This was not my cup of tea, I am sorry to say. It was difficult to get into for me. and the writing was very dense, and the story dragged :( I think that a lot of people may enjoy it, just not me.

I loved the atmospheric setting here as well as the anatomy content. There were lots of dark and amazing things and I thoroughly enjoyed the graveyard kisses!

Dark and atmospheric with a strong female lead you root for. I loved the historical Edinburgh setting and the gothic vibe. The story was a bit slow for me in places and I didn't really feel the romance the way I expected to. Though the writing is beautiful.

A beautiful gothic love story/mystery full of guts and gore? What more could I ask for? I was originally drawn to this for the cover, but stayed for the plot. It’s almost hard to put into words how I felt about this book.
I found myself at one point thinking that nothing was happening in the best way despite so much happening at once! I really did end up loving Hazel’s character and her strong female presence as she push her way past the men of this story to pursue her dreams.
The only criticism I have is the ending seems to go from 0 to 100 very quick and very suddenly, but somehow still end abruptly. I do enjoy the bittersweet feeling of the end, I feel like there could have been better build up to it. Overall a great read for me. Definitely 4.5 stars!
Thank you Netgalley for the chance to read this! #netgalley #anatomy

I really enjoyed this book. At times I was off struck by Hazels witty sharp comments.
Over all.

At first I wasn't sure if Id like it. But this book give the empowerment to a young woman back in Edinburgh 1817.
I really like the plot when you you have a bit of of crossdressing int it. Think Yentl, but for Physiology and biomechanics.
I recommend anyone read this books that wants to have girl power, and is a feminist. 😉📚😍

I flew through this book and enjoyed every second of it. It was fast-paced and just mysterious enough to keep reading.

I did wish there was a little more chemistry between the two main characters, but they were both precious angels. I thought the ending was rushed and the pacing was off, but the last lines still managed to destroy me.

Even though this book wasn't technically groundbreaking, it still has my heart.


P.S. Is this cover not the most beautiful one you've ever seen? One of my favorites of the year.

When you love a book but just want to talk to the person who approved the title with "A Love Story" in it and gently shake them.

In 1817 Edinburgh, Hazel Sinnett wants nothing more in life than to be a surgeon. Marriage has little appeal to her, even though she's been betrothed to her cousin since childhood. At home, her eldest brother died of a terrible sickness a few years ago, leaving her mother to lavish all her attention on Hazel's youngest brother. But Hazel uses this to her advantage by sneaking out of the house to enroll in an anatomy course, disguised as a boy. And surprise surprise, she's good at it. Also surprise surprise, secrecy only lasts so long. When she is discovered, Hazel accepts a wager: pass the physician's exam at the end of term, and she'll be given a prestigious apprenticeship with the top surgeon of the era. Fail, and no woman will ever be accepted to the field.

I do not know why the title has "A Love Story" in it ... because it's not. Like, not even close. And it's really the only beef I have with this book. I saw the author caught some well-deserved flack over an article about subverting romance tropes where she talked about how she wrote a romance she wanted to see, but this is not a love story. I don't know how else to say it. Is there a romance? Absolutely. It is the centre of the story? Nope. It doesn't really crop up until halfway through and has little bearing on the plot itself, so, reader beware if you're coming into this thinking it's some star-crossed lovers thing.

As much as that confused me, it did not take away from how much I enjoyed this book! While not a romance, I did ship the couple that formed in the end. I thought they were super cute and balanced well. Now, what this really was is a gothic novel, and it was more than I hoped it would be. Atmospheric, seemingly well-researched, and surprisingly gruesome. This did not hold back from the anatomical side of things. There are descriptions of surgeons cutting off limbs and sticking their hands inside decaying chest cavities from Hazel's POV, and people sneaking into graveyards and digging up freshly buried corpses to sell to surgeons on Jack's POV. It was gross, but weirdly well executed. Like, I dig it—PUN INTENDED.

What struck me the most about this book is how much I loved the main character. Hazel is absolutely one of those "I don't want to be like the other girls" characters. Especially when we consider the time period and that women don't really get to follow their dreams. Hazel is one of so many characters out there like this, but she felt refreshing. Maybe it's because she's willing to buy a corpse and crack it open on her own to study. I don't know. Maybe it's just me, but the girl has my utmost respect. I was rooting for her to absolutely smash the patriarchy from almost the first page, and couldn't have been more thrilled to follow along with her.

I think part of the reason why I enjoyed this so much is because of the excellent audiobook narration. Wednesday Books was kind enough to provide me with an audio copy, and Mhairi Morrison absolutely killed it. Her accent was so soothing to listen to and she really brought the story and its characters to life!

