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More to Life

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Shaw Kelley has worked tirelessly his entire life, putting himself through college and quickly climbing the ladder within the company where he works. Of course, all the late nights and weekends he spent at the office had their price, which he paid dearly. He no longer has any friends or social life to speak of, but none of that matters when he’s finally given the chance for an executive promotion, one that will grant him the financial security he so desperately craves.Kieron Parsons loves his life. He’s got a great family, friends he can count on, and a job that he enjoys. He works hard, but he also knows how to have fun, and for Kieron, there’s nothing more fun than teasing the sexy, surly man that comes into the deli every day for lunch. In fact, making the man blush has become the one thing he looks forward to most. He would love the chance to crack that hard exterior and see if there’s any sweetness inside.When Shaw’s boss invites him to attend an exclusive company vacation for executives only, he is thrilled. That is, until his boss tells him how important it is to have a balanced work and personal life then asks who his guest will be. Worried that not having anyone might cost him the promotion, Shaw makes up a lie, using the only person he can think of, the outrageous guy who’s always flirting with him at the deli. Thankfully, Kieron agrees to Shaw’s plan, posing as the uptight man’s boyfriend, but how are they supposed to convince everyone that they’re a couple when they barely know each other? Will Shaw’s rigid nature end up exposing their lie or will Kieron finally be able to convince him that there’s more to life than just work?

120 pages, Paperback

Published February 5, 2021

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Annabella Michaels

36 books569 followers

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5 stars
76 (31%)
4 stars
107 (44%)
3 stars
48 (20%)
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7 (2%)
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 70 reviews
Profile Image for 25 Readings Or More.
828 reviews163 followers
February 11, 2021
3.5

When i found out Annabella Michaels had a new release, i knew straight away i would have read it.
She is one of my "comfort authors", whose books i read when i need something nice, sweet, with low angst, something i know i'm gonna like no matter what.

More to life is a nice fast story about a guy focused only on work who discovers the beauty of life thanks to a confident, flirty, guy.
It's about the importance to let someone really see you, to trust someone enough to show him your fears.
It's about not letting appearances deceive us.
And obviously it's about love 🖤🖤🖤

It's somehow subdued compared to her previous books, but still absolutely enjoyable.
Profile Image for Layla .
1,468 reviews104 followers
February 20, 2021
I received an ARC from GRR and this is my honest review.

This novella was a short sweet read.
*****SPOILER FREE REVIEW*****

What I loved...

- The characters:
Shaw has been working his butt off to provide a better life for him, his sister and her daughter, a life better than they had. after surviving their childhood, he makes it his mission to be better at everything. For years his life has been about work only, and just when all his hard work pays off, he's reminded of of the fact that life is more than just work. To prove his complete compatibility in the company, he has to attend a vacation/retreat for all employees and all their significant others. In comes Keiron.... #LaserFocused


Keiron has crushed on Shaw since the first time he stepped in the café he works in. He flirts and teases, but "Tall, Dark and Serious" never gives him an inch. then one day, Shaw comes with a proposal of vacationing together for week in the guise of being boyfriends. How could Keiron ever say no to that? #ThisIsMyChance


The Plot:
It's pretty straight forward … fake relationship, close proximity and discovering new things about the other. Shaw in particular grows a bit and forgoes his serious tone in favor of having fun and simply having fun with Keiron. #NewLight

The Romance:
For a novella, its a bit insta-lovey, but it works. They grow closer as the days go by, with minimum angst. #TimeIsJustANumber

Steam-o-meter: Lowish Steam... also on par for a novella.
Angst-o-meter: Low Angst... #NoTimeForSadness

The HEA:
Sweet and fluffy like the rest of the story. #Forever
Profile Image for Bobby's Reading.
189 reviews19 followers
August 1, 2026
STEAMY and SWEET, this M/M GRUMPY and SUNSHINE ROMANCE between a workaholic and a deli owner is a perfect QUICK read! I loved Shaw & Kieron’s story and their personality to each other! Would definitely recommend if you want a QUICK M/M NOVELLA read!
Profile Image for George.
658 reviews72 followers
February 13, 2021
‘More to Life’ by Annabella Michaels is a completely predictable ‘acquaintances’ to ‘fake lovers’ to ‘real lovers’ romance novella.

