LJ Shen is always a fav. I loved this one!!! So much more emotional than I was expecting. It had everything I love in a book and especially in LJ’s writing.

Tragedies can cause you to run from love or to love depending on the circumstances in life.

Beautiful Graves takes you on a journey of lost love, finding yourself in your darkest time in life when you truly feel all hope is lost and rising up from that and becoming an even better version of yourself over time.

Ever finds herself away from home after loss she’s a broken mess and I relate to her so much on so many levels, and when you are broken it can take years to be restored again, the rawness of Ever and her reality around her made me gravitate towards her character.

Finding love again after loss and giving it a chance is always a challenge, Ever meets Dom at first she’s not ready to give it a go because she’s still struggling with many things and still in love with someone else from years ago that she could of had it all with but now she has a real shot again at love, right here and now will she take it?

Life has a way of stepping in and mixing all the cards up and that is what it does when things are going great for Ever in her relationship with Dom, someone she never thought she would see again, comes in, the one she thought she belonged with, Joe pops back in. Who does her heart belong to now?

Full of twists and turns and shocks that will leave you absolutely like no way and of course in tears.

Families get rebuilt, Characters grow stronger, relationships hit turning points and finally take the road less traveled.

Beautiful Graves is a story like nothing else that the author has ever written. And it's a winner. A tragic tale of love, passion, loss, pain, and mourning that is sure to leave your heart shattered. I applaud LJ Shen for taking this plunge into unknown waters, for taking the risk to write a taboo story that is not what readers would usually want to read but one that represents the unfairness of life.
Know that this is not a light read. There are some MAJOR plot twists that will make your brain explode. Kudos, kudos, kudos, I was having all these theories in my head, but once again, the author proved that when she sets her mind on writing something awesome, she really does deliver.
But know that it's a book that will upset you many times, and will make you angry, mad, hurt, and sentimental. A grave story. But a beautiful one, nonetheless!

Beautiful Graves was so much more than I expected and I loved every word of it.

First off the cover for this book is so damn beautiful! I would grab this book based on the cover alone. And then that blurb would have me reading it immediately. Oh wait – I did do all that!!

This book is so different from what I have read from this author in the past and I absolutely loved that. She wrote this book from her soul and it shows throughout the entirety of this story.

Beautiful Graves surrounds the lives of Everlynne, Joe and Dom. It's told from each of their POV's throughout the book and it gives readers a more insightful look at their story. It is a love triangle, but nothing like you could imagine.

I won’t give away any plot points or even tell how this story goes. You must read this book without any notion (aside from the blurb) to fully grasp the rawness of this story.

But I will leave you with a few quotes from the book that hit me hard:

"Forgiving people who hurt us is not about those people at all. It is about choosing to move on with our lives. Letting go of the grudges. Healing without depending on someone else's journey."

"I loved you, Ever Lawson. But I want you to know, you're the worst thing that's ever fucking happened to me."

"Be thankful to those who helped you when you were down, and be thankful to those who didn't. The former was worth keepings and the latter helped you realize it."

While I had figured out early on what would happen in this book (and I was right on everything), it was the journey of getting to each of those plot twists that Shen wrote very well. I enjoyed these characters and could definitely tell that Shen wrote each one with a purpose in what she wanted readers to pull from them.

Another well written book from L.J.

Everlynne and her best friend Pippa take a girls trip to Spain before starting college. On their first day in Spain, Ever meets Joe and they have an instant connection with which never happens to her. They don’t get the chance to exchange any information, but they have a second encounter on the last day of her trip. When she returns home a tragic thing happens that causes Ever to loses contact with him, but she never forgets him. This tragedy also prompts Ever to run from her family and friends and start a new life. Six years later she meets Domonic and decides to finally give someone else a chance to win her heart. They from a relationship but things are not as they seem and Ever faces another tragedy that leads her to believe she is cursed. Joe inexpertly comes back into her life, and she realizes she must find her way and face the things in life she has feared. The details of the story are slowly reveled which keeps you reading to see what happens next.

It’s my favourite time of the year, LJ’s stand-alone novel! From early on in the read I knew this wasn’t going to be like anything I have read from her before and I was excited for what was to come.

The book opens with Ever attending a funeral, giving little clues for what has to come but it was the last lines of the prologue that got me!

We then follow Ever on a trip to Barcelona with her best friend Pippa, for one final hurrah before they both start Berkeley. Here she meets Joe and quickly falls for him, the feeling mutual between them both. Ever is due to fly home the following day and Joe is continuing with his travels, but they agree to keep in contact and meet back up in America when he’s back home.

Fast Forward six years and the life Ever thought she would be living is vastly different. Tragedy struck, she dropped out of college and she now lives with a roommate and her cat, while doing night tours in Salem. Her cat goes missing and this is where she meets Dom.

For six years, Ever hasn’t really lived, she’s just existed, feeling guilt. When she meets Dom, there is a small spark and feeling the pressure from her roommate, she slowly gets to know him and forms a relationship with him. Dom pulls out all the stops and is the type of man you swoon over.

