Thank you thank to the publisher for this book!! One of my most anticipated releases and it didn’t disappoint! Set in Chicago in 1910, the Davenport family became wealthy when they founded a carriage company. Following the Davenport daughters as they come of marriage age, this book has so many interesting plot lines. Cannot wait for the next book as there are so many loose ends to tie up

In this Bridgerton-esque novel set in 1910 African American high society, we follow the Davenport children and those around them as they navigate the trials and tribulations of romance. Olivia Davenport is the perfect oldest daughter of a self-made, wildly successful businessman, determined to do her duty by marrying well. Helen is her wild younger sister, who prefers the garage to the ballroom as she makes her way as a mechanic out of her father's eye. John, their brother and the heir of the family, must contend with the pressures of inheriting the company as he faces a growing attraction to his childhood friend turned family maid, Amy-Rose. Ruby, Olivia's best friend, faces immense pressure to marry well amongst her family's financial hardship. Hearts break and mend as these young people find their way in the world.

The premise of this novel is so interesting and creative, and in many ways it was executed really well. The exploration of African American wealth and success during the early 1900s, as well as civil rights, adds depth to the novel and adds new perspectives to the era in the historical romance genre. I liked the multi-person POV, and it felt like a TV show in book form in terms of narrative. I do think some of the romantic storylines felt a bit unoriginal if you've read a lot of historical romance though.

Overall, I think this was a fun, entertaining novel! Thank you so much to Penguin Teen and Net Galley for providing me with an advanced reader's copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you Netgalley and Dial Books for an advanced copy to review.

This is a breathtaking historical fiction set in Chicago about a Black, wealthy family. Told in four point of views; the sisters, the house servant and best friend. The sisters have different goals in life; one wants to marry and the other wants to run her father's company into the future by focusing on automobiles. However, because of who they are and how society functions, they are expected to do certain duties to maintain their statuses. It's more romance than historical fiction but the period markers are appreciated.

It's refreshing to see and read post-Reconstruction era Black families and how they navigated society while living in the north.

A dramatic romance following the perspectives of four Black women as they try to fine love. This book highlights what Black success looked like in during a time that was still difficult in African American history. I love the passion and dedication each of the main characters have to finding their happy endings, and how in trying to find love they also discover themselves.

Thank you Penguin Teen for sending me this eARC! There was a lot I liked about this book, but there was also a lot I didn't like. I'll start with what I did like:

- Ruby and Harrison's romance. It was the only romance in this book that I genuinely liked the entire time.
- Ruby. I honestly don't know why I liked her so much, maybe because she was the least problematic of the main characters (in terms of their romances).
- The setting and the descriptions of said setting. The descriptions of the outfits and balls were wonderful and I rather enjoyed them.
- Until things started getting complicated, I really liked Helen's chapters. I liked how different she was from the other characters in that she knew what she wanted from the start and it *wasn't* love. She still had a love interest though, but it was nice that it wasn't the only thing she wanted in life.
- I suppose the same thing could be said for Amy-Rose, although she also wanted love from the beginning.
- The dance scenes. I love a good ballroom dance scene, and this book had an abundance of those. Unfortunately there were no murders, which I feel always spices up a ball, but I suppose this was not that kind of book. Alas.
- HARRISON WAS SO SWEET. That's all I have to say. I just loved him so much.

