Overall Spring Fling is a cute, quick, and lighthearted read, but unfortunately fell about flat for me. I think I didn't enjoy it as much because I never really bought into the chemistry between Ben and Miley.

This would be the perfect beach tree. It’s very easy and light. Missing a little bit of pizzazz, but overall an enjoyable read. Thank you NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for the advanced copy. Publication date March 18, 2025.

This book is fine, it's just boring. I do think they had romantic chemistry but no sexual chemistry. Those scenes should of just been fade to black.

I received an arc through netgalley.

I am a sucker for a small town romance. When you add in best friends to lovers and a quirky cast of characters (Fat Tony will become an instant favorite), I am bound to be hooked. This was a love letter to small towns and all of the things that make them so wonderful. The book centers around Mylie, a hometown girl who has built her own business from the ground up (in handmade fishing lures) and Ben, a Ph.D. in Economics, who moved to the small town of Clay Creek in 6th grade. Spring Fling tells the story by occasionally going back in time, so we can see Mylie and Ben throughout their friendship. It was clear early on that they were always meant to be more, but Ben’s desire to move away for college made them both afraid to make it more. When they reconnect after 10 years, you really find yourself hoping they can figure things out.

A charming second-chance romance. Delightful characters. Well, some were not so great, but added interest and angst to the story. Thanks to the publisher for providing a copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary.

I enjoyed reading Spring Fling by Annie England Noblin. The rural setting of this little town of Clay Creek grabbed my heart. The people there, from the dinner to the bingo hall, were so special and down right hilarious at times. The bingo hall feud was something else! I also loved Granny's role in this story. She's a fiery red headed woman who loves her town , her neighbors, and her family fiercely.
The story as so sweet and had all the right ingredients for something more, but the communication between Ben and Mylie felt disjointed and lacking at times. I was wanting more, the drama was set, but it felt off and needed to be fleshed out. Also I did not understand how Jodi was married this whole time? I thought she had a boyfriend?
Overall it was a sweet small town read!

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

Spring Fling is a charming, humorous, heartfelt, second-chance, friends-to-lovers story that kept me happily engaged from beginning to end.

Note: If you read an ARC of Spring Fling (as I did), you may have had concerns about a reference to Mylie's sister's boyfriend at the end of the story (again, as I did). I'm happy to report that has been changed in the final, published copy of the book and is no longer an issue.

Full review closer to publication date.

ARC received from Avon Books via NetGalley
Fair and unbiased review

I liked this one…until I didn’t. I honestly liked the sister storyline with Mylie and Cassie way more than the romance between Mylie and Ben. I enjoy a second chance, friends to lovers, small town romance as much as the next person, but the build up to being said lovers was….lackluster. I did not feel the chemistry. In addition, the issues their relationship had seemed insurmountable, and the conclusion left me feeling like one party may come to resent the other in the future. Unfortunately, I’m not sure I can recommend this one.

Small-town romances are not usually my thing. However, the description of Annie England Noblin's Spring Fling had me hoping this book would change my mind.

Childhood friends Ben and Mylie haven't seen or spoken with one another in ten years, ever since Ben left for college in Chicago, escaping the tiny town of Clay Creek. Despite each having feelings for the other, they never acted on those emotions. Now, Ben is back in town to sell the home he shared with his mother and grandfather. He never thought he'd return to Clay Creek, but he promised his mom that he would come back and spend a little time there while preparing for the sale. In small towns, there are no secrets and no avoiding the people you once knew. For Ben, that means running right back into his former friend and next-door neighbor, Mylie.

Mylie is spunky and energetic. She adores Clay Creek and has completely committed to life with her grandmother and younger sister. While she has dated other people, the "what if" question about Ben has never left her mind. When he returns to town, they both know he won't be staying. Still, that chemistry sparks again, and Ben and Mylie decide to explore what's between them--even if they know it won't last.

Spring Fling is cute. I liked the characters, but each felt somewhat shallow and underdeveloped, and the plot was predictable. Romance fans who prefer just a small touch of spice in their stories will appreciate the tame romance. While I can't say this story changed my mind about small-town romances, it's a quick and sweet read.

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC!

This book was meh. Second chance, friends to lovers and small town. All great, but there was zero chemistry between the characters in my opinion.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book got off to a slow start, but it got better after that!

This book was mediocre at best, it’s got the whole childhood friends trope and second chance romance which I’m usually a big fan of but this book just felt like it fell short for me.

This book wasn’t bad but it wasn’t amazing either it was just sort of meh, I didn’t have trouble reading it but honestly wouldn’t have been bothered if I’d never read it either.

I wasn’t a big fan of Miley and Ben’s relationship either which was a huge plot of the book, they constantly seemed to be arguing over one thing or another and honestly their comparability seems awful like that couple you know in ten to 15 years will absolutely despise and resent each other .

The book wasn’t for me but I do feel like there’s a large group of people that really will enjoy it.

Thank you Netgalley Avon and Harper Voyager | Avon for the arc.

* Thank you Avon and Harper Voyager and Netgalley for an eARC in exchange for my honest review

WAIT why was this so cute. I wasn't really feeling it in the beginning, but I took a break, and picked it back up again yesterday and finished it in one sitting. I actually loved the fishing aspect of it, but wish we saw more of them as little kids. Also the small town romance vibes were VIBING. I'm obsessed with Clay Creek and the supporting characters really made the book: Granny, Cassie, Melissa, and even the raccoon. I do think the ending was a little rushed, and we didn't really see Mylie and Ben actually being in a real relationship. I just wish there was more depth in their relationship. It sometimes feel like there was no chemistry and they just went in circles when it came to communicating.

