The small town setting of Clay Creek was really charming - loved the tight knit community. The characters surrounding the main couple—like Mylie’s quirky Granny and little sister Cassie—definitely added some fun and heart to the story. The storyline had its engaging moments and I was able to breeze through this book but the romance felt a bit forced. Mylie and Ben hadn’t spoken in over a decade, and then suddenly they were all over each other? Lots of tension and unresolved issues between them. The constant miscommunication and back-and-forth made it hard for me to buy into their relationship long-term. Overall, a solid story that many may enjoy. It is a light, breeze romance with the small town feel. It just didnt win me over completely.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher Harper Voyager / Avon for this eARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

A sweet friends to lovers romance set in a small town. I enjoyed the characters both the main and the side ones. This was just a cute story. I got the warm and fuzzies while reading it.

I received an arc from Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

♡ Thank you for the free book and ARC, Avon Books and NetGalley.

This was a lovely small town, second-chance romance. The slow-burn, friends-to-lovers elements were enjoyable and our FMC was the sweetest. I especially loved Mylie’s goal-driven and nurturing personality. Granny was a hoot and Ben was a catch. It was just a light, enjoyable read. And the cover is adorable.

Spring Fling is a cute, quick read with the perfect amount of romance! I read previous reviews on this book that mentioned they didn’t love the love story because they found it unrealistic or not relatable- I couldn’t disagree more because it reminds me of my own love story! Mylie and Ben were childhood best friends who went their own separate ways after high school graduation. Fate brings Ben back 10 years later (fate being his family home that he needs to put on the market) and he and Mylie finally embrace their feelings towards one another and give love a try. I loved the sacrifices they were willing to make for each other, and Granny is the best character of them all. I do wish the book had more character development all around.

It's been a decade since Ben left Clay Creek and Mylie behind. Ben had always planned to leave, therefore, he never acted on his attraction to Mylie, but the timing may finally be right for a little spring fling.

Spring Fling was a fun and cute small town romance. Everyone in these parts knows how much I love characters with history, and Mylie and Ben shared plenty. I was treated to learning all about their friendship via flashbacks, and I must say, they made many wonderful memories together. Though their relationship had lapsed, they were able to easily slip back into that friendship which I kept hoping would turn to more.

One of the things that made this story so much fun was Clay Creek. As with most small towns, this one was packed with quirky characters who added a lot to the story. Granny, Cassie, and Jodie were standouts who amplified the chaos and shenanigans. I really enjoyed all the events and festivities I got to attend as well.

Overall, I enjoyed spending time in Clay Creek where I had a great time mingling with the townsfolk as Mylie and Ben tried to figure out if they had a future together.

I enjoyed reading Spring Fling by Annie England Noblin. You will fall in love with all the characters. I received an ARC of this book courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher. All opinions expressed in this review are my own and given freely. Happy Reading!

Spring Fling by Annie England Noblin is your classic small town friends to lovers second chance romance and it checks off all the boxes!

Initially I was wary coming into this book because of some of the other reviews but DO NOT LET THEM DISCOURAGE YOU FROM READING THIS FANTASTIC BOOK!

If you adore friends to lovers like me, you will love this book! It’s one of my all time favorite tropes and Noblin does a fantastic job at making a classic her own.

I love the dynamic between Mylie and Ben and the reverse side of the more common “girl wants to leave small town” trope. The dual timeline really adds something special to the book and really helps you understand their relationship when they were younger.

I enjoyed reading this all the way through and if you like Hallmark style sweetness and a couple good open door spice scenes you should give “spring fling” a try!

I found this a very sweet story about old friends finding that they still have the attraction that they had when they were high schoolers. Mylie is a great heroine. I really liked how she lives with her Granny and younger sister and doesn’t wish to leave and be on her own. She has built her own successful tackle business.

The problem is that Ben is set to move to Boston where he has a great offer to be a professor at a university there. So the problem is how they will resolve the problem of living in two different locations. This is a common trope in romances and I never find the resolution very believable. Of course, it will work out fine since this is a romance novel. Overall, I enjoyed the town and the relationships.

I voluntarily reviewed an advanced reader copy of this book that I received from Netgalley; however, the opinions are my own and I did not receive any compensation for my review.

This was a cute book. The book was a quick read even though it was in third person. Whole book is in third person speech which is not my favorite. Thank you NetGalley for this book.

QUICK GLANCE-
My format-ebook ARC
Other formats: Audio🎧 (8 hours and 28 minutes) and 📖Physical (304 pages)
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️(Skip chapters 35 and 44 for closed-door modification, Ch 39 contains brief explicit content)
Language: 🤐🤐mild/moderate

MY THOUGHTS:
This book was just alright for me. It’s a charming second-chance, small-town, friends-to-lovers romance centered around Mylie and Ben, with glimpses into both their youthful past and present-day lives. While their dynamic was undeniably sweet, their relationship developed so quickly that I struggled to feel the emotional connection, tension, and gradual build-up that make second-chance romances so impactful. The small-town charm added a lovely touch, but ultimately, the side characters and side characters overshadowed the main romance, leaving me wishing for more depth and focus on their story.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest thoughts.

