#Junkie

GearShark #1

by Cambria Hebert

Cambria HebertCambria Hebert01/08/2016542Binding Paperback1.28lbs8.00h x 5.00w x 1.21d9781938857836

Genres: Romance, M M Romance, Friends To Lovers, Sports, Contemporary, New Adult, LGBT

542 pages, Paperback

First published January 20, 2016

About the author

Cambria Hebert is a bestselling novelist of more than fifty titles. She went to college for a bachelor’s degree, couldn’t pick a major, and ended up with a degree in cosmetology. So rest assured her characters will always have good hair.
Besides writing, Cambria loves a pumpkin spice latte, staying up late, sleeping in, and watching K drama until her eyes won’t stay open. She considers math human torture and has an irrational fear of chickens (yes, chickens). You can often find her running on the treadmill (she’d rather be eating a donut), painting her toenails (because she bites her fingernails), or walking her chihuahuas (the real bosses of the house).
Cambria has written in many genres, including new adult, sports romance, male/male romance, sci-fi, thriller, suspense, contemporary romance, and young adult. Many of her titles have been translated into foreign languages and have been the recipients of multiple awards.

Awards Cambria has received include:

Author of the Year 2016 (UtopiaCon2016)
The Hashtag Series: Best Contemporary Series of 2015 (UtopiaCon 2015)
#Nerd: Best Contemporary Book Cover of 2015 (UtopiaCon 2015)
Romeo from the Hashtag Series: Best Contemporary Lead (UtopiaCon 2015)
#Nerd: Top 50 Summer Reads (Buzzfeed.com 2015)
The Hashtag Series: Best Contemporary Series of 2016 (UtopiaCon 2016)
#NERD Book Trailer: Best Book Trailer of 2016 (UtopiaCon 2016)
#Nerd Book Trailer: Top 50 Most Cinematic Book Trailers of All Time (film-14.com)
#Nerd: Book Most Wanted to be Adapted to Screen: (2018)
Amnesia: Mystery Book of the Year (2018)

Cambria Hebert owns and operates Cambria Hebert Books, LLC.
You can find out more about Cambria and her titles by visiting her website:
http://www.cambriahebert.com

Email: cambriahebert@rocketmail.com
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Reviews

[chan ☆ · Rating 5 out of 5]

[Maria✦❋Steamy Reads Blog❋✦ · Rating 4 out of 5]

➦Soooooo... I didn't realize this wasn't a standalone... as in, there's a "to be continued" at the end.


➦This book is pretty much everything I love in my M/M novels. Double GFY, friends to lovers - yes puhaleaseeeee. Both guys race cars, while one is trying to make a career out of it. Can't say I've read a lot about car racing. So if M/M is your thing and you're a fan of a bit of car chasing this one might be for you. :) Also these two are pretty steamy together and there's a whole lot of exploration happening in this installment.


➦Now, I have started book #2 and I have dropped it 20% in. It's totally me, I have 0 patience. I'm actually a bit irritated at myself. I just can't help it, I'm like a junkie always searching for new highs. I crave a new story and if a book can't hold my attention I move on.

[~Mindy Lynn~ · Rating 5 out of 5]

While reading the Hashtag Series by Cambria Hebert I was wishing and hoping that the friendship between Trent and Drew would turn into, as Braeden says it, man love. I didn't even realize she had this series out until I finished the other one because I was on my MF only reading month and didn't pay attention. But when I finished the series and ended up enjoying them so much I decided to see what else this little lady had written and stumbled across this book. I was THRILLED then I was instantly annoyed because I still had quite a bit left in my month of only reading MF to go before I could open up this baby. But the wait was worth it cause I absolutely LOVED this book and these two guys.
The best friends to lovers is one of my favorite kinds of reads. Especially when it's between two guys and also when those two guys have never been with the same sex before. It's a beautiful thing dolls.
Anyways, I loved that it was low on angst and there wasn't anything major going on like with the whole Zach thing like in the other series. It was just a story about two guys finding their way in their relationship and in their personal lives. I definitely recommend it to all my MM loving peeps.

[Elise ✘ a.k.a Ryder's Pet ✘ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Forth re-read: 23.04.2021
Drew and Trent's friendship is quite beautiful. I wish we had gotten more angst and sexual frustration but it's still a good read.

Third re-read: 08.08.2019
You know, some relationships (even friendships; ehem Lucas and Snow) just takes ahold of your heart and never lets go. Drew and Trent are one of those relationship. It's a deep, real and absolutely beautiful. Their each other's person. No label needed. Gorgeous. Overall, their story is absolutely worth reading and re-reading over and over again (hell, I re-read it THREE times in 2018). I must note, the reason that I don't give it more stars is because, though the relationship between Drew and Trent are 5 +++ stars, the plot is a bit boring, specially with all the car stuff (and yes, I do understand that the car stuff is needed for Drew's story). Watching races is one thing (ehem Dominic Toretto ), but reading about it over and over again, is not my thing. However, because I L O V E Drew and Trent's relationship I'm moving the stars rating - because Goodreads don't have half stars (looks at you Goodreads) - from 3 stars to 4 stars, even though the actual rating is 3.5 (the plot brings it down, I need more "drama" to be honest.).

⋰⋱⋰⋱⋰⋱*My Person*⋰⋱⋰⋱⋰⋱

Second re-read: 18.11.2018
I just... I needed Trent and Drew. I missed them. I was on the edge of re-reading Like Us by Krista Ritchie & Becca Ritchie , but I have just read it, so I went with this one instead. Man, I wish - and pray - Cambria Hebert would be kind enough to write us another story centering my babies Trent and Drew. Two isn't - will never be - enough. I need more. There's just something about those two...

