𝐁𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐑𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰 📚
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
Publication date: 11/24/24

Wheww honey @krystabelle_reads book 2 didn’t disappoint😍. All of my favorite characters from book one made appearances and I felt like I had closure! If you black historical fiction I highly recommend this series. Think black version of Bridgeton. I do recommend reading book one first so you will understand the background on many characters. The wasn’t a 5 star read for me because I did feel a little over whelmed by the multiple POVs.
It’s a lot going on:
👰Ruby’s wedding
💕Olivia has two love interests
💇🏾‍♀️Amy rose is soaring through life but of course the love tension with her & john is palpable. I have to admit i loved her character most because she was a fighter and don’t back down from uncomfortable situations.
🏁Helen finds her way in business and romantically. Loved this for her.

Thank you to the author, @netgalley and @penguinteen for my ARC.

🏷️#historical #fiction #bridegton #netflix #racing #racecar #drbooksreads #love #blacklove

This was am amazing follow up to The Davenports. I love the way Marquis mixes historical facts with a sweet romance reminiscent of Bev Jenkins young adult books like Josephine.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Penguin Teen for providing this arc in exchange for my review.

This was a great follow up to The Davenports. It was nice to catch up with Ruby, Olivia, Amy-Rose and Helen. I liked how each of them had their own hopes and dreams for their future and their determination to achieve their goals while navigating where they fit in within society and/or their social status. 
However, I have a few items that were frustrating for me and I had similar frustrations while reading the first book in this series. 
While I understand why each of them had their own chapters, there were times when I wished there were not four storylines going on at the same time. I would have loved a book that focused just on Amy-Rose and John. Or, Ruby and Harrison. I wish John had been given his own chapters for us to see things from his perspective as he navigated working in the family business and his feelings for Amy-Rose.  
It was hard to determine how much time had passed between each chapter. It was disappointing to read about a conversation or interaction that occurred as a sort of "by-the-way" and not get to experience it.  Especially a few that happened between Amy-Rose and John.
And, as a side note, I don't know how in the world a person can choose not to read the letters that someone wrote to them... for months.  Why keep them if you have no intention to read them? I mean, seriously.
Overall, I enjoyed the sequel and was happy with the endings for each of these ladies and John. My rating is three and a half stars out of five.

REVIEW:
I finished it! I must say that I enjoyed it, but it took a little while. There were other parts that repeated themselves or had similar thoughts. With so many narrators, it was difficult to keep track of where we were in the story at times.
I enjoy how the characters are distinct from one another, and how they are cared for and wish for good things to happen to them. The book makes for a good time.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing a free early reading copy in exchange for an honest review.

RESEÑA:
¡Terminado! Tengo que decir que me ha gustado, pero se me ha hecho un poco largo. Había muchas partes que se me hacían un poco repetitivas, o mismos pensamientos. También en algunos momentos me costaba volver a situarme en el momento de la trama que estábamos, al tener tantos narradores algunas veces no sabía si habíamos pasado de día, o si estaba en el mismo punto donde acababa la voz anterior.
En conjunto me ha gustado, los personajes son diferentes cada uno del otro y se les coge cariño y quieres que les pasen cosas buenas y que brillen y salgan adelante. El libro te hace pasar un buen rato.
Agradezco a Netgalley y a la editorial por permitir mi lectura a cambio de una honesta reseña.

Title: The Davenports: More Than This

Author: Krystal Marquis

Rating: 4.5/5

"The Davenports: More Than This" by Krystal Marquis is a captivating continuation of the Davenport family's saga, set against the backdrop of the vibrant and tumultuous summer of 1910 in Chicago. Marquis masterfully weaves a tale of love, ambition, and social change, capturing the essence of an era and the resilience of four remarkable young women.

The novel follows the intertwined lives of Ruby Tremaine, Olivia Davenport, Amy-Rose Shepherd, and Helen Davenport as they navigate the complexities of their personal and professional lives. Each character is distinct and well-developed, bringing their own unique struggles and dreams to the forefront.

Ruby Tremaine's engagement to the love of her life is jeopardized by a vicious rumor, adding tension and uncertainty to her plans. Marquis skillfully portrays Ruby's determination to protect her reputation and future, highlighting the societal pressures faced by women during this time.

Olivia Davenport's dedication to social justice and her secret longing for Washington DeWight add layers of depth to her character. The conflict between her passion for justice and her parents' traditional expectations creates a compelling narrative that explores themes of duty and self-discovery.

Amy-Rose Shepherd's journey to owning a salon is both inspiring and heart-wrenching. Her return to Freeport Manor and the rekindling of her feelings for John Davenport bring a sense of nostalgia and unresolved emotions, making her story a poignant exploration of love and ambition.

