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nerdybookqueen's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This novel introduces us to four amazing black women living in Chicago in the early 1910s. We follow their story of trying to find happiness and reaching their desires in their world against family expectations, misogyny, class, and racism. Through four separate POVs we get to meet each of the girls and explore their lives. I don't normally like multiple POVs, but this one, even with four POVs, was written so well, leaving me invested in each of their lives.
First we have Olivia, a woman who meets society's expectations for a woman of her status, looking for a husband, doing charity, etc. Until she stumbles into a civil rights meeting, and in addition to finding herself very attracted to the speaker at the meeting, discovers a desire to stand up for people like her across the country and fight against societal issues like Jim Crow. But, she has a match her parents like, and those same parents are scared for her safety, given their own experiences when they moved to Chicago.
Next, her younger sister Helen, a tomboy who wants nothing to do with the expectations put upon her, only wanting to fix automobiles with her brother in their family shop. She's foiled by her family hiring a manners coach for her, and falling in love with the man she things her sister loves. Her story centered around proving herself and fixing out her love life.
Next is Ruby, Olivia's best friend, whose father is running for mayor, and as such, her family is broke. Struggling to cope with this massive change in her life, she is also trying to win the love of her old crush, Olivia and Helen's brother, John, both to please her parents and, she thinks, herself. But, in her ploy to win his heart, she stumbles into love with another man, and has to decide what is more important to her: her parents approval or her own heart.
Finally, there's Amy Rose, a maid in the Davenport's home who wants to be a business owner (think Madam C. J. Walker). She's saved for a spot in town to sell her wares, and, to her dismay, finds herself falling for John. She faces both a combination of misogyny and racism as a black woman trying to start a business, and class issues both for her business and in getting approval for her and John's relationship.
Their worlds fall apart towards the end of the book, and I can't wait for the sequel in the hopes things improve. The characters are great and engaging and I love them. My only main grievance is I hate that it falls into the corset trap or treating them like terrible torture devices. They're just bras. They just hold parts where they need to be. If anything, with all the things Helen does, she would need the support most.
First we have Olivia, a woman who meets society's expectations for a woman of her status, looking for a husband, doing charity, etc. Until she stumbles into a civil rights meeting, and in addition to finding herself very attracted to the speaker at the meeting, discovers a desire to stand up for people like her across the country and fight against societal issues like Jim Crow. But, she has a match her parents like, and those same parents are scared for her safety, given their own experiences when they moved to Chicago.
Next, her younger sister Helen, a tomboy who wants nothing to do with the expectations put upon her, only wanting to fix automobiles with her brother in their family shop. She's foiled by her family hiring a manners coach for her, and falling in love with the man she things her sister loves. Her story centered around proving herself and fixing out her love life.
Next is Ruby, Olivia's best friend, whose father is running for mayor, and as such, her family is broke. Struggling to cope with this massive change in her life, she is also trying to win the love of her old crush, Olivia and Helen's brother, John, both to please her parents and, she thinks, herself. But, in her ploy to win his heart, she stumbles into love with another man, and has to decide what is more important to her: her parents approval or her own heart.
Finally, there's Amy Rose, a maid in the Davenport's home who wants to be a business owner (think Madam C. J. Walker). She's saved for a spot in town to sell her wares, and, to her dismay, finds herself falling for John. She faces both a combination of misogyny and racism as a black woman trying to start a business, and class issues both for her business and in getting approval for her and John's relationship.
Their worlds fall apart towards the end of the book, and I can't wait for the sequel in the hopes things improve. The characters are great and engaging and I love them. My only main grievance is I hate that it falls into the corset trap or treating them like terrible torture devices. They're just bras. They just hold parts where they need to be. If anything, with all the things Helen does, she would need the support most.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny, Racism, Violence, Police brutality, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Moderate: Slavery
Minor: Death and Death of parent
betweentheshelves's review
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Quite honestly, we need more historical fiction published that features Black characters that doesn't necessarily have to do directly with slavery and the Civil Rights Movement. Is that going to make it into a lot of those stories? Absolutely, especially when it's set in the United States. This book is focused on a well-off Black famiy in the early 20th century, and it centers the romance in the plot. In the YA realm, I honestly can't really think of many (if any) other books that focus on that.
If you like historical romance dramas, then this is absolutely going to be your jam. It is loosely based on an actual family in Chicago in the early 1900s, but it really focuses on the romance of the four girls. Even though there are four narrators, the characters mostly felt like they had distinct voices and for the most part, the different threads of the relationships were pretty easy to follow.