⋰⋱⋰⋱⋰⋱*Couldn't help myself*⋰⋱⋰⋱⋰⋱

Re-read: 03.08.2018
Since I tortured myself reading the rest of the series after Trent and Drew's books, and reading
‘Hashtag’ series just to see more of the couple, I deserved to re-read this book (and next one) even though I've just read them less than a month ago. Why, you ask? Well, THERE WAS BARELY ANY TRENT AND DREW IN ANY OF THE BOOKS. All that was for nothing. I actually got mad. Anyways, this time around was just as cute, though it might actually be a better read this time as I know what to expect, and the little I got from the reading the other books made me desperate for more the couple. Overall, I'm 100% I'll re-read these two books of the cuties again.

⋰⋱⋰⋱⋰⋱*Not so bad*⋰⋱⋰⋱⋰⋱

First review review:
This one wasn't so bad. I was actually surprised when I finally made myself check out the book. Why you ask? Well, I thought it was M/F book. I had no idea it was M/M! If I had known, I would've read it a long time ago. It has friendship turned lovers plot that I adore. Specially the kind of friendship where they are possessive and protective over each other. A soul deep bond. The book centers around adrenaline junkie with/off? Cars and race driver, Andrew ‘Drew’ Wayne Forrester (how old?) and an Alpha U football player and the president of Alpha Omega Trent ‘T’ Mask (how old? 22?). They're best friends, their person, the one they need at their side, the one if something happens, is the first to know.

There was a constant war inside me. A constant fight.
Be near him. Stay away. Both were equally hard.
He was my best friend.
But he was more.

Both characters were awesome; I love possessive men , and Drew definitely had his moments of possessiveness (though I wouldn't mind more...) and Trent was protective over his Drew (this, too, I wouldn't mind getting more off) and I found this adorable. Together, they have that kind of friendship you wish for. They kinda reminded me of Him series by Sarina Bowen and Elle Kennedy. With their friendship and how they were together. And if you know me, I adore that series and I desperately want more and still wish that they'll write another book for me.

“You taking advantage of me?” I cracked.
“You smell like puke,” he rebutted. Then in a more sarcastic tone, he said, “Besides, you couldn’t get it up right now even if you wanted to.”
“For you I could.”
Instant sobriety.
That’s exactly what those four words were. At least for long, still minutes.

What I found missing from the book though was the back story of sorts. I wish we had gotten more of story of how they met or something. Not much, but at least a timeline, or hell, an age for the characters? I also must mention that I was nervous going in as I was afraid one would've had to read the Hashtag Series by Cambria Hebert, but luckily it wasn't needed. However, I do believe I would've gotten that information missing if I had indeed read the other series... Who knows, I might end up doing just that. Anyways, let's finish Drew and Trent's story first.

There was something special about family by choice. It wasn’t blood that held us all together. It was loyalty. Love.

Other Characters:
↦ Braeden ‘B’ James Walker and his wife (?), Ivy Forrester, Drew's sister. Nova (almost six-month-old), their daughter and Drew's niece.
↦ Romeo and his girl, Rimmel. Romeo and Braeden were Trent's brothers and fellow former Wolves. The three of them started playing for the college the same semester and they’d played together up until last year when Romeo and B both got drafted (separately) to the NFL. Both couples are from Hashtag Series , I think.
↦ Josephine 'Joey', professional racer and Drew's 'babysitter' of sorts to make him less 'green'/the driver here to school him/mentor him. Ron Gamble's - the richest man in the state - decision, who is also her dad.
↦ Lorhaven, liar, cheater, bad loser and asshole. He's also rich. His brother, Arrow. Both racers and competes against Drew.

Love does take. Loving someone takes strength. Love takes hard work. And sometimes… Love takes sacrifice. I remember thinking, feeling the only thing worse than being with Drew was being without him.

Quick basic facts:
Genre: - (New Adult) Contemporary Romance (M/M).
Series: - Series, Book One.
Love triangle? - No.
Cheating? - No.
HEA? - No.
Favorite character? - Andrew ‘Drew’ Wayne Forrester.
Would I read more by this author/or of series? - Yes.
Would I recommend this book/series? - Yes
Will I read this again in the future? - Who knows.
Rating - 3.5 stars.

[Nazanin · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 Frat Boy & Adrenaline Junkie Stars

"Love does take.
Loving someone takes strength.
Love takes hard work.
And sometimes… Love takes sacrifice."

Cars and racing are Drew’s passion. He loves speed. He likes breaking the rules. He loves driving freely. When he’s driving it’s like he’s flying! He’s fearless and he doesn’t follow the rules of the road! He is an adrenaline junkie! He's the possessive one!

Trent is an Alpha football player and he’s the president of Alpha Omega! He’s the frat boy! He and Drew are best friends but Trent has feelings for Drew without Drew knowing (or maybe deep down, he knows). He’s so protective of Drew, always put himself between Drew and the danger. And in love, he’s the fearless one!

Sooo good! Loved it! It was a slow burn but in a good way! Loved these two characters and I love that cover (Is there anyone that don't like that cover?! Really!?). I’m not a sport’s girl (just sometimes watching football without knowing anything about it) and definitely I don’t know anything about cars or racing, but the racing in this book was maybe two scenes and when I was reading them I was excited and wanted more! I could feel that adrenaline!

