Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC!

I really really enjoyed this! It’s like if you took Bridgerton’s spin on race in high society but took it up a notch and dealt with a bit more historical depth. It’s still a romance and a rollicking one at that. It honestly reminds me some of Evie Dunmore’s series following outspoken ladies, in overall vibe of following some high spirited gals as they navigate their place in society and their socio-economic and racial status while also trying to find love and make the right decisions for themselves. Ate it up, can’t wait for the next.

A delightful book about four fierce and feisty young ladies whose lives are defined by them being women and therefor dependent upon others when it comes to certain things. Add to that the themes of social status, skin color, and family values... and you've got quite an interesting mix of possibilities. Possibilities for both love and heartbreak.

But also a chance to learn about the feelings of people who were dealing with inequality and yearning for dignity while dealing with segregation and the Jim Crow laws. Thankfully, a lot of things are different these days, however let me admit some of these themes are still painfully alive unfortunately. What is it with us human beings that we always think of others in ways of hierarchy?

Good thing there is a sequel to this book which I am very much looking forward to.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of the book.

I am very selective with my period dramas and something about this book caught my attention and I am very happy that it did because this book was eloquently written with characters that just sucked you in!

The book follows 4 women during a time where there weren’t many colored voices, much less a woman of color, so as these 4 women try to find their place in the world they will discover who they truly are and set a chain of events in motion that could change everything !

Olivia and Helen are sisters, Ruby is one of Olivia’s dearest friends and Amy Rose has always been a part of Olivia and Helena’s household as a maid. Their lives have been set and as long as the follow what has been laid before them all will be as it should, but life never goes as it should!

Helen longs for more than she’s destined for. She doesn’t want to be like her mother or even her sister. She has passions and falls in love but none of that is in store for her, especially when the man she loves was meant for her sister. Olivia is the dutiful older daughter. Pure perfection and ready to do as she must, but one chance encounter and Olivia starts to realize her privilege isn’t the same for everyone and she has a duty to use her voice, but when the time comes will she be able too! Ruby has always been in her best friend’s shadow and now with her father running for mayor her life is less hers than normal and she will do what she can to find some ounce of control even if costs her the love of her parents! Amy Rose is nothing but a servant and yet she holds talents that go beyond her cooking and cleaning and she will make her dream a reality no matter the cost!!

This book ends in a small cliffy but also with a sense of togetherness that you didn’t have when the story started. I cannot wait to see what comes next for the Davenport because I know things have only just begun!

Thanks to NG and Penguin for the free e-ARC.

There was no other reason why I picked up The Davenports from Netgalley other than the fact that it was offered as one of the “Read Now” books and well, I liked that dashing yellow cover. I have literally zero expectation when I dove into the book. It’s that sort of day when you just tell the Universe that, “Hiyah, let us surprise ourselves by choosing and reading a random book.” Yes, I went into The Davenports blind and not to offend anyone (I’m not American), I don’t even have the slightest idea who C.M. Patterson was not until I finished the whole book and checked his Wikipedia.

Anyway, the Davenports is about this very wealthy family in Chicago sometime in the 1800s. What sets them apart from the other rich and famous is that they’re one of those few Black families who had proved their mettle in terms of making money as if it’s simple as shitting it out after a meal. The family’s patriarch is Mr. Davenport (a character inspired from C.M. Patterson), a runaway plantation slave, who made it big in Chicago by manufacturing luxurious carriages. To ensure that his 3 children won’t suffer the way he had suffered from the cruelty of his Caucasian master, he and his wife raised them with luxury and as sheltered as possible. So we’ve got John, Olivia, and Helen as the three children. But for the sake of the story, we will only get to read Olivia, Helen, Ruby (Olivia’s bestfriend), and Amy-Rose’s (one of the Davenports’ maids) POVs.

