I really loved this book, and the multiple perspectives throughout it. Each girl had an equally interesting storyline, and I loved all of those stories meant going against what was expected of them. I'm incredibly excited for the sequel, because in the course of just this first book, each character developed so much from where they were in the beginning, while also still being very much themselves.

Krystal Marquis's debut novel is set in 1910 Chicago and is loosely based on the story of a successful Black family from that era. It follows the daughters from the titular family, Olivia and Helen, their childhood friend/maid Amy-Rose, and Olivia's best friend Ruby as they work to disentangle what their families and society expect of them from what they want for themselves. I thought that this was a good topic to focus on because it both makes a lot of sense in the historical context and is still relevant today.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
The story is told through the alternating third-person POVs of the 4 girls, and I really like how Marquis both celebrates each girls' individuality and emphasizes how their lives and fates are inextricably linked. Each girl faces her own internal conflict: Olivia and Ruby deal with pressure to get married, tomboyish Helen finds herself out of her depth when she develops feelings for a boy, Amy-Rose feels caught between love and following her entrepreneurial dreams. Each girl also has their own love story, and the interplay between their romances was well done (I don't get to see that a lot, but when I do I love it). Of course, with all the romance comes a lot of drama, and I was glued to the page as I wanted to see how things would be resolved. I wanted to yell at the characters sometimes but that doesn't mean I didn't love all of them.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Overall, an absolutely stunning debut.

n June, between library books, I decided to prioritize historicals by marginalized authors. Paired with being sent the ARC for the second book, it meant that THE DAVENPORTS by Krystal Marquis moved to the top of my TBR.

It's a historical fiction told from four (4) POVs - Olivia Davenport, her sister - Helen, their maid - Amy-Rose, and Olivia's best friend - Ruby. We follow the 4 of them as they navigate being in society during the reconstruction era in Chicago. Fighting the expectations of their families to forge their own paths.

Overall a very quick moving novel that ends with you wanting more. I would recommend this as an introduction to historicals for the younger set.

I'm glad that I waited to read it, and that I'll be able to start the second book soon. Can't wait to see what happens - will the girls get their happily ever afters? Will something different be in store for their futures?

Really loved this one — a historical fiction featuring strong characters and romance. It reminds me of a mixture of Bridgerton and The Gilded Age, and who doesn't love those two shows? With the combination of great writing, this was a really satisfying read! Definitely excited to pick up the next book to see what happens!

“I think the hardest thing we can do is to decide what we want, and stride toward it.”

“There will come a time when you meet someone who makes even the mundane things seem magical.”

“It occurred to her fully then, the true weight of it, that she’d have to break her mother’s heart if she herself wanted to be happy.”

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Thank you Netgalley and Dial Books for a copy of this book for review purposes. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I requested this book because of its gorgeous cover and because it was advertised as "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." I'd also seen it compared to Bridgerton, which I had not yet watched or read at the time, but it sounded fun!

The Davenports follows two Davenport sisters, their maid (?) who has a crush on their brother, and one of the sisters' best friends who is meant to marry the brother. Think that wasn't tangled enough? One sister's crush is on the other sister's suitor! It's like watching four trains about to collide, and knowing it'll be a complete disaster, but being unable to look away! Is there any possible way that all four girls can end up happy without irrevocably harming their relationship with the others?

I really enjoyed that I could easily tell all four girls apart! I did occasionally confuse two of the romantic interests for the first half of the book, but I was listening on an audiobook from the library primarily. The narrator was great, by the way! I was glad to read a unique setting in this book and African American history: early 20th century in Chicago! I also really enjoyed the writing and felt the plot was generally well-paced! My interest was held throughout the book well enough that I paused my usual reading rotation to focus on this one (a big deal if you know me!).

Overall, I had a great time and found this to be a solid four-star read. What kept it from being 5 stars: I felt that the romances all followed a bit of a similar pattern. All four girls liked someone their parents wouldn't approve of, and the main difference was just the specific reason why or that one of them was of a lower social class than the others as well.

