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Strays (Red Kings MC, #1)

Emma Kendrick (Goodreads Author)

3.53 · Rating details · 51 ratings · 23 reviews

Best friends Jackie and Tyler set out on an adventure to find somewhere to call home, hoping to escape the violent city life and settle down in a quiet place where they can make something of themselves. What they find instead is the notorious Red Kings Motorcycle Club, outlaw bikers that rule the city's criminal underground.

Only able to avoid them for so long, the unsuspe ...more

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Kindle Edition, 361 pages

Published May 4th 2016

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3.53 ·

Rating details

· 51 ratings · 23 reviews

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Jan 02, 2017 Elfina Renee rated it really liked it

First off have to give it to my partner in crime Sivy for making this recommendation. Thank you... thank you! Was one hell of a read! So what makes for a good MC romance?
1. Hot stunning bikers with attitude? Check
2. High speed chases, bullets flying and the danger of dying? Oooh check...check and double check!
3. Plenty of drama where you wanna bitch slap the stupid of outta someone? Quite a few actually so yep....check!
The romance was okay, didn't get me worked up or nothing but was still an ...more

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Apr 05, 2017 Rebecca rated it liked it

Shelves: books-for-review, books-i-own, new-adult

Overall Rating: 7/10 (3/5 stars)
Plot: 7/10
Characters: 5/10
Writing: 7.5/10
Originality: 8.5/10

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Review: This book is definitely not what I expected. From the summary, I expected a really action-packed novel filled with death, drugs, and destruction. Instead, I got a romance with a surprising twist. I’m not necessarily saying it’s a bad thing, in fact, I think I enjoyed this book more the way it is than I would have had it been an action ...more

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Aug 18, 2016 JP Reviews rated it liked it

After getting past the horrific formatting and the jarring POV switches (more on that later) I ended up really enjoying this book.

Strays focuses on the life of Jackie and Tyler, as they get involved with the Red Kings biker gang. Tyler is initially recruited after they overhear he is good with hacking. Jackie, who has always been by Tyler's side since they were 8, tags along. During their stay Jackie falls for the biker enforcer Dean.

This book for some reason is placed under Action Adventure. To ...more

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Mar 19, 2017 Charity B. rated it really liked it

I love supporting talented indie authors and I had such a fun time with this book. It was fast paced and succeeded in keeping me entertained throughout the entire novel. I thought it had a great cover too, which even though it shouldn’t, it does make a difference to me (Half naked embracing couple on the front? Ugh. Just no). While I have yet to really read a lot of biker romance, I really appreciate the fact that while you know the Red Kings MC members are scary as hell, the part you see the mo ...more

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Sep 10, 2016 Tiffany Readz rated it really liked it

Shelves: debut-author, mc-romance, series-romance

Tame but Good

While not a huge fan of the third person narration, Strays really started to grow on me as I kept reading. There are tons of MC books out today and while Strays is good, it isn't nearly as gritty as others. That being said, the storylines were solid, which helped move the book along nicely.

We following along with Jackie and Tyler, two best friends from New York. They've been bouncing around looking for a place to call home and land in Macon, Georgia. Jackie is artistic, yet finds he ...more

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May 10, 2016 Alisa rated it liked it

Hmm. 2.5 stars or 3?

It was good, but some alpha vibes were missing in the book.

It was a quick read and I do like it enough to pick up book 2 whenever it's available ...Just to see what happens. It's not a cliffhanger but obviously the story hasn't ended yet. I just wish they were more bad ass and the story a bit more gritty?

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May 25, 2017 Sarah Greenwood rated it really liked it

Goes down as another off my 2017 Bookworm Bingo Challenge – A book with a car chase in it. Slow build action packed start to a series that has plenty to expand with.

Jackie and her best friend Tyler have been friends for years but act more like siblings. Wherever he goes she will surely follow. They seem happy enough in Macon but lack of other friends and a good job are taking their toll on Tyler. This all changes after a loud conversation between them is overheard by the local MCs. Seems Tyler h Goes down as another off my 2017 Bookworm Bingo Challenge – A book with a car chase in it. Slow build action packed start to a series that has plenty to expand with.