It’s also an absolute joy to read.

Thirty-two year old Shaw Kelley, is a hard driving, introverted PR executive who has no time for anything but his work, his sister, Erin, and Erin’s four-year old daughter, Maggie.

Kieron Parsons, is a friendly, outgoing owner/operator of a small chain of delicatessens anchored by Bauer’s Delicatessen, the delicatessen that Shaw frequents for lunch.

Shaw and Kieron are truly complete opposites.

Shaw’s boss, Ken Breckenridge, invites his entire executive staff - including the newly promoted Shaw - and their significant others to spend a week vacationing at his Florida resort. Of course Shaw has no significant other. When Ken asks Shaw who he’ll be bringing, Shaw blurts out, “I’ll be bringing my boyfriend, Kieron.”

Fortunately, it didn’t take much explaining to get Kieron to agree. Naturally on that vacation, ‘fake’ turned into ‘almost real’ before Shaw, in his own inimitable way, skewers their budding romance.

Not to worry - somehow, before the novella ends, Kieron and Shaw get everything back on course.

I received a copy of this book from Gay Romance Reviews. This is my honest review.
Profile Image for E.Muddle.
1,470 reviews22 followers
February 14, 2021
There’s just something I love about grumpy/sunshine books, and this one hit the nail on the head. Shaw is not just grumpy; he’s snippy and rude in the beginning, and had me bristling from how he spoke to Kieron. But... I still fell for his character. And that’s down to the terrific writing and the exemplary character depth for the book’s short length. Learning about Shaw’s childhood and seeing how adorably sweet he is with his niece and sister, he managed to melt my heart. It may take a little beachside relaxation and some steaming hot chemistry to let his guard down with Kieron. Once he does though, he absolutely melts inside for the loveable and charming man who has been trying to wear him down for months. A great read!
Profile Image for SC.
810 reviews26 followers
February 7, 2021
In spite of the fact that romance books are feeling a bit ...recycled for me, characters and phrases, I enjoyed this book, and yes, it falls under that recycled thing. It was short, it was sweet, just a little conflict but that worked in the story. My one gripe - who is Kieron? Because by the 70% mark, I knew nothing, not a single thing about him other than he flirted with Shaw at the deli he worked at. I get it, we do have a “big reveal” later in the book, that of course you could see coming a mile away. I’m not saying he was a bad character at all, he had a good personality, but other than that, he was blank. We got some insight into Shaw's childhood, we know who his family is to some extent, but we get nothing on Kieron. He mentions his family, in passing, here & there, vaguely. I still recommend the book because yeah, it was a good read, I guess I'm just a wee bit disappointed in the lack of character development when it came to Kieron. It was not something I usually find in Annabella’s books.
Profile Image for Jacquie Stewart.
2,727 reviews73 followers
February 9, 2021
Sweet novella

While I maybe would have liked a few more pages, I enjoyed the ones I got.
I think this is the first I've read from this author and it didn't take long to get to grips with their style. It was a pleasant and easy read.
Shaw was a little too prickly and difficult to like for me. Kieron made up for that though
Profile Image for Nese's reads.
345 reviews16 followers
February 8, 2021
This is a sweet , easy read that will put that smile back on your face.
Profile Image for Kaylee Cooper.
113 reviews18 followers
February 9, 2021
Cute story, but...

