My thoughts are currently unassembled and my mind is still reeling from that emotional whirlwind but what a sequel!!!!

Dana Schwartz outdid herself. Honestly, couldn't have asked for a better finale and I do not understand the bad reviews? Did we read the same book? Don't think so. Everything that I loved in the first one is all here, but even better and ugh I so loved this series so much.

From the creepy atmosphere, to the Victorian setting, to the dark body descriptions and the delightful romance, I really couldn't ask for more. And ofc the discussions on feminism in this time period. Hits every single time.

I was tabbing up a storm with this book. A new hobby of mine but there were just so many great lines and I love Dana Schwartz's writing. So excited to see what she does next.

I honestly couldn't have asked for more. And I think what lacked in character depth in the last book really came out in this one. I love Hazel as a character so much and I loved how we got to see how lonely she was? That's always a hard conversation but it's so vulnerable and real. And relatable welp.

And the plot!!!! I mean, what a rollercoaster. Honestly mindblown and not at all what I expected but such a fascinating take on history. I'm a huge history fanatic and I love when authors combine history and fiction *sighs*

Aside from that, I was rooting for the romance SO FREAKING HARD. Ugh my heart was pounding the entire time and I wanted to know what would happen. Love the rise of the love triangle done right. I mean it was pretty obvious who she'd end up with and my heart was melting.

If you're looking for an atmospheric YA historical fiction with a fast-paced plot, Victorian setting and lots of romance, this is a great series for you to devour. Literally. It's honestly so good and I need more people to love it alongside me. And scream alongside me because that happens too <3<3<3

Excellent follow up. This is a great YA series and I hope Dana Schwartz continues writing. I look forward to including this and the previous book in my class library And will be encouraging students to read!

Immortality: A Love Story by Dana Schwartz is the much awaited follow up to one of my favourite books of last year; a book that I instantly pre-ordered when I first heard about this sequel back in September.

Okay, so after having some time to think about this book, I've concluded that I liked it a lot, but seeing as how I LOVED Anatomy: A Love Story, I'm a bit disappointed that it didn't quite get there; it had a lot to live up to, mind you.

I feel like there's so much I want to say, but I also think that if you want to read this one, you should go in blindly (because of the wow factor), so this review is going to be slightly cryptic!

Hazel is everything and more that I want from a heroine (Paper Bag Princess vibes still remain), but I think I just wanted a bit more from her and the other characters overall. Hazel is still struggling being a female in a world that says she should be at home, not becoming a doctor and writing a treatise; a time when women weren't often published (I'm VERY happy something related to her publication didn't happen). The first book handled the magical realism (alright, probably fantasy) aspect so lightly, and this one had a heavier dose of it, which somehow irritated me. The representation was a beautiful and surprising touch. I wanted more of one aspect, after realizing it was maybe what I loved most about the first book (because it gave me ALL the right feelings)... but I was just left longing for more of it.

In summery to this very bizarre pile of thoughts... I love Hazel so much, but I just loved her and her story more in the first book. Obviously, I'd be delighted if a third book made its appearance, as I suspect that would give me more of the craving that wasn't entirely fulfilled by this book.

Final, final thoughts: the covers are brilliant, the titles are brilliant, Hazel is brilliant.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the complimentary copy to read and review.

Immortality is the sequel to Anatomy: A Love Story. I'll try to keep away from spoilers for book one.

In Anatomy, we met Hazel Sinnet, a teen girl in 1817 Scotland, who desperately wants to be a surgeon. She dresses as a man to study, and she meets Jack, a young graverobber, whose friends are disappearing, and they team up to investigate. 

The duology is a mix of young adult historical fiction, romance, and fantasy/horror.

Immortality picks up with Hazel working as a surgeon, and trying to finish writing her medical treatise, when she's accused of a crime.

Hazel is the best part of this duology: she's a wonderful character, intelligent and full of heart. I really enjoyed seeing her further adventures, and her grief and healing felt deep and real.  

Like the first book, this one was a bit unevenly paced.  There were moments I wanted to see more of (especially Hazel coming into her own as a surgeon -- I wanted more of the creepy, bloody stuff from book one) and sometimes it felt like things resolved much too easily.  

However, I still really recommend this book just because it's so different from other YA books out there right now.  It's unpredictable and doesn't rely on easy tropes.

I do recommend reading Anatomy first, as I don't think this would work as a standalone.

Thank you to Netgalley and Wednesday Books for my review copy of this book.

Gosh I love this series (well I hope it's a series because I NEED the life and times of Jack and Hazel) so much! The premise of it all is so unique and the storytelling is just incredible. Immortality is such a fun and FULFILLING follow up to Anatomy which made it even more of a joy to read. The twist at the end threw me for a loop & I was so happy when Hazel ended up taking the tincture. If Dana Schwartz does continue on with this series I hope we get to see Hazel see a time where her medical gifts are appreciated as they should be.

