and it cuts of riiight before I would have called it on this one.
This is just a softcore excuse for lots of cute young men bouncing around half naked and playing-acting at being kinky.
If you want to read this one done to perfection read "tomorrow, when the apricots are ripe" by tryfanstone on AO3. That's is ponyplay taken seriously and the d/s aspects will make you want to pet this try at kink with fond condescension.
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.
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!
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 hidden away, either.
I honestly couldn't have asked for a better intro to the concept, as it slowly builds intensity and heat. I was having a really stressful week, with my chronic fatigue smacking me hard out of whack, and this book was everything I needed to give me a mental break from life. It was funny, engaging, smart and sweet, with a whole lot of hotness sprinkled on top.
Knowing what the mix-up is from the blurb, the entire first chapter in Jensen's POV was the most hilarious second-hand embarrassment. Throughout the book, his learning took me along for the ride and let me fall into this “newbie's first time” experience.
I loved the joviality and friendliness of the ponyboys, and their behaviour when Jensen first met him. I loved the well-thought-out rules, set-up and business quality of the Ranch. I loved that the boys and stable hands had free reign, within the bounds of consent, while the people in authority had boundaries. I loved that close relationships between ponyboys and the stable hands was encouraged, due to the intimacy they shared. I also loved the consistency of the rules being addressed and enforced throughout the book, and that there was instant therapy on hand, and aftercare addressed at multiple times.
Before starting the book, I knew it was MMM, and at multiple points in the book, my plans for who to include in that MMM changed drastically. At first, I wanted anything that included Jensen/Adam, and then once I met Luke, it *had* to include him. When we met Noah, I was settled, I didn't want any story but Jensen/Luke and Noah.
Jensen is a naive, sheltered guy; 25 but inexperienced with kink, who is finding all his buttons unexpectedly pushed by the ranch. I find him a little *too* naive, at times, and more immature than the others of similar/younger age. He basically falls for Luke at first glance and nothing can shake that insta-love for him, not even when Luke acts like a jerk. Luke is your typical wounded soul, who is all soft and squishy on the inside but who would rather rip your balls off than admit it. I loved him, instantly. I love a good snarky character with an inner gentleness and I utterly ADORED the way he was with Noah. Noah was, for some reason I can't completely pinpoint, the shining light of the book, for me. Though neither Luke nor Noah got their POV on page - something I would dearly have LOVED to see - Noah was the one who captured my heart.
If Luke is the brash arrogance, Noah is the squishy cinnamon roll, and Jensen is the balance between the two. Together, all three were perfect, offering something the others didn't have. While Luke is typically the reckless one, who is the Dom and in charge at all times, when he needs to be vulnerable, Jensen (mostly a laidback cowboy pushover, in the most endearing way) can step up to the plate and fill that role for him, within certain parameters, and when he can't get that within their three, he can go to the trainers, who know how to handle him. Noah is the cuddly, slutty, obedient submissive who glues them together and softens them both.
Sure, the book is about 80% sex...but so what. It managed to explore both the emotional and physical needs of all three, providing balance and learning through experience. It showed Jensen falling into the deep-end and learning how to swim. Though I do feel Jensen was quick to become emotionally attached to both Noah and Luke for no real logical reason - as he barely knew them, at that point - the entire story took place over 6 weeks, and I understood the intense intimacy of the situation was the kind that encouraged, developed and forged strong bonds quickly. When two people rely on each other for the intimate experiences and power exchange that happen in the book, it's understandable the heart would get a little tangled up in there, at some point. I really liked how that was explored with these three, and how it gave me time to bond with each individually.
I was so relieved that the book didn't just give a Prologue to get Jensen into the ranch and then skip ahead to weeks/months ahead. I loved exploring that introduction phase with Jensen. Being new to pony play, it was a great way to ease me into something I unfamiliar with, and nervous about.
I only had one or two niggles, but the overall story overshadowed them. I found Jensen and Luke sometimes didn't act like they were 25 and 28, a little too immature at times and emotionally stunted at others. Jensen fell really easily into the whole life, basically led there by his dick, and he seemed to fall insta-love with everyone he met, especially his triad. And, in the end, I feel it ended a little abruptly. There are things I'd liked to have seen, to have explored with these boys, that I never got.