This was a sweet small town romance which tried to be a second chance, friends to lovers romance as well. It's the story of Mylie and Ben, two people who have been best friends and secretly in love with the other since the sixth grade. The day after they graduate from high school, Ben moves to Chicago to go to college and doesn't come back for ten years. When he finally comes back, it is only to sell th family home so that he can move to the East Coast for a teaching job at a university. Mylie stayed in the small town and built a life which makes her happy.

Friends to lovers is one of my favorite tropes, and I really wanted to love this book. The relationship between Ben and Mylie was sweet and the main supporting characters, especially Granny, added to the story, but for me the story was slow. I am always up for a slow burn and friends to lovers requires a slow burn for it to work, but this story just seemed to drag. There wasn't any banter between the main characters. The writing didn't make me feel the tug between the characters and the fact that Ben had been away for so long distracted from this being a freinds to lovers story. They didn't know each other any longer and they really didn't spend much time getting to know each other again. It also wasn't truly a second chance romance because neither one of them admitted their love to the other wneh they were in high school. There was a third act breakup and I didn't even tear up because I was so uninvested in the relationship. There also was a side story going on which, in my opinion, did not add to the overall story but rather left me wondering why the author spent so much time on it for it to be so anticlimactic. The side story had the potential to really add to the story, but it fell flat for me.

I have never written a book, but I know it has to be difficult and time consuming and I respect anyone who puts themselves out there in that manner. I know there will be people who will love this book, but it wasn't a book for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for the opportunity to read this ARC and give my honest feedback!
3.5 ⭐️ 1.5 🌶️
There’s a lot to love with this one:
A dual/multi-pov
Small town
A wild neighborhood Racoon
A MMC that hates water he can’t see bottom of(I feel seen, Ben)
Childhood best friends to strangers to lovers
A relatable FMC
Lovable characters

This was a quick and enjoyable read, but I would’ve liked to see more with their relationship. They have physical chemistry, but they fought quite a bit, both in present day and in the flashbacks to their younger years. They mostly manage to talk through those fights after the fact, but I wanted to see more about what brings them together instead of so much of what separates them.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. It was a refreshing and captivating experience, and I found the writing to be both engaging and accessible. The story flowed smoothly, making it easy to stay connected to the plot and characters without feeling lost or overwhelmed. The author struck a perfect balance, keeping things interesting while still making the content feel approachable. Overall, it was a wonderful read, and I would definitely recommend it to others who are looking for an enjoyable and easy-to-digest book.

Thank you to #Netgalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for an ARC of this book!

Spring Fling was a rom-com followed Mylie and her high school best friend Ben. Ben left after high school and they lost touch for ten years. Ben returns to the small Arkansas town and they reconnect. The book also flashes back to the development of their friendship, I liked how these chapters gave some depth to their relationship and made the whole friends to lovers trope believable. With out this it reads more like an enemies to lovers as Mylie and Ben had a lot of disagreements. I think the best part of this story was the small town vibes and Mylie's granny, she had some great lines and was rooting for all the young people in her life.

Overall this was a light easy read, I am giving it three starts because it was nice but did not stand out content or writing wise. I would definitely pick up a book from Annie England Noblin when I need a fun romance!

A sweet small town, friendship to love, old friends reconnecting story with a bit of drama thrown in for good measure. A great cast of characters with the expected nosy small town gossips . Mylie and Ben have loved each other for what seems like forever, but neither told the other. When he left town, he barely looked back. They had very different life goals and dreams so how could anything possibly work? She has her Granny, younger sister and a business she is so very proud of and he never considered their town his home. It was what it was. When he decides to sell his family home so he can move on with his life, he heads back to town thinking he can get in and out without much fanfare. Haha! It’s a nice, easy, sort of predictable (it is of course what we were expecting so not a true spoiler) yet wonderful read to their eventual HEA. A great cast of characters, good writing and a great ending made for a wonderful read.

Cute small town romance. Friends to nothing to lovers. Reads like a Hallmark movie, but I am not mad about it. Was a thoroughly enjoyable read!

Thank you NetGalley, Avon and Harper Voyager and Annie England Noblin for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

3.25 This was a cute, easy and quick read. I enjoyed the story and characters. Granny seems like a woman I want to be friends with.

The two timelines was a fun surprise- starting from when they met in 6th grade, we get some backstory on their relationship as they age and get closer to Ben leaving.

Two best friends, Ben and Mylie, who had feelings for each other but never acted on them reconnect after 10years and jump into a friends with benefits situation that has an expiration since Ben is leaving again. I wish there was a bit more substance to them reconnecting- they barely discussed anything before acknowledging a physical attraction and jumping into bed together. Also, zero conversation about protection or birth control which stuck out to me - I thought we might get an accidental pregnancy trope thrown in.

I noticed a few discrepancies in the book #1 Jodi’s mom tried to match her with Ben at the beginning saying her boyfriend of 5 years hadn’t proposed and then later in the story he’s referred to as her husband when discussing boring married life.
#2 when looking for Cassie, Granny gets a text from Louise about the fish weigh in but then Louise is pointing out where the cabin is (but she’s not with them in the boat).
#3 at the end Cassie brings up her boyfriend, Ryan, but they broke up earlier and there was no reference of them getting back together.
#4 FMC is Mylie or sometimes spelled Miley

Tropes:
Small town
Second chance
Friends to lovers
Slow burn
Closed door-ish
Third person POV
Then and now timeline