I really struggled with the concept that a guy, who lives and works in NYC, has never seen the ocean?! I really love Annabella's other books, but I had trouble connecting with this story because of that anomaly.
Profile Image for Stephanie.
1,969 reviews16 followers
February 10, 2021
Keiron and Shaw's story is so sweet. This quick and cute fake boyfriends storyline is something that I really like. I do wish there was more but I still love reading this one.
Profile Image for Jamie Lee Zonneveld.
1,710 reviews51 followers
February 20, 2021
More To Life was my first story by Annabella Michaels. This novella is about Shaw and Kieron. It's a quick but enjoyable read.
Profile Image for DebbieReadsBooks.
2,856 reviews54 followers
February 19, 2021
Independent reviewer for Gay Romance Reviews, I was gifted my copy of this book.

This is only short, 100 odd pages, but it pulls quite the warm-and-fuzzies AND too-stinking-cute punch!

Kieron owns the deli that Shaw frequents, well, truth be told, Kieron is the reason he frequents that deli. Shaw is smitten, he really is. When Shaw gets a promotion and lies about having a boyfriend, for some reason, Shaw says Kieron will be coming with him! Kieron, bless him, goes along with the plan to be his pretend boyfriend, cos Kieron is smitten too, and this will give him a chance to get to know Shaw.

Both men have a say, in the first person, and they have very different voices, and I loved that. It means we get all of Shaw's internal wrangling with himself about why he needs to keep away from Kieron and why it would be amazing to get close to him, at the same time! We get Kieron's playfulness with Shaw, doing exactly what Shaw wants him to, when meeting the team that Shaw works with.

I loved the slow build up. There was attraction from the start, but the build up to the main event with delightful! Once they DO get there, the two men are all in.

Again, its a really great read, with a massive hit of warm-and-fuzzies and too-stinking-cute hit and I thoroughly enjoyed it!

4 solid stars

**same worded review will appear elsewhere**
Profile Image for Mary.
2,753 reviews23 followers
February 24, 2021
This is a sweet, romantic and entertaining story. Kieron and Shaw met at the delicatessen Shaw got lunch from. On top of serving Shaw his food, Kieron served up a side of flirting. Shaw is serious and uptight, Kieron is flirty and friendly, abd he loved nothing more than getting a reaction out of Shaw. When Shaw is invited to go on the annual vacation with his boss and upper management so that they could get to know him better before officially giving him a big promotion, it includes his partner. Panicking, he tells his boss that his boyfriend's name is Kieron. He asks Kieron to play his fake boyfriend for the week, which Kieron gladly agrees to, but they don't even talk after that until Shaw picks Kieron up to go to the airport, and Shaw still isn't interested in talking. A couple of days later they have a blowup argument and Shaw promises to be nicer to everyone. Kieron draws Shaw out, and because they are both attracted to the other, they take the fake relationship into the bedroom. Shaw is so uptight and cold about everything in the beginning, it's hard to like him. He does redeem himself as Kieron gets him to relax and have fun. Where as Kieron starts off as a joker who takes nothing seriously to a more toned down version of himself. It's an engaging story with likeable characters.
Profile Image for Amy Dufera - Amy's MM Romance Reviews.
2,698 reviews140 followers
February 16, 2021
4.5 Stars

More To Life is a wonderful romance by Annabella Michaels. It's as sweet as can be and includes a whole lot of character growth.

Shaw needs a fake boyfriend for a beach business trip. Enter Kiernan, a stranger who loves to flirt with the businessman.

Kiernan's may be a big flirt but he's nothing like Shaw expects. Seriously, I adore Kiernan. He's seriously a hoot, but there's so much beneath that layer.

It's great the way these two strangers slowly get to know one another, and ultimately fall in love.

I love how Kiernan makes Shaw a better person. Shaw was nothing but business until Kiernan's able to show him that there's more to life than work.

The ultimate theme is that not everyone is what you think they are. Opening up and showing someone the real you takes a lot of trust. But it can be well worth it. People have depth and can be way more than what they show the world.