This was an easy read but I felt like it wasn’t really necessary and the series could have been a standalone instead.
The writing is easy to read and flows well but the pacing felt slow. Nothing really happened until 70% in and then everything happened at once.
I love Hazel as a protagonist and it was fun to see her continue to see her pursue her passion as a surgeon. I also loved gothic atmosphere to the story.
The love story plot line in this book felt a bit forced and underdeveloped to me. I didn’t believe the chemistry and it made some of the decisions confusing.
Overall a quick read but a bit slow at times.

After reading Dana Schwartz debut novel “Anatomy: A Love Story” and it turned out to be one of my top 10 books read in 2022, I couldn’t resist reading the second book in the duology, “Immortality: A Love Story”. I was not disappointed! It had all of the things that I loved in the first book, and more.

Being able to read the continuation of Hazel’s story was truly a joy and adventure. The absolutely stunning covers are a great representation of what is contained within these books. Hazel is a women of science that sticks to her morals and understands the power of love. As a woman of science myself, I greatly appreciate how the author wrote about Hazel and I felt in her a kindred spirit. She struggles with the same things that all women scientists do: masochism, finding the balance between being a woman and a scientist/doctor, finding happiness and love while balancing an incorrigible spirit that constantly requires intellectual nourishment. Immortality has all of this plus mystery, a secret society, political intrigue and lovable characters.

I honestly cannot think of much that should dissuade anyone from reading this book. It is delightful whether you are a woman of science or not. The only thing that I can think of is that as a YA the romance is there and there is a bit of spice, but this is not a spicy romance and there is a love triangle of a sort. So, if you do not like romantic romance or love triangles, then maybe you wouldn’t like this book. I would still say that it would be worth a try though.

I truly loved this book. I will be rereading it in the future, and I do not reread books that I do not consider worthwhile. I cannot wait to see what Dana Schwartz does next!

Immortality: A Love Story
by Dana Schwartz
5 stars

Hazel Sinnett is living alone in her castle, with her cook and maid. After the past events, she is unsure of what is going to happen now. Hazel decides to keep doing what she needs to do to help people who can't afford physicians and surgeons. After saving a lady's life, Hazel is arrested. While waiting in prison to be hung, one day Hazel is let go but she is requested to go to London to help Princess Charlotte. Unsure of how or why it happened, Hazel is grateful not to be dead and to get on with her work taking care of people. As new events happen Hazel goes through a roller coaster of emotions and hanging on while one thing after another comes to life.

If you have read the first book in this duology and wondering what happened to Jack, Hazel, and Dr. Beecham this will give you all the answers you need. I loved the first book and when I got approved to read this one I couldn't wait, Hazel is amazing in this story. She is a true badass, Im so happy with how her life leads her to what she always wanted in life. I don't want to give any spoilers away but if you read the first one definitely go read this one it will answer so much for you. Also, the cover I have to get a physical copy cause the cover is amazing.

Thank you, Net Galley and St. Martin Press for this eARC for an honest review
and thank you, Dana Schwartz, for writing such an incredible story.

Immortality continues Hazel's story - this time following her to London, where she has been selected as physician to the Princess. While she continues to build her medical knowledge, she is swept up into the world of the Companions to the Dead and British society.

I thought the plot of this novel was much more developed compared to Schwartz's first in the duology. I thought Hazel was a stronger character who was much more set on setting her own path and furthering her career - and then Jack showed up. I did not care for his character in the first novel and thought this was going well until Jack showed up. While becoming a surgeon was so important to Hazel, she quickly gave it up, so I was a little let down. I loved the play on many historical characters within the novel, but just didn't end up liking the direction Schwartz took it.

I was excited to read this sequel because of Jack. I had to get past 200 pages of Hazel moving on with her life before Jack’s fate was revealed. After that point, the story was much more interesting to me. I agree with other reviewers who suggested that this book would have been better as a novella.

Thank you to Netgalley and St Martin’s Press for the ARC!

This was a great sequel to Anatomy.
I loved the plot of a doctor being accused of something because they were merely trying to help. Sounded like a great reflection of the world currently.
I found myself wanting the story to continue and spoilers I am probably the only person on the planet who wanted it to end up differently.
Over all I loved this book and highly recommend it to others!

I really enjoy Dana Schwartz's writing and this follow up to Anatomy stays true to that! This story is little gruesome, a little unexpected, but still totally enjoyable. This book doesn't have nearly as much romance in it as book one, so I'd say this is more the love story of a woman and her work.

If you go the audio route, the narrators do a wonderful job bringing this story and these characters to life!

*Steamy kisses with descriptions of tongue, some nudity, one fade to black scene

The conclusion in the Anatomy Duology, sees, Hazel Sinnett, trying to move on with her life after the events of book 2. While holding out hope that Jack somehow survived, she continues her medical practice.

