Lose weight.Get Proposal.Make Ronnie Love me.Storee Leòne’s lifelong struggle to lose weight is causing problems in her relationship. Her boyfriend won’t propose until she’s at a weight he deems fit. Storee’s more than willing to lose the weight to get the proposal and make him happy, at least until she meets ex boxing pro Joseph Mitchel. Joseph is a tough trainer with a good heart. He’s willing to help Storee, until feelings for her start getting in the way. Why should he help her look better for a man that doesn’t even appreciate her true beauty? Storee isn’t even his type, so why should it matter if she gets married or not? Lines are crossed and love is found, but is it enough to help her overcome her insecurities?
I'm just a girl in love with literature. My love affair with romance novels started with I was 13 and has flourished into an obsession. I've always been a writer. Even when I was a little girl, I always had a pen and a notebook poised to let something out. You Make Me Better is my first project that will be published and I am STOKED. My goal is to write stories surrounding positive black love, with a little humor tossed in.
Storee is starting her weight loss journey for all the wrong reasons. That trash azz boyfriend of hers gave her an ultimatum. Lose weight or there will be no proposal. The f*ckin’ audacity! Mind you, Ronnie never had any intentions on proposing to Storee. It was just another tactic to body shame, belittle, demean, mentally, and verbally abuse her. Unfortunately, young Storee doesn’t know her worth and, because of her insecurities, she feels likes Ronnie is the best she’ll ever get so she chooses to put up with his sorry azz. As a favor to her, Minah asks Joseph to become Storee’s personal trainer and an unexpected love connection is formed. His new client is far from the type of woman he’s usually attracted to but, the former pro boxer quickly finds out that may no longer be his type at all. I loved the body positivity message in this storyline and learning to love the skin you’re in. When Storee finally realizes most of her insecurities were Ronnie driven, sis woke up and gained a whole new perspective on life. Joseph crackin’ her back every chance he got was equally helpful as well. Can we talk about the grandparents?!!! I absolutely loved Storee’s relationship with her grandparents. Storee Sr. and Pop Pop stole the whole damn book. These two were freakin’ hilarious! This senior couple (and I use that term very loosely) got it in more than Junior and Joseph. Eziekiel Leòne is the husband we all dream of growing old with. Listen, if you’re not tryin’ to break my back at least three times a day after 50 years of marriage, you can’t be my husband. If you’re not blastin’ Let’s Get It On as a bat single to come upstairs to get somethin’ poppin’, you can’t be my husband. If our grown azz grandkids don’t walk in on us being inappropriate in the kitchen, you can’t be my husband. Eziekiel Leòne is officially the blueprint we need to pattern our future husbands after. When you hear the story he tells about how he met Storee Sr. and how he kept his hands on his woman, you’ll understand. One More Touch was a great read. It gives you romance and comedy with a side of sexiness. If for no other reason, read this book for the grandparents. Ziek and Storee Sr. are pure entertainment. Now, let me get my mind right for Sarah and Stewart. I already know these two are bringing all the drama.
In LOVE Pop-Pop …Storee Jr.’s grandfather was everything! This was such a cute story….I love how Storee & Joseph got together…although I felt like her sister & ex’s characters were a bit underdeveloped….Storee Sr. & Ezekiel more than made up for it as great secondary characters. Joseph was great at helping Storee to understand and come to the realization that she was a beautiful woman….it was also good to see her make new friends with Minah & Sarah….because she really needed some good girlfriends in her humdrum life….after the ex of hers sucked all of the energy and life out of her…it’s a wonder she had enough energy of her own to start any type of workout regimen….Storee soon became the peace Joseph had been seeking since the death of his parents.
The first thing I'll say is Ronnie is trash. A narcissist, arrogant, good for nothing trash. But my goodness, the insecurities in the story were so loud. It was almost uncomfortable and most definitely heartbreaking. Storee was on a getting healthy journey, but it was all for the wrong reason, and I hated that for her. She met Joseph, a personal trainer who worked her…hard...I'll be honest. To me, it felt like their chemistry was lacking a bit. But their coupling was still beautiful nonetheless. But when Storee finally started to get her confidence, it was refreshing. Because her getting her confidence led to all the good things that came her way. I just loved the camaraderie in this book between the crew. Especially the way the girls welcome Storee into the group. Definitely get into this series. It's a good time. By the way, Storee's grandparents are nasty, and I'm all the way here for it 😏 Looking forward to Sarah and Stewart's shenanigan.
