50 pages • 1-hour read
Powerless: A Small Town Friends to Lovers Romance
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Chapters 20-30Chapter Summaries & Analyses
Chapter 20 Summary: “Sloane”
As Sloane soaks in the hot springs while snowflakes gently fall, she considers the paradigm-shifting news that she has just learned. She also considers how different her life could have been if her father hadn’t threatened Jasper. She then cries over the uselessness of living in the past, even as she reflects on her lingering sense of hurt that Jasper never attended her first ballet performance and only sent flowers. Now, Jasper comes and sits near her, holding her pinky finger and stroking her cheek. He wants to know how to make her feel better, and although Sloane wants to tell him to take her to bed, she decides against it. She leaves to shower, savoring the idea of Jasper watching her slide out of the water and suffering at the sight, just as she has suffered all these years.
In their room, Sloane finishes her shower. She sees Jasper’s many tattoos but is most intrigued by one on his ribcage that she can’t identify. While he is in the shower, she sneaks into the bathroom to catch a glimpse of the tattoo and instead catches Jasper masturbating in the shower. He tells her to stay and watch. When he gets out of the shower, he lets her inspect the tattoo, which is a tiny ballerina on pointe. Jasper explains that he got the tattoo on the day he chose not to attend her first professional recital. Later, he attended her performances in secret. Jasper says that when Sloane’s father decided that Jasper was beneath her notice, this declaration made him “want to be good enough” (249) to deserve her. Sloane is overcome with emotion and asks for time to process this new information.
Chapter 21 Summary: “Sloane”
Since there is only one bed, Sloane takes the cot on the floor, but Jasper tells her that she cannot sleep there. When she refuses to move, he picks up the mattress, puts her on the bed, and shoves the cot into the hallway. At first, they lie side by side, and then Jasper touches her. He wants Sloane to admit that she has been thinking of him whenever she is with Sterling. They are intimate but do not have sex, and for Sloane, this form of contact is more pleasurable than anything she has ever experienced.
Chapter 22 Summary: “Jasper”
Sloane wants to go further, but Jasper hesitates, thinking to himself, “I want her, but I’m scared of changing us in the process” (265). Seeing his hesitation Sloane declares that Jasper is confusing her because he is not expressing his feelings. Internally, he recognizes his hesitation as fear, knowing that once he has her, he could also risk losing her again. They sleep the rest of the night tangled up together, and the next morning, Jasper is content to wake up with Sloane in his arms. He wonders why he is still holding back when he knows that they are destined to be together.
Chapter 23 Summary: “Jasper”
Sloane gives Jasper the silent treatment the entire way to Violet and Cole’s place, Gold Rush Ranch. Jasper wonders if he went too far by making Sloane admit that she has fantasized about him. Meanwhile, Sloane checks her phone, which he knows is full of messages that she is deliberately ignoring. When they arrive at Gold Rush Ranch, Violet is waiting for them; she tearfully announces that Beau has been found safe and well. Everyone cries with relief as Cole and Violet embrace, and Jasper hugs Sloane.
Chapter 24 Summary: “Sloane”
Sloane and Violet go for drinks with Billie, Mira, and Nadia, who also live and work at Gold Rush Ranch. Sloane enjoys their banter and longs to have close female friendships like this with Summer and Willa. Violet notices that something has shifted between Sloane and Jasper and notes that it’s about time they got together, but she says that Jasper is “emotionally stunted.” Later, after dinner, Sloane and Jasper head to the cottage where they’re staying, which Billie says is nicknamed “the Love Shack”; this is where Billie and her husband, Vaughn, first got together.
Harvey is now on his way to pick up Beau from a military hospital, and Sloane is relieved to know that Beau is safe. She asks Jasper what their plan is now, but he wants to know what she wants to do. Sloane is frustrated with Jasper because he refuses to speak openly about his feelings. Jasper admits that he is afraid of making any decision that could drive her away from him because he knows that men have been controlling her life up until this moment. Even though Sloane has always loved Jasper, he does not want to do anything that might make her slip away from him.
Chapter 25 Summary: “Jasper”
Jasper decides that he is done wasting time. He orders Sloane to remove her clothes, take off the engagement ring, and crawl over to him, and she happily obeys. Jasper kisses her and then picks her up and puts her on the countertop, where they become intimate.
Chapter 26 Summary: “Sloane”
They have sex on the countertop, and Sloane realizes that they are so attracted to each other because they belong to each other. Jasper wants her to say that she “belongs” to him, and she does.
Chapter 27 Summary: “Jasper”
Jasper admits that he has fantasized about being in a romantic relationship with Sloane for years, but he now notes that the “real thing” is far better. He says, “[E]verything feels different between us. And yet the same somehow” (310). The tension is gone, and they enjoy discovering each other in new ways. Later, they play hockey on the ice with the others at Gold Rush Ranch, and the women lament that the men have an unfair advantage because Jasper is on their team. However, Jasper is so distracted by Sloane that he doesn’t play well, and the men lose.
Chapter 28 Summary: “Sloane”
On the morning they are set to leave, Jasper orders Sloane to get on the bed. She asks if there are other women in his life, but he reminds her that they have both been involved with other people in the past; all that matters is that they’re together now and “forever.” They grow intimate again, but Jasper leaves her unsatisfied and wanting more.
