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Wolves of Stone Ridge #23
Rehabilitating His Dingo
When wolf shifter Yates Cruner helps save several humans from a dingo shifter pack using them as slaves, he doesn’t expect to find his mate among them. Oh, not one of the humans, but one of the surviving dingo shifters who has been beaten and abused just as much as the humans. It seems the dingo pack had one rule...I’m more dominant than you, I can do whatever I want to you. Yates realizes his little mate has a long road of healing ahead, and most of it isn’t for physical wounds.
Aryen Fowles learned his place early in life, keep his head down, kneel at the other shifter’s feet, and do whatever they ask. If he did that, he could avoid being punished. When a group of strange shifters take over the pack, the rules change. Aryen struggles to understand what’s expected of him. When one of the wolves offers him pleasures he’d never experienced before, he wonders if he could accept his offer at face value or was it too good to be true?
Content This story includes scenes of near rape and talk of dubious consent.
Aryen Fowles learned his place early in life, keep his head down, kneel at the other shifter’s feet, and do whatever they ask. If he did that, he could avoid being punished. When a group of strange shifters take over the pack, the rules change. Aryen struggles to understand what’s expected of him. When one of the wolves offers him pleasures he’d never experienced before, he wonders if he could accept his offer at face value or was it too good to be true?
Content This story includes scenes of near rape and talk of dubious consent.
110 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 15, 2014
11 people are currently reading
145 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews
May 20, 2014
HATED Yates. HATED! Ugh. Aryen was abused and beaten while living with the dingo pack (he's a dingo, too, but wasn't treated like one) then here comes Yates talking about nothing but sex. Could you get to know him a little? Could you talk to him about the hell he lived in for almost his entire life--you know since you're a counselor and all, Yates? Could you talk about what Aryen wants to do now that he's free? No, Yates talks about sex and how Dominant he is. EFF that noise.
March 1, 2016
While I liked this book. I do wish Yates had taken more time and care with Aryen and what he went through his entire life at the hands of his pack (dingos) As his mate he should have helped him more than just talking and thinking about sex and getting Aryen to do what Yates wanted. Knowing that Aryen has been trained to do as commanded by others. Aryen has a lot to learn about himself as a person and the world around him. Yates should have focused on that first instead of making Aryen get piercings and having sex.
July 19, 2014
I used to love this series, but as the books continues. I feel the author rush through the books to get them completed. When it comes to editing their chopping off at the wrong moment... absolutely no climax in the story. Lidia in the end was a waste of writing I n my opinion. Trying to connect & relate her to the story. Other than being one go the captive totally unnecessary towards the end. It's a shame what this series has become.
July 2, 2022
Alsooooo....dieser Band hat mir richtig gut gefallen. Wie schnell sich alles zum Guten wendet ist klasse.
Es gibt nur ein Minidrama, ansonsten begleitet man die Veränderung bin Ayren, was ich sehr schön finde.
Gut geschrieben, mit heißen Szenen.
Von mir eine Leseempfehlung 🤩
Es gibt nur ein Minidrama, ansonsten begleitet man die Veränderung bin Ayren, was ich sehr schön finde.
Gut geschrieben, mit heißen Szenen.
Von mir eine Leseempfehlung 🤩
July 24, 2015
Charlie Richards really messed up on this one. For Yates being a high school counselor, he came across clueless, stupid and incompetent in dealing with Aryon. Yates rushed in without gathering history about Aryon's lifestyle and abuse and made too many assumptions, and thus, made several mistakes that could have been avoided. Aryon had been raised as a sexual slave plus he had been isolated, unsocialized, and unschooled. Yates just didn't provide the necessary comfort, reassurance and support necessary for Aryon's level of abuse. The pack had a psychiatrist which Yates did not utilize. What at shame because all of the abused shifters in this series have been treated by Dr. Gordon Digby introduced in book 3.
