Alright, you got me! Now I gotta read the next book in the series.

Black communities in Reconstruction-era America are honestly an underutilized setting in fiction. There are a lot of layers to this particular time in history, and it affected different black people in drastically different ways. Having the Davenports be black elites in the North is a relatively unique background for romantic leads and adds a lot of depth to their characters and their approach to relationships. Only 1 of the 4 couples had any form of resolution to their stories, so I will need to pick up the next book.

I actually ended up reading this for my young adult book club. I think the general vibe we ended up with was that we thought it was OK. We enjoyed the characters and idea for the story, but weren't super invested in it. I think this book may be more perfect for a younger/early teen reader. We do think it would make an awesome TV show or adaptation.

This was a beautiful quadruple love story following four girls with vastly different goals in 1910 Chicago. Each of the characters were well fleshed out and interesting. The perspective shifts were done well, ensuring that it wasn't confusing as it flipped back and forth. I'm excited to read the next book!

Absolutly loved this book! I'm not usually a huge historical girlie but this book really hit for me! I absolutely loved the Bridgerton vibes of this book! Absolutely would recommend this book to anyone who loves Bridgerton but wants the added diversity of a Black cast of characters.

I wanted to read this book because it was compared to Bridgerton. Yes it was similar to Bridgerton in the sense that it deals with a family who's children are getting married off in a long ago era where parents have a greater influence on who you marry than you do. However, without Lady Whistledown or the colorful Featherington family it was not as lighthearted and fun as Bridgeton. It read more like a newspaper.

I was beginning to lose interest in the book and I read another review that mentioned it was based on a true story. That regained my interest and reading it was more enjoyable not expecting to laugh the way I do with the bridgertons made it more enjoyable.

I received this galley from NetyGalley.

First and foremost, thank you NetGalley, the author and the publisher for the opportunity to read this ARC, in exchange for an honest review.

Set in 1910 and based on the true story of C.R. Patterson and his family, The Davenports focus on the lives of four young women determined to defy social expectations and forge their own destinies. I loved every page, every little part of this book, as it delves into a tale about identity, love and resistance amidst the early 20th century.

The protagonists - four central women: Olivia, Amy-Rose, Helen and Ruby - are remarkable, each one of them with a unique voice and personal journey. Both these elements make you want to keep on reading nonstop, as to see their stories intertwining with the challenges and aspirations of black women in high society in 1910. The writing is fluid and addresses many issues, managing to intertwine elements of romance and friendship in the midst of it all.

The Davenports combines drama, romance and social criticism with such mastery that makes reading this book a true enriching experience. Krystal Marquis develops her characters and the historical setting in an impressive way, making the love stories delicate and realistic. The story is truly inspiring. Definitely an essential read!

This book was good! I liked it but didn’t love it. I definitely see potential in it and look forward to seeing what else the author does.

A historical novel, seems to have it all. Although I found it a bit troubling with the multiple perspectives, the writing kept things it simple. This book may not be Bridgerton-esque, but it does not disappoint.

Turns out I’m bored of reading about rich people problems. What I read was well done though and I can see a lot of people enjoying this.

I feel like this is a book that people who love the diversity of Bridgerton on Netflix want in book form. This is a great option. I wish that this would have been a story following one main character instead of the multiple points ofviews.

I really enjoyed this historical fiction novel. I really liked that it touched on very real issues of the times to include Jim Crow laws and the start of civil rights movement. I liked that one of the main characters began to understand how privileged she really was and understood and worked to help others less fortunate

I really wanted to love this but ultimately, I was left wanting more.

I have heard great things about this book, and the synopsis really intrigued me. However, the writing style ended up not being for me, which ended up hindering my enjoyment overall,

The Davenports is a historical romance that transports readers to Chicago circa 1910, as seen through the eyes of 4 BIPOC FMCs. While they're in the north post-Civil War, much of the country still views them as less than, irregardless of how wealthy they are.

💭 I'm so torn on how to rate this book because on one hand, I absolutely loved the look into 1910 Chicago from the POV of Black people with wealth. I haven't read anything else from that time and POV. Maybe some of why I didn't love it stems from this not being a genre I read a ton. It discusses some important (then and now) social topics like racism, slavery, and classism and that's the part that I enjoyed most.

Part of me wanted to right it higher to hopefully encourage more people to read it, since it highlights important discussions on society and expectations. Although those topics aren't covered thoroughly or deeply, it was enough that it had me invested in the outcomes for the characters.

