Anatomy: A Love Story
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- Create Date：2022-01-19 07:19:42
- Update Date：2025-09-07
- Status：finish
- Author：Dana Schwartz
- ISBN：B093FBRCYF
- Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
Reviews
Danae
，
Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to read a copy in exchange for an honest review。If you read the title and were looking for a love story look somewhere else。 This book is not a love story like I got 20% into the book and there was hardly any mention of the love interest。 I forgot it was supposed to be a love story。DNFed after 20%。1。5 ⭐️1💧
Lata
，
The cover for this book is stunning， and was what drew me to this book initially。 What kept me reading was the atmosphere throughout this book: I could feel the darkness of the 1817 Edinburgh graveyards， the iciness of Hazel Sinnett's mother's statements， and the thuds of limbs into clean straw。。。Yeah， there are some scenes that were definitely somewhat stomach-churning in this dark mystery/romance set in Edinburgh with a determined and smart main character， and great scenes of people crowded in The cover for this book is stunning， and was what drew me to this book initially。 What kept me reading was the atmosphere throughout this book: I could feel the darkness of the 1817 Edinburgh graveyards， the iciness of Hazel Sinnett's mother's statements， and the thuds of limbs into clean straw。。。Yeah， there are some scenes that were definitely somewhat stomach-churning in this dark mystery/romance set in Edinburgh with a determined and smart main character， and great scenes of people crowded into theatres to see a famed physician display his surgical skills on bodies， both dead and live。 Hazel Sinnett is a sixteen-year old lady who desperately wants to be a surgeon。 She's also more or less engaged to her cousin who appears to support her dream。 The other character is Jack Currer， a young man working backstage at a theatre， but also spending some of his nights in graveyards， digging up corpses for budding doctors and surgeons to study。 His work as a resurrection man is getting increasingly dangerous and difficult as it's getting harder to find bodies because of guards， and， more scary， there is someone disappearing other poor， young men digging up graves。Of course Hazel and Jack meet， and are drawn together， which is great as far as Hazel's surgical dreams are concerned， less so regarding her mother's desire for Hazel to marry well。I liked this book。 Hazel is pretty single-minded and works incredibly hard to achieve her mastery of medicine。 I also liked the romance as it wasn't overly melodramatic， and I could totally see whatHazel and Jack saw in each other。 I also really liked the historical details in this book， from the furtive work of the resurrection men to seeing how rudimentary surgery was in 1817。 And I loved the epilogue。Thank you to Netgalley and to St Martin’s Press for this ARC in exchange for my review。 。。。more
Allison
，
I received an advance copy of the audiobook in exchange for an honest review。 The cover art is amazing！ I love that the gown Hazel is wearing is red like the one they mention she wears when she goes to the theatre with her mother and that it's shaped as an anatomical heart which really shows the two very different sides of this character。 The story is set in Scotland during the 1800s and revolves around Hazel， a well off young lady， who is expected to become the wife of a wealthy man when all sh I received an advance copy of the audiobook in exchange for an honest review。 The cover art is amazing！ I love that the gown Hazel is wearing is red like the one they mention she wears when she goes to the theatre with her mother and that it's shaped as an anatomical heart which really shows the two very different sides of this character。 The story is set in Scotland during the 1800s and revolves around Hazel， a well off young lady， who is expected to become the wife of a wealthy man when all she really wants is to study anatomy and become a surgeon。 This is of course an unfathomable choice for a female at this time in history。 Hazel has a chance meeting with Jack who is a resurrection man - a man who digs up bodies and sells them to anatomists so that they may do examinations and dissections to learn。 The story is dark/gothic， but there is also romance and hope too。 Stories like this one really make me see how far we have come since the majority of successful med school applicants are now female， but at the same time we still have a long way to go！ The narrators were great - the female narrator didn't have a Scottish accent but her voice was lovely。 The man who narrates bits from the Anatomy book Hazel studies did have a wonderful voice with a Scottish accent。*There is a pandemic/plague sub plot so if that is triggering for you be aware。For fans of - strong female leads， historical fiction， YA， gothic romances， Frankenstein， 。。。more
ale ☽
，
look at this cover， omggggg。 i must read it now
Mary
