Thank you NetGalley and publishers for providing me with this advance listener copy.

Description from NetGalley:
Hazel Sinnett is a lady who wants to be a surgeon more than she wants to marry.

Jack Currer is a resurrection man who’s just trying to survive in a city where it’s too easy to die.

When the two of them have a chance encounter outside the Edinburgh Anatomist’s Society, Hazel thinks nothing of it at first. But after she gets kicked out of renowned surgeon Dr. Beecham’s lectures for being the wrong gender, she realizes that her new acquaintance might be more helpful than she first thought. Because Hazel has made a deal with Dr. Beecham: if she can pass the medical examination on her own, Beecham will allow her to continue her medical career. Without official lessons, though, Hazel will need more than just her books—she’ll need corpses to study.

Lucky that she’s made the acquaintance of someone who digs them up for a living, then.

But Jack has his own problems: strange men have been seen skulking around cemeteries, his friends are disappearing off the streets, and the dreaded Roman Fever, which wiped out thousands a few years ago, is back with a vengeance. Nobody important cares—until Hazel.

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

I have read a few books set in this same time period with the female protagonist wanting to do “man’s medical work.” Stalking Jack the Ripper being one of my favorites. Well Anatomy: A Love Story is joining it as a favorite of that particular niche.

The narration is excellent and combined with the plot drew me into the story. I found it hard to stop listening. The gothic atmosphere was present throughout this young adult who done it. There is a bit of romance, but it is Hazel’s persistence in wanting to be a physician and help stop the Roman Fever is the main drive of the story. Jack starts off just wanting the money for digging up bodies for her to study but eventually does fall for Hazel through their shared desire to help the people that society forgot/ignores.

This gothic mystery with a bit of slow burn romance is a great read. 4.5/5

Mhairi Morrison brings the world of Anatomy: A Love Story to life. A gothic tale of resurrection men, plagues, and a young girl desperate for knowledge, Anatomy dives into the bloody world of early nineteenth century medicine. The primary narrator did an exceptional job, and I liked having a second narrator reading the excerpts from Dr. Beecham’s book because it helped the listener recognize the switch from the narrative.

Hazel, a genteel young lady, has very unusual aspirations. Forget marriage. Hazel longs to become the first female surgeon in a world dominated by men. Although she is not allowed to take classes at the Edinburgh Anatomists Society, she strikes a bargain with the illustrious Dr. Beecham for the opportunity to sit for the physician's exam. Hazel befriends Jack Currer, a young body snatcher, who agrees to procure her corpses for her to study as she prepares to take the exam.

I really enjoyed the historical aspect of the book–but at the very end, it took a turn into the magical and fantastical that I didn’t expect and, for me at least, took away from the overall impact of the story. I would have preferred it to stay within the realm of the possible if not probable.

It’s written for a YA audience, which is almost important to remember, since I’m not the exact demographic, so maybe teens would be more willing or able to suspend their disbelief and enjoy the admittedly well-crafted ending

Anatomy: A Love Story by Dana Schwartz 🎧

This book was so unexpected and unique! This is like Frankenstein meets Bridgerton meets Outlander. Not sure if that makes sense but there were elements in this book that reminded me of all of those stories.

Set in 1817 in Edinburgh, Hazel is a lonely young women desperate to become a surgeon. Unfortunately her future is already planned out by her absent parents. While sneaking into anatomy lectures she meets a mysterious boy who happens to be a body snatcher. This story is dark, creepy, romantic and all about finding your own way. This author and narrator really painted a picture with words and I felt like I was there in the moments with Hazel.

Also Hazel’s rant on how ridiculous it would be to only take one book to the park for the afternoon was amazing.

This one was just chosen as the YA pick for @reesesbookclub. Thanks to @macmillan.audio @wednesdaybooks and @netgalley for the audiobook!

