If you have not read the first book, Anatomy: a love story, you may not want to read further do to book 1 spoilers.

Immortality picks up where Anatomy left off. We were left with an ambiguous ending in Anatomy with Hazel unsure as to whether Jack, her love, is truly dead or alive. Hazel continues living her life by treating patients and being the best female surgeon she can be. Unfortunately, helping people can be a liability at times and land you in jail...just like poor Hazel. With no word from the outside world, Hazel is led to believe she will die in her cell until suddenly she is whisked away to be the personal physician to the British royal family.

This book was fully of political intrigue, mysteries, more information on the infamous elixir that brought immortality within Anatomy, and more romancing than book 1 brought. Personally, I thought this was an incredibly satisfying end to this duology. I would even say, this book was better than the first. While it brought attention to an important topic, I didn't think the arrest / jail time was really necessary. Overall, some of the little twists and turns were a delight. I like the idea of immortality wearing down on the body, as it is not meant to last as long as 'forever'. Lastly, the sapphic representation in this book, and where it led, was well done & absolutely lovely.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for an advanced reader's copy for an honest review.

*loved* the Scottish lilt of the narrator really helped bring the story alive. I love this series. great time all the way around

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and Netgalley for this Audio ARC

This was an absolute delight. To be back with Hazel just made me so happy right off the bat and I thoroughly enjoyed the pacing, direction of the plot and character development over the course of the book. I barely put this book down, I could not be distracted away from it. The mentions of Edinburgh were accurate, the nods to the historic time period (mostly its pitfalls and limitations) were intriguing and the grotesque surgical depictions came together to make a knock-out sequel, I think I enjoyed it even more than the first. Overall an excellent book, and the cover is simply incredible. I would absolutely recommend this book!

Last year, I read Anatomy: A Love Story and fell in love with everything about the 1800s gothic tale full of mystery and romance. Immortality: A Love Story is a continuation of the story of Hazel, a female surgeon from Edinburgh, and the misadventures that she finds herself in.

If you enjoy young adult historical fiction with a twist of romance and a dash of fantastical elements, I highly recommend this book! I listened to the audiobook and absolutely loved the narrator who mastered Scottish, British, American and Swedish accents throughout!

Thank you to @netgalley, @macmillan.audio and @danaschwartzzz for the ALC!

QOTD: Would you become immortal if you could? Why or why not?

Rating: ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
Author: Dana Schwartz
Publication date: February 28, 2023

First of all, yes, you can read this without reading the first book. I jumped right into this one, and the writer does well when we have flashbacks or re-tell what happened in the past. I felt like I knew exactly what was going on and wasn’t confused. Having said that though, I wanted more of Jack in this book and think that the first one would have been just that. So, I’ll probably read it anyway.

The first parts of the book are a bit slowly paced as we get [re]acquainted with our female lead as she mourns for Jack (but still hoping that he escaped death). She gets into some trouble after she saves a woman’s life and is thrown in jail. I was so mad at the lady that she helped and mad at all the people who wouldn’t do anything for her. Laws of the past make me livid sometimes. Anyway, the descriptions leading up to what Hazel thought would be her hanging was so emotional for me. I could just picture her solemn state vividly in my mind.

After she’s pulled from prison, she lives a completely different life as Princess Charlotte’s personal doctor in London. Hazel makes new friends, joins a secret society, and has a new love interest. I enjoyed all the characters and felt like each one was strongly developed. THEN Jack comes back into the picture, and I won’t reveal any more than this. We finally get some answers, and even though it’s abrupt, I think readers will be happy with the ending.

↠ 3.5 stars rounded up

This is a beautiful follow up to Anatomy: A Love Story. It answered so many questions that were left at the end of the last book. The end left me wanting more of a story, but not with unanswered questions. As a mother of a young daughter, I love books that show woman are strong and can lead their own path, even when you have a love.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Dana Schwartz for providing me with a complimentary digital audiobook ARC for Immortality: A Love Story coming out February 28, 2023 The honest opinions expressed in this review are my own.

The second book picks up with Hazel Sinnett alone and half-convinced the events of the year before were a fever dream. Was the immortality of Beecham’s vial all part of her imagination. She doesn’t even know if Jack is really alive or dead. She puts all her energy into secretly treating patients and maintaining Hawthornden Castle. 

Hazel gets arrested for treating a patient. She seems doomed to die in prison until royalty intervenes. Hazel is requested to be the personal physician of Princess Charlotte, the sickly granddaughter of King George III. Soon Hazel is thrown into the glamorous life at court. But everyone has their secrets, especially the enigmatic, brilliant members of a club known as the Companions to the Death.

As Hazel’s work with the British court increases, she realizes that her future as a surgeon isn't the only thing in danger. Dark forces are at work in the monarchy, and Hazel seems to be the only one who wants to set things right.

I really loved the first book! I thought it was creepy Victorian fun. The whole business of grave robbers taking corpses for medical students is fascinating. I loved Jack and Hazel’s characters. I thought they worked well together and Hazel wanting to study medicine in a male dominated field was something to root for.

