Powerless (Chestnut Springs, 3)

Another excellent read from author Elsie Silver. I can't WAIT to read this entire series again, like going back for a 2nd piece of pie at Thanksgiving ;) In Powerless, we learn why Jasper has such deep sadness in his soul. In the first two books, there are simply allusions to him having a less than stellar home life. What he really had was a shattered childhood. But Harvey and the Eaton boys took him in when he had lost everything. Sloane and Jasper met when she was 10 and he was 16. Sloane took one look at Jasper and fell head over heels for him - for the next 18 years. She tried to grow herself out of it, but the facts were simply that he was her person and she was his. It was just a matter of time. What she doesn't realize that she's merely a pawn in the eyes of her father - he's basically just been grooming her for an arranged marriage that has absolutely nothing to do with love. I just love Harvey and his horrible jokes and his old farmer's wisdom. What a wonderful character. I also loved Sloane's mother, and I'm kind of hoping for a future romance between these two, even if Harvey was already married to Cordelia's sister. I'm not a really big fan of the MMC taking on that 110% controlling alpha mode in the bedroom (or kitchen, whatever). And the edging? Ooof. I do understand why Jasper takes on that persona, as it's probably the only thing in his life he's ever been able to control. I just wish that it wasn't 98% of the time. I love the scenes where the lovemaking becomes something more than just the characters, that true and simple melding of souls in a physical manifestation. And yes, I do realize that Sloane can take control if she wants it - I just wish Jasper knew that she is the last person on earth who he needs that control for. Excellent story, well done. Just a fraction under Reckless in my rankings of my favorite Chestnut Springs books. Sweet Scale: 4/5 Spicy Scale: 4.5/5

I loved so much about this book. Jasper and Sloane have so much chemistry, I was on the edge of my seat waiting for them to finally kiss. The anticipation was built slowly and wonderfully. I even woke up 2 hours before my alarm just to get extra reading time in. You can feel the weight of the history of Jas and Sloane. It feels real, and it really does feel like they've known each other since they were kids. I was looking for something to scratch that itch of childhood friends / coming-of-age / to lovers, and this did it fantastically. Jas and Sloane had years of romance and closeness built between them before they ever even kissed. Sitting together, comforting each other's grief, bathed in the moonlight on a quiet summer night hit all the high notes for me. And when they finally got together, it was written so well. The thing that knocks a star off of my rating is the actual spice of the book. It's like whiplash. For 200 pages, we've seen Jasper be this shy, golden retriever, wanting to follow Sloane's lead. But when they hooked up, Jasper's personality did a total 180, and he became a total dominant, ordering Sloane to crawl on her knees for him. It was absolutely bizarre, and didn't fit with the character at all. Sloane spent her life being forced to do what the men around her ordered her to, whether it was her dad or her fiance. So it is totally against any character arc for her to, once she's finally found freedom, go back to being totally subservient to whatever the nearest man tells her to do. How wonderful would it have been for Sloane to be the dominant in their relationship? It would be far more fulfilling in terms of their character arcs. Sloane finally gaining control, and Jasper finally letting go of control. Jasper has been wound so tightly since he was a teenager, it would have been nice to see Sloane tell him he didn't have to think about everyone else for once, and let Sloane turn his overthinking brain off. But, I get that that the man ordering a woman to do near degrading things is very popular in this genre. That 17 letter anagram is very popular for a reason, I suppose. And that can have its time and place. But this book definitely wasn't it, not with the story it was telling, and not with these characters. Still, 4 stars because the romance itself was everything I was looking for in this moment.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (more if Amazon would let me) Oh. My. Heart. Powerless by Elsie Silver completely wrecked me in the best way possible. I don’t even know where to start because I’m still riding the emotional high. This book isn’t just a friends-to-lovers romance—it’s the friends-to-lovers romance. Childhood friends, unspoken longing, years of tension, and that perfect slow burn that makes you want to scream into a pillow? Yeah, that’s this book. Jasper and Sloane own me now. Their chemistry is insane—like, butterflies in my stomach, can’t-stop-smiling, why-am-I-tearing-up level insane. Elsie Silver does that magical thing where the banter is fun and flirty, but the emotional beats just hit. You can feel every heartbeat, every glance, every moment they’re trying (and failing) not to cross that line. And let’s talk about Elsie’s writing—so vivid, so tender, and so charged that it feels cinematic. The tension builds beautifully, and when it finally snaps? 🔥🔥🔥 Absolute perfection. Also, the way Silver weaves in family, loyalty, belonging, and healing… chef’s kiss. It’s not just about love—it’s about home. And somehow, she makes you feel like you’re right there on the ranch with them, falling in love right alongside these two idiots who were obviously made for each other from page one. In short: I laughed, I cried, I blushed, I screamed, I highlighted half the book. Powerless is swoony, emotional, and completely unputdownable. If you like your romances with depth, heart, and heat—run, don’t walk.

