The Other Leslie Noyes

The Noyes surname isn’t exactly a common one, at least not in the Texas panhandle where I was raised. And my given name, Leslie, has never once been featured in the top ten baby names for infant girls. Trust me, I checked. So, when I came across a Leslie Noyes on Facebook, my first thought was, “Is that me?”

But since I go by Leslie Hall Noyes on Facebook, I realized it must be some other awesome person with my name. And I was right! The other Leslie Noyes is incredibly awesome. 

For many months we kind of danced around each other on Facebook, trading niceties and observations. I was so relieved to discover that the other Leslie Noyes and I shared progressive political views. After becoming better acquainted we also discovered we shared a birth year and a convergence of important dates. My anniversary and her birthday fall on the same day. So cool.

Like me, the other Leslie Noyes is also a writer. Her book, Willing, isn’t due to be released until March 22, 2021, but because we share a name and have become friends through Facebook, I was fortunate enough to receive an ARC—Advanced Reader Copy. I’m not going to lie; that made me feel extra special.

Another thing I’m not going to lie about is just how good Willing is. For four days I was held spellbound by this book, and when I reached the end, I felt bereft. How was I supposed to go on now that the book’s heroine, Lizbeth Silver, was no longer in my life?

Lizbeth has had her heart broken, not once, but twice. Understandably, she isn’t eager to go through the anguish of allowing heartache into her life again, so being an intelligent, sensible woman, Lizbeth crafts a list of rules for future relationships in which mind-blowing sex is key, while emotional entanglements are not. Just how well do her rules hold up in the real world? You’ll need to read Willing to find out.

Willing is sexy (I’m talking sizzling) and sophisticated. The dialogue is witty, and the other Leslie Noyes is so adept at describing people and places that I felt as if I knew every character personally and had visited each setting while on a wonderful vacation to Vermont and points beyond.

As I read I kept thinking of Willing as a coming of age story, but not one with teenaged protagonists. Who says only young people can experience the revelations of life and love?

I’ll post about Willing again when the book is published in March. But keep it on your radar. It’s fun, sexy, sophisticated, and did I mention sexy? There are several chapters I need to reread, for research purposes, you know. Be sure to check out Leslie’s author page at LeslieNoyesAuthor.com.

Peace, people!