I adored Anatomy: A Love Story and I was so excited to delve once again into the world of Hazel and Jack. If you were disappointed by the cliffhanger ending in the first book, you'll be happy to know that this book wraps everything up in a pretty little bow and everyone pretty much gets their happy ending.

However, this was a miss for me. Perhaps I had my expectations a little too high. The eerie, macabre vie that enraptured me in the first book was noticeably absent here. This could be because the setting takes place in gilded, ornate palaces of London rather than the dark cobblestone streets of Edinburgh. Hazel is thrust into Regency court politics and an underground society known as Companions to the Death. I'm not sure if the plot was lacking or if the brand new cast of characters interrupted the tone. However, Immortality did not feel cohesive to its predecessor. I found the pacing to be quite slow until the 70% mark.

Hazel remains one of my favorite heroines and while this book was underwhelming for me, I was sad to see the story conclude. I hope this duology is one day adapted for a TV series.

The cover for this book is every bit as exquisite as the first book in the duology was. They are creative and eye-catching. So clever. With this being the second book and a follow up to Anatomy, I eagerly awaited it. The last book left the readers with a bit of a cliffhanger and I was curious to see how things resolved themselves.

This book picks up where the last one left off with Hazel Sinnett continuing to pursue her medical goals while still pondering her love, Jack's fate. Hazel puts herself out there though and doesn't turn anyone away when treatment is needed. This tends to put her at potential risk that can endanger all she holds dear.

As her adventure continues, Hazel will have the opportunity to meet many interesting people including royalty, members of a secret society and more.

This was a fun and satisfying follow-up to the first book and it provides a solid and satisfying conclusion.

AUDIOBOOK REVIEW: The audio narration was simply wonderful. The different accents were done well and it helped immensely when it came to differentiation between characters - - especially with the secret society members. I find that a good audiobook truly helps me escape into the story. This one was truly enjoyable. 5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley for both the early review copies of the ebook and the audiobook. I voluntarily chose to read and listen to them and write a review. The opinions contained within are my own.

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the ARC.

Hazel definitely sounds much older in this novel but the story was still flat. I can see where it tries to be eventful but the writing doesn't portray it. The main character goes to jail for a minute but it didn't feel like a big deal at all. All the turning points of the book were easily missable. It was nice Hazel got her HEA but the switch from her goal of being a surgeon to wanting Jack felt forced and not much aligned with her character.

I was lucky enough to be granted an advanced reader's copy of this novel. I was a little concerned that I had yet to read Schwartz's first novel in this series. I dove in expecting to be confused and lost but from the first chapter I was captivated!

Hazel Sinnet is not sure if the love of her life, Jack, is alive or dead. Being the strong-willed, highly capable and educated woman that she is, she carries on doing what she does best, treat patients in need. Hazel is known for her medical abilities, maybe too well known and by helping the wrong person she finds herself thrown in jail. She figures her fate has been sealed until she is released and requested to assess and treat Princess Charlotte, the daughter of King George IV. While Hazel is staying on royal grounds attempting to treat the sickly Princess, Hazel takes up company with the Royal court as well as a local social club referred to as the Companions to the Death. As Hazel becomes more and more mixed into these two groups she knows that her own reputation is at stake and she along may be the only one that can make reality "right".

I could not believe how fast paced and enthralling this story read. I felt transported back in time and fell in love with Hazel's likeable character and was forever rooting for her on her endeavours. This novel takes on many twists and turns keeping you guessing until the end. Having not read the first book in the series, I most certainly will get my hands on it. That being said, I did not feel that I could not follow the storyline. I gave this book a 4/5. What did you think?

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martins Press/Wednesday for the advanced readers copy and advanced listeners copy!

Trigger Warnings to note: Rape, Abortion, Graphic scenes involving blood.

Specific to the audio – I was not a fan of the narrator. It felt like there were pauses in weird spots and the speaking didn’t flow well. It almost felt like an AI voice was reading the story at times, not an actual person telling a story. I am not sure if there was an error with my copy? Other than that, it seemed like a clear and well-done file.

I read Anatomy nearly in one sitting. It was so good and I did not want it to end. I was super excited to hear about book 2 as I felt that the first book ended on a fairly sad note. I am happy to report that this book gave me all the closure that I wanted from the ending of the first.

Although this book is set in the 1800s, I felt like some of the themes were still applicable to things women face every day. Hazel is a female in a very male dominated field. She encounters hurdle after hurdle just trying to do what she loves. I absolutely loved getting to see Hazel grow and thrive, and break down so many barriers.