Helen Davenport's determination to modernize the Davenport Carriage Company and her reluctant partnership with a thrill-seeking racecar driver inject excitement and innovation into the storyline. Helen's character embodies resilience and forward-thinking, reflecting the changing societal landscape of the early 20th century.

Marquis's writing is vivid and evocative, immersing readers in the sights, sounds, and societal dynamics of 1910 Chicago. The historical context is seamlessly integrated into the narrative, enriching the story with authenticity and depth. The pacing is well-balanced, with each subplot unfolding naturally and keeping readers engaged.

"The Davenports: More Than This" is not just a story of love and drama; it is a celebration of the strength and determination of young Black women in a rapidly changing society. Marquis's ability to portray their struggles and triumphs with sensitivity and nuance makes this novel a powerful and empowering read.

In conclusion, "The Davenports: More Than This" is a beautifully crafted novel that continues the legacy of the Davenport family with grace and depth. Krystal Marquis delivers a rich and engaging story that will resonate with readers, leaving them eagerly anticipating the next installment in this compelling series.

This was such a beautiful continuation to The Davenports! I loved getting to go on the journey with the characters as they continued finding themselves, their passions and their voice. Reading this honestly reminded me of my siblings and I!

3.5 stars

I had been eagerly waiting for this book - the sequel to Kristal Marquis’ ‘The Davenports’ which I read in 2023 and absolutely adored.

Book 2 picks up right where we left off, and continues to focus on the four main characters - Olivia, Helen, Amy Rose, and Ruby.

However, this was a much slower read for me than the first book. This was beautifully written, and It gave us some much needed resolution after the first book’s cliffhanger… but the pacing was off for me.

I will say that Marquis continues to do an excellent job of writing each character so they come to life. It’s easy to differentiate between storylines and characters when each is drawn so vividly and uniquely - a crucial but often difficult endeavor in novels with multiple POVs.

Suggested snack pairing: tiramisu

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Young Readers Group for this ARC. My review will be posted on Instagram at @bedtimesandbooks and I will update with a link to my review.

What can I say about the Davenports? Well, for one, it's an extraordinary story of family, love, determination, and actual values. I love the storyline of the davenports sibling love and family values. I dislike that the storyline is a slow build-up at the end, leaving room for another book. I am happy for the Amy-rose storyline, an enslaved person-owned child who beats the odds, explores entrepreneurship and truly exceeds everyone's expectations. We have Helen, who is my favorite Davenport in this second series, a young woman determined to break the traditions of a young woman and become a more prominent leader in the family's business. What will become of Olivia? I would love to see where the story unfolds with her future activists. This book was great, and I'm excited for the next season of the Davenports & friends.

A fun YA-historical romance with 4 black women navigating courtship, race, romance, political activism, being a woman in a mans world and finding their passion and way in life.
I really enjoyed the first davenports book and this was a fun continuation of the stories. The woman each have their own thing going on, but are fiercely loyal towards each other. The setting of davenport manor and Chicago in the 1920s is beautiful.
I enjoyed the way to story was told. Many historical romances seem stuffy to me with over the top writing, but this was done beautifully.
Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for an advanced readers copy!

Okay continuation to book 1, with resolution on the romances and lives of the 4 main characters. It was a little slow and a little confusing with 3 intermingled stories but still an entertaining read.

3.5 ⭐️

Overall, a nice continuation of the first Davenports book. I have mixed feelings about this book as I don’t believe much happened. There was an unraveling of relationships and then falling back on repairing said relationships. I can appreciate that we get deeply acquainted with the main players. I commend Marquis for continuing to weave four stories together without making it confusing. I also appreciate the recaps we get in the beginning to readjust since I didn’t reread the first book before starting this one. It took me a while to read this book because at no point was I truly sucked into the story. I will say that’s not necessarily a bad thing because I was able to digest everything day by day. Despite its flaws, I will continue to read and recommend this series!

Thank you Netgalley, the publisher, and Krystal Marquis for an ARC of this book!

Thank you Netgalley and Penguin Young Readers Group for this e-arc. The sequel to The Davenports picks up where the first book ended. Olivia, Amy Rose, Ruby, and Helen's stories focused less on romance and more on finding their passion and purpose in life. Amy Rose's chapters were my favorite and it was interesting following her journey as a black female entrepreneur. However, the pacing in this book was very slow in my opinion. I think this series would have a lot more potential if one book focused on each of the main characters.

