This was such a gorgeous book! Nothing makes me happier than gothic historic fiction and this one definitely checked all those boxes! The writing style was stunning as well!

Anatomy: A Love Story by Dana Schwartz is primarily a historical fiction story at it’s core. This one also has a bit of fantasy, a bit of romance and an air of mystery all in a gothic setting so of course it grabbed my interest being a fan of books that define being classified as any one thing.

The story is set in Edinburgh in the year 1817 where Hazel Sinnett is at the age where she is discovering who she is and who that is doesn’t like being stuck in the female role. Hazel would much rather become a surgeon than be married off to her suitor.

Hazel grasps her opportunity to study by sneaking into lectures as a male but when Hazel meets Jack Currer she sees an opportunity to take her studies one step further. You see, Jack is a resurrection man and he can bring Hazel the bodies she needs to further her education with practice on a real corpse.

Anatomy: A Love Story by Dana Schwartz was such a fun book to read. This was a unique story with a strong female lead trying to break out of society’s expectations. It’s odd to say there is gruesome and gore but still some romance and more in this novel. Definitely one that kept the pages turning wondering where the story would lead next.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

This was so much fun! I really enjoyed the narrative style of this, and the characters were likable and entertaining. The vibes in this was great. This was absolutely a romp and such a good time. I won't say I was deeply affected by this but sometimes you just need something kind of ridiculous, kind of trophy, and overall a good time. Recommended if you like historical mysteries.

I was totally drawn in by the gorgeous cover of this book, and the description sounded like something that I was absolutely going to love. Unfortunately this didn't live up to my expectations. I found it very slow in the beginning, and the ending then felt very rushed.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my review copy!

Two young lives intersect in this unique novel set during the early 1800s in Scotland. Hazel and Jack come from two different backgrounds, and are both looking to survive in a difficult time. With Roman Fever rearing its ugly head again, being a resurrection man and a woman interested in curing the disease, both Jack and Hazel find themselves facing social and other challenges...

I really enjoyed the book overall, and would recommend! It was a quick read and kept me on my toes.

Wow! The cover of this book is gorgeous, but man, the plot is so quirky and engaging. I found the Gothic mystery to be very enticing, set in the early 1800s of Edinburgh, Scotland. The city is,being plagued by illness and murders and aspiring surgeon Hazel, befriends a "resurrection man" or grave robber named Jack. The author researches the backdrop of the city at that time and I found some of the things that were occurring to be quite horrifying, but in a "I can't stop reading....how did this actually go on?!" way. Dana is a great author and weaves the story and characters together so well. Some of the characters could have been a bit more well developed, but I really loved Hazel and Jack!

I would recommend this book to my teen patrons who like historical fiction. This book was like reading a BBC historical drama and I mean that as a compliment. It was difficult to put down. I became quickly invested in the characters and had to know what happened to them. When I read this book I expected a romance because of the title, but I would say there isn’t that much romance. This is more of a coming of age story and a good one.

While the setting and circumstances of this novel were unique, grotesque, and interesting, I was not impressed by either the characters or the plot of this story. In my opinion, the author had an original, gritty, and fascinating idea that fell apart during the execution. I just wasn’t invested in the characters, and found myself struggling to stay attached to what was taking place on the page. This book could have been really amazing, but it fell short, for me.

Every now and then I decide to take a chance on a YA read and Anatomy: A Love Story did not disappoint! How could I pass up mystery and romance in 1817 Scotland?

This book was so original and beautifully written. Hazel was wonderful. I loved her ambition to be a doctor and surgeon and how she viewed people. Social standing meant nothing to her. Through her studies in medicine, she grows more empathetic and determined to help people. Jack was lovable from the start. He immediately saw Hazel for her beautiful mind and I love that he encouraged her to pursue her dreams. Jack and Hazel’s love grew naturally and was believable. It came off very mature and not at all cheesy or unrealistic.

