So close. This just misses the mark. It’s a friends to lovers trope, but probably should be friends to lovers to friends. Mylie and Ben were best friends growing up and had teenage love for each other. Neither acted in their feelings because Ben never wanted to live in Arkansas and always wanted to move away, which he did. He returns 10 years later to sell the family home and reconnects with Miley. The set up is good, but it just didnt read love. Plus, with small town romances, part of the enjoyment is the quirky townies and stories, and this is pretty light on them. It actually goes a little dark with a disgruntled employee/town bully that felt out of place. I am reading this as a super early ARC, so maybe things will improve by publishing.

Thank you Avon and Harper Voyager for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Spring Fling by Annie England Noblin brings both small-town romances and the art of reviving relationships to life in this heartwarming book about friendship and love.

10 years after leaving the town of Clay Creek, Arkansas, former high school best friends Mylie and Ben are back and ready to start new chapters in their lives. While uncertainty about being together again strikes in the heart of one character, the other is ready to pick up where they left off even if means working a bit harder to get back to where they left off so many years ago.

This book was told through flashbacks which brought a certain intrigue while reading. I found myself wondering where we were going to go next and finding myself excited to start every new chapter. The characters were fully fleshed out and interesting, and although the conflict fell flat at some points, the book was one of the most enjoyable that I’ve read recently.

This was such a sweet love story. Old friends eventually find their way back to each other, and something more develops. The setting is in a lovely town, with lots of the cozy feelings. I appreciated that the author left a lot of the details to the reader's imagination, which is sometimes nice and worked out well in this instance. I felt the author also created great secondary characters that went well with the overall theme and vibe of this book. A great choice to read if you are looking for a good romance with serious spring vibes, and nothing cheesy or cringe-worthy in the plot or dialogue.

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyage for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Dive into the enchanting world of "Spring Fling" – a book that's nothing short of a dreamy escape! Annie England Noblin masterfully crafts a heartwarming story where the lovable Granny and her delightful family will make you feel right at home. And let's not forget Ben, the perfect blend of charm and good looks, straight out of our daydreams! The strong female characters in this tale are incredibly inspiring, making it impossible to put down. It's the perfect companion for a lazy beach day, with its smooth, easy-to-read prose that pulls you in from the very first page.

If you're looking for a feel-good read that leaves you smiling long after you've turned the last page, "Spring Fling" is your go-to! Noblin’s storytelling is a breath of fresh air, effortlessly blending humor, warmth, and a touch of romance. This book is a testament to her talent and a promise of many more delightful reads to come. Don't miss out on this captivating story – it's a literary gem that's sure to brighten your day and leave you longing for more!

This book was a breath of fresh air. I felt myself getting into a reading slump but didn't know what I wanted to read and this was the perfect choice! The small town setting was so cozy and reminded me so much of Gilmore Girls. I loved all of our main characters, especially Granny. I absolutely loved Mylie and Ben's dynamic they were perfect for each other with the perfect mix of banter, and swoon-worthy moments.

i really liked the premise and idea of this story, childhood (well, high school?) friends angst after each other and then ten years later finally get the chance to be together, but wait he’s selling the house, but wait again… he decides the small town is for him. i’m just not sure i felt a real connection with the story or it’s characters. the romance had no spark for me, so i didn’t have much to root for.

thank you to NetGalley and publishers for this arc.

This book was absolutely a 5 star read for me! I loved Mylie and Ben and their romance. I loved Cassie, Jodi, and Granny. I loved all the characters! I loved the plot and romance story. This book was so sweet and so well written. The cutest small town, childhood friends to lovers romance!! This is the cutest romance I've read this year! Perfect summertime read. I highly recommend this book!

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon and Harper for allowing me to read and review this ARC. This was a sweet, funny, and fast-paced romantic comedy between two friends. Mylie and Ben had attended school together, but parted ways once Ben went off to college. He returned to Clay Creek, Arkansas 10 years later to oversee the sale of his grandfather’s home. The house was nextdoor to Mylie’s. I don’t like spoilers and won’t give you any. It’s a quick read and I’m sure you’ll enjoy it as I did. I look forward to reading more from this author.

