Reviewed by Sadonna
TITLE: Around and Around We Go
SERIES: Vermont Trailblazers
AUTHOR: Amy Aislin
PUBLISHER: Self-published
LENGTH: 274 pages
RELEASE DATE: April 28, 2026
BLURB:
When you’re facing The End, it’s time to rewind to the beginning.
At thirty-eight years old, Sandro Zanetti is quickly aging out of hockey. But the Trailblazers are chasing a history-making third consecutive championship this season, so until his knees fail him, he plans on giving his all to the sport.
What he doesn’t need is the documentary film crew following the team’s every move. Because the director? Is Bennett Jackson.
Former college sweetheart.
Breaker of hearts.
Still unbearably handsome.
But their relationship is also history and has been for fifteen years.
Bennett Jackson is one project away from the credits rolling on his career after his last film flopped. This behind-the-scenes look at the hottest team in the league is his last chance at redemption…and possibly his last chance at redeeming himself with the one man who’s always held his heart.
Neither of them planned for old jokes to resurface or on the inconvenient fact that their chemistry is very much alive.
But as the action heats up on and off the ice—and on and off camera—their reunion looks less like a rerun of heartbreak and more like a revival of that first chemistry.
And Sandro and Bennett may discover that some stories deserve a sequel.
REVIEW:
Sandro Zanetti is a veteran hockey player who has spent his whole career with one team. He’s won Cups. He’s close with his family. His team is his second family. But he’s still alone He also doesn’t know what he’s going to do after hockey. Hockey has been his life since he joined the Trailblazers right out of college. He’s worried about retiring and what he’ll do. His team management is giving him more tasks though too! Like mentoring a rookie. Say what?? He’s not done that in years. And Eli needs guidance. Sandro isn’t sure he’s the guy for that job, but it’s not like he can say no. That on top of dealing with his ex heading up a documentary team who is following the team this season as two-time champions is doing a number on him.
Bennett Jackson is in career slump. His last documentary tanked. He’s got to prove himself with this new one. There is just one fly in the ointment. His ex, Sandro Zanetti, is a player on the two-time defending Stanley Cup champions. To say their relationship ended poorly is an understatement. And it was 15 years ago. But nobody has ever come close again to being Bennett’s person. Is there a chance that he can make things right with Sandro? Will Sandro forgive him and understand what happened when Bennett quite hockey and pretty much ghosted him? Only one way to find out.
Sandro does not want to deal with his ex when he’s got lots on his mind with his life decisions about hockey and his future. His body is taking a beating – everything hurts after every game at this point. He’s trying to keep up with his family – who are 14 hours away in Western Ontario. Now he’s got the mentoring thing and trying to juggle the film crew and avoiding Bennett. But that isn’t going to be possible. Especially with his broken down car and many obligations.
Bennett is not unhappy that he’s back in Sandro’s orbit. In fact, it’s a big reason he wanted to do this film. It’s doesn’t take too long before Sandro and Bennett are spending time together. Sandro isn’t interested in hearing Bennett’s reason for the breakup and ghosting. But it turns out that Sandro’s feeling for Bennett are maybe not as over as he thought they were.
Is Sandro really interested in what went town with Bennett 15 years earlier? Was it the long distance? After assuming everything was Bennett’s fault for the breakup, Sandro has some soul-searching to do about his role in their relationship failing when they ended up on different teams. Perhaps he hadn’t been there for Bennett in the way he needed him. But can they navigate a new relationship? As full adults and not college students and young adults just embarking on new lives in different cities?
What if getting Sandro back derails Bennett’s career? Is he willing to risk his future for another shot with his past? It definitely seems like these two need to figure out what they want and who they want. All while managing to figure out their futures. Together hopefully 😉
Oh this is a swoony romantic second-chances story 🙂 I loved this from the first page. Fans of this series will really enjoy another story in this world. The Vermont Trailblazers are such a great fantasy hockey team in a world where nobody has to hide their relationship. The captain is involved with another high level hockey player. There is another couple who were teammates before one of them retired. There are lots of distractions for Sandro – mentoring younger players, taking on a larger non-hockey role with the team, figuring out what his relationship to Bennett is supposed to be 15 years after their breakup. Bennett is trying to salvage something with Sandro – he’ll take what he can get really. But he’s also got a lot riding on the success of this documentary and he can’t screw it up. It doesn’t take long for them to find their way back to each other’s beds. But it takes longer to address the elephant in the room – why Bennett broke up with them and went radio silent. When they finally have a real talk about the past, they are able to clear the air and figure out that maybe they can try again now that they are more clear-eyed and can communicate 😉 Ah adulting! Sometimes it is a force for good 😀 I honestly love this whole team and I can’t wait for the next book in this series. Eli definitely needs to find his way and the veterans of this team will not lead him astray 🙂
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