If you are looking for a gothic fiction with a dash of mystery and romance, I definitely recommend this to you.
In this wonderful story, we have Hazel, a wonderfully independent woman, seeking to take her medical exams and become a surgeon. When she is denied the access to join lectures to study dur to being a woman, Hazel makes a deal with a Dr. Beecham that if she passes her medical exam, she can enroll into the university. But how does Hazel study if she can't go to lectures?
Cue: Jack, a resurrection man who digs up and sells dead bodies for a living, that Hazel meets on a chance encounter.
Cue: Adventure, Mystery, Romance, and more!

I really fell in love with this story and the main character, Hazel, because of her journey in learning and trying to 'make it' in a male-dominated world. As someone who is about to start law school and join a still heavily male-dominated industry (even though it isn't 1817 anymore), I often struggle with being taken seriously and questioning my abilities. While the title and synopsis make it as though this story will be a romance/mystery, I found it also as a story surrounding loving yourself and pursuing your goals no matter what (and finding love along the way). In the end, it's about what is in your own heart that counts.

~ Thank you so much to Wednesday Books and NetGalley for an early copy in exchange for an honest review! ~

'What were miracles, but science that man didn't yet understand? And didn't that make it all the more miraculous that the secrets of the universe were out there, codes one might decipher if smart enough, tenacious enough?'

This was such a gruesome delight. It really made me realize I'm a YA historical fiction hoe, especially when it comes with a bit of mystery. Dreamland Burning, The Arsonist, All These Bodies, The Gilded Wolves, The Secret Life of Bees, and now this!! How had I convinced myself I didn't like historical? I think it's because I still really don't enjoy adult historical fiction. But YA, wow, that's good stuff.

I really loved this book, and my enjoyment was heightened even further by the stellar audiobook. Seriously. If you have a chance to listen to it, DO IT!! The narrators have the proper accents and it just makes the story come even more to life and helps the humor hit even harder.

I was starting to worry that I was falling out of love with YA, and while that may be true for some subgenres/tropes/clichés, it is most certainly not true about the entire age category.

This book worked for me for a multitude of reasons—the Scottish banter, the complex protagonist Hazel who's determined to prove herself in a man's world and become a surgeon, the macabre, the plot twist, the world, the pacing, everything!! I loved this book and think it's a very unique YA and would recommend it to anyone intrigued by the synopsis. I really think it delivers.

This was quite the book.

In Anatomy, by Dana Schwartz, our protagonist 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

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press/ Wednesday Books for sharing this digital reviewer copy with me in exchange for my honest thoughts.

“My heart is yours, Hazel Sinnett," Jack said. "Forever. Beating or still.”

Anatomy is a brilliant historical fantasy that I enjoyed reading so much. Although I struggled a bit at the beginning, the writing was smooth and the description of the scenes was vivid, which made me continue reading until I reached the last page in one sitting.

We follow the 17-years-old “Hazel” who wants to become a Surgeon at any cost in a world where Surgeons have a reputation of being more like butchers- Not the dream of a typical girl from Edinburgh, Scotland in the 19th century. She meets with Jack, who is a gravedigger that provides dead bodies for surgeons who wish to find more about the plague by studying corpses.

I loved the story as a whole, but the chemistry between Hazel and Jack was addicting and well-written.

Overall I recommend this book to fans of historical fantasy.

A historically accurate fantasy book set in 1800's Scotland, and its a romance?? This book's blurb had me sold almost immediately. I am happy to report that after finishing this book, it seems it did live up to its expectations (for the most part). Dana told this story with so much attention to detail. The gothic vibes were immaculate. I do have to say that the romance definitely took a backseat. The story was wonderful and mysterious with lots of twists and turns but the romance didn't really kick in till around the middle of the book. It didn't make the book any less enjoyable, but the title implies that the driving force of the plot would be romantic when that's not really the case. Nevertheless, I really liked this story. Hazel was such a likeable heroine; smart, headstrong and passionate. The ambiance was interesting and the writing style struck a nice balance between descriptive and poetic.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for giving me this ARC!

There is nothing interesting about this book. I don't know why it's called a "love story". The romance doesn't even start to happen until half way through the book. Maybe the title is in reference to something else. It is well-written, the story just wasn't for me. If you like Stalking Jack the Ripper, you might like this.

I adored this feminist, gothic story! It's historical and set in Scotland, which makes it even more enjoyable! I love Hazel and how she is determined to be a surgeon, no matter what anyone else thinks. She's smart and strong willed and definitely someone you can root for. It's a love story, but not too much. It's a sweet and gentle love which leaves you wanting more. There's also mystery and murder. It's just an all around wonderful book!

3.5 stars. Gothic and romantic. A strong female lead. This book was really good. I definitely think that the ending was rushed and the plot could of moved faster in the beginning. Overall it was really good.

I completely enjoyed this gothic historical fiction.

