The premise of this story along with the beautiful cover had me so intrigued! I loved the gothic themes and uniqueness. It reminded me a lot of my experience reading Stalking Jack the Ripper! I wish the feminist take on this historical moment was focused on more, especially in comparison to the romance. For me, the love story title really brought up my hopes on the romance, but I was always more interested in the other plots which was a slight let down overall. I felt like the story felt rushed and jumped around from narratives to try to squeeze in romance, mystery, and gothic intrigue all at once. I enjoyed it but I didn’t love it as much as I hoped to.

This book started out a little slow, but I really loved the characters by the end! Excited for the sequel!

Edinburgh, 1817. Hazel Sinnett is a lady who wants to be a surgeon more than she wants to marry.
Jack Currer is a resurrection man who’s just trying to survive in a city where it’s too easy to die.

I loved this story of a young woman who wants to become a surgeon and the boy she meets who helps her. Also the cover of this book is so good! Hazel is left on her own for the summer in her family castle and she is determined to pass the medical exam so that she can enroll in the university, which will not train women for surgery. She meets up with a boy who is a grave robber and soon makes a deal to get some of those bodies so that she can practice on them. There is a mystery, a love story, and it's so atmospheric. This is a gothic love story with a strong feminist character.

I was given a copy of this ebook by the publisher and NetGalley and all opinions are my own.

I'm going to be honest, I mostly picked Anatomy: A Love Story up because of it's cover, since I'm thoroughly enamored with how they shaped Hazel's gown into an anatomical heart. That aside, I had just finished reading Mary Shelley's Frankenstein for the first time, and thought that this would be a suitable follow up (it was!).

Anatomy follows Hazel, a girl who is desperate to become a physician, even though everyone she meets tells her it's impossible because she's a woman. She ends up making a deal with a famous doctor that if she can pass the Physician's exam on her own, that he'll allow her to study at the medical university. Queue her looking for bodies to dissect and analyze, and enlisting the help of Jack, a resurrection man she recently met. The two team up and steal bodies together, while trying to figure out who's kidnapping people and figuring out where they belong in the world.

Anatomy was exactly the sort of book I'd have fallen in love with as a teen, with a heavy emphasis on romance and a dash of feminism and gore. I loved Hazel's determination and her confidence that she could achieve her dreams even without the support of anyone in her life other than her family's staff. Jack was interesting, I liked how his life and desperation wasn't sugarcoated or brushed off. I did wish he had gotten a bit more development though, because his desperation and intense romantic feelings were most of what we saw of him, rather than any real aspirations or interests. While the novel is dual POV, Schwartz made it clear that the emphasis was supposed to be on Hazel and her life but I think it held back some of Jack's potential. The romance between the two of them was so cute though, and felt very natural from the amount of time spent together.

Plot wise, I guess I should have understood that the story was going to be romance heavy because of the title, but I was still a little surprised about how the kidnapping mystery was kept in the background until the climax. I did guess one of the reveals pretty early on, but I still enjoyed the story anyway (and didn't see that ending coming at all).

If you're looking for a love story between two teens or just want one about a girl and her love of science, definitely try picking Anatomy up! The writing pulled me along, it had some very romantic lines (albeit a bit unbelievable that a teen was saying them but you know what, it was fun so who cares) and Hazel was such a fun, strong heroine.

*Arc provided by Netgalley and St. Martin's Press in exchange for an honest review.*

Hazel wants to be a surgeon, Jack digs up bodies for a living, what could go wrong? After Hazel is caught pretending to be a man in a surgical program she has to rely on Jack to help her continue he studies along with private lessons with Dr. Beecham. All this with the backdrop of a city infected with a highly contagious fever, people going missing, and Hazel's impending engagement.

The whole time reading this it felt very reminiscent of Stalking Jack the Ripper by Kerri Maniscalco. At times that made it incredibly hard to read and become attached to the characters. There are enough differences to technically make it something of it's own, but it just felt too close for me. I also think calling it a love story felt misleading because the real "love story" is not Hazel and Jack, but Hazel's love for medicine. This one just wasn't for me, but I'm sure it could work for a lot of people who like historical fiction.

This book was fantastic. While it took me a couple chapters to get into it, I really appreciated the pacing after that point. Hazel is a strong female protagonist in a world that doesn’t want to see women as strong. The plot was overall well written and I truly enjoyed to twists and turns.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC to review.

Great book! Love the cover so much! Can't wait for a sequel I think the story has so much potential!

