This story follows Mylie and Ben as they get a chance at love after leaving a lot of feelings unshared after graduation. Ben comes into town intending to sell his family's house and move on from the town of Clay Creek, but it's difficult for his feelings for Mylie to stay hidden when he's thought about her all these years.

The story in this novel was sweet, but it didn't stand out to me from other romances.

I was charmed by the town and amused by the scenes featuring the mischievous town raccoon. I enjoyed seeing Mylie and Ben face their feelings and choose each other, and the ending was lovely.

This novel is like the standard small-town romance, but I wanted more. It lacks emotional depth but is otherwise an entertaining and sweet read.

If you want a romance without much major conflict or stress, you may enjoy this.

No other love is quite like first love. In sixth grade, Ben Lawrence moved with his mom from the big city of Chicago to the small town of Clay Creek, Arkansas, to live with his grandfather. His new neighbor, Mylie, happened to be his age, and her Granny said she had to befriend him. The two became the best of friends, so when they graduated from high school, it was hard to let Ben go back to Chicago for college without telling him she loved him. Ben's grandfather had since passed away, and his mom was going back to Chicago to teach, leaving the neighbors house empty and Mylie without her best friend.
Ben went on to get his doctorate and was ready to begin a career in academia. He decided, 10 years later, to sell the Clay Creek house, but had promised his mother before she passed that he would go back one more time.
Mylie had a successful business and had established herself in her hometown. She still lived with Granny and helped take care of her 14 year-old sister, Cassie.
Neither Mylie nor Ben expected their lives to change when old feelings rise to the surface. Is it a spring fling, or can they make it work this time around?

Spring Fling is a romcom set in the Arkansas Ozarks. I so appreciate a novel set in this area, as it's not far from where I'm originally from. And the author did a nice job of representing the people and culture there without relying heavily on stereotypes (though they are present).

I enjoyed the spring setting around a fishing competition and all of the small town characters, including a couple of the 4-legged variety. ;)

It's a high school friends turns into romance as adults with a few spicy (though not especially descriptive) scenes. The story includes some brief flashbacks to when they were in high school to give context to their relationship in this book. Overall I wanted more connection between the main characters, but overall I'd recommend this book!

This novel was good, however was not my favorite. I loved the plot line of Mylie and Ben, childhood friends who reunite and decide to follow their hearts when Ben returns to town several years later. The flashback moments however seemed a little bit much and I didn’t really particularly like some of the language used. An example of this was “dressed like a hooker.” Like why say that?! Does anyone talk like that now?!

SPRING FLING – Annie England Noblin
Avon
ISBN: 978-0063222281
March 18, 2025
Romantic Comedy

Clay Creek, Arkansas – Present Day

Mylie has lived in Clay Creek her whole life and runs a bait and tackle shop with her best friend Jodie. It’s spring and they are gearing up for the fishing season, including the town’s annual fishing contest in June. She has lived all her life with her beloved Granny along with her half-sister Cassie. To Mylie’s surprise, her old friend Ben suddenly arrives in town and shows up at the house next door. Ben is in town to get his late grandfather’s house ready to be sold. Old memories of the attraction she felt for him resurface. Nothing ever happened between them despite their closeness. Will things change while he’s back in town?

Ben went away after he graduated from high school to get a college degree and is currently between college teaching jobs. He is fulfilling the request of his late mother to stay in Clay Creek to sell the place. Returning is a bit awkward for Ben. He was always seen as a nerd while Mylie was the life of the party. While he wishes they could have been a thing, it never worked out. Meeting her again stirs those old feelings. Ben is one of the good guys and always helps others. In fact, he offers to help Mylie with the fishing contest—and to keep an old nemesis out of her hair. Will Ben get a second chance with the woman he never forgot? Along the way, readers will be laughing and rooting for Mylie and Ben to somehow make it work.

