Review: The Best Parts of Him by Amy Aislin (Vermont Trailblazers #1)


Note: An advance reader copy (ARC) was provided by the author via Neon Rainbow ARC Reviews.

The Best Parts of Him is the first book in the Vermont Trailblazers series from Amy Aislin, and it's a companion novel to the author's earlier release this year, A Touch of Maple, which was part of the multi-author Love in Maplewood series. If you've read the aforementioned book published in May, then you'll recall meeting Ryland Zervudachi, who is the brother of one of the main characters and the rival of the other. Twenty-nine-year-old Ryland plays for the Columbus Pilots and is the youngest among the Zervudachi siblings, with Jason and Brie working on the family-owned farm alongside their father. It's also no secret that Ryland has had a crush on the captain of the Vermont Trailblazers for quite a while now. Thirty-two-year-old Kyle Dabbs is part of a Stanley Cup-winning team, has two younger sisters and a mom who support him, and adored his two dogs, Cosmo and Castle. He's more than aware of Ryland's crush on him, but he's pretty sure that getting together would be a bad idea, especially because Kyle relishes his privacy while Ryland loves attention. But when both guys are sidelined from the game, the time they spend together has Kyle discovering all the other best parts about Ryland. Will they score a win together?

As always, Amy Aislin doesn't disappoint, not when it's clear that hockey romance is her niche. Ryland and Kyle (sorry, I just can't call him Dabbs, even though that's what he was called for most of the book) were opposites, and I did worry about the fact that the latter was far more protective of his privacy compared to the former who didn't have any qualms about doing livestreams with his fans. I was also unsure about how I would feel about Ryland considering I wasn't his biggest fan in his brother's book, A Touch of Maple. But a few chapters into this series starter, I started liking the guy. The more I got to know him, the more I saw that there was far more depth to him than I gave him credit for. I enjoyed seeing Ryland and Kyle actually forge a friendship before becoming lovers. They clicked, and they made their relationship work without any unnecessary drama. It was also fun having Jason and Bellamy around, and I'm already looking forward to whatever is next in the series. The Best Parts of Him snags four stars.

Release Date: 28 October 2025

Date Read: 07 October 2025

Learn more about Amy Aislin.

Purchase The Best Parts of Him via Author Direct.

Pre-order The Best Parts of Him via Amazon | Apple Books | B&N | Kobo.

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