Anatomy: A Love Story by Dana Schwartz can best be described as Frankenstein mixed with the Alienist (TV show) and given a romantic Scottish gothic setting. Youthful passion and gothic romance collide- kisses in a graveyard- in Hazel and Jack. Our two heroes have enough chemistry to bring anyone back from the dead!

*DNF @ 60%*
Yeah....I just can't do this anymore. This is kinda pitched as a historical fantasy and to be frank, it's not. Plus this doesn't even feel like a finished book. With having read so much of the book, the "love story" subtitle doesn't feel properly used or authentic. Also the prologue doesn't ever get addressed again which leaves a glaring hole in the story. I was mildly entertained by Hazel trying to become a female surgeon and prove her worth, but I never felt like I really saw her talent. Plus, so much of what she learned from the class she attends and from her father's books are just summarized. The writing tells you so much without showing. This book is short but never fulfills the love story aspect; she doesn't feel attraction to him until the second time she meets him and when that happens, it's almost written like instalove? Why not feel that attraction immediately? That doesn't make sense. I also read the ending out of curiosity and it's a cheap, rushed ending that felt thrown together. I really think this needed at least 100 more pages to address the "fantasy" aspect to make it more central to the story and actually develop the "love story." I don't get the 4 and 5 star ratings on this sadly. I love the cover and liked the premise, but this was poorly executed.

Can we start by saying that this is one of the most amazing covers and it made it one of my most anticipated book of this year! Okay, I started off really enjoying the story - love the premise of the high society lady wanting to be a doctor and looking to find a way to better the future for both herself and other women. The story itself started off a little slow in pacing, but I still raced through this book - the author did a great job of keeping me hooked to find out what happened next. I didn't feel the spark of the romance as I wanted to, but it was there - I just could have used a little more dialogue/tension in that area. Where this book lost me a little was the ending; it just wasn't what I wanted - no spoilers, just wasn't my favourite ending and it lost me a little there! Was an enjoyable read.

I came to know Dana Schwartz work though on of my absolute favorite podcasts, Maintenance Phase. She appeared on their episode about Marie Antoinette and is an expert in many things royal. Her work is witty, disruptive, and great fun. However, I hadn't read any of her fiction work, so I was so excited to see her writing style.

Her writing matches her generally irreverent tone and grasp of the dramatic aspects of storytelling. Schwartz is not a historian so her work has a different sensibility to it which translated well to her fictional work. Not to mention that this cover is one of my favorites (and yes, even though it's only January 2022 as I am writing this, I think it's safe to say it will land among my top 10 for the year).

Anatomy: A Love Story follows Lady Hazel Sinnett and resurrection man, Jack Currer, through the dirty streets of 1800s Edinburgh. The city is fearful as reports of the Roman fever is back and killing people. Amidst the chaos, Hazel attempts to break the glass ceiling of female physicians but little does she realize that she is in a web of deception. As the story progresses, Hazel and Jack attempt to figure out who is kidnapping resurrection men.

Schwartz's story is a fun read. It's witty and atmospheric. The characters are engaging and feel real to life. However, the plot is a little all over the map. I felt like I was reading a completely different book the last 1/4 of the book. It just kind of goes off in a very different direction. That said, it's part Grey's Anatomy, part Law & Order, and part Victorian drama and ends up as a fun adventure through the past and the city.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for the early access in exchange for my honest review.

This book is not what I was expecting but I loved it all the more for that. Anatomy: A Love Story is a beautiful Gothic journey filled with self discovery, mystery and a hint of what love really is.

In this period YA romance, the different worlds of aspiring surgeon Hazel and resurrection man Jack collide. Jack steals corpses for Hazel to continue her forbidden studies, but neither of them are prepared for the feelings that bud between the them. With disease spreading throughout Edinburgh and resurrection men disappearing, their work is more important--and dangerous--than ever. Dana Schwartz finds the right balance between suspense and romance in Anatomy: A Love Story. An enjoyable and thoughtful read!