As you can see, the lives of the four girls are heavily intertwined especially that the overarching theme of the whole book is “Who’s gonna get married first and have her happily ever after?” Yes, you have read that right. The Davenports is more of a romance book than a socio-political one. The four ladies, despite having their own personalities and seeing them gradually develop into their own person as the story progressed, are wrapped in their own individual dilemma in getting their one true love. Unfortunately, getting their one true love is not as simple as getting presented to the society and voila, you are already engaged with an acceptable gentleman on your side. For the four ladies, every one of the them is pining for what they think was the right man for them only to find out that it’s actually the other guy that made their heart pump with joy. And well, everything kind of snowballed as different romantic conflicts arise what with the other girl silently falling inlove with the man whose kind of promised to the other girl. With the path that the story has taken, I felt weirded out but at the same time, I was highly entertained because why not? It has gone batshit crazy… a total makjang (i.e outrageous storyline) but literally right up my alley kind of makjang. As I have said, I did not have expectations about this book, so I went along to where the author wants to take me.

So if you are planning to pick up this book and anticipating a retelling of Uncle Tom’s cabin, I’d like to inform you right now that please go and reread the book…and read the Davenports if you feel like reading about posh Black girls fighting it out with the Universe to be with their one true love. In here, we are only given snippets as to how the black people fought for equal rights, how they’re trying to live normal lives in a society dominated by white people, and what are their efforts to liberate the slaves from their cruel masters. Had the author explored this part of the storyline some more, I think The Davenports would be a much more enchanting read because there’s just so much story to tell about the struggles of every black people in Chicago in the 1800s. Being a filthy rich black person is not even enough to shield you from condescension and judgemental eyes of the ordinary Caucasian. It’s a difficult world to live in surely but there’s a lot of promise if the author had just taken the time to expound on it. Personally, as a person of color and whose knowledge of black slavery is not extensive, I would really appreciate it if there was more to the plot other than the romance.

Unfortunately, you just have to take what you’re given and this is what I did with this book. I enjoyed it for what it was, a romance book with endearing characters that entertained me from beginning to end.

The Davenports is book 1 in The Davenports series by Krystal Marquis.
A wonderful 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!

I loved this book so much. I've heard so many good things about it and the book did not disappoint. Marquis creates such a wonderful story that takes you through all the emotions you would want in a book. The Davenports is a wonderful book that has become one of my favorites this years. The writing is wonderful and the characters are very compelling. I loved this book and highly recommend it.

The debut novel by @krystabelle_reads is based on a wealthy African American family, living in Chicago in 1910. The Davenport children have led a sheltered life, one that doesn't include classism, politics or poverty. As they come into themselves, life begins to unfold right before their eyes.

As the oldest, Olivia is expected to marry well and live a life which includes hosting lavish parties. One outing begins to change her outlook and ultimately her taste in men.

Next, we have Helen. She's a little rough around the edges, because all she wants to do is work on automobiles, as opposed to the family business, Davenport Carriage Company. She is full of surprises!

Last, but not least, there's John. He's caught between two young ladies…one meets societal approval and the other is working her way to earn it. In the end, he must follow his heart, and hope that she feels the same way.

This, by far, is one of the best books that I've read this year and I'm looking forward to reading the sequel.

Charming read set in the historic backdrop of 1910 Chicago, The Davenports tells the story of 4 Black women, three of whom from prominent families, as the navigate love and relationships while facing familial expectations and backlash being Black in the 20th century Chicago Jim Crow era. This book shows the harsh realities of equality, or rather, the lack thereof, being so close to the end of enslavement and in the midst of segregation, while also highlighting Black successes, and fulfillments of hopes and dreams. The romances are at the forefront in this book, used to discusses important issues such as class, slavery, gender roles, politics and more. The four main characters are in the process of figuring out who and what they want to be while attempting to overcome all the challenges blocking their way to achieving their goals. Overall, a great YA book that tackles important topics, has great characters, Gilded Age romances, and a host of family dynamics.