Told in dual POV, 1st person. It’s the first installment in the "GearShark" series, with character crossover from "Hashtag" series (but you do not need to read that series first) and it ended on a cliffhanger. It’s well-written and the characters were so perfect and likable! All in all, loved it and hope you enjoy it as well!

[Candy M. · Rating 3 out of 5]

⭐ 3.5 "but if I was only rating this solely based on the main couple, this would be getting a 5+++" stars ⭐


Too bad the whole racing side plot had me becoming reacquainted with the inside of my eyelids. But let’s not go there just yet.

Trent and Drew aka the main pair are still going straight into my favorite couples shelf. Theirs is an epic tale of (b)romance and one of my new preferred examples of best friends to lovers done exquisitely right.

********

But to provide some extra context before the review truly starts, let's allow Oscar™ nominated actor Steven Yeun to sum up the relationship development between Trent and Drew in all its glory:




Well said, Steven!

********

Now, onto a more serious note (but not that serious)... Holy Mother of Slowburns, Batman!! And I mean that as the highest of compliments.

With this leading pair, Miss Hebert accomplished one of the most organic transitions from friends to lovers I've ever read. From the slow tentative touches and stolen glances, accompanied by the doubt and denial, and even down to the inclusion of seemingly innocuous rituals that betrayed just how much they cared for the other (like how they arranged their plates just so the other could easily have a bite, for example). Featuring a believable sentimental backdrop, the progression of Trent and Drew's romance was well worth patiently waiting for.

And god if it didn’t pay off in a major way too. Without spoiling the conclusion, the fireworks between them were INTENSE. Scorching, smoking, heatstroke-inducing, you name it.

Which was almost enough to forgive the hellish cliffhanger (that will luckily be wrapped up in future installments, according to my exhaustive research aka other reviews I’ve read for the rest of the series lol).


Doesn’t mean the ending didn’t still have me prematurely aging at least a decade though.

Truthfully, I went through the whole spectrum of emotions with this one. Laughter at Trent and Drew’s banter and dudebro antics early on, then anger at certain chosen side characters (and beware one-dimensional villain was, in fact, one dimensional), and lastly enough salty tears to rival the Dead Sea. Really, this had my heart shifting gears as quickly as If I was the one joining the races described.

Right from the very beginning, there was a sense of trepidation whenever the two best friends interacted (and we see their own apprehension deeply reflected at first), with the lingering shadow of feelings they were both too busy denying lurking just underneath. This is very much a double sexual discovery story, even if both Trent and Drew had different approaches when it came to self-enlightenment, and I had a blast seeing them both slowly gain enough confidence to finally accept to themselves what was clearly evident to everyone else.

Even if, I’ll also admit, at times the denial between them became a bit far-fetched…

Because It was overkill to see Trent still questioning whether Drew was even attracted to him right after they first got hot and heavy (seriously, Trent, the man was basically three seconds away from soiling his underpants!). Or all the "damn, he has a nice ass… for a friend that is!" moments previous to Drew admitting he reciprocated his BFF's attraction.

But let's...


And focus on the glorious romance instead! Suspension of disbelief is the name of the game.


********

Now, onto the Final Thoughts section (Ft. the discussion of some actual issues I had with the book):

First and foremost, this was mostly a very enjoyable read for me. I absolutely adored the main couple and even found all their stumbling kind of endearing in a slightly eye-rolling way. And the fact that the friendship was just as ingrained as the romance was a major plus for me.

What’s keeping this book from getting a higher rating, however, were a few setbacks I encountered along the way.

For once, whenever the characters would start talking shop, racing, or all kinds of technicalities my uncultured brain could not grasp, the soporific effect all of that had on me was immediate.


Someone would mention a V8 (whatever that is) or any other highly specific car terms, and I'd be drifting just a little step closer to the embrace of eternal slumber.

And then I had other problems as well, such as the repetition and lack of subtlety of the narration at times (which didn’t hamper my enjoyment that much), and then the bizarrely long descriptions of characters I couldn’t even begin to care for (which, on the other hand, did in fact lead to me skimming the hell out of those parts).

And when I say "bizarrely long", I mean quite literally an entire page of it. And a whole ass paragraph talking about how glorious this female character's tits were, because one of the MCs salivating for her was apparently a necessity for some reason *facepalm*

Listen, I get wanting to set up future MCs for the series (Joey, the main recipient of those overly lengthy descriptions, will be one of the protagonists of the third book in the series, #Swag) but…

If you need to drop a Old Testament-sized long introduction to get the job done?



Although with those niggles out of the way, the good still managed to outweigh the bad for me where this book was concerned. And Trent and Drew are such a fantastic couple that I ended up being able to overlook most of it, since when the story was, in fact, focusing on their budding romance...

What was there was undeniably fantastic.

********

GearShark series by Cambria Hebert.

#Junkie— 3.5 ⭐
#Rev— TBR.
#Swag— TBR.
#Blur— TBR.
#FinishLine— TBR.
#Fate— TBR.
#HEA: Happily Ever After— TBR.

[Catarina · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 Sweet Stars.

Drew and Trent are best friends. They stick together and they have their backs. So it takes a while for both of them to realize that they have some hidden feelings, and not all of them are friendship. But when Drew is under the public eye, and Trent is the president of a conservative Greek House, their feelings aren’t hard to admit. Especially when they can’t even admit them to themselves. But when said feelings start to get even stronger and growing harder to hide, how long can they resist?