4.5 ⭐️This YA historical gothic tale carried me into a dark mysterious thriller.
Hazel was brave and determined with everything and everyone going against her as she tries to break free for the normal society restraints. It felt uniquely like a Mary Shelly retelling.
I read about resurrectionsist and a Medical school with questionable practices.
The book read well and I love a strong, brave protagonist that believes in honorable acts. I loved Hazel and Jack.
I also want to say that I loved this beautiful cover! I highly recommend this novel if you like a gothic mystery.
I chose to listen to this book on audio and Mhairi Morrison and Tim Campbell were narrating and did a beautiful job.
Thanks Macmillan Audio via NetGalley.

Anatomy: A Love Story is an intriguing tale that weaves mystery into the story of a girl who just wants to become a surgeon in a society that is unwelcome to the idea.

Practically engaged since her infancy, Hazel Sinnett has always assumed her betrothed understood her and would be willing to support her in her journey to become a surgeon. But as they have grown, he has chalked her idea off as something she should have outgrown as she matured, which is not the case. Hazel knows this is something she is meant for, knows that she needs to treat illness and help people. In her quest for knowledge, Hazel tries to sneak into a lecture and is aided by a resurrection man, Jack Currer. Hazel is so awed by what she sees happen that she begins to attend lectures disguised as a man until the day she is caught and removed from the lectures.

Shortly after, she finds herself entangled in a deal with the famous Dr. Beecham: if she can pass the medical exam, even without attending the lectures, then she will not only be able to join the medical university but work alongside him. Hazel hires Jack to bring her bodies to study, but before long, Hazel is not only studying the dead but also treating the living as more and more people turn to her to treat their ailments, both known and strange. In her studies, Hazel discovers there is more going on in the city and medical world than she could have ever imagined... and she is unprepared for what this discovery will mean for her and those she cares about.

I really enjoyed this novel! It reminded me of the Stalking Jack the Ripper series, which quickly became a favorite of mine. I saw one piece of the ending, but the other part took me by complete surprise! I know this book will soon find its way onto my classroom library shelves.

A big thank you Netgalley for an ARC audiobook in return for an honest review. The opinions expressed above are fully my own!

Anatomy: A Love Story by Dana Schwartz

WOW, this story had so much more packed in than I originally assumed! Anatomy is a gothic YA historical fiction Scottish romance(ISH), a little mystical, a lot macabre, and is much more of a mystery with a twist than anything else. As a non-romance reader, I really appreciated that the love story between characters was more muted to showcase the protagonist “falling in love”with her own sense and gumption. The opening chapter sets the scene with a pair of resurrection men stealing a body from a grave in the middle of the night—hooked!

Edinburg, 1817. Hazel Sinnit is a betrothed, well-to-do lady who dreams of becoming a surgeon in a time when women are barred from medicine. Jack Currer is a scrappy, poor city boy who sells recently deceased bodies to local physicians as a side hustle. Hazel needs fresh bodies to practice her dissection skills on for her physicians entrance exams. Jack needs to turn his side gig into a main one since a looming plague is shutting down city businesses… You can see where this is going!

This gets 4 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ from me and is the first fiction audiobook I’ve ever enjoyed. A note, this is NOT narrated by Dana Schwartz for fans of her podcasting voice, but a lovely Scottish actor that really helps set the tone. Bonus: the audiobook has an extra track of Schwartz and the voice actor interviewing each other.

#ReadThis if:
-You enjoyed The Lost Apothecary 🧪
-You’re a history nerd for old timey medicine 🌡
-You love a good strong-willed teen girl protagonist 👩🏻‍🦰

4.5 stars

I must say I was extremely impressed with this audio and the story itself. I don’t know what I was expecting from this book, but it was so much more than when I first started it!

First of all I had no idea this was set in the 1800’s, which I’m glad I didn’t because I probably wouldn’t have chosen to read it. And I’m so glad that I did. This story was brilliant and I really learned a lot about that era of history in Scotland. Much to my surprise the more I listened, the more I couldn’t take my ear bud out of my ear and stop!

All I have to say is give this book a chance! Even if you aren’t into historical novels, this one was just perfect! And the narrator on the audio did a wonderful job as well.

***thank you Netgalley for an ARC copy in return for an honest review***

4 1/2 stars...