That is until her past abruptly enters her life and the boy she loved six years ago is suddenly around her. Feelings resurface, truths are spoken and the angst ramps up!

This book had me all tied up. At one point, I had a good idea of where the story was going and I didn’t want to read on, the angst was killing me and my heart was too involved. Needless to say, I stuck it out and although the book cut me up many times, I couldn’t stop reading.

It’s been a while since a book has had me up reading through the night but I was so invested in this story, I just had to. There are twists and turns and my mind was all over the place, there were several moments I had to put the book down just to re-group, but I’m a sucker for tragedy and got right back into it!

Beautiful Graves is raw, gripping and emotional and Shen has outdone herself with this read. It is very different from her previous books and I urge you to dive in.

My heart! This story! It was beautifully heart breaking. The thrill and excitement. The heart break and tragedy. Gah, I felt it all! This world. These characters. Their story! I want to laugh, I want to be mad, I want to cry. As this story replays in my head, I want to do it all again. The myriad of emotions held me captive while reading this story. I got lost along with Ever. I felt like I walked her journey with her. One tear at a time. Hands down, this is my new favorite LJ Shen novel. Bravo, Mrs Shen. This one was epic!

Brilliant!!!!

Angst! Lots of Steam! Phenomenal Writing!

I was given the opportunity to read an early copy of this book and what a absolutely outstanding book it is!

This book is Brilliant and another masterpiece from L. J. Shen!

Love Triangles is my favorite Trope and L. J. Did not disappoint!

Oh the feels! I felt so much reading this book! The character development was so good and I loved the story line!

This is one of the best books of 2022! A masterpiece that kept me engaged the entire time!

Pick up this Masterpiece today! Everlynne’s journey is unforgettable!

No spoilers with my review! This is a must read for 2022!

If I could give more then 5 stars ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ I would!

OMG, you had me so consumed by this book and all the characters. Ever, Joe, And Dom had me screaming, had me tearing up, and just all in the feels. The drama, grief, twist, and turns had me so captivated with the story. I absolutely love and hated it all in one. Such a beautiful story to bring out the emotions of us readers. You did great with this book.

This was an absolutely amazing unique story with tragedies and love. Everlynne is one of my favorite characters. I was so torn in this emotional ride. The way things unfold was cleverly done and I loved it! I couldn't put this book down, a definite must read!!! I would highly recommend this steamy, angsty amazing book!!

This book was fantastic! LJ Shen is queen, she can do no wrong. This book was so different for her it was truly one of her bests.

OMG. This book really did drive me insane. Jeeeesh. Ever. Everlynne. Everlynne Bellatrix. You skeezer. Ever.
Like always LJ is literal mastermind. She really put her all in this one. It has it all. I had happy tears, sad tears, and upset tears. It wasn't Broken Knight tears but it got my nerves flowing heavily. I was really loving the pure blows of Complete whirlwind love. It felt oh sooo so so right. Then I was post. Wracking my mind on what this could possibly mean. I prepared myself because I was nervous this book would really have me bawling. But gosh doggit LJ snuck up and socked me with something better. I was totally surprised and just couldn't believe how easily it snuck past me. Totally didn't guess. I did kind of guess the hidden underlying tension and stufffff that was found out closer to the end with a certain someone.. but yeah it was a bit dark and I absolutely adored that part. Lol I loved Ever. I couldn't stand that Ever. Ever. I wanted to snatch up a certain character and body rock Ever. I wanted some top notch groveling because that's what I needed. The only thing I'll say I wish didn't happen was how easily and quickly the last stand was. But I guess that truly shows the Rat? Idk. This is definitely a goodread 5 stars. It was a twist. It was alot in the best way. I also really love Ever too. Maybe I'm obsessed. Lol I'm super grateful for this ARC ! Thank you so much LJ for taking a chance and writing this masterpiece!

5/5

This book is the perfect read for fall (my favorite season🥹) and I absolutely loved every minute of it. If you typically hate love triangles like me, just hear me out and read this book anyway. Lj’s prose is so beyond beautiful, I was captivated by it from the very start. I won’t go into detail on the plot because this is one of those books that’s best to go into blind, but it is truly a beautiful read. I get super emotional reading a lot of the time, and Beautiful Graves really tapped into my heart and left me enthralled in every moment. (random fact: It also happens to be partially set in Salem Massachusetts which is basically the town over from me!)

This book definitely packs a punch and will leave you crying, swooning, and screaming at the twists. For anyone who needs a little hope, redemption and love in their life, this book is for you. So thankful to LJ and her team for sending me an ARC copy, this is an honest review and I couldn’t recommend it more!

Ok. This was totally different from Shens typical bad boy meets innocent girl books. It had me angry at Ever for her selfishness especially when everyone else forgave her so easily and tried so hard to make her happy and yet she always thought she was the victim. Joe was the vulnerable honest one the only truly likeable character in the whole book and Dom was just forget-able. All said I had tears in my eyes and I was angry a lot while reading this book. It’s emotional it’s an ok book nothing special but a good quick read if your looking to feel a range of emotions and don’t mind disliking your heroine.

