A dazzling debut novel inspired by the real life story of the Patterson family, the Davenports is a compelling, fulfilling and distinctly satisfying story that delivers total escapism, worthy romance and a glimpse into a period of African American history often overlooked. The family fortune is made through the entrepreneurship of William Davenport - a former enslaved man who founded the Davenport Carriage Company. The novel starts in 1910, the Davenports are surrounded by servants, crystal chandeliers, endless parties, finding their way, confronting challenges about the future and looking for love, sometimes in unexpected place. Four passionate, determined take charge Black women connect with their courage and steer their own path. Olivia is Davenport's eldest daughter determined to do her duty by getting married. That is until she meets civil rights leader, Washington De Wright. Helen the youngest daughter is more interested in fixing cars. Amy Rose is a childhood friend, she has lost her mother and is maid to the Davenport sisters. She dreams of opening her own hair business. Ruby, Olivia's best friend has her own scheme. She has set her sights on John Davenport, Olivia's and Helen's brother. Author Krystal Marquis certainly delivers intrigue.

I was approved an ARC of this from Netgalley and Penguin group and was extremely excited to begin reading it as I had not read a historical romance from a Black perspective character driven by a wealthy black family.

Unfortunately, I was left disappointed because much of the historical fiction was glazed over and could have been developed much more.

The characters were interesting to a point but also could have been developed further.

It was easy to read and enjoyable in parts, however this was not enough to pique my interest.

I wish to thanks Netgalley and Penguin for the ARC. I shall just have to wait for another historical fictional romance to come along with more of a sustained plot including more well developed elements from history.

An interesting take on a historical Romance - the black Bridgerton apparently.

I did enjoy elements of this book - believable characters in parts, the setting, the historical context against the Jim Crow laws and the challenges of being a free or formerly enslaved Black.

However I felt the historical elements needed more explanation, particularly as this is aimed at a YA audience who may not have all the context … and because it would have added depth to the book.

An enjoyable read although at times the characters were self-indulgent and at others superficial… a bit more balance was required.

An interesting read that taught me more about the struggles in American society - but I was left wanting so much more from a historical perspective

3*

When I started to read this novel, I had managed to overlook the fact that is was aimed at the Young Adult market, but it was an enjoyable read all the same.

It has multiple narrators as we follow the fortune of 4 young girls in Chicago set in the early 1900s. It feels a little shallow to start with though the themes soon reveal themselves to be darker and more relevant than is immediately apparent. I was unconvinced as the way Ruby and Oliva (particularly) become involved with men which they know their parents will disapprove of. The families have clear expectations and the girls are quite rebellious. Helen and Amy-Rose felt a little stereotyped - tom boy and maid who is about to take control of her own faith.

The book is very overt about its characters being black - to the point of overemphasis at times. I recognise that the history books need to be rebalanced, but one book alone cannot do this and I did feel that this was trying too hard with that regard.

The 'frothy' social climbing has a feel of 'Bridgerton' relocated, though I can see that 'The Davenports' is trying to draw attention to social injustices which were too apparent at this time and has a more serious aim to it.

I hope this is a book which gets teenagers talking - about past injustices and how to prevent them in the future. It is entertaining but very neatly wrapped up in the end, with all girls promised to the 'right' man.

Dare I say it... Better than another well know same era TV series.
If that's your thing... This is better.
A must read!

This was a really good read! It’s YA Historical Romance, centred around a Black family during a turbulent time of American history. It’s been compared to Bridgerton, and I can most definitely see the parallels; I would absolutely love to see this adapted into a TV series (and think this book deserves it!). The book centres around four different young women; the two Davenport daughters, Olivia and Helen, their friend and maid Amy-Rose, and Ruby, Olivia’s best friend.

As the book progresses, all four of them grow, gaining clarity on their lives and what they want out of them, and making strides towards these despite parental and societal expectations. Olivia grows to realise how much her parents have shielded her from, while Helen struggles to find ways to follow her passion. Meanwhile, Amy-Rose is looking to set up her own business, and Ruby’s father is running for mayor, causing strains on the family’s finances.