What I loved:
*The way we looked at Hazel. She's not one of those girls that flaunts herself as pretty, and worries about getting married, or looses her head over boys. She's headstrong, smart, determined, and doesn't see the way her society works (you either marry, or you're nothing) as an obstacle. She worries herself on how to get what she wants. And she wants to become a physician.
*I loved the romance part of this story. It is not in the forefront. Hazel doesn't pine over a guy, and "swoons" or "holds her breath" every time a guy looks at her. The romance part happens slowly, and naturally, and doesn't over bear the rest of Hazel's story.
*I enjoyed the mystery. Who are those dark men that are kidnapping the resurrection men, and why are the body parts are disappearing? It was quite interesting to see where this arc was going.

That said, I do think too much of the book focused on Hazel studying, and it slowed the pace of the story quite a bit for me. It is not a bad thing, but felt a bit dragged out, and could have used some extra gothicness and scares or action.

Thank you to Wednesday Books for a review copy. The finished copy is gorgeous! Psst: The naked cover is to die for!

I adore Dana Schwartz's podcase, Noble Blood. She's very good at taking historical facts and weaving them into a highly listenable narrative. However, I found aspects of this book lacking. A lot of the romance side plot I felt I had read before specifically in YA. I like the resurrection men aspect and the main character studying anatomy. However, the setting was not fleshed out at all. I couldn't "see" where these characters lived. The ending was a bit odd as well. I'm not sure the big revelation was earned. Maybe I just read too quickly to pick up on any clues. Overall it's not a bad book, but I found it to be pretty average.

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.

Thank NetGalley.

So I will tell you that I got about 40% into this book and almost put it down. However, I decided to continue and I'm glad I did. While, the beginning is a little slow once you get to the last quarter of the book things really pick up. Then when you get down to the final pages you'll want to scream, because HOW COULD IT END LIKE THAT? I don't know if a sequel is planned, but if there is, thank god, because I need more. And if there isn't, then I guess I'm ok, but dang I really want more. Overall, this starts slow, but keep going. Don't put it down. The ending more than makes up for the beginning.

I also really liked the setting and time of the book, that era of gas lamps and early medicine and grave robbing for anatomy specimens. Such an intriguing time in our history. Also if you liked the "Stalking Jack the Ripper" series you'll definitely like this, as you have a heroine determined to be a doctor in a time where women should only be interested in social engagements, very similar to the main character in SJTR.

So pick up this book if you want an early 19th century adventure into the world of medicine and the lengths people went to in order to study the human body.

This book was such an unexpected delight. I must admit that I was initially drawn in by the cover - seriously, look at how beautiful it is! But the story was immediately engaging and full of excitement from start to finish.

Hazel Sinnett lives a perfectly lovely life in her family’s castle. Basically engaged since birth, there has never been any question about what the future holds for her. But Hazel wants more than to be the wife of a viscount - she fully intends to be the first female surgeon in Edinburgh. Disguised in her dead brother’s clothing, Hazel enrolls in physicians school and quickly becomes one of the top performing students. However once her true identity is discover, Hazel is swiftly removed from her classes simply because she is a woman. If she’s going to earn her degree she’s definitely going to need some bodies to study. She’s going to need the help of a resurrection man.

Jack Currer is one of those kind of men. Immediately struck by Hazel’s beauty and tenacity, he helps her find just the bodies she needs. But work for the resurrection men is becoming even more dangerous ever. Suddenly, his friends are disappearing. People who go to the poor hospital for treatment are turning up dead. Bodies are being mutilated. Is the Roman plague back in Edinburgh? Or is something more sinister at hand?

I loved how atmospheric this book was. The first half does a great job of introducing the characters and setting up for the rest of the plot. Slowly, more and more parts of the mystery is revealed and though we can make our guesses as to what is happening, we still aren’t exactly sure why. It’s not until the very end that the truth is revealed and what a reveal that was. Though the story is wrapped up quite nicely, I’ll still hold out hope for a continuation because I desperately want more of Hazel and Jack.

Thank you so much to NetGalley & Wednesday Books for an advanced copy.

Thank you to a Wednesday books for an arc of this book! The cover alone drew me in.

This was so cinematic. When I first picked this up, I got to a half way point but was distracted a s forgot to finish it. I picked it back up last week and remembered clearly where I was. This (standalone?) would make a great show.

If I had to pick a genre to tuck this into it would be historical fiction first and horror second. I loved the dual POV, the humour, and the setting best.

It’s a book that is very much up my ally and hits on all the smart Shelley vibes I didn’t know I needed in a YA.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/57917042-anatomy?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=k5TDJHKF7r&rank=1

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.

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

*3.75 stars*

Anatomy: A Love Story is a slow-burn gothic, atmospheric mystery with a side of romance and fantasy. This book takes place in Scotland and follows 17-year-old Hazel Sinnett. Hazel comes from a well-off family and has been unofficially engaged to her cousin Bernard since she was a young girl. However, Hazel couldn't care less about landing a rich husband to secure her future. Instead, Hazel dreams of becoming a surgeon–which is not an appropriate dream for a young lady at that time. Soon, Hazel crosses paths with Jack Currer, a resurrection man, and both of their lives are forever changed.


