I was excited to read this sequel because of Jack. I had to get past 200 pages of Hazel moving on with her life before Jack’s fate was revealed. After that point, the story was much more interesting to me. I agree with other reviewers who suggested that this book would have been better as a novella.

Thank you to Netgalley and St Martin’s Press for the ARC!

This was a great sequel to Anatomy.
I loved the plot of a doctor being accused of something because they were merely trying to help. Sounded like a great reflection of the world currently.
I found myself wanting the story to continue and spoilers I am probably the only person on the planet who wanted it to end up differently.
Over all I loved this book and highly recommend it to others!

I really enjoy Dana Schwartz's writing and this follow up to Anatomy stays true to that! This story is little gruesome, a little unexpected, but still totally enjoyable. This book doesn't have nearly as much romance in it as book one, so I'd say this is more the love story of a woman and her work.

If you go the audio route, the narrators do a wonderful job bringing this story and these characters to life!

*Steamy kisses with descriptions of tongue, some nudity, one fade to black scene

The conclusion in the Anatomy Duology, sees, Hazel Sinnett, trying to move on with her life after the events of book 2. While holding out hope that Jack somehow survived, she continues her medical practice.

Hazel ends up becoming the physician for Princess Charlotte. This widens the depth of characters and adds another layer to the intrigue.

While I liked this book, I liked book 1 much more. I felt like the gothic and macabre motif was missing. The princess storyline was ok but left me wanting to explore more about the secret society she’s invited to.

I liked the ending but have questions.

Overall, if you’ve read the first book, read this one. If only, to see how it ends.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC.

Hazel Sinnett is one of my favorite characters ever, a woman, not afraid to work hard for what she wants, and who doesn't accept when people tell her no unless they're a Prince, Princess, or King of course)

She's a Doctor, Surgeon decades ahead of her time, just practicing medicine at all makes her a fascinating character to read and I loved every page of it.

In Immortality we pick up right where Anatomy left off, Hazel is trying to put the pieces of her broken heart back together when a woman she calls Mary shows up on her doorstep, deciding to help her isn't something Hazel even thinks about, but it sets in motion a string of events that will change everything.

I love the premise of these books, the setting, and the visual storytelling is impeccable and our characters, I found myself forgetting this was a book and not a movie I'd been watching.

I read this book in a day, once I started it I couldn't put it down, the historical characters woven into the story with Hazel had me hooked, I couldn't wait to see who else would be missing a finger, who might know how to recreate that magical elixir or who would be left standing at the end of all that happens.



This should have been a five-star book for me, I mean England and Scotland's first female surgeon a secret society, immortality, ships sailing the ocean, and royalty, this book was pretty much written with all the tropes I love in it, that being said there were a couple of inconsistencies that kept bothering me, If I could give it a 4.5 I would, as it stands I have to go with a four.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press, Wednesday Books, and NetGalley for providing a copy of this ebook, I have voluntarily read and reviewed it and all thoughts and opinions are my own.

When I say IMMORTALITY was one of my most anticipated releases of 2023, I mean Dana Schwartz was legit having me long for February — February!! — during the height of sunshiny summer last year. *That’s* how badly I needed this book in my life.

Set a year after the events of ANATOMY, IMMORTALITY drops readers back into Edinburgh in the early 1800s; while her marriage prospects have all but fallen to the wayside, Hazel Sinnett has secretly built up quite a reputation as a female doctor. Her patients include the working class along with the ton though these former friends and acquaintances now quickly usher her out back and side doors after her work is finished, rather than bring out tea trays and biscuits.

Though she’s discreet, one patient ultimately leads to Hazel’s arrest — until an unlikely source comes to her rescue. The Crown has personally requested Hazel’s aid in treating Princess Charlotte’s mysterious illness. While the most renowned minds haven’t been able to determine a diagnosis, there’s hope that the princess might feel more comfortable being seen by a female doctor, especially one close to her own age.

Meanwhile another doctor is trying to treat King George III’s rapidly deteriorating health, a secret society has invited Hazel to join their ranks, and it’s still unknown whether Jack managed to survive, though a mysterious letter from America gives Hazel reason to hope.

