The Tower by J. Kenner brings readers deep into the seductive world of secrets, power, and obsession. The tension between the characters is intense, and fans of dark romance will appreciate the blend of mystery and steamy moments that J. Kenner is known for.

That said, parts of the story felt repetitive, especially in the internal monologues and emotional struggles. The pacing was uneven, with some scenes dragging while others felt rushed. While the chemistry was strong, I found myself wishing for more plot development and less circling around the same emotional themes.

Overall, it’s an enjoyable read if you’re looking for a moody, provocative escape, but it doesn’t quite reach the heights of Kenner’s best work.

Rapunzel retelling, captive/captor, smutty, billionaire romance with a morally grey MMC is book 1 in the Billionaire Brothers Grimm series. Liam saves Sacha from her monster of a father, but then keeps her as a hostage to exact his revenge against him. To me, this was flat, dragged out, redundant and overly predictable. The premise was super interesting, and I have a feeling that a bit more work (and about 100 less pages - I don't care that much about Elysium, which too way too much space in the story and was so unnecessary) would've made this one a banger.
I received an advance review copy of this book for free and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

The Tower is Liam Grimm and Sasha Reed’s dark, forbidden love story and it’s book one in new Billionaires Brother Grimm Series. This is a good start the new series, it’s well written with great characters and it was a captivating read.
Sasha needs to escape from her controlling father who has her locked up in Reed Towers only allowing her to leave the tower when she is escorted. The final straw is when she finds out her father has arranged her marriage and she makes a run for it…..right into the enemies hands.
Liam only knows how to protect but his need to protect Sasha goes way deeper and he finds himself wanting more than he should with the woman who should be off limits. Loving her means facing his past and proving to her that he is not the enemy could be tough.
So could these two find the missing link from their lives, could they become stronger and better together.

Sasha Reed is a 26 yr old who is being kept by her father, Victor Reed, in the family's high rise dubbed Reed Tower. Ever since her mother Lydia was killed by Elias Grimm when she was seven years old, Victor will not let Sasha leave the tower unless escorted by someone. Sasha is tired of being the face of Reed Cosmetics which she has been since she was 14 yrs old. Her father treats her like she is still seven years old.

When Sasha finds out from her best friend and personal assistant, Ruby Ryder that her father is announcing her engagement to Desmond Bane at the Beautify Manhattan Gala she freaks out. Sasha cannot stand Desmond. Just before the announcement is made Sasha takes off running and runs right into 34 year old Liam Grimm, black sheep of the Grimm family. Liam offers to help Sasha in exchange if she gives him everything....her mind, body and soul. Sasha quickly agrees. She has always had an attraction to Liam but figures she is better off with him than Desmond.

While Sasha is with Liam she starts to understand exactly what her father was doing to her. With Liam's help, Sasha starts to feel normal again. She even uses Elysium again. Elysium is a private virtual world that Sasha created where she controls everything. Her character is Vale and her love interest is Prince Killiam the Noble. While in this world Sasha can be safe and free.

Liam has his own agenda....take down Victor Reed and what better way than defiling his daughter! Only Liam starts to realize that Sasha isn't anything like the person Victor portrays her as and these two start to develop real feelings for each other. While keeping Sasha protected, secrets start to come out. Especially things from the past. Now Liam and Sasha both have to learn if they can trust again in order to find their happy ending.

I freaking LOVED this steamy, forbidden love story. Sasha really came into her own after being with Liam. I also loved how Liam finally found something worth living for. Together these two found something that missing in their lives and finally made them whole. I cannot wait for the other Grimm brothers stories.

Thank you net galley for this arc. so the premise of this sounded do good a fairytail retelling.i like the spice and dirty talk, but the relationship just didn't flow well to me between the characters. i also like that she build a virtual world i think is so cool.

Thank you for the opportunity to read this book!

Unfortunately, this was a DNF for me at 49%. I loved the cover of this book and the initial plot line. I struggled with the FMC’s repetitive and frequently disjointed internal dialogue. The premise was interesting, but even for an “enemies to lovers” the progression of the relationship and the interactions between the MC’s didn’t feel natural or make much sense. I also found the style of writing to lack depth and identifiable personal style.

What a great book. I highly recommend you all to read it! I really enjoyed this book by Julie Kenner. Thank you

The Tower
By J. Kenner
This is the first book in a new series.

This is a dark story of finding escape. Sasha has to break free from her controlling father before it's too late. And as they say the devil you know... so she takes a big leap and ends up with the enemy. But as lies are uncovered she learns that not everything was as it seems. And she was more in danger than she realized.
Liam is a protector. And his need to keep Sasha safe is pushing him unlike anything before. He wants her. And now he has to face the choices he's made and prove to her that the devils bargain isn't his end game.