More to Life is a fabulous heartwarming, comfort read. I love everything about this Annabella Michaels romance. If you can overlook the way Shaw is so damn gruff at first, you will love this story.
Profile Image for Amy Stauffer.
841 reviews40 followers
February 24, 2021
Beautifully done story of learning to let loose

This was such a sweet, heartwarming, and fun story. It was a quick read, but it packed a punch. I enjoy a good grumpy/sunshine story. Shaw had the exterior of a hard as stone, no nonsense business man, but the interior of a marshmallow. He was just never given the opportunity to not have to worry so much, and by the time he got to where he could relax...the behavior was too ingrained. That is, until Keiron came alon, and everything changed. I loved how drawn to each other they were, and how they began to really understand each other. Their interactions were sweet and believable. Despite being a short story, nothing in this book felt rushed or unrealistic.

The author is an incredible storyteller. Everything was well developed—the writing and the characters. I loved the realistic feel they had. It was so easy to forget this was all fiction. I found myself lost in the pages, and I will miss this sweet couple. It’s a good thing they are just a click away. Now, if you excuse me...I have to find more books, to read, that are written by this author...

***I voluntarily accepted a copy of this book from Gay Romance Reviews. My review reflects my own thoughts and opinions***
Profile Image for Lisa.
526 reviews5 followers
February 9, 2021
This was an enjoyable short read with a fake boyfriends trope that splits time in both NYC and Florida. Shaw Kelly (aka Mr. Workaholic) needs a partner to bring to an exclusive company vacation to secure a promotion. He has worked hard all his life in order to secure financial security for himself, his sister, and her daughter so that they have a better life than what their parents gave them. He has a consistent lunch routine that involves going into the local deli near his office to grab food. Shaw tries to avoid the annoying Kieron who works there. Kieron is the complete opposite of Shaw and a likeable guy that talks to everyone. He's the perfect man to pose as Shaw's fake boyfriend so he agrees partly because he has always been attracted to the grumpy, surly man. The storyline moves pretty quickly as both men discover more about the other while on vacation and figures out what makes the other tick. There is some miscommunication near the end and low-level angst because Shaw needed to figure out what he wanted from life. A guaranteed HEA for everyone to enjoy.



Profile Image for Raven and Chris.
3,545 reviews30 followers
February 9, 2021
OK I was immediately in love with the character of Kieron, and I totally pegged part of the plot line but that didn’t take away my love of this book. It’s a quick read but a very enjoyable one! Honestly I wish more real life companies encouraged a work life balance like Shaw’s does in the book! Shaw has been so focused on climbing to the top of the corporate ladder and helping support his sister and niece that he has neglected his own personal life. Who needs a personal life anyway? And that guy at the deli just keeps flirting with him...Imagine his shock when his boss decides that a getaway vacation with other executives is just what he needs, and by the way, bring your significant other. These two main characters have some instant chemistry and Shaw just doesn’t know how to handle it. This book is all about realizing there is certainly more to life than work and not being afraid to do something about it. It’s a sweet no angst read that will melt your heart almost as fast as Shaw’s niece Maggie.
Profile Image for Doseofromance.
202 reviews7 followers
February 13, 2021
This is a sweet and short read. I liked the bubbly/sunshine x grump love story and I think overall Kieron and Shaw fit together really well. We don't have a whole lot of insight into Kieron but because the book is just over 100 pages I don't mind that too much. There are also a few nice steamy scenes and the fake-dating trope is luckily pretty low-angst.
What made this book a four star read for me instead of five stars was the ending. The conflict felt so forced. This was a misunderstanding that could have been cleared up so easily and it felt very out of character for Kieron to overreact like that. Sure, Shaw was a little harsh in what he said but only after Kieron made a pretty strong accusations that was very unnecessary and unwarranted. The conflict was luckily very easily resolved but then the epilogue felt a little overly sugary and sweet. Still an enjoyable read, but the last quarter of the book didn't quite hold up for me.
I received this book in exchange for an honest review.
Profile Image for Katherine.
2,872 reviews13 followers
February 17, 2021
The flirty deli boy