Ronnie was a asshole for no apparent reason. I didn't understand why he was so hostile to Storee. To me, Joseph and Storee lacked chemistry. I liked how Storee's confidence improved over time, but the plot appeared to center on Storee and her family rather than the romance. Don't get me wrong, we did get some moments with Joseph and Storee, but I still don't feel like I know them as a pair. For example, the relationship between Storee and her sister was not addressed, nor was the location of her mother. Story grandparents stole the show for me, the humor and the love they shared was entertaining. Then Joseph and Stewart's backstory appeared place together and is revealed at the end, making it feel unfinished. This pair did not have the same impact on me as the ones in Book 1.
Let me first start off with I have enjoyed all of Ashley’s books thus far. I know being a new author has its challenges, however, her story content is very good. I see the foundation to be one of the great ones, and I feel it only fair to point out small little details that if taken constructively will only enhance the already solid foundation. I have some issue with her delivery in the One More Series.
1. I feel she never tells us really why Ronnie was a bastard that story-line was left incomplete.
2. She also never goes into detail as to why Sadie was so shady. I would've really liked more on “Shady Sadie”.
3. Although it was cute, and extremely hilarious the grands were becoming too much. It made it unrealistic to me.
4. Also Storee is a contradiction, not that she can’t be but give us more back ground detail as to why. Storee comes from a loving home, her parents (well her father), her mother may be where it comes from, but the reader never knows and grandparents are her lifelong examples of love and security and yet she has self-esteem issues. ??? for me.
5. Then after Pop Pop and Senior she settles for a bottom feeder, nope just does not flow for me, doesn't make sense.
6. What's the fear of extending the story to REALLY TELL IT?..... and lastly, why wait until the last two chapters to tell us what happened to Jo & Stew's parents? It could've been integrated into the story more intimately and given us a true insight into the twins behavior. Showing us that with his back story although he wasn't available to other women, he was still willing to give his love to Storee. LOVED the story, just want a little more....
Laugh-out-loud-good! Storee's grandparents are hilarious!
But it is really painful to see Storee allow her sleazy boyfriend, Ronnie, to stomp on her self-esteem like that. She needs to tell him where to go (hell) and how to get there! Ronnie has the nerve to convince Storee that she is so fat (she's not!), that he will never marry her.
So she hires Joseph, a personal trainer. Who gives people control over their lives like that? Will Joseph be able to convince Storee that not only is she beautiful but she should dump that creep boyfriend of hers?
I liked Joseph from the previous story, so I knew I'd love reading about him. Storee was so sweet and her family, mainly her grandparents were a mess.
Storee wanted to lose weight to be more attractive to her boyfriend, Ronnie, in hopes the he'd propose and marry her. That was an automatic red flag for me. If he couldn't Love her the way she was, then why be with her? I understand Ronnie was her first real boyfriend, yet he didn't deserve her. She was a wonderful Kindergarten teacher and from the way everyone else described her, very pretty, with just a small stomach pudge. She didn't need to lose weight and Ronnie was just being an insecure ass for asking her to. It all worked in her favor because Joseph not only worked her out, he wiggled his way right into her heart (and panties 😏). I didn't like that Storee "cheated" when she and Joseph went at it in the boxing ring, yet her boyfriend was a simp, so there's that🤷🏾♀️.
I ADORED Storee Sr and Ezekiel, Storee Jrs grandparents. They were some freaky old lovers and I enjoyed it. Many times, you don't get that side of older love and they couldn't keep their hands to themselves. I also loved their Love. The way Ezekiel, her grandpa, looked adoringly at his wife and made it his life's mission to make Storee Sr, happy and protect and provide for her melted my heart. I love that her grandpa didn't bite his tongue, and was genuine with Joseph as well. He gave him the secret to a long life of Love, putting him up on some real game😉.
Joseph, aka Jo, was the more sensible twin. His brother Stewart, while nice too, was a bit more on the childish spectrum to me. Joseph didn't like training women bc they always were inappropriate with him, and he took his job seriously, so agreeing to be Storees trainer because Minah asked, was very nice of him. He knew it would be different with her because she put in work from day 1 and kept it platonic. He said he had a type, yet Storees personality really opened his eyes to other beautiful aspects of a woman. He enjoyed her and since she really didn't need to workout to loose weight, the work she was putting in just added to what she already had.
I loved that Joseph was a boxer. He introduced Storee to his world and she fit right in. I loved that he was always encouraging her and uplifting her and pushing her to be better. He worked out with her, not just being a drill sergeant, which she liked. He was so kind to go to her class and help her with her Kindergartners.
I love that the women, Minah and Sarah, really took to Storee, adding her into their little family without judgement, yet giving it to her straight; loving her for who she was.
Storees ex, Ronnie, was a fool. He almost lost his life stepping to a retired boxer, yet he learned his lesson🤭. At least in the ring he did. The mess Ronnie and Storees sister, Sadie, pulled was beyond low. I like that Stewart let her know that she was disgusting and set her straight. I don't understand how you do your sister like that, then try to keep up with the lie after you've been caught red handed. And she was the oldest. Just sad🤦🏾♀️.
