This was one of my most anticipated 2022 releases, and it did not disappoint! (also can we talk about how GORGEOUS the cover is!)

Taking place in 1800s Scotland, this story is filled with romance, gore, mystery, and thrills. Going into this, I did not realize it was YA—which is not my preferred genre—however, I fell in love with the gothic atmosphere and the charismatic main characters. Hazel, an aspiring female surgeon, and Jack, a man who steals corpses for a living, are an incredible pair, and I was drawn to both of them as individuals as well as their relationship. Jack was just the sweetest, and Hazel is perfect for lovers of strong female leads. While this is a love story, it does heavily revolves around Hazel's journey towards working in the medical field, and I loved seeing her story progress.

I highlighted so many quotes while reading, and the very last line had me screaming at my kindle—I loved it! While the ending did feel a bit abrupt, I will be first in line if the author decides to continue the story in future works. Overall, this book was thoroughly enjoyable, and I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys gothic tales, historical fiction and isn't squeamish! A love letter to feminism and independence, this was a fast-paced and captivating read.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the arc in exchange for an honest review!

Here's the thing of it—I requested a review copy of Anatomy: A Love Story without realizing it was a YA title. There is absolutely nothing wrong with YA novels, and I can imagine a younger me devouring this novel, but at this point it's a rare YA novel that really keeps my attention. So, this wasn't the right book for me, but I am absolutely confident that it is the right book for many people, young adults and adults who are not-so-young.

I think the YA-ness that kept me feeling at arm's length was the fact that this novel read to me as much more plot-driven than character-driven. The things the characters were doing were exciting and interesting, but I never felt fully connected with them.

Who this book would work for:
YA readers with a taste for historical fiction
Readers of Gothic fiction who appreciate thought as much as gore
Readers of romances who appreciate traveling along with independent young women as they carve out unusual paths for themselves in the world
If you fit one of these categories—or know someone who does—the Anatong: A Love Story will make for a very satisfying read.

I received a free electronic review copy of this title from the publisher via Net Galley; the opinions are my own.

P.S. That book cover rocks!

I’m not usually a big fan of historical fiction but I was drawn to Anatomy: A Love Story based on the description. A woman studying to become a physician in Scotland in the 1800s was unique, let alone a woman of high society. But, i was intrigued because I like stories with a medical twist. The novel started off slowly but as I got farther along the details described in the beginning made sense. I am glad I stuck with it as I was surprised by the plot twist at the very end. All in all I’d give this 4/5 stars.

Dana Schwartz was one of my great early-pandemic Internet finds. I first heard her on the Hysteria podcast where she always had smart, insightful things to say about the current political moment and from there I fell down the rabbit hole. I read almost everything she wrote about pop culture for Bustle and I devoured her Noble Blood Podcast. Yet, I was apprehensive to read this novel because it was very much not in my preferred genre. I loved the premise of a historical romance centered around a female physician but the body horror and supernatural elements were something I was nervous about.

That said, I really really enjoyed this book! It was really fun and engaging, with a twist I didn't totally see coming, though I did feel like a lot of the action got crammed in right at the end. Hazel was great fun and I loved Jack as well and would love a sequel to see what worldly adventures might befall these two. Still not sure many books of this genre will be on my stack, but I'll keep reading anything Dana Schwartz writes.

Thank you to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for the ARC.

I mostly enjoyed this, except for the second half and ending which really went downhill. The pacing was good in general with a readable quality to it, though I felt like the end was rushed. My problems with this book come in with the romance and this ending. Hazel and Jack really don't interact much in the first half of the book, so I didn't really feel their connection much. There's also something revealed towards the end that felt extremely out of place and not well explained/set up at all. To be fair, some of this comes in with the prologue, but it's just not well developed, and I would have preferred for these elements to not be in there at all.

The setting was done nicely overall. It feels like it's immersed in this time period and location for the most part, and I did like seeing Hazel try to pursue a career that's looked down on/unheard of for a woman. It does get detailed at times with anatomy - this is something that I enjoy, though some readers may not like how graphic it can get. We have these societal pressures for Hazel to get married, so there are some moments going to balls and dealing with society.