I will admit, I'm a tiny bit disappointed in the ending. It was a little rushed and honestly, I wanted more closure. Still, the rest of the book was so entertaining that I'm willing to brush aside five minutes worth of grumbling on my part. It was a good ending all the same, and I would totally read more from this author in future.

First of all the cover of this book is absolutely STUNNING.

This is a gothic story set in Scotland about a young female named Hazel that wants to be a surgeon in a time when only males are allowed to study anatomy. Hazel will do almost anything to study anatomy and become a physician, including buying bodies from grave-robbers.

There is a little bit of a love element in this story but most of it is focused on Hazel finding a way to become a physician. So if you're not a romance reader don't let the "A Love Story" portion of the title stop you from picking this one up!

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martins Press for the ARC of this lovely book.

Book Review- Anatomy: A Love Story by Dana Schwartz
January 30, 2022
Anatomy: A Love Story is a young adult historical novel about a Scottish girl that dreams of being a physician despite the fact that this a not an acceptable career for a girl from a titled family in 1817. It has elements of dark gothic romance and the supernatural.

In 1817 Edinburgh families both rich and poor are still recovering from a devastating virus (the Roman Fever) that swept through and killed many including Hazel’s older brother George. Her mother has never come out of mourning, her father is off serving in the Royal Navy and she is loosely engaged to her cousin Bernard. When an opportunity to secretly attend physician classes arises plus to take the all important final exam Hazel jumps at the opportunity dressed in her late brother’s clothes.

Jack Currer works backstage at the local theatre and steals the bodies of the recently deceased to sell to the school when there aren’t enough hanging victims to work on. Jack and Hazel will be thrown together as the city faces another outbreak of Roman Fever plus strange reports of the poor waking up with hazy recollections of being worked on by doctors. It will be up to Hazel to use her medical skills to treat the local victims, manage growing feelings for Jack and decide her future within the limitations put on by society.

Anatomy: A Love Story is a dark tale filled with medicine, science, romance and historical detail about the reality of the people of Edinburgh both rich and poor. I enjoyed both Hazel and Jack’s characters along with their sense of humor the romantic chemistry between them. My only critique was the storyline involving Hazel’s treating of locals within her home and her total autonomy while her mother was away that felt a little unrealistic and unlikely. But, overall I enjoyed this book and recommend it to readers of all ages that like historical novels with plucky, smart heroines and dark deeds.

4 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This gothic historical fiction is centered around Hazel, a 16 year old woman who lives in Edinburgh Scotland with her mother and younger brother. She has always had an obsession with anatomy and wants to be a surgeon despite the fact that no women are allowed to study to become doctors.
In order to study and pass her exam, she must have dead bodies to look at. Enter Jack, who earns extra money by taking bodies from their graves at night.
This was such a quick read with amazing details to keep the story moving. There were some surprise details that really added to the story. The ending, however, felt very rushed to me- especially when compared to the rest of the book. It left me feeling that I was missing something
Thanks to St. Martin's Press for my review copy of this book. All opinions are my own

Hazel wants to be a doctor at a time when women are seen as no more than birth givers. Throughout the book, Hazel works with Jack, a grave robber to study for her physician's exam. She begins to treat many patients at her family home in order to gain experience. Through this venture, she notices that some of the people she treats share a common experience where they see a man with one eye. She eventually uncovers a plot to give rich, paying patients body parts taken from poor people.

I felt that the story was a bit disjointed. Initially, it felt like a historical romance, but then somewhere around the 60-70% mark, it became a fantastical story about immortality and class. I felt like Hazel's relationship with Jack was abrupt in both its beginning and end. I also felt that we never really got closure on her relationship with Bernard. She didn't confront him, he didn't reveal himself to be the ultimate villain, he just kind of faded away. I was somewhat upset at the sudden framing of Jack and his subsequent, equally sudden execution. I am, however, happy about the fact that he didn't die because of the immortal potion and that he is now living in New York.

What a fantastic read! I absolutely devoured this book. The cover was a big draw, and finding out it was 1800's Scotland?? Yes please! I absolutely love books about women rising above their station and striving to be more than just a pretty face in a man's world, and this one delivers. It has the perfect balance of romance, and feminism with the latter not being too overpowering.

Anatomy: A Love Story so beautifully written. I really enjoyed this one from the start. Hazel is smart, cunning, and so determined to become a doctor in a mans world. She lets nothing stop her. I loved how there is romance and secondary characters like Jack but his part of the story is the back drop to hazel. the end took a creative twist I hadn't seen coming. The atomoshphere is perfect with eerie tones of grave robbing, surgeries and social standings. A fantastic read, I'm really looking forward to more by this author!


Thank you to Wednesdaybooks and netgalley for my free copy for review.