I thought this book was so sweet! I LOVED the connection between the two main characters. It was a good, entertaining read that was light and so easy to read. Sometimes it was hard to follow from switching between the main characters point of view but not very often.

5/5 and can’t wait for this book to release. Fat Joe is my favorite!

Absolutely wonderful! The characters feel like they could come to life and step off the page. So well written, and beyond entertaining. If it were not for Mylie, Ben, and Granny, I would have said my favorite character was Fat Tony. He offers the perfect comic relief. I was in tears!

I was hooked from the very first page. Spring Fling is not your typical romance and had the perfect amount of suspense, angst, and comedy. There was just enough of the history of Mylie and Ben to help you fully appreciate their relationship then and now without getting bogged down in the past. Even though they've been out of touch for ten years, they fall right back into the same comfortable friendship they had so long ago. And while Mylie knows it is just a matter of time before Ben leaves again, she's determined to have a different outcome this time. But how can she possibly tell him not to go? And how can she ask him to give up the one thing he has worked for his entire life? He has been offered his dream job in what he considers a dream location.

Add in a teenage sister with all the drama a teenager can muster, a grandmother who is a little on the quirky side and has a boyfriend who is retired from their high school, and numerous friends and acquaintances in a very small town where nothing is a secret and you have the perfect recipe for either success or disaster!

I am only giving this book 5 stars because there is not a higher option. I will certainly be looking for more from Annie Noblin!

Thank You Netgalley and Avon and Harper Voyager

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Publish Date: March 18th, 2025

This book was so cute! This book was about two friends who stop talking to each other and ten years later Ben is back in town to sell his grandfather's house next door to Mylie. He came back to the house until it sold he wasn't expecting to reconnect to Mylie after all those years.

Mylie has everything she needs in Clay Creek, Arkansas, has her shop, and lives with her Granny and little sister Cassie. I love her relationship with her sister and granny.

Ben, family is gone and now he is left to deal with the estate

This was cute! There are definitely some inconsistencies in the story throughout, but I hope those will be fixed before publishing. I wasn’t very invested in any of the side plot, but the main relationship was very cute. Overall I think this is perfect as a palate cleanser quick read. Thank you NetGalley and Avon/HarperCollins for this free eARC in exchange for an honest review which has already been posted to Goodreads.

Sweet story anchored by a delightful cast. However, the story felt muddied by too many sub-plots without taking time to build the main story arc in the manner the characters deserved. The book has a lot of chemistry and is a worthwhile read, but there were many points while reading it that I felt the author could have taken us deeper with more intentional story development.

Spring Fling: ⭐️⭐️

I want to start out by saying two stars does not mean it’s a bad book! Books are so, so subjective and just because it wasn’t a higher rating for me doesn’t mean I don’t think it won’t be for someone else!
For me, I thought this story had all the right fixings to be such a cute, lighthearted, childhood-friends to lovers romance - but it lacked on delivery. I was so excited to read this because I just eat these types of books up! This book was very cute, and I often was laughing out loud at something the characters did or said. However, to me it felt like things were rushed with the two main characters. I didn’t really feel any chemistry between the two, and for me I think it was because it just seemed so rushed. It felt like they saw each other again after ten years, and only after a couple passing interactions were spilling all the bottled up feelings they had and then bam we were onto the next thing, the next, and then the end. The main conflict towards the end felt like that for me too, even though I thought the bare idea of it was great, it happened and then was over almost immediately.
I enjoyed the idea of all these characters, and as I said before they often had me laughing! But yet, at times I would get annoyed with the way they were acting because it felt like they were still fresh out of high-school, age wise.
I really wanted to absolutely love this, but I’m interested looking to see what Annie England Noblin does in the future!

Thank you to Annie England Noblin, HarperCollins, and Netgalley for giving me this ARC to read and review. I enjoyed it

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

If you like a cozy quick read in 3rd person this may be your book.

The title is both accurate and ironic because the romance feels like a fling but it has history.
Small town romance where the characters split for a period of time and reunite back in their small home town for one way or another - if this is the vibe you’re looking for then Spring Fling is for you!