The Tower sucked me in from page one with its haunting atmosphere, slow-burn tension, and razor-sharp emotions. Sasha, our FMC, is filled with rage, trauma, and a desperate need to escape a life that feels like a house of cards built from glass. I had so many questions from the start—Why is she really on medication? Is her phobia of heights real or something her father manipulated into existence?

Sasha is such an intriguing character. She’s a virgin, and has created her own unique world as a form of escape. I found her mind fascinating to be in, and I shared every one of her questions: What does Liam know? How will her father react when he finds out who she’s with? What exactly is Elysium?

Speaking of Liam… the tension between him and Sasha is absolute fire. I was desperate for his POV early on, but when it finally came, it hit so right—especially in the hotel room scene (🌶️🔥). J. Kenner timed that shift perfectly, letting us fall for Liam only after he started to truly fall for Sasha. He’s the kind of character who falls first and hard, even if he doesn’t realize it. I loved seeing both his softer moments and his commanding intensity. His dirty talk? A+.

There were these little flashes of possessiveness that made my heart ache in the best way. And the emotional payoff at the end—watching Liam learn, change, and open up—really tied everything together for me. The pining, the secrets, the heat… it all made for a deeply compelling read.

If you love a suspenseful, emotionally intense romance with a virgin heroine, a hero who falls hard, and just the right mix of vulnerability and heat, The Tower will absolutely deliver.

It's been a long while since I read a J. Kenner book so I was really excited when I got this ARC and in some ways it delivered.

I loved the dynamic between the main characters. It was most undoubtedly the best part of the book. Their every charged glance and heated was deliciously addictive. There was so much sexual tension and sizzling chemistry between the MCs. I did however, struggle to like the FMC. Her personality and some of her decisions, while sometimes understandable grated on my nerves and made it hard to root for her. The MMC on the other hand, i absolutely loved and lived for the chapters from his point of view.

I thought the premise of the book was strong but the execution felt a bit flat for me. Some of the plot line i felt stretched quiet beyond believable, especially the abduction subplot which felt overdramatic and ridiculous.

Overall this was a solid read with lots of steam and a magnetic MMC.

Thanks to Oliver Heber Books and Netgalley for the ARC

Rating: 3.25/5

This book had good bones. It’s clearly inspired by Rapunzel, but told in a modern setting with themes of agency, control, and a woman trying to reclaim her ability to make choices for herself. The writing flowed well, and I liked the overall tone and structure of the story.

One of the strengths of the story was the dynamic between Liam and Sasha. It was clear that Liam deeply loved her and was willing to do whatever it took to prove himself and earn her trust again. Their emotional connection had real potential, and you could feel the intensity of what they meant to each other.

That said, several parts of the story felt rushed or unfinished. For example, there was a long buildup to the courtroom scene, but when it finally happened, Sasha’s father didn’t even show up and the entire moment wrapped up in just a few pages. Scenes between Sasha and Liam also started to feel repetitive. I actually found myself flipping back at times because I thought I had accidentally re-read the same moment.

The foundation of the story was solid, and I appreciated the way it touched on deeper themes. The spice was well done and added to the chemistry. I just found myself wishing for a bit more depth and development throughout.

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to review this ARC.

I generally love J. Kenner and have read most of her books, but this one was hard to get into. It’s a loosely Rapunzel inspired story and It really, really leans into the damsel in distress and body betrayal syndrome, two things I dislike immensely. Also, fmc is a 26 year old virgin. Another thing I despise. Sasha has been essentially imprisoned, drugged and gaslit by her father for almost 20 years. When he announces her engagement, unbeknownst to her, to a maniac she hates, she escapes aided by Liam Grimm, her alleged enemy.

The relationship between Liam and Sasha was pretty stilted. It didn’t develop or flow naturally. It was essentially Sasha being unable to control her raging hormones around him and acting like a child then conversely acting like a compete boss - which makes no sense considering this is a girl who hasn’t even been been outside alone in 20 years. Predictably Liam, the monstrous villain who “doesn’t do relationships, I fu*k”, falls in love with Sasha. The sweet virginal princess. The cliches were just really hard to ignore here because they just kept piling up.

This was good, but not great. It had a lot of cliches and the whole virtual reality thing was awkward. The “betrayals”, both of them, were not really all that bad and I felt like Sasha was blowing everything way out of proportion. I’d be more angry about him living with his ex-gf tbh. A plot point which gets absolutely zero resolution. Why do they live together? How did she know to just show up when Sasha was there? What’s her purpose in this story? She just popped in to be a bitch and then faded away.

Overall worth reading but it won’t be a favorite of mine.