Now here's the things I didn't like so much:

- The Davenport siblings. I know, the book was named after them. That does not make them great characters. Good maybe, but not great. At first they (Olivia, Helen, and John) seemed likable enough, but their romances were honestly a bit boring and somehow they managed to all mess up in the last few chapters? Literally the only one who didn't mess up was Ruby smh
- This book was set in 1910, yet the characters seemed to be switching between then and a more modern setting, in terms of the romance. There was a surprising lack of a chaperone for most of Ruby's chapters, and several other instances that would be deemed improper.
- The kisses literally came out of nowhere, almost every single time. The characters would be having a pretty normal conversation and then they would just start kissing. There was no build up, no tension. At almost every single kissing scene, instead of being like "finally," I was like "um what." This is not very good for a book that is supposed to be, in part, a romance...
- I felt like Olivia's POV could have used a little more. And by this I mean that her chapters were by far the heaviest in terms of content, and it felt like she needed to be the main character instead of a main character.
- There were far too many characters, and the switch between using "Mr." and "Miss" and their first names was too much. With four POVs and four love interests, plus families, friends, and other random characters, there were too many people to keep track of. I pretty much only knew the main four plus their love interests and possibly their parents. Beyond that I just let myself be confused.
- There was too much filler. There were a lot of chapters were literally nothing happened, and that honestly should've been cut out. This book could have easily been 50 pages shorter without it, and I found myself skimming quite a bit.
- There was an incident regarding Amy-Rose and a barber shop near the end of the book that never got fully explained. Why did the owner of the shop sell it to someone else?? I kept waiting for there to be some big reveal, but there never was.
- Jacob Lawrence's mustache. I'm sorry. I just can't do facial hair and how old were they supposed to be??? I think Olivia was 18/19 and Helen was maybe 17?? The mustache just felt icky :(
- I think they had a dog but it only showed up once and then everyone forgot about it. Did it die?? Where did it go??


Overall this book was pretty good. I don't think I'll be reading the second book, but that's mostly because this one's not even out yet and I know I'll have forgotten all of the characters by the time book 2 shows up. However, it was a pretty enjoyable read for the most part and Ruby and Harrison made it worthwhile (I realize I've already said this like 802 times but I really did love them).

Inspired by the true account of the family behind the first and only Black owned carriage turned automobile company, The Davenports tells the story of Olivia, Helen, Amy-Rose, and Ruby, set against the backdrop of 1910 Chicago. Their lives are filled with galas, jewelry, and servants as well as racism, societal expectations, and forbidden romance across social classes. While I did have to pause at first to keep the multiple points of view straight, this soon faded as the young women’s distinctive personalities and unique struggles pulled me right in to their stories. This first in a series left me with so many questions! These women have difficult choices ahead and I will definitely be following along.

Thank you to Penguin Teen and Netgalley for giving me an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

This YA historical romance follows 4 different black women living in Chicago in the early 1900s. Marquis set out to highlight Black success across the midwestern cities during that time despite the immense inequality. What an absolute joy to read about Black love in a genre that typically leaves them out.

Following 4 love stories that were all kind of wrapped up in each other was at times repetitive, (especially 3rd act breakups) but I was always engaged due to the main characters unique personalities and personal storylines.

There was so much to love about this story and I need the next book immediately.

3.5 stars rounded to 4.

Before picking up The Davenports, I saw this book being compared to a Black Bridgerton (which I have neither watched nor read, but it seems to track from what I know of the series). If you’re looking for straight up historical fiction, just know that this is light on the historical aspect and much heavier on the romance. This isn’t a bad thing, just something to keep in mind so that the right reader connects with this book.

The entire time I was reading this book, all I could think of was how wonderfully the content would translate into a tv series, and possibly in a more entertaining manner than as a book. I loved the juicy nature of the various relationships portrayed in each chapter, where we get four different POVs that mostly worked for me, but may have been a bit disorienting at times. I believe the editing for this one needed to decide what the book wants; as it stands, it’s long-winded and either needed to wrap up as a standalone novel, or cut the page count down to extend into the running series it is planned to be. Minor gripes, but it could have taken a good book and made it spectacular.

Overall, such a fun read showcasing Black joy and success, which we LOVE to see, with snippets of historical context that I enjoyed learning about, and have encouraged me to continue learning about on my own outside of reading this book. Highly recommended as a gateway into historical fiction/romance for the YA.