I really enjoyed the book. I loved the main character and definitely related to her a bit, with the wanting to become a physician. I admire her determination and also she just seemed to be good. If I had one critique for the book, it would be that it almost feels unfinished, or just shallow. I wish there was a bit more world building, and that we got to know the characters better. I felt like we weren't really eased into anything. Even the romance felt a little instalove. Every interaction with other characters felt very surface level, and even the "villain" I saw coming from a mile away and there was never good resolution or even confrontation with them. I also feel like the MC kinda becomes stagnant about halfway through the book and nothing interesting ever really changes for her after that. She never really has to deal with society or her conveniently absent parents or conveniently supportive house staff or conveniently absent cousin (even once they're engaged. And no that's not really a spoiler). Despite all these, I still really enjoyed the book. There is a little magic thrown in, but its barely really explored or mentioned and almost seems more like an afterthought or easy way to get around a problem so the author could have the ending she wanted. Again, I think it would have benefitted from more worldbuilding. Overall a 3.5 star read!

I was drawn to check this book out because it reminded me of the Stalking Jack the Ripper books, which I love. In Anatomy we meet Hazel, who has a passion for medicine and wishes to become a surgeon. The problem? It's Edinburgh in 1817 and women, especially noble-born women, are supposed to be meek, pretty, and have no life or opinions outside of marrying well and producing children.

Then there's Jack, a resurrection man (a person who robs graves and sells bodies to the medical college). He's just trying to survive but his friends are disappearing and a strange illness is spreading through Edinburgh.

When Hazel is discovered to be a female by the professor whose surgical classes she's been sneaking into and is thrown out, she's more determined than ever to continue her studies. All she needs is access to dead bodies. Luckily, a chance encounter introduces her to Jack and they form a tentative agreement. What starts out as a business exchange soon turns into something much more.

I really loved this book. It was definitely one of my favorite reads at the end of 2021, early 2022. While it is similar when compared to other books (Stalking Jack the Ripper, The Corpse Queen, etc.) it was those similarities that originally drew me to the book. It is unique from at lease SJTR in the difference in social class between Hazel and Jack.

My only drawback was the ambiguity of Hazel and Jack's relationship at the end of the book. Will they ever get to be together? For a "love story" as the title specifically states, I wanted more of a tied up ending.

I hate that I took so long to pick this one up! You don't get a lot of options to read about a woman trying to break in to the medical field in the times of body snatchers (or "resurrection men") and medical breakthroughs.

I really liked Hazel. She had a full uphill battle with the need to marry rich and her absentee mother and father. All but betrothed to her cousin since birth, she wasn't allowed a lot of options. But Hazel isn't even thinking about that. She's focused on medical work and understanding how the body works. Luckily there is a plague traveling through with no cure and it's an opportunity for Hazel to learn her skill and make a name for herself.

But women in these times aren't doctors, they aren't surgeons and they aren't hired to work in medical fields. She is determined to be the first. I liked Hazel's stubborn fight, the interesting facts about grave robbers vs snatchers and just a peak in to the time. The plot had me hooked, the love story was cute, and I found myself completely wrapped up in the story. SO glad I finally got to this one, I loved it!

A huge thank you to the author and publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.

I predicted some of the plot points but I never saw that ending coming. I need a novella. Hazel was a great protagonist and I loved her relationship with Jack. I felt like this book went by a little fast, both in terms of the plot and the romance. But I still enjoyed it.

Thank you to Wednesday Books for the e-ARC of Anatomy: A Love Story!

Secrets out: I vibe with women in historical fiction that like graverobbing & going against the ~Man~ to learn medicine/surgery/etc.

I do feel like the start was a bit slow but I really did enjoy the cast of characters, the romance, the ending & just the whole conflict, in general. A perfect read for those who love books with a strong & interesting female lead!

This book was amazing. I coudn't put it down. It was magical. Higly recommended! The characters, the plots, the writting: wonderful and perfect.

I love the premise of this book. It makes for such an interesting read and the author did such a good job. The story was so well-written and I loved the dimensions to the different characters. A little thriller, a little romance, a little different than you are used to storyline!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!

This book was seriously good.
Starting with the cover- can we talk about it?! From a distance it’s all dreamy and elegant, but then looking closer it’s somehow still elegant but looks like a beating, bloody heart. Perfect mix of pretty and creepy.

The setting and characterization were very well done. You can feel yourself following along with Hazel throughout the story, learning and growing with her. The same with Jack as he learns to trust Hazel and falls in love with her.

