Rating - ⭐⭐1/2
"Hazel Sinnett is alone and half-convinced the events of the year before—the immortality, Beecham’s vial—were a figment of her imagination. She doesn’t even know whether Jack is alive or dead. All she can really do now is treat patients and maintain Hawthornden Castle as it starts to decay around her.
When saving a life leads to her arrest, Hazel seems doomed to rot in prison until a message intervenes: She has been specifically requested to be the personal physician of Princess Charlotte, the sickly daughter of King George IV. Soon Hazel is dragged into the glamor and romance of a court where everyone has something to hide, especially the enigmatic, brilliant members of a social club known as the Companions to the Death.
As Hazel’s work entangles her more and more with the British court, she realizes that her own future as a surgeon isn't the only thing at stake. Malicious forces are at work in the monarchy, and Hazel may be the only one capable of setting things right."
Immortality: A Love Story is the second novel in The Anatomy Duology by Dana Schwartz.
First and foremost, I would like to thank St. Martin's Press and Wednesday Books for giving me the opportunity to review this in advance. Please note that this in no way affects my opinions. Also note that what I read was an ARC, and things may be subject to change for the official release.
I had an interesting experience reading Anatomy: A Love Story. I was actually enjoying the book for the majority of it despite it being a gothic which never work for me. That was until the gothic aspect of the book really kicked in, and I was suddenly not enjoying myself anymore. I had no idea though that it wasn't a standalone and actually had a sequel.
I wanted to read this because it gave me a bit of hope that the series was able to turn around after the way the previous one ended. Unfortunately, I found that this book didn't stand great both as a singular book and as a sequel and final book in a series.
I won't go into extensive detail because most of what didn't work about this book for me was the lack of content. Or to be more specific the lack of content that connects this book to the previous one. We follow Hazel who, after helping someone despite the illegality of it, ends up in jail for the foreseeable future. The promise of a dismal outcome changes though when she is requested to aid Princess Charlotte, the daughter of the current king of England. Things get even more complicated once she gets entangled in the court and a mysterious organization.
Now, did I mind this plotline, no, but I found there was one question looming over my head the entire time, why? Why did the author feel the need to create this plot in order to complete the story? A lot of what happened in this felt very redundant as what was happening was only there to serve one purpose, and it took a lot of time to even get to said purpose. Anything that happened in this that was imperative to round out the story could have easily been achieved had the author extended the first book a bit and made it into a standalone. And those needed plot points, like the last book, also occurred very abruptly which led to some pacing issues as well.
I also can't say I was the biggest fan of Hazel herself, as well as the addition of a new love interest for her. It wasn't necessary nor was it written particularly well considering how fast it burned. Hazel also simply had a lot of lapses of logic in this book which doesn't seem to fit in with her character. The climax of her character arc as well ended up being predictable which didn't help.
Overall, while I wouldn't say this was bad, I didn't find it to be necessary. The story could have been better, at least for me, had it been a separate book or cut down and combined with the first book.
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