If you’re a fan of the hashtags series (and for me it still stands as my best discovery of the year), or if you’re just a fan of MM romance, this book will check all your boxes. I loved both Trent and Drew in the first books, so this series was a nice surprise for me. I’m not a frequent reader of MM romance, but I really liked this book and can’t wait for the release of the sequel. Cambria Hebert did an amazing debut in this romance genre, and this only shows how versatile her writing his and how amazingly she can create a great couple. Definitely, a series to keep following.




Rating: 4 Stars.
Characters Development: I loved both Drew and Trent and their friendship. Even after they finally admitted their feelings I still loved to see the base of their relationship and their closeness. Trent annoyed me towards the end, but I’m pretty sure he’ll make up for it in the next book. As always, I loved to see more of the rest of the family.
Steam: Some hot scenes.
Sensible Subjects: No.
Love Triangle: No.
Cheating: No.
HEA: Cliffhanger.

[moonlight ☾ [semi-hiatus] · Rating 5 out of 5]

"You're possessive," I observed, feeling my lips tilt up.
"You're protective," he replied, giving me the same look.
I took care of what was mine. Period.

TRENT AND DREW HAVE MY WHOLE HEART. 💘


everything about this book, romance-wise, worked perfectly for me. the tension, longing, little touches and glances, confusion but let's explore these feelings together, the banters, jealousy possessiveness, emotional moments... everything about Trent and Drew's relationship just puts a smile on my face. the way they were so soft and vulnerable with one another. the way they knew they were it for each other. Trent being protective of Drew and Drew being possessive of Trent. i honestly went into this book hoping to at least enjoy it but, to my surprise, it ended up being one of my all time favorites. GAH, i loved them. 🥺

the side characters (well... most of them anyways)!! i loved them, especially the found family vibes of Trent and Drew's friend group. i felt how much they cared for one another. 🥰

the only thing i was meh about was the racing. there are some sports romances that have me intrigued with the sports aspect of the story while others bore me and, unfortunately, this was on the latter but idc. it didn't falter my enjoyment bc seeing the development of the romance, to me, was worth it all.

p.s. despite me gushing about this book, i'm stating now there was nothing "new" or "original" about the story/characters, but it just simply worked for me. keep that in mind - also yes, this is me lowkey recommending it, but also don't blame me if you hate it. 🤣

[Meags · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 Stars

This first Hashtag spin-off book was everything I wanted for long-time favourite characters, and besties turned lovers, Trent and Drew.

I already hard-core loved these men before even reaching the GearShark series, so expectations were high. I legitimately read seven other books with the explicit goal of getting prepped for this one particular story. I’m clearly a reading order freak, because so many people have read and loved this story without having read the Hashtag books, and that’s completely fine, but I knew I had to go back to the beginning; I needed to see where it all began. And thank god for my OCD tendencies, because knowing and loving these characters – not just Trent and Drew, but all the members of their chosen family – made for such a truly special reading experience for me.

I consider this story to be a slow-burn romance, and it was a damn good one. It’s also a friends-to-lovers story and a heartfelt coming out story, for not one but two characters. The split narrative certainly helped the reader get inside Trent's and Drew’s heads, providing deeper insight into their similar-yet-different gay/bisexual experiences as they found themselves falling for one another. Their changing relationship was also the first time either character had been with another man, so there were all those delicious heart pounding first touch moments, and plenty of tender and steamy explorations that quickly followed. In my opinion, their romance unfolded at the most perfect pace and was everything I hoped it would be.

I’m not really one to care for cars or racing, but thankfully this major theme didn’t bother me nearly as much as I worried it would. I still don’t give a crap about cars and I did skim a bit of the racing stuff, but I appreciated Drew’s passion for the sport – and to a lesser extent Trent’s too. I also loved how Hebert worked good old Ron Gamble into the story – owner of Romeo and Braeden’s NFL team – as the rich dude who could make Drew’s racing dreams come true. That was a perfect little convenient plot line for me and it put a smile on my face that Gamble could once again show up briefly and play such a life-changing role for another guy in these series.

Trent’s presidency at Alpha Omega was also a hot topic focus in this story, and once again there were deplorable wankers in the frat that just needed to not. I thought my time with these douches was over when Zach finally bit it, but it seems new levels of crazy are just breed in that frat house, causing Trent more problems than the whole thing is worth. Thankfully, I hear some major comeuppance is exacted in book two (#Rev) and I’m excited to see this new douche Con get his due.

Needless to say, I had a grand old time reading this book. It surpassed my expectations and I love Trent and Drew (#Trew) more than ever. Straight into the sequel I go…

[Christy · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars

“Love does take. Loving someone takes strength. Love takes hard work. And sometimes… Love takes sacrifice. I remember thinking, feeling the only thing worse than being with Drew was being without him.”

Welp… this one disrupted my whole audio plan for the month. I hadn’t planned on listening to book 2 right away and assumed this one was a stand-alone. It’s not LOL. I loved Trent and Drew and their friends to lovers romance. It was also great to see some favorites from the hashtag series. Going to jump into book 2 now because I absolutely can’t wait to find out what happens next!

October Audible Escape listen #9
Rating: 4 stars
Genre: Romance
Narrators: Luke Itzvic & Guy Locke
Length: 10 hours and 36 minutes

[Karla · Rating 5 out of 5]

Re read May 2019!

[Wendys Wycked Words · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this one. I will write my full review when I'm done with the next book because I want to jump into that one right now since this one ends with a cliffy ;)

This is a sweet friends to lovers story that has a background story about racing and college (football/frat). There is some mild steam, which I'm hoping there will be more of in book 2.