I absolutely loved this book. An incredibly clever and new idea for a romance that takes place in Edinburgh. Hazel wants desperately to be a surgeon; Jack is a "resurrection man," someone who robs graves to supply corpses to medical schools. They meet under auspicious circumstances and form a tentative alliance that quickly becomes a partnership, and even more.

Dark, twisty, bloody, and utterly full of feeling and yearning among all the body parts, this is a book I will be recommending to everyone I know as I impatiently wait for the sequel.

4 stars *may change

Never at any point did I imagine that ending? Like this was insane through the last bit. I thought the book was a little predictable yet still fairly enjoyable and engaging at first, but I literally could not have imagined what was going to happen later on. I swear we switched genres at some point. I wouldn't necessarily call this gothic as it suggests, but I also don't have any other word for it. It's sweet sometimes, but also funny, charming, grotesque, and outright weird. I don't think there are many words to describe the experience of reading it. If you don't mind a bit of insta-love-ish (it's young adult, so what do you expect? although it didn't really read like YA for most of it to me) and can sit down to read some crazy stuff go down in one sitting...yeah pick up this book.

I am swooning, and emotional, and so utterly in love with this book. First, HOW AMAZING IS THIS COVER? Like it’s so perfect, I want a poster of it immediately. This book was so different from my current reading lists and I couldn’t be happier.
While there was romance, it wasn’t the main point of the story. Hazel, a high society female, wants to be a surgeon in a time where that is absolutely not allowed. Instead she is supposed to marry her cousin and be a proper lady.
This story was about Hazel’s journey, her passion for helping others and becoming a surgeon. There are so many parallels to today’s socio-economic, medical, and even gender roles that I think it strikes more nerves than I anticipated because I’m still reeling from how connected I felt to Hazel.
I read this in a few hours, devouring every page - and really enjoying the newspaper articles and excerpts from medical texts that added to the story line. I also really enjoyed the touch of magic here and there that was threaded through the story — so many medical miracles seem like magic it felt natural.
THAT ENDING … ugh, I don’t want to spoil it for anyone so I’m not posting about here; but oh god, my heart.
Highly recommend for anyone interested in historical fiction, soft horror, and of course anyone into smart, science-forward women.

I really enjoyed this book. This book blends science-fiction/fantasy and historical-fiction with intrigue, romance, and some gothic elements that would make Mary Shelley proud. Hazel is a fantastic heroine. I was rooting for her to reach her goal of becoming a surgeon. Honestly, I think the love story in question was really Hazel’s love of science and medicine. The love story with Jack was secondary but I was rooting for it in the end. The addition of newspaper articles and letters in-between the chapters make you feel like you are reading something that could have really happened.
This book would have been a 5-star for me if it was only about 100 pages longer. Certain events felt so rushed that I don’t think the narrative had enough room to breathe. I also feel like some of the characters could have been flushed out a bit more. That being said, it was refreshing to read a book that isn’t an epic tome like most YA now a-days.
If you want a quick, fast-paced, YA historical sci-fi novel, then this one is definitely for you.
Special thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press/ Wednesday Books for sharing this advanced reader’s copy with me in exchange for an honest review.

Ohhh, this was delightfully macabre and weird. If you're squeamish, I don't recommend.

I loved this so much. The premise was creepy yet this was still so easy and enjoyable to read.

Hazel is a fantastic character. She has the aptitude and passion to be a physician, but since she's a noblewoman in the 1800s, that's definitely not an approved career choice. I'm always a fan of stories about women defying societal expectations and pursuing traditionally male careers, so I absolutely loved everything about her character and story.

The only thing I didn't love was the ending. In addition to just wanting the story to continue, I'm not a huge fan of stories that are grounded in reality for the majority of the story only to have a fantastical bits appear only at the very end. I wish that either there had been more subtle fantastical elements throughout the entire story or that the ending was more grounded in reality, even if not fully realistic.

