Small Town Arkansas has everything Mylie could want. She's happy as the owner of a tackle shop and has the best of companions in her little sister, best friend, and Granny. But the biy that got away moves back next door to sell off his family's house and Mylie is equal parts happy and sad to see Ben again.
The first half was entertaining and I loved how Annie embraces life in the south. Granny is a hoot and a half! I wanted more character development and grander feels from the main characters though. With such a strong and delightful first half, I was surprised how much the second half tapered off. I almost would have liked it better had Mylie not had an HEA and just went for a life as a powerhouse single woman. This book would be a fun accompaniment on a trip to the lake.
Thank you to Avon Books for the gifted copy. All thoughts are mine.

This was a heartfelt small-town second chance romance. Ben moved to Clay Creek, Arkansas in sixth grade and quickly became best friends with his neighbor, Mylie. But with one foot always out the door, planning to return to Chicago for college, Mylie never confessed her deeper feelings.

Fast forward ten years—Ben returns with the same big-city mindset, just waiting for his grandfather’s house to sell. As he reconnects with Mylie, he starts to appreciate the charm of small-town life. But while their bond grows stronger, he’s still chasing something “more,” while Mylie is deeply rooted in Clay Creek, building her business and raising her younger sister.

Their chemistry is undeniable, but their conflicting dreams leave them at a crossroads once again.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Collins for this free advanced copy. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Mylie and Ben were best friends growing up. After his dad died, Ben and his mom moved to Clay Creek and the small town couldn’t be more different than Chicago. After graduating, he was moving back to Chicago and thought he’d never see Clay Creek again. While Mylie was devastated when he left, she made her own live with a thriving business, a great family, and good friends. When Ben comes back to town after his mom passes away, he’s looking to sell the house and move on but once him and Mylie reconnect it’s easier said than done.

This book was cute. I love Mylie. She was a powerhouse character- determined, driven, and fiercely protective of those she loves. This is the perfect feel-good, friends-to-lovers, second chance romance that we all need. Thank you so much to @aenoblin and @netgalley for the arc of this book!

This was a old friends to lovers trope with small town vibes. The book overall was very cutesy, but also way spicier than I would have thought. I think it was a bit much for the vibes and was weirdly graphic during the spicy scenes that I felt came from nowhere. I didn't exactly fall for the main characters, and I think the end wrapped up too quickly.

Unfortunately, the only thing I liked about this was the cover. I was bored by the characters. The writing seemed too simplistic. I just didn’t care for this at all.

firstly, thank you to the publisher for an arc and an alc!

unfortunately, dnf’d @50% — i just did not care about the plot whatsoever. there were also wayyy too many flashbacks to when our mcs were children and i just could not remain interested.

as for the narrator, she did an ok job!

This was a feel good romance that just makes you smile. Best friends, lost love, small town vs big city, all things that make for a sweet story. Add in a high school bully who never grew up- and never amounted to much and you have a story.

Mylie and Ben were best friends until Ben moved to Chicago for college. Now Ben is back in tiny little Clay Ceeek to fulfill a promise to his mom and to sell his grandfather's house. He plans the trip to be quick and to keep to himself, but that's not the way of a small town, especially when you and your childhood BFF have unrequited feelings for each other and your houses happen to be next to each other. A wonderful supporting cast rounds it all out - foul mouthed but lovable granny, Mylie's little sister Cassie, and her best friend Melissa.

This is a wonderful romance to make you forget your troubles for a moment.

I enjoyed this book. I liked how the two main characters Were brought together again and how the author Mixed in their past history. i thought all the characters were well Developed. this Was a cute book to read in the Spring. I Hope to see more from this author.

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

Thank you NetGalley for giving me this ARC for my honest review!

While I typically love a small town romance, this one didn’t hit for me. Mylie and Ben felt very flat. I was waiting for some sparks, and they never came. Honestly I’m not convinced they will stay together (or should have been together in the first place.)

I loved the flashbacks to their childhood, I think that gave great insight to the characters and their motivations. Also, I enjoyed getting to know the other characters that live in Clay Creek. I wish we got to see more of the other characters! (and less of Robbie, that whole story line was weird to me)

DNF at 32%. I felt no chemistry between the MCs and truly did not care if they got together, so I chose to spend my time on other books.

From the time Ben and his mom moved in next to Mylie and her family Ben and Mylie were best friends. But kids grow up and friends grow apart.

Ben never planned on coming back to the small town where he grew up. Now that his mother and grandfather have died, he's back in Clay Creek just long enough to get his grandfather's house ready to sell. It had been ten years since he's seen Miley. He didn't expect the old feelings were still there. And he sure didn't expect that Miley might return them.