One thing I didn’t like was that the POV would switch to Jack, and then in the next paragraph we’d be back to Hazel. They’re both great characters that are well developed with fantastic stories all on their own, I just would’ve appreciated a little more clarity on who was speaking when.

All in all- great book. Very reminiscent of Stalking Jack the Ripper. I would definitely read it again and I can’t wait for the sequel!

The never tells the story of Hazel who wants to learn anatomy. She has to fight for her dreams in a profession that is dominated by men. The writing is very beautiful and meticulously researched. The story was very slow moving. There is very little mystery, but the focus is on the romance. The romance was very interesting and develops over time. I love both Hazel and Jack and believe they complement each other. I recommend this fans of Stalking Jack the Ripper!

This is one of those books where you can't quite a book quite like it (at least for me) in terms of the layers with the medical terms and descriptions of procedures that create a morbid fascination that you don't expect in YA. That being said, I was immersed in after about 20% in. It did take a bit of time for me to truly find interest in the characters and the more I grew to either adore or find them repulsive (not in a negative but positive way the author writes them well) the more invested I became. I will say, towards the end, I was a bit shocked. It definitely gives you a gothic like vibe with a flash of Penny Dreadful vibes though nothing too far out there. But just enough.

I will say I wish I saw more for the romance. I did find it endearing but it was very short and felt almost cheated (again, it could be the point) at certain points though I'm not going to say what to keep spoilers out of this.

Overall, it was a fun and easy read. The characters were flawed nicely and while I feel some things were left unaddressed, it was well rounded story.

My Rating: 4 Stars

The convenient absence of her mother and father leaves Hazel with an unbelievable amount of time unsupervised. Months spent alone in her family’s large castle, with nothing but servants for company, all so Hazel can pursue her dream of becoming a physician. Somehow, no one notices the large number of people frequenting her home and Hazel is able to treat dozens of people for various ailments without being caught or questioned. Even though high society is incredibly observant and critical, even though Hazel is all but engaged to a viscount to be.

I love how competent Hazel is and how determined she is to be a physician. Jack is…fine. He’s barely developed as a character, despite several chapters being from his point of view.

Several months pass without contact between Hazel and the outside world, it seems. Few letters from her mother, little to no contact with Bernard, even though he lives nearby and is practically engaged to Hazel. This time could have been spent developing Hazel and Jack’s relationship but the extended timeline was just there so Hazel could study and practice on her patients in preparation for the physician’s exam. The plot is very much driven by this point when it could have spent more time on the romance between Hazel and Jack, to make it more developed. For all that this book is literally called a love story in the title, the love story aspect was entirely unsatisfying.

The plot and romance didn’t reach the depths I expected based on the summary and I found myself wanting more. The book was an easy read and will likely resonate with younger readers, barring the somewhat gruesome descriptions of dead bodies. It would be a fine addition to a school library.

This was a very fun historical fiction with a tinge of the horror thrown. I like having a female protagonist who had a thirst for scientific knowledge who turned into bit a sleuth. Not too heavy on the love story though.

"She would breach the world between life and death, using electricity to reanimate flesh. What were miracles, but science that man didn't yet understand."

Set in Edinburgh, 1817.

This is a book that follows two character's POV. Hazel Sinnet is a lady of means who wants to be a surgeon, which most respectable lady of this time did not do. Then we have Jack Currer who is a resurrectionist (aka a grave robber), who illegally exhumes bodies in grave yards for the local medical schools. Jack and Hazel are from completely different worlds, but both with common interests.

This is a romance that circulates around science and the coming together of two people from completely different backgrounds. This book also has an element of mystery to it as Jack and Hazel exhume bodies that were said to have died of the fever, but were missing body parts.

This book was very well paced and at times had me rushing through the text to find out what happens next. It was well written and completely immersive. It felt like a normal historical crime book, with a smart independent, ahead of her time protagonist. I did appreciate the small fantastical details we got towards the end which really helped the book stand out.

I also loved the dual perspective of Jack and Hazel, which added depth to the story.

I really loved Jack. He was a sweet and kind love interest. I loved the chemistry between Hazel and Jack and how it was slow burn. In spite of the book's length, the author put alot into slowly developing their chemistry.

This book spared no details on the corpses that were operated on, or on the procedures. Each procedure and each corpse was well discribed.

Overall I loved this. It was a smooth read with fun characters and a wonderful plot line. I gave this a 4/5 stars because while it was fun with some unique details, it also felt fairly average.