I did enjoy it, to be clear, I think it was good. The romance aspect of it just didn't work for me because I couldn't connect with the characters. I think a lot of people will enjoy it more than I did, and even love it. I wanted more character development and I wanted more in-depth with the social issues discussed. Maybe a novella about Mr Davenport (the father). I plan to continue the series, probably.

For what it's worth, my ratings for the Bridgerton books (overall) were all 3-4 ⭐️ - but I love the Netflix adaptation.

🎬 I feel like The Davenports would make an amazing adaptation.

⏳️Overall the pacing is solid, but it did feel a bit inconsistent to me. At 384pgs, it took me just over a month to read when typically that's a short afternoon read for me. In fairness, it was a very busy month and I had a lot of stuff going on with chaotic weather events, so those played rolls in how long it took me to read it. The 4 romances all seemed to roll along at the same pace and timeline - that didn't work well for me.

👥 We get a full BIPOC cast, which I loved. I also appreciated the discussion on the treatment of people of mixed ethnicities. I love that one of the FMCs is exceptional at repairing automobiles, giving us a bit of a varied look into the past.

As a character focused reader, I wanted/needed more time with each of the FMCs - more time to get to know and love them. Without that, I found myself unable to connect or truly care about them and what happened. I feel like if it had been split up with only 1, maybe 2, romances and the rest of them in additional books, I would've gotten to know each FMC on a deeper level.

💞 The romance aspect was good, with some angst and slow burn-ish type tension for some of them. The 4 separate (but interconnected) romances felt repetitive to me with all 4 being into someone who wasn't "right" for them (although for different reasons). I would've preferred a bit of variety.

I quickly found that I was more interested and invested more in the social issues discussed than the romances. The romances felt repetitive overall. I wanted to want to root for them but never was able to really get there because I was unable to connect with and attach myself to the characters.

⚠️ TW/CW: racism, classism, riots

💭 The eARC I read had some formatting issues, and while I tried my best to not allow that to impact my enjoyment of the book, I can't say 100% it didn't.

Thank you to Krystal Marquis and @netgalley for the opportunity to read this eARC. All opinions expressed are my own.

In book one of the Davenport series, we see four young ladies trying to navigate familial demands while also struggling to determine who they are as young women.

This was a very enjoyable read. There are quite a few characters. And love triangles galore.

It's a great look into the life of the black and wealthy and the social demands that are placed upon them.

I'm a bit conflicted on this one. I usually love multiple POV but these felt like they weren't very distinct and their issues were extremely similar if not straight up the same it felt like reading the same thing over and over. Now that's not to say it was bad, I liked the characters and the romances. I saw it called black Bridgerton and that's pretty accurate, it would actually make a great tv show

When I first saw the cover and the synopsis I knew I needed to read this book. Then it sat on my shelf for a couple of years. I decided to finally pick it up and really enjoyed the beginning of the book. I got a little bored in the middle and annoyed at the end. It just ends. No happily ever after. I'm on hold for book two at the library. I really wanted to love it but i just liked it.

In this brilliant new historical fiction book (and the start of a series), readers enter early twentieth-century Chicago and focus on the Black elite community that Olivia, Helen, and Ruby are part of (and that Amy-Rose exists peripherally to). Olivia is ready to do her duty and marry, but the charming civil rights leader Washington DeWight and their instant chemistry throws a wrench in her life trajectory. Helen, preferring cars and mechanics to high society, has no plans to conform, but Olivia’s other suitor doesn’t seem to mind that she likes working on cars, and Amy-Rose dreams of her own hair salon and a future with someone totally unsuitable for her. Ruby, having planned on marrying John Davenport (Olivia and Helen’s brother) for years, is also struggling with her heart, John’s attention, and her parents’ demands. Alternating between their four perspectives, this is a fascinating novel focused on love, change, and self-discovery in the early twentieth century. Marquis has done a masterful job bringing this world to life, and the detail in this novel is absolutely stunning and totally immersive, while readers will also love the different relationships emphasized and developed throughout this brilliant, enjoyable, and complex new historical fiction series.

I decided to DNF this a third of the way through. I thought I would like it, but I didn't. It was boring and I didn't care about the characters. It felt like we were introduced to them in the middle of their stories.

It was jarring to read an e-book that is in PDF format, but that is the fault of the publication company rather than the author. If I focus just on the author's writing & the story itself, I really enjoyed myself. I have been reading a lot of Victorian-era books recently, and this one is one of the most realistic.

I had a hard time keeping track of which character was which but I really enjoyed reading a book, set in this time period, with Black main characters.