Thank you NetGalley and Penguin Young Readers Group for the eARC in exchange for an honest review!

This book is a continuation of the Davenports and follows the Ruby, Amy-Rose, Olivia, and Helen in their journeys to build and establish their lives.

I really enjoyed returning to this world and seeing how these strong, independent characters were able to find themselves and maintain the relationships that compliment their goals and personalities. I also really liked how distinct each character of this story is, each character has their or voice and personality. It was also really interesting watching their relationships grow and change over the course of the novel, not just with each other but with the way that they viewed their romantic relationships and their parental relationships. With one of the characters (Amy-Rose) it was really nice to see the exploration of how that parental relationship really impacted and somewhat translated into a relationship that the character had in the professional world.

The one issue that I had was that, at times, the book felt was a little slow.

I would recommend this book for people who like Bridgerton.

THE DAVENPORTS MORE THAN THIS 💜

This eARC was made available to me by @krystalbelle_reads, @penguinteen, and @NetGalley in exchange for my honest review 🫶🏾

Okay, so I finally got around to reading The Davenports More Than This – like, a year after the first one. Whoops 😅 My memory about the first book was a bit hazy, but the second book jogged it back.

Back in the saddle with Olivia, Ruby, Helen, and Amy-Rose! Honestly, Ruby and Amy-Rose steal the show. Amy-Rose, girl, you deserve all the good things! A whole book about her and John's new life? Yes, please!

The first book was great, and I waited eagerly for this one. It's beautifully written, but TBH, the book was long and slow paced. My brain got a little overwhelmed trying to keep up with everyone’s stories.

However, once again the author delivers with compelling characters and a multi point of view. I’m glad that this book gave us some closure and resolution from the first one 📖

Read if you like:
💜YA historical fiction
💜heroines
💜Slow burn romances

Thank you to Penguin Teen for an eARC of this book.

Tropes: Second Chance Romance, Forced Proximity, Coming of Age, Family Business, Breaking the Mold

This book is set predominantly in Chicago in the early 1900s and focuses on a fmaily of Black Entrepreneurs, a woman who's mother died early in her life and a women who's father is running for mayor of Chicago.

Overall I enjoyed the story and the individual characters. I was so happy for Helen and her brother and their character arc with the family buissness, as they make the move from carriages to automobiles. I liked seeing Amy-Rose grow her hair care line and the devleopment with her dad/mom relationship. I like that she is getting somewhat of a happy ending.

Also Ruby, I am so happy for her and like where the author took her story even after what happens with her dad, and the disappointment with her family.

Overall, I did have a hard time keeping up with all of the stories so I do wish there was maybe just one less POV.

In the highly anticipated sequel to Krystal Marquis’ fantastic first novel about Ruby Tremaine, Olivia and Helen Davenport, and Amy-Rose Shepard, readers return to 1910 Chicago as the summer heat arrives in the city. Ruby, newly engaged, is preparing for her wedding and happy ending when a new and nasty rumor threatens both her marriage and reputation while Olivia has fully committed to social justice and hopes for a future with Washington DeWight until she learns her parents have other plans for her marriage. Helen is absolutely determined to move on from a broken heart by dragging the Davenport Carriage Company into the future with a hotshot race car driver’s help if necessary, and Amy-Rose is ready to make her future business a reality until she returns to Freeport Manor where John Davenport is. The characters continue to draw readers into the story, and the four narratives are perfectly balanced and give each young woman the chance to shine and break her own barriers. Readers will be absolutely invested in this brilliantly written and immersive sequel and desperate for the next instalment because of how detailed, vibrant, and engaging this series is. With her fantastic characters and lively, dynamic historical setting, Krystal Marquis has expanded this series in an absolutely masterful way.

I loved The Davenports and was ecstatic that we were getting a sequel! If this is the end of the Davenports I think we received a very satisfying ending. While this book did not have as many exciting points as the first one I was still deeply invested and rooting for all my girls. Amy-Rose, you'll always be famous. I do think some of the plot was expanded where it didn't need to be with other could have used more explanation, the ending for some of them felt a little rush. I feel like we needed more of Helen and becoming even more ingratiated in the automobile business, but she got there in the end :) Overall, I'm so glad YA is getting more historical drama, especially showcasing Black characters that aren't centered on their trauma. And if we more Davenports, I'll be in line!