I was initially drawn to this book by the phenomenal cover. Then, the blurb pulled me in...."a gothic tale full of mystery and romance..." It sounded like my book catnip for sure. For the most part, I feel as if it lived up to my expectations.

Hazel, our main character, is a young woman from a good family. She's been raised with the understanding that she will one day marry her cousin, the future viscount of Almont. The problem is that Hazel is passionate about becoming a doctor and surgeon. It's all she can think about. The rest of her life keeps getting in the way of what she really wants. Unfortunately for Hazel, proper young ladies aren't allowed to do anything but marry and produce heirs. Becoming a physician is not even an option for her. Good society will never accept it.

Regardless, Hazel can't stop pursuing her life's dream. After another doctor agrees to train her as a surgeon if she passes the physician's exam, she throws herself into studying on her own. She even goes as far as to secure cadavers to study so that she can learn more about human anatomy with the goal of helping people. It's through this endeavor that she meets Jack, a resurrection man. Times are hard, but stealing bodies from their graves for medical study seems to pay well. Hazel and Jack come to an agreement. Along the way, they also find themselves falling in love with each other. Jack tries to resist his pull to Hazel as he knows she's practically engaged and is from an entirely different social class. It's different for Hazel, she can't help but notice that being around Jack makes her feel special in ways that her fiance never does. Eventually, they can't deny their attraction any longer.

Combined with Hazel's struggles to become a surgeon and avoid marriage to the wrong man, there are people disappearing in their city as well as other strange occurrences taking place. However, no one seems to be concerned since they aren't happening to the wealthy, only the working class and poor. Eventually it all comes full circle and ties together. I can honestly say that the way it all wrapped up proved a bit surprising to me. It's always a good thing when. book can keep me guessing in that way. The only thing I would have liked would have been to see a bit more of the romance develop. It seemed to be a very subtle storyline that rarely took center stage. That said, it was a creatively written book that kept me intrigued until the end. I'm hoping for a sequel as I believe there's so much more to this story and the author definitely left an opening for it.

AUDIOBOOK REVIEW: The audio version of this story was quite enjoyable. The narration lent itself well to the story with the proper sounding accents and so on. In addition, it helped to pull me into the time period and surrounding environment with ease. I definitely think this is a good choice for listening. A situation where audio can enrich the overall experience. 5 stars for the audiobook.

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC. I voluntarily chose to read and review it and the opinions contained within are my own.

Hazel Sinnet is 16 years old. She wants to pursue a career in medicine, the only problem is that she was born in Scotland in the 19th century.

She comes from a wealthy family and lives in a gothic mansion, where she performs experiments and reads anatomy books. Her older brother died and now her parents told Hazel that she must marry her cousin because when they die, her younger brother Percy is going to inherit all of their money. But Hazel doesn't care about marriage or money, she just wants so study medicine and become a surgeon, so she decides to disguise and pose as her late brother in order to pass the medical examinations so that the university can allow her to enroll.

Jack Currer is a resurrection man. He digs graves and sells the bodies to anatomists and surgeons. Jack and Hazel decide to work together so that she can study anatomy from real bodies and pass her exams, while trying to survive a plague and solving some dark mysteries in the streets of Edinburgh.

The description of the anatomy classes and the dissections were great. Hazel is the perfect bold, intelligent and feminist female protagonist. I could totally relate with her because I wanted to study medicine since I was a little girl and I did it because now we can, but not so long ago women couldn't do whatever they wanted with their lives just because they were women. I really enjoyed this dark, thrilling and disturbingly romantic story!

Thank you Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for the review audiobook! The audio is wonderfully narrated by Mhairi Morrison and Tim Campbell and is 9 hours and 35 minutes long. This book truly filled with joy the four chambers of my heart!

***4.5 Stars On My Instagram Account

Listening to the YA gothic thriller Anatomy: A Love Story by imaginative author Dana Schwartz was a surprising thrill that not only stunned me with shock ending reveals but a last paragraph that left me with a smile clutching my heart.

