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Sebastian
I used to have a poster of Chris Preacher taped to my wall. And a not-safe-for-parents version hidden under the bed. But that was ten years ago, before he retired and vanished from the public eye. Now he's standing in the middle of my new gym, the legend who inspired me to become a camboy. I have to ask him or I'll regret it forever. Will you film one last video with me? Christian
I have zero complaints about my life as a run-of-the-mill personal trainer, and I have no interest in dipping my toe back into the adult entertainment business. But there's something about Sebastian's proposal that grabs me and won't let go. Or maybe it's Sebastian himself. Sweet and sultry, nervous yet determined, Sebastian's not like anyone I've ever met—in the industry or otherwise. I agree to just one video. But once the camera starts rolling, I don't want it to stop. Sebastian is an age gap, nerd/jock, feel-good MM romance between an industry veteran dipping his toe back into the game and an anxiety-ridden workaholic. Expect camera-melting sex, candle-lit dinners, gentle hand caresses, and endless staring into each other’s eyes. Sebastian is the first book in The Camboy Network series and can be read as a standalone.

276 pages, Paperback

Published August 9, 2023

114 people are currently reading
748 people want to read

About the author

Linden Bell

13 books145 followers

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5 stars
324 (33%)
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408 (42%)
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199 (20%)
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26 (2%)
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 168 reviews
Profile Image for Rain.
2,604 reviews21 followers
August 29, 2024
A heartfelt and steamy gay romance that explores the connection between two men from very different worlds.

Sebastian, an anxiety-ridden workaholic, finds himself drawn to his long-time idol, Chris Preacher, a former adult entertainment legend. What starts as a simple request to film one last video turns into a deep, emotional journey filled with candle-lit dinners, gentle touches, and smoldering on-camera moments.

Teenage crush
Age gap
Nerd/jock dynamic
Self-discovery
Intense chemistry
Tender and genuine

This book is filled with so much vulnerability and plenty of heat, but it's the emotional connection between Sebastian and Chris that made me love this story.

Who would have ever guessed that my teenage idol would turn out to be so kind and caring and supportive? Who would have ever thought that my teenage fantasies would one day come true?

All thanks to Dan’s review for finding this gem!
Profile Image for BookSafety Reviews.
704 reviews1,085 followers
July 29, 2023
Book safety, content warnings, and tropes & tags down below.

«He grins and every piece of conversational small talk I’ve ever learned goes poof from my mind.»

Considering the serious slump I’ve been in when it comes to finishing books, I read this one super fast. I barely even slept, it was that good. Christian and Sebastian had fantastic chemistry, and the development of their relationship felt so sweet and natural. Yeah, a couple of insecurities when trying to sort their feelings and figuring out if their connection was real or just ‘cam work’, but it wasn’t drawn out unnecessarily. It was actually surprisingly low angst, considering the tropes.

«It’s been two days since the shoot and I’m still walking a little weird.»

I really commend the author for managing to show the building intimacy through their first couple of filming sessions. It’s porn, sure, but you could really feel how it was much more than that. It felt emotional and sweet from the start, basically. I really loved it.

«We’ve both been changed so fundamentally there’s no going back. We need each other, desperately, helplessly, hopelessly.»

Books with any form of sex work always make me nervous because of the possibility of ‘other people’, and even though they have both watched videos of each other with other men, they both understand that it’s a job, and there’s no jealousy, other than maybe wanting to swap places with the rando’s. Christian has been retired for 10 years and only films with Sebastian, and Seb doesn’t film with anyone other than Christian after the first time they get together. Nothing to worry about if you’re a worrier like me, in other words. It would’ve been nice to get an on-page conversation where they specifically say they’ll only be with each other, but I’m not too worried about it.

«It was a whirlwind existence that sucked me up and spat me out. I never knew fun could be so stressful.»

Definitely recommend this one. The MCs were perfect for each other. When you read as much as I do the smut kind of blends together after a while, but I thought it was very well done and quite memorable in this book. Kudos. I thought the issues with Sebastian’s anxiety was handled well, too.

