This was everything I hoped it would be. The character arcs coming to fruition in all the ways I hoped they would. I definitely could have used something more definitive between Olivia and her choice. The win for Amy-Rose was so sweet. Helen was again the most entertaining character. But it was Ruby’s character growth that I enjoyed most of all, seeing her fully step in the shelf assured young women she had the potential to be and living for herself was incredibly satisfying. The pacing in this book was much better and even the slower moments were engaging and entertaining. I enjoyed this read from start to finish!

More Than This is the second book in The Davenports series, following a group of young Black society women in 1910 Chicago.

Olivia, Ruby, Amy-Rose, and Helen are back, each trying to live life on her own terms, pursue dreams, and find love.

Olivia continues her work in social justice by supporting local causes and writing anonymously for the newspaper. Her romance with Washington DeWight has been on hiatus since he left for Washington, D.C., to continue his civil rights work. His absence, however, has led to a new friendship with lawyer Everett Stone, opening new possibilities.

Ruby is planning her wedding to Harrison Barton, but the stress of her father’s mayoral campaign, along with the financial strain it’s placed on her family, is weighing on her. She also faces town gossip, but the loss of her family’s fortune propels her to chase her own ambitions.

Amy-Rose’s salon and beauty business is flourishing under her mentor Mrs. Davis, and her future is looking bright. However, her relationship with John Davenport remains complicated after his father made it clear that he doesn’t think the “daughter of a slave-owner” is suitable for his son.

Helen is reluctantly preparing for her debut, but her true passion lies in the family carriage business and her dream of creating an automobile. She hopes that the publicity from recruiting race car driver Ransom Swift to showcase their prototype will convince her father and his board to take her seriously.

More Than This is a historical young adult novel with drama, romance, and a vivid depiction of early 20th-century Chicago. My favorite character is Amy-Rose, who is hardworking, kind, and true to herself. While the stakes aren’t particularly high and the romances are sweet and chaste, it’s a comforting read for those who want to revisit characters they love.

Rating: 3.75 stars

An enjoyable second installment of the Davenport siblings. This time around they're all on their individual paths trying to build the next chapter of their lives while navigating friendships, love, and the prying eyes of family. A good story to dive into if you're ready to reconnect with the characters and continue the journey.

The first book in this series was one of my favorite books of 2023. I'm leaving this review with the assumption that this is a duology, because I have no idea where it would go from here. If it's going to be a trilogy, then I'm very confused.

The first 20% or so of this book is dedicated largely to reminding us what happened in book one. IMO, book 1 was so tightly plotted and so... not quite campy, but high drama for sure. Book 2 is much less focused, and things seem to happen with minimal agency on the part of the characters. Now, if that's because we're getting closure on book 1, I'm glad I stuck around. The end of this book felt very final. But compared to the previous installment, the stakes were much lower, and there were few real obstacles faced by any of the characters. A lot of the story seemed to take place off-page in between chapters. Admittedly, I read this book as an ARC (thank you, NetGalley, for the review copy) and I'm sure some things changed between my version and the final, but the changes would have had to be pretty significant to adjust what felt to me like pacing issues.

That said, I still liked the characters, and I was glad to see them find various versions of happiness. I'm just thinking about what happened in each character's storyline, and there wasn't much substance.

💜 The Davenports: More Than This Book #2

✍🏾 By: Krystal Marquis- read The Davenports and it gave 5⭐

📅 Publication: 11-12-24, Read 11-12-24

🌎 Setting: Chicago 1910

📄Page Count: 384

Genre/Tropes:
♡ Historical Romance
♡ African American/Women's Fic
♡ coming of age
♡ Young Adult
♡ wealthy
♡ based on real people- C.R. Patterson + family

In Book one, Olivia defied her parents by not entering into an arranged marriage. Helen told her father that she was serious about The Carriage Company and enjoyed being a mechanic. Ruby's plan with John backfired, but she ended falling for Harrison Barton instead. And Amy-Rose followed her dream of opening a hair care business moving to New York, leaving John Davenport.

This book was a great follow-up to see where everyone ended up after their decisions. Olivia became more active in the civil rights movement waiting for Mr. DeWight to return. She made a connection with her father's business lawyer Mr. Everett Stone-someone her parents actually approved of. Helen made her debut in society reluctantly, still working with her brother John at their family's company. She even recruited stock car driver Ransom Swift to be the face of their motorcar creation, but past suitor Jacob Lawrence returned and swept her off her feet. Ruby Tremaine was planning her wedding to Mr. Harrison Barton, but the arrival of gossip from people she thought were friends tried to ruin her. She discovered her passion for dress design and made it a reality regardless of her parents' disapproval. Amy-Rose thought a lot about her mother Clara and recently deceased mentor Mrs. Davis. She received letters from family she never knew and confronted her true feelings for John Davenport after a lot of pining. The patriarch Mr. Davenport transformed the most after his trip to London. He was more accepting of Helen joining the business, and he reconciled with Amy-Rose. I can't wait to see everyone's weddings and HEAs!