Beautiful Graves by L.J. Shen was an emotional rollercoaster ride from start to finish. Shen’s word grabbed my heart and didn’t let go until the very last word! Definitely, recommend this book if you are into all the angst, drama, spice, and love!

'🅱🅴🅰🆄🆃🅸🅵🆄🅻 🅶🆁🅰🆅🅴🆂' Is a full length romance book by L.J. Shen
In this you'll meet Everlynne, Joe and Dom.

This is so different to what you'd expect from this author, you can tell she threw her heart and soul into this book because it stands out from her past books. The characters were well rounded and engaging and so easy to connect with, the storyline pulled me in from the get go and throw in those little twists and I was along for the ride, those small curveballs pulled me in even more and had me rooting for the underdog.

- Love triangle ✔️
- Angst galore ✔️
- Good guy/Bad guy ✔️
- Heartbreak ✔️
- Star-crossed lovers ✔️

This book won't be for everyone and I think that was a risk this author was willing to take because many won't read it, yell out the word CHEATING and many will run a mile, yell out the word INSTA-LOVE and you've lost even more readers. Me personally I'm not a fan of insta love in my books, I dodge them like the plague, I need that chase, the build up, the longing, both instances in this book it was insta-love which I struggled with, but that's just me, and it comes down to personal preference.

But all in all I think the author did a great job with this, she stepped out of her comfort zone and gave us something she's never written before and for that I applaud her

A binge worthy read!

A star crossed lovers story for the ages.

Damned if you do, damned if you don’t type of love.

This is meant to be an angst filled ride with a crossroads. And while it is. As a reader I New where Ever’s heart was the entire time. No surprise there.

A couple plot twists that I did not see coming at all. Not sure if some were for the benefit of the reader and to make it easier to choose.

Although Dom helped bring Ever back life, she truly shined and glowed with Joe.

Their way back to eachother was tumultuous, hard hitting and at times a train wreck. But boy was I here for the ride with popcorn along.

The tall tale sing of wanting to slap a character so hard came through, like girl. Get your ish together! Took a min but when it happened, fireworks and finally my HEA.

If you’ve read LJ Shen you know she does angst exceptionally well. You know to expect her to rip your heart out. This book was no exception. You will ride a rollercoaster of emotions. You will be mad, sad, scared, happy. All the emotions. You must prepare yourself before the journey. I loved reading about the time overseas. The meeting of your soulmate. Then you meet your other soulmate. Wait, doesn’t a person have only one soulmate. This is quite the journey.

This was an unforgettable journey of young love, rite of passage navigating through the darkest corners of love, its secrets, vices and insecurities. Leigh Shen has an uncanny ability to tear your heart apart and she delivers it with such an immense wave of emotions, enough to drown the reader. She made me cry, crash and break many times throughout the book. Yet she tears your soul into shreds in the best way possible too. Leigh Shen was NOT kidding when she said it was a “True Love Triangle”( even though I didn’t believe her until I read the book) The author graciously and cleverly maneuvers around such a touchy uneasy topic of two love interests. And let me tell you - You have never read a love triangle like this before!!! The stakes are huge. The emotions - even bigger. And the angst is absolutely out of this world!
She takes you down a dark path, so introverted and convoluted that by 23% into it, I was gasping for air. BUT I just couldn’t stop reading even though my hands were shaking quite a bit: the longing, the passion, the imprint these characters leave on each other’s souls are unreal! Their hearts are woven together by invisible ties…. So powerful, and yet oh so fragile, young and oh so vulnerable. You watch in awe as this story untangles itself. By the time you reach the climax, the story just engulfs you with its overpowering angst. SO MUCH ANGST! I don’t think I have ever read a book with so much angst in it!
Also, surprises in Leigh Shen’s books are always a chef’s kiss. They too are done with such eloquence and poise…. you just never see them coming
This book is so rich, the writing is so magical, complex and beautiful, and the characters…. They leave you thinking…. Yes, after reading this book you won’t be able to get rid of these characters … for a while…

<b>“ As long as you have breath in you, no one else stands a chance.”
</b>
I have to say that I was a bit worried about reading Beautiful Graves. I have read all books by LJ Shen but I had never read a love triangle before because … not my thing.

I decided to give it a go and I could not put it down… it was so worth it!

Everlynne, Joe and Dom…
Just when you think you know what to expect next, LJ Shen hits you with another turn..

<b>“ Knew our hearts were made out of the same material. Cracked in the same places. That they beat to the same rhythm.” </b>

LJ Shen’s ability as a storyteller is simply astounding. The reader thinks all is pretty clear to begin with. But then, as the story unfolds, we become more and more baffled.
The story takes you through Everlynn, Joe and Dom struggling relationships and you don't want to miss a page…

It is particularly important not to give the slightest hint as to what the ending might be so I will just share with you that Beautiful Graves was Beautifully sexy, Beautifully intense, and Beautifully perfect.