I had pushed ANATOMY on so many friends, mainly as the ‘make out scene in an open grave’ book. But, friends, it was SO much more than that. And IMMORTALITY is just as fantastic. I inhaled it in one day, soaking in the royal gossip, the literary scene (I truly believe Lord Byron is haunting me), the distraction of a very handsome doctor, and the medical mystery. I was ecstatic when it was first announced there would be a sequel to ANATOMY but now I’m so sad this series is still listed as a duology!!

If you’re looking for a fast-paced, fun, historical YA, look no further. Nefarious doctors playing with fate, swoony scenes, name-checking the who’s who of the 1800s, the absolute works of art that are those book covers — what’s not to love!

What's it about (in a nutshell):
Immortality: A Love Story by Dana Schwartz is book two of a historical fantasy duology that explores what happens when a woman decides to become a doctor in pre-Victorian Scotland. The story contains mystery, thrills, a light romance, a reimagination of history, and the solution to how one can live forever.
My Reading Experience:
I loved book two, Immortality, even more than book one, Anatomy. Anatomy had large sections in the middle that tended to drag a bit. Yet, Immortality was fast-paced from beginning to end. I couldn't have put the book down even if I had wanted to because the story kept moving from one dire situation to the next.

I also loved the look at what would happen if a woman dared to try to enter the role of a physician. The reactions in the different situations and how Hazel handled the turmoil that went with going against the grain of society felt so real. It is detailed in a very authentic manner with a heroine who could withstand the heat, and who doesn't love a heroine who will consistently stand up for herself?

There is a relatively light romance that's perhaps more heated than the period would have been comfortable with, but it is not the main flux of the plot. And it is joined in Immortality by another romantic entanglement that is much more modern but still feels very authentic and provides an exciting twist to the story.
Characters:
I love Hazel, the main character. She is independent, intelligent, and driven. She is everything I've aspired to and more. She is also kind and compassionate, always taking a more holistic approach to her patients. Hazel is a heroine that deserves to have every reader in her corner cheering her on.

All of the characters – historical and created by the writer – are so well fleshed out that they practically leap off the page. They never act in the run-of-the-mill, stereotypical fashion but instead exhibit the many dimensions and layers of a natural person. I'm awed by this, especially when taking in Jack's story.
Narration & Pacing:
The narration is in third-person limited, focusing solely on Hazel from start to finish. The use of the third person rather than the first worked to establish the boundaries of the society, keeping the reader close but not too close. The first-person might have made for an even more exciting and intimate story, but the third-person works very well.
The pace was fast from start to finish. I never experienced lulls or lags as I read, which I appreciated.
Setting:
Pre-Victorian Scotland and England is the setting for this story. It was interesting to see the differences between the two geographically close areas. They worked exceptionally well for this story. They have populated enough areas that a woman doctor could conceivably find patients but areas that also help firm to social conventions and norms.

Read if you like:
Historical Fantasy
A female lead who is inspirational
Plenty of mysteries and thrills

I first want to say thank you to Netgalley and Wednesday books for the arc. This is one of my most anticipated reads of the year and I ABSOLUTELY LOVED this book. I needed to know what happened to Jack after the way Anatomy ended and I was so glad that this book picked up where anatomy left off. I can not recommend this book enough. I love Hazel, Jack, Charlotte & all of the other characters that we meet.

4.5/5

Immortality is a sequel to Anatomy: A Love Story. In this book, there’s more romance and more fantastical aspects. Since Hazel’s arc was pretty much resolved in the first book, this is more focused on events that happen to her as she’s trying to practice medicine and ends up getting pulled into the London society scenes and a secret society filled with historical figures.

To me, this read almost more like a full-length epilogue to Anatomy, filled with adventure. It was a fun read that was hard to put down.

🎧 I read both of the books as an audiobook, and really enjoyed the format! The narration by Mhairi Morrison really helps pull you into the time and place of the book.

This book had less focus on character growth, less surgeries, and less of the commentary on sexism and classism that we saw in Anatomy. Instead, the focus was on various situations Hazel finds herself in, some dangerous, some exciting.

There’s a small love triangle in this book, and I don’t know… I was really liking the other guy too. I kind of liked how their life together would have been. That LI was so sweet to Hazel throughout the book, I loved the incredibly thoughtful gift he got for her, how he had her back and I also appreciated that he wasn’t bitter at the end.