Jackie and her best friend Tyler have been friends for years but act more like siblings. Wherever he goes she will surely follow. They seem happy enough in Macon but lack of other friends and a good job are taking their toll on Tyler. This all changes after a loud conversation between them is overheard by the local MCs. Seems Tyler has some skills they could use and as he already has the bike its not long before he finds what he’s been looking for. He might be happy with the change that’s coming but Jackie is taking it a bit harder. Her first introduction to the MCs, specifically Dean, wasn’t the best. Fear is forefront on her mind and it seems he has no intention of changing how she sees him. He’s the member others fear, the one that gets things done without much of a conscious. Doing whatever it takes to protect the club and its family, even if that means to kill.

Jackie only saw him threaten someone but never knew exactly what he did for the club. On some level turning a blind eye while trying to become something close to friends. They start to get closer after he sees her drawings and asks her to do something for his bike, its personal and he’s the only one she does it for. She seems to have caught his eye but it’s not till hard liquor is involved that things spark to life. Jackie needs a distraction while Tyler is off on his first run and with Dean being the only one there you know how it will go. There has been chemistry bubbling below the surface for a while and now it’s coming to the surface for a one-time thing. Seems once isn’t enough and before long they can’t get enough of each other. But with getting closer the clubs President starts to worry Dean will lose focus on what he does for them. Can’t very well have his killer going soft so you know something will come along to shift the dynamics of everyone. Twist comes along with the shift and soon its Jackie keeping secrets from those around her. Won’t be long before everything comes out but with Dean showing his true colours you’re not sure how things will turn out. Secrets will cause problems but its dangers from others that put people – especially Jackie – in harms way. Can these bikers keep those they care for safe or will they cause more problems?

Found the scene with Dean on the phone to his mum while doing something with Murphy amusing. Nice calm conversation while they are digging a hole. Can you guess what might go in there? A lot of characters were introduced within this one, from those in Macon and then another charter in Lakeside. Paving the way for the rest of the series but with names flying around you may get lost. A few key ones that stood out for me were Nash, TJ, Murphy, Jagger and Bianca the Queen of Lakesides MC President who takes no shit from anyone.

Comical at times, danger at others, an interesting friendship with Jackie and Tyler and then the hot and heavy then cold chemistry thing that’s going on with Jackie and Dean. Seriously at times he can be a dick so lets hope he can counter it with being something more for Jackie. Series has lots of potential for where it could go next, whether to focus on the MCs of Macon or Lakeside. Either way will be a fun ride with these badass bikers.

I received a copy of this book from the author for my honest review.
https://readingnook84.wordpress.com/2... ...more

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Jul 09, 2017 Striking 13 rated it liked it

Romance is a dangerous game, especially when you fall for a man who kills for a living.

Strays tells the story of Jackie, an aspiring artist who moves to a new town with her best friend, Tyler. Her stark introduction to the town comes at the end of a shift at work, when she stumbles over some local bikies roughing up a double-crossing rat.

Full review here

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May 25, 2017 Ariel rated it it was ok

Shelves: romance-smut, arcs-and-giveaways, contemporary, dnf-series

I didn’t dislike this book, I finished and I overall enjoyed it. It just wasn’t to the standard I normally read at and that made it hard for me to look past some novice mistakes. But, if this is your genre or you are looking for a quick, fun easy read then give it a try for 1.99 on Kindle you cant really loose.

READ FULL REVIEW HERE:
http://anescapewithinthepages.tumblr....

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Jun 23, 2017 Lovella rated it liked it

Shelves: netgalley-arcs-free-book

Visit either my Tumblr or Wordpress to see my review!

Enjoy reading!

xx Lovs

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Jul 25, 2016 Michelle rated it really liked it

Reviewed for www.marysuedies.com

3.5 Stars. Good MC romance, I didn’t love the ending.

I don’t like most motorcycle club romances. I realize this makes me something of a freak in the romance world. There are a few I do like, but I gravitate towards the softer ones, Kristen Ashley kind of MC books. I just don’t like the rougher men and the way they often treat women. Luckily for me, Strays by Emma Kendrick is a tamer kind of MC romance and I enjoyed the vast majority of it.

Best friends Jackie and T Reviewed for www.marysuedies.com

3.5 Stars. Good MC romance, I didn’t love the ending.

I don’t like most motorcycle club romances. I realize this makes me something of a freak in the romance world. There are a few I do like, but I gravitate towards the softer ones, Kristen Ashley kind of MC books. I just don’t like the rougher men and the way they often treat women. Luckily for me, Strays by Emma Kendrick is a tamer kind of MC romance and I enjoyed the vast majority of it.

