This book started out so great and had so much promise. It really had a Stalking Jack the Ripper vibe and that’s one of my favorite books. But I needed more out of the last 25%. I could have easier gone for another 50 pages just so the story fleshed out more. I needed some more detail and some of it seemed a bit unbelievable for the times. She made a lot of decisions for herself that just would not have been allowed. And I didn’t hate the ending but I wanted a little more. More closure. Maybe a sequel?

Overall I enjoyed the book. I just really wanted more of the story.

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

This book started out very promising, I'm not going to lie. The prologue pulled me in with resurrection men and some weird/creepy stuff happening. I was excited to start reading.

My excitement quickly died though as the story kind of just dragged on. There wasn't really anything all that exciting or even sometimes, important, going on, just a lot of building the scene and introducing the characters. This is all fine but not when it goes on for the entire first half of the book!

I was bored! I just wanted something exciting to happen! It wasn't until over 80% of the way through the book that you finally get some exciting stuff, and I mean really exciting stuff but at this point, I've had to wait so long for it!

It happens all too quickly and then BAM, the story is over, a weird plot twist is thrown in that feels way out there for the book, and you're left with someone dead...or are they? Who freaking knows?!

It wasn't my cup of tea.

My thanks to Dana Schwartz, St. Martin's Press and Netgalley.
It's nearly a given with me that if a book is written well, and in this time period, then I'm probably going to love it!
What made this one extra special though were the main characters. My love was strong and true for a woman who wants to break out of the mold, and become a Doctor/Surgeon. A man, a body snatcher, who has no other option.
I was intrigued by the odd nature of other goings on. Which, bye the way were really never explained.
But, I could also see how this could be continued into another book. Eh, we'll see?
I'll confess that I'd be happy to read more. These characters were compelling.

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for an eARC version of this title in exchange for my honest review.

I ADORED this story. Hazel was a strong girl—and while at first I thought the girl who stitched up Cook’s hand was, in fact, a child, which threw me off a bit later—and she is a brilliant role model. Jack was my favorite. I wish there had been a bit more from him, in terms of growth over the course of the book, but their relationship was romantic. Bernard was deliciously unlikable, the perfect counterpoint.

The ending—LOVED the ending. No spoilers. Read this book!

This one was dark and creepy and man it should have come out in October for spooky season!! Because it would have been perfect for it. This book came to life on the page and Schwartz did such a great job freaking me out with this one. I loved the characters and the setting and just everything that happened. I was going to give this one 4 stars but going through this review I changed it to 5 stars because this one is so perfect!! Everyone should read this one!! Put it on your PreOrder list asap!

While there were elements of this I really enjoyed, such as Hazel herself and her incredible determination, the ending soured things for me. It felt like the author only went so far in terms of the fantastical aspects - immortality potion? Fine. Girl doctor? Awesome. Romance across the social classes? Oh, no, that's too far! That's not an entirely fair assessment, of course, and there may be a planned sequel to fix the unpleasant taste the ending left, but in terms of a single volume, it really did ruin things for me. (I blame Disney for giving me expectations of happy endings.) There were also period inaccuracies for women's dress - it sounded much more like 1850 or 60 than 1817 - but that's perhaps more my own too-intense love of historic fashions at play.

Overall, the writing was good and the plot and characters solid. It just didn't pay off enough in the end.

I was totally surprised about this book. When I was asked to review it, I was first drawn to the cover. Look at that cover, it is outstanding! The synopsis sounded intriguing with the a young woman trying to become a surgeon in a time when women were not allowed to practice medicine, let alone become a surgeon!

Hazel is a wonderful main character. As a lady she is expected to marry well and keep her future husband happy but the thought doesn’t bring her joy at all. She wants to become a surgeon but how? I love her fortitude and persistence to pursue her dream of being a surgeon even when many challenges were thrown her way. I loved the scenes of Hazel practicing medicine for those who couldn’t afford to pay for good medical service. Reading this story reminded me of when once upon a time I thought I was going to be in the medical field.

Now Jack is a fun character because he is not a nobleman, he is a stagehand and a part time resurrection man – meaning he digs up dead bodies on the side and sells them to doctors. It’s a high risk job and if caught Jack can be hung for grave robbing. He befriends Hazel when she needs dead bodies to study and practice surgery on to pass her medical exam. I love their interactions together.

