I loved the first book, so the second was HEAVILY anticipated!!! And it did not disappoint!! Loved it

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this eARC of 'Immortality: A Love Story' by Dana Schwartz.

This is the perfect conclusion to a duology. This duology had been on my radar for a while so when I received 'Immortality' as an Arc I sped to read 'Anatomy'

'Anatomy' was an intriguing historical romance mixed with characters with their own storylines, a determined main character with a love for science and just overall joyous story telling. 'Immortality' built upon these blocks Schwartz had left from Book 1 and just made it more fascinating and even better. I must say, my favourite part of the book was the ending because it just felt right for these characters and the situation they were in.

Thank you for allowing me to read this novel.
I really enjoyed the first novel so couldn't wait until I read Immortality. I needed to know how it was all gonna end.
I really enjoyed the final instalment, the story flowed and it was a great read.
The cover is as stunning as the first book.

Thank you NetGalley and Little Brown Book Group UK for a free eARC in exchange for and honest review.

Immortality - a love story follows on from Anatomy - a love story continuing with the life of Hazel as she attempts to make her way as a physician in Scotland and then in the Royal Court of London working to treat Princes Charlotte.
What quickly unfolds is the discoveries of Beecham and his tincture is not isolated to Edinburgh and Hazel soon finds herself in a social club with one very big secret.

This sequel is fantastic. What began as almost a shock twist at the end of the first book, has set up a wonderful plot line for the second. We enter the English court of Mad King George and find our FMC meeting regularly with great minds such as lord Byron and other notable characters (not giving anything away).
Hazel continues to battle against decisions of the heart as well as continuing to succeed in her work as a female physician which in itself is a great story of a woman reaching and braking a glass ceiling. However we are then thrown into the magical realism that provided such a twist in the first book and then flourishes in this concluding novel.

I loved how this book wound historical events into its plot line, creating those wonderful moments of “wow imagine if that’s what really could have happened”. All be it with some magical influence.

We also get to meet a much wider range of characters in this book and come up with some more complex stories and ideals. I do wish we weren’t so rushed with Dr Beecham’s story as it did leave me with some “what? Why?” moments.

But otherwise the story flowed well leading you around twists and surprises that both shocked and delighted me.

Thank you to NetGalley and Little Brown Book Group for this ARC! I was really excited to read this after the cliffhanger the last book left off on. This one was slightly better than the first one I will admit.

I can’t say too much about the plot as this is a sequel but in this one Hazel finds herself arrested and accused of murder after saving a woman’s life. She is saved from hanging however by the Prince Regent and is tasked with curing Princess Charlotte’s strange illness in exchange for her life.

I enjoyed the plot a lot more in this one, the Companions of Death storyline was particularly intriguing and I loved Charlotte, Eliza and Simon‘a characters. I absolutely adore Dana’s writing style, she knows how to write an atmospheric historical novel and I have a big interest in the Victorian era as a whole. I also enjoyed the discussions on how being wealthy and powerful can also come with it’s problems and how very often those we think are powerful have no power at all. We think royalty must live a fantastic life because they are wealthy and powerful but their entire life is dictated for them and they are almost trapped. That was an interesting thing that this novel explored.

However, I just don’t buy Hazel and Jack as a couple, they haven’t known each other or had enough interactions throughout both books to warrant the amount they apparently know about each other. They barely know each other. Again I think I would have preferred it if they just had a friendship rather than a romance. I also really don’t like Hazel as a character. I find her to be incredibly selfish and naive. She is your typical white privileged saviour who while yes she is helping those less fortunate but she’s also basically using them as experimentation to further her reputation as a surgeon and is quite happy to disrespect the corpses of the poor by digging them up, taking of their clothes and then using them for her own purposes. So many parts of her character butted up against each other. She’s selfless but wants Jack to watch her grow old so she can be in a relationship with him. She’s intelligent but is completely naive in terms of the workings of society and is shocked when she’s told she can’t have her book published in her own name as a woman. She is always trying to get away from being viewed as privileged but constantly thinks everything will just work out BECAUSE she’s privileged which doesn’t really make sense. Also honestly Simon deserved better.

The beginning of this book recaps the first book well so if it’s been a while since you read the first one you can dive straight in and not have to worry about remembering where the plot left off. I did notice though that these recaps also included scenes that couldn’t possibly have occurred. For example, Hazel gets kicked out of her FIRST lecture with Dr. Straine but the book talks about her attending other lectures and laughing with her classmates while his back was turned. One: her classmates seemed indifferent to her in the first book and she made a point of keeping to herself and Two: she couldn’t have even been there! It kind of took me out of the story. This book also claims that she was never engaged to Bernard when she was. It just kind of confused me.