Well…that was certainly disappointing. Perhaps the most disappointing book I’ve read in an extremely long time. Prior to the interview that came out with the author and the resulting discourse, I was very excited about Anatomy: A Love Story. Unfortunately, it just didn’t live up to my expectations.

Thank you to Netgalley and Wednesday Books for the advanced copy of this book!

I initially requested this book for a couple reasons: 1) I’ve been a fan of Dana Schwartz for a while now - following her tweets - so I was excited to see her writing in a full fictional form. 2) the synopsis, and 3) most importantly, the cover design. This cover art is incredibly effective and just jaw-droopingly gorgeous. I can’t get over it. That alone is worth a full star.

I think my primary problem with this book was the way that it was marketed. Its by-line states that it’s a “gothic tale full of mystery and romance about a willful female surgeon, a resurrection man who sells bodies for a living, and the buried secrets they must uncover together.” But…that’s not really what it’s about. I went in expecting this gorgeous, feminist, gothic romance but it’s more of a YA Historical Thriller than anything else.

The pacing is all over the place. The first 30% or so is unbelievably slow - hardly anything happens except for Hazel attempting to get into the Anatomist’s lectures, promenading with her betrothed, and waxing poetic about her life. It picks up very quickly around the 50% mark, which is by far my favorite section of the book, and it falls apart again in the last quarter.

Ultimately, this is a book that just didn’t know what it wanted to be. Conceptually, it should have been this strong tale, but it floundered under over-explanation and poor character arcs. The “twist” at the end is obvious and the mystery never fully came together for me. The ending was just a mess, frankly, and it didn’t make sense to have certain elements be brought up on a whim.

In all, I didn’t enjoy this and wouldn’t recommend it.

Series Info/Source: This is a stand alone book. I got a copy of this book through NetGalley to review.

Thoughts: I liked this quite a bit, it is a fun historical fiction, with some slight magical realism, and an intriguing topic. However, the story feels very unfinished and ends very abruptly; I believe this is a stand alone but maybe it is a start to a series.

I really enjoyed both Hazel and Jack. Hazel is a neglected wealthy young woman who wants to become a surgeon which is very unacceptable for the Victorian time and age. Jack is a resurrection man who steals dead bodies and sells them to doctors for their study. The two end up meeting and joining forces; Hazel wants Jack to provide her with bodies to study so she can study for taking the Medical Exam.

I really loved this book up to the last 20% or so. It's a good story and an intriguing topic and Jack and Hazel are easy to love. However, things get a bit weird towards the end with Hazel's desperate studying abruptly giving way to her involvement in a mystery of disappearing people. Then some subtle magic is involved and it feels very forced.

To add to that Jack's story takes a turn that seemed unnecessary as well. Too much was packed into the last part of this story and it felt contrived. If this is the first book in a series maybe the author was setting up for book 2, however I believe this is supposed to be a stand alone and as such it left me feeling a bit confused and hollow.

My Summary (4/5): Overall this was a well done historical fiction with some magical realism. I loved most of the book and enjoyed the unique subject matter and engaging characters. However, things got a bit weird at the end with too many new things packed in and left the book with a hollow, unsatisfying feeling to it. I would recommend this if you are fascinated by the practice of grave-robbing in Victorian times and are looking for an engaging fictional story set around that.

One of my most highly anticipated 2022 releases did NOT disappoint! This one came out today and is the winter YA @reesesbookclub pick! ❤️

🫀 REVIEW: ANATOMY: A LOVE STORY 🫀

By @danaschwartzzz

📖 SUMMARY: Hazel is a young woman living in 1800s Edinburgh, and she wants, more than anything, to be a physician… but she’s living in a time where women aren’t expected or allowed to be anything more than ladies of society. She’s determined to attend anatomy classes given by the famed Dr. Beecham, but she’s kicked out because, you guessed it, she’s female. She finds an unlikely ally in Jack — a “resurrection man” who digs up recently deceased bodies to sell to doctors for study — and together they uncover sinister secrets in the medical community.

💭 THOUGHTS: I absolutely devoured this one! I have been a fan of Dana’s podcast Noble Blood for a while, so when I heard she was releasing a YA romance (my kryptonite) I knew it was a must-read. You can clearly tell that everything was well-researched, and she perfectly blended the history into the tale. Learning about resurrection men was fascinating and I will now go into the rabbit hole to read more about them. 🤓 History aside, the story was riveting and there was a twist in there that I definitely wasn’t expecting! I highly, highly recommend this one to anyone, but especially those who love reading historical fiction where it feels like you learned something.

Thank you to @netgalley and @wednesdaybooks for the arc! This one came out today, January 18!

✨ RATING: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

🥰 YOU’LL ENJOY IF: you love the Noble Blood podcast and appreciate a young female MC who rebels against societal norms

CW: description of gore, corpses, body parts, etc.

