'🅱🅴🅰🆄🆃🅸🅵🆄🅻 🅶🆁🅰🆅🅴🆂' 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.

“It was always you.”
➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖
Here I sit, breathless from such a brilliantly written book that gave my still racing heart quite the workout! I knew from the stunning but haunting cover and the heart-hitting prologue that this book would break me … and that it did. Beautiful Graves is devastatingly beautiful. The brightest star on the darkest night, this love story shines so bright with heart and hope. This unforgettable and emotionally-woven romance makes you want to grab onto every opportunity, take risks, open your heart to love, and live life to the fullest.

Told through a broken, brave, and beautiful heroine whose thrust together with the hero by fate, Beautiful Graves delves into the value of life and love, along with the complex dynamics of family, and the fragility of it all. I was drawn to Joe and Evers’ palpable pull and scorching chemistry … an undeniable connection of kismet. This love story is fierce and feel-worthy, and oh did I feel these characters so much. I was mesmerized by the depth and raw vulnerability Shen brings to this hero and heroine who awaken each other.

L.J. Shen has written an emotional masterpiece of passionately poetic prose that dances across the pages, pulling every piece of you into this romance. Beautifully broken and bravely told, Beautiful Graves is messy love at its best! It’s one of the epic greats… those rare books that stay in your heart long after the final page. I’m utterly bereft that it’s finished. Hands down, this heart-hitter is a top 2022 and lifetime read.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ but worth all the beautifully broken stars in the universe

Beautiful graves has embedded it’s self in my heart and soul L. j. has crafted a soul- soaring phenomenal, mind-blowing read this book had me in its clutches from page one..

This story just magnetically pulled me in this is One of the best books L. j has written she stepped out wrote something different and wow was I blown away it was passionate, poignant and breathtakingly-beautiful I felt all the feels it was everything..

My heart is still on fire from this captivating read leaving me completely speechless..

“6 passionate stars!”

I love LJ Shen’s books but I just didn’t get attached to any of the characters in this one. I will not be rating it publicly. Thank you so much for the opportunity to read an early copy. The cover is absolutely stunning. 💖

Everlynne has loved two people in her life, Dom and Joe. She’s starting to let herself feel happy and then the past comes back. She’s forced to decide between two men but who will she choose? Is she making the right decision?

I knew about 10 pages in that this book was going to have me in my feels. I will start off by saying that I have never ever been so frustrated with a lead character as much as I was with Ever. So many times I wanted to jump thru the pages and shake her silly and say ‘what are you doing to us’? LJ never fails to deliver a book that gets me to feel so much. And this was like being on the waves Renn lives to surf - the highs the lows - the elation and the crashing, it’s all there in this book. I wanted answers that were never going to come. I wanted to raise the dead to kill him again because I was so hurt. I wanted to take Joe and keep him for myself because he was perfect! It was such a departure from her usual feel good love story although it was still all there including the HEA, it was just delivered in a completely different package that I absolutely loved!!

What an emotional journey this book takes you on. Right from the start this book pulls you in and tugs on your emotions.

How heartbreaking would it be to watch the one you love with someone else.
Would be able to stand by and watch the woman you love with your brother?

Ever didn’t know what she wanted, she was to afraid ti be hurt to give love a real chance.

I really loved this book was a different read than I’m used to but definitely kept me invested till the end.

5 stars just isn't enough for this one!! 8 stars is more like it. I've been a L.J. Shen fan for a long time though it's been awhile since I've enjoyed one of her masterpieces. And Beautiful Graves made me realize what I've been missing.

I can say without a doubt that this book is my favorite of all of her others.

It was a hot, tragic, emotionally exhausting rollercoaster ride right from the get-go. And I love every second of it.

This newest book from LJ Shen was amazing. I did not expect the twist she added into her story but I definitely enjoyed it. I love that majority of story took place in Salem. I felt so bad for the main character, she had gone through so much. I felt like life kept kicking her down but she just kept getting back up. Everlynne was stuck in this unconventional love triangle between Joe and Dom and I was not sure who she would end up with. I am happy with how the story ended and cannot wait to read what LJ comes out with next.