There is a sweet romance budding between Hazel and Jack even though she is betrothed to her cousin. It’s a heartbreaking romance too because their stations in life really don’t allow them to be together.

The story isn’t just about Hazel wanting to become a surgeon, there is a mystery going on in Edinburgh. There is an illness going around called the Roman fever and also something else is happening where people, mostly the poor, are going missing or coming back with a missing limb. It reminds me of the story of Jack the Ripper, obviously it’s not the same story but the chilling vibes are the same.

RANDOM NOTES:
Content Warnings: gore, dissecting bodies/animals, bullying, misogyny

Though the ending was definitely a plot twist and fascinating, I don’t know that it totally worked for me. It worked when it came to the romance part but it still left me a bittersweet feeling. But it’s an interesting twist to the mystery of the people with missing limbs or people dying not from the Roman fever – it did seem a bit farfetched but I went with it for the sake of the romance.

Just being reminded of how the field of medicine didn’t allow women to study or how they had to dig up bodies in order to study them is so amazing to me. It’s awesome to see how far we have come in the field of medicine and yay to women who broke through such a male dominated field.

FINAL THOUGHTS~~
Why you should read it:

*history of medicine fascinates you and you aren’t squeamish about dissecting bodies
*a sweet romance
*good mystery
*woman empowerment

Why you might not want to read it:

*gory
*farfetched ending

My Thoughts:

I really enjoyed this story. I didn’t realize how much I missed reading books about the history of medicine, even if this one is a historical fiction, I was still inspired by Hazel’s ambition to become a female surgeon. I adored the romance between Hazel and Jack but it isn’t exactly happily ever after for them. The ending is just something I went with even though it seems a little bit out there but it’s a fun book to escape into if you are into gothic settings with mystery and romance.

Anatomy: A Love Story is a book I’ve been so excited about since the cover dropped a while ago. Just look at it! It’s gorgeous! And then I read the synopsis, and honestly, the book felt heaven-sent, perfect, unbelievable.
Reading this book was nothing less than a pleasure, with a story so mystifying and intriguing, interesting and original, I loved every page, every instance. The characters, despite my original reserve, connected with me so well and were so, so inspiring: I can barely believe any book can come forward with this amount of excellent, enjoyable storytelling and fervor.
I adored how the book progressed, from Hazel’s passion to her feelings of being stifled, to her bravery, to her meeting someone who understood her, after being misunderstood for so long (almost all her life, actually). What I loved, even more, were the descriptions and the details of medicine, anatomy, and surgery; how Hazel’s passion didn’t take a backseat to the plot drive, but instead had an equal, if not more, footing. I loved reading about Hazel’s old medical book, and the Anatomist’s room and how it smelled, about her patients and their ailments, about her medical oriented brain, with her penchant for diagnosis. I had so much fun reading about the (maybe fictional?) historic medical facts that preceded chapters!
The plot twist was, despite being predictable and easily guessed, something thrilling to read about: I really liked how the book dealt with it- the antagonist, and all the side characters who played an important (if not overwhelmingly major) role in Hazel’s life.
The one and only thing that I didn’t like, that was hard for me to digest was just this: the ending was a tad nonsensical. I don’t understand (at the end of the novel) what happened to Hazel’s mother, how she was okay with [redacted because of spoilers], or how the society accepted it either. I’m not asking for a full-fledged dialogue, but some acknowledgment of those problems, which were a BIG part of the story for about 80% of the book, would’ve been nice. I want to know what those people, previously so important, thought of where Hazel ended up at the end of the book, and if what they thought held any significance to Hazel. Basically, I want to know how Hazel at the end fits with her society.
I really hope this issue is limited to the ARC only, and the final copy will have some rectification of it; because I know it is one that will make quite a few people uneasy, simply because of how unrealistic and impractical it is.
Besides that, this book was a joy to read, simply because it was so interesting and gripping; from the story to the romance, to the tiny moments to the overarching scope of medicine compressed in a few hundred pages.

I will definitely acquire this for my library; and personally recommend it to anyone interested in historic fiction, romance, or just fiction in general.

