Powerless: A Small Town Friends to Lovers Romance

Sloane is the female lead and one of the two point-of-view characters. At the novel’s start, she faces the prospect of marrying the misogynistic, callous Sterling and suddenly realizes that this would be a ruinous mistake. Having committed to the relationship for the sake of meeting her wealthy family’s expectations, Sloane resents the fact that she is not in control of her life. After a lifetime of people-pleasing performances—in both her personal life and in her ballet career—she must reckon with the harsh truth that her engagement to Sterling stems from her desire for stability, approval, and conformity. However, Jasper, her best friend from her childhood years, knows the truth: that she is “layered and complex, and not just the polished princess she’s been molded into by her family” (10). The unraveling of Sloane’s engagement reveals that her feelings for Jasper have been buried beneath fear and resignation. As she walks away from the wedding, this decisive moment marks the beginning of her journey back to Jasper and back to the truest version of herself.

The road trip with Jasper is a turning point for Sloane. Finally freed from the rigidity of her former life, she begins to explore her identity, moving beyond the bounds of mere performance and obligation, and her time with Jasper allows her to experience freedom without judgment.