Hazel ends up becoming the physician for Princess Charlotte. This widens the depth of characters and adds another layer to the intrigue.

While I liked this book, I liked book 1 much more. I felt like the gothic and macabre motif was missing. The princess storyline was ok but left me wanting to explore more about the secret society she’s invited to.

I liked the ending but have questions.

Overall, if you’ve read the first book, read this one. If only, to see how it ends.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC.

Hazel Sinnett is one of my favorite characters ever, a woman, not afraid to work hard for what she wants, and who doesn't accept when people tell her no unless they're a Prince, Princess, or King of course)

She's a Doctor, Surgeon decades ahead of her time, just practicing medicine at all makes her a fascinating character to read and I loved every page of it.

In Immortality we pick up right where Anatomy left off, Hazel is trying to put the pieces of her broken heart back together when a woman she calls Mary shows up on her doorstep, deciding to help her isn't something Hazel even thinks about, but it sets in motion a string of events that will change everything.

I love the premise of these books, the setting, and the visual storytelling is impeccable and our characters, I found myself forgetting this was a book and not a movie I'd been watching.

I read this book in a day, once I started it I couldn't put it down, the historical characters woven into the story with Hazel had me hooked, I couldn't wait to see who else would be missing a finger, who might know how to recreate that magical elixir or who would be left standing at the end of all that happens.



This should have been a five-star book for me, I mean England and Scotland's first female surgeon a secret society, immortality, ships sailing the ocean, and royalty, this book was pretty much written with all the tropes I love in it, that being said there were a couple of inconsistencies that kept bothering me, If I could give it a 4.5 I would, as it stands I have to go with a four.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press, Wednesday Books, and NetGalley for providing a copy of this ebook, I have voluntarily read and reviewed it and all thoughts and opinions are my own.

When I say IMMORTALITY was one of my most anticipated releases of 2023, I mean Dana Schwartz was legit having me long for February — February!! — during the height of sunshiny summer last year. *That’s* how badly I needed this book in my life.

Set a year after the events of ANATOMY, IMMORTALITY drops readers back into Edinburgh in the early 1800s; while her marriage prospects have all but fallen to the wayside, Hazel Sinnett has secretly built up quite a reputation as a female doctor. Her patients include the working class along with the ton though these former friends and acquaintances now quickly usher her out back and side doors after her work is finished, rather than bring out tea trays and biscuits.

Though she’s discreet, one patient ultimately leads to Hazel’s arrest — until an unlikely source comes to her rescue. The Crown has personally requested Hazel’s aid in treating Princess Charlotte’s mysterious illness. While the most renowned minds haven’t been able to determine a diagnosis, there’s hope that the princess might feel more comfortable being seen by a female doctor, especially one close to her own age.

Meanwhile another doctor is trying to treat King George III’s rapidly deteriorating health, a secret society has invited Hazel to join their ranks, and it’s still unknown whether Jack managed to survive, though a mysterious letter from America gives Hazel reason to hope.

I had pushed ANATOMY on so many friends, mainly as the ‘make out scene in an open grave’ book. But, friends, it was SO much more than that. And IMMORTALITY is just as fantastic. I inhaled it in one day, soaking in the royal gossip, the literary scene (I truly believe Lord Byron is haunting me), the distraction of a very handsome doctor, and the medical mystery. I was ecstatic when it was first announced there would be a sequel to ANATOMY but now I’m so sad this series is still listed as a duology!!

If you’re looking for a fast-paced, fun, historical YA, look no further. Nefarious doctors playing with fate, swoony scenes, name-checking the who’s who of the 1800s, the absolute works of art that are those book covers — what’s not to love!

What's it about (in a nutshell):
Immortality: A Love Story by Dana Schwartz is book two of a historical fantasy duology that explores what happens when a woman decides to become a doctor in pre-Victorian Scotland. The story contains mystery, thrills, a light romance, a reimagination of history, and the solution to how one can live forever.
My Reading Experience:
I loved book two, Immortality, even more than book one, Anatomy. Anatomy had large sections in the middle that tended to drag a bit. Yet, Immortality was fast-paced from beginning to end. I couldn't have put the book down even if I had wanted to because the story kept moving from one dire situation to the next.

I also loved the look at what would happen if a woman dared to try to enter the role of a physician. The reactions in the different situations and how Hazel handled the turmoil that went with going against the grain of society felt so real. It is detailed in a very authentic manner with a heroine who could withstand the heat, and who doesn't love a heroine who will consistently stand up for herself?

There is a relatively light romance that's perhaps more heated than the period would have been comfortable with, but it is not the main flux of the plot. And it is joined in Immortality by another romantic entanglement that is much more modern but still feels very authentic and provides an exciting twist to the story.
Characters:
I love Hazel, the main character. She is independent, intelligent, and driven. She is everything I've aspired to and more. She is also kind and compassionate, always taking a more holistic approach to her patients. Hazel is a heroine that deserves to have every reader in her corner cheering her on.