Anatomy: A Love Story is a gothic romance set in 1800's Scotland about a wealthy young girl who desperately wants to become a doctor in a society that only wants her to marry and be a wife. It has a similar aesthetic to Stalking Jack the Ripper with more of a focus on medicine than crime and a forbidden romance with a resurrection man that digs up newly dead bodies to sell to medical students. It's a fun stand alone romance that would be perfect for fans of Stalking Jack the Ripper or Allison Saft.

Despite the fact that I'm not usually one for historical fiction, this book grabbed my attention immediately and didn't let go.

Anatomy: A Love Story takes place in 1817 Edinburg, Scotland and follows protagonist Hazel Sinnet, a lady from a wealthy family whose only goal is to be a surgeon in a time where women aren't accepted in such a profession. Hazel decides to dress up in her deceased older brother, George's clothes and attend anatomy lessons dressed as a man. When one of the professors recognizes her and kicks her out, she strikes a deal with the head doctor saying she will pass the surgeon's exam without attending the lessons. Hazel knows that she will not pass the exams without experimenting on actual bodies, and this is how she meets resurrection man, Jack Currer.

Jack is working in a theatre at the time that the Roman Fever returns, and digging up and selling bodies for medical use is his only source of income as someone born into poverty. He crosses paths with Hazel Sinnet, a wealthy woman whose family is away and who has her whole cellar to study anatomy on the deceased bodies he provides in exchange for her wealth. But mysterious things are happening to not only resurrection men in Edinburg, but many of the poor. People are going missing and coming back maimed, if they come back at all. Jack's business partner goes missing, and since he refuses to go alone for fear of his own safety, he and Hazel begin procuring the bodies together, and they find more than they ever could have expected.

This book was incredibly intriguing, and unveiled a mystery I definitely didn't see coming. It was descriptive and creepy, romantic and political. I very much enjoyed this one.

This is an unusual gothic thriller. I enjoyed Hazel's quirkiness, as well as her passion and intelligence. I liked how hard she fought to follow her dreams. Lots of historical details are included, which was interesting, as was the tidbits between chapters, such as info from journals and textbooks. The worldbuilding was solid. That said, I never felt much of a connection to Hazel or Jack. Some parts were a bit more modern than I expected for the gothic nature of the story. The ending was a bit abrupt, but perhaps a sequel is in the works.

I received an ARC from Netgalley and Wednesday Books in exchange for an honest review.

While Anatomy: A Love Story has a slow start, and the pacing bogs down the story until the last third of the book, it is a strong piece of Young Adult literature. It reminded me a bit of Stalking Jack the Ripper, but it was definitely more grounded and written with a better handle of historical fiction. I loved how the main character, Hazel, actually felt like a teenager and her perspective was wonderful to read. The descriptions of Edinburgh were great, I definitely felt like I was wandering around with Hazel and Jack.

The prose was strong, and I liked all the characters, but I just felt that the book itself was too slow and the romance didn't really do it for me. (Somehow the pacing of the plot was slow, but the romance was rushed?) Also, I would not read this book if you are squeamish. It's a book about a girl wanting to be a surgeon (in 1817) and digging up dead bodies...so, yeah, it definitely made my stomach turn at points. But that's not a bad thing! I think it makes perfect sense for the book, I simply don't have a strong stomach for these things.

Anyway, if you're looking for a gothic, historical, well-written book, I'd definitely check out Anataomy: A Love Story! I'm eager to see what the author writes next!

DNF. I really liked the premise but the writing did not work for me at all. It wouldn't be fair to the book if I finished reading and gave it a low rating.

⇥ 4 stars

anatomy: a love story came as a pleasant surprise. i went into this book not knowing much besides its historical setting and i do have to admit i’ve requested an e-arc because of the gorgeous cover. but it ended being such a fun, quick read that i’m super glad i did get a copy!

a big part of why i enjoyed the novel so much was the setting – 1817’s edinburgh during the second wave of roman fever. the atmosphere of this novel is very dark and eerie and i love how well the author managed to evoke the feeling of this period. as a bonus to the world-building in the actual chapters, we find out more information on the fever and some characters from bits of newspapers and journal passages that added to the context and made the story more believable. the writing itself wasn’t lyrical or flowery at all, but it did the job of describing the city and creating the perfect atmosphere for a spooky read.

