In a book called Anatomy: The Love Story, I honestly expected more romance; the Mcs don’t really even start interacting until the 2nd half. Overall, though, I enjoyed this bc I don’t mind the lack of romance, I just found the title to be misleading. Also, It took me a while to get into (I considered DNFing it a few times) and I found the ending unsatisfying but I liked the characters and atmosphere overall. Plus, I'm always a sucker for surgeon mcs.

This was not a completely original story for me, it felt a little like a mix between The Corpse Queen meets the Stalking Jack the Ripper series, with a curious headstrong lonely girl who wants to pursue medicine in a time where women were supposed to only be seen and be pretty, the dark underbelly of body snatchers and the mystery of random deaths, and a forbidden secret romance. I will say though that the story did not end with a HEA, instead this was very much more real than the other two books I mentioned, where criminals get punished and love is a nice idea that may not play out. Hazel was a very strong protagonist, headstrong, smart and capable even in the face of everyone's criticism and I rooted her on for that. She is for sure the person I would want in my corner if I was sick.

Keep in mind that based on the subject matter, this story is not for the faint of heart since it has lots of detailed descriptions of human dissections as well as anatomy and ailments. If you don't like blood and gore, even if it is mostly for medical usage, this may not be the book for you.

This story is listed as YA and the main character is in her late teens but I would say that this could be a book geared for anyone who likes historical fiction with a murder mystery, age is irrelevant since the content is so far reaching/. I will say that I was hoping for a more clear ending to the book then what I got, but I am sure that other people will love the hint of an open ending that Anatomy had.

Now this was a very interesting story! I love that it’s set in Edinburgh at the height of the surge of medical/surgical knowledge in that city. I’ve read about the resurrection men before and have always been intrigued by what they did to make just enough money to live. And it fascinates me that people were so desperate to learn that they were willing to pay someone to dig up fresh bodies!

The love story was both sweet and heartbreaking, how Hazel was torn between doing what her family considered to be the right thing and following her heart (both in life and in love). It was a beautiful love story between a girl and a boy, but also between a girl and knowledge. Well worth the read! I’d give it 4 out of 5 stars and recommend you pick up a copy for yourself. 🙂

Many thanks to St. Martin’s Press/Wednesday Books and NetGalley for the digital copy of this novel for review purposes. I was not required to give a positive review. All opinions are my very own! 🙂

I have to admit that this one didn't work for me as well as I had wanted it to. Anatomy: A Love Story by Dana Schwartz follows a young woman in 19th century Edinburgh who, in her pursuit of becoming a doctor, needs to resort to some of the more unsavory practices that medical students used at the time to have cadavers to practice on. It's such a fun, intrigue-rich setup, but for me it was bogged down by the romance. Now I know what you're thinking, I KNOW! It says "A Love Story" right in the title. That is truly my fault for coming into this book not wanting a romance, and it is by no means the novel or Schwartz's fault, so take my star rating with a grain of salt, please. I hope that there are people out there who find this novel and enjoy it for what it is: a fun macabre romance!

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

For a debut book, this was super fun. I liked that it felt dark and twisty without feeling like I would slip into a depression. It was moody and morose with the perfect amount of hope.

{3.5 stars}

Hazel is a privileged daughter in high society in 1817 Edinburgh, but she is completely overlooked in her family. Her father is away in the Navy and her mother is mourning the death of her older brother and focused on curating her younger brother as a new heir. This leaves Hazel to immerse herself in academic pursuits - she is obsessed with the idea of becoming a physician - completely unheard of for a woman in her era. She uses all manner of cunning and deceit to weasel her way into famous anatomist, Dr Beecham's courses. When she's found out she must turn to an even more dangerous way to obtain specimens to study, grave robbing. Along the way, she and her handsome, grave robbing crush face the Roman fever and a few curious mysteries about the bodies they are digging up and those who are doing similar work.

I've read quite a few resurrectionist stories set in Edinburgh in this era, so while I enjoyed this - I think my rating reflects that none of this was super new for me. I do think this story makes a dark era of historic fiction really accessible to this genre of readers though. I did really like Hazel's laser focus and her determination but I'm not sure she had much of an arc. There is a love story in this one, but that didn't do much for me. I was there for the science and the girl power.