I really enjoyed the secret society in this book as well, Companions of Death. There were many well-known names from history in one place. I love it when stories take people we know and put them in a brand-new context, combining their real back stories with imagined ones.

There were some fun side characters in this one too. From a princess to a cute dog, and a man whose fashion is stuck in the past. In Anatomy Hazel was more isolated, but in this book, she's surrounded by good (and some bad) people, most of them supporting her ways big and small.

For those that really liked the gore/horrror-ish vibes from the first book, this has a lot less of that. It still reads gothic, but since there's less grave digging, and more balls, the gore level is diminished.

Thank you to St Martin's Press, Wednesday Books and NetGalley for the eARC.

I first read Anatomy: A Love Story when I saw that it was one of Reese's book club books. I enjoyed the book, but thought it was a little bit slow paced- it wasn’t a book that I couldn’t put down. This sequel was way better! This book has a bit of everything- friendships, love, mystery, fantasy, and a strong female main character. There is a lot happening in the plot, so I thought it was a much faster paced read than her last book. The historical characters thrown into the mix were fun too. I was really rooting for Jack and Hazel in the first book, but I had mixed feelings about them in this book. If you weren’t sure about the first book, give this one a shot.

Thanks to Wednesday Books and NetGalley for giving me the chance to read and review this E-ARC. I will publish this review on Goodreads, Amazon Canada, Barnes & Noble, and Instagram (@ABookishStar).

Immortality: A Love Story by Dana Schwartz was a fun and fast pace read! I liked this book a lot more than the first book. The sequel wraps up the loose ends nicely. It also leaves room for the readers to guess what will happen next / or leave possibility for a spin off book. This book is fast pace

My favourite part of this book was the introduction of the new characters. I loved Simon!! My biggest issue with this series is the romance. I am not a fan of the romance storylines in these two books. I do enjoy the cute romantic moments, but I felt the main romance itself could have been developed strong in both books. There was a lot of focus on the paranormal and mysterious illness plot lines, that the main romance felt overshadowed and underdeveloped.

Overall, Immortality: A Love Story was an enjoyable read. I'm glad the author wrote a second book. This sequel wrapped up nicely, and it was fast pace. I wasn't a big fan of the romance, but I love the focus around Hazel being a surgeon.

I had such high hopes and expectations for this book after absolutely loving the first, but this one fell a bit flat for me. I think maybe this would’ve worked better as a trilogy, the first part seemed to drag and the second part seemed too rushed.

Overall, I liked the way everything wrapped up in the end, but I feel like we were rushed to the finish line and certain parts weren’t given the attention they should have.

Hazel is still amazing, and I would do anything for her.

Thank you Wednesday Books and Macmillan Audio for the gifted book and ALC. [Spoiler free series review]

What I enjoyed about this series:
• The Edinburgh setting (Anatomy) and London setting (Immortality)
• Gothic vibes
• Regency era
• Interesting main character
• Very unique premise
• Jack ♥️

I know I was not alone in feeling not fully satisfied with the ending to the first book in this series, Anatomy, so I was anxious to see where Immortality would take us. I have all sorts of mixed feelings about this series and there were parts I felt a little “eh” about it, but overall I enjoyed them. I love the gothic vibe and regency setting and there is a certain Midnight in Paris (one of my favorite movies!) feel to the sequel that I enjoyed. The series is 3/3.5 stars for me, but the audio narration is a 5!

TW/CW: descriptions of surgery and illnesses/dead bodies/grave digging. Abortion.

Anatomy definitely needed a sequel as I was definitely keen to get some well deserved closure after Hazel's realtionship with Jack and this one definitely doesn't disappoint. There is a whole lot of drama in Hazel's life with her being betrayed and ending up at the prison. Next, she is taken into royal life and a whole community called Companions of death with her constanly making huge decisions that could impact her life big time. As a sequel, though it felt a solid one, it could have been shorter in length. I definitely missed Jack in the one!