On the road, Jasper asks Sloane if she misses ballet dancing. When they were at Wishing Well, she used Summer’s gym as a studio and enjoyed dancing there without the pressure of instructors or expectations. As they discuss plans for when they return to the city, Jasper urges her to move her things out of Sterling’s place and move in with him immediately. He owns several homes in Chestnut Springs, which he purchased to spite Sloane’s father, an avid real estate investor. Sloane knows that she must also confront her father. Jasper tells her to touch herself, and Sloane does, but he makes her stop short of finding satisfaction. When they arrive at the Rose Hill Inn, their destination for the night, they have sex in the car.
Chapter 29 Summary: “Jasper”
Now that Harvey has been reunited with Beau, he and Jasper exchange texts. Jasper and Sloane return to Wishing Well, and Harvey and Beau Facetime them. Harvey teases Sloane and Jasper for being “kissing cousins,” and Sloane gets teary upon seeing Beau. Beau has sustained minor injuries and will need to remain in the hospital for a while longer, but he promises that he will soon be retiring from the military.
Jasper meets with Roman and asks to return to the team. The team is on a losing streak, and Roman only wants Jasper to return if he is mentally prepared to do so. Jasper explains that Beau is safe and the family crisis has passed. Roman asks if Jasper has been training, and Jasper lies and claims that he has because he is desperate to get back into the game. Roman agrees to let him return to practice on a trial basis for three days; afterward, he will assess whether Jasper is ready.
Chapter 30 Summary: “Jasper”
Cade and Will invite Jasper and Sloane over for dinner. Later, Jasper accompanies Sloane as she goes to move her belongings out of Sterling’s apartment, but he is asked to wait outside while she handles the task. Jasper doesn’t like this arrangement because he doesn’t want to be apart from her. Sterling isn’t there, and Sloane quickly removes her things. She realizes that this place never felt like home in the few weeks she lived there before the wedding: another sign that the marriage would have been a mistake. Jasper kisses Sloane and grabs her butt, knowing that Sterling will later look at the security camera footage.
Chapters 20-30 Analysis
In these chapters, Jasper and Sloane’s slow burn transforms into a full-fledged romance as they openly express and act upon their desire, Healing Old Wounds with Love and Support. As Sloane says, “[W]e’re two opposite ends of a magnet, there’s no resisting the pull. There are forces beyond us at work now, and we’re at their mercy” (303). The romantic payoff comes once Jasper overcomes his impostor syndrome and sheds his fear of not being worthy enough for Sloane. When Jasper finally allows himself to become intimate with Sloane, he transforms from a laid-back, charming hockey player to a dominant yet gentle lover whose desire for control during sex stems not from any need to overpower her but from his emotional need to protect her. He takes charge, sometimes roughly, but always centering Sloane’s pleasure, creating a safe space for her to let go entirely. Taking control allows him to express his love, claim territory, and reassure himself that she needs and desires him. Being with Sloane dismantles Jasper’s long-held insecurities and redefines his relationship with her. However, his internal conflict remains; he cannot let go of the fear that he will lose her, just as he has lost everyone else he has loved.
As the pair’s romance advances in halting, uncertain steps, both Sloane and Jasper benefit from The Stabilizing Influence of Found Family amongst the Eatons. The search for Beau and the celebration over his return show Jasper that he is surrounded by a support system that transcends blood relations. The intensity of Jasper’s reaction to Beau’s disappearance can be explained by the traumas of his past, for the absence of a friend who is akin to a brother triggers the scared little boy that still lives inside Jasper: the vulnerable part of himself that longs for safety. From this perspective, Beau’s safe return teaches Jasper that not every crisis ends in tragedy. And just as Beau is found, Jasper and Sloane are beginning to find themselves in a figurative sense. Their visit to Gold Rush Ranch gives Sloane a glimpse of the life of freedom and connection that she longs to claim for herself. Likewise, their return to Chestnut Springs symbolizes a new beginning as individuals and partners, for they can now live surrounded by the love and support of their family, continuing the process of Healing Old Wounds with Love and Support.
However, these positive trends are still overshadowed by Sloane’s unresolved issues with her own family, and the revelation about her father’s treachery shakes her understanding of her past and present self. As she faces new aspects of The Struggle to Reclaim Self-Worth, she must fully acknowledge her father’s true character before she can break free from his manipulation. Until now, Sloane has labored under the false belief that Jasper chose to reject her, but when she realizes that her father threatened Jasper’s career and effectively drove him away, this crucial information erases years of self-doubt, making her realize that Jasper has wanted her all along. In turn, her awareness of her father’s betrayal makes her realize that she has spent much of her life performing and people-pleasing for the benefit of her family. This harsh truth prompts Sloane to reevaluate her life and assert her independence by embracing a long-delayed relationship with Jasper. This move represents her first step toward taking charge of her own life. As she says of Jasper, “I don’t want him to feel like he needs to save me. I want to save myself” (240). Ultimately, Sloane’s emotional liberation comes with a heavy price as she realizes the burden that Jasper has borne and the time that they both have lost. However, the revelation clarifies her desires and galvanizes her to fight for her own agency in matters of life and love.
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