I'm a huge fan of Dana Schwartz's podcast Noble Blood and was really excited when she announced she had written a book. I was also really excited to acquire an ARC from Netgalley. I really enjoyed this book. I thought it was captivating. I loved the history aspects as well as the more macabre/morbid parts. I loved Hazel and Jack and their relationship. This is a great historical fiction story that is beautiful and heartbreaking at times, but also funny. Absolutely recommend.

3.5 stars

Happy Pub Day!!

There's a lot to like about Anatomy: A Love Story - a female heroine interested in becoming a surgeon, a hero who works as a resurrection man, mysterious disappearances, and some sensible body snatching. Reminiscent of Frankenstein and Dorian Gray, Schwartz clearly demonstrates her affinity for the darker side of history throughout this book.

I did enjoy reading Anatomy: A Love Story for all of the reasons that I listed above. There are aspects of it that I found to be underdeveloped, like the subplot with the mysterious disappearances. That facet of the plot was really pushed as being a central conflict in the book's marketing and it ended up being extremely important in the text, but it felt like an afterthought for the majority of the book. In fact, almost all of the conflicts feel pretty low stakes for about 85% of the book before the ending just ratchets everything up to a 10. It made me sad to see this book's potential not be completely reached, but the story itself is good enough that it didn't inhibit my enjoyment overall,

Thank you to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for an ARC of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review!

"The moment their skin touched, the champagne bubbles in Hazel’s stomach foamed with frenetic energy. It was Galvinism, Galvini’s electric shocks—there was no other way to describe it—a current of lightning that flowed from his hand through hers and directly into her pounding heart. ”



For a love story, I feel the two love interests should have met properly and established a connection well before almost half the book was over. Not so here. After they do come together in this book, however, the chemistry is very undeniable and the romance, though not the entire focus of the story, accents the wonderful plot quite nicely.

The first and best part of this book is that it is YA that is ACTUALLY YA appropriate. I’m quite surprised that this is the second book I’ve read this year that fits that category, and I know there are probably more traditionally published books that do fit this category, but they are not many. The romance, when it finally graces the pages, is not adult in content; the language is not foul; and the plot is fantastically well written—even if it’s a bit of a false advertisement for romance and needs a bit of quickening in the first half.

Additionally, the feminism highlights an equality between the intellect of the sexes and the injustice of being denied the right to study based on one’s sex. It’s not man-hating or does not tout feminism as “I do what I want” at the expense, and to the detriment, of others. Hazel wants to study, and continues to do so in spite of the culture against it, but she does not risk others for her pursuits, and her pursuits are not self-centered.

The historical aspect of this is the main highlight of the plot. It drives the plot well, which is why, though the first half of the book was completely absent of the romance advertised, I kept reading under compulsion. I loved learning more about what Hazel was doing, how she was keeping up with her “professional development,” and how the mystery surrounding all of the circumstances in which she was involved slowly unraveled as events unfolded.

A major drawback for me was the way the book tied its villain up. It was a lazy solution, a bit of a deus ex machina, which was too easy for me. It invalidated much of the world building and hard work of the characters. It also cheapened the end; it would have been much better, in my opinion, if it were actually interwoven into the story instead of just thrown in there at the climax to tie up loose ends with convenience.

Overall, 4 stars, with a one-star penalty for the ending. Brilliant characters, lovely historical background, and fascinating plot line with a mysterious tone driving my curiosity. Highly recommend for students and readers who don’t like fantasy and love reading about historical settings with young people who make a difference.

My thanks to NetGalley for the ARC, for which I willingly give my own, honest opinion.

Anatomy: A Love Story
What I Thought: This book is a ghastly delight, filled with phantasmagorical imagery supported by a feminist structure.

The short, quick chapters make Anatomy easy to read. The subject is somewhat gory but in a way that is more likely to entertain than disgust the reader.

Author Dana Schwartz has a penchant for word choice that borders on the lyrical. For example, about Hazel: “From the time she was able to write her own name, she had wanted to study the body, to learn the rules that governed it, to understand how to master it: this strange vessel that contained our souls.”

Who: Teenager Hazel Sinnett, a Scottish noblewoman, longs to become a surgeon.

What: Hazel enrolls in a rigorous medical training program, armed with the knowledge from her father’s well-stocked library. When her disguise fails to conceal her true identity –that of a woman—she makes a deal with the doctor in charge of the program. If she can pass the exam at the culmination of the training, he will help her get credentialed as a surgeon.