«I want to shake Sebastian awake just to tell him. I love you. You’re amazing and I love you.»


Blanket spoiler warning ⬇️

⚠️ Tropes & tags ⚠️
Retired adult movie star, OnlyFans, cam boy, active adult movie star, age gap, size difference (both in height and 🍆), throat-bulging, snowballing, nerd/jock, anxiety, anxiety attacks, personal trainer, red carpet, filming and posting sexual content

⚠️⚠️ Content warning ⚠️⚠️
Explicit sexual content
Anxiety
Anxiety attacks
Professional burnout
Filming and posting sexual content

⚠️⚠️⚠️ Book safety ⚠️⚠️⚠️
Cheating: No
OM drama: No
Third-act breakup: No
POV: 1st person, dual POV
Strict roles or versatile: Strict roles
Profile Image for patrícia.
718 reviews149 followers
May 15, 2024
This was... Exactly what i needed. Incredibly hot and sexy, simple and adorable. A bit insta yes and maybe unrealistic, but sometimes that's just what is needed.

Quick read, I didn't know this author and but I'm a fan, I'll definitely read more. I have to say that the way Christian worship Sebastian was mind blowing, the devotion was pure love basically from scene 1❤️
Profile Image for Brooke.
861 reviews585 followers
October 26, 2023
⭐️ 4.5 stars ⭐️

Drool-worthy.
Christian and Sebastian were HOT together, but had some cute and tender moments, too.
Nice build-up and great sexy smut.
Couldn’t ask for more in a cam-boy romance.

Tropes and NSFW info (spoilers):
- Age gap
- Camboy vs retired pornstar
- MC with anxiety attacks
- Frotting & rimming
- Strict top/bottom
Profile Image for Ditte.
592 reviews129 followers
September 1, 2023
Actual rating: 3.75

I love a good camboy book, and I really enjoyed Sebastian and Christian's story. The last 35% had maybe a bit too much sex but then again it's a book about sex workers so I should've expected that lol
Profile Image for Nina .
399 reviews11 followers
December 28, 2024
4.5⭐️

Adorably spicy, angst-free goodness.
Profile Image for Dani (Daniiireads).
2,009 reviews331 followers
August 10, 2024
Sebastian stumbles across his idol and favorite adult performer Chris Preacher, who retired from the industry several years prior and now works as a personal trainer, while touring a new gym.

After a session with Christian, Sebastian shoots his shot to see if the former star is interested in shooting a scene with him, not really expecting him to accept.

But he does and the pair have explosive chemistry on screen, making their scene a hit with all of Sebastian’s followers and growing his audience even more.

From the start the chemistry between Sebastian and Christian was off the charts, and their spicy scenes together were so freaking hot 🥵

Outside of their intense sexual chemistry, the pair had a genuine connection and a sweet friendship that morphed into more the closer they became.

- camboy + ex adult entertainer
- age gap
- jock x nerd
- size difference
- instalust/love

CW: MC with anxiety, on page panic attacks, mentions of professional burn out
Profile Image for Lady Macbeth.
1,117 reviews30 followers
May 29, 2023
5 stars
I really really loved this book, it's a great start for a new series.

Christian and Sebastian are great characters and I loved them for several reasons.
First: through their stories we got to know how hard and difficult the world of adult entertainment can be. They come from different generations but their experiences led to similar issues.
Christian was a big name back in the days, he worked for porn studios and his life was handled by managers, directors, producers who dictated when and where; that kind of pressure took all the fun out of his work and burned him out.
Sebastian has always worked for himself through his OnlyFans page, but his constant need to keep everything under control (promotions, editing, finances, collaborations) holds him under a huge stress that triggers his anxiety and causes him panic attacks.
I loved how they supported each other through their insecurities and vulnerabilities: Sebastian shows Christian that he can still be himself and having fun doing porn again, while Christian shows him that he can relies on his partner to help him doing the job and to find a better balance between work and mental health.

