An important, absorbing, and super compelling debut historical fiction. I learned so much from this book! I knew there were prosperous areas in which black businesses thrived but I had no idea about coming out balls in Chicago for black folks or anything about Maxwell Street. Pretty chilling how this isn’t taught in school. Loved this.

I loved this startling and astonishingly well-written debut novel! Avery Cunningham is truly an artist with words and story, an author I hope to see much more of in the future. The narrative is complex and contains a multitude of characters, yet I felt comfortable and cognizant at all times while reading.
The Mayor of Maxwell Street is set in Chicago during the early 1920s, the beginning of the Prohibition Era and a time of corruption and gangsters. The time was also one of increased opportunities for Black people in the North. Nelly, the book’s protagonist, comes from a wealthy Black family who made their fortune breeding racehorses in Kentucky. Chicago offers social opportunities, and Nelly is to be presented at a debutante ball with the hope of finding her a suitable husband. Nelly is an intelligent, independent woman with other ideas for her future. That future is jeopardized by Nelly’s investigation into the underbelly of Chicago crime.
The novel is described as “an epic love story,” but I think this is an egregious disrespect for the depth of material in the book. True, love interests and attractions exist, but the book is significantly more than a tale of love. The history of Chicago, the discrimination and menace shown to Black people, the segregation and hatred between people of varied ethnicities, the inner workings of high society, and the gangster underworld are convincing and powerful. Avery Cunningham’s prose is polished and stimulating. The Mayor of Maxwell Street is a breathtaking debut novel.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Hyperion Avenue for the ARC of this book.

I so enjoyed the feisty and unique heroine, the hero and antihero, the twists and turns of plot—but what made it stand out was the beautiful historical detail that felt like an a lavish miniseries come to life and the chicago setting. A forgone read.

Overall this book was not for me and I would not recommend it. I was drawn in by the premise of 1920s Chicago, and a story about a young Black woman who comes from wealth, due to her father's horse breeding business. Although Nelly comes from wealth and privilege, she secretly writes under a pen name locally to expose the horrendous policies under Jim Crow. Although this all sounded interesting, especially because it includes a love story, the writing was just sub par for me. I found the story moved slow and also jumped around a lot which was confusing for the reader. This story has so much potential, I just thought the writing wasn't polished and just went on and on in areas I feel should have been better edited.

This debut author is a talent to watch. Our main character, Nelly, is a capable, intelligent, and compelling character and readers will enjoy sailing into this historical world with her at the helm. The setting, atmosphere, and mood are all convincing, vibrant, and immersive. The prose is immaculate and at times enviously clever. Although Nelly’s story is engaging, the novel suffers from some plot drag and slow pacing from time to time. However, this is a very strong contribution from a young writer and I can't wait to read what she brings us next.

3.5/5 stars

As a gal from Illinois, I found this historical fiction as a fun time to hear the characters explore the Chicagoland area in the 1920's. That being said, not a lot of good things happened in the 20's. I enjoyed the general themes of this book but the ending felt rushed and jumbled.

Thank you NetGalley for early access in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this read!

I did feel the book was longer than it needed to be but the story and character development was very engaging and enjoyable.

I received na ARC of this book via Netgalley. I admit to being drawn to the book by the cover more than the author or synopsis. I am not sure I would predominantly describe it as a "love story" although Romance does er strongly. Describing it as such really detracts from Nelly's character and drive. Her desire to discover a hidden story / person.

The book did not really capture my heart but It is interesting and has a decent narrative. I really felt the author has captured the era she was writing about and managed to encompass all sides of society. I disliked that she included conversations in both Spanish (quite lengthy) and in French (much briefer). If there was anything important in the Spanish section than myself and I believe many English readers will miss the significance and I question the need to do it.

This was a lengthy read and at times I struggled. with it's varying momentum

I very much enjoyed this book! There's just something magical about debut books that I love!
I was hooked from the beginning until the very end.
Wonderful characters and some not so wonderful but these are what makes this story or any story interesting.
The plot was awesome and kept me turning the pages to see what happened next.
I am going to be honest there were some parts that drug a little but I didn't let that keep from enjoying the story
I finished this book in one afternoon.
I'm hoping that I will see more from this author.
Her writing was very well done and I highly recommend this book to others.
5 stars for keeping me engaged throughout this novel.
My thanks for a copy of this. I was NOT required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Loved that the backdrop of this story was early 20th century Chicago which at the time was a hotbed of African American culture. This was a very quick and enjoyable read and I can’t wait to read other books by this author.

i'm not quite sure how i feel about this novel. "the mayor of maxwell street" is a work of historical fiction in which we follow nelly. it's the 1920's and racism runs rampant in chicago.

this novel suffered from being too long. it was a bit daunting to read. i enjoyed the setting and the atmosphere, but the characters were all... rich debutantes. nelly was easy to like, and i appreciate that this is a story about a black woman in the 20's who knows what she wants. the prologue and epilogue were perhaps my favorite parts of this novel, which is an odd thing to say.

thank you to netgalley and the publisher for an arc in exchange for an honest review!

2.75. I think this style of historical fiction isn't really for me. There were parts that I liked, especially the thematic work, but I didn't really enjoy the overall vibe. It's a shame as the setting is interesting.