Overall, I really enjoyed this story. I felt it to be not as good as the first book but it was also everything I was hoping it would be.

Rating: 4.75/5 ⭐️

Publication Date: February 28th, 2023

Author: Dana Schwartz

Review: I absolutely loved the first book in this duology. It was so easy to jump right back into this book. Just like the first one I didn’t expect the book to go the way that it did. From the start Hazel was fighting her way through her life trying to be the best doctor and also being a women. Every chapter has something going on that keeps you on your toes. You think you know what happens in the first book with a certain someone but then … boom a bomb is dropped. Kind of like the first book the ending is very unexpected but unlike the first book this is the ending that you absolutely want.

I also liked the dynamic between the British cohorts Hazel had for a couple chapters i thought they were going to change the whole book.

I had Anatomy on my TBR for far too long. As soon as I saw this audiobook, I grabbed it, binged it and fully enjoyed it. I couldn’t wait to pick up the second, and to my surprise, it was even better than the first! Hazel only gets better!

She has that independent woman energy—a character well before her time and a strong female lead we don’t deserve. She gives me Eloise Bridgestone vibes, but actually getting to live out her dreams! I loved getting to see what happened to Hazel after she started to hone her craft.

This book took on more of the fantastical element, introducing new characters that were as equally as badass as Hazel. This part of the book reminded me of the historical retellings from The Lady Janies.

The ending and romance elements were the only parts I didn’t love, and in my opinion, what held the book back a bit. But that’s just a personal preference in YA books.

I would love for the author to surprise us and just keep writing books from Hazel’s POV as she galavants around Europe curing diseases, making scientific discoveries, and solving world hunger. I would 10/10 read anything with Hazel as the main character. Plus, aren’t we all dying to know what other brilliant covers can be brought to life?!

I am so happy that I got to listen to the ARC of the audiobook of Immortality. I really enjoyed the first book in the series and had high expectations for this one, which were definitely met. First thing’s first: that cover art is to die for. Both of the books had such stunning cover art that really made me more interested to read them! Second, the plot really ramped up in this book and more characters were introduced that served the book well. There were parallels to today’s challenges with reproductive rights as well as historical looks at the penal system. Third, the book definitely has some supernatural/fantastical elements and also diverges from the true historical record. These elements make the story even better. The narrator was so-so, unfortunately. While I liked her voice and her accent was perfect for a story set in Edinburgh, her pacing was very slow and sometimes her rhythm included some pauses in places I wasn’t expecting. I wound up listening to the audio at 1.25x speed and that helped a lot. Immortality is a worthy sequel to Anatomy!

As soon as I finished Anatomy, I found myself needing more of Hazel Sinnett. Dana Schwartz's sequel takes us on an adventure with an inspiring female protagonist who is well before her time.

Miss Sinnett breaks societal norms and defies expectations, forging her own path in life. She is self-reliant, confident, and assertive, unafraid to stand up for herself and her beliefs. She challenges the status quo, refusing to be confined by traditional gender roles or expectations.

Hazel serves as a role model for young readers everywhere. It is that which makes Hazel immortal. I look forward to adding Immortality: A Love Story to my classroom library.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press Wednesday Books for this ARC.

I received an audio copy of this book for review from Netgalley. I had not read Anatomy when I received Immortality so I jumped into both. Listening to them back to back made the story so much better for me. That cliffhanger wasn't so tall with the second book on queue. I love Hazel. She is a strong woman who will not give up on her dreams. She also has a secure sense of morality. I enjoy all things gruesome and macabre and this series fit the bill. Can we just talk about the beautiful covers? I would hang them on my walls. Gorgeous.

I really liked the first book and thoroughly enjoyed this audiobook. The narrator was wonderful. It got a bit ridiculous at the end but it's totally worth reading. I hope there is a third book.

3.5 ⭐️

This was a decent follow up to everything that went down in Anatomy.

Hazel finds herself in the middle of breaking laws, glitz and glam and mystery in the royal family and an itty bitty tiny love triangle. She manages it all with grace and is just as smart and headstrong as we’ve gotten to know her in book 1.

The last 25% however sort of lost some of that excitement and energy. Everything fell into place a little bit too quickly and so neatly, it kinda made me wonder “couldn’t we have done this all along?”

I feel like this duology could’ve benefited from being a trilogy instead with Hazel searching for the answer to a question she asked repeatedly during this book (iykyk)

I cannot believe I was given the chance to listen to the ARC audiobook for Immortality: A Love Story! I absolutely adored the first book, Anatomy: A Love Story and so getting to read this one early was so exciting. AND- it didn’t disappoint!