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Having developed a love of anatomy after reading a well-known treatise， Hazel longs to be a surgeon， but she is betrothed to a viscount。 Hazel is determined to go to medical school anyway， which is unheard of in 1817 Scotland， but she gets kicked out of a renowned surgeon’s lectures for being a female。 Refusing to give up， Hazel makes a deal that she can enroll in university if she passes the medical exam on her own。 Now she just needs bodies to practice on。 Luckily， Hazel meets Jack， who makes Having developed a love of anatomy after reading a well-known treatise， Hazel longs to be a surgeon， but she is betrothed to a viscount。 Hazel is determined to go to medical school anyway， which is unheard of in 1817 Scotland， but she gets kicked out of a renowned surgeon’s lectures for being a female。 Refusing to give up， Hazel makes a deal that she can enroll in university if she passes the medical exam on her own。 Now she just needs bodies to practice on。 Luckily， Hazel meets Jack， who makes a living selling dead bodies he exhumes from graves。 Jack has his own problems though - his friends and other poor people keep mysteriously disappearing。I was immediately drawn to Anatomy: A Love Story for the stunning and creative cover， and then I was sold after reading the description。 This was such a bizarre story， but in a good way！ I would describe it as YA historical fiction with a side of mystery and a bit of romance。 Hazel was a strong-willed and highly intelligent heroine， breaking down the proverbial door to become a surgeon during a time when women were not even allowed to attend medical school。 She dressed up like a boy， snuck into a famous surgeon’s lectures， and dug up dead bodies to practice on， all in the name of her love of anatomy！ The medical aspects were pretty fascinating despite the gory， disturbing， and cringeworthy parts。 I also loved the gothic vibes， Hazel’s grave robbing love interest， and the 19th century Edinburgh setting。 The ending added another quirky layer to the story， but it frustrated me and I was left with several unanswered questions。 I’m not sure if this is going to be a series， but I would definitely read a sequel because this was a very unique and entertaining book！*I received an eARC from the publisher and NetGalley but I was not required to leave a positive review。 All opinions are my own。 。。。more
Katie Bogdan
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3。5 starsHappy Pub Day！！There's a lot to like about Anatomy: A Love Story - a female heroine interested in becoming a surgeon， a hero who works as a resurrection man， mysterious disappearances， and some sensible body snatching。 Reminiscent of Frankenstein and Dorian Gray， Schwartz clearly demonstrates her affinity for the darker side of history throughout this book。I did enjoy reading Anatomy: A Love Story for all of the reasons that I listed above。 There are aspects of it that I found to be und 3。5 starsHappy Pub Day！！There's a lot to like about Anatomy: A Love Story - a female heroine interested in becoming a surgeon， a hero who works as a resurrection man， mysterious disappearances， and some sensible body snatching。 Reminiscent of Frankenstein and Dorian Gray， Schwartz clearly demonstrates her affinity for the darker side of history throughout this book。I did enjoy reading Anatomy: A Love Story for all of the reasons that I listed above。 There are aspects of it that I found to be underdeveloped， like the subplot with the mysterious disappearances。 That facet of the plot was really pushed as being a central conflict in the book's marketing and it ended up being extremely important in the text， but it felt like an afterthought for the majority of the book。 In fact， almost all of the conflicts feel pretty low stakes for about 85% of the book before the ending just ratchets everything up to a 10。 It made me sad to see this book's potential not be completely reached， but the story itself is good enough that it didn't inhibit my enjoyment overall， Thank you to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for an ARC of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review！ 。。。more
Laura
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What I Thought: This book is a ghastly delight， filled with phantasmagorical imagery supported by a feminist structure。The short， quick chapters make Anatomy easy to read。 The subject is somewhat gory but in a way that is more likely to entertain than disgust the reader。Author Dana Schwartz has a penchant for word choice that borders on the lyrical。 For example， about Hazel: “From the time she was able to write her own name， she had wanted to study the body， to learn the rules that governed it， What I Thought: This book is a ghastly delight， filled with phantasmagorical imagery supported by a feminist structure。The short， quick chapters make Anatomy easy to read。 The subject is somewhat gory but in a way that is more likely to entertain than disgust the reader。Author Dana Schwartz has a penchant for word choice that borders on the lyrical。 For example， about Hazel: “From the time she was able to write her own name， she had wanted to study the body， to learn the rules that governed it， to understand how to master it: this strange vessel that contained our souls。” Who: Teenager Hazel Sinnett， a Scottish noblewoman， longs to become a surgeon。 What: Hazel enrolls in a rigorous medical training program， armed with the knowledge from her father’s well-stocked library。 When her disguise fails to conceal her true identity –that of a woman—she makes a deal with the doctor in charge of the program。 If she can pass the exam at the culmination of the training， he will help her get credentialed as a surgeon。When: Early 1800s。Where: Edinburgh， Scotland。How: The book-learning， rote memorization， is easy for Hazel。 But when it comes to the hands-on aspects of technique， Hazel is at a disadvantage。 