A sweet story with some humour, an (expected) unexpected romantic connection, and a fair dollop of drama. Shaw lies about his boyfriend when he feels that his new promotion will be lost without it, and names the deli man, Kieron, who has flirted with him for a few months. Shaw doesn't overly like how Kieron acts, or even quite trust him, but he is desperate. This makes Shaw rather a jerk at the beginning. It boils down to him not respecting Kieron, even when the man does so much for a stranger. With a good confrontation the two find they click more than they expected and the sharing one bed on vacation soon takes on a whole other plan. It was a fun story with Kieron being very personable and great at standing up for himself without being cruel. Shaw takes stock of his life and his plans, though some of his decisions are a bit dense and he does change rather quickly at the end. It was a fairly easy sweet read.
Profile Image for Tina.
2,703 reviews15 followers
February 24, 2021
More to Life by Annabelle Michaels is a beautifully done romance story. I loved the artwork in this book. I also liked that this story is told in dual POV works well and helped me to understand Shaw on a deeper level.

Shaw is a hard worker. He has no real friends. He is determined to be better than the past he comes from. All business no play for Shaw.

Kieron loves his life he is from a happy supportive family. Good-natured and loves to tease Shaw.

When Shaw needs to impress the big wigs at his firm and take someone on an all-expense-paid trip to prove he has a life outside of work, Kieron is the man he thinks of.

These two men are night and day in personality. But each gives the other what they need to be a better person.

I liked that this story kept me smiling as I read it. I love a story that I can sink into and fall in love with, this story is that for me. Very glad I got a chance to read this one.

Five Shooting Stars
Profile Image for Anna Torres.
389 reviews10 followers
February 20, 2021
A fun read! Short and sweet!

Fake relationship, close proximity and such strong characters to bring this story to life. Having a specific goal in life can sometimes take you away from what life is really all about, having that special someone to share all those goals achieved.

Life is supposed to be experienced, you are not just suppose to course through it, not living it. Shaw is starting to learn that when his boss invited the executives of the company to spend a week with him in his resort. But because he has been too serious (and not having a life outside work), he has to propose to Kieron (the owner of the Deli he frequents for lunch and someone he has certain feelings for) to be his "fake" boyfriend in order to have a significant other in this vacation.

A sweet story of life being unexpected in the grand scheme of things!
Profile Image for Vicki.
1,201 reviews27 followers
February 9, 2021
This offering from Annabella Michaels covers quite a few tropes. There’s fake boyfriend, opposites attract, holiday fling and only one bed!
Shaw is an uptight surly man with absolutely no work/life balance. Kieron is pretty much the opposite, outgoing and full of cheer and knows that there’s more to life than just working.
Circumstances have them going on Shaw’s work retreat as boyfriends. The majority of the week goes fine until the end where a conflict nearly upsets the journey to their HEA.
I enjoyed these characters overall. We do get to learn why Shaw is like he is but I wish Kieron’s character development had been fleshed out some more.
This is a nice quick easy and enjoyable read. Great way to fill in a couple of hours.
Profile Image for Sarita Chapdelaine.
1,255 reviews1 follower
February 11, 2021
This is a quick and fun story with interesting characters but unfortunately it is only an okay read for me. There are a couple of minor inconsistencies and one major one that made it difficult for me to enjoy this story. I also wish that we knew more about Kieron as I really liked him but with so little background information his character was a bit one dimensional. It took me quite a while to like Shaw but learning about his difficult childhood made some of his reactions make more sense. Unfortunately they never really made sense as a couple to me and seemed to lack a connection. Overall this story had a lot of potential but it just never quite came together for me.