SPRING FLING has many colorful characters besides Ben and Mylie. Granny is a hoot who swigs homemade moonshine and isn’t afraid to offer opinions even if it’s not wanted. Robbie is the villain in this tale. He went to school with Mylie and Ben and had been a pain in the rear back then. Mylie recently fired him, but the man is bent on revenge and pops up from time to time. Mylie’s friends are always available to offer advice, and just like any small town, everyone likes to make it their business to find out what’s going on. Readers will be chuckling as the circus swirling around our couple has them heading for their own little sanctuary. It takes some time, but what Mylie and Ben missed out on when they were younger soon becomes a reality. The big question is whether Ben will leave town as he planned.

A cute and funny tale that is a breeze to read, SPRING FLING should be on your reading list if you’re looking for a quick and entertaining book to read. The characters are fun, and the banter will have you laughing out loud. There is a lot of action going on, such as the neighborhood raccoon and teenage Cassie having boyfriend issues. Ben and Mylie dance around their feelings for most of SPRING FLING, but once they give in, it’s an enjoyable and bumpy ride to the end. Don’t miss this sizzling tale.

Patti Fischer
Romance Reviews Today

Spring Fling is a charming small town friends to livers romance. Mylie and Ben were best friends as kids. After high school, Ben moved away from his small town life in Alabama with no plans to go back. Mylie couldn't imagine ever leaving her hometown. Living with her grandma and sister and running her own business fulfills her. After 10 years of hardly any contact, Ben moves back to town to take care of selling his grandfather's house and taking care of the estate. Mylie and Ben's old feelings resurface and they find themselves giving into their long waited feelings. Ben still plans to leave though and Mylie still plans to stay.

This sweet friends to lovers romance brings all the spring vibes. It is set in a small, charming southern town that has nosy neighbors, town gossips, and moms trying to marry off their daughters to eligible bachelors. The story hosts colorful characters and funny situations. On top of all of that you have a sweet budding romance in Ben and Mylie who have been pining for each other for years (talk about a slow burn!). This book was a fun time and reminds you of new love, coming home, and fresh starts. The story has some sweet and steamy tension that is sure to warm you up after a long winter!

Unfortunately, this book was not a hit for me. Two things at the start really gave me pause. At one point the FMC is talking to her younger sister and they both joke about dressing "like a hooker" now what does that mean? Also outdated language was a bit of an eyeroll for me. Additionally, a side character is described as being in a band so therefore of course he's an absentee dad. I reread that one a few times trying to find other context, at least could have said he prioritized his band or something, but no it suggested an inherent link of being in a band with being a bad parent.

The flashback chapters weren't necessary in my opinion especially as very young children, just felt like filler. The romance was good at first, definitely a slow burn, but I could sense the chemistry.

Then, one of my other criticisms is the advertised premise leaves out a HUGE plot direction that is obvious from the very start and not always my cup of tea. There is an element of suspense with a disgruntled one dimensional side character of the small town. I just really didn't care for how things escalated, felt like too different of a tonal shift from the estranged childhood friends to lovers situation going on.

Thank you to Avon for the ARC.

I'm a sucker for a small town, second change romance, but I had a hard time getting into "Spring Fling". Initially, I loved Mylie. The flashbacks with her and Ben were so cute and nostalgic, but the connection they used to have has clearly faded since Ben moved away and did not recover. I also usually love a slow burn, but I just couldn't buy into the romance. The plot also dragged in my opinion. Overall, this was a cute story, but fell a little flat for me.

This story does have a dual timeline that tries to give the perspective of these two friends and how they missed an opportunity to tell each other how much they loved back then vs. being in present day writing those wrongs in a second chance kind of way.

Very hallmark in the overall feel of the storyline and characters. I didn’t quite get to the level I wanted with the connection between the two main characters in some aspects of their relationship. It felt more forced than natural in some ways.

The story follows Mylie and Benjamin who were high school besties in a town called Clay Creek. Once Ben goes to college, he moves away and they lose touch with each other for ten years. But after all those years Ben has to come back to sell his grandmothers house because she passed away.

I found a lot I disliked about this story as well as a few things I loved.