That is， until she meets Jack Currer， a “resurrection man” and part of the underground economy in Edinburgh。 Doctors need bodies to study， and Jack will steal those bodies from graveyards， for a price。 As Hazel and Jack begin working together， Hazel investigates the disappearance of some of Jack’s friends from the streets of the Old Town， and the mysterious injuries Jack has seen on his recent resurrections。More thoughts on Anatomy:In Hazel Sinnett， Schwartz has created a masterful narrator to keep readers engaged。 Schwartz describes the time period， which is quite foreign to young people growing up today， in which a teenage woman of noble blood must have an escort to take her safely around outside of her household。 Our protagonist Hazel ventures out on her own after her mother and surviving brother leave home out of fear of the returning Roman Fever， and she vows to sit for her exams before Christmas， when she will be expected to reunite with them prior to the socialization season。Our heroine is clever， witty， and motivated。 She cares not for social niceties and blossoms before the reader’s eyes as she learns to look out from her carriage and see the world that actually exists， not just the rooms that she used to inhabit。 While this is a Young Adult book， I found it handled real life themes more appropriately than many books that portend to be for grownups actually do。 Hazel finds she is forced to choose between the career she thinks picked her and the life her mother says she is lucky to have –that of a Viscountess， with a household to manage and a husband to please。 Hazel’s parents are key to the narrative， both in their noble status and in their absentia。 If Hazel’s father wasn’t a man to whom books and knowledge were of utmost importance， Hazel likely wouldn’t have grown up to be so entranced with the written word。 If her mother hadn’t spent years mourning her deceased eldest son， perhaps she would have treated Hazel differently。 As it is， however， Hazel is left to fend for herself， and she greatly prefers studying the body’s cardiovascular system to deciding which color gown to wear to the next costume party at which her attendance is expected。All in all， I adored this book， found it to be an enjoyable read， and went back to read the last few sections a second time as they were filled with hidden gems。 Highly recommend， five stars。 。。。more
Jessica Harrison
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Sometimes you see a book cover， and you just know you have to read that book。 That’s what happened with me and Anatomy: A Love Story。 The cover foretells of beauty， complexity， love， and， of course， anatomy。 And after completing the book， I can honestly tell you — it lives up to its cover。This Gothic novel is dark， nuanced and compelling from beginning to end。 Author Dana Schwartz deftly combines anatomical science and romance。 She seamlessly slips between the two， creating a relationship that’s Sometimes you see a book cover， and you just know you have to read that book。 That’s what happened with me and Anatomy: A Love Story。 The cover foretells of beauty， complexity， love， and， of course， anatomy。 And after completing the book， I can honestly tell you — it lives up to its cover。This Gothic novel is dark， nuanced and compelling from beginning to end。 Author Dana Schwartz deftly combines anatomical science and romance。 She seamlessly slips between the two， creating a relationship that’s both believable and mysterious。In fact， mystery runs throughout Anatomy: A Love Story。 It’s sort of the backbone that moves the plot forward， while Hazel’s studies are the blood and her relationship with Jack is the heart。 Combined with strong supporting characters and constraints of Georgian society， it’s an entire system that comes together to form an enticing body of work。Anatomy: A Love Story has a shadowy， sort of Frankenstein feel to it。 It’s one of those books that you’ll want to read curled up under a blanket。 The year has just barely got under way， but I already know that this novel will be on my “best of” list come the end of 2022。 。。。more
Gigi
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*norm macdonald voice* and here's my review: not gothic enough。the book was fine， I feel like calling it a love story when the two characters don't even start interacting with each other almost half way through the book was。。。 a choice， which I guess it could be more of a love story for life？ Seems a bit generous。 This is more like if Mary Shelley wrote a Jane Austen novel。 *norm macdonald voice* and here's my review: not gothic enough。the book was fine， I feel like calling it a love story when the two characters don't even start interacting with each other almost half way through the book was。。。 a choice， which I guess it could be more of a love story for life？ Seems a bit generous。 This is more like if Mary Shelley wrote a Jane Austen novel。 。。。more
Grace
