Beautiful Graves

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐️ Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️ (3/5) Tropes: 💔 Second chance romance 🔺 Love triangle 🤫 Secrets/hidden past ❤️‍🔥 Slow burn romance Review: I absolutely loved this book—it was heart-wrenching, addictive, and easily one of L.J. Shen’s best works. From the very first chapters, I was hooked, and I couldn’t put it down until the end. Everlynne was a phenomenal character. She’s layered, flawed, and so achingly real that I felt every ounce of her grief, guilt, and hope right alongside her. I especially appreciated how much depth Shen gave not only Ever, but also the supporting cast. Each character carried their own emotional scars, and those backstories added richness and weight to the entire narrative. The plot itself felt unique, with circumstances that pushed the characters into hard, messy choices. It wasn’t just a love story—it was a story of loss, healing, and figuring out how to let yourself live again after heartbreak. And then there’s Joe. I’ll be honest—I didn’t see his <spoiler>infidelity coming, and while it made me furious at him</spoiler>, it also made the story that much more compelling. He was frustrating, flawed, and often a jerk, but it kept the emotional stakes sky-high. <spoiler>That said, the engagement felt a tad unrealistic to me—given the timeline, Ever’s reticence, and the fact that Joe was still seeing Emily, both the proposal and her acceptance felt a bit hard to believe.</spoiler> Overall, this was a beautifully written, deeply emotional romance that lingered with me long after I finished. If you like angst-heavy, character-driven love stories with unique twists, Beautiful Graves is one you can’t miss.

Beautiful Graves By: L.J. Shen 4/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐ 0/5 This book had me on a chokehold! Ripped my heart right of my chest. I was screaming, I was in tears!! I have never read a more emotional book from L.J Shen like this before. And I loved it I really did. This story was Raw, emotional, beautiful and painful. BUT BUT BUT all this feelings were just from the first half part of the story and after that it all went downish, I just was expecting to have more of a powerful love triangle story. It didn't really consume me to the point that it made sense to be a love triangle. I wanted to have more of a fight between the brothers, like Dom finding out that Ever was Joe's everything and he getting pissed and Ever finding out that he was a lying cheat and then he gets into the car accident.. I wanted drama like I thought I was going to get. And I didn't, now I'm just feeling confused on how I feel about the other half of the book. L'J. Shen has been my top favorite author and this was a good book but not heart shattering epic love. Yes it did had me in tears, had me screaming. But that was just the first part. I felt so painfully hurt for Ever. The things that happened to her was just unfair. All those emotions had me crawl into a ball and cry for her. I wish I had Joe's POV because it felt like he was just getting hurt left and right and his life was just unfair. The ending was so rushed. I wanted them to have a better ending. I felt like she should have had more time with Joe and not leave him for the millionth time and with just leaving a note! Like come on girl. This was like a reverse tittle. Usually the guy is the one who does the wrong and he has to grovel back to the girl. But this was all 100% Ever's fault. She just dragged him along and never made up her mind. Plus she was very undecided, didn't have her life together and ghosted her best friend. Like idk this girl need help from herself. Overall, I did keep reading the book. because I love anything that Shen writes. It held my attention in that way where you want to know what happens because you gutted for punishments even though its not what you are expecting.

🥀Love Triangle 🥀Soulmates 🥀Second Chance . “If you were mediocre, you wouldn’t be running circles in my head.” . Review: First off, let me just say that LJ Shen is one of my favorite authors! I absolutely love her books. This book was completely different from LJ Shen's usually stories and I know she stepped out of her comfort zone and it definitely paid off. Oh my gosh! I absolutely devoured this book! If I could have read it in one day, I would have. I was also glad I got to savor it for a little longer though. Would you choose the Love of Your Life or your Soulmate? I'm usually afraid of Love Triangles because I am affraid I will fall in love with the hero that the heroine doesn't choose. But when your favorite author writes a Love Triangle...you trust her and dive in! I'm so glad I did because I LOVED it and it is sooo much more than just a Love Triangle! Also, LJ Shen is a literary genious! The way she created the characters names, the meaning and connection of the title and how it all wove together perfectly. It is a work of art! I am going to be very vague because I don't want to give anything away. This book is a beautiful and emotional roller coaster. I definitely recommend having tissues near by. The angst and heartbreak had me crying like a baby at times, but I loved it. I love when a book can truly make you feel what the hero or heroine is going through. That is the gift a skilled author. My heart broke for Everlynne at times and at others I wanted to smack her upside the head.😂 The banter, chemistry and passion was perfection. I felt every emotion. I swooned for both of our heroes at different points. The emotional turmoil Everlynne went through trying to choose between two very different men was so powerful. The plot twists kept me on my toes. The journey is rough, but sooooo worth it! Smoker Dude versus Mr. Perfect...who will Everlynne choose? Don't miss this one!!! I highly recommend it! This is definitely a top 2022 read for me!😍