Best friends Jackie and Tyler have left home in NYC and landed in Macon, Georgia. Jackie is waiting tables when she and Tyler meet the members of the Red Kings MC. Gradually, Tyler becomes more and more involved with the club, using his hacking skills to become a valuable prospect. Jackie also spends more time with the Red Kings and eventually begins sleeping with the club’s enforcer, Dean.

Dean and Jackie’s relationship evolves over time from a simple sexual one to something more. But Dean’s first priority is always the MC and Jackie knows it.

At first I wasn’t sure what to think of Emma Kendrick’s writing style. It took me a little while to get used to the kind of timeline way she writes and initially there’s very little dialogue. Within a few chapters I got the hang of it and once Jackie and Tyler really start to spend time with the MC, I quite enjoyed the book.

I liked the supporting characters and would love to see more of Nash, Jagger, and sexy Finn. Dean remains a little elusive throughout the book, but it fits with his character. I did appreciate that Kendrick has the characters’ relationship evolve over months not minutes. It was a refreshing change from the typical new adult romance.

So without spoilers I can say that I didn’t care for the ending. It’s a romance and all ends well but not with the kind of certainty that I wanted. There’s a good argument for the way the author concluded the story and I understand why it is the way it is, I just didn’t want it to end that way. Make sense?

I also think there’s opportunity here in future books to expand on the characters’ backgrounds. There isn’t much about Jackie and Tyler’s reasons for leaving Queens or a lot about how each member winds up as part of the MC.

Taken as a whole though, I thought Strays was well written, engrossing, and fun! Did I mention the beautiful cover? I’m really not usually swayed by covers but I really like this one, it’s totally creepy and links back to the story.
...more

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Jul 16, 2016 Elizabeth Horbaczek rated it liked it

This book was given to me for an honest review.

3 stars

Bikers romances are always great to read. They always have a great point of view especially when it comes to different authors. How authors interpret bike clubs. This author was different. I liked her take. It was interesting and kept you wanting to know more. The story was not predictable and kept you on your toes. The characters were mostly rough around the edges, but as you go to learn more about each one you start to understand why the do ...more

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Dec 18, 2016 Morilyn rated it really liked it

Shelves: arc, new-author, angst, beguiling, bittersweet, captivating, brutal, childhood-friends, compelling, contemporary

Strays, book 1 of The Red Kings is Emma Kendricks first published novel. I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review. It's a more subdued take on MC life compared to many others I have read but that isn't a bad thing. Emma Kendricks puts her own stamp on Strays and I enjoyed the story about Jackie and Tyler, two friends from childhood who leave Queens and end up in Macon, Georgia. Jackie works at a diner but is really a talented artist and Tyler is a technique nerd with good hacking skill ...more

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Jun 20, 2016 CommonBookSense rated it it was amazing

I can confidently say that I've read enough bad boy/biker books to be considered an expert on the subject. So, an author has to do something pretty unique and original to win me over. Does Emma Kendrick have what it takes??

Jackie and Tyler seem to have a knack for being in the wrong place at the wrong time, which leads them to live a sort of gypsy lifestyle. The loyalty that they have for one another is admirable; and Jackie's no nonsense attitude immediately caught my attention.

Strays is a dif ...more

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Aug 16, 2016 J.L. Leslie rated it it was amazing

Shelves: arc-or-review-request-or-swap, fav-heroines, favorite-series, mc-club, violence-fighting-beating-abuse

4.5 Stars. Just finished Strays by Emma Kendrick and really enjoyed this debut novel. Emma Kendrick has a different writing style from what I've seen before. She writes this book in a timeline style and at times refers to her characters in quirky ways like "the brunette girl" or "the tattooed biker" when the character is referencing themselves. I was so very close to giving this 5 stars, but held back because the ending felt that it wasn't fully resolved. There seemed to be questions left unansw ...more

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May 17, 2016 Zara Lethallan rated it liked it

I wanted to give this book more stars but I felt it was lacking in certain areas. It was written more like a diary for the characters and this caused the story to be missing certain scenes that would be important to the character. Besides that little hiccup, I loved the plot and the characters. Especially that she has a best friend that remained an actual a friend and wasn't turned into a love triangle romance option. I would love to read the second book to this series. I really have a thing for ...more

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Jun 19, 2016 Nikki rated it liked it

Ah, where to begin? This book wasn't bad... but it wasn't my favorite either. It had potential. pretty good potential, but it just didn't hit the spot. It was jumbled, but it did have a solid story line. For a first book, it wasn't horrible. I liked the characters, and I loved the comeradary this book brought but something was missing.