I'm hoping that because it's part of a series, the abrupt ending means there will be a continuing, if background, resolution for these characters. It also delved into a few too many kinks, feeling a little disorientating and like the author was trying to include absolutely every kink possible. I'd like to continue the series, but it depends on what kinks it touches on, because at this point it could be anything, and there are some things I don't read.
-
Favourite Quote
“Never in a million years would I have believed I would be called upon to insert a butt-plug horse tail into a complete stranger's ass, by another complete stranger, during a job interview.”
“I hoped I never got so used to the ranch I didn't even glance at naked men anymore.”
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 in one sitting!
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.
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.
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 positive needs and fantasies.
Jensen Moriarty is desperate for a job. He can handle horses. In fact, he’s a pro at it. Too bad the BCR doesn’t deal with real horses. But they do have “ponies”.
If Jensen can wrap his head around what the BCR actually stands for, he may have the opportunity to expand his resumé and experience something completely unexpected in the process.
When Jensen first arrives at the Braided Crop Ranch, his senses confuse him. No comforting smell of horse and manure. It’s all very quiet and clean. As he is meeting with the boss, his confusion deepens until a mixed up email, some careful wording in the telephone interview, and a photo album make it very, very clear that this is no ordinary horse ranch. Can Jensen do it? He needs the job, but why didn’t his friend (read: asshole) who told him about the job not be a bit more clear? Jensen answered that for himself right away; he wouldn’t have come.
But now he was here, sitting in the bosses office getting a hard-on for pictures of exquisite men in kinky pony gear. Could he do the necessary?
Fortunately for our story he decided to stay and give it a go. He’ll be staying in the bunkhouse with the other stable hands and the pony boys will his heart and his dick survive?
Jensen is a broadminded young man who may be a newb to the world of kinky ponies, but he is discovering his kinky side with every second he stays. On meeting two very different but both alluring men Jensen very quickly gets involved in sexy power play games and plenty of cuddling as he tries to find his way in the new environment. Jensen shows real promise as a stable hand, and perhaps one day a trainer at the BCR if he can overcome his worries and stick around.
His attachment to both men confuses and scares Jensen a little but he hard-won Happy For Now ending is well worth the angst.
This is a charming story of troubled men finding a safe space to have their needs met and the people who help them. I liked the flawed characters and the real genuine love and affections they grew for one another. The dynamic of a thruple was interesting and the kink was smoking hot.
I’m looking forward to finding the next books in the series.
Highly recommended.
I received a free copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
я не планувала тут лишати оцінку, бо усвідомлювала, що берусь за тематику, яка дуже далека від моїх вподобань (та зони комфорту в принципі). це було б якось нечемно, мені здається, потенційно погано оцінювати те, що завідомо мені не близьке та куди я попри все однаково полізла. funnily enough, жоден з моїх дойобів самої тематики тутешнього сеттингу/кінків не стосується, а тому з чистою совістю дозволяю собі лишити тут двієчку. це не було жахливо, але все ж досвід був доволі кепський.
брехати нема чого – я взяла це почитати, бо мені було щиро цікаво, що в цьому бачать поціновувачі жанру/практик, а оскільки саме ця книжечка траплялась в дотичних рекомендаціях, а також тому шо тут дурацький (in a good way) преміс, мій вибір був очевидний.
це досить smut-heavy така оповідочка (nothing wrong with that), але написана надто кострубато й неорганічно на мій смак. декотрі моменти мені також видались дещо preachy: коли персонаж_ки раптом кидались в тиради, чому те, чим вони займаються – ок, коли вони знічев'я ніби починали відповідати на закиди невидимих гейтерів чи недоречно тону попередніх взаємодій раптом провадили лекції тощо. мушу зазначити, шо з висловленим меседжем я завжди погоджувалась там на 100% (obviously) – мене просто корьожило те, як ці інформаційні блоки бути вплетені в текст (жахливо й неорганічно). також сам сюжет мені здався радше поверхневим, а моментами був занадто мелодраматичним. в цілому історія ця досить entertaining і цікава вже самим фактом того сеттингу з over-the-top ранчо. вкрай прикольним був й той факт, що ті послуги працювали в обидва боки. самі ж понібой-рілейтед штуки в мене почуттів/вражень викликали не багато, а окрім них, все було переважно unimaginative й dull. також не можу оминути згадкою й те, наскільки дешевий й пафосно-ідеалізований тон мала ця історія. остання третина була майже нестерпною, а місцями - відверто кринжовою.