These men have not been with other men before, but I wouldn't really classify it as a gfy. To me, it seemed more like both of them were bisexual, even though Trent may just be gay, because his past experience with women wasn't all that satisfying. Also, Drew himself said that he could finally be himself... To me, that didn't sound like a man who was only gay for his best friend. Not that it matters to me anyway...I like em any which way they come (pun intended)

Full review with the nest book ;)

4 stars and onto the next one

[tappkalina · Rating 4 out of 5]

DAMN.

This was hot and sweet and best friends to lovers, so everything I love. The trust between them was absolutely heartwarming and that first-time awkwardness was so cute.

Also, sometimes I felt like it is a Ronan/Adam, other times like it is a Ronan/Kavinsky fanfiction, but probably just because of the cars and races. But in my defence it has a Camaro and a Mitsubishi, so.

[Marci · Rating 3 out of 5]

The constant misogyny left a bad taste in my mouth. There was some stupid line about how Joey drank beer and ate steak, that she didn't just drink water and eat lettuce. She's a cool girl. Cue the entire Cool Girl monologue from Gone Girl playing in my head right when I read that. If you haven't seen the movie, I HIGHLY recommend BUT if you have no desire to see the movie, look up the Cool Girl monologue on YouTube!! There were soooo many instances of sexism within the book, this was not a one off. It's just the one that really stuck with me the most because I thought of Gone Girl and I LOVE that movie. Moving on...lol.

I just found myself getting bored a lot. The car talk wasn't as boring as I thought it was going to be but it was the over indulgent descriptions that really did me in. This book could have been so much better if it were shorter, had less descriptions we didn't need and was ya know...not sexist! There were a lot of dumb sentences and phrases that had me going ?????? It was...eye roll worthy to say the least.

That's not to say I hated this book though! I liked the couple even if I didn't love the story and had many issues with it. So all 3 of my stars go to Trent and Drew!

[*TANYA* · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow I was not expecting to like this book as much as did. I decided to read this book because one of my favorite YouTube book reviewers #gabbyreads mentioned this book on her channel. I looked at the cover and decided I was in, skipped the review part (I usually go back and see if I agree with her review/thoughts. Lol)
#JUNKIE gave me the feels, the camaraderie between Drew and Trent was sweet. I liked how their story began, how it developed, grew and solidified. #TREWLOVE
I have to read the follow to this book!

[Darien · Rating 4 out of 5]

So I wrote a review this and some things got shut down and I’m crying cus it was epic because I really liked this bro juice story.


The Story: 4 Pants Off
Trent and Drew were adorable as hell and while it took me awhile to get into the story I really enjoyed it. Loved the cars, the racing, and all the bru dude college lifestyle.



Looking forward to experiencing more of Drew and Trent’s new and fresh love!

FYI: There’s a gay bashing scene in this that just rubbed me the wrong way. Trent should have burnt that frat house to the ground. Alpha Beta Gamma bitches 🤬🤬🤬



The Narration: 4 Pants Off

These two dudes were perfect for all this white boy college bro dude dialogue. I’m a fan of Guy Locke’s voice 🔥. Looking forward to listening to more.



This is all I can give you since Apple decided that it was just gonna shut down whenever it freaking wants 😩

[Gigi]

This looks good, but there are WAY too many 5 star reviews from people I don't know. Like, over 200. And the book has only been out a few days. I'm going to hold off on this one until a few friends have read it.

[Talia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awe. This is the word. I'm in awe of Ms. Hebert.

It astounds me how with every book she manages to intertwine heart-tugging, eyes-itching, mouth-watering romances with important current issues. Always adding this personal touch, this delicacy when dealing with sensitive topics that makes her stand out.

Junkie doesn't disappoint. It started a bit slow, but then Trent and Drew's story really picked up and I found myself spell-bound to their romance, to their way of being together that is at the same time so hard and so effortless.

Reading the author's thoughts about her own book, I was surprised when I found out she'd only ever read one M/M book, so she had slim to none knowledge of the tropes or "ways" of breaching the topic. Well, in her spontaneity, she weaved my favorite M/M romance. Maybe it's because she didn't have that prior knowledge, that prior "literary stereotypes" ingrained in her head that her story separates itself from the rest so much.

Junkie it's not about two dudes falling in love. It's about Trent and Drew, two people who love each other and happen to share the same gender. Their sexuality is just some kind of side-trait and I loved how when they're together, their homosexuality is assessed almost as a consequence, not the defining part of their relationship, which still remains this surreal connection of deep care and respect.

I especially loved how they both thought about it in the terms of "falling in love with my best friend".

No labels. That's one of the multiple, meaningful messages Hebert conveys.

If Drew has always been kind of more extrovert and easier to peg in the previous books, Trent, also according to the author, has been the incognita, the silent one, the one in the shadows, in the background. The kind of character you're not sure what his deal is. Now we know and, as Hebert herself states in the last section of the book, this novel really brought out other sides of Trent. It turned him from a side-character to a full-blown main one, giving him a rounded, full personality that filled the cracks of not-knowing, not leaving the reader wondering anymore about who Trent Mask is under his laidback, yet tough attitude. Personally, I grew very fond of his protectiveness when it came to Drew. Almost as much as I'm fond of Drew's possessiveness. There's that certain scene, at a certain bar... sizzling.

Also, we get to see all the other characters (Rimmel and Romeo are still my favorites! #NerdPower!) and their presence in the book was like the first ray of sunset through the clouds. Even in the most desperate moments, Breaden's humor and Rimmel's sweet innocence lifted the book's atmosphere.