What I Liked:
–Dana Schwartz’s descriptions of Edinburgh were nothing short of beautiful. I could easily picture everything in my mind. Not only is the prose beautiful and incredibly descriptive, but it’s also easy to read. I devoured this book in a few hours.
–Our two main characters: Hazel and Jack. Hazel and Jack are such lovable, nuanced characters. Hazel’s passion for science and anatomy was interesting to read about. This story is a love story between Hazel and anatomy. And Jack, my sweet Jack, has lived such a hard life. I just want him to be happy.

What I Didn’t Like:
-My biggest complaint is how predictable the twist is at the end. I knew who the villain was as soon as they were introduced. I wish the author wouldn’t have made things so obvious. I would have loved to have been surprised.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book! The author did an incredible job setting the scene and drawing the reader into this world. I loved learning about anatomy and the grave robbers. If you’re a fan of gothic mysteries, then you’ll definitely enjoy this book!

*Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review.*

This is a very original and well-done twist on historical fiction that kept me turning pages long past the time I was supposed to be doing something else.
Readers get to share in the life of two very different people from two very different walks of life that find themselves drawn to each other despite everything in society telling them they shouldn't even associate. Hazel is a lady who got left behind in her mother's grief and desire to protect the only heir and her dad's prestigious but far-away posting on the island of Elba. She fills her time by reading her dad's books on anatomy and science and dreams of becoming a surgeon despite women not being allowed to even study. Jack digs up bodies for those who study anatomy in order to make ends meet in between his job at the theater he works at. They meet by chance and end up pulled together first by Hazel's desire to study and prove that she can become a surgeon and the need for bodies that creates, then by accepting the unexplainable bond that was there from the first moment they glimpsed each other across a gate.
It's a love story that touches on elements of the class divide, misogyny, and the great injustices of the world without ever truly falling into the mire of darkness and negativity such topics can bring into a story. I love how Schwartz managed to always keep a sense of hope in the story.
Even with the big reveal towards the end being obvious from the very beginning, this is a story that is sure to entertain and make you think long after you turn the last page.

Very happy thanks to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for the exciting read!

I really enjoyed this book. I thought it was a really cool concept and I wanted to read a dark academia book, and at first I was hesitant because it was slow paced and kind of ‘meh’ for me, but then the third quarter of the book was really good. I really enjoyed the ending and the overall atmospheric writing.

3.5⭐
Thank you to Wednesday Books and Netgalley for an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
Anatomy: A Love Story is a young adult historical fiction novel with one of the most unique premises I’ve read in a while. Hazel’s journey to becoming a surgeon against the backdrop of 1800’s Edinburgh during a viral outbreak made for a compelling and feminist coming-of-age story. But what made this story especially compelling was the mystery that began to unravel halfway through, and the darker side of medical procedures shown in this book. Anatomy: A Love Story certainly gave me more than what I was expecting in terms of plots which was a welcome addition.

This story has romance hinted at in this title, I should note that you shouldn’t expect a typical love story from this book. And while I thought the direction this book took in terms of the romance made for an interesting change of pace, I thought the characters themselves lacked chemistry aside from a few brief moments of tension. Hazel’s character fell flat for me, and that impacted my view of her relationships.

The ending for Anatomy: A Love Story was one I really had to think about whether I liked it or not, but in the end, I was. Ultimately, I think this will depend on what readers are looking for in this book, but if you’re more invested in Hazel’s journey in this era rather than seeking a romance out of it, then I think you’ll come to enjoy Anatomy: A Love Story.

The cover for this book is stunning, and was what drew me to this book initially. What kept me reading was the atmosphere throughout this book: I could feel the darkness of the 1817 Edinburgh graveyards, the iciness of Hazel Sinnett's mother's statements, and the thuds of limbs into clean straw...

Yeah, there are some scenes that were definitely somewhat stomach-churning in this dark mystery/romance set in Edinburgh with a determined and smart main character, and great scenes of people crowded into theatres to see a famed physician display his surgical skills on bodies, both dead and live.

Hazel Sinnett is a sixteen-year old lady who desperately wants to be a surgeon. She's also more or less engaged to her cousin who appears to support her dream. The other character is Jack Currer, a young man working backstage at a theatre, but also spending some of his nights in graveyards, digging up corpses for budding doctors and surgeons to study. His work as a resurrection man is getting increasingly dangerous and difficult as it's getting harder to find bodies because of guards, and, more scary, there is someone disappearing other poor, young men digging up graves.

Of course Hazel and Jack meet, and are drawn together, which is great as far as Hazel's surgical dreams are concerned, less so regarding her mother's desire for Hazel to marry well.

I liked this book. Hazel is pretty single-minded and works incredibly hard to achieve her mastery of medicine. I also liked the romance as it wasn't overly melodramatic, and I could totally see whatHazel and Jack saw in each other. I also really liked the historical details in this book, from the furtive work of the resurrection men to seeing how rudimentary surgery was in 1817.

And I loved the epilogue.

Thank you to Netgalley and to St Martin’s Press for this ARC in exchange for my review.