honorable mentions: мені напрочуд сподобався контраст динамік між люком та дженсеном під час та після офіційних activities, а також участь ноа в тому всьому – це було несподівано (так, я не вгледіла теґ з полі, і шо ви мені зробите) і дуже-дуже класно; тренерки (зокрема) та їхні взаємодії з хлопцями мені теж ніби сподобались, але ота сцена з лорейн в кінці трошки, ее, тойво саме 🥴
коротше кажучи, в захваті я й близько не лишилась, але книжечці висловлюю подяку принаймні за те, шо відволікла від spiraling, а ще за те, що прояснила деякі моменти.
Jensen Moriarty (stable hand & cowboy, 25), Luke Weller (pony, 28), and Noah (pony, 21). (Jensen is the pov character.)
This might be my favorite example of ponyplay.
Jensen was just hired as a stable hand. He arrived at Braided Crop Ranch expecting to care for horses, not ponyboys. His first glimpse of the ponies is overwhelming, eye opening, and cock hardening. Jensen likes boys and he finds out he really likes nude boys in pony tack.
His job is to wash the ponies and prepare them for their trainers. They are typically outfitted with a leather harness, collar, armbinder, cock cage, and butt plug horse tail. After their session he then is expected to remove their tack and spray them down. Helping them with any pesky erections is up to his discretion. Then they turn around and do the same thing all over again.
Two sessions, 6 ponies total (Luke, Noah, Ben, Hunter, Trey, and Callum), each staying 6 weeks at a go. Once a month the trainers take the ponies through their paces in an exhibition.
There are four trainers (Kamal, Lorraine, Michael, and Hiro) and four stable hands (Brian, who Jensen is replacing, plus Liv, Adrian, and Enzo). (Adam is in charge of the ranch and Connor is his administrative assistant.)
Intimacy is allowed between the trainers and ponies. Intercourse is allowed between the stable hands and ponies.
The male stable hands stay in the same bunkhouse as the ponies making for an interesting dynamic. All of the ponies are smitten with Jensen. They’ve never had an actual cowboy as a stable hand.
Jensen is most attracted to Luke, the most difficult of the ponies, and Noah, who is sweetly submissive. Luke, who is dominant outside ponyplay, claims Jensen as his. Only he likes sharing with Noah, who is also his.
Love the dynamic between the three of them. Jensen and Luke are both switches, with Noah being submissive inside and outside of ponyplay. Jensen, who hadn’t explored his kinky side much beforehand, is up for everything Luke throws at him.
STABLE HAND is the first book in The Braided Crop Ranch series and we travel with Jensen as he goes for a job interview. Only, when he gets there, he finds out it is different in so many ways to the job he thought he was applying for. Told from Jensen's perspective, we see his reaction to the new job and the responsibilities he would have. We also see his attraction to first Luke, and then Noah, as he deals with his new life.
I enjoyed this story! I don't read them claiming to have firsthand knowledge of what the author has gotten right or wrong. I read them to escape to a different place/land/experience. And that's exactly what I got here. I loved reading about the dynamics of the Ranch and everyone who works there. I also enjoyed reading about the 'guests' and the antics they got up to. The descriptions of the ranch and the different people made it all easy to follow.
Personally, I would have liked a little more between Luke, Noah, and Jensen that wasn't between the sheets. Not that it wasn't hot, because it was! My Kindle was steaming but I wanted more between them. And with that in mind, the ending felt rather abrupt. It felt like... big scene with Luke (that may or may not have an impact on what he wants in the future), sub drop, quick confession to Jensen, living proposal in the woods. Now, bearing in mind, this all takes place in about a 3-4 week period...