the two main characters, hazel and jack, were pretty fun to read about, but i wish the novel went deeper into their personalities as they felt a bit one-dimensional. the novel is definitely hazel’s story so a lot revolves around her drive to become a surgeon and how badly her ambition was perceived by those close to her, but we don’t know more about her besides this. jack’s only in the story to be a love interest and a resurrection boy and that’s about it. he lacks any desires besides being hazel’s partner and i think his character had a lot of potential to be more. the romance between those two worked well in the context of the story even if it was a bit of an insta-love type of dynamic.

i adored the scenes involving medical talk in this book, especially those with dr. beecham. i’m such a sucker for anything about historical medicine and i truly loved reading about hazel and how passionate she was. the book is very fast-paced and it’s definitely a quick read – i ended up reading it in a day without realizing i read that much.

one complaint i have was the ending. the book would have been a 5 star read for me if now for the last few chapters. they felt forced and didn’t really fit in with the rest of the story, especially the reveal about a certain character. adding that bit of “magic” kind of makes me assume the author didn’t know how to wrap-up some loose ends and decided on the quick fix. the story definitely ends as if it will have a sequel so hopefully we’ll get more answers in the next one, if there’s a next one.

overall it’s such an easy read and i definitely suggest giving this a try if you’re a fan of historical fiction. don’t be fooled by the title as the romance doesn’t play such a big part in the story as i would’ve expected.


⇥ thank you to netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an e-arc in exchange for an honest opinion!

I really enjoyed reading Anatomy, it has so many different elements that are really appealing. The concept, execution and covert art are really fitting. It's a well-written must-read for sure!

Holy cow. Somebody make this into a movie PLEASE!!!

Hazel is seventeen years old and has just about anything a girl could want living in Edinburgh in the 1800s. She lives in a castle with her wealthy family and has been pretty much been engaged to be wed to her cousin since she was born.

Except she wants to be physician. A surgeon to be precise. During this time, it was unheard of for woman to be a physician, and she finds herself kicked out of attending the lectures of the esteemed Dr. Beecham. Not deterred, Hazel makes a deal that grants her permission to sit for the physician's examination. But how will she study the human anatomy properly without the benefit of the class?

Enter Jack. Jack is a "Resurrection Man". In other words, he digs up very fresh graves and sells the bodies for physicians to study. During a chance encounter, Jack and Hazel meet..

I cannot get over how much I loved this book. This was the first time that I actually did judge a book by it's cover, too. This cover is absolutely stunning and I am (not really) ashamed to say that I picked it up solely on that basis. I am SO glad I did. This was my first book by this author so I am really looking forward to reading more of her work.

Hazel really was an awesome character. Strong, defiant, feminist, and not AT ALL concerned with what the world thought of her. I thought I would get bored with the wealthy girl meets the boy from the wrong side of the tracks trope, but this didn't feel like the average romance read with a love interest with a different socio-economic background. Actually, there were times when I forgot that I was even reading a romance/love story.

My only problem with this book was the ending. I felt as though everything was wrapped up and explained too swiftly and some of the aftermath just didn't sit right with me. After thinking about it. I realized that any other ending would have taken away from the story itself so I eventually just became ok with it.

After a slow start, I really enjoyed this historical fiction!

Hazel is a brilliant young woman living in Edinburgh, Scotland during a time when women were expected to marry, take care of their family, and little else. She yearns to study science and wants to become a surgeon at any cost. Where doctors are respected, surgeons are considered little more than butchers. Hazel has an unexpected encounter with "resurrection man" Jack who gives her rare opportunities for her anatomy studies. There are several mysteries interwoven with our main characters and finally a love story.

I was surprised by the fast action and eventual revelations during the final 20% of the book. The conclusion is a bit far fetched but we are reading fiction!

I recommend this unique book and appreciate the opportunity from NetGalley and the publishers for the free e-book in exchange for my honest review.

The second I heard about this book, I was excited. It's jam-packed with a lot of things that I love: spooky vibes, a leading lady who wants more than what society offers her, a star-crossed love story, the city of Edinburgh.

In the end, it delivered... mostly.

First, the good. The spooky vibes were strong, making this a great book for reading curled up on the couch on a chilly evening. And historical Edinburgh is wonderfully rendered, sending me to Google Maps to do a little bit of wistful virtual wandering. Considering that the author hosts a history podcast, I wasn't surprised at how lifelike the setting felt, with everything from the constraints of Hazel's position to the Roman fever truly coming to life on the page.