I would definitely read more of Dana’s work, this series was just not for me and was just a bit too messy for my liking. This book was released on 28th February 2023 if you would like to read it, I definitely recommend it if you enjoyed the first book or are curious to see where the characters end up.

SO GOOD! This series has given me vibes of a cross between Stalking Jack The Ripper and Not Even Bones (two fantastic series)

I really enjoyed this story, carrying on from the first book it flowed into it nicely, I was dying to see more of Hazel and Jack and the new characters introduced I liked too, Simon, Eliza and Charlotte!

I'm really happy with how this story played out and the ending was well rounded and perfect! Definitely recommend

i was super disappointed with the ending to ‘anatomy,’ so no one is more happy than me that this follow up installment was written. i think it was desperately needed as hazel and jacks story deserved closure.

that being said, i think this could have done better as a #1.5 novella instead of a full-length #2 sequel. the purpose of this, to me, is to answer everything that was left unsaid at the end of the first book. nothing else really matters, thus becoming filler.

but its really easy-to-read filler. i raced through this because of how nicely the writing flows and how entertaining the content is (even if its not wholly necessary). so all in all, this is a very entertaining sequel and an ending the story needed.

Thank you Net Galley and Little, Brown Book Group UK for giving me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed this book much more than the first book in this duology (Anatomy). It was a perfectly paced historical, gothic romance which continues to explore the hardships Hazel faces as being a surgeon/doctor that is a woman, whilst also dealing with the grief of Jack. Everything that I wanted in this second instalment of the series was there, with all the emotion I too felt reading it. This was brilliantly written, and whilst it was slightly predictable, it was not in a bad way.

Synopsis:

Immortality: A Love Story picks up a year after Anatomy ended. In the aftermath of Jack’s hanging and Dr Beecham’s escape, Hazel has made quite a name for herself as a female doctor running a free clinic for the citizens of Edinburgh, but she is often underestimated and eyed with suspicion, and saving a life leads to her being arrested.

However, Hazel is still a member of the aristocracy, albeit a scandalous one, and as Princess Charlotte suffers from a mysterious illness that none of her male physicians have been able to cure, Hazel is summoned to London in the hope that a doctor of the same age and gender as Charlotte may have some insight.

Once there, Hazel faces more misogyny, court intrigue, secret societies and even Lord Byron, but can she get to the bottom of this mystery and the mystery of what happened to Jack that book one left us with?

My thoughts:

I really enjoyed this one. The switch of setting from Edinburgh to London was well executed and kept the reader interested, and I loved the inclusion of real historical figures and events (though obviously the writer does take some creative license with some of them!)

Second books are tricky and although this book does very much set up for book three it had enough character development and plot to keep you immersed in life in regency London. I’m looking forward to the third book where hopefully some threads set up in this book are fully tied up!

4.5 stars

Thanks to Little Brown Books, Dana Schwartz, and Netgalley for a review copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

I loved this book. I loved the way that Hazel was taken away from the life she'd known in Edinburgh, down to London, the way she progressed through that journey. I loved the secret society too, the collection of members and how they saw the world.

What I didn't love? Having to wait until we were 60% of the way through the book for someone to arrive. I think that was really the only thing I wasn't fond of.

The pacing I felt was really good, the mystery surrounding certain things was fun, the supporting characters were really good too, although I wasn't a huge fan of Iona this time around. Simon was great, and not the total arse I expected him to be, and the friendship with Hazel was really interesting.

Overall, really loved the book and have pre-ordered a physical copy!

4.5 stars

Immortality: A Love Story is just as addictive to read as the first book, and I loved spending time in early 1800s London, which surprised me just like the first book did as I'm not typically a historical fiction girl! But this brand of historical fiction, I EAT. IT. UP. I love our main character, Hazel, so much - her character is fantastic and adventurous and the best kind of heroine. And I love Hazel and Jack together SO much; I was nervous with the introduction of Simon Ferris, the handsome Swedish doctor treating the King, but I'm pleased to say that I really loved where the story ended up going and I think it ended up being a great end to this duology - although I would love to read more from this world if more was to come! I really do think this sequel is just as great as the first, which is pretty unusual for a duology! I was disappointed in how long it took for a certain hero to reappear, but there is never a dull moment with the plot following Princess Charlotte, and the secret society of the Companions to the Death, so I can't complain too much!

Following on from the events of Anatomy: A Love Story, we find Hazel practicing as a physician to those who can’t afford an established doctor. While saving a patient’s life, Hazel falls foul of the law and is imprisoned. She is finally saved when she is called to the royal court to treat the sickly Princess Charlotte. Meanwhile, Jack is trying to find a cure to his immortality, so he can be reunited with Hazel.