⚠️: racism/classism, slavery mentioned, misogyny

🌶️Steam level: 1/5 kissing only

⭐Rating: 4/5

Thanks for the e-ARC provided by NetGalley, Penguin Group/ Penguin Young Readers Group | Dial Books, and Krystal Marquis. I voluntarily give my honest review, and all opinions are my own!

I enjoyed The Davenports: More Than This even though I found the beginning to be a bit shaky. I wasn't sure if I'd love it or not but I did. I loved stepping back into this world and watching these characters grow and come into their own. I loved the fact that they live in a conventional world but each heroine is unconventional in her own way. I enjoyed watching them navigate every obstacle that was placed in their path and watching them triumph. I'm truly loving their journeys and can't wait to see what happens. This was a cute and sweet read with not so fluffy undertones. I definitely recommend it.

Thanks Penguin Teen and NetGalley for the gifted DRC book.

Even though I read the first book of this series in January 2023, I had no problem jumping back into the Davenports’ world in MORE THAN THIS. Marquis once again delivers compelling characters in a great multi-POV story. Though a bit slower than the first book, I was still eagerly turning pages. Recommended for fans of YA historical romance that enjoy character-driven stories. I’m looking forward to the next book!

I enjoyed returning to the world and following our band of main female characters. At many times throughout the novel, I itched to get a bit more from the main point of view. There were pretty important plot devices that were resolved in the background that would have been very interesting to spend some time on instead of skipping forward. I do think the shining light of this sequel were the periods where we followed Amy Rose and Helen grow into their own. Amy Rose's luck at getting her business off the ground and determination at times to not get distracted were commendable however, I thought her love interest could have groveled a bit more...I understand that may have been a bit too modern. Helen never wavering on what she wants to do with her life and cars, was nice as well. I'm glad she wasn't pigeonholed into a role.

At times, because of my lack of interest in some of the other POVs due to their repetitive nature in comparison to the first book, the plot moved really slow.

Thank you for the opportunity to read this ebook.

I was anxiously awaiting the sequel to The Davenports, and was thrilled to receive an ARC of "More Than This." I was so invested in Olivia, Ruby, and Helen (honestly, not so much for Ann-Marie). The novel did feel a bit lengthy at times, and I struggled to get through the middle. However, once I got closer to the 65-70% mark, I was able to fly through the remainder. It was bittersweet to read about Olivia's suffrage work to get black women the right to vote while reading this during the US Election, but also restored a sense of hope and optimism for the future. I do feel that Krystal Marquis's attempt to have Ruby, Olivia, Helen, and Ann-Marie "have it all" felt unrealistic -- I was honestly hoping that Helen would remain focused on the family business (or at least have a bit more fun with Mr. Swift!). But again, thinking about the time in which I read this book, I needed a happy ending! I'd give this a solid 3.75, I don't think it surpassed Book #1, but I can't wait to see where everyone goes in Book #3.

The Davenports: More Than This by Krystal Marquis is a fabulous addition to the first book.
Truly an enjoyable YA historical. Its exploration of Black history and success at the turn of the century is just amazing!
The characters are so entertaining. The writing is incredible and the story was engaging!
This was such a phenomenal story, and I loved all of the uniqueness that Marquis put in to this book.

Thank You NetGalley and Dial Books for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this book in exchange for my honest review.

I enjoyed this sequel to the Davenports. I thought this was a fun and intriguing historical fiction read. I should note that I am probably a little older than the target audience for this book, but I still enjoyed it nonetheless.

Thank you again to NetGalley and the publisher for granting access to this book in exchange for my honest review!

Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Group for this read. This was a cute read. It proved more depth that was missing from the first book. It shows what they have been up to since the first book. It was a good read.

Picking up after The Davenports, Olivia, Helen, Ruby and Amy-Rose still contemplate what they want out of their lives and dealing with the expectations of the time. Oliva is still involved with the social justice movement trying to help women get the right to vote and better wages for working women. She misses Washington but a new beau might take her mind off of Washington. Helen gets a chance to build a car when her father leaves the country and a handsome racecar driver takes her mind off of Jacob (her sister's former suitor). Ruby is happily engaged but her flirtations in the past create a hurtful rumor. Amy-Rose finally makes her dream of selling hair products come true but it seems she and John can't be together.

Thank you NetGalley and Penguin Teen for this eARC copy of The Davenports: More Than This in exchange for my honest review.

More than this is the sequel to the book The Davenports which follows the story of Olivia, Helen, Amy-Rose and Ruby with their adventures in finding their own voice in Chicago during the 1910s. I was really looking forward to continuing their story in More Than This. I loved reading about romances old and new. Through out the book I was always just hoping for the best for each of the girls and rooting for them the whole way.

The way that Krystal Marquis writes made me feel so invested in each of the characters who were all connected to each other but had such unique stories all on their own. I definitely recommend this book to any historical fiction lovers out there.