Ms. Richards also messed up on the pacing of this book. It one week Aryon went from living as a 24/7 sex slave who was raped on a daily basis to acting as Yates live-in boyfriend/mate cooking food at the weekly poker game. He went from extremely afraid of large dominant males to interacting and socializing with them in one week. Also, Aryon learned how to read in just a couple of days too.
If Ms. Richards wanted a more believable (yea right this is a paranormal shifter novel) psychological progression for Aryon, she should have written Yates as a Dom and Aryon as his sub in a 24/7 relationship - that would have given Aryon the structure and security he needed to integrate faster into regular shifter life and match Ms. Richard's one week timeline.
The plot conflict with Lidia was just too stupid, even for a popcorn shifter mm romance novel.
Ms. Richards also messed up on the pacing of this book. It one week Aryon went from living as a 24/7 sex slave who was raped on a daily basis to acting as Yates live-in boyfriend/mate cooking food at the weekly poker game. He went from extremely afraid of large dominant males to interacting and socializing with them in one week. Also, Aryon learned how to read in just a couple of days too.
If Ms. Richards wanted a more believable (yea right this is a paranormal shifter novel) psychological progression for Aryon, she should have written Yates as a Dom and Aryon as his sub in a 24/7 relationship - that would have given Aryon the structure and security he needed to integrate faster into regular shifter life and match Ms. Richard's one week timeline.
The plot conflict with Lidia was just too stupid, even for a popcorn shifter mm romance novel.
May 5, 2016
It's been a while since I've had the chance to get back to this series and the author. I had to go back through my older reviews to get up to speed on where things were at in the start of this story. That being said, I found this one a struggle and not because of my long hiatus from the series.
The story addresses the theme of abuse. Now while I applaud the author for not being afraid to go there and speak openly on such a difficult topic, this story was not a good vehicle for it. I felt it rushed through things that should have taken far longer under the circumstances. The insta-lust/love because of the fated mate bond pushed through what should have happened much slowly. I was all for the happily ever afters, but found it hard to believe and also found because of the rapid progression that Yates came across as a selfish lover even while at other times he gave unselfishly.
So, while I appreciated some aspects, I didn't find this one as satisfying as I normally feel about the series.
The story addresses the theme of abuse. Now while I applaud the author for not being afraid to go there and speak openly on such a difficult topic, this story was not a good vehicle for it. I felt it rushed through things that should have taken far longer under the circumstances. The insta-lust/love because of the fated mate bond pushed through what should have happened much slowly. I was all for the happily ever afters, but found it hard to believe and also found because of the rapid progression that Yates came across as a selfish lover even while at other times he gave unselfishly.
So, while I appreciated some aspects, I didn't find this one as satisfying as I normally feel about the series.
August 30, 2018
Doesn't work well in the timeframe
I found for once the short length of this story really worked against it. Yates meets his mate when he is there for the liberation of humans from a backwoods dingo shifter pack. His mate Aryen has spent his entire life abused by that pack as the lowest and weakest member. Yates helps assess the humans and also takes the time to bond with and teach his mate. I found it too much that Aryen, who was born in that pack and treated as a slave from day one, was able to get over things in a matter of days. Even with his dingo encouraging him it felt unlikely for him to start sticking up for himself and asserting himself in such a short time. It was a lovely idea and I liked how the story worked out, I just found it a bit too much.
I found for once the short length of this story really worked against it. Yates meets his mate when he is there for the liberation of humans from a backwoods dingo shifter pack. His mate Aryen has spent his entire life abused by that pack as the lowest and weakest member. Yates helps assess the humans and also takes the time to bond with and teach his mate. I found it too much that Aryen, who was born in that pack and treated as a slave from day one, was able to get over things in a matter of days. Even with his dingo encouraging him it felt unlikely for him to start sticking up for himself and asserting himself in such a short time. It was a lovely idea and I liked how the story worked out, I just found it a bit too much.
