Powerless

I was captivated by the emotionally charged tale set in Chestnut Springs. Jasper Gervais, an NHL star goalie, and Sloane Winthrop, a prima ballerina, navigate a complex dance of love, fear, and self-discovery. Jasper's broken past and Sloane's unrequited love unfold against the backdrop of Wishing Well Ranch. The story, rich in character depth, seamlessly weaves together laughter, passion, and heartbreaking truths. Elsie Silver skillfully explores themes of insecurity and the journey to self-realization. The friends-to-lovers connection between Jasper and Sloane is portrayed with tender hesitation and undeniable chemistry. Their relationship transforms as they embark on an impromptu road trip, and the narrative unfolds into an epic love show more story. This beautifully penned romance resonates emotionally and leaves a lasting impression, making it a standout read. show less

This review may contain spoilers, so fair warning, upon reading the review.

Introduction
Powerless is the third installment in the Chestnut Srings series and in this one we have Jasper's book and this is the sibling that was adopted when he was a young teenager. There was a budding friendship with him and one of the cousins in the family, Sloane. They were the best of friends and always had a intense connection. This was such a heartwarming story and honestly if it wasn't for the icky family tone of the story, this would have most likely been a 4.5 rating. I was really hoping that I would get close to a five star read from this author, but to be honest, I do think she is overrated. Her books are enjoyable, but there are plenty of great show more westerns out there. And my other isssue is the cover on this one, most of the book is them in WINTER time haha but it is gorgeous I just wish it reflected the season of the story more. I think fans of this author will really enjoy this one here.

The Main Protagonists
The Hero: Jasper
-Hockey Player
-Adopted
-Cinnamon Roll/Alpha
-Protective

The Heroine: Sloane
-Ballerina Dancer
-Character Growth
-Sassy
-Funny
-Pining after the hero

Summary
Powerless is a story that begins with our hero and heroine. The heroine is engaged but on her wedding day, she learns that her fiancee ended up having sex with a stripper on the eve before their wedding, and finds the strength to leave him at the altar and Jasper assists her in running away. But when a tragedy hits the family, and Jasper has to take a break from Hockey, he and Sloane go on a bit of a road trip together and find that there is more happening than just mere friendship and they begin to embrace each other in a more romantic sexy way. But Jasper and Sloane will learn about themselves on this journey together, including learning to fight for each other, no matter the risk.

My Outlook
Powerless is a powerpacked book that really packs that heart so well. I really felt the emotion deep to the heart in this one. I do this is the best of the series. So for fans of the previous two books, you definitely will enjoy this romance so deeply. I wouldn't say its a favorite for me, I am not sure if its the hype surrounding this book or the author's writing style, but these never feel very western for me, except for the first book. So I was hoping for a more western feel, and it was just missing. And another aspect that may turn some readers off of the story is the element of the family connection between these two.

In this story, they are cousins. Yes I know the hero is adopted, and he does come into the family later, its not like they grew up together from babies to adults or anything, BUT there is still that family connection and it just rubbed me a bit the wrong way. It kinda gave out the messaging that adoption isn't true family, or that is how it came off. I get that there was a light taboo here, BUT it just didn't quite work for me. And of course the author had to throw in some toxic feminism in here making it seem like Jasper wasn't good enough for Sloane just because he happened to be male haha like what??!! Thankfully, that happened at the end of the book and I didn't have to think about it too much. But I did love seeing the hero fight for the heroine at the end and learn to overcome his fears.

In fact, what really worked so well for me in this one was seeing the way in which both Sloane and Jasper learn to overcome their fears and find a endearing happy ending together. I do think that readers will really fall in love with the hero. He is such a healthy representation of masculinity. He is a cinnamon roll but had some alpha tendancies in wanting to protect Sloane but in a healthy way. He appreciates and value her but also wants to make sure she is safe and happy.

Now I do want to end with talking about the level of the sexy times. There is a LOT of it. And if that's your jam, that is great, you will definitely enjoy the amounts of sexy times that is delivered. But I did feel for a small-town romance feel story, there was a bit too much. It just felt like in the middle of the story it was just about them banging and not building a relationship at times.

Overall View
I found Powerless to be a heart stopper of a read, that just brought together such enigmatic character growth, solid family bonds, and all the heart which packs quite a punch!

Rating Evaluation:
Plot: 4
World Building: 4
Cover: 5
Hero: 5
Heroine: 5
Steam: 4
Heart & Feels: 4
Ending: 4
Overall View: 4.25 show less

My third time in Chestnut Springs was mostly a good visit, but not as fun as the first two books in the series. There was good here. I liked the two leads in this friends-to-lovers tale. They were smart, hard-working, independent, and sexy. Lots of good. There were two problems here. The first was pacing. There was way too much "no, I can't" for far far far too long. I was honestly bored for a while. The second major issue was Sloane's father. I have complained before about unnuanced mustache-twirling villains, and he is a prime contender. Give your villains some dimension, people! A villain with layers is a whole lot more interesting -- think the Joker instead of Snidely Whiplash. Still a mostly fun read, and I will be headed back to show more spend time with the Canadian cowboys posthaste.

Also, and I have said this a thousand times, an audiobook read by Teaddy Hamilton is always something to celebrate. The hardest working man in audiobook land, he is. I have less experience with co-narrator CJ Bloom, but she holds her own. show less

What a delightful surprise Jasper Gervais was.

The tail baby joke did go on quite a bit longer than I loved but if that’s seriously my only complaint, she did really, really well with this one.

I own every Elsie Silver book in both digital and physical format, so I was excitedly awaiting the release of Powerless and Jasper's story. Hockey and cowboys are my two favourite things, so to have them in one book I had high hopes, and let me tell you that Elsie did not let me down!

From reading the previous books in the Chestnut Springs series, we knew that there were sparks between Jasper and Sloane, and that there was something from their years of knowing each other. But with Jasper being such a quiet character, always hiding under his baseball cap (sexy as hell, btw) we didn't really get a good look inside him until now.

Every book of Elsie's I read I have a new book boyfriend, and Powerless is no different. Jasper's story is show more wonderfully written, but being inside his mind and seeing him from the point of view of a woman who truly sees him was wonderful, bumps and all. show less

When Jasper Gervais helps her escape from a wedding Sloane Winthrop didn't even want, the two of them get a chance to explore the relationship they never had. Together, they go into hiding on the ranch in Chestnut Springs, but when news of Jasper's adopted brother, Beau, a special forces operative, going missing, the entire Eaton family becomes paralyzed with fear and worry. Jasper and Sloane take the opportunity to help the family by taking a truck filled with hay to sister Violet's ranch, and the trip opens their eyes to long-held feelings for each other.

Powerless is an emotion packed romance with likable, quirky characters. However, the plot is light on substance, requiring repetition of events and conversations in order to fill an show more entire book. The motives and backgrounds of supporting characters could have been better developed, adding more depth into the narrative. Also, the ending is almost too perfect to be believable. Overall, though, Powerless is an addicting romance with enjoyable characters but little substance. show less

Elsie has done it again!

I thought I was team Cade! Well I’m most definitely team Jasper! I loved this book so much! I can’t even say at this point which one of the 3 so far is my favorite. They all have been. Small town friends to lovers! ❤️ With some hockey playing. It just wrapped up amazingly. Both characters were so well written. Loved!