WHOA! Reading the blurb I already know this story is going to be raw and emotional and I was right this is one epic love story. The unique love triangle, the plot twists, the heart break – all very intense and gripping with angsts. LJ Shen is such a master storyteller. Her writing is brilliant and with the compelling, complicated story like this one (nothing is as it seems), she kept you intrigued from beginning until the end. I think you just need to go in blind and suffers like everyone else  It will be worth it even if we are all a hot mess at the end. If you are looking for something incredibly different, the kind of love triangle you’ve never read in the past, angsts, steamy, heartbreaking, all the feels, this one is for you! Love triangle is normally not my thing but I was in the mood for something heavy. I stepped out of my comfort zone, took a chance, and it was EVERYTHING!!!

Where do I even begin?

Beautiful Graves was so different from what we’ve seen from LJ Shen. This story was so raw and emotional. So many twists and turns I NEVER SAW COMING! I don’t do love triangles, but I was not not going to read this…. Hello this is LJ Shen!!! LOL Joe…. all I will say about him is that he has my whole heart. Things get complicated, but my love for him never once changes.

This story was about love, tragic, guilt, and letting go. I won’t go into details because I truly think EVERYONE should read this book. You will laugh, cry, and scream. But you will love every single second. This books is UNPUTDOWNABLE!!!

4.5 emotional stars!!
Oh man was I super excited for this book. One.. I love the cover! Two.. LJ Shen is one of my favorite authors! Three.. this is so not a normal LJ Shen book so I couldn’t wait to crack it open! Now that I have I can say it was as good as I expected.

A chance meeting in a foreign country, a fleeting moment as some may call it, led to a love story of all love stories. These two main characters were amazing. There was a big twist in the book and I had a feeling that’s what it was but boy was it a doozy. Ever is amazing and the strength to keep going when all you want to do is give up. Running is harder then it sounds. And Joe that boy is the King of Rats. I fell so hard for him in the second half of the book. The two together are perfection. Too bad life had other plans.

I want to say the little crumbs the author leaves you are excruciating, in a good way. I loved getting those little crumbs. One thing I can say is LJ is an amazing author and I think she has a niche for writing outside her box. I can’t wait to see what she has coming next!!
**I received this book as an ARC and in return gave my honest review**

A must read!

All of the characters are wonderful and the storyline is fantastic.

Leigh has wrote something fairly different from her usual writing. She has gone out of her comfort zone and smashed it out of the park.

I have never read a book by Leigh that I didn’t love immensely.

Losing someone very special can be very traumatic and sometimes you can never fill that void even with time. At that it feels that time has stopped and nothing exists anymore. Finding someone to love unconditionally at that can be therapeutic. I loved how the writer has depicted all the grief and losing so perfectly. I loved it alot.

Thank you to NetGalley, Montlake, and L.J. Shein for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

First, can we talk about how beautiful this cover is? I mean it is absolutely gorgeous.

Second, let's talk about the inside of this book. This story is raw and powerful. It was hard to put down. The banter in this book is top-notch. The angst is on point. The emotional rollercoaster is here and everyone better hop on. The twists and turns this book takes make you dizzy but in a good way. I don't have any other words. But this is definitely one of my top reads of 2022.

🌼 Review 🌼

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Beautiful Graves by LJ Shen was absolutely beautiful! I went into this book with skeptical thoughts, but came out of it with complete and utter adoration for it. If I could rate this book higher than five stars, then I would. I felt so in tune with this book that it felt crazy to me. I felt like I was laughing, crying, and grieving right along with these characters. It was so surreal. LJ, I absolutely believe this is one of the most well written books that I have ever read. I am extremely grateful that I was given the chance to read it and share my thoughts on it. Thank you so much for releasing this book and sharing it with us!

Beautiful Graves' dynamic was absolutely insane to me. The love triangle that was never truly a love triangle, but fate being written was absolutely fantastic. I fell in love with Ever and Joe. I wasn't the biggest fan of Dom, but I do think he was crucial to everything that happened in Ever's life. When something tragic happened to Ever Dom was there to save her and become her happiness. Tragic things happen, and when they do we need to persevere. That's exactly what Ever did.
Thank you so much for the beautiful story, LJ. This one will stay with me forever!