Powerless Audiobook – Chestnut Springs, Book 3

Sometimes, a story wraps around you like a favorite sweater on a rainy Oregon afternoon—cozy, familiar, and just what your heart needs. That’s exactly how Elsie Silver’s “Powerless” found me one Saturday as I painted in my sunlit kitchen, letting the narration become the backdrop to hours of reflection and daydreaming.

Silver has such a gentle way with relationships; she threads Sloane and Jasper’s history into every glance, making each scene pulse with unspoken feelings. As someone who’s experienced the aching liminality between friendship and something more (and oh, isn’t that both exhilarating and terrifying?), I felt every skipped heartbeat between these two—their longing, fear of risking it all, and that quiet hope for love against life’s odds.

What stood out most for me was Sloane herself. In so many romances, the heroine can feel swept along by events rather than steering her own course—but Sloane breaks that mold. After her wedding implodes (such an emotionally raw beginning), she picks up her scattered pieces not with easy bravado but genuine vulnerability. Her resilience reminded me of times in my own life when dreams shattered—and how friends became unexpected lifelines. The authenticity here is palpable: Silver doesn’t gloss over pain or leap too quickly into healing but lets us linger in those complicated spaces where new beginnings take root.

Jasper—a broody hockey star turned soft protector—is another highlight. His emotional scars ring true without tipping into melodrama; he’s quietly magnetic in ways that only deepen as the story unfolds. Their impromptu road trip is filled with beautifully awkward silences and gradual confessions—the kind you whisper under your breath because speaking them aloud makes them real.

I absolutely loved the small-town Chestnut Springs setting: community dinners echoing laughter through old halls; backroads winding past memory-soaked fields; nosy neighbors whose meddling feels equal parts intrusive and comforting. It evokes nostalgia for places I’ve visited throughout my life—those rare towns where everyone seems to know your heartbreaks before you’ve even had coffee at sunrise.

One element I appreciated was Silver’s exploration of second chances—not just romantically but within oneself. There were moments when both characters teetered on retreating from growth because it hurt too much to hope again…and yet they did anyway. As someone who believes fiercely in transformation through kindness (to others and yourself), this theme resonated deeply.

If there was anything missing for me personally—it might have been wanting even more time spent on some side characters or threads left tantalizingly unexplored (perhaps that’s fodder for future Chestnut Springs installments?). And while I could only imagine how their voices might sound due to lack of narrator information, I found myself wishing for performances as nuanced as these characters deserve.

In short: “Powerless” is romance done right—layered with humor, ache, courage, flaws—and reminds us why we fall hard for stories about finding love where we least expect it…sometimes right beside us all along. For anyone craving warmth wrapped up in emotional honesty—with small-town charm serving pie à la mode—I highly recommend adding this to your audiobook queue (or any format you prefer). Here’s hoping we all find our Jasper…or realize he was always there after all.