Good enough to finish. I felt the embarrassment when she went with Dom to meet his parents. But besides that I felt nothing. No attachment to characters. Just kinda 🤷🏻‍♀️ which warrants a 3 star for me. A good author. Writes fantastically. The story just didn’t get me there. The characters didn’t get me anywhere. I think it’s bc I’m so optimistic as a person so I didn’t feel any familiarity.

I think this was definitely one of those stories that sticks with you and makes you feel emotional throughout the whole story. I really enjoyed this book. It was a cute story that went like a roller-coaster. I highly recommend.

…the fmc almost made me DNF the book several times. Her character is super annoying playing the “poor me, negative, and so ridiculous card”…Joe on the other hand was perfection and should have walked away from her crazy so many times and would have been justified. I didn’t care for how the author wrapped up the last page though…kind of confusing and makes you think she didn’t answer him…the fmc is exhausting, not my favorite character at all.

I DEVOURED this book! I bought Beautiful Graves because it was recommended to me and the back cover interested me. I did not expect to finish this book in one sitting!! The story is told in first person POV. It starts with the FMC, Everlynne (Ever) and her BFF Pippa on vacation in Spain, but they live in California. They just graduated high school and are getting ready for college. While there, EVER meets Joe, one of the MMCs. Joe is there finding his creative outlet. But originally he lives Massachusetts. They fall madly in love and when Ever is getting ready to return home, they promise to keep in touch. TRAGEDY strikes and Ever makes some decisions that change the trajectory of her life. After moving across the country, removing herself from her life with her family, and cutting off ties with her BFF, and losing contact with Joe, Ever becomes somewhat of a recluse. She works, hangs out with her roommate, and loves her cat! Until one day her cat comes up missing and a GORGEOUS guy (the other MMC, Dom) gets ahold of her to let her know he has her cat! He is full of life and fun! He starts to pull Ever out of her shell and they become close. As their relationship progresses, an unexpected twist happens and throws Ever in a tailspin. She starts questioning her relationship with Dom and her worthiness of love. This is a book about finding yourself after a traumatic loss. It's about forgiving yourself and being allowed to feel worth it again! I think LJ Shen did a great job of pulling the reader into the mindset of Ever. My heart broke for her and Joe. If you like books with: ✔️long term pining ✔️forbidden love ✔️miscommunication ✔️guilt/ self isolation ✔️emotional trauma Then this is the book for you!

This book had me so emotional through every page. I love the love Joe and Ever have and wanted to yell at her through the pages because she and Dom were so wrong. Read the last chapter through tears !!!

