First thank you to NetGalley, Avon and Annie England Noblin for the opportunity to read this book.

I enjoyed the small town romance and the reconnecting after many years.
The main characters both had things I liked and disliked about them. Funny enough Mylie and Ben were both stubborn and had their set comfort zones which at times was so infuriating lol.
I liked the side characters and the tidbits they brought to the story, made the plot seem very homey.
Overall I thought it was a nice, cozy, small town read.

I received a digital copy of this book from NetGalley for review. My opinions are my own.

4/5 stars

I can’t tell you what drew me to this book. It wasn’t particularly well written. Some of the characters were a bit cliche. But I could not stop reading it.

I really enjoyed that the main character, Mylie, owns her own tackle shop. Not only does she own it, but she is the employer of half the men in her town - clearly a strong woman.

I did find Ben a bit annoying but happy he pulled his head out of his ass eventually.

This had to be a joke, right?

There is no way the author spent 60% of the book barely giving the main couple more than two paragraphs at a time and still expected me to believe in their happy ending.

By 98%, they still weren’t together—WTF? At that point, what was even the point? And don’t get me started on the supposed “fling” aspect… because where was it?

While a cute and promising concept, I think a lot of this book falls flat. Ben and Mylie just feel so wrong for each other. The crux of the book is that they both want different things in different places and one of them will have to sacrifice a lot more than the other to be together. This is a book couple I don't see lasting long after the end of the story, which is not how a romance novel should make you feel. Also, why did they like each other? I felt like there was no development of feelings or rationale behind why they wanted to be together other than they knew each other as kids.

The small-town setting was fun, but also made it feel soap opera-y at times, which was disappointing. The melodrama and crazy-quirky event after crazy-quirky event just felt so unrealistic.

Overall, this is a bit underdeveloped and forgettable.

So overall this was a pretty good book, however I really struggled with the lack of chemistry between the two main characters. Mylie and Benjamin were clearly better as friends, and probably should have stayed that eat. I loved the setting and flashbacks were very fun to read, but it was hard getting through a good chunk of the story. I would be interested to read more of this authors work as the world she built drew me in, I just struggled with the characters.

This is a cute story of the boy (Ben) and girl (Mylie) that live next to each other; yet neither on is willing t tell the other how they really feel about the other. There is definitely a wonderful and quirky cast of characters. It's a heartwarming story about the love of family, friendship and small town life. Clay Creek is the typical small town where everyone knows everyone else and there are no secrets. The one huge draw to Clay Creek Arkansas is the annual fishing tournament and the summer vacationers.
The story is told from two POVs, Mylie and Ben; it also goes between past and present. Ben moved here when he was in the 6th grade and has always had plan to leave as soon as he graduated. He leaves and he and Mylie try to keep in touch; but, time and distance get in the way. He does eventually comes back to town to sell his grandfather's house; will he realize that what he planned for and what he actually wants might be two completely different things? Will Mylie be willing to expose her heart and risk heartbreak to keep the only man she's really loved?

this was so good!!!! i loved the friends to lovers and the small town was so perfect. It was a little hallmark-y for me and I didn't expect that but it was still a sweet palette cleanser. It did drag at some points and the pacing was a little off at others but overall it was a cute little book.

I can’t quite decide on a good rating for this book, it was a fun and cute read but very hallmark-y. So if that’s what you’re looking for, I definitely recommend!

Oof. I don't even know where to start with this book. Mylie or is it Miley (seriously the author flipped between the two throughout) lives in the small Missouri town of Clay Creek with her grandmother and little sister. She is surprised to learn that the house next door is put up for sale and her high school friend Ben is returning to get it sold. She reconnects with Ben and the two begin a whirlwind romance.
I liked the town of Clay Creek and enjoyed all the personalities found there and I liked Mylie/Miley's relationship with her family, but that's about where the positive ended for me with this book. I felt zero connection between Mylie/Miley and Ben and don't believe they will be happy together in the long run considering their entire relationship is bad arguments. There was zero relationship development between the two and it felt like the author was relying so much on the fact that they knew each other in high school to make up for the fact that there was not a relationship developed. 10 years is a long time and people change and need to build a relationship on who they are now and not who they were. I also felt like the tone of the book did not match the cover or lighthearted "Spring Fling" title. There were several really dark plot points that don't fit the vibes of the cover and description.
The story itself probably could have gotten three stars out of me, but the incessant typos brought the book down to a two star book for me. In addition to the Mylie vs. Miley thing above, the same thing happened with the her friend Jodie / Jodi, to the extend that it flipped back and forth on the same page. There were also things like the fact the sister and her boyfriend 100% broke up because he cheated on her but at the end he was again referred to as her boyfriend with no explanation, or that Jodi/Jodie went from being described as having a long term boyfriend to being married with no wedding taking place. I also found several misspellings of common words that 100% should have been picked up by any sort of proofing software. It's just poor writing and and tells me the author isn't rereading her work or doing any sort of proofing. I know this is an "uncorrected proof" but the publisher should be embarrassed by the state in which this book was sent to early reviewers. Was this a rough draft? Did no one at the publisher read the book before sending out ARCs? I can see the occasional typo lingering around until it goes through copy editing (assuming these books go through copy editing), but the amount of issues are appalling. I am not a close reader, so for me to have caught all of this means there are probably a lot more.