Thank you to Penguin Teen for an eARC and physical ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

The Davenports is a YA Historical Romance that follows the two Davenport daughters Olivia and Helen, their childhood friend turned maid Amy-Rose and Olivia’s best friend, Ruby as they make their own way in life and love. Based on the real life story of the Patterson family. Set in 1910, The Davenports will transport you to the past full of riches, balls and debuts. Perfect for Bridgerton fans!

When I finished this one I immediately had to look it back up and confirm it was a first in series because I have questions. And it is in fact the start of a new series. I’m not sure how many books there will be but I’m super excited for whatever will come next.

I really enjoyed these four young girls navigating growing up. Helen was definitely my favorite. Her interests and how her gender restricts her is something that was heavily relatable and I really want to see her succeed. Helen also struck me as possibly autistic, but I don't know if I'm right or if it was intentional. Ultimately I’m cheering for all four of these girls and I can’t wait to see how their stories will progress. Highly recommend this fantastic debut 🥰.

RATING: 4 out of 5 Enchanted Roses

ONE-WORD REVIEW: Swoon-worthy

TAG LINE: Fortune favors the bold.

OPENING LINE: "Olivia Elise Davenport pulled a bolt of vibrant yellow silk from the display and held it to her dark complexion."

REVIEW:

Huge thank you to James over at Penguin Teen for sending me an advanced Reader Copy of THE DAVENPORTS in exchange for a review!

THE DAVENPORTS  is a dynamic story that follows four young Black women—three sisters and their good friend, Olivia, Helen, Amy-Rose, and Ruby—as they navigate following their hearts in high society. Think Pride & Prejudice but with color *see what I did there*. This was the story I didn’t know I needed. It was very refreshing to read a YA book about wealthy Black families during the 20th century. We get a wonderful peek into a period of African American history often overlooked. Refreshing and innovative.

The pacing of THE DAVENPORTS  was perfect for the story. The prose was lyrical as the plot was everything I could have hoped for. The characters were real, the romance was swoon, and the banter was delightful. The angst! I was fully engaged throughout the entire read.

All in all, I highly recommend this read to anyone who is interested in a swoon-worthy era piece starring African American protagonists. THE DAVENPORTS is like Bridgerton with all Black main characters. Superb job with your debut novel, Krystal! 

Happy Reading!
Ashley
www.TheTatteredPage.com

I really wanted to like this book... Or at least I thought after hearing the premise that I would enjoy it. In the end though it just felt a little like we were going in circles.

What it boiled down to for me was all four of our perspectives were having the exact same issue in their romantic life, every one of them was interested in a person that wasn't the person that was "right for them" according to society, or their parents, or whatever other external factor, and all four of them were moving through the narrative hitting expected romance beats at the exact same time... Which made for a rather lackluster reading experience.

It certainly didn't help that there didn't seem to be any other plot going on. I don't go into YA books for the romance, even when the YA protagonists are very clearly in that grey space of actual early adulthood and not 17 year olds doing things that children do. In the YA books that I do pick up there is usually something other than the romance that is equally as compelling to read about, but here there was nothing. The four perspectives while vaguely distinct, didn't really seem to matter because there wasn't much a plot for them to maneuver their way through. Even the unique setting of 1900s Chicago with these wealthy Black families still trying to navigate a world that wasn't fully ready to accept them felt dull and flat. Daddy Davenport literally escaped slavery and worked his way to founding a successful business and yet I was supposed to believe he was this person that was so set in his ways that he wouldn't see that horseless carriages were here to stay? It just wasn't clicking for me.

If the sequel is shorter than this book I might be willing to pick this up, but honestly as I was reading this book I was more invested in it being over than the narrative that I was supposed to be experiencing. For all the potential this book had at every opportunity it seemed to stray down the road that was the least compelling to read about.