I look forward to reading the sequel and would recommend this book to people who enjoy historical romance, incredibly complicated love..... octagon??, and books inspired by a real-life story!

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.

Solid rep and a great story! Definitely gives Hamilton and Bridgerton vibes. I also like how the series is set up.

It was an interesting read. Had enjoyed reading about the period and the romance was nice. It was more of romance than history. But still enjoyable.

Beautiful story about a prominent Black family and their heirs trying to make a way for themselves in a society that wants them to be invisible. Excellent character development, and the multiple perspectives were distinct and clear. Looking forward to the next installment.

The Davenports by Krystal Marquis is a black historical romance set against the backdrop of Chicago 1910.

It starts off in the wealthy home of runaway slave, William Davenports. After escaping his slave masters, William Davenports goes on to become one of the richest men in the ton as his carriages are a must have by everyone and anyone of class amd prestige.

The first half of the story kicks off with an introduction of the main characters. We get to see into their daily lives. The story is told in four different point of views of four different female characters that champion the plot of the book;

We meet Olivia who is gentle and a very proper lady. She’s the eldest daughter of the Davenports family and is hoping to find a suitor.

Helen, the youngest Davenports Daughter who wants to challenge the gender stereotypes to follow her dream of working in her father’s carriage company.

Amy-Rose, a childhood friend of The Davenports children turned maid to their daughters. She wants nothing more than to start up her own business and fulfil her dreams.

Ruby, Olivia’s best friend whose family is struggling financially and it’s on her shoulders to save the family by getting a good suitor.

The characters all have distinct strong voices and as they grow throughout the book, they’re forced into unexpected situations that causes a change in their personalities, ideologies and changes their perception of how the world around them is.

In my opinion The Davenports was light and an interesting read. It’s a perfect fit for anyone into historical romance and you want to experience Bridgerton but with multiple strong female characters.

Imagine Downton Abbey set on the south side of Chicago among the prosperous Black community in the early 1900s, and you have "The Davenports." At one level, the plot was predictable, but the characters and setting drew me in. I read the book in two sittings and now can't wait for the second in the series. Recommended for both teens and adults.

I couldn't really get into this one. I did see that there will be a TV show/Movie adaptation, so I will be looking forward to watching it!

"She remembered her mother’s words: to always rise above. Because her family was rare. Wealthy. Beautiful. Black."

This was a nice, charming read! Basically, Bridgerton, but make it Black, which I loved! The Davenports is loosely based off of C.M. Patterson's daughters and navigating society as a wealthy, Black family. I enjoyed the historical setting, even though there could have been more historical elements throughout the story. I loved getting to see the Black community in the 1900s that wasn't rooted in oppression but in wealth, entrepreneurship, and politics. This is a side of Black History that is not often written about.

The heart of the story is about romance. We follow Olivia, Helen, Ruby, and Amy-Rose as they navigate through family expectation, classism, gender roles, and love. I liked that we got all four of the girls' povs. Although their stories are intertwined, we get to see how each one deals with their situation individually. I enjoyed reading how the romances all weaved together, however, each MC has a different issue around that, that they are battling.

It was easy to follow the story and the different povs, however, I did feel as though the story was slow paced at times. I was also sad about the missed opportunity for more of the historical elements of that time to be included.

Overall, this was a nice and easy read, and with the way the book ended, I'm excited to read the next book and seeing how everyone's story continues.

Okay absolutely adored this one! Overall, this all Black cast of characters with four POVs set in Gilded Age Chicago was such a breath of fresh air. With that said, I had a few issues. First was the pacing. It just felt…of the whole time, and I don’t know if that was thanks to the constant POV switches or because this book certainly could’ve been trimmed down a bit. At nearly 400 pages, it was a bit much. I did thoroughly enjoy the exploration of cast differences and the nods to historical events but with this type of cast, I certainly wanted more of the struggle of Black women (and men) in that particular day and age. All said, I loved this coming of age story, which has been touted as a Black Bridgerton, which I’ve never read but that certainly tracks with what I have heard of the series. Also worth noting that this book was certainly lighter on the “historical” aspect and focused much heavier on the romance.