This was such a great story. I'm hoping the next book closes things out with whatever's going on with Stewart and Sarah.
It's not everyday that an Author can make you fall in love with all of their character's with the exception of the crazy one's. Ashley Nicole's character's are so well developed and draw you in from the first page to the last. Storee is in a bad situation and thinks she can change things by changing physically but it's going to take more than the physical to deal with the real issues in her life. You will laugh and shed a tear but you will definitely enjoy the journey.
Joseph and Storee (Junior) were a classic opposites attract and a little cat and mouse. Storee's insecurities had the potential to keep her loveless. She believed she couldn’t do better. Joseph, showing her through his actions, gave Storee her confidence and the best moments of her young life. This story highlighted key values, such as the importance of sometimes getting uncomfortable and taking a leap of faith. Looking forward to book 3!
A once pro boxer, Jo had 'his type' of woman all picked out to the t. That is until he gets a chance in the ring with his trainee, Storee. These two take on an unpredictable match as they find out how working out can take on a double meaning.
This is an enjoyable fast read. I was smitten with Joseph from the first book he appeared in and how he cared for his friends. I am in love with him in One More Touch as his character shines even more genuinely as he encounters Storee. As a plus size woman, I love storelines that showcase women who are not considered very small in size. I loved the message that developed as Storee developed not just physically but mentally through the book. Their interactions left me breathing heavy like I was working out too ;). And as always, it was good catching up with the other characters of the One More series. I can't wait for Stew and Sarah to get it together.
I loved how the author showcased love between Storee's grandparents; it really was loving and comical at the same time while serving as a good example of what real love is. However, it took up a lot of the storyline. I also had a few unanswered questions..such as why Storee's sister did what she did. Was looking for a little more background story there to align with her drastic actions towards her sister. Overall, it was a pretty good read.
I didn't know how I was going to feel about this book starting off with the boyfriend belittling Storee about her weight. I didn't like how she let him talk to her the way he did and why she would put up with it. But, she redeemed herself as the story progressed. She was a really sweet person and her kindergartners loved her.
I liked Joseph. He got over his "type" and saw her for her personality rather than just for her body.
I had questions about why Ronnie treated her the way he did and why Sadie was the way she was. I couldn't understand why she was with a man like Ronnie and why she felt she couldn't do any better than him. Especially after seeing the loving relationship between her grandparents. The grandparents were hilarious, by the way.
I also enjoyed the friendships that she developed with Minah and Sarah. I didn't understand why she didn't have any girlfriends before she moved to Connecticut from Tennessee.
I have read the other two books by AshleyNicole and have not been disappointed yet. I look forward to her next book! She has become one of my favorite authors!
What a wonderful surprise!! I had been in a reading slump and this book was just what I needed. The way this book was written made me feel as if I was a part of what was happening. I was on a fast roller-coaster of emotions - from laughing, to crying, to aroused!
Joseph and Storee were such lovable characters from the start. Usually I have to warm up to most male characters but Joseph was such a real person that I loved him from the start. And there isn't a woman in the world that have not felt some of the insecurities that Storee had, which made me relate to her plight, remembering some of my own insecurities. But the love of a good man will help alleviate those insecurities.
But one of the best parts of this book were Storee's grandparents. I don't want to spoil the book for anyone but you will ABSOLUTELY love them! Can't wait for the next installment to drop. Hurry up Ashley!!
Loved reading about Storee and Joseph. Storee made me angry at times because she really wanted to lose weight for the proposal, but I was happy when she finally started doing things for herself. I liked Joseph a lot! I thought he was a very determined person who knew what he wanted, yet when he started to catch feelings for Storee he decided that his previous likes were nothing compared to what she brought to the table. Or rather, how she made him feel.
This is a solid love story that I would highly recommend. Couldn't put it down!
A nice love story. I wasn't ready for the story to end so abruptly. Storee was in a loveless relationship with a guy who belittled her about her weight. So when her friends talked her into working out with a personal trainer, things started to turn around. Her physicality became less of an issue. Even though the trainer first showed little interest in Storee, over time she became his treasure. The back story with her grandparents was hilariously told. I loved the story. I did not like the abrupt ending.
Loved this book, I think I liked this one more than book 1, Storee's grandparents were hilarious. Loved Pop-pop and Storee Sr. So much love. Ronnie Storee's boyfriend was a jerk he did not want her, he demeaned her but when she started having feelings for Joseph and Joseph had feelings for her he decided he wanted her. Awesome story there are a few surprises, not going to share. Do not want to be a spoiler.