Hazel was fun to follow. She's very smart and determined to forge her own path. I liked how she'd rather be a surgeon than get married. She's been left alone by her parents after her brother's death, so she does have the freedom to study, but she's also rather isolated. She seems nice overall, and we get to see this with the people who work at her family's castle in particular. I enjoyed watching her learn things, and I would have just preferred for the entire book to follow her.

Jack is alright. He comes from a very different background than Hazel, but he's generally a good guy and does help Hazel out several times. I felt like he was more of a secondary character and didn't have enough time to buy him as a romantic partner. There are some chapters from his perspective, but I much preferred Hazel's chapters.

This was generally enjoyable, but several plot threads like the romance and mystery were just not as developed as I'd like. However, for those looking for a YA book with a gothic tone, I'd still recommend it.

My video review can be seen on my booktube channel (around minutes 3:38-6:54 of this video): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JKD7YP5P3f0

A lady wants to be a surgeon. The lady teams up with a resurrection man who digs up dead bodies for a living. What’s not to love about that whole premise??!!

There is mystery. There is plague. There is misogyny. There is a little romance. But most of all, there is a lot of dead bodies.

The mystery. Did I figure it out? I figured out one really big part of the mystery, but the rest of it was really too weird for me to ever come up with on my own. That’s a good thing!

The gore. I enjoyed the gore, even though the descriptions of decaying flesh was very graphic. Yikes! In my mind, I could almost smell these corpses.

The romance. This book has “a love story” in the title! Unfortunately, most of the romance must have happened off the page because one day Hazel and Jack were friends, then the next thing I know they were lovers and I felt like I missed out on that whole progression. Don’t put “love story” in the title and then deprive me of all the actual parts of a love story.

The writing. The writing itself was beautiful and I was immediately immersed in the story every time I time I started reading. It really was hard to put down.

The ending. Okay, the ending made cross my heart and sigh with a smile. Then when I realized it was the ending, I wanted to SCREAM!!

I’m giving this 3 stars, but I would totally give it 4 if I knew there would be a sequel.

I really enjoyed this book. The characters and the story engaged me from the beginning, and I learned some fascinating things about the time period, especially about how medicine was practiced. I'll definitely be recommending it to anyone with a penchant for gothic historical novels with a touch of romance and gutsy female protagonists.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to read an electronic version in advance of publication.

Hazel Sinnett is a society girl (father in the Royal Navy and mother a viscountess) who has been unofficially betrothed to her cousin Bernard practically since birth. However, she has no desire to live the life of a society lady. Rather, she wants to be a surgeon, at a time when a female physician is essentially unheard of and being a surgeon is out of the question (women are too delicate). She has studied the medical treatises she has been able to obtain, but books are no match for formal studies. With her father stationed in St. Helena guarding Napoleon and her mother mourning the death of her oldest son, George, from the Roman fever (which Hazel also contracted but survived) and doting excessively on her younger son, Percy, the heir apparent, Hazel is largely ignored. Her relative freedom increases when her mother decides to take Percy from Edinburgh to Bath to protect his health, and Hazel feigns illness to stay behind, with plans to join the family later in London.

She disguises herself as a man so she can enroll in an anatomy class taught by the famous surgeon, Dr. Beecham, but that does not work out, forcing her to study on her own. If she wants to pass the physician's exam, she needs human bodies to study and dissect. For that she turns to Jack Currer, a resurrection man ("body snatcher") who procures recently buried corpses for doctors to study and dissect. However, being a resurrection man has become more hazardous than normal, as someone seems to be attacking and harming resurrection men. Also, it appears that the Roman fever has returned, making life more hazardous in general. Through Jack, Hazel begins treating poor patients who would rather not seek treatment at the hospital for the poor, which is dirty, crowded, and likely to leave you worse off when you leave than when you arrived. Through these patients, she discovers that someone is preying on, and possibly experimenting on, the poor residents of Edinburgh.