Each of these young women have their own struggles that tie into the larger issues facing women and Black people at the time. They add important elements to their characters, and it’s interesting to see how their situations feed into their romantic lives. Although the romances are an important part of the plot, it’s the growth these characters experience that that makes it special. And it is very much character driven, whether it’s Olivia learning more about civil rights or characters advocating for themselves.

I also really liked how the chapters and characters were paired together, as it enables the reader to see the other characters through different eyes, and largely it feels like the non-POV characters move from one scene to another, while giving the reader just enough information to feel unsure about what the love interests are feeling, thinking, or even doing half the time! The whole technique is used really effectively.

Overall, I think this is a really solid novel, very enjoyable to read, and a great YA Historical Romance.

Thank you to Penguin for providing me a copy of this book via NetGalley. Views remain my own.

I want to start with the things I did not enjoy, so we can move on to what I instead liked and end on a happy note, shall we? First of all, I think there were too many POVs. Before starting the book, I thought each of the main characters was going to have their own book, seeing as this is listed and marketed as the first book in a series, but apparently not.
It was too much in too little pages, and it ended up ruining the book for me. I understand that all the POVs are interconnected, and I can see why the author decided to write this story as she did. Unfortunately, for me, it only meant that the characters were a bit surface level, and I did not get attached to any of them, which is already bad in general, but even more so in a romance, in which if you don’t care for the characters, you soon find yourself bored.
In fact, I didn’t care enough about the individual characters to care for their romance and drama, which is a shame, because this book had so much potential, in my opinion. First of all, I would have made the whole thing adult, honestly, and then I would have devoted each book to a maximum of two of the characters at a time, to make it more engaging.
The pacing was weird, at times I felt like it was a struggle just to pick up my Kindle to read this book, which is why it took me so long to finish it, despite being quite a standard length novel. I found myself drifting off and falling asleep as well, which is never a good sign.
There was also something in the writing style that did not work well for me, but I couldn’t pinpoint what it was, and still haven’t figured that out. Maybe it was the fact that, as I mentioned, I would have made this an adult romance, and in my head the YA writing style did not work, but I am not sure, and in any case it’s just a me thing, not a book thing.
What I actually did enjoy, was the historical part. You could see the author knew her history, and that she was passionate about showing it to people who might not know anything about Black history in the United States in the early 1900s. It is always nice when historical romance are indeed historical, and the period setting is not only used for the aesthetics. It’s actually my favourite thing about reading historical romances, getting to know more about different time periods, especially small or lesser known facts that I would not have studied.
Overall, while this was not a book for me and I am not going to read the sequels, I would still recommend this to its intended audience, as it is a different voice in the YA romance department — which is very lacking in historical romance, let alone by BIPOC authors — and I think younger fans of Bridgerton could really enjoy this one more than I did.

This book is absolutely incredible.

I requested it because I loved season 2 of Bridgerton and I was totally keen for that vibe. Instead, what I got was so much more than that and it was brilliant.

I keep stumbling over what I want to write because there’s so much to say about this book that it’s hard to condense it and still do it justice.

The Davenports centres around siblings Olivia, Helen and John, Ruby their friend, and Amy-Rose, their childhood friend and servant. They are all facing life, duty, their dreams and romance - in a society that is both elite and stifling.

The Davenports, being some of the few black members of high society, have been sheltered by their parents to the realities facing many people, including the Jim Crow laws encroaching from the South. Changes are ahead for the Davenports and their friends, in many different ways.

This has honestly been one of my favourite reads this year, and the end of the book leaves you hanging in a big way. I need answers. I need more of the characters. I need the next book already.

This is really great YA historical fiction that fills a massive gap on the market. It’s been called the ‘Black Bridgerton’ but I think that undersells the book.