The Davenports by Krystal Marquis, is a sweeping look at a wealthy black family living in Chicago in the 1910's. Based on a real-life family, this book will delight fans of historical fiction, especially those looking for diversity in their characters. The book tells the story of sisters more interested in living than marrying, until they meet the right men and sparks fly. But romance is no simple task for the Davenport women as childhood friends also fall deeply in love with men not readily available. The intertwining points of view allow readers to empathize with each character, and the swoon-worthy scenes will keep readers interested in the long plot. If you are a fan of the balls and period fashions found in Bridgerton, give The Davenports a try! A complex book that packs several story lines into one narrative.

Thank you to NetGalley for a free copy of the book in exchange for a fair review.

I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

The Davenports by Krystal Marquis is a third person multi-POV romantic historical novel about an influential Black family in 1910s Chicago. Olivia and Helen Davenport are both of age to be married and starting to look more towards their futures while their brother, John, has taken an interest in a childhood friend and maid, Amy-Rose. Another childhood friend, Ruby, the daughter of a politician, is interested in attracting John’s attention until she starts falling for the man she was using to make John jealous.

My favorite POV was probably Helen’s. She loves engineering and is a fairly gifted mechanic, but her father refuses to entertain the idea of Helen being involved in the family carriage business. Mrs. Davenport hires an older woman to start minding Helen and teach her manners in an effort to make Helen conform to what society expects of her. In the midst of all this, she ends up falling for Jacob Lawrence, a young British man who originally pursued Olivia but the two don't really hit it in the way the Davenports were hoping.

Ruby's parents are controlling and determined to marry her off to John, the son of their long-term friends. Ruby is quite aware of what is expected of her to the point that she is initially fine with using Harrison, a biracial young man shunned by society, to fulfill what she knows her parents want (and she believed she wanted). It puts her in contrast with Amy-Rose, an orphan pursuing her dream of opening a salon celebrating Black beauty in Chicago. Like Harrison, Amy-Rose is biracial and aware that she is white-passing at times.

Olivia butts head with a Southern lawyer, Washington Dewitt, who challenges her to think past her privilege and give more to social justice causes. Mr. Davenport was a runaway enslaved man, something Olivia is aware of but it doesn't seem to click until she starts talking to Washington. He changes her worldview and makes her start thinking more about how she can help people who came from very little, like her father, and combat Jim Crow laws in the South from spreading to other states.

The Davenports is Bridgerton set in a Black community in 1910s Chicago, focused first and foremost on the romantic arcs but also highlighting the racial tensions of the time period. The Davenport family has a lot of power in high society and are involved in politics, but aren't shown throwing their weight around town to get what they want. Ruby's family, by comparison, has very little money but her father is running to become the mayor, which would be a historic first for Chicago.

Content warning for depictions of violence, depictions of racism and anti-mixed race sentiments

I would recommend this to fans of Bridgerton, readers of historicals with strong romance arcs, and readers of YA who want sweeter depictions of Black love.

𝚎𝙱𝚘𝚘𝚔 𝚁𝚎𝚟𝚒𝚎𝚠♡
3.5🌟
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The premise of this story, "𝐈𝐧 𝟏𝟗𝟏𝟎, 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐃𝐚𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐞𝐰 𝐁𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐤 𝐟𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐢𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐬𝐞 𝐰𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐡 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐚 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐔𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐬, 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐮𝐧𝐞 𝐦𝐚𝐝𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐮𝐫𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩 𝐨𝐟 𝐖𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐚𝐦 𝐃𝐚𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭, 𝐚 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐥𝐲 𝐞𝐧𝐬𝐥𝐚𝐯𝐞𝐝 𝐦𝐚𝐧 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐟𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐃𝐚𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭 𝐂𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐧𝐲 𝐲𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐬 𝐚𝐠𝐨. 𝐍𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐃𝐚𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐬 𝐥𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐝 𝐛𝐲 𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐬, 𝐜𝐫𝐲𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐫𝐬, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐬, 𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐰𝐚𝐲 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞—𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲'𝐫𝐞 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐬𝐮𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨." &| the cover art is what drew me to this book.