When: Early 1800s.

Where: Edinburgh, Scotland.

How: The book-learning, rote memorization, is easy for Hazel. But when it comes to the hands-on aspects of technique, Hazel is at a disadvantage. That is, until she meets Jack Currer, a “resurrection man” and part of the underground economy in Edinburgh. Doctors need bodies to study, and Jack will steal those bodies from graveyards, for a price. As Hazel and Jack begin working together, Hazel investigates the disappearance of some of Jack’s friends from the streets of the Old Town, and the mysterious injuries Jack has seen on his recent resurrections.

More thoughts on Anatomy:

In Hazel Sinnett, Schwartz has created a masterful narrator to keep readers engaged.

Schwartz describes the time period, which is quite foreign to young people growing up today, in which a teenage woman of noble blood must have an escort to take her safely around outside of her household. Our protagonist Hazel ventures out on her own after her mother and surviving brother leave home out of fear of the returning Roman Fever, and she vows to sit for her exams before Christmas, when she will be expected to reunite with them prior to the socialization season.

Our heroine is clever, witty, and motivated. She cares not for social niceties and blossoms before the reader’s eyes as she learns to look out from her carriage and see the world that actually exists, not just the rooms that she used to inhabit. While this is a Young Adult book, I found it handled real life themes more appropriately than many books that portend to be for grownups actually do.

Hazel finds she is forced to choose between the career she thinks picked her and the life her mother says she is lucky to have –that of a Viscountess, with a household to manage and a husband to please.

Hazel’s parents are key to the narrative, both in their noble status and in their absentia. If Hazel’s father wasn’t a man to whom books and knowledge were of utmost importance, Hazel likely wouldn’t have grown up to be so entranced with the written word. If her mother hadn’t spent years mourning her deceased eldest son, perhaps she would have treated Hazel differently. As it is, however, Hazel is left to fend for herself, and she greatly prefers studying the body’s cardiovascular system to deciding which color gown to wear to the next costume party at which her attendance is expected.

All in all, I adored this book, found it to be an enjoyable read, and went back to read the last few sections a second time as they were filled with hidden gems. Highly recommend, five stars.

Sometimes you see a book cover, and you just know you have to read that book. That’s what happened with me and Anatomy: A Love Story. The cover foretells of beauty, complexity, love, and, of course, anatomy. And after completing the book, I can honestly tell you — it lives up to its cover.

This Gothic novel is dark, nuanced and compelling from beginning to end. Author Dana Schwartz deftly combines anatomical science and romance. She seamlessly slips between the two, creating a relationship that’s both believable and mysterious.

In fact, mystery runs throughout Anatomy: A Love Story. It’s sort of the backbone that moves the plot forward, while Hazel’s studies are the blood and her relationship with Jack is the heart. Combined with strong supporting characters and constraints of Georgian society, it’s an entire system that comes together to form an enticing body of work.

Anatomy: A Love Story has a shadowy, sort of Frankenstein feel to it. It’s one of those books that you’ll want to read curled up under a blanket. The year has just barely got under way, but I already know that this novel will be on my “best of” list come the end of 2022.

I’ve been following Dana Schwartz on social media for a few years now and she is one of the funniest and most clever people on Twitter. It’s been wonderful to follow all of her endeavors whether it’s book deals or podcasts. I read her first published book, And We’re Off, but when I saw the description of her upcoming YA historical I knew I had to be one of the first people who read it.

Anatomy: A Love Story is a rollercoaster of a book. Hazel is a woman in a world that isn’t meant for her yet. While her mother expects her to marry her cousin Bernard, Hazel wants to be a physician, a surgeon. When she sneaks into the lecture of a famous physician who challenges her to pass the physicians exam, Hazel jumps at the chance.

Hazel is a delightful and tenacious character who I absolutely adored. She’s smart and capable and thrives in this world that chafes at her existence. I also really enjoyed Jack, the resurrectionist, whose path crosses with Hazel.

This was one of the more clever and well plotted books I’ve read and while I love a historical romance I’ve never read one that involved quite as many dead bodies! I enjoyed everything about this book and the ending in particular was so good I didn’t even realize I had finished the book until it was over. This book has one of the loveliest endings I’ve read in awhile. The romance is almost a secondary plot before it becomes everything.

I can’t wait to read with Schwartz chooses to write about next.