With that said, I had high expectations for this book. Unfortunately, I didn’t like it. It’s not about the writing and I enjoyed the first part of the book up until Jack returned. The more I think about it, the more I don’t understand what happened. It didn’t have the creepy aspect that I loved from the first book. I’m still not even sure what the rules of the immortality plot are. The potion to make someone immortal didn’t make a lot of sense.

I didn’t really understand Jack’s motives for leaving Hazel besides thinking he can’t be with Hazel because he’s immortal. When has that stopped any love story? I’m not really a fan of the unnecessary separation plot. But there were times I wondered why Jack even came back? I started to think Hazel and the doctor had more chemistry. The line about Hazel averting her eyes from Jack’s muscles was a little odd because then she kisses him after. It just seemed out of character for her to act shy and coy with Jack who’s she’s been pining and grieving for. And she’s supposed to be a strong heroine who speaks her mind. This book just felt like a departure from the first book. I didn’t enjoy the royalty aspect as much as I thought. The characters felt flat. Then things worked out suddenly at the end. I thought it was odd Hazel’s parents weren’t involved with anything going on.

I’ll still recommend this to people because I loved the first book, but it just wasn’t for me.

"I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own."
I have been waiting for this book, impatiently, since reading Anatomy: A Love Story last year. Schwartz's part one of the duology was the best book I read last year, and so this had a lot to live up to.
At times, the story felt overly complicated, because all I really wanted as a reader was the conclusion of Hazel and Jack's love story. Although, in the end I think all the pieces came together to form a beautiful picture and it was worth the time spent getting there. It was a solid conclusion to Anatomy and I hope everyone else enjoys Immortality as much as I did.

📖 𝔸𝕦𝕕𝕚𝕠𝕓𝕠𝕠𝕜 ℝ𝕖𝕧𝕚𝕖𝕨

Thank you Net Galley for this ARC! I was so excited I was able to listen to Immortality ahead of time ( even though I still preordered the hard copy 😊) the Scottish accents were so fun!

Immortality is the 2nd book in the duology to Anatomy A Love Story. This book follows Lady Hazel Sinnett after her beloved Jack has just been framed for murder and hung. Leaving the unknown of if Jack took Beecham’s vial of ever lasting life or if he is gone forever. Hazel continues her practice as a female surgeon in the dungeon under her castle and is then suddenly taken to jail only to be let out on the contingency of healing Princess Charlotte, daughter of King George IV.

I without a doubt loved Immortality. This read encompasses the perfect gothic love story full of passion, grunge, royals, and hidden secrets. I truly enjoyed that while this book had a fantasy element it was backed by science and therefor brought a more realistic approach.

All in all, Immortality is a one of a kind read and unique tale that entangles all the elements of an enticing and grueling love story.

I must also must applaud the cover of Immortality as well as Anatomy as they’re so well done, fitting and honestly probably my two favorite covers of books I own. Immortality featuring Hazel’s dress that fans out to symbolize a brain and Anatomy with the same idea but a heart. Such an incredible, thoughtful and creative cover.

Book One ended so quickly, that I was in desperate need of book two to satiate my need for more Hazel & Jack. Dana did not disappoint with Immortality and tying their story together once more.

Listening to the audiobook, not only did I enjoy the storyline, but also felt like I was living it with these characters. They had their funny moments and their sweet moments. Neither of which I could get enough of! This is definitely a book that I flew through and finished in only two sittings of listening. While this definitely could have been shorter, I really enjoyed the entirety of it because it was extremely entertaining!

If you loved book one and need more after Anatomy's ending, you're going to love Immortality!

Thank you NetGalley for providing me an eARC of the audiobook!

I read Anatomy: A Love Story sometime last year and was disappointed with the way Hazel and Jack’s love story ended, so I was surprised and elated to see that a sequel had been written giving closure to their love story. I enjoyed the new characters brought into the story, especially Princess Charlotte. The narrator for the audiobook was really good. I enjoyed listening to her. I was happy with this ending, especially for one of the members of the Companions of Death.

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the opportunity to listen to this audiobook prior to its release.

Immortality: A Love Story continues the story of Hazel Sinnett, as we find her treating patients at her parents estate in Edinburgh with a broken heart after the hanging of her love Jack Currer. As Hazel works to help the poor and needy of Edinburgh, she is imprisoned for a murder she did not commit. And then finds herself as the personal physician to Princess Charlotte in England. As she navigates determining the reason of Charlotte's poor health, being a woman physician in a man's world, and working with other doctors, she find herself drawn into a unique social club--that could be dangerous. Who can she trust, how can she help Charlotte, can she help treat the king, and who will help her? Dana Schwartz draws us in and keeps us guessing as to who will win and if we truly have any choices in life and death.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.

Immortality: a love story picks up where Anatomy: a Love Story leaves us. Jack is gone or perhaps even dead. Hazel Sinnet is alone again and practicing medicine with more and more regularity even though she is not openly recognized as a surgeon due to her gender. When Hazel unexpectedly finds herself at the British Court treating a mysteriously ill princess Charlotte, she finds herself caught in a complex tangle of relationships with romantic partners from her past and present, pressure from the prince reagent for a clean bill of health, and a group of brilliant scientists and creators who have a dark secret.

