Reviews

❝ It was an impossible situation, a trick of society as a whole: force women to live at the mercy of whichever man wants them but shame them for anything they might do to get a man to want them. ❞

✶⋆.˚ In 1817 Edinburgh, lady Hazel Sinnett wanted nothing more than to become a surgeon. The only problem was that she was a woman, and according to society, women could not study medicine, let alone pursue a surgical career. Determined to achieve her ambition, she disguises herself as a boy to attend a lecture by the most renowned surgeon, Dr. Beecham, where she meets Jack Currer, a resurrection man who digs up bodies to sell to the Royal Edinburgh Anatomists’ Society for Medical Research. The two strike up an arrangement as Hazel prepares for the Annual Physician's Examination to become a surgeon.

what an intriguing take on historical fiction! it’s refreshing and something i haven’t come across before. the gorgeous cover piqued my interest even more. despite it being titled as a love story, i think of it as more of a subplot since the romance didn’t develop until we were halfway through. when we we did get there, it felt rushed kind of like insta-love. the book is fast-paced and ends abruptly.

it's a bit disappointing because I believe it would still be good even without the romance. however, despite these drawbacks, I still plan to read the sequel because of how entertaining the female lead is.

⊹˚☀️₊⋆ Hazel Sinnett is a lady from a wealthy family in Edinburgh who loved reading books and pamphlets about the human anatomy from her grandfather’s library. she has a strong desire and a burning passion for surgery. despite being confident in her abilities, she also has a vulnerable side, wondering how far she can actually go in reaching her dreams, especially with the societal barriers preventing her from studying medicine and thinking about her family’s expectations of her marriage despite feeling unimportant.

⊱ ۫ ׅ ❝ I used to be so confident. That’s the funny thing: I used to think that I knew everything, that I could do anything. And then you see it firsthand, and you realize how thin the line is between everything being all right and everything being ruined forever and you just become suddenly aware that you know nothing. I’m just a silly little girl playing dress-up and pretending. ❞ ✧

⋆˚🌙 ˖° Jack Currer knows his place in society and tries to make a living the best he can. when he meets Hazel, something about her immediately draws him in and catches his interest. i like that he reminds Hazel of the big gap they had in society and shows her the harsh reality of their side of town in contrast to her sheltered nature. honestly, Jack was underdeveloped, which is why i think the romance feels like "insta-love" due to his (unknowingly) immediate attraction to Hazel.

⊱ ۫ ׅ ❝ Dead bodies are never going to bite you. They're never going to do anything to you. It's living things that hurt you. ❞ ✧

i don’t think it’s going to be everyone’s cup of tea, but if you believe the premise to be something that intrigues you, then i encourage you to pick this up! you also gotta check out the audiobook version because the voice actor is ON POINT and why i loved Hazel more ♡ ⊹ ˖