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Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for letting me read an ARC of this book。This story drew me in from the beginning and kept me reading。 It is an unusual premise， but it worked for me。 The scene is set in 1800s Edinburgh during a plague。 Lady Hazel Sinnett comes from a high-class family， has basically been engaged to her cousin since they were little， is constantly ignored by society and her mom， and wants to be a surgeon。 Of course， because she is a woman， not to mention a nobly born woman， Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for letting me read an ARC of this book。This story drew me in from the beginning and kept me reading。 It is an unusual premise， but it worked for me。 The scene is set in 1800s Edinburgh during a plague。 Lady Hazel Sinnett comes from a high-class family， has basically been engaged to her cousin since they were little， is constantly ignored by society and her mom， and wants to be a surgeon。 Of course， because she is a woman， not to mention a nobly born woman， she is only meant to marry and bear children。In her quest to become a surgeon， she meets Jack Carrer， who is a "resurrection man" （read: steals bodies from graves and sells them to medical professionals）。 They work together to help Hazel achieve her dream of becoming a doctor and curing the plague， falling in love in the process。 However， something fishy is happening to the poor in Edinburgh that puts our lovers in danger， and it's not just the plague。Although the story is sometimes a bit too macabre for my taste （I can't say exactly why without spoilers）， I enjoyed reading this book。 I loved Hazel's pursuit of a medical profession。 Her inner dialogue of knowing that this is something she wants and is capable of clashing with the constant beat downs of society was very relatable。 The story had some twists and turns， but some of the twists were predictable。 A couple of the ending twists， however， were not and opens the door for an interesting sequel。 If you enjoy fast-paced gothic love stories with a strong-minded female protagonist who isn't only focused on love， you will probably enjoy this book。 。。。more
Corinne
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Anatomy: A Love Story was such an interesting surprise of a book！ Set in early 19th Century Edinburgh， 17 year old Hazel Sinnet wants more for herself than her planned marriage to her cousin， a future viscount。 She wants to be a surgeon - a questionable profession in those days for anyone， let alone a young lady - and she sets about working towards her dream by sneaking into anatomy lessons while masquerading as a boy。 When her ruse is discovered and she's kicked out， Hazel turns to Jack Currer， Anatomy: A Love Story was such an interesting surprise of a book！ Set in early 19th Century Edinburgh， 17 year old Hazel Sinnet wants more for herself than her planned marriage to her cousin， a future viscount。 She wants to be a surgeon - a questionable profession in those days for anyone， let alone a young lady - and she sets about working towards her dream by sneaking into anatomy lessons while masquerading as a boy。 When her ruse is discovered and she's kicked out， Hazel turns to Jack Currer， a resurrectionist who steals and sells bodies for scientific purposes。 As Hazel endeavors to study for her physician's exam with the help of Jack （and the bodies he sells her）， they realize that something insidious is going on in Edinburgh， and Hazel may be the only one who can figure it out。I have never read a YA historical before and while it took me a bit of time to get into this book， its plot ultimately drew me in， particularly in the back half。 I will say that this book is not for the faint of heart - if body things make you squeamish， exercise caution before reading！ - but once I got used to the detailed anatomical descriptions in this book， I was able to sit back and enjoy the story。 What really made this book special for me was its ending - no spoilers， but the way this story wrapped up had my pulse racing and my heart fluttering。 Its epilogue may also be one of my favorites I ever read， and I cannot stop thinking about it。Thank you so much to Wednesday Books and Netgalley for the e-arc， all opinions are my own。 Anatomy: A Love Story is out now！ 。。。more
Karissa
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I liked this quite a bit it is a fun historical fiction， with some slight magical realism， and an intriguing topic。 However， the story feels very unfinished and ends very abruptly; I believe this is a stand alone but maybe it is a start to a series。I really enjoyed both Hazel and Jack。 Hazel is a neglected wealthy young woman who wants to become a surgeon which is very unacceptable for the Victorian time and age。 Jack is a resurrection man who steals dead bodies and sells them to doctors for the I liked this quite a bit it is a fun historical fiction， with some slight magical realism， and an intriguing topic。 However， the story feels very unfinished and ends very abruptly; I believe this is a stand alone but maybe it is a start to a series。I really enjoyed both Hazel and Jack。 Hazel is a neglected wealthy young woman who wants to become a surgeon which is very unacceptable for the Victorian time and age。 Jack is a resurrection man who steals dead bodies and sells them to doctors for their study。 The two end up meeting and end up joining forces; Hazel wants Jack to provide her with bodies to study so she can study for the Medical Exam。I really loved this book up to the last 20% or so。 It's a good story and an intriguing topic and Jack and Hazel are easy to love。 However， things get a bit weird towards the end with Hazel's desperate studying abruptly giving way to her involvement in a mystery of disappearing people， then some subtle magic is involved and it felt very forced。 To add to that Jack's story takes a turn that seemed unnecessary as well。 Too much was packed into the last part of this story and it felt contrived。 If this is the first book in a series maybe the author was setting up for book 2， however I believe this is supposed to be a stand alone and as such it left me feeling a bit confused and hollow。Full review to follow。 。。。more