This was a really cool book composed up of multiple stories through the views of the different family members/their help. It was very insightful into how people of color were treated back in time and was very educational and inspiring. I loved each characters plot like and the seamless way they were all interwoven

I loved how this book showed a wealthy black family during the gilded age. And how they were just trying to fit into society. I don’t seem many books giving this perspective. BUT with all this said I thought this book was kind of boring. I’m not really a fan of books set during the gilded age. This book is told through four different characters perspectives. It was very hard to keep up with the characters and what they were doing. This one just wasn’t my favorite.

I absolutely ADORED this book! This surpassed all of my expectations.

This follows four young Black women in the early 1900s in Chicago. The Davenports are one of the few wealthy Black families in the area. Daughters Olivia and Helen couldn’t be more different from one another. Helen just wants to fix cars but her father will not hear a word of it, and Olivia is the golden daughter, ready to make their parents proud. Ruby, Olivia’s best friend is dealing with the pressure from her parents and it’s making her crazy. While Amy-Rose, a girl who grew up playing with the Davenport kids, is now a servant in their home with dreams of opening a salon of her own.

Each of these young women are fantastic characters and the obstacles they face will shape them into the women they will become. Love blooms in the air all around, but most of it is forbidden to them. The cost of doing what each of their individual hearts tell them to do will be weighed against the paths set before them by their parents or their status or rank.

This was such a wonderfully juicy story about Black lives in the time after slavery, in the Jim Crow era that was fun and vibrant while still being very, very serious about important topics. Author Krystal Marquis loosely based this on a real family, the Pattersons, wondering what life for the Patterson girls may have been like.

I highly recommend this one and I CANNOT wait for the next book to come out.

This book reminded me so much of reading Little Women and the slower paced drama and social restrictions placed on people because of their sexuality and/or skin color. I enjoyed the multiple view points so I was able to see this historical world from different economic points of view.

The setting and characters all felt so real and I could easily picture the scenes unfolding in front of me and the writing was freshly modern. I enjoyed the family pressures, the friendships, and the romance.

At the beginning, even though I expected the story lines of these characters to drastically change, I felt as if each person was pursuing the natural path for their lives. Then, around midpoint, the life decisions which brought drastic changes to their lives, felt authentic and slowly changed my mind to thinking each character had made realistic choices for themselves.

I had no idea this was not a stand alone novel; the ending, although excellent for a first in series book, left mostly unanswered questions.

Reviews Posted: January 13, 2023
Goodreads
Stroygraph


OMG, this book is absolutely fantastic in every imaginable way! Each character has a unique and rich back story that captivates from the first page.

When I say I was getting emotional 10 or 15 pages in, I mean that. Amy-Rose was the first character I connected to in the story, and she remained my favorite throughout. I felt like I got a really good sense of each girl and loved seeing them grow and learn new things about themselves and the people around them. Also, I can’t lie I am a sucker for some good romantic drama.

I felt the love and chemistry of every single couple in this book. The moment each couple interacts, there are fireworks coming off the page.

Also, the ending absolutely wrecked me, and I will not be getting over that cliffhanger for a long time. I was whole hearty and emotionally lined by the author.

Overall this is a captivating story about 4 strong young women trying to figure out their way in the world when the world and people around them expect something different.

3.5 stars rounded up

Gossip Girl meets Downton Abbey, but with an all-Black cast in Gilded Age Chicago! Loosely based on the real history of a wealthy Black family at the time, this follows young people coming of age and learning to differentiate what they want from what their parents might want for them. It's chock full of romantic drama, secrets, longing, angst, and fighting for civil rights.

I think this is a strong debut and I look forward to seeing more like this from Marquis in the future. I think if you go in with the right expectations, you could have a fun time with this YA novel. I will say the pacing is rather slow for this sort of effervescent story filled with social drama. And I think the pacing made the character twists feel more staid than they are supposed to. That said, overall I found this to be fun and a very accessible entry-point for teens seeking historical flair and diverse representation alongside their romantic drama. I received a copy of this book from the publisher for review, all opinions are my own.

I love that this was based on a real life family.