This book was compared to being a "Black Bridgerton." Which I can honestly see that, and definitely get that vibes from these young ladies' lives, but the storyline fell a little flat to me. The middle and end started to drag a little, and the pace was a little slow to my liking. But it was a good read, and I will definitely read the second installment when it's released.

Highly recommend if you love historical fiction.
𝐓𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐬:
•historical fiction
•romance
•black cast
𝙽𝚘𝚠 𝚕𝚒𝚟𝚎!
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Thank you, Netgalley, and Penguin Group for the eBook for my honest review.

This book was such a delightful and fun read. I loved the characters and as I love multipovs I was happy with the four intertwining PoV. I liked being in each character’s shoes and explored their exceptional dreams, societal expectations and drama filled experiences. Their shoes were not that much different they seemed to have also the same problems, same storyline in their relationship that I wished there was much freshness and much more complexity.

As I was reading I thought to myself this would make an amazing tv show with slightly more plot and more entertaining than it is portrayed here. I thought this could be “The Black Bridgerton” but obviously it would be named “The Davenports” which I love. So. Very. Much.
In terms of historical elements throughout the book was less the way it was described made me think there would be enough to balance the romance aspects but I appreciated learning about it and wished there was more as many people including me didn’t know much about that period of African American history.

The pacing was slow; I remember thinking oh my goodness are we not done yet? i was warned that this was not the final of editing so I will cut them some slack.
One fact about The Davenport I loved was that they were rich and one of the most powerful families in the 1910s. They owned a carriage company and it was wildly successful. Also I was very unsatisfied with the ending it. Their similarities became even more apparent and I hope in the next book there would be new material for each of them.
On that note bring my review to an end,
thank you netgalley for a copy of this book.

<I><b>She tried to imagine Harrison marrying someone else, giving another woman his last name and fathering her children. It put a sour taste in her mouth. She wasn’t sure if she wanted to live in a reality where she thought of him as in the past.</b></I>

<I><b> But she knew, this is where she wanted to be. On the side working for a better Chicago. Next to a man who valued her spirit more than her last name. </b></I>

"The Davenports delivers a totally escapist, swoon-worthy romance while offering a glimpse into a period of African American history often overlooked.

The Davenports are one of the few Black families of immense wealth and status in a changing United States, their fortune made through the entrepreneurship of William Davenport, a formerly enslaved man who founded the Davenport Carriage Company years ago. Now it's 1910, and the Davenports live surrounded by servants, crystal chandeliers, and endless parties, finding their way and finding love - even where they're not supposed to.

There is Olivia, the beautiful elder Davenport daughter, ready to do her duty by getting married...until she meets the charismatic civil rights leader Washington DeWight and sparks fly. The younger daughter, Helen, is more interested in fixing cars than falling in love - unless it’s with her sister's suitor. Amy-Rose, the childhood friend turned maid to the Davenport sisters, dreams of opening her own business - and marrying the one man she could never be with, Olivia and Helen’s brother, John. But Olivia's best friend, Ruby, also has her sights set on John Davenport, though she can’t seem to keep his interest ... until family pressure has her scheming to win his heart, just as someone else wins hers.

Inspired by the real-life story of the Patterson family, The Davenports is the tale of four determined and passionate young Black women discovering the courage to steer their own path in life - and love."

For fans of The Guilded Age but showing the actual diversity that existed.

3 Stars
How the hell a book with Four Black Women, where the younger sister who wants to help build cars is going to fall for the older sister suitor, the best friend is trying to get the brother but is falling for the guy she using, the brother is falling for the " maid" who wants her own business, where the older sister wants to be civil rights activist and is falling for another civil rights activist set in the 1910’s be so damn boring?