I ABSOLUTELY LOVE ELSI SILVER. Her books are amazing. This was one of my favourites from the saga.

Que livro lindo, que livro perfeito! O Harvey nesse livro todo só provou o que todo mundo já sabe, ele é um dos, senão o melhor pai literário que eu já vi 🥹🤌🏻 E algo muito interessante aconteceu: Jasper Gervais conseguiu superar o Cade e o Rhett 🤭❤️‍🔥 eu não achava que seria possível, mas POHHAAAAA QUE HOMEM 🛐 O livro prendeu demais, a história da Sloane, tudinho, EU AMEI!!! TÁ FAVORITADO 💜 P.s. as músicas desse casal são Wondering Why do The Red Clay Strays, It Takes a Woman e Think I'm in Love with You do Chris Stapleton ❤️‍🔥

Powerless starts off with Jasper meeting Sloane’s fiancé at dinner; he instantly doesn’t like him, along with the rest of us actually because that man is so horrible, sexist and the way he treats Slaone isn’t right. But we can tell from the beginning that Slaone doesn’t love this guy and that’s made even more prominent when Sloane is getting ready for her wedding day, where she then finds out that her fiancé has been unfaithful to her, but instead of feeling devastated all she feels is relief. So, Jasper being the friend that he is, helps Sloane to become a runaway bride. They get out of there to return to Chestnut Springs, only to then be told some devastating news about Beau. In the wake of discovering that Beau is missing in action. Jasper finds himself out of sorts and his head isn’t in the game. He gets suspending by his coach; is told to take a leave of absence to get his head on right and be with his family. Sloane doesn’t leave his side, she’s there for him and supports him when he needs it. Even while she’s going through her own problems after basically leaving her fiancé at the alter. Sloane finds herself avoiding life and taking sanctuary at Wishing Well Ranch. Sloane’s a girl who wants to make those around her happy, she wants to please them and not disappoint others. (I really felt like I could resonate most with Sloane on this level.) She’s agreeable even when it hurts herself. But she’s starting to realise that if those who love her—namely her father— want what’s best for her, then they wouldn’t be asking her to compromise herself and her happiness to help better themselves. Sloane and Jasper needed to get away so while they’re on their road trip they take a little stop to rest up. Sloane takes a dip into the late and Jasper soon follows after her. Playfully, they dunk each other under the water and they’re both able to have a good laugh and let loose for a while like they needed. Jasper finds himself thinking of Slaone in non-friendly ways again, but only allows himself his 4 seconds of uncontrollable thoughts before regaining clarity. The scene where they’re having a meal at the restaurant and they’re seeing which foods best pair with the beer. Sloane notices that Jasper doesn’t mention anything about her weight but instead he just involved her in a fun game of trying each food with him. It’s his way of trying to get her to eat more, he may be worried about her weight but instead of saying anything that might make her feel insecure, he just makes sure that she gets enough to eat without making it a big deal. Which is very loving and carrying of him because he does it in such a sensitive yet reassuring way, where Sloane doesn’t have to worry about the amount she’s consuming and can just enjoy herself. I love how Sloane is so jealous at times when it comes to Jasper. If she sees or even thinks of other women with him, then she kind of gets territorial. Either she’ll torture herself with the idea or she will try to be his own personal bodyguard. So even though it kind of benefits herself, she’s still always looking out for him. The scene where the truck picks up speed on its decent down the mountain, Jasper does his best to reassure Sloane while she panics. After it’s over, Sloane is the first to move; Jasper is still in his shock, where he looks as if he’s seeing into the past. The event probably reminded him so much of the accident. Sloane moves into his lap, she’s able to bring him back from where his mind was trapped and he instantly goes to assessing her to make sure that she is okay. He no longer seems the care about himself, only that Sloane is unharmed. Throughout the book it’s clear that Sloane is the only person who can bring Jasper back from his dark places and it just intensifies the connection they have. ‘Sloane is soothing. She’s the eye of the storm. True North. Somehow our compasses always bring us back to each other.’ When Jasper reveals that he has liked Sloane for a while but he was scared to pursue anything with her because years ago her father warned him about going near his daughter and threatened to take away his career. Jasper was scared back then because he was new to his hockey career but now he’s not scared anymore, he’s secure in his career and doesn’t care what her father thinks. He just wants her. I loved seeing Sloane grow. She was slowly learning to speak her mind, not to hold back how she really feels and takes what she wants. She’s empowering herself by doing so. When they finally get together, Jasper shows another side of himself, he has this controlling side especially in the bedroom. Sloane realises that she also likes this side of him and that by being able to choose that with him she’s able to take back a part of herself that she hasn’t indulged in before. It also gives her a sense of control. Jasper is known for wearing his hat all the time. He uses it to hide under, to blend into the shadows with, to not be as noticeable. It’s his security blanket of a sort. But then he forgets to wear it one day and he realises that didn’t feel like he needed it, meaning that—with every going on with him and Slaone and his grief over Beau being settled now that he knows he’s fine— he is starting to feel safe, in his surroundings and the people around him. With the growing distance Sloane has from her father, she’s got perspective on how he treated and used her for his own benefit. How powerless she felt due to his actions and how he sugar-coated pulling her strings so that she would do what she wanted all the while ‘sucking the soul’ right out of her. But with the distance she’s also gained pride in herself, her capabilities and her intelligence. And surrounded herself with women like Summer and Willa who have supported Sloane and helped her to be strong. Also, by having supportive men in her life—like Jasper, Rhett, Harvey and Cade—it’s helped Sloane to be less self-conscious about the new version of herself that’s she’s becoming. I was so happy when Sloane finally got the chance to stand up to her dad, and Sterling. She was able to take back her power by not allowing him to control her anymore. Sloane told Robert that if he wants a relationship with her in the future then he needs to show her that he deserves it. It was also really nice to see Cordelia break away from the manipulations of her husband. She even says that she got the strength and inspiration to do so from her daughter, which I thought to be such an empowering thing for the both of them. When Jasper proposes to Slaone in the arena, right after winning his game, I got so emotional. It was everything and more. It proved that Jasper no longer needs to hide in the shadows, he’s not afraid to show the real him or how much he loves Sloane. “I love you, Jas.” Sunny, tell me that’s a yes.” “It’s always been a yes, Jasper.” It was such a declaration of their love. That through everything, they have pulled through and come together again and again. ‘And just like that, the boy with the lanky limbs, the caramel hair, and the saddest eyes I’ve ever seen is mine. Forever.’ They were perfect! I thoroughly enjoyed reading Jasper and Sloane’s book. Everything about them—from the years of yearning and unrequited love to the struggle and obstacles they faced to finally being able to love one another out in the open for everyone to see, without the fear and manipulations of others—was so lovely to see. They both developed immensely in this book, their story is one of finding who they are when so many things are pulling them apart. Sloane grew to become her own person and Jasper was able to come out of the dark into the light—essentially for her—because Sloane had always been the light to his dark.

This one book is my least favorite of all 5🤭BUT! I still loved the characters, they are all so funny and loveable and you get to meet them in every book so of course the story is still going to be good! 4/5⭐️ just because i didn’t finish it as fast as the rest of them, i couldn’t put down the others😍

I liked this book series but the book damaged. Amazon should be careful when shipping and packing it