The story line was likeable, and so were the characters. I loved the whole MC line. But the jumping through me off more than once.

Jackie and her bestie move to a ...more

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Jan 07, 2017 Jennifer Mckenna rated it really liked it

Shelves: favourites

enjoyed the characters tremendously.... found the the relationship arc to be believable.... no insta love. The secondary characters were fabulous and well developed. I rather enjoyed the open ended conclusion and looking forward to the next installment. Light on the erotica... wouldn't mind more detail but definitely well worth the read.

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May 13, 2016 Fiona rated it liked it

Shelves: anti-hero, alpha-male, biker, may-2016-release

3 stars

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Apr 02, 2017 Tally rated it liked it

Real Rating: 3 and a half stars!

What The Book Is About: This book is about two friends, Jackie and Tyler who left their home to go live with each other in Georgia and start a new life. Jackie in Tyler just so happens to meet a dangerous biker club and surprisingly they all mostly...key word mostly get along. With bikers comes drama and that's when Jackie and Tyler's life isn't so normal anymore.

Overall Reading Experience: Mostly this book flowed really well but then I noticed that the switch of ...more

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Sekena Price rated it it was amazing
May 09, 2016

Apr 18, 2017 Teresa rated it really liked it

Shelves: contemporary

Rating: 4/5 stars

(Received the book in exchange for a review)
It held that realistic quality that some MC books lack. The book questions characters' abilities of being a part of a darker and tunnel-vision world and how being a part of this world can effect others.

First impression of the book was interest. I haven't read MC contemporary books (ever since I had a moment where I read a lot of those for a while) so I came in with a fresh mind. Plus, you know, hot guys...

The writing was pretty good, e ...more

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Remi rated it liked it
May 12, 2016

Melissa rated it liked it
May 08, 2016

Lee rated it really liked it
Mar 24, 2017

Apr 06, 2017 Beth rated it really liked it

I was actually very surprised by this book. I really liked it. I will be completely honest with you, I am always kind of nervous when reading books by indie authors. I don't know why. I think it might be because the first couple that I read way back when where kind of crap, I don't know. But I really didn't need to be with this one. It was very good and I really enjoyed it. So much so that I have ended up staying up till gone 1am, just to finish it.

I will openly admit that I did struggle to get I was actually very surprised by this book. I really liked it. I will be completely honest with you, I am always kind of nervous when reading books by indie authors. I don't know why. I think it might be because the first couple that I read way back when where kind of crap, I don't know. But I really didn't need to be with this one. It was very good and I really enjoyed it. So much so that I have ended up staying up till gone 1am, just to finish it.

I will openly admit that I did struggle to get into it at the first. It is written in third person narrative, which, in general, I can have issues with you. I kind of have to get into the right mindset for it, if that makes since (I'm weird, just accept it). I have also been struggling with this in general lately. I swear it is just taking me so long to get into books at the moment. But, once I did get into it, I couldn't put it down. Once I got past the first 50 pages, which where mainly scene setting and world building, I really started to get into the story. It had me hooked. I liked that there where so many layers to the story. You could see all these different types of relationships and how they affect different people and different things. And you could see loyalties and fears and passions and, it was just a very strong world for a debut author. Kendrick has clearly thought out her world and story very thoroughly and it really shows.

The characters where very relatable. Particularly Jackie. I could understand her really well. I got her fears and her passions, I understood her relationships and her actions and, well, just her in general. It was very easy to connect with her. I also really liked the other characters. Dean and Tyler, Nash and Taco, Bianca and everyone else. Everyone felt very human and realistic And you really could see the connections between them all. I will admit that I did struggle a little bit with keeping up with who was who in the more secondary characters. There where quiet a lot, as is the nature with a group like this, and it did became a little complicated to remember who was who. Which character had which characteristic that sort of thing. But I feel like this is something that will become easier to remember as the series progresses and we get to know the characters better.

Overall I really did enjoy this one. For a debut novel, this is very strong. I honestly could not put it down. It had me so gripped. I just had to know what was going to happen. And I really want to know what's going to happen next. I cannot wait for Kendrick to finish the next book.
4.5 out of 5 ...more

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