Thank you to NetGalley and Xpresso Book Tours for the advance copy. All opinions are my own and I have no relationship with the author or publisher.

wow what a stunning book. so much page turning material from these pages. you want to know more about anger towards our Fmc. you want to read more to find out how she lives or wants to figure out how to be free. you want to read more because you are hooked into her and Liams world. its just one more page to one more chapters brilliance.
Sasha has been caged and controlled by her father since forever. she wasnt aloud to question or break free. and in a desperate attempt Sasha seeks out the one person she thinks can help. and hes the enemy of her father for a reason. but in order to do so hse must past her cage almost over to Liam? to be his? but what choices is she left with? she cant stay like this anymore.
because Liam wants her for the opportunity to have it over Sasha's father. if he takes her he takes Victor down too. because he will have his prized thing.
but this wasnt planned...not them seeing so much more in each other. not seeing something real in each other. but their feelings will put them both at risk. it will put the worst thing at risk too...their hearts.
because secrets,power, betrayal and revenge are never far away.
but our two are enemies who now cant resist each other. and Sasha is becoming no longer a pawn in his war.
and maaaaaan do we all care so much what happens to our pair! i was tensing reading the book to make sure they had their happy ending. because surely? surely J.Kenner wouldnt do this to us? i was so invested in our pair. and so invested in this corker of a book. yum!

4.25 Stars

Sasha + Liam

Their fathers are running two huge cosmetic companies. The children were raised to hate the other family. The Grimm boys lived relatively normal lives. But Sasha was kept like a prisoner princess by her father. He kept her drugged up so that she never questioned much of anything.
But now she's finally escaped - with the help from the enemy: Liam Grimm.
He wants to destroy her father and he needs her for that. But he'll only help her if she promises to be his for as long as he wants her and for everything he wants her for.
Still better than being kept in her father's kingdom. Right?

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Well. I'm always up for anything new by J. Kenner. And this was great.
It was exciting. Dangerous. Sexy. Sparky. Dark. Heartbreaking. Erotic. Suspensy. Fairytale-ish. So many things. I liked reading it.

It was a bit repetetive here and there. Or rather almost everywere. So many things were repeated so often. A bit weird. Maybe it will be edited a bit better before release.
I also could've lived without the two 'fights' toward the end.

But I liked reading it.
Can't wait to see how Ruby and Leo will fight for their HEA in the second book!

I don’t usually reach for fairy tale retellings, but this one completely hooked me. The Tower is a dark and modern reimagining with subtle nods to classic tales like Rapunzel, wrapped in a futuristic setting that blends high-stakes corporate drama, virtual reality, and a deliciously dangerous romance.

The heroine is fierce, vulnerable, and beautifully complex. Her journey from isolation to empowerment had me fully invested. The hero is intense, mysterious, and perfectly morally gray, with a connection to the heroine that crackles with chemistry and heat. Their dynamic is full of tension, passion, and emotional push and pull that made the spicy moments hit even harder.

There are layers to this story that unfold in unexpected and clever ways. Family secrets, power struggles, and psychological manipulation all come into play, but what really stands out is the heroine’s resilience and growth. There’s also a fascinating VR element that adds depth and originality to the plot, giving the story a fresh, high-tech edge.

If you enjoy dark romance with a strong heroine, a broody hero, and a fairy tale feel with a modern twist, The Tower delivers. Emotional, steamy, and smart. I could not put it down.

SPICE: 3🌶, RATING: 3.75⭐️

Fairy tales? Yeah, this one comes with trauma, secrets, and a bad boy who says “I don’t make love—I f*ck”…but then accidentally falls in love like a golden retriever. 🐶

Sasha, a golden-haired model in her daddy’s makeup empire (aka tower), finds out life’s not all glitz and contour. Cue family secrets, emotional damage™, and a getaway with Liam—the broody man she really shouldn't trust... but definitely can't resist. 😮‍💨

Think dark Rapunzel meets corporate scandal with a dash of trauma bonding. It’s messy. It’s emotional. It’s giving healing but make it sexy. 💋

This book is twisted and awesome. I couldn’t put it down. Showed the true potential of a person that has been subjugated. Loved it and highly recommended!!

The Tower was a fun Rapunzel retelling with a hot billionaire and a sweet heroine needing his help. While not a favorite, this was still a good entry to this new series.

Wow, what a ride that was.
The Tower by J. Kenner, published by Oliver Heber Books/ Xpresso Books, is the first stand alone in the new Billionaire Brothers Grimm Series.
A dark, read, steamy, enemies-to-lovers, billionaire trope.
Sasha is kind of rapunzel, growing up under the thump of a controlling father, becoming a pawnto his most despised enemy.
Liam is an outsider of his powerful family. Driven by revenge, is whole world is circling around this goal. But that's about to change when Sasha asks him for help.
Excellent written, literally unputdownable, 5 stars.

Sasha is controlled by her ruthless father. She turns to her father's enemy Liam to escape. Liam is willing to use her against her father...

A twisty, steamy romance. Liam is a merciless alpha..... I love the steamy scenes and the explosive chemistry. A wonderful billionaire romance.

Thanks to the publisher for the arc.