May 15, 2014
Yates was sweet and understanding while Aryen was just adorable! Yates discovers that Aryen (Dingo shifter) was his mate when they rescued the humans from Dingo shifters. Sadly Aryen had been abused just like the humans. My heart just broke for him, but luckily Aryen was not broken and had Yates there to help him. Yes Yates was dominant but able to only let that out when needed and ONLY to help Aryen. Little, by little Yates helps Aryen get back his self worth and just every day freedoms and the ability to say 'No' were the biggest help.
Once again another great book by Charlie Richards and I eagerly look forward to the next book in this series or the sister series.
Once again another great book by Charlie Richards and I eagerly look forward to the next book in this series or the sister series.
December 14, 2015
It's been a while since Charlie Richards has blown me away.
This qualifies! I thought she did an excellent job with Aryen's emotional status and how Yates handles it. Even the times that Aryen comes to the wrong conclusion on something Yates said or did, Yates always handles it with gentleness and care. He tells and even more importantly shows Aryen just how precious he is to him.
This is all about Aryen gettng back on his feet with a loving and supporting mate to help guide him when necessary.
This qualifies! I thought she did an excellent job with Aryen's emotional status and how Yates handles it. Even the times that Aryen comes to the wrong conclusion on something Yates said or did, Yates always handles it with gentleness and care. He tells and even more importantly shows Aryen just how precious he is to him.
This is all about Aryen gettng back on his feet with a loving and supporting mate to help guide him when necessary.
July 19, 2014
I think a lot of people will have a negative reaction to one or other parts of this story. My own negative reaction was the speed in which one of the main characters 'recovered' from a life time of abuse. That aside the story was both entertaining and interesting given that I have not read any of the previous books in the series. This didn't seem to matter as it gave plenty of background information without detracting from the main storyline.
April 9, 2015
Much like Stormy Glenn, Charlie Richards infuses her stories with just enough intrigue and endearing romance to make it possible for to me overlook bad writing. Not great, but a pleasant way to pass the time if you're in the mood for some sappy m/m shifter fun. Be warned that Richards sucks at dirty talk. The sex scenes can be a little awkward at times.
July 27, 2014
I really liked the way Yates took care of Aryen. I also like ANY book where I get to see Jared :) We need more Jared :)
May 26, 2014
I loved this book especially how gentle and caring Yates is with aeryn.
May 25, 2021
In this one Aryen was abused for.years by his pack. there is talk of past abuse and an attempted rape on page. All if these are triggers for you give this one a skip.
💕👍👍👬🐺
💕👍👍👬🐺
December 4, 2025
I once picked up a random book from the Stone Ridge universe, and I liked it. Now I’m going through the whole universe and completing the whole list on the author's website.
(trope spoilers below)
There is a lot of insta-love and soulmate/beloved stuff and I love it. In the background there is a continuous bigger plot and the series are all interconnected. It’s a great adventure and I do not regret starting all those books at all. It's a great ride.
If you'd like to read about more books I liked, check out my Goodreads profile. I also sometimes post reviews on Instagram and talk about bookish stuff on Threads.
(trope spoilers below)
There is a lot of insta-love and soulmate/beloved stuff and I love it. In the background there is a continuous bigger plot and the series are all interconnected. It’s a great adventure and I do not regret starting all those books at all. It's a great ride.
If you'd like to read about more books I liked, check out my Goodreads profile. I also sometimes post reviews on Instagram and talk about bookish stuff on Threads.
June 2, 2021
This was good but the end confused the heck outta me. If shifters piercings heal within a few days and the poker game was the same week as Aryen got there how did he have time to learn to read, read several books, and experiment with cooking recipes?
At least we got to see what happened with the dingos that were keeping humans captive.