I also love how the author describes Sebastian's anxiety and panic attacks: how the negative thoughts start creeping into his mind, how they slowly turn into struggles until they're so overwhelming he cannot even breath. Christian was so wonderful during tose times, always helping him go through them, always grounding him.

The sex scenes are insanely hot, but since their first time thier feelings are all over the place and it's impossible to separate sex from love. This book is way more about the romance than their physical connection.

I also love the side characters, Donnie, Saywer, Gavin and Beau from Mars Fitness and Sebastian's friends who will be the MCs of the next books of this series, Noel, Hayden and Rhys. I'm looking forward to read all their stories.

In the meantime, I strongly recommend this one.

I received an ARC from the author and this is my honest review




Profile Image for Book Binge: Reviews by Melissa DaSilva.
936 reviews94 followers
May 28, 2023
This was a great first book for this series. I loved getting to know Sebastian and Christian and all the other characters introduced in this story (we also get a cameo of Donnie from Ripped)!

I related to Sebastian very well throughout this novel due to his anxiety and I felt the author did a great job portraying his inner thoughts and struggles. Christian was an amazing support to Sebastian!

This was a fairly low-angst story that flowed really well. Their romance was absolutely believable and was a great premise with Sebastian meeting and falling in love with his idol! If you liked Linden’s first story Ripped I definitely recommend this one as well!
Profile Image for Marie.
215 reviews12 followers
August 17, 2025
I really enjoyed this. It is definitely Insta-lust with a then building love. Sebastian is absolutely adorable and sweet and full of anxiety. Christian is the strong presence who Sebastian needs to keep himself grounded.

Normally I worry about SW stories because I just don’t want to see them continuing to work and sleep with other people. I understand it’s a different type of sex but still.

This doesn’t have that so no worries! It’s just fluff and deliciously written spice.

No cheating, no OM/OW, not breakup.
Profile Image for True Loveislovereview.
2,878 reviews1 follower
June 8, 2023
Chris Preacher is a retired porn star and Sebastian has seen every video he made. Sebastian is a camboy because of Chris, he was his inspiration.
Sebastian is flabbergasted when he finds out Chris, now Christian is a personal trainer at his new Fitness center Mars. (Yes from the Mars fitness series!!)
Sebastian shocked himself when he offered Christian to join him in a webcam scene for his OnlyFans page.

It’s been years since Christian filmed, the younger guy who offered him a video scene, is an attractive, vibrant sexy guy.

He may be out of practice but oh boy, with Sebastian he feels like he could come again and again.
They are so compatible, it’s super intense, Christian is so turned on by Sebastian.
And Sebastian? He’s crazy about Christian. The man is sweet, attentive and kind, and really helpful when Sebastian has an anxiety attack.

It’s unavoidable, whenever they can kiss they kiss, and gosh can they kiss.
This was a super sweet read, with some hot breathtaking scenes. The characters are slightly developed, enough for this story, Sebastian's anxiety attacks were convincingly pictured.
The whole story has a positive vibe. Overall a great read!
Profile Image for Bee.
1,110 reviews223 followers
December 13, 2024
Aww, I really liked this one! I'm always a bit hesitant about books where one or both MC's work in porn. Not because I'm biased against it or anything, at all! It just causes some disconnect with me because of my own sexuality and such. But I did enjoy this one! The writing is good and there's so much depth to the characters that the porn stuff sort of fell to the background. The connection between Christian and Sebastian is beautiful. I'm definitely going to continue this series!
Profile Image for Ed Davis.
2,914 reviews101 followers
March 25, 2025
I am a big fan of Linden Bell. I especially love the Mars Fitness series. I’m not a big fan of people in the porn industry so I was reluctant to start this book. I admit that I liked it a lot more than I expected to. I’d put that down to good storytelling. Although it doesn’t actually happen in this book the idea of having sex with someone other than my husband isn’t very appealing to me.
Profile Image for loverexreads.
214 reviews37 followers
November 18, 2023
Sebastian by Linden Bell is book 1 in The Camboy Network series.

