It’s always the quiet ones that surprise you the most. Jasper is quiet and brooding and so hard for everyone to read expect Sloane. She’s the only person Jasper has ever felt whole with but has always kept her at arm’s length afraid to hurt her or have her leave him. But Sloane has never left and it’s just taken Jasper a long while to finally catch up. He might be domineering in the bedroom but he is nothing but completely supportive of Sloane and whatever she wants; he just wants to see her smile. Sloane had so much growth throughout the story and I was so happy to she her take back her life and truly come into her own.

From the nicknames to the soul searching, this has everything you want in a childhood friends to lovers book. There were so many good quotes throughout this book, some a little dirty and others that hit you right in all the feels. I loved this quote below and it perfectly sums up Jasper and Sloane’s journey to each other.

“No, Sunny. I shouldn’t be scared. You’re the least scary thing in my life. You’re not just tattooed on my skin. You’re branded on my heart. Woven into the fiber of my being. The most constant and reassuring person in my life. When I close my eyes, I see you. When you’re away from me, I dream about you. When I need someone to lean on, you are always there for me. God. You’ve loved me when I haven’t even been able to love myself.”

Hockey player. Ballerina. Friends to lovers. Family drama. Secret tattoo. Swoon. Elsie silver can do no wrong!

Thank you for the eARC in exchange for an honest review

I love how Elsie Silver writes and I think she does a great job writing realistic dialogue. I also think she is very good at writing intriguing and human conflicts. Sloane and Jasper had a lot of history together and Elsie explores that in a thorough way!

I love this series and these characters and her next book in this series Reckless was spectacular!

Love love LOVED being back in Chestnut Springs! The first two books made me super excited to learn more about Jasper. I love that this was small-town and had so many similar vibes as Flawless and Heartless but was set apart by the hockey/sports romance trope than the cowboy trope. It helped this book not blend into the other two. Jasper was soooo sweet and wounded and troubled but also dirty and frisky once you got to know him. The evolution of him and Sloane's relationship with so sweet and authentic. The drama and conflict in this worked so well for the story, the spice was amazing, and it was SO fun to get the little nods to Elsie's Gold Rush Ranch series! This one is absolutely worth the read - Elsie's writing is fun and filled with banter and found family and heartwarming romance with the perfect amount of spice. Loved it!

Jasper and Sloane have been circling around each other since Sloane was 10 years old, pining away for an older Jasper who never seemed to give her the time of day, except to treat her like a kid sister. Jump forward some 20ish years later and Sloan is set to marry a horrible bore of a man only to satisfy her father when Jasper busts her out of the wedding.
Jasper is going through some emotional turmoil himself, so when they run away together, they are both battling their own minds, but cannot deny the attraction budding between them. Will they act on it or will they be too scared to ruin a lifelong friendship?

I love this series. I love these characters- the setting, the ranch, etc. However, this one was a little redundant to me and the part I enjoyed the most was the leadup to the "coupling" as it seems to get repetitive after that. I love a wounded man and the idea that only you can fix him, so I loved that aspect of it also. The way some of it came together seemed far fetched to me (Aka Dad and ex all demanding her change, etc) BUT I did like the story anyway and enjoy everything Elsie Silver writes.
3.5 and thanks to Netgalley for the ARC!

⭐️: 4/5

I was really excited to get to read Jasper’s story, since he was one of the more intriguing characters of all the Chestnut Springs brothers. I also love a good friends to lovers romance, since I find them superior to enemies to lovers, so the lifelong store of Jasper and Sloane was really nice to read. Although I felt that this one may have leaned a little bit too much on miscommunication (or lack of communication) to further the plot, I think handling of the traumas of both MCs made up for it, and I ended up really liking the story.

Thank you so much to Netgalley and Sourcebooks (Bloom Books) for an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Elsie Silver is so quickly becoming a must read author for me. Her romances have the perfect balance of steam and emotions and they are just such a delight. Jasper was so damaged and full of love and Sloane was so loyal and steadfast. I loved these two as a couple but I will say I don't think the friends to lovers trope is for me... you have to suspend a lotttt of disbelief to swallow this plot. he's a pro hockey player and she's a ballerina and they 'just could never be together'? wild. But please note anytime the characters did something wildly cringe I skipped those sentences 😂

My least fave of the series but still a fun read!