At least we got to see what happened with the dingos that were keeping humans captive.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 15, 2019
Teacher Yates and Dingo Aryen
June 4, 2022
Made me uncomfortable af 😣
June 16, 2024
on a re-re-read binge
March 28, 2016
Understanding the New Rules
After California Condor Alpha Dorian killed the Dingo pack's narcissistic Alpha Colton and received help with the other aggressive Dingoes that fought to preserve their despicable way of life, enslaving and torturing Humans. With the help from members of Kontra's Menagerie, the Wolves of Stone Ridge, and the Vampire Council, Alpha Dorian was able to make a relatively smooth transition of leadership transference. The six Dingoes that weren't killed swore fealty to their new Alpha. There still remained some huge problems, namely refurbishing and rebuilding the dwellings, as well as tearing down the kennels the Humans were forced to live in.
There were also two other enormous problems, of helping the three kidnapped Humans and Argentina, one of the smaller Dingoes that though put in charge of providing food, water, and cleaning up the Human's injuries, was just as abused & traumatized as the Humans. The abuse was mental, emotional, physical, and sexual. There was definitely a lot of work ahead of Alpha Dorian's new pack. Some of the Shifters from the other packs remained to assist.
The previous Alpha had let the dwellings get rundown, Dorian made sure it was fixed up and livable. Six cabins were refurbished one went to Alpha Dorian and his mate Kai, another to Beta Luckily & his mate, Dylan. Two others were divided between remaining the male and female Dingoes. Feelers were put out thru the Shifter Council that if any gay or gay friendly shifters were in a need of a pack could come there to apply.
Stone Ridge Wolf shifter Yates Cruner helped rescued enslaved Humans and discovered amongst the captives he finds his severely traumatized mate, Aryen Fowles. Yates has to seek the advice of others when he finally realizes just how bad off his mate was at the Dingo pack. Aryen was the lowest Dingo in the pack. He can't read, had virtually rags for garments, was greatly resented by the Humans he had been forced to care for even though he was in almost the same position as they were. Aryen tried to avoid being punished at all costs, he was malnourished, a sex slave for the Dingo Betas forced to walk back naked & ashamed after being used by one of them. He was forbidden to shift. All his life he'd been told what to do. He never was given choices.
Yates has a great deal of on the job training to get his mate to trust him. Some of it was instinctual, some is trial and error, finally he realizes that his mate requires boundaries to feel safe and secure. Aryen doesn't understand all the new rules or lack of them. He feels lost. If it weren't for the kind words and actions of one of the visiting Wolves he would be ready to give up. But he isn't out of the woods yet. Everyone is not as cowed as they seem. How can Yates keep his mate safe? When will he return to Stone Ridge? Why is his mate convinced he won't be going with Yates?
This is a great hurt / comfort story. Aryen has been so badly mistreated his entire life that his mate Yates is at a lost for what to do. The reader wants Aryen to have a chance at a much better life. But his past continues to have a great impact on his future. I thoroughly enjoyed this story.
After California Condor Alpha Dorian killed the Dingo pack's narcissistic Alpha Colton and received help with the other aggressive Dingoes that fought to preserve their despicable way of life, enslaving and torturing Humans. With the help from members of Kontra's Menagerie, the Wolves of Stone Ridge, and the Vampire Council, Alpha Dorian was able to make a relatively smooth transition of leadership transference. The six Dingoes that weren't killed swore fealty to their new Alpha. There still remained some huge problems, namely refurbishing and rebuilding the dwellings, as well as tearing down the kennels the Humans were forced to live in.
There were also two other enormous problems, of helping the three kidnapped Humans and Argentina, one of the smaller Dingoes that though put in charge of providing food, water, and cleaning up the Human's injuries, was just as abused & traumatized as the Humans. The abuse was mental, emotional, physical, and sexual. There was definitely a lot of work ahead of Alpha Dorian's new pack. Some of the Shifters from the other packs remained to assist.
The previous Alpha had let the dwellings get rundown, Dorian made sure it was fixed up and livable. Six cabins were refurbished one went to Alpha Dorian and his mate Kai, another to Beta Luckily & his mate, Dylan. Two others were divided between remaining the male and female Dingoes. Feelers were put out thru the Shifter Council that if any gay or gay friendly shifters were in a need of a pack could come there to apply.