Thank you so much to Wednesday books and Netgalley for the opportunity to read an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This story drew me in from the beginning and kept me reading. It is an unusual premise, but it worked for me. The scene is set in 1800s Edinburgh during a plague. Lady Hazel Sinnett comes from a high-class family, has basically been engaged to her cousin since they were little, is constantly ignored by society and her mom, and wants to be a surgeon. Of course, because she is a woman, not to mention a nobly born woman, she is only meant to marry and bear children.

In her quest to become a surgeon, she meets Jack Carrer, who is a "resurrection man" (read: steals bodies from graves and sells them to medical professionals). They work together to help Hazel achieve her dream of becoming a doctor and curing the plague, falling in love in the process. However, something fishy is happening to the poor in Edinburgh that puts our lovers in danger, and it's not just the plague.

Although the story is sometimes a bit too macabre for my taste (I can't say exactly why without spoilers), I enjoyed reading this book. I loved Hazel's pursuit of a medical profession. Her inner dialogue of knowing that this is something she wants and is capable of clashing with the constant beat downs of society was very relatable. The story had some twists and turns, but some of the twists were predictable. A couple of the ending twists, however, were not and opens the door for an interesting sequel.

If you enjoy fast-paced gothic love stories with a strong-minded female protagonist who isn't only focused on love, you will probably enjoy this book.

This book was absolutely incredible. It ticked every box for me really: dark gothic energy, historical setting, resurrection men, and a completely fantastic heroine paying to have bodies delivered to her dungeon so that she can defy the world and become a surgeon even though she is, *gasp* a woman? It's all there. Add to that a pretty dark mystery where both resurrection men and the city's poor are disappearing, and you've just about got a summary of Anatomy. Schwartz truly crosses several of my favorite genres, historical fiction, gothic, mystery, romance, and just a dash of magical realism thrown in. The result is captivating, and I really struggled to put it down.

I binged this whole novel over a couple of days because I had to know what happened next. My only difficulty with this book was the ending--it leaves some room for interpretation--which is not my favorite style (a personal preference and not an issue with the book itself). I will say that the author has hinted in a couple of places that there is to be a second installment in this story, and I need that to be true. Anatomy is fantastic, and I really need to know what happens next!

All in all, this book was incredible, and I adored it. Read Anatomy: A Love Story, if you like swoony resurrection men, strong women following their dreams, Stalking Jack the Ripper vibes, midnight kisses in (recently) empty graves, and historical mysteries/magic.I highly recommend this one.

Anatomy: A Love Story was such an interesting surprise of a book! Set in early 19th Century Edinburgh, 17 year old Hazel Sinnet wants more for herself than her planned marriage to her cousin, a future viscount. She wants to be a surgeon - a questionable profession in those days for anyone, let alone a young lady - and she sets about working towards her dream by sneaking into anatomy lessons while masquerading as a boy. When her ruse is discovered and she's kicked out, Hazel turns to Jack Currer, a resurrectionist who steals and sells bodies for scientific purposes. As Hazel endeavors to study for her physician's exam with the help of Jack (and the bodies he sells her), they realize that something insidious is going on in Edinburgh, and Hazel may be the only one who can figure it out.

I have never read a YA historical before and while it took me a bit of time to get into this book, its plot ultimately drew me in, particularly in the back half. I will say that this book is not for the faint of heart - if body things make you squeamish, exercise caution before reading! - but once I got used to the detailed anatomical descriptions in this book, I was able to sit back and enjoy the story. What really made this book special for me was its ending - no spoilers, but the way this story wrapped up had my pulse racing and my heart fluttering. Its epilogue may also be one of my favorites I ever read, and I cannot stop thinking about it.

Thank you so much to Wednesday Books and Netgalley for the e-arc, all opinions are my own. Anatomy: A Love Story is out now!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.

I am not a fan of romance at all, however every now and again a romance comes along with a little something special and makes me question myself. This is one of those books. I was actually ready to DNF this pretty early on. I ended up giving it one more chapter and that chapter was a complete game changer.

I don't really have a lot to say about this one. The story is really interesting and the main character is awesome. The story that's advertised is the story we get. It's a dark medical romance that takes you to a place and time all its own. It's got everything you could want all wrapped up in a pretty little package.

If you're looking for mystery, romance, with a badass female character who has a passion for Anatomy then pick this one up.

Rating: 4⭐️

Thank you to the publisher for gifting me an arc via Netgalley in exchange for an review.