Coming back to the Davenport family was a treat. I don't really read historical romances but I enjoyed the setting of the 1920s in Chicago. I loved coming back to all of the characters' stories and delving deeper. The drama drew you in, the characters made you invested. Everything was wrapped up nicely. Enjoyable read!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

Interesting story. I did not read the first novel in this installment so I feel like I’m missing some back ground information. I would like to go back to read the first one so I can be filled in. The book goes between different point of views which is great for seeing everyone’s perspective but at times it could have focused on less characters.

I absolutely loved The Davenports: More Than This! It’s an excellent and beautiful continuation of the plotlines that were introduced in the first book. I also found this sequel did a better job equally balancing everyone’s stories and keeping the pace. There’s also Black feminist themes woven throughout.

I enjoyed this 2nd book in the series more than the 1st one. I enjoyed following the stories of each character and I felt like this book brought me the closure I didn't have with the 1st book.

This book was just as cute and cozy as the first book. I enjoyed this sequel and loved how it kept the characters authenticity with the first book and all the miscommunications they continue to have as young adults. I think young readers will enjoy the historical spect and reading about the lifestyle and clothing in the book. This was a great light hearted read and I recommend this one to my audience adults and Y/A readers alike.

More Than This, the second book in Krystal Marquis’s The Davenports series, picks up right where the first left off, following four young Black women in 1910s Chicago. Ruby Tremaine is dealing with the ups and downs of engagement while rumors threaten to ruin everything. Olivia Davenport is passionate about social justice but caught in a love triangle that’s bound to cause heartache. Amy-Rose Shepherd is chasing her dream of owning a salon but finds herself drawn back to the Davenport family—and old feelings. Helen Davenport is all about breaking into the automobile industry, partnering with a charismatic racecar driver who keeps her on her toes.

The historical details are spot on, painting a vivid picture of a time often overlooked. Each character’s story is well-developed, making it easy to get invested in their struggles and triumphs. The multiple perspectives add depth but sometimes slow things down, and a few plot points wrap up a little quickly.

Overall, it’s a great follow-up that’s perfect for anyone who loves historical fiction with strong, diverse characters. It’s an easy recommendation for readers who enjoy stories about love, ambition, and breaking barriers.

I liked More Than This but not quite as much as the original The Davenports. The time period is unique to me in young adult fiction - I assume there will be a third based on the way Marquis ended the book... maybe a prequel? I'm looking forward to hearing how my student(s) will enjoy it too. A note to the publisher - maybe a list of characters/family tree - as it had been a year since I'd read the first one, I felt like I was scrabbling around trying to remember what had happened and how folks were connected which distracted me a little from the events of the opening chapters. Thanks to #netgally for the opportunity to preview More Than This!

I enjoyed entering back into the stories of the Davenports, although it took me awhile to remember who was who and all of their interrelationships. The book is completely soap-opera-ish but fun. A book I can recommend to all YA readers.

Would recommend for fans of…
💗 Bridgerton
💗 The Gilded Age
💗 Downton Abbey

It’s difficult to review the second book in a series for fear of spoilers, but The Davenports series is so fun because it has the best elements of my favorite historical romances. It incorporates the diversity of Bridgerton with the sisterly dynamic of Downton Abbey and the US setting of the Gilded Age, to create a story that you won’t be able to put down. The romance in these stories is top-tier (but don’t expect any spice) and balanced out by all of the historical details Marquis incorporates. The details are rich, but never bog down the story, which moves at the perfect pace.

Sisters Olivia and Helen, along with Amy-Rose and Ruby are such distinct characters, which makes their respective journeys so fun to follow. With ensemble stories like these, there is typically one character or POV that I love more than the others, but with this series, it’s hard to pick a favorite because they’re all so compelling. There’s a TV adaptation in the works, and I can’t wait to see these characters come alive on-screen as well.