This book is a beautifully written novel that continues to tell the story of the Davenports, a wealthy African-American family located in Chicago. It explores the complexity of relationships at the time and the unjustness towards women and Black people. I greatly enjoyed the different points of view that alternated between the female leads, particularly Ruby and Olivia’s because of their romantic plot lines that were impacted by the nature of the world around them. Overall, I strongly recommend this novel to anyone who likes historical fiction, romance, or other genres of the like. Thank you to the publisher for providing me with an advanced readers copy.

With the boom in Bridgerton, and how much I love it, it was no surprise that i would request this. I love period piece romance novels and this didn't disappoint. Hearing from the Davenport family ladies again was such a treat and seeing how their men were doing (or not doing). I know I will need to pick up a copy of this book in november when its released hell I may have my book club read it these were such fun stories of love to follow

The Davenports: More Than This is the second book of the Davenport series. I really enjoyed this book and I think readers of the previous will enjoy it as well.

Initial Thoughts: I really enjoyed this one! In my opinion this sequel is a strong improvement in book one. With the love triangles resolved it is much easier to keep track of who is who, especially after the slow start ends and we get into the meat of the story. I did feel unsatisfied with the level of detail at the end in terms of description of the happily ever afters for the characters outside of Ruby (who is the least interesting to me anyway). I wanted to know more about Olivia and Helen’s 5 years down the line lives.

Detailed Review:
More Than This, the sequel to The Davenports, picks up exactly where we left off. We’re in Chicago in the early 1900s, and the Davenports are still holding strong in society as the Bartons hope for a political rise to power.

Amy-Rose has struck out on her own to great success, but not without some loss along the way. Ruby is on the way to getting everything she wanted, but not the way she saw it coming. Helen is forced to look back before she can move forward (in perhaps the least exciting plot). Olivia finds her voice and sets down roots in Chicago on her own terms.

Overall I would call this an improvement on book 1, although imperfect. It drags in the beginning as you untangle the odd Lou interconnected love triangles of the first book. Once it picks up though, the characters’ stories are much more distinct and the challenges they face are timely and relevant both for the time they live in and the circumstances they’ve fallen into.

I appreciated the way each character’s arc ended, but my original review thought still stands - these girls could have had a book to themselves and made just as much sense. I don’t know that the patience it took to get past the initial lull will keep new readers hooked long enough to see the book through but if you read the first and like to see a series done, it’s worth returning to.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this eARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

The anticipated sequel to the instant New York Times bestseller featuring escapist romance and a wealthy Black family in 1910s Chicago

Like the blazing Chicago sun, the drama is heating up for the Davenports and their social set. Before the summer of 1910 drops its last petal, the lives—and loves—of these four young women will change in ways they never could have imagined.

I loved the first Davenport book. Despite this time period not personally being my favorite to read about, I really enjoy the characters and the author's writing.

This story was a little hard to keep up with due to the multiple POVs. I think that's something that works better for a TV script, not a novel. Despite this, it was rewarding to be able to see what happens to these characters after the first book. What I didnt enjoy was the multiple misunderstadning tropes- something that added unneeded tension to the relationships that had already been established in the first book.

I would still reccomend this to historical fiction fans.

I absolutely loved book one of this series and was thrilled to be approved for this ARC.

This book picks up about 3 weeks from where we left off in book one. Each point of view offers a different storyline. I have to admit at times it got a bit confusing with so many side characters for each POV. I think it would have been perfect for each girl to have her own standalone novel. Some POVs (Helen and Amy Rose) I found more interesting than the others. I couldn't wait to get back to their story lines.

There were scenes that felt a bit rushed and could have had bigger moments if each girl had her own book. Because we are following all of their stories at once, some moments felts glossed over or rushed while others could have been removed altogether.

Overwall, I really enjoyed my time with this story and will definitely recommend this book to anyone who enjoyed book 1 as much as I did.

This ebook was made available for me to read and review by Krystal Marquis, Penguin Group Penguin Young Readers Group, and NetGalley.

I read and adored the first novel in this series. I've been eagerly awaiting this second novel.
This starts mere weeks after the action at the end of the first novel. So the engaged couple from book 1 is involved in engagement activities. Of course further complications arise. The other love interests are off on other quests. Adding to feeling of frustration is typical romance tropes of which the exact same trope impacts 2 of the remaining couples at the same time. This trope then lasts too long. The story seems to go in a different direction and then circle back around in truly frustrating ways. Instead of escalating tension, as a reader I was left with escalating frustration. The pacing of this novel feels slower than necessary.

I will definitely read another novel by this author but for me this was a bit of a stumble.

Thank you to Krystal Marquis, Penguin Group Penguin Young Readers Group, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this ebook. All opinions and viewpoints expressed in this review are my own.

I really wanted to get into this but I just could not. I love the concept but I could not connect with the writing.