**3.5-stars rounded up**

Immortality is the second book in Dana Schwart's YA-Gothic Fantasy Romance The Anatomy Duology. First, let's get the most obvious thing out of the way. This cover is absolutely stunning and the two novels together are perfection. They also fit this story nicely. These books follow Hazel Sinnett, who after the tumultuous events of [book:Anatomy: A Love Story|57917042] finds herself on her own.

Not one to give up in the face of adversity, however, Hazel continues to plug along, doing what she does best; learning about human anatomy, while also putting her knowledge to good use helping the underprivileged of Edinburgh.

When a young woman comes to Hazel, scared and distressed, she never even considers turning the sick woman away, even though the procedure she requests is against the law. Unfortunately for Hazel, her efforts that day don't go unnoticed and she is arrested and imprisoned. The punishment, possibly execution. This is no joke.

Just when Hazel thinks it's the end of the road for her, a confounding message arrives that saves her skin. She has been specifically requested to be the personal physician of Princess Charlotte, the sickly daughter of King George IV. Before she knows it, Hazel is freed from prison and transported to the Palace, where she must befriend the Princess, a task easier said than done, and figure out just what the heck is wrong with her.

As Hazel becomes more involved with the royal court, it's clear to her that something is afoot. If she can't figure out what it is, and soon, there could be a lot more than just her life at stake. We have a mystery on our hands!

Immortality is a very solid sequel. Sometimes it can be difficult with a second book to create the same magic as the first, but I think Schwartz pulled it off overall. I was delighted from the get-go to be back with Hazel. I really grew to love her over the course of the first book and she was sticking true to herself in this follow-up.

As a girl who goes against the grain of what family and society expect of her, Hazel's personality rings true and is quite intriguing. I love how she never backed down, even when her family basically shunned her. She took risks and although doesn't live the most extravagant lifestyle, I think she's able to sleep pretty comfortably at night.

I was sorry to see her get into a bit of a pickle early on in this one, but it was fun watching how she got out of it. Of course it was more pure luck and her reputation than anything else, but we'll take what we can get. I also liked her immersion in the royal court. There were definitely some interesting characters flitting about around there and as expected, a ton of royal drama.

While this one didn't feel as dark and gothic to me, mainly due to the different road the plot went down, it was still well done as far as the atmosphere and overall vibe. I also missed the dynamic we had between Hazel and Jack in the first one. As they were getting to know one another, the pining and tension was fantastic and you really couldn't have that same thing here. I missed it, but obviously understand why that couldn't be a part of this continuation.

However, we do get another intriguing man, a doctor no less, circling around Hazel like a bee to honey, so that definitely brought some more cute fun.

I've enjoyed watching Hazel grow over the course of this story, as she became even more committed to her vocation, in spite of the contempt, disrespect and disregard she received from most of her male peers. I also enjoyed the light fantastical elements sprinkled throughout the duology, the idea of the immortality serum; to learn more, you'll have to read the book, by the way.

Thank you so much to the publisher, Wednesday Books and Macmillan Audio, for providing me with copies to read and review. I enjoyed my time with this duology and am looking forward to reading more from Dana Schwartz. I hope she sticks to the gothic-feeling, light-fantasy romance style that she brought us here. She does it so well!

This is book two in the Anatomy Duology.

I loved Anatomy and I enjoyed this one just as much. Hazel has returned but this time around she’s sent to England to be the personal physician for Princess Charlotte, the granddaughter of King George III. While in London she’s trying to figure out why the princess is always ill, gets invited to a secret society of scholars, but all she keeps thinking about is Jack…

I would recommend reading Anatomy first to understand what’s going on. It was the perfect ending to the duology. Hazel is a strong woman, she’s rebellious, and she kept true to herself. I love how she always puts the needs of others first and the ending…no spoilers but I loved it! My only complaint is that Hazel’s story is over. ☹

Immortality: A Love Story by Dana Schwartz is a delightful follow-up to the first in the series, Anatomy: A Love Story. It picks up right where we left Hazel Sinnett, a young woman living in Scotland determined to become a surgeon during the Regency era when it was severely frowned upon for women to do anything other than become a wife and mother.