I'd heard a lot of positive things about this series and was curious to see if they'd be up my alley. I'm always up for a steamy book, but knowing that Sebastian was low angst made me wonder if it would be a good fit for me.

I found myself really liking Sebastian and Christian and it was lovely to see their relationship evolve. Their story was very sweet. I loved that they were so attentive to each other. Sebastian was very aware of Christian's limits and wanted to make sure he didn't impose anything that Christian didn't feel ready to do. It was a big deal for Christian to return after retiring from the porn industry and Sebastian understood that. Sebastian, on the other hand, tended to carry a lot on his shoulders and could be quickly overcome by anxiety. Christian was truly his rock. Sebastian knew he could always count on Christian to be there for him. It was refreshing to see such a healthy and sincere relationship.

I was honestly expecting more sexy times, since I'd been told this was a spicy book and come on, these guys are camboys. I must say, though, that the scenes that were there were exquisite and truly passionate.

I enjoyed being carried along by Sebastian and Christian's romance and getting to know all the camboys around them. I didn't even miss the angst. What's going on with me? I'll definitely be reading the rest of this series.
Profile Image for Lola.
206 reviews17 followers
October 3, 2025
3.25 stars

I was having decision paralysis around what to read next so I ended up randomly grabbing something from the middle of my TBR. I haven't read anything from this author but I have read a few camboy books and liked them. Unfortunately, this one wasn't for me.

The main problem for me was that I didn't feel strongly about the characters. Sebastian and Christian were both perfectly fine, nice people... but I just didn't care about them. I learned so little about either of them by the end and, since it didn't feel like they knew each other any more than I did, it didn't seem believable for them to be in love. I don't even mind the insta/fast love trope that much but I need to feel that the connection between the characters is so undeniable that I can overlook it and I did not feel that here. I LIKED the things that they said to and did for each other (and I always love when one MC helps the other through panic attacks) but it felt unearned, the relationship too underdeveloped, so it wasn't satisfying - it just rang false.

The sex was pretty good but that's to be expected for this kind of book. It needed to have been truly spectacular though if I was going to overlook a lack of plot or connection to and between the characters and it wasn't THAT good.

It's too bad because I had wanted to read the others in this series as well but I'm not interested in reading about characters I can't connect with so I'll probably skip them. Unsure if I'd give this author another try.

Nicknames: babe

I want to pound into him, drive in so deep there isn’t an inch of him I don’t touch. I want to kiss him until our lips are raw, until we’re breathing air from each other’s lungs. I want to leave marks on him with my hands. I want him to be sore for days after. I want to fuck him and make him mine so badly it scares me.


“Is there anything that helps?” He rubs his thumb against my cheek, through the short stubble of my beard and I hum at the tingling sensation it sends through me. “This helps,” he says softly. “This?” I kiss his palm again and it draws the sweetest smile from him. “Stuff that pulls me out of my own head. So yeah, you, when you touch me, it’s grounding.” “Hmm.” If touching him keeps the anxiety at bay, then I’ll happily follow him around every day groping him.


He doesn’t need me to protect him, but I want to protect him all the same.


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Safety (may contain spoilers)

SA/rape: None

Other person drama: None. There is a scene where Christian gets off while watching an OnlyFans video of Sebastian and his friend Noel (the video is described) but that's Sebastian's work and Sebastian had certainly watched lots of Christian's porn work.
Profile Image for Alex (HEABookNerd).
2,462 reviews
February 24, 2025
I loved SEBASTIAN and I'm kicking myself once again for leaving a book on my TBR for such a long time! This was a very low-angst romance between a current camboy and a retired porn star who meet at the gym and decide to do a video together. This was high heat (as one would expect considering the plot) but it was also surprisingly tender and sweet; which I won't lie, is my kryptonite. There was an interesting look at how the industry has changed with the introduction of social media and also how toxic and dark the industry can be, but at it's core SEBASTIAN was about two people finding love and comfort with someone that understands them.