Hazel is a great character -- passionate, determined, intellectually curious, and empathetic, but also displaying some of the naivety that comes with her age and social station. The developing friendship and then relationship, of sorts, between Hazel and Jack was enjoyable. Their contrasting life situations make them a good pair, learning from each other and educating each other, but they also have the same spirit of adventure and determination, and a desire to help others. I also enjoyed the interactions between Hazel and Dr. Beecham, especially as he appreciates and respects her interest in medicine and surgery and recognizes her talent. The medical aspects of the story are interesting, especially as the story is set at a time when surgery was not yet very advanced in terms of the types of surgery that could be reliably and successfully performed, but experimentation was occurring, and a miracle formula (ethereum) had been discovered (by Dr. Beecham in the story) that allowed surgery to be performed painlessly.

I received a copy of the e-book via NetGalley in exchange for a review.

A few years ago, I realized that I love gothic novels. Catherine Morland and I would have gotten along well. However, it wasn’t until I read Ann Radcliffe’s The Mysteries of Udolpho, that I understood what truly made a book “gothic”. Are gothic novels terrifying? Not necessarily—there’s always an element of fear or terror, but it’s understated. Will there be a haunted mansion? Haunted, no, but a crumbly and remote castle, yes. Is the landscape a character? Well that’s a strange question, but the correct answer is yes. Is there romance? Of course. A mysterious villain? Yes, and he often locks people up or kills them. Gothic novels are slow, the terror isn’t slash and gore, there’s a lonely castle, and you have to have sweeping landscape. Once I learned all this, I could truly appreciate a gothic novel.

Schwartz understands gothic novels, and Anatomy: A Love Story is a perfect example of what gothic literature should be. What drives her novel isn’t so much the story, but the characters. The protagonist, Hazel Sinnett, knows that it is her duty to marry her cousin, the future Viscount. However, she really wants to be a surgeon and so she tries to marry her desire and her duty. Unfortunately, women in 1817 weren’t supposed to have desires. Hazel dresses up in her brother’s clothes and enrolls in a physician-training course. She is found out and forced to leave. She bargains with the eminent Dr. Beecham and will be allowed to sit for the exam. Hazel teams up with a resurrection man, Jack Currer, and begins her own studies on the bodies they dig up. Hazel discovers that something strange in going on in Edinburgh and attempts to figure it out.

This fast paced novel was a delight to read. The characters were fantastic! They were flawed, real, and had hopes and fears. The dialogue was quick and witty; Schwartz’s writing, superb. This novel depicts societal roles and constraints, the gap between rich and poor, and medical practices of the time. While there is a romance, it isn’t the focus of the novel. I was swept up by Hazel’s determination and drive to fulfill her goals. She was a strong protagonist, yet made mistakes and had to grow. I couldn’t put this book down. The ending felt a tad rushed, but it was an excellent ending! Do yourself a favor and read this book!

Thank you to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for providing me with an ARC.

"Anatomy: A Love Story" is a young adult novel that treads the line between historical fiction and fantasy - think a younger, gothier cousin to something like The Da Vinci Code. It's a well-researched, un-romanticized view of Edinburgh in the early 19th century with its social stratification, poverty, and dirtiness, focusing on Edinburgh's place in the medical revolution that ultimately heralded the use of vaccinations, cleanliness, anesthetics and other hallmarks of modern medicine.

Hazel is an ambitious young noble woman who dreams of becoming a doctor - a dream that is inappropriate for both her social station and her gender. Her paths cross with Jack, a young poverty-stricken "resurrection man" who steals corpses from Edinburgh's graveyards for medical students to dissect. Hazel's dreams and Jack's life work collide in a sweet love story as the pair try to cure a local plague tormenting Edinburgh's residents.

This is a quiet little novel that keeps a slow, steady pace throughout. You know how a lot of novels have A plots and B plots? Here, there's pretty much just the A plot and the characters don't really change much; Hazel starts the novel wanting to be a physician, and she ends the novel having more-or-less achieved her dream in a bittersweet fashion. Despite the subtitle of this book being "A Love Story", there is actually very little romance here; Jack's story is superfluous to Hazel's, and we don't get a very detailed look as to what makes him tick, or his past. This is Hazel's tale, almost entirely, as she tries to navigate being a proper young society woman with her desire to treat Edinburgh's worst medical cases.