You’ll 100% need to read The Davenports before picking this one up, but don’t let that dissuade you, as both books are fantastic. More Than This is out now. Thanks to Dial Books and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

nyone who is a fan of The Davenports will be happy with the sequel! I really enjoyed seeing these characters' stories continue and I liked seeing them each figure out who they wanted to be and what would make them happy.

I haven't read many books set in the early twentieth century and I loved reading about what it might have been like to be both wealthy and black at the time. In some ways, it was heartbreaking because I know a hundred years later our society still has progress to make but I think it's important to remember and celebrate black entrepreneurs during this time. I love that young adults now have the opportunity to learn about this world from such a fun book!

If you loved The Gilded Age tv show I would give this a try. It's set slightly later but has a similar feel. It is a great example of how a book can be written for a young adult audience but be both a historical with romance and be appealing to both adults and teenagers.

Joniece Abbott-Pratt did the audio narration and it was great! She also did the audio for The Davenports so if you liked that audiobook give this one a try. I always appreciate when a narrator is consistent throughout a series.

I made the mistake of requesting this book before reading the first one, thinking that I would for sure like it, but I ended up dnfing it. I'm sure that if you liked the first one, you'd like this just as much.

I was newer to the Davenport series but when I heard about it I was immediately interested and invested. I found this new addition to be solid. Very happy this series in in development!

Book 2 of the series was not a favorite. Based on prominent African American families in Chicago during 1920. I enjoy a great historical fiction story and especially when it covers race, social justice, politics, career aspirations, dreams of a better tomorrow, romance, marriage and wealth. This one was a bit hard to follow with the amount of characters within the plot. I was finding myself having to revisit previous chapters to remember the story of that particular character. It would have been more meaningful if the author focused on two families to allow the reader to fully appreciate their journey. Overall, a quick read that is full of rich historical context.⭐️⭐️⭐️

I believe I enjoyed this book more than the first one as I found myself always wanting to know what happened next. When I looked at my review of the first book, it seems my overall was just view was it ok but this one I liked. I will say as well I do not remember the first book. I know I read it but I only have vague snippets remembered. This is only a problem as there seems to be three main events that happened (I’m going to assume in the first book) that I do not remember but had significance in this book in that they were mentioned multiple times. I have no recollection of two of them and only a vague one of the last.

The first significant incident seem to be Amy Rose, and this mentor Mrs. Davis. I do not remember her at all let alone how Amy became involved with her. The second was Mr. Lawrence‘s exit. This is the one that is vague for me. I vaguely remember something about him being British and lying about that in the first one but not enough that I could connect pieces to what they were discussing in this novel. The last one which doesn’t have as much significance as the first two was the fact that Ruby stole a dress at some point and again, I’m going to assume it happened in the first novel and it seems that what led to her meeting Harrison. While they did not make an impact on this book in one way or another, they were mentioned enough times that it made me believe that they were significant in the trajectory of these characters and I felt like if you are going to mention them multiple times, you should mention the incident. As many times as these incidents were mentioned, it would not have taken much more to write a paragraph synopsis of what actually happened in each situation to give the reader. I actually read the first book, but I cannot imagine how confusing this would be to a reader who happened to pick up this book with no context. While it doesn’t have significance on this story and that it changes or alters anything I do want to emphasize that these three incidents were mentioned multiple times that it would cause any reader to become curious Whether you had read the novel or not

Finally read this book and oh what FUN!! I read the first book in this series before reading the sequel and now I am fully invested in the Davenports, the Tremaines and dear Amy-Rose.

I love reading books about wealthy Black families, especially during Reconstruction because so much was lost from that time of gain. White supremacy couldn’t handle Black people excelling and thriving and destroyed so much progress (and still does). The Black families in this series have built real wealth while also working to uplift those looking to get ahead. The very real threat of the looming Jim Crow laws are definitely talked about, and I appreciated those inhumane laws being included.

The romance in the books is refreshing and lovely and actually made my cold heart melt. The miscommunications were frustrating at times but that’s part of life. The young people are doing young people things (within reason) but the older characters are fully-realized people, as well. But what made me so very happy and reading about the love within each family as well as romantically. Black love is always treated as a rare thing and it is NOT. I’m thankful the author made sure to highlight it in both books.