In 1817 Edinburgh, Scotland, 16 year old Hazel lives a life of privilege and wealth despite absentee parents. What she cannot accept is that being born female denies her the dream of being a surgeon. Despite her scientific mind and nimble hands she is suppose to accept a planned marriage filled with endless parties.

Jack has never known a life not struggling to survive on the streets living in poverty. Recently he has found some reprieve as a resurrection man digging up newly dead bodies for some unscrupulous surgeons.

When Hazel and Jack literally collide both their worlds will change, again literally, forever. With an intense connection, stolen graveyard kisses and hidden bodies they have a love and adventure worthy of Titanic's Jack and Rose (though Hazel would have definitely made room for her Jack on the damn door)!

In this slight Frankenstein retelling narrator Mhairi Morrison is diligent in her performance expressing the range of emotions Hazel experiences. I was delightfully destroyed by narrator Tim Campbellvo's tenderness towards Hazel. An added bonus to the audiobook is a insightful interview between the author and Hazel's narrator.

I wanted to read/listen to this book because of the brilliant ingenious cover. I kept listening because of the author's talented storytelling. There has to be a multi book and movie deal in her career.

I received a free copy of this audiobook from the publishers via #NetGalley for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.

Anatomy: A Love Story is a historical fiction set in Scotland centering on the 17-year-old granddaughter of a title, who is more interested in becoming a doctor than marrying her own titled cousin. I did not realize this was a YA title until I listened to the bonus interview with the author, so while this would appeal to YA audiences, I think it would also be appropriate for anyone who likes historical fiction.

Hazel is neglected by her parents and therefore has had the opportunity to develop her own interests and now is determined to pass the medical exam and become a surgeon. Jack has made a living selling recently buried bodies to the local anatomy society for dissection practice. After getting banned from her anatomy class after an instructor finds out she's not the man she's been pretending to be, Hazel contracts with Jack to get bodies to practice on. Meanwhile, people are going missing, people are dying of a contagious pandemic producing fever, and some people are reappearing....but with missing body parts. This was a fast paced story that ended on a tiny cliff hanger. The author confirmed in her interview that there was more to come.

The audio narration was wonderful, as was the additional intervew between the author and narrator. Usually, I don't enjoy the author interviews very much, but I did like the interview with Dana Schwartz and found it engaging and delightful, as she laughs quite a bit.

I am in love with this book! It has that Gothic atmospheric vibes that I love in books and this is more of a twisty tale. The passion, the love, the murders and mystery, it's all in this book. Definitely recommending this book to all. The narrator to the audiobook also did a great job with the dialogue in the story!
Thank you Netgalley, Scwartz, and McMillan Audio for letting me have the chance to listen to this novel.

I am an avid reader of both historical mysteries and YA, so I was very excited to encounter a book that fit into both categories (especially with that cover!). Sadly I came away disappointed. First of all, the book is subtitled "A Love Story", but the romantic leads don't interact consistently until almost halfway through the story; I'm all for a slow burn, but that seems excessive (I did listen to the interview at the end of the audiobook where the author said the "love story" was also between Hazel and practicing medicine, but that honestly feels like a cop out to me - the subtitle makes a specific promise to the reader). Also, the premise of the evil doctors harvesting organs to rejuvenate the aristocracy was really promising, but I feel like the execution suffered due to an over-reliance on coincidence and Hazel's somewhat arbitrary naivete (sometimes she is very sharp and incisive, but other times she misses things that are extremely obvious). Finally, I usually love speculative elements, but I wish this story had been straight historical; the alchemy elements seemed sort of shoehorned in without sufficient explanation.

The cover art is amazing! I love that the gown Hazel is wearing is red like the one they mention she wears when she goes to the theatre with her mother and that it's shaped as an anatomical heart which really shows the two sides of the character.

The story is set in the 1800s and revolves around Hazel who is well off young lady who is expected to become the wife of a wealthy man when all she really wants is to study anatomy and become a surgeon. This is an unfathomable choice for a female at this time in history. Hazel has a chance meeting with Jack who is a resurrection man - a man who digs up bodies and sells them to anatomists so that they may examine and dissect the body to learn. The story is dark/gothic, but there is also romance and hope. Stories like this one really make me see how far we have come since the majority of med school applicants now are female, but at the same time we still have a long way to go!