Ben and Mylie felt very wrong for each other. There was a lack of chemistry. I couldn’t connect to them or feel the love they had for each other. This is a couple that definitely wouldn’t last in the real world. All the arguments just show that. The side characters lacked so I wasn’t interested in them. I usually like slow burns but this one just wasn’t it.

I did like the writing and the pov. And I loved the setting.

Overall I finished it and I just couldn’t connect to this book.

Mylie is a pillar to her small town community as a business owner and sponsor for the all women’s fishing team. Ben is her best friend since the 6th grade who moved back to Chicago and the life he wanted as soon as high school ended. What happens when he comes back to town to sell his family’s home? Will they reconnect and act on their pining or will they finally put to rest their feelings and move on?

I liked the back and forth between present day and the past. Really helped set up their history, but the pacing felt a little fast. I would have liked their reconnection in the present to be explored a little more. I loved the length of the chapters it really made you feel like you were flying through the book.

Overall, I enjoyed the story and the journey. There were just a few elements that could be tweaked to really bring this small town, second chance romance over the top.

Thank you to NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This was a charming small town, friends to lovers second chance romance between Mylie, the owner of a tackle shop and Ben, who has returned to town only to sell his grandmother's house. Ben had a crush on Mylie in high school but missed out on the chance to do anything about it. The more time they spend together, the more things heat up but Ben is torn between a new job teaching elsewhere and staying where his heart (and Mylie) are.

I liked that Mylie was a guardian for her younger sister and that there were flashbacks to Ben and Mylie's time in high school interspersed throughout the story. It was good on audio narrated by Amanda Stribling and perfect for fans of books like Catch and keep by Erin Hahn. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital and audio copy in exchange for my honest review.

Steam level: some open door scenes

2⭐️ Thank you to NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for an advanced copy of Spring Fling.

Mylie has lived in Clay Creek all her life and could never imagine leaving. She has her Granny, sister Cassie, her friends, and her business Hook Line and Sinker. She hears the news from her granny that Ben the boy next door is coming home to finally sell the house. She has not seen him in ten years and when they see each other again all those old feelings come back. Even though they both know he is leaving again they cannot stay away from each other.

This was your very typical cheesy romance book. The main characters drove me crazy because they just refused to tell each other their feelings. The ending was pretty predictable.

If you love fluffy Hallmark movies with the southern vibes of Hart of Dixie then you might really enjoy Spring Fling, coming out March 18th.

I have such mixed feelings about this read. I REALLY enjoyed the first 50% of the book, which a lot of other reviewers have also said. But then the rest of it fell so flat for me and I skimmed through the last 30% to just get it done. There were moments that were so funny and enjoyable but overall I just didn’t connect with it.

I absolutely loved Miley’s no nonsense granny, and there were some scenes that made me laugh out loud. All the ladies showing up at Ben’s house with welcome casseroles to peddle their unwed daughters, the VFW bingo night scene, and all the shenanigans of Fat Tony, the neighborhood raccoon, were sooo good!

There were a lot of issues that could have been easily remedied by a decent editor. Things like misspelling the MMC’s name as Miley/Mylie over and over, and her friend Jodi/Jodie. At the beginning Jodie is talking about her boyfriend of 5 years but then later Miley makes a comment about Jodie and married life, with no mention of a wedding. Miley’s little sister, Cassie, is heartbroken over her cheating boyfriend, Ryan, but at the end of the book Miley suggests she’ll have Cassie and Ryan over to hang out. Say what?! Just a lot of plot holes and things that really weren’t thought through. This was an uncorrected ARC so maybe changes will have been made before the final book is published.

Overall, this story had great potential, but just didn’t hit the mark for me. Other readers may still really love it, though!

Thank you to NetGalley, Avon and Harper Voyager for the advance e-copy. All opinions are my own.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC opportunity!

This is a cute read. Its definitely giving the Spring/Summer vibe that it conveys on the cover. I had a hard time getting through it, as the pacing was a little slow and it felt like it dragged in some parts. That made it really difficult for me to invest in the characters as i had hoped i would.