This book was enjoyable, continuing right where the first one left off. All the main characters are in their preferred relationships and occupations; however, the story felt a bit jumbled. It might have been better if this book had focused on one couple, with a third book dedicated to the next set of characters. The storylines are quite complex, and I believe readers would have benefited from this approach.

I struggled to read the book, much like I did with the first one, as the pace felt really slow. Nevertheless, I still enjoyed it and would recommend it to others.

Thank you to Netgalley and Krystal Marquis for the e-ARC of this book. I am voluntarily leaving this honest review.

I absolutely loved The Davenports book 1 and could not wait to see how the family and others made out with their hopes and dreams despite the expectations of them. Book 2 picks up from where we left off with Ruby, Helen, Olivia, Amy-Rose, and the other characters. This one seemed as though there were so many people to keep up with. I’m not sure why it felt that way? It may have been because this one felt slower paced than the first. My favorite out of the women was Amy-Rose. I felt more drawn to her and her outcome than anyone else and I think it’s because she had a more progressive journey. One thing I did love as with the initial book was seeing these Black women and their families in wealth and doing well. We still had a tad bit of drama, but it felt quite mild compared to book 1. All in all I enjoyed the wrap up of everyone I had anticipated.

I cannot let this post go by without mentioning the audiobook, narrated by none other than Joneice Abbot-Pratt. She always brings more to a story in my opinion and I love hearing her voice within a story. She did an amazing job with these characters at no surprise. I would suggest listening to this one for sure!

Did I immediately read this book as soon as I was approved for the arc? Yes, I did. I needed to know what's going to happen with all of them. So much happened toward the end of the first book, The Davenports, that I was more than ready to read what's going to happen next. 

Before you read any further, be warned that there may be spoilers along my review. I won't go into full details because I don't want to spoil the story. There just may be some details that can be spoilers. Just saying.

Let's briefly talk about my feelings regarding More than This. Did I fall in love with it? Yes, I did. Did I wish that I had more? Yes, I needed more! Did I feel heartbroken about the ending? Unfortunately, yes. I am sad to say good-bye to them. However, each of the ladies contributes something more than they started before. 

-Ruby: I love your character development so much. You have grown up so much more than what your parents expected you to be. And I absolutely love your determination and admiration in protecting yourself and your relationship. It's always hard when there are nasty rumors that can damage someone's reputation or relationship. Thankfully, Ruby was able to handle it. 

-Olivia: I can't believe how messy your life is, but I admire your wiliness in being yourself no matter what. You definitely had the opportunity to be your parent mold, but you resist and maintain yourself. I also love your choice with your love life. I feel you, Olivia.

-Amy-Rose: You definitely had a lot of drama returning. Thankfully, you were able to pull through and maintain yourself. You have your ambitions and dreams that you won't fall through. You are going to keep on trying, no matter what. 

Helen: You have the greatest strength. You know that it's going to be a challenge in the man world, but you are willing to prove to everyone, especially your father, that you can do it and better. And I love it so much.

This book was a sweet continuation of the first Davenports book. I was immediately swept right back into the story and enjoyed the love affairs and exploits of each character. The story was a bit predictable (though I honestly had no idea who Olivia would choose) but it was still a lovely story. This book explores a really interesting time in history and would be appropriate for any YA reader.
Thank you to Netgalley and Dial Books for Young Readers for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

A much anticipated book for me, I was so happy to return to the world of the Davenports in this wrap up finale to their story. Following the lives of Olivia, Helen, Ruby, and Amy-Rose, the book continues to center these four women as they navigate their lives in Chicago society and forge their own paths: Olivia navigating the best way to be politically engaged, Helen trying to figure out how to get to follow her ambitions of working with cars, Ruby handling the complicated balance between love and family, and Amy-Rose striking out on her own as a new businesswoman.

This book had all of the ease of reading and joyful and engaging storylines of the first book, but it didn't quite grab me in the same way. I think having 3/4 main women in basically love triangles at one point or another made them feel repetitive, and I think especially Helen's romantic storyline could have been completely left behind. I would have been more interested in what the development of a true friendship between her and Swift would have looked like had it been the center of her story, especially as she seeks to work in a male dominated field the establishment of male/female friendships would have been nice. I did however like the way the love triangle worked for Olivia.

Overall I think the world needs more books like this one, with it's optimism even in the face of challenges (both on personal as well as larger political levels). I also liked that some conflicts were left not entirely resolved at the end, it felt like the book pointed to how not everything can be neatly tied up, and sometimes having those complicated relationships that need a journey to heal exist.

An absolute must read for historical romance folks!

Thank you Netgalley for this arc! As always, loved it! The story was so good and just like the first book I was immersed into the lives of these women. While the stories of these women were great, there were times the pacing was a little slow and I felt there was dialogue that didn't fit the story. Overall, it was a good time! I would recommend this book and definitely would read more from this author!