Put 2/28/23 on your calendars, everyone — we’ve got a fantastic sequel on our hands!

🧠 REVIEW: IMMORTALITY: A LOVE STORY 🧠

By Dana Schwartz

📖 SUMMARY: After the events of ANATOMY: A LOVE STORY, Hazel is trying to move on with her life, continue treating patients, and work on her medical treatise. But she soon finds herself working for the Royal Family, which comes with both incredible privileges and risky opportunities. There is something going on behind the scenes, and she’s not sure who to trust. Then, when someone from her past comes back into her life, it seems like it’s only a matter of time until everything she’s worked so hard for comes crashing down.

💭 THOUGHTS: I was so so excited to read this since I loved the first book in the duology, ANATOMY: A LOVE STORY. I wasn’t sure where this sequel would go, but I loved the connection with Princess Charlotte and the royal family. Hazel is still the same badass who doesn’t care that “women shouldn’t be surgeons” and she takes it up a notch with everything new she faces! I can’t say too much about the plot of this book without giving spoilers for the first one, but just know that you’ll be very satisfied with this if you loved ANATOMY.

Thank you to @ netgalley and @ wednesdaybooks for the ARC. This comes out in February and I can’t wait to get my hands on a physical copy!

✨ RATING: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

🥰 YOU’LL ENJOY IF: you loved ANATOMY: A LOVE STORY and read/watch everything related to the royals, past and present

Hazel was almost entirely alone at Hawthornden Castle.

Immortality is the sequel to Anatomy and I highly suggest that you read the first in this duology before picking up this one. In the first, we were introduced to late teenagers Hazel and Jack. Hazel comes from a titled family, however, her older brother died from Roman Fever sending her mother into perpetual grief and her father is off guarding Napoleon. Hazel wanted to be a surgeon, so she dressed as a boy to get into the Anatomists school and from there she meets Jack, a resurrection man and Dr. Beecham. The first ends with Jack getting hung for being judged guilty of being the Kirkland Killer and Dr. Beecham disappearing after he gives Hazel a tincture that he claims if drunk, makes you immortal. Hazel gave the tincture to Jack but readers were left with only an unsigned letter saying: “Come find me in America.”

The envelope was thick and blood red, and sealed with red wax stamped in the shape of a human brain. It was addressed, in red ink almost invisible on the envelope but for the way it glistened in the candlelight. Her name was on the front of the envelope, written in perfect script: Miss Hazel Sinnett.

This one starts readers off with a jump back in the past to 1794 Paris and the famous chemists Antoine and Marie-Anne Lavoisier. Antoine is being lead to the guillotine and Marie-Anne is surging forward to give him a tincture. This was a good little insight to the origins of the tincture before we jump back to the present of 1818 in Edinburgh and see how Hazel is doing after Jack's hanging and breaking off her engagement with her cousin. Although Hazel never took the doctor's exam, she's thought of as a surgeon and people, rich and poor, go to her for ailments. She's a curiosity barely clinging to propriety. When a woman comes to her after trying to abort her baby, Hazel's maid warns her she's putting herself in danger but Hazel brushes her off. This first half has us seeing Hazel mourning Jack, not certain if that one sentence letter was from him and getting imprisoned under the charge of helping a woman with abortion.

She felt guilty, as if she had betrayed Jack by kissing Simon, and betrayed him again by enjoying her kiss with Simon so much.

In Calton Gaol, Hazel spends a few weeks realizing the consequences of chasing her dream of being a surgeon, losing friends and family. After a sham of a trial and found guilty, Hazel is thinking she is being lead out to her hanging but instead a carriage is waiting for her. It turns out that Princess Charlotte has some mysterious disease and the Prince Regent has sent for Hazel thinking Charlotte will let a female surgeon near her. The story then moves to London and we get Hazel trying to treat the princess, starting a friendship, that maybe could be more, with the King's personal doctor Simon von Ferris, and the introduction of the secret society, Companions to the Death. The princess' illness was obviously to get Hazel to London and the secret society. At first, it was pretty wishy-washy with Hazel and the princess, it takes a while for the princess to even allow Hazel in the room with her and until the later second half, this thread was more to the side. The Companions to the Death was a intriguing addition and I wish we could have spent more time there. In a sort of Death Becomes Her thread, Hazel is introduced to the society that includes the likes of the Lavoisiers, Lord Bryon, and Voltaire. They're all missing their pinky and claim to be immortal. After someone gets shot and Hazel sees how their body responds, she believes them and after seeing her skill as a surgeon, they want her to drink the tincture and join their ranks. However, like Bruce Willis, Hazel doesn't want eternal life and she becomes an honorary member.

Jack Currer, the boy Hazel had loved and lost, made eye contact from across the room.