Set in the early 19th Century in Scotland, Hazel Sinnet is a 17 year old woman who dreams of becoming a doctor, all while fighting off her duties of becoming a young bride. In her attempts to prove her ability to act in a man’s profession, she enlists the help of Jack Currer, a resurrection man. He provides the bodies for her to practice on, but while their professional relationship flourishes so does the start of a forbidden romance.

I loved the historical fiction aspect of this novel. Anything set in the 19th Century/Victorian Era is my weakness and the fact that it’s set in Scotland it the icing on the cake. The dark, gothic atmosphere made for the perfect setting and give me all the “Stalking Jack the Ripper” Vibes!

One thing that did bug me was the fact that Hazel is engaged to her cousin 🤮 I know that was common during the time, but how they addressed each other as “cousin” whenever they crossed paths was gross. I couldn’t get behind it.

Now since the title is Anatomy: A Love Story, I felt as though the romance took to the sidelines compared to Hazel’s attempt as success in the Physician’s Exam. I loved Jack and Hazel’s relationship. It moved quickly but it was super adorable.

This story was easy to read and kept me entertained for the entire novel. I read it in two days. The twists were easy to guess given certain aspects revealed prior in the novel, but it was still enjoyable. However, fair warning that the ending is a bit abrupt. It’s not exactly left open-ended but there is room for a sequel.

Overall, this was a great, dark, gothic “mystery” with a slow burn romance perfect for fans of Stalking Jack the Ripper.

Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to read a copy in exchange for a honest review.

Do not let the title and summary deceive you this book is not a romance book nor is it a love story. It takes a very long time until you get to the love interest and even then it is not anything worth writing home about.

I had to DNF the book because it was not worth it for me.

1.5 stars
1 feels

Different. That is the true definition of this book. It's not your average love story, or sci-fi book. or fantasy, or historical fiction. It was refreshing and funny, and made me want to learn more about surgeons back in this time period in "real life". The characters are unique, and while some are more developed than others, I kept wanting more in a good way. This story also leaves off with so much potential for that. I have never read a book quite like this and for that I will continue to sing its praises. I could picture the scenery, and I truly connected to Hazel. As a nurse I love science and anatomy, so her descriptions and desire to help people really stuck with me.

Very mixed feelings. So mixed I took about 10 days to figure out how to even write this review. I love the first… let’s say 80% of the book. It does exactly what it says on the cover—a girl surgeon! She gets kicked out of school! She meets a body man! Romance and bodysnatching ensue! But then…. Oof.

My problem is a mild spoiler, so beware.

The first 80% of the book reads as straight historical fiction. But then, right when the rubber is hitting the road… BOOM! Magical elements. I felt a little cheated. Is it enough to cancel out how much I loved the rest of the book? No, I don’t think so. But it did leave a bit of a bitter taste in my mouth, and the magic sped up the plots resolution a little too quickly and neatly for me.

Hazel Sinnett is a lady who is willing to give up everything to become a surgeon, a necessary but ugly profession for anyone at the time, especially a woman of high status. When she attempts to attend a class taught by renowned surgeon Dr. Beecham, her gender is eventually found out and she is kicked out of the class. She gets another opportunity to enter her dream profession, but that opportunity requires dead bodies, which is where resurrection man (body snatcher) Jack Currer comes in.
Overall, I thought this story was such a fun take on Frankenstein! Frankenstein is my favorite book of all time, so I had to read this book once I read the description. Hazel was a likable protagonist, so it was easy to root for her while she rejected social norms and what would have been considered the "easy way out." She did whatever she could to reach her dream, despite meeting dreadful surgeon after dreadful surgeon. I also liked the pacing of it. The author condensed time quite a bit, but I didn't feel like the story was rushed. I had time to invest in Hazel, her relationships, and her goal before the plot twisted towards the end.
I will say that this book is pretty graphic. I feel like it comes with the territory, so I didn't mind, but there were a lot of operations, a.k.a blood, puss, etc. I also feel like the main mystery took a back seat to the blood and gore. The story was mainly about Hazel studying for the physician's exam and less about the people disappearing - except for a few mentions from Jack - until the end.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the advanced review copy. All opinions are my own.