All in all, I enjoyed it and look forward to reading more in this series. Definitely recommended by me. ** same worded review will appear elsewhere **
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book; the comments here are my honest opinion. * Merissa Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books! Sep 22, 2023
Omg, where to start with this one. Stable hand was like a turbulent and hella entertaining landing in the Candy wonderland but for the lovers of the kinks, not the sweets. "Home, home on the range. Where the kinksters and the ponyboys play." - it's the heart of the book in a nutshell but a lot more in same time. In her fictional world, AE Lister has created a cozy, warm and safe environment for her characters and an opportunity for them to let go of their inhibitions, embrace their inner kinky side and enjoy freedom. One unreceived email turns Jensen Moriarty's calm and sheltered life into absolute chaos, sending him into a completely unknown and uncharted territory. Instead of looking after real horses, digging sh*ts and cleaning stalls, he agrees to try and learn how to look after human ponies. The story is a never-ending entertainment that begins with Jensen's first awkward, clumsy, surprisingly well executed attempts to master his pony stable duties. The opportunity to see his inner monologue was so insightful and provided a steady supply of funny moments. The story isn't just about the kinks but also about Jensen discovering his partners on the ranch - Noah and Luke - and the formation of their triad. I would have loved to see Noah and Luke's POV in the book, but no such luck. This is a light, low-angst, kinky awakening full of wonders - a tight knitted found family, exploring new relationships , setting personal boundaries and uncovering hidden desires and all of this accompanied with a sprinkling of shenanigans. Jensen's inner poise was an excellent bridge between Noah's quiet and shy demeanor and Luke's wilder brattines.
When Jenson arrives at Braided Crop Ranch for his new job as a stable hand, he is in for one shocking surprise. Instead of horses, he will be working with pony boys — men who dress up and train as ponies during six week stays at the ranch. Totally out of his element, suffering from being turned on all the time, he tries to adjust and fit in as much as possible. Many things are similar, but overall it is overwhelming at times. Then there is the definite physical and emotional attraction to bad boy Luke and sweet beautiful Noah, making things more complicated.
This is the most complete book I’ve come across if you want to know more about pony play and what it might be like at a facility dedicated to ponies and performances, trainers, and the stable hands in the background. There are steamy scenes in the off times, rewards and punishments for good and bad behavior, and psychologists on site to work with any pony who might need it. I found myself unable to put it down for longer than it took to make a sandwich, and was caught up in the interplay between Luke and Jensen and Jensen and Noah. The characters drew me in from the first pages and didn’t let me go as I pondered motivations to be there in general, and specific ones for Luke and Noah.
There is a second book for the series in the works, and I will be watching for that one to see which other characters recur and if there will be more about Luke, Noah and Jensen from this one. Definitely want to return to Braided Crop Ranch. I received a free copy of this book and am leaving my voluntary review.
I had so much fun reading Stable Hand! A.E. Lister is a new author and I am always so pleased to find new authors that surprise me in a good way.
The whole idea of the ranch being a place for imersion on pony play is so interesting and the author does an excellent job in explaining how everthing works and the dynamics going on with the ponyboys, the trainers and the stable hands. Everything in the ranch is set up to allow people to indulge in their kink, all happens with consent and safe measures and I liked that we get to see the therapeutical side of the kink in the spotlight.
Jensen is a naive cowboy who ends up in the BCR by mistake, but turns out to really fit in the place. And while he learns about the perks and difficulties of the job, we also get more and more involved. The book is only his POV and narrated in first person, and it worked very well. His inner thoughts were great, so raw and unfiltered. Everyone he meets in the ranch, either members or staff, add a little more to the story and I think the series has potential for several books.
Be prepared to find a lot of sex with pony & puppy play, spanking / impact play, D/S dynamics, horse tail butt plugs, orgasm control/denial, cock cages, a lot of emotions.
"Who needs meditation and anti-anxiety pills when you can be a pony for a day?"
*I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author and this is my honest opinion*
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 first person narrative. The ending was a bit too abrupt, in my opinion, though, but I am excited for the second book of the series. I loved all of this book. The characters were interesting and I have to admit, Luke's trauma was not what I expected. I am not sure though if kink is actually considered a treatment, though. But it was a really nice and well written book and like Jensen, I grew to love this Ranch and the people on it. I wouldn't recommend it to my friend's, though, not because of the book, but because I know my friends aren't comfortable with this kind of kink. I am really grateful for being able to read this book and I want to thank both the author and Netgalley for providing me with this copy!