Stone Ridge Wolf shifter Yates Cruner helped rescued enslaved Humans and discovered amongst the captives he finds his severely traumatized mate, Aryen Fowles. Yates has to seek the advice of others when he finally realizes just how bad off his mate was at the Dingo pack. Aryen was the lowest Dingo in the pack. He can't read, had virtually rags for garments, was greatly resented by the Humans he had been forced to care for even though he was in almost the same position as they were. Aryen tried to avoid being punished at all costs, he was malnourished, a sex slave for the Dingo Betas forced to walk back naked & ashamed after being used by one of them. He was forbidden to shift. All his life he'd been told what to do. He never was given choices.
Yates has a great deal of on the job training to get his mate to trust him. Some of it was instinctual, some is trial and error, finally he realizes that his mate requires boundaries to feel safe and secure. Aryen doesn't understand all the new rules or lack of them. He feels lost. If it weren't for the kind words and actions of one of the visiting Wolves he would be ready to give up. But he isn't out of the woods yet. Everyone is not as cowed as they seem. How can Yates keep his mate safe? When will he return to Stone Ridge? Why is his mate convinced he won't be going with Yates?
This is a great hurt / comfort story. Aryen has been so badly mistreated his entire life that his mate Yates is at a lost for what to do. The reader wants Aryen to have a chance at a much better life. But his past continues to have a great impact on his future. I thoroughly enjoyed this story.
May 21, 2014
I really liked this one.
No, it wasn’t nearly perfect, but somehow Aryen’s plight and the way Yates built him back up hit the spot with me. Not a new story concept, of course. I simply love a good comfort read.
The story did feel fleshed out and not as abridged as sometimes happens with this author. Granted, some of her series clearly are planned in shorter volumes.
This one was nice, even if I would have traded the final sex scene for more character stuff. Definitely room for more.
As such, things maybe progressed a little too fast at one point.
Well, I won’t squabble (too much). In the end what matters most to me is that I enjoyed myself a lot. Whee!
No, it wasn’t nearly perfect, but somehow Aryen’s plight and the way Yates built him back up hit the spot with me. Not a new story concept, of course. I simply love a good comfort read.
The story did feel fleshed out and not as abridged as sometimes happens with this author. Granted, some of her series clearly are planned in shorter volumes.
This one was nice, even if I would have traded the final sex scene for more character stuff. Definitely room for more.
As such, things maybe progressed a little too fast at one point.
Well, I won’t squabble (too much). In the end what matters most to me is that I enjoyed myself a lot. Whee!
June 18, 2014
It bothered me that Yaya felt he had to be a fake Dom in order to calm Aryen when he was becoming overwhelmed or scared. I would have preferred it if Yates already happened to be a Dom than pretending to be sometimes. That felt fake to me. Aryen was naturally submissive it just so happened that he was forced into slavery. Perhaps the Alpha sniffed out his submissive tendencies and exploited them.
Yates is apparently a Pe teacher, sex ed teacher, school psychologist, first time shift consultant, tracker, and at the end the author added American history Teacher but I don't know if that was a mistake or not. Umm how will he have ANY time for his Mate? But overall the book was great... it's always nice to see someone so broken getting their happy ending.
Yates is apparently a Pe teacher, sex ed teacher, school psychologist, first time shift consultant, tracker, and at the end the author added American history Teacher but I don't know if that was a mistake or not. Umm how will he have ANY time for his Mate? But overall the book was great... it's always nice to see someone so broken getting their happy ending.
July 30, 2015
I think this series rebounds a bit with this book. It's closer to the earlier books in terms of the care taken to actually tell (rather than time skip and summarize) the story.
Aryen and Yates are so sweet together. The way that Yates makes sure there's NOT a power imbalance in their relationship is so well done and the way that Aryen comes into his own is a joy to watch.
