Spring Fling is a sweet, small town second chance romance with a whimsical vibe and a cozy cast of characters. The audiobook narrator, Amanda Stribling, did a great job bringing the story to life, and there were some parts I actually laughed out loud as well as some heartwarming moments throughout.

That said, it didn’t fully click for me. The third person narration felt off, and the frequent POV shifts—especially to minor characters like Ben’s mom—were more distracting than helpful. I also struggled to connect with the main couple, and some of Ben’s actions felt more like excuses than growth. Still, it’s a light, easy read with charm and low spice. Great for fans of small-town romance, best friends to lovers, and second chances.

We all need a big sister like Mylie👯‍♀️ I loved her character. She knew her worth and took such great care of her family 🩷 However, I really did not care for her and Bens love story. I dont think they were right for each other and it just needed closure in my opinion. I dont really care for the second chance trope anyways so I didnt have high hopes. Overall I didnt dislike the book, it was just a little dull for me. Giving this one 3 ⭐️

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.

The audiobook is wonderful as well!

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!

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and author for this audio ARC.

Very cute spring time read, but lacked depth. Was so close to being great and maybe with more editing it could have been (this discussed a bit more later).

I love the sister-acting-as-a-mother figure conversation. Such an important thing to have represented in books!

Overall, the buildup to the romance and the romance itself was cute, but there was almost not enough chemistry or tension or…something. I think it could have been developed a little bit more. Ben was described as being The One that got away, but readers were not shown how or why he was The One.

Their conversational skills are not great and then all of a sudden they have a physical relationship. I did not expect this in this book - sometimes it’s fine, but for these characters who needed to be fleshed out, it didn’t work. The issues that they had at the start of their relationship were still present at the end.

The secondary characters in this book were chefs kiss. I would have LOVED more Granny. She was so funny throughout the book. The fact there was a raccoon named Fat Tony. Cute and quirky.

I think this would have been fun as a romantic suspense. The beginning of the plot of a romantic suspense is there, with a bit more revising/editing it could have been so neat. Without it becoming a romantic suspense, this plot line is almost useless. Robbie added conflict, but the fishing tournament could have been the plot device to do this.

The narrator did a great job! She was able to convey multiple characters with southern accents and make them all sound different. Talent!

Tropes:
- Friends-to-lovers
- Small town
- Second chance
- Slow burn
- Dual timelines

2.5/3 stars

Spring Fling by Annie England Noblin is a small town friends to lovers romantic comedy.

This book was fine. It’s not terrible, but I don’t think it was for me. I didn’t find the comedy funny or entertaining. Also the romance was not what I hoped it to be. Like I said, it was just fine. I wish the friends to lovers arc was also written a bit blah. Nothing was drawing me into the romance.

I received an ARC of the Audiobook and I think it would have been a better experience if there was a male narrator to go through Ben’s thoughts. It kind of took me out of the story. I think the audio book would have better suited if it was dual narrators.

I really wanted to love this friends to lovers romance, but I just found the story a little lacking and ultimately underwhelming. There is nothing abhorrently wrong with the plot, but outside of the characters and the quirky town, I think the romance didn't have the time to develop and shine the way it should have. While Ben and Miley were very cute together, their relationship progressed so fast and I wasn't able to feel their emotional connection, tension, and build up that often comes with a second chance romance. Overall, the small-town charm was there, but side characters and subplots overshadowed the romance and left me wanting more depth.

What a delightful spring read/listen.

Mylie lives in the small town of Clay Creek, Arkansas with her family and owns a major fishing store.

When Mylie hears her childhood best friend is back in town after 10 years, she has mixed feelings. The possibility they could have evolved their relationship into something more if Ben had not left always had her wondering “what if?”

Ben is not a small town kind of guy, he is there just to fix up his Grandfather’s house and leave asap, or so he thinks.
While Mylie thrives in the small town, owning a major fishing store that employs a good majority of the town.

As Ben and Mylie reconnect and their friendship starts to blossom into something more, they will have to decide if they are able to find a common future in which they can both be happy.

The narrator spoke clearly but the accent was a little different than what I have grown used to in audiobooks, so I found myself rewinding the book often just to double check on what I heard. But she made the book fun and really brought it to life, she speaks in a very even pace. I highly recommend this book & audiobook.


There’s slight family and work issues that adds to the plot, but this book does not focus on drama. There are flashback scenes which help you understand the backstory a little more.


Friends to Lovers
Small Town Romance

Thanks so much to NetGalley and HarperAudio for this ALc / ARC .

3.5 stars

This small town romance is a cute & light story about Mylie & Ben. They were friends growing up but then Ben left for college & never came back. Since his mother’s death, he now needs to come back to town to settle his grandfather’s property. He runs into Mylie & realizes that some feelings just don’t fade over time & distance.

It was a light story but nothing really captivating for me. A quick listen on a summer weekend.

Thank you #NetGalley for the ALC of this book.

Spring Fling by Annie England Noblin

Ben and Mylie were childhood friends and when Ben’s family moved away they lost touch.. Ben hasn’t been back in years… But when he has to deal with the house after his mothers death… He realizes it isn’t just the house he needs to deal with.