However, I loved the dual timeline. That gives us the backstory that we need to understand the characters and their dynamic better. It did shed some light, but still didnt give enough to draw that personal connection to the characters, as i mentioned above.

All in all, i think this story has potential and some people would love it, but it felt lacking in parts.

Thank you to Net Galley for the chance to read this book early. I had a hard time getting into this book as I just didn’t connect with either main characters. Overall I just didn’t connect with the book and didn’t really have any motivation to finish it. I was of course influenced by the pretty cover.

⭐️ 3.5/5 | 🌶️ 2/5
Third person POV, multiple narratives
Non-timeline
Friends-to-lovers, small town romantic comedy
FMC: Mylie | MMC: Ben
MF Open Door Romance with some explicit descriptions of quick intimate scenes.
Setting: Clay Creek, Arkansas

This is a charming friends-to-lovers romance set in the cozy town of Clay Creek, Arkansas. The story follows Mylie Mason, a tackle shop owner content with her small-town life, and her childhood best friend, Ben Lawrence, who returns home after years away in Chicago. Their rekindled relationship amidst the backdrop of a local fishing tournament along with the sale of Ben’s childhood home offers readers a cozy, heartwarming, and relatable experience.

The author’s portrayal of small-town dynamics and the warmth of close-knit communities is admirable. The narrative is filled with endearing moments, particularly involving Mylie’s spirited Granny and the town’s quirky residents, as well as her close relationship with her sister Cassie. The flashbacks to Mylie and Ben’s childhood provide some depth to their bond, making their reconnection more poignant.

However, pacing occasionally falters and I found the progression of Mylie and Ben’s relationship lacking in intensity. The frequent misunderstandings between the two frustrated me and I was seeking more emotional depth and storyline complexity. Additionally, while the setting is vividly described, the plot leans heavily on familiar tropes, offering few surprises which can often make the book quickly forgettable.

Overall, Spring Fling is a delightful read for fans of small-town romances and second-chance love stories. Its cozy atmosphere and relatable characters make it a pleasant escape, even if it doesn’t venture far beyond the expected narrative paths.

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

Spring Fling is a friends-to-lovers (second chance adjacent), small town romance. Mylie and Ben were friends growing up, but they lost contact when he moved away. He returns to their town to sell his family's home before starting a new job. Neither of them anticipated giving "them" a shot. What will they do when their goals and things that are important to them seem to pull them apart again?

I loved the cast of whacky side characters. There was a lot of setting and side character development considering the shorter page count. There is some spice, but most was closed door or brief. Overall, it was an easy low stakes read!

Thanks to Avon and Harper Voyager, and NetGalley for an eARC of this book for an honest review.

Super cute book, definitely a fun spring read. I love a second chance romance but the characters felt a little stereotypical to me. It seemed to drag on. I would recommend for a light hearted spring read.

Let’s start with the positives! This book was so cute! The perfect spring read. Mylie and Ben are quick friends when he arrives in Clay Creek, Arkansas. They remain friends through high school where they have both been harboring secret feelings for eachother but ultimately decide to keep it to themselves because Ben is leaving after graduation. Ben’s mother passes away and her one request before he sold their home in Clay Creek was that Ben go back one last time but on his trip back to sell the house, he realizes the feelings he had for Mylie are still there.

The beginning was put together so well and the build up was so good but unfortunately the last half of the book felt very rushed and predictable.

I would say this is more of a “cracked door” romance. There was some spice but it wasn’t too in depth and was done tastefully.

A note: I’m really really crossing my fingers that the arc copy I received was a copy prior to editing because holy wow, the mistakes…. The FMC’s name was spelled two different ways throughout the book, punctuation marks were missing multiple times and wrong character names were used in certain parts. Again, this is an “uncorrected copy” but it was a little distracting to read with all of these errors. I plan on downloading it on release day and searching to see if these mistakes were fixed and I’ll report back!

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins for the opportunity to read this ARC copy🤍

Friends to Lovers
Second Chance Romance
Small Town

Rating: 2⭐️