With the fleshing out of the immortality thread starting in the first, there was a little political talk/atmosphere of the day with the mad King George and the people pinning their hopes on Princess Charlotte. This political atmosphere gets tied in with the Companions to the Death but I can't say if was fully, clearly done and felt somewhat rushed cobbled together at the end. What I know a lot of readers are waiting for, at around 60%, yes, Jack makes an appearance. We get a flashback from Jack's point-of-view and learn what happened to him. There's some hurt from Hazel about him not contacting her, Jack thinking they had no future, and some questioning of what Hazel wants out of life as Simon and Jack both seem like roads she could travel.

“My heart is yours,” he said. “Beating or still.”

This had more of those Gothic feeling tones of the first and leaning towards gruesome with some of the ailments Hazel treats, some political messaging, deciding what matters to you most in life, and some late danger and heroics. There were some meandering moments that I thought could have been edited for expediency and the storytelling didn't feel as tight as it could of but Hazel and Jack got an ending I think readers will be happy with.

LOVE LOVE LOVE THIS BOOK! This is the sequel to another book I adored, and it does not suffer from the Sophomore Slump. It continues the story of Hazel and her maybe dead-maybe alive lover Jack, as she struggles to move on after his devastating end. This journey leads her to an underground society full of familiar names who may not be what you think, prison, a handsome and charming doctor, and to the royal family as a physician. I always feel like I’ve been through a true adventure when I finish Schwartz’s books, and this is no exception. A wonderful follow up.

My thanks to Dana Schwartz, St. Martin's Press and Netgalley.
This book was every bit as good.As the first. I just loved Hazel. I was kind of crushed to discover that this is the final book! I'm seriously going to miss this world. I'll be keeping my eyes open for other stories from this author.
Highly recommended!

Immortality: A Love Story is the sequel to Anatomy: A Love Story by Dana Schwartz. The story centers around Hazel Sinnett, a doctor and surgeon who is also a disgraced socialite. Hazel treats patients in her family's home, oftentimes for little or no payment. She is also working on her treatise, a book for common people to understand how to treat common illness, while mourning the loss of her first love Jack.
Hazel finds her reputation to have spread throughout the lands, leading her to be summoned to treat England's Princess Charlotte, who is afflicted with a mysterious disease. In England, Hazel is pursued by a mysterious secret society, who has use for her talents. She also comes face to face with her past and has to make some dangerous decisions.
Dana Schwartz has written another spectacular story. Her vivid descriptions of the setting and the depth of her characters make you feel as though you are part of the story. You feel the grittiness of the city and you smell the decay. You emphasize with Hazel as she deals with the situations she finds herself. You feel her joy and her pains.
Immortality: A Love Story is a fantasy, an adventure, and a romance all rolled into one. It is rooted in history but with some twists and a little magic added. I hope there is a third book as I feel Hazel's story is not done yet.
Thank you to Netgalley, Wednesday Books, and St Martin's Publishing for the advanced copy of the book. The opinions are my own.

Thank you NetGalley, Wednesday Books, and Dana Schwartz for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review! I loved Anatomy and was so excited to read this one and it did not disappoint!

This book follows Hazel Sinnett after what happens in the first book, Anatomy, and shows her working as a surgeon and moving on after Jack. She ends up getting arrested and is then requested to be the personal physician of Princess Charlotte. While she’s treating Charlotte, she meets the members of the Companions to the Death social club as well as the other doctor at British court, Simon.

I loved the historical references in this book, especially with the Companions to the Death! I also really enjoyed Hazel once again and getting to see her working as a doctor. Honestly, this book had so many parts I enjoyed: British court, science, romance, etc.

I think fans of the first novel will love this one because it exceeded my expectations and wraps things up in a nice way! Unless there’s a third book, which I wouldn’t object to. The plot in this book is a lot different than the first, but still remains very interesting and true to the time period. The writing is beautiful once again and includes some great social commentary and lyrical prose.

I highly recommend this book and I’m giving it 4.5 stars!

We return to Edinburgh, where Hazel Sinnett, a rare woman surgeon, is working on real people instead of bodies this time around. At least until she's arrested and soon after sent to attend as doctor to the ill Princess Charlotte. She discovers many secrets while at court, including a magnetic society filled with interesting people who are a little different than than others. She also meets handsome doctors and pompous royalty, all while her mind continues to stray to one person. After all, this is...: a Love Story.

This book was an incredible sequel to Anatomy: A Love Story. I adore Hazel as a character. Like many woman of her time period, she's constrained by society's rules for what is believed to be a woman's purpose, but she doesn't let it stop her. She utilizes her intelligence to help people, even when it's dangerous.

I enjoyed seeing her grow more in this book, where shes not as afraid of societal obstacles and she fights harder for what she believes in and cares for.

All of the new characters we were introduced to were super intriguing as well. Each interpretation of real people was incredible and I feel like I could honestly imagine some of them in the situations we get to see them in.

Also, Simon was a man after my own heart.

Anyways, this was an amazing book, a well deserved 5 star sequel in my opinion. Great storyline, pacing and fascinating characters that keep you hooked! Highly recommend!