I received a free copy of this book. This is my honest and voluntary review of this book.
I have been coming back to this book over and over again for a couple years now. I had been wanting to read it, but the price was more than I wanted to pay for someone I haven't read before. I am so happy to say that this book was very nicely done. I do wish that we got some more time with the characters after the 6 weeks is over for the current session, but I get how it.
I liked Jensen, Luke and Noah together. Luke has so much going on and he keeps pushing everyone away, but pulls Jensen in from the beginning. Noah is our sweet, quiet guy who learns to stand up for himself and not let those he cares about walk over his feelings. Jensen is new to their world and he is learning so much in a very short amount of time. He might be unbalanced, but he likes where he is at.
Emotions play a big part in this story and I think that we get all of them presented in this story. Luke and Jensen have a lot going on within themselves that they have so many emotions just running roughshod over them.
I think that this is a really good start to this series and I'll likely be purchasing the other books in the series.
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 was amazing and beautiful. I liked getting his viewpoint thru out the whole story. I’m so used to reading multiple POVs and so I kept wishing and wanting to know more about what Noah and Luke were thinking and dealing with. I wish this was a book that included pictures because I would have loved to have seen Noah during the pony show and Luke as a puppy!! I want more from Luke as a puppy. I think these 3 need to be revisited in the future.
I wanted more of a connection 3.5 Firstly, let me say I’ve got this book from gay romance. Reviews are leaving my honest review. I’ve got to say for some reason it took me a long time to get into this book. I’ve read pony fetish books before and was really looking forward to reading this one. I thought Jensen was a fantastic guy who went with the flow. But I just couldn’t take to Luke , I don’t know why ?? I usually like a stroppy man or a grumpy man in books, but he was just rude and more than a handful. Noah on the other hand was just a lovely guy who I wanted to protect. Luke and Noah I just didn’t see together. And I think that’s what really put me off was this fact and I understand opposites attract, but this shy individual and such a rude outspoken person threw me. It hasn’t put me off reading the second book in the series, but I really hope there’s more of a connection next time.
4.5⭐️ I loved this! Jensen, in the early chapters when he discovers and then slowly comes to terms with the nature of the works they do at the Braided Crop Ranch is so delightfully discombobulated. I loved how he tried to take everything in stride outwardly, while he was fumbling on the inside, it’s so perfectly written. I was very invested in Jensen. The setting is expertly crafted, I loved the detail in the descriptions of the ranch, it very easy to visualize. I also liked the dynamic between three MCs, Luke, Noah, and Jensen, the two ponyboys and the stable hand. It was very interesting trying to figure out how they would fit together, and I loved how they worked it out. Their story is compelling and the steam is top notch. It’s an excellent opener to a series as The Ranch is really the star here, definitely a place with plenty of interesting stories and characters. Loved it.
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.
My first pony-play book and definitely not the last.
This is my introduction to A. E. Lister's writing and I absolutely loved their writing style, the kinky ranch and the wonderful characters.
I admit I loved Noah so much. He was so sweet, gorgeous, responsive. I could read chapters on end of the men just cuddling with him.
Jensen was a great character to choose as the narrative POV. He is the greenhorn and so we learn about the ranch through his experience. And it was fascinating. The sexual and non-sexual aspects were so well portrayed that I just could not put the book down.
Luke was a complicated man. He was cold, stubborn, bratty and overall seemed to be selfish and ready to do whatever he wanted. But as time went on, all his layers were exposed and I loved him just the same.
There is some drama after the first half but is over rather quickly so I did not really mind it. I can't wait to return to the ranch with their stable hands, ponies, trainers and such.
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 looking after ponyboys Jenson is shocked and very very turned on! He gets even more shocked,confused and turned on when he's shown where he'll be staying..in the bunkhouse with the other stable hands and the ponyboys. I loved this book, it was fresh and different, fun to read with lots of consensual kink. #pageturner #hotunderthecollar #gimmemore