How can all this drama wrapped up in an almost 400 page book be so damn boring?

Well that was the Davenports.

The Davenports is about four women Oliva and Helen Davenport, Ruby Tremaine and Amy-Rose Shepherd all trying to find love and themselves in 1910 Chicago.

Here are my thoughts about it.

1. This would be better with Two Major POVs (Oliva and Amy-Rose) being the focus instead of four and just have the other two being introduced and mentioned and then bring the two women ( Helen and Ruby) in the next book to be the main focus. Four Women Povs was too much jungle around which you really couldn’t get to really know with all four of them since all was fighting for page time.

2.I feel like Ruby got shafted because I can think of what the other three women wanted to do outside of their romance but I can't think of what Ruby wanted to do. Oliva is thinking about being a Civil Rights Activist, Helen wants to work on cars and help her brother, John with the family business and Amy-Rose wants to open up a Hair Salon. But what Ruby wants to do besides getting her parents off her back? It wasn't clear to me since most of her POV was trying to get John jealous by using the guy she actually fell in with to get her parents off her back dealing with getting a proposal from John.

3. The interactions between the girls were lacking to me. Oliva and Helen were supposed to be sisters but just had their first on page conversation together 124 pages into the book. I have seen conversations between Oliva/Ruby, Helen/Amy-Rose, Oliva/Helen and Oliva/ Amy-Rose but not all four girls together. I kept thinking that they all grew up together and supposed to be friends so they have some interaction together. We could have spent time on seeing some friendships between the four girls who are going through the same thing with their love lives along with the romance....

4. The romance feels like instalove because it is almost like they have like 3 interactions with each other before they feel like they are in love with this person. The main focus is romance and it’s the weakness of this book.

5. The four women main love interests are not really interesting and feel like cardboard cutouts. The only one that felt interesting was Washington Dewight and he got off my nerves a little on how he acted towards Oliva upbringing. Also he felt like a great value Martin Luther King with this set way better MLK JR was born.

6. I felt like Oliva should have been older than 18 because she felt older. I think instead of being her second season out this should have been on her fourth season while Helen would be debuting. The pressure for Oliva to find a husband would be really on her since she would be 20 years old. Which is almost out of the age eligible to find a husband and is considered an Old Maid during that time.

7. The strongest thing about this book was dealing with racism and the raising of the Jim Crow laws and the Civil Rights Movement. I really do like the fact the author didn’t shy away from it since this was in 1910’s. Which slavery was abolished only 45 years ago and not even a half century has passed. I know reading the reviews this kind of turns people off since this is supposed to be historical romance but I think it wouldn’t feel right having something that was set only 45 years of the ending of slavery not to have a mention to the raising of Jim Crow Laws and the Civil Rights Movement. You just can’t live in a bubble and act like it’s not happening even if it’s a historical fiction romance because it’s still history.

8. The best part was when they had the demonstration march from the community center to the courthouse. That part really showed the beginnings of the Civil Rights Movement aka the struggle for equality. That part also got me a little peeved due to the fact that after the march went into chaos with the police breaking it up and chasing people, Olivia and Dewight kiss while hiding from the police in an alley. Most of yall probably don't know but I was born and raised in Selma, Alabama. So the Civil Rights Movement and the Marches are ingrained in my veins being born in one of the most important cities of the Movement and the Selma to Montgomery March. So having a romantic interlude between the main couple while people are being chased, beaten, hiding from the police and probably thrown into jail just didn't sit right with me.

9. The parents really got on my nerves trying to control everything and getting in the way. Especially Olivia and Ruby's mom who was pretty much saying " He's a good man Savannah. A Good Good Man." about their suitors..

10. The cast feels big and small at the same time for reasons.

11. Big: It’s big since like I said earlier you are juggling four main women plus their four love interests so that 8 people along with the parents and some side characters.