Anatomy: A Love Story is a fantastic historical fiction novel with grim twists and wonderful characters. I loved getting to know Hazel and Jack and seeing how they grew together and as individuals throughout their adventures. Hazel's ambitions to become a surgeon in a time when women were not allowed to have careers is at the heart of the story, and the book is as much a love story in the sense that Hazel is learning to love herself for who she is as it is about her and Jack, which I will always applaud. I loved the gothic Edinburgh setting and the mystery woven through the story, and this adventure will be perfect for fans of Stalking Jack the Ripper by Kerri Maniscalco. Anatomy can be read as a standalone novel, with the plot wrapped up but an open enough ending to leave room for more of Hazel's adventures. The author has stated she is working on a sequel in an interview with Goodreads, though, and I will definitely read the next project from Dana Schwartz because I loved this debut from her.

Buy, Borrow, or Bypass: I will be buying a copy of Anatomy for my collection! I know I will want to reread this atmospheric story, and I'm extremely excited for the Barnes & Noble Exclusive Edition of this book. At the very least, you should place a library hold so you can fall in love with Hazel and Jack too. :D

I was pleasantly surprised by Anatomy: A Love Story! I do read a lot of books set in the same time period, but not so many books that are YA with goth vibes and it was a nice departure from the usual romance novels. I'm a big fan of Dana and have followed her on Twitter for many years, so I was also especially excited to receive this ARC.

I felt the book started off a bit slow, I wasn't totally sure where The Cemetery Boys (tm) were headed with their storyline since we immediately cut to Hazel. Which worked out in the end, because Hazel was an awesome main character. I loved her passion for learning and her ability to make her way in a "man's" world.

One thing I did like a lot was learning a bit of history along the way. I know that Dana takes her research very seriously, and I enjoyed learning what resurrection men were and how people studied anatomy back then. I was a business major in college, I truly could not tell you much more of the science beyond what I've seen on Grey's Anatomy!

Overall, there were definitely parts that were fun and kept the book moving, but there were a lot of characters and subplots and breaks in the book with research papers. It was interesting, but sometimes I felt that it wasn't the most relevant to the story. I think perhaps it tried to do too many things at once, but it came around at the end. I almost wonder if it would have worked better as an adult (non YA) book. However, I hope to catch more of Dana's projects in the future, as this was definitely an exciting debut.

I had high expectations for this book due to the hype. I think the writing and dialogue was good. It also really shined in creating the Edinburgh atmosphere. It felt like she did the work in describing how destitute the poor areas were and the diseases that were ravaging the city.
My real issue is how slow the plot was and then how unresolved. Let’s also not even get into the romance that starts more than halfway through the book. I guess you can see the real love story was between hazel and her thirst for knowledge. The characters were written well they just didn’t always blend well together. It was an interesting look at womens position in a male dominated career path while also highlighting several atrocities that actually did occur

it was such a specific and innovative story in fantasy and YA, I never read something like that and I hope people will like it has much as I did because it is a great story!!!

Hazel is a young lady living in Edinburgh in 1817. She starts off the book engaged to her cousin, but she is not satisfied with society's expectations for her. Hazel wants to be a surgeon and is constantly reading and performing her own little experiments. Her fiancé does not share her enthusiasm and wants her to give up her passion. Being quite strong-willed and stubborn, Hazel dresses up as a boy to attend lectures from the great Dr. Beecham in preparation for the Physician's exam. As you can imagine this does not go all that well and Hazel finds herself needing to study on her own. Luckily, she has befriended resurrection man, Jack Currer, and together they are able to procure their own bodies from the graveyard for Hazel to study. However, along with the bodies they soon uncover a dark secret more deadly than the fever currently plaguing Edinburgh.

Full of dark and gothic vibes, I found the story to be incredibly engaging. Often I was staying up late to continue reading and couldn't put it down. It was easy to imagine being right there in the graveyard with Hazel and the mystery element really sucked me in.

One downside is that the love story, despite being part of the title, feels like a subplot and comes second to Hazel's love of anatomy. Hazel and Jack really don't start interacting until over the halfway point of the book so if you're looking for a love story this may not be the book for you. That said, there were a lot of really cute scenes and interactions between Hazel and Jack, but I felt like it could have been flushed out more.

The ending was also slightly disappointing. It's very open ended and I don't feel like anything got resolved. The main driving force for me throughout the book was wanting to see how they were going to stop whoever was causing the mysterious deaths. I was pretty sure I knew who was behind it, but I wanted to see how they were going to handle it. Except they never did; there were no real consequences for the villain. I'm not sure if there is going to be a sequel, but I would 100% read it. Most of my dislikes about this book were how things were not really concluded.

Overall though, I still enjoyed the book quite a bit and would recommend it for fans of YA stories in Victorian Scotland.