This is a sweet HEA love story about 2 high school best friends 10 years after they last saw each other.

I received an ARC of this audiobook through Netgalley.

This book explores the idea of emotional importance of people over plans.

I love how well depicted the struggle is in this book. It reminds me of the saying that “Life is what happens when you’re busy making other plans.”

We often are our own worst enemy. We clean to what we think we want so hard that we often lose sight of what is truly important.

Highly recommend!

Annie England Noblin’s Spring Fling is a cute small town friends-to-lovers romance. After years apart childhood friends Mylie and Ben reunite. Building the business she always envision, Mylie now employs a third of her small town of Clay Creek. She’s happy, living with her grandmother and helping to look after her sister. The only really missing? Love. Ben, who left Clay Creek years ago, has no returned, keeping a promise to his deceased mother to spend some time there once more before getting rid of the old house. He planned to make it a quick trip before moving on for bigger and better things. Of course you know what they say about the best laid plans, right? This is a cute, sweet small town romance. While the story might feel a bit too by the numbers, the likable characters and quirky town still made this one an enjoyable listen, and Amanda Stribling does a great job with the narration. I’d like to thank HarperAudio and NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to an ARC of the audio version of Spring Fling.

https://www.amazon.com/review/RST6NX2910P4/ref=pe_123899240_1043597390_SRTC0204BT_cm_rv_eml_rv0_rv

Mylie feels completely fulfilled in her small town, living with her grandmother and little sister, spending time with friends, and just enjoying life. Until Ben, the best friend who left for the big city and never came back, suddenly shows up to sell his family home, right across the street from her. Now, feelings from the past are back stronger than ever. But will the guy who never felt like he belonged in a small town be able to see all the wonderful things she sees in it?

It's a sweet second-chance romance set in a small town, so you know that you're going to get a lot of sweetness and some great moments of quirkiness. I like how the author also incorporates some of the slightly darker edges with the antagonist bully-who-never-grows-up character. I enjoyed having something other than just Ben not wanting to consider being happy in a small town. It's still a somewhat generic plot, but it has a little extra tension to set it apart.

Narration from Amanda Stribling is good. She gives each character their particular accent so you can easily tell who's talking without making it unintelligible. It was pleasant to always be sure who was saying what.

Very happy thanks to NetGalley and HarperAudio for the listen!

This was a cute, lighthearted book to listen to. It honestly did not feel relatable at all, the characters seemed a little flat. The narrator gave me Reese Witherspoon / Sweet Home Alabama vibes, and it didn’t feel authentic.

Thank you to NetGalley for this audio ARC.

First time reading a book by Annie but I can officially say i was not disappointed. Sweet story with good twists and turns. I love stories of reuniting and rekindling old feelings. Truly enjoyed this book.

Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to read this arc.

This story has a lot of things going for it but unfortunately it didn't really feel like the story came together. The small town setting, townies, and mischievous (and vaccinated, lol) neighborhood raccoon were fun elements but didn't make up for the fact that the romance plot was almost nonexistent. I would call it an insta-love romance if the main characters didn't have a history. There was no real relationship or romance between them, and the dynamics between the side characters are much more developed and fun to read about.

I thought the narrator did a great job. The characterization was wonderful and I think thats why the townies played so well!

This book was pretty good - cute. I think for a more adult romance it was weird to have it be a closed-door romance and there was A LOT going on with the side characters. I also am not a fan of the miscommunication trope so would have liked other conflict that interfered with why they had a second chance romance. I also would have liked the resolution to be a little - idk - more? It seemed like very nonchalant for a book about two people pining for each other. It was cute, but maybe not something I’d pick up again. But the audiobook was really good.

This book has so many things in it that i loved.

Highlights:
- Small LAKE side town
- Childhood friends to strangers to lovers
- "its always been you"
- her dog loves him!
- her grandma gets into an actual fist fight for him!

Review:
At first i was conflicted about how i felt about Ben because i kept thinking "if you love her, you would stay for her". But towards the end i realized the same goes for Mylie. Sure her life is in Clay Creek but if she really loves Ben she would make the sacrifice for him. Mylie is the perfect small town sweetheart and Ben is the sweet neighbor boy with black frame glasses and a bit of social anxiety. I loved them together! I also listened to this on audio and i 100% recommend! And don't get me started on the grandmother, she reminded me so much of my grandma. Strong, opinionated, and full of sass! This was a perfect spring read.

Very cute book about two people in a small town who once cared for each other, trying to figure out their love and their lives. Sweet and simple. Minimal spicy.

It took a minute to get used to the narrator, as she speaks very “cutesy,” but eventually I determined that the narration fits the book well.

Recommend for an easy beach read.

Ben and Mylie grew up next door to each other but lost touch when Ben moved away from their small town after high school. When Ben comes back 10 years later to sell his grandfather's house they rekindle their friendship, and possibly more.

The read was fine, but I absolutely do not think Ben and Mylie should end up together. They should have gone their separate ways. Setting aside the romance plot, I did enjoy Granny, Mylie's relationship with her sister Cassie, and the antics of the neighborhood raccoon.

