This book was previously released so I am not going to go into too much detail on my review but I am so glad that I got the chance to read this and experience this world. I really think my favorite part of this book was the setting. So opulent and decadent. The characters were written wonderful. I felt like I could really get to know them and that they were real. I felt interested in their story and wanted more when this was over.

Where do I begin this book was awesome. The characters and storyline was amazing. I thought this was a great way to start a good series and I can't wait for the next one. The storytelling kept my attention, and I was fully invested in this book.

The Davenports by Krystal Marquis is a historical fiction novel set in 1910s Chicago, following the wealthy African-American Davenport family. It centers on the Davenport sisters, Olivia and Helen, and their friends as they navigate love, societal expectations, and personal ambitions during a time of rigid social norms and emerging civil rights movements.
The novel offers a fresh take on African-American affluence in a period rarely depicted in YA fiction. With relatable characters and a blend of romance, drama, and history, it's a good read.

The Davenports is a wonderful historical romance with a African American twist. It was very enjoyable.

This book was amazing! First of all the cover of this book is so pretty! The story was very well written and I loved the main characters in this story!

I found out very hard to put this book down. The characters were brought to life in such a way that I absolutely fell in love with them. In this work of historical fiction, all the characters were distinct. There experiences were such that anyone in spite their race could identify with their experiences.

Ultimately this was not the book I thought it was going to be. I went into this expecting a more grounded historical romance from an oft-overlooked perspective. I have heard the comparison time and again that this was like a Black Bridgerton in the US South. But that is neither fair for this book, as it focuses on such a different time with different social issues, or even for Bridgerton as people are comparing it to the much more successful TV show.
The Davenports stands its ground fairly well. I think it just struggled with tone and what kind of novel it wanted to be.
Personally I felt this could have been better in a lot of areas. Particularly the historical aspect. Honestly so much out of context could be assumed to be the modern era. I also had trouble with all the romances having basically the same issues toward the end. There really wasn't much in terms of dynamics.
Overall I feel like this was a good book, but I think it would work better for television. I would love another more adult realistic book from this author that covers the same family and themes.

Interesting premise but it lacked in engaging storytelling in my opinion. I love historical fictions so I wish it was a more prominent aspect of this story instead of centering purely the romance. This book will be great for many but unfortunately it missed me mark for me.

I listened to this on audio and the narrator is fantastic!

I really enjoyed this work. The novel follows the stories of four separate girls and I actually enjoyed all points of view equally, which I find to be rare.

The world Marquis built up feels rich and lively with lovable and very real feeling characters that I definitely cannot wait to read more of in book two.

Was finally able to read this just when I was in the mood for something historical and it didn't disappoint.

I would give this to a teen who enjoyed series like gossip girl or the luxe (our library still rotates these titles). As well as those who enjoy historical settings but don't like war books. Id mention bridgerton of course, but my younger teens still haven't read/watched it.

The story itself is full of intrigue, wit and lots of heart!

Sooooo ready for book 2. Bring it on! This was a great YA read and there so many good characters and a good plot! The writing was incredible and I really didn't want this story to end! Bravo!

Big thank you NetGalley and to the publisher for the chance to review this book POST-release. This was my first time reading The Davenports and I really enjoyed it! The characters were interesting, I loved the regency era in an update YA tone, and overall just had FUN reading it! I'll certainly be picking up book two now! It was a great summer/spring read in my opinion.

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.