Beautiful Graves
From USA Today bestselling author L.J. Shen comes a passion- and angst-charged story about a woman caught between a secure relationship and a once-in-a-lifetime spark with her muse. They say first loves are oftentimes the end of one’s innocence. Those words couldn’t ring truer for Everlynne Lawson, whose first brush with romance came with a heartbreak…and the thing that seems to follow her everywhere she goes. Death. After a great tragedy, Everlynne loses all she cares about―her dreams, her family, and her soulmate, Joe. Guilt-ridden, Everlynne decides to isolate herself in Salem, Massachusetts. A shell of the woman she once was, she takes her days one at a time, careful not to allow herself the joy she believes others in her life were robbed of. But when the mysterious, handsome Dominic storms into her life, it becomes more difficult to stay in solitude. Dominic is different: adventurous, joyous, with lust for life and a passion to make her his. Everlynne is on the cusp of reinventing herself once again when the old wounds of her past are resurrected, rawer than ever. There is nothing worse than being in love with two men. Especially when one of them hates you.
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Book Accolades
Why You'll Love This
The prologue initially left me feeling very lost going into the story, however about 40% in we figure it out. About 65% in I wanted to quit because the FMC was making me mad. However it was like an episode of greys where I could actually hate mcdreamy, and the FMC came to her senses and eventually moved on. Yes everything I said above could be negative and I gave it 5 stars, but I was so absorbed in this book that I could not put it down… and I’d totally read again. I loved this book with a love hate passion of emotions that I have not felt before.
A true ringer! I cried so much I had to walk away and come back to the book after I calmed down. I got so angry at the characters that I had to walk away and come back when I calmed. I paced, I pulled at my hair, I went through a bunch of tissues, I felt my heart break so many times!!!! I raged and screamed and still couldn’t stop myself from coming back and reading more knowing that the whole process could begin again.
I truly enjoyed this book reading it on KU and listened to Audio as well. It was a very well written with a few twist and turns and finally some fait at the end
The emotional roller coaster I was on during the entire reading of this book! I was happy, sad, mad, and everything in between but this book made me feel and feel hard! It’s so rare for me to cry at happy endings or sad moments but I swear I spent most of the time reading this in tears happy and sad ones!
I absolutely loved this book. It was so well done and I could read it again tomorrow. A must read
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.
More and more I read books lately that I just don’t get satisfaction from. Like it was not worth my time that I spent reading it. THIS book is worth it. It was a roller coaster and I loved it! This will be getting a space on my bookshelf!
This is one of her best books! A hard read, tough subjects of loss, grief and fate. Sooo good. I couldn't stop once I started. Total hangover, full of emotions, a must read!
Her writing is so amazing- the character development, the story and the details - so beautiful and real Love her writing