Where are all my historical fiction girlies? Romance and Black Society in early 20th Century Chicago is an awesome combination in The Davenports by Krystal Marquis. This is the representation I wish I had in novels growing up since historical fiction was and is my main jam. As a young Black girl I craved a book like this that centered Black life, romance and family in the elite section of society. To see and imagine my people in a role other than as enslaved. To see them upwardly mobile and wielding their own social power.

Historical Representation
The Davenports tells the stories of four young Black girls coming of age in 1910 Chicago society. Inspired by the real story of C.R. Patterson and his family who were one of the few Black families who had immense wealth. This story is proof that we did exist in these spaces and contexts. It’s a great opportunity to see young Black women navigating various parts of society as they seek their own way and their true love. Black girls deserve this type of historical representation.

Generational Dynamics
One dynamic I found interesting is that sensitive place between generations when the older/parental generation has triumphed over living through trauma and the younger generation has been protected from that trauma. The parents in this book were alive during slavery and in its immediate aftermath. Olivia and Helen Davenports father was formerly enslaved before he created the Davenport Carriage Company that made his family wealthy. His daughters get frustrated because they feel pushed into roles that are important to their parents but not to them. There is a gap in understanding why those roles would be important to their parents.

My Fave Storylines
While I found the romances interesting, I really followed the characters of Helen and Amy-Rose because of their entrepreneurial aspirations. I thought their resilience was endearing as they fought both for love and to be respected as business women. I am definitely excited to hear what is next in their stories in the next installment to the series.

This is the kind of book that deserves its own PBS miniseries…

Stay tuned for the next book in the series, The Davenports: More Than This.

The Davenports reads like a coming of age story in 1910s Chicago of black high society teenagers who are just trying to figure out life. We get the POVs of Olivia and Helen Davenport, their best friend Ruby, and their servant Amy-Rose. The Davenports brother John also played a huge role in this story. Ring and Olivia are set to be married off to help elevate their families. However, both girls have something else in mind for how they want their lives to go. Helen just wants to be herself and work on cars and help the family business grow but her biggest opposition is her father 🙄 (sexist much). And Amy-Rose has dreams of leaving Freeport Manor and opening her own salon.

The parents in this book irritated me because stop trying to dictate these kids lives. But I remembered it was 1910. Also John, sir you can’t be string 2 women along. Ruby, Helen and Olivia needed to be more vocal about their wants to their parent. All that lying and sneaking around was crazy. Any-Rose was my favorite she knew what she wanted and didn’t take no ish just cause she was the servant. That’s my girl.

The ending of the book left me like 😳🤔 but I get it’s to go into part II. So I’ll definitely be tuning in.

This novel was really good and I definitely recommend it!
It was so refreshing to read a novel based on African Americans in the 1910s that didn't center around hardships of the aftermath of slavery, but instead of successful black people living wonderfully in Chicago.

I appreciated the relationships between all 4 main girls in this book - Olivia, Ruby, Helen and Amy-Rose.
This book had been on my TBR for the longest, and I was able to receive the ARC here and finished copy for my honest opinion in a book tour.

I definitely recommend reading this because as I mentioned before, it is very refreshing. I didn't like how their parents tried to arrange marriages for them, but I guess that's what happened back in the early 1900s. (You wanted to keep face and marry within your own circle)

There will be a follow up and I cannot wait to read it!

I really enjoyed this novel! The time period. The swoony moments. The cast of characters. The story is told from the perspective of 4 different young women. Olivia the eldest Davenport daughter and her younger sister Helen. Olivia’s best-friend Ruby. And the Davenport's childhood friend Amy-Rose who is now the maid for the two sisters. I love how the reader gets to see the same world through these different points of view.
Helen is struggling to be taken as seriously as her older brother John when it comes to her hobbies and talents that perfectly suit the family's carriage company business. However, she is constantly being told that girls can’t be mechanics or business people or in charge of anything other than a household. I love the support and validation she finds from her brother and their bond and how she pushes boundaries of what it is like to be a respectable young lady in her society.