I voluntarily reviewed an advanced copy of this book.
Profile Image for Terri.
1,669 reviews
February 15, 2021
This was a quick and low-angst read. I loved the pairing of grumpy workaholic Shaw and laid-back friendly Kieron. From the beginning, I knew there was more to Kieron that we were given up front, but he would have been an amazing and wonderful person regardless. The way he caused grumpy pants Shaw to open up and enjoy life was just lovely, and these two were so hot together.
I enjoyed the relationship between Shaw and his sister. She was a great support character. I wish I had seen Kieron with someone like that, a close confidante. However, the star of the show was definitely the relationship between Shaw and Kieron, and it was fabulous. This book was a comfort read I will likely revisit in the future. It made me happy.
2,056 reviews9 followers
February 18, 2021
This book is amazing and I loved it! The story of Shaw and Kieron is sweet, sassy and full of love. A promotion and work vacation with Shaw’s boss will bring Kieron into Shaw’s life when Shaw asks him to pretend to be his boyfriend for the trip. The two will find themselves getting closer and enjoying their time together until a misunderstanding on the last day will drive a wedge between them. Shaw is miserable at home and a conversation with his sister will make Shaw realize that it’s ok to let go a bit and enjoy his life. He goes to find Kieron in order to try to do just that, starting with an apology and Kieron will let him. It will lead the two men on a wonderful journey to their happily ever after.

I read an ARC copy of this book and am volunteering my honest review.
Profile Image for Emily Hernandez.
1,474 reviews19 followers
February 21, 2021
An adorable, vacation-themed romance

Shaw and Kieron's romance was a lovely, quick read with plenty of emotional moments and steamy encounters. Though I didn't get the chance to dive deep into either of these men's backstories, I still found the two of them very relatable. As Shaw and Kieron fell in love under blue skies and sandy beaches, it was easy to let myself get swept away in the magical honeymoon period of their relationship, despite knowing that things wouldn't be the same once they returned to their normal lives. I can't say that the main story arc was that surprising to me, but it was still satisfying to see these two find a way to make things work outside of paradise.

**I voluntarily read an ARC of this book. This review expresses my honest thoughts and opinions.   
Profile Image for Jennifer Reilley.
1,155 reviews30 followers
February 9, 2021
This story is a short quick easy read fake boyfriend trope.

Keiron was a very likable character with his banter. However we really didn’t get to know who he was including any friend, family, or what makes him tick.

Shaw, I did not connect with him at all. I wasn’t pleased with the way he treated Keiron when Keiron was the one helping Shaw out. I would have liked to have seen more of their interaction and getting to know each other. He has a fantastic interaction with his sister and niece. We see what makes him tick. Family and work.

Otherwise this is a fast paced and overall good read.
Profile Image for Devoted❤️Reader.
1,627 reviews32 followers
February 12, 2021
In the moment

Kieron and Shaw captivated me. Kieron with his zest and joy for life, his irresistible humor, especially the sausage jokes, and Shaw with his guarded nature that hides a lonely but true heart. “With him, I simply got to be. He’d taught me to try new things and to live in the moment... I was a better person when I was with him.” I loved seeing Shaw learn how to relax and that it’s ok to let go and have fun. Kieron, who has the best outlook on life, is exactly what Shaw needs, and exactly what I needed to read. These two may be opposites, but their attraction is fire and the flames of their connection and love drew me in and make me believe in possibilities.
286 reviews1 follower
February 14, 2021
This was a very good short story. Kieron and Shaw, what can I say that won't give their whole story away. The chemistry was there as well as the connection from the beginning. Shaw was a bit messed up because of his upbringing and it was a messing with this new found love that blossomed. He did not know how to navigate the feelings he had much less enjoy life as it came. In the end, he was able to find this way and his way to healing the rift between him and Kieron. You will find yourself fighting for Shaw even when he does not deserve it. But love does win out and they both find their HEA.
I was given an ARC and voluntarily read it for an honest review
3,062 reviews46 followers
February 22, 2021
More to Life gives us two complete opposite guys....one who seems to always be grumpy and the ohter who loves life.
What happens when these two have to fake a relationship? Shaw needs to bring a significant other to a work outing. The problem is he has devoted his entire life to work and is sadly lacking in the personal relationship part of live.
Kieron owns his own Deli and enjoys life to the fullest. He really enjoys flirting and teasing his regular customer, Shaw. When Kieron takes Shaw up on his proposal to act as his boyfriend the sparks fly!
This fast read is short, sweet and sexy and I loved it!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 70 reviews