What really made this book for me was the characters -- Sebastian was adorable and I loved how he nerded out over his spreadsheets, how he fanboyed over Christian while still respecting his space and boundaries, and how genuine and real he was. I also strongly related to his anxiety (as someone with anxiety myself) and his struggles over trying to always be his best and anticipate anything that could come up. I felt the representation of his anxiety was written really well and while Christian does help calm Sebastian down and act as a grounding presence, he doesn't magically make Sebastian's anxiety go away. Christian was also a great MC who has reinvented himself as a personal trainer at Mars Fitness after abruptly retiring from adult entertainment many years prior. I do feel like he wasn't quite as developed as a character but that might have just been because he was so settled and comfortable in his life.

When Christian first meets Sebastian he's immediately captivated and can't help but be drawn to him. Together these two were on fire and I loved the way they supported and encouraged each other. They fall in love quickly but it was so sweet and beautiful. I'm really looking forward to reading more in this series and the connected Mars Fitness series because I loved all the little moments with the side characters.

Content Warning: on page anxiety attacks

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Connected Series:
1. The Camboy Network
2. Mars Fitness
Profile Image for Monica.
559 reviews33 followers
August 29, 2023
I was a bit reluctant to read a book about a camboy, but all my doubts went out of the window as soon as I met Sebastian and then Christian.
This is a beautiful story between an ex-porn star and a current camboy. Sebastian's idol has always been Christian and he admits he got into the industry because of the older guy. Christian retired a decade ago due to being burnt out. He has a very peaceful and quiet life, something that changes when he meets Sebastian.
The chemistry between them both was off the charts from the first time they met. I loved how shy Sebastian became around Christian and how the latter tried to understand what it was that Sebastian had that appealed to him so much.
I enjoyed this novel immensely, it was such a beautiful story and even though there is sex, very hot sex, it's not all about it. There are so many feelings involved and a truly deep connection between the MCs. The author did a wonderful job showing that this is not only an erotic novel, and the sex is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the relationship that Sebastian and Christian developed. The MCs are complex and have issues like every single person, I loved that the story wasn't centered exclusively in the adult entertainment industry.
I loved the mental health representation here, it's always great when you see MCs going through anxiety and how the author described it with such accuracy and sensitivity. Also, I liked how insecured Christian felt, even though he was supposed to be a mature guy, settled and a life all worked out for him.
I found this book beautiful, romantic and it made me feel so much. The angst was low, but the story was emotional and sweet. I was really surprised by this book, in a good way, and I can't wait to read the next one.
Profile Image for Yvonne.
1,628 reviews58 followers
January 26, 2024
4⭐️ 4🌶️

Something’s happening here, something more than sex, more than the connection we felt last time. This is deeper, more profound, more elemental. Irreversible.

This was so hot 🥵 but also so freaking sweet 💕 Definitely one of the better camboy books I’ve read because of how much these two connected and felt for each other right from the start. There’s no real focus on Christian’s past porn career or any of Sebastian’s other collaborations. They are briefly mentioned but that’s all.

Sebastian was so eager, wanting to work with Christian (or Chris Preacher as he knew him), it was endearing how considerate he was for Christian’s feelings and reservations about shooting a scene. Likewise, I loved the intrigue Christian felt for Sebastian, so much so that he was willing to get back into the adult entertainment world because it would help Sebastian. 🫶 and their chemistry was 🔥🔥🔥 each spice scene was so well described, I could feel their emotions. The instalust turns to instalove pretty quickly though. However, I did like Christian being there for Sebastian as he dealt with his panic attacks and overall looking out for his well being. No real character development but I wasn’t really expecting any either so I wasn’t disappointed.

This was a quick, hot, low(no) angst read and I’d definitely try another in the series.
Profile Image for m.
826 reviews71 followers
August 29, 2023
Some part of my subconscious must’ve recognized who he was and what he would become to me. My heart must’ve known that it had just met its soulmate.