I did enjoy this book - it was interesting, detailed in terms of worldbuilding, and Hazel was a charming protagonist. I predict a lot of people will want more of a love story (Jack really was sketched in) and the novel's somewhat out-of-left-field "magic" twist may annoy some. I didn't mind it. The gothic genre is ripe with fantasy twists, and the whole thing felt like a Tim Burton set piece in a good way. I enjoyed this book and agree with other reviews that state that this seems wide open for a sequel - and I'd happily come along for a second ride.

3.5 stars out of 5

The gorgeous cover of this book is what first drew me to it. The awesome female protagonist, Hazel, was what kept me interested. The story is a fast paced, fun mix of gothic mystery and love story.

Hazel loves anatomy and dreams of being a female surgeon one day (unheard of at this time) and while I love a good love story, and Jack and Hazel were quite cute, it was her ambition and drive for an unrealistic career that really did it for me.

Great read for fans of historical fiction and love stories.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for this e-arc in exchange for my honest review.

I don't think i have ever rolled my eyes as much i did while reading this book, don't get me wrong its a great read and i enjoyed myself, but the men/boys in this story besides 3 of them where just so sexiest and i loved how Hazel stood up for herself in what she anted to be/do which is a surgeon.

I don't recommend you eat while reading this book.

Things I Liked:

-Jack is just so kind and friendly and is just trying to make money by being a resurrection man (I mean you gotta do what you gotta do).

-Hazel is a girl who knows exactly what she wants, some of things that she does what kind of to stomach sometimes.

-The writing style and some of the wording just flowed for me.

Things I Didn't like:

-Dr. Beecham, enough said.

Gothic tale, willful female surgeon, a man who sells bodies, and Edinburgh 1817 – there’s just nothing bad here, folks. Everything about the description made me want to read this novel. And then there’s the cover – what a stunning work of art!

Hazel is a woman ahead of her time. Although from a wealthy family, she’s continually reminded by her mother that Hazel’s brother will inherit their estate, and she must marry her cousin to maintain her lifestyle. But that’s not important to her. Hazel is determined to become a female surgeon, which is unheard of in her time. Women can’t possibly comprehend the complexities of the human body. Dressed as a man, she attends classes and is an exemplary student, until being tosssed out after it’s discovered she’s the wrong gender. That’s only a minor inconvenience – she soon makes a deal with a renowned surgeon. If she passes the medical exam on her own, he’ll train her himself. You’ll immediately root for this strong-willed, intelligent girl.

To pass the exam, Hazel needs bodies to practice on, and it seems she’s destined to meet Resurrectionist man Jack, who’s been unable to find honest work. When people begin disappearing off the street but then turn up alive with fewer body parts, Hazel and Jack have a mystery on their hands. The title may lead you to believe this is primarily a love story, but that’s not exactly true. Yes, there’s a romance, but it’s not at all the main focus of the story. I believe the title refers to Hazel’s love of anatomy over most anything else in her life.

The novel moves along at a brisk pace, but I was a little surprised at how quickly this standalone wraps up. Despite that, I thought the ending was perfect for these characters and the story setting. I haven’t read anything else by this author, but you can be certain I’ll be checking into her backlist. If you’re a fan of historical fiction and strong female protagonists, you can’t go wrong with this book.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This was a DNF for me. I loved the Gothic elements and, being a Mary Shelley fangirl, all the Frankenstein references super appealed to me. Unfortunately, I found the writing to be pretty weak, with a lot of info dumps and a bad case of telling, not showing.

I was excited to read this book because I love Dana Schwartz's podcast Noble Blood, also the cover is gorgeous.
I like the story well enough. The story is ambitious as it mixes elements of gothic mystery and romance. However, I don't think either of the plot lines are very well developed and I wish the book had made a choice and leaned more into one or the other.
What the book does really well is creating the world that we are in. It is atmospheric and in moments unsettling. Dana knows how to create a scene and you could tell she understood the time period in which she set the story.
I wish I was more drawn to the love story between Hazel and Jack, but I wasn't. This meant the ending did not really land for me the way it could have.
Overall a three-star read. I enjoyed reading it but there were elements I wish were different.

I need to start by saying that I ABSOLUTELY judged this book by it's cover in the best possible way. That cover is beyond stunning!