Mi é piaciuto davvero tanto questo libro. Onestamente? Non mi aspettavo nulla di tutto ciò. E' diverso da qualsiasi altro libro che io abbia letto della Shen. E' pervaso da una sorte di malinconia, oscurità, dolore, tristezza. Ever, la protagonista, non mi ha fatto impazzire ma non l'ho nemmeno odiata. Diciamo che non sono una fan delle sue scelte, ma posso empatizzare con lei. Posso capire. E' spaventata dalla perdita delle persone a cui tiene, dal dolore che ne consegue. E' non é affatto la persona più fortunata di questo mondo. Dopo un evento che le ha distrutto la famiglia, di cui lei si incolpa si ''ritira'' a Salem. Distrugge qualsiasi cosa: la sua arte, ciò che rimane della sua famiglia e l'amore della sua vita. Crede di non meritare di essere felice, di vivere la sua vita, per quello che é successo. Tutto cambia quando nella vita entra Dom. Dominic é il suo opposto: allegro, amanti della vita, e dolce. E' apparentemente quello che tutte le donne vorrebbero. Rappresenta per ''certezza'', calma, sicurezza. Ever se ne innamora. Con Dom ricomincia la sua vita. Ma iniziano anche i suoi problemi. Perché con Dom torna anche il suo passato. Non c'é niente di peggio di amare due uomini. Specialmente se uno di questi ti odia. Sapevo sarebbe stato un ''triangolo'' e sinceramente non mi é dispiaciuto. Credo che però la bilancia fosse puntata decisamente su un lato. Non fraitendetemi: Ever ha amato entrambi. In maniera profonda. Ma dove uno era tempesta, l'altro era quieta. Uno è l'amore che ti travolge, che ti mette in subbuglio lo stomaco e la vita. L'altro é ciò che ti fa sentire sicura, protetta, stabile. Mi era fatta un'idea di questi due personaggi e a pensarci bene non é nemmeno difficile capirlo. La Shen ce lo dice ancor prima di iniziare a leggere il suo romanzo. Una cosa non mi aspettavo e mi ha fatto rimanere di shock. Totale. Ci sono davvero rimasta. Ma ciò che apprezzo dell'autrice é il non riuscire a far pesare le situazioni e ciò che accade. E' difficile fare una recensione di questo libro senza incorrere in spoiler. E' un libro dalle venature profondo, malinconiche, sulla vita. Su quanto possa essere labile, distruttibile, su quanto tu possa perdere tutto in un attimo. Ci sei e poi non ci sei. Di scelte sbagliate, di persone giuste al momento sbagliato. Di rinascita, crescita, di andare avanti nella vita. Di certi amori che non scordi mai. Joe l'ho amato con tutto il cuore. Dall'inizio alla fine. Dom mi ha sempre lasciata nel dubbio, non mi ha mai convinta totalmente. Per l'ennesima volta la Shen si conferma una certezza. Non ne sbaglia una sebbene abbia scritto in un mood totalmente diverso.

I will be honest, the beginning of the book already had me wondering if I was going to like it and unfortunately it just got worst. The first interactions were so cringe... Like taken out of Wattpad or Tumblr. Not what I'm used from this author, and as the book progressed I was wondering were she was going with this, specially when the love triangle appeared, It reminded me to teenage drama in the early 2k. Definitely not my cup of tea. I skipped half of the book but it was well written, cohesive and had great characters.

LJ Shen always finds a way to amaze me with her honesty in all of her characters. I loved this book. There are themes of death and insecurity throughout the book, it was such a different and honest take on how people experience life. I cried three times but just couldn’t put the book down - ending up reading all night. Whether you like the characters or not, they all had depth and were 100% themselves. There are so many morals in this novel and it’s still making me thing hours after I’ve finished. Spoiler: There were so many emotional twists and turns that it was hard to keep up. Some of the twists in the plot were a little obvious but the emotionally wrenching feelings that the characters felt were completely real. The guilt and just self blame for so many scenarios that are completely out of peoples control was so real. Leaving Seph and coming back. So frustrating that he kept taking her back. So many of the relationships in this book were so toxic of people hiding secrets and not just coming out with it and speaking their mind. That’s what makes the book ofcourse because it’s what people do in real life - hide away from their feelings, feel entitled, and give their family members a pass on the bs they do even when it’s wrong.

Beautiful Graves is a very different type of book from the author LJ Shen. The topics covered are sad and quite profound, which then gives us context as to why Ever finds herself caught between Joe and Dom. This book had some touching moments, and some deeply sad moments, and I really felt for Ever, she was a very troubled, damaged and depressed person. When Ever meets Dom it is the beginning of her coming back to the light, however Dom, too, was a complex and difficult person, who did some really positive, but also some negative things. The third person in the wheel was Joe. He was the straightforward and steady character who I really adored and liked probably the most of all. I'm not going to say much more regarding the plot, as I wouldn't want to spoil the story, but suffice to say I really enjoyed the book, and was really pleased with how the story ended. I highly recommend to lovers of contemporary romance novels.

Her writing is so amazing- the character development, the story and the details - so beautiful and real Love her writing