Exploring life in Gilded Age Chicago, this is told from four different female voices. Olivia and Helen are the Davenport daughters. Rich and beautiful, they feel the wait if expectation. Just one generation removed from slavery, they are are navigating the social world as young black women. Olivia’s best friend Ruby is desperately looking to marry well after her father has invested his future in a political campaign. Amy-Rose is caught between worlds as a friend and maid to the Davenports. Her feelings for their older brother are becoming more complicated. She’s also trying to open her own business and faces prejudice as a bi-racial woman in a man’s world.

This has all the glamour and romance you would expect of a period drama with lots of fashion and social dilemmas. But there is added depth as Olivia explores the world beyond her social circle and gains an insight into the poverty and hardships of the black community. Her excitement for a society wedding wains as she becomes more socially and politically aware.

Helen is also struggling to find her way. A natural tomboy, she is interested in mechanics and automobiles, hobbies which are not appropriate for a young lady.

Each of the characters is well-developed, and you get to know them all by the end of the novel. The switching of narrative viewpoints can be frustrating when you want to find out more about a character and this sometimes slows the pace of the novel.

This is billed as the first book in the series, and I will definitely be interested to see where the writer takes the characters in the future.

Thanks to Netgalley for a gifted digital copy of The Davenports.

I admit it took me a while to get used to the different POVs all the time but they are clearly set out into chapters rather than switching with no warning.

Of the four girls, I think I liked Helen the most. She knew what she wanted, she didn't want to conform to the afternoon tea and corset life her sister was happy to lead. And she didn't give a hoot that society frowned upon her for wanting to be a working girl either, not just a working girl but in a 'man's' profession. She was also fun and sassy and not afraid to speak her mind.

Amy-Rose was sweet but hampered by her status. Whilst she was a maid to the girls, it was more complicated because she'd been brought up alongside them, and were friends as children until yet again society and class forced them into different social circles. This also meant she sometimes overstepped, particularly when it came to the Davenport heir, John who held her heart and seemed to return her affections.

Olivia was complicated. She seemed to be content to marry well and continue to maintain her position in society until a chance encounter with the civil rights movement left her questioning her role and responsibility in society. When it seemed her heart had won out and she was on the road to changing her life path, duty took over and things changed again.

Ruby was probably my least favourite. Although most of her actions were engineered by her selfish parents, I felt she lacked any kind of backbone and will of her own until the very end. This made her detestable with her actions towards both John and Harrison.

Whilst loosely based on a true-life family, the history is a backseat driver to the romance but a fully enjoyable read.

The only reason I gave this four stars instead of five was the ending. Only one of the girls got a conclusion to their storyline. The remaining three were left open, I'm hoping because there is another book to come. Oh please, oh please let this be so.

Many thanx to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for allowing me to read and review this book.

I tried very hard to read and enjoy this book but eventually was so confused as to what, where and the who of what was happening that I struggled with this book!

Story line was based on truth, which I thin k would surprise many readers. Can only award 3 stars as I found it hard going at times.

The Davenports by Krystal Marquis is a powerful and beautiful novel that dives into the lives of an affluent Black family during a tumultuous period in the United States. With brilliant characters, intricate storylines and passionate emotions, readers will be deeply immersed in the lives of the Davenports and the courage and strength it takes to chart one's own course.

The story follows Olivia, Helen, Amy-Rose, and Ruby as they search for freedom and justice while challenging expectations placed upon them by family and society. With each chapter, readers will feel a sense of empowerment as they join in the journeys of each woman and feel the pride they have in their family, faith and culture.

The book will make you laugh, cry and admire the bravery of the Davenport sisters, each on a journey of discovery. Krystal Marquis has penned an incredible story about a family on a journey for true love and freedom. This is an extraordinary book and a must read.

This book is being marketed as a ‘Black Bridgerton historical fiction’ and I absolutely loved it. The story is told from multiple perspectives and each of these women have romantic storylines intertwined. The different point of views drew me in and I found myself invested in these characters lives, especially the romance.

Set in the year 1910, "The Davenports" is a YA historical drama following the lives of four young Black women in the United States during a time of political unrest.