The pacing of the story is good and it moves along at a clip. The characterisation is again spot on, and a number of interesting new characters are introduced. If you enjoyed the first book, then you will definitely enjoy its sequel.

I shared the first book in this series with my student book club last year and they were mesmerised by it. I have no doubt that will be just as entranced by this bewitching sequel.

Immortality: A Love Story by Dana Schwartz is the sequel to the best selling Anatomy, and continues the story of Hazel Sinnett and her quest to become a surgeon in regency era Edinburgh. I would not recommend reading this without having read Anatomy beforehand, much of the plot is reliant on the events of the earlier book, and for that reason it will be difficult to describe much of the plot of this one without spoilers. In summary Hazel is heartbroken , but still determined to fulfil her dreams and continue her medical education until a huge spanner is thrown into the works in the form of her arrest . Help comes from an unlikely source however and Hazel soon finds herself hired as personal physician to Princess Charlotte. Life at court is both glamorous and dangerous however and as Hazel works to identify the mystery ailment afflicting the princess she is also invited to join a secret society of intellectual elites with a rather unusual membership requirement. Could they provide the information she needs in order to give her her hearts desire?
This is a wonderful sequel, I loved being back in Hazel's world, she is such a determined and endearing character with a heart of gold. I loved seeing more of society in this book which moved the action from Scotland to London and introduced as characters several notable historical figures from the era. We do get the introduction of a new character who falls for Hazel and while I don't always love a love triangle storyline , I thought that this one was well done , in fact I liked the new character better than Jack, her original love interest from the first book, and I really thought they would make a better couple given his understanding of Society and his respect for her as a fellow doctor.
I read and reviewed an ARC courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher, all opinions are my own.

I can already tell you that I'll read anything by Dana Schwartz. I'm not sure this sequel was entirely needed but I enjoyed the time I got to spend with these characters. It took a long time to get going but somehow it was still one I was able to absolutely devour. A good addition for anyone who really loved Anatomy, but otherwise maybe not a must read.

Thank you to Netgally for the opportunity to review this story.

Dana is a beautiful writer and the storyline was enjoyable and easy to read. I hope to read other titles from her in the future.

A wonderful sequel to Anatomy, A love story. I devoured this, it got me out of a reading slump. Just enough reference to the plot points of the first book to remind me without being overwhelming. Loved it.

DANA SCHWARTZ I WANT TO KNOW WHAT YOU PUT INTO YOUR BOOKS TO MAKE THEM SO DAMN ADDICTIVE! i read this book so quickly and honestly preferred this one to anatomy - i wasn’t expecting that at all as most of the time, sequels cannot compare to the first book.

here we see the return of the incredible, and absolute ingenious, hazel who fights against female stereotypes and becomes a physician much to the disgust of society. i honestly love her so much as a character and she is definitely one of my all time favourites - SHE IS JUST SO COOL! i was not disappointed with this story and loved the side stories involving Charlotte and the whole Florence incident at the start of the novel.

the only sad thing about this book is Jack. he wasn’t hitting it for me as much as he did in the first book and i honestly preferred simon a lot more… i hope this isn’t the last that we see of him because i loved him.

i’m currently studying the romantic era at university and found that this ties in so well with the gothic elements and the historical context in the romantic period. this is honestly what makes schwartz’s work so incredible. she is a true master of working in Romanticism conventions as well as history and has an incredible eye for detail in her novel.

now… i can see a third book happening in this series and i honestly PRAY that i am correct with this. i love following the story of hazel and jack and would do ANYTHING for another instalment. i will not REST until i have a physical copy of this book in my hands. i need it more than life and will honestly run and rugby tackle my way into getting it.

thank you so much for allowing me to read this book prior to its publication! i adore immortality and anatomy so much and this was such an honour.

I found this rather boring, didn't really make it worth reading. I don't even know what exactly made me dislike the first book of the duology since it was so hyped on the internet. Kind of felt like it could have been a standalone rather than a duology.

Having read Anatomy I was extremely excited to discover there was to be a sequel. The story did not disappoint. I love the strong female protagonist found in Hazel, who truly is a medical trailblazer. I especially enjoy how the author interweaves real historical characters into the threads of the story and then uses artistic licence, The book does very much fall into the fantasy arena and if people are looking for historical fiction, they also need to be aware of this, as there is a need to very much suspend reality. There were a couple of elements that felt they were a little bit far-fetched and included in order to tie up some ends. I would have been more than happy for these ends to be left hanging, as I am fairly confident a third book in the series must be on the cards. I also believe this could really get teenagers to engage with actual historical events such as the madness of King George or the French revolution.
This was a compelling read and I gobbled the book up in a day!