The Willing by Lindsay Lees

This is my post during the blog tour for The Willing by Lindsay Lees. In The Willing 15-year-old Gypsy Capone soon will be considered a woman. To save her body and even her soul, Gypsy chooses a dangerous path—to single-handedly confront this scary and unpredictable world.

This blog tour is organized by Lola's Blog Tours and the tour runs from 16 August till 5 September. You can see the tour schedule here.

The Willing
By Lindsay Lees
Genre: Dystopian
Age category: Adult
Release Date: 14 June 2021

Blurb:
In less than a year, fifteen-year-old Gypsy Capone will be considered a woman in Ovoidia, a “utopian” city-state where every woman can be approached for immediate sex by any man, where curving architecture adds weird whimsy, sporks are the only cutlery, and true intimacy between the genders is a sign of suspect subversion. After all, if a woman just plays along, she’ll also do her job and have children, with the reward of a fine home in the “Communities,” where she and the other “Mamas” live together in harmony with everything they need. Right?

The irony: Diam and Isis, the two leaders of Ovoidia, are themselves females. Fun, yes! And just below the surface, perversely sinister. They personally execute these precise sacrifices by women to establish their “happy,” absurdly totalitarian utopia, and are backed up by their chosen army of male “crusaders,” enforcing a crime-free, fully controlled society.

Men are relegated to work in the “City” where they may “enjoy”—right there on the street if they wish—any woman they want and are welcome to satisfy their sexual and emotional needs at establishments called Gaje Clubs where only the most “gifted” among women are chosen to work.

Not surprisingly, in Ovoidia women have evolved until they feel nothing of sexual pleasure. But in Gypsy’s deepest heart, she realizes her own dark secret: she is the exception. Next she discovers to her horror that her secret, if known, could result in the ultimate punishment—genital mutilation.

To save her body and even her soul, Gypsy chooses a dangerous path—to single-handedly confront this scary and absurd world. She has the support of her allegiant sister Sadie and Miles Devine, a rogue, secretly gay crusader, and also “Doctor,” a morally questionable physician to help her. But none of them fathom the levels of paradox, incongruity, and twisted evil they will soon face, and the ride becomes something even Gypsy could have never imaged.

Links:
- Goodreads
- Bookbub
- Amazon
- B&N
- Kobo

About the Author:
Lindsay Lees is originally from Los Angeles and holds dual citizenship in the U.S. and the United Kingdom, and while growing up and later in college, she split her time between the two countries. Lindsay earned a B.A. in 2008 from Manchester Metropolitan University, and next an M.F.A.in Creative Writing from California College of the Arts. The Willing is Lindsay’s debut novel. She currently lives a quiet Southern life with her husband and a houseful of pets.

Author links:
- Website
- Facebook
- Instagram

Giveaway
There is a tour wide giveaway for the blog tour of The Willing. One winner wins a $20 Amazon or Barnes and Noble gift card (winners choice).

For a chance to win, enter the rafflecopter below:
a Rafflecopter giveaway

My Take: I really enjoy dystopian books and I always look to see how they do things better or how we need to be aware of things going horrible wrong. This story had many warning signs and hardly any positive notes. This society is very hard to take but you want to continue reading to see where the story progresses. I liked that the author dedicated her book to those who are caught in sex trafficking. I would recommend this book for a mature audience and not for teens unless they are very mature. I received a review copy of this book from Lola Tours and was not required to write a positive review.