Samantha
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Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review。 All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own。 I am not a fan of romance at all， however every now and again a romance comes along with a little something special and makes me question myself。 This is one of those books。 I was actually ready to DNF this pretty early on。 I ended up giving it one more chapter and that chapter was a complete game changer。 I don't really have a lot Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review。 All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own。 I am not a fan of romance at all， however every now and again a romance comes along with a little something special and makes me question myself。 This is one of those books。 I was actually ready to DNF this pretty early on。 I ended up giving it one more chapter and that chapter was a complete game changer。 I don't really have a lot to say about this one。 The story is really interesting and the main character is awesome。 The story that's advertised is the story we get。 It's a dark medical romance that takes you to a place and time all its own。 It's got everything you could want all wrapped up in a pretty little package。 If you're looking for mystery， romance， with a badass female character who has a passion for Anatomy then pick this one up。 。。。more
Abigail （acoldwintersread）
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4。5/5 stars。First off， thank you to NetGalley for the chance to read this ahead of publication。When I first heard about this book， I couldn’t wait to get my hands on it。 From the gothic story to the Frankenstein-esque plot and the Scottish setting， it was already a mix of a few of my favorite things。I loved Hazel’s gung-ho attitude， that was also grounded in reality。 Her determination and practicality made her feel like a real person at times， and not just a character。The plot itself felt a bit 4。5/5 stars。First off， thank you to NetGalley for the chance to read this ahead of publication。When I first heard about this book， I couldn’t wait to get my hands on it。 From the gothic story to the Frankenstein-esque plot and the Scottish setting， it was already a mix of a few of my favorite things。I loved Hazel’s gung-ho attitude， that was also grounded in reality。 Her determination and practicality made her feel like a real person at times， and not just a character。The plot itself felt a bit slow for me for the first 40-ish percent， but once I hit that point and the characters and histories were established， the story really took off。 I laughed and got a bit teary-eyed at times， and really just fell in love with Jack and Hazel’s characters。It did feel a bit odd reading about a plague outbreak in the middle of a pandemic， but I think most of us will be feeling that way for a while to come。（A side note: content warning for blood/gore。 There are parts with dissection and anatomy classes， so proceed with caution。）My only real critique I think would be with the audiobook recording quality。 There were times when I was listening that it sounded a little garbled， like an underwater sound here and there throughout the book。All in all， I really enjoyed this book， and I hope there might be a sequel in the works as it was an open ending。 。。。more
Maegan （wonderland。looking。glass）
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 Rating: 4⭐️Thank you to the publisher for gifting me an arc via Netgalley in exchange for an review。 Set in the early 19th Century in Scotland， Hazel Sinnet is a 17 year old woman who dreams of becoming a doctor， all while fighting off her duties of becoming a young bride。 In her attempts to prove her ability to act in a man’s profession， she enlists the help of Jack Currer， a resurrection man。 He provides the bodies for her to practice on， but while their professional relationship flourishes so Rating: 4⭐️Thank you to the publisher for gifting me an arc via Netgalley in exchange for an review。 Set in the early 19th Century in Scotland， Hazel Sinnet is a 17 year old woman who dreams of becoming a doctor， all while fighting off her duties of becoming a young bride。 In her attempts to prove her ability to act in a man’s profession， she enlists the help of Jack Currer， a resurrection man。 He provides the bodies for her to practice on， but while their professional relationship flourishes so does the start of a forbidden romance。 I loved the historical fiction aspect of this novel。 Anything set in the 19th Century/Victorian Era is my weakness and the fact that it’s set in Scotland it the icing on the cake。 The dark， gothic atmosphere made for the perfect setting and give me all the “Stalking Jack the Ripper” Vibes！ One thing that did bug me was the fact that Hazel is engaged to her cousin 🤮 I know that was common during the time， but how they addressed each other as “cousin” whenever they crossed paths was gross。 I couldn’t get behind it。 Now since the title is Anatomy: A Love Story， I felt as though the romance took to the sidelines compared to Hazel’s attempt as success in the Physician’s Exam。 I loved Jack and Hazel’s relationship。 It moved quickly but it was super adorable。 This story was easy to read and kept me entertained for the entire novel。 I read it in two days。 The twists were easy to guess given certain aspects revealed prior in the novel， but it was still enjoyable。 However， fair warning that the ending is a bit abrupt。 It’s not exactly left open-ended but there is room for a sequel。Overall， this was a great， dark， gothic “mystery” with a slow burn romance perfect for fans of Stalking Jack the Ripper。 。。。more