Thanks to Netgalley for an advanced copy of this novel. All opinions above are my own.

Initial Thoughts
I was so excited when I received an advanced copy of this book. I love historical fiction and this one had a hint of fantasy vibes. I also have read several books about the Resurrectionists and was excited to read another story about them but set in Scotland.

Some Things I Liked
Women in STEM. I always love a story of a lady kicking butt and taking names in the maths and sciences. I loved the main character in this story and loved the way she went after her dreams unapologetically.
The romance. The romance in this story was so sweet and made me feel all the feelings. Neither of our main characters was looking for love but love can surprise you in the best ways.
The touch of fantasy vibes. I actually really loved that this one took a tiny bit of a fantastical detour. It wasn't just a murder mystery, it had more to it than that and I think that element of the story kept me on my toes the entire time. The almost Faustian bargain that was made in the end of the story gave me hope for a sequel and for more books set in this world.

Series Value
While I'd love a sequel here, I don't think there will be one. The hopeful note at the end of the story was just enough to leave me satisfied but also a little unsure and I think it would be best to preserve that feeling.

Final Thoughts
I wasn't expecting to love this one as much as I did. It was so good.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This one left me thinking long after it ended. More a story of possibility than romance, more science than fiction, more subtle and still quite stark.

Anatomy: A Love Story is an historical Young Adult tale, part murder-mystery and definitely a love story, but not in the typical sense. We follow 17 year old Hazel, who wants to be a surgeon. In 1817 Scotland, that’s not something a woman is able to do. This story has graveyards, resurrection men, love, betrayal, corpses. While the ending was a little out of left field, I really loved this book. Highly recommended!

3.5

When I heard that the host of one of my favorite podcasts, Noble Blood, wrote a book I was immediately intrigued and then I found out it was a gothic historical romance between a girl who wants to be a surgeon and a resurrection man and I knew I had to read it.

While I had a great time reading this though, I think there were aspects that left me disappointed. The biggest, I think, is that it's sold as a "gothic tale full of mystery and romance" and it literally says it's a love story in the title; however, the romance felt a little flat to me. Don't get me wrong, I loved both Hazel and Jack and I did really like them together, but it felt so fast that I didn't get to savor the tension the way I was expecting.

That being said, I liked the setting a lot. I think Dana Schwartz did a good job of creating 1817 Edinburgh and of pulling in details of how society was reacting to plague and grave robbers.

And I really loved Hazel as a main character. I think anyone who, like me, has a soft spot for protagonists fighting against the constraints society has placed on them, will also love her and will be cheering for her to succeed, even if some of the plot is a smidge unbelievable. I have a really hard time believing she was able to run a full on secret infirmary in her basement and no one knew about it.

Lastly, there is a point in the last 15% of the book where the trajectory of the plot changes and I think that will be very divisive. I liked it quite a bit and I think it's what bumped my rating from a 3 to a 3.5, but I have seen others with differing opinions.

Okay, I wasn't sure about this one. It wasn't bad. I think it was definitely a "me" thing, though, with it being historical and that's just something I really can't get into. I really couldn't get into it because it just felt slow.

The premise in itself was really interesting, though. I love Hazel's character. Her determination to get what she wants and not giving up. The things she goes through to prove her worth in a world and time where men are more valuable.

The friendship formed with Jack was both predictable but also really odd. A woman wanting to become a doctor and a man who is a grave digger. I didn't think Jack would come around, but I think they both needed something from each other and "money fixes everything." I love how eventually Jack begins helping Hazel with her learning and thinking logically, etc.

Also, what was that ending? The plot twist wasn't that shocking and while there was a hell of a cliffhanger . . . it also felt unsatisfying. It was missing something but I really can't put my finger on it.

Overall, I do agree with a review that says it's like Stalking Jack the Ripper in a way. However, it has its own thing going for it, too. If you like historical stories, a strong-willed and independent woman paving ways, and an unexpected mystery -- it's definitely worth the read!

Dark, gritty, and unapologetically gothic- Anatomy was just what I hoped I was getting myself into! The themes of the value of human life vs the pursuit of knowledge and power really resonated, but my favorite part by far was the romance. I was invested in Hazel and Jack from the very beginning, and their story's end had me incredibly emotional. A must read for fans of Frankenstein and The Madman's Daughter triology!