*There is a pandemic/plague sub plot so if that is triggering for you be aware.

For fans of - strong female leads, historical fiction, YA, gothic romances, Frankenstein,

Thank you fo the opportunity for allowing me to read this! I am actually a medical student now, surgery is where I hope to end up. I think this book may have been a bit too close to home for me to judge because many of the primitive surgical techniques/mentions of healthcare struck a nerve with me. I did like the writing and plot line however and I a sure this book will work better for many!

4.5/5 stars.

First off, thank you to NetGalley for the chance to read this ahead of publication.
When I first heard about this book, I couldn’t wait to get my hands on it. From the gothic story to the Frankenstein-esque plot and the Scottish setting, it was already a mix of a few of my favorite things.

I loved Hazel’s gung-ho attitude, that was also grounded in reality. Her determination and practicality made her feel like a real person at times, and not just a character.

The plot itself felt a bit slow for me for the first 40-ish percent, but once I hit that point and the characters and histories were established, the story really took off. I laughed and got a bit teary-eyed at times, and really just fell in love with Jack and Hazel’s characters. It did feel a bit odd reading about a plague outbreak in the middle of a pandemic, but I think most of us will feel that way for a while to come.

(A side note: content warning for blood/gore. There are parts with dissection and anatomy classes, so proceed with caution.)

My only real critique I think would be with the audiobook’s recording quality. There were times when I was listening that it sounded a little garbled, like an underwater sound here and there throughout the book.

All in all, I really enjoyed this and I hope there might be a sequel in the works as it was an open ending.

I had a hard time reading this book, but devoured the audiobook. i highly recommend listening to this one!

The narrator was excellent in this book; the Scottish accent transported me to the setting and fully enveloped me in the novel!

For those who enjoyed Hunting Jack the Ripper series, this is another story of women fighting for scientific and human rights as they search for illness cures, mutilators, and offered a different plot twist compared to the ripper series.
While I enjoyed the story, the character and the love, I have to note two things that I didn't love;

1) I don't think this book should be called Anatomy: a love story as the love is strong but not the main focus in the story; they should have just kept it Anatomy.

2) Towards the end, it could have been cut a lot as I knew what was happening to the people and the bodies so early and the fact that she didn't catch on (not with the twist as I was surprised at that), but who and why the people were being cut up, should have been obvs and I felt like that was a weird character fault.

ALSO, I was not expecting that ending; my mind was fixated on a whole different thing, so that was an exciting surprise!

I did not expect to like this book as much as I did! I went into it blind but it was historical fiction with mystery, romance, and a bit of fantasy? Loved the mix and thought it was done well. I was completely engrossed in Hazel's journey and actually would have loved a bit more of her using her skills. Regardless, it was so neat to have a main character who fought against the norm for women at the time. Because I went into it blind I was not expecting the mystery element but it only sucked me in more and I couldn't put it down. Fast-paced, addictive, hopeful, and jaw-dropping at times. Truly, a wonderful gothic love story. And the epilogue? My heart!

Just a note, but if you go into this expecting it to be a romance, you will be let down. There is a love story, but it is far from romance. And that is not a jab, just a preparation for other readers. I quite enjoyed it without the romance. I thought the writing was beautiful and the story intriguing, you could feel the passion!

19th century Edinburgh is not the most glorious place to live, but Hazel is lucky enough to have been born into a privileged family. Set to marry a viscount from a young age, she is expected to be a quiet, well-mannered lady like those around her. Instead, she is fascinated by science and specifically, surgery. She spent much of her free time studying anatomy with the dream of being a surgeon. When the Roman plague starts to disturb Edinburgh again, she is determined to continue her studies regardless of what the men of society think. Jack is a resurrection man, otherwise known as a grave robber. He is far from privileged and now finds himself in a dangerous position. It seems that other resurrection men have started to go missing and he is fearful for his own safety. Which leads him to make a deal with Hazel. She will help keep watch while he digs up a body and in return, she will pay him for the body to do her studies on. The Roman fever isn't the only thing plaguing the streets of Edinburgh, it seems there is something else disturbing going on and Hazel may be closer than she thinks to the danger. Can a lady of honor and a grave digger really uncover the secrets going on in her city?