Ever since I finished reading Anatomy last year, I could not wait for Immortality to be released so I could find out what happens with Hazel & Jack. Despite some minor plot holes and pacing issues, I had a lot of fun reading this book and could not put it down. My only wish was that it was a bit longer to give more space to develop some of the relationships more. I didn’t feel as emotionally invested as I did with the first book.

That being said, the pages flew by as I immersed myself in the mysterious, Gothic world of Hazel Sinnett. Schwartz’s ability to blend historical fact with fiction adds a layer of authenticity that brings everything to life. The amount of care and research that went into the book is clear.

If you’re looking for a fun, quick read that has aspects of multiple genres including romance, historical fiction, and fantasy, the Anatomy: A Love Story duology is an excellent choice.


Thank you to St. Martin’s Press & NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to Dana Schwartz, Wednesday Books, and NetGalley for the advance reader copy of Immortality: A Love Story, the sequel to Anatomy: A Love Story.

Hazel Sinnett is back! I was so intrigued to see where Dana would take this sequel, I could not help myself and I had to sign up to review. I was pleasantly surprised with this sequel. It was a great follow-up filled with historical easter eggs and satisfying twists.

Check out my more detailed thoughts below…
Characters: We are back with Hazel and she is still more confident with a scalpel in hand than about the state of her life. After Jack’s disappearance, we return to her attempting to keep it all together. The Jack-shaped hole in her heart is apparent and does give Immortality’s Hazel a more mournful tone and demeanour. I did not see it as her spunk or spark from Anatomy having disappeared, instead, she has had to do some growing up and we are getting quite a natural character progression for someone trying to move on with her life after losing her first love.
Setting: This sequel gives us a change in setting as we are whisked away from Edinburgh to London. Not just to London but to a royal palace to help an ailing Princess Charlotte. The year is 1818. It was these historical easter eggs that really made the book shine. My biases come through here as for one I myself have a history degree, but also I am just a huge fan of Dana Schwartz’s history podcast Noble Blood. Fans of that podcast will love this book and if you are not already a listener of the podcast I highly recommend it.
Pacing: I was having some issues with the plot and pacing, especially in earlier parts of the story. Something as simple as it takes us four or five chapters to see Hazel arrested and to really kick off the impetus for the sequel. I personally would have tightened up those first few chapters, maybe into just one or two to keep the pacing going. I read another review that said this may have been better served by a novella which I don’t agree with as so many of the wider plot and world-building elements needed some room.
Romance: I do not want to go into much detail on the romance elements of the story as I do not want to spoil you. Obviously, this story opens with our protagonist heartbroken over the potential loss of her love. Of course, those who have read the first book, which is a must-do before this one will know the state of his life and death was left hanging in the balance. I wished some of the answers came a bit earlier, but that probably stems from some of the issues I had with the pacing. This book is less of a love story than Anatomy. A better subtitle to me maybe would have alluded to the mystery elements which were fascinating and probably one of my favourite parts of the book.

Immortality: a love story is the continuation of Anatomy: a love story. Spoiler: I LOVED Anatomy.

Sometimes in the dead of night, if Hazel distracted herself long enough….she could pretend that Jack was still alive.

The second instalment is full of:
•handsome doctors
•secret societies
•Victorian surgery
•love

This book was a fun, quick read. But I’m still just not quite sure how the secret society fit into it. I feel like Anatomy could exist as a stand-alone. However, I quite enjoyed Immorality.

This is the second book in The Anatomy duology. The first book, Anatomy: A Love Story (which came out last year) was such a surprising read and became a new favorite of mine. It had such a dark and gothic feel that lent itself well to the overall subject of the book. Hazel, the main character was trying to become a surgeon in 1800’s Scotland. This was unheard of for a woman in that time and frowned upon too. Hazel though, she just never gave up. She was tenacious and had so much ingenuity to problem solve. She was my absolute favorite character in the first book and she is still my favorite character after reading book two.

Book one ended on a cliffhanger of sorts so I couldn’t wait to read the sequel, Immortality. For me, it didn’t disappoint. I was on pins and needles so ready to find out what happened to Jack and without spoiling I will say it’s a bit into the book before that is revealed. The first book is still my favorite but I enjoyed this one and love where the author took it-especially when Hazel is called to court by King George to help save his daughter. I’d recommend this duology completely.

I was given an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.