Julia （Shakespeare and Such）
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4/5 stars， full review to come！ I love Hazel and Jack a lot。 Like， a lot， a lot。 So excited to write out my full thoughts on this one！！Plot: 4/5Characters: 4/5Pacing: 4/5Writing: 4/5Enjoyment: 4/5
Laura
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This book is a true mashup of genres， and I had fun reading it。 The author wove a compelling story， and it is exactly the kind of book I would have liked to read as a teenager。 A bold， smart， scientifically-minded heroine who has adventures and maybe falls in love along the way？ Yes， please！Thank you to the publisher for the ARC I won in a goodreads giveaway。
Siofra
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Thank you to MacMillan Audio and NetGalley for giving me access to the audiobook of this book in exchange for my honest review！The narrator was excellent in this book; the Scottish accent transported me to the setting and fully enveloped me in the novel！For those who enjoyed the Hunting Jack the Ripper series， this is another story of women fighting for scientific and human rights as they search for illness cures and mutilators。 However， they offered a different plot twist compared to the ripper Thank you to MacMillan Audio and NetGalley for giving me access to the audiobook of this book in exchange for my honest review！The narrator was excellent in this book; the Scottish accent transported me to the setting and fully enveloped me in the novel！For those who enjoyed the Hunting Jack the Ripper series， this is another story of women fighting for scientific and human rights as they search for illness cures and mutilators。 However， they offered a different plot twist compared to the ripper series。While I enjoyed the story， the character and the love， I have to note two things that I didn't love;1） I don't think this book should be called Anatomy: a love story as the love is strong but not the main focus in the story; they should have just kept it Anatomy。2） Towards the end， it could have been cut a lot as I knew what was happening to the people and the bodies so early and the fact that she didn't catch on （not with the twist as I was surprised at that）， but who and why the people were being cut up， should have been obvs and I felt like that was a weird character fault。ALSO， I was not expecting that ending; my mind was fixated on a whole different thing， so that was an exciting surprise！ 。。。more
Allyson K
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I did not expect to like this book as much as I did！ I went into it blind but it was historical fiction with mystery， romance， and a bit of fantasy？ Loved the mix and thought it was done well。 I was completely engrossed in Hazel's journey and actually would have loved a bit more of her using her skills。 Regardless， it was so neat to have a main character who fought against the norm for women at the time。 Because I went into it blind I was not expecting the mystery element but it only sucked me i I did not expect to like this book as much as I did！ I went into it blind but it was historical fiction with mystery， romance， and a bit of fantasy？ Loved the mix and thought it was done well。 I was completely engrossed in Hazel's journey and actually would have loved a bit more of her using her skills。 Regardless， it was so neat to have a main character who fought against the norm for women at the time。 Because I went into it blind I was not expecting the mystery element but it only sucked me in more and I couldn't put it down。 Fast-paced， addictive， hopeful， and jaw-dropping at times。 Truly， a wonderful gothic love story。 And the epilogue？ My heart！ Just a note， but if you go into this expecting it to be a romance， you will be let down。 There is a love story， but it is far from romance。 And that is not a jab， just a preparation for other readers。 I quite enjoyed it without the romance。 I thought the writing was beautiful and the story intriguing， you could feel the passion！19th century Edinburgh is not the most glorious place to live， but Hazel is lucky enough to have been born into a privileged family。 Set to marry a viscount from a young age， she is expected to be a quiet， well-mannered lady like those around her。 Instead， she is fascinated by science and specifically， surgery。 She spent much of her free time studying anatomy with the dream of being a surgeon。 When the Roman plague starts to disturb Edinburgh again， she is determined to continue her studies regardless of what the men of society think。 Jack is a resurrection man， otherwise known as a grave robber。 He is far from privileged and now finds himself in a dangerous position。 It seems that other resurrection men have started to go missing and he is fearful for his own safety。 Which leads him to make a deal with Hazel。 She will help keep watch while he digs up a body and in return， she will pay him for the body to do her studies on。 The Roman fever isn't the only thing plaguing the streets of Edinburgh， it seems there is something else disturbing going on and Hazel may be closer than she thinks to the danger。 Can a lady of honor and a grave digger really uncover the secrets going on in her city？ 。。。more