Ruby is desperately seeking the approval of her parents. As their only child, she feels obligated to follow their plans for her future. On top of that list is marrying into the Davenport family ro help secure her station in society as her parent’s have been spending all of their time and money on her father's mayoral campaign. However, Ruby meets a man who makes her want to prioritize her needs and wants over what her family deems as best. Ruby struggles with parsing out her love for her parents and wanting to do right by them with the love she feels she deserves for herself.

Amy-Rose has big dreams of owning her own salon and hair care line for Black people. Although she is currently in the servant class, her passion to strike out and make a name for herself is a strong current through the story. Not only does she face classism, but hse also faces prejudice because of her family heritage. These barriers aren’t only impeding her business, they are also impeding her love life as she has feelings for John Davenport. I appreciated how Marquis added in these instances of how difficult it was for people in that timeframe to reckon with the results of relationships between former enslaved people and the people who enslaved them.

Olivia is a dutiful daughter who, at the beginning of the story, wants the life that has been planned out for her. She has nor seen what other options could even exist as her family has sheltered her to most of the harsh realities of the world. Olivia knows her father was formerly enslaved and that his brother is still missing, but she doesn’t know the true depths of the horrors plaguing those less well-off in society. While doing charity work in the South Side, she finds herself at a civil rights movement meeting led by a southern Black lawyer. Her eyes are opened to how the violence in the South is migrating north in nefarious ways and this ignited a fire in her to learn and do more to support the advancement of Black people. This work, however, is much more dangerous than donations and dance parties and the handsome new man in town her parents would like her to marry.

I enjoyed the glimpses into how early free Black Americans worked towards finding ways to build and advance their community in different ways. Ruby’s family is focusing on politics, whereas the lawyer Oliva meets prioritizes activism and grassroots organizing. Helen and Amy-Rose believe entrepreneurship is a great pathway to more freedom and liberation and the Davenports want to demonstrate their wealth and success can be used to influence white people to show that Black Americans are integral in keeping society moving forward. I love that no one way is wrong, but that depending on your life experience, what you see as necessary, impactful or radical can change. Especially based on class and generational differences.

Overall, I enjoyed the various ways love was expressed and explained and showed in this novel. Community love, familial love, the love of friends. Passionate love, new love, self-love and the love of liberation. All are valid and all are worth chasing. I hope if you read this book, you get a new perspective on the many facets of Black love.

Fave quote: “Olivia remembered the moment she’d realized that every Black person she knew was touched by the horror of slavery. Sometimes Olivia felt it like a wound hidden deep under smooth skin – one that she didn’t remember receiving but that ached nonetheless.”

CW: Strong: references to previous enslavement, racism, Classism, References to racially motivated violence. Some: violence, smoking, drinking, death of parent (off page), misogyny, emotional abuse, police brutality.

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.

3.5⭐️

History was sorely lacking in this fictional book which is based on real characters. Told from the perspectives of four characters, three of whom have familial burdens and expectations. I would have wanted more insight and back history of the elder Davenports.

I like how the discussion of gender equality, representation was portrayed. The book also highlighted how there are still division and differences in the rank with the portrayal of Amy Rose and Jacob Lawrence.

I love the celebration of black success even though I felt the subject was not thoroughly explored beyond balls and attending the dressmaker’s shops.

The book was heavy on romance or rather the lack of progress in all the relationships featured in the book. I must say there was no HEA.

Instead we were taken on the dynamics of two wealthy black families, their servants and some of the people they come in contact with.

The pacing of the book is mixed. It is fast in some places and a snail’s pace in others. If you love family drama, romance and you don’t mind the lack of HEA then you will enjoy this.

I received a copy of this book and the review is mine and voluntary.