I loved the mystery surrounding people disappearing and the Roman plague. It added a darkness to the story that made it hard to put down. The mystery and romance was so well balanced and I enjoyed the hints along the way that made the reveal at the end so intriguing. I highly recommend this if you’re looking for something both mysterious and fanciful, dark but still fun. Schwartz’s writing is truly lyrical. The only question now is: Is this just the beginning of Hazel Sinnett?

When I first saw the title of this book I knew I had to read it no matter what! Im a female, a doctor, in a man's world....so the premise behind this book was truly intriguing! add in a love story, a strong female character and gross medical references - I was completely sold! Thorough enjoyed this book and loved that Reese picked it for her YA winter choice!

A lot of this book's problems could have been solved if it had been NA instead of YA - to have 16 year old Hazel practicing medicine was wild. Even as a 16 year old I would have found that unbelievable. And the characters seemed more mature than teens, too, and not in the way that 17 seems like adulthood when you're 13.

But a lot of this book's problems would have persisted all the same: it's not spectacularly written, with a lot of repetition and some language choices that made me question historical accuracy. Maybe its worst offense, though, is that it's woefully underplotted and then the entire book is jammed into the last 30%. There's really nothing that happens in the first 70% besides Hazel going to medical school (!!) and Jack being like "I will steal bodies for this pretty girl," and then all of the sudden there's a black market for organs? And then an IMMORTALITY SUBPLOT?

Honestly just kind of ridiculous overall.

I picked up this book because it gave me Frankenstein vibes, and while historical fiction is not my go-to genre, I’m a sucker for a female-led science-fiction novel, especially when it’s equal parts gruesome and lovely. And that’s what you’ll find in Anatomy: A Love Story. The title hides a double meaning, because while our intrepid heroine, Hazel, indeed does find love in the book, it’s truly her infatuation with the human body that takes center stage.

As far as characters go, Hazel is one of the best I’ve read in a while. She’s wildly intelligent and frustrated by the fact that she’ll never get to be a surgeon all because she was born a woman. Although we have many more opportunities than our 19th century counterparts, it’s a struggle that many of us can still relate to, and Hazel’s confidence in her own abilities is inspiring, to say the least.

With excellent pacing, good character moments, and just enough science and romance to please any fan of this genre, I’d be hard-pressed not to recommend this novel to those of you looking for something equal parts warm, spooky, and brave.

This book was fun. It gave me some Stalking Jack the Ripper and Frankenstein vibes. I thought it was a great start but did slow down just after halfway through and the ending became a bit predictable. The epilogue was also a little confusing and left things open ended. Overall it was a fun YA Historical Fiction and was what I needed in this moment.

This is billed as a YA Alternative History, but I think I’d call it YA Fantasy.

Set in 1817 Edinburgh, Hazel is an aristocratic young lady who is determined to be a surgeon. Jack is a poor, streetwise resurrection man just trying to survive and avoid arrest. After being turned away from classes at the Anatomist’s Society, Hazel studies on her own for the medical examination. Jack provides the cadavers for her studies. But strange (at times gruesome) things begin happening, including people disappearing and then reappearing not as “whole” as they once were, and all of this while a miraculous discovery is made by a renowned surgeon whose grandfather became a recluse obsessed with the occult and longevity. They must work together to uncover dark secrets and save lives.

I enjoyed the first half of this one more than the second. I absolutely loved the spunky, tenacious Hazel and her devotion to her craft. And her interactions with Jack were fun. But I felt as the story wore on it became more implausible (and yes, I KNOW it’s fantasy) and too “convenient”. And there were instances where I felt confused about aspects of the plot (including the ending).

Overall, I’d give this a thumbs-up just for Hazel alone.

My sincere thanks to #NetGalley and #WednesdayBooks for providing me the free early arc of #AnatomyALoveStory for review. The opinions are strictly my own.

Before I start this review, can we take a moment for this cover. Stunning.

Anatomy is a gothic story about a female surgeon, Hazel, in 1817 Edinburgh. Hazel finds herself "elbow deep" in her work, leaving no time to think about match-making or marriage. Enters Jack Currer, Hazel has got into her profession to help people; where Jack is stealing bodies to sell back to the medical schools as cadavers. Their paths should have never crossed, but when a sickness comes to town, the two unlikely pair must team up before things get worse.