Sabrina Berndt
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Hazel Sinnett is a lady who is willing to give up everything to become a surgeon， a necessary but ugly profession for anyone at the time， especially a woman of high status。 When she attempts to attend a class taught by renowned surgeon Dr。 Beecham， her gender is eventually found out and she is kicked out of the class。 She gets another opportunity to enter her dream profession， but that opportunity requires dead bodies， which is where resurrection man （body snatcher） Jack Currer comes in。 Overall Hazel Sinnett is a lady who is willing to give up everything to become a surgeon， a necessary but ugly profession for anyone at the time， especially a woman of high status。 When she attempts to attend a class taught by renowned surgeon Dr。 Beecham， her gender is eventually found out and she is kicked out of the class。 She gets another opportunity to enter her dream profession， but that opportunity requires dead bodies， which is where resurrection man （body snatcher） Jack Currer comes in。 Overall， I thought this story was such a fun take on Frankenstein！ Frankenstein is my favorite book of all time， so I had to read this book once I read the description。 Hazel was a likable protagonist， so it was easy to root for her while she rejected social norms and what would have been considered the "easy way out。" She did whatever she could to reach her dream， despite meeting dreadful surgeon after dreadful surgeon。 I also liked the pacing of it。 The author condensed time quite a bit， but I didn't feel like the story was rushed。 I had time to invest in Hazel， her relationships， and her goal before the plot twisted towards the end。 I will say that this book is pretty graphic。 I feel like it comes with the territory， so I didn't mind， but there were a lot of operations， a。k。a blood， puss， etc。 I also feel like the main mystery took a back seat to the blood and gore。 The story was mainly about Hazel studying for the physician's exam and less about the people disappearing - except for a few mentions from Jack - until the end。Thank you to Wednesday Books and NetGalley for an ARC of this book！！ 。。。more
Julissa
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3。5
Jessica Moro
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I had high expectations for this book due to the hype。 I think the writing and dialogue was good。 It also really shined in creating the Edinburgh atmosphere。 It felt like she did the work in describing how destitute the poor areas were and the diseases that were ravaging the city。 My real issue is how slow the plot was and then how unresolved。 Let’s also not even get into the romance that starts more than halfway through the book。 I guess you can see the real love story was between hazel and her I had high expectations for this book due to the hype。 I think the writing and dialogue was good。 It also really shined in creating the Edinburgh atmosphere。 It felt like she did the work in describing how destitute the poor areas were and the diseases that were ravaging the city。 My real issue is how slow the plot was and then how unresolved。 Let’s also not even get into the romance that starts more than halfway through the book。 I guess you can see the real love story was between hazel and her thirst for knowledge。 The characters were written well they just didn’t always blend well together。 It was an interesting look at womens position in a male dominated career path while also highlighting several atrocities that actually did occur 。。。more
Dana
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A little bit of a slow start then it picked up speed。 Not the ending I was expecting and I don’t think I disliked it。 Just finished it so this may change。 In my initial thoughts I found Hazel to be annoying and almost too young。 She did experience some growth but it seemed like big leaps。 She is still a strong female character with drive and purpose。 I wish we could’ve learned a little more about Jack。 He seemed a little flat。 I agree with other reviews that the romance part felt small and an af A little bit of a slow start then it picked up speed。 Not the ending I was expecting and I don’t think I disliked it。 Just finished it so this may change。 In my initial thoughts I found Hazel to be annoying and almost too young。 She did experience some growth but it seemed like big leaps。 She is still a strong female character with drive and purpose。 I wish we could’ve learned a little more about Jack。 He seemed a little flat。 I agree with other reviews that the romance part felt small and an afterthought。 It needed a little something more。 Not bad just a little lacking。 The imagery of the scenery and time period were delightful。 Descriptions of the medical procedures and wounds were done well without extra unneeded gore。 3。5 stars fast and enjoyable readThanks to Goodreads for picking me to be a ARC giveaway winner！ 。。。more
smalltownbookmom