3.5 rounded up

*Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin Press, Wednesday Books for an eArc in exchange for an honest review*

I really enjoyed this gothic horror, love story. The setting of 1817 Edinburgh was rich and atmospheric. The story of Hazel wanting to become a surgeon was interesting and her relationship with Jack was cute. This was a very quick read, Schwartz's writing is easy to read and the story unfolds at a good pace. This is a love story but it surrounds the practice of surgery and stealing of dead bodies to further research and experimentation. There is a lot of "body horror" in that there is explicit scenes of cutting into bodies and cutting off limbs. If that bothers you I would not read this book. There is also speculative elements within this book that I personally did not care for. For me it took away the unease and the stakes. However, I did end up enjoying this book.

If you enjoy a combination of gothic settings, historical fiction, romance and horror elements I would recommend this book.

Wow, okay. A truly fascinating story with an absolutely gorgeous cover.

I went into this book thinking it was kind of like Stalking Jack the Ripper. And while, yes, the main character Hazel does share Audrey Rose's fascination with the body and the confines of wanting to do a "man's" job, that it where the similarities end for the most part. SJR is definitely more historical fantasy while this one is more historical fiction, with the exception of some strange medical stuff.

Perhaps because of my misrepresentation of the book from the beginning, this story was at times slow, but still captivating once things got going.

Hazel is an upper-class girl trapped by her requirement to marry her cousin and *not* become a doctor. Jack is a resurrection man, someone who digs up dead bodies to sell to science. Their meeting is fate.

While both sides of the story were interesting, I have to admit that Hazel felt a bit more real to me and I would have loved a bit more from Jack's side of the story. (I will also say that their POV's were a little strange. Their chapters alternated at the beginning of the book, but after they started spending time together, their POV's would blend together and both be present in one scene. So, that was weird to me. Pretty sure we got the POV of a side character or two a little bit, too.)

Anyway, while the story was a little bit slower than I was expecting, I still loved the atmospheric way that Dana Schwartz told the story. The mystery was fun to follow and the ending was, while a bit predictable, still wild. I hope to read more books like this in the future.

Well I loved this thank you very much. It has a fantastic lead, a fascinating plot, and had me unable to put this down. Having just got back from vacation I was afraid I might end up in a bit of book slump but this read did not see me with such issues. I was excited to pick this read up every single time.

Ok, the ending was a bit rushed. If I had one complaint, it would be that. Also, I would have liked to know more about Jack. I feel like his character still felt a bit vague to me and I wanted to spend more time getting to know him. That said, Hazel is such a compelling and dynamic character that she had no problem carrying this story along. I was behind her 100 percent.

I enjoyed this read so much that I am sad it is over. It has so much going for it – competent leads, graveyards, body snatching, I mean what else do you want? Don’t you want to read about graveyards? Yes, yes you do. I am being a bit silly, but the setting and subject matter here is unique. Historically this did happen and stealing bodies from graveyards was a way medical students learned anatomy once upon a time believe it or not. It is wild to think this really happened. With an interesting historical background that is combined with a mystery-filled plot, I do not think this one will let many readers who choose it down.

“But she knew safety was temporary. Her future was coming for her even as she was riding away from it, pulled by four horses, as quickly as she could.”

Three reasons to read to pick up this book:

That cover!
Reese’ s Book Club selection
A dramatic, tender gothic story.
I enjoyed that this book felt fresh. While there are themes similar to other books, the combination in Anatomy didn’t feel like anything I’d read before. Part forbidden romance, part gothic mystery, part plague drama, part historical fiction, there’s much to love in this story. I appreciated the tension between what Hazel wanted to do for herself with her life balanced precariously against the responsibilities of what she must do in order to maintain an economic future for herself. As a woman of means and privilege she understood “marrying well” was her only reality. But, her heart and mind belonged to an entirely different realm. Sure to be a hit with readers who enjoy plucky heroines who refuse to live by convention; curious, kind heroes who refuse to bow to their situation, and a cast of kind-hearted people struggling to be ok.

The interesting, vulnerable characters made me care for them as Hazel and Jack traded the narration between them. He, collector of multiple jobs to make ends meet, works in both the theater and as a resurrection man who digs up bodies for hopeful surgeons to dissect. She, the daughter of wealth who will inherit nothing. Focused less on being the society girl with a protected future, Hazel’s more interested in becoming a surgeon while her father is off guarding Napoleon in his final exile. Together, they are tossed together in impossible circumstances. Set in Edinburgh, 1817 Anatomy shackles Hazel and Jack with convention, gender norms, and class norms. Yet, buoys with small kindnesses and tenderness.

A good selection for any high school / teen library collection. Readers who enjoyed the Jackaby Series will find much to enjoy in Anatomy

Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for the opportunity to review an ecopy of this book.