This was a perfect continuation of the first book. The author did a great job at wrapping up each of the women’s stories and their relationship. Amy is still with John and living her dream opening her own business, Ruby is planning her wedding but her dad lost the mayoral election and a rumor is threatening her engagement. Helen gets into with it a race car driver and Olivia is still involved with social justice while waiting on the return of Washington. My only qualm was the four povs which sometimes made it hard to concrete on characters as well as them getting true character development. It was nice seeing black characters in the 1920s represent wealth and success. Thank you netgalley and publisher for this ARC

I really enjoyed the first Davenports book so I was very excited for this continuation of their story. What I love most about this series is the friendships and feelings of sisterhood between Olivia, Ruby, Anna-Rose and Helen and that was on full display in book two. I love how much they support and show up for each other. The romance is there too, but it very much takes a backseat to the women and their ambitions which is never a problem in my eyes. There were still plenty of great romantic moments and declarations though! My one complaint (and it was the same complaint I had in book one) was the pacing. It was incredibly slow and repetitive in places and while I was very interested to see how the characters would end up, I just wanted things to move along. However, I still enjoyed this book and these characters so much and I’m really hoping for a book three announcement soon!
CW: racism

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Teen for an advanced digital reader’s copy in exchange for an honest review.

Lovely follow up to The Davenports, I loved getting to revisit the cast of characters from the first book and meet some new ones. Amy-Rose was possibly my favorite story line though I do love the precocious Helen as well. I’m selfishly hoping for a third in the series.

This book was a great continuation of the first book. It was a lot slower, which is why it was not as highly rated for me. I had to push my way through reading this one.

This was one of my most anticipated reads of the year after how much I enjoyed The Davenports. The first book did a really good job of melding historical fiction and romance into a single story. It was even more impressive because I generally am not a fan of historical fiction at all.

And that was the problem with this book. I ended up DNFing at about 50% because it would have been unfair of me to finish and rate this book based on the fact that this book was much more heavily historical fiction. The writing and character developments were so much better in this book that it just didn't seem right to finish and rate it 2 stars just because I find historical fiction on the boring side.

So even though I didn't finish it, I would recommend this one to YA historical fiction fans. I think a lot of people will really enjoy this one.

Thank you NetGalley and the publishers for an e-ARC to review.

I adore this sequel! It was a nice continuation to the previous story. It does feel a bit slower than I would typically like but the writing is good and the characters are enjoyable.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of this eARC for review.

A great continuation story from book 1. I loved the deeper character development for each of the girls; Amy-Rose, Ruby, Helen, and Olivia. One of the best things about this romance book is that it maintained a level of "clean romance" that allows me to recommend it to teenage girls looking for a romance book! I could have read an entire book on each of the ladies!

Thank you to NetGalley, Penguin Group, and the author, Krystal Marquis for an eARC!

4/5 ⭐️This was a good sequel…can’t wait for the next book with more drama huney! More Than This is just a continuation of showing growth amongst the children of these black elites finding their own paths instead of following what society or their parents say! Except Amy-Rose! Her story is different than the others although she is connected with the black elites! It’s like Helen, Ruby, Amy-Rose, Olivia and John are growing up before our eyes! I just thoroughly enjoyed their stories!

I expected more than this for this book.

In the first book we meet four young women trying to find themselves (and two of them try to find husbands). In the second book Ruby finds a passion outside of her engagement and her parents expectations and the Davenport horseless carriage is finally gaining traction, but other than that I didn't see any other character development. Each story and romance started largely the same way as the previous book ended.

We also have three separate relationships stifled by not reading or replying to letters. It began to feel like a cheap miscommunication plot point that could have been made much more interesting. Additionally, this book was very repetitive on how kisses and men in general were discussed (but to be fair there are quite a few love interests).

While I did still like this book, it fell flat. Each character is a different example of Black excellence and the impact young women can make, but nothing was developed fully. I think it would have been better if the book was longer or if it focuses on one or two of the women instead of all four (I vote for Helen and Olivia).

Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for a review.

PS there were MANY spelling and grammatical errors.