I hate books like this. There's no reason these 2 people couldn’t have reached out before he went back. That will never make sense to me. Having said that, it was really cute. I thought Mylie was awesome. I love who she was as a person and the love she has for her sister.

The bouncing between POVs… Yeah that failed for me. I did like the writing and narration but I would love a first person narrative in the next one.

3.5 stars

What a darling listen this was! Spring Fling is a swoony, small-town romance, a perfect little summer read with just a little bit of spice. From the fishing tournament to the gossip mill to her sassy Granny, everything about this book was a southern delight!

I really wanted to like this but the narration is not for me. I really struggled to follow along and often felt I got distracted while listening

I was drawn by the whimsical cover and the potential for a low-spice romance. I listened to it on audio. Nothing that I didn't like, just didn't completely captivate me but recommend for those who are looking for a cute, spring romance. Also read if you like: small town romance, best friends to lovers, side characters/subplots, second chance love. **I received a complimentary audio ARC from the author/publishing company via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts & opinions are my own.

I received a copy of hard to get on NetGalley for an honest review.
I enjoyed some parts of this book, but I also hated a lot of parts in this book. The weird third person narration absolutely hated. I also did not enjoy the fact that it bounced to random points of view like yes I understand that maybe us getting a point of view in grannies or her sister and then that random one of Ben’s mother was beneficial, but at the same time, I don’t necessarily think it was it was kind of confusing, annoying. I also felt like Ben was making excuses just to make excuses.
Overall, the book was cute. I would try something else by this author.

This was a cute read. I’d say in terms of cheesy romance, it hit all the marks. Friends to lovers, small town drama, HEA. Some of the parts were dramatic for seemingly no reason but it still works with a small town setting. The strong female lead saved it honestly. The narrator was great and the accent really helped put me into their world.

This sweet, small-town friends-to-lovers romance has all the charm you could ask for—fishing tournaments, flirty banter, and second chances. Mylie’s thriving in Clay Creek, Arkansas, until her childhood best friend Ben returns with plans to sell his family home and leave town… again. I think part of the reason that I loved this book is because I also live in Arkansas!

But sparks fly fast, and old feelings resurface just as quickly. Between Granny’s sass, little sister chaos, and the town gossip mill, this cozy rom-com hits all the right notes.

Perfect for fans of Jill Shalvis, Sarah Adams, and books that feel like a warm hug. 4.5/5 stars!

Thank you to Netgalley and Harper Audio for the ALC.

This was a quick and cute spring romance read. The narrator Amanda Stribling did a good job with the narration. I had a hard time connecting to the main characters, but I loved the small town setting. Not a lot of meat to the story, but still a fun read (listen).

I received an ALC for my honest review!

This book was a super sweet, small town, friends-to-lovers that had me from the start. I’m not usually a third person POV, but I loved it. Seeing more than just Mylie and Ben’s feelings about everything gave so much more to the story.

The outside issue going on,m with Robbie was done so well, and it was worked well into the story. Ben’s struggle was really the focus of the book, and I appreciated that. Mylie knew what she wanted and knew where she wanted her life to be. Watching Ben finally open his eyes to what he was missing was refreshing.

This novel was a super sweet read and I loved the small town vibes of it all!

"Spring Fling" is a second-chance romance about two childhood best friends reuniting after ten years apart. They've both always viewed the other as "the one that got away," without ever confessing it to each other.

The problem is, Ben will only be in town long enough to sell his family's home, now that his mother is gone, and Mylie has no interest in ever leaving their small town. She has a business to run and a teenaged sister to help raise.

But rather than passing by on the opportunity to figure out if they could have been good together, they decide to give their relationship a try, even though they both know it has an expiration date. The question is, what happens after that?

If you enjoy friends-to-lovers romances, this is a good one to try out next!

Thank you to Annie England Noblin, HarperAudio, and NetGalley for an advance review copy.

*I was given an advanced listener copy of this audiobook in exchange for my honest review*

This is a second-chance romance set in a small town involving childhood best friends who lost touch after highschool. I would consider this a good mix of plot movement and character focus with a good set of side characters to add to the story. Writing style is middle of the road - easy to understand with my biggest issues revolving around the romantic scenes. I really loved the community of people and found most of their antics quite funny and endearing. My issue with this story (which ultimately led to the lower rating) as a whole is how it left me feeling rather bored. Miley and Ben's relationship was overall not that interesting. The romantic scenes left much to be desired and were not well written. The conflict resolution was probably the best part of the entire story. However, it was very rushed and expressed in so few pages/minutes I blinked and it was finished.

I appreciate the opportunity the publisher/author gave me to review this book and will certainly pick up another book by this author - mainly because I think everyone needs to have another chance :)

Sweet and funny. There was certain parts I actually laughed out loud and looked like a crazy person with my head phones on.

Simple rom com with a little bit of spice and a little bit of thrill.

I really enjoyed the relationships with Miley and Casey and Gran. The loyalty of a small town.