I'm not normally huge on romance books, but Spring Fling was the perfect book to read as the weather starts to warm up. I loved this small town, second chance romance story between childhood best friends and was rooting for them every step of the way. Granny was also such a fun character that reminded me of a few people in my own hometown.

Thank you Netgalley for letting me read this ARC

4 ⭐

3.5 stars

Spring Fling is a perfect spring read! It is a light and airy romance just like the time of year. If you love small town and second chance romances, then you’re going to love this book!

It is a quick and cute read but I felt like the love interests didn’t belong together. There was a sense of wrongness even though the romance was cute. As the title states, Fling, which I think that it’s more of that versus long lasting.

This book is still a great read for when you’re sitting out on your porch, deck, in the grass, in your garden or just snuggled up in bed!

Mylie has been secretly in love with her former next door neighbor for years. When he comes back to town to sell his grandpa's house. He is able to see Mylie again and he has secret feelings too. 🙄 But he has plans to move to Boston not live in Clay Creek, Arkansas.

Second chance romance, quirky southern town full of quirky hilarious people. I really enjoyed this book. It was a pleasant surprise. A good escape from reality.

Thanks to NetGalley for the arc and to Libro FM for the alc of this book.

This was a really beautiful debut romance. I really enjoyed this story and found it to be addicting and mesmerizing. I think if you love books by authors such as Emily Henry or Abby Jimenez, you will fall head over heels for this love story. Amanda Stribling does a fantastic job with the audiobook narration too. I will be definitely on the lookout for more books by Annie England Noblin in the future! 5 stars!

I’m always happy to find another book written by Annie England Noblin but sometimes I forget just how much fun they can be. Spring Fling is terrific, one of the best. Fast-paced and smooth-moving plot, wonderful characters, alternating in time with flashbacks to when Ben and Mylie met in 6th grade through their high school graduation and what’s happening now in the present in Clay Creek, when they’re 28 years old and he has briefly returned after a 10-year absence. No communication between them for most of those ten years; she has always loved Clay Creek; he could never wait to leave it. He’s just here to sell his grandfather’s home. In fact, he’s only actually here because he promised his mother before her death that he would spend a little time in Clay Creek.

Ben and Mylie’s relationship was complicated. The best friends part was simple: they knew everything about each other, were beyond comfortable together. What wasn’t so simple was the deeper feelings each had but was afraid to share. She knew he wanted to get out of town as soon as he could; he had big plans for life and they couldn’t happen in Clay Creek. She wasn’t going to ask for something she knew she couldn’t have. He didn’t want to lie to her, to make promises he knew he couldn’t keep, so he never spoke up either. And they drifted apart. She was devastated but built the business she always wanted, has close family and friends, casually dates and is at home in her town. He continued his education and now has a shot at a good teaching job (he’s a professor now!) and the start of the life he’s dreamed of. His mother and grandfather are both gone now and he doesn’t really have close friends and has only casually dated, too. But this was the plan and things have gone according to plan so he’s happy, right?

He plans to pretty much sneak in to Clay Creek, get that house sold, and sneak back out. But Clay Creek is the town where everybody knows your name, and your business, and just stopping at a gas station alerts the gossip chain before he even makes it to the house. He hasn’t been back for so long he tries to unlock the front door of the wrong house, the house next door, which by the way is where Mylie lives with her grandmother and half-sister. Their first encounter in ten years – late at night, in the dark, her in her nightgown with a shotgun – is funny, and poignant and sets up the rest of the story.

You can almost see the electricity from the sparks between them and right away you try to figure out where that could go. We already know that Mylie loved him then and probably loves him now but he’s on a short, focused mission and it doesn’t look like anything has changed. We have no idea what’s really going on in his head except the doesn’t like the laser focus of everyone in town, the intrusion into everyone else’s business and don’t find out until much later. He loved big city life in Chicago and didn’t want to come to Clay Creek when he was a child and his father died, and he’s convinced he’ll always love big city life best. But those sparks, and maybe something deeper between them, are pretty intriguing. Have to see what happens.

Spring Fling is tender, romantic, sometimes heartbreaking. Mylie and Ben are likeable, lovable, irritating, exasperating with an equally wonderful well-crafted, interesting group of characters around them. You might love them or you might hate them, but you won’t be able to stop turning pages.

Thanks to William Morrow Group Harper Collins Publishers for providing an advance copy of Spring Fling via NetGalley. It was a great read with a completely satisfying ending and I recommend it without hesitation. I voluntarily leave this review; all opinions are my own.