Tiktok and Instagram posts to come (will update with links)

2.5 ⭐️

My favourite part of this instalment in the series has got to be Amy-Roses friendship with Mrs Davis and how much it changed her situation. I also enjoyed the storyline of Olivia writing for the paper and helping with the marches, etc.

I can't help but feel there are plans for another book as certain pairings don't feel fully set in place yet. I am glad Olivia chose the man she did and that at least one couple got married.

I did find myself getting confused at time jumps mid chapter. There was one instance where someone had just asked a question at dinner, and then they were in a carriage at the start of the next paragraph. Certain conversations and moments felt unfinished because of these jumps.

I received an advance review copy of this book, and this review represents my honest opinion. Thank you to netgalley, the author, and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book.

DNF

had hard time tracking all the characters and their stories. Too many for me to follow and made me lose my attention and interest since I couldn’t track the details to the right character.

I loved the first one and this was such a great sequel! I loved seeing the romances they started in book one carry over to two. I adore the multiple POVs as it makes it so much easier to read and fast moving. I love the characters and I feel like this book wrapped everything up pretty well. I hope there will be a book 3 and we will get to see more of the Davenport’s!

Genre: YA Historical Romance

This is the sequel to The Davenports. Think Bridgerton, but set in Chicago in the 1900s and it follows the lives of four different black girls. Instead of the wealthy having horse drawn carriages, they have cars.
It has all the etiquette, courting, galas, dresses, & drama you like in Bridgerton.
This one continues the YA romances from the first book. Each girl has a different interest from politics, to automotives, to becoming a business owner. It is a light, easy read.
I listened to it on audio and thought the narration was really good.
I think it is going to be a duology because it wraps up nicely.

Thank you Penguin Teen for the gifted copy! 💜

DNF @37%

I really loved the first book in this series- it was a fun blend of Bridgerton and Gossip Girl, and I was excited to see what came next. Unfortunately book 2 has really been dragging and I'm struggling to get through it so I think I'm better off stopping here. If you enjoy slower paced historical dramas, you may still quite enjoy this. I just found the pacing to be much slower than the first book without quite enough depth in the character and relationship development. I like the concept and the way it's exploring Black life in Chicago in the early 1900's, including among the wealthy elite. But I was hoping for something either snappy and juicy, or something with more character development. Your mileage may vary! I received a copy of this book for review via NetGalley, all opinions are my own.

The Davenports by Krystal Marquis is a novel filled with history, humor, and heart. In this volume, Marquis expertly maintains continuity and expands upon the characters' narratives, satisfying fans of the series. The breezy and fluid prose effortlessly supports the love-filled merry-go-round of will-they-won't-they storylines. The Davenports is an enjoyable sequel in a well-crafted coming-of-age series.

3.5 star review.
I loved the Davenports Book 1 and had a hard time waiting for the second book! There was considerable time between reading each book, which made it a little bit of a struggle to jump back in the plot with each character. However, once I was reminded of the details, I was hooked once again!
This is a period of time and place in American history I haven't had the chance to read a lot about, and enjoy the way the author brings it to life for me.
I was grateful book two gave me more resolution to what happens to each of the characters I had grown to care a lot about!

I loved THE DAVENPORTS when I read it and the follow up, MORE THAN THIS, didn't disappoint. Once again, we're following the lives of a few different narrators: Olivia and Helen Davenport, daughters of the wealthy Davenport family, known for their successful carriage company, Ruby Tremaine, friend to Olivia, and Amy-Rose Shepherd, former servant in the Davenport house and budding young businesswoman. Each young woman has her own triumphs and tragedies to navigate, and Krystal Marquis handles what could have become an overly-busy narrative deftly. We get ample time with each of the main characters and their stories all feel important and timely.

If pressed, I'm not sure I could choose a favorite! I loved Amy-Rose's determination to make her dreams come true and sympathized with the way she was drawn to John Davenport, but afraid to take a leap. I admired Helen's way of sticking to her convictions, believing she could find love AND play an important role in the family business. I despaired for Ruby as people spread rumors about her and her fiance, even though it was plain to see they were in love. And I cheered as Olivia found her voice as an activist, but I felt like she needed a hug and a chance to breathe as she found herself caught between two potential suitors.