One of my favorite small town series just keeps getting better and better. I was so excited for Sloane and Jasper’s story and I have to say it was so damn good! Childhood crush and unrequited love have never looked so good!

I'm a big fan of Elsie Silver's writing, especially the Chestnut Springs series. This isn't my favourite of the series; Sloane is kind of a wet blanket and Theo is a little too dense to be interesting, IMO.

Jasper and Sloane are two kindred spirits who have been friends since childhood. They’ve always found a safe space with each other and have had a connection. When Solane’s wedding day doesn’t go as planned, Jasper swoops in to save her. As they’re both escaping their “real lives” they take a road trip and start to realize that the secret crushes they’ve had on each other may not be unrequited.

This is book three in the chestnut springs series and it did not disappoint! I found myself a little bit more more drawn to the first two books, but still enjoyed getting to know Jasper, Sloane, and hanging out with the Chestnut Springs crew!

Thank you Bloom Books for a copy of this e-arc! Powerless is being re-released through Bloom and comes out next Tuesday 11/7!

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Bloom Books for providing me with an egalley of this book to read and give my honest review. The opinions expressed here are my own.
I was introduced to the Chestnut Springs series by a friend a few months ago. I sat down with the first book, Flawless, and could not put it down. So when I saw the opportunity to jump back into Chestnut Springs, I took it. And to get to read Jasper's story, bring it! I want to know all about all the men and women of Chestnut Springs!
Can you read this book without reading the first or second? Sure. Do you want to, probably not. Those books will give you good background on the supporting characters in this book. But story wise, you'll be fine if you decide to jump into getting to know this hot hockey players and his childhood prima ballerina friend.
It was so much fun, and a little sad, getting to know Jasper. He's been hurt and broken. Left stranded by his family after the tragic loss of his little sister, he finds a new family with the Eatons. But Jasper carries so much baggage. He doesn't know how to open up. He keeps things locked down and stays in his head for much of the book. He doesn't know how to let people in, let them love him. But Sloan knows. She knows she's loved him since she first laid eyes on him. She just never thought those feelings might possibly be reciprocated. But Sloan has been groomed to be the perfect little daughter, the perfect little wife. Always doing things for others and never for herself. During the course of the book she learns to break free, to be herself, and to help Jasper find himself, as well.
The book is character heavy. There's a good amount of plot. Jasper and his hockey career. Jasper losing it when his "brother" goes missing. Sloane figuring out she was used as a pawn when her father arranges for her to marry a man who treats her like crap. Sloane learning her father is not the man she's put up on a pedestal her whole life. Silver manages to weave the plot line in while still keeping the focus on the main characters and their growth. It was fantastic watching them change. And it was fun watching Silver weave in characters from Flawless and Heartless, as well. I loved seeing my old friends! And the pacing is spot on. I started and finished this one in just about 24 hours.
I truly cannot wait to read the next book in this series. The way I'm feeling now about Chestnut Springs, I never want leave it!

Childhood friends to lovers is one of my favorite tropes. Jasper and Sloane had so much chemistry. I really enjoyed this book and I’m loving this series. I can’t wait to read the rest of this series.

Thank you NetGalley and Bloom Books for the arc of this book.

Elsie Silver has done it again! I swear she doesn't know how to write a bad book. I loved this one! The banter between the two main love interests feels so genuine and realistic. Ballerina and professional hockey player falling in love after being childhood best friends could have been done in a cheesy manner but Silver does these tropes perfectly!
This is the perfect continuation of the series! Cannot wait to read the rest of the series!

Thank you to Bloom, Elsie and NetGalley for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A HOCKEY romance mixed with a COWBOY romance😱 perfection! This series is everything to me and Elsie can do no wrong in my eyes! Jasper was the book boyfriend everyone is looking for and obsessing over! I am so devastated that this series is ending

Set in the small rural town of Chestnut Springs, Canada, this series will immediately transport you into a world you don’t know much about but yearn to be part of. While each book can be read as a stand-alone, it’s fun to read them in order because previous characters make appearances later on and because they are all that good.