This is the first book I have read by Annie England Noblin.  I enjoyed her writing style and the fun characters, as well as the quirkiness of Clay Creek, a small town in Arkansas.  I liked how Molly decided to bid on an adventure giveaway that would put her outside her comfort zone and how she would learn so much about herself and how her past was affecting her today. Hiking, snorkeling, kayaking all made Molly face her fears and realize she no longer wanted to be a lawyer in her dad's firm, which she was now a partner in.
I also liked meeting Eric who had trust issues and a past that still affected his present and his relationships.  Amazing how the ten days brought Molly andEric together to face those fears and trust issues together.   I received an advance copy of this book and I willingly chose to write an honest review.

if I'll be honest, I'm not quite sure how to rate this book. As someone who loves a good second chance romance, I loved the story, the banter with the two main characters, friends and family, but I also felt like some things were missing to the story to just make it a smidge better.

storyline: Spring Fling follows the story between Mylie and Ben, two childhood friends, in Clay Creek that develop feelings for one another in high school. But, with Ben moving after high school graduation, the two ultimately thought it was best to not act on their feelings, leaving a lot unsaid and emotions buried. Ten years go by, and Ben finds himself back at Clay Creek tying up loose ends and reflecting on his feelings for Mylie. And, as for Mylie, her life has always been built in Clay Creek that his sudden reappearance has her reflecting on potentially what she missed and if Clay Creek could be her only home. Now with the two of them together, can they look past the ten years that went by? Had things already changed? Is this finally their shot?

what did I like? Like I said before, I am a SUCKER for second chance romances!!! I think the relationship that Mylie and Ben had was typical for friends who end up developing feelings for each other. There is going to be some miscommunication and frustration because how do you go from being the bestest of friends to suddenly lovers. If you're lucky enough to date your best friend, sometimes it's the smoothest transition, but I'm sure other times it could be like ???? especially with ten years of time in between. I think seeing the banter between the two and especially with others from town that they grew up with really gave you the small town feel and being a part of the story. I honestly thought this was a pretty fun read because of the added characters that were in the main characters lives.

what made me give it four stars? Even though I really liked this book, I did feel some things were missing. First, there were aspects that kind of jumped out of no where, which thankfully didn't take away from the main story, but did make me do a double take at times. Also, I do wish Mylie and Ben did get a chance to actually hash out their feelings and thoroughly communicate/put everything out on the table. I feel like a part of them was also kind of worried about what the townsfolk would think of their relationship (in the sense that they always had an imagine to maintain or a certain role to play) that it left them both a bit stubborn to actually fight for what they wanted until the very end. I wish we could have gotten a bit more of their final relationship towards the end of the book but also, I still am satisfied with how it ended!

Overall, I thought this book was a fun, light hearted read that I would recommend to others!

Thank you Netgalley, the author, and team for the opportunity to read this arc! I love being able to share my thoughts with others and hope to hear their opinion as well!

Huge thanks to NetGalley and Harper Collins for the ARC!

This book had so much potential—small-town charm, childhood best friends reuniting, and the perfect setup for a yearning-filled, heart-tugging romance. But unfortunately, it just didn’t quite stick the landing.

Mylie and Ben’s story had all the ingredients for an emotional, slow-burn friends-to-lovers romance, but the character development was too shallow to make their connection feel real. Their childhood and present-day “conflicts” were barely touched upon, and instead of delivering those delicious moments of angst and longing, the romance felt… well, kind of bland. The tension fizzled when it should have sparked, and the emotional beats just didn’t hit as hard as they could have.

That said, Spring Fling is an easy, breezy read. I finished it in one sitting, and if you’re looking for a lighthearted, low-stakes romance with a cozy small-town vibe, it’s worth a try. But if you’re after deep character growth and a romance that truly makes your heart ache (in the best way), this one might leave you wanting more.

This book was a nice refreshing small town romance with great dialogue. I could not put this book down, it had me giggling and invested in the characters by the 5th chapter which is unusual for me, books typically take me until about a quarter of the way through! This is a fun and lighthearted read but I wish it had slowed down a little bit. Some parts of the book felt rush and a little more build up would have made it the perfect read for me.

An edgy hallmark movie! This book had a DELIGHTFUL small town, quirky characters, and predictable HEA with the edition of banter on steroids (serious LOL throughout), brief spice scenes, and some colorful language.

I truly enjoyed the short, quick chapters. It helped pack in the fun action and move the story along in a refreshingly entertaining way. I have found myself stuck with some "heavy" emotional themed romance books so I am beyond GRATEFUL for the lighthearted laughs and easy to digest themes in this book.

Read this is you are a fan of:
*second chance
*small town chaos and quirky characters
*beloved racoons ... looking at you Fat Tony
*Lake life and fishing
*Found family
*Low spice - brief open door scenes with mild descriptions
*Language - brief swearing throughout

This book was easy to read, made me laugh, and packed in all the feels - would recommend it for sure.