MORE THAN THIS continues what THE DAVENPORTS began: a bold story of Black excellence in history. While this could be the end of the series, it's also clear these persistent, brave young woman have more stories to tell.

Thank you to Netgalley for an advanced copy of this book!

Please note: This is the 2nd book to "The Davenports". If you have not read "The Davenports", there will be spoilers below!

General Description: Following the 4 women of Chicago's upper crust, we have Helen, who, with the help of her brother and a race car driver, trying to usher her father's carriage company into the future by producing a car. Helen's older sister Olivia is exploring a new love interest and finding her voice in the suffragist and civil rights movements. Olivia and Helen's old friend Amy-Rose had gone to NYC to sell her hair care product, and that was successful! So successful, she was able to get her salon off the ground in Chicago! However, Amy-Rose must handle grief and navigate love while trying to keep her business afloat. Lastly, Ruby's awaiting marriage and trying to find her own footing in a society that is slowly turning against her.. How will the four women fair?

The goods:
- I definitely enjoyed this more than book 1. I liked how we got to see each story continue.
- Helen's storyline was so interesting to me and I loved the business side we get to see of her when creating the car.
- Ruby's and Olivia's perspectives on standing up for themselves was inspiring (and honestly I hope we see more of specifically Olivia's)
- Amy-Rose is my favorite character. Her pushing through so much grief to keep her dream alive just made my heart smile as i read it.

The loss of a star:
- It was a slower start overall and I wish I had a bit more back-pacing done, considering you had to remember the multiple perspectives from b00k 1. It also feels like we may get another book? I feel like it's open for that.

overall, if you liked book 1, definitely check this one out!

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley and am voluntarily posting a review. All opinions are my own.
I really enjoyed The Davenports last year, so I was excited that there would be a second book, especially given how things ended in the first one. However, the title More Than This feels woefully ironic, as I did want “more than this” for these characters, who felt sadly underdeveloped this time around.
I continue to appreciate the intent of highlighting the experiences of a wealthy Black family in the early 20th century, and the varied experiences their daughters and friends faced due to the intersection of racism and sexism, and in the case of Amy-Rose, classism, and how it impacts their ability to follow their dreams in various capacities. This book, like its predecessor, does try to get that point across, and the stakes are decently high for all of them.
But while I mostly enjoyed the multi-POV approach in book one, it got very muddled this time around. Part of it was my fault, as I scrambled to try to recollect the circumstances of the first book I’d forgotten, and this one very much throws you in the thick of it. But I also felt like none of the girls really had much of the way of consequential development for them to all stand out, and for me to care for them, the way I recall I did in book one. And the multiple narrators also once again impacted pacing and flow, bogging things down for what is otherwise a relatively average length (384 pages according to NetGalley) book.
Krystal Marquis is a good writer, and I’m not opposed to reading something from her again, especially in a different narrative style. However, I do still endorse her intent with these books, and provided you don’t have similar qualms with multi-POV stories, I would recommend this series if you’re looking for a YA historical fiction/romance series centering Black people.

"The anticipated sequel to the instant New York Times bestseller featuring escapist romance and a wealthy Black family in 1910s Chicago.

Like the blazing Chicago sun, the drama is heating up for the Davenports and their social set. Before the summer of 1910 drops its last petal, the lives - and loves - of these four young women will change in ways they never could have imagined:

Newly engaged Ruby Tremaine is eagerly planning her wedding to the love of her life when a nasty rumor threatens her reputation and her marriage. Olivia Davenport has committed to the social justice cause and secretly hopes she'll be reunited with dashing lawyer Washington DeWight - until her parents decide she's to marry someone else. Amy-Rose Shepherd is making her lifelong wish of owning a salon come true, but when an incident forces her to return to Freeport Manor, she's back in the path of John Davenport, who still holds her heart. Helen Davenport is determined to get over her own heartbreak and bring the Davenport Carriage Company into the new century, even if it means teaming up with a thrill-seeking racecar driver who just loves to get under her skin.

Inspired by the real-life story of the Patterson family, More Than This is the second book in critically adored Davenports series, following four empowered and passionate young Black women as they navigate a rapidly changing society and discover the courage to steer their own paths in life - and love."

Oh yes, more OF this!