Anyway, onto the story. I loved the premise of this story- Hazel a 16 year old female is drawn to anatomy and surgery, practicing on deceased animals before she can get formal training. I adore any story with a strong female lead pursuing her dreams despite society (classes, gendered jobs, etc.) telling her otherwise. The love story was fine. I was definitely rooting for Jack and Hazel, but much like some other reviews I have read, I was more interested in Hazel's professional pursuits.

I did not realize when I first was reading that it was YA/ the characters were so young. Typically that is not my favorite genre. I also don’t always love historical fiction, but love the gothic elements of the story.

Overall it was intriguing. If you love a strong female lead, a secondary storyline romance, and historical YA- this book will be for you!

Hazel Sinnett wants to be a surgeon in 1817 Edinburgh, where woman surgeons aren't quite common yet. Donning the attire of a man, she attends classes but is soon found out and kicked out. She makes a deal with the doctor, if she can pass the physicians exam, she can enroll and be his apprentice..

Jack Currer is a resurrection man, one who Hazel happens upon multiple times and when she discovers his skills in obtaining bodies, she's more than happy to pay him to retrieve some for her to practice on since she can no longer attend lessons.

With resurrection men going missing, people dying, Hazel and Jack must work together to survive and uncover mysteries around them.

Can I just say I love the creativity in the cover, it's beautiful. Also, I loved this book! I love Gothic romances with strong willed heroines who like to cut up bodies and of course help people!

Hazel is such a interesting character who loves to read and doesn't fit in well with the social society. She prefers a book to socializing (as do I!) or practicing as a physician. Jack is also super interesting, a poor boy trying to get by and have food to put in his mouth.

He and Hazel are drawn to each other when they start doing business together. I absolutely loved that one scene in the cemetery! Morbid but sweet! I do wish there had been a little more of the romance in a way but still loved it overall.

If you enjoyed Stalking Jack the Ripper, than you would probably enjoy this book as well! It's well written, super interesting and has a beautiful Gothic romance and some mystery. I loved it!

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the chance to read this marvelous book in exchange for an honest review!

Anatomy: A Love Story is a book with an interesting premise that's shot in the foot by some bizarre pacing.

At a glance, a story about a 19th century girl who wants to study medicine in a time where that wasn't done and a boy who survives by gravedigging and selling bodies to medical schools sounds very intriguing, right!? Especially if it's a romance between the two. I'm sold. Unfortunately the lurching pace of the plot - at times way too slow and at others lightning fast - made it hard to connect with the book and the romance is lacking.

The real meat of the plot takes about 45% (roughly 150 pages) to actually start. Up to that point it feels like one long introduction and a bunch of information that could have easily been condensed down at least 50 pages. It was honestly a drag and for someone who's a bit of a fast reader, I found myself struggling to pick this one back up.
Once it gets going the middle portion of the book is in fact very interesting! It's what I wanted the majority of the book to be. I was invested, the plot got interesting, the characters were more intriguing, and I was having a good time!
Here's where the romance really should have fleshed (hehe) out. I say this only because it quite literally says "A Love Story" right there in the title. I will say that I do like both the romantic leads and I like them together, but while they individually feel great, together they feel very underdeveloped. They have very few "romantic" scenes together (though what they do have is nice) and it just never seems to actually turn into anything. There is almost no conversation between the two of them regarding their relationship...at all, now that I think about it.

And where the beginning of the book is almost unbearably slow, the end is unfathomably fast. Everything starts to end very *very* quickly and a whooooole lot happens in very few pages. It feels like the author had a page limit and suddenly realized she was out of time. It's very abrupt and really heightens how dissatisfying I found the ending to be, as well as leaving plot points unfinished.

A low three star read because I liked the middle portion of the book, but everything else was lacking something.

I have to DNF this. I am 30% through this book and still don’t even know what the plot of this book is…

Anatomy A Love Story ended up being a story that I loved and I didn't think I would. As I tend to not like gothic tales. But what I think kept my attention to the story besides the budding romance between Hazel and Jack was the fact that Hazel was woman who wanted to be a surgeon at a time when women didn't become doctors let alone surgeons and Jack beinga resurrection man basically a body snatcher. That part of medical history has always fascinated me.