Mylie and Ben have been best friends since sixth grade when Ben’s family moved to Clay Creek from Chicago. That is until Ben moves back to Chicago for college and the two loose touch. After both his grandfather and mother are gone, he goes back to Clay Creek after ten years to get the estate in order so he can sell. Mylie has a business that’s thriving and the life she’s always wanted. Ben coming back brings up old feelings and disrupts her life.

Ben: I loved Ben. He was funny and sweet while still being driven and having depth. His relationship with Mylie starts off being broken, but quickly turns into something he’s wanted forever.

Mylie: She is a strong willed woman who doesn’t need a man to care for her or protect her. She starts off a little weary of Ben’s returning but gives in to an old desire.

Will Ben break Mylies heart and leave again or will they finally get the ending everyone including themselves want?

This was an extremely cute second chance romance set in a small town. Mylie and Ben have all sorts of chemistry and I found myself rooting for them the entire time. With a full cast of side characters that made this story even more funny and endearing, I can’t recommend this one enough!

Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for a copy in exchange for an honest review.

Cute and easy read.
Didn’t really stand out to me.
If you like Hallmark movies this is the book for you.

Ah young love! Mylie and Ben were best friends through the school years. But even if they felt the young love they didn't act on it. Now years later Ben is back to deal with the family property. Mylie has taking the family tackle shop to a whole big level. She is one of the town's main employers, Can Mylie and Ben be friends again or can it be something more. A cute second chance story.

This is a cute story, but it was a bit too cute for my taste. The characters were a bit irritating at times, particularly regarding the miscommunication. I did enjoy the small town setting, As well is the dual timeline between the past and present day.

I want to start by thanking the author and publisher for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book. This book was cute! I highly recommend!

Mylie and Ben have been friends in school. Best Friends. 10 years ago he left to go to Chicago to school,. 10 years later he is back to sell his grandfather's cottage and is preparing to go to Chicago for a teaching job at a college. He and Mylie, who still lives in town and runs her own visit, still living with her Granny and taking care of her sister. She and Ben end up becoming friend again. Do they get honest with each other and tell each other how they feel. How will it end as he his going to be leaving again and then what will happen Thus is a new author for me. I thought this was A VERY GOOD READ.

The tropes and premise of this book really reeled me in (bad pun intended) — childhood friends to lovers, small town, etc. In the end though, I feel like it fell a little flat for me. Something about the pacing and stakes felt off. Things seemed to move too quickly while also dragging in other areas, and Mylie and Ben both felt somewhat two-dimensional. They seemed to fall into the same routines and mistakes despite knowing they were setting themselves up for failure — that on its own can be interesting and showcase their desperation and desire to be with each other, but it never really made it up to that level. I think part of the problem was it just felt like they were running through the motions because the prose felt like ‘telling not showing’ at times. I knew that Mylie had loved Ben for years because she said it and through small hints into flashbacks, but Ben's feelings for Mylie seemed more to come out of nowhere and seemed like a result of their proximity rather than years of repressed feelings. The components were all there, but something about the execution left me feeling like I was missing something. That being said, I really loved the relationship between the Mason women! Granny was a hoot, and Cassie and Mylie’s relationship was probably the strongest relationship in the entire book, for me at least.

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon + Harper Voyager for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this book so much!! I've never read Annie England Noblin before but after this book, I will be on the lookout for more of her writing. It was such a sweet, and feel-good read. Although Mylie and Ben are the main characters, Granny truly stole the show (iykyk). I felt like this book was very relatable. Ben and Mylie were the best of friends when they were younger and as they got older, life happened and they lost touch. Eventually, he comes back to his hometown to fulfill his late mother's wish and reconnect with Mylie. The only thing I didn't love about the book was the time jumps. I couldn't always follow if we were in the past or present but over time, I adapted.

Favorite quote:
“Did you miss me?”
“Every single day for the last ten years..”

Read if you like:
- Small town
- Friends to lovers
- Second chance
- Dual POV

I enjoy reading Annie England Noblin books and Spring Fling hooked me - line and sinker. I was lured by the long time friendship of Ben and Mylie and the cast of characters especially Fat Tony. Maybe someday we will read more about Cassie and catch up with Granny, Morris and the others.
I found this to be a perfect spring feel story and recommend it to those who like friends to lovers plotline.
My thanks to #NetGalley, and #Jen McGuire from the William Morris Group/Harper Publishing for the opportunity to early read this five star story.

I’m conflicted with this review. I loved things but I also didn’t love things. I didn’t like the side characters Banting, I felt like the main relationship was just ok. I did enjoy the writing tho!

"Spring Fling" by Annie England Noblin is a delightful, lighthearted read filled with fun, quirky characters and a charming storyline. The humor and heart woven throughout make it an enjoyable escape. While not overly deep, it’s a perfect feel-good book for a relaxing afternoon.