There is Olivia, the eldest Davenport daughter, who is burdened with the expectations of being a respectable woman and being dutiful towards her parents. There is Helen, the youngest Davenport daughter, who couldn't care less about the social conventions and desperately wishes to be involved in her family's carriage business. There is Amy-Rose, the Davenport family maid and friend, who dreams of opening her own hair salon for black women. And there is Ruby, Olivia's best friend and potential sister-in-law, burdened with her own set of familial expectations.

Told from alternating points of view, the intertwining stories of these young women are filled with love, courage and determination. I found it to be a mostly enjoyable read that provides a glimpse into issues of racial and gender politics.in 20th century America. I did feel that the story dragged a bit too much and lost its initial vigor towards the end. Besides being anti-climatical, the ending has a weird shift in writing style and character dynamics, which left me feeling conflicted. The romantic plotlines of the four women are much too similar and the recurring tropes creates a sense of redundancy. I personally feel that the relationship drama overshadows the more serious issues the story tells, and it may be difficult to follow if unknowledgeable about American history, but the author does explain the political setting in an author's note at the end of the book. I acknowledge that this is a young adult fiction, so this narrative style may have been a deliberate literary choice.

Overall, a decent debut into the world of historical fiction.

Unfortunately I had to DNF this at 30%. I wasn’t feeling the story at all and it felt like a bit of a Bridgerton rip off. I may have just not been in the right mindset for it but at this time it’s not for me. The writing style is fabulous though and I know this author will do fantastic

A great saga of a black family of good fortune in 1910 Chicago. As this book twists and turns through four young girls' lives, it draws you in. The lovely descriptions helped you feel you were there among the strong men and the beautiful ballgowns.
A big romantic book with love, lies, and struggles.
A good read
Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to read and review this book. xx

This charming read is being touted as a Black Bridgerton (but not Regency), and I’m here for it. It’s a fun romance with just the right amount of history, and while some say the pacing is slow, I personally enjoy a slower paced book. If a story is good and the characters are quality, I don’t wanna rush through it. And this fit the bill nicely. Looks like it’s the first in a series and I’m looking forward to the rest!

The Davenports is about three black siblings, their family and close friends. They’re growing up in Chicago at the beginning of the 20th century. All are black.

I wasn’t aware that black Americans were so successful in business at that time and that they were accepted in society, so the book was interesting from that perspective. There’s a detailed author’s note at the end which explains the inspiration for the story.

All three siblings, plus one close friend, are expected to marry eligible partners. However they all have other ideas and fall in love with different people from those their parents have earmarked for them.

I found it hard to keep track of who everyone was supposed to marry but who they currently were interested in. Also, the story doesn’t end - it simply stops, with nothing resolved.

I received a free copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

The Davenports is the second novel I've read this month with four protagonists, and as with Godkiller, I loved them all. Olivia, Helen, Amy-Rose and Ruby all faced different challenges and choices, their lives interwoven through family, friendship and love.

Olivia knows she is expected to marry, and she can think of no one more suitable than the rich and respectable Mr Lawrence, until she meets charismatic lawyer Washington DeWight, that is...

Her sister, Helen dreams of abandoning society's expectations and pursuing a career with cars. So why can't she stop thinking about her older sister's suitor?

Ruby's family may have fallen on hard times, but she has a plan to fix their financial future, and it involves Olivia and Helen's older brother John. But her plot to make John jealous might backfire when her own heart gets tangled in it.

Amy-Rose, Olivia and Helen's maid and childhood friend, has big dreams to open her own salon, and she's not going to let anyone get in her way - not even when John, her childhood crush, suddenly seems to notice her.

The Davenports would be brilliant on screen and I hope someone is working on a film or TV version - I loved these characters and need to see more from them! I'm also really excited for book two, as there are so many unfinished narrative threads that I'm desperate to know the conclusions to.

I was provided with an advanced copy for review on NetGalley.

Awesome read. Loved it, loved it. Fans of black historical fiction will enjoy meeting the Davenports and peeking into their world. There is romance and honest conversation and deep thought and it asks all the right questions. My favourite character was Amy-Rose. We all need a little of her spirit. Gorgeous ending as well. Love a good cliffhanger. I hope there’s a book 2!