Last, but not least, damn, the steam. Drew and Trent are combustible together! There is this, unfortunately, forbidden quality to their love that turns their passion into an inexinguishable fire. The tension between them is charged magistrally and every touch is never taken for granted, never goes under the radar. Everything is heightened, giving the reader this sense of headiness, of dizzyness every time they even caress each other.

Thank you Ms. Hebert for this amazing friendship, romance, adventure, and hope.

Where to find me:

[εllε · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I started this book, I knew it was a spinoff of another series, but anyway I chose to skip the original, because it was MF and I'm interested in MM lately.

I knew many readers were invested in the characters and the story wayyy before, hence the high ratings and good reviews. I know when you anticipate a story, you're kinda biased in the rating.

But this book was very good, indeed. Even for me, who had no idea who Trent or Drew was.

I'll start from the cover. Drew is sooo handsome. A real hotty. Trent isn't far behind. The blurb may look light and cheesy, but the story was emotional and entertaining.

Drew and Trent are best friends, until they start to be attracted to each other till the point that they can't hide their love anymore. Everything is new for them and shocking. They learn together.

As in any other relationship, they have issues about how the others will take it (Drew being a star racer and Trent the president of a fraternity). Not everyone is going to support them and the first book ends in a cliffy... kinda.

I liked the book. The slow burning and building, from friends to lovers. The chemistry was strong.

On to book 2!

[Astrid - The Bookish Sweet Tooth · Rating 5 out of 5]

So this happened. My M/M cherry has been popped.

I can't even begin to say how much I enjoyed this. This is my first book by Cambria Hebert and I'm pretty sure it won't be my last - especially since the author hints at events happening in an earlier series called #hashtag.

Trent is a mild mannered, protective, good natured guy who loves his family, his best friend and his car. Drew is said best friend - they love to hang out, especially at underground races where Drew is an independent driver. He loves the adrenaline rush coursing through his veins when he is in his car on a track. Drew is the more complicated of the two and their personalities complement one another.

One night Trent gets totally smashed and Drew takes care of his best friend. He takes him home and lets him sleep off the booze in Trent's blood. Alcohol makes you overcome inhibitions - you say things you would never say in a sober state. Trent admits to being attracted to Drew. The next day he pretends to have forgotten the things he said.

"I didn't want to talk to anyone right now.
Especially Drew.
I wasn't gay.
Except...maybe I was."

Their relationship and closeness grows slowly, coming to terms with the fact that they might be gay isn't exactly a walk in the park. The care they have for each other is always tangible and once they admit that there is more than friendship between the two of them it's a sensual explosion. The biggest problem they are facing though is how will their environment react to their new relationship?

The way Drew and Trent grew into their love I grew too. I loved how sweet they were with each other, how devoted and thoughtful. This was my first M/M read and I can only recommend it to everyone who is interested in this genre. I was being eased into the relationship of two guys and at no time I felt uncomfortable or that it was out of my comfortzone.

"You are my person", he concluded after a moment of silence, "My exclusive person"

***warning***

This book ends on a cliffy, and I HATE those. I avoid them like the plague but I wasn't aware and since the next one in the series is supposed to be released very soon I'll let this slide. ;)

[Eugenia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely loved it!

Why did it take me so long to read this book? This was one of the sweetest, sexiest, realistic, slow, slow, hot burn between two characters that I have ever read!

I'm all about the build up. The anticipation. The slow burn. And boy, did this book deliver. I fell in love with Drew and Trent as they fell in love with each other.

This friends-to-lovers felt real due to the slow, but heated build up. But warning, HEA fans...you won't find it for Drew and Trent in this first book of the series.

Audiobook fans: this is a winner! Great team of narrators-especially Drew's POV.

[Jinx · Rating 2 out of 5]

I don't like when a book is labeled a stand alone and I end up feeling lost and confused when certain secondary characters are mentioned. This book left me dazed and on the verge of DNF-ing.

It's supposed to be the first in the series but I felt these giant plot holes like everyone else knew something I didn't and that was that the two couples mentioned in this book are from a different series making this less of a stand alone and more of a cross-over. That really bugged me and detracted from the story.

It was hard for me to concentrate when all I kept thinking was who the eff are all these secondary characters and why are they constantly being brought up. It honestly felt like I was starting in the middle and not the beginning.

As far as Drew and Trent's story goes, it was okay. Nothing to write home about. It followed the standard formulaic rules of GFY, cliffhanger and all. I just would have liked a story that was their own and not something that filled the empty spaces of the previous series making it unfair to the people who aren't fangirls of this author and genuinely wanted to read something new.

*shakes fist in air*

Damn you Amazon for your customer recommendations.

[Darcus Murray · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh man, oh man. Seriously, be still, my beating heart. These two boys definitely stole it and put it through the ringer. I find it kind of fitting that #Junkie is the very first book that I've finished of 2016. This book is a spinoff of the Hashtag series, which began with #Nerd, the first book that I finished in 2015. A whole new year, a whole new series, and a whole new genre.

As I was reading the Hashtag books I immediately new that something was up between Drew and Trent when they first began interacting with one another. I'm not even sure if Cambria knew where the future of these two characters was going to go but I just felt it. I knew there was something there and I was super excited when she announced that the book was going to be an M/M romance.

I spent every day after the book was annnounced in agony. I wanted to read this book so badly and literally fangirled every time something new was posted; a teaser, a graphic, anything. And then Cambria offered me an ARC of the book fifteen days before it was scheduled to be released. I thought I was going to die from excitement.