This book is perfect for fans of Stalking Jack the Ripper. I feel Audrey Rose and Hazel would have been great friends. The only thing I would have change is I don't know if I would label this as a romance. I feel Hazel had too much love for her work, that everything else kind of fell into the background. I'm not saying that is a bad thing, I actually applaud it. We see Hazel struggling in a "man's world", so I appreciate that Dana Schwartz didn't make Hazel an accessory in society, instead gave her a voice and a mind of her own. The end of this book takes a interesting turn, and I'm interested to pick my friend's brain on it after they finish. Overall I really enjoyed the story, and will definitely look more into this author's work.

I have high hopes this book will be a success. Being a part of Reese's YA book club will have a huge boost in popularity, but I think the big seller will be the unique cover art.

I’m not sure how but I completely misunderstood what this book was about when I requested it. I’m not much of a historical fiction reader. I tried giving it a little time but it wasn’t for me - but definitely a case of wrong reader. Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the advance reading and listening copies.

I loved this book! The atmosphere is so spooky and unexpectedly gory and lovely. It does feel by-the-numbers YA, but not in a bad way? I didn't feel particularly shocked and surprised, and could see Schwartz checking off a list of YA book pieces as she went (main character with something to prove and unexpected dream, frowned upon by society, unexpected love interest, jilted by expected love interest, etc etc), but it was kind of comforting, even if predictable. Great to see Dana Schwartz as a novelist as well as comedian!

As a fan of the author's podcast, I was not disappointed with her debut novel. A romantic, gothic romance set in Regency Scotland. Gorgeously atmospheric with a great main character

I thought that this book was pretty interesting! I think if you liked Stalking Jack the Ripper by Keri Maniscalco you'll probably also enjoy this work. I'm unsure if this book was supposed to have some deeper meaning that I just didn't pick up on, but it did feel a bit...surface level? I'm unsure how to describe it: the book was pretty good and fast-paced but it lacked a certain depth and intensity. I also was unsure why the last fifth of the book needed to go the way that it did. It felt like a fanfiction of Stalking Jack the Ripper in the way that the last part unfolded. Which, I should say, isn't necessarily bad it just wasn't anything new or exciting because it was so similar. There was a bit of plot armor going on, that I think must have been holes that needed to be edited out, but I still thought that overall this story was pretty enjoyable! I saw that the author teased a bit of a sequel on Goodreads so I'll definitely be checking that out, too! If you like Stalking Jack the Ripper (YA), or The Death of Jane Lawrence (Adult) but with a little less graphic nature, you'll definitely like this!

3.5 stars rounded up.

ANATOMY: A LOVE STORY is a story about sexism and the story of one girl willing to do what it takes to achieve her dream of becoming a surgeon during the 1800s. Schwartz is obviously a fabulous storyteller who knows how to draw a reader in well. I loved the world-building in this story so much. The setting is absolutely perfect for the story, a mixture of old world gothic horror and regency romance. Edinburgh gave this book such a great gothic atmosphere that made this feel like a great mashup of everything I loved in STALKING JACK THE RIPPER and BRIDGERTON. I also really liked Hazel's storyline as she fights to become a surgeon and be taken seriously by a patriarchal regency society that has predetermined her fate and her worth as a woman, something all women in this era dealt with. There's a fabulously feminist streak in this book I couldn't get enough of. While I did like the dynamic with Hazel and Jack, I find it odd that this book was marketed as a romantic fantasy. The fantasy element feels non-existent for the vast majority of the novel, and it isn't the romance that is the central part of this book. These are not necessarily bad things, but it definitely challenged my expectations going into this one. This book is at times grotesque and eerie and I was here for that, but this book felt much more historical fiction-y in the vein of SJTR as opposed to a fantasy. I'd buy Science fiction too. But that's just me. I also felt like the pacing at first felt so slow, and the climax/ending was definitely rushed. And I'm not sure how I felt about that ending. But regardless of all of this, I enjoyed Anatomy for it's Frankenstein-esque feels and its resourceful heroine, and it was a decent read.