I requested this book because I’d liked Dana Schwartz’s journalism, the plot sounded interesting, and (of course) that gorgeous cover! Now that I’ve finished, I’ll say that I’m still a fan of Schwartz’s nonfiction and the cover, but that Anatomy didn’t work for me.

The book was a fairly by the numbers historical romp. I did like the Scottish setting, but I found myself tired of the “I’m not like other girls” spin to the heroine. (A tone that has carried over to both press coverage and some other reviews). While there were certainly women in the early 19th century who entered male-dominated professions, there were also a lot of smart, independent women who thrived in midwifery, domestic spaces, etc. Like many contemporary YAs/romances set in the past, I felt like the heroine’s thoughts/opinions were often indistinguishable from modern ones in ways that seemed jarring. It definitely felt more wallpaper historical than accurate, and it just didn’t work for me. I think I’ll stick to Sarah Waters.

I had high hopes for Anatomy: A Love Story. It for sure did not disappoint. I loved the realness of the characters, the vivid imagery of Victorian England, and the dark academia vibes that it gave off. I devoured this book as fast as I could, because I just could not get enough.

Usually, I don't favor historical fiction but this synopsis and cover were too intriguing for me to resist. This story has great historical context with a realistic depiction of the social standards for different classes and sexes. It's always refreshing to see a woman in medicine and the protagonist is a strong, intelligent and loveable character that will charm you throughout your reading.

I would have enjoyed this more had it been adult since the story would have been darker and more gruesome which would have kept the dark aura of this book. Additionally the story is already considered gruesome for a YA book but had it been adult the revelation at the end could have been more detailed.

Even if I would have enjoyed this book had been more mature, I am definitely buying the hardcover copy of this book for a young sister that wants to become a doctor.

Overall it's a unique YA historical fiction that I would recommend for young teens but I would have been interested in seeing this book in adult fiction.

A gothic Tale about a 16 year old lady who wants to become a surgeon .To do that she has to pass medical exam on her own and she needs help. Enter Jack Currier a resurection man who is trying to make it in Edinburgh. a cross between Alienist and Frankenstein this tale of full of intrigue , mayhem and thrills .

So, going back and reading the synopsis again, this last sentence really stuck out to me:

"Hazel and Jack work together to uncover the secrets buried not just in unmarked graves, but in the very heart of Edinburgh society."

... and I just have to say... They don't do this at all. They don't investigate anything until it's staring them right in their face. Jack notices his friend has gone missing and brings it up once, and then we go further into the book without mentioning Munro again until he shows up at Hazel's doorstep. The corpse with the sewn eyelids? We don't hear about that again unless it's Jack or Hazel remembering their first kiss. They don't investigate anything.

Moving on to the love aspect, I didn't, not once, see the chemistry between Hazel and Jack. It was a lot of telling me about their alleged attraction to each other and not enough showing, so I wasn't invested. I didn't believe it. The progress from friends to partners to saying, "I love you," to each other was too fast, too instant when they only barely knew each other for maybe a few weeks?

Also, for a book that talks about Jack being a "resurrection man" and how often he digs up unmarked graves, that whole thing plays such a minor part in all of this. Like, we see him dig up corpses maybe five or six different times, and then never again.

This whole book was just so all over the place, and it sucks because I was really onboard in the beginning, but then things just kept taking turn after turn after turn for the worse, to the point that I feel like I read two, maybe three, completely different books by the end of it.

I did love the writing, though. It was well written, and the story flowed naturally. The dialogue was a bit too modern for me. The atmosphere in regard to world building was really well described, too. I felt like I was actually in Edinburgh; I could picture most of the places perfectly, with the exception of the Anatomists Society surgical theater building or whatever. That was the only thing that I couldn't get a clear picture on, but the rest was great. Could have been a solid 3 stars from me if everything that happened in the end didn't feel like it came right out of left field.

First, this is such a cool cover! There was just something about this story that kept me hooked. There wasn't a ton going on but there was still an eerie vibe and tension. I related to some of Hazel's experiences as a women who bucks at the expectations and gender norms of her time. The end felt a bit rushed while also being completely bittersweet. I honestly hope we get a follow up. This was a smart, gritty historical story that's so worth your time. Looking forward to more from this author!

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!