And ya know what? Drew and Trent didn't let me down. One of the reasons I was so excited for this is because the majority of M/M romance is pure smut. There's hardly any emotional connection and it's over as quickly as it began. I have no problems with smut, in fact I love smut, but I love reading about how the characters feel when they realize something so new and different about themselves. I love reading about feelings and a love so strong that it completely changes their idea of who they thought they have always been. That's where LGBT romances get me. Right in the heart.

#Junkie was all of that and more. These two strong, courageous men took me on an emotional ride and didn't let go. I understand perfectly why Cambria and other authors might be a little hesitant about writing stories like this or feel a little pressured to do it a certain way. I'm sure it must be challenging and overwhelming to write about something so hard and emotional, something that you've never experienced in your own life, but Cambria did it so well.

Trent and Drew were amazing together in every way possible. Their story was heartbreaking and beautiful and nerve-wracking and perfect. If I ever believed that two characters needed and deserved to be together, it's these two. When the Hashtag series first began, I fell in love with Romeo and Rimmel. With Braeden and Ivy, I fell head over heels, feeling stronger for those two than I ever did for Romeo and Rimmel. But Trent and Drew are on an entirely different level. From the very beginning I was pulled in the direction of Trent, wondering what his role in the story would be, wondering why we weren't learning more about him. He was such a great character, so why wasn't he getting his time?

When Drew was introduced I was confused at first. Who is this guy and... do I like him? Do I dislike him? What was he going to add to the story? What was his deal? And then he met Trent and I knew. I just knew. They were perfect and it was perfect. The whole time I was praying that Hebert was going to take them in the direction that I felt they were needed to go. And she did and it was amazing.

Everything about this works and I couldn't get enough. The only bad thing is that the second book hasn't been written yet and I have to wait to see what happens next. ;)

Rating: 5 Stars, hands down.
Favorite Character: Trent.

[Natasha · Rating 4 out of 5]

OH, SHIT.

That was fun.

This review has spoilers.

And the first spoiler I'd like to start with today is that this book is a HFN book.

HAPPY FOR NEVER.

Seriously, wtf?

Also, I really enjoyed this. It's different for me. I almost exclusively read M/M written by M/M authors. You can tell Hebert isn't an M/M author, but a romance author. I found this interesting. She has a very unique writing style and I think she probably had a lot of help with the sex scenes.

Overall, totally enjoyable, and of course I have to fucking read #Rev now. Jeez.

[vee · Rating 3 out of 5]

👣 finished this on record time. yes i skimmed (car talk and stuff like that) but i actually cared (HA thats a first) n wanted to see where things’ll go between trent & drew. they didnt bore me (though same thing couldnt be said bout scenes other than theirs. and there was a lot) overall like 2.9 - 3 ✨

[Jaime · Rating 5 out of 5]

So good!!

This is book one in the GearShark Series by authorCambria Hebert and her first m/m romance. I went into this story not having read any other books by this author and not knowing much about this story other than I was intrigued by the cover and the reviews looked good. To say I was blown away would be an understatement. I am a huge male/male fan and it is primarily what I read as of this time so I am pretty critical in what I like and don't like in a book. This book didn't have anything I didn't like, well except the ending. I could probably wax on all day long about just how perfect it was but then I would simply bore you to tears. So if you are a male/male fan like myself and have been avoiding this book because you just weren't sure.. give it a try I am sure you will love it as much as I did.

The MC in this story are Drew Forrester and Trent Mask and from what I can tell they met in a previous book and this is now their story, that is the only part of their story I am unclear on however it is referred to a lot. We come into their relationship when they are already best friends and very much a part of each others lives.

“I felt him on a different level. I shied away from saying a soul-deep level even though that’s what I suspected. His energy charged mine. Kind of like a battery being plugged in. It was impossible not to feel his presence.”

Drew is an adrenaline junkie which is where we get our name of the book and his choice of fix is speed from racing cars, street racing and his car of choice is his Mustang Fastback which is primed for speed during his illegal street races in which Trent is usually right with him either as a passenger or bystander.



Trent is still in college, his senior year at Alpha University where is is the President of the Omega Frat house. Trent and Drew are pretty inseparable .. Trent always orders french fries for Drew and puts ketchup on his plate for Drew to use even though he can't stand it.. and Drew always gives Trent his Tomatoes from his hamburgers because while Ketchup is fine, tomatoes are gross. They complete each other in more ways than just eating habits yet some of it has yet to be found as the book starts out; however you feel an instant underlying spark between the two and as a reader you just can't wait for it to progress. Cambria Hebert is very good at developing a slow burn and using angst to draw her readers in making them turn the pages faster and faster to get to the part they are dying to see! Some of the scenes leading up to their first kiss were laughable as I could vividly imagine it - the author was very good at describing the scene and painting a picture in your head. In this story both of our characters have previously only dated women, yet Trent is pretty sure he knows why he has never been satisfied with a woman before - not fully anyways. It's because he has been in love with Drew probably since the moment he met him. But once he recognizes those feelings he has a decision to make, is he strong enough to tell Trent how he feels - to risk losing him all together - are his feelings strong enough and sure enough to make this move?

“Love does take. Loving someone takes strength. Love takes hard work. And sometimes… Love takes sacrifice. I remember thinking, feeling the only thing worse than being with Drew was being without him.”