I loved this family. Helen was probably my favorite of the women because she was not afraid to get her hands (literally) dirty on carriages/cars alongside her brother John. I did grow to like Olivia once she realized that she had more to offer than just throwing the right parties and being with the right people, her meeting Washington DeWight and becoming an activist herself.

I love the romances here and am excited to explore them more as we see so many ways each one evolves and not always being the ones the parents want. I like that most of them finally decide what they want for themselves even if this story ends and didn't get them all the way there.

“Ain’t nobody just anything. Especially you. And you don’t need any man to make your dreams come true.”

Olivia, Helen, Ruby, Amy-Rose, and their misters. The Davenports…A family that was rare. Wealthy. Beautiful. Black. A scar and a story to tell. Inspired by the story of the C.R. Patterson & Sons carriage company, The Davenports is perfect for fans of American Royals by Katharine McGee! A first-class debut that hooked me from the beginning pages…very invested in Amy-Rose’s story line! Readers, this one has a cliff hanger that will leave you begging for book two!

”…just stay.” Amy-Rose couldn’t believe her ears. “Why?” She asked. “Because I can’t handle you not being here,” he said, his eyes pained, his steady gaze holding her own.”

✨THINGS AND STUFF ✨
-Chicago, 1910
-multiple pov
-four friends & four swoony romantic stories
-love triangle ish
-society debut
-Black success across midwestern US cities
-courage & love
-civil rights meetings & rallies
-equal opportunity
-champagne & red velvet cake
-declarations of love
-#IsThisAKissingBook: young adult. Lots of smooches! “John pressed her knuckles to his lips. It was a chaste gesture that sent a jolt through her. He inhaled deeply.”

Thank you Penguin Teen for an advanced copy!

🎶 Song: A Kiss to Build A Dream On by Luis Armstrong 🎶

Actual rating: 3.5 stars

A huge thanks to the publisher for sending me a free early copy in exchange for an honest review!

This was a fun, entertaining read. I love a good historical fiction, and I love them even more when they focus on people of color, especially as I feel like we see a lot from a white gaze and frame of reference. I was so happy to dive in this story of the Davenport sisters, Olivia and Helen; their maid, Amy-Rose, and Olivia's best friend, Ruby. They each had their own unique and distinct story to tell. At times I did find the constant switching of POVs to be a bit distracting, as I wanted more than one chapter at a time from all of them. All of the girls are determined, too, with a vein of loyalty (to their family or to themselves) that meant a lot during the time period.

There are times when I thought things were a bit...surface level. We don't get a deep dive into the characters. Because of this, it made me struggle to find that deep connection with our characters--not because I understand or know their plight--but because I was looking for the strong sibling relationship throughout the book and it didn't really particularly come until toward the end, even with Olivia and Helen's brother, John (who, you know, I wouldn't mind a chapter from his POV). It's also this lack of a "deep dive" that cause Olivia to not understand her parents, her father who escaped slavery and her mother who grew up a freed woman. Her parents seemed to shelter their children from the traumas of their respective pasts. There was a particular storyline I hope the author will explore throughout the series involving the Davenport patriarch.

I really felt for Ruby, too. I wasn't sure what to make of her at first, but come to understand and appreciate her throughout the novel as she struggles to do what is "right" in her parents' eyes while being unable to stay true to herself. I'm glad she was able to find someone who she was able to herself with, but then again, it became a bit of a slap in the face to her parents, and there's a lot of deceit happening her.

As for Amy-Rose I appreciated her determination. She is biracial--her father was a slave over and her mother was Black. I like that she mentions there are times she doesn't "fit" in either spaces. I like that she has a clear goal for her future and reaches for it. It was painful for me to read how Mr. Davenport felt about her in terms of any future connection with John.

The ending felt a little too abrupt for me. Of course it definitely leaves more curiosity for the next book. I hope we get to see the Davenport siblings really working as a family and growing close.