12. Small: It also feels small because it feels like The Davenports and The Tremaines were the only two Black Wealthy Families in Chicago. I understand it probably wouldn’t be that many since the time period but at least 10 to 15 wealthy black families make up Black Wealthy Elite in Chicago. It should have been more Black Woman around Oliva and Ruby’s age who are also trying to get a husband in the “Ton” season just like in Bridgeton and in Jane Austen books. It was more ladies than Elizabeth and Jane trying to find a husband in Pride and Prejudice. It was so many ladies trying to win the favor of Mr. Bingley to become their husband, not just Jane. Like it should have been more ladies trying to win the favor of John Davenport (Oliva and Helen's older brother) besides Ruby and Amy-Rose. All the parties where the black elite were supposed to have been there felt small. There should have been more families and ladies mentioned in passing.

It was really more to be desired with this book which just makes it ok to me.

I was pleasantly surprised by this. At first glance, I thought it was going to be cheesy and potentially a rip off of Bridgerton. I did get some vibes from Bridgerton, the balls, period focus and fashion, family duty and social manners. But I feel the similarities stop there.

I enjoyed seeing 4 different POVs throughout the book and that each character had their own personalities, struggles and role within the overall theme of the book. I also liked that 3/4 characters were POVs from slightly different backgrounds, but all lived and interacted with each other in the same orbit. I also enjoyed all the juicy drama and the will they won't they feeling with each of the characters.

However, I feel this book was more of a time period piece than a historical fiction and focused more of the drama than the historical part. I wished there was more history interwoven into the book, but don't worry I spent some time doing a google deep dive on the family it was based off afterwards. I also felt like a lot of the book was long-drawn and slow paced. I will say that the ending left me checking for more pages and saying "That can't be it, there has to be more, it can't leave me like this."

I think this book suffered a little from having so many storylines put in to just 380 pages. I found myself getting a bit confused about which one I was reading about. And it seemed like it took so long to build up each relationship that when the “problems” of each story happened, it was like dominos without a chance to process what happened before the next one hit. I would have preferred to have had a longer series with each love story separated so that the emotional impact would have hit better.

I loved reading The Davenports! Krystal Marquis has a beautiful way with words. The plot moves a little slowly but is balanced out with characters who are well developed, likeable and relatable, ones the reader wants to root for. I appreciated the author's note that let me know this story was loosely based on a family - I have several students in mind to share this book with! Thanks to #NetGalley for the opportunity to preview #TheDavenports - I cannot WAIT for its sequel!!

Plot: I will admit that at times, I was more intrigued in the background happenings (Civil Rights discussions and character ambitions) than the romance. I love when romance novels have a strong plot to go along with the will/they wont/they narratives. I'd like to see more of it in book 2.

Romance: I loved Helen's story the most. She was my favorite character and deserves the world. I did feel that there could have been a greater diversity of romantic tropes. All 4 main characters basically had the same romantic storyline. It got to be a little monotonous at times. But also I get the idea - 4 characters from different backgrounds & with different ambitions struggling with the same types of feelings/choices.

I'm looking forward to reading the sequel and seeing how Marquis chooses to wrap up the core 4's stories.

I really enjoyed this debut from Krystal Marquis. There still isn’t a lot of historical romance that meters the experiences of Black Americans, and that’s even more true among YA histrom. I loved seeing characters and experiences from the Black upper class.

As other reviewers have noted, there is A LOT going on in this book, as the author is trying to set up a series. Most storylines are not resolved, because that’s coming in future books. But what I really appreciated about this book is that there are real stakes for the characters. This is a light read for younger readers, yes, but these characters have things to figure out. How can they be true to who they are and what they value while managing their parents’ expectations and the very real forces of sexism and racism? These are big questions the characters are trying to figure out, and the author wrests with them in ways that will interest younger readers—but not only younger readers. As the middle-aged parent of teens, I was completely engrossed while reading.