Powerless (Chestnut Springs, 3)

Two childhood friends. Two broken hearts. One impromptu road trip to get away from everything. That's all this was supposed to be.

To Jasper Gervais's fans, he's the handsome, talented hockey heartthrob on TV. But to Sloane, he'll always be the lost boy with the sad eyes and a heart of gold.

The man she's loved in secret all her life.

So when her life falls apart on the day she's supposed to marry someone else, it only makes sense that he's the one to swoop in and save her. And when his world comes crashing down around him, she's there to return the favor.

But the more time they spend alone, the more Jasper isn't looking at her like a friend anymore. He isn't touching her like one, either. And after all these years, he's still everything she's ever wanted, everything she thought she could never have.

Their feelings aren't straightforward, though. They twist and turn around the pain of Jasper's past and the reality of Sloane's present.

Jasper Gervais might act like he wants her.

But after years of turning her away, he's going to need to prove it.

Elsie Silver is a Canadian author of sassy, sexy, small town romance who loves a good book boyfriend and the strong heroines who bring them to their knees. She lives just outside of Vancouver, British Columbia with her husband, son, and three dogs and has been voraciously reading romance books since before she was probably supposed to.

She loves cooking and trying new foods, traveling, and spending time with her boys–especially outdoors. Elsie has also become a big fan of her quiet five am mornings, which is when most of her writing happens. It’s during this time that she can sip a cup of hot coffee and dream up a fictional world full of romantic stories to share with her readers.

Powerless by Elsie Silver is a contemporary romance set in her Chestnut Springs universe, centered on a friends-to-lovers story between Jasper Gervais, a broody, emotionally guarded hockey star, and Sloane Winchester, a sweet but quietly strong woman who has been part of his life since childhood. The book begins with the two of them bound together by their shared history: Sloane grew up spending summers at the Gervais ranch alongside the brothers, and Jasper has always been the one she felt safest with, the boy who turned into her best friend and secret crush. Their dynamic is built on long-standing familiarity—they know each other’s habits, fears, family baggage, and dreams—and the heart of the story lies in how that safe friendship gradually shifts into something more intense, risky, and deeply romantic. Jasper, nicknamed “the prince” of the Gervais family, is a professional hockey player whose life looks perfect from the outside, but inside he is weighed down by unresolved trauma, complicated family expectations, and a sense of emotional numbness that makes him feel oddly disconnected from his own success. Sloane, on the other hand, is the protected, sheltered girl whose wealthy and controlling family has tried to shape her life for her, including an engagement she does not truly want. When she finally reaches a breaking point and needs to escape, she runs to the one person she trusts completely—Jasper—and that decision is what kicks the main plot into motion.

Their reunion comes at a moment when Sloane is desperate for freedom and support, and Jasper is drifting through his own life on autopilot, using hockey and routine to avoid dealing with what he feels. Sloane begs Jasper to help her get away from the path her family has chosen for her, and he agrees, even though he knows it will pull him into conflict and force him to confront emotions he has carefully kept closed off. Together, they embark on a kind of temporary escape, which includes returning to Chestnut Springs and spending time on the ranch where their bond first formed. This setting is important, because the small-town, family-filled environment contrasts sharply with the pressure and intensity of Jasper’s NHL world and Sloane’s high-society expectations. On the ranch, their closeness feels natural and easy, but that ease quickly becomes charged: Sloane, no longer willing to bury her feelings, starts to push gently at the limits of their friendship, and Jasper, despite his reluctance to ruin what they have, can no longer ignore how deeply he cares. The emotional core of the book is the tension between what they have always been—a safe, platonic pair—and what they could be if they are brave enough to risk everything.

Jasper’s character arc revolves around learning to believe he deserves love and happiness, rather than assuming he must stay emotionally “powerless” and disconnected to survive. He carries guilt and old pain that have made him resist vulnerability, and throughout the story, he struggles with the fear that if he truly lets Sloane in, he will somehow hurt her or lose her. His instinct is to protect her, sometimes to the point of pushing her away, and this creates the main conflict in their relationship. Sloane’s arc is about reclaiming her agency. She grows from a woman who has always been guided, directed, and controlled by others—especially her influential family—into someone who actively chooses what she wants, even if that choice is messy, uncertain, or frowned upon. Being with Jasper means stepping into a life she designs for herself, not the polished future laid out for her on paper. Throughout the book, she shows increasing strength, refusing to be treated as fragile or passive, and calling Jasper out when he tries to hide behind his walls.

The romance itself is slow-burn and emotionally rich. Because Jasper and Sloane have years of friendship behind them, every small shift carries weight: the way they look at each other, the touches that linger a bit longer, the private jokes that suddenly feel intimate in a new way. There is a push and pull as they navigate the line between best friends and lovers. Jasper tries to keep things in the “safe” zone, often insisting that their friendship matters too much to risk, while Sloane, hurt by his hesitation but understanding his fears, continues to show him that their connection is already far deeper than either of them has admitted. As they move through different settings—the ranch, the city, the hockey world—the chemistry between them keeps growing stronger, and Jasper’s jealousy, protectiveness, and unspoken longing begin to break through his controlled exterior. Sloane, for her part, often sees straight through his defenses, reading the emotions he refuses to say aloud. This creates a pattern where the reader can feel how inevitable their romance is, even as Jasper fights it and circumstances seem determined to pull them apart.

Family plays a significant role in the story as well. The Gervais brothers, who have been central in other books in the series, show up as a chaotic, loving presence, teasing Jasper, supporting Sloane, and providing a warm, rooted backdrop to all the emotional turmoil. Their easy banter and unfiltered loyalty highlight what Sloane has always lacked in her own family: genuine acceptance and unconditional support. Sloane’s relatives, by contrast, represent control, image, and obligation. Their attempts to reclaim her and push her back into an arranged life remind her of everything she is fighting against. This clash between the two worlds—one based on love and chosen family, the other on power and status—underscores why Sloane’s choice to be with Jasper is not just romantic but also deeply symbolic. It is her decision to prioritize heartfelt connection over social expectations, and to choose the life that feels true instead of the one that looks polished.

As the story moves toward its climax, Jasper’s internal struggle reaches a breaking point. He must decide whether he will continue to hide behind his fear and emotional detachment or finally step fully into the relationship Sloane is offering him. Past scars and present pressures collide, and he makes mistakes—pulling away at critical moments, speaking harshly when he feels cornered, or pretending he is protecting Sloane by denying his feelings. These choices hurt her and bring them to the edge of losing everything. But the depth of their history and the genuine love between them keep drawing them back. Sloane’s quiet resilience and refusal to accept half-hearted love force Jasper to confront the reality that his “powerlessness” is something he has allowed to define him, not something he is truly trapped in. In facing that truth, he begins to change, allowing himself to be vulnerable, to admit how long he has loved her, and to accept that being fully seen does not mean inevitable pain—it can also mean extraordinary joy.

By the end of Powerless, Jasper and Sloane have fought through their fears, family expectations, and the risk of losing their friendship to build a deeper, more honest partnership. Their journey feels earned because it grows out of years of shared history and carefully built trust, not instant attraction. Jasper transforms from a closed-off, emotionally distant athlete into a man who chooses love openly, and Sloane evolves from the protected girl into a woman who claims her own future. Their story is warm, angsty, and tender, filled with the kind of emotional vulnerability, banter, and chemistry that define Elsie Silver’s Chestnut Springs series. In the end, the title “Powerless” feels ironic, because although both characters begin the book feeling trapped—by family, fear, and expectations—they ultimately discover that together, they are anything but powerless when they choose each other fully.