Thank you St. Martin's Press/Wednesday Books and Net Galley for the chance to read this amazing arc!

This ARC was provided by Wednesday Books, and NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.

"She had been in love, real love that gave her goose pimples and made her grin for no reason. She had gotten love, and that was more than plenty of people got on this planet." –Dana Schwartz, Immortality: A Love Story

After absolutely devouring Dana Schwartz's previous novel Anatomy: A Love Story, I was eager to see where the story of surgeon Hazel Sinnett went and the ultimate fate of her grave-robbing paramour Jack Currer.

The sequel does an admirable job of mostly sidestepping the problems that come with writing a follow-up to a story that could stand alone. Without getting into spoilers, there are new mysteries for Hazel to figure out as she comes into her own as a surgeon in Georgian Britain. This time around, it does feel like the narrative spins its wheels on occasion as the central hook isn't as compelling as in Anatomy, but the characters and world Schwartz envisions are enough to keep reading.

Unsurprisingly for readers of Anatomy or fans of the podcast Noble Blood, Dana Schwartz is fantastic at delving into a period's historical details without ever letting the story turn into an overlong encyclopedia entry. She alters the recorded facts when they suit the narrative and conveniently details the changes at the back of the book for anyone interested, so there's an opportunity to learn more about the Georgian period afterward.

Hazel Sinnett is as compelling of a protagonist as ever, and Schwartz adds plenty of new characters to the cast to develop her world. Immortality doesn't fall into the second-book trap of feeling like the middle chapter of a story that will conclude in the next entry, which can often make the sophomore novel feel hollow until everything wraps up. For me, the initial romance in Immortality wasn't as appealing as in the previous book– though the eventual twists and turns lead to a love story that comes together in the end.

Fortunately for a reviewer, reading Immortality: A Love Story around Halloween is a phenomenal fit that is perfect for the eerie autumnal season. Dana Schwartz follows up her strong gothic debut with another entry for fans of romance and historical fiction alike.

Hooray, a sequel! I finally feel like everything got wrapped up after the first novel. The medical cases were interesting and the social society had some interesting characters as well.

Kindly received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Book received for free from NetGalley

Im so glad I came across this book as I absolutely loved the first one in the series… and this one didn’t disappoint. So good. Love the characters, story, and everything! Would love any continuation in the future 💕

Oh boy! I was waiting this second book of the series for so long, asking myself what the hell happened to Jack and I wished he found his way of surviving! That cliffhanger gave me heartache!

I want to start my review by chanting for this beautiful cover! ( the same concept with the first book and this is even more amazing) Just like its magical cover, the second book grips you tight, hooking you up with action packed, riveting storyline.

Hazel Sinnett: living at family’s mansion Hawthorden with her cook who is expecting and cook’s husband, abandoned by her family, becoming a disgrace after acting like a man to become an anatomist at academy and studying medicine. She suffers from grief, missing her love of her life Jack who has been unfairly charged to death sentence and hanged after she gave him the tincture which may have helped him to become immortal. But he still didn’t reach out to her. Is he dead or alive? Dr. Beecham who put the blame on Jack fled the country, might be still alive and hide in somewhere.

After being wrongly accused of murder and betrayed by one of her patients, Hazel finds herself in prison cell to wait for her death sentence.

But surprisingly when she expects to get hanged, she’s put into carriage heading to England where she will be practitioner to heal Princess Charlotte who has been suffering from Roman fever.

Hazel thinks after being recovered from Roman fever, it’s impossible to suffer from same ailment so Princess Charlotte might suffer from some disease undiagnosed. If she doesn’t treat her properly and find the real reason what’s happening to her, she will be sent back to jail and she will also put her family’s life into danger.

Even though she still misses Jack’s absence, she meets with kind hearted, flirting Swedish doctor Simon who shows her opinions big respect and needs her help to treat the king who suffers from madness. And she also becomes a unique part of a very special community named themselves Companions of Death with so famous members including Lord Byron, Voltaire, conducted by Marie-Anne Lavoisier: a very famous chemist. ( their meetings reminded me of the famous scene of Woody Allen movie: Midnight in Paris where the entire famous artist gathered in a bar, drinking and chatting together.)

As Hazel starts spending more time as a member of special group, she realizes nothing as it seems. A love triangle, life threats turn her life more complex than ever. She realizes she has to make important choices for her own life and her loved ones.

Overall: I hardly put this book down. This was even better than the first book. The characters, the story’s pacing and progression, thought provoking approach to feminism were perfectly developed! Giving my 5 immortality stars!

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

I would like to begin by saying that I will not be including any spoilers in this review, everything in the book was absolutely amazing. It exceeds all my expectations when it came to the plot, the characters and plot. Again, Immortality: A Love Story is written beautifully. I loved the descriptive writing and imagery which makes this installment just as atmospheric as the first..This are a definite must read.

A special thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press & Wednesday Books for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.