Tropes
* Neighbors to Lovers
* Childhood Friends
* Small Town Romance
* Flashbacks

3 stars

Thank you to HarperAudio & Netgalley for the ARC! Would rate this one 2.5 stars- I don't mind a friends to lovers story, but I didn't feel the chemistry between Mylie & Ben, let alone a friendship. But this book went from sweet, hallmark movie to rated R spice very quickly like they did have a lot of chemistry so that was.. interesting. I did enjoy the small town setting and also Mylie & her sister's relationship was very sweet! This was my first from this author and I'm not sure they are for me with the vulgar choice of words at times and the plot holes throughout. Also, the dialogue between characters felt repetitive, relying too heavily on 'she said' or 'she replied' without much variation; this made all the conversations feel flat and tedious to read/listen to.

Spring Fling was such a fun and adorable read! I finished it in two sittings and was left with such a good feeling afterward. The narrator did a wonderful job with the southern accent which, is not an easy thing to do. I was drawn in right from the beginning as who doesn’t love a small town romance that also includes a fishing competition and maybe some scandalous behavior? This book had me cracking up and reminiscing at some of the references. Specifically, the mention of those plastic glow in the dark stars that everyone had on their ceiling in the 90’s literally had me cackling. And my favorite character was Fat Tony as I believe we might be kindred spirits.
Overall I truly enjoyed the book and will definitely be looking forward to more reads by Annie England Noblin.

This was an incredibly cute spring read!! I absolutely loved the vibes and romance, cannot wait to spread the word!!

3.5 stars

This was quite a sweet romance, that takes place between former best friends a small town in Arkansas. The title and cover made me worried that I might have signed up for a cloyingly sweet romance, but the small town where it takes place is full of sassy characters and the novel has a bit of edge, which I enjoyed. The main character owns a bait and tackle shop and the climactic stuff takes place around a fishing competition, which adds a note of whimsy to the whole thing. I found myself rooting for the characters, though there was a bit of insta-love that seemed a little bit questionable to me at first.

Overall, this was a cute romantic comedy with more quirks than you might think! I'd recommend it, especially if you like a small town setting.

Thank you to Harper Audio Adult for the advance listening copy for an unbiased review.

Cute, quick read, perfect for spring time. I like the main characters, but for a second chance at getting their happily ever after, I was missing the romance and the tension. I know they loved each other when they were younger because of the flashbacks, but I think the romance didn't have the time to develop and shine the way it should have.

Spring Fling by Annie England Noblin is a small town, friends to lovers, slow burn romance. Narration for this audiobook was performed by Amanda Stribling.

Ben returns to Clay Creek to sell his family home prior to taking his dream job, with hopes of getting out of town as quickly as possible as to not drudge up old memories. Mylie, his childhood best friend, still lives next door with her Granny and little sister Cassie, and their connection is stronger than ever. I thought this book had a lot of cute and charming elements and I really loved seeing the relationship progress between Ben and Mylie. However, it was overall just too disjointed of a story for me. There were too many side plots that did not need to be told, I would have rather had the author dig more in to characters themselves. I did enjoy the performance by the narrator.

Thank you to NetGalley, HarperAudio Adult, and the author for this audio ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Annie England Noblin’s Spring Fling audiobook is a delightful escape, perfectly capturing the magic of first love revisited against the charming backdrop of small-town Arkansas. Noblin delivers a cozy and witty friends-to-lovers romance that fans of Jill Shalvis and Sarah Adams will undoubtedly adore.

The story centers around Mylie, a strong and independent woman thriving in her hometown of Clay Creek, and Ben, her childhood best friend who returns after years away in Chicago to settle his family's estate. Noblin expertly weaves together the familiar comfort of small-town life with the undeniable pull of unresolved feelings as Mylie and Ben reconnect amidst the buzz of a local fishing tournament.

The audiobook format truly brings the characters and setting to life. The narration captures Noblin's signature wit and the warmth of Clay Creek, making it easy to get swept up in Mylie and Ben's journey. While their initial intentions are a casual "fling," their deep-rooted connection proves difficult to ignore, forcing them to confront their contrasting lifestyles and the possibility of a future together.

Spring Fling is more than just a sweet romance; it's a heartwarming story about community, family, and the unexpected ways life can bring you back to where you belong. If you're looking for a charming, funny, and slightly spicy audiobook to brighten your day, Spring Fling is a perfect catch.

This was a cute 2nd chance romance. I loved the flip between Mylie & Ben's high school years and present day. The small town, fishing, little sister and grandma really added charm. Narrator did a great job.

I received this as an arc in audiobook format and it was really cute! I thought it was a light, cute, summer time vibe romance that had pleasant characters and a nice storyline. “Spring Fling” is a book that makes you appreciate small town vibes for sure, focusing on the humor of small town drama and the power of elders, and with elements of small town drama. There wasn’t anything that stood out to me as unforgettable, but I love that female main character Mylie was confident in who she was, and even though she learned a lesson in flexibility, she never had to part with her love for her small home town. The audiobook was really well done and I liked Mylie’s voice actor a lot!

I love second chance and small town romance, however this felt very flat. The Mylie and Ben never really felt like they had any chemistry. Two people that should have been in love with the other since they were kids and it barely felt like they were friends.

The narrator did a great job, but she does remind me on Southern Fried True Crime host, so I kept waiting for this to turn into a thriller or mystery.

Unfortunately, I will forget everything about this book about 2 days.