The narrator for this was perfect! Kept me engaged the entire time and fit the character so well!

I did the thing where the beautiful cover lured me in, but this time it wasn’t a disaster! In fact, the book mostly earns it! I was *thisclose* to giving Anatomy: A Love Story five stars, in fact, until the ending. YMMV on this ending, seriously. What happened is something that I have read in YA historical fiction books before, and it bothered me there as well, and didn’t bother others. I will do a spoiler tagged section below if you are curious.

Basically, 90% of this book was five-star worthy for me, and 10% I am ambivalent about. There is going to be a sequel and I will read it, so maybe by then or after I will be less ambivalent. I am also extremely curious to see what future readers will think as well.

Okay, blathering over. The main things to know about this book is that you can 100% tell it’s a book written by Dana Schwartz about things that really interest her. In this case: the history of surgery, body snatching, Edinburgh, class differences, gothic vibes, murder, and smooching. The level of historical detail, and other kinds of detail she includes, is extremely impressive, to the point that for large sections of this book, it did not read at all like YA.

Our main character is Hazel Sinnett, a young lady of the noble class who has been betrothed to her cousin, soon to be a viscount, since she was a baby. But Hazel, who spent her childhood reading her father’s anatomy books, does not want to marry, she wants to be a surgeon. After witnessing (an impressively gory) surgical demonstration by world famous surgeon Dr. Beecham in which he enthusiastically lops a guy’s leg off with a bone saw, she decides to take classes to qualify as a doctor, and dresses up as a boy to do it. She is found out before she can get any practical training, and ends up making a wager with Beecham, that if she passes the qualifying exam without any training, he will take her on as his apprentice and allow women into his classes going forward. But how is she to get practical experience with human anatomy? Enter Jack Currer, Resurrection Man, digger up of and purveyor of bodies.

There was so much in this book that I loved, including Hazel, who loves her chosen field with all of her being, but there were so many small details in there that were just glorious, especially if you like things more on the macabre end of the spectrum. There is one scene early in the book where Hazel witnesses a surgeon extracting a tooth from a poor man, and immediately implanting into the mouth of a rich man, and the rich man pays the poor one for his tooth, while the poor man sits there crying and bleeding. This was a real thing that happened! There is also a strange plague they call the Roman Fever ravaging Edinburgh, though the author wrote the first draft before the pandemic started, and Hazel accidentally falls into running a free clinic for the city’s poor. The mixture of determination, fear, and curiosity in Hazel’s personality made me want all the best for her at all times.

This is not really a romance, though there is smooching in it, but it is a love story, and I think it’s pretty easy to tell that the main love story here is between Hazel and her chosen profession. She doesn’t even start her body-snatching scheme with Jack until halfway through the novel, but her quest to become a surgeon is well under way by 25% in.

And now, the thing. Slight spoilers. So, I really do not like it when speculative or fantasy elements intrude on otherwise perfectly realistic stories. This book is so fact-based, and so science-based, and has such a feel of lived-in history about it, that when the fantastical element is suddenty there, it feels like it comes out of left field. In interviews, the author does note that she was careful to place ahistorical details throughout the book to clue people in that this was a different universe than ours, but they’re such little details that only the biggest history nerd is going to notice them. And even if they were noticed, the mundanity of the changes (i.e. anesthesia being invented twenty years early) in now way forecast a fantastical element as intense as what happens here.

I did the audio for this one, and it was fantastic. There are dual narrators, Mhairi Morrison for the majority of the main narrative, and Tim Campbell for the clips from newspapers and medical journals set between chapters. The Scottish vibes were impeccable.

Again, will be very interested to see what other people have to say about this book. I hope many of you give it a try.