Also, this cover is perfection.

Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC!

This book was just fine. Very alright. In a lot of ways it felt like something I’ve seen before. The historical elements and Hazel’s struggles as a woman trying to break into the male dominated medical field draws strong parallels to Stalking Jack the Ripper by Kerri Maniscalco or The Lady’s Guide to Petticoats and Piracy by Mackenzi Lee. But regardless of these comparisons I was eager to dive into something similar and enjoy the ride all over again.

One thing that really stands out about Schwartz’s work is how well-researched it is. If you’re at all familiar with her online presence then you know she knows her history and that fact really shines in this book. There are many careful details and precise tidbits that add a level of authenticity that were a real treat and added a level of immersion in the time period. I also really enjoyed how the story explored the resurrection men- that felt like a unique and relatively unexplored angle of history to work into this specific story.

I also enjoyed how Schwartz writes her characters. While they maybe weren’t the most fleshed out or well-rounded characters I’ve ever read, I enjoyed them nonetheless. Characters don’t always need to feel realistic to be engaging and fun.


***Spoiler adjacent commentary below***
Stop reading here if you don’t want vibes spoiled!!


Where Schwartz really lost me was that ending. It felt like she didn’t know how to wrap up the story and decided to throw a supernatural element into the mix to explain everything away. I don’t want to elaborate for fear of spoilers, but as a reader it felt like the emotional equivalent of a giant shrug emoji beside the words “idk, magic???”
Beyond frustrating, especially when these elements weren’t present elsewhere in the story. They also didn’t wrap things up especially well, so the payoff isn’t even there to help justify the author’s choice. Just confusing and messy and disappointing.

All in all, it’s a cool story with some fun, quirky characters but don’t be surprised if the ending leaves you feeling a bit cheated. Would still recommend in the right circumstances.

Thanks to NetGalley and St Martin’s Press/Wednesday Books for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

**I was provided an electronic ARC from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for honest review.**

Dana Schwartz presents Anatomy, which is a love story in many ways. Readers follow Hazel at the turn of the 19th century. She is to be married to a future viscount, but her true love has always been science. Hazel wants nothing more than to be a physician, but she finds herself ahead of her time. After being denied the ability to attend anatomy classes due to her sex, she decides to find her own way to study for the physician's exams. For that, she'll need bodies. Many of them.

Hazel strikes a delicate balance of being headstrong and independent without falling too terribly far into "not like other girls". In fact, it is abundantly clear that Hazel hasn't given much thought to other girls or to anything beyond her dream. As surface level as that might seem, I actually found that I liked Schwartz's choice to make Hazel a bit short-sighted. Jack, of course, was a perfectly charming addition to the story and I found I liked him best. Schwartz did well with balancing the studious portions of the story with the more action packed and tense, even if things did resolve too quickly and neatly for me.

Overall, I really enjoyed my time spent reading Anatomy and would say that it is similar in tone and content to Stalking Jack the Ripper and to The Corpse Queen. Fans of those series seeking more of the similar vibes will find it here, though for some it may strike too similar.

I look forward to future works from the author and am glad to have had the opportunity to read this novel early.

4.5 stars

Anatomy: A Love Story was exactly the right book I needed at the right time. The gothic and eerie atmosphere Schwartz created is unmatched, and the characters were easily just as enjoyable. I was immediately drawn to Hazel and Jack, and their love story portrayed throughout this novel was an exhilarating mix of heart-wrenching and diverting at the same time.

I was captivated from start to finish; however, the ending of this book is no doubt my favorite part. Although the book was enjoyably chaotic throughout, the last three chapters or so managed to go completely haywire, but in the best way possible. Some will probably just argue it was rushed and sloppily done, I absolutely loved the quickness and the unexpectedness of it. The last sentence tore my heart to tatters while also restoring it. I think readers who enjoy endings with many questions still left to be answered will definitely love this book.