I both listened to and read this book. The audiobook is a delight. The story itself didn't captivate me quite like the first in the series, but I still find Hazel an interesting, compelling and complex character who manages to navigate both being a woman of science and reason and being a product of the era in which the stories are set.

I had purposely put off reading anatomy because I heard a book two was coming. When I spotted it on NetGalley I requested it immediately- receiving the audiobook was the best!

This story is a great one. It’s a fantasy story with plenty of realistic historical aspects to it. I absolutely stories of women breaking into the medical field and this one did not disappoint. It took that storyline and added the perfect twist - immortality!

The narrator was great and kept the story going even during the parts that weren’t incredibly interesting. I listened to this in just over a day and I didn’t want to stop once I started it.

Definitely recommend this duology. It’s amazing.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This sequel picks up where the first book ended and I think I enjoyed it even more! Another stunning cover, this story sees Hazel trying to make a place for herself as a female physician in 18th century Edinburgh. An epic historical fantasy full of magical immortality elixirs, star-crossed lovers, secret societies and a memorable female lead. Great on audio narrated by Mhairi Morrison and Tim Campbell, this is a must read series for YA fantasy fans! I did find it dragged a bit in the middle, but overall a very enjoyable listening experience! Much thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy in exchange for my honest review!

THIS REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS!!!

This book was a cute continuation of the first book, and I enjoyed reading more about Hazel and (spoiler alert) Jack's love story. The pacing was slightly weird; Jack doesn't come back until around 2/3 of the way through the book, which felt weird to me since (at least with the title) it's advertised as a love story. But this book isn't so much a love story; I would consider it more of a coming-of-age/historical fiction novel about women trying to find their way into a profession that they typically wouldn't be allowed in.

Without Jack for the first 2/3 of the book, the introduction of Simon was an interesting choice, especially since I grew to really like Simon and I was kind of rooting for him throughout the story. It was a little disappointing to me that he seemed so sweet and like such a good guy, but of course Hazel was never going to be able to fall in love with him, especially with Jack in the picture.

The writing was really well-done and I really liked the narration! If you enjoyed the first book, you will definitely enjoy this one!

(3.5 stars rounded up to 4)

This sequel was a fantastic continuation of Anatomy. The characters were wonderfully witty and followed a nice trail of love stories. I feel that some of the complications were too easily solved and that I would have liked a little more suspense at times, yet I still enjoyed the journey. The narration was good with the female voice, but I lost a lot at the beginning of the chapters that were voiced in a deep male tone. It was very garbled when sped up.

Thank you to Netgalley and Macmillan audio for the advanced listener copy!

I loved this continuation of Hazel's journey as a female surgeon in Great Britain. The narrators did an excellent job of bringing the characters to life. It was a delightfully dark and creepy listen.

Hazel is a tenacious, brilliant woman and her story kept me hooked. I think I listened to the whole book in three days. I did not see the twists and turns, they were extremely well executed!

Things that could be changed/added to get five stars - a few of the plot points were a bit weak and could have used some additional work, the ending felt rushed (but was so good) and left me wanting more.

Read/listen if you like:
- Secret societies
- British royalty
- Pioneering women
- Lord Byron
- Severed limbs

I adored this book. Thank you again for the audiobook arc!

This was the perfect follow-up to Anatomy: A Love Story, with both continuing storylines and entirely new plots. Hazel was, once again, a stellar heroine and I loved following her on her new adventure. This book found its way into my heart and I think it’s going to stay with me for quite a while. Though both books have “a love story” in the title, the romance is the perfect subplot without taking away from the actual plot. The right level of slow burn that was so well executed. The idea that immortality is as simple as chemistry was such an interesting plotline and I loved how it played out between the two books. Overall, would highly recommend picking this book up! It’s a beautiful sequel that met my expectations for sure.

Immortality: A Love Story by Dana Schwartz
4/5 Stars
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

•••Spoiler free review below•••

While I feel book 1 of this duology - Anatomy - ended on a complete note, this sequel picks up with a new adventure and cast of characters. I found Immortality to be faster paced and more exciting than Anatomy. And, while I loved seeing Hazel learn and grow in book 1, I found I enjoyed seeing her master her craft in book 2 even more.

If you enjoyed book 1, this sequel will take you back to the world and draw you in. If you were hoping for more Frankenstein vibes, a secret society, and a sprinkling of royals, this sequel will delight you even more than the first installment.

I highly recommend picking this book up upon release and, if you have been putting off book 1, the audiobook is wonderful. Our Scottish narrator captures Hazel's brilliance and excitement for knowledge. It's enjoyable enough to listen to in one sitting!

Immortality: A Love Story will be released on February 28th and if it's not already on your tbr, it should be!
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Special thanks to Macmillan Audio for sharing a free copy with me in exchange for my honest opinions.