tokiberry's review against another edition

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adventurous dark informative inspiring reflective fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

Anatomy: A Love Story
⤷ ⭑⭑⭑.𝟳𝟱

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 ♡ ⊹ ˖

⭑ ❝ My heart is yours, Hazel Sinnett,❞ Jack said.
❝ Forever. Beating or still. ❞ ࿐ ࿔*:・゚


⋆𖦹.✧˚

✧ post-read: “Forever. Beating or still.” HOLD UP 🥹😭🫶🏻

✧ pre-read: NO REGRETS GETTING THE AUDIOBOOK VERSION. I LOVE THE NARRATOR.


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tatyadevotchka's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional mysterious tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes

5.0

Loved it !

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kenomilligan's review against another edition

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dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring mysterious relaxing sad tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0


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katybeardshall's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? N/A
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

i ate this up, can’t wait to read the second one

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megstro's review against another edition

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dark mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0


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pvp_niki's review against another edition

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dark mysterious medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0


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navayiota's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark funny informative inspiring lighthearted fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? N/A
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

Good read! Finished it in a day. My one complaint would be that I enjoyed the parts that focused on the surgery or mystery aspects far more than the romance. It was like reading a story with multiple POVs and groaning with frustration whenever I was thrust back into the annoying character's brain. I even noticed myself tuning the narrator out at times when it got too boring and thinking "there's no way I'm going back to listen to all of that again, I'll just keep going" 
I liked the ending, though. I would certainly listen to the sequel.

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teafrog's review against another edition

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adventurous dark mysterious medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0


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readwithev's review against another edition

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emotional mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

Loved this book! It’s a cool mix of historical fiction and magical realism. I enjoyed seeing Hazel’s medical skills and understanding grow. Though 17 years old, she’s a headstrong and brave young woman tired of the 19th century restrictions against women. She learns ro stand up for herself and to be more skeptical. Eventually she learns how to carve her own path.
The love story element is adorable, deep, romantic, and tender. No smut, which I prefer. I hope in book 2, we learn more about the suspicious behavior of Hazel’s fiancée. Though he is egotistical and condescending, i think he has more depth (albeit cruel and selfish) to offer to the story.
I actually appreciated Dr. Beecham’s logic, though sociopathic and detached.
The characters are socio-economically diverse; we’re introduced to the daily struggle of the poor, the injustices they face, the lack of social safety nets, and how “invisible” they are to the wealthy elite. In contrast, the elite live in large homes. Hazel herslef lives in a castle with servants, horses, a guest house, a carriage, etc.
I’m looking forward to reading book 2 Immortality from my library (currently on hold 😭).

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priscillarobock's review against another edition

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dark emotional funny inspiring mysterious tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5


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