Mylie may have been sure and confident as the head of the company she started, but she's not quite as confident in her private life. Ben is just as unsure. As he spends more time in Clay Creek he starts to remember all the little things that make a small town special. That includes Mylie. But neither of them seems to know how to deal with old feelings that have matured from teen age crush to something more adult.

This is a fun, sometimes bittersweet story of discovering that what we want or expect isn't always what we need.

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for this ARC publication for an honest review.

Small town setting, second chance, friends to something more...this had all the right combinations, but the execution was just not quite there. While I was routing for Mylie and Ben to uncover their mutual feelings, the connection wasn't overly convincing and everything felt too quick after 10 years of silence. I did enjoy the side characters and the family/friendship dynamics with Cassie and grandma.

3 stars

Spring Fling is a cute premise - childhood friends are reunited when one of them returns to their small town as an adult - but I was underwhelmed by the execution.

I really enjoyed the dual POV and split timeline between their childhoods and now, and the setting was lovely. I love a meddlesome small town, and it was the perfect setting for a childhood friends to lovers story.

I found myself less and less invested in the story as it played out, but I can't put my finger on a specific reason why.

Thank you to Avon for the gifted copy. All thoughts are my own.

Spring Fling is a charming small-town romance filled with second chances, unexpected reunions, and just the right amount of chaos. When a country music star returns to his hometown to lay low, the last thing he expects is to run into his ex—the woman he left behind. Sparks fly as old feelings resurface, but with a meddling community, unresolved pasts, and a town-wide spring festival in full swing, nothing goes quite as planned. This is a perfect pick for readers who love the exes-to-lovers trope, a little Southern flair, and a feel-good story where love blooms just like the season.

I enjoyed this book! It was a sweet small town romance. I enjoyed getting to know all the characters and the book was cosy.

Thank you to NetGalley, Avon and Harper Voyager, HarperAudio Adult and Annie England Noblin for giving me an advanced listener’s copy and advanced reader’s copy of this book!

"Rekindle your belief in the magic of first love and the charm of small towns."
Spring Fling is a friends to lovers romantic comedy that you do not want to miss! This was the perfect spring read that I could not stop turning the pages. This was a light easy read that was written so well. Every character in this one was wonderful and I loved the small town where it took place. I highly enjoyed this and would recommend to any reader who loves romances. Thank you to NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager/ Avon for the ebook and to William Morrow Group and HarperCollinsPublishers for the book in exchange of my honest review of Spring Fling by Annie England Noblin.

I liked the setting of this book. Great small town vibes and I like the not cliche career choice of the FMC, with her owning a fishing supply business.
I didn’t feel like the her and the love interest had a lot of chemistry even though they had been childhood friends.
I don't mind 3rd person books but you don’t get much internal monologue from the characters. I wanted more of what they were feeling in the moment.
2.5 stars

Thank you for allowing me to read this story.

This story was such a delight—warm, funny, and full of heart. I found myself smiling through so many scenes, and the characters felt so real I could easily picture them. Grandma and Fat Tony absolutely stole the show!

The friends-to-lovers dynamic was beautifully done. Their reconnection in adulthood felt genuine, and watching their romance unfold was both satisfying and swoon-worthy.

This is definitely a book I’ll be adding to my personal collection, and I already know it’ll be a favorite reread come spring.

This is a cute spring romance! The small town antics were so fun. I had some trouble connecting with the characters though. I felt like the story could have been a bit longer so I could get more invested in their story. If you love small town vibes then this could be a fun romance to escape with.

**𝑨𝑹𝑪 𝑹𝒆𝒗𝒊𝒆𝒘** 𝑺𝒑𝒓𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝑭𝒍𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒃𝒚 𝑨𝒏𝒏𝒊𝒆 𝑬𝒏𝒈𝒍𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝑵𝒐𝒃𝒍𝒊𝒏

Release Date: March 18, 2025

3.75⭐️3🌶

Mylie has lived in the same small town since her mother dropped her off at her grandmothers when she was little. Mylie was best friends with Ben in grade school through high school when he was an anti-social book nerd. She never told him she loved him, and he moved away to Chicago to go to school.

Ten years later, Ben comes back to the small town he grew up in to sell his grandfathers house and collect a few family items. He didn't bargain on seeing his old best friend. They had kept in touch for a few years, and then lost touch. He had been a gangly teen when he left, but due to his fitness routine in college and bulked up quite a bit.

Mylie had spent the last ten years building her own business of selling fishing equipment online, and she employed a large percentage of the town. She went on dates every few months, but nothing ever stuck.

This was a sweet little small town romance. It was a cute fast read.

Themes/Tropes:
🍁Second Chance Romance
🍁Friends-to-Lovers
🍁Small Town Romance
🍁Rom Com
🍁Ozark Mountain Story

TW:
✨Bullying
✨Intimidation via destruction of property
✨Punching/fighting