This series does a fantastic job transporting you back to early 1800s Britain by giving in-depth plot surrounding science, royalty, and society from that time period. I’m a huge history nerd so this book really kept me intrigued! (I would categorize this as YA historical fiction with a supernatural twist)

Book one left me with a million and one questions that were finally answered in this one! 👀 We see a whole new cast of fascinating characters (+ a few familiar favorites return!) and the supernatural elements hinted at in book one are finally explored!

My only note was that I wish this book had been longer or split into a third novel since it’s supposed to end the series (at least that’s what I assume based on the ending). The ending was very rushed and while it still worked, I would have loved to have seen a bit more plot and development before the author wrapped everything up on such a hasty note.

Overall: read this series! I enjoyed it so much and I hope the author continues to write similar stories!

I give it 4 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you to NetGalley & MacMillan Audio!

A sequel that is better than the first??? I am BLOWN AWAY! Immortality is more than I could have ever asked for and I need more of this dark historical fiction girl power story line.

I adored Anatomy, but Immortality was somehow even more incredible and exciting! I loved seeing the different plotlines woven throughout Hazel's story. The book was exciting, thrilling, and pulled me right in from start to finish! This is such a fantastic YA duology!

First, I have to start by saying that I did not read the first installment--Anatomy. This book, however, could definitely stand on its own. (I will be going back to read Anatomy, though! Too good to miss out in that!)

The female narrator was great. Even with the accent, I listened at 2x speed with no issues. The male narrator had a heavier brogue and I had to slow it down to 1.75x for his parts. Nothing against the guy, but I didn't think that his reading of newspaper clippings added much.

Hazel Sinnett is a complicated character. She's tender, but tough; she's educated, but naive; she's romantic, but practical. She is an easy to root for character that straddles the line of following societal norms while pushing boundaries. It was a fun love triangle with her, Jack, and Simon. It's obvious that Dr.Beecham's story would be more flushed out had I read the first book, but I didn't mind not being able to grasp every single nuance.

The ending fell a little flat for me, but still one of my favorite reads of the year, so far!

Overall: 4.5 stars

I'll tell my students about: trauma, murder, language, alcohol, blood/gore, LGBTQIA+

**Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the free ALC prior to publication. All opinions expressed are my own.**

I loved Dana Schwartz's previous book, Anatomy: A Love Story, and was very excited to see that there would be a sequel with the same characters. This one had all the things that I loved about the first novel- the characters, Hazel Sinnett's pursuit to be a female physician, and the setting of the United Kingdom in the 19th century.

I was surprised by the more... fantasy element that this one involved more than the first, but enjoyed it the same.

I felt like the author wrapped up the character's stories pretty well and it will not lead to a third novel.

I enjoyed book number 2 better than the first book. I want to thank Netgalley for this arc. I was really invested in this book up until the last 20 percent of the book. I guess it's because it did not end like I wished, but since the first book focused on the job of grave robbers and the use of bodies for science it makes sense. I wish the main character Hazel would have gone a certain way, but I realize her obsession with James will not allow her to really have a relationship she deserves. I did enjoy the new friends that Hazel made in England, and it did add to the story. Also, this book does have LGBTQIA representation, and it does have an impact on the direction the book takes in the end. Overall, I did enjoy this series, and that the story kept my attention, and the pace is very good. I just wish that Hazel did not risk her reputation for the happiness of others.

A much needed addition after the lacking ending of 'Anatomy', though the strongest points of 'Immortality' don't reach the highs of its predecessor. Recommend this for those who need to see Hazel's story seen through, and can bear with a bit of a meandering plot with indulgence historical additions (particularly the inclusion of Lord Byron, though his portrayal is enjoyable for anyone who is less than a fan of his work). I'm a fan of the setting, the brand of horror, and above all the protagonist so I give this a glad 4 stars.

On the audiobook specifically -- so blessed to have Mhairi Morrison back in my ears. Can't wait to hear her next work.

This books follow Hazel Sinnett after the events that transpired in the first novel of this duology, Anatomy: A Love Story.

Hazel is back home treating patients when suddenly she is wrongfully arrested and thrown in prison. Thankfully, her reputation as the only female surgeon in Scotland got the attention of the royals of England who rescue her and bring her to London to treat the princess who is suffering from a mysterious illness.

I loved this sequel just as much as the first book. It's a regency era historical novel filled with medical science and romance and a dash of fantasy. Schwartz's writing style is hauntingly beautiful and atmospheric, and though it is considered a young adult novel, it reads more mature which is a plus for those not typically a fan of young adult fiction such as myself.

I cannot wait to see what this author comes out with next!