Hazel carries this book with a sort of quiet confidence and grace, and her forays into doctoring were some of my favorite parts of the book. It's always fun to see a character come into their own and start to thrive, and it wasn't hard to root for her.

[spoilers ahead]

Overall, I felt that the first 85% of the book really delivered. But for me, the ending felt a bit rushed, with the reveal of Dr. Beecham's immortality coming more or less out of left field. While there were certainly seeds throughout the book to hint at this twist, it seemed out of place in an otherwise realistic historical fiction book. In some ways, it felt like a solution contrived to solve the problem of Hazel and Jack's romance and Jack's arrest. And because the story didn't ultimately provide a resolution to that romance, I finished the book frustrated. Maybe that's on me for expecting a somewhat happy ending, but the book is subtitled "A Love Story"! As I finished reading, I began to wonder if the true love story wasn't actually between Hazel and surgery, which, while perfectly valid, just wasn't the romance I was invested in.

In regards to Jack, he came off as a bit flat when he was forced to carry the story on his own. While his scenes with Hazel crackled with energy and romance, I found I wasn't as interested in him when he was spending time alone. Writing a character who doesn't quite know what he wants out of life is difficult, for sure, but I felt that his lost-ness translated into a somewhat bland personality. All I was sure of was that he wanted Hazel, and beyond that, I found I just wasn't that intrigued.

Similarly, other side characters, particularly Dr. Beecham and Bernard, fell a bit flat as well. Ultimately, this is Hazel's book, for good or for ill.

But all in all, an enjoyable read, and one that my brain is still mulling over even days after I finished it!

3.75/5

Anatomy: A Love Story follows an independent young woman from the 19th century who wants to become a surgeon. I picked this book up for a couple of reasons. First: The cover is absolutely gorgeous. Second: I love spooky books about 19th-century science. (Frances Hardinge’s The Lie Tree is an awesome example of this.) Eerie Victorian-era stories are perfect reads for autumn.

In a lot of ways, Anatomy: A Love Story fulfilled my expectations. The story is full of atmospheric historical tidbits, like books bound in human skin (which, yes, was actually a thing) and references to the classical anatomist Galen. In between chapters, tidbits from fictional journals, newspapers, and textbooks contribute to the worldbuilding. These tidbits, many of which give the reader more information about the “Roman fever” that’s plaguing London, are some of my favorite parts of the book.

In some places, Anatomy: A Love Story didn’t quite dig as deeply as I’d hoped. I never felt as though I got to know the main character, Hazel, beyond her desire to become a surgeon; and I never got to know her love interest, Jack, beyond his basic identity as the boy who robs graves. I wanted to know a little more about them as whole people. That said, the idea of a resurrection man love interest is awesome and I adore it.

Also, the characters’ perspectives sometimes felt a little more modern than I expected. The story is a feminist one—it’s all about a woman’s attempt to break into a male-dominated field—and I’m glad it’s feminist, but it sometimes feels like surface-level 2021 feminism. The main character, Hazel, has attitudes and opinions that occasionally don’t make sense for her time. For instance, she bemoans her corset as a restrictive device, essentially a symbol of women’s oppression, when my understanding is that a well-fitting corset wouldn’t have been oppressively restrictive. I am not a historian, however! And also, I think other readers might not mind that Hazel has a modern perspective. I know some readers—like my sister, who reads YA almost exclusively—actually prefer it when a historical main character feels modern because it makes them feel more accessible.

All told, Anatomy: A Love story was a fun read with a lot of great spooky details. If you want a YA story that has an eerie vibe without crossing the line into horror, definitely check this one out.

An eerie, mysterious, gothic tale that follows Hazel, a headstrong woman who aspires to become a surgeon rather than marry and a resurrection man who sells bodies for a living. As their lives cross paths, they work together to try to uncover the secrets in Edinburg.

This was an enjoyable story to read. It is advertised as a love story but there are more parts to the story than the romance which I really liked. The romance aspect also took a while to develop. I mostly enjoyed the book until the end. The ending felt abrupt to me, and I hope that there is a sequel to add more to the story. Overall, this is a great read for anyone looking for a gothic tale!

Thank you NetGalley and Wednesday Books for an arc!