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This debut YA gothic love story was part historical fiction， part murder mystery and a tiny part fantasy but 100 per cent entertaining！ I loved the early 19th century Edinburgh setting and the focus on Hazel， a young lady of good breeding who wants to be a surgeon。 At a time when women were not allowed any where near medical colleges， Hazel dresses up in disguise to attend lectures。 She also befriends Jack， a grave robber who sells cadavers to the medical schools for a profit。 The author does su This debut YA gothic love story was part historical fiction， part murder mystery and a tiny part fantasy but 100 per cent entertaining！ I loved the early 19th century Edinburgh setting and the focus on Hazel， a young lady of good breeding who wants to be a surgeon。 At a time when women were not allowed any where near medical colleges， Hazel dresses up in disguise to attend lectures。 She also befriends Jack， a grave robber who sells cadavers to the medical schools for a profit。 The author does such an amazing job creating a world rich in historical detail with a creepy gothic atmosphere！ Great on audio with two narrators and a bonus author interview at the end。 I really enjoyed this one and definitely recommend it。 Much thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my advance review copy。 。。。more
A Court of Books and Love
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Wow！ Pleasantly surprised。 And wouldn’t be mad if we got to see Hazel down the road again :）。 Formal review to follow
Morgan Rosamond
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This audiobook had me not want to stop listening。 The narration paired with the author’s beautifully written words was a true masterpiece。 A historical romance set in Scotland with a strong （and I mean strong！！） female lead is perfection。 With every bit of gore， there is a lot of love in this book。 Get this book for your book obsessed valentine this year！
Shilo Quetchenbach
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This book had a fairly unique premise， and a cover that matched。 In some ways it reminded me of the Lady's Guide to Petticoats and Piracy， with the female lead whose passion in life is anatomy， surgery， being a doctor， etc。 Where that book leaned toward humor and madcap adventure， this one leaned hard into the gothic and macabre。There's a lot of blood， a lot of cutting up bodies complete with odors and squelching of organs and。。。 well。 You can probably imagine。 There's also many， many decaying c This book had a fairly unique premise， and a cover that matched。 In some ways it reminded me of the Lady's Guide to Petticoats and Piracy， with the female lead whose passion in life is anatomy， surgery， being a doctor， etc。 Where that book leaned toward humor and madcap adventure， this one leaned hard into the gothic and macabre。There's a lot of blood， a lot of cutting up bodies complete with odors and squelching of organs and。。。 well。 You can probably imagine。 There's also many， many decaying corpses -- and an ill-advised kiss *inside a grave， complete with maggots。* *shudders* while the cover is clever and very appropriate for the title， the subtitle "A Love Story" felt misleading。 The romance is actually minimal here - at 40% Hazel and Jack had hardly met and were still separated by plot。 This book was also a bit uneven overall。 There were definitely passages that were quite beautifully written， and chapters that had me glued to the page。 While Hazel's ambition was relatable， it felt like that was all there was to her character。 Jack felt unfinished， and their love story went from 0 to 60 in seconds。 But in addition to the minimal and uneven romance， the sinister villains never faced any consequences。 The focus of Hazel's life for most of the book is forgotten toward the end。 And the end itself is rather abrupt。 While in some ways I like what Dana Schwartz is trying to do with that ending， I definitely felt unsatisfied overall。 I would probably recommend it to fans of Lady's Guide to Petticoats and Piracy， especially those who don't mind a little -- ok a lot -- of blood and gore。 Not to those with weak stomachs， though。 I thought the audiobook narrator did a decent job， though it was sometimes difficult to tell which character was speaking。 Her voice was pleasant to listen to and overall it was an enjoyable listen， though I did end up switching back to the e-book to read a fair bit of it。*Thanks to NetGalley， Wednesday Books， and Macmillan Audio for providing an e-arc and audiobook for review。 。。。more
Christina
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Thank you to a Wednesday books for an arc of this book！ The cover alone drew me in。This was so cinematic。 When I first picked this up， I got to a half way point but was distracted a s forgot to finish it。 I picked it back up last week and remembered clearly where I was。 This （standalone？） would make a great show。 If I had to pick a genre to tuck this into it would be historical fiction first and horror second。 I loved the dual POV， the humour， and the setting best。It’s a book that is very much u Thank you to a Wednesday books for an arc of this book！ The cover alone drew me in。This was so cinematic。 When I first picked this up， I got to a half way point but was distracted a s forgot to finish it。 I picked it back up last week and remembered clearly where I was。 This （standalone？） would make a great show。 If I had to pick a genre to tuck this into it would be historical fiction first and horror second。 I loved the dual POV， the humour， and the setting best。It’s a book that is very much up my ally and hits on all the smart Shelley vibes I didn’t know I needed in a YA。 。。。more
Aislin
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