Swoon!! 💖💖💖

Camboy Sebastian goes to check out a new gym and runs straight into his teen porn crush Chris Preacher who since retiring from porn now works as a personal trainer. Knowing the worst that can happen is rejection he gives Chris his card and suggests they work together - surprising everyone, including himself, Chris says yes!

I loved this!!! I’m a sucker for romances with sex workers (I blame Pretty Woman for this) and this one was sooo good. I loved the contrast of Chris’s experience with a studio versus Sebby’s experience being his own boss and how this played into their developing relationship. It’s high heat and lust-to-love and it worked so well for me. Sebastian’s anxiety was portrayed really well and I loved how Chris could help but couldn’t “fix” him, he still needed his meds. 👌🏻

I’m so excited for book 2! The group of friends Sebby has is interesting and varied so next we get to see bad boy Noel and his rival Bellamy 😍
Profile Image for Kaitlyn.
466 reviews181 followers
June 5, 2023
𝑺𝒆𝒃𝒂𝒔𝒕𝒊𝒂𝒏 𝒃𝒚 𝑳𝒊𝒏𝒅𝒆𝒏 𝑩𝒆𝒍𝒍

x ᴍᴍ ʀᴏᴍᴀɴᴄᴇ
x ᴀɢᴇ ɢᴀᴘ
x ɴᴇʀᴅ/ᴊᴏᴄᴋ
x ʜᴜʀᴛ/ᴄᴏᴍꜰᴏʀᴛ
x ʟᴏᴡ ᴀɴɢꜱᴛ
x ᴀɴxɪᴇᴛʏ ʀᴇᴘ

Rating: 4/5 ⭐
Steam: 3/5 🔥

𝑨𝑹𝑪 𝒑𝒓𝒐𝒗𝒊𝒅𝒆𝒅 𝒊𝒏 𝒆𝒙𝒄𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒈𝒆 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒂𝒏 𝒉𝒐𝒏𝒆𝒔𝒕 𝒓𝒆𝒗𝒊𝒆𝒘

What a great start to a new series by a relatively new author to me! The spice, oh so delicious, it was a great written camboy book. Sebastian and Christian were so good together, the chemistry there from the beginning, and Christian being understanding of Sebastian's anxiety was so well done! Both have hangups and work to try overcome these, reading was an absolute joy! The book was a perfect length and left me super excited for the next one!
Profile Image for Rellim.
1,676 reviews44 followers
Read
June 13, 2023
This is merely for my reference.

I chose to try to read this despite knowing these topics (camboy/sex work/porn) generally don’t work for me. But I enjoyed Ripped & knew some of those characters appeared in this book so much I thought I’d try. Alas, still not my cup of tea. .

This is 110% on *me*.

NOT THE AUTHOR.

I will continue to read Bell’s writing.
Profile Image for M.
1,212 reviews175 followers
September 18, 2024
This was a quick, super hot, but surprisingly impactful read about Sebastian, a young up-and-coming camboy, who meets his veteran pornstar role model Christian, and convinces him to shoot a scene together. Their chemistry is off the charts, and they have a lightening speed progression to being madly in love. It was low angst and filthy and sweet. Sebastian has an anxiety disorder, which was deftly handled and leant the story some depth, otherwise it would have been maybe too superficial and shiny.

Don't ask me why, but I find the camboy thing so interesting, so I am all in for the rest of this series.
Profile Image for LegalGal421.
56 reviews3 followers
March 22, 2024
I didn’t know what to expect when I began this book, but it was about a cam boy and a former porn star, so I figured why not?

This is such a sweet story. Both Sebastian and Christian have issues that they have to work through. The development of their relationship is done at a wonderful pace that isn’t too slow, but also is realistic.

Sebastian is a current cam boy who sees his celebrity crush, a porn star named Chris Preacher working at a gym. He mustered up the courage to ask him for a collab. They are both drawn together, which results in some very hot scenes.

Both of the MC have anxiety issues that manifest in different ways. The author handled it beautifully.

If you are looking for a low-angst, high spice read with some age-gap thrown in, here it is.
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