There are cameos from past characters in the book, but it's not overdone and the "refreshers" as to who the characters are and who they are mated to is done so well that it's not info dumpy and unnatural and I really appreciated that!
I really enjoyed reading this one :)
Aryen and Yates are so sweet together. The way that Yates makes sure there's NOT a power imbalance in their relationship is so well done and the way that Aryen comes into his own is a joy to watch.
There are cameos from past characters in the book, but it's not overdone and the "refreshers" as to who the characters are and who they are mated to is done so well that it's not info dumpy and unnatural and I really appreciated that!
I really enjoyed reading this one :)
July 29, 2014
3.5 stars
I wished this was longer. I wished the "healing" process took longer. I wished we saw more of Aryen's life before Yates came along. I wished Yates had to work harder for Aryen's trust. I wished there was less sex. I just felt it was too rushed and unbelievable for someone who's been abused all his life. I wished many things but overall It was a great story and if all my wishes came true it would have been an amazing story. Someone needs to recommend me a story like this but more. Thanks.
I wished this was longer. I wished the "healing" process took longer. I wished we saw more of Aryen's life before Yates came along. I wished Yates had to work harder for Aryen's trust. I wished there was less sex. I just felt it was too rushed and unbelievable for someone who's been abused all his life. I wished many things but overall It was a great story and if all my wishes came true it would have been an amazing story. Someone needs to recommend me a story like this but more. Thanks.
February 10, 2015
Another wonderful book in this series.
Aryen's past broke my heart, really. What surprised me was how innocent he seemed, despite the horrible things he had to endure. He's not only a victim of life-long abuse, but very submissive. In a slightly creepy way, not in the joyful way.
Yates is shocked when he finally realizes that. But he takes such good care of his litte mate! He's gentle and patient with Aryen, tries to understand the other man's needs.
I loved them together and I loved that Aryen was gifted with such a perfect mate! Keep going, Charlie! :)
Aryen's past broke my heart, really. What surprised me was how innocent he seemed, despite the horrible things he had to endure. He's not only a victim of life-long abuse, but very submissive. In a slightly creepy way, not in the joyful way.
Yates is shocked when he finally realizes that. But he takes such good care of his litte mate! He's gentle and patient with Aryen, tries to understand the other man's needs.
I loved them together and I loved that Aryen was gifted with such a perfect mate! Keep going, Charlie! :)
October 7, 2014
There was a little bit of a lot of things in this story. If you are looking for depth and detail it's not here. If you are looking for a light fluffy story with hope for the abused shifter you've come to the right place. The ending left you feeling good about characters and there HEA.
Love the picture of the sad dingo on the front cover.
Love the picture of the sad dingo on the front cover.
March 9, 2015
Evelise's Review:
Rehabilitating His Dingo, Wolves of Stone Ridge series, was a fantastic addition by Charlie Richards. This book blew me away. I loved it! Yates and Aryen were a beautiful couple, as their loving souls pulled together during unfortunates times. Read More. . . http://www.darkdivasreviews.com/rehab...
Rehabilitating His Dingo, Wolves of Stone Ridge series, was a fantastic addition by Charlie Richards. This book blew me away. I loved it! Yates and Aryen were a beautiful couple, as their loving souls pulled together during unfortunates times. Read More. . . http://www.darkdivasreviews.com/rehab...
June 23, 2017
What a Awsome Ride
I finally remembered that I bought this series a few years back, but for some reason never got around to trading them all. So far every book in this series has been great, and I look forward to reading more. I just hope Charlie is very busy writing many more, because now I'm hooked!!!!
I finally remembered that I bought this series a few years back, but for some reason never got around to trading them all. So far every book in this series has been great, and I look forward to reading more. I just hope Charlie is very busy writing many more, because now I'm hooked!!!!
June 24, 2014
I love this series
May 16, 2014
Barely 2 stars
Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews