Unfortunately this was not my favorite book. I enjoyed parts of it for sure - specifically the neighborhood raccoon named Fat Tony - but I felt like it overall lacked depth. Scenes were too fast, emotions stayed surface level. It was a quick and easy read, just not a new favorite.

3.5/5⭐️
2/5🌶️

Mylie Mason enjoys her small town life. She lives with her grandmother and her younger sister, owns her own business and is friendly with her fellow townsfolk. Her predictable life gets rocked when Benjamin Lawrence comes back to town, her high school best friend and secret crush. Ben left Clay Creek ask soon as he could for college, leaving the town, and Mylie, in his wake, seemingly without a second glance. Ben being back in town threatens to shake up a small town which doesn’t seem to forget anyone’s pasts.

This was a good read! I am always going to enjoy a second chance romance, since it’s on of my favorite tropes. This story was cozy and cute, with low stakes and a relationship I was rooting for but which didn’t have my full heart. I enjoyed it, but wasn’t overly excited by the premise.

Tropes in this story:
✨Childhood friends to lovers
✨Second chance romance
✨Small town romance

I received an Advanced Reader Copy of this book via NetGalley, but my review is all my own.

Spring Fling is a friends to lovers, slow burn, small town, second chance (ish) romance. There is a dual timeline between present day and 10 years prior, a then and now flip-flop. The POV is mostly the main female character, Mylie, but it mixes up a bit towards the end.

Overall, this book has good bones. The characters, Mylie and Ben were childhood best friends and Ben leaves after high school graduation to return 10 years later and sell his grandfather's home. The small town has every bit of charm that they usually do, antics galore, found family, everyone in everyone else's business.

The side characters all have you smiling throughout the book and you really do get to know them and the town through the different timelines and it makes you feel like you are really there.

The slow burn was a bit too slow for me and I do not care for stubborn characters that do not communicate their feelings openly, even as adults, but I think it was still a cute book.

If this is a spring fling, why the HELL was it set in SUMMER???

(Okay, maybe it was before the solstice, but my point still stands).

This book would be better served with another couple of passes of editing. There were so many issues, from the author not being sure if the evil guy was Robbie or Bobby, continuity issues with who resided in the Lawrence house, typos upon typos (including Mylie being written as Miley a couple of times), and random following of POVs that weren't either of our two main characters (why did it randomly take Granny's POV in Chapter 55? So unnecessary).

I will say: this was a super cute story. It was so Hallmark-movie coded, but set in the Arkansas Ozarks, so even better. I loved how there wasn't an Evil City Villain, just a recognition for the love of a small town in a flyover state. However, there were so many typos and issues that I couldn't focus on the story.

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon for an eARC in exchange for my honest review.

I really enjoyed this book. I loved the small town vibes and the cast of supporting characters

I did not love the main characters however and I felt as though they would not make a lasting couple due to their miscommunications.

I’m very conflicted. While I loved the setting and side characters, I wasn’t in love with either MC. Ben and Mylie just didn’t seem to click. I felt like if these characters were real they wouldn’t even make it 6 months. The overall plot was fun though and there were some very sweet moments. I didn’t hate or love this one. But if you’re looking for a very a cutesy, quick romance for the spring, this book will do the trick.

Very cute book! I enjoyed this book. I would say 3.5 but round up to 4. I enjoyed the banter between Mylie and Ben and the spring vibes were perfect! This would be a great spring read to thaw out with. Cute romance that made me smile multiple times

Honestly, I did not enjoy this book.


Thanks to the author and publisher for providing me with an ARC via NetGalley for an honest review.


The writing and pacing were really off putting. Every chapter was about 2 pages long so I never felt moved along by the story, it was a choppy reading experience. Plus, I didn’t get the feeling that the two leads were all that great for each other and the tension over who would change their dream was a really big deal that wasn’t acknowledged enough.


I don’t want to accidentally share any spoilers, but this romance was too fast on its way to intimacy and characters really felt like caricatures or stereotypes.

This is a second chance romance with lots of chemistry and smooth element. Its flows well and there aren't any awkward feeling moments. I loved that the fmc is a fishing lover and has her own company. She's independent and Ben meets her at her level and doesn't take away from her life but adds to it. Very cute romance. 🥰

Thank you to Avon/Harper Voyager and NetGalley for providing me with a digital copy of Spring Fling by Annie England Noblin in exchange for an honest review.

Mylie has absolutely not been pining for her best friend Ben since he left town after their high school graduation. Definitely not. She's been busy, taking care of her younger sister, starting and growing her own business, and generally avoiding any resembling real relationships . So what if she had feelings for him since the 6th grade and never told him? So what if they basically ghosted each other once he went away for college? It's NOT about her unresolved feelings at all.

Except that Ben finally returns to town. He's back to sell his grandfather's old house. Once that's taken care of, he'll have the money to relocate to Boston for a job offer that puts his newly minted economics Ph.D. to use. And his return puts Mylie into an emotional tailspin. After being repeatedly thrown together, they finally decide to see where things go, even knowing there's an expiration date on the whole experiment.

The book is ok. It's loaded with cliches: fiery grandmother who smokes and drinks, seniors who brawl over bingo, deranged mothers trying to interest Ben in their their daughters because they heard he's a doctor (not realizing he's not an M.D. like his grandfather was), tons of cliched figures of speech,. Some of the characters read as much younger than they actually are. (In a flashback, 6th grader Mylie sounds more like a kindergartener). There is one overtly violent character whose menacing presence is at odds with the story's otherwise screwball vibe. Mylie and Ben aren't terribly emotionally mature. resulting in more drama/hurt feelings than strictly necessary and there is some inconstancy as to whether Mylie's best friend is married or has a long term relationship boyfriend. (The text has references to both.)

On the plus side, it's wonderful to see a female protagonist successfully running her own fishing-based business. Apart from the emotional messiness, she's hardworking and competent. No adorkable, sexy/awkward/clumsiness in sight and that is a refreshing change from traditional rom coms. Points too for setting the story in Arkansas. It's refreshing to find a book that explores less traveled territories.

Recommended for readers who just want a fast, simple rom-com, who like a good, competent female protagonist, and who can tell the difference between a trout and a bass. If friends-to-lovers is your preferred trope, you could give this story a try..

This book was a nice, light read. I really enjoyed both Mylie and Ben. They were great characters. Friends to lovers is one of my favorite tropes, and I am a sucker for it. I can’t get enough of it. The flashbacks to when the two were friends were a nice touch and really added a lot to the story. I love when books do this to help move the plot along and it works. I enjoyed reading this one in dual POV, it really made for a fun story. The character development was nice, and I felt that both Mylie and Ben were believable as characters. The setting of this book was very fun. Small town romances can be so great if they are well done, and that is the case here. The town felt very believable, and I really appreciated how all the characters looked out for each other. The side characters were also really well done and added nicely to the story. I finished this one rather quickly and had a great time doing so.

If you’re looking for a fun small town, friends to lover’s romance, then check this one out.

I loved this! It was a very cute romance with great small town vibes. I love when the town is close with one or both of the main characters. I really felt invested in the story and I didn't want to put it down!!

This book was not great. The characters were flat and one dimensional, even if the setting and the situations were interesting. There’s so much gratuitous on page sex in this book, it’s just unnecessary. Did not enjoy this, had to skip so much graphic/explicit content, probably won’t read this author again.

Spring Fling Book Review

What I liked about the book:

° As someone who grew up in a southern town environment, Annie nailed the small-town world building.

° The supporting characters were great - Cassie, Granny, Jodi, and Robbie added some dramatic flare to the storyline.

° The second chance romance storyline.

What I didn't like about the book:

° The pacing of the book was off for me…. it needed to be a bit quicker or maybe Ben and Mylie’s story development fleshed out a bit more. The book was just very slow. For me, a couple times I had to put it down because nothing was really happening between them until 50%-65% into the book and then it started picking up and then their story ended.

° Fat Tony and his antics, including stealing a phone from Morris.

Thank you to Annie, HarperCollins Publishers, and Net Galley Team for the arc! :)

There were a lot of things about this book I liked — the concept, the setting, the dual POV, the dual timelines, etc. unfortunately, it felt like I was reading a first draft — not a finished book. There were a lot of places where the development felt halfhearted. Plus (and I know that ARCs have errors) there were so many editing issues where incorrect characters were named, characters went from dating to married back to dating. There were even two random chapters from different POVs that felt kind of unnecessary to the story. I hope a lot more work goes into this before it’s final.

2.5 stars

ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

3/5 ⭐️

I really enjoyed the first half of this book but then it started to lose me and fall a bit flat. I enjoyed the cute small town vibes, rekindling of old flames and childhood nostalgia vibes but Mylie and Ben lacked depth for me. It didn’t feel super authentic and believable when their romance was rushed. I wanted more build up on their current relationship and connection, which wasn’t there. However, I did appreciate the writing style and flashbacks/POVs a lot!

This was such a good book. I loved the story and the writing so much. The characters were great and the story flowed smoothly. Will definitely read more books by this author in the future.

Friends to lovers with a bit of second chance. These tropes are right up my alley.

Mylie and Ben haven’t seen each other in years. Best friends turned strangers. Now he’s back in town and feelings are back too.

This book was an easy light read. I enjoined it very much.

Thank you Avon and Harper Voyager and NetGalley for the ARC.

⅘ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spring Fling
Author: Annie England Noblin
Romance

Thank you so much Netgalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for this ARC! This book releases 3/18/25 and it’s the perfect spring read! Super cute, small town, friends to lovers romance. Mylie runs a bait and tackle shop, and lives with her grandma and sister. Her life is great, and then her ex best friend she had a crush on returns to her hometown to sell his family’s home. Ben doesn’t expect to come face to face with his childhood best friend. All the feelings he has pushed down, come back to the surface. This book had me smiling so big watching their spring fling romance unfold on page. It was the sweetest book. Childhood friends to lovers is one of my favorite tropes! (My husband and I are high school friends to lovers years later soooo). This book just had you smiling the entire read. The setting is beautiful, and the side characters make the book! I really enjoyed it and highly recommend adding it to your TBR! 🎣

Thank you to Avon and Harper Voyager in conjunction with NetGalley for the ARC of Spring Fling in exchange for an honest and independent review.

Right out of the gate this book sucked me in. It’s an adorably easy read that plays on all your old first love memories. I enjoyed that the chapters were short and from both Mylie and Ben’s perspective, which kept the story flowing. The characters were all well developed and lovable. Personally, Granny was my favorite character and I hope everyone is lucky enough to have someone like Granny in their life.

Long story short, Mylie and Ben have been best friends and neighbors since sixth grade. There has always been something more there, but being that Ben was moving away to Chicago after graduation, they chose to not pursue anything more than friendship. Over the course of 10 years, Ben and Mylie have lost touch and grown apart, but the lingering feeling of ‘what if?’ has never escaped either of them. When Ben’s mother passes away, her last wish is that Ben returns back to Clay Creek, Arkansas for one last visit before selling their family home. At the time, Ben has no understanding of why she would ask for this, but it doesn’t take a genius to figure it out.

As Ben returns back to Clay Creek, he finds that both everything and nothing have changed. Over time, Mylie and Ben fall back into stride with each other and before they know it, it’s like no time has passed at all and both are willing to explore just what may happen if they decide to pursue more than a friendship. The big issue here is that Ben and Mylie’s lives have them on completely different trajectories and only they can determine if the sacrifice is worth the reward in the long run.

Overall, this book is the perfect light read to get your mind off all of the pressing matters that the day brings. It’s a feel good story that many people can relate to that brings you right back home again and again. The only negative that I found with this book is just that it all sort of abruptly ends. No epilogue to wrap everything up in a pretty little package. It just quickly ends, which made me sad after investing in the characters’ storyline. Just a minor annoyance but something I felt the need to mention. This will be a super cute springtime read and I hope others fall in love with Mylie and Ben as much as I did!