Powerless is book three of the series and is Sloan and Jasper’s story. The two have been best friends since childhood, but it isn’t until Sloane runs away on the day of her wedding, with Jasper’s help, that the two start to recognize the mutual feelings that have been there all along. There is something so special with Elsie Silver’s books. She has a way with creating realistic characters that are both flawed and perfect, and writing stories where you feel like you are friends with the full cast and part of their inner circle. I love how in this book especially there is the amazing banter and incredible steam expected in an Elsie book, but also all the swoony and touching moments the will pull at your heart strings.

What to expect:
-Age Gap
-Best Friends to Lovers
-Road Trip
-Only One Bed
-Hockey Player Hero
-Ballerina heroine
-Family Drama
-It’s Always Been You
-Canada Setting
-Found Family Theme
-ALL THE SPICE

I love Elsie’s books so much! Jasper and Sloane are such a fun and sweet childhood friends to lovers story. I was hesitant to start this one knowing sloane was engaged and that’s just not my jam (I hate cheating tropes) so I was super excited to see her take off on her wedding day at the very start of the book! She and jasper both have such transformations from the beginning to the end in such beautiful ways. Elsie always knows how to tug at your heartstrings while making you laugh and cry.

Jasper is an honorary Eaton, and he has been friends with Sloane for as long as they both can remember. On what was meant to be her wedding day to another man, Sloane ends up running away. Jasper is there to catch all of the pieces as she falls apart. Soon, they're spending more time together and the line between friends and something more begins to blur. This was another Elsie winner, and I was moved by Jasper and Sloane's story as they navigated their feelings for one another.

Read if you like:
-friends to lovers
-age gap
-sports romance (hockey)
-he falls first
-small town romance
-one bed trope

Elsie Silver’s Chestnut Springs series is amazing! She has an amazing way of creating an emotional connection with characters, and still finds a way to bring humor into her books! There is a huge wave of demand for hockey romances at the bookstore I work at and this will definitely be one I will recommend. There’s a dual POV and dual timeline aspect to this book that was very engaging and I loved.

“But seeds grow and now the roots of him and that night are wrapped so tightly around my heart that I’ll never be able to extricate myself from Jasper Gervais. There isn’t a soul in the world who can remove those roots and the stranglehold they have on me.”

If you like friends to lovers and small town romance then this is the book for you. I liked being back in this world and even though I’m not a huge friends to lovers fan I was still interested in this book and the romance. Jasper the mmc has a tragic past and I liked seeing him get his happy ending. The romance was cute and I was happy when they finally got together. Loved seeing all the other characters and I’m so excited Winter and Theo’s book, I liked all their interactions. Overall this is a good read especially if you love these specific tropes.

Tropes/themes:
- Hockey player mmc
- Childhood friends to lovers
- She falls first
- Runaway bride
- Unrequited love
- Found family
- Secret pining
- Small town romance

Thank you Bloom Books for this arc for the traditional print edition coming out November 7th.

Powerless is book three of the Chestnut Springs series of interconnected standalones. This story follows Jasper, who was “adopted” into the Eaton family as teen, and Sloane, the Eaton’s cousin. Sloane has been in love with Jasper since the day she met him but has hidden her feelings from him. They are best friends and she would rather have him in her life as a friend than to express her feeling and him shoot her down and ruin their friendship. Their story is so heartbreakingly beautiful. I shed many tears reading this one! Jasper isn’t good with his feelings and is still feeling broken from his past. His story is gut wrenching to read and my heart broke for him.

The sexual tension between these two is off the charts! And when that tension finally snaps, you better hold on because it is a scorcher! Jasper has got a filthy mouth and decides he isn’t afraid to use it…in more ways than one! How these two didn’t see how they affect each other is beyond me. I loved their connection and friendship. I also loved that we got more of the rest of the Eaton clan and also those from Gold Rush Ranch. I can’t wait for more stories from this world and Chestnut Springs!