Personally, I am not the biggest 3rd person fan and with the amount of dialogue in this book “he said” and “she said” disrupted the flow a bit for me. As much as I love quirks for a small town romance, some of the witty sayings became too much. However, others may find this to be sweet and add to the cozy/homey appeal.

Thank you Netgalley and Avon & Harper-Voyager for an opportunity to read this advanced copy!

Clay Creek is the epitome of small-town Arkansas - so it's no surprise when, after 10 years, Ben Lawrence's return sparks excitement amongst the townsfolk and feelings of uncertainty from his former best-friend, Mylie. After graduating from high school, the once inseparable pair forge their own paths through adulthood: Mylie starting the business of her dreams in Clay Creek and Ben earning degree after degree in the big city. Throughout this book, we get flashbacks to what brought them together in friendship and what was kept secret between them. This book has all the necessary ingredients for a tropey small-town romance: best friends, family antics, and a town villain with a robust rap sheet and an unquenchable thirst for revenge. With Clay Creek as a backdrop, I enjoyed watching the story unfold. The town and its inhabitants were fully fleshed out and not just added in as filler- I appreciated that they got their own well-deserved place in the story! Overall, this was a quick and enjoyable read. Probably closer to a 3.75 but rating 4 stars because 3 wouldn't be enough! This was my first read from Annie England Noblin but certainly not my last.

Picky given I received an uncorrected e-proof, but is of note: Many times throughout this (including on one of the first few pages) there are discrepancies between the spelling of Mylie/ Miley. Also, Allie (another character) seems to often be placed in dialogue where it should be Cassie? I first noticed this during the scene where Mylie has to take Cassie home post some teenage troublemaking, and I had to re-read because I was certain it was just Mylie and Cassie yet Allie's name was next to the dialogue. I noted it again in Chapter 55 - Cassie is referred to as Allie.

3.5 Stars!

This small-town romance follows Mylie and Ben, former childhood friends, as they reconnect in Clay Creek, Arkansas. Mylie owns a tackle business and lives with her Granny and sister. Ben is coming back to Clay Creek to sell the family house after his grandfather and mother passed in order to start his new life as a professor.

I enjoyed the book overall. The characters and conflict fell a little flat for me at times. Conflicts didn’t have much build up and were resolved quickly. The setting and side characters were really enjoyable, but our main characters felt like they needed more to be relatable to the reader. There are some open door scenes, but I wouldn’t describe them as “spicy”. The book reads more YA than I am used to with books of this trope, which is perfectly fine, just unexpected.

I’d like to thank Annie England Noblin, NetGalley, and Avon + Harper Voyager for the eARC.

⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
This was a super lighthearted, fun, small town romance. The characters of the town were a fun ensemble and definitely added to this books charms. Felt like reading a hallmark movie, which is a compliment as I love a good hallmark movie.

The story follows Mylie and Ben who are childhood friends being reunited after 10 years apart. There is a bit of a dual timeline element as you get flashbacks to their childhood but for the most part it takes place in present day. These two characters have different wants and life goals though that is keeping them apart.

The beginning was just a little slow but once I hit the 40% mark it really flew by and I really enjoyed it. I do wish we had gotten more insight into Ben’s character at times but overall he was well rounded. Mylie and her family were definitely the beating heart of this story.

If you like small town, second chance romance, with hallmark movie feels this is definitely the book for you. Was a great summer read and leaves you feeling hopeful!

*this review will be posted on my instagram closer to publication date*

📖📖 Book Review 📖📖 Who says you can’t go home? When Ben returns to Clay Creek, Alabama from Chicago to sell his mother’s home, he is reunited with his first friend in the town from growing up, Mylie. Spring Fling is an adorable, breezy novel about second chances. Southern charm meets the culture of Appalachia for a delightfully heartwarming tale.

Review is on Goodreads and will be posted on instagram closer to publication date and on Amazon when published!

This book was unfortunately not for me. I didn’t feel connected to any of the characters, except for maybe the cute raccoon, and it just kept me from really enjoying the story. Had to push myself to even finish it and overly felt too tropey and a little ridiculous. Unfortunately I do not recommend.

Thank you to NetGalley & Avon/ Harper for the ARC in exchange for my review.