I loved this story because it was sweet, romantic and funny. Storee and Joe meet when Joe becomes her personal trainer . Their story was fun to read I got to know Joe better , and Storee is a woman you will root for from the beginning. Storee's grandparents were fun to read about Zeike is defiantly a star of the show himself. There are a few unanswered questions in this book , but this is definitely a 5 star read for me.
First off, I loved Storee's named and spelling; it was unique. Second, I loved Joseph. Third (LOL), I loved them together. I was glad when Storee finally realized her self worth. And Joseph was the perfect gentleman with the right amount of nasty to rock Storee's world. Great book. Now I had to deduct a star due to the editing and Kindle uploading issues. It was rough. But it still didn't take a way a good story.
Ashley does a great job with her books. I can't believe that's she's only been releasing books for this short amount of time. This story focused on the quiet twin Joseph. Joseph was training story so that's she could lose weight and he ended up falling for her. I am really enjoying this blended family!!!
This series touches on family being more than blood and I love it! I like how Storee learned that the love someone else had for was not based I her looks but what was inside. I liked how Jospeh learned that he was running by being in meaningless relationships until he met Storee and fought for her. I am looking forward to the next book in this series .
I loved this story. Storee and Jo...real, Hot, and just love. That Pop-pop and Storee, Sr....Funny as all get out...oh, to love like that for real. You are SO Gonna enjoy this book. I wish I could Givenchy it more stars. A Recommend Read. Great job AshleyNicole. Typos Be Damned. Good read.
A great book about leaving a toxic relationship and freeing ones self of insecurities to let a new love in. Storee was losing weight in order to get a proposal from her boyfriend. It wasn't until she was given some harsh words of advice that she realised that she deserves so much better than what she is toleraing. A very good read would definitely recommend
I really enjoyed this book. I laughed a lot and I cried a few times too. I loved Storee's grandparents....Pop Pop was a trip. Joseph and Storee had pretty good chemistry. They fell really hard for each other, especially Joseph who claimed that Storee was not even his type. Anyway, I guess Stewart and Sarah's story will be next.
This was my 2nd time reading Ashley Nicole's work. Joseph and Storee were fun and sometimes complex along with the other cast of characters. Zeik and Storee, Sr were my absolute favorites!
I didn't think that it was possible, but this series just keeps better and better. This story had be laughing and crying. The part with Storee's grandmother really hit home for me because I'm going through the same situation with my mom. Over all Im really enjoying reading about this crew.
Another great book from AshleyNicole!!! It was a little too short for me because I wanted to learn more about Storee's sister's issues. But other than that, it was great.
I really loved Storee & Jo, OMGOODNESS 🫶🏿🥹 They both needed each other for different reasons & it really resonated in the way they cared for each other. I hated when Jo basically got involved in her personal life, but loved when he let her know that the reason she was doing what she was doing was trash. Jo saw all of Storee & not just her physical. He hated her insecurities, but he hated even more that a trash ass ninja like Ronnie could even make her feel like that when they weren't even on the same level. I wish Storee could have gotten some therapy to aid in her feeling better about herself. For yrs she let a trash ass man break her confidence that she couldn't even see that she's been the prize all alone. & Who could get of enough of Pop-Pop & Storee Sr. ? They were too cute & he LOVEDDDDD his wife down. It's comical as hell your grandparents in they 70s but you still have to announce yourself before you go in their house because you never k ow what you'll walk into. & Lets not forget to mention Sadie. I halfway wish her & Ronnie would drive off a cliff together. Two miserable ass mfs. Ultimately, I'm happy everything worked out for these two. I thought Storee needed Jo, but turns out Jo needed Storee just a little bit more.
I'm starting to realize the dynamic between this group is so much pain & it breaks my heart. I wish Nana was still around because it's obvious that she loved these five like no other.
Storee was sent to Joseph at the perfect time. He helped her began her self love journey and it was so satisfying watching her leave that horrid relationship and work past her insecurities. It was also nice seeing Joseph find the piece/peace that he had been missing.
That being said this was cut too short. Storee’s life seemed to be the main focus instead of the romance and that in turn led us to barely learning anything about Joseph. Don’t get me wrong I enjoyed her grandparents and when she spent time with the girls, but I would’ve loved to see more things about Storee and Joseph. We needed really deep conversations, going on dates, or any other things to further their relationship. We got told deep conversations happened but skipping over it took away from the experience as a reader and I feel we skipped through a lot of their relationship so we unfortunately lacked the true chemistry they could’ve had. This book definitely would’ve been better if it was longer and we had more details on both Storee’s and Joseph’s lives.
Really though my main complaint is the ending. It seemed rushed and underdeveloped to me. Why did Sadie and Ronnie hate her so much? What was the point of that dumb “break up”? I also disliked that we only learned more about his parent’s death in the final chapter. I know it’s because that’s setting the tone for Stewart’s story but it was a topic Joseph should’ve talked about throughout his own story too.