Thank you to Wednesday Books for providing me with this ARC (via NetGalley) in exchange for my honest review! I definitely recommend checking this out when it releases in less than a month, on January 18, 2022!! This review will be posted to my Goodreads and BookBub.

I wanted to love Anatomy because it sounded so intriguing: a gothic tale full of mystery and even features a female doctor in a time where the profession is dominated by men. However, the plot (and the romance) was dragged out and I had a hard time finishing the book.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC!

When I started reading this one I got some Bridgerton vibes but this was no regency romance. No, it is not. This does have romance but this is a true gothic romance. I mean at one point there is kissing in a grave.
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There is also a plague known as the Roman flu, which felt too close to Covid times. Anyway, Hazel wants to be a surgeon. She wants to be a surgeon more then she wants to be a proper married woman.
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Jack is a resurrectionist who is trying his best to survive.
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Hazel gets kicked out of anatomy class when it is found out that she is a woman. Dr. Beecham agrees to let her continue studying if she can pass this exam on her own but she is going to need corpses to practice on and thankfully Jack knows where to find them.
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Secrets, sickness and sin sulk around the cemetery and Hazel is nothing like a proper society lady as she tries to uncover what is really going on.
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Beautify dark and atmospheric I really enjoyed this read plus look at this stunning cover.
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Thank you @Wednesdaybooks and @NetGalley for an arc in exchange for an honest review.
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Look for this book on January 18th!

A gothic fantasy romance featuring an FMC who desperately wants to be a surgeon? I mean if there was a ever a book i feel was written specifically for me, here it is. Contrary to what I was expecting, this leans heavily towards mystery/historical fiction, and the fantasy element creeps up on you at the very end of the novel.

The story follows Hazel, an aspiring surgeon, and Jack, a grave robbing body snatcher, as they find themselves at the heart of a mysterious sickness and string of peculiar events plaguing Edinburgh in 1817. I loved the attention to detail when discussion anatomy and medical history of the time (it's clear Schwartz took heavy inspiration from Frankenstein, a personal fav of mine).

My main critique of this novel is the ending felt rushed and I would have preferred to see some more philosophical/nuanced discussion of race, class, priviledge, and medical ethics.

All in all, I know teenage Olivia would have absolutely loved this book, and considering this is a YA release, it's a book I know young STEM minds will devour.


Thank you to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for the ARC, all opinions are my own.

Needing a historical medical tale to tide you over? Dana Schwartz's Anatomy: A Love Story tells the tale of Lady Hazel wanting to break boundaries. Her heart is set on being the first female physician. But that is not an approved society "norm." Readers are taken on Hazel's journey to help find a cure for Roman fever, show that females can be physicians and be with resurrection man Jack.
I recommend this tale for anyone who is a fan of Frankenstein or 1800s tales. I found the resurrection plot line compelling and Hazel's character line moving. This book did drag and the romance aspect could've been left out.

I really liked the premise and atmosphere of this book, but the romantic plot line was a little underwhelming, especially considering my expectations based off of the title of the book . This was primarily due to the pacing. The main character and love interest don't fully meet until about half way through the book, and from there they rush through the stages of friendship, love and conflict. They did have some really cute moments full of good quotes (I did enjoy this author's writing style), but I couldn't get past the pacing. Additionally, the ending didn't really do it for me. It was both sad and unexpected, in a weird way. Obviously, I don't have to like the sad aspects of it, that's subjective, however I do think the reason it was unexpected was because it wasn't built up well. Even the very end had me a caught off guard. I couldn't tell from the writing style if it was supposed to be open ended or if the author is going to write a sequel. Overall, this book had some really good elements, like the romantic quotes and setting/atmosphere, but the pacing really dragged it down. Whereas the first half of the book seemed to drag, the second half was full of good moments, but also lacked some clarity. With those considerations in mind, I would recommend this book to any fans of the Stalking Jack the Ripper series, as it has a lot of similarities.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. (via Netgalley)

Not quite what I was expecting but I enjoyed this!