Once these two finally come to terms that they have feelings and are attracted to each other, with a little help from a female version of Drew called Joey, their relationship goes from best-friends to best-friends who also love each other and complete each other. They don't define what they have with traditional terms rather they pave their own way which is fitting since these two are also the ones who are paving the way for a new breed of racing. I loved their moment as they defined to each other what they were now...

“If you don’t want me to be your boyfriend, what do you want me to be?” This was highly amusing but in a kind of appropriate way. It seemed like there was nothing traditional about Drew and me, so why should the way we referred to our relationship be? “You’re my person,” he concluded after a moment of silence. “My exclusive person.” I laughed. “Your exclusive person, huh?” He nodded. The scruff on his jaw scratched against my chest. “And I’ll be yours.” “Kind of like out of everyone—women and men alike—I’m the person you chose,” I mused. “I like it.”

They were each others "Exclusive Person" this was the perfect answer for these two.. you just knew from this moment these two would have an amazing relationship

As you can imagine these two have some fun learning all the new ways to please each other as their relationship grows. You have to remember they went from previously hetero relationships to now same sex interactions so of course they are not going to jump right in bed and go to town, but they do have plenty of fun and it's pretty damn hot while they are working their ways up to a big sha-bang. The only thing I disliked about this book was the ending that killed me - but since the next book was already released I just jumped right to it and all was well. I have completed faith you will love this story and I recommend it to all my fellow male/male addicts. Cambria Hebert did an excellent job and I will be looking for more male/male stories from this author if she writes any more in the future. 5 Stars to #Junkie!


Review Copy of #Junkie purchased by the Reviewer and reviewed for Alpha Book Club

[Dia · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 stars full of adrenaline
I liked Trent and Drew so much!
I love friends-to-lovers books and this one was really good.
Both guys were straight, but attracted to the other, both scared they'll ruin their friendship.
This book was so easy to read, I just didn't want to let it go.
At first the action went too slow for my taste, because I couldn't wait for them to face their attraction and their feelings. The scene in the bar made me smile and say "at last"!!
So, a lot of tension and a lot of racing. Wish I knew more about cars :D
I really liked the dual POV so we knew what they were thinking and feeling.
I enjoyed this book a lot and I really admire Trent's need to protect Drew. So sweet!
The end of the book left me wanting more! Can't wait to read the next one!

[Gustaf · Rating 5 out of 5]

I came to care a lot about Drew and Trent. Enough that I can’t give this book less than 4 stars. But, it’s slow, so much cars and ends with a cliffhanger. Ugh. Gonna start book two right away though.

Reread 2022-05-28
I liked this more the second time around. This time I didn't have to worry about what would happen with the frat or after the cliffhanger. Drew and Trent are right up there as my favorite book boyfriends.

Reread 2023-05-13
I still stand by my 2022 review. Drew and Trent for the win. They are just... wow.

[Gabby · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars
"Kissing him was like seeing the ocean for the first time. Meeting something so big it made you feel small. It was like finally understanding the answer to an impossible question."
SHIT, this book was so cute. This is a M/M romance that follows two best friends, Trent and Drew as they start to unexpectedly fall for each other. I've been reading a lot of M/M romance lately, and I'm still a sucker for the friends to lovers trope, and this one was done so well and so realistically. I can honestly say this is one of my favorite M/M romances ever. I just adore Drew and Trent so much and I feel so giddy and happy even thinking about them together.

Drew is an indie racer and he races cars for a living, and Trent is in college and he's the president of his Frat house, and a football player. Apparently this is a spin off series of a previous series from this author where Drew and Trent are minor characters (I didn't realize this until after I read the book) and now I'm kind of curious to hear more about their back story. But I loved this story even without knowing their previous history. The prologue to this book was one of the cutest things I've ever read and I kind of instantly knew this was going to be a new favorite of mine. I adore how passionate Drew is about racing and he's so confident about it. I'm not really a "car person" but I loved reading about his car and all the racing scenes, they were all written so well and the suspense was real.

Drew and Trent's romance is such a slow burn romance, in a good way. It takes them a long time to realize they have feelings for each other, and an even longer time to act on those feelings, but I appreciated that as a reader. These two are best friends and have never considered themselves to be gay so of course it's going to take them a long time to admit these feelings for each other. I just appreciated how realistic it was. They didn't even have their first kiss until after the halfway point of the book and the tension between them was so intense! And there was no actual sex at all in this entire book, only oral mainly. They never even got that far in their story yet. I wasn't expecting it to end on a cliffhanger, so I was kind of bummed about that, but at the same time I'm so excited to read the next book. I was so sad to see Trent get jumped by his frat brothers at the end. ): That's so fucking sad. But I also kind of hate that Trent is going to try and let that come in between them. To me it just felt like the author didn't exactly know how to end it and just decided that would be the best place to end it, and I didn't care for it, which is why I ended up taking off half a star on my rating. It felt so out of character for Trent to let other people affect his relationship. If anything I would expect it more from Drew but not Trent, idk.

I just loved this book so much more than I was expecting to and I can't wait to read the next book in this series. I adore Drew and Trent together so much, and I will definitely have to check out more books by this author! I love her sense of humor and the sexual tension she creates between her characters is so great. It's a great balance of humor, heart and romance all wrapped into one book with two incredibly charming and amazing male leads. I loved this book.

[I~❤️~Books · Rating 5 out of 5]

💗 ✮5 Stars✮ 💗

I loved, loved, LOVED this book!
This a story about two best friends who fall in love with each other. Trent and Drew are amazing together. Chemistry, between Trent and Drew ... and the slow burn..damn..it was so sexy. :D Can't wait to know what happens next!