The writing itself is easy to get into, and it doesn't get too bogged down by historical facts or world building. The historical romance drama isn't always my jam, but if you like that kind of thing, I'd definitely recommend checking this one out!
If you like historical romance dramas, then this is absolutely going to be your jam. It is loosely based on an actual family in Chicago in the early 1900s, but it really focuses on the romance of the four girls. Even though there are four narrators, the characters mostly felt like they had distinct voices and for the most part, the different threads of the relationships were pretty easy to follow.
The writing itself is easy to get into, and it doesn't get too bogged down by historical facts or world building. The historical romance drama isn't always my jam, but if you like that kind of thing, I'd definitely recommend checking this one out!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Hate crime, Racism, and Classism
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Misogyny, and Slavery
Minor: Death, Violence, and Police brutality
hobbithopeful's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Set in the 1910s in Chicago, The Davenports follows the affluent Davenport family's daughters Oliva, and Helen, as well as best friend Ruby and maid Amy-Rose. The Davenports are one of the wealthiest families in town, thanks to their thriving carriage business. But it's not easy navigating the primarily white social scene of the time, especially when parental expectations and the complicated emotion that is love is involved. This book follows strong themes of parental expectations, and learning to take a chance and be bold for what you love. (And who!) I waited over a month on the library hold list for this, and it was so worth it!! This book helped to tide me over until the next season of Bridgerton comes out, I seriously cannot wait for the sequel. I saw myself in all of the girls the book followed. Olivia, pressured to be perfect and please her parents, yet finds love in a civil rights activist who opens her eyes to the struggles of her community. Helen, stifled by gender roles, unable to follow her dream of being a mechanic, and her Father doesn't listen to her ideas. Ruby, carrying the load of her parents future on her shoulders, being forced and expected to marry the Davenport heir, yet her heart tugs her the other way. And perhaps my favorite character, Amy-Rose, she has worked for everything she has, and dreams of opening a salon to do hair, a difficult task when single women (especially black women) are not thought to be capable of running their own business. While this book is primarily a romance novel, it doesn't shy away from the hard truths and facts of the time period. Krystal Marquis shows the effects of the spreading Jim Crow laws, rising racial tensions and the harsh reality of what it was like to be alive and not white during that time period. It is so incredibly important to read books like this, especially considering our education is being stripped away and so many state officials want to gloss over the ugly parts of history.
The romance of this book drew me in, and the historical events and tension kept me enraptured till the very last page. While it does end on a bit of a cliffhanger for some of the characters, and their love interests, I know their strong family ties that bind them to each other will help them get through anything. In the meantime I will eagerly anticipate the sequel!
The Cover
I adore this bold and bright cover. In the first chapter of the book Olivia is treated horribly at a shop, the store employee assumes she can't afford any of the items. In response she goes on a little spending spree (as she should) and purchases several items including bright yellow fabric. The symbolism of using that same yellow hue on the cover that Oliva purchased in response to the racist worker is just *chefs kiss*. I love how Olivia is directly looking at the viewer, a small smile on her face that reads almost as smirk. Her male suitor next to her can't take her eyes off of her, and is more focused on her face then anything else. The other three female leads are in the background huddled together, a tight knit group that looks to be gossiping. The title font works perfectly with the cover and the theme of the book, and I love how there is a little blurb on the front that reads "Fortune favors the bold". The Chicago skyline looms in the background adding depth to the overall composition.
Cover Illustration: Deanna Halsall
Cover Design: Theresa Evangelista
The romance of this book drew me in, and the historical events and tension kept me enraptured till the very last page. While it does end on a bit of a cliffhanger for some of the characters, and their love interests, I know their strong family ties that bind them to each other will help them get through anything. In the meantime I will eagerly anticipate the sequel!
The Cover
I adore this bold and bright cover. In the first chapter of the book Olivia is treated horribly at a shop, the store employee assumes she can't afford any of the items. In response she goes on a little spending spree (as she should) and purchases several items including bright yellow fabric. The symbolism of using that same yellow hue on the cover that Oliva purchased in response to the racist worker is just *chefs kiss*. I love how Olivia is directly looking at the viewer, a small smile on her face that reads almost as smirk. Her male suitor next to her can't take her eyes off of her, and is more focused on her face then anything else. The other three female leads are in the background huddled together, a tight knit group that looks to be gossiping. The title font works perfectly with the cover and the theme of the book, and I love how there is a little blurb on the front that reads "Fortune favors the bold". The Chicago skyline looms in the background adding depth to the overall composition.
Cover Illustration: Deanna Halsall
Cover Design: Theresa Evangelista
Content Warnings
Graphic: Hate crime and Racism
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Slavery, Violence, and Murder
Minor: Death