All of the characters – historical and created by the writer – are so well fleshed out that they practically leap off the page. They never act in the run-of-the-mill, stereotypical fashion but instead exhibit the many dimensions and layers of a natural person. I'm awed by this, especially when taking in Jack's story.
Narration & Pacing:
The narration is in third-person limited, focusing solely on Hazel from start to finish. The use of the third person rather than the first worked to establish the boundaries of the society, keeping the reader close but not too close. The first-person might have made for an even more exciting and intimate story, but the third-person works very well.
The pace was fast from start to finish. I never experienced lulls or lags as I read, which I appreciated.
Setting:
Pre-Victorian Scotland and England is the setting for this story. It was interesting to see the differences between the two geographically close areas. They worked exceptionally well for this story. They have populated enough areas that a woman doctor could conceivably find patients but areas that also help firm to social conventions and norms.

Read if you like:
Historical Fantasy
A female lead who is inspirational
Plenty of mysteries and thrills

I first want to say thank you to Netgalley and Wednesday books for the arc. This is one of my most anticipated reads of the year and I ABSOLUTELY LOVED this book. I needed to know what happened to Jack after the way Anatomy ended and I was so glad that this book picked up where anatomy left off. I can not recommend this book enough. I love Hazel, Jack, Charlotte & all of the other characters that we meet.

4.5/5

Immortality is a sequel to Anatomy: A Love Story. In this book, there’s more romance and more fantastical aspects. Since Hazel’s arc was pretty much resolved in the first book, this is more focused on events that happen to her as she’s trying to practice medicine and ends up getting pulled into the London society scenes and a secret society filled with historical figures.

To me, this read almost more like a full-length epilogue to Anatomy, filled with adventure. It was a fun read that was hard to put down.

🎧 I read both of the books as an audiobook, and really enjoyed the format! The narration by Mhairi Morrison really helps pull you into the time and place of the book.

This book had less focus on character growth, less surgeries, and less of the commentary on sexism and classism that we saw in Anatomy. Instead, the focus was on various situations Hazel finds herself in, some dangerous, some exciting.

There’s a small love triangle in this book, and I don’t know… I was really liking the other guy too. I kind of liked how their life together would have been. That LI was so sweet to Hazel throughout the book, I loved the incredibly thoughtful gift he got for her, how he had her back and I also appreciated that he wasn’t bitter at the end.

I really enjoyed the secret society in this book as well, Companions of Death. There were many well-known names from history in one place. I love it when stories take people we know and put them in a brand-new context, combining their real back stories with imagined ones.

There were some fun side characters in this one too. From a princess to a cute dog, and a man whose fashion is stuck in the past. In Anatomy Hazel was more isolated, but in this book, she's surrounded by good (and some bad) people, most of them supporting her ways big and small.

For those that really liked the gore/horrror-ish vibes from the first book, this has a lot less of that. It still reads gothic, but since there's less grave digging, and more balls, the gore level is diminished.

Thank you to St Martin's Press, Wednesday Books and NetGalley for the eARC.

I first read Anatomy: A Love Story when I saw that it was one of Reese's book club books. I enjoyed the book, but thought it was a little bit slow paced- it wasn’t a book that I couldn’t put down. This sequel was way better! This book has a bit of everything- friendships, love, mystery, fantasy, and a strong female main character. There is a lot happening in the plot, so I thought it was a much faster paced read than her last book. The historical characters thrown into the mix were fun too. I was really rooting for Jack and Hazel in the first book, but I had mixed feelings about them in this book. If you weren’t sure about the first book, give this one a shot.

Thanks to Wednesday Books and NetGalley for giving me the chance to read and review this E-ARC. I will publish this review on Goodreads, Amazon Canada, Barnes & Noble, and Instagram (@ABookishStar).

Immortality: A Love Story by Dana Schwartz was a fun and fast pace read! I liked this book a lot more than the first book. The sequel wraps up the loose ends nicely. It also leaves room for the readers to guess what will happen next / or leave possibility for a spin off book. This book is fast pace

My favourite part of this book was the introduction of the new characters. I loved Simon!! My biggest issue with this series is the romance. I am not a fan of the romance storylines in these two books. I do enjoy the cute romantic moments, but I felt the main romance itself could have been developed strong in both books. There was a lot of focus on the paranormal and mysterious illness plot lines, that the main romance felt overshadowed and underdeveloped.

Overall, Immortality: A Love Story was an enjoyable read. I'm glad the author wrote a second book. This sequel wrapped up nicely, and it was fast pace. I wasn't a big fan of the romance, but I love the focus around Hazel being a surgeon.